The top grossing theatre in the USA when they have a stage show and movie is the El Capitain in Hollywood CA. At least that is what I read in Daily Variety. The two theatres on 42nd St in NYC are also each week in the top ten. To bad the city didn’t keep some of the other movie theatres they tore down on 42nd St as it’s so popular at this time. Most people in NYC don’t even bother going to the two big multiplexes on 42nd as they are way to crowded(mainly tourists). Even the AMC Metreon in SF makes it in the top ten from time to time. With three new movies opening today Wed many of the Multiplexes have moved ‘Dark Knight’ to the small cinemas. Strange the ‘Bat Man’ movie is still #1. Do they think the ‘Pineapple’ film is going to do bigger business then ‘Dark Knight’ or ‘The Mummy’? I think ‘Mamma Mia’ will hang on with word of mouth with the seniors who like it. If you get Daily Variety each week they list the top ten movie theatres in the USA and the money taken in per week.
Some Drive-Ins in the 50’s and 60’s had 70mm projectors and got a few 70mm prints to run on the big outdoor screens. With a new 70mm print of ‘West Side Story’ now avail I wonder If any drive-ins still have 70mm equipment in the booth today that can run this new 7Omm print and do a big advertising thing with it. The larger the outdoor screen the better for 70mm! One outdoor theatre in the Los Angeles CA area even had a curved Cinerama screen and three projector booths in the late 50’s or early 60’s.
Great story in the SF Cronicle about past Bay Area Drive-Ins. Now I hope they will do a story about the loss of the many indoor theatres in the SF Bay Area in the last 50 years. Many still remain but used for other things. The single screen theatres around the SF area are going fast. To start with the Cronicle needs to have a page from the movie listings of 1954 of all the local theatres that survived the Cinemascope remodel, then cross out all the cinemas that are no longer with us. You will find very few are still with us in 2008. Please don’t list any multiplexes as I don’t think we had any in the early 50’s. Show some photos of the Fox SF, Delmar San Leandro CA, Fruitvale and T&D in Oakland, Laurel in San Carlos CA. All torn down sadly now.
Just because Jam bought the building doesn’t tell the story on what they are going to do with it. It may be turned into a huge night club with no seats and levels of bars. Or they can cut it up and turn it into mega mini movie theatres. They may want to put in a Imax type system upstairs and a comedy night club downstairs. The Jam people need to bring in some other type of entertainment into this huge theatre that will draw all kinds of people not just the rock crowd. Thanks and good luck on bringing this great Uptown Theatre back to life!
In cities like Santa Cruz CA Regal took over the new Harris SC 9. The city of Santa Cruz has no digital theatres or 3-D. Regal won’t even spend money in the local papers for disply adds on what they are showing. Jim who runs the Nickelodeon Theatres ‘Delmar Theatre’ and other art theatres in the Santa Cruz area runs display adds in the local papers. Regal is so cheap but they love the money they are making in this Surf City Santa Cruz as being the only big megaplex in town. Most movie people have to drive over the hill to San Jose Ca (30 mn drive) to see the new digital 3-D as the Regal 9 in Santa Cruz does not have digital projection or even advertise. It’s so sad a big college town like SC and you have to leave town to see a movie like ‘Journey’ in 3-D because the Regal 9 is showing it in 35mm no 3-D. Now I hope someday the art deco ‘Delmar’ with it’s waterfall curtain and red/blue stage lights and a great Dolby Digital® surround system will have digital and 3-D. Regal down the street has no showmanship and even if they do install a digital projector no one in Santa Cruz will find out as Regal won’t advertise it! I guess you can drive downtown and look at the Regal 9’s dusty dirty marquee to see what is showing each week and stand in the long line with one cashier in a 3 window booth. Someone needs to open a big Imax Theatre with 3-D in this coast tourist city. Then Regal will wake up.
Wait till the article comes out in the regualar paper The East Bay Exprees about how things are so bad at the New Alameda. As of now only the limited people reading our great Cinema Treasures site can see what is going on. Now with the public and the many people that have had trouble with the Alameda going in a telling their horror stories maybe they will get some new people that know projection and management. The worst thing If there is a problem they give you a pass but when you try to use them they show in the paper no passes on all the films they are showing. When I go to use my pass (because the projector stopped 7 times in 20 minutes) If they don’t honor It I will call the police. The scam about passes will come to a end.
