Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Up and Coming Trip to Texas

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Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-23-2002, 05:31 PM:

and I are taking a trip to Texas to visit Brad, Ethan Harper, Don Sneed, James Hammond, and hopefully Bobby Henderson (but we have not heard from him yet.) On the way, Pat Moore is going to arrange a tour of Strong International's facilities.

This trip will be in the week of 21 July 2002. I will be leaving Washington State and headed for North Dakota probably the 19th or 20th of July. Maybe I can drop in on Mike in Forsyth, Montana again.

If you are in our projected road trip path, please let either Josh or I know, and if we can make it fit into our schedule, we would like to drop in and at least say hello.

We will have some digital cameras to take pictures of your theatres, and probably have a couple of video cameras with us as well. Many of the pictures we take will more than likely be passed on to Brad for posting if he so desires.

Hope to see some of you soon.

Paul

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 06-23-2002, 05:57 PM:

Sounds like a great trip!

I wish you and Josh a happy trip--you'll be among fine friends!

If you can get to San Antonio, try to visit Jack Judson's Magic Lantern Castle on a highway several miles from town. Jack built a home as part of a castle museum with the most fantastic collection
of magic lanterns, from child size to triple limelight brass and mahogony monsters. He puts on shows as they did in the 19th C.
I visited twice, when Jack hosted the Movie Machine Society, and enjoyed it immensely.

<A HREF="http://www.magiclanterns.org">http://www.magiclanterns.org</A>
castle@magiclanterns.org

While in S.A., the River Walk is a fun place for a stroll, or barge ride in the cool of the evening, where you can dine on the water or riverside.

[ 01-24-2003, 10:34 AM: Message edited by: Gerard S. Cohen ]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-24-2002, 12:27 AM:

Well if you pass through Denver let me know. I have an IMAX screening room. J/K

Posted by Ethan Harper (Member # 472) on 06-24-2002, 01:42 PM:

Will you be bringing hot dogs from washington with you or will I have to suffice with my home town dogs?

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-24-2002, 02:10 PM:

Gerard, thank you.

Joe, someday I'll come through your area.....Probably depends on if I win another load of junk from Ebay that is just too expensive to ship, like those damn BVH-1100's I carted back a couple of months ago.

Ethan, I didn't win a weenie roller at Sho-West to bring with me.

Posted by Jeff Stricker (Member # 224) on 06-25-2002, 07:35 PM:

If you guys are coming thru Indiana, you are certainly welcome to stop by Amateur radio shack/screening room and check out my old Brenkerts plus all the other oddies I've got lying around

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-25-2002, 08:42 PM:

Uh oh, you said "Brenkerts". Now they'll make a side trip to your place no matter how far out of the way it is! They'll want to make sure that your Brenkerts aren't leaking as much oil as theirs. But I'm sure you won't let yourself be outdone and you'll find an easy way for yours to leak much more oil!

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-26-2002, 01:27 AM:

Jeff, thank you for the invite. Unfortunately, we only have about 7 days alloted for this trip, and we have to stay on the southern track as much as possible from the West Fargo, North Dakota line.

I have some very good friends in Evansville, and maybe in the next year or so I might be making a trip that way to see them. When that happens, I'll be very happy to drop in and say hello.

Joe, we run STP in ours...

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 06-26-2002, 02:29 AM:

While you're travelling the continent to check out Brenkerts you could come 'up here to Canada' and check out the two in town here. Last time I checked the Canadian Maple Syrup that we run in them is thick enough to only leak out entirely once every two weeks.

Heck that's what those cookie sheets filled with oil absorbent are for anyway.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-26-2002, 05:05 AM:

I have an idea. How about everyone within 500 miles of Dallas all meet here on the specified day that Josh and Paul are to arrive and we have ourselves a little gathering/movie festival? Any takers?

