Comments from ChrisWillman

Showing 1 - 25 of 32 comments

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Beverly Center Cinemas 13 on Jun 4, 2010 at 9:21 am

I went last night for the final showing of “The Runaways.” There were about 10 of us milling about afterward as an employee put up “Theater Closed” on the marquee outside. No cake, unfortunately, unlike the night I helped close down the Orpheum in downtown L.A. Anyway, the place was much better run in these latter days than most people remember it. I wish someone had made it into a cinema bistro or done some other radical rethinking, but maybe nothing could have prevented it becoming a retail space. Anyway, I concur with what many are saying: absolutely no reason to ever enter the Beverly Center again.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Terrace Drive-In on Jun 2, 2010 at 9:17 pm

The information in this header is not correct. I believe—though I’m not certain—that this drive-in was built with three screens, back in the ‘70s. But ever since I started attending in the mid-'90s, and probably long before that, only one of the screens has been in use, and the other two lots sit there vacant. I haven’t been up to Idaho yet this season but I don’t have any reason to believe they’ve started using either of the two idle screens again. It’s open weekends only, by the way, and shows second-run double features, just like the other area drive-in, the better known Parma Motor-Vu.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about "The African Queen" finally comes to DVD! on Mar 3, 2010 at 6:39 pm

Not true that “Magnificent Ambersons” was only released on VHS, as I have the Criterion laserdisc, which is highly collectible.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about New Beverly Cinema on Jan 9, 2010 at 9:41 pm

What is happening with the missing signage?

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Santa Monica wants assurance older multiplex will be closed before OK'ing new one on Sep 20, 2009 at 10:42 am

In the early 1980s, it was the Cine Theatre, a single-screen Spanish-language house. The interior was entirely gutted to build a Cineplex multiplex in the mid-‘80s. I don’t remember anything about the exterior being original or historic, either, but I could be wrong.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Mann Festival Theater on Aug 1, 2009 at 11:05 pm

I think the Vista and Aero will also be with us for a while. I worry about the Egyptian, between the Cinematheque’s two houses.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Mann Festival Theater on Jul 31, 2009 at 7:47 am

View link

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Mann Festival Theater on Jul 30, 2009 at 10:38 pm

Apparently, the Festival is now closed.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Cinadome Theatre on Feb 22, 2009 at 9:19 am

I know. No address listed on that page, though.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Cinadome Theatre on Feb 21, 2009 at 11:44 am

Anyone know where in town the Mineralite Drive-in was? I assume there are no traces left, but in an area that unpopulated, you never know.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Winslow Theater on Feb 9, 2009 at 10:49 am

Did the theater close? The employee wrote here that it would be closing in January 2008. It’s still listed as open on this page, though, so wondering if there’s an update.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Franklin Theatre on Apr 2, 2008 at 10:15 am

What do you mean by “trash it”? What plans are you aware of?

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about UA Cinema 150 on Apr 16, 2007 at 4:26 pm

http://www.thevillagelive.com/about/gallery

This is the website for the concert venue that took over the place, with photos.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about National Theatre on Apr 16, 2007 at 3:31 pm

If this is confirmed, I plan to be there for the final show, yes.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Re-opening! on Jun 24, 2006 at 8:42 pm

And “Click” will be an old classic to some people in the future.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Re-opening! on Jun 16, 2006 at 6:50 pm

It’s great that you have a place to go see movies again… but, come on, I don’t think a 16-plex built in the ‘90s really counts as a “cinema treasure” for most people here.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Centinela Drive-In on Mar 21, 2006 at 5:01 pm

“Targets” was not filmed here, but at the Sepulveda Drive-in up in the Valley. This information is included at the IMDB page you linked to.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Pan Pacific Theatre on Jun 10, 2002 at 12:38 am

There may be some confusion between the world-famous Pan Pacific Auditorium, a live venue where Elvis, among many others, performed, and the Pan Pacific Theatre, which sat nearby on Melrose Ave. I believe the latter closed down and was demolished in the mid-‘80s—not to be confused with the fire that destroyed the auditorium on the eve of its planned restoration. The last film I ever saw at the Pan Pacific Theatre was the re-release of “Rear Window” in the '80s; I believe it was a Laemmle house then.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about AMC Broadway 4 on Apr 23, 2002 at 11:59 pm

In the early ‘80s, prior to the construction of the new four-plex on the site—and indeed, prior to the renovation of the entire outdoor mall—this was a humble single-screen Spanish-language house called the Cine. On Sunday mornings, a church called the Santa Monica Vineyard met there. I attended for a few years, and it was always amusing walking into “church” past some very salacious looking one-sheets en espanol. Incidentally, after the Cine closed, the Vineyard briefly moved its services down the mall to the Criterion, which was then a single-screen second-run prior house; it, too, was completely rebuilt, as a Mann six-plex.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Egyptian Theatre on Apr 18, 2002 at 11:07 pm

For much of its history, including when I was growing up in Boise in the ‘60s and '70s, this was known as the Ada Theatre. (Boise is in Ada County.) It nearly fell victim to the urban development that saw most of the surrounding blocks torn down in the '70s but made a terrific comeback. Since the restoration, the theater has changed hands several times and actually closed for a few months when Cineplex Odeon dropped out after showing what some feared would be its final (but appropriate) engagement, “The Mummy.” Not only did another operator come in to save the day but the theater got yet another touchup. This is Boise’s only surviving theater that even predates the 1980s. The last other vintage downtown theater, the Pinney, was demolished in the mid-'60s.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about NuWilshire Theatre on Apr 18, 2002 at 12:49 am

Carved in two in the early or mid-‘90s, I believe. Fortunately, they kept the nice neon marquee that dates back a few decades.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about Rialto Theatre on Apr 18, 2002 at 12:43 am

The Rialto has run into problems on its way to divvying itself up, so for the time being you can still go sit in the balcony, with its wonderfully creaky old wooden steps.

The opening sequence of “Scream 2” was also shot here.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about La Tijera Theatre on Apr 18, 2002 at 12:38 am

The sad conversion to office space happened in the early ‘80s. The facade is still well worth a drive-by.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman on Apr 18, 2002 at 12:32 am

The colorful redesign in the ‘90s was by the same fellow who did El Capitan in Hollywood. This small house is a real gem, with a lovely marquee and multiple curtains.

ChrisWillman
ChrisWillman commented about El Rey Theatre on Apr 18, 2002 at 12:29 am

The marquee is one of the highlights of the Miracle Mile area. It’s far more colorful now than it was in the theater’s final days as a last-run house and Filmex venue. When the theater was being renovated for a nightclub, the owners razed the original ticket booth. I’m not sure if they were forced to by preservation laws or what, but they did realize their mistake and build a new booth. This is a nice place to see a rock show, if you don’t mind standing and are tall enough to overcome sightline problems posed by the flat floor. A small balcony is usually open to VIPs only.