quote: Tom Petrov

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Humber 1 and 2 opened

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What does that mean?
 

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Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 09-08-2011, 01:06 AM:
 
Page 1 of the new thread, and we have encountered the twin cinema of the mysteries.
 

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Posted by Manny Montes (Member # 5639) on 09-08-2011, 07:27 AM:
 
The Miracle 5 in Tallahassee closed August 14th 2011
http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/19643
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 09-08-2011, 04:48 PM:
 
John Wilson 's post refers to the Humber 2 reopening in Toronto.
 

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Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 09-08-2011, 06:11 PM:
 
I think Tom is excited by downstairs now being reopened, not just the smaller balcony part of the split. Amazing theatre!
 

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Posted by Mark Campbell (Member # 4411) on 09-08-2011, 11:32 PM:
 
Posting to get on this thread...and if I am ever in Toronto...Humber!
 

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Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 09-09-2011, 01:07 PM:
 
Wow I feel I will cry now!
This is identical to the Odeon in London Ontario which was demolished in 1988 to make way for a downtown mall which served to only kill the rest of our downtown before failing itself!

This was the theater which made me want to be a projectionist when I watched Jaws over and over in 1975 as 11 year old.The balcony became Odeon 2 but downstairs was intact with 2 sets of curtains and the booth was at the back with big windows pointing straight ahead to the screen.So you could watch the 4000 foot reels spinning and observe perfect changeovers!

Where did this photo come from?
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 09-09-2011, 03:09 PM:
 
SOURCE: Wichita Eagle

quote:

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Mitchell Theatres purchases former Lakeside Theatre in Woodward, Okla.

WICHITA — Mitchell Theatres has purchased another theater, this time in Woodward, Okla.

The ever-busy Brian Mitchell knows it’s a lot.

“I’ve got to get this done here pretty quick because we’ve got corn harvest coming,” he says.

The Mitchell family — which includes Brian Mitchell and his siblings Brent, a lawyer at Martin Pringle, and Kendra Ramsey, who lives in Texas — is a farming family that bought its first theater in Newton five years ago and has been steadily acquiring new theaters ever since.

Last month, the family bought Belton Cinema 8 in Belton, Mo., which made its seventh chain of theaters in the region.

The Woodward acquisition, which includes an expansion, means the family will have 58 screens.

The Woodward City Commission approved an $800,000 incentive package for the theater deal.

The Woodward theater is the former three-screen Lakeside Theatre.

Brian Mitchell says it appears to have been built in stages, with one screen across the lot from two other screens.

“It’s the craziest deal.”

The Mitchells’ plan is to open the single screen by the end of this month.

“Those people have not had movies since last April,” Mitchell says. “We’re going to catch them up on movies. . . . We’re just going to go through the whole big hits of the summer, and they are thrilled.”

The closest theater is about an hour away.

The family will renovate the other two screens and add four more, along with an arcade, party room and lobby.

When that’s complete, most likely by next summer, the single screen will close.

“Heck, we may have a restaurant come in,” Mitchell says of that space. “Who knows.”

The family continues to consider other theaters to purchase as well.

Mitchell says someone asked him what his long-range business plan is.

“I don’t know,” he said. “We’ll tell you after we get done, I guess.”

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quote:

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Ex-owner of failed Stuart theater leaves behind unpaid bills, fraud allegations

The angry employees gathered in front of the Bonita Springs movie theater to demand their pay.

After only seven weeks in business, Prado Cinema Cafe closed its doors in October 2010 and sent employees away with bags of concession stand candy but no final paychecks.

"It just all happened so fast," Assistant Manager Joe Lopez said later. "At the end of the day, we just all got screwed."

From inside the theater, Jim Record said he was just the manager and instead pointed the blame at the owner, Atlanta businessman James Duffy.

In Martin County, Fred Tomeo still holds a nearly decade-old worthless paycheck for his work in 2002 as manager at another failed Duffy company theater, the Regency Square 8 in Stuart, which closed in less than a year.

"He's a piece of dirt for doing what he did to employees," Tomeo said of Duffy.

William Parr, a projectionist at a Duffy company theater in Austin, Texas, said his paycheck bounced five times before the theater there closed nearly a decade ago. Parr said his manager had to pay staff by skimming payroll from ticket and concession sales.

Yet it's not just former employees who complain about not being paid by Duffy.

A six-month Scripps Howard News Service/Naples Daily News investigation after the Bonita Springs theater closed found that Duffy or his companies have been sued at least 69 times and been ordered to pay at least $24.6 million in judgments since 1982 for refusing to pay all kinds of bills.

Once the proprietor of a successful franchise business, Duffy's enterprise devolved over decades into one that has left a trail of unpaid bills, failed theaters and fraud allegations across the country.

The investigation linked Duffy to 88 theaters in Florida, Georgia, Ohio, California, North Carolina and 21 other states through an analysis of media reports, court records, company filings and interviews. Fifty-eight of those theaters either never opened or were open less than three years.

Read the rest at: http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2011/aug/23/ex-owner-of-failed-stuart-theater-leaves-behind/

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Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 09-19-2011, 04:26 PM:
 
Looks like Colorado is getting an Alamo Drafthouse!

As you guys probably know, Alamo Drafthouse is the world's most celebrated cinema chain. They don't run ads. Why not? Because they aren't shitty. If I worked there, there would be no way I would be fired and then rehired for posting about crappy ol' ScreenVision. Instead, I'd be fired for posting something else (currently unknown)! They aren't fond of when people talk or text during movies, either.
 

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Posted by Connor Wilson (Member # 6088) on 09-19-2011, 09:03 PM:
 
Why didn't I hear about this earlier?
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 09-29-2011, 04:39 PM:
 
Kingston ON:
Empire 10 - Kings Crossings

http://www.ourkingston.ca/2011/09/empire-theatres-plans-10-screen-complex-for-division-street/

Kings Crossing development will open by summer of 2012

Halifax-based Empire Theatres today unveiled plans for a giant movie-house in an expanded Kings Crossing Power Centre on Division Street.

The company, which currently operates the Empire Capitol 7 Cinemas on Princess Street downtown, says construction of what it calls Empire Theatres Kingston is expected to begin in late November near the intersection of Division Street and Dalton Avenue.

A company spokesperson was not immediately available to confirm the fate of the Princess Street operation.

In a media release, the company said the new facility will take up 41,000 square feet and support digital audio and imaging in all 10 auditoriums.

The theatre will be part of a second phase of development at the Kings Crossing centre. Currently, the site’s tenants include Canadian Tire and the No Frills grocery store.

The company said the theatre is expected to open in the spring or summer or 2012 and will include one auditorium with what it calls its “Empire Extra” enhancements, including a multi-channel sound system and a “wrap-around screen” and offering reserved seating.

Empire Theatres and its parent, Empire Company Limited, own 51 theatres across Canada with 386 screens. Currently, the company operates five locations with the “Empire Extra” features.

Pictures at above link.
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 10-08-2011, 11:10 PM:
 
The theater I've worked at for the past 10 years, Farrellis Cinema Supper Club in Scottsdale, is closing tonight. I just started the last show about 30 minutes ago. It's the theater that we thought could never die haha. I have no clue how they managed to stay open as long as they did, but the landlord finally demanded all the back rent and it was an amount that the owner could not pay. Even if things were a little better money wise, I think the competition from Studio Movie Grill, which is opening in a couple months about 5 miles from here, plus the costs of converting to digital would have closed us anyways. There is also Ipic Cinemas up the road a couple of blocks, but they were not a threat as they cater to the more well to do Scottsdale crowd.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 10-08-2011, 11:38 PM:
 
Mike, you mean this theater and this theater?

Sad to see it happen.
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 10-09-2011, 01:29 AM:
 
The Mann Glendale Marketplace 4 closed after its final shows on Thursday, October 6th. 1998-2011.
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 10-09-2011, 01:35 PM:
 
Brad, that's the one.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 10-14-2011, 06:54 PM:
 
The old AMC Grand 24 in Dallas reopened this weekend as Amstar 14
http://www.bigscreen.com/journal.php?id=2370

Also found out that the Exchange cinemas in Glendale,CA cinemas is now with Vintage Theatres. That leaves Mann with only two locations left.

Scottsdale AZ: West Wind 6 drive-in has closed
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/local/article_3f15c022-ead8-11e0-a62c-001cc4c002e0.html
It was an anticlimactic send-off for an old friend.
About 20 people had RSVP'ed to Jill Canfield of AZDIMS (the Arizona Drive-in Movie Society) to say goodbye to the Scottsdale 6 Drive-In last Friday and protest its closing as the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian community weighs options for the 29-acre property on the southeast corner of McKellips and Hayden roads.
But only five showed up.
With the sun setting over movie screens that went dark a month ago, couples Eva Poole and Scott Bradford of Mesa, Jill and Jesse Canfield of east Phoenix, and drive-in enthusiast Barney Kahn of Scottsdale all lamented the loss of the Scottsdale 6 which opened on Feb. 7, 1977. Despite large crowds coming to the Scottsdale 6 in recent months, the ownership (California-based West Wind Drive-ins) decided to close the drive-in after it was unable to renegotiate a new lease with the SRPM Indian community.
The last films there included "Rise of the Planet of the Apes," "Our Idiot Brother" and "The Smurfs."
The few fans who came to say goodbye parked in a lot across the street from the Scottsdale 6, leaned against the backs of their vehicles, and looked wistfully at the dark screens.
"We should be unfolding our chairs and watching a movie there right now," Poole said. "We really need to let people know it's important to attend drive-ins so they don't completely disappear."
Decades ago, there were 14 drive-ins in Maricopa County. Today, there are only two remaining in the state, the Glendale 9 and the Apache Drive-in in Globe. As major film distributors increasingly transition from film to digital within the next two years, the existence of more mom-and-pop drive-ins and theaters will be threatened - and a romantic way of how we watch the movies could be lost.
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 10-15-2011, 04:14 AM:
 

quote: Mike Rivest

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As major film distributors increasingly transition from film to digital within the next two years, the existence of more mom-and-pop drive-ins and theaters will be threatened - and a romantic way of how we watch the movies could be lost.

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Okay, I am calling BULLSH*T on this. The story this came from was about a six screen drive-in not owned and operated by a mom-and-pop operation but by the Syufys, a family who grew their chain to several hundred screens before selling out for big bucks to Cinemark. And drive-ins are converting to digital projection as we speak. The Syufy family-owned Solano Drive-In not five miles from where I am typing this out now converted one of their screens to digital last summer. And the only people who are romantic about drive-ins are those who operate them or those who haven't been to one in twenty years and do not remember how poor the picture and sound presentation really was compared to a hardtop.

I would actually love to take my wife to the Solano Drive-in, but all that seems to get booked there is the worst of the worst, and I don't feel like paying for the crap I can see for free, with a better presentation, at work.
 

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Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 10-15-2011, 05:03 AM:
 
As someone who operates one of the few remaining drive-ins in northern California, I can honestly say the future is uncertain for our single screen location.

With the acceleration of digital conversions in the last few months, we honestly don't know the future of the 2012 season. Will there be film available? If it is available, how far in advance will we have to book prints? Will we be able to book prints for good double feature combinations?

2011 was my seventh season operating our drive-in. In that time I have seen interest decline year by year. Part of that is because we are in a community which traditionally depends on tourist traffic in the summer time. But the economy is hurting the tourism. And the lack of tourism is hurting the local economy.

We had a discount theatre open 30 minutes down the road from us about 3 years ago and we saw an immediate decline. Many people will say that 30 minutes is too far for most people just to go to a movie. However, this is a community where people are used to driving at least 45 minutes to do any kind of shopping - and many drive 90 minutes.

Since our drive-in normally plays movies 3+ weeks off the break after they finish at our hard top, many people have already seen them by the time they go to the drive-in. And the narrowing DVD windows make it much easier for people to wait just a little longer to watch at home. It's the same story felt by any sub-run theatre sharing a market with first run theatres.

So the question we face is converting to digital or closing the drive-in. Looking at the declining gross, it's hard to make the case for digital. Maybe we open for the 2012 season, but our normal operation will almost certainly be changed. And the 2013 season seems highly unlikely at this point. Maybe we wind up closing for a couple years until we start seeing a market for used digital equipment.

If we were in a larger market or a community that wasn't so dependent on tourism, it might be easier to make the case for digital.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 10-18-2011, 04:36 PM:
 
A couple of expansions in Alma and Levis (Quebec City),QC
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/arts-et-spectacles/cinema/201103/02/01-4375576-nouveau-cinema-a-levis.php
Since your French is not very good, here is the text in the Queen's English.
(Quebec) A third film of four rooms will be launched next year on the south shore, near the Lévis Convention Centre. This is a project of the owner of the Lido, Sylvain Gilbert, who will take the opportunity to reconfigure the former cinema complex Kennedy Boulevard.

In an interview with the Sun , Mr. Gilbert said the new cinema foothold in the commercial growing of the promoter MISCEO in the borough Desjardins, near Highway Jean-Lesage. The construction of the four rooms at a cost of four million, is expected to set in motion at the end of the year for an opening for the month of May 2012.

Each room, which will have between 150 and 200 seats, will have facilities on the cutting edge of technology for digital projection and 3D, as is the case in complex Falls opened in 2002, also owned by Sylvain Gilbert. This does not exclude the possibility of increasing the number of rooms in ten subsequent years, if the traffic demand and are waiting for you.

In the process, the Lido cinema, bought in 1975 by Andrew Gilbert, his father suffer a weight loss program. Thus, two or three rooms may be closed on the existing nine to free up parking spaces for customers of the mall.

and in Alma

http://www.lelacstjean.com/Culture/Cinema/2011-08-16/article-2709181/Le-Cinema-du-Complexe-ajoute-deux-nouvelles-salles-%26laquo%3B-3D-%26raquo%3B/1

Again in the Queen's English:
An addition of 272 seats

The businessman and owner of the Cinema Complex Alma, Ghislain Dubois, officially announced on Tuesday a private investment of approximately $ 1.5 million for the construction of two new theaters, the numbers # 5 and # 6 and that will have a capacity of 130 and 142 respective seats. These rooms are furnished in a new building of approximately 5000 square feet adjacent to the existing film and will have digital technology and projection "3D" on screens 15 feet by 40 feet, double the other rooms.
Topics: artists Sagamie Center, City of Alma, Saguenay, Alma
"Since 2002 I think in this project. However, with the advent of digital, it has focused to upgrade our four rooms and build the 3D technology but now for two years, I worked the file to obtain all necessary permits and it is beginning construction for delivery in late October, early November. Certainly, everything will be in place for the boom of the holiday season, "commented enthusiastically Ghislain Dubois in an interview at his office Monday morning.
The ultra-modern building will be erected on land adjacent to the parking garage and just behind the building which houses Paul Tremblay Center Sagamie artists.
It was first necessary to disentangle the title, part of the land belonging to the complex and the other City of Alma.
New rooms are accessed through the interior of the current film, which will require some readjustments to the sanitary and the large entrance hall that will be created.
In both rooms, including 32 seats will be found such as "rocker" that allow a better position to listen to the son.
"Also, all other seats will be equipped with armrests that can meet the need to create a large sofa," said Ghislain Dubois.
"Cinema is doing well. The people respond very well and even more in demand. Our current facilities no longer meet demand. We will be able to offer six new instead of four. Some films will be longer on view, we can submit son a little less commercial and it prevents what is coming with an increase of 20% to 25% of digital products to provide additional, "says the man of business.


See the gallery
With this addition, Ghislain Dubois believed to be able to fully meet the demand at the major peak periods or during school breaks, the holidays and summer.
"In Saguenay, there are only deus 3D rooms. We, we are four and almost six. There are people who go to Saguenay to come see their favorite films in Alma in three dimensions, "recalls proudly Ghislain Dubois and facilities that keeps one step ahead of others.
Ghislain Dubois: a visionary
The businessman Ghislain Dubois has always been a visionary in connection with its cinema complex. It also works in this field for over 40 years.
Here are some steps in the progression of the Cinema Complex:
- 1986: launch in September with a single screen;
- 1986: in December 1986, Ghislain Dubois accommodate a second room;
- 1990: in May, bringing to four the number of rooms;
- 1996: the first film in the region to equip its rooms Dolby stereo;
- 2004: total renovation of the four rooms in anticipation of the arrival of digital technology;
- 2009: the first film in the region to offer 3D projections;
- 2011: In March, the four rooms are digital 3D;
- 2011: addition of two new digital 3D theaters.
 

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Posted by Victor Liorentas (Member # 5272) on 10-20-2011, 09:08 PM:
 
The Humber will reopen Friday November 18th 2011!!!
 

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Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 11-02-2011, 10:25 AM:
 
Ozark/Nixa, Mo

http://ccheadliner.com/news/b-b-theater-opening-nov/article_4faaed9c-049e-11e1-a937-001cc4c002e0.html

The coming attraction has finally become the feature presentation.
The long-awaited Ozark/Nixa 12, Christian County’s new and only movie theater, is set to open Nov. 4. The 45,000-square-foot theater will boast many features not found in Springfield, officials say, and it’s only going to improve with time.
Opening with 10 screens including the 53-foot B&B Grand Screen, the venue will house two more theaters by early next year, said Brock Bagby, B&B research analyst. The art-deco theater with a lofty purple spire outside will include 7.1-channel surround sound, spacious leather seats and kids’ movies two Saturdays a month. Five of the initial 10 screens will be 3D-ready, and the all-digital theater—a first for the greater Springfield area—will play host to an adjacent shopping center where numerous food chains are already in talks to arrive, Bagby said.

It’s easy to see why Bagby, in an advance tour Oct. 28, frequently stops himself in describing the place.
“It’s a lot to take in at once,” Bagby said.
Its opening ends years of setbacks and delays. Ozark started with the idea of a downtown theater in 2007, utilizing the Land Clearance Redevelopment Authority property across Third Street from the square.

An IMAX theater in Nixa was in the works in 2007 but fell through a year later when the land was deemed inappropriate.
B&B’s Ozark/Nixa 12 is the county’s first theater in 40 years, according to information from former Ozark Chamber President Jim Bowles, and the only thing bigger than the news of its opening is the theater itself.

Screens at the theater range from 30 to 42 feet wide, but one auditorium—the Grand Screen—trumps them all.
“It’s bigger than a humpback whale,” Bagby said of the Grand Screen.

The wall-to-wall screen is the biggest curved display in the greater Springfield area, Bagby said. The screen’s size necessitated a more spacious seating area, so the theater installed high-back rocking leather stadium seating.
“If Shaq was sitting in front of you, you could still see,” Bagby said.

Sound for the Grand Screen hits 8,000 watts and is provided by Ozark’s SLS Audio. B&B worked with SLS to create custom-curved speakers to project the 7.1-channel surround sound in every direction.

“Before, if a helicopter were to approach from behind in the movie, you’d only hear it enter from the sides,” Bagby said. “With Dolby 7.1, you hear it from directly behind, too. That’s another feature you won’t find in Springfield right now.”
While the Grand Screen is the only one of its size at the Ozark venue, Bagby said all the auditoriums have the leather seats and 7.1 sound.

The five auditoriums with 3D capability will be viewed on XBRITE, a new type of display that promises to mitigate the common issue of dim visibility. According to a release from B&B, 3D presentations typically dim down the movie by polarizing lens screens, but XBRITE films “will remain as bright and clear as their 2D counterparts.”

That’s partly because the all-digital theater will show movies stored on hard drives, allowing the theater to save space by no longer requiring individual screening booths. Instead, projectors are stationed above the main hallway, and can be lowered for servicing.

The collective offerings of the new theater coupled with the surrounding community, are why General Manager James Warner is making the move from Neosho.

“As a kid in Neosho, I often made trips over to Branson. I always liked the hills and scenery of this area,” Warner said. “And, this theater is one-of-a-kind.”

Residents can find out for themselves Nov. 4. The curtain will rise with a full slate of showtimes, and the theater will offer special events like a Twilight movie marathon when the latest installment arrives.

“People will get an experience unlike anything else around,” Warner said, “unlike anything in Springfield, especially.”
 

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Posted by Joseph L. Kleiman (Member # 3097) on 11-05-2011, 12:08 AM:
 
The closed Cannery Row IMAX Theater in Monterrey, which was a standalone MPX 1570 theater, is being replaced by a standalone XD theater. Cinemark expects the new operation to open with MI4.
 

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Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 11-11-2011, 11:02 PM:
 
The Century 21, 22, and 23 domes in San Jose, CA will soon meet their demise. Those three cinemas sit on land owned by those who own the Winchester Mystery House. Ray Syufy signed a 50 year lease on the land in 1962 and went on to build and open Century 21 in 1963. That original lease expires in 2012. The families that own and operate WMH have already signed lease agreements with development firms to develop another boutique retail establishment to take the place of the theaters. This is all from a very reliable source who has ties to WMH.
 

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Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 11-12-2011, 05:05 PM:
 
Well, fuck! Does anyone in San Jose care enough about those to try and save them? I'd go there all the time if I lived closer- a lot of my early movie-going was at those theaters.

They should at least restore the Sacramento domes if the ones in San Jose go (we have two of them but both were split more than 30 years ago. Don't know how they stay in business, I refuse to see any movie at that complex but would go all the time if they brought back the big screens!)
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 11-22-2011, 05:11 PM:
 
Another 24-plex in Texas bites the dust

One of the largest theaters in town, the AMC Huebner Oaks 24, will shut down in early November, theater officials confirmed Thursday.
The 24-screen movie multiplex has been at its Northwest Side location at 11075 Interstate 10 West for 14 years, but it lost its lease, and the movie chain and property owner were unable to negotiate a lease renewal, theater public relations director Ryan Noonan said.
But an official of Entertainment Properties Trust, which was negotiating with AMC, said late Thursday that his firm was negotiating with another chain, and he expressed confidence that chain would take over the space being vacated.

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/article/Huebner-Oaks-24-to-close-2217432.php#ixzz1eTip08rW

Also in my hometown of Montréal, Ex Centris 3 quietly reopened.
 

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Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 11-22-2011, 05:38 PM:
 
Interesting story Mike- you don't see a big chain like AMC just abandon a 24 plex all to often.
 

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Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 11-22-2011, 09:02 PM:
 
Regal has a complex nearby, close enough that the buildings could not book the same films. It was like having 40 screens in one zone. Movies were kept way past their prime to keep the screens filled.
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 11-22-2011, 09:04 PM:
 
The second 24plex in Texas to be vacated by AMC in barely a year. Wonder how they lost the lease this early, since leases are usually twenty years at the minimum.
 

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Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 11-22-2011, 09:17 PM:
 
I was wondering that, too. 14 year lease? Really?
 

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Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 11-23-2011, 09:20 AM:
 
My guess is they wanted out of the lease and requested to be let out. It is just a guess but most long term leases have 4 or 5 year rollover where you can drop out of the lease. I have only heard of losing the lease when a new owner buys the property and doesn't want the current operator.
 

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Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 11-23-2011, 11:25 AM:
 
It might also be that the landlord did this to get the new renter that'll pay a higher rate. AMC would negotiate from the current leased amount and up whereas the possible new tenant that wants the space would negotiate from whatever large rate the landlord wants and down.
 

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Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 11-23-2011, 12:30 PM:
 

quote: Sean Weitzel

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The Century 21, 22, and 23 domes in San Jose, CA will soon meet their demise. Those three cinemas sit on land owned by those who own the Winchester Mystery House. Ray Syufy signed a 50 year lease on the land in 1962 and went on to build and open Century 21 in 1963. That original lease expires in 2012. The families that own and operate WMH have already signed lease agreements with development firms to develop another boutique retail establishment to take the place of the theaters. This is all from a very reliable source who has ties to WMH.

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quote: Edward Havens

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The second 24plex in Texas to be vacated by AMC in barely a year. Wonder how they lost the lease this early, since leases are usually twenty years at the minimum.

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quote:

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Shasta Outlets in Anderson will be back in the movie business by Dec. 23, when the former Prime 11 Cinemas complex reopens as Valley 11 Cinemas, the general manager of an Idaho theater company said Thursday.

The new theaters will open two months after the Prime 11 complex abruptly closed its doors Oct. 23.

Prime 11 Cinemas, which opened in May 2006, closed two weeks after Shasta Outlets property owners went to court seeking to evict the tenant and collect three months of back rent and taxes totaling slightly more than $72,000.

"We are a small, family-owned company that specializes in operating first-run movie theaters," said Clint Sanborn, general manager of Casper Management Co. of Boise.

Casper does business as The Reel Theatre at seven locations in four states.

Initially the Anderson cineplex will open with at least seven screens, one of which will offer digital projection, said Sanborn, 32, a 14-year-veteran with the management firm.

"We have ordered a silver 3-D screen, but the supplier cannot ship it in time for our Friday opening. I'll probably be installing it Christmas Eve so we can offer 3-D movies on Christmas Day," Sanborn said.

"My main technical installer is due to fly in Sunday, so it shouldn't take us too long to get the rest of the theater spaces up and running," he said.

Valley 11 Cinemas will offer first-run movies as well as some independent and foreign films, Sanborn said.

Although Sanborn said he intends to keep movie prices comparable to what Prime 11 had been charging, he said there would be a surcharge for 3-D movies.

"We're not going to come in and raise the prices, and we have already heard plenty of comments from the community that real butter on our popcorn is a high priority," Sanborn said.

Ownership of the theater complex will be retained by the Shasta Outlets' landowners, the Branagh and Patterson family trusts, with Casper Management Co. receiving a percentage of the multiplex profits as a management fee.

In Idaho, the company manages Northgate Reel and Country Club Plaza Reel, both in Boise; The Reel Theatre in Pocatello; and Nampa Reel Theatre in Nampa.

The company also manages The Reel Theatre 8 in Ontario, Ore., and Reel Theatres Richfield in Richfield, Utah.

The eventual goal, Sanborn said, is to convert all 11 screens at Valley 11 Cinemas to digital format with either hard drive commercial movie players or movies downloaded directly from major studios.

"Our Northgate and Ontario theaters are 100 percent digital," he noted, with all Reel Theatres offering the latest movies, Dolby Surround or DTS Digital Sound, wall-to-wall screens, row-to-row cup-holder seating, video arcades and concession stands.

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quote:

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Anderson’s own cineplex, Valley 11 Cinemas at the Shasta Outlets shopping center, opens today, Dec. 23, with a total of nine films. At least one film, “The Adventures of Tintin,” is showing in 3-D, according to a list of titles and show times posted in the box office window early this morning.

Included in the nine titles are five first-run films opening this week, including “We Bought a Zoo,” “Sherlock Holmes 2: A Game of Shadows,” “Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol,” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” and “The Adventures of Tintin.”

Films released previously include “Hugo,” “Jack and Jill,” Twilight: Breaking Dawn” and “Alvin & the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked.”

Valley 11 Cinemas will open tonight with two showings of most movies, noted Clint Sanborn, general manager of Casper Management Co. of Boise. Casper does business as The Reel Theatre and manages cineplexes at seven locations in four states

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Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 12-24-2011, 08:27 PM:
 
Monte,

Did that new 3-4 screen theater out by you ever get opened? I think you posted a pic while it was being constructed a couple of years ago.
 

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Posted by Scott Ribbens (Member # 180) on 12-24-2011, 08:57 PM:
 
Mann Theatres Westlake Village 8 will close after it's last shows on Tuesday the 27th of December. This is the last remaining Theatre of the Mann Theatres chain.

RIP Mann Theatres
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 12-24-2011, 09:49 PM:
 
Builders who built that twin ran out of money, thus it sits empty were it fell under foreclosure. They built it with the idea of digital, but never went in and researched the cost of digital presentations.

It's up for a cheap sale as a shell for someone who may want to dump cheap equipment into a place that may never get the returns out of it.

Bummer about the above note about MANN THEATRES. I was a projectionist for MANN from 1976 til they sold out in the Boise area in 1988. I had opportunities to transfer, but knew that it wouldn't be the right choice to make.

-By the mid 80's MANN was in the top ten for large circuits over 1000 screens in the country - in most of the Western States and mainly in So.CAL.
-Ted took over the ailing Nat'l Gen Corp Theatres in 1973 and was given an alloted time to clean up and build new to keep his new company. Thus, he closed down a good number of 'barns', sold off all of the former NGC locations East of the Mississippi, and began to rebuild other locations to multiscreens that were in the high market areas.
-Then, came the construction of new location to replace the 'barns' that were closed.
-Later on, was more condensing by closing or selling location in Texas, La., and some in the midwest and concentrate in the SoWest and Intermountain areas.
-Thus, this became the glory days of Mann Theatres. ... until the 'crash of 2000' which also hurt many circuits.

Yes .. "RIP" Ted Mann, Rhonda Fleming and Company. Many Golden Years to remember.
 

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Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 01-01-2012, 04:13 PM:
 
Premiere's new theater in Lubbock, Tx.

http://lubbockonline.com/entertainment/2011-12-31/kerns-roof-being-raised-so-premiere-16-imax-can-open-may-1#.TwDZUrLNmJ4

Roof being raised so Premiere 16, with Imax, can open May 1
Workers were busy removing the roof at a portion of the South Plains Mall so that a new one, 20 feet higher, could be constructed this week.
Posted: December 31, 2011 - 8:45pm | Updated: January 1, 2012 - 12:08am

From the “required hard hat area” behind what used to be Mervyn’s at South Plains Mall, Rudy Leal — manager of the Premiere 16 multiplex under construction — peered up at a crane that towered high above the mall.

He later revealed that, at least the first time he saw it, it reminded him of when he was a youngster playing with toy trucks, an Erector Set and cranes a miniscule fraction of the size of real ones.

Since earning his position with Premiere, Leal trained at a number of areas, pitching in and helping where needed, and sometimes learning more tricks of the trade by chatting with other Premiere multiplex managers.

He has watched the births of other multiplexes and remains intrigued by the process.

“During my training in Galveston and Bryan/College Station,” said Leal, “I learned Premiere policies, as well as hands-on training with digital projection software. I also was sent to digital class in Sacramento, Calif.

“At the construction sites, I helped install digital equipment and sound equipment.”

On this particular day, Leal wanted to show me — within the covered area measuring approximately 68,000 square feet — the five-feet-deep concrete pit that serves as an anchor for the multiplex’s IMAX screen.

Workers also were busy removing the roof at that portion of the mall so that a new one, 20 feet higher, could be constructed this week.

Leal also pointed out, “The low roof in the mall comes off next week. The new one is erected and being completed this week. The inside framing of the auditoriums also will begin next week.”

That new roof also will measure 20 feet higher than the old one.

The Premiere IMAX in Lubbock will be one of the largest IMAX theaters in Texas: 80 feet wide, six stories tall, a 420 seating capacity and, unlike the Omni at the Science Spectrum, capable of showing commercial films.

(In the Omni’s favor is its awe-inspiring domed screen, placing viewers almost literally into any documentary’s land and skyscapes. The Premiere’s IMAX will be a tall, stand-alone screen.)

The Omni is not equipped to show films more than 45 minutes in length.

Construction delays have seen the opening of the Premiere 16 pushed back to May 1.

That is a Tuesday. Regardless, the multiplex will open just in time for Hollywood’s summer films.

And when Leal and I began discussing possible summer blockbusters, the first movie he mentioned was the final film in the Batman trilogy, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Instead of it being shown only at Premiere and Cinemark’s wide screen theaters with great sound, he is certain that Premiere will show the same movie on its IMAX.

Batman fans will go ga-ga.

Premiere also is using a relatively new 7.1 surround sound system, which differs from the usual 5.1 by giving two speakers in the rear of the theater their own channels.

Leal appeared ecstatic that all of the plumbing for the multiplex had been completed. When I visited, only outside walls were standing. But Larry Delaney, Premiere’s chief technical adviser, reminded me that what I was seeing would look substantially different at every later visit.

Things are happening quickly, and Delaney’s only frustration is with the snow and cold weather that rarely arrive at his Houston home.

During my walk-through, it was impossible not to notice a pair of escalators and a single elevator — not a usual visual at theaters, and a reminder that Premiere will offer more than just the movies, popcorn and soda.

In fact, there are areas within this two-story multiplex that will attract a variety of guests.

For example, I expected lounges in the lobby area and on the mezzanine to serve dinner items such as pizza, burgers and sandwiches, and alcohol once permits are obtained. I assumed that seating was limited to those either arriving early before their movie, or perhaps those not ready to leave once their movie ends.

In truth, lounges are open to the general public, even if they are not seeing a movie that day. Leal explained, “Maybe dad doesn’t feel like shopping anymore. Or a family just gets hungry.”

There is another difference some viewers may appreciate. At present, many moviegoers make a point of arriving early to purchase tickets, and then return before their movie starts to deal with potentially long concession lines.

Premiere will, like present theaters, sell tickets via a box office and kiosks.

However, concession workers also can sell movie tickets at Premiere. Thus, there is the option of buying one’s movie tickets and treats all at once.

There will be two theater entrances: one inside the mall, and outside “across from Home Depot,” said Leal. Each entrance opens to a hallway leading patrons to the lobby.

Nor will it matter where a moviegoer has parked his vehicle.

South Plains Mall officials have agreed to keep all mall entrances unlocked until the day’s final feature ends at Premiere 16, said Leal. He explained, “If someone enters the mall next to Barnes and Noble, they can walk back and exit the way they came in.”

The crew working on the Premiere theater eventually will grow to as many as 125, said Delaney. These are primarily local jobs.

Delaney said, “I’d say 99 percent of those workers will be local. We are using local contractors; we’ll use their workers.”

The May 1 opening undoubtedly also will see Premiere hiring approximately 100 people, most of them part time, who will be trained to work concessions, or in the box office and as ushers.

Leal will begin accepting those applications in late March or early April.
 

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Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 01-01-2012, 05:16 PM:
 
Amazing about Mann. They only OWNED SoCal moviegoing, at least while I had a place there (1984-1995). OK, maybe Edwards too. But still.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 01-02-2012, 04:12 PM:
 
MANN THEATRES IS NOW HISTORY IN CALIFORNIA:
What was once the mighty Fox chain in California is no more.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_19628163

after more than a decade in operation.
The eight-screen movie theater, located at The Promenade at Westlake, is being replaced with an upscale movie house chain.
According to Karina Cook, assistant manager at Mann Theatre, the theater sold a steady stream of tickets on its last day.
But the mood was somber among the dozens of Mann employees.
"Everyone is going to get laid off," said Cook, who has worked for Mann Theatres for six years. "I have no idea what I am going to do."
Mann Westlake opened in 1996, the year "The English Patient" won the Academy Award for best picture.
At the time, news reports touted the Mann's state-of-the-art seating, digital stereo, giant screens and computerized advance ticketing.
In May, the theater will re-open as a Cinepolis theater. The Mexico-based cinema chain is the fourth-largest cinema-house operator in the world.
The company offers theaters with a full bar and restaurant; leather recliners; personal call buttons; and reserved seating. Additionally, waiters are on call to deliver beverages and dining options to moviegoers.
Paul Kurzawa, chief operating officer of Caruso Affiliated, owner of The Promenade, called Cin polis a `best in class' operator.
"Cinepolis is revolutionizing the moviegoing experience and setting a new industry standard," Kurzawa said in a statement.
 

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Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 01-03-2012, 01:42 PM:
 
Empire Oakridge 3 in Vancouver BC closed last night after 26 years in operation.

Oakridge #1 was the first THX installation in Canada.
 

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 01-04-2012, 10:43 PM:
 
Alexandria's Old Town Theater closes this weekend:

"The marquee is coming down and the curtains at Old Town Theater are drawing to a permanent close after this weekend, ending Roger Fons’s nine-year stint as the film house’s owner.

Fons said a year of poor ticket sales played a pivotal role in his decision to sell the King Street property to Robert J. Kaufman, president of PMA Properties, in October. Sales had dropped by about 50 percent from 2010, he said.

Though Fons can’t say for sure what precipitated the theater’s final financial downfall, he believes the turbulent economy and a lackluster string of Hollywood films combined to seal the theater’s fate.

“I thought the movies were all pretty bad,” he said. “There wasn’t very many good movies last year. You’ve got to have a product that’s worth something.”

But, “it’s probably a number of things,” Fons added, indicating the addition of the King Street Trolley and last year’s temporary parking fee hike likely played a roll in deterring sales.

The trolley, a popular and free way for tourists and commuters to travel up and down Alexandria’s main drag, tends to ferry passengers from the King Street Metro station to the waterfront and skip everything in between, he said, including the 800 block cinema.