Posted by James R. Hammonds, Jr (Member # 673) on 06-26-2002, 06:50 AM:

Any time Monday thru Wednesday and if I know a couple weeks in advance I will see what I can do.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 06-26-2002, 01:32 PM:

Our projected arrival date in the Dallas area is Friday, 26 July 2002. Brad, that is very kind of you to think of that idea. Thank you.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-26-2002, 01:51 PM:

Brad, that would be millions and millions of people, and your screening room only seats a few hundred thousand. Perhaps you should just limit it to Film-Techers.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-26-2002, 02:39 PM:

Does that even need to be said, Joe? I thought that was assumed along with "only the cool people with forum pictures".

Hey here's another idea. We could get a bunch of pieces of paper and write down the name of each local theater and put it in a hat. Then Josh can blindly pull one out, where the entire group will travel to that theater to screen their oldest print. Then we can drive the manager to quit after putting up with all of our critiqing!

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 06-26-2002, 03:57 PM:

Now THAT sounds like an awesome idea! Imagine 100 of us all complaining about the same movie simultaneously completely surrounding the manager!

Posted by Darren Crimmins (Member # 1116) on 06-26-2002, 07:21 PM:

The gathering in Dallas sounds like a good plan.
Brad, maybe the theater trip might include a specific theater in say, the Irving area?

Posted by Gracia L. Babbidge (Member # 582) on 06-26-2002, 07:22 PM:

That does sound like fun!

...but since that's further away from here than I could drive in a day - don't count on me showing up for it!

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-26-2002, 09:23 PM:

I've submitted a travel request to attend "The Tenth Annual Film-Tech Texas Confab" so, Brad, if you get a phone call or an email or anything from my boss, just go along with it....

[Edited: I'm just kidding about my boss calling, but I certainly am considering flying in for what promises to be a happening time. I'll bring my roller skates.]

Posted by Josh Jones (Member # 447) on 06-26-2002, 10:21 PM:

I'll bring my running shoes and the popcorn

Josh

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 06-26-2002, 11:02 PM:

You may need those running shoes if we have a weenie roast and want to eat! I hear Paul's pretty fast when the smell of weenie is in the air.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-11-2003, 01:04 PM:

Now it's my turn! I'll be in Dallas in mid- to late-February for research and photograph purposes. Definite travel dates to be confirmed soon.

Current plans call for a Saturday/Sunday in Dallas with Friday and Monday dedicated to the I-20 corridor to the west, maybe as far as Monahans.

Anyone want to offer a tour or recommend a theater that absolutely cannot be missed?

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 01-11-2003, 01:17 PM:

Adam, Please be sure to contact Cordell Walker and have him escort you on your tour. He will be delighted to see you and will protect you in your travels.

Please give him my best and invite him to join you on your New England tour this summer. [Smile]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-11-2003, 01:25 PM:

Now how am I supposed to keep a low profile with him standing there looking all "look at me ... I'm so important"? Hey, wait ... he could be my distraction!

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-11-2003, 02:32 PM:

Hey Adam....have a safe trip. Would be nice if you could drop by Lost Wages, NV for a gathering with the film-techers!

Hey Brad...Cow Hum the rotating Graemlin isn't on your list yet? [Smile]

Posted by William T. Parr (Member # 677) on 01-13-2003, 12:37 PM:

Hey Adam, If you make it down the I 35 corridor I can give you the tour of the Highland 10 as I was talked into staying there by the owner who wants my consulting when he gets around to renovating the booth. I can also get you into a couple of the Regal theatres for a look around. I can also navigate you around San Antonio to all current theatres and most of the old one. Let me know if you plan on making it down the Southern way while here.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-13-2003, 01:23 PM:

Adam, I can say that if you get in that area and meet fellow film-techer's, you will discover that you are in the company of some of the finest people you will ever meet.

When Josh and I were down there, we discovered that to be true. Even though our trip was short, it was worth every bit of the effort to get there.

