Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Theatre Recommendations For Upcoming Vacation

This is topic Theatre Recommendations For Upcoming Vacation in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 02-05-2003, 07:41 PM:

It's vacation time!

Nearly a year ago I posted a request for some theatre recommendations and got a great response from many of you (and even met a couple of you film-techers along the journey, as well). I'm getting set for another vacation, so here's another request.

My question is if anyone is familiar with the movie theatres in the cities of Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and also Washington, D.C.? I'll be on "vacation," but in the event I elect to take in a movie in any of these cities, or wish to visit any famous or noteworthy places, are there specific theatres that are worthwhile, are old-style palaces, or are highly-regarded for having outstanding presentation quality? And are any to be avoided at all cost? In addition, if anyone can recommend any non movie-related spots worth checking out (museums, historical places, tourist spots, bars/clubs, etc.) that would be highly appreciated, too.

Thanks very much!

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 02-05-2003, 08:11 PM:

If you are interested in railroads there is the old union station in Cincy. THere are many theaters in Cincy mostly National Amusements.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 02-05-2003, 09:10 PM:

Cincinnati doesn't have crap anymore. Everything worthwhile is long gone. Make sure you visit the Uptown in DC, though.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 02-05-2003, 10:12 PM:

In the Chicago area:

Loews Cineplex River Oaks #9, the D150 house , located in Calumet City, a lower middle class suburb south of Chicago.

Downtown:
The Chicago Theater is now primarily a live event venue. Ditto the Oriental, and the Palace (now the Cadillac Palace). The latter was the 3 strip Cinerama house. The Harris and Selwyn (one time small live theaters), later the Cinestage and Michael Todd movie houses, had their facades saved and incorporated into a new Goodman Theater (live) complex. The Cinestage had been the 70mm Cinerama house. One or the other was the home of Smell-O-Vision.

On the north side the Music Box Theatre is a well known art house and runs 70mm occasionally. It's an "atmospheric" style theatre, not too large (and not particularly ideal for widescreen). On the northwest side the Gateway is now home to a Polish cultural association; it's a large atmospheric on the interior. They run films on occasion such as last summer's silent film series. The Uptown Theatre on the far north side is a 4300 seat movie palace, closed for a couple decades now, awaiting restoration. The Tivoli in west suburban Downers Grove is a 1040 seat 1920's sub-run house that ran 70mm on a subrun basis during the 80's.

That's what comes to mind just now.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-05-2003, 11:36 PM:

Loews Cineplex River Oaks #9, the D150 house , located in Calumet City, a lower middle class suburb south of Chicago.
_____________________________________________________________

Be sure to have your M-16 with for self defense!!!
Mark

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 02-06-2003, 04:20 AM:

Check out: the Uptown and AFI in DC, the Senator in Baltimore, and the Byrd in Richmond (yes, it's worth the drive).

And, I'd strongly suggest making a special trip to the Princess II in Watseka, IL! [Smile]

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-06-2003, 07:11 AM:

If you're traveling through upstate New York, don't miss a visit to the George Eastman House, with its equipment collection, film archive, and Dryden Theatre:

http://www.geh.org/

http://www.eastman.org/

In Auburn NY, visit the Theodore Case Research Lab Museum, the "Birthplace of Talking Films":

http://www.tourauburnny.com/case.html

Posted by Kara J. McVay (Member # 1285) on 02-06-2003, 08:22 AM:

I am between Cincy & Cleveland, I would welcome a visit from a fellow Film-Tech junkie. I won't even charge you for a tour [Big Grin]

.
www.thestrandtheatre.net

Also, in Akron, just south of Cleveland is the Akron Civic, they just went thru at 22million renovation. Just beautiful, it is a John Eberson design.
www.akroncivic.com

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 02-06-2003, 09:05 AM:

Cleveland
Great Lakes Science Center OMNIMAX Theater

Madstone Centrum
The Centrum and its neighborhood are described (~1941) by author Harlan Ellison in the introduction to "Harlan Ellison's Watching" (1989) (ISBN 0-88733-067-3) pp. v-xvi.

