Thanks, Lost Memory. Although I’m not familiar with Town Hall Theatre, or have any photographs of this neat-looking theatre, or the familiarity of embedding photos into forums, I look forward to seeing any photographs of Town Hall Theatre that might come up.
Although I don’t reside in the Philadelphia area, I’m heartened to read/hear about another theatre that’s being saved from the wrecking ball. I wish the Friends of the Boyd victory in their fight…and all the best of luck. It looks like a beautiful theatre.
Outdoor movies can be fun, but be sure to bring bug dope (insect repellent) for the occasion.
Our area, too, has outdoor films every summer, in various parks, or places downtown, for free.
Boston has a “Movies by Moonlight” program down at Rowes Wharf, where they show screenings of older classic films on the pier and serve food to anyone who wants it, every Friday night from late June through August/early September. I remember seeing West Side Story, and, seeing it outdoors, with the sounds and sights of the city in the background added a whole other dimension to this already-great movie/musical classic.
Somerville also has a Somermovie Fest, which also starts in late June and goes through August, showing various classic films every Thursday night, and it’s sponsored by Comcast cable. I saw WSS there too about 3 years ago, and, it too, was a neat experience, with the sights and sounds of the city added to it.
Lynch Park, up in Beverly, MA, which is about a half-hour north of Boston had outdoor movie programs, and I got to see West Side Story there too. It, too, was fun, even though the weather threatened to give out on us, but, thankfully, it held up.
While outdoor movies can be fun, the disadvantage is that if it rains or even threatens to rain, they often cancel the movies. (boo-hoo)
I, too, saw Batman when it first came out, which I found a great deal of fun. However, I think that Jack Nicholson fell short while playing the Joker; it wasn’t his best.
Although I’m not a resident of New Jersey at all, I enjoyed Vinnie’s introduction and found that there was much with which I agreed with about the do’s and don’t’s about going to the movies, and the movie experience. The notion that movies are meant to be viewed on the great big, wide screen, in a real movie theatre, with the lights down low and sharing the experience with lots of other people, whether one knows them or not especially appealed to me, as did his admonition of people not using cellphones or constantly talking during a movie.
Come to think of it, I wonder if he ever reviews great, golden oldie-but-goody classic movies.
I see what you mean by “easier said than done.” Unfortunately, however, continuing to ignore or turn a blind eye and/or a deaf ear to the problems won’t make them go away, but will make them worse, if anything.
Hmmmmm….I’ve got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the kiosk sounds like a much quicker method to get one’s tickets and to avoid waiting in long lines and risking not being able to get into a screening due to its being sold out. On the other hand, however, I don’t like the fact that there’s a pretty hefty service charged attached to it in addition to the price of the ticket.
Yet, there are times when I call the theatre or go pick up movie tickets at the theatre box office in advance, which also eliminates a good deal of stress.
movie534: Have you tried getting some of your friends, etc., to get behind you and then keep trying to get the owner of the Ritz Theatre to do any classic movie series? Just curious.
is a big part of the rub, and why the above-mentioned problems persist. I believe that if customers spoke up more frequently about these problems, then things might change somewhat. That being said, movie theatre managers should work at seeing to it that their places are kept cleaner, better food gets served, and that more experienced, competent motion picture projectionists who really and truly care about what they do are hired. Theatre managers should also come down…..hard….on obnoxious troublemakers and boot them out, if need be.
The Coolidge Corner Theatre, the Brattle Theatre, and, occasionally, the Somerville Theatre all show oider classic films from time to time, but not on a weekly basis, although the Brattle shows a great deal of older films.
Excellent points—well taken, Ken Layton. Thanks for pointing out a whole set of other reasons why the movie business has been all but killed off; Theatre managers have helped bring it on themselves by being too lax and not seeing to it that restrooms/snackbars and kitchens were kept cleaners, better food was served, that more experienced projectionists were hired that really knew how to project a movie picture, that the picture brightness and sound were adjusted properly, and by not cracking down on and ousting disruptive troublemakers in the drive-ins as necessary.
I realize that this thread isn’t about ordinary movie theatres, but I think that these same points could/would just as easily apply to regular movie theatres as they do drive-in movie theatres.
That’s really too bad. Developers who do that are into their very own agenda, and don’t care a bit about the town/city/people that they purport to be serving and helping.
I agree that texting/cell-phone use in the movie theatres is both rude and distracting, as well as being a common problem, and that there’s little, if any regard for other people these days. It’s good to read/hear about some movie theatres addressing that problem and ejecting offenders if they get too out of hand, and requiring them to hand over cell phones, etc. to the movie theatre staff and then retrieve them when the movie is over with. Unfortunately, not enough movie theatres are doing this, which is a problem.
