Same goes for IFC and Clearview Cinemas (also a cable vision company) yet IFC Center isn’t a Clearview location in the least. It doesn’t even offer the same type of cola. As for this discussion on going art house or not, another sign that a theater isn’t compleatly 100% well is if they start showing Bollywood or porno. Bollywood and Porno are interestingly enough the only two genres that you know exsactly what you can expect before you enter the theatre because there is a list of conventions that go along with the genre.
As for second run- we need more of them. Interstate Theatres is one chain (a division of Cinemark) that is a true discount chain (showing movies often weeks before they are on DVD) and they have had great success at Columbia Park in North Bergen- the place is packed every night for $2.00 movies. This pricing structure may not work for N/A or Regal but it does work.
We might wana consider changing this one to reflect its current status at 10-screens. Instead of displaying a movie title above the door Theatre 1 displayed “Do Not Enter” – when I asked an usher why they weren’t using the theatre his responce was “It had burned down” apparently it had sustained some fire damange, as did the theatre located directly above it #7.
Loews Wayne and Medows 6 are pretty much identical in design, that was until Loews Wayne cut the two largest houses in half to become 8 and then later added 6 to become 14. The Medows 6 is still open, as is the Plaza 8 (down the street) – both are low price first run houses, hanging on until Muvico comes to town.
The only theatres I expect to close are those that are already not long for this world, I doubt AMC would close a profitable cinema just because its old and only has 5 screens. If anything, if a cinema still puts up a profit and a deveoloper/land owner still is interested in having a theatre on the property it’ll have a life with some other chain. Look at the many General Cinema locations that found life in other forms (many are bar/grill types of cinemas) – I don’t think many folks have to worry about losing their jobs except those in New York. (And hey, Loews Theatres are currently poorly run- why would they want those people hanging around tarnishing the AMC name).
I figure they’re only using about half the theatre in the current configuration, whats behind those two theatres downstairs, is it being used? If so they can atleast put in two more screens (with stadium seating probably) or, even better take down that sad screen in the balcony and recreate the balcony with this new space with a huge new screen- that’d be the way to go.
Still, I admire that this the loby is pretty much nicely in tact.
I remember wen it was Loews, during its last days this was a discount house. It closed (and newspaper ads still ran for it for three weeks) and remained closed for about a year or so until Magic Cinemas aquired it (they were building a fleet of cinemas including this one, Bergenfield, Northamption Crossings, The Colony, and Hadley 11). Regal later took over Magic Cinemas' operations and sold the Bergenfield, Colony Theatre, and this one to Clearview. Clearview closed it later, as Joe Masher notes.
Also known as Loew’s Abby, Magic Cinemas, Regal Cinemas, Clearview Cinemas, and I think one other chain before Galaxy Theatres. Is it successful if its changed owners so many times?
Hoyts built ugly theatres too (Enfield Mall in CT a good example). National Amusements ought to change the game up in Eastern PA and put in a Cinema De Lux, that’d be a nice culture shock coming from this rundown house to high end luxery. Stroud Mall itself has a retro feel to it, the whole place seems trapped in the 60’s except for those kids dressed in black hanging around Hot Topic.
Maybe the entire mall ought to be persurved as a musem or 60’s themed shopping and entertainment destination. Too bad they remodled it a few years ago.
Funny story about the projection at Clifton Commons. Back when it was General Cinema I went to see a movie called Charlotte Gray there, the projection was fine until the end of the movie when Charlotte goes back to see her long lost love, whom she had been lieing to the whole time (even using a diffrent name). The projection was scrambled almost, like something had fallen out of sinc.
By time I got out to the manager’s desk and informed them of the problem the projectionist had started working on it, I came back in the theatre and the cleaning folks were starting to walk in. The partrons at the bottom had told them “no, we still have to see the end of the movie.”
A few minutes later the movie started up, Cate Blanchett returns to the villa and the only words she utters “I forgot to tell you, by the way, my name is Charlotte Gray” then the credits start to roll.
