Watch for water mist from the ceiling. I hope they make the cinemas semi large not the tiny small screens many art type theatres have still going in the LA area. Bring on the showmanship,curtains,food, lights and fancy sound the people will pay extra for a new experience that they are not seeing now in Southern CA. Just heard the new Dolby 7.1 system in the Delmar Theatre Santa Cruz CA and wow what a great surround sound experience. How many more channels will they come up with. Good luck to this new CGV Theatre company, show us what Mann, AMC, Regal and Landmark Theatres won’t do and get our movie money.
Shops and a condo on top I guess for the Clay Theatre spot. A pricy area of SF. Will the Bridge Theatre San Francisco be next to go? Landmark needs to take over the closed Galaxy Theatre on Van Ness in SF and do a remodel and close the It’s other two small theatres in the same area. Landmark Theatres in Berkley CA show regular movies not just art films. They can do the same in SF now that the Clay Theatre will soon be gone. Maybe some one else will take over the lease of the Clay. I think the owners of the Clay property want top dollar for the lot for something else then a Cinema.
The old offices above these theatres may need some earthquake retro fit work done before they can be leased out or brought up to a new handicap code. The UA needs It’s marquee re lit with new neon and paint and open for erntertainment by a new group of owners. Does anyone have any photos to share when they had a large curved Todd-AO screen with curtains up in the UA in the 50’s?
Went to see ‘Inception’ last week at the large AMC IMAX Metreon in San Francisco. The place is no longer a Sony or Loews place. As usual one lady selling tickets in a boxoffice for 7 opening. You have to wait to buy a ticket same at the candy counter. Over 10 slots just two open. Why wait to by the expensive junk. The worst was in the Imax Theatre (at least this is a big full old time Imax theatre not the Imax Experience some chains are doing to make extra money) They are now showing ads in the middle part of the big Imax screen way before the show starts. The thing that bothered me was the projection room work light was shining on the screen during the whole ad part of the pre show commercials. I looked for a manager to have them turn off the light but no manger to be found. At least when they started the film someone in the booth finally turned off the light. The worst was yet to come. Only the middle part of the huge Imax screen was used for ‘Inception’ A mid wide screen CinemaScope look from a blow up shot film. Not true big square IMAX. I like good stereo sound but the sound in the IMAX Metreon was way to loud. Many people I saw covering their ears. The stage speakers were so loud, you can’t even hear the surround speakers that are always way to low at the Metreon IMAX. Next time you go start your search for a manager if you have a problem like sound and leaking light they may be out for lunch at the SF AMC Metreon and you will miss the film. This is not the best place to see IMAX in the area. I know some films may not be shot in true 70mm or digital IMAX but I am not getting a discount when only part of the screen is being used. I think I’ll save my ears and just see It in a regular size large screen auditorium next time. The people next to me cut up paper and stuck it in their ears. Have not ever seen that take place in a Cinema. The bass was so over the top my ears were ringing out on the street after I left. Some of San Francisco’s most rowdy people will attend the Metreon and talk all during the show. They have fights and a person was killed in this Cinema a few years ago. Enter at your own risk and bring ear plugs!
What about all the eye infections people are getting from some 3-D glasses? The theatre owners don’t tell you about because some of the 3-D glasses need to be returned and washed before the next show. Some cost the movie cinema owners $17 each for the un wraped 3-D glasses.I have seen some of the candy people do this fast clean of the glasses before the next show. Bring back true 70mm on a big curved screen. The new films in Imax are just blow up’s from 35mm or digital video CinemaScope and only the middle part of the big Imax screen is used. They take your extra Imax money but you only see part of the big screen. A big rip off. 3-D will only make It if the film was shot in 3-D and not a poor 2-D make over. The public is smart,they like the true 3-D effect and will pay extra to see things come out at them or have good depth. Stop making 3-D animation for kids, adults want to see regular films in 3-D. Not every new movie needs to be with the Third Diminsion Experience!