Thanks REndres**Can you imagine how a BIG curved Todd-AO or D-150 screen would look coming out of the huge stage with the booth moved downstairs with a new 70mm print shown and wrap a round curtins. Seems to me the Fox had a semi curved Cinemascope screen at one time? Now It’s just flat as they raise it for stage shows.
Thanks for your notes about last Sunday at The Fox. The people in the lobby I guess didn’t know the correct media used that night. It seems when I have been to the Fox in the past many years ago the Cinemascope screen was very wide. Wider then what I saw Sunday night. More like a big wide blind with the masking pulled down at the top. Now if someone can work out the pre show times and put in the add we won’t have all the people walking around in the dark 20 minutes into the feature. A new 70mm print of ‘West Side Story’ is now avail. Lets hope the Fox Atlanta can get a copy and advertise it in 70mm for future Coke shows. It is so great that the Fox runs the curtains and curtain lights. I still like the look of film 35mm or 70mm over digital video. Iam glad the Fox Atlanta still has kept the 35mm/70mm projectors. Even though they are not used much with the new digital video projector in the booth. To see a true 70mm film in the Fox with all the stereo surround speakers on It’s a dream come true!
I’d like to see the new 3-D video the Alameda is now showing ‘Journey. Can you imagine if they have so much problems with regular projection how will they do with Digital 3-D? Has anyone seen the 3-D system the Alameda? I know a few old Fox West Coast Theatre managers that can get this place in A-1 shape both in the theatres and candy counter. They know how to teach the new kids that the Alameda has hired that know nothing about the movie theatre business. To bad 'Elmer’ is no longer around with the projectionist union. The theatres he and his crew worked in Oakland had the best screen presentation. This was before the platter or Digital Video. Bring Jack Tillmany out of retirement! Let him clean house at the Alameda Theatre.
We just visited the Fox this past Sunday Eve for ‘Ben Hur’ While I love the theatre the problem for me and many other people these days is the Fox Atlanta is not showing film most of the time on thease Coke Summer Film Series. You see film reels in the window display the posters for all the summer FILMS. They are not showing film just digital video. Many people in the theatre Sunday thought they were going to see the 70mm version of ‘Ben Hur’ This was not the case. The new digital projector at the Fox is way up in the old projection booth. A super long distance. The screen is not as wide as when they use film. Plus the advertised time for the movie is 7 PM. This is correct, but for the first 25 minutes of the film you have hundreds of people wandering all over trying to find a seat in the dark. The pre show organ and video ‘Film’ pre show started at 6:15 PM. In the adds for Ben Hur it says 7PM. Most people missed the pre show. Please someone at the Fox needs to put in the adds Come early for the pre show Starts at 6:15 then put movie time. The video digital image of ‘Ben Hur’ looked fuzzy. The stereo sound did sound great with all the surrounds being used. They even played the oveture with red lights on the curtain. The Fox people need to put in the adds Digital Projection. The days of showing a restored 70mm or 35mm print or classic 35mm film are gone at The Fox. Many people think digital video is the way to go but at the Fox Atlanta the image is not as big and crisp as 35mm or 70mm film. Next time you go complain. They need to change the name from Coke Film Summer Series to Coke Digital Series. Most of the movies this year are new and on DVD. They showed the same newsreel during the pre show I saw last year. Someone must have some 35mm Cartoons and Newsreels to rent the Fox or loan out. Bring back FILM at the Fox Atlanta. I think the owners are more interested in the wine tasting they have before the theatre opens to the regular public (they charge extra) then the way they are presenting the image on the smaller Fox video screen. Bring on wide Cinemascope 35mm film, open the masking up to the full wide side of the screen. People can see video at home. I left after the organ pre show and after 25 mn of Ben Hur I got tired of people walking all over with bad video presentation on the smaller Fox screen. With all the ushers before the movie started they need to send them back into the theatre for the late people. I saw a few older people in the very dark balcony stumble on the stairs. It’s a accident ready to happen!
Most of us have no problem with the remodel. It’s the projection problems that happen everday! Plus many other things like training candy help and not opening the main curtains in the big house. How long will it take to get things in order?
Thanks ‘Don’ for the great photo. To bad they took off the front sign. I often wonder what happens to these big old neon theatre signs? Like the Royal Theatre on Polk St in SF. At one time I heard they were going to put it back on the new condo building on the lot that the Royal was on. I was not around when the big neon Cinemascope sign was taken off the front of the Fox Theatre on Market St in San Francisco in the mid 60’s. They had two of them, Some lucky person has them hidden away I guess. The big Fox sign was going to a store called the Fox Market but I never have scene it.