But I like this theatre anyway, its the only cinema in the county with stadium seating.
Clearview does show art movies, but the ambitious plan for the Headquarters didn’t really happen. It’s a multiplex, simular to when it was run by AMC, they added a few touches to make it more Clearview-like, but no major upgrades/improvements really (excpect new seats).
Morristown is very cool, but its not a college town (all it has is CCM), if it were like Montclair, perhaps it would be showing more art films. I did see Amalie there years ago, so they will once in a while play something like that but when push comes to shove its more likely that you’ll be seeing something like Unleashed there than the Enron movie.
Ron, things need to get shaken up at Loews, from a customer stand point AMC is a far better chain than Loews, I could go on and site atleast 10 bad movie experiences at diffrent Loews across NJ, NY, and CT. I didn’t know Budco Theatres, but Loews, in all honestly has run its coarse. It’s brand name is even spelled wrong (for the puriests, it should be Loew’s!) The days of the Loew’s movie palaces are over, the new cineplexes they built are ugly and cheesy looking, they did all this to themselves, bassicly. Their operations are flawed. Hell, they can’t even keep open a little ice cream and coffee stand and thier hot foods kitchen at their Paramus Ten Plex while the National Amusements down the street keeps pretty much an entire foodcourt open (four diffrent concessions offering real food). Loews is flawed, their theatres smell (part of the reason is that Nacho Grande they offer), and the quality just isn’t there (they were well run under Sony’s ownership). I say bring on AMC, they have a corporate philosphy. They usshered in multiplexing (they weren’t the first, ofcoarse), but they used it as their marketing ploy- they have a corporate idenity. Loews, quite honestly sucks these days, always a problem, really bad popcorn. Say what you want about AMC, the experience there is second only to National Amusements from a multiplex operations point of view.
Then again I know what its like to lose a movie theatre or chain you really loved, but AMC is so much better than Loews, essentally we’re losing the WORST CHAIN CURRENTLY IN OPERATION. And this is a very good thing.
AMC was one of the only chains that didn’t fall in 2000, they were smarter about how they built and managed their theatres. They are sort of the Wal Mart of multiplexes, they offer 28 screens of movies at slightly lower prices than REG, they have their nitch. Loews' prices were higher (for, in my opinion a lesser quality experience). AMC isn’t in CT (and will only have two locations in that state) so they seem like a likely candidate to aquire Crown, but remember with Crown they own a few older sites, its' not just megaplexes like the Palace 17- they’d also have to deal with the awful, rundown, misrable Cinema City. Can other chains survive in this Regal/AMC universe? I don’t know, it’ll be interesting to see with this expansion of the AMC brand if theater have to lower their prices to be competitive with this giant.
Isn’t Muvico coming to Leigh Valley, it was weird seeing the Leigh Valley Cinema close, I wish somehow it could have been perserved, its important in some way to the history of exhibition, current history, it had many GC design features that are now gone with the AMC closures. I can’t blaim them though. They closed Rockaway Mall when the rent doubled.
They are all about attracting crowds, and often times are smart about their programing (especially at Clifton Commons where they stagger showtimes and interlock, they do their best to keep shows from selling out despite the fact the theatre lacks an screen larger than 300 seats). I think AMC controlling Pallisades Center (a theatre you often have to buy tickets in advance for, especially on a Saturday night) they’ll make that theatre bareable again.
I do understand your frustration, the center city phildephia lacks movie theatres (except for The Ritz chain, really). Although, you gotta dig The Bridge. I think this new move will force N/A to build more/convert their chain to include more CInema De Lux locations to seperate themselves from AMC and Regal which are pretty much offering the exsact same product. This move will diffinatly impact the future of cinema exhibition.
I wonder if a Clearview take over of some NY houses is possiable. When they merged with Cineplex Oden most of the Oden houses were sold off (as Cineplex Oden had, I think the most locations in Manhatten). What about 42nd street? Clearview Empire 25? Man, thats scary.
