Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: AMC Van Ness SF Problems

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Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 12-29-2017, 01:45 PM:

Yesterday we went to AMC Van Ness in SF. Was once a great cinema complex with those vacuum large curved screens. As we were going into a cinema next to the what they call a Imax many people were storming out of the 11 55AM Thursday 12/28 showing of Star Wars 2D in Baby Imax. People yelling this is he 3rd time! Well I went in and found the sound on but no picture on the screen. People all streaming out in the dark, lucky some old person did not fall in the dark aisles. Must have been a bulb problem. Well then we all went into the old red seats stained with soda and cheese to see 'The Greatest Showman'. The screen is almost flat now but a good scope size for a 300 seat auditorium. At least they still use moving masking at AMC. Thank god they have not done reserved seats here. No recliners just some of the worst dirty old seats in any theatre in SF. I had hoped my presentation would be ok but noticed a constant flicker on the pre show ads. Thought It would clear up when the 'Greatest Showman'started but not the case. I noticed I did not hear much surround sound in the first 15 minutes then looked up in the dark walls and found AMC had replaced all their dusty old side surround speakers with just two small wall side speakers placed way up near the ceiling. The surround speaker sound was going up to the roof not aimed down at the audience. With the stage speakers sound so loud any volume that came out of these replacement speakers (they had 6 speakers for surround in the past set on the wall lower) did not reach my ears. The whole system is way out of balance. They need to turn down the stage speakers a little and turn up the volume of the way to high up surrounds. After 20 minutes of bad surround sound and the constant flicker our group left to get a refund. No one closes the auditorium doors here when a movie is playing so you hear all the sound and lobby gab when your film is playing. I had to get up and close the doors. We hope we don't come down with bed bugs with these old tired seats as that was the case here at this cinema a few months ago in SF but AMC said they cleaned the seats. Time will tell. AMC needs to turn this cinema into SF's first second run bargain $1 theatre. We miss many movies when they fist play in SF. They have the AMC ex Loews/Sony Metreon a mile away showing almost the same films with new seats and way better sound and curved screens then the AMC Van Ness.

Posted by Travis Cape (Member # 466) on 12-29-2017, 05:58 PM:

Terry,

I can't believe you even went there. It sounds like AMC is waiting for the lease to expire. I can't imagine SF operating costs allowing for a $1 show. That doesn't even work here.

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 12-30-2017, 09:54 PM:

Had to go here in SF Travis to see 'Greatest Showman' on a true scope screen. Cinemark/Century shows this film also in SF on a flat 1.85 screen with a small scope blind image in the middle with white screen on the top and bottom. They have masking but they refuse to use It. Not a scope type wide screen at Cinemark anyway. At least I got to see the first 15 mins of the movie and the AMC Van Ness has a nice wide screen that opens masking on the sides for a scope movie. This lease thing may be why they took out most of their surround speakers and let the old seats go to rot plus the bulbs are ready to go out. What is so sad they put in 3 candy counters here on 3 floors but because they don't want to hire people you have to go way down to the lower level to buy things with one person in the refreshment counter and wait and spill everything going back up to your cinema space. I will see the rest of this Fox movie with my pass and go to another better AMC theatre with a large scope curved screen in the San Jose area before It leaves the area to DVD land. Time for a new movie chain to get in SF and remodel the place as the area has many new condos and a brand new huge hospital going in across the street. At least they do validate in the under cinema garage for $8 for 5 hours of movie watching.

Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 01-05-2018, 07:48 AM:

quote: Terry Monohan
No recliners just some of the worst dirty old seats in any theatre in SF.

Have you ever been to the UA Stonestown? [Razz]

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 01-05-2018, 11:18 AM:

Yes Eric that is another bad split old UA cinema in SF. Seats face the wrong way to a small split screen with cobwebs in the ceiling. Things are about to change as Macy's is moving out soon in the SF Stonestown Shopping Center and a new large movie theatre is going in. I think CineWorld/Regal/UA will be the ones going in as they will close and demolish the old cinema next door and use the space for parking. We will be glad to have a good modern Regal/UA house back in SF again with a large RPX screen.

Posted by Mark Ogden (Member # 43) on 01-05-2018, 11:31 AM:

Since we are talking San Francisco, and I am going to be there in a few weeks, what ARE the really good first run theaters anymore apart from the Metreon? I'm staying in Marin, in Larkspur, so anything up thataway counts too.

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 01-07-2018, 04:08 PM:

Mark**The best 4 1st run movie theatres around the SF area as of Jan 2018 are the new Dolby Cinema #10 inside the AMC Metreon in downtown SF. Big large scope curved screen, great sound. Also in SF are the two huge XD curved screens at the Century SF Center at 845 Market St. XD screen in cinema on the left is larger and more curved. In Marin at Corte Madera CA off the 101 freeway is a great large single curved screen theatre at the Century Cinema soon to torn down. Over in Orinda across the Bay the single large space at the Orinda Theatre, very art deco with curtains with a union projectionist on duty. Most are still playing Star Wars. May change when you arrive?

