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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » Anyone familiar with Muvico theatres? (Page 2)

 
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Author Topic: Anyone familiar with Muvico theatres?
Dennis Benjamin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1445
From: Denton, MD
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 06-25-2005 10:20 PM      Profile for Dennis Benjamin   Author's Homepage   Email Dennis Benjamin   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I worked for them a total of 6 months in thier Davie location. Hamid is a typical, eccentric millionaire who started in Real Estate and transitioned into the theatre business in the late 80's. His wife Deanie (who he met at a theatre) was the original 'brains' behind the operation. Now he has a bunch of former industry professionals running the company. Including a few AMC people.

It's all big and flashy. But it had it's pitfalls and that is why I felt the urge to leave only after the 6 months I was there.

I had heard that Wayne Hyzenga (spelling?)was a 'silent partner' in Muvico for a period of time. He owned the "Dolphins" and the "Marlins" at one point. He was Miami's original 'trash collector' and now is a billionaire...

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Lyle Romer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1400
From: Davie, FL, USA
Registered: May 2002

- posted 06-26-2005 12:25 AM      Profile for Lyle Romer   Email Lyle Romer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Dennis Benjamin
I had heard that Wayne Hyzenga (spelling?)was a 'silent partner' in Muvico for a period of time.
I don't know where that came from. Wayne Huizenga does not have anything to do with Muvico. There is a silent partner who pretty much made the over-the-top themed theatre concept possible but it isn't Wayne.

I would rate Muvico as better than average but they seem to put a lot more money and focus into the lobby and the hallways instead of the auditoriums. I tend to go to Muvico because it's the only non-Regal, all digital, all stadium theatre within 20 minutes of where I live and normally the prints are in focus and not scratched.

The sound systems are pretty good but a lot of the screens are kind of smallish. At the flagship paradise 24 in Davie, fl there are no auditoriums over 300 seats as far as I can tell.

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Dennis Benjamin
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1445
From: Denton, MD
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 06-26-2005 08:49 AM      Profile for Dennis Benjamin   Author's Homepage   Email Dennis Benjamin   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Wow! I am glad that was cleared up. Maybe he and Hamid are just friends (hence the reason I saw Wayne Huizenga at the Muvico corporate office before). Anyways...

That is correct that the auditoriums at the Paradise are all under 275 seats (maybe under 250?). When they built the Arundel Mills location in Baltimore - they put in larger auditoriums and consequently Arundel Mills became the highest attended theatre in the nation (it helps to have 400+ seat auditoriums). They had been talking for years about adding two 500 seat auditoriums to Davie. However, now that they have rented out all the space to new restuarants - that won't happen. The restuarants out front take up the extra parking they would have needed.

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Lyle Romer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1400
From: Davie, FL, USA
Registered: May 2002

- posted 06-26-2005 08:13 PM      Profile for Lyle Romer   Email Lyle Romer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Dennis Benjamin
They had been talking for years about adding two 500 seat auditoriums to Davie. However, now that they have rented out all the space to new restuarants - that won't happen. The restuarants out front take up the extra parking they would have needed.
And with South Florida real estate prices, I guarantee you that the sale or lease of the land for the restaurants is far more profitable than two 500 seat auditoriums would have been.

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Richard Fowler
Film God

Posts: 2392
From: Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA
Registered: Jun 2001

- posted 06-27-2005 08:45 AM      Profile for Richard Fowler   Email Richard Fowler   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hamid's other investors where from the Middle East and he has approached some out of the USA cinema owners for partnerships. Wayne is also better known for Blockbuster and Auto Nation [Wink]

[ 06-27-2005, 11:24 AM: Message edited by: Richard Fowler ]

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David Stambaugh
Film God

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From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

- posted 06-28-2005 12:52 PM      Profile for David Stambaugh   Author's Homepage   Email David Stambaugh   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Muvico mentioned in this news story: Young workers want it all, now

quote:
And Muvico, a company with movie theaters in a few Southern states, gives sporting goods and music gift certificates to young staffers who go beyond minimum duties.

"If you just expect them to stand behind a register and smile, they're not going to do that unless you tell them why that's important and then recognize them for it," says John Spano, Muvico's human resources director.


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John T. Hendrickson, Jr
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 889
From: Freehold, NJ, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

- posted 06-29-2005 07:36 PM      Profile for John T. Hendrickson, Jr   Email John T. Hendrickson, Jr   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have heard rumblings that this behemouth is on the auction block, and that several deals for its sale were close to happening, but fell through at the last minute.

Given that they spare no expense in building huge complexes, I'm wondering if the will ever re-coup their investment?