And after nine years of running the theater, Fons is “burnt out.” He never intended to open a movie theater, but unable to rent the space, he resumed the nearly century old building’s original purpose.

In retrospect, he admits it was a mistake. Financial difficulties, constant maintenance and rampant employee theft plagued his tenure as owner.

“I’m disillusioned quite a bit,” he said. “It’s like being Atlas and somebody removed the world. I’m whipped.”

Kaufman likely will rent out the theater as retail space, Fons said. Kaufman did not return calls, but the 8,500 square foot film house is listed for a five-year lease on PMA’s website. The property holding company is asking for a rent of $42.50 per square foot.

Barbara Ross, the city’s deputy director of planning and zoning, confirmed staff was working with Kaufman to determine the property’s future. There are no definite plans yet, though the parcel is zoned for retail use.

“The loss of the theater on a main street is a common occurrence in towns across the country, but it is still a very sad thing,” Ross said.

Kaufman submitted an application to restore the building’s original façade — essentially removing the box office and the overhang — before the board of architectural review. Al Cox, the city’s chief preservationist, doesn’t see any reason the board won’t approve the changes at its mid-January meeting.

In the interim, Fons plans to auction off as much of his goods as possible the weekend of January 14. Theater seats, television sets, even film projection equipment will be available to the highest bidder.

Nine years after buying the theater, Fons is washing his hands of the endeavor.

“It’s just a business, that’s all,” he said. “Everybody said, ‘But you get to watch the movies for free.’ But hell, you don’t have the time for it.”
 

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Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 01-13-2012, 10:34 PM:
 
Looks like the 4 year old Great Escapes 14 Plex at the Harrisburg Mall in Harrisburg PA will probably be closing at the end of this month. I guess thats what happens when you way overscreen a market:

Great Escapes Harrisburg 14 Closing?

Will the screens be going dark soon at Great Escape 14 in the Harrisburg Mall?

That could hinge on the outcome of a financial battle being waged between the mall’s owner and the theater operator in Dauphin County Court.

Maine-based mall owner COBA Inc. is contending that Ragains Enterprises LLC, the theater’s operator, is more than $1 million behind in its rent.

COBA is not only demanding payment of that money, but in a breach of lease complaint is asking the court to bar Ragains from carrying out an alleged threat to close the 4-year-old theater and yank out its projectors.

Although the theater, one of the midstate’s largest, was still operating as of Friday, COBA in its lawsuit has voiced fear that a closure of the 14-screen theater would cripple customer traffic at the mall in Swatara Township.

According to COBA, Ragains officials have threatened to close the theater this month if COBA refuses to modify the lease terms and forgive the rent arrearages.

COBA is so concerned about that prospect that it asked Judge Lawrence F. Clark Jr. for an injunction to bar Ragains from removing equipment, particularly its digital projection gear.

Clark didn’t grant an injunction, but he has issued an order giving both sides until Jan. 21 to start talking “for the purpose of attempting to reach an amicable resolution of this dispute.”

COBA and Ragains must give him a status report by Jan. 25.

Meanwhile, Clark has barred Ragains from closing the theater or removing equipment without first giving him and COBA written notice at least seven days in advance of such an act.

Ragains is an affiliate of Alliance Entertainment, which is based in the state of Indiana and is the 23rd-largest movie theater chain in the U.S., with about 300 theaters in several states.

Attempts to reach Chance Ragains, chief operating officer of Alliance, and Scranton attorney Eugene F. Hickey II, who is listed in court papers as representing the theater operator, for comment on the lease dispute were not successful.

The Great Escapes franchise has operated at the 43-year-old mall since November 2007. COBA claims the lease requires Ragains to show first-run movies continuously at the mall for at least 10 years.

Its original lease for the 52,600-square-foot theater was with prior mall owner Feldman Lubert Adler Harrisburg LP, which lost the property in sheriff’s sale to creditor TD Bank of Toronto, Canada, in December 2008 after defaulting on a $52.5 million mortgage. The bank sold the mall to COBA in mid-2009.

According to court filings, the original theater lease with Feldman called for Ragains to pay a minimum of $789,345 a year, or nearly $66,000 a month, plus a percentage of gross annual sales at the theater once those sales exceeded $6 million.

COBA said TD Bank modified the lease in June 2009 to give Ragains a temporary reduction. That modification pared the annual minimum rent to $250,000, or just shy of $21,000 monthly.

That reprieve expired in April 2010, COBA claims, but Ragains didn’t resume making its full rent payments. The arrearage, including late fees, now is at least $1.013 million, the mall owner contends.

COBA claims it doesn’t know how much more rent the theater operator might actually owe under the lease provision that requires additional payment based on the theater’s gross receipts.

Ragains won’t provide it with those revenue figures, COBA contends.
 

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 01-13-2012, 11:48 PM:
 
The only people who make money in a mall are the landlord and the anchor stores. That's why there is so much churn in the small businesses at a mall.
 

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Posted by Jim Pennington (Member # 4253) on 01-27-2012, 03:50 PM:
 
Is the Clarion, PA Clarion Mall Destinta Theatre closing this summer?
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 01-27-2012, 06:29 PM:
 

quote: Jonathan Goeldner

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rampant employee theft plagued his tenure as owner

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This makes me wonder: Was he around a lot? Or was he one of those owners who hires a bunch of teenagers to run the place while he spent evenings at home? If so, he deserves what he got. Otherwise, he should have gotten better employees. There are ways to keep that from becoming a huge problem, but it requires diligence (and/or some video cameras!)
 

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Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 01-28-2012, 07:50 PM:
 

quote: Jim Pennington

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Is the Clarion, PA Clarion Mall Destinta Theatre closing this summer?

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quote:

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Megaplex Theatres acquires 11 theaters in Utah, Nevada

Published: Monday, April 16 2012 7:18 p.m. MDT

SALT LAKE CITY — Larry H. Miller Megaplex Theatres announced Monday that it would acquire 11 Westates Theatres locations across Utah and one in Nevada.

The acquisition includes theaters in Logan, Cedar City, St. George and Mesquite, Nev., for a total of 71 new screens and 11,968 new seats, Megaplex Theatres said in a news release. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

"Westates thanks all of its loyal patrons, and is excited about the future expansions and upgrades that Megaplex is planning to bring to moviegoers," said Tony Rudman, president of Westates Theatres, in the news release.

The acquisition represents nearly 70 percent of Westate's theaters. It will operate five remaining theaters, including its only remaining Utah location at 1945 E. Murray-Holladay Rd. in Holladay. The other theaters are located in Idaho, Nevada and Arizona.

Megaplex said the acquisition was "part of a larger expansion program" that includes more than doubling the number of screens, from 70 to 150, in three years. Megaplex also plans to open a new location at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City, and open two new auditoriums at Jordan Commons in Sandy.

— Hunter Schwarz

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quote: Edward Havens

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The Brenden Pittsburg 16 in Pittsburg CA, the first theatre in the Brenden circuit, closed its doors after 22 years this past Sunday. Maya Cinemas is said to be reopening the building by Memorial Day.

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I saw an ad on Craigslist this morning looking to liquidate "a 16 screen in the East Bay"
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/ele/2977134657.html
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 05-06-2012, 11:20 PM:
 
The same "ad" was posted on Cinema Treasures a few days ago.

Ironically, the Brenden Pittsburg 16 only had 12 functional theatres the last few years of its life. Four of the houses had all their equipment (projectors, seats, sound systems, et al.) stripped out to furnish another theatre, with one of the empty houses becoming a game room for the employees, with foosball and ping pong tables.
 

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Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 05-07-2012, 02:37 AM:
 
Oxford Movies down but not out - yet!

Oxford Movies has been showing movies in the Oxford Town Hall since it opened in 1931, and showed movies at a predecessor hall for fifteen years before that, but the show has come to an end, for at least a while.

The Oxford Town Hall has been closed due to needing earthquake strengthening - it meets less than 30% of the current building code.

We're hoping for a new Oxford Town Hall facility with a dedicated cinema in it, with digital and the old 35mm changeovers. Hoping...



The Press: Public buildings closed by council

quote:

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Six community buildings in the Waimakariri District have been closed because of earthquake damage.

The Rangiora and Oxford town halls, the Cust Museum, the upper storey of Hansens Mall in Kaiapoi, and the Pearson Park pavilion and Jaycees room in Oxford are off-limits from today while strengthening work or structural assessments are completed.

The Oxford Town Hall will need about $2 million of earthquake strengthening to reopen on its current site.

The Rangiora Town Hall closure will affect the movie theatre above it, and the lessee is working through alternatives with the Waimakariri District Council.

Repairs to the quake-damaged Kaiapoi Wharf Shed have been deemed uneconomic, and the building will demolished early next month.

Council chief executive Jim Palmer said the decision to close the buildings was crucial for public safety, despite several community facilities in Kaiapoi already being out of action because of quake damage.

"While we recognise ... that these closures will serve to exacerbate that shortage more widely across the district, the safety of the community is paramount," he said.

Mayor David Ayers said councillors had "reluctantly supported" the closures.

Council manager of community and recreation, Craig Sargison, said the closures were part of a long-running assessment of public buildings in the district.

"We've had the initial assessments done as everyone did after the quakes, and then we've been doing more detailed seismic strengthening assessments."

No more public buildings were likely to close, he said.

"The others just need very minor works done to them, which we can do while they stay open. They don't pose any immediate threat to anyone," he said.

Yesterday's announcement was news to at least one tenant.

Cust Museum curator Bernard Kingsbury was not aware of any closure notice.

"The museum doesn't open until Sunday and we've been trying to ring him this morning [Friday]," Sargison said.

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quote:

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The Oxford and Rangiora town halls will be demolished if earthquake-strengthening bills are too high.

Both buildings have been closed since last month because of quake damage, and the Waimakariri District Council will next week consider options for repairing or replacing them.

The Oxford Town Hall needs an estimated $2 million of strengthening work, but council chief executive Jim Palmer said the cost may be too high.

"A question that's been raised around the council table is does the community want to invest that $2m into the old Oxford Town Hall or would it be better to use that to create a new building for Oxford?" he said.

Waimakariri deputy mayor and Oxford councillor Kevin Felstead is pushing for demolition of the old hall.

"Common sense says you don't spend $2m on an old building and still end up with an old building," he said.

"I think we should demolish the town hall and pavilion and build a new multi-purpose facility.

"My preference is to build it down in Pearson Park, where the pavilion is at the moment. It wold have more multi-use because it sits right on the sports field."

A private meeting of town hall users would be held on Tuesday night and a public meeting was likely to follow.

Any new building would probably have to built within the $2m quake-strengthening budget, Felstead said.

"I think we'd be hard pushed to expect them to come up with more than what they were going to have to spend anyway."

The Rangiora Town Hall is more complicated as the council has to consider longstanding plans to add a performing arts centre to the building.

Quake strengthening would cost $3.8m, but the extension would push that out to $7.5m.

A replacement town hall would cost about $5.5m and a new centre with performing arts facilities $10.5m.

Palmer said repairing and extending the existing building was the council's preference.

"The council will want to make sure that that is the best option and it will want to consider the merits of a new building and the cost implications of that."

Community views would also be considered, he said.

At its first meeting of the year next week the council is expected to approve more than $600,000 for quake strengthening 16 buildings

About $20m has been earmarked for more substantial repairs to public buildings, including the Rangiora Town Hall, the Kaiapoi Aquatic Centre and a new Kaiapoi library and museum.

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It's not just Oxford Movies that this has cobbered, Pat at Rangiora Regent is also out of action.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 05-08-2012, 08:05 PM:
 
iPic opened on May 4th, in Boca Raton at the old Mizner Park site.
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MqodJmVCh99y-Fjaj_ycptMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=directlink
 

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Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 05-21-2012, 04:11 PM:
 
The struggling historic Strand Theatre in Hamburg Pennsylvania closed last night (Sunday May 20, 2012) probably for good.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 05-22-2012, 03:57 PM:
 
Le Ciné-parc RGFM Joliette situé sur la rue Principale à Saint-Ambroise-de-Kildare a définitivement cessé ses opérations....

Here it is in the Queen's English.

The Joliette Drive-In located on Main Street in St. Ambroise de Kildare has permanently ceased its operations. The screens were removed and the land sold to a contractor, Construction Alain Lebeau Saint-Jean-de-Matha. The first 50 to 60 houses could be built beginning this fall.

The drive-in theater built in 1970 by Claude Roy was bought by the family Venne in 1989. "Less numerous than the beginnings of the popularity of drive-ins, the customer was still, year after year to visit. To continue our operations, we would have had to invest nearly one million dollars including new floodlights. However, the season of operations of a drive-in is only 18 weeks, "stressed the President of cinemas RGFM, Marcel Venne.
The spokesman Alain Lebeau, François Coulombe, reported that the project details will be revealed later this year. M. Lebeau, he said, is very active in the residential construction for 14 years, including Carrefour mill.

The transaction amount was not revealed. The municipal valuation is nearly $ 540 000 for this vast field in white zone.
"A quick calculation gives us hope that several millions of constructions will be built in the short term," said a delighted Mayor François Desrochers, during the council meeting.

St. Ambroise de Kildare is near Joliette, Quebec an hour or so from Montreal.

Source: http://www.laction.com/Actualites/Actualite-regionale/2012-01-17/article-2866691/Le-cine-parc%3A-cest-fini-!/1
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 06-22-2012, 06:05 PM:
 
AMC quitting the great white north AKA: Canada

Canada's largest movie exhibitor Cineplex is purchasing four of AMC Entertainment's eight Canadian theaters and will operate them under the Cineplex Odeon brand, it was announced this week.

Cineplex either owns or has interest in 134 theaters (1,445 screens) in Canada.

Last month, Chinese real estate giant Wanda Group, agreed to buy AMC Entertainment Holdings for $2.6 billion including debt. Wanda, based in Dalian, northeast China, owns 86 movie theatres in China, with 730 screens, while it also has interests in production and distribution.

The Cineplex deal includes one multiplex in Montreal and three in the greater Toronto area, including the AMC Yonge & Dundas (a Toronto festival venue), as well as AMC Ventures, an indirect subsidiary of the Kansas City-based AMC Entertainment.

Meanwhile, Empire Theatres, which operates 51 theaters (390 screens) across Canada, announced Wednesday it is purchasing two AMC multiplexes in the Ontario cities of Kanata and Whitby.

Both Cineplex and Empire have committed to upgrading or converting equipment in their latest theater acquisitions.

The remaining two AMC properties in Canada are in the Toronto region. (Interchange 30 and Kennedy Commons 20)

(I guess AMC could not handle the almighty powerful Cineplex).
 

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Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 06-22-2012, 07:25 PM:
 
It's ironic considering it's AMC that took over the former Cineplex locations in the US...
 

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Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 06-22-2012, 07:51 PM:
 
They took over SOME of them. Others went to Loews/Sony first, which AMC got in the takeover. Other Cineplex sites went to other chains. In the NYC area, Clearview got most of them.

I just left the AMC Yonge/Dundas about an hour ago. It was pretty packed, but they finally were able to score some decent titles, Brave and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter. Yesterday they were showing mostly Canadian content and some Bollywood movies. Such a great location, but Cineplex has such a stranglehold up here (at least in the Toronto area) that coming into the market in the first place was probably way too optimistic a move.

It'll be interesting to see what they will do with these sites. Cineplex went with Christie for digital. Wonder if they will rip out all of the AMC Sony crap.
 

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Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 06-26-2012, 03:02 PM:
 
Very sad to hear that the AMC Harvard Square in Boston will close on July 8th. This is a not-very-well kept up multi right now, but at one time this was one of the great single screen calendar/revival houses in the Eastern US. I spent many days there in the seventies when I was dating a gal from Sommerville. Every day for years, a classic double feature (the most popular being Harold and Maude paired with King of Hearts, they must have showed it once or twice a month). Great rock 'n roll movies, also, the first place that I saw The Song Remains the Same, Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii, The Harder They Come (which also played the nearby Orson Wells, another great cinema), so many others. Great movie going memories. It was also the 30+ year Boston home of Rocky Horror after it moved over from the Exeter.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 07-12-2012, 05:27 PM:
 
As of the 13th, the AMC Forum 22 and three in Toronto are now Cineplexes.
http://go.amctheatres.com/canadian-theatres
This leaves AMC with only two cinemas left in Canada.

The Français link is still working though. http://go.amctheatres.com/forum-22
 

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Posted by James Ness (Member # 4631) on 07-12-2012, 06:25 PM:
 
The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema West Oaks in Houston just closed on June 24th. I have been working there for the past 5 years, sad to see it go. The West Oaks Mall decided to build a big Edwards theater right next door to us and buy us out of our lease, oh well! We have 2 new locations opening in Houston in 2013 in wayyyyy nicer parts of town.

Here's a little video i made to commemorate the last day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkKJKM4URzs
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 07-14-2012, 08:56 PM:
 
Nice video, James.
 

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Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 07-14-2012, 10:29 PM:
 
I lived nearby that theater and when I saw the signage saying that Edwards was coming in, I was pretty certain that the Drafthouse was going down.
 

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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 07-17-2012, 09:44 AM:
 
Yes, James, very well done piece, especially for a first attempt at video. Very sad to see the doors close on such a unique and evidently much loved by both the community and the staff.

They just tore down one wing of our complex, demolishing two very sweet theatres -- a 500 seat house, the George Gershwin Theatre, and a beautiful, intimate stadium 150 seating house, the Sam Levenson Recital Hall. I knew I would feel sad about it, of course; I worked both of them for most of my career and I expected that, but I was quite surprised at how really depressing it was looking at the heavy equipement chewing it down wall by wall, floor by floor. Now I look out the window in the trailer where they housed the staff and see this big gaping hole in the ground where the theatres and our office complex used to be and it is a shock to the brain. I look for any remnants of something I might recognize as part of the theatres or the booths...a piece of colored wall perhaps or a door or something, but there is nothing. It's as if it was never there. Actually, it's a lot more traumatic that I thought it would be. actually.
 

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Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 07-30-2012, 12:12 PM:
 
Couple from Monatana opening up in St. Joseph, MO. Mike Blakesly, do you know these people?

http://www.newspressnow.com/news/local_news/article_9b9502cf-aae7-59cb-aee4-8805df3ef320.html

Drive-in theater to open soon

Riley and Vickie Cooke, owners of Cooke Brothers Drive-In, said they hope St. Joseph will embrace outdoor movies again. The new theater is set to open by the end of the week.

Riley and Vickie Cooke are nearing completion of a two-year project near and dear to their hearts.

The Cooke Brothers Drive-In should be open by the end of the week. The drive-in theater, 4814 S. U.S. Highway 169, is in the final stages and waiting on last-minute permits before opening.
The Cookes purchased the property two years ago after Mr. Cooke’s brother died.

“It’s always been my family’s property,” Mr. Cooke said. “Since the 1940s, we’ve had a presence in St. Joseph.”

For years, the site was home to the family’s implement store, Cooke’s Sales and Service.

The new theater will be similar to the couple’s drive-in theater in Montana. There will be two screens, with a double feature on each screen.

“We’re a movie theater, so we show new movies,” Mr. Cooke said.
Yet the drive-in theater won’t be able to list which movies are playing weeks in advance. Ms. Cooke contacts Hollywood companies such as Pixar and Lionsgate on Mondays for that coming Friday.

They don’t use a standard booking system.

Cooke’s won’t have two blockbuster hits in the double feature. One will be a blockbuster and one will be about two weeks old — but never more than six. It just isn’t feasible to have two major pictures back to back, Mr. Cooke said.

The Cookes have started to fight for film now that most theaters have gone digital. “I’ll have to go digital sometime soon,” Mr. Cooke said.

It’s a major investment, but one the Cookes are willing to do since they said they are in St. Joseph for the long haul.
“We know how to do this,” he said. “We’re not rookies.”
The couple operates a successful drive-in theater and a three-screen indoor theater near Billings, Mont. They built both from the ground up.

“We’ve been in the entertainment industry for years,” Ms. Cooke said.

The pair spent 17 years in the carnival business.

“I’m a ride man,” Mr. Cooke said. “I hauled around big scrap metal and set it up.”

Toward the end of that career, the Cookes had their own complete traveling carnival. They left to start their family, and have two daughters, one of whom will operate the St. Joseph theater while she goes to college.

The drive-in will be a family-friendly atmosphere that is easy on the pocketbook.

“For a $20 bill, you can have fun, don’t have to get a sitter and can get cheap treats,” Mr. Cooke said.

Patrons listen to the movie via their own FM radio and can control their own volume.

Besides the movies, there’s the food and the rides. In Montana, the Cookes' drive-in theater has a roller coaster. While the St. Joseph location isn’t quite ready for the extreme rides, there is a child-sized Ferris wheel and another roller ride.

The new drive-in has a full lounge area, as well as a kitchen offering treats ranging from pickles, popcorn and candy to soda and pizza. Large pizzas can be ordered and delivered to the car during the movie.

For now, the theater will be open every day of the week. After Labor Day, it will be open Fridays and Saturdays, with a possible Sunday special. The gates will open at 8 p.m., and the movies will begin as soon as it gets dark.

Back home near Billings, the Cookes have a core group of kids who have worked at their theaters for years. They’re hoping for that same relationship in St. Joseph.

Jennifer Hall can be reached
at jennhall@newspressnow.com.
 

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Posted by Ron Funderburg (Member # 4561) on 07-30-2012, 12:17 PM:
 
I wish them the best of luck in this venture!
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 07-30-2012, 03:40 PM:
 
As do I, however, it's pretty 'out of the way' and I doubt it'll do to well.

I'll be sure to check it out!
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-02-2012, 11:42 AM:
 

quote: Mike Frese

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Mike Blakesly, do you know these people?

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quote: Mike Blakesley

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The only bad thing I ever heard about them was that they were notorious for not returning prints in a timely manner.

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quote:

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Toronto's last porn theatre goes back to its roots
CBC News
Posted: Aug 15, 2012 11:33 PM ET
Last Updated: Aug 16, 2012 5:00 AM ET


Toronto's last adult entertainment theatre will soon reach back to its roots as an independent cinema, as two entrepreneurs try to give the Metro Theatre a new lease on life.

"I hope this will become the independent art house cinema in the west of Toronto," said Jonathan Hlibka, who along with business partner Nadia Sandhu hopes to revitalize the 1930s-era theatre.

When Toronto's appetite for porn in public gave way to VCRs, the theatre began its long decline. Most of the posters of scantily clad bodies lining the entrance of the theatre are faded, the marquee is missing a few light bulbs and there are no film titles displayed.

The Metro, as it's known, has been on the real estate market for a decade, and is listed at $3.8 million.

'We're coming up with a really detailed sterilization process.'— Nadia Sandhu

Hlibka and Sandhu see potential there and plan to show indie, art house and foreign films four nights a week, while the theatre will continue to show adult films in the afternoon. The pair will also hold events and parties to bring the community together.

Hlibka had been in talks for about a year with the theatre's owner, Karim Hirji, who came from Tanzania in the 1970s and bought the cinema with his father.

The theatre will open to non-adult films around Aug. 24 with the Irish film Snap. The grand reopening will happen sometime in September.
Metro always outside the mainstream

Ryerson University professor Paul Moore, who has studied the history of movie theatres, thinks the idea might work. The Metro, he notes, was never a mainstream theatre but was instead independent at its opening in 1939, showing a "scandalous" B-movie called, Delinquent Parents: The Unforgettable Drama of Modern Youth and Selfish Parents.

Though he says it won't be a theatre that will appeal to families or children, it will fulfil a niche in Toronto by having foreign films downtown.

"It's going to be for hipster, university students and esthetes that are interested in global cinema and adults and downtown cosmopolitan types that are interested in cinema," he said. "And I don't think that a downtown hipster kind of person is going to be that worried about this being a pornographic cinema in the afternoon."

The market for pornography in movie theatres was gutted when the VCR came along in the early 1980s. Adult theatres have also suffered for the same reasons independent cinemas have — competition from the Hollywood blockbuster, the mega-plex, and the internet.

"The ones that are left are serving an art house clientele or a very niche neighbourhood community-centre kind of model," he said.
Seats will be re-covered

Adult films will continue to be shown at The Metro during the day, and cleaning up the grime-covered theatre will take work and the entrepreneurs' own money.

The carpet will be ripped out and the seats re-covered, and there will be daily cleanings after the adult films let out.

"We're coming up with a really detailed sterilization process," Sandhu said.

However, the blood-red walls, gilded accents and crystal chandeliers will stay, as will the hand-painted Mary Poppins and Charlie Chaplin portraits — a counterpoint to posters of the porn industry's biggest stars, including one signed by Ron Jeremy.

Hlibka and Sandhu revived an old theatre in Toronto's east end last year and have faith in their plans for this one.

"It's the most diverse city in North America. We should have a place where we can come and share each other's stories on film," Hlibka said.

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quote:

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Stunning Movie Theater Turned Bookstore
106

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about a fantastic church-turned bookstore in The Netherlands, and I loved that project so much that I started looking around for other bookstores that used to be something else.

The jewel of my findings so far is the El Ateneo in Buenos Aires. This gorgeous 1919 movie palace, complete with original frescoes and sculpted exterior carytids, was transformed into a drop-dead stunning bookstore in 2000. Working for the Brazilian publisher and bookstore chain El Ateneo, architect Fernando Manzone kept as much of the original theater as possible, including a cafe on the stage area, box seats that serve as reading nooks, and swirling, browsable balconies.

It is one of the busiest bookstores in the world: it has more than a million visitors annually and sells more than 700,000 books a year.

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Posted by Bob Cunningham (Member # 784) on 09-09-2012, 10:38 AM:
 
New theater in The Villages Florida. At Paddock Square of Brownwood in The Villages. Building of new theater Barnstorm.
Link
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wildwood-Florida/104025806301673#!/BarnstormTheater
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 09-16-2012, 09:17 PM:
 
The Cottage View Drive-in, Cottage Grove, MN, will close at the end of the season. They're having an 'official' farewell party Thursday Sept 27.

I did a photo feature of the Cottage View on my old drive-in theatre guide back in the 90's. Need to dig up those pics and scan them for Adam.

Farewell to Cottage View

quote: St Paul Pioneer Press

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A goodbye party for the metro area's second-to-last drive-in theater has been set for Sept. 27.

The owners of the Cottage View Drive-In Theater will host a free party and movie to commemorate 46 years in business. The drive-in is expected to be torn down and replaced by a Walmart.

The featured movie for the party is going to be a sing-along version of "Grease," according to Steve Mann, president of Mann Theatres, Inc., which operates the drive-in.

The doors will open at 6 p.m., and the movie will start at dusk.

Danette Parr, Cottage Grove's economic development director, said the first 100 people at the party would get a free DVD about the theater's history, and everyone would get a brochure on the same topic.

The Cottage Grove City Council approved the Walmart at a meeting Sept. 5. Groundbreaking is expected to be next spring, with the store opening 2014.

Theater operator Mann said the drive-in will be open during weekends until mid-October. When it closes, the only drive-in theater in the metro area will be the Vali-Hi Theater in Lake Elmo.

The Cottage View Drive-in is at U.S. 61 and Keats Avenue.

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 09-20-2012, 10:55 AM:
 
Lumiere Theatre, Indie Showcase, Closing.
Link To Story

The Lumiere Theatre, a central venue for independent film in San Francisco, will close Sunday evening.

Landmark Theatres, the Los Angeles chain that has operated the Lumiere since 1991, has lost its lease and could not come to terms with the landlord, according to Steve Indig, senior regional publicist for Landmark.

Located on the California Street cable car line at Polk Street, the Lumiere is broken into screening rooms of between 100 and 250 seats and earned the nickname "the Gloomier," for both its interior ambience and the type of film it showcased.

One of the first movies shown under the Landmark ownership, "My Own Private Idaho" (1991), set the tone, with the late River Phoenix as a street hustler. With no parking and not much of a lobby, the Lumiere's relevance was undercut when Landmark opened the Embarcadero Center Cinema in 1995. Like the Lumiere, the Embarcadero Center shows independent offerings, but it also offers free parking and has five screens. The Embarcadero seats were plush compared to the seats at the Lumiere, which felt like they'd been remaindered from retired commercial jets.

But the crumbly old house hung in there and was still thriving in 1996, the peak year of the indies. "Palookaville," "Leaving Las Vegas" and "Basquiat" all opened at the Lumiere that year.

The last Lumiere booking to really get legs on was the unintentionally funny documentary, "American Movie" (1999), about a Packers fan in Green Bay, Wis., trying to make a horror movie on the cheap, with a lovable cast of stoned losers.

In its later years the fare got even darker, with documentaries such as "American Mullet" (2001) and "Jesus Camp (2006)." But the seats were upgraded within the past 10 years, and the popcorn was always fresh.

It has been a movie theater since 1967, and now the last picture show at the Lumiere will be "The Intouchables" at 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Its closure will leave the Embarcadero, Bridge, Clay and Opera Plaza Cinemas as San Francisco houses operated by Landmark.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 09-20-2012, 05:34 PM:
 
New Guzzo cinema in Ste-Thérèse (Montreal) as well as three more IMAX screens.

MONTREAL — West Island cinemagoers, look big and look sharp: Quebec’s biggest IMAX theatre is coming in December to Dollard-des-Ormeaux.

The theatre will seat more than 600 people and will replace two regular screens out of the 10 now open at Les Cinémas Guzzo’s multiplex on Sources Blvd.

It’s one of two IMAX theatres Guzzo is adding this winter to the five it already operates in and around Montreal.

And there’s another one coming by the end of 2013.

“It’ll be a total gut-out,” Vincenzo Guzzo, executive vice-president of the Terrebonne-based cinema chain, said of the renovations at the Sources Blvd. multiplex for the new theatre.

“This will be the first time the West Island will have an IMAX — it’s never been done before,” he told The Gazette. “And it’s going to be Quebec’s largest IMAX screen — in excess of 600 seats.”

Why choose the West Island?

“Because we feel that the English market on the West Island is a premium market for people going to see those kind of movies,” many of which are Hollywood blockbusters, he replied.

The expansion was announced early Wednesday morning by IMAX Corp.’s investment arm in New York City.

The first new theatre will open in November at the Mega-Plex Taschereau 18 in Brossard, which now has one IMAX screen; it will have about 275 seats. “We’ll be able to show movies in French and English without having to split showtimes,” as is done now with the single screen, Guzzo said.(2nd venue in the world to have more than one IMAX screen)

The second will open in December at Cinéma des Sources 10 in Dollard. The third, with 450 to 500 seats, will be in a new megaplex Guzzo will start building next spring in Ste-Thérèse for opening around Christmas (2013).

IMAX has 663 theatres in 52 countries, including 37 in Canada that are operating or contracted to open. Guzzo operates five of them: two at Marché Central in north-end Montreal (the second opened in July); one on Taschereau Blvd. in Greenfield Park, one in Pont-Viau, Laval; and the other at the Taschereau Blvd. multiplex in Brossard.

Les Cinémas Guzzo is a family-owned business founded by Vincenzo’s Italian-immigrant father, Angelo, in 1974. The chain has 142 screens at eight megaplexes and two cinemas in the Montreal area.

IMAX is headquartered in New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, with offices in London, Tokyo, Shanghai and Beijing.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 09-27-2012, 05:59 PM:
 
El Paso TX: Carmike & BigD 13
NEWS BITES US MARKETS

[News Story] EL PASO, Texas & COLUMBUS, Ga. Carmike Cinemas, Inc. (NASDAQ: CKEC), a leading DIGITAL cinema and 3D motion picture exhibitor, today announced that construction will begin shortly on a new Carmike Cinemas entertainment complex in El Paso, TX. The Carmike 13 will be an anchor tenant of a 230 acre multi-use planned development to be constructed at the northeast corner of Montana Avenue (US 62) and Loop 375 in one of El Paso's fastest growing areas. The planned development is located directly across the street from a new Lowe's Home Improvement Center and a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Jay Anthony, Principal of Dallas, TX-based Anthony Properties, developers of the project, stated, "New construction at Fort Bliss, proximity to the planned Army Medical Campus and the future El Paso Community College Campus make this a prime site that will attract additional top-tier retail, restaurant and commercial tenants to the area."

The new theatre will feature 13 screens with total seating for over 2,800 guests and will be highlighted by a state-of-the-art "BIGD" auditorium, Carmike's acclaimed premium theatre environment. The new facility will be equipped with auditoriums featuring stadium style seating, with comfortable high back rocking luxury seats, in addition to retractable armrests and convenient cup holders. The Carmike 13 will also contain large, wall-to-wall screens, as well as DLP DIGITAL projection and DIGITAL sound. The new theatre will have an upscale lobby and multiple concession areas featuring Coca Cola Freestyle drink centers. One-stop ticketing and concessions stations are a unique design feature of the Carmike 13. Filmgoers can escape the elements, purchase their tickets and favorite concessions and quickly move into their comfortable seats. The new complex will also feature special services for the visual and hearing impaired.

Notes Carmike President and CEO David Passman: "We're providing the ultimate entertainment experience that centerpieces large format DIGITAL with bigger screens, bigger sound, and luxurious theatre seating for cutting-edge presentation and the definitive enjoyment of our audiences. With the opening of the new location, the El Paso area joins a select and growing list of communities across the nation offering Carmike theatregoers the exciting new "BIGD" format. The "BIGD" auditorium will seat nearly 600 guests in luxurious comfort.

Expected to draw area movie-goers from across the region to the "BIGD" Experience will be its totally enhanced theatre amenities, including a wall-to-wall screen measuring over 81 feet wide and three stories tall, enhanced by the latest in 7.1 surround sound and DIGITAL projection of both 2D and 3D features. In technical terms, Carmike's "BIGD" DIGITAL Experience is powered by a cutting-edge Christie Brilliant 3D flash projector. The end result is a light output of 30,000 lumens, creating a picture quality with noticeably higher resolution than HD.

The "BIGD" environment will be further embellished by the comfort of plush leather high-back rocking seats placed for optimal viewing in a stadium-seating configuration. - in either 3-D or 2-D DIGITAL - Carmike has the full capability to provide our audiences with the technology and total luxury that brings theatergoing to a new level."

"The success of 3-D releases for features like 'Avatar,' 'Marvel's The Avengers,' 'Transformers Dark of the Moon,' 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' and the record-breaking re-launch of 'The Lion King in 3-D,' proves that audiences are excited about and enjoy a premium DIGITAL experience, and are demanding it," said Mr. Passman. "These successes will no doubt persuade producers to release more movies in this format, so moviegoers can truly enjoy our "BIGD" experience."

"We have developed more than 40 theatres for Carmike Cinemas over the past 25 years and are very pleased to add this outstanding location to the growing portfolio," added Mr. Anthony. "The El Paso market offers strong demographics, a diverse economy and a pro-growth business environment."

Plans for Carmike's "BIGD" Experience includes more locations in 2012-13 such as Cleveland, TN, Sandestin, FL, Jacksonville, NC, Winchester, VA, and Decatur, AL. "Whether it is a movie, concert, sporting event, motivational speaker or church service, Carmike guests will find "BIGD" placing them at the heart of the event," notes Terrell Mayton, Carmike's Director of Marketing.
 

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Posted by Michael Marini (Member # 3490) on 10-05-2012, 11:11 AM:
 
Posted on Mon, Sep. 24, 2012 11:07 PM

ShareEmailPrint
Dickinson Theatres files for bankruptcy reorganization
Overland Park-based Dickinson Theatres Inc. files for bankruptcy reorganization.
BY JOYCE SMITH AND STEVE ROSEN
The Kansas City Star

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Dickinson Theatres Inc., a 92-year-old movie theater chain based in Overland Park, has filed for bankruptcy reorganization after being battered by the soft economy, intense competition in the industry and a dearth of blockbuster hits this summer.

Dickinson has 210 screens in 18 theater complexes in seven states, including theaters in Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit, the Northland, Olathe, Overland Park and Shawnee.

The landlord for Dickinson’s Blue Spring 8 complex is negotiating with another movie theater operator to take over those screens.

Two theaters in other markets — one in Kansas and one in Oklahoma — will close in about 30 days, although the company would not confirm specific locations.

However, the company’s remaining theaters will remain open during the court proceedings.

“We had some bad leases, bad contracts, and at the end of the day this will make us a stronger company,” Ron Horton, who purchased Dickinson Theatres in January, said Monday. “This is still a viable company.”