Posted by Chris Markiewicz (Member # 1415) on 01-07-2018, 07:32 PM:

Don't forget the Grand Lake in Oakland!

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 01-13-2018, 11:49 AM:

Yes Chris the old Fox Grand Lake in Oaklnad CA is another great movie palace to check out. The large downstairs space has two sets of curtains that go up. Also a union projectionist on duty in all 4 cinemas. Some of the best 2 projector 3D you will ever find in the SF Bay Area. Now the AMC Van Ness along with all It's problems in SF has most of It's neon blade sign outside not working.

Posted by Scott Jentsch (Member # 1681) on 01-16-2018, 09:02 AM:

Terry,

Please add your experience to the Reader Comments page for the AMC Van Ness 14:

http://www.bigscreen.com/Marquee.php?theater=4857&view=comments

The only way that it will change is for them to be called out on it, and it will perhaps save others from the same experience.

Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 02-07-2019, 01:39 PM:

It has been 387 days since the last post.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 02-07-2019, 01:39 PM:

A friend who went to see a show at this theater last night has informed me
that the AMC 1000 will CLOSE as of tonight.
Unknown if another operator will take it over or if it will be torn down
or converted into a Walgreens or Starbucks or something.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 02-07-2019, 04:31 PM:

Isn't the building itself listed? When they converted this into a cinema, they kept the vintage look of the Cadillac dealership that was once in it on the lower floors, where the box office was located.

Posted by Jarod Reddig (Member # 6363) on 02-07-2019, 04:52 PM:

Its despicable how run down they let these locations get before they shutdown.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 02-07-2019, 10:59 PM:

quote: Marcel Birgelen
Isn't the building itself listed?

Yes, Marcel, it is listed as a historical landmark both by San Francisco, & in the National
Historic Register. (And shame on me, being somewhat knowledgeable of old SF buildings,
to have not realized that)

It was originally a 'Don Lee Cadillac' dealership,and is really a grand old building, which
I pass several times a week on my way downtown to the screening rooms I work at.

Here's a photo of it in the 1940's when it was also home to radio station KFRC,
which was originally owned by Don Lee, who also owned an early TV network
down in Los Angeles. The radio towers were dismantled in the late 1950's

The Don Lee showroom, some time in the 1920's. This is where the AMC theater
lobby is (was?) now. The theater lobby retained the original ceiling & columns.

The exterior looks pretty much the way it did when it was built (minus the radio towers)
The beige structure in the rear is a parking garage, which, if my memory is correct, was
added around the time the theater moved into the building, some time in 1998.

Posted by Jarod Reddig (Member # 6363) on 02-08-2019, 12:41 AM:

Not your run of the mill Caddy dealership! [Eek!]

Posted by Gary Meyer (Member # 2936) on 02-08-2019, 02:18 AM:

The closing was kept a secret until hours before it happened and only then did it hit the media. https://hoodline.com/2019/02/amc-van-ness-14-movie-theater-to-shut-down

I have it on good authority that a foreign-based company new to San Francisco will be taking over and making major changes---expect food and beverage, luxury seating and 4D. The place has been an unappealing location to see movies for many years so closing for big upgrades in a good thing and they can relaunch as if a new theater..

When AMC sold the Kabuki to Sundance it was because of the Justice Department insisting that they had too much control in SF and had to divest of screens. With a long-term lease on Van Ness and it having more screens, the Kabuki was the logical one to let go. But after Sundance made it a huge success, AMC now bought it again and once again faced the restraint of trade issues and had to divest again. Van Ness makes the most sense.

As to Opera Plaza there is hope that some good things are going to happen there too. Be patient.

And the Stonestown Twin is reportedly going to be replaced with a modern luxury multiplex.

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 02-08-2019, 06:34 AM:

quote: Jarod Reddig
Its despicable how run down they let these locations get before they shutdown.

If you are shutting down a location it is very hard to justify investing anything into it. Investments are amortized over some time period. If the time period to amortize doesn't exist, it is a very bad investment.

Also, in most cases a location that will be closed is losing money (or earning very little). In business you should never "throw good money after bad."

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 02-08-2019, 02:04 PM:

Well, I thought the re-use of the building as a cinema was a pretty classy way of keeping some of the old, while giving the space a new function.

So, I really hope someone is going to pick up the location and keeps the current function after some major refurbishments. If you want to keep the current lobby untouched, something like a supermarket seems almost out of the question. Furthermore, it would be a shame if it would end up as yet another generic multi-purpose office or apartment block, generally closed for the public. But since both office and living spaces are highly profitable markets in the crowded SF area, it has a high potential of ending up as one of those...

