I don’t think there’s been any improvement at all since the 1980’s in the moviegoing experience. Home entertainment has all but killed the movie business on the long run. With the advent of multiplexes, most of the smaller, more independent, non-profit movie theatres have been driven out of business, and, with some new (but RARE) exception, the multiplex cinemas not only play much schlockier films that’re overfilled with “blue” language, explicit sex and over the top graphic violence, but they seem to be dumping grounds for rude teens and pre-teens whose parents want them out of their hair for afew hours and can’t get a sitter, and who constantly text, talk on their cellphones, and, are, in general, quite rude.
If anything good has come, however, there are some multiplex cinemas who’re playing digitally-restored older classic films once a week, and that’s a good start. One can only hope that other multiplex cinemas catch onto this great idea, especially since digital projection is the wave of the future.
“Lawrence of Arabia” is another great old classic and one of my favorite films. I’ve seen LOA a number of times, enjoyed it a great deal, and I attended the one-night 50th-year Anniversary screening re-release of “Lawrence of Arabia” here in Boston, at the Loews AMC Theatre, in Boston Common. This was a digitally-restored print of LOA. The soundtrack was crisp, the film absolutely pristine, and it was all like new! I was a very fun, albeit a long evening, and getting home well past midnight was well worth it.
The screen at the Walter Reade Theatre does look awfully small for the showing of 70mm prints of films, but hey….I wish I could be at that late-December 70mm film festival! I’d pick up a ticket for West Side Story and maybe one or two of the other films on the schedule in a heartbeat if I resided in NYC!
It’s good that most of the residents of Aurora, CO want the Century 16 Theatre reopened. This shows that people can and often are resilient enough to bounce back after a harrowing situation and resume a normal life, despite being traumatized by such a horrific occurrence. Although I don’t reside in the area, I wish the people of Aurora all the best of luck when their cherished movie theatre re-opens after the first of the New Year.
It’s going to be very hard for many of the smaller, independent movie theatres, as well as the drive-ins, to stay in business with digital projection, because the conversion to digital projection is so expensive. I hope that the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the Brattle Theatre and the Somerville Theatre don’t end up closing their doors because they can’t convert to digital. Those are the only theatres in our area that don’t play the schlocky junk that the multi-plexes that dot our highways and byways play.
Banning large sodas? This is so stupid that it’s unbelievable. Don’t the politicians have other work to do and other, more pressing issues to deal with? They should forget about making the movie theatres ban drinks. I figure that if I go to a movie and don’t want to go to the concession stand, or get a large drink, then I don’t have to. The same applies for other people.
Hey, swagga212. Welcome to the club! The city that I presently reside in also opposed a Wal Mart grocery store coming in, and I’m glad about that, also.
To each their own, rsalters, but what I said about their lousy labor policies, exploitive wages and sweatshop condition that their workers are routinely subject to, as well as their super-shoddy merchandise, which is cheap third-world junk, is not a joke. It’s all perfectly true.
If you wish to shop at WalMart, that’s your prerogative, rsalters, but just be aware of what you’re getting, and of the fact that WalMart is the biggest killer of independent businesses and communities at large.
The trouble is, rsalters, is that WalMart has done the most horrific damage to every community that it’s moved into. Not only is WalMart the biggest killer of smaller, independent businesses, but it has the worst labor policies and abuse of their workers, and about the shoddiest merchandise, which is cheap, 3rd-world junk. Moreover, the workers overseas who manufacture this shoddy stuff work under horrific sweatshop conditions, and in general, are exploited, with lousy pay. Wal*Mart workers here in the United States end up having to go on public assistance in order to get healthcare insurance, as well.
Having said all of the above, here’s a suggestion: You might want to see if you can rent the DVD version of the film “WalMart: The High Cost of Low-Pricing.”, and, if you can get hold of Bill Quinn’s book “How WalMart is Destroying American & the World and What You Can Do About It”. Both the book and the film I recommended provide excellent insight as to WalMart’s horrific policies. Not flattering, but WalMart deserves to be exposed for what they are.
Oh, my god…that’s really sick! A WalMart to replace a venerable old community drive-in movie theatre. I’m not a resident or even an ex-resident of Cottage Grove, but this is horrible. WalMart has inflicted almost incalculable damage to every community that it’s moved into, by totally killing off independent businesses and totally taking the community over. Moreover, they have lousy labor policies and shoddy merchandise. The city that I presently reside in opposed a Wal*Mart coming in, which I’m happy about. Too bad Cottage Grove couldn’t have resisted also.