(Especially after Cablevision just spent a few million on the IFC Center, which is so tottally unrelated to Clearview they don’t even serve the same kind of soda)
AMC will probably do when they did with GC, keep the houses open and quitely close them off when their leases were up. They essentally are a chain of large houses, most with 16+ screens. I’m still shocked they’re opperating the Essex Green cinema in NJ (they sold off the Headquarters 10, only to a few years later aquire a 9-plex).
I actually am going to have to disagree with Bigred here about AMC. In Northern NJ they actually lowered prices! At GC Clifton Commons they held the same adult price as GC did (for a year and a half after they merged) and lowered prices by 8.50 (from 9.00) at GC Essex Green. They also started to offer student rate. Their prices are cheaper than Regal, Loews, and National Amusements.
I suspect the Loews name will disapear as well, AMC wants to get its brand out there. I like AMC more than Loews, granted there is a historical context there (even though its name ought to be Loew’s! So all that mess about LCE celibrating 100 is crap, considering all their theatres at one point swiched to the Sony name). AMC offers student rate, movie watchers and significantly lower prices than the other chains have (if you don’t belive me price out a large popcorn and soda there verses at Regal).
Say all you want about AMC but they actually moved a movie palace and incorporated as part of a megaplex instead of building a tacky looking building with movie palace themeing. I supsect some of their locations may swich operators (maybe E-Walk will be sold off to either Clearview or Regal). This new company will still only be the number two exhibitor in the US, REG is just that huge. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I don’t know, AMC seemed to embody the big box theory that America seems to have been taking a liking to lately, yet they provide a good quality movie going experience everytime. Loews, in my opion does not- their theatres are ussually dirty, the pictures are framed wrong- atleast with AMC I know what I’m in for. I welcome this change, although I’m sad to see the Loews name go as well in a way. And, ofcoarse AMC has better popcorn.
Getting off topic, anybody here about the second comming of General Cinema as supsected on the Chestnut Hill Cinemas page? They were the best.
Clearview wouldn’t go for it. Sell off the E-Walk, that theatre sucks. I hope this means Loews will start offering Moviewatchers. Loews theatres quality has declined shaply after they were sold off from the Sony Empire. I look foward to the AMC changes.
General Cinemas loved THX (which is sort of a scam, a theatre can techincally be up to THX standards but the owner may not pay for certification, in which it cannot claim THX). This one has two, so does the new (as well as the old) GC/AMC at Essex Green in West Orange.
The only reason this theatre does well is because its in a mall, I remember going here a few years ago and it was the worst Loews I’ve ever been to. I was in the 5 screen part of the building, seeing Pirates of the Caribian (opening weekened, so I have to assume I was in one of the largest screens in the house). The sidelines were okay, they had high raked style seating (sort of like a primative form of Stadium Seating, but uncomfortable cup-holder-less seats.
The walls were made of some sort of blasted rock- I can imagine this is a retro delight for many but it was a shocker for me, even Loews has standards, this one was dirty, small, cramped. Maybe its been remodled? I don’t know. Music Makers sure knew how to build them- small and ugly. It had style, I will say that- it was the ugliest movie theatre I had ever been to.
Lord knows I’m not a Cinema Treasure puriest who belives only classic pallaces ought to be added to the list but Loews Stroud Mall is both a Treasure and a curse- would I be interested in taking an online tour of the theatre at cinematour.com, sure, would I be interested seeing a movie there first run, probably not. An experience, I will say that. (And the smallest bathrooms this side of the tragic set up at Island 16).
I think there were 3 cinemas in this area in New Brunswick at one time or another: Loews Route 18, Cinema City (down past Brunswick Square) and the GC/Cinema City Movies @ Brunswick Square/Mega Movies.
Yeah, and the fact these are alternative films that rarely are shown except at Avent Gaurd film festivals is diffinatly a plus, although these are new digital artists instead of Brackhage classics or that sort, but who knows, they just opened (they’ll be showing a new short every week). It’s nice to see this type of filmmaking at a commerical cinema verses at a film festival or college setting. Vanco is on to something here, the Angelika ought to take notice.