Go check out the new 3-D system the Grand Lake has in the large theatre. It is the best in the Bay Area, tons of light and great 3-D if the movie was filmed in true 3-D. I will not spend my extra 3-D money on movies that are made in 2-D and converted over to a poor mans 3-D. When the Grand Lake Theatre was run by Fox West Coast Theatres in the 50’s and early 60’s this was a great place to see showmanship in operation and I am glad Allen still keeps the history going at this classic East Bay movie palace. Even the up stairs balcony cinema is fun to watch a film on a semi large CinemaScope screen. Thanks Allen for having different low colored lights on when the movie is on. If your tired of the Multi Shoe Box cinemas go visit the large downstairs #1 Grand Lake Theatre. Now if only the Castro Theatre in SF can put some blue bulbs when they have a film showing like in the main overhead large light and organ grill curtains plus border stage bottom title curtain lights with blue/purple Led’s they can be more like the Grand Lake. Let’s send the Nasser brothers(owners of the Castro)over to the Grand Lake in Oakland and the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto so they can see how It’s done with color lights.
The Roxie in SF just remodled with a new stereo system, new rugs & seats but a bad problem shows up on the screen during the pre show trailers. A overhead lamp over the first 5 rows of seats shines on the lower part of the scrren so all the images are washed out by this light. I looked for a manager last week and there was none to found. They just need to put a small filter on the bottom of the light so the screen stays in the dark. I hope they will bring back the blue/red side lights in the theatre in place of boring white light bulbs now on. Good luck to the Roxie San Francisco that finally after all these years has STEREO! Watch for the new doc ‘American Grindhouse’ that they played last week.
The restaurant next door to the Guild has put a wall up and taken over the theatres restrooms. Will the wall come down and the bathrooms go back to the Guild or will the new remodel put in new restrooms? Hope the remodel takes effect someday so the Portland downtown movie crowd can see films and other events again in a single screen venue. A sad day when the Broadway Theatre(Todd-AO) & Fox Theatre (CinemaScope) got torn down in downtown Portland many years ago. How many seats does the Guild have? Any one have photos of the inside? Thanks Terry.
Watch out cam bugs they may do a sneak attack soon on the St Francis like at the Embassy Theatre when it’s time came to go. Have your cameras ready for some interesting inside shots of the long closed St Francis Theatre. This new building will not help this part of Market St.
66 feet is nothing big these days. Just another way get more money from the public with a X name on it. In the old days many theatres before the chop ups came had very large wide screens and you didn’t have to pay extra! Maybe some of the big money chains will start taking down the walls at some small shoebox theatres and make one big curved 90 foot screen.
AMC was told to do this in San Francisco CA when they bouught Loews/Sony but they still have the AMC Van Ness. They did sell the AMC Kabuki to Sundance. Regal needs to get back into the big screen theatres in SF and take on the AMC VanNess. Their only theatre is the chop up small UA Stonestown a major bad place to see a film in SF. We are waiting for the Reagal chain to put in their new huge RPX screen in some Bay Area house, the UA Stonestown is not the place but the large AMC VanNess will work once AMC leaves. The Justice Dept needs to look into this in SF why the AMC people are still keeping the VanNess theatre open under the AMC name as they were told to sell it many years ago when they took over the Loews/Sony Metreon now AMC.
Thanks ‘Tom’ for a nice run movie theatre. Love the color lights and curtains and special 35mm intermission previews you show at times. Keep up the good work,showmanship is on at Portland’s Cinema 21. If your visiting the Portland OR area check out this special cinema. Great to see a scope print on your curved screen with the stereo surrounds up. Hope your still doing the Cinema 21 movie flyers. See ya on my next trip up to the Pacific Northwest.
Must have been a great night, seeing this new film on a 88 foot wide screen. Yes Drive-Ins are coming back. Many new ones have opened in the last few years. Wal Mart took out many in the 70’s but many even older closed ones are coming back on. I think the Santa Barbara area has another Drive-In still closed.
Thanks for any Drive In notes along the way in Indiana. Just pull over the bus for a quick photo op please. I know it’s rough just covering all the indoor movie theatres on this conclave with traffic weather ect. Any little extra Indiana outdoor movie things will be greatly appreciated by the out of town bus people with their cameras. If your not a member yet of THS this is a good time to join up and see what you are missing. Meet new friends that share your interest in movie theatres. Some Cinemas may not be around much more longer, see them now while you can.