Horton, a minority shareholder and former executive vice president of film buying and marketing for Dickinson, purchased the company from John Hartley. Dickinson has about 700 employees systemwide.

Paul Hoffmann, attorney for Dickinson and a partner at Stinson Morrison Hecker LP, called the bankruptcy filing Friday in federal court in Kansas City, Kan., “an unfortunate but necessary step driven by the economy in general, and by what’s going on in the movie industry specifically.”

The industry continues to convert from film to digital projection “and there’s a cost” for all the upgrades and theater renovations, Hoffmann said.

In addition, attendance was down during the summer movie season. As a result, Hoffmann said, the company is short of cash to get it through the upcoming holiday season.

The plan calls for paying all of Dickinson’s creditors in full in five years. The company hopes its reorganization plan will be confirmed by Thanksgiving, Hoffmann said.

The movie theater chain listed $13.4 million in liabilities and $21.1 million in assets, according to Hoffmann.

“We’re asking for time, we’re not asking for forgiveness,” he said.

Movie theaters are competing for business with an ever-growing number of forces, including cable and video on demand, services such as Netflix, the Internet and video kiosks like Redbox.

To attract moviegoers and beef up revenues, theater companies have expanded concession offerings including adding alcoholic products, and remodeled older venues by putting in cushy loungers and other amenities. Theater operators also have tried to boost revenue by adding more advertising before shows.

Keeping up with digital technologies can be expensive but allows for special event programming such as live operas and sports events.

Dickinson traces its roots to 1920, when Glen W. Dickinson Sr. quit the family’s Ford dealership (which specialized in tractors) and purchased a somewhat more glamorous enterprise, a two-screen theater in Manhattan, Kan.

Dickinson’s first theater took off in the growing college community and he soon added a second location in another college town, Lawrence. By 1931, the company had grown to 26 theaters.

In 1946 it opened its first drive-in theater and two decades later its flagship Glenwood Theatre at 91st Street and Metcalf Avenue. The Glenwood was regarded as Kansas City’s premier movie house for nearly 40 years before it closed in 2000 and was later demolished to make way for new commercial development.

In 1980 Dickinson bought 25 screens from the Mann Theatres chain, giving it 71 screens in four states.

The company also has been an innovator over the years in theater sound and production systems.

Dickinson first filed for bankruptcy reorganization in late 2000 after unsuccessfully attempting to renegotiate some expensive leases on theaters that were losing money. The family-owned business also was sold that year to three top managers.

To reach Joyce Smith, call 816-234-4692 or send email to jsmith@kcstar.com. To reach Steve Rosen, call 816-234-4879 or send email to srosen@kcstar.com.

Posted on Mon, Sep. 24,

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/09/24/3832305/dickinson-theatres-files-for-bankruptcy.html#storylink=cpy
 

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 10-05-2012, 09:34 PM:
 

quote: Michael Marini

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KC man gets 30 years for murder of male prostitute posing as a woman

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WoW!
I didn't know you could get 30 years for dressing as a woman
and killing a male prostitute. Oh...wait a minute- - never mind.
 

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Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 10-13-2012, 03:00 PM:
 
Really big show: Opening nears for 16-screen multiplex, Imax
The theater will open Oct. 26
Posted: October 11, 2012 - 11:06pm | Updated: October 12, 2012 - 12:30am

By William Kerns
A-J ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Premiere Cinema will hold the public opening of its 16-screen movie multiplex — complete with bells, whistles, restaurant, lounge and an Imax screen more than 39 feet tall — on Oct. 26 on the west side of South Plains Mall.

Tickets already are on sale at its website, pccmovies.com, for the Nov. 9 premiere of the James Bond adventure “Skyfall” on the Imax screen and Nov. 16 opening of the concluding “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2.”

However, do not expect all of the big (or small) movies to open at Premiere, said co-owner Gary Moore.

According to Moore, competing theater chain Cinemark Inc. has asked studios to “clear” Premiere, meaning withhold movies from Premiere because Cinemark feels the new multiplex was built too close to Movies 16.

Moore explained that the Tinseltown 17 multiplex can open most films “because it is far enough away, down on 82nd Street.”

Those films awarded by the studios to Movies 16 probably will not be allowed to open at the same time at Premiere Cinema. And when studios approve openings at Premiere, the same films will not open at Movies 16, but can open at Tinseltown.

Having the only Imax screen in Lubbock may help Premiere after a studio pays the high cost of having a film formatted for Imax screenings, such as “Skyfall” and the December opening of “The Hobbit.”

Both of those films are expected to open at Premiere in Imax and Tinseltown.

With 420 seats, Premiere’s Imax ranks among Texas’ largest Imax theaters.

Moore calls interest in the new, multi-level Premiere Cinema in Lubbock “unprecedented,” adding, “No fewer than four studio executives already have confirmed plans to fly to Lubbock for our (Oct. 25 invitational) grand opening.

“They want to see it for themselves after reading and hearing so much about it.”

Premiere manager Rudy Leal said the only Oct. 26 openings confirmed thus far are “Arbitrage” (Richard Gere as a failing hedge-fund tycoon), “Chasing Mavericks,” “Silent Hill 3-D,” “Funsize” and “Sleepwalk with Me.”

“The Dark Knight Rises” will be the Imax attraction until “Skyfall” arrives.

Evening ticket prices for adults will be $9 in most theaters, $15 for Imax attractions and $17 if using the D-Box, which will be installed in one auditorium. The D-Box allows a viewer to feel motions seen on screen.
 

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Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 10-18-2012, 06:43 PM:
 
I've been too busy until now but the newest theatre near me open up is the Magic Valley Cinema 13 in Twin Falls, ID. I managed to come out of retirement and take on the GM position! It is all state of the art (sans film though) and has been quite a learning experience for this 44+ veteran of the film era! We're all digital, BARCO with GDC LMS and servers, full digital lobby, box office and theatre signage (Jackroe) and of course RTS running all the POS. Built & operated by an old friend, Dave Corkill from Cinemawest in N. California. Once a customer of mine for 20+ years, now my employer! This is his first venture outside of California. Over 1700 full rocking seats, beer & wine bar, private party room, screens from 25ft wide to 55ft wide, all stadium and we run sports games weekly on the 55ft sheet in HD! Boy what a picture!! And we have HI and closed captioning in all auditoriums! We opened May 25th just in time for the busiest movie weekend of the year! And, obviously, we have taken a toll on the competition...I'm loving the biz again! I knew I wouldn't be away for too long!! check it out at cinemawest.com
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-04-2012, 01:24 AM:
 
The Laurel Movie Haus in Laurel MT closed last week. The theater was a triplex built in an ex-grocery store. They were running an impossible schedule: old movies (some REALLY old) and apparently only open on Friday Saturday and Tuesday (?). No reason is given on their website for the closing.
 

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 11-04-2012, 06:46 PM:
 
What sort of old titles were they running. Were they on film or DVD?
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-04-2012, 08:54 PM:
 
On film, I'm sure. I don't know if they were doing old movies all the time, but we were through that town in September and they were showing flop movies about six weeks after the break on two screens, and an ancient John Wayne movie on the 3rd screen. I'm sure there was some person or people in town who said, "If you show some of those old John Wayne westerns you would pack the place!" so it could have been a one-time thing.

The town has about 7000 people in the city limits and about 120,000 in the county so it's hard to say what went wrong, but having 24 Carmike digital screens within 15 miles didn't help I'm sure.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 11-08-2012, 05:32 PM:
 
Austin TX:
Galaxy Moviehouse and Eatery opened on November 9th.
http://themoviehouse.com/
It features an 3-story DFX screen.
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 11-11-2012, 09:51 AM:
 
Megaplex at Jordan Commons, Sandy, UT, is officially now a 20-plex, with the recent addition of a small "directors screen" premium room (the Groove VIP Lounge) and this week's opening of two full-size auditoriums in the space where the Mayan restaurant was.

Megaplex also soft-opened their new multiplex at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley, or at least a couple of auditoriums for "Skyfall". Showtimes information on their website indicate at least one of the auditoriums features Dolby Atmos sound.

Between new construction and this year's acquisition of several Westates properties, Megaplex now has 182 screens if I did my math correctly.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 11-19-2012, 01:28 AM:
 
Mount Pearl (St. John's) Newfoundland
Empire & Extra 8 for 2013
http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/911421/empire-theatres-to-build-new-state-of-the-art-theatre-complex-in-st-john-s-nl

HALIFAX, Jan. 26, 2012 /CNW/ - Empire Theatres, Canada's 2nd largest movie exhibition company announced today that it will open a new 8-screen theatre complex in St. John's, Newfoundland.

Construction on the land will begin in 2012 with the theatre complex opening in 2013. The new Empire Theatre will be located in Field Power Centre on Torbay Road, another project led by KNK Capital Group of Canada.

"We're extremely pleased to be able to bring a third facility to the St. John's area that will complement our Theatres located in the Avalon Mall and Mount Pearl. We enjoy a strong base of loyal and committed moviegoers in St. John's and are thrilled to announce this exciting new Theatre project on our land," says Dean Leland, Vice President of Media and Studio Relations.

The new Empire Theatre will blend entertainment with technology in a contemporary and unique design. All eight auditoriums will feature curved screens for that perfect picture; Dolby Digital Surround Sound for optimum sound; stadium-style seating for unobstructed viewing; and comfortable, wide, rocker-style seats with lots of leg room. Each auditorium will have 100% integrated DLP Digital Cinema Projection providing crystal clear images, as well as RealD 3D capability.

The theatre will also include an expansive main lobby, a lounge area with leather seating, automated box offices, an expanded refreshments area and rooms that will be used for community and corporate use.

In addition, the new Theatre will feature Empire Theatres' very own "Empire Extra" in one auditorium. Empire Extra provides guests with a heightened sensory experience in a special auditorium designed to offer dynamic sound, screen and seat quality. Empire Extra boasts a custom-designed multi-channel sound system for the ultimate audio experience; stunning digital presentation on a massive, wrap-around screen, and comfy, high back rockers. Along with the heightened sensory experience, Empire Extra offers St. John's moviegoers a new level of convenience; the ability to reserve their seats.

"We are excited to welcome Empire Theatres to Field Power Centre. Their state-of-the-art theatre complex will only enhance the Centre's positioning in the St. John's market," says Kevin King, President of KMK Capital Inc. "Leading tenants such as Empire Theatres contribute favorably to the tenant mix and will aid in our efforts to attract additional quality retailers to Field Power Centre."

About Empire Theatres Limited:
Empire Theatres Limited is a Canada-wide movie exhibition company providing an exciting out-of-home entertainment experience including traditional movie exhibition as well as other content using its digital and satellite capabilities.

Empire Theatres Limited is a 100% owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited that owns and operates 50 theatres across Canada with 383 screens, including four IMAX auditoriums and five Empire Extra auditoriums.

Empire Theatres Limited' corporate headquarters are located in Stellarton, NS, with regional offices in Halifax, NS; Toronto, ON; and Calgary, AB. With approximately 2,500 employees, Empire Theatres provides excellent employment opportunities for the youth of Canada in an exciting and energetic industry.

Image with caption: "A rendition of the exterior design of the new Empire Theatres St. John's theatre complex. (CNW Group/EMPIRE THEATRES LIMITED)".
 

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Posted by Evans A Criswell (Member # 381) on 11-30-2012, 02:00 PM:
 
In Decatur, AL, Carmike has been constructing a new 12-plex at Decatur Mall (formerly Beltline Mall, River Oaks Mall, Colonial Mall) in the old Rogers / Castner-Knott Men and Children / Dillard's Men and Children store location. It appears that they may have torn down the old structure to build it. There is the Regal River Oaks Cinema 8 behind the mall that's been there since 1991 and the old Fairlane/Litchfield-built Carmike Century Cinema 8 that opened in 1982 and was added onto by Carmike in 1992. According to one source, the Carmike Century Cinema 8 (old Litchfield) on 14th Street will close when the new one opens. It will be interesting to see what happens with the new Carmike 12 and the older non-stadium Regal River Oaks 8 a few hundred feet from each other. If they have the same agreement that each theatre gets half of the new movies, Regal might be able to stay the way they are. Carmike is now looking at a January or February 2013 opening rather than a fall 2012 as indicated earlier.
 

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Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 12-19-2012, 07:20 PM:
 
Landmark Theatres reports that their San Francisco Bridge theatre will close at the end of the bisness day 12/27. There was also an article in the SF Examiner.

Will the theatre really close, or is Landmark playing the "rel estate" game with the landlord. Anyone with inside informaton?

Mike
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-19-2012, 11:16 PM:
 
The Laurel Movie Haus tri-plex I reported as closing, on the previous page, is going to reopen in February. It has been sold to two partners who are going to install digital equipment.

They have a Facebook page which contains some outlandish claims, such as this gem:

quote:

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Did you know that Laurel Movie Haus will have to pay the film studios between 80% and 95% of the box office receipts to show a newly released movie? This is why so many independent theatres wait for two weeks after a new release comes out to show the movie. Then, the studio's cut drops to between 65% and 80%.

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quote: Evans A Criswell

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According to one source, the Carmike Century Cinema 8 (old Litchfield) on 14th Street will close when the new one opens. It will be interesting to see what happens with the new Carmike 12 and the older non-stadium Regal River Oaks 8 a few hundred feet from each other. If they have the same agreement that each theatre gets half of the new movies, Regal might be able to stay the way they are.

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quote:

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GRAND OPENING - TIMES CINEMA!

THE LONG AWAITED GRAND OPENING OF THE TIMES CINEMA
5906 W. Vliet St. Milwaukee
Friday December 28th! - Festivities start at 6PM

YOU are the STAR!!!!
From 6 - 7 pm as you walk the red carpet you'll be hounded by Paparazzi from Hush Hush Magazine, The New York Tattler and the Hollywood Journal-Star. Meet and greet our starlet Marylin Monrovia - snap some pics at the celebrity wall and settle in for our first run feature showing of DJANGO UNCHAINED at 7:30pm.

Haven't been to the Times? Look to the skies - we'll have searchlights!

(Note: Django is rated R for Violence and adult content. Under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.)

For updates and ticket availability, see our Facebook: facebook.com/RosebudTimesTheaters
Or search for Rosebud&Times Theaters from your Facebook homepage.

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quote: Mike Blakesley

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without having to lie to people

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quote:

---

The Laurel Movie Haus tri-plex I reported as closing, on the previous page, is going to reopen in February. It has been sold to two partners who are going to install digital equipment.

They have a Facebook page which contains some outlandish claims, such as this gem:

quote:
Did you know that Laurel Movie Haus will have to pay the film studios between 80% and 95% of the box office receipts to show a newly released movie? This is why so many independent theatres wait for two weeks after a new release comes out to show the movie. Then, the studio's cut drops to between 65% and 80%.
I hate this kind of crap. Our costs of doing business are plenty high to talk about without having to lie to people.

Anyway I'm glad they are reopening. Anything that takes a few ticket sales out of the Billings Carmikes and puts them into the hands of a local indie is OK by me.

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quote: Robert E. Allen

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Hey Mike: Back in '06 when I was managing a single-screen .99 cent house in NE Iowa if I grossed more than $1,000 in a week Disney charged me 90%. It was an agreement entered into by the previous manager. I played films four weeks after the break.

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quote:

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The upcoming closure of the Imax theatre in downtown Winnipeg has some suggesting that a perception of the city core as being unsafe may be a factor.

The Forks North Portage Partnership, which owns the 25-year-old cinema on the third floor of the Portage Place Shopping Centre, says it will shut down the venue on March 31.

Officials say the theatre, which has been showing films on the extra-large Imax screen since 1987, has been losing money and viewers in recent years.

The closure of the Imax theatre will mean Portage Place will lose one of its largest tenants.

On the streets outside the mall on Tuesday, some Winnipeggers told CBC News they avoid downtown — including the area around Portage Place — at night because they don't feel safe there.

"Safety is always a concern, and so part of what we're … lobbying for and advocating for is we need to see [a] continued police presence," said Stefano Grande of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ.

"We have 18 new foot patrols downtown; the objective is to get to 50."

Click on the video player above to watch Aadel Haleem's full report.

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Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 01-12-2013, 05:46 PM:
 
The Retro Dome (formerly Century 25) in San Jose, CA ceasing operations: http://theretrodome.livejournal.com/5929.html

The word is the lease wasn't renewed because the dome is planned for demolition to build more retail on that corner. The group operating the Retro Dome was primarily operating the building as a live theater with special (digital) retro screenings. I don't think the building has run film for at least 6 or more years.
 

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Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 01-22-2013, 09:54 PM:
 
Madcap Theaters in the building that formerly hosted Harkins Centerpoint 11, closed down sometime last year. I helped to clean the building and sell the remaining equipment and they exited the building this past year. We mainly showed retro cult movies there with the occasional sneak preview screening. Fun times were had, but it was such an awkward building (2 levels, with an unutilized first level) and the costs of running it were just too much.
 

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Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-22-2013, 10:19 PM:
 
The AMC Chestnut Hill Cinema in Chestnut Hill, MA. closed on 1/17. This was a funky 5-screen house that was the home office location for General Cinema for many years. There are pictures in the gallery of the booth, although I am told that they had converted to a year or two ago.
 

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 01-22-2013, 11:20 PM:
 
The owner of the Nite Hawk Theatre in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, has decided to retire and is attempting to sell the building. A group of interested townspeople are looking into the idea of taking the building and theatre over and continuing to operate the theatre. The Nite Hawk Theatre is situated in an old opera house that was built in 1904.

I'm not entirely certain if the theatre is currently operating or not. I know that he still runs on film there, no digital. It was still operating until very recently.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 01-29-2013, 04:04 PM:
 
Two more Cinemarks in Pharr, TX and LOOK Cinemas

http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_1b8fdc16-6433-11e2-88f3-001a4bcf6878.html

PHARR – Work is under way on the large new Cinemark movie theater in El Centro Mall, after the company won a tussle over competitors last year.
Pharr had months of movie theater wars after both Cinemark and LOOK Cinemas announced within days of each other in March plans to open large new theater complexes on opposite sides of the intersection of Jackson Road and Expressway 83.
“It was an education for me,” City Manager Fred Sandoval said of the issues surrounding competition in the theater industry. “In a nutshell, there’s room for one theater group and Cinemark had started the process before everyone else.”
More than a year of city negotiations with owners of the much-touted LOOK Cinemas — whose project would have included an IMAX theater and several theaters with bars and restaurants included — fell through after the movie house across the street began work.
“It was always kind of a horse race,” Sandoval said. “Cinemark got in the ground first.”
The new Cinemark theater will have 16 screens and a self-serve concession stand. It will also include an XD Extreme Digital Cinema auditorium with the largest screen and highest quality sound system in the complex.
After seeing The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX and Skyfall on a Cinemark XD screen, the city manager isn’t playing favorites.
“The experience is very comparable,” he said.
Cinemark expecting to begin construction soon and hopes to have it open within the year, said James Meredith, vice president of marketing and communications.
The theater will be Pharr’s first first-run movie theater. It will replace the Cinemark Movies 8 in El Centro, which shows movies months after their release and is known for its affordable $1.50 pricing.
“We’ve been in the community for over 22/23 years,” Meredith said of Pharr. “Our existing theater has aged and it’s time to bring the new technology.”
The project is one of two new area Cinemarks to come, along with a “bistro” concept that will be built just four miles up Jackson Road in the unfinished Alamo Drafthouse shell in Edinburg.

LOOK Cinemas is building a new cinema in Dallas
http://www.lookcinemas.com/
 

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Posted by Jim Pennington (Member # 4253) on 01-30-2013, 11:36 AM:
 
Western PA closings

October 2012 Erie, PA

http://www.goerie.com/article/20121026/NEWS02/310259868/What%27s-next-for-Erie%27s-movie-theater-scene%3F

January 2013 Pittsburgh, PA area

http://www.observer-reporter.com/article/20130125/NEWS01/130129492&source=RSS

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-south/maxi-saver-movie-theater-in-west-mifflin-closes-672341/
 

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 01-30-2013, 01:45 PM:
 

quote: Mike Croaro

---

Landmark Theatres reports that their San Francisco Bridge theatre will close at the end of the bisness day 12/27. There was also an article in the SF Examiner.

Will the theatre really close, or is Landmark playing the "rel estate" game with the landlord. Anyone with inside informaton?

---

This reply is a little overdue, but "yes" The Bridge Theater
did ineed close several days after Christmas.

It was an 'open secret' in the SF Cinema community since
summer Y2k12 that Landmark was not going to renew their lease.

I'm aware that several alternate operators have looked into the
site, but the story I've heard as recently as several days ago
is that the landlord is asking an 'outrageous' price to lease.

Several days after it closed, there was a huge dumpster in front
of the building, filled with debris. I was later told by an ex
employee who helped close down the buidling that all the
equipment and the interior are still intact, and that the
dumpster was just there to remove years of accumulated
clutter from the outgoing tennant.

Sometime last weekend, some person(s) got up on top of the
marquee & graffitied up the whole front of the building, which
is going to cost someone several thousand dollars to remove or
paint over, making it somewhat of an eysore, but not as bad as
the long closed ALEXANDRIA theater, which is generally
acknowleged as one of the worst urban eyesores in The City now.

Here Are Some Pictures I Took Late Last Fall:



 

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Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 01-30-2013, 02:58 PM:
 
My cousin managed the Bridge for a while in the early 90's. Back then they had a pair of Super Simplexes. The right hand one was reel to reel only and used for trailers. I remember him telling me The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert ran there for almost an entire year.
 

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Posted by Sean McKinnon (Member # 612) on 01-30-2013, 06:06 PM:
 
Wow, I have fond memories of service calls at chestnut hill where the only way to get to some of the screens booths was through the house. Nothing like waiting 2 hours just to drag your gear through the house.

RIP GCC you are sorely missed!
 

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Posted by Tom Mundell (Member # 4555) on 01-31-2013, 10:23 AM:
 

quote:

---

RIP GCC you are sorely missed!

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I was quite fond of the Chestnut Hill theater. Unfortunately AMC hadn't really maintained the place terribly well the last few years. I'm happy I was able to get at least a few pictures before it closed.

When did this theater really open? CinemaTour has two dates, it says 1971 at the top of the page, but 1975 in the overview below.
 

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Posted by Jerome Holmes (Member # 5013) on 01-31-2013, 07:20 PM:
 
Fremont Theatre in SLO

http://www.facebook.com/Big.Fremont/posts/598653363494304

quote:

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After 70 years of service, the Fremont theatre will be closing its doors after the last shows tonight. On behalf of everyone whose been with the company over the years, we'd like to thank each and every one of you for your support. You were as much part of this place as we were. We'd like to send a special thanks to the general manager, Mark Scaccianoce, for all his hard work and dedication in making the theatre the best he could under the circumstances he was given.

So come by, take some pictures, or share some memories on here about your good times at the Fremont.

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quote:

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Digital age prompting closure of base theaters

By Dirk Lammers - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jan 20, 2013 16:23:38 EST

ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. — Stacey Darling loves watching family movies at the Ellsworth Air Force Base theater in South Dakota because it’s so much more affordable than taking her three children to the multiplex in nearby Rapid City.

Darling, whose husband is an airman, has been catching second-run films on base for about 2 1/2 years, and was there Saturday for the theater’s last showing — a screening of the animated movie “Hotel Transylvania.” The movie theater is among 60 around the globe run by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service that is screening its last picture show amid the industry’s conversion to digital projection.

“We always come out for the cartoons,” said Darling, of Grand Forks, N.D. “We like the family movies.”

Darling said she wishes she could go to the theater even more now that her husband, Senior Master Sgt. David Darling, has deployed to southwest Asia.

It’s just not cost effective for the exchange service to invest the $120,000 per theater needed to convert from 35 millimeter film to the new format at the theaters that are being closed, said spokesman Judd Anstey. Sixty theaters will make the upgrade.

“At locations where customer attendance is decreased due to a preference for off-installation entertainment venues, a determination has been made that continued operation is no longer a viable option,” Anstey said.

The exchange service runs department-store-style retail outlets, fast-food restaurants, barbers and similar services on military facilities.

Saturday’s “Hotel Transylvania” screening at Ellsworth Air Force Base drew about 250 people, thanks in part to the theater forgoing the admission price for its farewell flick.

Teri Marino wishes Ellsworth patrons knew earlier about the closure so they could try to raise the cash needed to save the theater, which showed its first flick in 1969.

Marino, whose husband is a master sergeant living on base, brought her 9-year-old daughter to the final show and was enjoying the camaraderie between the mothers.

“When you’re in the military, you’re like family,” said Marino, 37. “Especially when our husbands are deployed, the mothers — us women — stick together.”

Stateside base theaters are limited to second-run movies, which typically have already spent six weeks in an off-base multiplex before. Ticket prices are lower, as is attendance. Base theaters have also been hurt by increased competition from video streaming services and DVD rental kiosks, Anstey said.

“The digital age has certainly made it easier to stay home and get content delivered directly to one’s own living room,” he said. “In addition, the theater business has become more competitive with multiplex and IMAX theaters in many locations adjacent to military installations.

Of the theaters making the conversion to the digital format, about 26 are in the U.S. and about 34 are overseas for a total cost of about $7.4 million, Anstey said.

Camp Zama in Japan, Spangdahlem Air Force Base in Germany, Camp Arifjan in Kuwait and Fort Hood in Texas are the first four to make the jump, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2013, Anstey said.

David Burnett, force support squadron commander for the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth, said base officials are working to ensure other movie options, such as more DVD kiosks and an arrangement with Carmike Cinemas in Rapid City for a military discount.

He said the theater has been an important spot for on-base families, especially those living in the dorms.

“It gives them an outlet,” Burnett said. “It gives them something to do.”

Ron Reynolds, who was stationed on the base years ago, has served as the theater’s projectionist for more than a decade.

He loads a reel on one of the twin projectors before briefly turning down the upstairs room’s speaker to make sure the sound is at its best.

“Projectionist is one of the greatest part-time jobs you’ll ever have,” said Reynolds, 49. “Sadly, all good things must come to an end.”

Reynolds’ son, 29-year-old Tyler Murphy, remembers seeing “Titanic” at Ellsworth as a teenager.

“This is a little bit of a nostalgic type of moment,” said Murphy, now a teacher at Sturgis Brown High School. “It’s never going to be the same anymore.”

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quote:

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Lights out for Cannon air base's movie theater

By The Associated Press
Posted: 01/30/2013 07:08:42 AM MST

CANNON AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. - It will be lights out this weekend for the movie theater at Cannon Air Force Base in eastern New Mexico.

Army and Air Force theaters that use 35 mm prints have been undergoing extensive reviews to determine whether it would be worth it to convert to digital formats.

As for Cannon's theater, it would cost about $120,000 to go digital.

Officials say continued operation of the theater isn't viable given the cost and the availability of off-base entertainment venues.

The Cannon theater is among dozens around the globe run by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service that are screening their last movies amid the industry's conversion to digital projection.

The last showing at the Cannon theater will be Saturday.

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 02-01-2013, 11:43 PM:
 
I worked at several military theatres in the Washington DC
area when I was in the Army (ours!) At that time the theatres
were run by something called the AAMPS
(Army-Air Force Motion Picture serivce)

During my last months of service, one of the things they
they tried to bribe me into re-enlisting with as the offer
of a career in the AAMPS. (and some new socks!)

I wonder how that would have worked out for me?

Of course, since this was way back in the mid 1970's, I'd
have been long retired by now with over 30 years of service
and a nice fat military pension. (and some really old socks...)
 

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Posted by Adam Holland (Member # 4539) on 02-13-2013, 05:27 AM:
 
The Rose Theatre in Bastrop, La is going to return to motion picture exhibition this spring after several years of being solely a live venue. As of now they will be shooting with an LCD projector playing DVD's on a moderate size drop down screen just as we did when we brought back the Fiske five years ago and the proof is in the pudding that if you prime the pump then build it they will come. The link below is their complete press release that I have posted on my theatres website. I know that in most cases its not smart to promote another theatre, but in this case I feel as it will benefit us as it will help us get the word out about our place during their screenings of classics.

http://fisketheatre.com/President_s_Desk.html

http://westcarrollchamber.com/2013/02/13/bastrops-rose-theatre-set-to-make-motion-picture-comeback/
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-13-2013, 03:04 PM:
 
The 3-plex in Laurel Montana is opening on the 14th with a coffee-house addition. They have chosen the improbable name "The VUE and Brew" (the former name was the Laurel Movie Haus, owing to the town's strong German heritage). I think they have a lot to learn about the movie biz -- such as, only being open 4 days a week is a mistake in my opinion, for a town of nearly 10,000 people -- but they have a good booker (same one we use) so hopefully they'll be OK.

A NEW VUE
Movie Haus renamed; Grand opening planned for Valentine’s Day

Welcome to the The VUE and Brew, Laurel’s home of the hottest new movie releases, specialty coffees, and three brand new digital projectors shipped from Belgium.

In late December, business partners Kris and Beth Vogele and Dr. Bob and Chris Ulrich launched a contest to rename the revitalized Laurel Movie Haus, 101 West First St. The contest generated hundreds of community suggestions on the theater’s Facebook page and Tuesday, Kris Vogele released the facility’s new moniker.

“The name VUE came from Dr. Ulrich’s son, Thomas. He came up with that name for our official LLC — Vogele-Ulrich Enterprises,” explained Vogele. “‘The VUE and Brew Theater’ was proposed by Brad Kraft. He’s the winner of the $100 gift certificate to a Laurel-area restaurant of his choice.”

Crowd-sourcing ideas for the new name, and even snack preferences, are in line with the team's business philosophy.

“We want to be customer-focused. We want to find out what our regular patrons want,” said Vogele. “Input on the name, I think, was important because we were doing away with a name that was a part of the community for many years, even though it wasn’t the original theater.”

“We are using some other names that people gave for some speciality drinks once we open the coffee shop,” said Vogele. “There were some pretty cool names.”

The name announcement came only a week before the theater’s grand opening, slated for Valentine’s Day, Thursday, Feb. 14.

Tuesday morning Vogele, his brother-in-law, and a specialist installed three Barco DP2K-23B digital projectors. Suited for screens up to 75 feet, the projectors’ amazing image quality with an easy-to-use modular design are capable of displaying 2D and 3D films. Each unit weighs 293 pounds, is mounted on a pedestal, and has touch panel operation.

“It’s night and day compared to 35 mm film,” said Vogele.

“No scratches, no dirty prints, no picture jumps. These will put on a perfect picture 99.99 percent of the time,” said Roger Bockert, an installation technician from Heartland Theatre Services, of Council Bluffs, IA, who assisted with set-up.

Not only is the picture of such great clarity, but the labor costs to run digital are lower and will qualify The VUE and Brew for first-run movies, said Vogele.

“Setting up a film does not take nearly as long with digital as it did with film. They (the studios) send us a hard drive and each one has a unique key so it can only be run between the dates they set it up for,” explained Vogele.

The digital projectors are expected to last at least 10 years.

“And they’re upgradable, as are the servers for increased speed,” he noted. “The cost was a little bit more than if we’d waited a few months, but for us it was more important to get the theater open. With these and the point-of-sale system we’re using, it’s very close to $200,000.”

Switching to digital has been a financial stumbling block for small theaters across the nation, so much so for Laurel’s theater that it closed in October 2012. The Vogeles and Ulrichs think they will find success by offering the best prices around.

Movie studios/film distributors in the U.S. traditionally drive hard bargains entitling them to a significant portion of gross ticket revenue. Consequently, Vogele said, The VUE and Brew’s ticket prices will be comparable to Billings theaters, but still competitive.

“If the other theaters out there are charging $9.50, $10, obviously they’re going to get the studios to give them the movies before us,” explained Vogele. “So, we have to keep our box office prices competitive, but also somewhat comparable, or else we’re going to be stuck in that whole second-run movie thing again.”

Regular admission for adults is $8.50, and matinees are $7.50. Regular children’s admission is $6, and matinees are $5. Senior citizens are admitted for $7 for every show. Students are admitted to any show for $7.50 with a current student ID.

“The key is diversification, and it’s that way in any business. You’ve got to have more revenue streams than just a movie theater in a community like Laurel, being so close to Carmike Theaters,” explained Vogele. “I think our key is keeping our costs below other theaters and people will want to purchase concessions. Our prices will be significantly lower than Billings’ in terms of concessions.”

The VUE and Brew will be open Wednesday through Sunday with evening shows and matinees on the weekends. Look for movie theater favorites in the concessions — popcorn, nachos, and boxed candy priced between $2 and $6 — plus healthier options like trail mix, nuts, and juice.

The coffee house will officially open March 1, with hours seven days per week. Vogele said it will offer desserts and specialty coffees, available for delivery in the downtown area. Prices range from $1.50 for house coffee to $4 for a large espresso or a dozen fresh mini donuts.

“We want to be a place people come to, where they feel comfortable. We want to be a special place where people can come and relax, have a cup of coffee, and see a movie,” he said.

Original article from the Laurel Outlook newspaper (with a picture of their projectors)
 

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Posted by Clint Koch (Member # 1179) on 02-13-2013, 04:14 PM:
 
The Freemont to re-open tomorrow...

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY

Owners of Fremont theatre say they're thrilled for Valentine's Day re-opening

The heartbreak can end just in time for Valentine's day. At least when it comes to the Fremont Theatre in downtown San Luis Obispo and its fans. After managers of the iconic theatre announced its sudden closure almost two weeks ago, the owners of the movie house told KSBY it will re-open for movie viewing pleasure this Thursday, Valentine's Day.

Rob Rossi and John King own the theatre and said the issues that led to the temporary closing of the theater have been worked out with the tenant, Orange County-based theater management firm, The Movie Experience.

"To all who love and admire our treasured Fremont Theatre, the earlier announcements of its demise were both premature and inaccurate," said Rossi. "We and The Movie Experience continue to work together extending the movie arrangement and helping the vitality of this unique landmark."

Rossi said that in addition to first-run movies, the Fremont will continue to feature live musical acts similar to those that have performed there in the past such as Los Lobos, Lindsey Buckingham, Taj Mahal, Graham Nash and David Crosby. It also plays host to special events like showings for San Luis Obispo's International Film Festival.

The Fremont Theatre has been part of San Luis Obispo history for more than 70 years.
 

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Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 02-14-2013, 01:42 PM:
 

quote: Mike Blakesley

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The 3-plex in Laurel Montana is opening on the 14th with a coffee-house addition. They have chosen the improbable name "The VUE and Brew" (the former name was the Laurel Movie Haus, owing to the town's strong German heritage). I think they have a lot to learn about the movie biz -- such as, only being open 4 days a week is a mistake in my opinion, for a town of nearly 10,000 people -- but they have a good booker (same one we use) so hopefully they'll be OK.

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quote: Vegas Inc

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Las Vegas Valley moviegoers will get a dash of luxury — and alcohol — next month when a new high-end movie theater opens in Henderson.

The eight-screen Galaxy Green Valley Luxury+ Theatre is scheduled to open March 8 in Green Valley Town Center on East Sunset Road. The multiplex will serve wine and draft beer, and all of its seats will be reclining with powered footrests.

“It's a different experience,” said Rafe Cohen, Galaxy Theatres co-owner and president.

The screening rooms range in size from 60 seats to a couple of hundred seats and have wider rows to accommodate the big chairs. Tickets will have standard pricing, about $10. Reserved seating is available at no extra cost, but patrons need to sign up at least a week in advance, Cohen said.

The theater is in the same location as a former eight-screen United Artist cineplex that closed about eight years ago. Galaxy Theatres, based in Sherman Oaks, Calif., is spending $4 million to renovate the long-vacant space, Cohen said.

The theater is east of Green Valley Parkway in Green Valley Town Center, a retail hub owned by American Nevada Co. The Greenspun family owns American Nevada, as well as VEGAS INC and the Las Vegas Sun. The center’s current anchor tenant is the 21,500-square-foot Barley’s Casino and Brewing Co.

Galaxy’s theater could bring a much-needed boost of foot traffic and tenants to the 70-acre shopping center. As of August, the 117,900-square-foot center had at least 57,000 square feet of empty space.

An Asian buffet is joining the center, and other prospective tenants have shown interest, said Charles Van Geel, vice president of leasing and sales for American Nevada.

“It’s an important step in the revitalization of the center,” he said.

At least one other movie theater in the valley serves alcohol: the 18-screen Rave Motion Pictures at Town Square.

