No……..this part………………

A few times I saw a movie a second time here… it was during the week and there was hardly anyone in the theatre….

In order to go home early, the projectionist would just SKIP a film roll!

A few posts ago there was a lot of talk if the IFC should use a local 306 projectionist. I just read this post on the Nostrand page that may help make a decision.

This was a first run theatre Philip, not second.. except maybe at the end.

I remember lining up to see GREASE here.

They had painted birds on the ceiling.. it made you ask.. is that BUTTER in my popcorn!

An interesting fact about this theatre…

A few times I saw a movie a second time here… it was during the week and there was hardly anyone in the theatre….

In order to go home early, the projectionist would just SKIP a film roll!

Mike
posted by MikeRadio on Dec 4, 2003 at 9:40pm

In regards to that question posed by Jennifer Fieber the truth of the matter is IFC Films has created theatrical versions of some of its TV documentaries. A Decade Under the Influence was shown in theaters and shown on TV in a double the lenght extended cut. This is nothing new, look at the films of Bergman. IFC Center, however hasn’t gotten around to that yet.

Whats more offensive are those PG-13 rated softened versions of pictures that Miramax dumps in to theaters only to, months later, offer an Uncut R-rated (or hardened “unrated” version) for purchase. IFC isn’t doing that sort of thing.

Not propoganda, it was a question…sounded strange to me too.

talk about propaganda

Hi. I’m a member of that dreaded Local 306 you’re all talking about. I certainly don’t want to extend some of the more ridiculous parts of this union debate, but I did want to correct a few points of misinformation. These unquestioned perceptions of what it means to be in the union, unfortunately lead to a decline in support for an organization that IS SUPPOSED to protect skilled workers from being fired will-nilly. Unions are not set up out of greed, but if you want to believe that, whatever I say will not convince you otherwise.

A few things:
1) Wish that it were true that just by joining the union, the place is then unionized. Local 306 needs a contract with the IFC so it is not right to assume their scab projectionists do not want to join. There is simply no point in it until IFC meets with 306.

2)This last post by RobertR is misleading because the Union gets dues paid by the worker based on the wages earned at a place. There is not a certain amount a theater pays to the union directly, but it is based on whether a union person has worked there. No Payoffs. What is true here, is that just because the union has a contract with a place does not mean you are seeing a union projectionist at work. The megaplexes have chipped away at the union so much that they are usually required to have only one union person there full-time. This person is usually busy building up and breaking down prints for the platters and the actual projecting is done by very low paid managers. Hence most of the crappy projecting you see is done by a high school kid.

3)On this same note, I will not defend every union projectionist there is. I know some are better than others. I think more to blame is the automation of the theaters which has to do with saving money for the theaters. You’re not going to get perfect projections when one guy is running 12 rooms. Platters are also terrible on film prints; I prefer the old fashioned reel-to-reel method…but of course I work in archival booths where it is required. But how many times have you witnessed this?…the film comes up out of of focus or out of frame and astoundingly it plays through the trailers for like 15 minutes and no one does anything—I guarantee you this is a manager not a union person. There is no usher in the room checking it’s startup. So you get up to complain and find a young usher or manager he looks at you like you are the biggest pain in the ass for bothering him and besides he doesn’t even know what “out of frame” means so he thinks you’re crazy. etc. Obviously the owners of the theater have not trained their staff on what to look for to make sure a film is properly projected and pretty soon audiences just come to expect mediocre projection as par for the course. But conveniently, there’s always the union to blame.

4)The irony of this IFC thing is that the projectionist there actually makes a wage similar to what the union would ask for and he has benefits. Cablevision would not be hurt by talking to us but they simply want to keep the union from getting in and being able to protect that worker—kind of like WalMart. Also ironic is that a few of you went on and on about how bad union projectionist are but didn’t acknowledge the post where this same non-union projectionist was unable to run “Don’t Look Back”.

By the way, how does one appreciate Bob Dylan’s work and yet be anti-union? It baffles me…

Well, it looks like the IFC is taking some more flack from the pro-union folks. John Sayles, who is very pro-union (see MATEWAN)asked to be removed from the IFC’s Board of Advisors if the IFC doesn’t start talking with the union. The union made the letter public and the “Voice” published in this week’s issue.

Some of the other Board of Advisors members — Tim Robbins & Ethan Hawke — also plan to speak to management.

I know I’m not comfortable patronizing the place and will go out of my way to see films elsewhere.

Great photos, Warren, thank you.

OK saps, last post you said:

>>Jack …it’s nice of you to join this site just to union-bash, ad nauseum. Got any opinions on anything else?<<

Most recent post, you said:

>>you also criticize the design of the theater, the neighborhood in which it sits, its future programming choices, the name “Waverly,” and any poster who disagrees with you. <<

Soooo, what is you thought (if you remember)… I make wide ranging comment upon the architectural, business and marketing design of the subject in focus, oorrrrr …. I’m only here to “union-bash?”

You smoking that stuff again, saps?

You’re posting to yourself now, saps, this is the end of my side of this chitchat.

Fallacious,saps, and can lead you and readers off the point of the “Cinema Treasure” in focus. Use logic … if you can.

For the last couple nights, projectionist union protest managment has hired street urchins in hiphop clothes to hand out flyers.

Could this mean that gen-u-ine projectionists, protesting at projectionist wages, is not cost effective?

Hmmmmmmm …………….

I would ask the person who complained about the prices at IFC Center if s/he has bought a ticket at any other movie theaters in New York City. The Angelika, Sunshine, Village East, Lincoln Square, Union Square and many others charge $10.75. Surely you can come up with better arguments to support your anti-Cablevision position. God knows Dolan offers enough ammo for his opponents.

Further, with regards to the arguments about the projectionists' union, keep in mind that whether or not the IFC Center employs union projectionists is not up to Cablevision, Jim Dolan or the union itself. In this country it is up to each individual whether or not to join a union. If the projectionists that work at a theater want to join the union, they can apply for membership to that union. There are extremely strict laws prohibiting employers from threatening or too vehemently discouraging employees from joining a union.

So if an IFC Center projectionist decides that they prefer their current wage/benefit package to what the union may offer/promise (and the union can promise whatever they want, whether there’s a basis in reality or not), it’s that individual’s option to stay out of the union. If the treatment they receive from their employer is not satisfactory, the employees are free to join a union and it would be illegal for that employer to punish or reprimand or fire the employee for doing so.

And anyone who pays a projectionist $54/hr is an idiot.