posted 02-19-2008 04:37 PM                    

quote: Gunnar Johansson

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Used to have Ernemann X´s and Bauer U2, until 1987 when Philips DP70 where installed (which stood there until the end).

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Looks a great Cinema and a great shame it has closed
Hope some items are resuced and the DP70's can be preserved.

posted 03-08-2008 12:52 AM                    

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Westland Showcase Cinema will show final movie Sunday
Meghan Chatham
Staff Writer

Residents interested in spending a few hours at the movies will need to leave the city to do it after Showcase Cinemas Westland closes permanently Sunday.

Rumors of the closure have been circulating throughout the community since Feb. 19, when Westland Mayor Bill Wild told the Westland City Council and the assembled residents that his office had received information hinting that the cinema would be closed in March.

As late as Monday evening, however, Wild said that he had been unable to confirm that information with National Amusements, the Massachusetts-based company that owns and operates the Showcase Cinemas Westland. Wanda Whitson, spokesperson for National Amusements, answered a request for comment for this story on Monday with a one-sentence statement.

“This move is under consideration, but a date has not been set,” she said at the time.

According to a written statement received Tuesday from National Amusements, however, the theater “will close for business on Sunday, March 2…after the last show.” The statement goes on to explain that, “the decision to close the theater…was made because the theater operation was no longer financially viable.”

The eight-screen theater, which originally opened on Dec.8, 1989, employs 20 people.

“Our employees are very important to us, and this is not a decision we make lightly,” said Whitson. “We are making every effort to find these employees other opportunities within our company. We also wish to thank our loyal patrons who have shared great movies and memories with us over the years.”

National Amusements also operates cinemas in Ann Arbor, Flint, and Burton. Whitson indicated Tuesday that, at that time, the company did not anticipate any additional closures in the state.

“Obviously, it’s a sad day for us,” said Wild on Tuesday. “We had hoped to convince them to stay.”

He added that the way that the decision was handled concerned him as well.

“I’m a little disappointed that they have not contacted us,” he said, adding that his calls to National Amusements had—at least until that point—gone unreturned. “I thought we had a pretty good relationship with them.”

Whitson was unable to comment on what prompted the corporation to abandon a previously discussed plan to reinvest in the facility to make it better able to compete with similar businesses. In January of this year, representatives for National Amusements, Inc contacted the City of Westland about the possibility of making some changes to the Showcase Cinemas Westland.

Representatives of the company approached city council members about the possibility of obtaining an entertainment permit—a statutory necessity in order for the company to obtain a liquor license—as part of a plan to renovate seven of the eight existing theaters and install stadium seating with accompanying tables and to turn the eighth area into a full service kitchen. The cinema would then offer table service and the opportunity for cocktails within the theaters themselves. The proposal was ultimately withdrawn from the council agenda at the request of National Amusements, who could not attend the council meeting. It was postponed indefinitely.

Although the decision will leave the facility vacant beginning next week, the written statement released by National Amusements indicated that the company is “interested in redevelopment of the property for alternative uses or sale of the property”.

The site will become the second vacant theater within the city.
The Quo Vadis was closed in 2002 by National Amusements, which purchased it in 1986.

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posted 03-28-2008 01:01 AM                    

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Posh Redmond theater to charge $35 a ticket
Would you pay $35 for a movie ticket, plus extra for popcorn?

What if it guaranteed no one could kick your seat?

An Australian theater chain opening in Redmond this fall is betting affluent audiences will pay three times the typical ticket price for plush, reclining seats equipped with call buttons for service, allowing them to order gourmet food, wine and cocktails from the theater's restaurant.

Village Roadshow Gold Class Cinemas will open at Redmond Town Center in October, replacing the AMC theater that closed earlier this year.

It will cater to people who "don't want to go to a cavernous multiplex and be caught up with hordes of people," said Graham Burke, managing director and CEO of Village Roadshow Limited, the parent company.

"We believe we're bringing back to the movies a new audience that arguably stopped going to the movies," he said.

Exclusivity is key. Each of the eight auditoriums will have wide screens but no more than 40 seats arranged in pairs with ample legroom. The theater's restaurant and lounge will be open only to moviegoers. An online booking service will enable people to choose their seats; valets will park their cars.

The theater will offer some matinees, Burke said, with admission discounted to $20 or $25.

Village Roadshow runs similar theaters in Australia, Europe and Asia. Audiences there typically spend about $60 per person, including the ticket price, Burke said, though for most, he added, cost is not much of a concern.

Village Roadshow will open its first U.S. location in the fall in the affluent Chicago suburb of South Barrington. The company is investing more than $200 million to open 50 theaters around the country in the next five years.

Despite the U.S. economic downturn, "people are still going to top-end restaurants, still buying top-end motor cars," Burke said.

But will they be willing to pay a premium at the box office?

"The ticket price is a little shocking," said Stacey Reid, a real-estate broker at Cushman & Wakefield in Seattle.

Redmond has very high income levels, however, and Northwest consumers tend to be more willing to splurge on experiences, rather than material goods, she said.

The prestige of the new theater chain could help attract other tenants to the 10-year-old mall, which is undergoing a transition as retail leases expire, said senior marketing manager Christina Henning.

"We've been talking to some retailers for quite some time now about coming to Redmond Town Center," Henning said. "It's definitely a plus."

Amy Roe: 206-464-3347 or aroe@seattletimes.com

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posted 03-29-2008 06:02 PM                    

quote:

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The site will become the second vacant theater within the city.
The Quo Vadis was closed in 2002 by National Amusements, which purchased it in 1986.

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