Did they play the Dolby Digital Cinema projection trailer before the show? I love the sound voom boom at the end of it just after the CGI generated multicolored leaves sprout.
With the relative short running time, short exclusivity opening and at $28k per sold out show, they could have squeezed a few more shows to sell more tickets. I would have run it starting at 8 am..then every 3 hours up to midnight. Maybe get one of the stars, extras, or production people to introduce the evening shows and/or a short Q&A, to make it even more special.
That is good news…so at $25/ticket X1131 seats X 5 shows; Fri night, two shows each Sat and Sun, it should gross about $141,375! I can forsee the Variety headline now..DREAMGIRLS DOES BOFFO IN GOTHAM! :)
Terrific news! I am just curious about one thing. Does anyone check out theater submissions to make sure that they are legitimate? It seems that there have been countless submissions where little to no information was given about a particular theater except for auditorium capacity (for example) and someone’s faint memory about it being in existence during a decade a long time ago.
The theaters that I frequent are either very near or in shopping centers so parking is not a problem. If it is an event film and I go to Baltimore’s Senator, or in the rarity of rarities, DC’s Uptown, then it is more challenging. At least the Senator has an agreement with the block away Staples to use their lot and there hasn’t really been any problems. The Uptown requires more strategic planning during non-rush hour times. You can case the store front parking, in front of the theater or across the street, but must first drop off your party to wait in line and then wait for the previous show’s patrons to exit their parking space, or if you’re lucky, park in one of the residential spaces that surround the theater. The only negative to the residential parking is if you catch a matinee showing, you must show a parking sticker or risk fines and/or towing.
I got last month’s free popcorn Email but nothing this month so far. I do have a free movie pass from last year’s anniversary mailing that had mistakenly had 2007 printed for the expiration date. It should still be good.
As far as the changeover, no one from Customer Service has replied to my query as well. And there still is no official release on their news release section of the website.
On a positive note, they must have installed a newer digital projection unit in 11 as the older (2002) unit had become ‘obsolete’ and was no longer supported, according to the last Customer Service response letter to my previous query.
Who is to say that the ground level seats in a stadium-style auditorium are NOT choice seats? It is for me and my friends that go to the movies. You have the best legroom in the house, still decent sightlines and don’t have that annoying kid or patron behind you kicking your seatback!
If your g-friend’s Aunt was the Producer, I would have asked her to request Managment to cord off a section for your party as a VIP section or for the Press. This has been done at my favorite plex.
I think if you’re going to save multiple seats, there should be more than just ONE in the party to be there. I would never subject my friends or relatives to do that for me, nor would I do that for them. If there are at least three, then you can position 2 of the 3 at either end of the spread of the 9 seats and the third, in the middle. I don’t think it wrong to save seats if they are PAID seats.
On the other hand, if I wanted my favorite seat or section, in the middle to front of the theater, and its in a section of ‘saved’ seats and those people who are saving those seats cannot present the tickets for them, then my ticket would entitle me to any seat in the auditorium, including the ‘saved’ seat(s) since there isn’t a ticket to vouch for that seat. In all honesty, in all the years of cinema attendance, I’ve never felt inclined to do that as I have always found a good seat. If its in a THX-certified auditorium, which is where I like to see most movies anyway, the sound should be good in any seat right?
If you’re dedicated opening-day moviegoer and you HAVE to have your FAVORITE seat or section, than its up to you or someone in your party to ensure that someone is there early enough to save your favorite seat or section. Even if you can’t secure your favorite spot, its not all that bad to sit a little closer or further from the screen. If not, then see another showing.
As far as getting food and into the auditorium, there are ways to do it undetected but let’s save that for another discussion……. :–)
The alternative use of space is an interesting one. Its a additional revenue stream as well. The NA theater near me in Arlington VA has a line up of several arcade games. On one night, several years ago, there was a fight amongst a group of kids over a video game that turned rather violent. Fortunately, I didn’t stick around to see what happened or why, but widespread conversions should proceed with caution. Nowadays, video games are more sophisticated and intense since the old days of Pac Man, Galaxian and gasp Pong that a lot of us grew up on. They can stir up and incite kids predisposed to violence and aggression to act out at the simplest slight and/or remark.
