This is topic Movies featuring theatres in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Gordon Leslie (Member # 139) on 12-29-1999, 07:35 AM:
I'm interested in movies that have a movie theatre theme about them.There have been some terrific movies in the past , can anyone add to the names below that I could look out for.
"TARGET… with Boris Karloff, where the drive-in projectionist gets it.
DRIVE-IN…. made around 1975 ,shot in Terrell Texas.
"SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH"…. (British) made somewhere around the "50"s. Absolute classic where the small independent is being driven out by the bigger cinema chain.( sounds familiar).
"CINEMA PARADISO"….
Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 12-29-1999, 10:52 AM:
LAST ACTION HERO, POPCORN, and MATINEE come to mind.
In Last Action Hero, the carbon arc lamphouse has a takeup reel arm attached to the rear of the lamphouse! Makes it look more like a 16mm machine.
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 12-29-1999, 12:28 PM:
Night Of The Comet has a scene where the star is playing with the projectionist by a Century, I think.Anybody know the title of a Kurt Russell movie that is about their 10 year reunion? There is a theater that is part of the story. I saw part of it on TV recently.
Posted by Tom Ferreira (Member # 70) on 12-29-1999, 12:55 PM:
Even though it was already mentioned, Cinema Paradiso is the best movies about the movies, and my all time favorite film, to boot. If anyone in the business hasn't seen it, shame on you, and get to Blockbuster immediately!
There's also the Rodney Dangerfield/Chuck McCann film called The Projectionist, which I've been unable to find anywhere. Another great scene is the exchange between Paul Bartel as a theatre manager and an irate woman patron in Gremlins 2, in which he dryly informs her that "We don't make them, maam, we only show them." I've always wanted to used that line.
Another wonderful movie about the movies is Woody Allen's Purple Rose Of Cairo. While not about a theatre, per say, a lot of the action does take place there.
Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 12-29-1999, 01:06 PM:
I'm with Tom,I own a copy of Cinema Paradiso and would have to say without a doubt it is my favorite movie to date. It was filmed in Italian and is subtitled in English.
I first saw it a few years ago when I was looking for movies on projectionists. I really felt that it conveyed the job as a projectionist well. You should definitely rent it!
Joshua Waaland
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-29-1999, 01:12 PM:
How about Buster Keaton's "Sherlock, Jr."? Check out the silent-era Powers projectors!
Posted by Rick Long (Member # 213) on 12-29-1999, 03:43 PM:
The projectionist was a quick lunch for "The Blob".
Posted by Scott Ribbens (Member # 180) on 12-29-1999, 08:02 PM:
Don't forget the little seen "The Inner Circle". Columbia Pictures - 1991. Starring Tom Hulce as a projectionist in Russia who gets hired to become the Kremlin projectionist. Also stars Lolita Davidovich, and Bob Hoskins. Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky (also directed Runaway Train). Based on the true story of Ivan Sanshin.------------------
Scott
Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-04-2000, 10:48 PM:
>>"The projectionist was a quick lunch for "The Blob"."<<Funny you should mention _The Blob_. That theatre was/is an acutal theatre located in Phoenixville, PA and is called the Colonial theatre. We just got them reopened a few months ago.
From what I can tell, they used the actual projection booth in the film! They are coming back slow so the original Simplex E-7 projectors are still in use.
Steve
------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 01-05-2000, 12:09 AM:
In the Brian DePalma movie "Phantom of the Paradise", there's a sniper in the projection booth.Don't go getting any ideas.
Posted by George Roher (Member # 91) on 01-05-2000, 03:46 PM:
It's interesting that whenever you see a booth in a movie, it's a chnageover booth. Has anyone ever seen a platter system in a movie? Even modern mutiplexes are running reel to reel, according to Hollywood.
Posted by Ari Nordström (Member # 288) on 01-05-2000, 05:26 PM:
Wasn't Madonna dating a projectionist in "Desperately Seeking Susan" some fifteen years ago? I seem to remember images from an unnamed (changeover, of course) booth in that film. Or was it Rosanne Arquette?There was an Italian horror flick during the late seventies, where just about all action took place in a movie theatre. I've long since forgotten most of the story, not to mention the name of the masterpiece, but the end scene is quite memorable: a main character in the film, one of the patrons in the auditorium, gets shot by the western hero on the movie screen.
Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 01-05-2000, 05:41 PM:
Although this was mentioned on another thread, this list wouldn't be complete without the recent "Fight Club" which had your typical dirty changeover booth, as they are portrayed in movies.
Posted by Mike Bianchi (Member # 271) on 01-05-2000, 08:18 PM:
The 1959 classic Some Came Running (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Shirley MacLaine) features several minutes outside the Ohio Theatre in Madison, Indiana where the picture was filmed.The theatre is shown near the end of the film, during the Carnival scene (although much of it is cut off in pan & scan versions).
The Ohio was refurbished in 1996 and runs mid-run and classics now, I'm a partner, but the theatre is owned & operated by Tony & Laura Ratcliff - Tony is a frequent lurker here - Hi Tony 
Sorry to be so brash, but I had to dote on the place...
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 01-05-2000, 09:35 PM:
SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH
Yeah, I forgot about that movie! It was a good film. I remember the drunk projectionist starting the old projectors, which had in-front-of-the-lens shutters.What about "Omega Man," where C. Heston starts a little generator (that wouldn't even power the sound system alone,) throws a big arc lamp, and watches, "Woodstock."
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-05-2000, 09:43 PM:
Don't forget The Projectionist with Rodney dangerfield and Chuck McCann
The Smallest Show on Earth it was Peter sellers who played the projectionist
Also there are 2 Columbo episodes in projection rooms
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-06-2000, 04:03 AM:
What about 'Gremlins' (the first one of course with its gratuitous booth scenes (no its NOT 'Snow White' that tails out at the end of the reel,-( trust me I have checked the film frame bt frame))And of course 'Fight Club' with its erroneous naming of a cue mark as a 'cigarette burn'...
And the trailer for 'Johnny Dangerously' with the Brenkert projector and Magnarc lamphouse....
Aaron
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-06-2000, 09:19 AM:
1941 has a booth scene with xl's with mag penthouses(funny that theatre must of been ahead of its time for 1941)
Also Hellsapoping with senarcs
picture showman powers 6b
Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-07-2000, 12:09 AM:
>>"It's interesting that whenever you see a booth in a movie, it's a chnageover booth. Has anyone ever seen a platter system in a movie? Even modern mutiplexes are running reel to reel, according to Hollywood. "<<As GOD intended films to be run!
Actually from a studio's point of view, THEY ARE ALL changeover houses...just look into any of their screening rooms.
I'm sure the real... er... reel reason is that reels are more visually interesting and familiar to John Q public than a platter (when would the average person have encounted a platter vs reels like they had in school of yesteryear).
Add THE GREEN MILE to films that have theatres or projection rooms in them (if it hasn't been added already)
Also one of my favorite films, THE INNER CIRCLE is based on a true story of Stalin's projectionist in the USSR.
Steve
------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 01-07-2000, 10:23 AM:
In Things to do in Denver When Your Dead there are a few sceens in a projection booth. It was created on a sound stage in Denver by a local tech, because none of the regular theatres had the right look or enough room to film.The Projectionist almost made me give up the job right then. It's a little depressing. I have a copy on VHS in storage if anybody is realy interested.
Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 01-07-2000, 07:44 PM:
How about "Clash by Night" with Robert Ryan and Paul Douglas?------------------
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 01-08-2000, 12:32 AM:
I gotta' put my vote in for Cinema Paradiso. I bought it just on principle after my uncle (who's a film critic for the loacl paper) told me, nay, ORDERED me to watch it an loaned me his copy.If handles were allowed on this website, my name would be "Alfredo". (Dibs!)
Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-08-2000, 01:04 PM:
Though it isn't supposed to be depicting a theatre...."TIN MEN" shows the lobby and parking lot of the Westview Theatre in Baltimore, MD (the theatre is now closed and gone).
If you will recall the scene when Dryfuss and Devito step outside of their restaurant to settle some things, they cut from the restaurant to the group leaving the lobby...that lobby was the Westview's...it becomes obvious that it isn't the restaurant's since the lobby is HUGE and devote of ANY customers.
In the background, there is a film playing on the Drive-In's screen, which was the choice for the location...Mr. Levenson wanted a Drive-In picture in the background.
Steve
------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"
Posted by timothy johnson (Member # 83) on 01-08-2000, 02:09 PM:
what about the film melt down in "Muppet Movie" ? and the projection of news reels in "Evita"
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 01-08-2000, 02:23 PM:
The original Muppet Movie film projector appeared to be a 16mm set-up. Its been awhile since I saw the movie, but the projector sticks in my mind. Too bad nothing else does....huh?Changeovers Rule!
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 01-08-2000, 02:36 PM:
"Come See the Paradise"... Dennis Quaid is a member of LU 306. I remember one scene where a fire bomb set off in a non-union house! (What POWER and INTRIGUE!) Lots of vintage equipment and making c/o's at the beginning, then shifts to the war and an interracial romance.It starts off as a great projectionist movie, and then gets mushy.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 01-08-2000, 02:44 PM:
Oh, yes I forgot "The Projectionist", w/ Chuck McCann. (Did ya catch the casting of Chuck as the projectionist in the "Double Exposure" episode of Columbo? It was definitely a throw-back to the movie.)He was a union projectionist, in a 3-projector booth, in "The Projectionist". Notice how he leaves the dowser open, when he stops the machine to fix a film break, at the beginning of the film.
Chuck's running Ashcraft Cinex Special Lamps; and XL's w/penthouses on WE 206 soundheads! What a combination! Also notice the Brenkert Enarc on the third machine.
Anyone in NYC know what theatre this was filmed in? It looks like it was a grand old house in its day.
And, "Cinema Paradiso" MUST'VE been made by someone who had actually been a projectionist. It just hits home too close, and the sentiments are right, for someone growing up wanting to become a projectionist! Has to be!
Posted by Jon Miller (Member # 163) on 01-08-2000, 11:03 PM:
Ahh, "Cinema Paradiso"...what a head-scratcher...The movie's great, but showing single-projector *carbon-arc* booths running 20-minute reels strikes me as a little strange.
Posted by Raj Sheth (Member # 121) on 01-10-2000, 02:45 AM:
How about "Stir of Echoes" which was out earlier last year....Kevin Bacon's character was hypnotized, and was sitting in a theatre every time.....------------------
"I sometimes realize
that I can only be as
good as you'll let me."
- Eddie Vedder
Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 01-10-2000, 03:41 AM:
Alright - first post for me...What about the Costner flick "The Postman"? One poor Holnist soul stuck projecting, i think it was 'The Sound of Music' for the hoardes of Holnist soldiers out in the quarry. It's been a while since i've seen the film, but the booth and projectors spring to mind :-)
-sean
Posted by Stephen Brown (Member # 292) on 01-10-2000, 04:21 AM:
One of my favourites is Marty Feldman becoming the supply reel in Mel Brook's SILENT MOVIE feeding the film into the projector flipping out all over the projection room
Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 01-10-2000, 08:30 AM:
Just thought of another one...Damion: The Omen II
There is a scene when the little devil is the projectionist for their home theatre.
Steve
------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"
Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 01-10-2000, 01:23 PM:
I can recall a trailer that I saw one time where the majority of it took place in the booth... It was for a film called "The Willies" or something like that. I think Brad may actually have the trailer (Brad I know Jeff did). As I recall the movie was never released. I don't remember what projector it had in it, but it showed a carbon-arc lamphouse.
Posted by Brett Rankin (Member # 31) on 01-10-2000, 01:45 PM:
And of course the little 1986 horror gem "Anguish" (which I have on 35mm) where about the second half of the film takes place in a theater, as the crazed killer silently slits the patron's throats on at a time in the dark.
Posted by Ari Nordström (Member # 288) on 01-10-2000, 03:49 PM:
Just watched a film with a drive-in theatre showing "The Shining". The movie in question is "Twister" and a F4 twister hits the drive-in just as Jack Nicholson is smashing the door with an ax to get to Shelley Duvall.Good films, both of them.
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-11-2000, 12:10 AM:
Or in the movie 'Dirty Work' where Norm McDonald runs 'Men In Black(Who Like To Have Sex With Other Men)' from a 6000' reel on a Ballantyne Pro-35...Aaron
Posted by Erika Hellgren (Member # 22) on 01-11-2000, 02:37 PM:
The Shawshank Redemption. There's a scene where the main character gets beat up in a little projection room. I particularly like it when Tim Robbins hits the other guy in the face with a metal reel full of film. Ouch, that's gotta hurt!
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 01-11-2000, 03:26 PM:
<The movie's great, but showing single-projector *carbon-arc* booths running 20-minute reels strikes me as a little strange.>Jon, believe it or not, that's accurate. It was not done that way for the sake of brevity in the story, as I originally thought. I found out many small town theatres in Italy only ever had one projector.
Posted by Colin Wiseley (Member # 247) on 01-11-2000, 06:16 PM:
Don't forget Fight Club. Brad Pitt has a great time inserting frames from porno films into Disney movies. There's also a couple of porno frames inserted into Fight Club. I don't remember what the projectors were that he was using but it was reel to reel.That movie gives away a lot of projection secrets, like tick marks, reel changes, and how splices are made.
Colin Wiseley
Lyric Theatre
Blacksburg VA
Posted by Paul Salley (Member # 740) on 01-21-2001, 05:11 PM:
I recently watched a movie called TARGETS on AMC which at the end of the movie features the bad guy holding out at a drive-in. Good scene featuring the projectionist and a great shot of the booth.
Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 01-21-2001, 05:33 PM:
there was a movie that came out about 16 years ago called The Quiet Earth. It was made in New Zealand. If I remember right, it has been a long time since I have seen this one, the star (Bruno Lawrance) in his quest to find anyone alive comes across a movie theater. He goes in goes up to the booth and figures out how to power and run the film. He then sits in the theater and watches the movie. This was a good science fiction movie
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-21-2001, 08:04 PM:
Here's an obscure one....I have the prologs to "This is Cinerama" and "Cinerama Holiday" in my collection. Cinerama Holiday has great shots of a Cinerama Booth, The Palace Theater in Chicago, and the Cinerama camera.
I recently supplied a 1920's Silent Simplex Standard with operating verticle arc, plus a Century SA for an episode of "Touched By An Angel"
BTW: The booth for "Come See The Paradise" was supplied by Dick Prather from Portland.
Mark @ GTS
Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 01-21-2001, 08:42 PM:
The last scene in The Quiet Earth was a real knock out. Interesting film------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-21-2001, 09:34 PM:
There's a scene in Godard's "Masculin Feminin" in which a guy leaves his girlfriend in a theatre while he goes up to the booth (Peerless lamps, but I don't remember what else...) to complain about the movie being shown in the wrong aspect ratio...
Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 01-22-2001, 06:28 PM:
I know of two instances from Mel Brooks movies.In Blazing Saddles, Hedley buys a ticket to Blazing Saddles (I think he even tries to get in at a childs rate.).
In Silent Movie, the film gets wound around Marty Feldman, and he is taken to the booth and unwrapped.
And don't forget the great moment where the Gemlins take over the film in Gremlins II, and Hulk Hogan has to take care of things. I'm sure a few operators had attacks when that scene hit.
The Gremlins watch Snow White in the first Gramlins, I believe.
Mark L.
------------------
"As a moral to young men who come down to the city, don't go round breaking people's tambourines."
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 01-22-2001, 06:28 PM:
Who could forget Drive In
Also a famous film from Oz called the Picture Show Man
Posted by Michael Barry (Member # 237) on 01-22-2001, 08:42 PM:
In Barry Levinson's criminally underrated 'Jimmy Hollywood' there's a scene at the end around and in (what a friend tells me is) the Egyptian theatre in LA. Joe Pesci's character (Jimmy Alto) is on the run from the law and escapes into the auditorium! He then imagines himself with all the characters from JW in a 1940's film noir which is superimposed on the screen. He glances at his portable TV and sees himself there as well - and the outside of the theatre is surrounded by police. He has become the character that he imagines himself to be. Wonderful stuff!David Koepp's screenplays always allude to film projection and cinemas in some way. Someone mentioned 'A Stir Of Echoes'. There is also 'Apartment Zero' in which one of the characters owns a movie theatre. There's a line of dialogue where the owner defends his position: 'Real movies on a real screen'. 
(Note: name dropping in following paragraph). When Curtis Hanson came to Sydney to promote his new film, 'Wonder Boys', I spoke to him about 'Bad Influence' (A David Koepp screenplay) and how there's this party scene in which Jean-Luc Godard's 'Alphaville' is projected onto a wall! What I found out from him was that the selection of 'Alphaville' was his (Hanson's) choice; its themes strongly parallel those of 'Bad Influence' and both main characters are also led astray.
As a side note, I took in my laserdisc of 'Bad Influence' for him to autograph (there's no DVD of this yet) and when I got home I wanted to play it. It was so badly warped that it wouldn't spin up; when I tried to flex it back - snap! Where's the DVD??? I love that movie...I told C. Hanson that it was one of my favourites and his response was , 'You're a sick individual!'.
OK, I'm definitely rambling now...'Cinema Paradiso' is a very special film! So here's my final anecdote for this post: one of the first theatres I worked at showed this movie quite regularly (they were an arthouse/rep theatre) and the booth was located on the top floor near a window facing a terrace house with a blank wall...can you guess the rest? Well, when the movie was over, they would usher patrons toward the exit that faced that wall, and they would thread up one of the reels of CP and use the 'mirror trick' from the film to project the movie onto the wall as the patrons were leaving the theatre! 
Posted by Gordon Bachlund (Member # 124) on 01-23-2001, 09:23 AM:
Not to be overlooked...... HELLZAPOPPIN (1941), a screwball comedy with Olsen and Johnson translating a stage play into a movie, with a wonderful carbon arc changeover booth scene involving the "painful" use of the framing knob. A classic in its own right!
PHANTOM OF THE MEGAPLEX (2000), a Disney romp through a multi-screen venue as it prepares for a major opening. This self-indulgent little romp features a platter booth.
Posted by Gordon Bachlund (Member # 124) on 01-23-2001, 09:37 AM:
Errata...I forgot to mention that HELLZAPOPPIN features Shemp Howard as "Louie, the projectionist." That alone should make this a film well worth watching.
Posted by John Keegan (Member # 290) on 01-23-2001, 09:59 AM:
Here's one that hasn't been mentioned yet, How about "The Last Picture Show" ? While not really about projection, it does have a short scene near the end in the projection booth.
Posted by Brett Rankin (Member # 31) on 01-23-2001, 10:00 AM:
The Quiet Earth! Of course! I saw that movie years ago and wanted to see it again but couldn't remember the title. Thank you, Daryl!
Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 01-23-2001, 11:59 AM:
TARGETS - filmed at Reseda Drive-In (closed and demolished in the 80's) in 1968, Reseda CA.TWISTER - "Galaxy" destroyed in the movie is actually the Beacon of Guthrie OK (still very much open since 1950).
And now I add another which was on TV last night - "Hope Floats". Harry Connick Jr. and Sandra Bullock revisit their youth by parking in the local "abandoned" drive-in. I'm sure many have done just that, however this drive-in looked spotless and manicured.
Anyone know where this theatre is? IMDB lists shooting locations as Smithville Texas,
Austin Texas, and Chicago, but none of Chicago's DI's look close, all Austin's are gone, and none listed for Smithville?????
(My wife was watching it, OK???!! 
)
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 01-23-2001, 12:34 PM:
What about the empty WW-II era drive-in lot recently featured in "Cider House Rules"? IMDB lists it as in Northfield Massachusetts, but can't find one there in Drive-Ins.com:
http://us.imdb.com/Locations?0124315
http://www.drive-ins.com ------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 01-23-2001, 01:46 PM:
I checked one of my old fan club journals, where they talk about the Northfield. It actually straddles the state line. When built in '48, the owner apparently wished to avoid exhorbinant Mass. entertainment taxes, so while the screen is in Mass., the box office and concession sits in Hinsdale, New Hampshire! (Look there on drive-ins.com.)As for the "Hope Floats" question I posed above, turns out it's a trick question. I was shocked to learn that this very real looking theatre was laid out on a local softball field in Smithville Texas. That explains the manicured grass, posts with speakers and nice looking screen. VERY real looking.
Why can't we harness this phenomenon of "termporary" drive-ins for the good of mankind? (ie- Anyone's welcome to film on location in my back yard - free - just leave the screen!) This TV movie about the guy who comes home and dreams of building his own drive-in (anyone know anybody like that? ), "The Flamingo Rising" (William Hurt, Elizabeth McGovern) features a custom-built DI which was located at Marineland Florida.
This Hallmark movie will air on CBS early February. Unfortunately, though the Flamingo Drive-In did actually show some "movie shorts" and cartoons (with no sound), it was completely torn down after shooting.
Woulda looked nice out behind the house!
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 01-23-2001, 06:56 PM:
"Anguish" does show a glimpse of an actual platter, in a single-screen theatre no less! The projectionist is sitting down half-awake reading a newspaper when he jumps off when a gunshot goes off in the theater. The SWAT team also enters the theater through an opening in the booth's ceiling.
All I can say about "Fight Club" is given that porn hasn't been produced on 35mm prints for over 15 years (it's all straight-to-video now), if I had any 35mm porn I wouldn't go cutting it up like that!
Posted by Randy Loy (Member # 112) on 01-24-2001, 01:24 PM:
I tried to read through all the posts before posting and hope I didn't miss anything, but did we forget the classic scene in "Grease" where the cast is at the drive-in? Certainly a great scene to remind people of the magic of the drive-in theatre. It seems to me I once read that the scene was shot at the now gone Studio Drive-In Theatre at Culver City, California. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.Drive-ins, or at least drive-in mock-ups, have appeared in tons of movies over the years. "Peewee's Big Adventure" and "Back to the Future III," where the theatre's western motif ties into the story line, are examples that quickly come to mind.
I'd love to see a complete list of all the actual theatres, both movie houses and drive-ins, that have ended up immortalized on film. What a fitting tribute!
