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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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Aaron Mehocic
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 804
From: New Castle, PA, USA
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 05-02-2005 03:05 PM
From the Sharon Herald, Friday, April 29, 2005, Section C, Page 1. Excerpts Reprinted in the New Castle News , Saturday, April 30, 2005, Section B, Page 1.
A New Cinema, Stadium-Style
Moviegoers have pick of 12 screens
By Michael Roknick, Herald Business Editor
After showing one of his flicks to a guest, the late Hollywood mogul Samuel Goldwyn queried, "So tell me, how did you love my movie?"
John Harper and Frank Moses are also pining for their own blockbuster in the movie trade as they open the doors today to their 12-screen Shenago Valley Cinemas. Spending $5 million to renovate the former Ames store in the Hermitage Hills Plaza, the two men crafted a 2,300 stadium-style seat complex designed to draw crowds from a 30-minute driving range.
Appearing in theaters more than a decade ago, stadium seats are patterned after those found at sporting events where each row of seats is on a different level to give patrons a better view. More expensive to build, stadium seats also consume more space.
"If we had did it in the traditional way we could have doubled the number of seats we have," Moses said.
The cushy seats with cupholders also have 48 inches of legroom - above the industry's 42-inch standard. This extra expense and reduced seatinggives customers a better movie-watching experience, he relates.
Gutting the building's 55,000 square-foot interior has made the complex unrecognizable from its retailing days. Moviegoers are greeted with bright yellow walls and a long main concourse with a ceiling painted to resemble the sky. Video games line the sides of the concourse, which ends at a six-station concessions stand.
Concessions are the true treasure cheast of cinemas. A generation ago, an adage was adopted for the theater trade: "In for the show, popcorn for the dough." In other words, little money was made on ticket sales, so owners had to rely on concessions. That's mainly because movie companies suck up an average 53 percent of a theater's gross ticket reciepts. For mega-hits like the Star Wars series, the percentage is even higher.
Ticket prices at Shenago Valley Cinemas will be $5.50 for matinees and $7.75 for evening first-runs.
From the concession stand, moviegoers fan out to their respective theaters - which range in size from about 100 seats to 290. All the theaters have digital sound - half with Dolby Digital and the rest with DTS - costing and average of $50,000 in hardware per theater.
Just in case, hearing-impaired systems are available at the ticket counter. The bigger theaters have eight subwoofers behind the screen, while the smaller ones have at least two.
"It used to be you would have just one speaker behind the screen," Harper said. "Those days are long gone."
With extra-wide aisles, the theaters offer easy movement and are handicap-accessable. Curved screens reduce distortion of films shown through a single projector on a sole reel. In the past, two projectors were demanded for every theater because production companies sent out movies in multiple reels.
In addition to men's and women's restrooms, "universal" restrooms are available to aid parents with kids.
Shenango Valley Cinemas enters into a market that has long been the home of Cinema 8 Theater, an eight-screen complex owned by Carmike Cinemas and housed at nearby Hickory Towne Plaza. There won't be overlapping movies between the theaters, Harper said, as movie distributors determine where their films will be shown. He said there's room for two cinemas in the same town.
"We're trying to enlarge the market to give them a greater experience," Harper said.
Films scheduled to appear at the new cinema include "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith", Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," and independent films "Melinda and Melinda" from Woody Allen and "Millions." One goal of the Shenango Valley Cinemas is to always offer at least one art film.
No ads will be shown before any movie, but there will be up to three clips of upcoming attractions - known in the business as trailers.
Neither man is new to the trade. They own Westgate Cinemas in Union Township, Lawrence County. Harper ran the Columbia Theatre in Sharon and the Reynolds Drive-In during the 1970's.
Since that time, theaters have seen changing tastes, new technologies, and added comfort features. But the biggest attraction of entering a theater has remained constant since the silent-picture era.
"For two hours you can get carried away with a story and have a good time," Harper said.
On the Net: moviescoop.com.
Phone: 724-983-7737
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Mark Lensenmayer
Phenomenal Film Handler
Posts: 1605
From: Upper Arlington, OH
Registered: Sep 1999
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posted 05-12-2005 08:23 PM
Hollywood Studio Theatres of Coshocton, OH is reopening a Super-Saver theatre as a first run house. The theatre is in Westerville, OH, a suburb of Columbus. Theatre opens May 13.
