I don’t know where Frank Rowley is or what he’s doing now.
I DO know that there were summer fantasy, horror and sci fi festivals at the West Houston Street Film Forum in 1991 and 1992. I was there and saw some of them.
I know. It just isn’t the same, or as much fun as, the Watts Street Film Forum. I was last there on 2 November 1998 to see “Lenny Bruce : Swear To Tell The Truth”.
Thanks for the info, hardbop. I last attended the Watts Street Film Forum on Wednesday August 30th 1989. You say it closed its doors on September 4, 1989, yet the summer 1989 program, which I have open in front of me as I type this, shows the summer fantasy, horror and sci fi festival continuing through Thursday September 21 1989.
I didn’t attend Film Forum at all in 1990, and wasn’t sure what had happened to it that year, mostly concerned about the summer f h and s f festival. I first attended the Houston Street location in late August 1991 for the tail end of the summer 1991 fantasy, horror and sci fi festival : a Hammer / Lee / Cushing double feature of “Horror Of Dracula” and “Curse Of Frankenstein”.
You’re welcome, Noah. My pleasure. I’m glad you’ve read them.
I know there’s a lot of off-topic posting on this page, and that a lot of it is mine, but I think the sheer volume and quality of most of it would serve to strengthen your argument for the significance of the Ridgewood Theater to both the actual and virtual (cyber) communities of former (myself, Bway) and current (Monica) Ridgewoodites : how great a draw the Ridgewood Theatre is, and has been, on Cinema Treasures. I can’t help but believe that there must be some significance to the fact that the Ridgewood Theatre page is one of the longest, if not the longest, page on Cinema Treasures.
You are more than welcome to all my postings about the Ridgewood Theatre on this lengthy page. They and posts by so many others speak for themselves about the love we all have for this historic theater.
When I lived in Ridgewood, once I was allowed to see movies by myself, I would see films at the Ridgewood or Madison, 1) if the film I wanted to see was at one of these theaters, and 2) if I didn’t feel like travelling further than walking a few blocks to see that film. Sometimes, I wanted to go further, like Manhattan, then, later on, Forest Hills, Rego Park, or Elmhurst, because I wanted to do some walking, and get out of my over-familiar home neighborhood to see some new scenery, or, the film I wanted to see was only playing there, or, to travel further, to make it seem more like a night out, to feel that I was “going somewhere”, not just lazily falling out my front door to see a movie right around the corner. The deteriorated condition of the Ridgewood in later years, and the loudness and rowdiness of the audience, also had something to do with it.
Thank you for posting your observation, Panzer65. I can’t tell you what to do, but I wish you had stopped to look inside, and had asked those gentlemen what was going on.
Excellent work, Michael. Thanks for writing and posting it, and for including a link to the Times Newsweekly “Our Neighborhood” article about the 90th anniversary of the Ridgewood Theatre, which mentioned me by name, and included what I had to say about the Ridgewood Theatre, along with those “historic images”.
Bway, thanks for pointing out that the Ridgewood Theatre didn’t have the amenities that most movie goers have come to expect. Also, most, if not virtually all, of the people who now live within walking distance of the Ridgewood Theatre do not, and perhaps could not possibly have, the nostalgic fascination for the Ridgewood Theatre that we, who are from Ridgewood, and grew up there, and are regular posters on Cinema Treasures, have.
Frankie, enjoy seeing “King Kong” at the Loew’s Jersey City on June 14th. I would join you there if I was able to, but I won’t be. Perhaps Bway would like to join you.
As you pointed out in so many words, we were given a hint of the future several times at the Ridgewood last year, with only two to five people in the audience watching a movie.
Those are all good questions to ask, BrooklynJim, and I thank you for posting them here. I hope we all get answers to them, and that something constructive is soon done with the Ridgewood Theatre.
Thanks, hardbop.
I don’t know where Frank Rowley is or what he’s doing now.
I DO know that there were summer fantasy, horror and sci fi festivals at the West Houston Street Film Forum in 1991 and 1992. I was there and saw some of them.
I know. It just isn’t the same, or as much fun as, the Watts Street Film Forum. I was last there on 2 November 1998 to see “Lenny Bruce : Swear To Tell The Truth”.
It’s up to Noah Rosenberg how he chooses to interpret and use the huge volume of postings about the Ridgewood Theatre on Cinema Treasures.
Thanks for the info, hardbop. I last attended the Watts Street Film Forum on Wednesday August 30th 1989. You say it closed its doors on September 4, 1989, yet the summer 1989 program, which I have open in front of me as I type this, shows the summer fantasy, horror and sci fi festival continuing through Thursday September 21 1989.