Paul

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-13-2003, 02:56 PM:

There aren't too many theaters anymore that "can't be missed" here, but I'm sure we could stir up some trouble anyway.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 01-13-2003, 06:46 PM:

Paul, when you get there, kiss the ground for me. If I ever get back to (Texas), I'm going to nail my feet to the ground!

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 01-14-2003, 10:45 AM:

I can certinaly name a few in the Dallas area that are on the "should be missed" list. [Big Grin]

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-14-2003, 04:14 PM:

The best theatres are the ones that SHOULD be missed. Whenever I travel I always ask people what the worst theatre in town is... just because I wanna go have a good laugh. So please -- give Adam all the side-splitting hilarious theatres that'll make for a fun adventure into sticky floors and crazy sightlines etc. etc.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-14-2003, 04:54 PM:

I think my masochistic friend Scott [Smile]

would have loved the Cerberus 3 (1970-1993) in Washington, DC, which was formerly an auto sales agency. Yes, those would be support pillars in the middle of the rooms. I have no idea how they got a picture on the screens in those side auditoriums, with the projection ports being all of six rows back from the screen.

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 01-14-2003, 05:25 PM:

Try a theater that has has virtually no upgrades since its opening in 1983. Only changes that have taken place are speaker upgrades (with used equipment) in the main auditorium, and new(er) seats.

Stereo appears to have been added to one other auditorium in the '90's as a CP-50 was put in, and QSC amps powering the speakers.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-15-2003, 01:51 AM:

quote:
"So please -- give Adam all the side-splitting hilarious theatres that'll make for a fun adventure into sticky floors and crazy sightlines etc. etc."

Well damn Scott, I don't think Adam has enough time to see all of THOSE kind of places around here! I think we'll start with the theater Jason was hinting at in the above post. [Wink]

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 01-15-2003, 05:12 AM:

Well, um, I occasionally fill in at a theatre that has had almost no upgrades since 1938....and the place where I worked when I was in college had not been upgraded since 1981 (first major upgrade since they installed CinemaScope in the '50s; the whole place has been significnatly renovated now, though).

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-15-2003, 01:11 PM:

OOooh what a lovely blueprint. THAT'S what I'm talkin about.

More than likely I'll be using some of my lovely vacation time and Southwest Rapid Rewards to join Adam on this field trip. Especially if Dallas is loaded full of non-remodelled cookie cutter P.O.S. gems.

That and I've been looking for a nice part of Texas and I've yet to find it... every time I fly to DFW it looks pretty decent out the window. Such a difference between there and Lubbock, Odessa and Abilene... although Abilene ain't too bad.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-16-2003, 02:28 AM:

Uh, oh. Now Dallas is in trouble.

By the way, I expect to consume incredible amounts of barbecue while I'm there. I haven't had any good BBQ since I left Oklahoma.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-16-2003, 03:32 AM:

Adam,
Looks like a Stealth Theatre thats taken in a 5th of Jack Daniels!
MArk

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-16-2003, 03:57 AM:

Nobody makes Bar-B-Q better than Dickey's!

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 01-16-2003, 09:18 AM:

I'd second the Dickey's

There used to be a hole-in-the-wall type place in downtown Dallas, that was even better, but I can't remember the name of it.

Red Hot & Blue is pretty good too [Big Grin]

Colters is just [puke]

[ 01-16-2003, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Jason Burroughs ]

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 01-16-2003, 09:56 AM:

Third for Dickey's! [thumbsup]

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 01-16-2003, 01:35 PM:

Gates & Sons in Kansas City is the best barbeque I've ever had.

