Sparta Theatre should open on or about 6/29/07, it is up to building officials as of tomorrow. The theatre has 2 stadium theatres and a steep slope screening room that nearly equals the stadium houses. The screening room could not be made stadium because of the loss of seats due to their overall size and ADA compliance. All sound and projection equipment is new and Dolby Digital will be standard in all three. All three theatres have video capability and high-back Greystone Manhattan, plush “love” seats. We are hoping Ratatouille and Evan Almighty will open with Tranformers to follow.Thanks for the interest in our new baby.
Steve Kalafer and I are planning a new multiplex fashioned after the movie palaces of old with some new tricks thrown in. Theatre will be on the same site and will give you more details when the project is set in stone.
These are the early 70’s versions with a red/silver background on top of the white projector logo. Later version had a kalidescopic backgound with a light blue projector. A Policy “J” was sent as well (this was known as the later “new” policy. Dave should have them 9/23.
In the end, just think about the fact that we are the people who treasure the moviegoing experience. Every day we sit here blogging this site about how the experience has faded or disappeared altogether. If this is how we feel, just think about how the workaday public feels about plunking down $9.50 for a movie. The public has disconnected with the experience of going to the movies and certainly considers movies a low-end commodity. Just look at DVD sales, the downturn isn’t just one at the boxoffice. It doesn’t help when studio chiefs and exhibition chiefs are the tools of investment bankers and short term profiteers. Dwayne’s comments are sad about Houston. They reflect what the captains of our industry will allow the industry to decend to. There is a lot of blame to spread around, but I hope that there are exhibitors who will buck the trend and still be able to survive.
I know Cinema concepts has cd/dvd versions available. If you want to do it yourself, find a multimedia PC or any good mac and they should have RCA video in/out jacks. The Sony Vaio’s are great for this sort of thing.
Pike Productions used to handle all of GCC’s work. I managed for GCC during the 70’s and 80’s and I may have a copy. I ran across these things about 6 months ago when I was moving my “memborabilia”. It may be a long shot, but Stu Harnell the owner of Cinema Concepts may now be the keeper of some of these archives. He and his daughter did the “thank you for coming to Loews” jingle and he designed the AMC Theatres logo. I once heard that an advertising agency in Boston that had ties to the Smith family did the original “projector/snare/harpsichord” version.
AmericanPlace Movies is not Steve Kalafer’s company. It is owned by an ex-Sony/Loews executive and his wife. Americanplace bought the business from Nathan Theatres with a 90 day and out lease. Steve Kalafer bought the property at AmericanPlace Movies' urging last September. The proposed theatre will be a world beater in every way. If you ask the manager there he can give you a glimpse of what the local press has not seen. Hunterdon county will get a real cinematic boost. The new theatre is designed after the old Paradise Theatre by John Eberson.
When everyone and their mother knows that lots of ads precede the feature attraction at a movie theatre, it becomes a hard sell to say someone is “deceived” when the movie starts 15 minutes after the advertised showtime.
In fact, the industry has operated in this manner since the grand days of the palacial theatre. The theatre advertised the showtime, but everyone knew that showtime included a few newsreels, maybe a cartoon, sometimes a sing-a-long, a contest, the “B” feature, the coming attractions that trailed the “B” feature (trailers), maybe a serial like “Buck Rogers”, and then…the feature. What if people were interminable grousers back then like they are today?
The fact is Americans generally hate advertising, whether its “free” on TV or a part of a feature showtime at the movies.
With or without ads, my theatre will be profitable. The issue to me is simple. Should we care about our customers likes or dislikes. I believe the answer is yes, to a point. Studies have shown that with such bombardment the retention of any of that stuff, and most importantly, the coming attractions, is limited to the last 3 trailers on screen. That’s why I don’t play the ads, I want to help MY business, not sell some underarm deodorant.
Years ago, I was a part of of some meetings whereby some studio/distribution folks outright said to the major chains, “we create the market and since we spend all that dough, we want a piece of all exhibitor revenues (yes, including concessions). Well, the answer was "take a hike Jack!” and they did.
Soon thereafter, Disney called a news conference and stated that because pubic outcry was such, they were banning rolling-stock advertising from playing with their features. Warner Bros. soon followed. It is actually a part of many licensing agreements that you can’t play the ads, though admittedly only Warner and Disney enforce them.
So, I wouldn’t be surprised that the heavy hand of distribution will end up policing this issue for all the do-gooders politicians. It’s hard when you’re a major chain and the bauble of all those cool lobby flat screens and the digital players are dangled in fromt of you. Imagine the countless millions that would be spent on that stuff otherwise.
Boy, oh boy. If you asked 100 people if they like rolling-stock ads and you asked the same 100 people if they liked living near nuclear waste dumps, I think the result would be the same. So, given the fact that this is a very easy issue for politicians to get behind in an election year, a few fire-brand wielding, political hereos have come forth to save us Americans from American Express, General Motors and Kraft Foods.