At least they won’t be doing Iron#2 in 2-D then go to phony 3-D like Warners did with ‘Clash’ to make extra 3-D money. I’ll be seeing it soon on the large CinemaScope screen at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, but I think they will show it on a digital video projector not 35mm film. I always see a movie like this one twice once in digital video then at another cinema in 35mm scope film. The stereo surround sound is way different at the Castro compared to the film version at another theatre. Almost sounds like a new mix when you see it on 35mm film with Dolby 5.1 or the Sony system. I don’t like the DTS stereo at the Castro, you never hear split surround or they don’t have the surrounds up enough. At least the super wide screen at the Castro Theatre looks good and they have curtains that open & close. Some projectionists at the Castro open the curtains on a blank white screen, this I here from the curtain people is wrong, they like to project the open start of the film on the curtains then open up. I will not go to any Imax screen unless it’s the old large big square style. AMC has a few of the small Imax Experience screens in some of there cinemas in the Bay Area. AMC Theatres has stoped doing any advertising in the San Francisco papers. I just take my movie business to Century/Cinemark Theatres or Cinelux. At least with Century you don’t have to go on the phone and press a ton of numbers to find out the show times at AMC.
John thanks for your up date on the ex Cinerama® Indiana in downtown Indianapolis. I do remember seeing a photo many years ago of the front with the Cinerama® sign. Looks like when I go in for the first time this June I’ll just have to imagine how the large curved screen looked before they did the chop up thing. Thanks again for the warning. I’ll be touring the many Drive In Theatres in Indiana while I am in the area also. They have one still open and a few closed ones still in Indianapolis. Our group will just pass them up on the bus tour and not even mention them. How sad as Drive In’s are movie theatres also. Any one else going on the movie tour that wants to see Drive In’s? Lets do a short mini car share/photo tour. Indianna has many outdoor Drive In’s still open and many standing closed just wanting to be saved and re opened for a future generation to enjoy. Santa Barbara CA just opened a Drive In Theatre that has been closed for 15 years. Iron Man#2 on the 88 foot wide Santa Barbara outdoor screen beats any little multiplex tiny shoe box showing. Does anyone have any photos to share on the inside of the Indiana Cinerama® Theatre before the carve up happened?
This is looking like a great week for theatre touring. Just a note for Cinerama® fans the Indiana Theatre in Indianapolis that we will be going into was a Cinerama® Theatre for many years. The large curved screen long gone must have looked super in this huge palace. Thanks THS for doing this tour for the first time in the state of Indiana. All you movie theatre fans need to join up and see some of the best classic cinemas this June. I look forward to seeing my many Big Screen 70mm friends from the THS Theatre World in Indiana. New members are welcome. Visit us and join the fun. A great way to start your Summer vacation!
The big movie theatre people won’t do intermissions as they will have to hire more manager type projection people, that they won’t do. The multiplex giants are not going to take someone off the consession stand and have them stop and turn off the projector but keep the lamp fans on and then re start the print platter in 15mn.
Will these be shown in 35mm film or digital projection? Thanks for showing them in the Santa Cruz CA area. Many college people are in the area so they will come to watch the classics.
Now Reagal goes big screen. Does anyone know how big these Reagal Jumbo screens will be? It be nice if they came out of the former screen space and did a little wrap around curved screen with curtains that open and close. This won’t happen as it cost to much. Regal just want’s to charge extra for a little extra screen space when they needed to have in the first place in their large shoe box cinemas. It’s so funny to see all the names these circuits are calling the little larger set ups. You have XD at the old Syufy Century now called CineMark or CineArts. Then you have the AMC people who have a new name for their big screen, I forgot already the name and now Reagal Theatres ex UA/Edwards now has RPX. Seems they all like to use X in the new title,how original. The public is so confussed like to see the word at some AMC Cinemas ‘An Imax 3D Experience’ Most are very disappointed after paying extra and find the Experience is not as big or grand as the original IMAX places that are still around in the big cities. What new name with a X will come out with the other movie theatre circuits that are hungry for more boxoffice money? Hey Regal ex UA how about dusting off the D-150 curved screen system you ripped out of many of your theatres and put it in again! You can call it D-150X.
