UCLA Nimoy Theatre

1262 Westwood Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90024

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Showing 126 - 150 of 313 comments

dctrig
dctrig on September 29, 2010 at 12:07 pm

Danny, I think that you and others miss the point: attend the Crest and other historic theaters even when you are not crazy about the current showing.

FYI, I am an art house and silent movie fan of 40 years, yet I enjoyed “Alpha & Omega” as a cute movie, as well as “Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue” at the Egyptian. In fact, I suggested to Pam, the assistant mgr at the Crest, that Tinkerbell would make a great kids matinee movie.

dctrig
dctrig on September 29, 2010 at 11:57 am

I had a constructive conversation with Dale Hurst. If you Google him you will see that he is the spokesperson and point man at Carmike. Dale gave me his business card, so I pass on his contact info.

Dale Hurst
Director of Marketing
Carmike Plaza
1301 First Avenue
Columbus, GA 31901
(706)576-3464

Danny Baldwin
Danny Baldwin on September 29, 2010 at 11:55 am

I think the attendance has more to do with a bad booking than anything else. I guarantee ALPHA AND OMEGA didn’t have more than 10 people at a weekday evening show anywhere in Greater Los Angeles. Couple that with the fact that Westwood is hardly a kid’s town. I’d expect LET ME IN to do much better.

dctrig
dctrig on September 29, 2010 at 11:51 am

To Friends of the Crest: STOP TALKING AND START ATTENDING! I drive in from North Hollywood and have plunked down my money at the Crest this year on 4/26,5/3,5/18,6/25,7/28,8/15,9/19 & 9/28. Robert sacrificed financially for years, so go and see as many of the Crest’s movies as possible.

The 3D system for Alpha & Omega worked fine yesterday and compared favorably to Grauman’s Chinese showing of “Guardians”, which I saw last Sunday, notwithstanding that Guardians is a higher quality 3D than Alpha.

Sadly, we “supporters” did not make a favorable impression on Dale Hurst, Carmike’s Director of Marketing, who was at the Crest last night, having flown in from headquarters in Columbus, GA. I was the only attendee at the 7:30PM show!

FYI, the normal 3D surcharge is currently being waived, so I saw the movie at the $8 senior rate. Please try to see the new 3D screen today or Thursday before the program change.

Also, talk up the Crest on websites like Yahoo Finance. Here’s a link to my post on the Carmike site:

http://messages.finance.yahoo.com/mb/CKEC

If anyone wants to meet me at a showing in Westwood contact me:

markinthedark
markinthedark on September 28, 2010 at 3:58 pm

BradE41: I agree that the Disney/Regent bookings never seemed right, especially since Landmark did a very art-house remodel on the place when they took it over (old foreign film posters etc). However when you state that Tron in 3D is a perfect fit for the Crest’s screen: I have never found the Crest’s screen to be that big, and it never seemed to have proper masking for scope films.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on September 28, 2010 at 3:14 pm

If CARMIKE has it it will soon be closing.that is what they do from what i see; a Third rate theatre operation.

BradE41
BradE41 on September 28, 2010 at 2:26 pm

I really had a feeling that Carmike was going to bring Disney back into the Crest when they announced they were installing 3D. TRON in 3D is a perfect fit for that screen. The Crest is better suited for that type of film than the Regent. The Disney/Regent bookings never seemed right to me.

xaverian
xaverian on September 28, 2010 at 2:12 pm

That’s a bummer about Carmike raising the age for discount tickets, but from their future bookings, it looks like they are very serious about making the Crest a destination for great movies on the Westside.

dctrig
dctrig on September 28, 2010 at 12:27 pm

Am planning on going to the Crest tonight to compare the 3D Alpha & Omega movie to the previously seen 2D at the Crest. If the message line is correct Carmike has raised the senior age from 60 to 65.

I am 64 and consider this very stupid, as the Crest needs to widen its audience not narrow it. I will get contact info tonight as I want to send a letter to Carmike’s marketing head with multiple suggestions. The most obvious is to do a local mailer and door hangers. Living in the N Hollywood area I get 2-3 door hangers a week. Carmike needs to realize that there are thousands of potential patrons within walking distance.

Last night, Monday, the Nuart showed me there is still hope for a properly run single screen on the west side: I attended the 8:30PM show on the slowest day of the week and rubbed my eyes in disbelief-250 people to see “Enter The Void.” The concession counter was also doing a land office business.

Danny Baldwin
Danny Baldwin on September 27, 2010 at 2:33 pm

The Facebook page now indicates the Crest will be getting LET ME IN, SAW 3D, TANGLED 3D, and TRON 3D. Carmike does indeed have far more booking leverage.

dctrig
dctrig on September 26, 2010 at 1:38 pm

Danny, thanks for the link. I drove by the Crest on Saturday evening and it definitely was open; however, annoyingly, today, Sunday their telephone message still has not been updated from the “Eat Pray Love” week of 9/10! And their website is still down. I was told on 9/19 by the ticket seller that they were not sure if Carmike would keep the same tel # and website. Folks, time to get your house in order. You’re unnecessarily confusing people and losing business.

I will go to the Crest in the next few days to compare the 3D version of “Alpha & Omega” to the 2D. Also, I’ve taken to counting the house: “Mao’s Last Dancer” was a great movie and 65 attended the 5:20 showing Saturday at the Regent. The 9:45 showing of the Glenn Gould movie at the Royal had a modest 25. The Laemmle headquarters is above tthe Royal, so I guess they will keep this white elephant open.

