Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 2,376 - 2,400 of 3,427 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Rex Art Cinema on Jul 27, 2008 at 10:41 am

I think this was the New King when it tried running blaxploitaion in 1972.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about The Dark Knight Beats Estimates on Jul 26, 2008 at 8:16 pm

“…or just about every movie that Barbra Streisand ever made.”

How quickly you forget “FUNNY GIRL” and “WHAT’S UP, DOC?”, two classics that have outlived any silly BATMAN movie so far.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about New World Stages on Jul 26, 2008 at 7:49 pm

CO was not above opening screens as they were finished while still in construction on others.

The project ran late and distributors felt the location was too far out west (duh) and didn’t want to risk exclusives of their movies in the zone, so getting first-runs was a problem.

CO was forced to day-date this with the Times Square Warner on “Uncle Buck” and the Warner proved the World Wide was redundant. Universal owned 50% of CO by then so they continued to cooperate for a while.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Astor Theatre on Jul 26, 2008 at 5:00 pm

Since QUEEN CHRISTINA premiered on December 26 and that photo shows a Roll Royce in front, this is most likely a shot of the World Premier crowd and hardly representative of the the average movie-goer in 1933.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Flagler Theater on Jul 25, 2008 at 9:44 pm

I believe this was last known as Radio Centro.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez on Jul 25, 2008 at 9:28 pm

This theatre is already listed as the Rio, its last name.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 21st Adult Theatre on Jul 25, 2008 at 8:51 pm

This opened as the Fine Arts in 1963 with Jewish Vaudeville and a movie. It slowly moved to burlesque and soft-core porn films and was the 21st Street theatre by 1969.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Hi-Way Airport 9 Drive-In on Jul 23, 2008 at 6:44 pm

Not in Florida. I saw it at the Golden Glades Drive-In first run.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 79th Street Twin II Cinema on Jul 23, 2008 at 12:21 pm

This was also the location for the Bard theatre which ran movies as well as live burlesque in the late fifties.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 79th Street Twin II Cinema on Jul 23, 2008 at 10:43 am

This location one housed the Little River theatre. I am unsure if it is the same building.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Hi-Way Airport 9 Drive-In on Jul 23, 2008 at 10:40 am

I believe this was the largest drive-in in the country for a while.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Coral Way Drive-In on Jul 22, 2008 at 8:06 pm

The full address for this drive-in was 7080 Coral Way.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Empire 25 on Jul 22, 2008 at 10:16 am

This being 42nd street, I’m not so sure I want to find those stairs.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about The Dark Knight Beats Estimates on Jul 22, 2008 at 9:37 am

I agree. “Titanic” had little girls going back to see DiCaprio for a year. TDK will be out on DVD by Thanksgiving.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Empire 25 on Jul 22, 2008 at 9:31 am

The AMC exit escalators appear to have been designed to move the exiting crowd away from the main building in case of fire. The large “holding” areas in between are supposed to handle the overflow when the escalators back up. Human nature is to huddle around the escalator instead, causing a dangerous result.

The buildings department often demand designs that do not conform with human nature. I often experienced this on new builds in NY. Consider the safe distance of the entrance escalators on each floor compared to the exits.

MarkieS, I disagree that escalators are made to stand still. Don’t you get annoyed by people who block the people movers at airports with luggage and stand still?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Empire 25 on Jul 22, 2008 at 7:18 am

All those huge airport-like waiting areas and the exit patterns are scrutinized by the buildings department before they issue a permit to open. The inadequate AMC exits may have been dictated by the city.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Empire 25 on Jul 20, 2008 at 7:27 am

If anything, the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ escalator at Lincoln Square is more daunting and that only has a mere thirteen screens.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Big 3D opening weekend on Jul 18, 2008 at 8:29 am

This article is a sales pitch. So people with a propensity to see JOURNEY chose 3D over 2D?

The film opened at 2811 locations. According to this article there are 1400 3D systems installed. If all the system screens were showing JOURNEY, and they probably were, then there was a 7% increment which is easily explained by 3D installations being bought for higher grossing locations anyway.

The real story here is – “In spite of the 3D gimmick audiences choose "Hancock” and “Hellboy II” over “Journey to the Center of the Earth”.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC 34th Street 14 on Jul 17, 2008 at 11:16 pm

West 34th Street should be an aka here.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Palace Theater on Jul 17, 2008 at 2:05 pm

Although the address above places this theatre on 123rd street, a Paramount week ad in 1924 places another second avenue Palace at 45th street.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about RKO Shore Road Theatre on Jul 17, 2008 at 12:39 pm

On May 5, 1993, The Brooklyn Spectator published two pages of Bay Ridge movie palace memories written by Andrew Johnson and John Cocchi.

Here they are:
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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about RKO Dyker Theatre on Jul 17, 2008 at 12:38 pm

On May 5, 1993, The Brooklyn Spectator published two pages of Bay Ridge movie palace memories written by Andrew Johnson and John Cocchi.

Here they are:
View link
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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Harbor Theatre on Jul 17, 2008 at 12:38 pm

On May 5, 1993, The Brooklyn Spectator published two pages of Bay Ridge movie palace memories written by Andrew Johnson and John Cocchi.

Here they are:
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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Fortway Theatre on Jul 17, 2008 at 12:37 pm

On May 5, 1993, The Brooklyn Spectator published two pages of Bay Ridge movie palace memories written by Andrew Johnson and John Cocchi.

Here they are:
View link
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Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Alpine Cinema on Jul 17, 2008 at 12:35 pm

On May 5, 1993, The Brooklyn Spectator published two pages of Bay Ridge movie palace memories written by Andrew Johnson and John Cocchi.

Here they are:
View link
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