Posted by Chris Markiewicz (Member # 1415) on 01-16-2003, 07:16 PM:

I second Gates. mmmmmmm

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 01-16-2003, 09:05 PM:

Sugarhouse Bar-B-Que in Salt Lake City has gotten many awards....the best there is IMHO. The pulled Pork Bar-B-Que Sandwiches are tops!
Mark @ CLACO

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-23-2003, 12:48 PM:

I don't know why Adam bothered you all for BBQ locations... I'm not eating anywhere that's not a Chick-Fil-A... unless it's Sunday I suppose. Damn I love Chick-Fil-A.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-23-2003, 12:53 PM:

You didn't hear? Chick-Fil-A just closed down all of their southern restaurants. [Wink]

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 01-23-2003, 12:57 PM:

Who the heck could eat anything at a place called "Dickey's"?

Maybe Brad should move this to the Joke Forum. [Smile]

Dickey's see [eyes]

.....Dickey's Doo [bs]

Posted by Jason Burroughs (Member # 68) on 01-23-2003, 01:31 PM:

Ross Perot used to frequent one of the Dickey's here in Dallas all the time.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 01-23-2003, 01:36 PM:

Has anyone ever worn Dickies Overalls and a dickey around his neck while dining at Dickey's? [puke]

Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 01-23-2003, 04:13 PM:

Chick-Fil-A will never die - especially not in Texas. Who else carries the word of the Lord through 12 deliciously breaded pieces of deep fried chicken nuggets with a sack of waffle fries and a 24oz Styrofoam cup of Coke???!?!

Mmmmm.... Polynesian sauce because we're too high and mighty to call it Sweet'N'Sour like that *OTHER* chicken nugget place.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-23-2003, 08:44 PM:

Apparently, Scott thinks we're going to eat at a mall.

I hope you like yer chicken barbecued, 'cause that's the only way yer gonna git it. Steak and barbecue are yer choices on this trip, pal! You ain't from 'round here, are you?

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 01-23-2003, 09:55 PM:

Oh, ain't that -

- a pretty graemlin.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 01-23-2003, 09:59 PM:

Adam, we should get a portable grill and cook us up some cow barbecue in the parking lot of a Chick-Fil-A. [Smile]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-23-2003, 11:42 PM:

I used that smiley two pages ago and it's still not an Instant Graemlin. You guys are slacking off!

I will agree to the Chick-Fil-A tailgate party if we can dress up as chickens and carry signs that say, "Eat More Beef". [Smile]

(Doing this on a Sunday would be pointless, though.)

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 01-24-2003, 12:00 AM:

All this talk about barbecues has been distracting me. I'm so hungry! You don't expect me to program while I'm hungry, do you? [Confused]

Actually it's imazing I don't weight 300 pounds with the amount of food I eat while programming. [Smile]

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-24-2003, 01:02 AM:

Daryl said:

quote:
Oh, ain't that - - a pretty graemlin.

OK, I didn't find it anywhere in the FAQ or posting windows. Is it a trade secret? Where do I find it? [Big Grin]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 01-24-2003, 01:04 AM:

Absolutely!

Click edit on my message to find out.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-24-2003, 01:18 AM:

When you're signed in, you get a nasty message when you try to edit/view someone else's message.

The rofl graemlin is an ancient Chinese secret.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 01-24-2003, 01:33 AM:

I guess it'll remain a secret then.

However there are ways to find out... use your right mouse button. [Smile]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-24-2003, 01:39 AM:

Bah!

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 01-24-2003, 01:42 AM:

You should put some spinning spirals behind that one.

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-24-2003, 01:54 AM:

It doesn't work with MSIE 6. [Frown]

Oops!

Could not make it work with Opera, either. Grrrrr....

That didn't work either.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-24-2003, 02:00 AM:

I'm using IE6 ... Make sure you have animations enabled.

And since this is on a new page ...

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-24-2003, 02:03 AM:

Where do I find the "enable button?"

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-24-2003, 02:05 AM:

Tools > Internet Options > Advanced > Multimedia > Play animations in web pages

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 01-24-2003, 02:09 AM:

OK, that was checked. But how do I make [Razz]

rotate?

anyway, thanks, gents. Much appreciated.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 01-31-2003, 05:26 PM:

We're flying into DFW at about 1pm on Friday March 21 and going to Abilene to do a couple of tours on Sunday March 23 in the afternoon before we leave.