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 02-09-2019, 08:06 PM:

It may be the Mexican company CINEPOLIS they will give SF It's first 4D set up? The AMC 14 Van Ness was not that old but AMC let It go down hill the last few years. I think this new to the USA company is also going to open a cinema near the Hillsdale Center in San Mateo CA. Two new Showcase Icon Theatres have just opened in Mountain View and near San Jose CA.

Posted by Stephan Shelley (Member # 8587) on 02-09-2019, 09:38 PM:

The Showcase Icon theatres are run by a family out of Chicago that has been running theatres for over a 100 years.

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 02-12-2019, 03:30 AM:

Many people around the movie business in SF think also the Cineworld Group (Regal) will be the new gang coming into the AMC 14 Van Ness spot in SF.
It may contain under one roof a Dolby Cinema® plus a first for SF Screen X along with 4DX. Regal Theatres for many years was a big player in the SF Bay Area.
Now with the new Regal Cinema going into the old Macy's spot at Stonestown to replace the cut up UA Twin we may have two new Regal theatres in San Francisco for the first time in many years.
Lets see who moves in the AMC 14 Van Ness and does all the remodel and up grades and offers things the movie going public wants in SF that AMC,Century/Cinemark and Landmark does not care to offer.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 03-18-2019, 11:38 PM:

AMC has an exclusive on Dolby Cinema, so if it's a Regal, can have Dolby Atmos, but not Dolby Cinema.

Posted by Michael Putlack (Member # 6523) on 03-19-2019, 10:15 AM:

I'll toss my AMC Van Ness memory in here for safe keeping...

While living in SF and working at the Kabuki when it was still run by Sundance, a co-worker and I were at the Van Ness to see Unstoppable, the movie with Chris Pine and Denzel Washington about a train that just couldn't be stopped!

We're standing in line and a dude in for concessions (our tickets were comped of course because we had a trade with them at the time) and some old dude in front of us turns around and asks the people behind us in line, who he must be with, if they want any popcorn. Since he was looking through us pretty much, I just said "sure, I'll have some!" or something to that effect.

The dude in front of us started laughing and his buds behind us started laughing too, so I turned around to laugh with them, and when I turned around I found out the person I was now laughing with was other than NEIL YOUNG! I am pretty sure all color rushed from my face as I started to feel a bit dizzy.

I composed myself, bought some popcorn, and he ended up sitting a few seats away from me in the movie. In the middle of the film, him and his friends must not have been liking the movie, because they all got up and left about half way through. I've met more than my fair share of celebrities, but that was the only time I've ever been starstruck.

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 03-22-2019, 08:13 AM:

Now the city has the place up for a homeless shelter but It did not pass on other places around town. Rumor is office space may go in?

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 04-19-2019, 09:02 PM:

Good news for all SF movie people. The old closed AMC Van Ness will soon return with a brand new theatre Koren chain called CJ CGV Theatres.
They will offer a first for SF 4D and a huge 3 projector EX system plus a giant curved screen and new sound/seats.
So glad this spot will open again sometime in 2020. They have two spots in the LA CA area at this time.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 04-19-2019, 10:09 PM:

They should have leased the space to an American company.

Posted by Terry Monohan (Member # 8285) on 04-20-2019, 12:19 AM:

Mike*** I don't think any creative American movie theatre company wanted to spend the time and money to go in and remodel the old SF AMC 14 space.
These S Korean theatre guys will make a bundle offerings things you can't see in SF for the tourists and local movie lovers as the few multi cinemas we have 2 AMC and a few Century/CineMark theatres in the SF area need some new gimmicks to get people away from streaming things at home. Lets hope they put in a nice place to eat and drink in the old boring empty AMC Van Ness main floor lobby entrance space at the entrance.
I vote for a Tropical Island type tiki bar and food place in the new cinema lobby with plants/waterfalls/color neon lights before or after a movie with some nice old movie posters from past tropical movies.
Something you will never see at Century or AMC cinemas.

Posted by Marcel Birgelen (Member # 6801) on 04-20-2019, 11:32 AM:

quote: Mike Croaro
They should have leased the space to an American company.

An "American" company like AMC? [Razz]

I'm not a big fan of some of those CJ CGV gimmicks like 4DX, but at the very least, this place will keep showing movies. Also, gimmicks or not, CJ CGV is still pretty good at drawing in crowds over in their home market in South Korea. Nothing wrong with them trying to get a foothold in the Amercian market.

Posted by Jim Cassedy (Member # 4115) on 04-20-2019, 11:50 AM:

I've been aware of this info since about a week after the AMC closed,
but I was was sworn to secrecy by my source. (And so I've also been
silently amused by all the speculation posted here & elsewhere)

While I am cautiously optimitic this may actually happen, I could give you
numerous examples of closed businesses and buildings, including a couple of
theaters, that have sat vacant, some for over a decade, after an announement
like this, due to the insane politics & permit processes in place here in SF.

So- - while it would be nice if this proposed project turns out to be true, my
general attitude at the moment about this is "I'll beleive it when I see it ".