But AMC Theatres recently bought that cinema and is in the process of rebranding it, Town Square Marketing Director Jaime Mapes said. He could not confirm if the theater would continue serving alcohol.

A spokesperson for Kansas City, Mo.-based AMC Entertainment Holdings, which was acquired last year for $2.6 billion by Chinese entertainment conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group Co., did not return a call for comment.

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quote: Michael McGovern

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http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2013/02/27/business/706887.txt

Two naive young fellows with a poor business plan reopened the dump formerly known at Mallview Cinemas in Waterbury, CT. The building is a dump in a bad, out of the way location. The owners did nothing at all to renovate the outside of the building, and it always looked like it was closed because of the fact that their marquee was only half lit, and they never bothered to change the lightbulbs or update it.

The dumbest decision they made was trying to go first run, in a competitive market up against Regal who had all the muscle when it came to booking movies. Towards the end they did have some sense and went second run and seemed to be doing well with Lincoln and Django, but it was too little too late.

They wouldn't have lasted long anyways, they were outfitted for 35MM, and could never afford to put in digital projectors, so they would have run out of films to run by the summer when 35MM prints get even more scarce than they already are.

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The New Montgomery: Entertainment: New movie theater coming: City gives early approval to 13-screen Carmike project
Mar 2, 2013 |

Written by
Brad Harper

A new, state-of-the-art east Montgomery movie theater is one step closer to becoming a reality.

At its Thursday meeting, the Montgomery Planning Commission approved a Texas developer’s proposal to build a 13-screen Carmike Cinemas theater on Chantilly Parkway next to Home Depot.

Those plans call for a facility that will seat 2,800 moviegoers. It also will include one of Carmike’s large-format “Big D” digital auditoriums, with an 81-foot, floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall screen and luxury seats for up to 600 people. Carmike operated 14 “Big D” screens as of Sept. 2012.

Robert Smith, the city’s director of planning, said the proposal now faces engineering, fire, water and urban forestry checkpoints before developer Anthony Properties can apply for a building permit and then start construction.

Carmike Cinemas said it expects to open the facility early next year. It’s also building new theaters in Decatur and Opelika.

In announcing the plans, Carmike Cinemas President and CEO David Passman said the acquisition of six properties from Rave Cinemas brought Alabama into its top five states in terms of number of theaters.

Rave has sold almost all of its theaters since October 2012. It sold every theater in Alabama to Carmike except the Rave Festival Plaza 16 on Vaughn and Taylor roads, which was purchased by AMC. That theater, which is about four miles away from the planned Carmike Cinemas facility, currently is the city’s highest-grossing cinema complex.

Anthony Properties principal Jay Anthony praised the area around the proposed cinema, saying that the close proximity to Auburn Montgomery’s campus and the nearby retail and restaurants make the location “ideal” for a new movie theater.

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Yuliya Talmazan, Global News : Sunday, February 03, 2013 12:00 AM
After decades of being a crucial part of Vancouver’s film scene, the Ridge Theatre is shutting down for good.

“It is very sad after 35 years,” says owner Leonard Schein. “Today is the last day of films here. It’s been a hard day for me so far.”

Schein has been with the theatre through the good times and the bad.

He says the time has finally come to say good-bye to the theatre along with hundreds of patrons whose lives it has touched throughout the years.

“People are really sad to see it go -- people who had their first date here, or they were taken her as a child… a lot of people have a lot of memories here.”

The theatre is marking its last day with four showings – a mix of Dr. Seuss classic, two foreign language films, and Woody Allen’s ‘Midnight in Paris.’

“I’ve been going to this movie theatre since I was 12, so it’s very emotional today,” one woman told Global News.

“Maybe this theatre is just a cause to consider how many of our cultural institutions we are losing,” said another long-time patron. “Ultimately, the death of this one might be a bit of a shot in the arm for cultural institutions, and spark the debate in Vancouver about whether or not we just passively let development continue to overshadow some of the cultural heritage that we have.”

Schein says much of their memorabilia will be donated to theatres and organizations across the city.

The theatre’s stain glass window is going to the Cineplex Theatre, and the iconic doors will now be part of the auditorium at the Rio Theatre on Broadway.

The Peretz Centre for Secular Jewish Culture is taking the curtains, and Vancouver Planetarium is inheriting the ticket booth and popcorn machine.

“We hope to have items from the Ridge all around this city,” says Schein.

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David Duprey says he plans to take a hands-on approach to scrubbing out Vancouver’s last porn cinema to refurbish it into a venue for live music set to open later this year.

Mr. Duprey, who operates a mix of concert halls and eateries, said he plans to clean out the Fox Cinema himself with a crew en route to re-opening it in partnership with the braintrust behind the Waldorf Hotel, the now-closed hipster hangout in East End Vancouver.

“It’s going to need some scrubbing,” Mr. Duprey said of the Fox on Thursday, standing outside the tattered establishment on Main Street in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant with his business partner, Rachel Zottenberg.

“Lots of bleach,” he said, with relish. “When you want to get a job done right, sometimes you have just got to get in there and do it yourself.”

That will mean dragging out 260 seats and other furniture and goods accumulated over the 30 years the Fox screened adult films in a neighbourhood that has evolved into one of the coolest in the city. There’s a life-size painting of 1970s sitcom star Scott Baio in the women’s washroom, Ms. Zottenberg noted.

“And the girl’s washroom doesn’t get used a lot, so [the painting] is in really good shape,” Mr. Duprey quipped.

After dragging out what’s inside, he will focus on cleaning “the living hell” out of what’s left. “We take possession Aug. 1. I’ll be cleaning Aug. 1.”

That means many more afternoons like Thursday.

Inside the cinema – an oddly narrow and confined space – the show went on with a plotless movie on screen for a sparse audience. The routine has prompted community complaints and, at one point, an undercover police investigation that raised allegations of inappropriate activity.

The cinema has been an exception to a streetscape of cafes, boutiques, eateries and clothing stores along one of Vancouver’s busiest thoroughfares.

Rob Siddoo of Siddoo Kashmir Holdings, which owns the cinema and has agreed to a five-year lease for Mr. Duprey and his partners, said it was time for a change.

He said in an interview on Thursday that the existing tenant “has had some issues” but now “we’re happy with the change” because they think a live theatre might be a good use for the property.

Mr. Siddoo said the lease for the existing tenant was coming up, so he was open to new tenants. “Basically the other tenant was done with the business there.”

Mr. Duprey said he has begun talks with the city and province about how the site will operate. He said he expects, at this point, to be able to run a theatre with a liquor license and live music, but whether it will show movies and host a DJ remains unclear at this point.

“Ultimately, we’d love to have this be a multiuse venue that we could have live music, DJs, movies, comedy shows, dance performances. That would be our ultimate goal. Hopefully, the city will let us do that.”

Mr. Duprey and Ms. Zottenberg said they saw the potential of the Fox when it became clear that the venue was up for grabs. “We didn’t decide on the Fox theatre. The Fox theatre kind of decided on us,” said Mr. Duprey, noting few venues in Vancouver could make such an easy transition to live music. “It’s an amazing location and such a great opportunity.”

When they made inquiries, they realized the partners from the Waldorf were interested and agreed to work together. Rather than ditching the Fox’s colourful past, they appear inclined to embrace it. “It’s a fantastic name,” Ms. Zottenberg said.

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Posted by Brent Francis (Member # 5008) on 03-15-2013, 02:47 PM:
 
Sounds like quite the lively joint -
"Obviously no one actually comes here to watch the movies, but it was late so we didn't get to witness any disturbing acts of prostitution that would have scarred us for life. Alex K did find some fantastic graffiti that said 'all exposed c*cks will be sucked' which was actually written in red and blue pen, as if the writer was trying to go for a 3D effect. Somehow that graffiti really summed the place up for me."
http://www.yelp.ca/biz/fox-cinema-vancouver
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 03-15-2013, 03:06 PM:
 
Totally predictable after the announcement that they will build a new 13plex, the Carmike Eastdale 8 closed last night (March 14, 2013). For the first time in about 30 years, Montgomery is Carmike free. It's us v AMC for the next 9 months
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 03-15-2013, 05:20 PM:
 

quote: Frank Cox

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I just came across this. There is also a video in the article.

Ridge Theatre closes its doors

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I was there in 2003, when the AMIA conference was in Vancouver and the screenings were at The Ridge. At one of them I met John Pytlak for the first and only time. Strange to think that four years later, we organised a tribute screening for him when the conference was in Rochester.
 

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Posted by Sam King (Member # 4029) on 04-01-2013, 02:55 PM:
 
Anyone know what's up with the Criterion (AMC, formerly Mann) in Santa Monica? Are they killing this one in preparation for the 12/14 plex coming in on 2nd street? I would of thought the Broadway would be first to go, that place is a dump!
 

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Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 04-01-2013, 03:21 PM:
 
Closed for good Thursday (29). Shame, I really liked the place and its early/mid-century architecture. I like the Broadway as well, and the Aero. The AMC is a dump and always has been, a true blight. The deal in Santa Monica is that the city fathers have placed an upper limit on theatre seating downtown, to keep traffic down. If the AMC project in the parking garage goes forward, then I imagine both the Broadway and the current AMC will have to close.
 

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Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 04-06-2013, 08:24 PM:
 
Just saw on the news that the Century dome in Pleasant Hill, CA is closing in 2 weeks...
 

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Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 04-08-2013, 04:27 PM:
 
Fuck- going to have to try and go there before then! I heard there was an effort to save it a couple years ago. Why the hell are the two split ones in Sacramento still in business??
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 04-09-2013, 04:32 AM:
 
AMC is not going forward with the Fourth Street theatre. That was in the Santa Monica Press months ago. The city is looking for a new partner, I believe the paper said.

As for the Dome in Pleasant Hill, it's all in the name of "progress." It is more important to the owners of the land to bulldoze the theatre and put in a Dick's Sporting Goods. Because, you know, that's a really good use of the land.

You can read more about the story here. The quote from the spokesperson for the City of Pleasant Hill gives me every reason to vote against his boss in the next election, to get this jackass out of a job...

quote:

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They're perfectly entitled to demolish the buildings that exist there, and what they're planning right now falls well within the commercial retail zoning.

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Fucking asshat politicians.
 

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Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 04-09-2013, 08:54 AM:
 

quote:

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You can read more about the story here. The quote from the spokesperson for the City of Pleasant Hill gives me every reason to vote against his boss in the next election, to get this jackass out of a job...

quote:
They're perfectly entitled to demolish the buildings that exist there, and what they're planning right now falls well within the commercial retail zoning.
Fucking asshat politicians.

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So you would rather the city have more power to tell what a citizen can do with their land/property?
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 04-09-2013, 09:16 AM:
 
I'd rather those who operate the city I live in listen to the thousands of its citizens who have written letters and emails and attended City Council meetings and have told their representatives they do not want this local landmark torn down and do not want a monstrous 76,000 square foot sporting goods store in their town.

But at least the Syufy family, who still owns the land the Dome sits on, will donate some items from the building to the Pleasant Hill Preservation Society, and will erect a plaque to commemorate its one-time existence. That's nice of them, isn't it?
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-09-2013, 06:21 PM:
 

quote: Edward Havens

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the thousands of its citizens who have written letters and emails and attended City Council meetings and have told their representatives they do not want this local landmark torn down

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That's all real nice, but you can't take any of that crap to the bank.
 

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Posted by William Kucharski (Member # 7246) on 04-10-2013, 01:38 AM:
 
I'm still waiting to experience a prolonged period of depression if the rumored closure of the Century 21/22 across from the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose occurs.
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 04-10-2013, 05:24 AM:
 
Mike, he asked what I would rather have. That's what I would rather have. A unique theatre that still does very good business, instead of another soulless big box store like all the other soulless big box stores in this shopping area and all the other shopping areas in and around town.
 

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Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 04-10-2013, 11:36 PM:
 
They could even put the sporting goods store inside the dome. Or another store inside the dome. At least the structure could be saved then, even if it's not being used to show movies anymore.
 

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Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 04-11-2013, 01:48 AM:
 
I still wouldn't like that too much. Amazing how many new theaters are designed with little thought or creativity, while the truly special ones don't get enough support and end up dying, even as people keep saying how sad it is that this keeps happening.
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 04-11-2013, 08:58 AM:
 
I'm convinced most buildings today are designed to be torn down.
 

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Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 04-11-2013, 06:55 PM:
 
Hi Folks:

Given the value of land in the bay area (and California), you would think they would build a sporting goods store on the ground floor, and a movie theatre (or something else) on the second floor. Maximize the land in other words.

Mike
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 04-14-2013, 11:18 AM:
 
Century/Cinemark already have a modern 16-plex on the other side of the freeway.
 

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Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 04-22-2013, 12:09 PM:
 
George R.R. Martin, the author of Song Of Fire And Ice from which the HBO series Game Of Thrones is based, has purchased the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe New Mexico. I suppose everybody should have a hobby.

Santa Fe New Mexican

quote: Santa Fe New Mexican

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George R.R. Martin, a Santa Fe resident who authored the celebrated fantasy novels on which the HBO series Game of Thrones is based, has purchased the defunct Jean Cocteau Cinema on Montezuma Avenue in the Santa Fe Railyard.

A newly formed New Mexico limited liability corporation called The Faceless Man closed on the purchase in late February, according to documents filed with the Santa Fe County Clerk.

Martin was unavailable for comment Thursday. His wife, Parris, said the couple would “issue a statement” at some point in the future, but she would not confirm whether they had purchased the property or what they planned to do with it.

The Guild of the Faceless Men is a fictional religious society that worships the Many-Faced God, a god of death in Martin’s series of novels titled A Song of Ice and Fire. (The first book in the series is Game of Thrones.)

Closing documents for the theater were signed in Fairfield County, Conn., the city where former Jean Cocteau owner Trans-Lux is now based.

The building at 418 Montezuma Ave. currently has one tenant, the hair salon Wild Hare. Owner Kristin Taglienti said Martin has been “tidying up” and giving the old building “lots of TLC.”

Taglienti said she was “so excited to know the building was going into very good hands.”

“I love that theater. It’s such a great landmark,” she added. “I was pleasantly shocked and surprised to learn somebody I was already artistically fond of is now going to be my new landlord.”

Taglienti said she had talked to Martin about her lease, and her understanding is that “he is interested in bringing the theater back.”

She didn’t think this week’s news that another movie theater project in the Railyard is moving forward would present any problem for Martin. The board of the nonprofit Santa Fe Railyard Community Corp., which manages the city-owned Railyard property, approved a proposal by the Austin, Texas-based Violet Crown cinema firm to build a multiscreen theater just down the block from the Jean Cocteau.

“There are certain things that are not in competition with one another,” Taglienti said. “This [theater] is like the small village. It will be unique.”

Others who know about the Jean Cocteau’s change in ownership are also excited, she said. They tell her, “Oh, I loved it, and it had the best popcorn.”

Taglienti said she and her clients love Martin’s books. “My husband and I love the [television] series. We watch it religiously. I’m absolutely smitten with his story lines and characters. His whole saga has a really magnetic quality to it.”

Taglienti said she also really likes the idea of a local landlord, and one who is “very, very pleasant. In a word, genuine.”

Once called Collective Fantasy Cinema, the theater opened in the 1970s and has been on the market since at least 2009, according to previous newspaper reports. It has one screen with about 100 seats. After the Jean Cocteau Cinema closed in 2006, the New Mexico Film Museum moved into the space, but, without programming or operating funds, the museum closed in 2010.

Last year, New Mexico Bank and Trust filed a District Court complaint for debt, money due and foreclosure against Trans-Lux for allegedly defaulting on $1,722,985 of a $2 million loan made in 2007.

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quote: George R.R. Martin

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The Jean Cocteau is a small Santa Fe art house, with a single screen and 127 seats. It was built in the early 70s as the Collective Fantasy, became the Cocteau later in that decade, went through several local owners who ran it well, and finally became part of the Trans-Lux chain. They closed it in April, 2006, when they shut down their entire chain of theaters. After that it supposedly became the site of the New Mexico Film Museum, but the museum was never funded and never had any exhibits, so that was more in theory than in practice. Aside from a few special showings for the state film commission, which used to have its offices upstairs, the theater has been dark since 2006.

Before that, however, it was one of the city's nicest film venues. It offered coffee and pastries, and had the best popcorn in town, fresh-popped with real butter and parmesan cheese. I saw a lot of movies at the Cocteau between 1979, when I moved to Santa Fe, and 2006, when it closed. I like the idea of bringing it back, better than ever.

I will not be doing it myself, of course. So please, readers, fans, don't get nuts. I am a novelist and a screenwriter, not a theatre manager, it won't be me standing at the concession stand asking if you want butter on your popcorn. My job remains the same as before: editing anthologies, creating and producing television and writing the occasional script, and... first, foremost, always... completing A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE. This does not change that.

I love movies and old movie theatres, and it broke my heart to drive past the Jean Cocteau for these past seven years and see it sitting there, dark and decaying. Bringing this beloved theatre back to life is my small gesture at giving something back to Santa Fe, the community that has been my home since 1979. Might be that I will lose my shirt... but, hey, I've been very lucky, I have other shirts.

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Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 04-25-2013, 12:54 AM:
 
As they say, timing is everything. Here is the latest news article surrounding the Winchester (century) domes in San Jose - fresh on the heels of all of the hullabaloo surrounding the Pleasant Hill dome: http://www.mercurynews.com/real-estate/ci_23100098/

Shopping mall, offices and homes could rise at Century theaters site in San Jose

By George Avalos
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 04/24/2013 05:06:59 PM PDT
Updated: 04/24/2013 07:39:09 PM PDT

SAN JOSE -- A big new shopping center, office towers and residences could replace several of the Century movie theaters near the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose under a plan to lease the property, realty agents said Wednesday.

The site being eyed for redevelopment includes the Century theaters on Winchester Boulevard near Interstate 280. The theaters' domes are a familiar sight in the area, and the theatres have over the decades played many blockbuster films.

A group of San Jose families has hired realty brokerage Cassidy Turley and its retail unit Terranomics to market the 11.6-acre site on Winchester Boulevard between Olin Avenue and Interstate 280, across the street from Santana Row.

"There is
The Century Theaters' domes off Winchester Boulevard are a familiar sight in the area, and the theaters have over the decades played many blockbuster films. (Mercury News archives) ( lg francis )
very good interest in this site," said Todd Oliver, a partner with Terranomics Retail Services.

Potentially 500,000 square feet of retail or offices, or both, could be built at the site.

"You could build a large shopping center or have one or more office towers at the location," said Greg Davies, a partner with Cassidy Turley.

It also is possible that new homes could emerge on the property.

"The city has designated this in its general plan as an urban village," Davies said. "By definition, that could include all three uses -- retail, office and residential."

The owners, operating under the name Winchester Investments, intend to lease the land beneath the theaters to the future owner. To make way for the potential
offices, shops and homes, the owners would then probably bulldoze the theaters.

"This has been a site for movie theaters for almost 50 years," Davies said.

The lease on the theaters is about to expire, so the owners decided to attempt a ground lease of the property to redevelop the site, sources said.

Retail development has been rebounding in Silicon Valley as the economy has improved over the past year or two.

Plus, large and small tech companies have gobbled up considerable stretches of office space in Mountain View, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto and Santa Clara, and now the leasing surge has spilled into North San Jose.

Across the street from the Century theatres, Santana Row has enjoyed brisk retail leasing. Earlier this year, popular retailer H&M expanded its space at Santana Row, taking over a former Borders Bookstore site. Smaller retailers have also been opening shops at the retail complex.

Then in March, the principal owners of Santana Row, Federal Realty, revealed plans to build three office complexes and more retail on the site. The offices would total 700,000 square feet and be able to accommodate about 3,000 workers if completely filled.

The brokers for the property believe
the Century theaters parcel could be similarly successful.

"We believe this is the best remaining infill site in the West San Jose area," Davies said.
 

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Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 04-25-2013, 01:27 AM:
 
I typed what I would say back to Davies, but thought better of it and deleted it
 

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Posted by Jim Henk (Member # 3628) on 04-26-2013, 06:23 PM:
 
Office towers? That's just silly. Maybe the others, but there are scads of office buildings even mostly vacant, as it's over-saturated in a more and more internet-based environment. There's no-one to rent the space.

Possibly shopping space, (doubtful) but has the realty market even bounced back enough to support tearing down landmarks and trying to put up new homes?

Talk about silly...
 

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Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 04-30-2013, 01:47 PM:
 
I have read on a Cablevision online forum that Cablevision has sold Clearview Cinemas to Bow-Tie Cinemas, effective at the end of May.

If true, they got their work cut out for them. Years of poor presentation means that people go out of their way to avoid Clearview, in this competitive market, it will be hard to win them back.
 

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Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 04-30-2013, 02:23 PM:
 
Jim, the whole greater Bay Area is going through another real estate bubble at present. There's very little inventory hitting the market and what does end up listed gets hundreds of thousands above asking price and it's all foreign investors swooping in with cash. Over the last 6 months when I drive into Santa Clara once a week, I've been seeing several formerly vacant office and commercial campuses getting razed and condos built in their place. The desire to raze the Winchester trio is being fueled by the success of the upscale Santana Row shopping district directly across the street. They want to expand the same concept to the western side of Winchester Blvd.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 05-01-2013, 05:15 PM:
 
A big Santikos theatres in the Houston area: It called Palladium AVX Entertainment Complex opening May 16
http://www.santikos.com/locations/palladium22.php
 

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Posted by Richard Hamilton (Member # 321) on 05-04-2013, 11:12 AM:
 
Just happened to drive by the Showplace South location and saw the signs. Looked it up online and read the news .

When the owner bought it, I did alot of help doing remodeling and repairs. Then in addition to being the tech for 40 screens, I ended up managing there every Thursday and Saturday night.

Rick
 

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Posted by William Kucharski (Member # 7246) on 05-07-2013, 07:48 AM:
 

quote: Sean Weitzel

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The desire to raze the Winchester trio is being fueled by the success of the upscale Santana Row shopping district directly across the street.

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The concept of dinner and a movie — all in the same spot — is coming to the metro.

Merle Hay Mall owners are expected to announce today that Flix Brewhouse will develop an eight-screen, dine-in theater and brewery in the upper level of the Des Moines mall, in the Younkers wing. It’s set to open in summer 2014.

The move is part of Merle Hay’s continuing effort to compete with newer and trendy malls in the western suburbs. Built in 1959, Merle Hay is the state’s oldest enclosed shopping center.

Elizabeth Holland, chief executive of Merle Hay Mall, said she was looking for a tenant that would bring something new to Iowa, instead of “redividing the same pie in the race to the bottom” of local retail centers.

Dine-in theaters are popular in large cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Kansas City and New York. Texas-based Flix is unique, said Allan Reagan, company president: “We are the only brew pub with a first-run cinema.”

The mall has other changes in the works:

• The mall will raze the parking deck on the south side of the mall and reconstruct and enlarge the entrance there, which will be the main entry for Flix, Holland said. The total project, including making space for Flix, will cost $12 million.

• MC Sports is getting ready to open a 25,000-square-foot store in the mall near the Kohl’s wing, another major coup for Merle Hay, Holland said. MC Sports took over five storefronts and remodeled them into one store.

The mall has seen a renaissance since its owners completed a major renovation six years ago. The mall reconstructed the main entrance on Merle Hay Road and added outside access to several stores.

That work was done with financial assistance from the city of Des Moines, Holland said. Mall owners received up to $400,000 a year for 15 years as part of a tax-increment financing agreement. She said the mall is asking the city to extend the agreement for four years to help pay for the newest project.

Rich Eychaner, president of Eychaner Properties, owns nearby strip centers including a new one being built on Douglas Avenue. He said Flix will be “a tremendous addition to the neighborhood and will provide an opportunity to bring more people to the Merle Hay area.”

There’s a clustering impact to retail, Eychaner said. “The more retailers that come in, the more that want to come in.”

Mall officials have been working to move retailers and businesses in the bridge area to make room for the new project. The split walking bridge will be removed to make room for Flix. The reconstruction will include enclosing part of the open space between the first and second floors, adding a glass elevator and other renovations.

Some businesses, including women’s clothing stores Deb Shops and Maurices, have yet to be moved from the upper level.

The Red Rock Wildlife Education Center, which often has live animals on display, is moving from a location near Deb Shops and Maurices to a spot near Staples in the next month or two.

The mall’s original theater, Merle Hay Cinema, will close when Flix opens, Holland said.

All the juggling of retailers is part of a puzzle to create big enough spaces to attract major retailers, Holland said.

Flix likes Des Moines because of the absence of competition, Reagan said. In addition, the area has Drake University, is the state capital, houses several large corporations and is home to a Triple-A baseball team.

Triple-A cities “are the towns where real estate is affordable and are overlooked by the competition,” he said.

Flix is based in Round Rock, Texas, near Austin, and has opened one theater so far. Reagan hopes to develop three theater-brew pubs in each of the next five years.

Flix was a good addition to Sky Ridge Plaza in Round Rock when it opened in 2011, said Ashley Chambless, Sky Ridge property manager.

“Flix brings more people to the center and that puts more eyes on the other tenants and merchants,” she said.

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The sun is setting on the Sunset Drive-In in Mansfield | cleveland.com

Mansfield -- Nelda Spore was 12 years old in 1960 when she started selling candy at the concession stand of the Sunset Drive-In in Mansfield, following her mother who worked there.

Nelda learned every job, met and married Richard Spore who also worked there, left to teach, then returned 13 years ago and has managed the drive-in ever since. Now, at age 66, with her husband ill, she will be the one to turn out the lights forever.

"It's so sad," she said. "I feel like this drive-in has been my life for so long. Now it's just going to fade away."

The theater's owner, Jay Phillips, lives in California. He and his three brothers opened the place in 1946. It lasted through the tough times of the 1980s, when most drive-ins in the country closed.

But today, Phillips, the last surviving brother, is unwilling to put up the $70,000 to convert from film to digital video. So later this year when Hollywood studios stop using film, drive-ins that don't adapt -- like the Sunset -- will shut.

Likely to close for the same reason is the Springmill, also in Mansfield. The manager there holds out a hope that if business booms the owners will reconsider. He knows it is a long shot.

Nelda Spore often works seven days a week to keep the Sunset running. She does everything from popping the popcorn to handling paperwork.

"We can get up to 500 cars in here," she said. "But we're lucky if we get 200. Our biggest show I can remember was 'Finding Nemo.' We squeezed 700 cars in that night. Now, the place is in bad shape. The owner refuses to put any money into it, but we're doing the best we can."

If patrons notice tall grass in the field where they park, or the rust-stained ceiling in the tiny snack bar, they don't say anything. For decades, this has been their theater. They accept its shortcomings.

"This is where my father proposed to my mother," said Joseph Border, 18, of nearby Galion. "They were watching 'Footloose.' "

Azariah Kindler, 21, also of Galion, said the Sunset is part of his childhood, a piece of his life.

"My parents would take all four of us kids every weekend," he said. "Where else could six people go see a new movie for under $15? We'd put on our pj's and eat lots of candy and watch the movies, though our parents thought we were sleeping through the second feature."

Spore said the drive-in will be open every day, at least through summer.

"Summer is what drive-ins were made for," she said.

The Sunset is particularly picturesque, an old-time theater along Park Avenue West, in the country outside Mansfield. In the 1950s, there were around 5,000 drive-ins in America. Now there are less than 400. The Sunset is surrounded by woods and sits on a carpet of grass that is interrupted by the old poles that car speakers once sat on.

"My mother, Dorothy Dent, worked here almost from the beginning," Spore said. "We worked here together for a long time. She retired in 1985. I worked here until 1972, when I left to become a teacher.

"I knew I would some day come back," she said. "In 2000 when I retired from teaching, I came back here and my husband and I ran the place. We were always the first ones here and the last ones to leave."

Word is slowly getting out that the sun is truly setting on the Sunset. Customers ask if the rumors are true.

"It breaks my heart," Spore said. "If my husband did not get sick, we might have fought harder to keep it going. With his illness, I just can't do it. It will close up, then just sit here and rust away.

"It will be a very sad day when I turn out the lights one last time," she said.

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Drive-in theaters fighting to survive against modern technology | cleveland.com

For many people, drive-in theaters conjure up memories of catching a movie on a hot summer night with family and friends, necking in a back seat with a sweetheart or watching dancing hot dogs singing "Let's all go to the lobby" on the big screen.

Despite a dramatic downturn in the business in the 1970s and 1980s and big cinemas that now dot suburbs, drive-ins live on. But their numbers are threatened again as movie studios force owners to switch to expensive digital equipment.

Some drive-in owners will decline to buy the necessary $70,000 projectors. Owners of two theaters in Mansfield already have decided not to. Once the supply of film stops later this year, those theaters will have nothing new to show and will die.

The studios will save a billion dollars a year by no longer putting movies both on film and digital hard drives. They are abandoning film. Most indoor theaters made the transition to digital years ago, but lots of outdoor theaters delayed obtaining the new technology.

The closest outdoor theater to Cleveland, North Ridgeville's Aut-O-Rama Drive-In, installed a digital system for its two screens in April. The theater is best known as the drive-in you can see from the Ohio Turnpike.

"We were nervous about it," said co-owner Deb Sherman. "We had to take out a loan. We wondered if the change in picture would even be noticeable. Once it was hooked up, it was amazing. Everyone notices how beautiful the pictures are. It was expensive but something we had to do."

You probably don't know it, but you live within the largest concentration of drive-in theaters in the country. There are 11 of them no more than a 70-mile drive from Cleveland. The number is more than in the entirety of many states.

Ohio's 29 drive-ins tie us with New York for the second most outdoor theaters in the country. Only Pennsylvania with 30 has more, according to the United Drive-in Theater Owners Association.

Ohio has had 270 drive-ins since the 1930s. Over the years, seven have closed in the Cleveland area, four around Akron and 13 near Columbus.

The tiny Pymatuning Lake Drive-In in Andover, Ashtabula County, closed last year. The Sunset and Springmill drive-ins in Mansfield will do the same by the end of the year.

More dollars for digital

The $70,000 projectors are only the start of the cost of going digital. The amount increases depending on other improvements that must be made to accommodate the technology, such as 24-hour air conditioning to keep the unit cool.

Drive-ins pay more than three times as much for the digital system as indoor theaters do because giant screens require larger projectors.

Eight other drive-ins in the region already have bought in, though not without some soul-searching.

Rich Reding, co-owner of the Lynn Drive-In Movie in Strasburg, south of Massillon, said the theater could afford to buy the new equipment for only one screen.

"It was time to move up or move out," he said. "I guess we'll just let the old projector sit there and let people look at it, like a museum piece."

He and his family live in trailers parked on the drive-in property. He said his life is tied to the place, the second-oldest operating drive-in in the country. It has been on Ohio 21 since 1937, just four years after the first drive-in opened in New Jersey.

Reding's grandfather bought the theater in 1957 along with the slogan: "Come as you are in the family car."

Reding said he learned the business at his grandfather's side. The drive-in is in his blood, and, tough as it is, he can't imagine making a living any other way.

Movie is only part of the fun

Some people consider the drive-in as an expression of another age, a throwback like eight-tracks, reel-to-reel tape recorders and cassettes.

But they miss the point.

Drive-ins are not just places to see a cheap movie -- admission is much less than at indoor theaters, $5 is common, and most show double features. Starting a few hours before the movies begin, drive-ins become a small community. People meet and talk, trot out their pets, grill hamburgers, smoke cigarettes and drink beer.

"You can relax here, be yourself," said Natasha Peters, of Mount Gilead, shepherding a flock of nieces and nephews recently at the Sunset. "You don't have to dress up. You don't have to hire a baby sitter. The kids put on their pajamas and treat it like an adventure."

The gray speaker boxes that used to hang from car windows are mostly gone. Outdoor theaters now broadcast the movie's sound over a car's FM radio. Most retained a few of the clunky metal contraptions for people with broken radios or those who want the nostalgic feeling.

On a recent evening at the Sunset in Mansfield, a group of boys play touch football on grass in front of the screen. Kids in pajamas giggle and eat hot dogs and corn chips while lying on sleeping bags and blankets set outside the family car. Mom reads a romance novel, dad the sports pages.

For many customers, the movie is almost secondary to "going to the drive-in."

Sunset patrons are stunned to hear the place is shutting, although signs all around should have given hints.

"Oh no," said Peters, 39. "I've only been coming here for five years, but I always enjoy myself."

The sign on the street side of the big screen says "Sunset Dr ----- eatre." A windstorm blew away letters last year. The grass is uncut in the parking area, where about 75 vehicles are here early for "Fast and Furious 6." It seems as if every piece of metal is discolored by rust.

People sit inside and outside their cars as a full moon illuminates nearby woods. The movie is crisp and clear on this dark and cloudless night, even though the theater uses "old" film technology.

Either switch or close

Gary Grieve made the switch to digital equipment at his Magic City Drive-In in Barberton and will install it at the Blue Sky Drive-In in Wadsworth, which he also owns.'

"None of us will have a choice if we want to stay in business," he said.

No one has a handle on how many of the country's remaining 357 drive-ins will go digital.

A Kickstarter fund saved the Skyline Drive-In in Shelton., Wash. It raised $40,000 to help the theater make the change.

The Fairlee Motel & Drive-in Theater in Vermont is running a campaign to raise the money. The theater is one of a few that let customers watch a movie from motel rooms.

Surprising innovations

People who think drive-ins are relics of the 1950s will be surprised to learn that 42 new ones have been built nationally since 1990, and 62 others reopened during that period.

Something that might shock those who have not been to a drive-in in a long time is the quality of the food in the snack bars. Most theaters now make their burgers and hot dogs fresh on the spot. Some make pizza from scratch, and others have exotic items on their menus. Asparagus stir fry anyone?

Still, there is no dispute: Drive-ins are disappearing.

Nationally, the business peaked in the 1950s, with 5,000 locations. The number dropped to 3,000 in 1977, and 750 in 1990.

Many were sold for the value of their land. As one industry spokesman said, it's hard to turn down a million-dollar offer when you're struggling to pay for popcorn.

Besides Pymatuning, the Memphis Drive-In on Cleveland's West Side and the Sandusky Drive-In, near Cedar Point, are the most recent to close in the region.

Studios will save a cool billion dollars a year going all digital, said Pat Corcoran of the National Association of Theatre Owners. They will avoid spending $1,000 for each movie print. A digital copy costs about $100, including shipping.

The future of drive-ins is as hard to discern as their screens on a foggy night, said D. Edward Vogel, secretary of the drive-in owners group and owner of the popular Bengies Drive-In in Baltimore.

"Owners have got to decide whether to invest the money in a digital system or go under," he said. "Many drive-ins are owned by families, so perhaps it's time for younger members to pitch in and take over. It's the mark that families make that makes them a unique part of Americana."


View Drive-in theaters around Northeast Ohio in a larger map

Drive-ins in all directions

It may seem like all the drive-in theaters have vanished, but 11 are within about a 70-mile drive of Cleveland. Northeast Ohio has more drive-ins than almost anywhere in the world. If you want to watch a movie under the stars, here is where you can go:

Aut-O-Rama Drive-In, 33395 Lorain Road, North Ridgeville. Holds 1,000 vehicles. Opened in 1965. 1-440-327-9595.

Blue Sky Drive-In, 959 Broad St., Wadsworth. Holds 428 vehicles. Opened in 1947. 1-330-334-1809.

Elm Road Triple Drive-In, 1895 Elm Road, Warren. Holds 900 vehicles. Opened in 1950. 1-330-372-9732.

Lynn Auto Theatre, 9735 U.S. 250, Strasburg. Holds 225 vehicles. Opened in 1937. (330) 330-878-5797.

Magic City Drive-In, 5602 Cleveland-Massillon Road, Barberton. Holds 700 vehicles. Opened in 1953. 330-825-4333.

Mayfield Drive-In, 12010 Mayfield Road, Chardon. Holds 500 vehicles. Opened in 1952. 1-440-286-7173.

Midway Drive-In, 2736 Ohio 59, Ravenna. Holds 600 vehicles. Opened in 1949. 1-330-296-9829.

Skyway Drive-In, 1805 North Leavitt Road Northwest, Warren. Holds 650 vehicles. Opened in 1949. 1-330-898-3059.

Springmill Drive-In, 1040 Springmill St., Mansfield. Holds 750 vehicles. Opened in 1958. 1-419-747-2156. (Closing this year.)