Watch for water mist from the ceiling. I hope they make the cinemas semi large not the tiny small screens many art type theatres have still going in the LA area. Bring on the showmanship,curtains,food, lights and fancy sound the people will pay extra for a new experience that they are not seeing now in Southern CA. Just heard the new Dolby 7.1 system in the Delmar Theatre Santa Cruz CA and wow what a great surround sound experience. How many more channels will they come up with. Good luck to this new CGV Theatre company, show us what Mann, AMC, Regal and Landmark Theatres won’t do and get our movie money.
Shops and a condo on top I guess for the Clay Theatre spot. A pricy area of SF. Will the Bridge Theatre San Francisco be next to go? Landmark needs to take over the closed Galaxy Theatre on Van Ness in SF and do a remodel and close the It’s other two small theatres in the same area. Landmark Theatres in Berkley CA show regular movies not just art films. They can do the same in SF now that the Clay Theatre will soon be gone. Maybe some one else will take over the lease of the Clay. I think the owners of the Clay property want top dollar for the lot for something else then a Cinema.
The old offices above these theatres may need some earthquake retro fit work done before they can be leased out or brought up to a new handicap code. The UA needs It’s marquee re lit with new neon and paint and open for erntertainment by a new group of owners. Does anyone have any photos to share when they had a large curved Todd-AO screen with curtains up in the UA in the 50’s?
Went to see ‘Inception’ last week at the large AMC IMAX Metreon in San Francisco. The place is no longer a Sony or Loews place. As usual one lady selling tickets in a boxoffice for 7 opening. You have to wait to buy a ticket same at the candy counter. Over 10 slots just two open. Why wait to by the expensive junk. The worst was in the Imax Theatre (at least this is a big full old time Imax theatre not the Imax Experience some chains are doing to make extra money) They are now showing ads in the middle part of the big Imax screen way before the show starts. The thing that bothered me was the projection room work light was shining on the screen during the whole ad part of the pre show commercials. I looked for a manager to have them turn off the light but no manger to be found. At least when they started the film someone in the booth finally turned off the light. The worst was yet to come. Only the middle part of the huge Imax screen was used for ‘Inception’ A mid wide screen CinemaScope look from a blow up shot film. Not true big square IMAX. I like good stereo sound but the sound in the IMAX Metreon was way to loud. Many people I saw covering their ears. The stage speakers were so loud, you can’t even hear the surround speakers that are always way to low at the Metreon IMAX. Next time you go start your search for a manager if you have a problem like sound and leaking light they may be out for lunch at the SF AMC Metreon and you will miss the film. This is not the best place to see IMAX in the area. I know some films may not be shot in true 70mm or digital IMAX but I am not getting a discount when only part of the screen is being used. I think I’ll save my ears and just see It in a regular size large screen auditorium next time. The people next to me cut up paper and stuck it in their ears. Have not ever seen that take place in a Cinema. The bass was so over the top my ears were ringing out on the street after I left. Some of San Francisco’s most rowdy people will attend the Metreon and talk all during the show. They have fights and a person was killed in this Cinema a few years ago. Enter at your own risk and bring ear plugs!
What about all the eye infections people are getting from some 3-D glasses? The theatre owners don’t tell you about because some of the 3-D glasses need to be returned and washed before the next show. Some cost the movie cinema owners $17 each for the un wraped 3-D glasses.I have seen some of the candy people do this fast clean of the glasses before the next show. Bring back true 70mm on a big curved screen. The new films in Imax are just blow up’s from 35mm or digital video CinemaScope and only the middle part of the big Imax screen is used. They take your extra Imax money but you only see part of the big screen. A big rip off. 3-D will only make It if the film was shot in 3-D and not a poor 2-D make over. The public is smart,they like the true 3-D effect and will pay extra to see things come out at them or have good depth. Stop making 3-D animation for kids, adults want to see regular films in 3-D. Not every new movie needs to be with the Third Diminsion Experience!
Go check out the new 3-D system the Grand Lake has in the large theatre. It is the best in the Bay Area, tons of light and great 3-D if the movie was filmed in true 3-D. I will not spend my extra 3-D money on movies that are made in 2-D and converted over to a poor mans 3-D. When the Grand Lake Theatre was run by Fox West Coast Theatres in the 50’s and early 60’s this was a great place to see showmanship in operation and I am glad Allen still keeps the history going at this classic East Bay movie palace. Even the up stairs balcony cinema is fun to watch a film on a semi large CinemaScope screen. Thanks Allen for having different low colored lights on when the movie is on. If your tired of the Multi Shoe Box cinemas go visit the large downstairs #1 Grand Lake Theatre. Now if only the Castro Theatre in SF can put some blue bulbs when they have a film showing like in the main overhead large light and organ grill curtains plus border stage bottom title curtain lights with blue/purple Led’s they can be more like the Grand Lake. Let’s send the Nasser brothers(owners of the Castro)over to the Grand Lake in Oakland and the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto so they can see how It’s done with color lights.