Posted by Dwayne Caldwell (Member # 417) on 01-24-2001, 04:37 PM:
How about Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Outbreak? And I didn't see this one, but didn't Guilty By Suspicion have scenes in a theatre or a screening room?------------------
The man with the magic hands.
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 01-24-2001, 10:39 PM:
Dave wrote...>>And now I add another which was on TV last night - "Hope Floats". Harry Connick Jr. and Sandra Bullock revisit their youth by parking in the local "abandoned" drive-in. I'm sure many have done just that, however this drive-in looked spotless and manicured.
Anyone know where this theatre is? IMDB lists shooting locations as Smithville Texas,
Austin Texas, and Chicago, but none of Chicago's DI's look close, all Austin's are gone, and none listed for Smithville?????<<From the drive-ins egroup...
>>The drive in scene that you saw was a set built on a softball field
in the town of Smithville. Everything was taken down after the movie
was finished. Looked real didn't it?<<
I've never seen Hope Floats so I can't say...but from what I've heard, that's not such a bad thing... 
------------------
"It's not the years, honey...it's the mileage". Indiana Jones
Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 01-25-2001, 09:09 AM:
Some more films that I could remember.
The Outsiders (1983) Featured a drive-in scene.
An American Werewolf in London. (1981)
Night of the commet. someone may have mentioned this one.
Blue Thunder Featured a chase scene thru a drive-in.
This is not a movie but I remember a Columbo episode that featured a projection booth. Columbo was questioning a suspect who was a projectionist. He showed columbo how to do a change over and columbo screwed it up when he tried to do it.
Posted by Jeff Stricker (Member # 224) on 01-25-2001, 03:34 PM:
The "Tingler" - 1950's horror flick with Vincent Price. The tingler excapes through the projection port into the auditorium terrorizing the audience. Wm. Castle placed electrically operated shaking devices under a few seats in the auditiorium to really get the patrons screaming. I believe Castle said he would pay your funeral expenses if you died of fright during one of his films!!
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-25-2001, 04:00 PM:
The Hard Way had a scene inside a large balcony single screen theater, but they never went into the booth. Also, has anyone mentioned Matinee with John Goodman?
Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 01-25-2001, 05:54 PM:
"Cecil B. Demented" from John Waters features one theatre at the beginning where the kidnapping of Honey Whitlock takes place and features another theatre called "The Hippodrome" that is old, run down, and closed down, although I dont know if it was once a real theatre, or if they just made it up for the movie.
There are also theatre marquees used for the opening titles with names of the theatre chain in plain view.
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-25-2001, 07:08 PM:
If we aren't being booth-specific, heres a few more:'Bachelor Party' with its cute parody of a megaplex (one of the 'cinemas' was a TV set in a broom closet, brooms and all) and the school bus crashing thru the screen of the Mann plex...
'Inventing The Abbotts' has a couple scenes shot in a theatre as well.
and of course the 1986 Traci Lords porn flick 'Passion Pit' with gratuitous booth and field scenes of the Sonomarin D/I
Aaron
Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 01-25-2001, 11:25 PM:
Bruce,There was a Kurt Russel movie called The Best Of Times that also starred Robin Williams. It was about a reunion of the football team that lost the big game because Robin Williams dropped the ball. I don't know if this is the one you are talking about or not.
Red Dawn features a drive-in turned into a prison camp. They were projecting propiganda on the big screen.
Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 01-26-2001, 02:15 AM:
Sorry if some of these are mentioned already...........
"Grease" was shot at the Studio Drive-in in Culver City, CA even had a Filmack trl running in the background.
"Heat" was shot at the closed Centinella Drive-in in Los Angeles.
"The Thief Who Came To Dinner" with Ryan O'Neil featured drive-in scenes.
"Proof" was shot at the Village Coburg Drive-in in Melbourne, Australia.
"Alvin Rides Again" was shot at the Village Rowville drive-in in Melbourne, Australia.
"Melvin Son Of Alvin" was shot at the Village Northland Twin in Melbourne Australia the car chase knocked over several posts that were out of action for a few nights!
"Dead End Drive-in" was shot at the closed Matraville Skyline in Sydney Australia.
"Thunderbolt and Lightfoot" probably the best Clint Eastwood film made, also with Jeff Bridges and George Kennedy had a drive-in scene where they hid out after the robbery. They hid in the boot (trunk) and were caught out! The film was mostly shot in Montana, anyone know what drive-in this was?
A movie I saw years ago had a drive-in that hid a nuclear launch facility underneath it! Anyone remember what this one was?
A new movie called "SNAK" has just been shot at the Dromana Twin drive-in in Australia.
David
Posted by Dwayne Caldwell (Member # 417) on 01-26-2001, 04:22 AM:
Just thought of these.Cape Fear (91), True Romance, Scary Movie, and O' Brother, Where Art Thou?
"Do not seek the treasure."
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The man with the magic hands.
Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 01-26-2001, 05:07 AM:
DavidThe nuclear DI was in 'Spies Like Us' with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd. That scene is all I remember about that movie...good thing too!
------------------
"It's not the years, honey...it's the mileage". Indiana Jones
Posted by Dave Bird (Member # 490) on 01-26-2001, 06:08 AM:
Spies Like Us was discussed on the drive-in list some time back. The retractable DI screen used was one of the ones that used to show movies at Texas Stadium (Dallas Cowboys). One of them is apparently still there, retracted (they raised and lowered for each show?) and used as a storage shed for maintenance equipment. Apparently operational, must've been the one they used for the movie. (Imagine, with all the money in pro sports these days, that Texas Stadium once relied on DI movies to make ends meet!!!)
Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 01-26-2001, 08:24 AM:
I think it was the groove tube but it could have been Kentucky Fried Movie. It was a skit that involved a movie theater that featured feelorama. You sat in the seat as someone did things to you standing behind you. Our next feature is deep throat. 
Posted by Anthony Matarazzo (Member # 63) on 01-26-2001, 08:56 AM:
Not sure if this has been noted but
"FOR THE LOVE OF LIONELS LIFE" was a tv movie which was made here in Australia! Based around an old mining town in Mt. Isa ( I think from memory )!and a old cinema gets restored ! Great movie
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 01-26-2001, 10:29 AM:
Darryl: it *was* Kentucky Fried Movie.Aaron
Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 01-26-2001, 02:34 PM:
Who could forget:SABATOGE
1930's Hitchcock, the villain owns a movie theatre.
SABATOR
1940's Hitchcock, the shootout in Radio City.
OMEGA MAN
Charlton Heston hangs out running Woodstock in an abondoned movie theatre during the day, fights zombies at night.
DEMON
Dario Angento's horror film about a group of people sealed into an art deco movie palace and being stalked by demons.
PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM
It open in a theatre where Woody Allen is watching Casablanca.
SHLOCK!
The monster is hiding in a theatre running The Blob. You get the double bonus of seeing the Blob eat the projectionist.
SPACE AVENGER
Richard Haine's low budget sci-fi film that was struck in 3 strip tech over in china. Aliens looking for parts to fix their space ship which crashed here in the 1930s wander into a theatre playing Flash Gordon. Scene filmed at the Paramount in Peekskill NY.
HANOVER STREET
Don't remember much, but I remember a scene in a movie theatre.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-26-2001, 10:35 PM:
Gordon Leslie, Joshua waaland, and Randy Stankey:That movie "Cinema Paradiso" was by far the best foreign film I ever saw. I recall no other movie where the audience was crying like a bunch of babies. It even got a tear jerked out of my eye, too. Someone told me that a person who sees that movie and shows absolutely no emotion has to be one cold SOB. I have to agree with that assessment.
Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-26-2001, 10:46 PM:
I didn't see it on the list, but Mel Brook's Silent Movie was another. It had a couple of goofy booth scenes with Marty Feldman and the projectionist also.
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 01-27-2001, 02:05 AM:
I have the Cinema Paradiso poster on my living room wall and an 8 X 10 glossy or Alfredo and Toto hanging above my bedroom door.If you can watch the scene where Ol' Alfredo comes back to the booth for the first time and not say, "Oh, my God!", you are a cold-hearted son-of-a-mother-pussbucket indeed!
If you don't know the scene I'm talking about GO RENT THIS ON VIDEO TAPE!!!! And BOY! Would I like to see this one one the big screen!
Posted by Rachel Carter (Member # 693) on 01-31-2001, 02:04 AM:
I know "Spies like us" was mentioned above but I happen to be watching it right now and have to add the funny scene where 2 of the "BAD GUYS" are meeting some people from the secret services....and a guy says "why don't you gentlemen have a Pepsi?" so they put the cup up to the machine to get a drink and the floor opens up and drops them down to the basement of the drive-in where there is a whole military operation set up...HOW MUCH DID PEPSI PAY FOR THAT ONE????
Just liked that part...
Sorry if this post didn't make any sense....if you haven't seen it, it's kinda hard to picture 
------------------
"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.
FUNNY!!!!!
Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 01-31-2001, 02:47 PM:
Flipping through the TV channels today, I stumbled across something very disturbing, Loews Theatres was making their Jerry Springer debut. The scenario obviously staged, too place in the lobby and in the auditorium. Is Loews so poor they are hoping that this kind of publicity will bring in audiences? The theatre I belive was in the NY area, so the home office had to be aware of what was going on.
Posted by Robert Hawthorne (Member # 776) on 02-16-2001, 11:07 PM:
Finaly I got registered! now I can clear this up. The theatre in Spies like us is (or was) the Lancaster Drive In in Lancaster California. The 2 small screens were just like in the movie but the large screen didnot raise up from the ground! Sorry folks just movie magic. The two laser turrets came up under The Glass House a small theatre like room with about 30 seats and a glass wall in front. I was rather stunned when I saw this movie as it came out less than 9 months after I had managed this theatre. I went there about a year later and the entire place had been bulldozed. Incidently the buildings were smerf blue not pink as in the movie and we did not carry Pepsi we had Coke products
Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 02-17-2001, 12:29 AM:
I am surprised no one has mentioned the grand daddy of all flicks in fact the only one I know of that pertains to the cinema repair technician! It is a German Film called
'Kings Of The Road' It is a story about the daily routines of a repair technician servicing various theatres in western Europe, he lives in a medium sized Mercedes truck with a built in repair shop and sleeping bunks!!Lots of booths! a very interesting film made around 1971! You won't find it in the local Blockbuster though! 2hrs 25 min!
With english subtitles.------------------
John Eickhof President, Chief Slave
Northwest Theatre Equipment Co., Inc.
P.O.Box 258
Wendell, ID. 83355-0258
208-536-5489
email: jeickhof@nteequip.com
Posted by Rachel Carter (Member # 693) on 02-17-2001, 12:49 AM:
Hmmmmmm, let me think...Why did "Spies like Us" use pepsi instead of coke???????Guessing, BIG MONEY 
------------------
"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.
FUNNY!!!!!
Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 02-17-2001, 11:26 AM:
Ah, yes. Wim Wenders' _Kings of the Road_ was presented in "Widescreen 1.66:1". Nothing like seeing the aspect ratio proclaimed in the opening titles.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 02-17-2001, 12:05 PM:
what drive in was used for the movie DriveIn?
Posted by Gordon Leslie (Member # 139) on 02-18-2001, 09:29 PM:
I believe the movie was shot in Terell Texas just outside of Dallas, around 1974-75. Anyone from Dallas familiar with this one ,is it still standing ?.
Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 02-21-2001, 10:07 AM:
This is in answer to Tim Reeds question and Gordon Leslies questions. The movie 'The Projectionist" starring Chuck McCann was shot in the booth at the Broadway Newsreel Theatre in the mid 1960's don't remember the exact date. The Theatre was located on the southwest corner of 49th Street. The Producer of the picture was one of the Amero Brothers either Lem or John. Lem passed away a few years back but John is still around. The Company was called Amero Brothers Productions and were located in Greenwich Village. John and I still run into each other at various industry functions. I will try to find out if he still has a print of the movie and let you know. The Broadway Newsreel Theatre was Owned by Trans-Lux and was converted to a first run house in 1967. It had 598 seats and was built in 1932. Charles Lamb, Architect. The Theatre was finished in an Art Deco Motiff.torn down in the mid 1980's and today there is a 48 Story Crown Plaza Hotel in it's place.
Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 02-21-2001, 12:03 PM:
IMDB.com has Kings of the Road as available on PAL VHS in Germany
through amazon.de
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-21-2001, 01:10 PM:
Jason,
Jerry Springer is normally taped in Chicago at NBC studios. A good friend is a camera man on the show. There are also many low's/Cinepluks theaters in the Chicago area as well, and I suspect that that's where it was comming from. What was the subject of the show?
I suspect that cause there are so many of them there that this is the main reason that the Chicago area has not had a decent theater in decades. Before that it was M&R Theates. They used junk Brenkerts and poineer bookshelf speakers in brand new plexes. Just another conformation that the glitz is only skin deep at many of these places.
Mark @ GTS
Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 02-23-2001, 02:02 PM:
_Kings of the Road_ was available in the USA on videotape. I've got a two-tape Beta set somewhere.
Posted by James Robertson (Member # 888) on 06-02-2001, 02:03 AM:
There was a British film in the 60's- "The Family Way" where one of the leads was a young projectionist played by Hywel Bennett.They even managed to shoot a scene where a changeover was accomplished!
The projectors were Westars(Century to my American friends)Jim Robertson
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Posted by Mike Bianchi (Member # 271) on 06-02-2001, 11:07 PM:
If you count television, there are two episodes of Columbo that feature the booth prominently.The better of the two has the female villian relieving the operator of a studio screening room booth so he can do some other chores. She times the murder of another exec perfectly to still make the changeover.
Columbo gets a lesson in changeovers, cue marks, the whole deal and ultimately solves the murder, of course.
Posted by Gordon Hedges III (Member # 863) on 06-02-2001, 11:55 PM:
While reading through this thread, I was trying to pick my brain for a few films to post. Let's see what I can come up with: 
"PHILADELPHIA"- Where Tom Hanks character and another guy watch a porn flick which gets Tom all *HOT* 
"SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE"- I especially like the scene where Max Shreck (Willem Dafoe) looks right into an Ernamann projector while it was projecting onto one of his walls.
"Johnny Dangerously"- Not only did he use a projector to show a film to his younger brother, Johnny saves younger brother Tommy in an auditorium during a show. (I forgot what movie it was they were watching)
"DRAGON-THE BRUCE LEE STORY"- Everyone gave Bruce (Jason Scott Lee *no relation*) a standing ovation for the Premier of Bruce Lee's first film (Fist of Fury *but I don't remember the original title*) in a theatre in Hong Kong.
Just a few that came to mind. 
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 06-03-2001, 12:47 AM:
Not directly related, but I always liked the scene in "The Blob" where the blob is escaping from the projection room. You see "blob-goop" being extruded out of the viewing ports of the booth.No thought given to the loyal operator who stayed by the machines 'till the end <sniff-sniff>.