This was a rather boring 8-plex that has been empty for a few years.
Westerville is midway between the 16 screen Marcus theatre to the northwest, and 46 screens from AMC and Cinemark to the Southeast.
Plans are to make this a family theatre with a $5 matinee and $7 evenings, approximately $1.50 lower than other first run houses.
I'm not totally sure of this, but, from looking at the newspaper ad, this theatre appears to be of the same ownership as a west side dollar theatre, based in an mid '80's version GCC.
[ 05-13-2005, 08:17 AM: Message edited by: Mark Lensenmayer ]
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Ron Keillor
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 166
From: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Registered: Jul 2003
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posted 05-16-2005 02:20 PM
Park, Vancouver BC to re-open under former management with strong local involvement. from the press release
"The Park Theatre on Cambie Street will re-open on May 24 with a number of films and events that focus on the community. To start the opening events on May 24 there will be two FREE screenings of the ever popular film Casablanca.
"The work on The Park has proceeded very quickly," said Leonard Schein, owner of Festival Cinemas. "The new love seat style seats are being installed and we have freshened up the lobby and public areas. We are pleased that we will be able to re-open so soon and have scheduled a number of events that say thank you to the community," Schein added.
The following outlines the films and events over the first week of re-opening:
MAY 24 Casablanca (free admission) 7:00 and 9:30
May 25 Invitational Premiere Screening of Ladies of Lavender 7:00
May 26 Benefit for Vancouver Folk Festival Society
The Vancouver Folk Music Festival will present "Standing in the Shadow of Motown". "Also on the bill is "Hardwood" the story of former Harlem Globetrotter Mel Davis, now a Vancouver resident and coach of young basketball players in the city. Mel Davis will appear in person to introduce the film.
May 27 – June 2 -Ladies of Lavender
Festival Cinemas owned by Leonard Schein, has a commitment to showing art, specialty, Canadian, and high quality films as it did in the past when it operated Fifth Avenue Cinemas, the Park Theatre, Varsity Theatre, Starlight Cinema, Ridge Theatre, and the Vancouver East Cinema.
New seats, screen, projection, sound, and concession equipment have been installed in The Park. Where the theatre used to have 640 seats, it will now have 504 (meaning more leg room, better sight lines) and all seats will be "love seats" (arm rest moves up so one can cuddle with partner/date).
There is Dolby Digital Sound, new speakers, screen and the interior is being freshened up with new flooring and lights. An outside 24 hour ATM will be available for ticket purchase."
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Mike Blakesley
Film God
Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 05-23-2005 05:09 PM
Note: Cinemark opened a new 8-plex in Helena, Montana, which was previously a Carmike-only town. Carmike has two ancient cinemas there, totalling 5 screens. I love the line, The (new) theater's stadium seating, digital surround-sound and other modern amenities will bring movie-viewing in Helena into the 21st century. Helena has been trying to get an anti-Carmike theatre for ten years.
New theater complex opens its doors next week for benefit, 'Star Wars III'
By JOHN HARRINGTON - IR Business Editor - 05/15/05
More than half a decade in the making, Helena's modern, stadium-style movie complex opens with the swoosh of a light saber this week, as three of eight screens at the new Cinemark Helena Theater will show the Thursday debut of Star Wars: Episode 3 - Revenge of the Sith.
"We're in our sixth year of working with Cinemark, and it's been a good relationship all along," said Great Northern developer Alan Nicholson, who said he's relieved to see a project that looked dead in the water on more than one occasion finally ready to open.
Valerie Shortall, director of marketing for Plano, Tex.-based Cinemark, said the company expects to open around 15 theaters this year. The company has theaters in 32 states and 14 foreign countries. The Helena eight-plex is Cinemark's first venture in Montana and among its smallest operations - its largest offers 24 screens.
"Most of our theaters are suburban theaters," Shortall said. "Building downtown like we are in Helena is a rarity for us."
She also noted that at larger theaters, the biggest auditoriums seat 500 people or more. Here, a pair seat 257 each while the four smallest hold around 130.
The theater's stadium seating, digital surround-sound and other modern amenities will bring movie-viewing in Helena into the 21st century.
