This is topic New Warren 12 in Wichita in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by Jeff Leyland (Member # 1092) on 04-22-2002, 12:22 AM:
I was wondering if anyone has details of this new theatre opening in May in Wichita? I found an article about the company making/installing the neon. It mentioned that this 12 screen was huge 100,000 sq ft. If this is correct it has to be the biggest 12 screen I have heard of. Warren's site does have some construction shots from the air.
Posted by Jim Ziegler (Member # 86) on 04-22-2002, 04:10 AM:
Warren is building a new theatre in Kansas City, Kansas too..
Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 03-21-2007, 12:44 AM:
It has been 1793 days since the last post.
Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 03-21-2007, 12:44 AM:
I went to the Warren Theatre on 13th Avenue in Wichita, Kansas tonight to see "The Number 23". Not a very good movie. The story was okay but the acting sucked. I was not impressed with Jim Carrey's performance either. Very bad delivery on the lines and not very believable situations.
Anyhow, I did like the atmosphere of the theater. The owner definitely sank some money into it.
I was pretty early so I decided to try out the Diner in the lobby. It was themed after a 50's style diner. There was a pamphlet on the table that told the story of the owner. He grew up during the movie palace era and wanted to recreate that feel. Overall I think he did well and even incorporated into it newer things. There was a sitting room outside of the bathrooms with a fireplace in it. There was a drive-up atm/ticket machine in the parking lot. They had their own security vehicle that was sitting in the parking lot when I came out. The theaters had stadium seating and were decorated to look like an older movie palace with curtains and lighting.
I have one serious criticism though. Throughout the lobby there are these neon clocks from the 50's era that have the name of the theater on them. Someone thought it was a good idea to put these in the theaters. As soon as I sat down I thought, "I sure hope those clocks turn off with the dimmers". Nope. It burned brightly throughout the whole show! ![[Roll Eyes]](rolleyes.gif)
Worst part is, it was mounted about halfway up the screen on the right side. I was sitting in the back row in the middle and it really bothered me. I can't imagine how annoying it must be to someone who is sitting on the right side of the theater right in their line of sight. Who in the heck thought this was a good idea?! Even if the movie would have been good, I would not have been drawn in due to this overwheleming distraction. The kicker is, all of their theaters are THX certified. How does the big glowing neon clock not constitute a distraction to the movie-goer? This really makes me re-think how worthy a THX certification is. Anyone else ever go to this theater to know what I am talking about?
Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 03-21-2007, 07:11 AM:
The clocks are a tribute of sorts to clocks that used to be in a lot of old theatres mounted exactly the same way. It used to be they'd have the name of a local business who "sponsored" the clock on them. They were pretty much the same style. The clocks at the Warren might be a BIT more obnoxious now that I think about it, but it's been a couple of years since I've been there.
Some of the old palaces still have them. The Lorraine in Hoopeston, IL does. The Cameo in Newberg, OR still does. The one at the Cameo didn't work for years (it glowed but didn't tell time). Brian had it fixed a few years back, and people complained because they felt its not working was "part of the charm" of the place.
Posted by Mark Lensenmayer (Member # 134) on 03-21-2007, 08:29 AM:
Sam is right on this. I remember 2 local theatres that had clocks to the right of the screen back in the early '60's. Actually, I still look for the one at the old DREXEL theatre whenever I go in there...it was very distinctive.
Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 03-21-2007, 09:02 AM:
We had one of those in Port Townsend (WA), where I grew up. That clock had one of those "circline" fluorescent tubes inside it, and no neon. You could make out the time, and the sponsor... if you got close enough... but otherwise, it wasn't much of a distraction.
Neon would be baaaad!
Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 03-21-2007, 09:39 AM:
Isn't THX certification supposed to address "ambient light?" It centainly was back when we did it. Louis
Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 03-21-2007, 09:57 AM:
In the restoration of the Temple Theatre, we did not replace the clock as we were going back to 1927. (We did not replace the act announcing easel either.)
Our clock has blue Neon around the outside and advertised the local bank. When the bank did not pay for repairing the Neon, their ad was painted over in Black so only the clock hands showed. But the clock was still there when restoration began.
That clock was always 5 minutes slow from real time. The booth was instructed to start the shows by "house time", which we did for 62 years. The clock remains and I am trying to get the owner to give it to the historical museum where they could use it in their huge lobby.
KEN
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-21-2007, 10:05 AM:
The Warren 20 in Moore, OK (in between Oklahoma City and Norman along I-35) is finally under construction. The project had been delayed for several months and then a lot of ground preparation work had to be completed. Currently the foundation is being poured. If crews make serious progress the theater could possibly be open before the end of the year. Thanksgiving might be a bit optimistic.
From the way it sounds, I hope they don't do that neon clocks thing inside the theaters at the Warren 20 like they have elsewhere. I agree, any kind of exposed neon inside a movie theater auditorium would be a very major visual distraction. If it is mounted close to the screen the light emitted would really interfere with stuff happening on screen.