I didn’t attend Film Forum at all in 1990, and wasn’t sure what had happened to it that year, mostly concerned about the summer f h and s f festival. I first attended the Houston Street location in late August 1991 for the tail end of the summer 1991 fantasy, horror and sci fi festival : a Hammer / Lee / Cushing double feature of “Horror Of Dracula” and “Curse Of Frankenstein”.
Thanks for this information, hardbop. Do you know when the Thalia Soho closed ? I think I was last there, late January 1990.
You’re welcome, Noah. My pleasure. I’m glad you’ve read them.
I know there’s a lot of off-topic posting on this page, and that a lot of it is mine, but I think the sheer volume and quality of most of it would serve to strengthen your argument for the significance of the Ridgewood Theater to both the actual and virtual (cyber) communities of former (myself, Bway) and current (Monica) Ridgewoodites : how great a draw the Ridgewood Theatre is, and has been, on Cinema Treasures. I can’t help but believe that there must be some significance to the fact that the Ridgewood Theatre page is one of the longest, if not the longest, page on Cinema Treasures.
Mr. Rosenberg :
You are more than welcome to all my postings about the Ridgewood Theatre on this lengthy page. They and posts by so many others speak for themselves about the love we all have for this historic theater.
Peter Koch
I’ve seen the ad, Warren. Thanks for posting the link to it.
Thanks for your post, LarryC. Good to have you on this theater’s page !
Thank you, Michael (NativeForestHiller)! Unfortunately, myspace is blocked from the computer I post from.
You’re welcome, Panzer65. I’m a human spell check !
Panzer65, I didn’t even notice your mis-spelling until you mentioned it !
Thanks, Panzer65. Good, insightful comment by you as well.
Good points all, Bway. Thanks.
When I lived in Ridgewood, once I was allowed to see movies by myself, I would see films at the Ridgewood or Madison, 1) if the film I wanted to see was at one of these theaters, and 2) if I didn’t feel like travelling further than walking a few blocks to see that film. Sometimes, I wanted to go further, like Manhattan, then, later on, Forest Hills, Rego Park, or Elmhurst, because I wanted to do some walking, and get out of my over-familiar home neighborhood to see some new scenery, or, the film I wanted to see was only playing there, or, to travel further, to make it seem more like a night out, to feel that I was “going somewhere”, not just lazily falling out my front door to see a movie right around the corner. The deteriorated condition of the Ridgewood in later years, and the loudness and rowdiness of the audience, also had something to do with it.
Thanks for sharing your experience here, GerardC. Sorry to read about your car and your film. I had no idea Astoria was so bad in the early 1990’s.
Good point, Warren. Thanks. Have you mentioned this to the management of CT ?
You’re welcome, NativeForestHiller ! It was my pleasure, too, to write about the 90th anniversary of the Ridgewood Theatre to the Times Newsweekly.
Probably not, Panzer65, because you can always go back to the Ridgewood Theatre to see what’s going on there.
Thank you for posting your observation, Panzer65. I can’t tell you what to do, but I wish you had stopped to look inside, and had asked those gentlemen what was going on.
Excellent work, Michael. Thanks for writing and posting it, and for including a link to the Times Newsweekly “Our Neighborhood” article about the 90th anniversary of the Ridgewood Theatre, which mentioned me by name, and included what I had to say about the Ridgewood Theatre, along with those “historic images”.
Thanks, BrooklynJim. I didn’t know about that civic plaque at Myrtle and Palmetto that listed the RKO Madison, but not the Ridgewood.
Bway, thanks for pointing out that the Ridgewood Theatre didn’t have the amenities that most movie goers have come to expect. Also, most, if not virtually all, of the people who now live within walking distance of the Ridgewood Theatre do not, and perhaps could not possibly have, the nostalgic fascination for the Ridgewood Theatre that we, who are from Ridgewood, and grew up there, and are regular posters on Cinema Treasures, have.
Frankie, enjoy seeing “King Kong” at the Loew’s Jersey City on June 14th. I would join you there if I was able to, but I won’t be. Perhaps Bway would like to join you.
As you pointed out in so many words, we were given a hint of the future several times at the Ridgewood last year, with only two to five people in the audience watching a movie.
Those are all good questions to ask, BrooklynJim, and I thank you for posting them here. I hope we all get answers to them, and that something constructive is soon done with the Ridgewood Theatre.