This is topic From Tropical Paradise to Winter Wonderland in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-13-2000, 02:13 PM:
Hello, all!It looked pretty bleak there for a while, what with the loss of the Florida General Cinemas and my job. I was nearly pulling away in the moving truck when I received a call that changed our destination.
Never say never.
Well, the long story short is we've moved from sunny Florida to New England! What a switch, eh? Brrrr! I am servicing General Cinema in the Boston area. The area's wonderful, the people at the theatres are great, and we got here in time to see the fall colors - something I'd missed in Florida.
The only problem is there's a terrific housing shortage right now. But ASC's being good to us and we have been staying in a hotel, while we fight the daily grind in the rental listings.
In summary, we're safe and have an income... and that's good. Thanks to every one here and abroad, who've expressed concern and offered their kindness and help in our time of need. It is much appreciated and I won't forget it.
Happy Holidays! -Tim
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Better Projection Pays!
Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 11-13-2000, 02:45 PM:
Tim:That's wonderful news! Just in time for the Holidays. Glad the Grinch didn't steal your Christmas, after all. 
I know you'll help your GCC clients be the best they can be. May your life be bright and steady, and sounding good too.
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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 Fax: 716-722-7243
E-Mail: john.pytlak@kodak.com
Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 11-13-2000, 02:54 PM:
CONGRATULATIONS!
Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 11-13-2000, 03:24 PM:
Welcome to Boston! The GCC Framignham is pretty neat. IF your ever driving on Route 128 in danvers and go bye a theatre sitting right in the highway with a big marque called "Hollywood Hits" Thats "my" theatre. Stop in and see the booth and it would be wise to consider an apartment on the northshore instead of boston the commute is pretty easy and the rent is significantly cheaper. Salem is a great city as well as peabody but stay out of Lynn. Salem is "The witch city" where they had the witch trials of 1692! anyways good luck!
Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-13-2000, 03:35 PM:
Glad to hear things are coming back together for you and your family. ASC almost lost a valuable asset to the company.
Posted by Joe Grace (Member # 341) on 11-13-2000, 06:32 PM:
Mr. Reed,
Good to hear you are doing ok! I have been trying to find a e-mail address for you but sense you dont have one on your info page then I will speak to you hear.
I liked the video that you did on how the intermittent worked, done very well! And I was wondering if I could use a segment of that in a vedeo I am doing in my video production class at my High School, would that be ok? I just wanted to get permision and not jump into it.
P.S. It only gets colder in New England from here!
Joe
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-13-2000, 11:33 PM:
Lived in Boston for 5 years while gong to college. (Northeastern U.) I loved it. It'll take some getting used to the pace of things but that's part of the adventure.Wanna' try a restaurant? Go to Durgin Park. It's in Fanueil Hall Marketplace. (Quincy Market)
It's motto is "Established before you were born."
Inside, by the register, there's a sign that says, "In God we trust. Everyone else pays cash." (Last I knew they didn't take credit cards.) They also don't serve coffee on Friday and Saturday nights.
It's your typical "Old Boston" kind of place with creaky wooden floors and you sit at long wooden tables, elbow-to-elbow with all the other people. (CASUAL dress) This is reported to be the birthplace of the typical "Boston Rude Waitress" you may have heard about. I used to walk up the stairs and say, "Gimme' a pot roast dinner, a bowl of 'chowdah', extra corn bread on the side and leave the pitcher of water on the table." The waitress would point and say "Sit over there." A few minutes later she brought the food, plopped the check on the table and said, "Pay at the register on your way out." Of course, it was all an act.
Posted by Jon Bartow (Member # 241) on 11-14-2000, 06:20 AM:
Tim,
Joe is right, it only gets colder from here on out. Luckily you will not get much snow in Boston, but as far as I know one of your theaters is the Maine Mall Cinemas in South Portland, Maine. They do get snow. But. it's a real nice drive up there. I lived up in Maine until August.
Oh well, good luck Tim! Glag that your still with us!
Jonathan
Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-14-2000, 08:54 AM:
Tim -- when you visit the Maine Mall Cinema in the summers, you must go check out the Drive-ins in Westbrook and Saco! The Saco DI is one of the oldest on the east coast and the Westbrook DI is in beautiful condition, complete with neon sign and in-car speakers.
Glad to hear you're still employed. I'm in Virginia at the moment, but I have spent most of my life in the Boston area--it's a great place to live, even if the housing isn't cheap.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-14-2000, 10:26 PM:
It's good to have friends, thanks! 
Joe, sure! Be my guest on the animation, thanks for asking. Have fun with it, sounds like a cool class. (Btw, it's "Tim") 
Don't be surprised if I DO drop in on some of you fellows one day! I didn't realize there were so many Film-Techers in NE! Great!
Say, I was at the Maine Mall today and learned about the Saco d/i, but I didn't get to visit it yet. Yes, it is beautiful country up there (and here, too, for that matter!).
Best to everyone!
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Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 11-15-2000, 07:50 AM:
Tim: Sorry that you had to move back to yankee country BUT I am glad that all is well, and you are back in a money-making position.
Believe me, the theaters here in the South need work, too!
Posted by Joe Grace (Member # 341) on 11-15-2000, 08:50 AM:
Thank you very much. For leting me use your video.I live about 20 minutes from the bridgton drive in in bridgton Maine. If you get a chance to go there its pretty neat. They just added another screen. The saco drive in is pretty neat also.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-15-2000, 06:48 PM:
You're quite welcome. Let us know how your project goes.That's okay, Bruce, the people here are very nice. We like it a lot.
But I must say, there aren't too many Western stores!