There’s one thing I’ve observed, however: Cell-phone use and texting among customers seems to be considerably less of a problem in movie theatres that show better-quality movies. However, I have also found that in such movie theatres, if I occasionally notice somebody texting or using a cellphone, I usually speak to them matter-of-factly about it, which works: they stop.
It seems to be a far greater problem, however, in many, if not most of the big multiplex cinemas with ten to twenty cinemas or more, with shoebox-sized theatres with smaller screens that look like big, big TV’s. That may be due to the combination of the schlockier movies that’re often shown in these great big multiplex cinemas, the kind of audience that such multiplex cinemas often attract, and the fact that they’re often the kind of audience that totally take offense when told not to text or use their cellphone in the movie theatre.
Come to think of it, I’ve read/heard that Israel has long had a system in place that will cause one’s cellphone, pager or texter, etc., to jam up when then attempt to use it in any kind of public place like that, including a movie theatre.
A) I agree with your sentiment, JodarMovieFan. The fact that this kind of piracy is being allowed to go on is quite disgusting..not to mention bad for the movie theatre business. It’s also the latest evidence that far too many people want something for nothing, and they’ll go to just about any lengths to get it.
B) This kind of piracy, including of burning of movie DVD’s, the use of USB pen drives, etc.should definitely be NOT allowed
C) It’s agreed that we should get back the showing of 70mm films on great big, giant-sized screens, in real movie theatres, with the lights down low. This is especially true of great, golden oldie-but-goody classics such as West Side Story, Lawrence of Arabia, to mention afew.
D). Had the SCOTUS not voted to allow movies to be made into video/VCR tapes back in the early 1980’s, when Ronald Reagan first became POTUS, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess regarding the movie industry right now.
E) I admit to one thing: I’ve commuted to various neighboring states to see my alltime favorite movie, West Side Story on the big screen, in addition to attending virtually every screening in my area. It’s agreed that big, big movies on big, big screens in real movie theatres would make the movie business thrive even more than it is right now.
Thanks, Lost Memory. Although I’m not familiar with Town Hall Theatre, or have any photographs of this neat-looking theatre, or the familiarity of embedding photos into forums, I look forward to seeing any photographs of Town Hall Theatre that might come up.
Hi, Patsy. Thanks! :)
It’s agreed; photos of the Town Hall Theatre, both of the exterior and interior of the theatre, would be nice.
Although I don’t reside in the Philadelphia area, I’m heartened to read/hear about another theatre that’s being saved from the wrecking ball. I wish the Friends of the Boyd victory in their fight…and all the best of luck. It looks like a beautiful theatre.
With most outdoor movie programs, one needs to bring his/her own chair and/or blankets, but that’s a small price to pay for an evening of fun.
Outdoor movies can be fun, but be sure to bring bug dope (insect repellent) for the occasion.
Our area, too, has outdoor films every summer, in various parks, or places downtown, for free.
Boston has a “Movies by Moonlight” program down at Rowes Wharf, where they show screenings of older classic films on the pier and serve food to anyone who wants it, every Friday night from late June through August/early September. I remember seeing West Side Story, and, seeing it outdoors, with the sounds and sights of the city in the background added a whole other dimension to this already-great movie/musical classic.
Somerville also has a Somermovie Fest, which also starts in late June and goes through August, showing various classic films every Thursday night, and it’s sponsored by Comcast cable. I saw WSS there too about 3 years ago, and, it too, was a neat experience, with the sights and sounds of the city added to it.
Lynch Park, up in Beverly, MA, which is about a half-hour north of Boston had outdoor movie programs, and I got to see West Side Story there too. It, too, was fun, even though the weather threatened to give out on us, but, thankfully, it held up.
While outdoor movies can be fun, the disadvantage is that if it rains or even threatens to rain, they often cancel the movies. (boo-hoo)
Wasn’t there also a Batman II? Just wondering.
Nice photo, Lost Memory. Thanks for posting it.
Since I was there last month, I recognize the Music Hall. It’s a beautiful theatre!
I, too, saw Batman when it first came out, which I found a great deal of fun. However, I think that Jack Nicholson fell short while playing the Joker; it wasn’t his best.
Although I’m not a resident of New Jersey at all, I enjoyed Vinnie’s introduction and found that there was much with which I agreed with about the do’s and don’t’s about going to the movies, and the movie experience. The notion that movies are meant to be viewed on the great big, wide screen, in a real movie theatre, with the lights down low and sharing the experience with lots of other people, whether one knows them or not especially appealed to me, as did his admonition of people not using cellphones or constantly talking during a movie.
Come to think of it, I wonder if he ever reviews great, golden oldie-but-goody classic movies.
I thought the Circle was closed…..unless it’s being converted into a live theatre venue.
Thanks for the compliment, movie534.
I see what you mean by “easier said than done.” Unfortunately, however, continuing to ignore or turn a blind eye and/or a deaf ear to the problems won’t make them go away, but will make them worse, if anything.