Spielberg’s comments are hardly surprising given his bio and current status of one of Hollywood’s preeminent filmmakers. Does anyone honestly think that when he frames a shot, he’s thinking of how it will look on a 3" iPod video screen? He doesn’t seem to embrace digital projection as his friend George Lucas does. I am curious as to how they are going to film the upcoming and presumed last Indian Jones movie.
At last night’s DLP version of ‘Deja Vu’ there were no ads or the Crown Theater opening. But then again, I don’t recall them showing any commercials in digital projection. (5s). With the new Mall addition, it would be nice to get one of their GIANT screen auditoriums for IMAX or just traditional fare on a really BIG screen.
You guys do a terrific job with the site. I can’t say enough positive things about it to my friends and fellow movie/theater fans. But my only concern, and its a small one, is that there seems to be frequent submissions of theaters that are really newer or just opened plexes. I always thought that the site had more to do with older venues that have some kind of historical, architectural and/or interior significance.
I can’t believe I missed this news. The Crown Theatres in Annapolis XI and Harbour 9 are one of my favorite theaters and probably have the best projection and sound in the DC Metro area. They have several THX certified screens, digital projection in two auditoriums and have a somewhat personal touch to showing movies as they have an employee introduce shows (at least on the weekend evenings that I go).
The Harbour 9 shows art movie fare and went through a recent renovation but the screens and auditoriums, though numerous, are rather small. Supposedly the 70mm projectors that were at the now closed DC MacArthur theater found their way to this venue. What is interesting about that transfer is that this theater never used them to the best of my knowledge. Unfortunately, I have not been able to confirm any of this and the employees look at me like I’m speaking a foreign language when I mention the DP70 projectors.
Based on the previous posts, if the change in ownership means a return to improved showmanship and programming, it would be great to see movies in 70mm again, even if they are at the smaller Harbour 9. The Crown Theater website makes no mention about this acquisition. Let’s hope the best comes out of this change.
How on earth is a theater that hasn’t even been open, much less ‘experienced’ is placed on a site that is supposed to ‘discover, preserve and protect’ ones that have been in existence for a long time?
It goes against what this website is about.
The idea of continuing submissions like this one seem more like a plug for patronage than for protecting a venue’s history and memories. Its as if we’re supposed to get excited about the opening of a new McDonalds.
I’m just reading that the running time of Dreamgirls is only 125 minutes. That to me seems hardly long enough to warrant an intermission. I can’t believe that people can’t hold their attention span and/or bladders for at least two hours, without a break. I drank a 44 oz drink watching the final Lord of the Rings and sat through it all without a break and that movie was over 3 hours long!
The Clearview website indicates only two shows a day, at 2 and 8? If you figure 3 hours for the show, plus intermission, surely they can squeeze in more shows to make more money given the two week exclusive run in town.
I went to the NA Fairfax Cinema Deluxe 14 within a week of its opening a few years ago. The advertisement of the ‘Director’s Hall’ was interesting and different, so my friends and I made the drive into VA for the ‘experience.’ They didn’t follow policy if we were allowed to choose our seats. We were assigned and seated way up in the back of the theater. I didn’t like being so high up so I decided we’d move down, as did some of our neighbors. The same Usher, who led us to our seats recognized some of us and proceeded to ask for our stubs and returned as back to our original seats. I felt like I was in 1st grade with the assigned seating and later being returned to my seat. Needless to say, I don’t plan on going back there or recommending that venue anytime soon…unless they have a 70mm festival (grin).
Anyway, my question/comment was directed primarily towards the Ziegfeld’s roadshow engagement reserved seating system and my single moviegoing experience with a ‘reserved seating’ arrangement and was curious as to how they had previously worked at this particular venue. After digging around the Clearview site, it seems that for the Dreamgirls engagement your ticket purchase gets you a seat, but once you get your ticket at the theater, the “system will select the best seating available in the auditorium.” That doesn’t sound like a choice to me.
The concept of reserved seating for the Dreamgirls engagement means that a computer will assign me a seat at random? Or, can a patron choose his seat and be guaranteed THAT seat for a particular showing? If its like National Amusement’s Director Hall reserved seating system, it sucks. You are told where to sit and an usher will come back and move you if you’ve moved even one seat over.
My memory of watching the last Star Wars movie in DP here was the best (either film or at the DC area DP theaters). If the Dreamgirls engagement is truly a special roadshow presentation, perhaps even with one of the newer 4K projection projectors (wishful), I’ll make the drive up :) Looking at the technical specs of the film’s shooting format (Super 35) perhaps it may not be as pristine when projected as opposed having it shot in HD, but I’m sure it will look very good.