Case Western Reserve University Film Society

Cleveland Museum of Art has variable speed controlled Century projectors.

Cleveland Cinematheque

Akron
Akron Civic Theatre

Columbus
Wexner Center for the Arts

Dayton
John Harvey, Mr. CINERAMA.
I don't know what happened to the New Neon Movies post CINERAMA.

Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 02-06-2003, 09:53 AM:

New Neon update:

http://dayton.bizjournals.com/dayton/stories/2002/10/21/story5.html

Posted by Glenda Cockrum (Member # 542) on 02-06-2003, 10:57 PM:

And when you make it into the Pittsburgh area, give us a call.
Besides my single screen [Smile]

I really like the Loews Waterfront Theatre in Homestead.

Posted by Barry Martin (Member # 1376) on 02-07-2003, 07:26 AM:

I am also vacationing, this weekend. Anyone have any suggestions for Charlotte, NC? Only there for a couple days and not likely I'll do a lot of looking around, but what little I do look at I would like to have some interesting quality to it. Will also be heading from Boston to Centerville, OH in June, any ideas on theaters or other attractions along the way? Thanks! [Cool]

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 02-07-2003, 10:26 AM:

Theatre Historical Society of America
York Theatre Building, 2nd floor
152 North York
Elmhurst, Illinois 60126-2806
here

Great American Movie Theaters, (c)1987, ISBN 0-89133-127-1

Google Directory

Posted by Geoffrey Weiss (Member # 882) on 02-07-2003, 10:39 AM:

Visit the Manor Theatre in Charlotte, NC. Built in 1950, it was twinned ats ome point and plays mostly art movies. If you're interested in closed theatres, the Center in Monroe, NC just east of Charlotte still has a pretty interesting marquee and was undergoing some kind of renovation last time I was there. It was a local arts group, so I don't know if the project ever got finished.

In Cincinnati, the art museum is pretty good and it's worth your time to take in a live show at the Taft Theatre. I saw Alice Cooper there earlier this year and it was a hoot! Nice theatre with a balcony.

Downtown Cincinnati is also the home of the "Hustler" store, which Larry Flynt maintains purely to aggravate the rather-conservative city fathers of Cincinnati.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 02-12-2003, 02:46 AM:

Jeffry Johnsons' suggestion to check the THSA site is good.
Click on the THEATRE LINKS link at the bottom left to go to a page with states listed albphabetically in the left frame.

I'd post a link, but the THSA site is corrupted with the evil of frames -- but fortunately it has no java, javascript, flash, or music which plays when you load the site, any of which would commit it to the service of Satan & condemn its administrators to hell.

Did Michael say he was going to Chicago, or is Steve just shilling for onion-land? The Tivoli in Downer's Grove is still running pictures, & has a Wurlitzer theatre organ played regularly
http://www.organman.com/tivoli.sht

and if you're around Chicagoland you've got to visit the Rialto in Joliet
http://www.rialto-square.com/
The site is down right now, but theater is truly a kick upside the head.

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 02-13-2003, 08:54 PM:

quote:
Did Michael say he was going to Chicago, or is Steve just shilling for onion-land?

I never asked about Chicago. Steve is just shilling for onion-land. [Smile]

Hopefully on the following vacation I will pass through the windy city, so you've saved me from posting in advance of that trip!

Thanks to all who responded. My trip won't be until early April, so don't hesitate to post additional info if anyone has any other suggestions. (Restaurant recommendations are always appreciated!)

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 02-14-2003, 03:23 AM:

Of course I mucked up the link the first time; this is the address:

http://www.rialtosquare.com/

and there's a nice picture of the house right organ grille at

http://www.organman.com/jatoe/

It's a cute little 2,000 seater.
It's only drawback is you have to be careful going in not to step on & squash all those eyeballs that got knocked out when they saw it.