The spirit of the center is to show independent films, its bold of them to showcase short alternative works before the feature (Real Art Ways in Hartford also does this as well). IFC Center is alright, the seats you have to say are the most exciting thing ab out the place.
I was there on Friday night to see Me and You and Everyone We Know, in theatre 1, the main screen, which was projected in HD (the only theatre in the country to be showing the feature this way verses 35MM). The loby has kinda of a cheesy modified theme to it, diffinatly unexciting, a small snack bar in the corner. The bathrooms are downstairs, the design there is very cool, like going to a trendy urban cafe or club.
I didn’t venture downstairs or to the cafe. The projectionists deminstration outside caused the line for the mainhouse to be kept inside (funny thing is that neighborhood is noisy enough without the protest). The mainhouse is pretty nice, and a bonus for most fans of this site: it has a curtain!
Weirdly though this house isn’t even remotly affliated with Clearview Cinemas in the least (I was thinking for a time it would have been Clearview Cinemas IFC Center), they had Coke instead of Clearview’s cola brand, Pepsi. Bold of Cablevision to now be opperating two unaffliated cinemas within the same company. Maybe this means IFC Center will have a shot at expanding in to other markets. Let’s hope, this place is important (despite being in a loud bar-filled neighborhood).
Isn’t this one still open, I’ve never been but I typed in Rocky Hill and saw a listing for a nearby Montgomery Cinemas. Is this the same one (that township was listed as Bella Mead). But it appears to be alive and well with 6 art features playing.
General Cinemas. This one was a GC. I think when the lease expired it was aquired by Cinemagic, who opperated discount houses in the area. It closed sometime I think before or around 2000. I’m not from the area so I don’t know when GC stopped operating it, but it was diffinatly before the days of the AMC take over.
Same goes for IFC and Clearview Cinemas (also a cable vision company) yet IFC Center isn’t a Clearview location in the least. It doesn’t even offer the same type of cola. As for this discussion on going art house or not, another sign that a theater isn’t compleatly 100% well is if they start showing Bollywood or porno. Bollywood and Porno are interestingly enough the only two genres that you know exsactly what you can expect before you enter the theatre because there is a list of conventions that go along with the genre.
As for second run- we need more of them. Interstate Theatres is one chain (a division of Cinemark) that is a true discount chain (showing movies often weeks before they are on DVD) and they have had great success at Columbia Park in North Bergen- the place is packed every night for $2.00 movies. This pricing structure may not work for N/A or Regal but it does work.
We might wana consider changing this one to reflect its current status at 10-screens. Instead of displaying a movie title above the door Theatre 1 displayed “Do Not Enter” – when I asked an usher why they weren’t using the theatre his responce was “It had burned down” apparently it had sustained some fire damange, as did the theatre located directly above it #7.
Loews Wayne and Medows 6 are pretty much identical in design, that was until Loews Wayne cut the two largest houses in half to become 8 and then later added 6 to become 14. The Medows 6 is still open, as is the Plaza 8 (down the street) – both are low price first run houses, hanging on until Muvico comes to town.
The only theatres I expect to close are those that are already not long for this world, I doubt AMC would close a profitable cinema just because its old and only has 5 screens. If anything, if a cinema still puts up a profit and a deveoloper/land owner still is interested in having a theatre on the property it’ll have a life with some other chain. Look at the many General Cinema locations that found life in other forms (many are bar/grill types of cinemas) – I don’t think many folks have to worry about losing their jobs except those in New York. (And hey, Loews Theatres are currently poorly run- why would they want those people hanging around tarnishing the AMC name).
I figure they’re only using about half the theatre in the current configuration, whats behind those two theatres downstairs, is it being used? If so they can atleast put in two more screens (with stadium seating probably) or, even better take down that sad screen in the balcony and recreate the balcony with this new space with a huge new screen- that’d be the way to go.