As a moviegoer who holds an annual membership to the Coolidge Corner Theatre, I’m aware that they have, on occasion, had 70mm festivals. Disappointingly, West Side Story, however, wasn’t among them, but there were some other good movies that were worth seeing, however.
To Ron Newman: I had no idea that the Somerville Theatre was holding a 70mm Festival next year. They keep saying that, but they’ve never done it. What gives?
Glad the damage to the Empire Theatre in Manchester, NH wasn’t too severe. Here’s hoping that the theatre re-opens and that renovations are resumed, and that the city brings the theatre up to the code regarding fireproofing, etc.
That sounds terrific! Hey…I wish there were a 70mm-equipped movie theatre here in Boston and that West Side Story and other great classics would come here to Boston!
Sure, film makes movies look much more 3-dimensional than digital projection/pictures often do, but, to be realistic, if a favorite independent, non-profit movie theatre must switch to digital projection in order to survive, so be it. I’m sure that plenty of the great, golden, oldie-but-keeper classic films will be in digital print, if they’re not already.
As a pretty frequent moviegoer who holds yearly memberships at both the Brattle and the Coolidge Corner Movie theatres, I’m keeping my fingers crossed hoping that The Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Brattle Theatre will survive on the long run, even if they end up converting to digital projection in order to do so. Sure, it’s not the same as regular film, but it would be better than nothing at all, if push came to shove.
That’s a great idea! Hope it works out and makes the movie-going experience more enjoyable for everybody who comes to the theatre. Maybe if more movie theatres had similar rulings, more people would come back to the movie theatres.
I also might add that I had to talk my mom into letting my sister and I see “How The West Was Won.”, because, for all kinds of undisclosed reasons, she really didn’t want my sister and I to see that particular movie.
I remember “How The West Was Won”! It was a good, well-done film, which my sister and I saw in the West Newton Cinema (which is still open, btw), pretty much when it first came out.
I don’t think there’s been any improvement at all since the 1980’s in the moviegoing experience. Home entertainment has all but killed the movie business on the long run. With the advent of multiplexes, most of the smaller, more independent, non-profit movie theatres have been driven out of business, and, with some new (but RARE) exception, the multiplex cinemas not only play much schlockier films that’re overfilled with “blue” language, explicit sex and over the top graphic violence, but they seem to be dumping grounds for rude teens and pre-teens whose parents want them out of their hair for afew hours and can’t get a sitter, and who constantly text, talk on their cellphones, and, are, in general, quite rude.
If anything good has come, however, there are some multiplex cinemas who’re playing digitally-restored older classic films once a week, and that’s a good start. One can only hope that other multiplex cinemas catch onto this great idea, especially since digital projection is the wave of the future.
I also might add that “Lawrence of Arabia” has some excellent actors in it, such as Peter O'Toole, Alec Guiness, Anthony Quinn, to mention afew.
“Lawrence of Arabia” is another great old classic and one of my favorite films. I’ve seen LOA a number of times, enjoyed it a great deal, and I attended the one-night 50th-year Anniversary screening re-release of “Lawrence of Arabia” here in Boston, at the Loews AMC Theatre, in Boston Common. This was a digitally-restored print of LOA. The soundtrack was crisp, the film absolutely pristine, and it was all like new! I was a very fun, albeit a long evening, and getting home well past midnight was well worth it.
Yow! How exciting! I sure wish I could be there!
What a cool-looking movie theatre!
The screen at the Walter Reade Theatre does look awfully small for the showing of 70mm prints of films, but hey….I wish I could be at that late-December 70mm film festival! I’d pick up a ticket for West Side Story and maybe one or two of the other films on the schedule in a heartbeat if I resided in NYC!
Here’s hoping that WSS comes to Boston..and soon!
It’s good that most of the residents of Aurora, CO want the Century 16 Theatre reopened. This shows that people can and often are resilient enough to bounce back after a harrowing situation and resume a normal life, despite being traumatized by such a horrific occurrence. Although I don’t reside in the area, I wish the people of Aurora all the best of luck when their cherished movie theatre re-opens after the first of the New Year.
Ouch!!
It’s going to be very hard for many of the smaller, independent movie theatres, as well as the drive-ins, to stay in business with digital projection, because the conversion to digital projection is so expensive. I hope that the Coolidge Corner Theatre, the Brattle Theatre and the Somerville Theatre don’t end up closing their doors because they can’t convert to digital. Those are the only theatres in our area that don’t play the schlocky junk that the multi-plexes that dot our highways and byways play.