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 03-30-2003, 01:32 AM:

In February I said:

quote:
Thanks to all who responded. My trip won't be until early April, so don't hesitate to post additional info if anyone has any other suggestions.

Okay, I will be embarking on my trip on Monday (3/31). So, if anyone has any additional suggestions or recommendations, please do so as soon as possible while I still have Web access. Thanks!

Looks like my trip will also include stops in Dallas, Atlanta, and Memphis in addition to all of the places mentioned in the initial post. Don't ask how many miles I'm covering. [Smile]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 03-30-2003, 05:56 AM:

Please take photos for us! And make sure you have some Chick-fil-A while you're in Texas. [Smile]

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 03-30-2003, 06:14 AM:

And some Pepsi at the Chick-fil-A's that have it!

Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 03-31-2003, 05:26 PM:

When you get to Philly head north into Bucks County.

The County Theater in Doylestown is an old-style movie palace, twinned in the 70's, now suburban Philadelphia's only pure arthouse. Their management just reopened the nearby Ambler Theater and are turning it into a 3-screen arthouse (subrun for now).

In Warrington -- 5 miles south of Doylestown, 3 miles north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike -- there's a Chick-fil-A at the entrance to the Regal Warrington Crossing Stadium on Route 611.

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 04-27-2003, 06:55 PM:

Greetings!

I returned from my vacation a few days ago. Just wanted to thank everyone again for the suggestions, several of which I took up. This was the most outrageous and adventurous trip yet. Believe it or not, the trip was done by car and covered just under 9,000 miles passing through 23 states in 21 days. While the main focus of the trip was to attend a number of Major League baseball games (Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, and Cincinnati for those of you wondering; and yes, I enjoyed visiting the new ballpark in Cincinnati) I managed to visit a few famous or recommended movie theaters, including the Uptown in Washington, D.C., the Senator in Baltimore, the New Neon in Dayton (a little late for Cinerama), the Strand in Delaware, Ohio, and the Great Lakes Science Center & Omnimax in Cleveland. And somewhere along the way I fit in a surprise birthday party/family reunion. Ask me if I’m tired?! [Smile]

Along the journey I was able to meet a few of you fellow film-tech members. Thanks a bunch for your time and hospitality!

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 04-16-2004, 12:10 AM:

quote:
In the Chicago area....

quote:
Did Michael say he was going to Chicago, or is Steve just shilling for onion-land?

quote:
I never asked about Chicago. Steve is just shilling for onion-land! (I'm going to Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Washington, D.C.).

OK, this time I am going to the Chicago area. I'll be there next week for Roger Ebert's annual film fest and to take in a couple of ballgames (for the first time in all of my visits to Chicago the Sox and Cubs are both in town at the same time).

Any theatre or touristy-type suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 04-16-2004, 01:32 AM:

If you can make the extra 100 miles from D.C., come see us at the Byrd Theatre in Richmond, Va. Open for 75 continuous years it is almost untouched. There are 1392 seats, the Wurlitzer is played every Sat. before both evening shows. The web site is www.byrdtheatre.com E-mail me, I'll meet you whenever.
The offer stands for all.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 04-16-2004, 03:34 AM:

Washington = last year. Chicago = this year. [Wink]

NOTICE: YOU WILL BE DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO WATSEKA, ILLINOIS!

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 04-16-2004, 06:06 PM:

quote:
NOTICE: YOU WILL BE DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO WATSEKA, ILLINOIS!

One suggestion I would like to ask is if anyone can recommend where in the Chicago area I should see Kill Bill Vol. 2. I won't have a chance to see it here in Southern California before I leave. I doubt I'll be able to hold out for two weeks to see it, so I'd like to see it while in Chicago.

Posted by Steve Kraus (Member # 476) on 04-16-2004, 07:41 PM:

I don't know that there are any truly great theatres left here.

Are any of those B&W R1's running in revenue service?