This is topic Opening An Art-House Theater in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.


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Posted by Jeff Stuckey (Member # 1718) on 09-05-2003, 10:43 AM:
 
I really, really wish someone would open up one of the older theaters here in Oklahoma into a full-time arthouse. I have talked with my friends at a couple different circuits, and they seem interested (at the same time not really wanting to touch it with a ten foot pole). Art product plays very well in Tulsa, not so much here in Oklahoma City. I have asked them all to eye the Woodland Hills theater in Tulsa because after Hollywood came and remodeled it all, they closed it. And knowing Hollywood, they probably left all of their equipment and whatnot inside. So, it's practically a turnkey operation (I believe). Plus, the theater still has all the old cool General Cinema decor (big CINEMA on top) that I love so much.

Can you guys please help me go over the "cons" to opening an arthouse? I can think of several reasons why it would work on so many levels that it's hard to think of other things that would make it fail. Believe me, I have been so tempted on many different occasions to go open the thing myself.

Thanks in advance for any advice that you can give. I just think it would be an awesome addition to the community, and would give great opportunity to do other things.

Take care everyone...have a great weekend.
 

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Posted by Dan Lyons (Member # 1454) on 09-05-2003, 03:32 PM:
 
I can think of a big "Con". This has happened to me several times. You look out the port window before starting a show, and you see that you have an audience of 5 people!

Danny
 

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Posted by Jeff Klump (Member # 1870) on 09-05-2003, 04:57 PM:
 
It all depends on your demographics. Here in Austin we had a 7 screen art house that was very successful until we had to close it because the landlords kicked them out for a new restaurant. Now Regal is opening the same theatre again two blocks down from the original and it's expected to be big. They have put a whole lot into it and people have been asking for months as to when it is going to open. The only catch is this is in Austin and it is only second to LA when it comes to movie production so there is quite a fan base.
 

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Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 09-05-2003, 05:53 PM:
 
Location and the demographics of it is the key for an art-house style theater.

Tulsa is big enough and affluent enough of a market to support an excellent quality art house theater. Usually it takes college educated crowds to appreciate independent film. The problem with Tulsa is so much of its college educated and affluent crowd is religiously fundamentalistic to a horses-with-blinders-on degree (the political right doesn't want a lottery vote going to the public, yet if you throw a rock you'll hit an Indian gambling casino ). You could likely make an art house theater work in Tulsa, particularly if you could get a Memorial Road location near all the restaurants and mall.

I think it would be easier to get an art house theater off the ground in Oklahoma City. If I were given the capital to do it, I would build near Penn Square Mall, Northpark off May or on the north side of the city off Memorial Road and Kilpatrick Turnpike (the northern restaurant row). There would be next to nothing on booking conflicts since the AMC 24 at Quail Springs Mall and Dickinson rebuild at Penn Sq. Mall show nothing but regular mainstream fare.

Best places in Oklahoma to build an art house theater: college towns. Build the theater within walking distance of campus or where the college nightlife hangs and you'll have a winner. Someone should build really nice art house theaters both in Norman (home to Oklahoma University) and Stillwater (home of Oklahoma State). Both Norman and Stillwater lack a really good movie theater.

Norman has the Hollywood Spotlight 14, but I was never impressed by that place. It seemed like a Cinemark Tinseltown site done on the cheap. Stillwater has an even worse situation. Carmike needs to totally overhaul their presence there. They actually added onto an existing theater by building a metal shed type of deal more appropriate for a hardware store or garage. God forbid if you get a hard rain or hail pelting that roof!

Any circuit specializing in art house fare could do very well in Norman or Stillwater if they bother to do the job right. Doing the job right naturally means having excellent audiotorium design, fine quality booth hardware, Dolby Digital in every auditorium, a caring staff and finally good decor to make the place classy.

I like what Madstone theaters does with their lobbies. Very tasteful design. Too bad they don't put enough investement in the booths and auditoriums.
 

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Posted by John Pytlak (Member # 331) on 09-06-2003, 06:53 AM:
 
Rochester has a fairly successful 5-plex arthouse:

http://www.little-theatre.com/index.php

They've gone to a unique not-for-profit corporation "film society" status:

http://www.little-theatre.com/membership.php

Lots of art film fans in Rochester. Many colleges like University of Rochester, RIT, Nazareth, St. John Fisher, Roberts Wesleyan, Eastman School of Music, etc.

Just down East Avenue, The International Museum of Film and Photography at the George Eastman House also plays classic films (including nitrate prints) in its Dryden Theatre:

http://www.eastman.org/calendar/calendar.htm

http://www.eastman.org/cinemascope.html
 

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Posted by Mike Williams (Member # 1140) on 09-06-2003, 07:55 AM:
 

quote:

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Now Regal is opening the same theatre again two blocks down from the original and it's expected to be big. They have put a whole lot into it and people have been asking for months as to when it is going to open.

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