Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: UA Stonestown = $3.50 movies; ceiling repairs underway

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Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 07-10-2012, 05:21 PM:

Hmmmm....UA Stonestown, which has been an art house since 2002, appears to be dropping that format in favor of second run.

Next week's schedule consists of "Battleship" and "Dark Shadows". Fandango shows a ticket price of $3.50 for ALL shows, maintee and nightime.

Is this a one week "special"? Or is this their new full time policy? I sure hope not. They are more important to the area as an art house.

Mike

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 07-12-2012, 03:08 AM:

quote: Mike Croaro
They are more important to the area as an art house.

Unless, of course, they aren't.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 07-12-2012, 10:13 AM:

"Unless they aren't"

Not sure what you mean Ed. In this part of SF, the only choices for art house product was the Stonestown Twin or the Empire 3. The empire has not been a relieable source for these films for some time. Only in the last few weeks did they break the hollywood mold and play "Best Exotic" and "Moonrise Kingdom".

Stonestown ahd played the genre for 10 years so they must have had at least some success.

Mike

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 07-12-2012, 01:32 PM:

Honolulu is not in the same league when it comes to other cultural happenings such as a world class symphony orchestra or opera as San Francisco but we do have a steady variety of art movies. We have two venues that show them on a regular basis. They are the Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and Consolidated' Kahala 8.. Before it closed and demolished, the Varsity was also a art house.

In addition to our two art movie venues, Honolulu has hosted a very sucsessful film festival for many years.

-Claude

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 07-13-2012, 01:11 AM:

It's rather simple, Mike. There is only one reason why a company would go from following one business model for a theatre to following another business model.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 07-13-2012, 08:20 AM:

quote: Edward Havens
There is only one reason why a company would go from following one business model for a theatre to following another business model.

And that reason is certainly not importance to the area. Their business was down 14% in a time when the industry is generally up. Sounds like it might be time for a change.

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 07-13-2012, 09:31 AM:

And let's face facts: The Stonestown Twin was not a great theatre back in the late 1980s, when I had the train its new GM because I was too young to become a GM with UATC at that time. It's even less a theatre twenty-two years later, with all the advances our industry has taken.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 07-13-2012, 03:23 PM:

Mark:

How do you know their business was down 14%? The last 6 month or so they have been playing all of the "big gun" titles.

Isn't it better to be an art house at full price making no money as opposed to a second run theatre making no money?

Mike

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 07-14-2012, 03:05 AM:

Mike:

Rentrak is my source for the 14% down. The idea when changing formats is not to make no money. Film rental for a discount house is only 35% vs. say, 50%, as an art house. Per capita revenue in concession is roughly the same, as they both are traditionally low-spending crowds. My guess would be the pricing policy is due to the lack of second run screens in San Francisco proper. It's proximity to the university is also a plus for this pricing policy. There's a plethora of specialty product being screened in the city already between the Landmark houses, the Empire, Van Ness, Roxie, SF Film Society Cinema, San Francisco Centre, Kabuki, Metreon, Vogue, Balboa.

Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 07-14-2012, 09:21 AM:

quote: Mike Spaeth
Rentrak is my source for the 14% down

Mike Spaeth, this is a big no-no stating publicly that you gotten information from their website. Big no-no as I should know as I got in trouble for doing it once.

It always amazes me how people with little to no knowledge of a business's finances knows how a business should be run.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 07-19-2012, 03:08 PM:

I see this location doing much better as a discount theatre, rather than trying to compete with the Landmark's over art house films. SF has no 2nd run discount theatres. This may prove to be a unique success for those who don't want to pay $14.95 or whatever the Cinemarks and AMC's are charging now a days. $3.50 for a movie sounds about right to me.

Also, the old Century Cinedomes at Newpark Mall in Newark, CA have gone 2nd run discount also, with a $2.00 - $2.50 admission price. I admit I've been a few times, and have enjoyed it. But on the other hand, I like the old funky theatres, so.....

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 08-03-2012, 04:58 PM:

I enjoy Stonestown but I too enjoy funky old theatres, especially those that were once popular. I'm not a big fan of Landmark's theatres but they're the ultimate choice for art films in San Francisco.

I was surprised to see that Stonestown went discount but it was clear to me that they weren't doing well with art.

Posted by Sam D. Chavez (Member # 1841) on 08-03-2012, 05:52 PM:

I like the Landamrk Embarcadero for sure but the Sundance Kabuki is overall more up to date. Hard to get into as it's always full.

Posted by Bruce McGee (Member # 131) on 08-04-2012, 07:34 AM:

I was wondering out loud about why my theatre didnt play any older titles occasionally, and was told by my tech that I'd better hope that the theatre never started doing this, as this usually is the beginning of the end for a location.

This was almost 8 years ago. I'm still playing first run!

Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 08-04-2012, 08:19 AM:

quote: Mike Spaeth
The idea when changing formats is not to make no money.

Unfortunately, as that would seem to make the most sense I have seen where a company opens a new multi screen complex and either changes a succesful 6-12 screen location so art, sub run, or first run with terrible bookings in the hopes to drive the location into closing (not paying a large percentage to the land lord, be in a better position to renegotiate or get out of a lease etc...)