Star View Drive-in, 2083 U.S. 20, Norwalk. Holds 520 vehicles. Opened in 1949. 1-419-668-1819.

Sunset Drive-In, 4018 Park Ave., Mansfield. Holds 600 vehicles. Opened in 1946. 419-529-5676. (Closing this year.)

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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Honestly, what new theater build isn't called state of the art these days?

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quote: Mike Blakesley

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I guess you have said in the past that Carmike does a pretty good job in your area (unlike many other areas including Montana). So hopefully they will do this new place justice.

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quote: Mike Rivest

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What's special that it's in an 18+ million square feet complex (think 100 Walmart Supercenters)

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quote:

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Sadly the Norman Robinson Crossing 6 Theater is CLOSED as of Monday, July 8, 2013.

Starplex Cinemas would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our employees over the years for their exemplary service and performance of duties and to our many loyal patrons that shared more than a generation of entertainment experiences with us.

Please visit our near-by Starplex Cinemas locations for an alternate movie going experience.

Crossroads Movie 8

Northpark 7

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Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 08-01-2013, 08:45 AM:
 
Canon City, CO - Update on the Skyline Theater which closed in June

http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/old/home/ci_23596625/skyline-theater-reopen-by-mid-july?IADID=Search-www.canoncitydailyrecord.com-www.canoncitydailyrecord.com

Skyline Theater to reopen by mid-July
By Carie Canterbury
canterburyc@canoncitydailyrecord.com
Posted: 07/04/2013 07:08:42 AM MDT

The owners of the Skyline Theater at 606 Main St. have pushed pause on the movies being shown at the historic theater, but they hope to have another movie cued up and ready to roll by the middle of July.

Owners Steve and Karen Nothdurft and manager Linda Epperson are working with the movie industries to get permissions to run movies after the family closed Creekside Cinema, owned by parents Roy and the late Kate Voss, on June 17. The family said the cost of renting space at Creekside Shopping Center, plus the expense to convert to digital operations by September — $65,000 per screen — has forced the family to make some hard decisions. When the Voss family opened Creekside Cinema in 2006, they hoped the Fourmile Ranch subdivision would have been thriving by now.

Since June 17, Skyline Theater has been dark, but it won't be for long.

"That's why there is no movie playing right now," Epperson said Wednesday. "Because of it changing hands, we are having to reapply with every one of the industries and send in credit applications and other paperwork to get approved and accepted so we can start getting movies."

Epperson said a kickstarter program implemented in June to help raise the $65,000 to convert Skyline Theater to digital didn't meet its intended goal.

"Because we didn't meet the kickstarter goal, no one was charged for the pledges," she said. "I just want to thank everybody who did go on and pledge."

An account has been set up at High Country Bank at 150 N. Reynolds for the Skyline Theater fund. Those wishing to contribute may drop off or mail donations to the bank. Epperson said they hope to raise enough money to convert the theater to digital, otherwise they will have to raise ticket prices to meet the requirement.

"If we can do fundraising to go digital, we will keep our prices as low as we can for as long as we can," she said. "Our goal is to thrive down on Main Street, and hopefully, we can help Main Street businesses by being here."

Admission is $7.50 for adults and $5 for seniors, children and matinees.

http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/old/home/ci_23687674/skyline-theater-manager-linda-epperson-encouraged-despite-low?IADID=Search-www.canoncitydailyrecord.com-www.canoncitydailyrecord.com

Skyline Theater manager Linda Epperson encouraged despite low 1st-day turnout
By Brandon Hopper
hopperb@canoncitydailyrecord.com
Posted: 07/18/2013 03:49:32 PM MDT

Florence family Jake Smith, left, holding Taylor Smith, his wife Sandra Smith and Madison Cress went to Skyline Theater on Thursday to watch Turbo. Sandra Smith said she was glad the movie theater is back open so they don't have to drive to Colorado Springs to watch a movie anymore. (Brandon Hopper / Daily Record)
Opening day at Skyline Theater wasn't the blockbuster hit that she was hoping for, but manager Linda Epperson is still encouraged.

"We did open on a Wednesday, but we had a lot of positive remarks about people happy to see us back in town," Epperson said.
The theater sold about 150 tickets combined to the four showings of Turbo, the story of the high-velocity snail comedy by Dreamworks. Epperson said she'd hoped they'd have 250, but understands Wednesday isn't the most popular day to see a movie.
The theater was forced by the movie industry to begin showing the film on a Wednesday.

For about a month, Cañon City was without a movie theater, forcing film seekers to drive 45 minutes to see the newest

Florence woman Sandra Smith said she was thrilled that Skyline Theater is back open. The family had been driving to Colorado Springs to watch new movies, but she and three family members went to Skyline Theater on Thursday.

The downtown theater at 606 Main St. will have shows Thursday through Saturday starting at 1 p.m., 3:30, 7 and 9:15. Beginning Sunday and going through Thursday, shows will start at 1 p.m., 3:30 and 7.

Admission is $7.50 for adults and $5 for seniors, children and matinees. For non-matinees, students with a valid school ID cost $6.

After the two-week run with Turbo, Epperson is hoping to snag Disney's Planes for its first two weeks. That would leave a one-week gap where she'd like to get Despicable Me 2.

Adults can rejoice, your movies are coming when the kids go back to school.

"Right now during the summer we would like to focus on some of these big, kids' movies that are coming out," she said. "Then starting in August, that's when they quit releasing them until Christmas. During that time we'll start filling in with the movies that are geared towards the older people."

She mentioned that she might try to get The Lone Ranger, but the 35 millimeter film that Skyline Theater uses constrains her somewhat.

That will need to change when a mandatory digital conversion date comes sometime in October or November, Epperson said. She said they plan to restart a Kickstarter program in the coming days that was unsuccessful in raising funds last month.

For more information, visit ccskylinetheater.com.

http://www.canoncitydailyrecord.com/news/ci_23768731/skyline-theater-getting-ready-relaunch-kickstarter-campaign?IADID=Search-www.canoncitydailyrecord.com-www.canoncitydailyrecord.com

Skyline Theater getting ready to relaunch Kickstarter campaign
By Brandon Hopper
hopperb@canoncitydailyrecord.com

POSTED: 07/31/2013 02:02:40 PM MDT

Linda Epperson is hoping the second try is the charm for the lone movie theater in town.

The recently reopened Skyline Theater is getting ready to relaunch its Kickstarter campaign in hopes of raising about $45,000.

"We've already had some really nice donations to our account so we're part way there," said Epperson, who's the manager of Skyline Theater, 606 Main St. "We're going to be setting off Kickstarter ... to raise the rest of the funds so we can go digital by the end of the year."

The theater is still operating on 35 millimeter film. That will need to change when a mandatory conversion date comes sometime before the end of the year, Epperson said.

The first Kickstarter campaign fell short of its goal, so no one who pledged money was charged. Kickstarter only charges the donators' credit card if the monetary goal is reached.

This time around, the campaign will be asking for less money over a longer period of time. The theater is currently working on the video to run with its campaign, but Epperson said she hopes they launch it within a week.

One rule to Kickstarter is that no company can accept money without offering an incentive of equal or greater value. Epperson said that a $20 donation gets patrons $27 worth of products (two adult movie passes and a $12 couple's combo at the concession stand). Some other incentives, depending on the amount pledged, are movie passes, movie posters, on-screen advertising and private viewing parties.

For those who don't want to donate using Kickstarter, funds can be donated at High Country Bank where an account is set up. The same incentives apply for people who donate at the bank.

The theater reopened July 17. The town had been without a movie theater since June 17 when Epperson's family, who also leased Creekside Cinema, closed both their theaters due to high costs.

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Upcoming Movies

Movies geared toward the teenagers and adults will soon be coming to Skyline Theater.

Manager Linda Epperson said they'll soon show White House Down, rated PG-13. That movie will be shown for five days, she said. After that, Epperson said they'll have Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, which is rated PG.

As summer ends, Epperson said the movie industry starts releasing less kid movies. That's when she hopes to bring in some other big-name movies geared toward adults.

— Brandon Hopper
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 08-09-2013, 02:44 PM:
 

 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 08-14-2013, 10:58 PM:
 
https://www.empiretheatres.com/theatres/westville-empire-drive

The last chain run drive-in in Canada that I know of is closing its doors Sept 2.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 08-16-2013, 08:51 PM:
 
You forgot that Cineplex still runs drive-ins in suburban Montreal and Quebec City. Both shows French movies.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 08-16-2013, 09:43 PM:
 
Expense of digital conversion forces shutdown of Florence (Oregon) Cinemas

http://www.florencemovies.com/
 

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Posted by Andrew Thomas (Member # 7000) on 08-16-2013, 11:14 PM:
 
I don't have a link, but the Marketplace 12 in New Braunfels, TX closes on the 18th. The 26th Alamo Drafthouse takes over and guts the place. I believe they are going to re-open it as a 10 screen (taking out two very small screens to accommodate their kitchen).
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 08-19-2013, 11:16 AM:
 
A year old, but this may be happening at military bases all across the country
Maxwell is in Montgomery, AL

quote:

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Movies "reel' to a halt on base Oct. 1

Posted 9/21/2012 Updated 9/24/2012 Email story Print story

by Rebecca Burylo
Air University Public Affairs

9/21/2012 - MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, AL -- Movies reel to a stop at the Maxwell-Weaver Theater Oct.1. Michael Allen, director of the 42nd Civil Engineer Squadron, who is in charge of all buildings on base, said there has been no decision so far concerning the future use of the theater.

The options are renovation for meetings and conferences or complete demolition. Though the building is old and holds a "potential historical eligibility" status, Allen added that the building could still be demolished. However, the process for such a decision could take six to nine months.

Lorenzo Salgado, Army and Air Force Exchange Service general manager for the Maxwell and Fort Rucker AAFES stores, is head of the daily operations of such facilities as the theater and exchanges. AAFES operates the theater and is responsible for the projection equipment, while the building itself is assigned to the host command.

Salgado said the decision to close the theater was an AAFES corporate decision based on the expense of adapting to the recent digitization of the movie industry. In 2008, the industry began converting over to digital projectors to accommodate the movies being released in digital formats.

"The industry is quickly converting to all digital, and by mid-2013, 35 mm film will no longer be produced. The cost of conversion to a digital system was not economically sound, based on the theater's patronage and earnings," said Salgado.

"We have a responsibility to protect our Airmen's money." The theater currently uses a 35 mm projection system, referring to the width of the film. Up until a few years ago, with the introduction of digitization, this type of film projection was the only format used in commercial movie theaters.

Also, contributing to the decision to close the theater was the limited number of sales and very few patrons attending the theater. "The patronage at the theater was limited," Salgado said. For some viewings, there were as few as two patrons. The attendance varied based on the popularity of the movie." Until October, movies will continue to show at regular times on Fridays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Organizations wishing to use the facility should contact the civil engineering squadron. The building currently housing the theater was originally dedicated to Maj. Gen. Walter Reed Weaver, (1885-1944), from the United States Army.

Weaver served as commanding officer at Maxwell Field during Alabama's Great Flood of 1929.

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quote: Mike Rivest

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Trois-Rivières,QC
Cinéma le Tapis Rouge (3 screens)(Translates to Red Carpet)
This is now open. It is the only art cinema between Montreal and Quebec. It has been built out of a printing department for a newspaper.

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quote: Kim McConnell, The Lawton Constitution

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A development company planning a movie complex in northwest Lawton has changed the size of its proposed theater, so a change in the site plan that had to be approved by city officials.

Anthony Properties reached an agreement with the City Council in late April to buy two city-owned tracts totaling 29.5 acres, located at Northwest 67th Street and Rogers Lane, for $2.5 million, with plans to build a movie theater complex on the smaller of the two tracts and keep the larger tract on the corner for future retail development. Tract one, 17.93 acres zoned C-3 Planned Community Shopping Center District, initially was appraised for $3.768 million, while tract two (where the movie theater will be located), containing 11.57 acres zoned C-1 Local Commercial District, was appraised at $1.66 million.

In June, the City Planning Commission approved a Use Permitted on Review (UPOR) request to allow the movie theater on the C-1 site. C-1 is the most restrictive of commercial zoning categories and a movie theater is permitted there only under UPOR, meaning prior approval by the commission (zoning classifications contain specific uses which are allowed without city approval).

UPOR requirements also specify a binding site plan, which details exactly what will be placed on a tract. Any significant changes to that site plan mean the applicant must return to the planning commission for prior approval before the changes may be implemented.

That's what happened Thursday, when Anthony Properties submitted a new site plan with its new UPOR application. City zoning codes give authority on UPOR requests to the Planning Commission, meaning the proposal doesn't have to go to the City Council for approval.

13 screens planned
Community Development Director Richard Rogalski said Anthony Properties is proposing a larger facility: What had been a 12-screen, 46,692-square-foot complex with 2,504 seats is now proposed for a 13-screen, 55,063-square-foot complex with 2,844 seats and a larger parking lot.

Rogalski, noting the complex will provide "a great venue for the City of Lawton," said the changes to the original site plan were significant enough to bring back to the Planning Commission because it represented an "intensification" of use.

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quote: David Stambaugh

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Expense of digital conversion forces shutdown of Florence (Oregon) Cinemas

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Too bad to hear about the Florence Cinemas Dave. I was investigating the theatre in '09 but before I could work on getting financing it was sold. It sounds as if those who bought it have no experience in the business. It has three screens and excellent 35mm equipment. The town has a population of about 9,000. The nearest theatres are about 60 miles north or south. It also sound as if they were open only on weekends.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 09-16-2013, 06:46 PM:
 
Another one closed in NYC, The American (7 screens) closed, only two cinemas left in the Bronx.
http://bronx.news12.com/news/american-theater-in-parkchester-set-to-close-in-4-days-1.6064344


December 26th, 1940 ad at
http://sdrv.ms/1aG3Lzc (my collection of over 3,800 grand opening ads)
 

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Posted by Joe Elliott (Member # 4006) on 09-17-2013, 04:10 AM:
 
The Roxy 10 Theater in Palm Bay FL closed on Sept 5th 2013.
Could not find a single mention in the media.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 09-25-2013, 03:16 PM:
 
CinéStarz St. Basile (Montréal) closed on September 26th, 2013
Article in French at http://www.hebdosregionaux.ca/monteregie/2013/09/18/le-cinema-ferme-ses-portes

Here it is in the Queen's English as translated by Google

Blow for moviegoers of Saint-Basile-le-Grand and the surrounding area. The CinéStarz located in the Ethier Centre on Laurier Boulevard, will close on September 26. The film, which employs more than a dozen workers, must give way to a sports center.

It is the center manager, president of Trust Ethier, Michel Ethier, who took this decision.

"He told us the news last week," says the owner of cinemas CinéStarz Bruce Gerber. "It's sad. I have invested more than $ 500,000 last year for digital cameras and this is what happens today. "

Mr. Gerber has 5 other cinemas discount in Quebec and Ontario, expressed surprise at how to make the owner of the center.

"It is true that our lease had expired more than a year. But I made many calls to the owner for several months without success. "

Unprofitable

The spokesman Trust Ethier, Sylvain Bonneau, contradicts these statements. "He had no lease for several years. The rent was so modest that it was no longer profitable. "

The film, which opened its doors in the '90s, had closed a dozen years later. It was not until May 2007 that the owner of the center, Michel Ethier, had managed to find a tenant interested in operating the seven theaters.

A business decision

Mr. Bonneau was particularly unhappy with the closure of the only cinema in town. "We sincerely apologize for what happens," says one who is also CEO of Furniture Ethier. "The cinema was a dream for Mr. Ethier and he never wanted to just disappear. It was he who helped restart after the collapse of 2007. "

Mr. Bonneau is deplorable read disparaging comments on Facebook says that it is reluctantly that the company had to make this decision. "With the fierce competition in the furniture market, we had to act to protect our investments. The movie was definitely not profitable for several years. We needed an area suitable for a real furniture store. "

The company will invest more than $ 1.5 million in Ethier Centre to transform it into a larger furniture store with a separate entrance. The location of the movie will be transformed into multi-purpose center.

"It was our way of doing something for the youth, a completely renovated location where there will be gymnastics, trampoline and Zumba."
 

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 09-28-2013, 08:57 PM:
 
Holiday Star Theatre, Park Forest IL, closed as of September 5 with the curious tweet: "The Holiday Star Theater will not be open due to a worker strike. We thank you all for your patronage." The web page says "The Holiday Star Theater will be closed until Monday, September 9th, 2013 Sorry for the inconvience."

This was a 1950 single screen with balcony (and cry room!) in an outdoor Chicago suburban shopping mall called the Holiday Theater. Over the years, it's been the Park Forest, the Centre Cinema, back to Park Forest, and most recently Holiday Star, which seems to be both an homage to the original name as well as the former name of a live venue over in Merrillville, Indiana. It's been a subrun / 2nd run house for years, once run by Classic Cinemas. Subdivided into 2 downstairs, 2 upstairs, then a 5th added in former store space under the balcony.

Two observations: An operator who cannot afford to change the signage to his/her chosen name is unlikely to be able to afford digital. (Gosh, maybe they should have left the name alone.)

And that they left so quickly there wasn't even time to change the marquee to the traditional "CLOSED FOR REMODELING" lie.

Guess "FUITVALE STATION" (sic) will not be showing.




Previously serviced by Mark G. And previously painted by an all-female crew called "Help Me Rhonda!"
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 09-30-2013, 03:50 PM:
 
Dallas: Amstar 14 (AKA: The Grand 24) has closed on August 30th. Nothing in the news.
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 11-08-2013, 10:47 AM:
 
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/housingcomplex/2013/11/07/ten-screen-movie-theater-coming-to-noma/

Ten-Screen Movie Theater Coming to NoMa
Posted by Aaron Wiener on Nov. 7, 2013 at 6:39 pm

Landmark Theatres is planning to open a 10-screen movie theater in NoMa, with an anticipated opening in fall 2016.

The cinema will be part of the Capitol Point development by the Chevy Chase, Md.-based JBG Companies, which is located at the corner of New York Avenue and N Street NE and will also include a 200-room Hyatt Place hotel that is currently under construction, as well as residential, retail, and office components.

JBG announced the move in a press release this afternoon. The theater will occupy about 31,000 square feet. It joins a growing cinema scene in D.C., with a 16-screen theater planned for the Capitol Riverfront.

The theater will have feature a full-service bar and the ability to reserve seats. It'll be the third Landmark theater in the D.C. area.

Rendering courtesy of JBG
 

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Posted by Harold Hallikainen (Member # 5405) on 11-13-2013, 07:53 PM:
 
Regal/Edwards about to open new 14 screen theater in Santa Maria CA.
http://www.noozhawk.com/article/bizhawk_regal_cinema_set_for_grand_opening_20131017
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 11-14-2013, 10:01 AM:
 
^^4D? Is that still a thing?
 

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Posted by Harold Hallikainen (Member # 5405) on 11-16-2013, 01:29 PM:
 
I saw dbox in a DCP name earlier this week. Fun to listen to when the sound processor is set to 13.1 instead of 7.1.

Harold
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 11-23-2013, 10:11 PM:
 
Nov 9, 2013 the Strand in Atmore closes after 84 years. As far as I know, it was the longest continuously operating movie theatre in Alabama. And, as far as I know, now the Capri is (though we've only been operating for 72 years).
Strand in Atmore AL closes
 

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Posted by Martin Thuss (Member # 7976) on 11-26-2013, 04:44 PM:
 
Brand new to the forums (first post!) ...

My wife and I plan to open a small (3 screen) independent (non-franchise) first-run movie theatre in our town (Strathroy-Caradoc, Ontario, Canada; population approximately 21,000). There is currently no theatre in our town; the closest theatre is about 30 minutes away. We have already polled the community (via SurveyMonkey) and support is overwhelming (90% of respondents are somewhat or very likely to visit our theatre rather than travelling out of town).

We are currently in the research stage. I am meeting with a couple of industry consultants tomorrow and taking a tour of a similar small theatre a couple of hours away the day after that.

Being brand new to the game, I think we are fortunate that we don't have to incur any "extra" expenses associated with converting from film to digital since we'll be digital right out of the gate.

I have already registered and booked my travel for CinemaCon 2014 in March. I'm hoping to learn a lot and make some great contacts. I have also subscribed to BoxOffice Magazine (haven't received my first issue yet) and read (and re-read and re-read!) the Theatrical Exhibition section in The Movie Business Book (Squire).

I will post specific questions in other threads (or start new ones) ... just wanted to announce my presence!

Thanks!
 

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Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 12-20-2013, 11:36 AM:
 
I think you need to be very careful in your business analysis before deciding to open a theatre. Margins in the theatre business are very small - they're basically part-time concession stands that happen to show movies.

At a time when home screens are getting bigger and theatrical windows are getting shorter and shorter, theater audiences are declining.

Figuring that 20% of the population would see 6 movies a year (or 40% of the population would see 3 movies a year), I don't see how you'd be selling more than 25,000 tickets a year. Your net margin on those tickets could be as little as $50,000. You might be able to pull another $50,000 gross out of the concession stand. I don't see how anyone can make it on those numbers considering you also have to pay construction, fixtures, equipment, rent, power, insurance, employees, advertising, etc.

The problem with theaters is that they're only in use part of the day, have slow turnover and low margin, since the distributors get most of the money, and with the entertainment options available at home, more and more people simply don't bother. You have a generation of people who (unfortunately) seem very satisfied watching a movie on a 7" screen.

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Theatre closings: In addition to the American 7 in the Bronx, NY mentioned in an earlier post (about 1400 seats, built in 1939), the Bombay Theatre in Flushing, NY, which opened in 1940 as the Mayfair with about 600 seats has also closed.

Also, something seems to be going on at the AMC (formerly Loews) Fresh Meadows 7 in Fresh Meadows, Queens right off of the Long Island Expressway. The theatre was recently renovated with the seat count drastically reduced and lounge chairs installed. The seat count was reduced to about 700 from about 1900 seats (and 2185 when it was built in 1948). But it seems to be closed again. No show times are listed even on the AMC site. But maybe it's a temporary problem caused by a bad heating system or water leak or something.

Still including the Fresh Meadows as "open", that brings the screen/theatre count in New York City (all five boroughs) to 440 screens at 59 theaters, including only those theaters that have a daily schedule of movies. It was 520/78 in 2001.
 

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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 12-20-2013, 01:15 PM:
 
Wow, Martin, the Fresh Meadows closing? That and the RKO Keith's were my two favorite theatres as a kid. I saw my first 3D movie at the Fresh Meadows (HOUSE OF WAX) and also THE ROBE. I snuck in a side door and watched them building the CinemaScope screen frame there, then got booted out by the construction foreman. I didn't realize it was such a large capacity auditorium. Real showmanship there. It even had its own distinct, wonderful smell when you walked in. Each of the theatres had their own distinguishing scent.

When I designed our Whitman Theatre cinema, I insisted the we find the same cream colored, satin curtain material that they had at the Meadows, mimicking it as a kind of respect for the past. Walked all over Canal Street for two days until I found exactly the color and sheen that I remembered....a kind of homage to that great lady.

So sad those great houses went the way of the Dodo bird, and even with multiplying the screens like some sort of creeping virus, they still can't make enough of a profit to stay opened. I guess it is up to us to tell the story far and wide, that for one brief shining moment...
 

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Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 12-25-2013, 11:42 PM:
 
https://www.amctheatres.com/movie-theatres/amc-fresh-meadows-7

They appear to be open...
 

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Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 12-26-2013, 01:19 PM:
 
Just drove by yesterday going out to family on the Island. It does look open -- big, garish AMC logo red letters (downright ugly, in fact) covering the original marquee. No marquee at all to display what's playing, at last not that I could see from the road, as I drove in holiday traffic at 10mph on the Long Island Distressway - such a joy.
 

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Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 01-03-2014, 02:03 PM:
 
The Skyvue Drive In Theatre, a twin, is for sale in Winchester, KY. This should be of interest to Tim Reed.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 01-14-2014, 07:14 PM:
 
Here's what opened and closed down in 2013
https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=88E2E8B0B7CF89D0!10645&authkey=!AIxZ1niI2KnCj0M&ithint=file%2c.docx
 

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Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 01-15-2014, 03:37 PM:
 
Studio Movie Grill Arena Grand opened on 1/14/2014 in Columbus, OH. This is a reopening of the former Arena Grand 11 screen location. All seating is reserved.

It is located in across the street from the Nationwide Arena, home of the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team. This is a very busy entertainment district with a baseball stadium and many restaurant/bars. Studio Movie Grill will do very well in this location.
 

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Posted by Russ Levinson (Member # 7185) on 01-15-2014, 08:43 PM:
 
AMC Fresh Meadows is open and consistently selling out many shows....new prices are $14 in the evening and $12.25 daytime.
Bombay Theatre is open and still playing Indian films.
Glen Cove Cinemas is re-opening in a few months.
Teaneck Cinemas in NJ was also re-opened recently.
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 01-16-2014, 03:15 PM:
 
"AMC Fresh Meadows"? Did they fill the building with dryer sheets or something?
 

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Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 01-16-2014, 04:04 PM:
 
Opening today in Saginaw, Michigan is the new Goodrich Quality 10 GDX. A new 10 screen theater and the Giant Digital Experience (GDX) on a 30 X 70 Foot screen with Dolby Atmos sound.

They even have the Dolby Digital logo and Dolby Atmos on the large letter sign mounted to the outside of the building. The auditorium has 14 speakers in the ceiling and a row of speakers on either wall as well as Subwoofers. (No mention in the article about those behind the screen)

Six of the ten shows today are just $1.00 with pop and popcorn also $1.00 each. Tomorrow they open with new showings of current features. Proceeds from today's showings and concessions will be donated to the Covenant Kids Foundation.

This information from today's Saginaw NEWS. Also available on line at MLive.com/saginaw

The existing structure that housed the Saginaw 8, later the Saginaw 8 plus the Quad and finally the Saginaw 12 is to be demolished to make more parking.

The building is a striking new structure and is sure to get lots of positive comments from the public.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 01-17-2014, 08:50 AM:
 
According to the theater's web site the 10+GDX theater has 3 screens equipped with Atmos, the 70' "GDX" screen and 2 other theaters with 56' wide screens. Dolby already has the theater listed on its Atmos theaters map. Unfortunately they don't say how many screens a given theaters has equipped with Atmos. Many have only 1 Atmos equipped while while some have multiple Atmos screens.
 

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Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 01-17-2014, 10:40 AM:
 
Regal opened the Regal Broward Stadium 12 & RPX a the Broward Mall in Plantation, FL yesterday. I don't think this RPX has Atmos or Auro but I can't tell for sure.

This mall had a GCC 4 plex a long time ago (and I believe a UA 4 plex as well for some period of time). It is also right next to the shopping center that used to contain the GCC Fountains 8 (later operated by Sunrise Cinemas).
 

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Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 01-19-2014, 10:55 PM:
 
Folks:

According to "Yelp" the CENTURY 24 in San Jose has cloased. This was one of those dome theatres Century built in the 60's. Closure had been rumored for at least a few years.

Mike
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 01-21-2014, 08:17 AM:
 
Apparently this happened in Delaware:

LINK

Independent movie theater opens in Middletown

MIDDLETOWN — New Castle County now has a new movie theater.

Westown Movies theater, independently owned by Rick Roman Theater management, opened Dec. 20 in Middletown and features 12 theaters showing the latest movies.

“We have been very busy, we want to average 1,500 people a day and we had 1,750 on Thursday,” said Scott Waugh, marketing advertising manager for Westown Movies. “We have a cafeteria style concession stand that moves the people through the line a lot quicker. You don’t get stuck behind someone buying a lot of items if you only want one thing.”

Moviegoers can also buy tickets online with a free mobile app with no service charge. The movies and times are also listed on the popular movie theater website Fandango.

Movies will start around noon on weekdays with a last showing around 9:30 p.m. and longer hours on weekends.

The complex also hosts a GTX theater, which stands for “Grand Theater Experience” and has Dolby Atmos Sound System, 62-foot screen and wider reclining seats, which feature leg room, arm rests that fold up completely and 21-inch risers. When you purchase your ticket for the GTX theater, you can also reserve your seats.

“There is not a bad seat in this theater,” Waugh said.

Those craving a White Castle hamburgers, Pat’s Pizza, Pretzels Boys pretzels, fresh hot popcorn, Brusters Ice Cream or just a cappuccino coffee will be able to grab their snack before catching a movie as well.

Some moviegoers were already raving about the proximity and features of the new theater in its first week of operation.

“It is a lot quicker getting tickets at this theater than the one in Glasgow, Del.,” said Shelbe Davis, of Earleville, Md. “Here it is done on a computer and you just go in, slide your card and get your ticket. No wait unlike (Peoples Plaza) we had to wait in line for about 15 minutes on Saturday morning. I have been to both movie theaters this weekend and the seats rock. They’re comfortable and much better here at the Middletown theater.”

“It is a lot closer for us than going to Glasgow,” said Angie Wiseman, of Odessa, Del. “It was cheaper too and made a great day out for my son and I. I like that they only have a few video games, so you don’t spend a ton of money after the movie.”
 

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 01-21-2014, 11:38 AM:
 

quote: Bobby Henderson

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According to the theater's web site the 10+GDX theater has 3 screens equipped with Atmos, the 70' "GDX" screen and 2 other theaters with 56' wide screens.

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quote: Dennis Benjamin

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So, the movie is 'Scope. There was about two feet of space above the picture and 4 feet of space below the picture. Letterbox, like on a square television screen. Why would you do this? I am guessing that if a Flat movie was playing in there, it would have filled up the screen (maybe not). So why wouldn't you make the screen the right size for 'Scope films and have the space on the two sides when a Flat movie was playing? OR PUT UP MASKING????

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quote: Dennis Benjamin

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It is a nice building. However, very apparent that the people involved are not "movie theatre people". All that money spent and no one gives a damn about technical specifications.

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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I don't think theaters are saving any money on those single lens setups.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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Of course they are saving money. Tons of money actually.

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quote: Aaron Simms

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Most moviegoers can relate to Charles "Charlie" Kaufman's feelings on what it is like to go and see a movie at the theatre: "I do like escapism. I like going to the movies on a Friday night and seeing something fun." Well, here at Galaxy Theatres we pride ourselves on providing our guests with a feeling of escapism and fun. In fact, Galaxy Luxury+ IMAX is Sparks' premiere headquarters for escapism, by offering our guests the ultimate luxury theatre experience: A true IMAX® Screen, the most plush, reclining power seats in Sparks, fantastic all digital sound and projection, huge screens, two enormous 4K screens featuring Dolby ATMOS sound and outstanding guest service. To top it all off, guests have the ability to reserve their seating at no extra cost. So, how's that for escapism?

My staff and I are excited and ready to provide the thrills and escapism that movie-going should offer. We look forward to assisting you in your next Luxury+ IMAX experience. See you soon!

Aaron Simms

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Among the amenities offered:
• True IMAX® Screen
• The most plush, reclining seats in Sparks
• Beer and wine service
• Fantastic all digital sound and projection
• Huge screens
• 2 Enormous 4K screens featuring Dolby ATMOS sound
• Award winning customer service
• All reserved seating at no extra cost

I'm not sure what they mean by "true IMAX screen." At first glance that would mean 15-perf 70mm film projection capability. But then I remember all the games IMAX likes to play with its advertising. Merely having the IMAX brand present is enough to make it "true" in the eyes of some people.


Two of the non-IMAX houses have big screens with 4K projection and Dolby Atmos sound systems. This will be the first Atmos-equipped theater in the Reno, NV region.
 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-02-2014, 06:43 PM:
 

quote: Bobby Henderson

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With these new theaters it's all about the lobby, I guess. If the customers are blown away by a high priced lobby they'll shell out even more money at the snack counter. Make up for all the money spent in the lobby by short changing little things in the theater auditoriums. No curtains. No masking.

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quote:

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They have a sound installation that should be sufficient for d-cinema,

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The sound part for a DCI set up can be done for dirt cheap.
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 02-09-2014, 01:09 PM:
 
There are a number of mom and pop movie theatres out there that were forced to go digital and are not D.C.I. compliant when it comes to their sound systems. That's just a fact..
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 02-09-2014, 02:08 PM:
 
And where are these DCI Police? Only the VPF people have that burden. Not that it is a great burden but on top of the whole DCinema package, it may be more than a small timer can afford at the time. I know we have a few non 5.1 theatres out there but they all seem to have plans to get to 5.1 as $$$ allow. Remember, they aren't making any more money by spending all of that on Digital.
 

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Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 02-09-2014, 03:10 PM:
 
I remember years ago, when one of the requirements of playing the Star Wars Special Edition movies was having digital sound, our theatre upgraded our largest auditorium to DTS, while my competition got themselves a Dolby processor. We played A New Hope and Empire, while they got Jedi.

About a month later, we picked up a film they were losing, so I went over to pick up the print. They took me up to their booth, and I saw their Dolby processor. It was a Dolby AC-3 home stereo processor sitting atop their sound rack, and the damn thing wasn't even plugged in.


 

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Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 02-09-2014, 03:34 PM:
 
Sounds like a local theater operator about 10 years ago who went to other theaters and bought Dolby Digital plaques from the managers/projectionists instead of getting them direct from Dolby.

I just know everyone wants to know why. The reason was because he had a cd player running his non-sync music through his CP55s. His explanation was "I have digital sound in the auditoriums from the non-sync music, so I am going to advertise digital sound in these auditoriums even if Dolby won't send me the plaques".
 

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Posted by Andrew Thomas (Member # 7000) on 02-09-2014, 09:36 PM:
 
There is plenty of d-cinema projectors out there, and with the requirement to have Gore board upgrades to qualify series 1 projectors for VPF agreements...I'd guess you have until at least 2018 to keep getting major studio content with non-compliant series 1 projectors.

I actually purchased 3 series 1 NEC projectors for $10k each last year. Ended up flipping them when we were able to get lease financing on new series 2 equipment.

I have seen very few used series 2 projectors, and usually the price point is so close to what you can buy new that it doesn't make sense to not go new and get the warranty that comes with it.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 02-10-2014, 12:04 AM:
 

quote: Edward Havens

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About a month later, we picked up a film they were losing, so I went over to pick up the print. They took me up to their booth, and I saw their Dolby processor. It was a Dolby AC-3 home stereo processor sitting atop their sound rack, and the damn thing wasn't even plugged in.

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quote: Mike Frese

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Jefferson City, Mo new arthouse

http://www.newstribune.com/news/2013/jun/27/capitol-city-cork-add-theater-downtown/#.Uc0MSQKT26o.facebook

Capitol City Cork to add theater to downtown

By Jessica Duren
Thursday, June 27, 2013

jessicad@newstribune.com

In the coming weeks, a transformation will start to take shape in one of Jefferson City’s downtown businesses.

Capitol City Cork and Provisions will begin reconstructing the adjacent space, formerly Chez Monet, into an independent movie theater named Capitol City Cork and Cinema.

Cork owner Jami Wade said the vision to open an independent theater has been a dream of hers for some time.

“It has been something that Jeff City needs. Whenever I opened Cork I thought if that space ever became available it would be perfect to tie those two businesses together,” she said.

Jefferson City doesn’t currently have an independent theater. The city’s only second-run movie theater, Truman 4 Theatre, plans to close after 43 years at the end of this month.

With help from Missouri Arts Council and some advice from good friends, Columbia’s RagTag Cinema owners, Wade and her team are making their dreams a reality.

“I have been offered so many things just to help get this along, the enthusiasm and excitement has just blown me away,” Wade noted of the support fellow residents and business owners have offered in the dream stage.

The new cinema will be a not-for-profit organization and will be fitting for all ages.

“I think there will be some really cool opportunities for high school kids,” and the theater plans to also cater to younger kids as well.

Featured movies will include independent films, documentaries, retrospective films and classics, and will be shown on one screen inside the storefront. As far as seating goes, the specifics aren’t set in stone.

The theater will offer food and beverages all operating out of the Cork side of the business. Wade said that not many people know it, but the two spaces are actually one building, joined together with “Jack and Jill” bathrooms. Construction on the space will start as early as next week.

“It is really going to be a shell, and we kind of want it to be a shell,” she said. Renovations include exposing the hardwood floors, erecting a wall, and more cosmetic changes. Wade noted that not as much work will have to be done as was required in the adjoining restaurant.