I don’t understand why the listings for this theater, both in the newspaper and online, have it listed as the Uptown 1. Why bother putting in the 1? If you leave it off and look at the listings, you know it is just a single screen theater. Washingtonians know it is a single screen theater, so its of no use to anyone unless you’re looking at showtimes and are outside of the area. On the other hand, maybe there are plans to carve up the theater????
If it were my theater and I had the proof, I’d have everyone of those people locked up for theft and made sure they were prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I guess there was no video to record the ticket/soda trading schemes!
Just read the posts above as to why people don’t travel to see movies at the Uptown, or downtown for that matter. The quality of projection and sound, as well as the programming choices just plain suck. They should be booking classic movies ala NYC’s The Ziegfeld and make use of that wonderful 80' screen to show 70mm movies during the slow period such as now. Or, offer them during the weekdays and the traditional Hollywood fare on the weekends, maybe even mix it up!
Even Wisconsin Ave had 70mm projection in #4 and 5. They could offer counter programming to the traditional fare. How many screens do you have to have to show Saw 3, or similar garbage anyway?
If you offer something that you can’t see in your neighborhood multiplex, or even at home in HD, and drum it up, people will come, which includes myself and, I’m sure, many others in this market.
AMC has a similar program in the DC area, but who is able to go to a 10am weekday showing of a movie? The only people who’d be attending such an early show are probably the retired and/or unemployed. They should make such discount shows say, like a 5pm matinee or so. Its not too early and its not too late.
I’m not 100% sure about the original BTTF, but remember II and III were filmed back to back and at the end of II, it did, indeed, have the “To be Continued” script. The movie then proceeded to show clips of III and its Western theme, which was disappointing after the futuristic setting of II. III was a dog.
How was Superman? I haven’t seen that film on the big screen since..1979. I take it that the film wasn’t 70mm or is it? If so, someone and a friend will be driving up tomorrow…. :)
Did they play the Dolby Digital Cinema projection trailer before the show? I love the sound voom boom at the end of it just after the CGI generated multicolored leaves sprout.
With the relative short running time, short exclusivity opening and at $28k per sold out show, they could have squeezed a few more shows to sell more tickets. I would have run it starting at 8 am..then every 3 hours up to midnight. Maybe get one of the stars, extras, or production people to introduce the evening shows and/or a short Q&A, to make it even more special.
That is good news…so at $25/ticket X1131 seats X 5 shows; Fri night, two shows each Sat and Sun, it should gross about $141,375! I can forsee the Variety headline now..DREAMGIRLS DOES BOFFO IN GOTHAM! :)
Terrific news! I am just curious about one thing. Does anyone check out theater submissions to make sure that they are legitimate? It seems that there have been countless submissions where little to no information was given about a particular theater except for auditorium capacity (for example) and someone’s faint memory about it being in existence during a decade a long time ago.
The theaters that I frequent are either very near or in shopping centers so parking is not a problem. If it is an event film and I go to Baltimore’s Senator, or in the rarity of rarities, DC’s Uptown, then it is more challenging. At least the Senator has an agreement with the block away Staples to use their lot and there hasn’t really been any problems. The Uptown requires more strategic planning during non-rush hour times. You can case the store front parking, in front of the theater or across the street, but must first drop off your party to wait in line and then wait for the previous show’s patrons to exit their parking space, or if you’re lucky, park in one of the residential spaces that surround the theater. The only negative to the residential parking is if you catch a matinee showing, you must show a parking sticker or risk fines and/or towing.
The description sounds very unique and unlike any AMC I can recall near me. Can someone send a picture link or post? Thanks.
I got last month’s free popcorn Email but nothing this month so far. I do have a free movie pass from last year’s anniversary mailing that had mistakenly had 2007 printed for the expiration date. It should still be good.
As far as the changeover, no one from Customer Service has replied to my query as well. And there still is no official release on their news release section of the website.
On a positive note, they must have installed a newer digital projection unit in 11 as the older (2002) unit had become ‘obsolete’ and was no longer supported, according to the last Customer Service response letter to my previous query.
Patrick,
Who is to say that the ground level seats in a stadium-style auditorium are NOT choice seats? It is for me and my friends that go to the movies. You have the best legroom in the house, still decent sightlines and don’t have that annoying kid or patron behind you kicking your seatback!
