Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 1,276 - 1,300 of 3,427 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Green Acres Cinemas on Sep 26, 2010 at 3:23 pm

Here it is Markie:

/theaters/4665/

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Greenwich Theatre on Sep 23, 2010 at 11:19 am

The Village theatre on Eighth Avenue I referred to on February 2 must have been this one.

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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Paramount Theatre on Sep 22, 2010 at 6:43 pm

Brad, see my post from May 30 above.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Baronet and Coronet Theatre on Sep 18, 2010 at 8:55 am

A shot of the Arcadia marquee can be seen in the 1950 film “YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN” during the final ten minute montage of Kirk Douglas wandering around Manhattan under the third avenue El.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Summer BO down 6% from last year on Sep 16, 2010 at 11:06 pm

It’s not the theatres. It never has been.

It it simply a bad product year motivated, as always, by huge previous grosses for bad movies like THE DARK KNIGHT Batman killer and those LORD OF THE RINGS literature abortions.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Summer BO down 6% from last year on Sep 16, 2010 at 1:07 pm

Edward, summer movies have always included junk but never as bad this past summer.

“What other great movies were released in the summer of 1975, along with Jaws?”

THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER, LOVE AND DEATH, NASHVILLE, THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH plus numerous Disney re-releases even during a product shortage year.

“What other perennials were released the same timeframe in 1977, the summer of Star Wars?”

NEW YORK NEW YORK, CRIA!, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, AGUIRRE- THE WRATH OF GOD, SUSPIRIA, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, plus Disney re-releases

Or 1981, the summer of Raiders?

OUTLAND, FOR YOUE EYES ONLY, THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER, THE DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, LILI MARLEEN, ARTHUR, EYE OF THE NEEDLE, AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON, PRINCE OF THE CITY.

Or 1984, the summer of Ghostbusters?

STAR TREK III, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, THE KARATE KID, GREMLINS, ANOTHER COUNTRY, THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, THE 4TH MAN, THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY, THE NEVERENDING STORY, PURPLE RAIN, TIGHTROPE, CHOOSE ME.

“Let’s go back 25 years, to 1985. Back to the Future was a smash, but what else came out that summer?”

You name a lot of fun films and classics including:
Cocoon, The Emerald Forest, The Goonies, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, Pale Rider, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, Prizzi’s Honor, Rambo: First Blood Part 2, St. Elmo’s Fire, A View to a Kill.

You left out THE HOME AND THE WORLD, A FLASH OF GREEN, THE COCA-COLA KID, THE HOLY INNOCENTS.

Can you name that many fun films or classics in the summer of 2010? I can only name three passable titles all summer. That’s possibly the worst record since theatre air conditioning was invented. That the drop was only 6% is a great testament to the power of opening weekend marketing.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Henry Miller's Theatre on Sep 16, 2010 at 5:43 am

CWalcak, most classic theatres that operate as multiplexes today have little or nothing left of the original interior shell.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's Capitol Theatre on Sep 11, 2010 at 8:53 pm

Nope. “PLANET OF THE APES”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Regal Battery Park Stadium 11 on Sep 11, 2010 at 9:02 am

This theatre opened in July 2000, so the tenth anniversary was two months ago.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Symphony Space/Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre on Sep 9, 2010 at 1:32 pm

By the way Robert, Cinema 16 was a club that screened films at different venues all over Manhattan. “Pandora’s Box” may well have shown at the Thalia through Cinema 16 in the fifties and sixties.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Symphony Space/Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre on Sep 9, 2010 at 10:49 am

It was shown as “LULU”.

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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Symphony Space/Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre on Sep 9, 2010 at 8:36 am

Robert,

The Thalia ran some Pabst films in 1952 and 1960.

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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Riverside Theatre on Sep 8, 2010 at 8:25 am

Thank you Joe. These images appear to be rare.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New Amsterdam Theatre on Sep 8, 2010 at 8:12 am

According to the book “ A Journey Into Dorothy Parker’s New York” (2005, Kevin C. Fitzpatrick), the New Amsterdam closed as a movie house in 1985.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Jerry Lewis Cinemas on Sep 7, 2010 at 8:20 pm

The franchise deal allowed for GP, but not for R. Still, by the early seventies most big hits were R or X and Disney was in its nadir.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 116th Street Theatre on Sep 2, 2010 at 5:33 pm

The Cosmo is listed.

/theaters/8364/

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Radio City Music Hall on Sep 1, 2010 at 2:55 pm

Larry Peerce directed “GOODBYE, COLUMBUS”. Arthur Hiller directed the blockbuster “LOVE STORY”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Silver Star Playhouse on Aug 31, 2010 at 5:35 am

Yes, Bway. The one behind it is the Venice.

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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Loew's Capitol Theatre on Aug 30, 2010 at 4:23 pm

The Capitol was the Loews Cinerama from August 1962 to November 1964. The only non-Cinerama run under that name was a popular price run of “THE CARDINAL”. After it returned to the Capitol name it was advertised as the Loews Capitol Cinerama for Cinerama runs only.

I have not found any evidence of fraud charges and suspect Loews was just doing the right thing.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Vue West End on Aug 27, 2010 at 12:21 pm

Only the facade was kept for the multiplex conversion. The rest of the building was new including the gutted out basement.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Paragon Ridge 8 on Aug 24, 2010 at 3:27 pm

This theatre’s name needs to be updated.

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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New art cinema opening in Miami area on Aug 24, 2010 at 2:00 pm

I wish them the best of luck but wasn’t the nearby Mercury/Soyka a bust with the same programming idea?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about LeFrak Theater on Aug 21, 2010 at 1:52 pm

Now showing “HUBBLE 3D” and advertising with other commercial runs as the American Museum of Natural History Imax.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about United Palace of Cultural Arts on Aug 20, 2010 at 8:50 pm

Radio City was never built as a movie palace. The Roxy (Center) was the failed movie palace. Radio City was built as a Music Hall and settled for movies when music shows failed.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Nickelodeon locations? on Aug 20, 2010 at 3:19 pm

Nickelodeons did not first start in New York City but in cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago. New York was not the birthplace of film exhibition.

The New York boom was centered between Park Row and The Bowery in Manhattan where over two dozen operated by 1906 to service the crowded lower east side tenements.