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Author
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Topic: What's the latest theatre to close or open you have heard about?
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Jim Cassedy
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1661
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Dec 2006
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posted 07-07-2011 10:58 AM
quote: Mark Ogden
In San Francisco, the Haight-Ashbury's wonderfully funky and collective-owned Red Vic Cinema is scheduled to close
More Info On The Closing Of San Francisco's "Red Vic" Cinema:
Link To Story
RED VIC CINEMA TO CLOSE
The already endangered repertory movie scene in San Francisco is taking yet another hit.
Later this month, 31 years to the day after it became an instant landmark in the Haight-Ashbury, the Red Vic Movie House will close.
"Our closure is 100 percent certain at this point," co-owner Claudia Lehan said. "On July 25, our birthday screening of 'Harold and Maude' will be our last, I'm sad to say."
The Red Vic opened on July 25, 1980, at Haight and Belvedere streets. Its first film was the 1977 Canadian indie "Outrageous!" about the friendship between a gay hairdresser and pregnant mental patient, which set the tone for three decades of eclectic repertory and second-run fare.
The theater was created and operated by a six-member employee-owned collective that rented space for 80 seats, including its signature worn couches, from the Red Victorian Bed & Breakfast.
In 1991, the Red Vic moved a block west to its current location at 1727 Haight St., renovating the former Full Moon Saloon and expanding to 143 seats - this time padded benches and theater seats - and a concession stand featuring organic treats. Danny Glover was a regular, bringing his own green bucket to handle the gourmet popcorn.
Glover, who once introduced "Places in the Heart," was merely one of many celebrities and industry professionals who showed up in person for Q&As. Legendary cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs presented "Easy Rider," and more recently Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova, the Oscar-winning musicians and stars of the film "Once," performed after a screening of the film. Of the original six collective members, only Jack Rix is currently involved. Lehan has been in the collective since 1998; the other current members are Susie Bell and Sam Sharkey.
"We had various benefits, and individual donors contributed via PayPal," Lehan said Tuesday night by phone as she was working a shift at the theater. "We had some support, but not enough to make it sustainable."
Instead, the modern factors that have taken down many independently owned theaters - home video, HD cable and on-demand TV and movies, and streaming video from websites such as Netflix - appear to have finally doomed the Red Vic.
The liquidation process has begun. A movie poster and collectibles sale is scheduled for Saturday afternoon ("We have sooo many posters, it's really out of control," Lehan said).
The theater's lobby area will be absorbed by its next-door neighbor, the Alembic Bar, which plans to expand, according to general manager Daniel Hyatt. There are no plans for the auditorium itself.
The San Francisco Neighborhood Theater Foundation estimates about 25 to 30 neighborhood theaters have closed in the past 30 years. Among repertory houses, only the Castro and Roxie theaters remain. The Roxie has remade itself as a nonprofit.
But there is a new kid on the block: The San Francisco Film Society recently reached an agreement to operate the New People Cinema in Japantown beginning in September. Repertory programming is part of its mission.
The Red Vic was a true original with a vibe that was perfect Haight-Ashbury. Movies remaining on the schedule include the Talking Heads concert film "Stop Making Sense," the Orson Welles classic "Touch of Evil" and a few Bay Area-filmed movies, such as "The Last Waltz," "What's Up, Doc?" and of course "Harold and Maude," which had become the theater's annual birthday movie.
"It's a sad thing," Lehan said. "We held on for a long time. I'm so grateful to have been a part of it. A really great gig. Love it."
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Martin McCaffery
Film God
Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 07-11-2011 07:17 AM
Columbia City Cinema.
Sounds like a somewhat shady operation.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015562516_cinema10m.html
quote:
Closure of movie theater leaves some hard feelings
When the Columbia City Cinema closed after a seven-year run, it left thousands in wasted donations and unpaid loans as the fourth independent theater to run into trouble under its now-bankrupt operator.
By Emily Heffter
Seattle Times staff reporter
The Columbia City Cinema, housed in a former Masonic Lodge, closed in May after a rocky seven-year run.
ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
The Columbia City Cinema, housed in a former Masonic Lodge, closed in May after a rocky seven-year run.
Paul Doyle, an owner of the Columbia City Cinema, is seen earlier in one of the building's theaters. Doyle has filed for bankruptcy after the theater closed.
Enlarge this photo
ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Paul Doyle, an owner of the Columbia City Cinema, is seen earlier in one of the building's theaters. Doyle has filed for bankruptcy after the theater closed.