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 08-06-2012, 06:26 PM:

Greetings:

As of today they are only showing 1 movie. The Box office attendant tells me (via telephone) that it will be this way for several weeks whilst they repair the ceiling in the auditoria. The ceilings have been heavily damaged by the leaking roof. I am most pleased to hear this.

Mike

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 08-07-2012, 06:39 PM:

Well, the discount formula didn't work at the Cinedome 7 at Newpark Mall (Newark, CA) I guess. It closed this week. [Frown]

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 08-07-2012, 07:22 PM:

Eric:

Had Cinemark intended to run it as discount in the long term? I would think that it would just compete with their new full price complex.

Regal/UA's pricing policy won't hurt them....they have no other theatres in the vicinity.

Mike

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 08-10-2012, 12:36 AM:

quote: Mike Croaro
Regal/UA's pricing policy won't hurt them.

Unless, of course, it does.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 08-10-2012, 03:28 PM:

Edward:

Do you ever offer up more than 1 sentance posts?

Mike

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 08-11-2012, 11:52 AM:

I am not known for my succinctness, most of the time.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-11-2012, 01:16 PM:

He has two posts just in the last couple of pages that consist of two sentences. [Big Grin]

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 08-11-2012, 05:54 PM:

Brevity is the soul of wit. - Shakespeare.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 08-17-2012, 09:34 PM:

Went up to Stonestown tonight to see Madagascar 3. Very bad movie.

They have finished the #2 auditorium. It looks as if they replaced the entire sheetrock ceiling. It is painted blue. The auditorium no longer stinks of must and mold. It now smells clean and fresh. They will now do the same in auditorium #1.

Mike

Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 08-20-2012, 02:35 PM:

What a waste- they should have restored it back to the big single screen!

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 08-20-2012, 10:24 PM:

Thanks for the update Mike!

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 08-31-2012, 01:19 PM:

Visited this theatre this week, so here is my review:

The auditorium definitely smells better. I still noticed a slight hint of the Stonestown funk, but still 90% better than it was.

Noticed all of the isle lighting (actual bulbs in boxes on the sides of the isle seats) was repaired and working. This was something UA always let slide and the isle lighting hardly ever worked.

Expected a digital pre-show to be showing, and was very suprised it was still slides and "movie tunes".

The screen appeared to be a new screen. It also appeared to me that they lowered the screen from where it was originally placed. It now seems lower on the wall than where it was previously. I seem to remember the top of the screen almost near the ceiling with the top masking raised.

Impressed that the ceiling lighting now functions properly and lowers down 50% during the commercials, trailers, etc, and then lowers out when the feature movie starts. Previously, the lights were either ON or OFF.

And here's where it goes downhill:

Top masking comes down, but not far enough apparently, and the digital scope picture is still letterboxed inside the open screen area. Blank bars at the top and bottom of the open screen area. Extremely tacky and it looks terrible! Especially when a commercial or trailer with a 1.85 or 1.33 aspect is shown. Then, it's a small box inside the open screen area. [puke]

And the sound was AWFUL! Sounded muffled and low. This theatre always had bad sound, but I always attributed it to the DTS system they were running. When the Century 24 in San Jose switched to digital, there was a huge noticable improvement in the sound over the DTS system they used for film. But, aparently that didn't happen here at the Stonestown. The sound was so bad that I could actually hear people 10 rows away from you whispering over the sound and dialogue of the movie itself. A very terrible letdown.

So, in summary, this is yet another theatre ruined by a shoddy digital installation. At least the Century 24 in San Jose has good sound to make up for the fucked up projection. This place isn't even worth the $3.50 bargain ticket.... [Frown]

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 08-31-2012, 02:52 PM:

Hi Eric:

Sound comments are interesting. The sound quality for Dark Shawdows and Madagascar 3 was perfectly fine. It actually sounded better than when they ran film.

Mike

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 09-25-2012, 05:19 PM:

UA Stonestown has dropped their discount policy and instuted what is or used to be called a "sub-run" policy.

Adults: $8.00
Sen/Child $7.50

Two art house style films have been booked.

Mike

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 09-25-2012, 07:07 PM:

Folks: I jumped the gun on the previouys post. I am unable to edit/correct it because there is a silly time limit that forbids posters from editing a posting after a certain time.

The post should have read:

UA Stonestown appears to have dropped their discount format in favor of full price foreign/independent.

Prices are:
Adult evening $10.50
Adult Matinee $8.00
Senior/Children $7.50

Mike

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 09-26-2012, 02:12 AM:

To call the discount/sub-run experiment an unmitigated disaster would be insulting to all things that are unmitigated disasters. That neighborhood needs a modern movie theatre with modern movie theatre amenities, period. I'm not saying beer and wine and reserved seating and Dolby Atmos sound, but at least a properly-proportioned room with stadium seating where the seats actually face the screen at a correct angle.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 09-26-2012, 01:49 PM:

And a screen where the scope feature fits the entire screen.... and where the sound is better.