The Roxie in SF just remodled with a new stereo system, new rugs & seats but a bad problem shows up on the screen during the pre show trailers. A overhead lamp over the first 5 rows of seats shines on the lower part of the scrren so all the images are washed out by this light. I looked for a manager last week and there was none to found. They just need to put a small filter on the bottom of the light so the screen stays in the dark. I hope they will bring back the blue/red side lights in the theatre in place of boring white light bulbs now on. Good luck to the Roxie San Francisco that finally after all these years has STEREO! Watch for the new doc ‘American Grindhouse’ that they played last week.
The restaurant next door to the Guild has put a wall up and taken over the theatres restrooms. Will the wall come down and the bathrooms go back to the Guild or will the new remodel put in new restrooms? Hope the remodel takes effect someday so the Portland downtown movie crowd can see films and other events again in a single screen venue. A sad day when the Broadway Theatre(Todd-AO) & Fox Theatre (CinemaScope) got torn down in downtown Portland many years ago. How many seats does the Guild have? Any one have photos of the inside? Thanks Terry.
Watch out cam bugs they may do a sneak attack soon on the St Francis like at the Embassy Theatre when it’s time came to go. Have your cameras ready for some interesting inside shots of the long closed St Francis Theatre. This new building will not help this part of Market St.
This event needs to be put on a DVD for everyone to enjoy, trailers and all!!!!!
Is this not just a blow up from 35mm and not shot in true 70mm?
66 feet is nothing big these days. Just another way get more money from the public with a X name on it. In the old days many theatres before the chop ups came had very large wide screens and you didn’t have to pay extra! Maybe some of the big money chains will start taking down the walls at some small shoebox theatres and make one big curved 90 foot screen.
AMC was told to do this in San Francisco CA when they bouught Loews/Sony but they still have the AMC Van Ness. They did sell the AMC Kabuki to Sundance. Regal needs to get back into the big screen theatres in SF and take on the AMC VanNess. Their only theatre is the chop up small UA Stonestown a major bad place to see a film in SF. We are waiting for the Reagal chain to put in their new huge RPX screen in some Bay Area house, the UA Stonestown is not the place but the large AMC VanNess will work once AMC leaves. The Justice Dept needs to look into this in SF why the AMC people are still keeping the VanNess theatre open under the AMC name as they were told to sell it many years ago when they took over the Loews/Sony Metreon now AMC.
The Crest Theatre Fresno is the same as the Crest Sacramento CA. Must have had the same Fox West Coast people do the remodel in Sacramento.
Thanks ‘Tom’ for a nice run movie theatre. Love the color lights and curtains and special 35mm intermission previews you show at times. Keep up the good work,showmanship is on at Portland’s Cinema 21. If your visiting the Portland OR area check out this special cinema. Great to see a scope print on your curved screen with the stereo surrounds up. Hope your still doing the Cinema 21 movie flyers. See ya on my next trip up to the Pacific Northwest.
Must have been a great night, seeing this new film on a 88 foot wide screen. Yes Drive-Ins are coming back. Many new ones have opened in the last few years. Wal Mart took out many in the 70’s but many even older closed ones are coming back on. I think the Santa Barbara area has another Drive-In still closed.
Thank You!!!!!CW for the photos of the Cinerama Indiana. How great that big screen must have looked with three projectors on.
Thanks for any Drive In notes along the way in Indiana. Just pull over the bus for a quick photo op please. I know it’s rough just covering all the indoor movie theatres on this conclave with traffic weather ect. Any little extra Indiana outdoor movie things will be greatly appreciated by the out of town bus people with their cameras. If your not a member yet of THS this is a good time to join up and see what you are missing. Meet new friends that share your interest in movie theatres. Some Cinemas may not be around much more longer, see them now while you can.