Posted by Peter Dougherty (Member # 686) on 06-04-2001, 12:07 AM:
To this list I will have to add another fine bit o' smut from the early 80s, I think. Inside Jennifer Wells has a scene where a certain Lewinski-ish act is performed in the presence of a pair of AA2s.I don't recall much else about it, so perhaps I'd better watch it again and see if I can pick out any more--er--booth details.
------------------
Cheers,
PJ Dougherty
VE3THX /W2
Posted by Matt Elzie (Member # 877) on 06-04-2001, 05:12 AM:
Actually, in "Things To Do in Denver When You're Dead", Christopher Lloyd has a fairly large supporting role as a projectionist. However, in the movie, his hands barely function enough to fire a gun, yet he's able to thread and run changeovers just fine (although we never see him do so onscreen). Talk about suspension of disbelief. "Fight Club" has been mentioned several times in this thread, and I thought I might point out that the book contains even more information on the art of projection (a lot more).
Also...
"Guilty by Suspicion" has a scene wherein a bunch of irate studio exec.s are watching the dailies from some Marilyn Monroe movie, I don't remember which...
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-04-2001, 06:49 AM:
And 'Clash by Night' (1952, dir. Fritz Lang) has Marilyn Monroe as a projectionist's girlfriend - wish fulfilment fantasy or what?!BTW, I liked the scene in 'Shadow of the Vampire' in which a roll of (presumably nitrate) film is being used as a paperweight to keep a map flat, then John Malkovich balances his cigarette on it...
Posted by Stephen Brown (Member # 292) on 06-04-2001, 07:47 AM:
Some Australian ones....Already Mentioned..THE PICTURE SHOW MAN... The story of a travelling picture show around the country towns of Australia. Nitrate film, gas lamps. Shows a nitrate fire happening one show night. If you can get a copy, well worth the look. Stars imported US star Rod Taylor
NEWSFRONT..An excellent pictorial of Newsreel cameramen and their demise at the hands of television. They show a Sydney theatre running the Newsreels at the start of a show. Very good Movie, out on DVD on June 13
My favourite non-Australian Film is THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH...The scene where the audience streams out of the thatre before the projectionist (Peter Sellers) plays The National Anthem (God Save the Queen) at ear splitting levels is priceless.
Thanks for reading....
Steve Brown
Posted by Geoff Bradley (Member # 658) on 06-04-2001, 02:42 PM:
Ok, Ok. I have to jump in here.
Targets, great flick.
My father who actually showed this at the Sutherland Park DI said the projectionist
getting smoked actually happened at the changeover. Scared the &^%$ out of him.Cinema Paradiso is perfection. I would however love to see the uncut version.
30 minutes got whacked on this baby and if you watch the end credits, you'll see two scenes that never made the North American release. I have seen the uncut on ebay but not one video store can find any info on this.
The Projectionist and Drive-in I'm told are no longer available.
Anyone know if the Drive-in in Back to the Future 3 exists?
There was a movie with Fred Savage in it where the kids hide out in a DI booth.
Not that it counts, but there are 2 music videos as well which come to mind.
Bob Seeger and Bon Jovi did MV at Drive-in's/booth.
Posted by John T. Hendrickson, Jr (Member # 849) on 06-04-2001, 05:44 PM:
Tim Reed asked where the booth sceens for "The Projectionist" were shot.Indeed, the theater was a grand old one! The filming took place at the Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, in the winter prior to the Paramount's opening for the summer of 1970. I know, because this was my first job as a projectionist, working for the now defunct local 247 (Asbury Park & Long Branch).
Tim is correct in identifying the Ashcraft Cinex watercooled carbon arc lamps and the Simplex XL,s with the Western Electric Soundheads. The penthouses were for mag prints, originally installed for the long run of "The Sound of Music." These heads were used for an engagement of "Patton" that ran most of the summer of 1970.
The Brinkert Enarc was still in place when I arrived in June of 1970, but the third machine had been removed by that time. The Walter Reade chain leased the theatre from the city of Asbury Park. The Paramount was part of the Convention Hall complex and was originally a vaudville theater built in the 1920's. It was a magnificent theatre in its day and closed in the mid 1970's. It is still used today for special engagements, and I understand that the premiree of "City By the Sea", starring Robert DeNero, may be scheduled to be shown in the Paramount this fall.
Incidently, Danny DeVeto, a native of Asbury Park, screened "Throw Momma From the Train" at the Paramount a few years back.
From what I understand, the original projection equipment has long since been removed. However, I can tell you that the acoustics of the theater were and still are amazing. You can talk in a normal voice in the projection booth and be heard clear as day in the front row of the theater. When I showed "Patton" in mag sound, the bugles in the opening scene just echoed throughout the theatre and sent chills up your spine.
They don't build them like this anymore! I have many found memories of the Paramount, so it's not surprising that my favorite film is "The Projectionist".
Incidently, the scenes shot with Dangerfield (who played the theatre manager) were done in the lobby of the Paramount.
Posted by Matt Elzie (Member # 877) on 06-05-2001, 06:12 AM:
I don't think anyone's mentioned it yet, but how about 8mm? Crappy movie, but lots of small format projection. BTW, anybody know anything about a film format called double 8, or double 8mm? I use both 8mm and super 8 film, and I've heard of double 8, but I can't seem to find anyone who will give me a straight answer on the subject.
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 06-05-2001, 07:11 AM:
"Double 8" is the original format for 8mm. The camera film is 16mm wide and perforated with 16mm type perforations along both sides with a pitch of 0.1500 inches. In the camera, the film is exposed along one side with the 8mm image area. After the roll has been exposed along one side, the film is flipped and rethreaded in the camera to expose the other side. The film is processed, then slit to 8mm and spliced together to make the final 8mm roll for projection.Kodak's invention of Super-8 in the early 1960's replaced this cumbersome format with an 8mm film having smaller perforations to increase image area and quality. The film was cartridge-loaded, eliminating the need to thread the camera or flip the film roll halfway through the roll.
The famous "Zapruder Film" of the assasination of President Kennedy was shot on 8mm film. My colleague Rollie Zavada evaluated the camera and film to verify its authenticity. There are several photos of a typical 8mm camera and the film before slitting:
http://www.jfk-info.com/zavada1.htm
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Eastman Kodak Company
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7419
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 716-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 06-05-2001, 07:50 AM:
There's actually a double-super-8 format, too, although it was never very popular. Some of the double-8 Bolex cameras were converted to DS8. Supposedly, it's better than the super-8 cartridge system because the pressure plate is part of the camera rather than the cartridge and is thus of higher quality and better able to keep the film consistently flat during exposure. This sounds reasonable on the surface, but I have no way of knowing if it's actually true.
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 06-05-2001, 07:58 AM:
Jim from Sydney, Australia (post 06-02-2001) mentions the British 60’s film “The Family Way” where a changeover was accomplished. If you see this film you will notice that there is no film in the top spool box.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………The 1950 British film “The Blue Lamp” a story about the police, with Jack Warner and Dirk Bogarde featured the auditorium during a variety act in the Metropolitan Theatre, an Irish Music Hall in Edgeware Road, London. The theatre was also equipped to show films on Sundays only. Also in the film is the foyer and exterior of the Coliseum Cinema in Harrow Road, London, a well known and popular old pictures fleapit. When the “The Blue Lamp” was released in the London area, there were often loud cheers in many cinemas from the young lads in the audiences when the Coliseum scene appeared.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
“Look At Life” a weekly 10 minute colour short, that replaced the Gaumont British News and Universal News during the late 60’s, featured the projection room of the Odeon Leicester Square, London. Cinemeccanica 8s.
