posted 06-02-2004 03:55 AM                    

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Metro Atlanta's burgeoning art film scene took a hit Tuesday as New York-based Madstone Theaters quietly closed its eight-screen theater in Sandy Springs.

Madstone also closed multiplexes in Chandler, Ariz., and Ann Arbor, Mich. That leaves the 30-month-old chain with six theaters, in Denver, Albuquerque, N.M., San Diego, Salt Lake City, Tampa and Cary, N.C.

Calls to Madstone's corporate offices in New York were not returned. But in an e-mail to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Madstone Acting Chief Executive Carol Seelig wrote that reorganization "is necessary for the future growth of Madstone."

It was unclear at press time whether additional Madstone theater closings would be forthcoming.

At least 20 employees lost their jobs locally. Madstone opened in Sandy Springs in April 2003 and had pledged a healthy mix of documentaries, art films and some foreign films, but its most recent offerings were dominated by more mainstream Hollywood fare such as "Shrek 2," "Troy," "Raising Helen" and "Man on Fire."

The chain's entry into the Atlanta market came roughly six months ahead of Los Angeles-based Landmark Theatres, the nation's largest art-house chain with 57 theaters in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Landmark turned the old United Artists Midtown into the eight-screen Midtown Art Cinema.

Brian Newman, outgoing executive director of Image Film and Video Center, said Madstone's closing here isn't "a sign about Atlanta but how Madstone picked location. It's a little bit far out. It was good for parts of the community but not for everyone."

Located just above I-285 off Roswell Road, Madstone was several miles from Atlanta's core of art houses, including the two Lefont theaters, the four-screen Tara and the Landmark.

Ray Price, vice president of marketing for Landmark, said Madstone "tried to build a circuit very quickly and in doing that they took on a lot of problem locations. You can't be off 10 miles away from your core audience."

Turner Classic Movies on Tuesday canceled its series of classic films such as Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "A Clockwork Orange" that was to have played across Madstone's chain. That series was to have begun at the Sandy Springs theater on Friday.

After Madstone renovated and reopened the old General Cinemas Parkside last year, it hosted a remarkable 16-week run of director Terrence Malick's 1978 film, "Days of Heaven."

The theater recently had a few sellout screenings involving the 48 Hour Film Project, in which more than 30 local film teams made film shorts in two days.

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posted 06-02-2004 12:06 PM                       

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remarkable 16-week run

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Pffft! Madstone Denver had an even more remarkable 954,756 week run of My Big Fat Greek Wedding! This is a crappy picture of some frame near a reel change that I took during breakdown of the print. No dirt. No scratches. Amazing considering the orange ORC platters it usually ran on and of course Simplex projectors! It goes to show that a good staff is very important!

posted 06-02-2004 01:29 PM                    

quote: Joe Redifer

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No dirt. No scratches. Amazing

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But it is missing a frame.

posted 06-03-2004 12:47 AM                       

quote: Mike Heenane wrote:

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But it is missing a frame.

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