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Author Topic: Cinemark to buy Century David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-12-2006 10:24 AM                        If Cinemark follows Regal's lead, they'll leave the Century branding alone. It's very expensive to change all that signage, and doesn't really accomplish much if the brand is already strong in its market.  |  IP: Logged Shane Cooper Expert Film Handler Posts: 232 From: Little Rock, Arkansas Registered: Jun 2004 posted 08-12-2006 07:39 PM                     From what I hear from colleagues that work at Century and Cinemark is that they plan on using the Regal format by leaving the name and signage the same. It will be interesting to see if Cinemark will continue the projects that Century was developing.  |  IP: Logged Alex Grueneberg Expert Film Handler Posts: 125 From: Chicago, IL Registered: Aug 2004 posted 08-13-2006 03:03 PM                        I've never been to a Cinemark as they are all way far suburban around here. Generally are floor operations ran pretty smoothly? As well, it will be interesting to see if the CineArts area will be effected at the Century's, and if Cinemark will continue to operate the full bar/lounge which is in the Century pack. Regardless, it's all pending approval. Guess its just the wait game for now... [ 08-14-2006, 02:24 AM: Message edited by: Alex Grueneberg ]  |  IP: Logged Mike Heenan Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1896 From: Scottsdale, AZ, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-13-2006 06:01 PM                     Finally, someone standing up to Harkins... http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0813biz-theaters0813.html Theater wars heating up Rival companies building cineplexes close together Erica Sagon The Arizona Republic Aug. 13, 2006 12:00 AM Blockbuster competition isn't limited to Talladega Nights vs. World Trade Center. The country's largest theater operators are going head-to-head with Scottsdale-based Harkins Theatres by building multimillion-dollar cineplexes closer together than ever, just a mile or two apart in Gilbert, Tempe, Mesa and other parts of the Valley. In the theater world, that's close enough to be considered neighbors, but not friendly ones. advertisement The glut of screens opening between now and 2008 means more choices for moviegoers and fresh headaches for the rival theater companies. One theater can cut a neighboring theater's business in half. And because movie distributors typically won't show the same big blockbuster at multiplexes near each other, competing theaters will duke it out to get the best new releases every week. The movie theater companies say they are simply chasing after the Valley's rapid population growth. But the saturation of screens has some wondering whether Valley moviegoers can support them all. In the Gilbert-Chandler area, for example, Harkins Theaters is building two multiplexes and Plano, Texas-based Cinemark will open one. All three are within a three-mile driving radius and will have 44 screens combined. One industry observer called Cinemark's plans to open between Harkins' two theaters a "suicide mission." Harkins Theatres and Cinemark will also square off near the border of Tempe and Mesa along the Loop 202. Cinemark recently opened its first theater in the Valley, a 16-screen cinema at the Riverview at Dobson shopping center in Mesa. Two miles to the west, Harkins is building a 16-screen theater at the competing Tempe Marketplace shopping center. Farther east in Mesa, Harkins and Kansas-based Dickinson Theaters will duel with movie houses a mile apart, in shopping centers near the U.S. 60 and Signal Butte Road. And in the West Valley, AMC Entertainment Inc. of Kansas City, Mo., will open a 20-screen theater at Westgate City Center in Glendale. A mile and a half away, Harkins plans to open a 14-screen theater at Parke West shopping center in Peoria. Home-grown movies The competition threatens to loosen the grip that home-grown Harkins Theatres has on the Valley. Now run by the founder's son, Dan Harkins, the 73-year-old privately held company dominates the movie scene in metropolitan Phoenix, with 17 screens in the area. "We have a well-entrenched allegiance with Valley moviegoers," he said, adding that he believes the loyalty will keep Harkins' theaters filled. But the large companies he's pitted against have deep pockets. They could continue operating the theaters even if they loose money, he said. Harkins said national movie chains have made poor real estate choices by putting up theaters near his company's projects. "I think they'll look back on their locations as mistakes," he said. Industry watchers say Cinemark's motive for building in the Valley came after Harkins Theatres irked Cinemark by building a theater in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. That's less than 25 miles away from Cinemark's headquarters. As payback, observers say, Cinemark decided to enter the Valley for the first time and build cineplexes close to Harkins Theaters' proposed projects, making them less profitable. Both Harkins Theatres and Cinemark deny the claim. "When you're building a facility that costs multiple millions of dollars, you don't do that on a whim," Cinemark spokeswoman Terrell Falk said. Falk said it is natural for Cinemark to expand in a rapidly growing market like Phoenix. It's unlikely that theaters in the new competitive zones will drive each other out of business. "Very rarely do you see newer theaters shut down," said David