Wade said she’s excited to bring something completely new to the Capital City.

“This isn’t another restaurant, or bar or clothing store, and it’s going to be good for all ages.”

Allowing herself a few months to give the space a new look, Wade hopes to open the theater by October.

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• Harkins Arcadia 8 - Phoenix, AZ
• UA Galaxy Theatre at Los Cerritos Center - Cerritos, CA
• AMC Tri-City 8 - Largo, FL
• AMC Loews White Flint 5 - Kensington, MD

 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 02-25-2014, 12:24 AM:
 
Plaza 8 Theaters' last day will be Sunday March 2nd, after 30 years of business. The building will soon thereafter be demolished for a grocery store(gag)
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-25-2014, 10:09 AM:
 
Well Buck, that really sucks. Any chance at some pictures?
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 02-25-2014, 08:20 PM:
 
Oh you bet. I've taken probably 100 over the last few months. It's been one hell of a ride, I have learned more in the last 8 months than I thought possible. The biggest lesson being that owning my own theater doesn't have to be a dream, it is now a goal.

My personal favorite auditorium:


 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 02-25-2014, 08:36 PM:
 
This past Friday, The UA Marley Station closed in Glen Burnie, Maryland.
 

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 02-26-2014, 10:09 AM:
 
UPDATE: The Bridge in San Francisco has been sold!

No, not the one over the Golden Gate! - The long closed BRIDGE THEATRE was sold last week.

It was a nice, 400 seat single screen "neighborhood theater" previously run by LANDMARK.

It has been closed for several years. Last week it was sold and the new owners are
going to convert it (are you sitting down?. . . ) into an indoor baseball batting range. ( ! )

Here's a couple of pix from my files:
Exterior


Booth (late 2012)


Trivial Comments:
Ever notice how the floor right by each projector is worn away like in this photo?
Back when I ran change-overs for many years, I also always wore out the left
knee on my pants faster than the right knee, cuz that's the one I knelt down
on while threading the sound-head & attaching film to the take-up reel.
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 02-26-2014, 01:29 PM:
 

quote:

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Oh you bet. I've taken probably 100 over the last few months. It's been one hell of a ride, I have learned more in the last 8 months than I thought possible. The biggest lesson being that owning my own theater doesn't have to be a dream, it is now a goal.

My personal favorite auditorium:

-

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quote: Frank Angel

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NYC and a development company out of Dallas (or possibly Houston, not sure) is refurbishing the Loew's Kings in Brooklyn. Everyone is aware that the building has no parking lot as part of the property; this is so problematic, especially given the neighborhood (pretty foreboding at night), that they are trying to make a deal with Sears which is directly behind the theatre; Sears does have a large parking lot and if they can work out some kind of an arrangement, it will go a long way to help make the operation of the theatre viable. Without it, it is really questionable.

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quote: Frank Angel

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NYC and a development company out of Dallas (or possibly Houston, not sure) is refurbishing the Loew's Kings in Brooklyn. Everyone is aware that the building has no parking lot as part of the property; this is so problematic, especially given the neighborhood (pretty foreboding at night), that they are trying to make a deal with Sears which is directly behind the theatre; Sears does have a large parking lot and if they can work out some kind of an arrangement, it will go a long way to help make the operation of the theatre viable. Without it, it is really questionable.

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Well Sears might not be around much longer anyway, so that real-estate might become very available. But as beautiful as that theatre might be once restored, I wonder if it can really attract people. There was a beautiful renovation of the Loews Paradise in the Bronx and it opened as a performing arts venue for a while, but I believe it's closed again and that area, because of the wide Grand Concourse and the very active commercial district, is more viable IMO than Flatbush near Church. Just before it closed, I can remember seeing two movies at the Kings: The Godfather Part II and a concert film about the Fillmore East. I remember calling in advance to ask if the Fillmore movie was playing in mag stereo and they said it was. Then when I got there, there was at least one channel missing - they'd have close ups of a guy playing the organ and you didn't hear any organ. Complained to the manager who said the usual, "it's supposed to be like that". Wrote a letter and they sent me a refund.

Recent closings in NYC:
UA Brandon Twin in Forest Hills, Queens: becoming a medical center. Opened in 1963, was twinned in 1999. Wasn't a great theatre as the screen was too high and from one of the auditoriums, you could hear the Long Island Railroad going by, but it will still be missed.

Jackson Triplex in Jackson Heights, Queens: originally opened in 1924.

Big Cinemas (59th St/2nd Avenue): had former lives as the Pacific East, DW Griffith, 59th St East and the Imaginasian.

The five boroughs of NYC are now down to just 56 sites (432 screens) regularly showing movies for over 8.3 million residents.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 04-28-2014, 05:58 PM:
 
Colleyville TX (DFW)
" The Studio Movie Grill - Colleyville in Colleyville, Texas is scheduled to open next month, according to a press release issued by Studio Movie Grill yesterday. It doesn't mention an exact date, but it does say that it will be open in time for the opening of X-Men: Days of Future Past which is released in theaters on May 23, 2014. "

seems this theatre keeps changing hands.
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 05-02-2014, 03:05 AM:
 
Siler City Mississauga closed its doors today. This was one of Famous Players earlier Silver City locations when it originally opened.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 05-14-2014, 06:22 PM:
 
Terry Lynn-Stevens, That's SilverCity Mississauga. Grand opening ad at http://1drv.ms/1gFdFCG
It was the first SilverCity theatre to be built. Also the first UltraAVX screen to be closed

Also in Gatineau,QC the CinéStarz closed there.
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 05-19-2014, 12:11 PM:
 
Mike, thank you for the clarification, I knew it was one of Famous Players earlier SilverCitys but I did not know it was their first. I also did not realize it was a 1997 opening.

Did you ever visit this location?
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 05-23-2014, 12:59 PM:
 
The Fort Union Drive-in in Las Vegas, NM will be opening up once again - with digital projection. The equipment will be on-site June 9th with a planned first evening of Friday, June 13th. That now gives four operating DI screens in the state - this one in Las Vegas (running Thr-Sun each week for the season), and three at the Fiesta 3 in Carlsbad (running Fri-Sun each week all year, and looking at adding another evening). Don't know 'bout their programming plan though...

quote:

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Deal in place to save drive-in

Taos real estate investor Felipe Cordova has purchased the digital projector, and all the documents are signed to move forward on the opening of the age-old attraction.

“We will have the equipment in place by June 9, and if all goes well we will open Friday, June 13,” Cordova said in a telephone interview Wednesday.

For months, area residents have been wondering whether the drive-in would become a long-gone tradition. Former drive-in owners said the cost of purchasing the digital equipment was way out of range. People gathered and tried to figure out ways to purchase the new equipment, to no avail. But conversations between Cordova and his grandson, Robertson High School senior Jake Cordova are making the drive-in rebirth a reality.

The cost of the digital equipment alone is roughly $80,000.

“He would prompt me through conversation,” Felipe Cordova said. “I have been exploring the possibilities of this for the last two years.”

He said work needs to be done to the facility’s existing camera room to accommodate the new equipment. The work will include making it larger and installing proper cooling units.

“We have quite a bit of work to do there,” Felipe Cordova said. “We have the contractor lined up and should be finished by June 9 when they bring in the equipment.”

He said the equipment is coming from out of state. Once it is installed, staff will be trained on how to use it.

“I am very hopeful that everything will be ready to go by June 13,” Felipe Cordova said.

Besides films being shown digitally, another big change is the plan to add Thursday night showings to the previous Friday, Saturday and Sunday schedule.

“We want to have a good assortment of films,” Felipe Cordova said. “We will also still have a concession with basically the same food that has been served and maybe expanding it as we go. I am always open for possibilities of different things.”

Jake Cordova will serve as operations manager for the company, while the elder Cordova plans to relocate part-time to Las Vegas during showing days.

“My grandson Jacob was very instrumental in putting me in contact with the right people,” Felipe Cordova said. “He has been working there for the past two years and knows the business quite well.”

He said the cost will be $20 per carload.

“This endeavor is running into quite a bit of money,” Felipe Cordova said. “The up-front including the software costs have been quite a bit.”

An enthusiastic Felipe Cordova said the local drive-in movie theatre is one of the two remaining in the state, the other in Carlsbad in southern New Mexico.

“We are hoping to attract people from Mora, Pecos, Springer, Taos, and Santa Fe,” Felipe Cordova said.

Felipe Cordova said he is unsure what movies will show opening night. He also plans to create an extensive movie library so they can pull out movies at the request of people to show on the massive screen.

He said he is grateful for landowner Gilbert Pino’s being accommodating in making the reopening possible. Felipe Cordova said he is also looking into the possibility of acquiring the land as part of this investment endeavor.

“We want to make it a good and enjoyable outing for the whole family,” he said. “I am excited to get this going.”

---

quote:

---

He also plans to create an extensive movie library so they can pull out movies at the request of people to show on the massive screen.

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quote:

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TWIN FALLS • After almost 50 years in business, Interstate Amusements has decided to shutter its Twin Falls theaters.

“We decided we’re going to be closing,” Vice-President Byron Kluss told the Times-News Wednesday.

The Orpheum Theatre, in downtown Twin Falls, will close May 26. The Twin Cinema 12, on Kimberly Road, and the nearby Motor Vu Drive-In will close May 29.

The decision comes weeks after the company’s long-time managing director Larry Roper announced he would retire due to health reasons.

With Roper’s decision, Interstate’s six stockholders began to consider the future of the theaters.

On May 8, Kluss told the Times-News Interstate had to consider the age of its owners. It also would determine whether or not it could profit in Twin Falls. Both drive-in theaters are $80,000 behind in digital upgrades, and the new Magic Valley Cinema 13, owned by Cinema West of Petaluma Calif., brought Interstate direct competition.

“We just don’t think Twin Falls is big enough for 25 screens,” Kluss said Wednesday.

The company has already accepted an offer on the Twin Cinema 12 property. Kluss said he doesn’t know the potential owner’s plans, but knows they don’t involve another theater.

“That sale hasn’t been finalized” he said.

A possible sale of the historic Orpheum Theater is in a “process of due diligence,” Kluss said. He could not comment on the plans of potential future owners.

Both drive-in theaters went up for sale at the beginning of December, said Gregg Olsen, of Westerra Real Estate Group. The 8-acre Motor Vu lot carries a pricetag of $1.2 million, and the 7-acre Grand Vu lot is listed at $300,000.

You get a “spot in your heart” after so many years, Kluss said, but the company feels it’s making the best decision.

“It’s a bittersweet decision,” he said, “but time runs its course.”

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.. Monte
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 05-26-2014, 11:32 AM:
 
Canada's largest multiplex has closed. The AMC Interchange 30 made is 15 years and closed its doors about 10 days ago. This theater never really received the bookings as most movies would go to the Famous Player + IMAX across across the highway.

Near the end of its run, the Interchange 30 closed down one side wing (13 screens) and the four large center screens (4 screens) and operated with just one side wing working.

The Interchange 30 was also operating as a 35mm theater right up until the end. The theaters two digital 3D projectors were removed months ago and were sent to the US to be used at an AMC theater near you.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 05-26-2014, 05:03 PM:
 
The AMC Interchange 30 was the largest theatre since the Roxy in NYC to close with 5,854 seats. The Roxy had 5,886.
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 05-26-2014, 09:46 PM:
 
Mike, do you have the opening day ad?
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 05-30-2014, 07:21 PM:
 
You can find the AMC 30 in my Onedrive (two ads), which hosts the world's largest collection of grand opening ads at my Toronto Section at http://1drv.ms/1hHlWGN

The Roxy in NYC can be found in my Manhattan section at http://1drv.ms/1hHmhcC
PS: The Roxy also included the seats outside of the auditorium including the elevator operators etc...

You can also look in the folders.
 

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 05-30-2014, 08:23 PM:
 
the P&G movie theater at Montgomery Mall (Bethesda Maryland) has closed. Obviously they didn't think that their antiquated theater would survive with the upcoming new Arclight a floor up from them.
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 06-02-2014, 10:14 AM:
 
Technically that theatre wasn't a P&G location. Some other company came in there to run the theatre at the Mall knowing that the time was limited.
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 06-02-2014, 02:13 PM:
 
Last I heard (and it has been awhile) P&G is just riding things out until they can no longer get 35mm. Is this still true?
 

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 06-02-2014, 02:44 PM:
 
aw gatcha... thanks Dennis - I wasn't sure WHAT chain owned it, it was rather vague.

interestingly the Old Greenbelt location is closed for 'renovation' (Fall reopening) - what ever that means? digital conversion ?? [shrugs]
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 06-02-2014, 06:07 PM:
 
I got an email about the Greenbelt some time ago. The community is trying to take it over and keep it open.
 

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 06-02-2014, 06:16 PM:
 
oh, I almost forgot - the Angelika is opening a "pop up" location near the future 2015 Union Market theater location on the 13th of June here in Washington DC. It will be interesting to see how this is set up since it's a temporary warehouse location with three screens / and reserved seating.
 

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Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 06-03-2014, 01:27 PM:
 
Interstate Amusement of Idaho & Montana last Thursday the 29th. officially shut down the Twin Cinema 12, Motor Vu & Grand Vu drive-ins, and the Orpheum Theatre downtown. The end of an era.
IA has no theatres in operation any more with this closure.
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 06-04-2014, 11:28 PM:
 
Cinetopia 18, Overland Park Kansas, Had its grand opening May 22nd.

Theater has 2 large format GXL screens with Atmos, Dine-in theaters, 21+ parlor theaters, and living room inspired theaters with couches and whatnot.
 

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Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-05-2014, 08:37 PM:
 
actually that theatre like most of the big odeon's here has 7 seats asile 16 seats centre asile and repeated on the opposite side
 

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Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 06-06-2014, 09:22 AM:
 
Does anyone find it odd that while the home theater is trying to mimic the commercial cinema - this cinema is trying to look more like a living room video viewing area?

Would you leave your living room for ours?
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 06-06-2014, 12:26 PM:
 
My answer is a resounding no. Seems like such a silly idea to me.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-06-2014, 02:46 PM:
 
Movies need to be shown in a traditional enough environment as possible. IMHO, that also means having stuff like curtains that open/close and masking around the screen. Too many new multiplex auditoriums make me feel more like I'm at Home Depot or something rather than inside a movie theater. There needs to be some class in the atmosphere.

I don't understand the motive behind making an auditorium feel like some kind of living room lounge. I can understand using big, plush recliners and putting other luxury features into a age 21+ luxury screening room concept.

Some theaters have had success with putting the restaurant inside the movie theater, although that's not something I want in every auditorium.

One thing I haven't seen tried yet: a theater auditorium as a sports bar. I think it could work. You have a few rows of bar tops with stool style chairs positioned in front of a huge screen, good for watching the NBA Finals, Super Bowl or other big events. If I was going to build a sports bar I would want a central, focused area pointing toward a main feature screen. The main screen would have a high powered traditional 5.1 channel sound system. That area would be flanked on the left and right by other seats, big screen HDTV sets, etc. I have a pretty cool image in my head of how it would look. Just need a bunch of start-up capital to make it real.

 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 06-06-2014, 04:33 PM:
 
Bobby, are you suggesting a sports bar within a theater so people can see the Super Bowl or NBA Finals and then go watch a a movie afterwards?

As for the curtains, I am not sure it really matters to the younger groups who have never seen a movie or were not brought up with curtains. I think we are on to almost 20 years now without curtains in my area.

While I agree with the idea of masking, patrons are not turning turning away or rejecting open flat screens from Cineplex, so perhaps the perception is what is appealing most. I would rather have dual aspect ratios like Avatar if the removal of masking is going to become a standard.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-06-2014, 07:21 PM:
 

quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

---

I am not sure it really matters to the younger groups who have never seen a movie or were not brought up with curtains.

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It shouldn't just be about giving the "younger groups" (aka people who aren't necessarily aware of how things should be) what they expect. It should be about giving them something extra and a little special. A plain white panel stuck out of a wall doesn't do that. Sure they might not "notice" and they sure as heck aren't going to "turn away" (because they came wanting to see a movie, after all) but the specialness is reduced.

The non-specialness comes in a lot of ways -- no curtain or stage treatment, poor presentation, noisy patrons, too many trailers, distracting lights, etc...but in the end the audience may not feel like they've gotten their money's worth but may not really even be able to pinpoint exactly why. The effect is negligible but builds over time to the point where they just stop coming.

This industry shouldn't be about satisfying people's expectations; it should be about EXCEEDING them. That makes people want to come back again.
 

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Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 06-06-2014, 10:14 PM:
 
I can remember all our downtown Theaters in the 50's and 60's having these Beautiful Crimson Red Curtains that had sparkles on them as well as when you entered the seating area from the Lobby had the same looking Material curtains. It just made the theater look Classy.

We as Kids would be goofing around in our seats on Saturday Afternoon Matinees but when we saw those Screen Curtains slowly come apart in the Middle and the house lights Dim we stopped Horsing around and knew this was the start of our entertaining afternoon. Walking into one of these Multiplex theaters now days with a Blank white screen that is just half the size or more than you remember and no Background Drapes, Curtains,etc. looks pretty Boring...

If they would do something like this Photo with their Screens,it would at least give you the illusion that the Screen is larger than what it is...


 

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 06-07-2014, 10:38 AM:
 

quote: Mike Blakesley

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This industry shouldn't be about satisfying people's expectations; it should be about EXCEEDING them. That makes people want to come back again.

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quote: Scott Jentsch

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How about a video that starts with the image that Steve posted of the closed curtains.....

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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I am not sure it really matters to the younger groups who have never seen a movie or were not brought up with curtains.

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Young people aren't neanderthals -- they appreciate class and attentiveness to detail and know the difference between something that is aesthetically pleasing and something that is pedestrian. You just need to let them experience it. Young or old is irrelevant -- people recognize and appreciate the difference between a theatre that is unique and beautifully designed and also know when one that is utilitarian, bare bones, assembly-line stark. They just need to see the contrast.

What amazes me is that in most of these big multiplex, the lobbys are huge, with expansive, sparkling chrome and glass concessions counters that can run the length of the building. They sport the latest automated menu displays, beautiful neon lighting effects and it is obvious that lots of design thought went that lobby. Then you walk into these small, unattractive, hole-in-the-wall rooms where the movies are shown. It seems immediately apparent what the emphasis is here.

As for exhibitors being "allergic to velour" -- it sure seems like they are, at least for the screen -- they don't seem to be allergic when they use it to cover all the other walls of the theatre as a cheap way of not needing to do any other kind of more expensive design treatment. Allergic to velour -- use satin like we do for our curtain; it picks up the light much more dramatically than velour, it's 2/3rds lighter and requires a much smaller/lighter track and motor. Problem solved.

Naw, there's no excuse other than they just don't give a damn.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-08-2014, 02:06 PM:
 
As I've said many times before, I would love for us to have curtains; it's just not in the budget. So we have colored lights that shine across the screen and fade out when the show begins. I would never have a plain blank screen facing an audience… It's just not right.
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 06-08-2014, 05:03 PM:
 
Just curious, does anyone still use waterfall curtains? I worked in a few theaters with them when I was starting out. Never seen one in a new theatre.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 06-08-2014, 07:09 PM:
 
The Montana Theater in Miles City MT has one but I don't think it's in use anymore.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 06-16-2014, 05:41 PM:
 
Back to theatres

Detroit area:
MJR Troy Grand Digital Cinema 16 opens on June 20th.

Salt Lake City area:
Cinemark West Valley & XD 10 opened June 12th.

Also another UltraAVX installed in the SilverCity in Thunder Bay.


 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 06-22-2014, 09:42 AM:
 
Also in Winnipeg: The Globe cinemas closed down AKA: Portage Place
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/globe-cinema-closing-at-portage-place-in-winnipeg-1.2671952
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 06-22-2014, 10:23 AM:
 
Carmike Big D to open in (or near, I still haven't figured out if it is within city limits) Montgomery, AL July 18, 2014.
http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/local/2014/06/18/new-carmike-cinemas-theater-serve-beer-wine/10759705/

quote:

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Carmike Cinemas' new theater on Chantilly Parkway will open July 18 and feature a 561-seat, "Big D" auditorium that "blows IMAX out of the water," according to a district manager.

The auditorium will be the centerpiece of Carmike 13 and will feature stadium seating with leather, reclining seats and an 85-foot screen.

The theater also will cater to moviegoers who like to sip some beer or wine while taking in a movie. The Montgomery City Council approved the theater's request for a beer and wine license Tuesday evening.

There will be no box office outside the theater. Instead, visitors will buy both their tickets and concessions inside at the same counter. There will be a separate line devoted solely to alcohol purchases.

Customers will be able to order popcorn at the concessions stand and then pick it up at a standalone "popcorn factory" across the lobby. Carmike Cinemas General Manager Tony Sellers said that will speed up the process of buying tickets and concessions.

The "Big D" auditorium

screen will feature 11.1 surround sound and two digital projectors casting more than 30,000 lumens onto the screen.

"It is far better than IMAX," District Manager Domenick Barone said. "Better sound, bigger screens, better seating. IMAX can't really hold a candle to this ... auditorium."

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quote:

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Montgomery-area residents will have to wait a bit longer for Carmike Cinemas' new "Big D" screen, but its first feature will be appropriately larger than life.

The grand opening of the Carmike 13 at 10477 Chantilly Parkway has been delayed a week to July 25.

The first movie that will be shown on the centerpiece 85-foot screen will be "Hercules," which stars Dwayne Johnson as the mythological Greek hero.

The theater will have a soft opening at 7 p.m. July 24.

There will be one concession line at the theater where patrons can purchase 16-ounce beers and 8-ounce servings of wine.

The theater also will feature free soft drink and popcorn refills along with an expanded food menu that will include such items as hamburgers and mozzarella sticks.

The city already has one multiplex movie theater at Taylor and Vaughn Roads, the AMC-owned Festival Plaza 16, which features movies in RealD 3D.

Montgomery also is home to the Capri Theatre, an independent, art-house theater where it also is possible to buy beer and wine.

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 06-27-2014, 08:52 PM:
 
Cinemark opened a new 10-plex in West Valley, UT (SLC area) June 12.

Typical NextGen, sans self-serve concessions.

Cinemark also announced they will build 10-plex in Altoona, IA at a "Shoppes At" type deal near the Bass Pro Shops, but it will be badged with the Century brand, because Century is already in the marketplace. Aside from the brand, I assume it will be the exact same blueprint as West Valley, and since I've seen a movie at West Valley already, I've technically already been there. I AM FROM THE FUTURE.
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 06-27-2014, 11:53 PM:
 
Is the VPF deals with these new locations still available, or did they dry up and some other way to get digital units purchased and installed?
 

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Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 06-29-2014, 09:09 AM:
 
Noland Fashion Cinema 6, Independence MO (KC burb)

http://www.examiner.net/article/20140628/NEWS/140628877/1994/NEWS

Noland Fashion Cinema 6 closes as age of 35mm fades

By Brandon Dumsky
brandon.dumsky@examiner.net
Posted Jun. 28, 2014 @ 1:17 am

Independence, Mo.
The last dollar-house theater in the Kansas City metropolitan area has succumbed to the era of digital film.

Noland Fashion Cinema 6, 13520 E. U.S. 40 in Independence, closed its doors for good June 22. The movie theater ran films that had been out weeks, or even months, prior to their initial release at discounted ticket prices since 2002. It opened in the mid 1980s as a first-run theater, said former General Manager Daryl Smith.

“We sure didn’t want to close, but had no choice,” he said.
The major reason behind the theater’s closing was the movie studios’ push for digital film, he added. Both he and Brian Wolfgang of Pharaoh 4 Cinemas, 114 West Maple Ave., in Independence, said it is harder to secure 35 millimeter film prints for exhibition due to many Hollywood movie studios releasing movies only in a digital format. The two theaters still use celluloid film projectors.

“The cost ... didn’t justify the need to continue,” said Smith. He added that attendance at Noland Fashion Cinema 6 declined over the past few years, too. Given the low volume of business, it didn’t warrant the purchase of expensive digital projectors. Plus the time between a film’s theatrical release and its release on either DVD or Blu-ray has considerably shortened over the years, he added.

Now the Pharaoh 4 remains as the only theater in Independence that still uses 35mm prints, but hopefully that is about to change soon, said Wolfgang.

He said his theater is in the process of financing digital projectors that should be installed by late summer. However, it is estimated that four digital projectors for all of Pharaoh’s auditoriums would be in the price range of $250,000.
But it should pay off.

“Developing a 35mm print could be up to $2,000 to $2,500,” Smith said. “It’s cheaper on the digital factor.”

With digital projectors comes the opportunity to also have a 3-D projector, he added. “There should be a resurgence when we become digital.”

Currently, Wolfgang says he had to pass up on some films because the ones they previously acquired have to be shown for a specific amount of time. “We have to make a deal with the studio to show a film for two to three weeks, and we just don’t have the auditorium space.” And given the movie business, it’s hard to foresee what will be a box office draw.

Wolfgang said a kick start program will be set up soon to help raise money for new digital projectors.

As for Smith, he believes the movie theater market will not become obsolete

“People want to get out of the house. It’s a social experience instead of sitting in front of a screen at home.”

Read more: http://www.examiner.net/article/20140628/News/140628877#ixzz362MTLyVZ
 

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 06-29-2014, 10:11 AM:
 
The Presidio Theater in San Francsisco still has one.
Here's an old photo I found online:


It was in use until at least two years ago when I was kicked out of the Presidio
(overnight) as a result of the "digital upgrade", and replaced with a bunch of
minimum wage working booth-monkeys.

The last few times I was over there, the curtain was not in use.
Why?
1) Pre-show advertising necessitates the curtain remaining open before the show.
2) Yes, they could have programmed things so that the curtain closes a minute
or so before the show, and then re-open as the lights go down & the show starts,
etc, but that would require the booth staff to pull their heads out of their
i-phones long enough to insert a couple of extra cues into the playlist, and
apparantly that's just too much work for them to handle.
 

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Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 07-07-2014, 05:30 PM:
 
Warner Robins, GA
Parkway Cinemas to close next month

http://www.macon.com/2014/07/07/3185883/parkway-cinemas-to-close-next.html?sp=/99/148/

WARNER ROBINS -- Parkway Cinemas, a mainstay of Russell Parkway for 30 years, is scheduled to close its doors in a month.

Bill Stembler, chairman and chief executive officer of Georgia Theatre Co., said the discounted theater doesn’t have the equipment to go on.

At $2.50 per ticket, the six-screen theater had been one of the cheapest entertainment options around. But film companies have been pushing away from actual film prints, which are costly. The companies had been financing conversions for regular movie theaters from film to digital, but they would not finance conversions of the discount theaters, Stembler said.

“They made the decision that they would not allow discount theaters to participate in that program of financing. This theater doesn’t have the right equipment to show (digital) movies,” he said.

In the late 1990s, Georgia Theatre Co. opened a more modern theater in what’s now known as the Houston County Galleria. Several years ago, Georgia Theatre Co. opened another movie theater in nearby Kathleen, at the corner of Lake Joy Road and Ga. 96. That newest theater has since been expanded with a 70-foot-wide screen comparable to some of the IMAX movies.

“It’s been more than replaced by other newer, more modern theaters,” Stembler said.

Georgia Theatre Co. closed another discount theater in Valdosta earlier this year, and it has just three other discount theaters in operation in a chain of 30 theaters. The film companies aren’t distributing much on film any more, making non-digital theaters like Parkway Cinemas no longer viable.

“It’s kind of hard if you don’t have something on the screen,” Stembler said.

The theater has screened some movies, such as “The Lego Movie,” after they’ve been released on DVD.

Stembler said the building will be leased by Mark Fogarty, pastor of the First United Pentecostal Church. Fogarty could not be reached for comment.

A Facebook group formed to save the Parkway Cinemas had 135 members as of Monday afternoon. A drive to raise $1 million to buy equipment for the theater and keep it open had attracted no contributions by Monday.

Some employees will move to other locations, Stembler said.

To contact writer Mike Stucka, call 744-4251.

Read more here: http://www.macon.com/2014/07/07/3185883/parkway-cinemas-to-close-next.html?sp=/99/148/#storylink=cpy
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 07-23-2014, 05:32 PM:
 
Indonesia:
Cinemaxx to open 2,000 screens in 85 cities. (that right, TWO THOUSAND)

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/business/cinemaxx-set-open-300-cineplexes-next-decade/

Jakarta. Cinemaxx Global Pasifik, the movie theater chain operator unit of Lippo Group, has set aside Rp 6 trillion ($517 million) to open up to 300 cineplexes across the country within the next 10 years.

Cinemaxx Global plans to have some 2,000 cinema screens in 85 cities across the country over the decade, the company said in a statement on Thursday.

“Cinemaxx plans to expand its network in places that have the minimum number of movie theaters or even none at all,” Brian Riady, chief executive at Cinemaxx, said in the statement.

Cinema demand in Indonesia exceeds supply with less than 900 cinema screens across the archipelago at present, compared with 2,300 in 1992.

To kick-start the expansion, Cinemaxx is set to start operations of its first cineplex at the Palembang Icon shopping center in Palembang, South Sumatra, in September this year.

“[Palembang Icon] is the first location ready to operate a cineplex and the market there is huge as well,” Infany Suryadji, head of marketing at Cinemaxx, told the Jakarta Globe on Thursday.

The new cineplex, which will use the Cinemaxx brand name, is set to feature 15 cinema screens, becoming the largest in the country.

After Palembang, Infany said, Cinemaxx would also open cineplexes in Manado (North Sulawesi), Medan (North Sumatra), Ponorogo (East Java) and Jakarta through the rest of this year.

“The cineplexes still have to be built in the shopping centers. Each cineplex will have an average of seven cinema screens,” Infany said.

Lippo Group is currently constructing the Manado Xchange (MX) Lippo Plaza shopping mall and entertainment center in Manado.

The group said in February that the MX Plaza was set to open by the end of this month and it would also house a Cinemaxx and Hypermart.

Cinemaxx will compete with two rivals, namely Blitzmegaplex — owned by Graha Layar Prima, the only listed cinema chain operator — and the country’s largest theater chain, 21 Cineplex.

Graha Layar Prima said in April that it would build three new cineplexes, with 10 screens each, in Yogyakarta, Surabaya (East Java) and Bandung (West Java) in the second half of this year. The company has set aside a combined $6 million for the cinemas.

Cinemaxx and the Jakarta Globe are both affiliated with Lippo Group.
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 07-24-2014, 05:26 PM:
 
Is it common for this many delays? Especially as it was originally announced to open in the fall of 2013?

quote:

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Opening of Carmike 13 pushed back to Aug. 8
Scott Johnson, Montgomery Advertiser 11:42 a.m. CDT July 16, 2014

The opening of the Carmike 13 Cinema has been moved back once again.

The current opening date for the new multiplex on Chantilly Parkway is Aug. 8.

The centerpiece of the theater will be its "Big D" auditorium, which will have 561 seats and an 85-foot screen.

Other features of the new cinema include beer and wine sales, free soft drink and popcorn refills and an expanded menu with food choices such as hamburgers and mozzarella sticks.

The opening initially was scheduled for July 18 before being pushed back to July 25.

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quote: Martin McCaffery

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Is it common for this many delays? Especially as it was originally announced to open in the fall of 2013?

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quote: Dennis Benjamin

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The seats are what will really set the complex apart from others in the area, Wenger said. All the seats will be electric-powered leather recliners.

"They're like La-Z-Boy chairs," he said. "These are not traditional theater chairs."

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Pretty cool. No surcharge either.
 

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Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 08-19-2014, 08:50 PM:
 
I suspect that the Palmyra reopening may need to be postponed or will otherwise then get off to a rocky start.

PA Route 422 the state road in front of the Palmyra complex was closed to all traffic in both directions starting about two weeks ago for a major sinkhole repair. That area is riddled with sinkholes.

For many years now Route 422 about 1/4 mile west of the complex has been caving in badly every few months. PENNDOT finally was forced to do a major excavation in hopes of solving the problem. The repairs are scheduled to last at least 4 months. They are essentially going to build an underground steel bridge deck support system and then pave the roadway on top of it.

All traffic has been detoured away from the area and Penndot has been warning people to stay away.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 08-20-2014, 04:28 PM:
 
Toronto: Cineplex VIP Cinemas Don Mills Presented by Scotiabank opened as Canada's first all VIP cinema on August 15th, 2014. Its' Grand opening ad is at http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/46557/photos
4 screens.
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 08-21-2014, 12:40 AM:
 
If the new Don Mills cinema is a success, I think we might see a return of smaller 4-6 plex theaters.
 

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Posted by Andrew Thomas (Member # 7000) on 08-21-2014, 01:18 AM:
 
I really like the 4-6 screen size, so I wouldn't mind. I think everything being 15+ screens leads to everybody playing all the same movies, cause why not?
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 08-21-2014, 12:52 PM:
 
Jonathan: The traffic is actually being re-routed right past the Cinema complex at the moment.

We are hoping to get the location open before the end of the month of September. Here's to hoping.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 08-22-2014, 07:11 PM:
 
Cineplex VIP locations:
Cineplex has 1 in the Montreal area, 5 in the Toronto area, one in London ON, Winnipeg, Edmonton and two in the Vancouver area. All are extensions to cinemas except for the new Don Mills location. More to come.
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 09-12-2014, 09:39 AM:
 
The Webster Theater, Webster City, IA, will re-open September 19 as a non-profit digital cinema. The restored marquee, dating back to 1939, was lit up as part of a community event earlier this week.

Originally opened as a vaudeville theater in 1909, The Webster was last run by Big Time Cinemas, who closed it and filed bankruptcy in March 2013. It was in the Fridley portfolio of theaters from the 1980's until the mid 2000's.
 

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Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 09-19-2014, 09:15 PM:
 
CLOSED: Main St. Cinemas - Yuma, Arizona

Still showing film until the last show on Thursday, September 19, 2014.

Last show was 7:40 pm screening of "As Above, So Below". What a crap movie to go out with.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 09-26-2014, 11:55 PM:
 
http://registerguard.com/rg/entertainment/32204440-67/second-run-theater-closes-down-monday.html.csp

Second-run theater closes down Monday [Sept 29th 2014]

SPRINGFIELD — The Cinemark Movies 12 discount theater at Gateway Mall will close its doors after Sunday’s showings, part of a massive redevelopment of the mall.

The discount movie theater will show a regular lineup of movies through Sunday. [still primarily film]

No special events or showings are planned this weekend, according the theater’s website.

It’s been more than a year since Gateway Mall’s owner approached city officials about a redevelopment of the shopping center.

Plans filed with the city at the end of 2013 show that the mall’s owner, New York-based Rouse Properties, largely would gut the mall, including the existing food court and the discount 12-screen theater, and add space for several large retailers while keeping the existing major anchor tenants.

The mall’s northern corridor between Hometown Buffet and Sears would be retained.

==========

Editorial comment: This was a terrible place to see a first-run movie even when it was brand new. As a discount theater I suppose it was adequate.
 

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Posted by Terry Lynn-Stevens (Member # 7349) on 10-13-2014, 03:12 AM:
 
The former Cineplex, then Empire and finally Landmark Square One 10 plex closed it doors Oct 1.

It hosted 4 THX screens
Had a VIP upper tier
65 foot screens in two theaters
Located in one of the premier malls of Canada
Used proper masking right until the very end

Famous Players Colisuem IMAX was across the street of this location and blocked most access to new films.

Last movie I saw was A Hundred Foot Journey.

Cineplex opened this location in 2001 only to then sell it off when they purchased the FP Coliseum across the street.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 10-22-2014, 05:51 PM:
 
La Maison Simons (Based in Quebec City) is coming to Square One and willing to bet it will be in this space. The Montreal store sits under the Cinema Banque Scotia (AKA: Paramount).

The Coliseum in Mississauga is now called "Cineplex Cinemas Mississauga"
 

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 10-22-2014, 07:35 PM:
 
The new Arclight Bethesda opens tomorrow as a "pre-opening" even though they are technically referring the official opening date as Nov. 7th and 'Interstellar" opening on the 5th in 35mm.
 

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 10-25-2014, 08:03 PM:
 
the new IPic Theater up in Rockville - now called 'North Bethesda' (because it sounds posher) starts screenings on Monday (Oct. 27th)
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 11-10-2014, 02:38 PM:
 
We finally got our new location open on November 7th in Palmyra PA:

Theatre web page link

I will post actual pics when I have a chance.
 