In New York at both the state and NYC local level, more political saviors have risen to help the cause of us poor moviegoers who have nothing better to do than sit in a movie theatre and karp about preview ads.
I wonder, what legal issues these do-gooder/time-wasters will confront? The New York legislation is attempting to dictate what time the actual feature is advertised. In theory, if the feature is advertised at 8:00pm and the feature doesn’t go on until 8:25 well, a complaintant can call some government agency which will in theory, find the theatre guilty and subject the theatre to a $1000 fine for each offense. OK, but whose watch is official? What if they advertised 8:00 and the projectionist had a stroke on the job. Now the feature starts 1 hour late. Ok, you’ll make a provision for that but you can’t single out screen advertising as the cause for action, after all, there might be free speech issues. (What politician every gave a hoot about that? This anti-ad thing delivers votes!)
What if the newspaper prints the wrong time, who do you think would own up to that? Will the government have to set up a multi-billion dollar watchdog agency that movie theatres would report to and submit show times for? Will it be peopled with snooty ex-film students who just want to take it out on those big commercial movie chains?
I don’t know the answers. All I know is I want grocery stores to stop putting those Hot Wheels near the check-out. I went in for just a gallon of milk the other day. I had to take my kids in with me because you can’t leave ‘em in the car alone anymore. All I wanted to do was pay and get out when all hell breaks loose because I agree to buy only one car for each child. They, of course, wanted the whole peg-board…I nearly lost my mind… OK, so I did lose my mind, but where’s the public outcry? I need to trample on somebody’s rights to get my way! Quick get me Miriam Fisch! She’ll surely help me!
This is a good turn of events for this theatre. This theatre is in a very urban,densely populated area. If you did a demographic check on the area you would find that there are nearly 80,000 people living in a 4 mile circle. Further, most of the population that will be the core customer for this theatre, relies on public transportation. Its not easy, without a car, to get out to West Orange for the 9-plex that AMC operates. I imagine this guy will be able to pay off his million dollar investment in about 3.5 years. This town lost most of its retail to the “safe” suburbs after the 1968 Newark riots that forever changed Essex County NJ. The fact that a grand old palace might once again provide an avenue of escape, be a refuge from reality (no matter how it is cut up) gives me a certain amount of pleasure. Read the short kid’s book"Mike Mulligan and his Steamshovel" then you’ll know where I’m coming from.
The 68th and Broadway AMC in NYC (formerly Loews) has a reproduction of the relief Bronze. Installed in 1994.
Sparta Theatre should open on or about 6/29/07, it is up to building officials as of tomorrow. The theatre has 2 stadium theatres and a steep slope screening room that nearly equals the stadium houses. The screening room could not be made stadium because of the loss of seats due to their overall size and ADA compliance. All sound and projection equipment is new and Dolby Digital will be standard in all three. All three theatres have video capability and high-back Greystone Manhattan, plush “love” seats. We are hoping Ratatouille and Evan Almighty will open with Tranformers to follow.Thanks for the interest in our new baby.
Steve Kalafer and I are planning a new multiplex fashioned after the movie palaces of old with some new tricks thrown in. Theatre will be on the same site and will give you more details when the project is set in stone.
These are the early 70’s versions with a red/silver background on top of the white projector logo. Later version had a kalidescopic backgound with a light blue projector. A Policy “J” was sent as well (this was known as the later “new” policy. Dave should have them 9/23.
In the end, just think about the fact that we are the people who treasure the moviegoing experience. Every day we sit here blogging this site about how the experience has faded or disappeared altogether. If this is how we feel, just think about how the workaday public feels about plunking down $9.50 for a movie. The public has disconnected with the experience of going to the movies and certainly considers movies a low-end commodity. Just look at DVD sales, the downturn isn’t just one at the boxoffice. It doesn’t help when studio chiefs and exhibition chiefs are the tools of investment bankers and short term profiteers. Dwayne’s comments are sad about Houston. They reflect what the captains of our industry will allow the industry to decend to. There is a lot of blame to spread around, but I hope that there are exhibitors who will buck the trend and still be able to survive.
I know Cinema concepts has cd/dvd versions available. If you want to do it yourself, find a multimedia PC or any good mac and they should have RCA video in/out jacks. The Sony Vaio’s are great for this sort of thing.
Pike Productions used to handle all of GCC’s work. I managed for GCC during the 70’s and 80’s and I may have a copy. I ran across these things about 6 months ago when I was moving my “memborabilia”. It may be a long shot, but Stu Harnell the owner of Cinema Concepts may now be the keeper of some of these archives. He and his daughter did the “thank you for coming to Loews” jingle and he designed the AMC Theatres logo. I once heard that an advertising agency in Boston that had ties to the Smith family did the original “projector/snare/harpsichord” version.