So if anyone wants to get together Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, say something!

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 03-26-2003, 09:14 PM:

Scott was completely out of control with this Chick-fil-A thing. The only barbecue I got was the sauce at Chick-fil-A.

Day one, Stop one, Grapevine Texas:

We passed this one in Lewisville:

We found this one looking for a theater in a mall in Hurst:

In front of an old AMC-turned-Bally's Fitness in Irving. I don't know why they're parked two wide.

Apparently, Scott found the drive-thru irresistible.

Day Two, Arlington:

There's a new AMC in a mall in Arlington. It's above an ice skating rink. It's also near the Hagen-Dazs.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 03-26-2003, 09:26 PM:

Wait, there's more!

Day Three: Chick-fil-A is closed on Sunday. Some Southern Baptist thing. We fasted today.

Day Four: Abilene.

Day Five: Odessa. Scott managed to get a theater manager to take him to Chick-fil-A. I was spared, as I was in Big Spring doing research. [Smile]

And I had the camera.

However, there is a Chick-fil-A in the DFW airport, which we stopped at between flights.

And after we ate, Scott decided that he wanted some for the three hour flight back to California.

Scott says that Chick-fil-A is life-giving. My colon has another opinion. [Eek!]

This can't be a healthy obsession.

Oh, yeah. We also stopped at a few theaters. 125 to be exact. We took 807 photos. I'll be busy sorting for a while.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 03-26-2003, 10:46 PM:

You gotta be kidding! With all the great food to try and local places to eat at in Texas, you guys ate nothing but chain-store food??? Unbelievable! [Smile]

Scott, you been countin' too many cups lately??? [Big Grin]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-27-2003, 02:08 AM:

Scott, did your mother ever tell you that you are going to turn into a chick-fil-a?

I see an evil Pepsi tower in the last picture. At the locations I frequent, they are all Coke. What's up with that? An airport thing? Chick-fil-a and Pepsi? [puke]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 03-27-2003, 03:13 AM:

I'm pretty sure that I had a Mountain Dew at the one in Grapevine. Or maybe it was a Coke. I really don't remember. I really don't care. [Razz]

Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 03-27-2003, 08:25 AM:

Urgent Message to Adam and Scott

I have Notified Cordell Walker Texas Ranger that you are in the State to take picture of fast food restaurants and theatres. He has informed me that he is only aware of a screening room in Rockwell Texas, that he is staking out. He said if you visit this site do not let the owner know that you know who he is. He is going to pretend that he is a bookie, I mean booker to get in to see a screening. He want to make sure that the blond guy from Colorado does not try to sneak into the screening.

Remember while you are driving in Texas it's ok to doo 110 on the highways provided you have a loaded gun in the rack on your rear window. [Wink]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 03-27-2003, 01:19 PM:

Oh, we found the screening room alright. That occurred after I got to rub up against the server Cinematour is on. [Smile]

I enjoyed the complete collection of Cinemark policy trailers because I had never seen most of them before. Scott enjoyed them because ... um ... I guess it must have been all the Chick-fil-A.

The gun rack explains Scott's speeding ticket from his last trip to Texas. We'll have to figure out a way to check that in our baggage on the next trip. [Cool]

You're coming with us on the next trip, right Bob? If we get pulled over while I'm driving a rental car that I'm not supposed to be driving, you can share your Maartini with the state trooper.

Posted by Sam Hunter (Member # 1119) on 03-27-2003, 01:53 PM:

Just don't make too much noise and wake me up over here. [Big Grin]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-27-2003, 07:09 PM:

Hey Joe, remember that reel? [Big Grin]

(I was almost murdered that night by Joe.)

Scott I'll dig out my collections of other theater policies next time you are in town. There aren't too many people who appreciate old policies like you do.