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Author Topic: Open for Christmas? Michael Brown Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1522 From: Bradford, England Registered: May 2001 posted 12-19-2002 08:33 AM                     I always fancied going to see a film on Christmas Day. One of these days...  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-19-2002 09:11 AM                        The independents I know usually just close on Christmas eve and are open for evening shows on Christmas day. No extra pay, but we're talking about single screens where the entire place can be run by only three people (tickets, concession, projection). Pretty much everyone is open on New Years' day, though some close early or do special programming (like free cartoons or something) on New Years' eve. For the gigaplexes which stay do 7:00pm shows on Christmas eve: does anyone come to these shows? I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas, but it seems like it would be a pretty dead time.  |  IP: Logged Tony Ratcliff Expert Film Handler Posts: 216 From: Madison, IN, USA Registered: Mar 2002 posted 12-19-2002 11:41 AM                     My theatre being an independent, I do what I want . And I want myself and my staff to have time to spend the holidays with family and friends. So I will have a 2pm matinee only on Christmas Eve, closed Christmas. 7pm show only on New Year's Eve. No matinee on New Years Day, but open for 7pm show.  |  IP: Logged Jim Alexander Film Handler Posts: 71 From: Greenwood, Nova Scotia, Canada Registered: Nov 1999 posted 12-19-2002 03:21 PM                        --------------------------------------------------------------------- Quote Ian Price: Greenwood is located across the Annapolis River, south of the Village of Kingston adjacent to the Annapolis County line. Greenwood is the fastest growing community... --------------------------------------------------------------------- COOL!!! Someone who knows where this place is. You must have done a bit a research to get the info you mentioned. It is a little dated and not quite as mundain as it may seem. Yes, there is a military base, which is known as 14 Wing Greenwood, located within the village. It's population, and that of the village, is approximately 4000 people. As a matter of fact, the base is where my theatre is located. Although no longer a military facility, we do cater to the base as well as surrounding communitees. Our customer base ranges from the town of Berwick, 20 Kilometer to the east, to Digby, 100 Kilometers to the west. Our primary customers are within 20 Kilometers (appr 15-20,000 people). The Wing no longer flys the T-33 or Challenger aircraft. They were retired last year and the Labrador will soon follow. We still fly the Aurora (similar to the USN Orion) and the Hercules and we will soon have the Cormorant online to replace the Labrador. Although no longer the fastest growing communitee, it is a beautiful spot where people still leave their doors unlocked at night. When I first moved to this area 11 years ago, they used to roll up the sidewalks at 6:00pm daily... nothing was opened after that. You couldn't even find a gas bar that allowed self-serve! It took me a bit to get use to the "slower" life style, and the unique business techniques, but I have come to really enjoy it and the area has restarted its growth after the declines of the '90s. Although, from the description you provided, the area appears mundain, the choice to remain closed for Christmas, is ours alone. We have received many requests to be open, but I can't in all good conscience, ask my staff to work, when I would prefer not to.  |  IP: Logged William Leland III Master Film Handler Posts: 336 From: Charleston, SC, Registered: Aug 2002 posted 12-20-2002 03:22 PM                        The Charleston IMAX is open. Our first show is at 4 p.m. We open "Lion King" and run it all day long. The last show is at 8p.m. We get time and a half for working any holiday. The employees show up and hour before we open. Scott, when i worked at the Palmetto Grand 16 Dec.24th, I closed because where opening "Ali" on Christmas day. I had to build up that piece of crap. The last show started at 8 p.m. I think we had maybe 50 people that night.  |  IP: Logged Daniel Boisson Expert Film Handler Posts: 157 From: Buffalo, NY, USA Registered: Oct 2001 posted 12-20-2002 11:39 PM                     my theatre is kinda doing the same as Tony Ratcliff's.....we're not having shows christmas eve, or christmas day until 7. Good thing, nobody would work anyhow....  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 12-21-2002 09:40 PM                     Our independent 13 screen operation will be open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day. Only schedule change is on Christmas Day, when we open at 11:50AM instead of 11AM. Otherwise, last show of LOTR will be geting out at 1:30AM every night thru the holiday period. Employees get time and a half on Christmas Day and New Years Day. Most of our area competition is open even earlier on Christmas Day! And, yes, we always do good business on these dates. By the way, we will have 20 prints in the booth on Christmas day, thanks to Christmas Day releases. Happy Holidays to all!  |  IP: Logged Bill Enos Film God Posts: 2081 From: Richmond, Virginia, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 12-22-2002 08:50 AM                     We're open Christmas eve for the 7:15 only showing of Wonderful Life. Christmas day 7:15 and 9:30 for Wonderful Life. Many expenses continue whether the doors are open or not. We can't afford the lost cash flow of being closed. Christmas evening is usually very good. We have been running this film on these nights for years to about 200 on eve and 400 for each Christmas night show, with a organ sing along before each. Don't fool with success.  |  IP: Logged Jason Black Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1723 From: Myrtle Beach, SC, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 12-22-2002 10:32 AM                        I highly doubt that anyone who has been in this business for more than a few years would argue the fact that Christmas Day business is normally always brisk, to say the least. I guess the combination of folks out spending money for the holidays, schools being out, and many in the workforce off for a couple days, oh and let's not forget the distributors who push the fact that Christmas is a HUGE opening day for films, have helped build our Holiday business. This marks my 15th year watching people shuffle in and out and Christmas Eve/Day. While I enjoy having the business (there's no better indication of continued employment than good attendance) it bumfuddles me the amount of people out looking for something to do... Anyway, Happy Holidays to you and yours from Myrtle Beach, SC!  |  IP: Logged Lance C. McFetridge Expert Film Handler Posts: 135 From: Penn Yan, New York Registered: Jul 99 posted 12-22-2002 01:16 PM                     We are open Christmas Eve for matinees only and on Christmas for evening shows only. We find we have good father/kids turnouts on Christmas Eve....getting them out of the house for Mom I think, and great Christmas night turnouts. lance  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 12-22-2002 07:03 PM                     John T: Your theater lets out The Two Towers at 1:30 AM on Xmas Eve? Even the big Manhattan theaters close before midnight! I can vouch for the extra-early opening on Xmas Day. Reading Cinemas in Manville starts seven movies at 10 AM, including Catch Me if You Can, Pinocchio, The Two Towers and (appropriately) The Santa Clause 2. Harry Potter 2 follows at 10:05 and Maid in Manhattan at 10:15. Arthouses seem to be more eclectic. The Cinema Arts Centre on Long Island runs all sets Xmas Eve (last show 9:30) and drops the 2:00 round Xmas Day. The County Theater in Doylestown PA has no shows Xmas Eve and evening shows only Xmas Day; the box office is open both days for gift certificates/memberships. Upstate Films in Rhinebeck NY is closed from 12/20-24 and open for all shows Xmas Day.  |  IP: Logged Mark Maxwell Film Handler Posts: 55 From: Tyler, TX, USA Registered: Jul 2002 posted 12-29-2002 03:26 AM                     There cannot be a law against being open on a religious holiday, or that anyone who works that day should be paid overtime. Laws like that get in the way of the separation of church and state. I hate having to work every Christmas. Two years ago I had to work 14 hours on my birthday which was also Easter Sunday. The law cannot favor a single religion, because it would force itself to answer to all of the other religions. We work long hours and have to know alot. A producer spends 50 million on a movie paying the actors, writors, directors, and so many more people. It's up to us to make each patron feel like they spent their money well. The whole movie industry depends on us. EMS and fire Dept. get paid about the same as we do. I can tell you right now I would rather run upstiars to several brain wraps than to run up to a fire. They save lives. They are open 24/7 and they see alot of bad things. I know becuase i rode with a crew 3 years ago. Don't complain about working on Chrismas when other people work it to save a life, or bring somone in to rest. I got out of social work and got back in to projection as an escape.  |  IP: Logged Charles Everett Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1470 From: New Jersey Registered: May 2001 posted 12-09-2003 06:56 PM                     Bumping it up 'cause it's that time again! Want aggravation? DreamWorks takes House of Sand and Fog limited on -- get this -- Friday the 26th. At least Big Fish will have its national arthouse/megaplex break Xmas Day.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 12-09-2003 11:35 PM                        Geez, Charles... you did the bump last year, too. Give someone else a chance, will ya?  |  IP: Logged Gary Crawford Expert Film Handler Posts: 200 From: Neptune NJ USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 12-09-2003 11:56 PM                     Our theatre, single-screen, single indie house, is closed for a few days before Christmas (depending on calendar). We reopen Dec 26. I like it myself, a few days off. I do remember working continous Christmas days when my father brought me turkey dinner. Most of the management of Walter Reade, who were Jewish, had the day off, but we grunts had to work. For all the business we did we could have run one or two evening shows instead, if that. We chose this life so sometimes we have to put up with holidays the rest of the world has off.  |  IP: Logged

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