AmericanPlace Movies is not Steve Kalafer’s company. It is owned by an ex-Sony/Loews executive and his wife. Americanplace bought the business from Nathan Theatres with a 90 day and out lease. Steve Kalafer bought the property at AmericanPlace Movies' urging last September. The proposed theatre will be a world beater in every way. If you ask the manager there he can give you a glimpse of what the local press has not seen. Hunterdon county will get a real cinematic boost. The new theatre is designed after the old Paradise Theatre by John Eberson.
When everyone and their mother knows that lots of ads precede the feature attraction at a movie theatre, it becomes a hard sell to say someone is “deceived” when the movie starts 15 minutes after the advertised showtime.
In fact, the industry has operated in this manner since the grand days of the palacial theatre. The theatre advertised the showtime, but everyone knew that showtime included a few newsreels, maybe a cartoon, sometimes a sing-a-long, a contest, the “B” feature, the coming attractions that trailed the “B” feature (trailers), maybe a serial like “Buck Rogers”, and then…the feature. What if people were interminable grousers back then like they are today?
The fact is Americans generally hate advertising, whether its “free” on TV or a part of a feature showtime at the movies.
With or without ads, my theatre will be profitable. The issue to me is simple. Should we care about our customers likes or dislikes. I believe the answer is yes, to a point. Studies have shown that with such bombardment the retention of any of that stuff, and most importantly, the coming attractions, is limited to the last 3 trailers on screen. That’s why I don’t play the ads, I want to help MY business, not sell some underarm deodorant.
Years ago, I was a part of of some meetings whereby some studio/distribution folks outright said to the major chains, “we create the market and since we spend all that dough, we want a piece of all exhibitor revenues (yes, including concessions). Well, the answer was "take a hike Jack!” and they did.
Soon thereafter, Disney called a news conference and stated that because pubic outcry was such, they were banning rolling-stock advertising from playing with their features. Warner Bros. soon followed. It is actually a part of many licensing agreements that you can’t play the ads, though admittedly only Warner and Disney enforce them.
So, I wouldn’t be surprised that the heavy hand of distribution will end up policing this issue for all the do-gooders politicians. It’s hard when you’re a major chain and the bauble of all those cool lobby flat screens and the digital players are dangled in fromt of you. Imagine the countless millions that would be spent on that stuff otherwise.
Boy, oh boy. If you asked 100 people if they like rolling-stock ads and you asked the same 100 people if they liked living near nuclear waste dumps, I think the result would be the same. So, given the fact that this is a very easy issue for politicians to get behind in an election year, a few fire-brand wielding, political hereos have come forth to save us Americans from American Express, General Motors and Kraft Foods.
In New York at both the state and NYC local level, more political saviors have risen to help the cause of us poor moviegoers who have nothing better to do than sit in a movie theatre and karp about preview ads.
I wonder, what legal issues these do-gooder/time-wasters will confront? The New York legislation is attempting to dictate what time the actual feature is advertised. In theory, if the feature is advertised at 8:00pm and the feature doesn’t go on until 8:25 well, a complaintant can call some government agency which will in theory, find the theatre guilty and subject the theatre to a $1000 fine for each offense. OK, but whose watch is official? What if they advertised 8:00 and the projectionist had a stroke on the job. Now the feature starts 1 hour late. Ok, you’ll make a provision for that but you can’t single out screen advertising as the cause for action, after all, there might be free speech issues. (What politician every gave a hoot about that? This anti-ad thing delivers votes!)
What if the newspaper prints the wrong time, who do you think would own up to that? Will the government have to set up a multi-billion dollar watchdog agency that movie theatres would report to and submit show times for? Will it be peopled with snooty ex-film students who just want to take it out on those big commercial movie chains?
I don’t know the answers. All I know is I want grocery stores to stop putting those Hot Wheels near the check-out. I went in for just a gallon of milk the other day. I had to take my kids in with me because you can’t leave ‘em in the car alone anymore. All I wanted to do was pay and get out when all hell breaks loose because I agree to buy only one car for each child. They, of course, wanted the whole peg-board…I nearly lost my mind… OK, so I did lose my mind, but where’s the public outcry? I need to trample on somebody’s rights to get my way! Quick get me Miriam Fisch! She’ll surely help me!
This is a good turn of events for this theatre. This theatre is in a very urban,densely populated area. If you did a demographic check on the area you would find that there are nearly 80,000 people living in a 4 mile circle. Further, most of the population that will be the core customer for this theatre, relies on public transportation. Its not easy, without a car, to get out to West Orange for the 9-plex that AMC operates. I imagine this guy will be able to pay off his million dollar investment in about 3.5 years. This town lost most of its retail to the “safe” suburbs after the 1968 Newark riots that forever changed Essex County NJ. The fact that a grand old palace might once again provide an avenue of escape, be a refuge from reality (no matter how it is cut up) gives me a certain amount of pleasure. Read the short kid’s book"Mike Mulligan and his Steamshovel" then you’ll know where I’m coming from.