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Posted by Matt Basford (Member # 652) on 06-05-2001, 09:28 AM:
There were no interior shots but there was the Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville portrayed as the 'Ennessee Theatre' in "October Sky".
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-05-2001, 09:34 AM:
In the Dam Busters there is a scene in a music hall theatre that when they are watching the spotlights paning back in forth gives them the idea for the method of judgeing there height above the water.
The camera pans in one scene up to the big Stelmar spots
Posted by Jeff Stricker (Member # 224) on 06-05-2001, 04:42 PM:
Peter, In the 'Jennifer Wells' flick, as I recall their "antics" cause the poor projectionist to miss the changeover. Of course, all the junk on the tail leader ends up on the screen followed by white light. Then, I think, the audience in the auditorium starts hollering and clapping!!
Posted by Gordon Bachlund (Member # 124) on 06-06-2001, 08:47 AM:
Speaking of the silent classic "Sherlock Junior" (Buster Keaton plays a movie projectionist who dreams of becoming an ace detective), those who live in or will be visiting Los Angeles early next year will have an opportunity to see this film at UCLA's Royce Hall, along with a silent short subject, accompanied by organist Robert Israel - Sunday, January 13, 2002, at 2PM. The showing is co-sponsored by the UCLA Film and Television Archive and UCLA Peforming Arts. Visit www.performingarts.ucla.edu or call (310) 825-2101.
Posted by Peter Dougherty (Member # 686) on 06-07-2001, 11:22 PM:
Jeff Stricker replied quote:
Peter, In the 'Jennifer Wells' flick, as I recall their "antics" cause the poor projectionist to miss the changeover. Of course, all the junk on the tail leader ends up on the screen followed by white light. Then, I think, the audience in the auditorium starts hollering and clapping!!
Well, Jeff, I've missed a couple of changeovers in my day but never for quite the same reason, unfortunately Although there *was* this candy girl at the Kingway with the great big...heart, but that's another story for a different site 
Thanks for the reminder.
I've been trying to find out if there's any information on a longer director's cut of Cinema Paradiso on DVD but I've heard nothing so far. I also don't think we'll see Chuck McCann's The Projectionist on home video anytime soon either.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-08-2001, 12:13 AM:
Peter I do have sum interesting Kingsway Pictures Rush took Do you want me to post them
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 06-08-2001, 11:10 AM:
"The Projectionist" was on video at some point in time, it was one of the few times I rented a movie from Blockbuster since they were the only place that had it. It was on Vestron Video, which issued a lot of classic stuff in the 80's but has since gone out of business.
Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 11-19-2001, 05:13 PM:
We're running a trailer (w/Harry Potter) for "The Majestic", where part of the store is where Jim Carey fixed up an old theater during the 1950's.It briefly shows the front of a "shutter in front of the lens" projector, which I think is a Simplex, but can't tell for sure.
Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 11-19-2001, 06:24 PM:
From what I had seen it looked like maybe it was an old silent-era machine, possibly a Simplex Standard.-Aaron
Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 01-20-2002, 06:31 PM:
SHADOW MAGIC is a wonderful (semi) fictionalized
story of the first “moving picture man” in turn-of-the-
century China, his lovesick Chinese partner, and how
the locals responded to their first exposure to
moving pictures. Along with its basic virtue that
nobody gets killed and nothing gets blown up, it is a
wonderful homage to the joys of motion picture
exhibition! A sweet, gentle little tale, Shadow Magic
spends much of its time exploring the real excitement
the solitary projectionist-editor-cinematographer has
for showing-- and ultimately making-- movies. Though it
starts off a little slow, and the opening sequences
don’t give much of a clue as to the nature of what
is to come, one comes away feeling deeply rewarded.
This is in in concept and structure an “old
fashioned” movie. The British itinerant portrayed is
clearly supposed to be one of the Lumiere
exhibitor-cinematorgraphers, and although the prop
projector/camera is all wrong, the story and
insights are so engaging that this does not become
irritating. In many ways, including the unusual choice
of material and the realistic scale of what is
portrayed, this is a “special” movie; I came to care
about the characters. The reviews left me with the
impression that the critics did not understand the
film. For those of us who come to this kind of thing
with some special understanding of the material, which
apparently the makers of the film had, and the critics
could not be expected to have, Shadow Magic is a little
gem. You can find it in a good tape rental place in
the foreign films section.[The above review was written by a friend, Paul Pottash, film enthusiast, restorer of vintage projectors, projectionist in his home 35mm theatre and former editor of Sixteen Frames, quarterly journal of the recent Movie Machine Society. It formed part of an email he sent me, and is posted here with his permission.]
Posted by Richard Fowler (Member # 893) on 01-20-2002, 07:18 PM:
Shadow Magic was very enjoyable.....the harnessing of the sun for the projector's light source after the limelight generator failed is very in spirit in the resourcefulness of some of the Asian clients I deal with......
Richard Fowler
TVP-Theatre & Video Products Inc. www.tvpmiami.com
Posted by Tom Fermanian (Member # 1094) on 01-20-2002, 07:38 PM:
Anyone rember LEPKE (70s ??), Tony Curtis starrer about 30s gangster Louis Lepke, the mob tries to 'organize' projectionists, we see a couple of Peerless Magnars with I belive a couple of Super Simplexes, Gord also mentioned Drive-In the movie, the bigest laugh I remember is that at one point the projectionist is carrying a couple of 4 reel film boxes up to the booth holding them up like they are empty, We couldn't figure anyone being able to hold full boxes like that!------------------
Posted by David Favel (Member # 1125) on 02-18-2002, 09:36 PM:
In the Aussie film, "Welcome to Woop Woop" (1997) dir by Stephan Elliot (Pricilla & Eye of the Beholder) the social life consisted of show tunes & musicals.
The Sound Of Music (What is it you can't face Maria) has to be seen to be believed.
We nearly fell of our seats.
Posted by Owen Shave (Member # 1156) on 02-18-2002, 10:13 PM:
I know you either love him or hate him.. but there's a great scene in Annie Hall where Woody gets the better of a loud mouth in the movie line .. the film also features scenes inside a New York arthouse-ey type place showing a war documentary about the presecution of the jews.
Briefly in JFK there is a theatre scene.. (Oswald was found in one after shooting that policeman remember). And I seem to remember Bruce Willis and Madeline Stowe ending up in a movie theatre in 'Twelve Monkeys' but I could be wrong.
I can do others.. the list is endless.. Scream 2, South Park (ok so the theatre was animated!) good morning vietnam (when he goes with the vietnamese girl's whole family to see a movie), high fidelity (John Cusack goes to see a movie with one of his ex-girlfriends..) etc.. etc..
Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 02-19-2002, 01:31 AM:
Well all you " The Projectionist " fans out there, according to Amazon.com, the DVD version will be out on April 9. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000633SS/qid=1014103817/sr=8-10/ref=sr_8_1_10/102-1979537-1567316
Posted by Michael Swarbrick (Member # 1108) on 02-19-2002, 09:38 PM:
At the very end of Notting Hill, you can just about see the doors of the Empire Leicester Square as Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant arrive for a premiere.I was told this by a member of staff a while back, apparently they shot it at 6am (presumably to avoid the drunks in the Square who don't wake up until noon, much like me actually )
------------------
Michael Swarbrick
Projectionist, Empire Leicester Square
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-20-2002, 06:37 AM:
Michael Swarbrick said: "(presumably to avoid the drunks in the Square who don't wake up until noon, much like me actually )" But projectionists have the excuse of working late hours, and then having 
.