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Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 11-12-2014, 10:31 AM:
 
The Rialto Twin in White Rock, BC has re-opened under new management after closing down in April of this year. So nice to see a small TWIN theater RE-OPEN these days!
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 11-15-2014, 11:13 AM:
 
Carmike's Ritz 15/Hollywood Connection Fun Center (and Disease Factory, according to Facebook posters) in West Valley City, UT closed after its last shows Thursday.

The building has been sold and, according to KSL, will be converted into a call center.

Aside from showing movies at desperately cheap prices in an effort to compete with the nearby Megaplex ($6 for adults all day), the Fun Center had a mini indoor amusement park with a cheesy dragon roller coaster, bumper cars, mini golf, and more.
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 11-16-2014, 02:27 PM:
 
Bill Warren's New Tulsa area Warren Theatres opens December 17.

The $43.5 million all-THX 18-plex in Broken Arrow features two Grand auditoriums (no IMAX, Tulsa already has two), directors suites, diner and lounge, all with the usual Warren touches. 51 tons of marble was used in construction. The complex will employ around 200.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 11-30-2014, 03:50 PM:
 
Santa Maria CA:
Edwards Santa Maria Stadium & RPX 14
This opened on November 21st, 2014.
http://santamariatimes.com/news/local/new-edwards-theatre-in-sm-opens-nov/article_3afb023a-4ced-11e3-bdf1-001a4bcf887a.html

After years of struggling just to get built, the new state-of-the-art Edwards Santa Maria Stadium 14 & RPX Theatre downtown is finally opening Nov. 21, and it’s offering blockbuster treatment for customers.

Think $2 movies, $2 popcorn and $2 fountain drinks in the days leading up to grand opening ceremonies, and then free popcorn and small drinks during the week that follows.

There will be at least one big-budget movie on the marquee — “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”

Officials say there is considerable anticipation.

“I’m definitely going to be there,” said Santa Maria Councilman Jack Boysen. “I think everybody is really excited about it.”....
 

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Posted by Jeff Taylor (Member # 443) on 12-02-2014, 02:19 PM:
 
The Movie at Montauk (NY), a small, seasonal 35mm only theater closed 12/1/14. The last show was Rocky Horror, and another one bites the dust.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-02-2014, 02:30 PM:
 

quote: Sam Graham

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The $43.5 million all-THX 18-plex in Broken Arrow features two Grand auditoriums (no IMAX, Tulsa already has two), directors suites, diner and lounge, all with the usual Warren touches. 51 tons of marble was used in construction. The complex will employ around 200.

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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According to the Warren Theaters web site when the theater opens its two "Grand Infinity" auditoriums will be the first two auditoriums in the United States to feature 4K laser-based projection. Additionally, they'll have maxed out 64-channel Dolby Atmos equipped sound systems. I think I'll have to pay that place a visit sometime soon.

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quote:

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You have heard it in the news, and it's true. Our final day of business will be Monday, December 15th. That means the final show ever will be that evening at 7:20. Make plans now to come say good-bye. Thank you for all of your amazing support!

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The final feature will be "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1". There's an organized Pack the House event going on Sunday at the 4:15pm matinee as well.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 12-08-2014, 05:56 PM:
 
Cine Enterprise expansion plans in Quebec.
Found this article in Cyberpresse http://www.lapresse.ca/le-quotidien/actualites/201411/24/01-4822104-demenagement-du-cinema-odyssee.php
For those of you that don't speak French,
Here it is in the Queen's English

(Chicoutimi) The new location of the Odyssey Cinema should be known by Christmas. A new building will be built to accommodate the cinema which will have one of the biggest screens in Quebec and that will be part of a new complex.

Moviegoers will do more in the Place du Royaume shopping center to watch a movie. The movie moves to a new building that will be built especially for him. The site is chosen, the architects working on the plans.

Raffaele Papalia, president of Ciné Entreprise, hope to be able to know the location of film at Christmas. "This is the best '' spot '' for a movie in Chicoutimi," he says.

He wishes to begin work in spring 2015 to be able to open in spring 2016. "It bothers me to not have been able to start yesterday," said the man who had announced his intention to move the movie Chicoutimi in January 2013, in an article published in The Daily. Since then, very little information surrounding the project have been confirmed.

"I speak to every two or three weeks promoter. Things move on his part, says Papalia, explaining that he can not reveal more details about the project yet. I'm not the only one involved, he adds. It must make an announcement with the developer. "

This means that cinema should coexist with other businesses in a complex.

Regarding the film, he will have nine or 10 rooms. It will have a screen of 70 feet, one of the biggest screens in Quebec. Regular screen measures about 48 feet. "I think this is the biggest, except that of the IMAX in Quebec City. In any case, it is among the biggest, "said Raffaele Papalia.

Benches "new trend", equipped with the highest records, will be installed. As regards the image and sound technology, visitors will notice little change. "We have implemented the latest technology when it was converted to digital cinema Odyssey," says one who also hopes to bring the cinema a VIP section.

"This is an area in which liquor may be sold," he described.

The total area of ​​the cinema is not determined, as the cost of the project. "It will depend on the establishment or not the VIP area. The architects are currently looking new trends. Standards and genre cinema has changed since we built the current cinema. "

"This is not a movie that comes in a Toys'r Us. We start with a blank sheet."

Recall that the Odyssey Cinema opened in United Square in December 1999. He settled in the space vacated by the Toys'r Us toy store.

At the time, the layout of the rooms had presented a challenge for the architects who had to use strategies to bring the facilities into a space that was not designed for movie theaters.

Mr. Papalia is convinced that the new investment is worth it.

"Chicoutimi is one of the best markets in the chain. Film fans are very loyal. Movies, it happens in theaters. You can not reproduce the same atmosphere anywhere else. "

The movie Chicoutimi is not the only project of Ciné Entreprise. A similar project is being prepared in Trois-Rivières, a screen 70 feet should be added to Terrebonne and the company is considering an expansion with the opening of the first cinema in Ontario.
 

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Posted by Connor Wilson (Member # 6088) on 12-11-2014, 09:26 PM:
 
Regal Dulles Town Center 10
officially opened today, December 11

Some promise was broken. The theater was planned to open with an RPX auditorium, but that never realized.

December 8-10 had events before the grand opening involving $3 second-run films and Holiday classics.

Article

21010 Dulles Town Circle
Sterling, VA 20164
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-16-2014, 10:47 AM:
 
The opening date for Warren Theater's new $45 million Broken Arrow Warren complex South of Tulsa, OK has been pushed back until next week, December 23. It was originally slated to open December 17.

I'm looking forward to paying this theater a visit.
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 12-16-2014, 03:48 PM:
 
Galaxy's "Flix Brewhouse" at Merle Hay Mall in Des Moines, Iowa soft-opens tonight with a bunch of great cinema classics such as "Zoolander".

The dine-in cinema features eight auditoriums, one of which has Dolby Atmos and 4K HFR. Seating is standard stadium style with a bench in front of each row with pull-out extensions so you can eat your food. Example screen shot from a local news story:


"WTF??? OMG!!! LOL!!!"

Must be awesome when someone has to pee.

Here's a sexy link to the news story/video(s)..

Merle Hay Cinema ends its run tonight, as opposed to the previously announced Monday, due to...beats me.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 12-20-2014, 10:32 AM:
 
Harkins & Ciné Capri 16 in Cerritos CA

http://www.shoploscerritos.com/Redevelopment/FAQ

"Now that the movie theater is closed, will you be bringing in another movie theater?
Yes, we're very happy to be adding a new 78,000 square-foot Harkin's Theatre featuring 16 screens, California's first Cine Capri® auditorium with a screen in excess of 80 feet and
Dolby Atmos® object based 3D sound. "
 

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Posted by Mark Strube (Member # 4190) on 12-20-2014, 08:05 PM:
 
I'm proud to announce that we've re-opened the Avalon Theater in Milwaukee... now called The Avalon Atmospheric Theater & Lounge. (I'm the Senior Manager and also handle much of the marketing and A/V needs.)

There are two auditoriums, the main Atmospheric has 1200 twinkling fiber optic stars in the domed ceiling, which matches the July sky in Grenada, Spain.

http://www.jsonline.com/business/at-bay-views-avalon-its-all-about-the-ambience-b99410046z1-286464691.html

Photo credit: Myself.




 

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Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 12-21-2014, 04:27 PM:
 
Screen appears to have movable masking. I am digging it so far.
 

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Posted by Mark Strube (Member # 4190) on 12-21-2014, 06:02 PM:
 
Yes... top/bottom masking. We're not 100% complete as the screen installers didn't give us enough material to work with. Once done, it will be moving only on the bottom so the scope image is at a good height for the room.
 

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Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 12-21-2014, 09:33 PM:
 
So your flat picture is larger than your scope picture.

*sigh*

I never understand why people do it that way. It's just wrong.
 

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Posted by Andrew Thomas (Member # 7000) on 12-21-2014, 10:16 PM:
 

quote: Frank Cox

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So your flat picture is larger than your scope picture.

*sigh*

I never understand why people do it that way. It's just wrong

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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In d-cinema the flat format is literally the biggest, most highest resolution image.

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quote: Frank Cox

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So your flat picture is larger than your scope picture.

*sigh*

I never understand why people do it that way. It's just wrong.

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quote: Terry Lynn-Stevens

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Scope with an anamorphic lens will be the biggest highest resolution image.

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quote:

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The Glenwood Arts Theatre, one of the last holdouts at the closing Metcalf South Shopping Center in Overland Park, is moving out as of Jan. 25.

Its parent company, the Fine Arts Theatre Group, on Wednesday called the move more of a merger with a sister theater, the Leawood in the Ranch Mart South shopping center at 95th Street and Mission Road. That five-screen theater will be renamed the Glenwood Arts. (That may be more fitting for the spot, which is actually in Overland Park.)

Along with its name, the Glenwood Arts will bring the annual Kansas International Film Festival, more art-house films — the Leawood has presented more commercial offerings — and its retro 45-foot-tall sign, which once stood at the old Glenwood Theatre on Metcalf Avenue.

“We knew it was coming,” said Brian Mossman, who runs the theater group with his brother Ben. “That theater is so well respected and so well attended.”

The Glenwood Arts opened at Metcalf South in 2002, but since 2009 its lease has been month to month as the future of the mall was uncertain.

Now the only remaining business there is Sears, which owns its building at the south end of the mall. Earlier this month, the developer, Lane4 Property Group, told the Overland Park City Council that it was planning a mix of retail, dining, office space and multifamily living for the shopping center and the closed strip mall across 95th Street to the north.

“With new construction, it would be out of our league, the rent they quoted us,” Mossman said.

The Glenwood’s announcement comes three months after the Fine Arts group closed the Glenwood at Red Bridge theater in south Kansas City, where the lease was not renewed. The group also runs the Rio in downtown Overland Park.

With the loss of two theaters, Mossman said he and his partners, including Wade Williams, are looking into reopening two other Fine Arts theaters that have been closed for years. The Aztec, a single-screen theater at Johnson Drive and Nieman Road in Shawnee, would be renamed the Fine Arts Theatre and would seat 250 to 300 patrons, he said. Williams’ Englewood Theatre, on Winner Road in Independence, would expand to add two smaller screens.

“With the Glenwood Arts moving, we can take some of our energy and time and re-evaluate those theaters,” Mossman said. “It’s kind of a sad day. All of that work. But we’ll start again.”

The old Glenwood’s final film, screening at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 25, will be “Metcalf South Memories,” W. David Keith’s loving mockumentary shot at the empty mall. The $5 tickets will go on sale Friday.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/article6555747.html#storylink=cpy

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 01-15-2015, 06:27 PM:
 
First new theatre of the Year
Regal Kelso & RPX 12

The new Regal Cinemas theater is more than a just makeover for the local movie-going experience: it’s plastic surgery, Botox and liposuction rolled into one.

The 51,790-square-foot cineplex, which is replacing two sister movie houses in Kelso and Longview, is big enough to seat 2,000 people and increases the number of screens in the area to 12, up from nine.
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-04-2015, 10:31 PM:
 
Not open yet but here is some video of a new single screen art house theater opening next month in Billings.

KTVQ video
 

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Posted by Jeff Arellano (Member # 3249) on 02-12-2015, 01:07 AM:
 
Confirmed finally on the Krikorian website, they have sold both Vista and Pico Rivera locations to Cinepolis. Both will run as conventional theaters and not luxury theaters.
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 02-12-2015, 08:19 AM:
 
Ok, Mike, the ED of the Billings art house is "Mike Blakeslee"?
What are you hiding from us
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 02-12-2015, 10:26 AM:
 
I did notice that. There are a lot of "Blakeslees" around, but no relation as far as I know!
 

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Posted by Steve Matz (Member # 1890) on 02-13-2015, 01:49 AM:
 
70 seat theater in the old Center lanes Bowling Alley. I bowled there many times back in the day. I would rather watch a Film with the Guy next to me not drinking a Glass of Beer Thankyou ! I don't wish bad luck on them but I don't think this Venue will make it past a year's time...
 

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Posted by Russ Levinson (Member # 7185) on 02-13-2015, 03:33 PM:
 
Sunrise Cinemas Closes...Valley Stream,NY(Long Island)
http://longisland.news12.com/news/curtains-closing-on-valley-stream-movie-theater-1.9823420
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 03-02-2015, 07:45 AM:
 
The Flagship Cinemas in Lewiston, Maine had it's last day of operation yesterday, March 1st, 2015.

It was decided that this 35mm theatre would not go digital.
 

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Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 03-14-2015, 11:42 AM:
 
Regal Severance Town Center Stadium 14 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Looks like Sunday, 2015 March 15 will be its final day.

Cinema Treasures entry
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 03-15-2015, 07:15 PM:
 
Los Angeles opened a new theatre over the weekend, called the Playa Vista & XD with 9 screens
Ad with picture at http://1drv.ms/1ME85A0
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-22-2015, 10:29 PM:
 
Pacific's Culver Stadium 12 in Culver City, CA closes today to begin conversion to an ArcLight Cinemas location opening on 1 May.

Pacific Theatres Culver Stadium 12
 

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Posted by Mark Campbell (Member # 4411) on 03-23-2015, 03:47 PM:
 
Sounds like another Arclight with top-down masking. They did it right when they built the original in Hollywood with proper wide auditoriums with side masking. These conversions lower the bar.
 

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Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 03-26-2015, 09:51 AM:
 
Regal Cinemas in Cleveland Heights, Ohio

Regal Cinemas at Severance Town Center in Cleveland Heights will close permanently tonight
By Bob Sandrick, Northeast Ohio Media Group
on March 19, 2015 at 9:39 PM, updated March 19, 2015 at 10:06 PM

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Regal Severance Town Center Stadium 14 -- the movie theater at Severance Town Center -- will close permanently after the last show tonight, three theater workers confirmed earlier Thursday evening.

No signs inside or outside the theater indicated the closing. However, workers said they would post signs announcing the theater closing at about 10:45 p.m.

Officials at Regal Entertainment Group could not be reached tonight. Cleveland Heights Mayor Dennis Wilcox also could not be reached.

Regal's closing is the latest sign of trouble for Severance. In December, a Cuyahoga County judge signed off on a foreclosure decree related to the retail center. A lender has asked that Severance be sold at auction in an attempt to recover more than $38 million in debt.

In late 2013, Walmart -- which took up about 20 percent of Severance's retail space -- pulled out to open a new Supercenter in South Euclid.

Regal has several movie theaters in Greater Cleveland, including those in Richmond Heights, Middleburg Heights and Westlake. In December 2013, Regal opened a new theater at Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted.
 

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Posted by Mark Campbell (Member # 4411) on 03-26-2015, 11:06 AM:
 
Seattle's Harvard Exit will reopen briefly to host the Seattle International Film Festival before being converted into (unneeded) retail/restaurant/office space.
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 04-03-2015, 10:19 PM:
 
From The Atlantic a short doc about the last days of a film theater (somewhere in Oklahoma City, OK) that did not convert to digital:

quote:

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Aug 27, 2014 | 178-part series

Video by Jason Gwynn & Jay Sheldon

In this documentary, directors Jason Gwynn and Jay Sheldon interview film projectionists during their last days on the job at a soon-to-be-defunct movie theater. As Hollywood studios move toward digital distribution, many theaters are forced to abandon their 35mm projectors—and pay up to $150,000 for new projection technology. This change, as the documentary explains, is heartbreaking for the people responsible for reels and reels of film.

If you enjoyed this short, you may also want to read Matthew Dessem's essay at The Dissolve about the challenges of preserving movies in a digital age. "Unless the unique challenges of digital preservation are met," he writes, "we run the risk of a future in which a film from 1894 printed on card stock has a better chance of surviving than a digital film from 2014."

Author: Chris Heller

Going Dark: The Final Days of Film Projection

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quote:

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The Marcus Palace Cinema at Sun Prairie will open April 30!

This brand new state-of-the-art cinema will include 100% DreamLounger leather recliners with reverved [sic] seating, 2 UltraScreen DLX auditoriums, a Take Five cocktail lounge with outdoor patio, and a Zaffiro's Express pizza cafe serving thincredible® pizza and chef-inspired menu items.

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Marcus Palace Cinema - Sun Prairie, WI
 

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Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 05-02-2015, 01:43 PM:
 
The Greenbelt Theatre (formerly the P&G Old Greenbelt Theatre) has reopened after the first what should be multiple phases of renovation/restoration. The revamped theatre now supports 35mm film (changeover configuration) as well as 4K digital cinema.

The renovations for this phase started primarily in the lobby and bathrooms to bring the theatre up to modern codes and ADA compliance (including HI/VI-N as well as rear-window for captioning).

Those interested in the theatre can check out the relevant articles and websites.

http://greenbelttheatre.org/

https://www.facebook.com/greenbelttheatre

https://www.facebook.com/FriendsOfGreenbeltTheatre

http://www.diamondbackonline.com/news/article_809e9c98-c5fa-11e4-9860-7b093d9c8aa0.html
 

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Posted by Jonathan Goeldner (Member # 4854) on 05-02-2015, 02:10 PM:
 
Starplex Luxury Cinemas 11 in Ashburn Virginia - just north of Dulles Airport open last week (April 24th). One auditorium features the chain's specialty "IDX" screen.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 05-04-2015, 07:22 PM:
 
Some new theatres
Carmel (Indianapolis IN) Flix Brewhouse opened April 30th.
Greensburg KS: Twilight theatre opened with 58 foot screen
Santa FE NM: Violet Crown (11 screens) opened May 1st
Sun Prairie WI (Madison) Marcus & UltraScreen DLX 12 opened April 30, Eastgate closed
Ottawa ON: Lansdowne 10 opened March 26th (Cineplex)
Markham (Toronto ON) Markham Downtown & VIP & IMAX 13 opened April 3rd
Markham (Toronto ON) First Markham Place closed April 2nd

Also the IMAX in Quebec City has been sold to Cineplex. New cinema complex?
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 05-11-2015, 11:30 AM:
 
ICON Cinemas 10 opening in the Four Hills shopping center in Albuquerque, NM around the end of this month. This will be the second location for the Roswell, NM based company. ICON is also opening a location in San Angelo, TX very soon.

quote:

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Four Hills movie theater coming back to life

A family-owned theater company wants to reinvent the way Albuquerque watches movies.

Roswell-based Icon Cinemas is reviving a 10-screen movie theater at the Four Hills Village Shopping Center with a new model that features electric recliners, all-you-can-eat popcorn and a ticket-buying process that allows customers to identify and reserve open seats.

The new Icon Cinema is slated to debut this spring, ideally in time for the release of “Furious 7″ — the latest installment in the blockbuster “The Fast and the Furious” franchise — owner/operator Samson Snell said this week.

“I think everyone in Albuquerque is not only going to enjoy (the Icon experience), but appreciate what we’re doing to that building,” Snell said.

Regal Cinemas formerly operated the Four Hills multiplex but left the center in December 2013, shortly after opening a 16-screen property at Winrock. Four Hills subsequently lost Albertsons, its other anchor tenant.

The Daskalos family has since stepped in, buying the fading 171,500-square-foot shopping center at Central and Tramway and working with CBRE’s retail brokers to rekindle it.

“Money hasn’t been put into that center for years, and Icon and the Daskaloses are going to be spending substantial money to bring this into its new life and spur that development,” said Lia Armstrong of the CBRE team.

She said negotiations are underway with an unnamed anchor tenant for the old Albertsons. The Daskaloses also plan to overhaul the shopping center’s facade, she said.

Snell declined to divulge the cost of the theater renovation but described the process as extensive.

“The walls of the auditoriums will still be there, but everything will be remodeled,” he said. “Pretty much when you walk in, it will be a whole different theater.”

Snell’s family currently owns just one other theater, a 10-screener in Roswell, though it plans to also open a San Angelo, Texas, location. His parents, Sam and Julie, came to the business by way of their seating company, which has designed theater chairs.

They designed a special “VIB” chair that has speakers and will vibrate in accordance with the movie action. Snell said each auditorium at Four Hills will have a few rows of VIBs, but electric recliners (VIP seats) will make up the rest.

Snell couldn’t provide a pricing schedule yet but said Icon aims to make movies a family-friendly experience. That includes concession offerings like all-you-can-eat popcorn — which customers butter and salt to their taste — plus all-you-can-drink sodas and a nacho bar that lets customers lather on just as much cheese and jalapeños as they’d like.

“We’re a family ourselves, so we want to make sure families can come to the movies and not think they’re getting gouged and be able to enjoy the movie and get more,” he said.

Icon’s ticket-buying process also differs from the norm. Customers form a single line to pay for tickets and concessions and can view a screen to see which seats remain open and reserve the ones they want, Snell said.

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quote:

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Many of my movie friends will be going to the 3-D showing of this film on Friday 6/5 at one of the last single screen big theatres left in the SF Bay Area. The Century Corte Madera Cinema in Marin county. Opened in 1969 and their last film will be shown soon (J Park 3-D) before It will be torn down for condos. They have a nice semi curved screen and just old regular 7.1 Dolby but I think I will enjoy this movie for my last visit to this great cinema. George Lucas loves this theatre and ran many of his first run movie block buster movies here, the sound is great. Just think If we are at the show on Friday we may get hit by the big one while I am watching the movie and they won't have to tear down the place, nature will do It for them. It's all in the timing. They have plenty of exits for us to get out before I get hit by a surround speaker.

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This makes me really sad. When I worked at LucasArts (96-04), we had many, many Lucasfilm company screenings there. It is a great theater.


 

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Posted by William Kucharski (Member # 7246) on 06-10-2015, 07:09 AM:
 
New Denver Drive-In in the parking lot of an existing business, opening this weekend (June 12); hopefully they'll turn off the large illuminated sign adjacent to the screen.

quote:

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Featuring first run films, on the largest screen in the region, the Denver Mart Drive-In incorporates a digital projection system, with FM transmissions to provide the ultimate viewing experience in the comfort of your own car! Conveniently located in an urban setting, the Drive-In can cater up to 310 vehicles, and the concession stand provides delicious food and beverage to accompany the nightly double features.

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quote:

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Fire damages Sky-Vue concessions building
Future of Lamesa landmark is in question on Friday morning
Russel Skiles, Lamesa Press-Reporter
Saturday, November 28, 2015 6:00 AM

A Lamesa landmark’s future is in question following a devastating blaze on Friday morning at the Sky-Vue drive-in movie theater.

While leaving the nearby projection building untouched, fire and heat heavily damaged or destroyed the interior of the concession building.

And while the projection booth might be considered the heart of any movie theater, the concession area was the soul of the Sky-Vue.

It was there that the theater’s signature Chihuahua sandwich was created and served to generations of Lamesans.

Memorabilia – of the theater and the community – covered the walls.

“That’s what’s killing me – we lost all of that stuff,” owner Sam Kirkland said as he stood in a damp, frigid north wind while watching firefighters battle the blaze.

“There was a story behind everything that was on the walls.”

Inside the building when the fire began, Kirkland escaped out the front door after a futile attempt to contain the flames with a fire extinguisher.

As he has done for years, Kirkland had arrived at the theater early to begin making preparations to serve both food and a movie to patrons from throughout the region.

Kirkland said he turned on the gas grill to let it start heating up and went into a nearby room to cut up cabbage, one of the unique ingredients of the famous Chihuahua.

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quote:

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(The Des Moines Register, 12/17/15) Des Moines-based Fridley Theatres plans to build a 12-screen theater called The Palms in Waukee next year.

The movie theater company bought 15 acres on the northwest corner of Northeast Westgate Drive and Hickman Road for $2.4 million, said Brian Fridley, vice president of Fridley Theatres.

The company is in the early design stages, but it expects construction to begin in late summer. The theater should open in spring 2017.

Depending on the size and scope of the project, some of the land purchased by the company could be sold for additional development.

Fridley said the Waukee theater will feature amenities to compete with other theater chains that are adding comfortable seating and more food and drink options. “Everyone is doing something different in theaters now,” he said.

The Palms could include a “premiere, large-screen format,” but "all that needs to be worked out,” he said.

Fridley Theatres owns 22 movie theaters with about 100 screens in Iowa and Nebraska. The 41-year-old company recently renovated the Copper Creek Theatre in Pleasant Hill, adding wide leather rocking chairs. Fridley also is looking into remodeling its Springwood 9 theater in Ankeny. That project could include more comfortable seating and additional screens.

The Waukee location is in a growing area that will see new development with the opening of Grand Prairie Parkway, which extends south from University Avenue to a new interchange at Interstate Highway 80.

The proposed theater would be about seven miles from both the Cobblestone 9 theater in Urbandale and the Century 20 theater at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines.

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quote: northjersey.com

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CLOSTER — With reconstruction well under way at Closter Plaza, new tenants are signing on to move into the 208,337-square-foot mall on Vervalen Street.

Local officials have confirmed that at least three new establishments have signed leases with mall developer Edens to move into the plaza next year.

Home Goods, Village Whisky, and Distrito are among the businesses that will be moving in among Closter Plaza's 40 storefronts, said Mayor John Glidden.

A Whole Foods, which will anchor the mall, should be completed by next year. Other establishments, including a movie theater, a pizzeria and a jewelry store, will remain open during construction.

Closter Plaza will be the second New Jersey location for Distrito, a Mexican restaurant from chef Jose Garces. The location in Moorestown has earned acclaim and made New Jersey Monthly's list of Best New Restaurants this year. Garces, who operates roughly a dozen restaurants across the country, won the coveted title of "Iron Chef." Distrito is known for, among other attractions, stocking more than 100 tequilas.

Village Whisky, also a Garces Group restaurant, closed its Atlantic City location and is now in Philadelphia. The restaurant says it features a variety of burgers and a "near-encyclopedic catalogue of chef Garces' favorite spirit, whiskey."

"There's no opening schedule yet," said Glidden. "Whole Foods — scheduled to open in November of 2016 — is likely to open before the other stores."

The mall was built in the 1950s and sank into disrepair over the years as the owners did little to update it. Edens acquired the shopping center in 2012 after its owners filed for bankruptcy.

Local officials are touting the mall renovation as a project that will help energize Closter's downtown and bring more traffic and tax ratables to the borough.

Charlie Osso, owner of Rudy's Pizzeria, which has been in Closter for more than 45 years, said business is steady even as the machines drill away outside. "We have seven stores still open at the mall right now. We don't notice much difference in the number of customers here. There's a lot of construction going on around us and they are moving fast. When it's done, this area will be something very nice."

Executives at Edens did not return calls seeking comment.

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Posted by Harold Hallikainen (Member # 5405) on 02-04-2016, 09:58 PM:
 
Minor Theatre, Arcata CA, built in 1914, closing February 5, 2016.

http://www.catheatres.com/SectionIndex.asp?SectionID=43#.VrQdgVUrKVM

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minor_Theater
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 02-11-2016, 08:13 AM:
 
Cinemark opens Cinemark Altoona and XD in Altoona, IA (northeast side of Des Moines metro) today.



Originally announced as a Century-branded 10-plex, the finished product is a 14 screen Cinemark-branded all recliner plex. The theatre features advanced reserved seating and they have a liquor license, so patrons can kick their feet up and drink themselves to sleep. Go ahead and pee yourself, the recliners are leather and wipe up easily.
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 02-11-2016, 06:28 PM:
 
EDIT: 12 screens, not 14.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 02-12-2016, 11:35 AM:
 
Carmike Cinemas has just opened a new theater in Tulsa, OK. They had a charity night on Feb. 11 and the grand opening it taking place today, Feb. 12.

The Carmike 12 has one premium big screen theater, a "Big D" house that features a 70' wide screen and seating for 497 people. They could have put in an IMAX screen, like they did recently with new theaters in Lawton & Albuquerque. Tulsa has two other IMAX-branded theaters already at AMC and Cinemark locations, the Cinemark IMAX may still have the 15/70mm system in place. Anyway, Carmike chose to do something different or the IMAX company might have made them go that route. I'm guessing Carmike is still using a single projector in its Big D houses. The press release doesn't say if it's 4K, other than it has noticeably higher resolution than HD. Not much is said about the sound, other than the stage speakers are quad-amped 4-way QSC systems accompanied with 21" subwoofers. It's probably a conventional 7.1 system though. No Dolby Atmos, Auro or DTS-X as far as I can tell.

5 of the theater's 12 screens have recliner seating. Seats can be reserved in advance. The lobby offers a bunch of snack options, including White Castle hamburgers. Coca-Cola Freestyle machines are set up in the lobby.
 

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 02-24-2016, 04:16 PM:
 
The Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 7-14 in Lawrence, Massachusetts closed January 18, 2016.

The Bow Tie Beacon Hill Cinemas in Summit, New Jersey closed on February 21, 2016.
 

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Posted by David Holmes (Member # 2390) on 02-24-2016, 11:57 PM:
 
Hello. Brand new here.
Village 8 Theatres in Louisville, KY (Louisville's only dollar-house--though no longer a dollar--for 40 years) is scheduled to close by January 2017. The latest owner had a 10-year lease starting in 1996 with the option to renew for an additional five years up to twice (he did both times). Now, the option is exhausted and the property owner has a contract to sell the entire (outdoor) center to Ky One Health. Village 8 has been doing well to my knowledge. It's got me thinking of creating a replacement. No idea if I'll be able to pull that off.
 

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Posted by Ed Inman (Member # 2583) on 02-25-2016, 06:37 PM:
 
Looks like Regal/United Artists may be pulling out of the Jackson, MS metro market. Two of their three theaters have been identified as closing this summer. No word yet on a third (UA Parkway Place). http://www.wapt.com/news/central-mississippi/2-movie-theaters-closing-in-metro/38170564 UA was just about the only game in town at one time but they have been squeezed pretty hard by Malco and Cinemark in recent years.
 

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Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-27-2016, 10:52 AM:
 
I was to the relatively new Cinemark theater in West valley, UT this past Wednesday night, apparently it is only an 8 screen theater... how can that pay back in this day and age? It was scary dead there... In spite if it being in a fairly busy section of West Valley. I asked the manager when I came out of Maltese Falcon at a little after 9PM as to how many people were in the building. She said 26 paid admissions total for the ~7PM sets. She also mentioned it is this way most of the time at this locaton. So I wonder how long Cinemark will keep this up. I'll have to check it out on a weekend and see if its any better...

Mark
 

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 04-08-2016, 11:30 AM:
 
AMC Country Club Hills, Illinois Closed

By J. Coyden Palmer, Chicago Crusader [emphasis mine]

Movie goers in the south suburbs have been shocked when they learned a popular movie theater in Country Club Hills is no more. The AMC Loews Theater located on 167th just east of Interstate 57 closed on Jan. 10. The closing comes after the owners of the building significantly raised their rental fees, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.

The 16-screen theater housed an IMAX screen, which when it first opened in 2002 was one of the only ones in the area with that technology. Many African American community groups held outings at the theater. Its location, the only movie theater in the area, was a big draw for African Americans who live in Harvey, Markham and Country Club Hills.

“AMC was unable to reach an agreement with the landlord and the theater’s final day of operations was Sunday, Jan. 10,” said Ryan Noonan, director of corporate communications for AMC in an email. “We thank our guests at AMC Country Club Hills and invite them to continue enjoying their AMC experience a few miles away at AMC Loews Crestwood 18.”

Octavia Wright showed up at the theater this week with two of her kids. To her surprise she was greeted with a sign on the door saying the building was closed but directing her to the Crestwood site.

“I’m shocked. I didn’t hear about this on the news or from talking to people,” she said. “I was looking forward to watching a movie with my kids today so we will just have to drive somewhere else. But I feel sorry for people who don’t have a car because this place was within walking distance for many people.”

Crusader sent an email to Country Club Hills Mayor James W. Ford, who was elected to office last year after former Mayor Dwight Welch was forced out, seeking comment. He responded the following day but refused to discuss the issue and was upset Crusader was doing a story on the situation at all.

“I don’t see why you need to do this,” Ford said. “You are going to make it hard for us to get a contract with the next person coming in.”

Crusader informed Mayor Ford the purpose of the article was to inform the public about the situation and to get answers to residents’ questions, not serve as a public relations outlet for Country Club Hills. He responded by saying, “have a good day,” and hung up the phone.

“I feel sorry for the kids who worked there and now have nowhere to go,” said Phillip Anderson, who has lived in the area for nine years. “I think about them when I see that place closed. We have a tough enough time finding them jobs and here we had a place where they could work as cashiers, ushers or the concession stand. Now it’s gone. What do they do now?”

The theater was part of what was originally the Magic Johnson brand theater chain. Johnson however is no longer involved with the AMC Lowes group. In the meantime, movie goers are expected to go to Crestwood or Marcus Cinemas in Orland Park and Chicago Heights.

http://chicagocrusader.com/country-clubs-hills-movie-theatre-closes-without-warning/
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 04-13-2016, 04:50 PM:
 
There goes my summer:

The Link

Flagship Cinemas returning to Falmouth with ‘premium’ theater

The company says the new theater will open this summer next to Wal-Mart.

Flagship Cinemas intends to return to Falmouth by opening a new movie theater this summer next to the Wal-Mart on Route 1.

The company, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, opened its first cinema in Falmouth in 1995, according to a news release Monday. The cinema was sold in 1997 to Hoyts Cinemas, which over time became Regal Entertainment Group, according to town records. Regal closed its Falmouth operation in 2012.

The Falmouth cinema will debut the company’s new model, Flagship Premium Cinemas, which offers plush, power-reclining chairs with ottomans and updated digital sound and projection. It also will offer reserved seating, self-serve soda stations, specialty film programming and other amenities, according to the company. Ten screens are planned.

“Adding a high-quality movie experience back into the community’s entertainment mix is excellent news for our residents and businesses, not just in Falmouth, but also in the entire region,” Theo Holtwijk, Falmouth’s director of long-range planning and economic development, said in the release.

A grand opening will be planned for the summer. The cinema will occupy space leased from Wal-Mart, according to the release.

The new Falmouth Flagship Cinema will be the company’s 15th movie theater in the United States. The other 14 Flagship theaters have a total of 112 screens in Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
 

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 04-13-2016, 07:55 PM:
 
The former AMC location in Country Club Hills, Illinois is being taken over by Marcus and will reopen after extensive renovations including power recliners, a lounge that serves booze, and a diner.
 

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Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 04-13-2016, 08:33 PM:
 
Regal is about to open it's new Kapolei Commons 12 with a soft opening on Sunday and a grand opening later next week. It will have all kind of neat stuff such as reclining seats and Dolby Atmos in the large RPX house. Kapolei is located in south west Oahu near the former Barbers Point Air Base and the area is referred to as the 2nd city. Consolidated Theatres, owned and operated by Reading International is also opening a new theatre complex there very soon. They already operate a twelve plex in Kapolei and I am not sure if the new theaters will replace the existing houses.

-Claude
 

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 04-14-2016, 10:08 AM:
 

quote: Dennis Benjamin

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The company, which is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, opened its first cinema in Falmouth in 1995, according to a news release Monday. The cinema was sold in 1997 to Hoyts Cinemas, which over time became Regal Entertainment Group, according to town records. Regal closed its Falmouth operation in 2012.

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quote: Scott Jentsch

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Given that they're opening so quickly, they must be going into a pre-existing space.

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quote: Warren Theatres

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Enter through the Golden Doors to a new world of motion picture entertainment for the discriminating adult movie-goer. Mega-luxury appointments include private lobby and rest room areas, exclusive concession, bar and food service with unique food and drink offerings. The auditoriums feature the industry's most comfortable powered and heated recliner seats with each seat offering two arms rests - no sharing required to define your own private space.