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Lyle Romer
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From: Davie, FL, USA
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- posted 06-30-2005 09:23 AM      Profile for Lyle Romer   Email Lyle Romer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I wouldn't be surprised if it is on the auction block. I remember reading in Boxoffice a few years ago that at least the Pompano and Davie locations were sold to a holding company after completion. Muvico was then contracted to run them. I don't know how many others were done that way.

I think it'll probably be tough for them to recoup the investment. They spend so much more on construction than any other company. Sure they are very busy in most locations but if the formula worked of creating over the top themes for ridiculous cost I would think AMC or Regal would be building the same type of theatre. I would think that they have done an analysis and determined it's not worth the cost.

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Mike Spaeth
Phenomenal Film Handler

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From: Marietta, GA
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- posted 06-30-2005 05:29 PM      Profile for Mike Spaeth   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Spaeth   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I have heard rumors about them being for sale as well ... Regal rings a bell ...

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Lyle Romer
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1400
From: Davie, FL, USA
Registered: May 2002

- posted 07-30-2005 10:38 PM      Profile for Lyle Romer   Email Lyle Romer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Somebody mentioned to me that there could be a deal in the works with AMC. Has anybody heard anything new about these rumors. I assume if somebody does buy Muvico, that will be the end of the muvico style themed build.

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 919
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

- posted 08-04-2005 01:21 AM      Profile for Scott D. Neff   Author's Homepage   Email Scott D. Neff   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
The same way we'll never have a new Loews build ever again once AMC absorbs them.

I found it kind of interesting that Regal has continued building in the style of the major chains they've taken over, at least on the outside. Some of the Regal's in Florida are the Cobb Hollywood style, but once you step inside it's clear Cobb didn't build them. Same thing with newer plex in Alhambra, CA... an odd Edwards-Regal hybrid. Has Regal mimicked any UA builds since the takeover?

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Mike Williams
Master Film Handler

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From: Knoxville, TN
Registered: Feb 2002

- posted 08-04-2005 08:39 AM      Profile for Mike Williams   Email Mike Williams   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Scott D. Neff
Has Regal mimicked any UA builds since the takeover?
Gallery Place in Washington, DC is a UA site built by REG.

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Stephen LaPadula
Film Handler

Posts: 50
From: New York, Ny
Registered: Mar 2005

- posted 08-07-2005 01:41 AM      Profile for Stephen LaPadula   Email Stephen LaPadula   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Trying not to get off topic but

Regal/Edwards mixes can be seen in the Corona 18 and the Alhambra 14 in CA.

Regal/UA mixes can be seen in Gallery Place 14 DC and Colorado Mills 16 in Co.

All 4 theatres were planned by their respective chains before the merger.

Regal has said in the past that moving forward, new theatres will be branded according to the market they are in (which brand already has a presence in the area)

In terms of hybrid builds, Regal uses bits and pieces of the chains it acquires to find the best mix. This is also true for operations, concessions ect.

Back to the topic at hand, the Pompano location impressed me. They are going for the awe and wow factor. Seems to be working as their box office is up this year!?!? [Eek!]

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Heath Dutton
Film Handler

Posts: 37
From: Montgomery, Alabama / United States of America
Registered: Jul 2005

- posted 08-13-2005 03:11 PM      Profile for Heath Dutton   Email Heath Dutton   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I've been to two of the Muvico's in Fl, and I really enjoyed those theaters. The presentation off screen isn't nearly as important to me as on screen, but I was never dissapointed by the movie presentations at either Muvicos. They were also clean, smelled good, and weren't horribly crowded.

One thing I did notice though, is that their projectionists often did not use the attached trailer. This anoyed me most when I sent somone to a Muvico to see Star Wars Ep1 for the second time, just to see the Matrix Reloaded trailer.

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Michael Coate
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1904
From: Los Angeles, California
Registered: Feb 2001

- posted 08-14-2005 09:16 AM      Profile for Michael Coate   Email Michael Coate   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Not to drag this off topic...

quote: Heath Dutton
One thing I did notice though, is that their projectionists often did not use the attached trailer. This anoyed me most when I sent somone to a Muvico to see Star Wars Ep1 for the second time, just to see the Matrix Reloaded trailer.
Huh?! "The Matrix Reloaded" (1) was released four years after "Star Wars: Episode I," and (2) wouldn't have been the attached trailer anyway given it was released through a different studio. (Wasn't the attached "Episode I" trailer "Lake Placid" or that "Anna And The King"/"Titan A.E."/"Fight Club" combo?)

Perhaps you meant "Episode II," but it still wouldn't have been attached.

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