Hmmmmm….I’ve got mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, the kiosk sounds like a much quicker method to get one’s tickets and to avoid waiting in long lines and risking not being able to get into a screening due to its being sold out. On the other hand, however, I don’t like the fact that there’s a pretty hefty service charged attached to it in addition to the price of the ticket.
Yet, there are times when I call the theatre or go pick up movie tickets at the theatre box office in advance, which also eliminates a good deal of stress.
movie534: Have you tried getting some of your friends, etc., to get behind you and then keep trying to get the owner of the Ritz Theatre to do any classic movie series? Just curious.
I wish the members of “Save the Wolly” all the best of luck in their endeavors and work in renovating this cool-sounding movie theatre.
Actually, Ken Layton, this:
“customers may not say anything about it.”
is a big part of the rub, and why the above-mentioned problems persist. I believe that if customers spoke up more frequently about these problems, then things might change somewhat. That being said, movie theatre managers should work at seeing to it that their places are kept cleaner, better food gets served, and that more experienced, competent motion picture projectionists who really and truly care about what they do are hired. Theatre managers should also come down…..hard….on obnoxious troublemakers and boot them out, if need be.
The Coolidge Corner Theatre, the Brattle Theatre, and, occasionally, the Somerville Theatre all show oider classic films from time to time, but not on a weekly basis, although the Brattle shows a great deal of older films.
Excellent points—well taken, Ken Layton. Thanks for pointing out a whole set of other reasons why the movie business has been all but killed off; Theatre managers have helped bring it on themselves by being too lax and not seeing to it that restrooms/snackbars and kitchens were kept cleaners, better food was served, that more experienced projectionists were hired that really knew how to project a movie picture, that the picture brightness and sound were adjusted properly, and by not cracking down on and ousting disruptive troublemakers in the drive-ins as necessary.
I realize that this thread isn’t about ordinary movie theatres, but I think that these same points could/would just as easily apply to regular movie theatres as they do drive-in movie theatres.
Hey….I wish there was a theatre that showed classic films once a week here in the Boston area!
What a neat-looking theatre…both inside and out. Too bad it closed.
That’s really too bad. Developers who do that are into their very own agenda, and don’t care a bit about the town/city/people that they purport to be serving and helping.
Btw. that was a great Washington Post article. Thanks for posting it and sharing it with us, Ross.
and Patrick.
I agree that texting/cell-phone use in the movie theatres is both rude and distracting, as well as being a common problem, and that there’s little, if any regard for other people these days. It’s good to read/hear about some movie theatres addressing that problem and ejecting offenders if they get too out of hand, and requiring them to hand over cell phones, etc. to the movie theatre staff and then retrieve them when the movie is over with. Unfortunately, not enough movie theatres are doing this, which is a problem.
There’s one thing I’ve observed, however: Cell-phone use and texting among customers seems to be considerably less of a problem in movie theatres that show better-quality movies. However, I have also found that in such movie theatres, if I occasionally notice somebody texting or using a cellphone, I usually speak to them matter-of-factly about it, which works: they stop.
It seems to be a far greater problem, however, in many, if not most of the big multiplex cinemas with ten to twenty cinemas or more, with shoebox-sized theatres with smaller screens that look like big, big TV’s. That may be due to the combination of the schlockier movies that’re often shown in these great big multiplex cinemas, the kind of audience that such multiplex cinemas often attract, and the fact that they’re often the kind of audience that totally take offense when told not to text or use their cellphone in the movie theatre.
Come to think of it, I’ve read/heard that Israel has long had a system in place that will cause one’s cellphone, pager or texter, etc., to jam up when then attempt to use it in any kind of public place like that, including a movie theatre.
Several things:
A) I agree with your sentiment, JodarMovieFan. The fact that this kind of piracy is being allowed to go on is quite disgusting..not to mention bad for the movie theatre business. It’s also the latest evidence that far too many people want something for nothing, and they’ll go to just about any lengths to get it.
B) This kind of piracy, including of burning of movie DVD’s, the use of USB pen drives, etc.should definitely be NOT allowed
C) It’s agreed that we should get back the showing of 70mm films on great big, giant-sized screens, in real movie theatres, with the lights down low. This is especially true of great, golden oldie-but-goody classics such as West Side Story, Lawrence of Arabia, to mention afew.
D). Had the SCOTUS not voted to allow movies to be made into video/VCR tapes back in the early 1980’s, when Ronald Reagan first became POTUS, we probably wouldn’t be in this mess regarding the movie industry right now.
E) I admit to one thing: I’ve commuted to various neighboring states to see my alltime favorite movie, West Side Story on the big screen, in addition to attending virtually every screening in my area. It’s agreed that big, big movies on big, big screens in real movie theatres would make the movie business thrive even more than it is right now.