Perhaps the sponsored clocks thing is indeed a certain tradition from old theaters from decades past. However, at least to me, it sounds little different from trying to watch a movie with intrusive banner ads happening. It's just one of the reasons why I simply cannot stomach watching a movie on cable channels like FX and TNT (the main one is how they stretch a 2 hour movie into 5 hours with all the commercials). Their promo ads (with audio) running across the screen during the movie make me feel like throwing a bar-bell into the TV tube. Since I don't feel like buying new TVs all the time, I just won't turn on their channels instead.
Warren Theaters just needs to keep the neon clocks out the lobby and hallways where stuff like that belongs. The only other thing that should ever be allowed to light up noticeably in a movie theater auditorium is the "exit" sign above the exterior door (for fire code rules).
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-21-2007, 01:00 PM:
One cannot cater to everyones taste
the local theatre I grew up going to had a neon clock down by the screen from peerless films
I have one in my screening room
some people who may choose to patronize the theatre in question may like it and as such go there for the ambiance and atmosphere just like I know many people who only patorize older mono equiped theatres as that is what they preffer and if they come in sufficient numbers to pay the bills so be it
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-21-2007, 02:17 PM:
Our theatre had a clock sponsored by the local jewelry store when I was a kid. By the time I owned the place, it was gone.
I remember it was lit such that the hands and the clock face had a soft glow, and I do remember it was a purplish green color. But very soft, not distracting to the picture at all.
I would think NEON would be far too bright...but given the number of kids who come up and ask "what time is it" during a movie, it might be nice to have a screen clock again.
Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 03-21-2007, 10:45 PM:
I would be able to stomach to some degree a soft glowing clock but this thing was like staring into a xenon bulb. Way too bright for a theater. Also the huge sconces on the sides were lit throughout the film. This probably would have bothered me but since the clock was so stinking bright I couldn't really see anything in my peripheral vision.
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 03-21-2007, 11:45 PM:
I know about neon. It's fantastic on a theater marquee, great to have in a lobby, ornamental on the borders of the building and a great source of recessed cove lighting along the walls and under the counters. However, exposed neon has no absolutely no business at all being lighted inside a movie theater while the movie is playing. That just seems downright retarded. It's a movie theater auditorium. Not a bar or night club.
I have a big enough, anger inspiring problem when it comes to people flipping open their cellphones and lighting up their section of the theater with those displays. Any kind of neon sign, especially anything with exposed neon glass, is going to be many times brighter than any cellphone display. It is beyond retarded to have such a thing running during a movie.
Warren Theaters can design their auditoriums how they see fit. But if I find their decorations disruptive to the actual movie in progress, then I will see fit not to ever return with any of my business. They build their theaters their way. I spend my money MY way.
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-21-2007, 11:58 PM:
I have one of those old neon clocks at home and fondly remember the clocks in all the neighborhood theaters I attended as a kid. The one in my home town at the Glen Theater always said the same time so you were never late getting home...... bad motor I guess. Fun times.
I never found the clocks annoying or as distracting as the decoration that keeps you looking around some old theaters during the film. I wonder of THX has a annyance factor for a theater having too much ornimental plaster work ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
.
Mark
Posted by Bill Enos (Member # 440) on 03-22-2007, 06:51 PM:
The onlt theatre in Richmond that had a clock was the Capitol. The theatre was located across the street from the train station and the clock was provided as a convenience for travellers who wanted to enjoy a movie during a layover. The clock was VERY dim dark blue neon and advertised Bams Jewelers. The theatre, built in '26 was demolished about 10 years ago to create a vacant lot.
Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 03-22-2007, 09:44 PM:
**WARNING** Obnoxiously bad image below...
Here's an auditorium at the Warren. The clock is the bright dot to the right of the screen. Yes, it's pretty obnoxious...much more so that I remember.
Here's the more traditional clock (this one is the Cameo's). They were almost universally sponsored by local jewelers.
Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 03-24-2007, 07:07 AM:
That's it! ![[puke]](graemlins/puke.gif)
Thanks Sam for that photo. ![[thumbsup]](graemlins/thumbsup.gif)
Wish I would have had my camera with me but it was in my hotel room. I would have liked to gotten a photo of it while the film was running to show how obnoxious it was.
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-24-2007, 12:01 PM:
But a modern theatre with curtains
Posted by Floyd Justin Newton (Member # 1316) on 03-25-2007, 11:37 AM:
Gordon -- Stranger things ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
have happened !
Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 03-25-2007, 01:41 PM:
After all the recent talk about curtains, I'm even more determined to put one in here. We used to have one and someday we will, again. I guess the rest-room remodel gets shoved a bit farther down the list.
Posted by Jon P. Inghram (Member # 4125) on 02-04-2008, 10:48 PM:
We've got the same clocks (Old Town Warren theater) and normally they're dim enough that they're not a problem. Unfortunately, whenever the clocks need to be reset because of a power failure, daylight saving time, or whatever, I've noticed that they invariably get turned way, way, WAY up. It's because there are two knobs, one for the brightness and the other to adjust the time, and it's not obvious which is which until you turn one. The person setting the clock never seems to notice (or care about) the neon supernova they've just created, I've seen 'em turned up bright enough to cast a pink glow across the screen!