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Author Topic: Any thoughts about "hybrid" theaters? Joe Redifer You need a beating today Posts: 12859 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: May 99 posted 12-12-2010 09:27 PM                        OK OK OK... I'll come up with something nobody has ever thought of... a hybrid movie theater/restaurant.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-12-2010 09:48 PM                     Check out Arclight cinemas -- the flagship one annexed the Cinerama Dome on Sunset Blvd -- it's nice but I found it overpriced -- there are at least 2 others now but I'm not sure if the one in Pasadena has the restaurant because it's really a refurbished AMC. Arclight offers reserved seating and 21+ screenings. And then there's another theatre called "The Bridge" (name might've changed recently) which IIRC had a bar in it.  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-13-2010 12:29 AM                        Great Falls, MT used to have a drive-in/indoor theatre. They would often play the same print at the drive-in and the indoor via an interlock. The screens were facing each other. The snackbar/lobby was in the middle and had a walk-up counter outside for the drive-in, with the booth on top of the snackbar building. I have no idea if this place is still around today (probably not since GF is now a Carmike town) but our old booker used to book for them and told me it did quite well. About that over-21 restriction -- I think that could catch on like wildfire but not as a fulltime thing -- maybe as a certain showtime -- say, every Thursday night is "no kids" night. I think you'd have a hard time playing anything from, say, Disney if you tried to do that every night. Arthouse fare might be another story.  |  IP: Logged Ian Parfrey Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1049 From: Imbil Australia 26 deg 27' 42.66" S 152 deg 42' 23.40" E Registered: Feb 2009 posted 12-13-2010 02:07 AM                     The danger IMHO is that there is a great possibilty of trying so hard to cater for both sides of the movie-going experience that the resultant is nothing but an incoherant amalgam of styles and atmospheres that neither patron is happy with. As an example, in a multi-screen setup that has, say 5 screens for mainstream and 5 screens for arthouse, that the arthouse crowd feel 'out-of-place' amongst the main-streamers and vice versa. By this I mean that Arthouse moviegoers have a vastly differing raison d'etre for going to a particular movie- usually terminating with an intimate chat/discussion over a coffee/wine with fellow arthousers. They wish to have a focussed experience whereas the main-streamers prefer a more care-free time. Arthousers like to feel they 'own' a location and if they get that feeling in your theatre then you will have a very loyal patronage - but if they feel they get the sensation/atmosphere of 'Arthouse-in-a-Multiplex' then they won't find any connection with your theatre and just won't bother. Now, the 'Over 21' and 'Premium' services may help to bridge that gap between the art crowd and the Mainstreamers as long as the 'Premium' screens are treated as a separate entity from the normal screens. There is still a danger of overly complicating the location eventually making it uneconomic to run. Personally, if it was MY $$$ I would think hard about which demographic I would want to target and concentrate on that, and for me that would be Arthouse because of the loyalty mentioned previously. If you nurture that market they will follow you to the ends of the earth and back whereas the mainstreamers are an incredibly fickle bunch looking out for the next big thing.  |  IP: Logged Tom Petrov Five Guys Lover Posts: 1121 From: El Paso, TX Registered: Jan 2003 posted 12-13-2010 03:18 AM                    quote: in a multi-screen setup that has, say 5 screens for mainstream and 5 screens for arthouse, that the arthouse crowd feel 'out-of-place' amongst the main-streamers and vice versa. I would want to target and concentrate on that, and for me that would be Arthouse because of the loyalty mentioned previously. If you nurture that market they will follow you to the ends of the earth and back whereas the mainstreamers are an incredibly fickle bunch looking out for the next big thing. You makes some really good points and it was interesting to read your response. The thing that is paramount is the theatre cannot be to big. No more than 4 screens IMO. If your art-house theatre turns out to be big hit, it won't take long for the comepetition to get in on the action. And you will have a real tough time operating your cinema. For example, there is a theatre in GTA that plays Bollywood films only. At one time, the cinema chain had the entire GTA market to themselves, well Cineplex Odeon eventually got in on the action and regularly play Bollywood films at their SilverCity location. AMC also added Bollywood films to their theatres. Another example is Carlton Cinemas. Once the art/foreign centre of Toronto, it now has been reopened but no longer gets first run at the independents. Dragon Tatto, Secret in their Eyes, Black Swan (which will go wide), Never Let Me Go etc never opened at the Carlton. They eventually played at the Carlton weeks/months later. All of them went to Cineplex because of their enormous market power. The best theatre that I would model is after the Princess Twin in downtown Waterloo. Stadium seating, two theatres, attached streetside cafe, art house films and just 5 years old. This is a model for a small town art-theatre and has a loyal following. It should be noted that they are playing Hollywood stuff this week, but Never Let Me Go, Dragon Tattoo, Tamara Drewe, Tall Dark Stranger have all passed through already. Black Swan opens this Friday.  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-13-2010 07:42 AM                     Arclight is easily one of the more successful multiplexes in Hollywood and they have 20 screens. They have a restaurant and (at least) two bars plus a gift shop and art gallery spaces.  |  IP: Logged Tony Bandiera Jr Film God Posts: 3067 From: Moreland Idaho Registered: Apr 2004 posted 12-13-2010 01:14 PM                     quote: Manny Knowles And then there's another theatre called "The Bridge" (name might've changed recently) which IIRC had a bar in it. Manny you are correct, it changed names it is now "Rave" Cinemas. I have never been there (yet) so I don't know if it still has a bar. It is off the 405 fwy. and Howard Hughes Parkway by Culver City.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 12-13-2010 01:57 PM                        The Arclight has 14 screens + the dome for 15.  |  IP: Logged Mike Croaro Master Film Handler Posts: 394 From: Millbrae, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 12-13-2010 06:57 PM                     Hi Folks: Ian speaks of me in his post above. I try as best as I can to see arthouse films in theatres that SPECIALIZE in this type of product. I do not want to go to a forwign film with kids running everywhere and the video arcade blaring. The few times I have gone to the local cattleplex to see these types of films I have had a difficult time getting "in the mood". What about a building that is divided into to separate theatres with a hallway between them so employees can secretely move from one theatre to the other depending on where they are needed? Mike  |  IP: Logged Manny Knowles "What are these things and WHY are they BLUE???" Posts: 4247 From: Bloomington, IN, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 12-13-2010 11:07 PM                     Thanks Mike -- it's been a while since I went there --still an impressive screen count considering they're doing restaurant and all that. And they were always doing brisk business whenever I went. Frankly, I didn't think the Arclight service was worth the high price of admission. I usually went because a friend insisted. They claim to have the best sound but I heard LOUD first order reflections in every theatre. It's almost like they designed them for that. But, never mind me -- everyone else seems to LOVE the Arclight. I guess they fall into believing that if they charge that much, then it MUST be worth it. Shrug. Tony, I went to the Bridge (aka Cinema de Luxe and now "Rave") a couple of times -- seemed too subdued for me. The lobby was kinda cave-like -- dim dim dim -- and neon designs on the walls. Not to my taste. There wasn't any sense of excitement in the air. Kind-of like being in a mall after all the stores have closed and the Muzak now seems to be playing just a little too loud... I don't drink so I never patronized the bar. Funny story: my friend who still lives there said they changed the name to "Rage" (That's a gay bar in West Hollywood, for those who don't know.)  |  IP: Logged Cameron Glendinning Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 845 From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia Registered: Dec 2005 posted 12-14-2010 09:07 PM                     Over the years "arthouse" has lost its meaning compared to its past of repetory and foreign subtitled past, I tend to think of it as a grown ups cinema now, where as multiplexs tend to be for teens and familys. Teens simply don't want to be where the adults are, and lets face it the opposite is also true. Celene you know what your doing and I think you have come to terms with how qurky your audience is. Depending on your budget I would tend to think of only one major decision, that would be to stadium or not to stadium. With stadium design you will have much more foyer and resturant/bar space left of you total floor space compared with your current flat floor style of cinema, but the flat floor and a high screen would work exceptionally well with recliner seats, like found in many peoples home theatres nowdays. (Which are pretty cheap when imported by the container from China). Bars work well with events, Coffee machines and resturants need staff, grown up audiences like all of the above. Best wishes. Oh in reference to the other thread, Digital is the future.  |  IP: Logged Jake Spell Master Film Handler Posts: 294 From: Johns Island SC Registered: May 2009 posted 12-14-2010 11:35 PM                     As far as stadium or not. The older crowd around here really hates stadium stating but love the sloped floor.  |  IP: Logged Tom Petrov Five Guys Lover Posts: 1121 From: El Paso, TX Registered: Jan 2003 posted 12-15-2010 01:09 AM                    to Celine. Here is a hybrid theatre for you. A look at AMC Dine In Cinema  |  IP: Logged Cameron Glendinning Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 845 From: West Ryde, Sydney, NSW Australia Registered: Dec 2005 posted 12-15-2010 02:09 AM                     Tom's interesting artical regarding AMC points out the obvious to me, eat a meal before or after the film, its distracting during the movie, especially with your style of serious programming (I am a friend of the Magic on facebook ). I do however like the idea of this style of luxury cinema but only with the same mindless first release family films that I currently watch and enjoy at the drive in! I also think its great for dates.  |  IP: Logged Ky Boyd Hey I'm #23 Posts: 314 From: Santa Rosa, CA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 12-15-2010 03:32 AM                       I'm late to the party here but here are a couple of thoughts/observations: Arclight Pasadena was not a former AMC. It was the Pacific Paseo 14 owned/operated by Pacific Theatres which owns Arclight. The former AMC in Pasadena is now the Gold Class Cinemas in Pasadena. Mike - I don't remember the Twilite Cinema Centre ever interlocking the drive-in and the main house. There was a projectionist apartment between the two booths. Through the mid-80's both the drive-in and the main house were 2 projector 6,000 ft reel change-over houses. Century projectors if I recall correctly. The Twilite was the first theatre in Great Falls to get Dolby Stereo - for the Bee Gees version of Srgt Peppers (yikes!) In San Francisco, Sundance Cinemas Kabuki is probably a hybrid as it combines food, bars, art house and mainstream adult appeal commercial fare. Ditto for the Sundance Cinemas in Madison, WI and the Landmark in LA.  |  IP: Logged

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