All motion pictures are presented with the WAVE® - The Warren Audio Video Experience - State of the art digital projection and 7.1 sound for the very best movie experience!

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For those wondering what "WAVE" is all about, it's a trademarked name for the same old presentation. It's the same 2K digital and, as far as I know, nothing was done to the sound, which was already THX certified.

Admission is $12 for matinees and $16 for evening shows.

In related news, recliners were also added to six screens at the Moore Warren in Moore, OK, but those auditoriums are all ages and don't have special booze or food service options. Admission there raises to $11 for matinees and $14 for evening shows.

Warren West (formerly 21st St Warren) is next for upgrades starting after the summer movie season. More recliners, but similar to Moore, it won't be age-restricted.
 

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Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 04-29-2016, 08:59 AM:
 
> The Metrograph, a new art house, opened in Manhattan on the lower east side on March 4th. Two screens, one 175 seats and the other just 50 seats.

I have not actually been there, but the word I have gotten back from friends who have is that they have uncomfortable wooden seats bolted to the floor, and the cheapest concession item is $8 bottled water. On the other hand, they do run classic films in 35mm whenever possible, and I have been told that the presentation is good.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 04-29-2016, 03:10 PM:
 
France's MK2 theatre circuit coming to Canada?

"There are a couple of major new cinema projects in the works and insiders in the business are convinced there remains a healthy appetite for non-Hollywood films in our town.

The once-booming art-house cinema on St-Laurent Blvd. closed its doors last November and Cinéma Parallèle, the non-profit organization that ran the complex, fell under bankruptcy protection. There were many behind-the-scenes efforts to revive the three-theatre cinema complex but all of that hope bit the dust this week with the news that French film group MK2 was dropping out of a proposed plan to reopen the complex."

http://montrealgazette.com/entertainment/movies/excentris-is-dead-but-not-montreals-alternative-cinema-scene

MK2 operates 10 locations in Paris, France. They are trying to find another location to build in Montreal.

No theatre chain from France ever had a cinema in Montreal, but Pathé built one in New York City.

Another article in French
http://www.ledevoir.com/culture/cinema/469465/le-complexe-excentris-tombe-au-combat

MK2 is expected to come to New York as well.
http://variety.com/2015/film/news/mk2-bows-second-cinema-paradiso-edition-eyes-expansion-exclusive-1201499506/
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 05-14-2016, 09:34 AM:
 
a blast from the past.
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5259214/united_artists_okee_square_opening/
 

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Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 05-23-2016, 11:08 AM:
 
Neither an opening (yet) nor a closing but in case anyone is interested.

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David Godbout never expected to own the Melvin Theater.

“The building came our direction, it’s just one of those things that fell into our hands,” Godbout tells SLM.

Godbout is the pastor at Novation Church, which officially purchased the historic pocket cinema in south St. Louis city last month from its parent organization, the General Council of the Assemblies of God, which has owned the century-old theater for 18 years.

“They just wanted somebody local who cared about the community to take it on,” Godbout says.

The one-screen theater opened in 1914 and found a new life in 2011 as a venue for family-friendly concerts and Christian youth center. Novation Church took over in 2015 with the goal of transforming the landmark into a community center, but the space—a large, open auditorium with a foyer—doesn’t exactly match the church’s vision.

“It doesn’t have the best footprint for us as far as our intended use is going to be,” Godbout says. “We thought before we took that major step, we would put a call out and see if there’s someone who that building is better suited for than us.”





https://www.stlmag.com/news/for-sale-historic-melvin-theater-in-south-st-louis/
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 05-23-2016, 02:17 PM:
 
What a neat little theater!
 

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Posted by Travis Cape (Member # 466) on 05-23-2016, 07:28 PM:
 
The Melvin is a cute little theater building in the absolute ghetto. It last ran movies in the early 1990's. It's certainly not worth $150,000, more like $40,000.
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 06-01-2016, 07:45 AM:
 
Cinemark is re-branding their Layton, UT Tinseltown USA as Cinemark Layton and XD. The building is being renovated into an all-recliner plex.

The property is a hybrid former Movies 10 built in 1990 and an adjacent seven-screen stadium seating Tinseltown opened in 1997. They operated as separate properties for several years before Cinemark closed the Movies 10 entrance and lobby and cut an entry into the adjacent walls to give access between the auditorium corridors. As far as I can tell, the Movies 10 auditoriums will remain slope, similar to the recliner setup at Cinemark's Sugar House property.

Competitor AMC Layton Hills 9, which is literally behind the Cinemark property, converted to a recliner complex a couple of years ago.
 

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Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 06-10-2016, 06:06 PM:
 
Today's the day. Oxford Movies (in New Zealand!) restarts.

On the 12th March 2011 we screened "Tangled" to an audience of 164, little did we know that this would be our final movie for years, as the engineers were about to declare our building, the Oxford Town Hall, unusable due to earthquake damage risk. It wasn't that it was structurally damaged, though it did get a bit of minor damage due to the battering of the Christchurch earthquakes, but it was at risk should there be further earthquakes.

Of course, this time period coincided with the digital revolution, so the old 35mm gear was on borrowed time anyway.

So, finally, we are back, are digital, and looking and sounding better than ever. Gear is Barco DP2K-6E, CP750, QSC DCM 10D, amps and speakers for 5.1, supplied and installed by AVE.

And tonight we open with "Hunt for the Wilderpeople". Its been a long time coming, returning movies to our community of a bit over 2K people, movies that have been a fixture here since 1915. Not even WW2 caused this much disruption to the movies. And I'm ever so glad that the whole thing didn't die on my watch.

http://oxfordmovies.nz - Yes, we've even got a website! My, times have changed...
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 07-18-2016, 06:18 PM:
 
Cineplex Delson closed (Montreal area)

This cinema opened on December 20th, 1996. It featured yesterday's tech (no stadium seating etc.)

http://www.lereflet.qc.ca/actualites/2016/6/14/le-cinema-a-delson-ferme-ses-portes-.html

Here it is in the Queen's English.

The cinema chain Cineplex boulevard Georges-Gagne Delson located ceased operations Sunday.
"The trade was closed because of ground redevelopment plans for condominiums," let know Sarah Van Lange, director of communications at Cineplex Entertainment.
Recall that Trine Habitations planning to build 392 units of type condos and townhouses in this sector. A first phase of 70 residential units is scheduled for spring 2017.

"We thank the people of the community of Delson, supporting the cinema for nearly 20 years. We look forward to seeing them again soon in a nearby Cineplex "adds Van Lange.

The nearest cinema is now one of the Dix30 in Brossard.
 

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Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 07-24-2016, 02:26 PM:
 
We finally got our newest location opened. I will post pictures when I can:

The Link

Patrons sit back (literally) at Flagship cinema in Falmouth

The experience includes fully-reclining padded chairs, with foot rests, and a system that allows people to reserve specific seats from an on-screen map.
By Ray Routhier Staff Writer

FALMOUTH — Tom Watson leaned back in the plush recliner, with his legs fully stretched out in front of him, and started nibbling popcorn as he waited for the movie “The BFG” to start.

Within a few minutes, a woman walked into the theater, saw Watson and another man lounging like they were watching a ball game on TV, and blurted, “Wow, look at you guys. This place is going to be huge.”
IF YOU GO

WHERE: 206 Route 1, Falmouth

WHEN: Opened Wednesday; matinee and evening showings daily

HOW MUCH: $10.50 for adults, evening showings; No additional charge for 3D movies

INFO: Flagshipcinemas.com

FEATURES: Padded, reclining seats with fully-extending footrests; reserved seating, with on-screen maps allowing people to buy ticket for specific seats
Related Headlines


“Yeah, for Maine, this is huge,” said Watson, 47, a plumber from Limerick.

The new Flagship Premium Cinemas in Falmouth opened quietly Wednesday night, with no sign out front and very little publicity. The 10-screen movie house is next to Wal-Mart, in a building that had been a movie theater between 1995 and 2012.

Most of the people who turned out for the soft opening Wednesday were immediately struck by the most obvious addition to the theater building: The large, fully-reclining seats that are more like La-Z-Boys than standard stadium seating. A 6-foot-tall man can stretch out fully, and still have a foot or two left between his feet and the next seat. A push of a button quietly reclines the back and extends the footrest, another push makes the seat slowly go back to an upright position. Each seat has thick, padded armrests on each side, and each armrest has a cup holder.

Along with the comfy seats, Flagship has created a reserved-seating system that is rare among Maine theaters. When people buy tickets – either online, at the box office, or from self-serve kiosks in the lobby – they are shown a map of every seat in that theater. The map shows the screen, the aisles, the rows and the number of each seat.

On Wednesday night, “The BFG” was being shown in a theater with about 35 seats, with an aisle in the middle. There were eight rows, with the letters A to H printed on the carpet to mark each row. There were three seats on one side of the aisle, and two on the other. Seats were numbered one to five, with little lighted numbers on each.

Watson picked a seat on the aisle, about half-way back from the screen. The seat number on his ticket was E-3.

The system allows people to buy their seats, show up when they want, and still have their seats waiting, said Andrew Poore, vice president of operations for Flagship.

“Maybe somebody doesn’t want to see the ads (before the movie) so they can skip those, and still have the seats,” said Poore.

The best, and easiest, way to buy the reserved seats from home is to go directly to the Flagship website, and click the time of the movie you want to go to, Poore said.

Flagship, which runs 15 theaters, actually opened its first theater in this building in 1995. It sold the theater to Hoyts in 1997, and eventually the Regal chain took it over, before closing in 2012. Flagship, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, also operates movie theaters in Auburn, Thomaston, Waterville and Wells. One is planned for Oxford.

Poore said the reclining seats and reserved ticket system are part of Flagship’s effort to provide more comfort, and a better experience for moviegoers. The price is comparable to other movie theaters, at $10.50 for an adult evening ticket, and no extra charge for 3-D.

To switch to the recliners, the total number of seats in the 10-screen facility was drastically reduced, from about 1,700 seats to about 600, Poore said. One theater has only about 25 seats.

On Wednesday, the theater staff was helping people use the new ticketing system and find their seats.

“I think at first it might take people a little while to get used to this,” said Poore. “So we’ve got people to help.”

While the chairs are the biggest difference, the whole facility has gotten a makeover. There is new paint, new carpeting, new ceilings and a remodeled lobby.

The color scheme throughout is steely gray and blue, with soft blue lighting and metal-color signs for various areas. There are comfy leather chairs in the lobby and a few in the hall leading to individual theaters.

To speed up concession lines, Poore said, drinks come in one size, a refillable cup for $5. The cashier hands people a cup, and they fill it up themselves at a self-serve drink station. So when ordering a drink all a person has to say is “drink please” to get a cup. Then they can fill it, and refill it, themselves. There’s also a popcorn topping station so people can put more butter and salt on their popcorn.

The sound Wednesday for “The BFG” was clear and loud without being noisy or overwhelming. There is no sign on the outside of the building yet, but it should be installed in a couple of weeks, Poore said. There is a free-standing sign near Route 1 announcing the cinema.

But Maine movie fans already know about the theater, and its recliners and reserved seats. It’s been talked about on social media, especially by movie buffs.

Watson, for instance, goes to the movies twice a week and doesn’t mind traveling an hour or so for a better experience.

And he thinks he’s found that experience at Flagship.

“This is pretty luxurious, these seats, and the fact that they don’t charge extra for 3-D, that’s pretty rare,” said Watson.
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 07-24-2016, 04:52 PM:
 
Sweet! Good to know that you CAN forego the 3D upcharge, I thought I read somewhere that was mandatory!
 

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Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 07-24-2016, 07:54 PM:
 
Palo Alto Almanac reports that Century will pull out of the Palo Alto square theatre the end of August. This is when their lease expires.

No news yet at to whether another operator reopened the twin cinema.
 

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Posted by Manny Montes (Member # 5639) on 07-28-2016, 08:37 PM:
 

quote:

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“Maybe somebody doesn’t want to see the ads (before the movie) so they can skip those, and still have the seats,” said Poore.

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Landmark Theatres Plans New 8-Screen Venue In NYC
by David Lieberman
July 11, 2016 10:47am


Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner’s Landmark Theatres is preparing to open a second flagship at one of New York City’s hottest new developments: VIA 57 West, a mixed-use building at West 57th Street near the West Side Highway.

RelatedLandmark Theaters Suit Charges Regal With Wielding
The eight-screen theater complex, planned for spring 2017, is the first newly built major movie complex in the Big Apple since 2002 when Loews moved in to its E-Walk venue on 42nd Street, across from the AMC Empire 25. (A two-screen boutique theater, Metrograph, opened in March in the Lower East Side.)

Landmark CEO Ted Mundorff calls his new complex “a game changer.” It will include laser projectors, leather electric recliner seats which can be reserved through advanced ticketing, and locally made healthy snacks in addition to traditional popcorn with real butter.

The site’s entrance will feature an “active video wall.” There’ll also be a private bar; Landmark plans to offer post-screening parties as well as events such as filmmaker Q+As.

“This area was in dire need of a great movie theater,” says Jonathan (Jody) Durst, who’s president of The Durst Organization. “Landmark is more than a theater, it is a cultural amenity and meeting place for our creative community and the film industry in New York City.”

Landmark has 56 theaters, including a flagship in Los Angeles and Sunshine Cinemas on NYC’s East Houston Street.

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A message to our Camera 12 family,

It is with much sadness that, in spite of our best efforts, we cannot keep Camera 12 open any longer. A decade’s loss of revenue from a promised growing downtown residential market, that’s just now coming online, coupled with the staggering costs of maintaining a large, aging, poorly designed building has led us to this decision to close.

This closure does not affect our thriving Camera 3 and Camera 7 cineplexes.

I’m proud to say that Camera Cinemas is one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in the downtown. In 1975, my partners, fellow San Jose State University students and incurable film buffs Jim Zuur and Dennis Skaggs, and I, rehabbed a former South First Street shoe store and turned it into Camera One. We were tired of driving to Berkeley or San Francisco, for art, foreign and independent films. A few years later, we opened Camera 3 in downtown San Jose. In 1989, nationally renowned Cinequest Film Festival debuted at Camera 3 and grew into Camera 12 over the years.

In 2004, Camera Cinemas reopened the failed United Artists 8-screen cineplex at Paseo de San Antonio as Camera 12 Cinemas, finally bringing first-run movies on a regular basis to downtown for the first time in 40 years. It’s estimated we’ve drawn an estimated 20 million moviegoers to downtown San Jose contributing over $200,000,000 to its economy.

On behalf of my partners and investors, I wish to thank our staff for their dedicated service and to community leaders and tens of thousands of patrons who’ve kept the Cameras rolling for so many years.

To customers holding gift cards (describe appearance) they will be honored at Camera 3 and Camera 7.

In time, I’m confident that downtown San Jose will be home to a new cinema experience. Thank your understanding and support.

Sincerely,

Jack NyBlom

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The Regal Hamilton Place 8 in Chattanooga, Tennessee has reopened after a renovation project closed the theater in April.

A press release issued recently by Regal Entertainment Group announced that the theater's grand opening would be held today, September 9, 2016.

"Regal Hamilton Place 8 delivers top notch amenities with our deluxe and spacious Regal King Size Recliners to provide our guests with unsurpassed in-theatre experience," says Christine White, Marketing Manager for Regal Entertainment Group. "Hamilton Place, the shopping mecca of the Chattanooga area, is the entertainment destination for this market."

Strangely enough, the press release doesn't mention anything about what was done as part of the renovations. Regal's web site mentions "luxury king size recliners, first run movies and bar & lounge" as coming to the theater.
Preview Events Benefit Charities

The theater held three days of preview events this week, where movies, drinks, and popcorn were $3 each. The proceeds benefitted The Kidney Foundation of the Greater Chattanooga Area and The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga.

"We are pleased to work with local philanthropic organizations like The Kidney Foundation and The Community Foundation," says Sandra Heinig, Public Relations Director for Regal Entertainment Group. "Come enjoy some of the best movies of the past few years during the preview days and see the pinnacle of the moviegoing experience at Regal Hamilton Place."

Grand Opening Promotions

Members of Regal's Crown Club loyalty program will receive a free small popcorn and soft drink with each paid admission between today, September 9, 2016, and Thursday, September 15. The first 100 moviegoers on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (9/9-9/11) will receive a commemorative collector's ticket. One person will receive a "diamond ticket" that will entitle the winner to "Diamond Status" in the Regal Crown Club program for a year.

Showtimes and Tickets

To see what's playing and when at the theater, check out their Showtimes page!

Source: Regal Entertainment Group Press Release

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quote:

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The Cinemark Movies 10 - Woodhill in Lexington, Kentucky closed its doors on September 5, 2016.

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The eight-screen theater complex, planned for spring 2017, is the first newly built major movie complex in the Big Apple since 2002 when Loews moved in to its E-Walk venue on 42nd Street,

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People drive by the Moonlite Theatre in Abingdon, VA all the time, but they haven't been able to drive-in for quite some time.

"We've been bringing our kids up here for years and years and years," Pam and Jim Moser said. "It was really sad and disheartening to see the moonlight close down. It's a sad thing to know kids these days don't have this venue to experience"

The Mosers have been married for 37 years and still remember the many dates they had watching movies under the stars.

"There were quite a few," Pam said. "It was a lot less expensive then going to the walk-in theatre," Jim continued.

The historical landmark aired its first movie in 1949, but had to close almost 65 years later because of the digital changeover. Now the old treasure is being transformed into its original deco.

"When someone comes that maybe came several years ago they can look and say, 'it looks just like it did when I came here in the 50s or 60s,' Moonlite Owner and President Kyle Blevins said.

Blevins told News 5 it will not just show movies, but concerts, music festivals, car shows, and any type of community event.

People like Teresa Quinton can't wait for future generations to share and create their own memories.

"When I was six my family came to see the first original movie of King Kong," Quinton said. "When that King Kong climbed on the Empire State Building it scared me to death! I just want my grandchildren and my great grandchildren to be able to come and do the things and have the same memories that I have."

The goal is to have the Moonlite up and running within the next few weeks, but they're asking for your help!

Whether it's helping with renovations or donating paint, the owner said he'd like for people to be involved because everyone will enjoy it.

Once ready, Sully and the new Star Trek will be the first movies to air. The cost is $7 for adults and $3 for children.

If all goes as planned, they'll light the sign Saturday night at 8.

If you'd like to be part of the transformation like the Moonlite Drive-In Theatre Facebook page.

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quote: Mitchell Dvoskin

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And don't forget the iPic Cinemas that opened recently in the Fulton market in Manhattan.

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You beat me to it. 8 screens, 505 reclining seats. I just hope there's no middle aisle. Reclining seat theaters with a middle aisle don't have a decent seat in the house. The few photos posted do make it look quite luxurious. They've been redeveloping that area, but it's usually kind of dead at night. Hopefully that will change. I suspect the screens are small. But there are a fair number of new apartment buildings down there and they only have to fill 505 seats to sell out.

Personally, I think it's insane to build new theaters with small screens in an age when many people have pretty good screens at home and when windows to home video are quite short, but I think they're pushing the food/bar concept pretty strongly in this place.
 

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 10-17-2016, 04:17 PM:
 
The Olino by Consolidated Theatres at the Ka Makana Ali'i mall in Kapolei, West Oahu, Hawaii will open on October 21, 2016.

They're doing a preview event today through Wednesday, and showtimes should be coming soon.

http://www.bigscreen.com/Marquee.php?theater=100133
 

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Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 10-19-2016, 12:43 PM:
 
The Alamo Drafthouse Brooklyn finally announced that they'll be opening on October 28th after a number of delays. 7 screens, 4K projection, one equipped for 35mm.

NY Times Article (may be a paywall):
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/19/movies/alamo-drafthouse-brooklyn-opening.html
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 11-02-2016, 08:11 AM:
 
Evans Theatres out of Norman, OK, has reopened the formerly Carmike Eastdale 8 at the Eastdale Mall in Montgomery, AL. They seem to have opened on Weds October 26, 2016.

Currently, they are only operating 3 of the 8 Theatres. They appear to be running as an after the break discount house, though it is hard to tell from just the opening programming (Boo!: A Madea Halloween;Ouija:Origin of Evil; Kevin Hart: What Now?) (or maybe they just like movies with a colon in the title)
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 11-03-2016, 01:23 PM:
 
Flix Brewhouse is opening a new-build 8=screen location here in Albuquerque, NM. Opening date has not yet been announced, but the plan is to be open by year's end. This is their first location in ABQ...

Web site

Facebook page
 

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 11-04-2016, 03:47 PM:
 
The Carmike Ovation Cinema Grill 9 in Holly Springs, NC (SW of Raleigh) opened October 13, 2016.

- BigD auditorium
- In-theater dining with restaurant menu items and drinks
 

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 11-11-2016, 01:37 PM:
 
The B & B Goodyear Palm Valley 14 in Goodyear, Arizona closed at the end of October.

Probably had to do with the opening of the Harkins Estrella Falls 16 nearby on October 13th.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 11-15-2016, 06:25 AM:
 
Happy 20th anniversary to
Marcus Addison 21 (Chicago)
Mann Westlake Village Village 8 (LA)
Pacific's Beach Cities (LA)
Cinemark Movies 8 in Del Rio TX
UA 64th & 2nd - New York
Cineplex Odeon Dorion 8 (Montréal)

Search for my ads at https://1drv.ms/f/s!AtCJz7ew6OKIjn6lbx3HYAhGfayt
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 12-01-2016, 05:27 AM:
 
Larry H Miller Megaplex Theatres has acquired and gutted the old Holladay Center 6 in Holladay, UT (Salt Lake City area). They will rebuild within the shell a new luxury recline-o-plex called Megaplex Luxury Theatres at Cottonwood.

This building was most recently a discount house operated by Water Gardens. It was originally opened in 1988 by Cineplex Odeon, who bailed on it in the Loews-Cineplex bankruptcy in 2001. Westates operated it for several years in between.
 

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Posted by Jesse Skeen (Member # 586) on 12-02-2016, 12:57 AM:
 
A theater in Sacramento opened today, built on the site of my beloved dome theaters which were demolished in February, which I will call The Mistake for as long as it stands. 14 screens, all native 1.85, NO MASKING. Saw my first and last movie there today. Common-width screens are bad enough, but no masking is a deal-breaker.
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 12-02-2016, 06:06 PM:
 
Well, that was fast.
Not sure if they are officially closed. Maybe just upgrading the rest of the screens.
The Evans Theatre Eastdale Mall in Montgomery has quit reporting to Rentrak (which lists them as temporarily closed) as of 11/30/16, do not have any shows listed on their website, and have no answering machine on their phone.
They opened about 10/26/16 of this year.
Their main website in Oklahoma never got beyond linking to a We're Hiring page.
This is all very strange. We'll see what happens.
 

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 12-02-2016, 06:37 PM:
 
A new Harkins has appeared behind the Citrus Plaza mall in Redlands, CA. Can't tell you precisely when it opened, but I don't think it was there the last time I was in that area, about 3-4 months ago.

This could have something to do with the Krikorian on Eureka St. in Redlands being sort of under threat of closure from an initiative to reopen a railroad: one of the many detailed proposals under consideration has a maintenance depot and/or passenger station being built on the side of the theater. The railroad refurbishment has been talked about since the 1990s, and no-one is holding their breath that it'll actually happen, but I guess the possibility is just real enough that no serious investment in that Krikorian has happened for quite a while. The last time I saw a movie there, it had a very retro feel to it! Parking there is also very restricted, and for that reason I suspect that they must be losing quite a bit of business to the new Harkins (which has a vast number of parking spots all around it).
 

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Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 12-05-2016, 02:18 PM:
 

quote: Martin McCaffery

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Not sure if they are officially closed. Maybe just upgrading the rest of the screens.
The Evans Theatre Eastdale Mall in Montgomery has quit reporting to Rentrak (which lists them as temporarily closed) as of 11/30/16, do not have any shows listed on their website, and have no answering machine on their phone.

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quote: Leo Enticknap

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A new Harkins has appeared behind the Citrus Plaza mall in Redlands, CA. Can't tell you precisely when it opened, but I don't think it was there the last time I was in that area, about 3-4 months ago.

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Happy 20th anniversary to
[Smile] Marcus Addison 21 (Chicago)
[Smile] Mann Westlake Village Village 8 (LA)
[Smile] Pacific's Beach Cities (LA)
[Smile] Cinemark Movies 8 in Del Rio TX
[Smile] UA 64th & 2nd - New York
[Smile] Cineplex Odeon Dorion 8 (Montréal)

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Is that sarcasm? The UA 64th and 2nd in NYC closed four years ago November.
 

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Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 12-16-2016, 01:50 PM:
 
Long Island's art deco single-screen arthouse The Sag Harbor Cinema was destroyed by fire early this morning. The theatre was still open and doing a pretty good business drawing from the east island/Hamptons crowd, and closing in on its 97th birthday. A tiny, funky old cinema but one loved by its customers. I always hate to see these go.


 

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Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 12-16-2016, 02:46 PM:
 
Very Sad. Any word on what caused the fire?


 

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Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 12-16-2016, 03:53 PM:
 
Cinemark Movies 8 (discount theater) in North Richland Hills, TX closed as of today 12/16/16. They were already inside there today tearing the place apart "while the platters were still warm"...
 

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Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 12-16-2016, 03:53 PM:
 
No word yet, but it was a big fire, took out five other businesses. A Hampton newspaper says that whats left of the theatre will be knocked down either tonight or tomorrow, too dangerous to leave the walls standing.
 

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Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 12-22-2016, 08:26 PM:
 
The multi-plex theatres at the Mall of America are closing for good on Wednesday December 28, 2016.

Mall of America Theatres Closing
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 12-31-2016, 01:44 PM:
 
Ok, I'm getting a little obsessive about this whole Evans Theatre stuff, but we don't have much to deal with in this town.

According to this, the home theatre in Norman, OK,was closed by eviction, before the Montgomery theaters opened.
Meanwhile, the Facebook page mentioned a little earlier, hasn't changed. Also, deeper reading has them talking about getting eight projectors. They never got more than 3 screens open.
I suspect they are toast.

Evans Theatres Norman, OK Closes

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Evans Theatres closes doors after eviction
Owners to remain in Norman, while opening new theater in Alabama
By Mack Burke | Transcript News Editor Oct 11, 2016

The show is over.

After a 10-month stint at 1300 N. Interstate Dr., Evans Theatres Robinson Crossing 6 unceremoniously locked its doors Tuesday after being evicted from the property.

The theater garnered a loyal following for its special events, throwback movie screenings and low prices, but couldn’t keep up with the rent.

Owner Martin Evans said it was a heartbreaking moment, one he tried to avoid.

“We were trying to renegotiate a lease with [landlord Ali Ghaniabadi] to keep the Norman location open and he said he could not and would not,” Evans said. “We were out of options. I had a heart attack recently and I didn’t need the additional stress … We developed a great rapport with the people of this community. They were important to us from the day we opened.

“I would say it’s very indicative of how difficult it is to run a discount theater in 2016. It is extremely difficult. I’ve come into this operation dirt poor. And if I go out of this dirt poor, I’ve really not lost anything except some great friends that we’ve made here in Norman.”

Evans said delivering the news to his employees was a tearful affair and he has received an outpouring of support from community members. He said lower income patrons are the ones who really lose big in this situation and is saddened there will not be another option for them.

“That’s the part that rips my heart out,” he said.

Like an open-ended movie climax, the theater’s demise raises questions.

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Posted by Alan Plester (Member # 852) on 01-04-2017, 05:19 PM:
 
Bournemouth ABC closes the tabs for the last time tonight, running Back to the future in all screens.This is the last ABC left,have seen a few films in this grand cinema,pictures of the last hours can be seen on Bournemouth Echo on line.
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 02-21-2017, 01:59 PM:
 
Bill Warren to build $25 million, 14-auditorium theater in Oklahoma

Sausage Link

(Carrie Rengers, Wichita Eagle, 2/21/17)

Bill Warren’s almost decade-old theater in Moore, Okla., is one of the top 10-grossing theaters in the country, but he says there’s still much more business to be had in the Oklahoma City area.

He’s now finalizing a $25 million deal for a 100,000-square-foot, 14-auditorium theater in Midwest City, which is next to Tinker Air Force Base.

“A developer friend of mine is doing a center there and wanted to have a theater,” Warren says. “Midwest City wanted to have a luxury theater … and that’s what we’re known for obviously in this part of the country.”

He says he’ll incorporate some of the new features from his latest theater, Warren 21 in Wichita. That includes heated and reclining seats and food and alcohol sales. He says he’ll find new features to add as well.

“The fun is if you can top yourself from the last time,” Warren says. “I could save a lot of money if I just kept building the same theater all the time, but there’s no fun in that.”

He says Midwest City is offering a “nice incentive,” but Warren says he can’t share details yet because the deal isn’t done.

“The city really is excited about a Warren Theatre coming there,” he says. “It’s going to be a win-win deal for everybody. We will generate a lot of business for that city.”

Warren expects the incentives to be approved in the next couple of weeks. Construction will take 18 months.

The Moore theater is about a 30-minute drive away.

“Oklahoma City is the second-largest land mass area in the United States,” Warren says. “A lot of people don’t realize how big that city is in terms of total volume of land.”

He says numbers that the movie industry releases show how successful his Moore theater is against others nationally.

“So we know how we rank,” Warren says. “Constantly, we have movies that play there that are the No. 1-gross in the nation.”

He says that’s even though he charges less in Moore than a lot of East and West Coast theaters do.

There’s an IMAX theater at his Moore theater, but there won’t be one in Midwest City.

So how long does it take to recoup a $25 million investment?

“My grandkids will enjoy a paid off – no,” Warren says, laughing.

“It’s a big investment, and you’re talking years to pay it back, but that’s OK. I’ve got time.”
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 02-21-2017, 03:27 PM:
 
If Bill Warren builds any premium screens in this new Midwest City theater I hope he doesn't use that deep curve screen concept used in Broken Arrow. That didn't work as well as intended.
 

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Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 02-21-2017, 07:10 PM:
 
I like that he has such quality builds though. I can't think of any other theater company still building screens with curtains.
 

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Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 02-23-2017, 10:46 AM:
 
Only three operating cinemas left in Westwood, CA now...


From Los Angeles Magazine:

quote:

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The Classic Landmark Regent Theatre in Westwood Is Closing After 50 Years

The Classic Landmark Regent Theatre in Westwood Is Closing After 50 Years

It will shut down to make way for two restaurants

February 22, 2017 Chris Nichols Architecture, Business, Dining, Film, Urban Development

The owners of the Landmark Regent Theatre in Westwood have submitted paperwork to convert the 50-year-old movie house on Broxton Avenue into two restaurants. The neighborhood, once bustling with movie houses and a popular place for splashy premieres, now has three remaining theaters: The Bruin, the Fox, and iPic on Wilshire Boulevard.

The Regent was built as retail stores in the 1940s and was a warehouse when Laemmle remodeled it into “L.A.’s Most Beautiful Intimate Theatre” in September 1966. They played art pictures into the 1970s when Mann Theaters, who ran the Fox and the Chinese in Hollywood, acquired it. The Regent upped their cinematic game when Landmark took over in 2002, but this was never a movie palace and the neighborhood seems to have lost interest in movies.

In the last decade or so the Avco Cinema was converted into the iPic, and the Crest, Festival, Plaza, National, Mann 4, and UA Westwood have all gone out of business. People might have shifted their viewing habits, but they’re still hungry. Almost all the former theater sites now house restaurants.

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the Crest, Festival, Plaza, National, Mann 4, and UA Westwood have all gone out of business. People might have shifted their viewing habits, but they’re still hungry. Almost all the former theater sites now house restaurants.

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Bullshit, not a single one of them do. The Festival is still sitting empty, the UA is a drugstore, the Mann 4 is a Whole Foods, the Crest is sitting unused, the Plaza is an empty storefront and the National is apartments. So must for fact-checking at LA Magazine.

I'll miss the Regent, I was just in there a few weeks back. It's gotten pretty run down, though, but it is still a blow. I'm still terrified that someday they will come for the Village and the Bruin. Back when I was doing enough professional work in LA to justify having an apartment there, I chose a place near Westwood just to be able to walk to these great theaters.

The inside of the Regent just this past January:


 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-08-2017, 12:19 PM:
 

quote: Carrie Rengers, Wichita Eagle

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Less than two weeks ago, the Warren Theatres owner told Have You Heard? he’s finalizing a $25 million deal for a 100,000-square-foot, 14-auditorium theater in Midwest City, which is next to Tinker Air Force Base.

Now, he has plans for a $25 million twin complex at Kilpatrick Turnpike and North Eastern Avenue.

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quote:

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There will be city incentives with the newest theater. Warren says he can’t discuss them.
“But we’re happy with the deal.”

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quote: Bobby Henderson

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That location is one mile east of the Broadway Extension freeway and its interchange with the Kilpatrick Turnpike. Broadway Extension is the main drag going North from OKC into Edmond. The location where Warren is proposing to build doesn't have any commercial development. There's a bunch of homes on the North side of the turnpike and a lot of undeveloped space on the South Side.

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quote: Sam Graham

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And that's where it's going, on the southeast side. It will anchor a new 110-acre retail and office development called Eastern Ridge.

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The original Crescent Theater first opened its doors at 208 Dauphin St. in Mobile, Alabama in 1885 as a vaudeville theater. In 1912 it was converted to show 35mm silent black and white films in what was, at the time, the most up-to-date theater in the city. Rebuilt from the ground up by John Switzer, former business partner of Max Morey, the Crescent Theater was reopened in October 2008 with a mission to bring independent arthouse films to the City of Mobile. The current incarnation of the Crescent Theater will celebrate its 4th anniversary in October, 2012.

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Crescent Theater
 

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Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 04-12-2017, 09:25 AM:
 
AMC is taking over the old Northrock 14 in Wichita, KS with plans to re-open it next year after an extensive remodel.

Built by Dickinson, it closed in 2012 when a developer intending to redevelop the building into office space bought it. That never happened, and it's sat empty since.
 

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Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 04-13-2017, 08:49 AM:
 
The Clark Theatre (originally a Martin theatre) in Andalusia, AL will re-open Friday, April 14, 2017 after a massive renovation by the city.

TV report on the Clark theatre renovation
 

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Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 04-17-2017, 08:31 PM:
 
The Quad Cinema in Manhattan, which originally opened in 1972 and closed in May of 2015, reopened this past Friday after a renovation under new ownership. They claim to have kept 35mm projection in addition to the digital. The theaters were originally 160, 150, 140 and 130 seats. Don't know what they are now.

Also, the Landmark 8 at 57th Street (and 12th avenue) was due to open before the Summer, but has been pushed to the Fall. Typical for NYC.
 

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Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 04-24-2017, 04:26 PM:
 
An oldie from August 13th, 1954

The Super Skyway Drive-In in Kuhnville, PA from August 13th, 1954

Would someone tell me how they got stereo sound from mono drive-in speakers back in 1954?
 

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Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 04-24-2017, 07:50 PM:
 
a lot of drive-ins were designed and built for cinemascope, the field was wired for three channels (left center and right, no surround channel was used ) A standard penthouse was installed and three channel amplification. Eprad made a nice three speaker unit that you placed on the dashboard of your car and it supplied the three channel sound. Drive-ins wanting to save money used standard mag penthouses but blended the three stage channels into the one mono channel. Some indoors did the same thing to save money and still be able to play the mag only soundtracks on the early scope pix. I have a simplex penthouse with a factory '4-CH / Mix' switch built in. As well as a blue colored Eprad 3 speaker unit in my collection.
 

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Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 04-26-2017, 06:32 PM:
 
The Motor Vue in Idaho Falls, Idaho (my hometown) had a full Motiograph booth with Mag penthouses wired for stereo.

Screen was 100 x 60

They used the EPRAD stereo speaker units.

Later on, the mag was pulled out, including the penthouses and conventional Reed speakers were used.


 

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Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 05-03-2017, 07:31 AM:
 
Thanks Monte for the stereo speaker photo. I thought these Eprad stereo DI speakers had 3 speakers on the front side, right, center and left. This speaker looks like It just has right and left? Is the red button on the front a light? These stereo in car speakers are very rare and hard to find these days.
 

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Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 05-03-2017, 10:10 AM: