Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: E-Walk for sale, among others....

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Posted by Stephen LaPadula (Member # 3050) on 12-22-2005, 02:51 PM:

here you go from variety....

I'd say Regals shouting loud and clear about picking these up esp E-Walk and Fenway. This should all be settled in about a month.

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117935079?categoryid=1236&cs=1&s=h&p=0

According to today's Variety, the E-Walk is slated to be sold:

Exhib pair plan selloff in six cities
AMC, Loews to unload 10 plexes

By GABRIEL SNYDER

As the result of an antitrust review of the AMC and Loews merger, which was announced in June and is expected to close early next year, the exhibs will sell 10 theaters in six cities.

The exhibexhib bizbiz is closely monitored by antitrust officials so that one chain does not, in effect, have a monopoly on movies in any particular market. Because Loews and AMC had competitive theaters in several distribdistrib zones, some sell-off was expected (Daily Variety, June 22).

After unloading the 10 theaters -- five each from AMC and Loews, comprising 93 screens total -- the merged company will be left with 437 locations and 5,843 screens in the U.S., making it the second-largest chain after Regal, which has 6,264 screens.

However, several of the theaters now on the auction block are considered strong earners in film-distrib circles. Included on the for-sale list is one of the biggest-grossing theaters in the country, the Loews E-Walk 13 in GothamGotham.

It is across 42nd Street in Times Square from the AMC Empire 25, which is the biggest-grossing moviehouse in the country.

Also on the list is the AMC Fenway 13 in Boston and the Loews Meridian 16 in Seattle.

Other locations now up for grabs include: in Chicago, the AMC City North 14 and Loews Webster Place 11; in D.C., the AMC Union Station 9 and Loews Wisconsin Ave. 6; in San Francisco, the AMC Kabuki 8 and AMC Van Ness 14; and in Dallas, the Loews Keyston 16.

AMC spokeswoman Melanie Bell said each theater will be sold separately, but one studio distrib exec said, "That's a nice group of theaters. It wouldn't be a bad way to start a circuit."

While Bell referred questions of why any particular theater was being sold to the Dept. of Justice and attorneys general involved, some of the sales puzzled distribs.

Unlike the situation in New York, where the two companies are selling one of two competitive theaters, two theaters that AMC is selling are not competitive with a Loews site. In northern Chicago, AMC and Loews are selling the two dominant theaters in that distrib zone, leaving the merged company with a relatively modest four-plex, the Loews Piper's Alley Theater.

And in San Francisco, AMC's Kabuki and Van Ness are in the same zone and already controlled by the same company, while Loews doesn't have a presence in the zone.

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 12-22-2005, 03:22 PM:

quote: Stephen LaPadula
And in San Francisco, AMC's Kabuki and Van Ness are in the same zone and already controlled by the same company, while Loews doesn't have a presence in the zone.

Somebody obviously has never heard of the Loews Metreon...

-Aaron

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 12-22-2005, 04:57 PM:

But isn't the Metreon in it's own zone?

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 12-22-2005, 05:14 PM:

Hi Paul; Others;

The Metreon plays day and date with all of the other San Francisco theatres.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 12-22-2005, 06:10 PM:

That Metreon is a cash cow. Everybody in The City seems to prefer it. That and it's right on the Subway line and close to downtown. The AMC Van Ness was always kind of hard to get to.

I find it ironic that the AMC Van Ness causes all these single screen and triplex theatres in SF to close, and then it goes up for sale.

Would be bizarre if Regal takes over...

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 12-23-2005, 02:18 PM:

The San Francisco sales are due to a decision by the California AG, not the main antitrust decision from the feds. Century is planning a 9 screen cinema for the San Francisco Shopping Center on Market to open next year. That's almost around the corner from METREON. I'm wondering if either Century or Regal might bid on the Van Ness location. The other option might be Brendan, which is primarily East Bay and Vegas.

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 12-23-2005, 06:22 PM:

OK, so I admit I probably should know this being a New Yorker and all, but does anyone know the significance of the Loews name "E-Walk?" I also admit that for the first year after it opened, I thought they were saying it was the Loews' Ewok. And thus I had an Emily Latella moment when I ranted to my friend about how "The insufferable Lucas has gotten his mits in everything."
"No, Frankie, it's the Loews E-Walk Theatres."
"Oh....never mind."

So I still don't know what's it mean....where'd they get E-Walk? I am thinking, it's a Loews in-joke: E from "Empire" (the AMC theatre across the street), and "WALK" meaning, walk away from the AMC and cross the street and come to the Loews instead. Other than that, I got nothin.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 12-23-2005, 06:44 PM:

There's an E-Walk in Los Angeles, although I can't remember if it's a Loews or not. It might be the Universal E-Walk. It's a theatre that's tied to a mall that is constructed like a street scene and the NYC theater was supposed to emulate it. E-Walk is short for "Entertainment Walk". But it's a big joke in NY, because it's not a mall or a street scene. There's one chain Mexican restaurant in the building and nothing else.

It's not a bad theater...the lobby was designed by David Rockwell and several of the screens are pretty huge (although others are quite small.) It usually doesn't get the best films though. My guess is that Regal will take it unless Clearview shows new interest in the exhibition business. It would be shocking if it closed.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-23-2005, 06:59 PM:

I'd be surprised if Fenway didn't go to National Amusements. They have a pretty big presence in this market, unlike Regal, which doesn't.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 12-23-2005, 09:03 PM:

quote: Martin Brooks
It might be the Universal E-Walk.

It's actually called Universal Citywalk.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 03-06-2006, 07:56 PM:

Hi Folks:

Has anyone heard anyhting about the AMC Kabuki & AMC 1000? Update on the sale?

Thanks,

Mike

Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 03-24-2006, 09:44 AM:

The Kabuki is being bought by Sundance, and will begin rennovations shortly after the International Film Festival. I'm wondering how an eight-screen art house will affect those currently operating, especially the Balboa.

Hollywood Reporter article

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 03-24-2006, 01:02 PM:

Hi joe:

Thanks for the great article. It appears Landmarks days may be numbered. I'm sure the Embarcadero will survive Sundance & Cinearts/Bloomingdales. But the Lumire, Opera Plaza, Bridge, Clay?

Mike

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 03-24-2006, 03:32 PM:

The Article says : "The project came back to life in May, with longtime Landmark Theatres business partners Richardson and Manzari on board."

So it appears Landmark has their hands in this somehow. Personally I think this is a waste of money. The outlook of the future of movies in theatres is not good. Who goes and sees obscure stuff anymore anyways? Movies like Farmer John, Ellie Parker, etc. don't even last a week anymore. And the push is on to show them simultaneously on TV/DVD anyways. Even a movie like Ask The Dust with two major stars can barely last more than 2 weeks anymore...

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 03-24-2006, 05:08 PM:

quote: Eric Hooper
Longtime Landmark Theatres business partners Richardson and Manzari

Paul Richardson and Burt Manzari used to work for Landmark. Manzari left a while ago and Richardson left after Landmark was sold to Mark Cuban.

Landmark has a history of running well loved art houses, but with Mark Cuban on board who knows. Mr. Cuban is a smart man and may be on to something. He is investing heavily in Digital Cinema outside of the DCI protocols. But he has some bizarre ideas as to what works in Cinema. Bubble is only the tip of the ice burg. But he has had some success this year as well with Goodnight and Good luck. Having your own production house, 29 29 Entertainment and your own Distribution wing, Magnolia Pictures will be a huge help. Landmark has some old movie theatres that are begging to be updated.

Paul and Burt only have 30-years each in the Alternative Movie Theatre game. Sundance has good backing and a reputable name. If they can get their claws in to some newer plexes in the 8-12 screen range I think they could be very competitive Every community seems to have a film festival and I think that that kind of programming may still be a growing market. When I ran an art house we never seemed to lack programming. Ky continues to run the Rialto like a 7-10 plex. If you could snap up well placed plexes in urban markets and transform them in to adult film sanctuaries you might be able to draw back those people who have fled the commercial cinemas.

People pay $4 for a fancy coffee drink, $50 for dinner out, $50,000 for a Lexus when it doesn't really drive much better than a $20,000 Chevy. Why is a stretch to think that people will not pay $10 to see a film in a place that is stylish, comfortable and pleasant to be. I think Landmark has left a lot of room for improvement, it will be interesting to watch. The Kabuki 8 is so far away from the Balboa, that I don't think it will have any impact on Gary Meyer's business. But yea, they're right to worry about the Lumire, Opera Plaza, Bridge, Clay?

Posted by John Joseph Fink (Member # 3619) on 03-28-2006, 12:13 AM:

Any word on who's getting the other sites or will that be kept quite? Beyond SF (although as far as I know theres no word on the Van Ness) I've heard Kerasotes is making a bid for the two up for sale in Chicago.
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=19671

But theres no word on E-Walk yet.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 04-02-2006, 09:30 PM:

I haven't heard anything about E-Walk either, but I figured I'd better photograph it before someone does buy it and tears down the current signage.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 05-11-2006, 10:59 AM:

The KABUKI in SF is now listed as an Independent theatre. So, who's running it? Anybody know?

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 05-11-2006, 03:05 PM:

quote: Eric Hooper
The KABUKI in SF is now listed as an Independent theatre. So, who's running it? Anybody know?

The lease was purchased by Robert Redford's Sundance Theatres and is targeted to close after the SF International Film Festival for renovation with a targeted re-opening in the Fall.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 05-11-2006, 11:05 PM:

The Film Festival ended last week...

Posted by Jeff Arellano (Member # 3249) on 05-13-2006, 06:39 PM:

According to the Knoxville Sentinel:

quote:
Phoenix takes over D.C. movie theater

Knoxville company to operate multiplex in Union Station

By CARLY HARRINGTON, harringtonc@knews.com
May 6, 2006

Knoxville-based Phoenix Theatres will take over operations of the Union Station 9 movie theater, located in the heart of the nation's capital.

The company has signed a five-year deal to lease and operate the nine-screen multiplex in the historic Union Station in Washington, D.C., beginning May 19.

"It's a great addition to our little circuit," Phoenix principal Phil Zacheretti said. "Tons of people are familiar with its location."

The theater, previously operated by AMC Entertainment, is located on the lower level of the former train station turned retail center. It is considered one of the area's most distinctive theaters, which was built into the station's old storage vaults in 1988.

The theater will undergo some renovations including new seats, wider rows, and new carpet and signs.

The addition increases the number of screens Phoenix operates to 74. That will increase to 84 when the company opens a new 10-screen theater in Durham, N.C., in August.

It currently operates theaters in Tennessee, Kentucky, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia and Florida.

"We've picked up the pace a little bit. We're always looking for the right mix for Phoenix," Zacheretti said.

In less than a year, the Knoxville company has doubled its size, but Zacheretti said some of the recent projects have been in the works for years.

The deal with Union Station was unusual, he said, because it was completed in less than six months.

Under AMC, the theater was on a month-to-month lease.

Phoenix began negotiating with the landlord last fall and was close to finalizing a deal when AMC and Loews Cineplex Entertainment announced a merger.

The Union Station theater was among 10 from both companies that the federal government ordered sold in order for the merger to proceed.

Built in 1907, Union Station was at the time the largest train station in the world, according to its Web site.

Today, it is the most visited destination in the nation's capital, serving as a retail center with more than 130 shops and restaurants.

Thats two down for AMC, and several more to go.

And Eric, Kabuki is still being listed on AMC's website.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 05-14-2006, 06:22 PM:

It's not an 'AMC' theatre on Fandango, and it's listed in the newspaper as 'Independent'.

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 05-14-2006, 08:13 PM:

From SF360

//// Sundance Cinemas buys the Kabuki 8 (Mar 24, 2006)
By Susan Gerhard
Sundance Cinemas, LLC, announced Thursday that it's signed an agreement to purchase the Kabuki 8 Theatre. Sundance Cinemas plans on taking over the property after the completion of the SF International Film Festival, and plans on giving the theater "a significant facelift" before reopening in early fall of 2006 under the name "Sundance Kabuki." "We are looking forward to working with Sundance Cinemas during this year's San Francisco International Film Festival and beyond," said Graham Leggat, SFFS executive director.

This is the second location for Sundance Cinemas; the first is under construction in Madison, Wisconsin, and is planned to open in November, 2006. Said Robert Redford, Sundance Group President, in the company's press release, "As San Francisco holds a special place in my heart and is one of the nation's great centers of independent film, I am particularly excited to have found such a perfect home for Sundance in this city." Sundance Cinemas CEO Paul Richardson said, in the release, that "The Kabuki is a dream location for Sundance. The theatre has a great location central to all of San Francisco and we are very pleased to be part of the Japan-town community." When AMC Theatres and Loews Cineplex Entertainment Corporation merged, the Department of Justice required the sale of ten theaters, one of which was the Kabuki 8.

Charles Burress reported in Friday's San Francisco Chronicle that community leaders in Japantown are, for the most part, pleased by the sale, and are hopeful that the community's connections with theater, which hosted many events, including activities related to the Cherry Blossom Festival and Day of Remembrance, will continue to be strong. He also noted that Sundance Cinemas President of Film and Marketing, Bert Manzari and CEO Paul Richardson led Landmark Theatres during its nationwide expansion.

The Sundance Group is a business entity owned by Robert Redford, and the Group oversees Redford's ownership interests in Sundance Village, Sundance Catalog, Sundance Channel, Sundance Cinemas, LLC, as well as his involvement in the not-for-profit Sundance Institute, Sundance Film Festival and the North Fork Preservation Alliance.

Said Leggat, "Early conversations with Sundance Cinemas prior to this public announcement have been positive, so we also expect to be presenting a number of programs and events at the new Kabuki when it opens in the fall, including a mid-October San Francisco International Animation Festival and Market and Digital Media Conference, as well as our New Italian Cinema Festival in November. The Kabuki is the most flexible venue in town and the one best suited to a festival like the International, so we are not looking to move. We expect to have a sympathetic and enjoyable relationship with Sundance Cinemas."

Posted by Ky Boyd (Member # 23) on 05-23-2006, 09:07 PM:

With regard to the Kabuki in SF, the Hollywood Reporter article and others mention upgrading the complex to stadium seating. That's fairly major construction for an 8-plex that operates on three levels.

Rentrak currently lists the theatre as being booked by Centurion Film Service. Never heard of them but I've got a couple of guesses: 1) Century Theatres is contracting out their booking services. 2) It is being operated by the Sundance Cinemas people but they don't want to put the Sundance name on the place until the renovation is finished. Meanwhile, they are stuck in San Francisco's notoriously slow planning/permitting approval process. So, since the festival is over, I would bet they are operating the theatre as an independent theatre rather than having it go dark while they wait for permits. Why pay rent and take in no revenue while you wait for permits? Just run like a regular plex and get the income. Just a guess, but I bet I'm not too far off the mark.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 05-24-2006, 03:03 PM:

quote: Ky Boyd
Why pay rent and take in no revenue while you wait for permits? Just run like a regular plex and get the income. Just a guess, but I bet I'm not too far off the mark.

Makes perfect sense to me. And yet the Coronet and Alexandria are just sitting there rotting, doing nothing, held up in red tape, etc, when they could have just remained open and taking in revenue...

Dumbasses.

Posted by Ky Boyd (Member # 23) on 05-24-2006, 09:14 PM:

Eric, have you been ODing on That 70's Show? It's a very Red thing to say, but as you point out, also true.

However, the Kabuki is going to still be a theatre, while the Coronet, the Galaxy, and the Alexandria are all going to become other things and in the case of the Kabuki, the operators of the future theatre have a vested interest in not having the theatre go dark. Noboby has that interest in the case of the former UA's.