------------------
John P. Pytlak, Senior Technical Specialist
Worldwide Technical Services, Entertainment Imaging
Research Labs, Building 69, Room 7525A
Rochester, New York, 14650-1922 USA
Tel: 585-477-5325 Cell: 716-781-4036 Fax: 585-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Web site: http://www.kodak.com/go/motion
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 02-20-2002, 07:14 AM:
Michael Swarbrick said: "(presumably to avoid the drunks in the Square who don't wake up until noon, much like me actually )" Well I must say that it was a pleasure to be in New York just over a year ago and not see drunks in Times Square or elsewhere come to think of it. Looking forward to my next visit!
Posted by Christopher Santapaola (Member # 1015) on 02-20-2002, 09:19 AM:
How about the drive in thats really a super powerfull space laser in 'Spies like us' which is perhaps one of the funniest movies of the eighties.I like how the laser destroys MTV's satalite. That would be a great way to get people to the movies.
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-Life is but a walking shadow, a poor player that walks, and struts its hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more. It is a tale told by an idiot. Full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Posted by Richard C. Wolfe (Member # 431) on 02-20-2002, 10:17 AM:
In the opening scene of Paramounts "School Ties" there is a drive-by shot of my Roxy theatre in Northampton, Pa. The camera stops on the theatre so that the audience can read "Rebel Without a Cause" on the marquee and thereby know that the picture takes place in the mid fifties.
Posted by Bernard Tonks (Member # 809) on 02-20-2002, 11:06 AM:
“THE END OF THE AFFAIR” (Columbia Pictures. UK/USA 1999) Ralph Fiennes, Ian Hart.Romantic Drama set in World War 2 London, included two cinemas. The mocked exterior and foyer shots, was the WARNER VILLAGE 8 screen multiplex in Finchley Road, London. The interior auditorium shots which included a newsreel on the screen in the correct 1.33:1 ratio, was the PHOENIX (ex Rex) East Finchley, London.
The Phoenix’s chief projectionist, Peter Bayley has served over 41 years of loyal service. One Sunday The Phoenix Trust and staff held a buffet reception with guests, and there was a cake made in the shape of a spool to celebrate Peter’s 40th anniversary. This was all followed by a special screening of “THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH” plus a programme of shorts. The cinema is temporarily closed for alterations and refurbishment.
Posted by Tom Fermanian (Member # 1094) on 02-20-2002, 11:17 AM:
HaHa!
Come to the Paradise, Alan Parker's look at mistreatment of Japanese Americans during WW2, Dennis Quaid is a projectionist at little Tokyo's Paradise theatre,See a couple of old Simplex!------------------
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-20-2002, 11:19 AM:
Film-Techer Dick Prather of Portland provided all of the booth equipment and expertise for "Come To The Paradise"
Mark @ Old GTS
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 02-20-2002, 11:35 PM:
Seems to me there was an I Love Lucy TV episode that had Lucy covering for a projectionist friend. He talks her through doing a changeover, then leaves. Obviously since it's Lucy the next changeover doesn't go too well. * * * S p o i l e r * * *
My favorite line in Come See the Paradise comes during Quaid's job interview when he's told that the previous projectionist (an issei, i.e. first-generation Japanese immigrant) had committed suicide.
Quaid's response: "Wha'd he do, miss a changeover?"
* * * E n d S p o i l e r * * *
Paul
Posted by Carl King (Member # 398) on 02-21-2002, 01:10 PM:
CINEMA PARADISO - THE DIRECTOR'S CUT is being released this year according to some info I read in a marketing flier in my managers office.
Posted by Steven Privett (Member # 718) on 02-22-2002, 11:11 AM:
I always like the notices in the film cans. Gremlins had one that warned you about the scene where the film burns on the screen. I think I could have figured it out. It did creep me out the first couple of times I watched it from the booth though.
Posted by Steven Privett (Member # 718) on 02-22-2002, 11:19 AM:
I just saw another video that took place entirely in the booth. This guy had no idea what he was doing. Some of you might have seen it. I am still have nightmares about it. It was called 'Booth Training Seminar'
Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 02-22-2002, 12:11 PM:
Does anyone have a copy of that "Gremlins II" notice they could post? I'd like to see that; it came out just a bit before my theatre career. I didn't even see this movie in the theaters but saw the laserdisc which has the scene intact (I heard it was changed in the VHS version).
Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 02-25-2002, 05:57 PM:
I am not sure of the name of this flick, but it was an old Vincent Price film. Vincent Price is a retiring horror film star giving his last hurrah at a drive in theater. The problem is that he is being stalked by a mad gunman/sniper. At the drive in, the sniper goes behind the screen and starts taking people out...including the Projectionist through the port window...naturally the change-over is missed! Extensive booth scenes...
Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 02-25-2002, 06:07 PM:
I think you are thinking of the film "Targets" starring Boris Karloff.
>>> Phil
Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 10-06-2004, 01:36 AM:
It has been 953 days since the last post.
Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 10-06-2004, 01:36 AM:
USA Today mentioned that the Frankenstein movie airing on the USA Network cable channel is set in New Orleans.
A photo on the IMDB site looks like some lady with a gun is standing in one of the boxes at the State Palace (formerly Loew's State) theatre in New Orleans; part of the prosc & curtain is visible behind her.
http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0397430/Ss/0397430/frk04ep_0512strf_lowres.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0397430
Very Thomas Lamb. It's not the Orpheum.
The movie runs Sunday 10/10/2004 at 9pm EST.
Posted by Peter Mork (Member # 1336) on 10-06-2004, 02:53 AM:
"Wish You Were Here" includes one of the nastier projectionists on screen.
"Son of the Pink Panther" - the cartoon title sequence is set in a booth.
"The Tingler" - the title creature gets loose in a movie theatre, apparently
crawls into the projector and you see its silhouette projected on the screen!
"Someone to Love" - No booth here, but it's in an old moviehouse slated
for destruction. Orson Welles, of all people, doesn't give a damn.
Posted by Peter Hall (Member # 695) on 10-06-2004, 06:41 AM:
The exterior shots of the "A grade" cinema down the road from the BiJou were taken of the Odeon in Hammersmith, London, then clad in corrigated iron for "modernisation". Not sure where the actual Bijou was, if anywhere..
Does anyone know which theatre the booth scenes in "Quiet Earth" were shot ?
Do videos count ? I have a classic tape of "Accrington Cinemas - Past and Present" which describes the new Premiere cinema there as having chosen the "best" in sight and sound. One great quote, from the manager, saying that "some cinemas have Dolby and some DTS, well ours (Smart) uses the best bits of both and sounds better than the two of them" . Also, how the screen is installed - apparently by wetting and stretching the sheet.. Lots of good pix of lacing up - could provide hours of wet Saturday afternoon viewing for all the family.. (Hey Dad, isn't his loop too small ?)
Posted by Hugh McCullough (Member # 1542) on 10-06-2004, 07:33 AM:
I assume that Peter is talking about 'The Smallest Show on Earth'
The interior of the Grand cinema was the Odeon Richmond, Surrey.
The exterior of the Bijou was a mockup, but I do not know where this was.
The Bijou interior was a studio set. If you see the film please notice that the projectors have no rake, but the projection beam shines down at an raked angle onto the screen.
Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 10-06-2004, 07:55 AM:
![[Eek!]](eek.gif)
booth while eating noodles on his make-up bench. He goes flying into the projector and the movie melts on screen - its a reel to reel theatre!
![[Wink]](wink.gif)