Larcher, executive vice president of Vestar Development Co., the Phoenix company behind a couple of shopping centers where Harkins' theaters are being built. Although the situation at Vestar's Tempe Marketplace and rival project Riverview isn't ideal for a developer, Larcher said he expects the Harkins under construction in Tempe to overpower the nearby Cinemark. Rivals sometimes thrive The Valley generally hasn't seen serious theater rivalries in more than a decade. One exception is the northwest Valley near Arrowhead Towne Center, where Harkins Theatres and AMC have theaters about a mile apart. But throughout the 1970s and '80s, the Valley had nearly a dozen battle zones, Harkins said. It's not unheard-of for neighboring theaters to thrive. Brian Deveny, chairman of the Arizona Theater Owners Association, points to downtown Santa Monica, Calif., where several theaters coexist. "You can walk from end to end on the (Third Street) Promenade and see all of these theaters in a span of 15 minutes," Deveny said. "They all do very well." He said the Valley could support clusters of cineplexes, too. "Phoenix metro is getting to be so much like Los Angeles now with the population and congestion," Deveny said. "The more Phoenix gets to be like LA, the more you're going to see that happen." Deveny, who owns a single-screen theater in Wickenburg and co-owns a six-screen theater in Payson, said "the population will catch up with" the theaters.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-13-2006 07:36 PM                     Really... who gives a crap about who buys who. Next month Cinemark might buy Burger King if things are right. One never knows what might happen and it really doesn't matter much. Mark  |  IP: Logged Gregory Brannon Film Handler Posts: 28 From: McKinney, TX, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-15-2006 03:17 PM                     From Mike Heenan's post "Industry watchers say Cinemark's motive for building in the Valley came after Harkins Theatres irked Cinemark by building a theater in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. That's less than 25 miles away from Cinemark's headquarters. As payback, observers say, Cinemark decided to enter the Valley for the first time and build cineplexes close to Harkins Theaters' proposed projects, making them less profitable." The Harkins Theatre at Southlake Town Square opened this past May on Memorial Day Weekend in Southlake, Texas a ritzy suburb north west of Dallas and Fort Worth. Immediately the nearby Cinemark 17 in Grapevine, Texas a neighboring city near Southlake (approx 6 miles south of the new Harkins) reduced their evening price to $6.00 to compete. I don't know if business has been affected by the arrival of Harkins Southlake but thus far that's the only Harkins entry in the Dallas/Fort Worth market. Cinemark and AMC owns the Dallas/Ft. Worth market with two of the city and region top grossing cinemas in Cinemark's home town of Plano (suburb north of Dallas). Cinemark has had some aggressive expansion in this market over the last 3 years. Their most recent aggressive move is opening a 16 screen theatre in Allen, Texas just 8 miles north of their top grossing Legacy 24 Plex in Plano and just 5 miles south of their McKinney Movies 14 which also does well because it's prices are $4 for evening shows however it's an older non-stadium setting theatre. In the next 2 years Cinemark will have competition near those 3 complexes because the whole Urban/Town Square concept(the latest craze in retail development) is happening in the city of Fairview and Allen. Both cities have Urban/Town Square development projects expect to open in 2008 with cinemas planned for both projects. Both projects are within 8 miles of the existing 3 Cinemark theatres in McKinney, Allen and Plano. I'm scared that we're going to have another fallout like we had in the late 90's because of over building. However I do like it that Harkins has entered the market and I like that Rave Motion Pictures another Dallas area base chain has 3 cinemas in the area. I like a little variety in my movie going experience. Otherwise the only choices here would be Cinemark or AMC Theatres.  |  IP: Logged Eric Hooper Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 532 From: Fort Worth, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 08-19-2006 01:53 AM                     It seems they're still a go to open the new Century Theatres in the SF Shopping Centre. (I got an email from them that says 'now hiring'.) This should give that METREON a run for their money...  |  IP: Logged Dustin Mitchell Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1865 From: Mondovi, WI, USA Registered: Mar 2000 posted 08-19-2006 04:07 AM                     Someone asked earlier in the thread if Cinemark would drop the all THX certification on some (or do all Century theatres feature this) Century theatres. Personally, I wouldn't see a problem with Cinemark doing that. THX is meaningless today, all Century is paying for is the right to market their theatres as THX certified. One should not be concerned about THX certification if one is searching for quality presentation. Cinemark could keep the all THX branding and the presentations could still go to shit.  |  IP: Logged Matt Barth Film Handler Posts: 46 From: Albuquerque, NM 87109 Registered: Oct 2005 posted 08-20-2006 01:49 AM                     This is going to have one hell of an impact in the Albuquerque market. We have one of Century's crown jewels, the Rio 24. There's nothing spectacular about the theater but it's got such a lock on the area that no one else has opened and there are only 3 theaters of any worth in a metro area of 700,000 people. Maybe finally this will give the window for someone else to swing in and build with the extremely agressive Century not keeping such a close eye on the market.  |  IP: Logged Darryl Spicer Film God Posts: 3250 From: Lexington, KY, USA Registered: Dec 2000 posted 08-20-2006 01:50 PM                    quote: Matt Barth Maybe finally this will give the window for someone else to swing in and build with the extremely agressive Century not keeping such a close eye on the market. Wouldn't suprise me if cinemark came in and built one of their own because all the pie would still go to them but just spread the market out.  |  IP: Logged Matt Barth Film Handler Posts: 46 From: Albuquerque, NM 87109 Registered: Oct 2005 posted 08-20-2006 08:50 PM                     There are actually 2 Cinemarks in Albuquerque but both are second-run theaters and both fit the standard stereotype for crappy dollar theaters (ie they have no problem with people talking through the film). There's also a security issue with one of the locations as it was once a popular spot for trouble. We'll see though, I also wouldn't be suprised to see a Cinemark open looking like it will compete with Century.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 09-13-2006 03:14 AM                     Harkins may have a problem on their hands! With all their hype about showmanship I have yet to see such a ting at a Harkins Theatre! Actually the Superstitution Springs 25...every time I go there the presentation is less than a "C" rating. Tonight I saw "Hollywoodland" on screen 15. The bulb was in desperate need of changing, and there was no in-house staff capable of this procedure...they needed to put in a work-order with their area tech. The screen was stained. Top shadow bottom overshoot. Theatre was not cleaned between shows. And when the show ended, the theatre was like a ghost-town, not an employee in sight say for a female manager. Not a very safe work enviornment! I did get a readmittance ticket and a sincere apology from this manager. Kutler  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 09-13-2006 10:15 PM                     I was pretty under-impressed by what I experienced at Harkins' new theater on the outskirts of Denver recently. Still, the manner Harkins tends to botch a show still doesn't match the manner in which Cinemark does it. I was more pissed by my experience of watching Snakes on a Plane at Cinemark's best theater in Colorado than I was in watching part of The Wicker Man at the Harkins location up in Denver. Simply put, if Cinemark runs their new theater in metro Phoenix the way they run their other sites, Harkins doesn't have anything to cause any worry. I'll go farther to say the same thing extends to AMC as well. Harkins can do a really good job with movie theaters when it wants to do so. My visits to their downtown Oklahoma City location have been pretty positive (so far). Harkins needs to keep up good quality showmanship. They need to fear other operators besides AMC, Cinemark and Dickinson Theatres. I couldn't give a rat's ass over the brand identity of those chains. However, I will be more than willing to drive some considerable distance to visit a top-flight quality theater operated by a company like Warren Theaters out of Wichita, KS. Warren Theaters is finally getting started on their new 20-plex just south of Oklahoma City. And when it is completed it will likely put Harkins' location in Bricktown to shame (even though that Harkins location is pretty decent as far as the average multiplex is concerned). Warren is the kind of operation that actually makes things like "THX" mean something. When the Warren Theaters Moore 20 opens it will very likely be the best movie theater in Oklahoma by a very healthy margin. Maybe Warren ought to be the company looking to move into Phoenix and other big metro areas. They're one of the few circuits that really seem to care about doing the job of showing movies correctly.  |  IP: Logged Christopher Crouch Expert Film Handler Posts: 128 From: Holywood, ca, usa Registered: May 2006 posted 09-15-2006 05:06 PM                  quote: Scott D. Neff can't see there being very many anti-trust issues. Century and Cinemark hardly compete, the only city they both exist in as direct competitors is Corpus Christi, TX. That issue was taken care of pretty quickly. Cinemark traded the Corpus Christi "Tinsletown 16" to Starplex Cinemas for the Lufkin 12 this week (9/15).  |  IP: Logged Alex Grueneberg Expert Film Handler Posts: 125 From: Chicago, IL Registered: Aug 2004 posted 10-02-2006 03:28 AM                        As another FYI the official take over of Century by Cinemark happens today, October 2nd 2006. There will be no change in either name, and from what I gather Cinemark hopes to combine both companies to form a hybrid of what both excel at. Century's HQ will continue to operate over the next few months but will eventually cease operations. Cinemark will also be handling all rolling stock ads threw a new pre-show system to be set up over the coming months at the Century’s and not on 35mm after the lights dim. National screen media will be installing new flat panels in the lobbys and a new video pre-show system using the current digital projectors on site. Not sure about you guys, but that’s a huge relief for me. I can't stand the ads on film.  |  IP: Logged

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