At least they won’t be doing Iron#2 in 2-D then go to phony 3-D like Warners did with ‘Clash’ to make extra 3-D money. I’ll be seeing it soon on the large CinemaScope screen at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre, but I think they will show it on a digital video projector not 35mm film. I always see a movie like this one twice once in digital video then at another cinema in 35mm scope film. The stereo surround sound is way different at the Castro compared to the film version at another theatre. Almost sounds like a new mix when you see it on 35mm film with Dolby 5.1 or the Sony system. I don’t like the DTS stereo at the Castro, you never hear split surround or they don’t have the surrounds up enough. At least the super wide screen at the Castro Theatre looks good and they have curtains that open & close. Some projectionists at the Castro open the curtains on a blank white screen, this I here from the curtain people is wrong, they like to project the open start of the film on the curtains then open up. I will not go to any Imax screen unless it’s the old large big square style. AMC has a few of the small Imax Experience screens in some of there cinemas in the Bay Area. AMC Theatres has stoped doing any advertising in the San Francisco papers. I just take my movie business to Century/Cinemark Theatres or Cinelux. At least with Century you don’t have to go on the phone and press a ton of numbers to find out the show times at AMC.
John thanks for your up date on the ex Cinerama® Indiana in downtown Indianapolis. I do remember seeing a photo many years ago of the front with the Cinerama® sign. Looks like when I go in for the first time this June I’ll just have to imagine how the large curved screen looked before they did the chop up thing. Thanks again for the warning. I’ll be touring the many Drive In Theatres in Indiana while I am in the area also. They have one still open and a few closed ones still in Indianapolis. Our group will just pass them up on the bus tour and not even mention them. How sad as Drive In’s are movie theatres also. Any one else going on the movie tour that wants to see Drive In’s? Lets do a short mini car share/photo tour. Indianna has many outdoor Drive In’s still open and many standing closed just wanting to be saved and re opened for a future generation to enjoy. Santa Barbara CA just opened a Drive In Theatre that has been closed for 15 years. Iron Man#2 on the 88 foot wide Santa Barbara outdoor screen beats any little multiplex tiny shoe box showing. Does anyone have any photos to share on the inside of the Indiana Cinerama® Theatre before the carve up happened?
This is looking like a great week for theatre touring. Just a note for Cinerama® fans the Indiana Theatre in Indianapolis that we will be going into was a Cinerama® Theatre for many years. The large curved screen long gone must have looked super in this huge palace. Thanks THS for doing this tour for the first time in the state of Indiana. All you movie theatre fans need to join up and see some of the best classic cinemas this June. I look forward to seeing my many Big Screen 70mm friends from the THS Theatre World in Indiana. New members are welcome. Visit us and join the fun. A great way to start your Summer vacation!
The big movie theatre people won’t do intermissions as they will have to hire more manager type projection people, that they won’t do. The multiplex giants are not going to take someone off the consession stand and have them stop and turn off the projector but keep the lamp fans on and then re start the print platter in 15mn.
I see you will have 35mm prints thats great and curtains also just like the old days. I’ll be going!!!
Will these be shown in 35mm film or digital projection? Thanks for showing them in the Santa Cruz CA area. Many college people are in the area so they will come to watch the classics.
Now Reagal goes big screen. Does anyone know how big these Reagal Jumbo screens will be? It be nice if they came out of the former screen space and did a little wrap around curved screen with curtains that open and close. This won’t happen as it cost to much. Regal just want’s to charge extra for a little extra screen space when they needed to have in the first place in their large shoe box cinemas. It’s so funny to see all the names these circuits are calling the little larger set ups. You have XD at the old Syufy Century now called CineMark or CineArts. Then you have the AMC people who have a new name for their big screen, I forgot already the name and now Reagal Theatres ex UA/Edwards now has RPX. Seems they all like to use X in the new title,how original. The public is so confussed like to see the word at some AMC Cinemas ‘An Imax 3D Experience’ Most are very disappointed after paying extra and find the Experience is not as big or grand as the original IMAX places that are still around in the big cities. What new name with a X will come out with the other movie theatre circuits that are hungry for more boxoffice money? Hey Regal ex UA how about dusting off the D-150 curved screen system you ripped out of many of your theatres and put it in again! You can call it D-150X.