Banning large sodas? This is so stupid that it’s unbelievable. Don’t the politicians have other work to do and other, more pressing issues to deal with? They should forget about making the movie theatres ban drinks. I figure that if I go to a movie and don’t want to go to the concession stand, or get a large drink, then I don’t have to. The same applies for other people.
Hey, swagga212. Welcome to the club! The city that I presently reside in also opposed a Wal Mart grocery store coming in, and I’m glad about that, also.
To each their own, rsalters, but what I said about their lousy labor policies, exploitive wages and sweatshop condition that their workers are routinely subject to, as well as their super-shoddy merchandise, which is cheap third-world junk, is not a joke. It’s all perfectly true.
If you wish to shop at WalMart, that’s your prerogative, rsalters, but just be aware of what you’re getting, and of the fact that WalMart is the biggest killer of independent businesses and communities at large.
It’s good to hear about another closed movie theatre re-opening. Even though I don’t reside in the area, it provides a ray of hope.
The trouble is, rsalters, is that WalMart has done the most horrific damage to every community that it’s moved into. Not only is WalMart the biggest killer of smaller, independent businesses, but it has the worst labor policies and abuse of their workers, and about the shoddiest merchandise, which is cheap, 3rd-world junk. Moreover, the workers overseas who manufacture this shoddy stuff work under horrific sweatshop conditions, and in general, are exploited, with lousy pay. Wal*Mart workers here in the United States end up having to go on public assistance in order to get healthcare insurance, as well.
Having said all of the above, here’s a suggestion: You might want to see if you can rent the DVD version of the film “WalMart: The High Cost of Low-Pricing.”, and, if you can get hold of Bill Quinn’s book “How WalMart is Destroying American & the World and What You Can Do About It”. Both the book and the film I recommended provide excellent insight as to WalMart’s horrific policies. Not flattering, but WalMart deserves to be exposed for what they are.
Oh, my god…that’s really sick! A WalMart to replace a venerable old community drive-in movie theatre. I’m not a resident or even an ex-resident of Cottage Grove, but this is horrible. WalMart has inflicted almost incalculable damage to every community that it’s moved into, by totally killing off independent businesses and totally taking the community over. Moreover, they have lousy labor policies and shoddy merchandise. The city that I presently reside in opposed a Wal*Mart coming in, which I’m happy about. Too bad Cottage Grove couldn’t have resisted also.
As a moviegoer who holds an annual membership to the Coolidge Corner Theatre, I’m aware that they have, on occasion, had 70mm festivals. Disappointingly, West Side Story, however, wasn’t among them, but there were some other good movies that were worth seeing, however.
To Ron Newman: I had no idea that the Somerville Theatre was holding a 70mm Festival next year. They keep saying that, but they’ve never done it. What gives?
Glad the damage to the Empire Theatre in Manchester, NH wasn’t too severe. Here’s hoping that the theatre re-opens and that renovations are resumed, and that the city brings the theatre up to the code regarding fireproofing, etc.
That sounds terrific! Hey…I wish there were a 70mm-equipped movie theatre here in Boston and that West Side Story and other great classics would come here to Boston!
Sure, film makes movies look much more 3-dimensional than digital projection/pictures often do, but, to be realistic, if a favorite independent, non-profit movie theatre must switch to digital projection in order to survive, so be it. I’m sure that plenty of the great, golden, oldie-but-keeper classic films will be in digital print, if they’re not already.
As a pretty frequent moviegoer who holds yearly memberships at both the Brattle and the Coolidge Corner Movie theatres, I’m keeping my fingers crossed hoping that The Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Brattle Theatre will survive on the long run, even if they end up converting to digital projection in order to do so. Sure, it’s not the same as regular film, but it would be better than nothing at all, if push came to shove.
I remember seeing The Sound of Music there, when it first came out and was in the movie theatres.
Here’s another idea:
A) First, they should show revival movies from the 1930’s through the 1990’s.
B) They should be more specific as to whether the kind of movie projection will be DVD/Digital projection, or regular 35mm film projection.
One thing about movie trailers these days: You pretty much see the whole movie already.
That’s a great idea! Hope it works out and makes the movie-going experience more enjoyable for everybody who comes to the theatre. Maybe if more movie theatres had similar rulings, more people would come back to the movie theatres.
Another one bites the dust. How sad.
I also might add that I had to talk my mom into letting my sister and I see “How The West Was Won.”, because, for all kinds of undisclosed reasons, she really didn’t want my sister and I to see that particular movie.
I remember “How The West Was Won”! It was a good, well-done film, which my sister and I saw in the West Newton Cinema (which is still open, btw), pretty much when it first came out.