Still, I admire that this the loby is pretty much nicely in tact.
I remember wen it was Loews, during its last days this was a discount house. It closed (and newspaper ads still ran for it for three weeks) and remained closed for about a year or so until Magic Cinemas aquired it (they were building a fleet of cinemas including this one, Bergenfield, Northamption Crossings, The Colony, and Hadley 11). Regal later took over Magic Cinemas' operations and sold the Bergenfield, Colony Theatre, and this one to Clearview. Clearview closed it later, as Joe Masher notes.
Also known as Loew’s Abby, Magic Cinemas, Regal Cinemas, Clearview Cinemas, and I think one other chain before Galaxy Theatres. Is it successful if its changed owners so many times?
Hoyts built ugly theatres too (Enfield Mall in CT a good example). National Amusements ought to change the game up in Eastern PA and put in a Cinema De Lux, that’d be a nice culture shock coming from this rundown house to high end luxery. Stroud Mall itself has a retro feel to it, the whole place seems trapped in the 60’s except for those kids dressed in black hanging around Hot Topic.
Maybe the entire mall ought to be persurved as a musem or 60’s themed shopping and entertainment destination. Too bad they remodled it a few years ago.
Funny story about the projection at Clifton Commons. Back when it was General Cinema I went to see a movie called Charlotte Gray there, the projection was fine until the end of the movie when Charlotte goes back to see her long lost love, whom she had been lieing to the whole time (even using a diffrent name). The projection was scrambled almost, like something had fallen out of sinc.
By time I got out to the manager’s desk and informed them of the problem the projectionist had started working on it, I came back in the theatre and the cleaning folks were starting to walk in. The partrons at the bottom had told them “no, we still have to see the end of the movie.”
A few minutes later the movie started up, Cate Blanchett returns to the villa and the only words she utters “I forgot to tell you, by the way, my name is Charlotte Gray” then the credits start to roll.
But I like this theatre anyway, its the only cinema in the county with stadium seating.
Clearview does show art movies, but the ambitious plan for the Headquarters didn’t really happen. It’s a multiplex, simular to when it was run by AMC, they added a few touches to make it more Clearview-like, but no major upgrades/improvements really (excpect new seats).
Morristown is very cool, but its not a college town (all it has is CCM), if it were like Montclair, perhaps it would be showing more art films. I did see Amalie there years ago, so they will once in a while play something like that but when push comes to shove its more likely that you’ll be seeing something like Unleashed there than the Enron movie.
Ron, things need to get shaken up at Loews, from a customer stand point AMC is a far better chain than Loews, I could go on and site atleast 10 bad movie experiences at diffrent Loews across NJ, NY, and CT. I didn’t know Budco Theatres, but Loews, in all honestly has run its coarse. It’s brand name is even spelled wrong (for the puriests, it should be Loew’s!) The days of the Loew’s movie palaces are over, the new cineplexes they built are ugly and cheesy looking, they did all this to themselves, bassicly. Their operations are flawed. Hell, they can’t even keep open a little ice cream and coffee stand and thier hot foods kitchen at their Paramus Ten Plex while the National Amusements down the street keeps pretty much an entire foodcourt open (four diffrent concessions offering real food). Loews is flawed, their theatres smell (part of the reason is that Nacho Grande they offer), and the quality just isn’t there (they were well run under Sony’s ownership). I say bring on AMC, they have a corporate philosphy. They usshered in multiplexing (they weren’t the first, ofcoarse), but they used it as their marketing ploy- they have a corporate idenity. Loews, quite honestly sucks these days, always a problem, really bad popcorn. Say what you want about AMC, the experience there is second only to National Amusements from a multiplex operations point of view.
Then again I know what its like to lose a movie theatre or chain you really loved, but AMC is so much better than Loews, essentally we’re losing the WORST CHAIN CURRENTLY IN OPERATION. And this is a very good thing.