When the Columbia City Cinema closed after a seven-year run, it left thousands in wasted donations and unpaid loans as the fourth independent theater to run into trouble under its now-bankrupt operator.
The vacant building can't be occupied because when Paul Doyle remodeled it, he did so without permits. Fire inspectors found missing sprinklers and alarms, burned-out exit lights and flammable debris.
"It's basically a big matchbox," said Seattle Deputy Mayor Darryl Smith. "Once you know that, if something ever does happen ... "
So the two-story, three-screen theater sits empty in the middle of the summer movie season.
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Connor Wilson
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 190
From: Sterling, VA, USA
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 07-20-2011 04:02 PM
Cobb Village 12 will open this Friday in Leesburg, VA.
quote:
Cobb Theatres, one of the most respected names in entertainment, is bringing an extraordinary venue to the DC metro region in Leesburg, Virginia. In addition to 12 movie screens, offering over 1,800 seats, this Cobb location will offer a Bar and Grill. Guests can enjoy a chef-inspired gourmet snack or meal before, during and after the show.
Our theatres are built with the guest in mind offering the best in amenities for the ultimate movie-going experience. This location will incorporate the newest technology into Cobb's next generation design. Some of the unparalleled amenities movie fans will enjoy include:
- 12 auditoriums with 1,800 seats
- Stadium Seating with extra large high back leather rocking chairs with retractable cup holder armrests
- 100% Digital projection & sound with 3D capabilities
- 3 VIP auditoriums with huge leather rocking chairs, extra leg room and reserved seating!
- Lobby Bar & Grill offering chef-inspired appetizers, entrees and a premium full bar
- Specially equipped D-BOX auditorium featuring chairs synced to the action of the movie for a one-of-a-kind immersive movie experience
- Rear Window Captioning and Descriptive Audio for our hearing and sight impaired guests
- Online ticketing
- Remote ticketing kiosks at first floor box office
- Concession café offering a wide variety of every moviegoers' favorite food and beverages, including a hot food menu and self-serve frozen yogurt.
http://www.cobbtheatres.com/leesburg_grandopening.aspx
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Martin McCaffery
Film God
Posts: 2481
From: Montgomery, AL
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 07-21-2011 02:54 PM
Not closed yet, but not looking good. Note he blames digital:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/20/BAAK1KD5RI.DTL#ixzz1SktdDjbL
quote:
Gary Meyer leaving Balboa Theatre
Peter Hartlaub, Chronicle Pop Culture Critic
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The Balboa Theatre, one of the last independent movie houses in San Francisco, is losing its leader.
Balboa Theatre operator Gary Meyer said Wednesday that this summer will be his last at the Richmond District movie house, leaving the future of the scrappy independent theater in doubt.
The news comes as the Red Vic Movie House in San Francisco is in its last week of screenings, one of several locally owned theaters in the Bay Area that have closed in recent years.
Meyer, a co-director of the Telluride Film Festival, said his duties there have made it difficult to continue as owner of the Balboa. The decision was expedited by the need for a $200,000 digital conversion, after a National Association of Theatre Owners executive said in a speech this year that film prints of movies might not be available in a couple of years.
"I can't rationalize doing that. Maybe somebody else can," Meyer said. "I made the decision that in mid-August I will be giving up the theater. My hope is that the theater will survive."
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/07/20/BAAK1KD5RI.DTL#ixzz1SltMaV2O
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Mike Rivest
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 185
From: Montréal QC Canada
Registered: Nov 2009
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posted 07-21-2011 04:43 PM
Cinepolis crosses the Rio Grande into the USA:
San Diego CA:
Cinepolis opens tomorrow according to this: http://www.facebook.com/CinepolisUSA
Web: http://www.cinepolisusa.com/
Article at http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/mexicos-cinepolis-going-first-class-208028
MEXICO CITY -- Looking to resurrect the movie-going experience north of the Rio Grande, Mexican exhibitor Cinepolis is set to launch a chain of luxury multiplex theaters in the U.S. featuring first-class amenities and digital technology.
Operating under the brand name Cinepolis Luxury Theaters, the first of the high-end cinemas is slated for a July soft launch in Del Mar, California. The scheduled opening was tied in with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Cinepolis plans to open two more Southern California locations: construction is under way in La Costa and development on a Laguna Niguel site starts in October.
Cinepolis, the world's fourth largest theater circuit with 2,500-plus screens, is internally financing the U.S. venture to the tune of about $5 million per complex as it takes over and renovates rundown theaters. Cinepolis USA project manager Carlos Wellman said that over the next two years the company plans to open five to seven complexes "in high net worth communities in California."