If your g-friend’s Aunt was the Producer, I would have asked her to request Managment to cord off a section for your party as a VIP section or for the Press. This has been done at my favorite plex.
I think if you’re going to save multiple seats, there should be more than just ONE in the party to be there. I would never subject my friends or relatives to do that for me, nor would I do that for them. If there are at least three, then you can position 2 of the 3 at either end of the spread of the 9 seats and the third, in the middle. I don’t think it wrong to save seats if they are PAID seats.
On the other hand, if I wanted my favorite seat or section, in the middle to front of the theater, and its in a section of ‘saved’ seats and those people who are saving those seats cannot present the tickets for them, then my ticket would entitle me to any seat in the auditorium, including the ‘saved’ seat(s) since there isn’t a ticket to vouch for that seat. In all honesty, in all the years of cinema attendance, I’ve never felt inclined to do that as I have always found a good seat. If its in a THX-certified auditorium, which is where I like to see most movies anyway, the sound should be good in any seat right?
If you’re dedicated opening-day moviegoer and you HAVE to have your FAVORITE seat or section, than its up to you or someone in your party to ensure that someone is there early enough to save your favorite seat or section. Even if you can’t secure your favorite spot, its not all that bad to sit a little closer or further from the screen. If not, then see another showing.
As far as getting food and into the auditorium, there are ways to do it undetected but let’s save that for another discussion……. :–)
The alternative use of space is an interesting one. Its a additional revenue stream as well. The NA theater near me in Arlington VA has a line up of several arcade games. On one night, several years ago, there was a fight amongst a group of kids over a video game that turned rather violent. Fortunately, I didn’t stick around to see what happened or why, but widespread conversions should proceed with caution. Nowadays, video games are more sophisticated and intense since the old days of Pac Man, Galaxian and gasp Pong that a lot of us grew up on. They can stir up and incite kids predisposed to violence and aggression to act out at the simplest slight and/or remark.
Spielberg’s comments are hardly surprising given his bio and current status of one of Hollywood’s preeminent filmmakers. Does anyone honestly think that when he frames a shot, he’s thinking of how it will look on a 3" iPod video screen? He doesn’t seem to embrace digital projection as his friend George Lucas does. I am curious as to how they are going to film the upcoming and presumed last Indian Jones movie.
The link goes to the Crown Theatres site, not Bow Tie Cinemas. Maybe the sale has not been completed, yet?
At last night’s DLP version of ‘Deja Vu’ there were no ads or the Crown Theater opening. But then again, I don’t recall them showing any commercials in digital projection. (5s). With the new Mall addition, it would be nice to get one of their GIANT screen auditoriums for IMAX or just traditional fare on a really BIG screen.
You guys do a terrific job with the site. I can’t say enough positive things about it to my friends and fellow movie/theater fans. But my only concern, and its a small one, is that there seems to be frequent submissions of theaters that are really newer or just opened plexes. I always thought that the site had more to do with older venues that have some kind of historical, architectural and/or interior significance.
I can’t believe I missed this news. The Crown Theatres in Annapolis XI and Harbour 9 are one of my favorite theaters and probably have the best projection and sound in the DC Metro area. They have several THX certified screens, digital projection in two auditoriums and have a somewhat personal touch to showing movies as they have an employee introduce shows (at least on the weekend evenings that I go).
The Harbour 9 shows art movie fare and went through a recent renovation but the screens and auditoriums, though numerous, are rather small. Supposedly the 70mm projectors that were at the now closed DC MacArthur theater found their way to this venue. What is interesting about that transfer is that this theater never used them to the best of my knowledge. Unfortunately, I have not been able to confirm any of this and the employees look at me like I’m speaking a foreign language when I mention the DP70 projectors.
Based on the previous posts, if the change in ownership means a return to improved showmanship and programming, it would be great to see movies in 70mm again, even if they are at the smaller Harbour 9. The Crown Theater website makes no mention about this acquisition. Let’s hope the best comes out of this change.
How on earth is a theater that hasn’t even been open, much less ‘experienced’ is placed on a site that is supposed to ‘discover, preserve and protect’ ones that have been in existence for a long time?
It goes against what this website is about.