AMC was one of the only chains that didn’t fall in 2000, they were smarter about how they built and managed their theatres. They are sort of the Wal Mart of multiplexes, they offer 28 screens of movies at slightly lower prices than REG, they have their nitch. Loews' prices were higher (for, in my opinion a lesser quality experience). AMC isn’t in CT (and will only have two locations in that state) so they seem like a likely candidate to aquire Crown, but remember with Crown they own a few older sites, its' not just megaplexes like the Palace 17- they’d also have to deal with the awful, rundown, misrable Cinema City. Can other chains survive in this Regal/AMC universe? I don’t know, it’ll be interesting to see with this expansion of the AMC brand if theater have to lower their prices to be competitive with this giant.
Isn’t Muvico coming to Leigh Valley, it was weird seeing the Leigh Valley Cinema close, I wish somehow it could have been perserved, its important in some way to the history of exhibition, current history, it had many GC design features that are now gone with the AMC closures. I can’t blaim them though. They closed Rockaway Mall when the rent doubled.
They are all about attracting crowds, and often times are smart about their programing (especially at Clifton Commons where they stagger showtimes and interlock, they do their best to keep shows from selling out despite the fact the theatre lacks an screen larger than 300 seats). I think AMC controlling Pallisades Center (a theatre you often have to buy tickets in advance for, especially on a Saturday night) they’ll make that theatre bareable again.
I do understand your frustration, the center city phildephia lacks movie theatres (except for The Ritz chain, really). Although, you gotta dig The Bridge. I think this new move will force N/A to build more/convert their chain to include more CInema De Lux locations to seperate themselves from AMC and Regal which are pretty much offering the exsact same product. This move will diffinatly impact the future of cinema exhibition.
I wonder if a Clearview take over of some NY houses is possiable. When they merged with Cineplex Oden most of the Oden houses were sold off (as Cineplex Oden had, I think the most locations in Manhatten). What about 42nd street? Clearview Empire 25? Man, thats scary.
(Especially after Cablevision just spent a few million on the IFC Center, which is so tottally unrelated to Clearview they don’t even serve the same kind of soda)
AMC will probably do when they did with GC, keep the houses open and quitely close them off when their leases were up. They essentally are a chain of large houses, most with 16+ screens. I’m still shocked they’re opperating the Essex Green cinema in NJ (they sold off the Headquarters 10, only to a few years later aquire a 9-plex).
I actually am going to have to disagree with Bigred here about AMC. In Northern NJ they actually lowered prices! At GC Clifton Commons they held the same adult price as GC did (for a year and a half after they merged) and lowered prices by 8.50 (from 9.00) at GC Essex Green. They also started to offer student rate. Their prices are cheaper than Regal, Loews, and National Amusements.
I suspect the Loews name will disapear as well, AMC wants to get its brand out there. I like AMC more than Loews, granted there is a historical context there (even though its name ought to be Loew’s! So all that mess about LCE celibrating 100 is crap, considering all their theatres at one point swiched to the Sony name). AMC offers student rate, movie watchers and significantly lower prices than the other chains have (if you don’t belive me price out a large popcorn and soda there verses at Regal).
Say all you want about AMC but they actually moved a movie palace and incorporated as part of a megaplex instead of building a tacky looking building with movie palace themeing. I supsect some of their locations may swich operators (maybe E-Walk will be sold off to either Clearview or Regal). This new company will still only be the number two exhibitor in the US, REG is just that huge. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I don’t know, AMC seemed to embody the big box theory that America seems to have been taking a liking to lately, yet they provide a good quality movie going experience everytime. Loews, in my opion does not- their theatres are ussually dirty, the pictures are framed wrong- atleast with AMC I know what I’m in for. I welcome this change, although I’m sad to see the Loews name go as well in a way. And, ofcoarse AMC has better popcorn.
Getting off topic, anybody here about the second comming of General Cinema as supsected on the Chestnut Hill Cinemas page? They were the best.