Nicholson said the opening of the theater may benefit businesses throughout central Helena.
"I think it's very important for the Great Northern, but also for the whole central business district," he said. "Everyone, at some time, will go to a movie, even people who don't come downtown. This will draw people who don't usually come here, and that's what we need to do more of."
The land the theater sits on and the building itself are owned by a Nicholson partnership called the Montana Motion Picture Associates. Cinemark and the partnership contributed to the construction costs, and Cinemark now runs the business and leases the building back from the partnership.
Intially pegged at somewhere north of $3 million, construction costs soared by nearly another million, but a city loan deferal and additional capital from both the partnership and Cinemark bridged the difference.
In addition to the "Star Wars" debut, Helena movie-goers will have their choice from among "Be Cool," "The Wedding Date," "Ice Princess," "Man of the House" and "Are We There Yet?" at Thursday's debut.
According to Shortall, Cinemark representatives work with sales people from major studios to determine which movies will be shown here, and it's likely that both the new Cinemark theater and the existing Gaslight and Circus Twin theaters will feature some of the same films.
For especially big national releases, the local theater will dedicate more than one screen to the popular film. Helenans can expect to see the biggest national releases on the day they're released: on May 27, both the animated feature "Madagascar" and a remake of the football classic "The Longest Yard" will debut here, Shortall said.
Movie prices will range from a high of $7.50 for adults on weekends to $4.25 for everybody for the first show of the day. Discounts are available for kids, seniors, matinees and shows starting before 6 p.m.
Another new feature: tickets for movies here are available online, with "Star Wars," for instance, already for sale. Buyers can purchase their tickets at home, then enter a confirmation number at a kiosk at the theater and enter without waiting in the box office line.
John Harrington can be reached at 447-4080 or john.harrington@helenair.com.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2005/05/15/business/e01051505_01.txt
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Paul Mayer
Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under!
Posts: 3836
From: Albuquerque, NM
Registered: Feb 2000
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posted 05-29-2005 09:43 PM
I just love stories like this! ![[thumbsup]](graemlins/thumbsup.gif) From today's Los Angeles Times:
quote:
Teens Make Their Big-Screen Dream Come True for Town
Seven girls, dismayed by the closing of Petaluma's only cinema, help spark a downtown renewal by leading a movement to open a multiplex.
By Donna Horowitz, Special to The Times
PETALUMA, Calif. — Seven girls had a vision they wouldn't let go: They dreamed of a new movie theater downtown.
Unhappy that this Northern California town's one cinema had closed, they lobbied the City Council and met with theater owners, a developer and even Lucasfilm Ltd. executives to argue that Petaluma, population 56,000, could sustain a theater. To prove their point, they developed a business plan and an annual profit-and-loss statement.
And they did all this while in junior high.
Now, 3 1/2 years later, this picturesque Sonoma County city has a new 12-screen multiplex, the anchor tenant of a $100-million office, retail and residential redevelopment project.
The Boulevard Cinemas opened with much hoopla May 17, with the seven teens as featured guests. They arrived at the opening-night party in vintage automobiles, wearing ball gowns and posing for photos near their own gold stars embedded in the sidewalk outside the theater.
Each girl was presented with a $2,500 college savings bond from the developer, lifetime movie passes from the theater owner and plaques from the city.
"I was impressed with their persistence and their drive to see this thing through," said Matt White, owner of Basin Street Properties, which has undertaken the seven-block downtown renovation of empty car lots and old warehouses, some not occupied for 50 years.
The girls, who refer to themselves as the "Superb Seven," were hanging out one Friday night in November 2001, complaining that they had no place to see a movie since the last theater had closed earlier that year. If they wanted to see a show, they had to persuade a parent to drive them 20 minutes north to Rohnert Park.
"It was like a lightbulb going off in our heads at the same time," Taylor Norman, 16, said. "Why don't we open a movie theater?"
"The grown-ups will never do it," Elizabeth Comstock, 15, said, recalling the teens' refrain that evening.
With encouragement from Patty Norman, Taylor's mother, the seven slept over at the Normans' home every Wednesday night for two years, brainstorming and making plans for a theater, which they wanted to operate with seven screens, each named after one of them.