The idea of continuing submissions like this one seem more like a plug for patronage than for protecting a venue’s history and memories. Its as if we’re supposed to get excited about the opening of a new McDonalds.
I’m just reading that the running time of Dreamgirls is only 125 minutes. That to me seems hardly long enough to warrant an intermission. I can’t believe that people can’t hold their attention span and/or bladders for at least two hours, without a break. I drank a 44 oz drink watching the final Lord of the Rings and sat through it all without a break and that movie was over 3 hours long!
The Clearview website indicates only two shows a day, at 2 and 8? If you figure 3 hours for the show, plus intermission, surely they can squeeze in more shows to make more money given the two week exclusive run in town.
Vito:
I went to the NA Fairfax Cinema Deluxe 14 within a week of its opening a few years ago. The advertisement of the ‘Director’s Hall’ was interesting and different, so my friends and I made the drive into VA for the ‘experience.’ They didn’t follow policy if we were allowed to choose our seats. We were assigned and seated way up in the back of the theater. I didn’t like being so high up so I decided we’d move down, as did some of our neighbors. The same Usher, who led us to our seats recognized some of us and proceeded to ask for our stubs and returned as back to our original seats. I felt like I was in 1st grade with the assigned seating and later being returned to my seat. Needless to say, I don’t plan on going back there or recommending that venue anytime soon…unless they have a 70mm festival (grin).
Anyway, my question/comment was directed primarily towards the Ziegfeld’s roadshow engagement reserved seating system and my single moviegoing experience with a ‘reserved seating’ arrangement and was curious as to how they had previously worked at this particular venue. After digging around the Clearview site, it seems that for the Dreamgirls engagement your ticket purchase gets you a seat, but once you get your ticket at the theater, the “system will select the best seating available in the auditorium.” That doesn’t sound like a choice to me.
The concept of reserved seating for the Dreamgirls engagement means that a computer will assign me a seat at random? Or, can a patron choose his seat and be guaranteed THAT seat for a particular showing? If its like National Amusement’s Director Hall reserved seating system, it sucks. You are told where to sit and an usher will come back and move you if you’ve moved even one seat over.
My memory of watching the last Star Wars movie in DP here was the best (either film or at the DC area DP theaters). If the Dreamgirls engagement is truly a special roadshow presentation, perhaps even with one of the newer 4K projection projectors (wishful), I’ll make the drive up :) Looking at the technical specs of the film’s shooting format (Super 35) perhaps it may not be as pristine when projected as opposed having it shot in HD, but I’m sure it will look very good.
I don’t understand why the listings for this theater, both in the newspaper and online, have it listed as the Uptown 1. Why bother putting in the 1? If you leave it off and look at the listings, you know it is just a single screen theater. Washingtonians know it is a single screen theater, so its of no use to anyone unless you’re looking at showtimes and are outside of the area. On the other hand, maybe there are plans to carve up the theater????
If it were my theater and I had the proof, I’d have everyone of those people locked up for theft and made sure they were prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I guess there was no video to record the ticket/soda trading schemes!
Just read the posts above as to why people don’t travel to see movies at the Uptown, or downtown for that matter. The quality of projection and sound, as well as the programming choices just plain suck. They should be booking classic movies ala NYC’s The Ziegfeld and make use of that wonderful 80' screen to show 70mm movies during the slow period such as now. Or, offer them during the weekdays and the traditional Hollywood fare on the weekends, maybe even mix it up!
Even Wisconsin Ave had 70mm projection in #4 and 5. They could offer counter programming to the traditional fare. How many screens do you have to have to show Saw 3, or similar garbage anyway?
If you offer something that you can’t see in your neighborhood multiplex, or even at home in HD, and drum it up, people will come, which includes myself and, I’m sure, many others in this market.
AMC has a similar program in the DC area, but who is able to go to a 10am weekday showing of a movie? The only people who’d be attending such an early show are probably the retired and/or unemployed. They should make such discount shows say, like a 5pm matinee or so. Its not too early and its not too late.
I’m not 100% sure about the original BTTF, but remember II and III were filmed back to back and at the end of II, it did, indeed, have the “To be Continued” script. The movie then proceeded to show clips of III and its Western theme, which was disappointing after the futuristic setting of II. III was a dog.
How was Superman? I haven’t seen that film on the big screen since..1979. I take it that the film wasn’t 70mm or is it? If so, someone and a friend will be driving up tomorrow…. :)