Clearview wouldn’t go for it. Sell off the E-Walk, that theatre sucks. I hope this means Loews will start offering Moviewatchers. Loews theatres quality has declined shaply after they were sold off from the Sony Empire. I look foward to the AMC changes.
General Cinemas loved THX (which is sort of a scam, a theatre can techincally be up to THX standards but the owner may not pay for certification, in which it cannot claim THX). This one has two, so does the new (as well as the old) GC/AMC at Essex Green in West Orange.
The only reason this theatre does well is because its in a mall, I remember going here a few years ago and it was the worst Loews I’ve ever been to. I was in the 5 screen part of the building, seeing Pirates of the Caribian (opening weekened, so I have to assume I was in one of the largest screens in the house). The sidelines were okay, they had high raked style seating (sort of like a primative form of Stadium Seating, but uncomfortable cup-holder-less seats.
The walls were made of some sort of blasted rock- I can imagine this is a retro delight for many but it was a shocker for me, even Loews has standards, this one was dirty, small, cramped. Maybe its been remodled? I don’t know. Music Makers sure knew how to build them- small and ugly. It had style, I will say that- it was the ugliest movie theatre I had ever been to.
Lord knows I’m not a Cinema Treasure puriest who belives only classic pallaces ought to be added to the list but Loews Stroud Mall is both a Treasure and a curse- would I be interested in taking an online tour of the theatre at cinematour.com, sure, would I be interested seeing a movie there first run, probably not. An experience, I will say that. (And the smallest bathrooms this side of the tragic set up at Island 16).
I think this house was where the food court currently stands and closed around the time Loews Wayne opened.
I think there were 3 cinemas in this area in New Brunswick at one time or another: Loews Route 18, Cinema City (down past Brunswick Square) and the GC/Cinema City Movies @ Brunswick Square/Mega Movies.
Yeah, and the fact these are alternative films that rarely are shown except at Avent Gaurd film festivals is diffinatly a plus, although these are new digital artists instead of Brackhage classics or that sort, but who knows, they just opened (they’ll be showing a new short every week). It’s nice to see this type of filmmaking at a commerical cinema verses at a film festival or college setting. Vanco is on to something here, the Angelika ought to take notice.
The spirit of the center is to show independent films, its bold of them to showcase short alternative works before the feature (Real Art Ways in Hartford also does this as well). IFC Center is alright, the seats you have to say are the most exciting thing ab out the place.
I was there on Friday night to see Me and You and Everyone We Know, in theatre 1, the main screen, which was projected in HD (the only theatre in the country to be showing the feature this way verses 35MM). The loby has kinda of a cheesy modified theme to it, diffinatly unexciting, a small snack bar in the corner. The bathrooms are downstairs, the design there is very cool, like going to a trendy urban cafe or club.
I didn’t venture downstairs or to the cafe. The projectionists deminstration outside caused the line for the mainhouse to be kept inside (funny thing is that neighborhood is noisy enough without the protest). The mainhouse is pretty nice, and a bonus for most fans of this site: it has a curtain!
Weirdly though this house isn’t even remotly affliated with Clearview Cinemas in the least (I was thinking for a time it would have been Clearview Cinemas IFC Center), they had Coke instead of Clearview’s cola brand, Pepsi. Bold of Cablevision to now be opperating two unaffliated cinemas within the same company. Maybe this means IFC Center will have a shot at expanding in to other markets. Let’s hope, this place is important (despite being in a loud bar-filled neighborhood).
Isn’t this one still open, I’ve never been but I typed in Rocky Hill and saw a listing for a nearby Montgomery Cinemas. Is this the same one (that township was listed as Bella Mead). But it appears to be alive and well with 6 art features playing.
General Cinemas. This one was a GC. I think when the lease expired it was aquired by Cinemagic, who opperated discount houses in the area. It closed sometime I think before or around 2000. I’m not from the area so I don’t know when GC stopped operating it, but it was diffinatly before the days of the AMC take over.