As part of their research, they met with owners of the Rio Theatre, a one-screen facility in the Russian River community of Monte Rio. They learned about ordering movies, splicing film, sweeping up after patrons and, most important, that the snack bar is the big moneymaker.
"They were really energetic kids," said Don Schaffert, who owns the Rio with his wife, Suzi. "They were like sponges. It was unbelievable."
The girls next sought out a vice president of finance for a large theater chain to learn more about the business. They also pored over a book on how to write business plans.
Eventually, they were ready to put numbers to paper. In their proposal, they estimated how much net earnings a Petaluma theater would take in each month, and even included photos of possible theater sites.
The teens wrote to George Lucas, asking for a meeting. Lucas didn't attend, but four of his top executives met with them in a conference room at the company's San Rafael headquarters.
"Here they were in junior high. They were in business attire. They took my breath away," said Jeanne Cole, former publicity director for Lucasfilm.
"They had their little name tags. They kind of took over," she added.
Their first request startled the movie company executives. The teens asked them to sign a confidentiality agreement.
Although this is not something they normally do, Gordon Radley, the now-retired president of Lucasfilm, signed the agreement. Then the teens made their pitch.
"To me, it wasn't just that they prepared this and rehearsed their presentation. We then grilled them and they had answers for everything," Radley said.
But he and the others didn't know what the teens wanted because Lucas makes films, he doesn't run theaters.
It turned out, Radley recalled, that the seven wanted advice, although one of the teens piped up that maybe the company could help out financially.
Cole said the Lucas executives, who were by then enthusiastic about the theater idea, suggested the girls come up with something to attract publicity — "something that will put you on the map."
Three weeks later, Cole got a call from the teens, who said they wanted to do a free screening of "American Graffiti" — a 1973 Lucas film with scenes shot in Petaluma.
After getting a print of the film, the teens projected it on the side of an old building downtown in October 2002, drawing a crowd of about 500 people despite the chilly air. In the meantime, Radley called several theater owners and asked them to listen to the girls' idea, and take them seriously. The teens met with one executive who operated theaters in neighboring Marin County and said he didn't believe that Petaluma could support a theater, recalled Liza Hall, 16, one of the Superb Seven.
Owners of the Petaluma Village Premium Outlets, outside downtown, approached the girls and asked for their support for a theater in the mall. But the teens stood their ground and insisted that any new theater should be downtown so it could be within walking distance, they said.
Along with a professional approach, the teens also added youthful touches to their lobbying. When White, the project's eventual developer, did not return their calls, they would send him Girl Scout cookies. He would call back the next day.
Now, six of the teens — Sarah Marcia, Noelle Bisson, Ashley Ditmer, Norman and Hall, all 16, and Comstock — not only can walk to the theater, they also work there part-time as ushers or concession-stand employees. The seventh girl, Madison Webb, 16, has moved to Sacramento with her family.
"I told them to never, ever give up on their vision because it can happen," Mayor David Glass said.
With the theater and other developments, Glass sees a new life in the struggling downtown, largely crediting the renewal to the girls' perseverance.
"We're going to thrive," Glass said. "From this point forward, it's rock 'n' roll."
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Martin Brooks
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 900
From: Forest Hills, NY, USA
Registered: May 2002
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posted 05-31-2005 07:12 PM
quote:
I just love stories like this! From today's Los Angeles Times:
quote:
Teens Make Their Big-Screen Dream Come True for Town
Seven girls, dismayed by the closing of Petaluma's only cinema, help spark a downtown renewal by leading a movement to open a multiplex.
By Donna Horowitz, Special to The Times
PETALUMA, Calif. — Seven girls had a vision they wouldn't let go: They dreamed of a new movie theater downtown.
Unhappy that this Northern California town's one cinema had closed, they lobbied the City Council and met with theater owners, a developer and even Lucasfilm Ltd. executives to argue that Petaluma, population 56,000, could sustain a theater. To prove their point, they developed a business plan and an annual profit-and-loss statement.
And they did all this while in junior high.
Every time one thinks that most youth in America are basically illiterate and know nothing except the worst of popular culture and aspire to nothing except perhaps 15 minutes of fame on a reality TV show in which they are humiliated, that conventional wisdom is proven to be untrue when you read about teens like these.
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