Modeled after Cinepolis' VIP luxury theaters in Mexico, the cinemas feature reclining leather seats and in-seat waiter service. Items on the bar and food menu include sushi, crepes, margaritas and wine. Additionally, the theaters are equipped with boothless 3D-ready Christie projection systems.
At $17.50 a pop for adult admissions and $12 for a margarita, it doesn't come cheap at a time when many folks are looking to cut back on expenses. However, Wellman and his partners firmly believe based on market research that enough people are willing to pay the price to see a first-run blockbuster film in a top-notch theater.
"People are not going to theaters here because the cinemas are really bad and they are really old," he said. "We are trying to create a new cinema-going experience."
Wellman, a general contractor, developed the luxury concept for Cinepolis with Adolfo Fastlicht and Matthew Heyman, two Harvard-educated businessmen who founded and later sold Cinemex, one of Mexico's top movie theater outfits.
Wellman said Cinepolis Luxury Theaters' main competition will come from Regency and Ipic, both of which offer a similar service in and around the Los Angeles area.
Cinepolis operates about 140 luxury theaters and well over 500 digital screens worldwide. Here in Mexico the company has invested heavily over the past decade in building and revamping auditoriums with the latest technology.
Cinepolis recently launched three 4DX theaters in Mexico, which screen 3D films synchronized with multi-sensory special effects that allow moviegoers to experience movement, smells, wind and mist.
Wellman pointed out that some people may find it odd, especially those who have never heard of Cinepolis, that a Mexican company is striving to reinvent the cinema experience in Hollywood's own backyard.
"The first reaction we get (in the U.S.) is why would Mexicans come and show us how to do theater," he said. "But that's just because they've never been to Mexico, and if they had, they'd understand that we really know what we're doing."
Tickets: $17.50.
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Ron Loggins
Film Handler
Posts: 7
From: Wayne, NE, USA
Registered: Jul 2011
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posted 07-25-2011 12:06 PM
The Majestic Theatre in Wayne, NE reopened in December 2010.
http://www.majesticonmain.org/
18 Dec 2010
WAYNE, Neb. -- The big screen comes back to life in Wayne tonight.
And when "TRON: Legacy" starts rolling, part of Wayne will be coming back to life, too.
Before even showing a movie, The Majestic Theater has proven to be more than just a place to watch movies. It's evidence of a town full of people who weren't content accept a bad break.
"It really is more than a movie theater to them. It's a symbol that they didn't want their town to be stagnant," said Melanie Loggins, the theater's coordinator. "Somebody described this community as restless ... they don't want to settle for how it is."
In April 2008, the Twin Theater closed abruptly, meaning the nearest movie theater was 40 miles away in Norfolk or Sioux City. Many residents missed being able to walk downtown to watch a movie. Community leaders decided Wayne's theater must be reopened.
"If we had just turned the lights on and started showing movies, they'd go," Loggins said of how much residents wanted a movie theater.
There was a much grander vision than that. The 50-year-old building hadn't been updated for who knows how long. Plans quickly emerged to gut the interior and convert it back to a single-screen theater with all the amenities of a new one -- 156 new seats, digital projection and digital sound.
Wayne residents embraced the plan. Despite challenging economic times, the majority of the $600,000 needed was raised in a year. There were a few grants, but most of the money was donated, and not raised through fundraising events.
Demolition and construction was done by dozens of volunteers adding up to thousands of hours. Construction professionals donated their time, or reduced their rates. Other companies kicked in services or supplies at cost.
It became a community project in every sense of the word.
"They really embrace it as theirs. I'm not from here, so it makes me proud to be here, too," said Loggins, a Houston native who moved here with her husband, who teaches at Wayne State College, more than two years ago.
It will remain a community endeavor. Community groups will run concessions. In exchange for their work, those groups will receive 10 percent of the gross sales from their shift.
That's not all. A stage at the front of the theater has been restored, and the Wayne Community Theatre gets use of the theater three weekends every year. The stage and reception area will also be available for recitals, dances, private parties, receptions -- just about anything.
"We are determined and committed that this stays a place that the community is involved in," Loggins said.
That shouldn't be a problem, based on the excitement that built as today's opening neared. Loggins said it was impossible to pick her kids up from school or go grocery shopping without at least one person asking what the first movie would be. She just chuckles at the excitement. With so many people donating time and money to the project, they have every right to be.
"This is a community-run theater, and we want them to be proud and feel ownership," she said.
Now it's time to buy some popcorn (extra butter, please) and enjoy the show.
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