Danny Baldwin
Danny Baldwin on September 25, 2010 at 2:37 pm

Facebook is here: http://www.facebook.com/cresttheatre?ref=ts

The 3D was installed the morning of 9/24, it seems.

dctrig
dctrig on September 25, 2010 at 2:04 pm

Danny, can you give me a Facebook link? When I saw Alpha & Omega on 9/19 the box office apologized for it being in 2D.

Sat 9/25 Update: LA Times still lists Crest as showing Alpha in 3D. Recording is back on at the 310-474-7866, but for week of 9/10-9/16 for “Eat Pray Love!” (this is very bad as the LA Times ad does not list the showtimes but refers to the above tel # that is giving out the wrong info).

I called Bucksbaum’s business at 310-470-6008, but got a generic recording.

I may be in Westwood tonight to see either “Duck You Sucker” at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer, or “Mao’s Last Dancer” at the Regent. If so, I’ll see what’s what at the Crest.

Chris Utley
Chris Utley on September 24, 2010 at 8:49 pm

The good news is that we won’t have to deal with Eric Chavez’s stupid spam real estate posts anymore! :)

richjr37
richjr37 on September 24, 2010 at 3:57 pm

It’s actually called CASE 39,not 49. I hope they get LET ME IN.

Danny Baldwin
Danny Baldwin on September 24, 2010 at 3:00 pm

The Crest’s Facebook states they’re now equipped with DLP and REAL D, and are now showing ALPHA AND OMEGA that way. It will play for one more week, meaning they should indeed either get LET ME IN or CASE 49 on Friday.

Danny Baldwin
Danny Baldwin on September 23, 2010 at 5:23 pm

Two week contract, Brad. ALPHA AND OMEGA continues into its second week.

However, next week, provided AVCO only gets THE SOCIAL NETWORK (they can only make room for one unless they drop EASY A after only two weekends, which is unlikely), then the Crest will have its pick of LET ME IN or CASE 49 next week.

BradE41
BradE41 on September 22, 2010 at 11:51 am

You Again is not booked at the usual Disney theatre the Regent, or any other Westwood theatre. My guess is that Carmike is going to book Disney again for the Crest and will have TRON in 3D for Christmas.

I went to the Village to see Inception and was happy that it was very busy for it. Not 1981 busy but pretty good for now. Regency went into the leases for the Bruin and Village knowing they were not going to be cash cows. With them I think it is the prestige factor. But I do think they know they will not make money from operating them, and they do have premieres to supplement the income.If they keep the flow of films moving they will continue to do fair business. They are keeping with the Warner bookings which usually have a few blockbusters each year.

dctrig
dctrig on September 21, 2010 at 11:59 pm

On Sunday, 9/19, I attended the Crest’s 7PM showing of “Alpha & Omega”. My ticket stub already had the Carmike name on it. I was distressed to count only six of us. With concession purchase I felt my $15.25 was much needed! However, it made no sense to have a 10PM show the same night for a child’s movie. I have gone to every new movie at the Crest since 4/26 and will continue to do so. I’m happily retired, hit about 5-6 movie theaters a week and am going to join LAHTF.

Ambling over to the Westwood Village for the 10:10 showing of “The Town” I was please to count about 100 in the audience. The Village did great business for “Inception” and I hope they survive.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on September 18, 2010 at 4:07 pm

Hope Carmike never comes Jeff. I wonder if it was possible in ones lifetime to catch a movie in every theatre and Drive-in in L.A.? So,So many theatres.I would think it would take along time.

jmarellano
jmarellano on September 18, 2010 at 2:34 pm

Wonder if Carmike has any other plans for California.. Specifically Mann Theater locations

BradE41
BradE41 on September 18, 2010 at 1:07 pm

Perhaps Carmike will book Disney into the Crest again. The Regent is not getting the next Disney film You Again. Regent has been Disney mainstay over the past 5 years or so. Upcoming Disney Secretariat and Tron would be other Disney for rest of the year.

richjr37
richjr37 on September 18, 2010 at 1:03 pm

Let’s pray Carmike doesn’t commit the cardinal sin of ‘plexing the place sometime down the road.

BradE41
BradE41 on September 18, 2010 at 10:24 am

Very good article. Interesting that the Landmark 12 is the main culprit that killed the Crest business. I’ve been saying it for a while that the Landmark 12 was the final nail in the coffin for Westwood. The Landmark is killing first run Indie films that Westwood may have booked into the Crest, Regent or even Festival at one time. In addition, The Landmark also took away first run indies from Laemmle Monica. I’m wondering if Landmark will renew Regent lease.

Yeah, I tend to agree the Avco will not last much longer, mostly because of the property it stands on.

It is nice that chains like Regency and Carmike are taking interest in Westwood even though the profits are not there. Westwood is essentially going to be a sleepy college town from now on. From what I understand, landlords are still asking ridiculous rents which is why so many spaces remain empty. If the village did not seem so dreary perhaps it would entice people to come there more often. Too bad landlords cannot bring rents down so it was at least 100% occupied again.

Danny Baldwin
Danny Baldwin on September 18, 2010 at 9:28 am

Goldstein writes they’re playing “Alpha and Omega” right now, but it’s not on any websites, including Carmike’s.