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Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Chris Erwin (Member # 176) on 11-16-2000, 10:55 PM:
Tim,Glad to hear from you! It's good to know you and your family are ok. Good luck house hunting, and take care.
E-mail me sometime when you get settled.
--Chris
Posted by Tom Ferreira (Member # 70) on 11-17-2000, 05:40 AM:
Joe-do you work at the Magic Lantern? We can always use good projectionists in North Conway and Windham!
Posted by Joe Grace (Member # 341) on 11-17-2000, 01:10 PM:
Nope, I dont, but it is such a neat theater. I saw Star Wars Episode 1 at that the Magic Lantern. I think that they upgraded to Dolby Digital just for Star Wars but I am not sure.I havent been to Windham in a while so I am not familiar with that area, but how many theaters are there?
I have been to the theater in the North Conway Mall a couple times thats a neat theater also.
Joe
Posted by Jon Bartow (Member # 241) on 11-17-2000, 08:27 PM:
Joe,
Yes, the Magic lantern did install a Dolby Digital system for SW-EP1. (A DA20/cat.701 I think, don't know the processor). The Theater in Windham is in the same mall with Levinski's behind Burger King and Pizza Hut. It's a Five Star Cinema. Nice little theater. Andrew knows someone who works for Five Star somehow. He has borrowed a Strong rectifier for them in the past.
Joe, feel free to drop me a line sometime and tell me how things are going back home in Maine.
Jonathan
P.S. Tim, I'm very envious of your territory. 
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-19-2000, 10:02 AM:
Jon: How did you end up in MI?------------------
Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Jon Bartow (Member # 241) on 11-19-2000, 03:45 PM:
Tim:
Due to a post that you made on Film-Tech I met Bruce Schroeder in Boston earlier this year. At the time he did not feel that he had enough screens in New England to support a full-time tech. But he had an opening in MI. So my wife and I moved out to Michigan in August. Been here ever since. I used to work for a small chain in Maine and Mass. as their in-house tech.
Anyway, we like it out here, it's very similar to New England. And ASC is a good company to work for.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-20-2000, 09:00 PM:
Son-of-a-gun! Howdy, partner, welcome aboard! Glad to be on the same team with ya!------------------
Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 11-21-2000, 04:11 AM:
Hey Tim!
Nice to see another Film-Tech person in New England!
I will warn you though - there is someplace around here where you'll find a lot of not-so-nice people: Brunswick, Maine! Not that you'll really have any need to go there, but still... I think it has to be something in the water! 
Hopefully, you will find New England a pleasant place to live and whatnot. And no, the winter isn't endless, it just might seem that way!
A helpful bit of info, that can be confirmed by a few other people that skulk around here...
~The Five Seasons in New England~
'Almost Winter'
'Winter'
'Still Winter'
'Mud'
'Construction'
~GLB
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In some cultures, what I do is considered normal.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-21-2000, 10:29 PM:
Hi, Gracia! So what is it with Brunswick, ME? I only go to South Portland at the present.Everywhere I've went in NE so far, the people are great... in that respect, it's the next best thing to Oklahoma that I've found!
Hope to see ya sometime!
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Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-21-2000, 11:58 PM:
I think there should be THREE seasons in New England:Summer
Winter
"Grey" -- It comes twice a year.
Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 11-24-2000, 10:08 AM:
I'll have to check out that restaurant, Randy.------------------
Better Projection Pays!
Posted by Tom Ferreira (Member # 70) on 11-26-2000, 07:12 AM:
Joe, Thanks for the kind words on the North Conway theatre-that's my baby-worked there for many, many years. Windham is our's also-a nice theatre, but like Claremont, they have CRC Super Platters-argh! I oversee both as district manager.
Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 11-26-2000, 09:21 AM:
Tim,
I think that the problem with people in Brunswick is that Bowdoin College (snobby yuppie spawn) as well as a Naval Air Station (Navy jerks) are both there, and within a stone's throw of each other too.
Too many people "from away"... Heh, my theater is a little further north, and a little further away from the coast than Brunsiwck.
If you're going to be in the Lewiston/Auburn area, and want to see one of the better run booths in Maine, drop me an email. (gracia@exploremaine.com)
~GLB
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In some cultures, what I do is considered normal.
Posted by Joe Grace (Member # 341) on 11-26-2000, 10:30 AM:
Gracia,
I never worked at Brunswick but I have been there plenty of times and I must say that I have had no problem there, and it looks like a nice theater. But I will also say that I think that cinema 4 (across the street) was better now its torn down.
Joe
Posted by Trevor Bailey (Member # 75) on 11-26-2000, 07:12 PM:
Hi Tim,Welcome to New England. I don't know if you've found housing yet, but keep in mind that renting south of Taunton is significantly less expensive than the metro Boston area. The Fall River/New Bedford area is not the greatest place on earth, but it has some decent options as long as you are patient. The down side of the area is that it would put you 3 hours from GC Maine Mall 7 although you would be very close to N. Dartmouth 12 (say hi to Charlie for me). New Hampshire is great because of the lack of taxes but housing is expensive as many commute to Boston along Rt 95, Rt 93, and Rt 3. Anyhow, good luck. If you have any questions about the area, shoot me a note.
Regards,
Trevor
Posted by Randy Stankey (Member # 64) on 11-26-2000, 08:36 PM:
I've always liked to check out new restaurants when I went to a new town. There are too many good places to eat in this world and always eating at TGI Fridays and Applebee's gets boring after a while.Some places are good and some places are REALLY bad, but that's part of the fun of exploring new towns!
Maybe it could be a new running topic in Film-Yak? -- "Restaurants for the Traveller", or something?