For anyone making bad remarks about anyone on this Movie Theatre board they need to be locked up and tied up for 5 days in the old Loews Kings Theatre in NY. Let them feel and breath the mold till they mellow out. Give them a box of old popcorn to eat found under one of the broken seats with pigeons to keep them company! I think they will be nicer when they come out and see the light! Don’t bring your camera or flashlight you will be busy fighting off the rats coming from the stage.
This place has not bit the dust yet. Just because the inside is down to the cement walls doesn’t mean the end for entertainment. A few curtains and nice seating, good sound and lighting can bring this place back to The Palace Theatre. The Live Event people are looking at many mid size venues in SF CA as they lost the Warfield Theatre lease that another company (GoldenVoice) is doing a big remodel job at the Warfield now. Other places the Live guys are looking at are the Metro Theatre the Alexandria Theatre plus the Harding Theatre with the small Strand Theatre in San Francisco all ready to open again for entertainment. Another company (Another Planet) has taken over the bookings for the new HUGE Fox Oakalnd Theatre in Oakland CA. The Fox opens in just a few months. To bad the Paramount and The Fox Theatre in SF are no longer with us. They are needed now by Live and they are long gone! Watch out for the Live people, don’t let them do what they did to the Boyd Theatre in PA. The Palace Theatre is waiting to sign the lease.
I think the curtain is working but they are not useing it. I talked to the manager Eric opening week and he was going to close it for me but he had other things to do as I got into the theatre early. Hope they do make it work. It’s all is place on the sides of the masking ready to go. Looks clean and very colorful. Turn on the red & blue lights and let it shine!
Stef**Did they open and close the curtains? The non union guys they have for projection people don’t know how to splice correct. How sad I’ll have to wait till I ever go back. Do you remember If they were playing Dolly Parton music when you came into the big art deco house? I need to get over there and give them some movie theme pipe organ music or big band from the 30’s CD’s. I guess they have done nothing to the big flat screen with glare. How was the Dolby Digital® did you hear split surround?
Is the new Digital Video format going to be as good,crisp,clear and large as the 7Omm Imax format? I don’t think so. I heard the new Imax digital instalations will use a smaller screen. To bad 70mm goes away again to be replaced by video to save money. How many Imax film projection people will be out of work when the Imax house manager flicks on the video digital light? Will the pixels show up on the bigger Imax screens? Some one will get a good deal on used 70mm Imax projectors. Can you imagine if you had a super large Home Theatre set up and show Imax 70mm for your friends, and tilt and curve the screen more then Imax did. Almost like Cinerama back in 2008 with one big projector. Many feature movies have been blown up or made in 70mm 3-D Imax. What will happen to the 70mm film Imax prints? Watch for them on E Bay or The Big Reel.
Jim**Thanks for the up date. I will go visit the Marina Theatre again and check out some of my suggestions I made to the Lee’s. Glad they made the adjustments. Now when the Walgreens downstairs goes bust the Lee’s can take over the whole building and put in a grand BIG Marina Theatre under the two they run upstairs.
A group of us went the day it opened and IronMan was on the bill. The bigger theatre up stairs is very small. No curtains and the worst part you enter the Cinema from the screen right. So when the previews are on you see everyone who comes into the theatre plus the light from the lobby. I told the Lee’s about this problem and sugg ested they put a small curtain to block the door from being scene from every one in the theatre. Also they have boring white lights above the screen. They reflect on the screen when the previews are on. I told them if they don’t have a curtain put in some blue lights above the screen so when you come in you don’t look at a white screen. The Dolby Digital® sound was good, but the projector was loud. I did not go into the tiny cinema across from the main theatre. Has anyone been to this theatre in the last few weeks. Did they add color lights to the screen or block the door view with a small curtain? I can’t believe the Lee’s ran the same movie ‘Sex City’ at the other theatre they run just a few blocks from the new Marina. Turn the Marina into a small art type cinema. Give Landmark Theatres in SF some competition. At least the Marina is larger then the small Opera Plaza Landmark shoebox. Good Luck to the Lee’s!
The Paramount is about two blocks away. The downtown Oakland area is coming back to life. New places to eat and many new condos. The people that will run the Fox are music people. They will be open for music type entertainment for the new Fox. We all hope it won’t just be Rock. I think after they test out the place they will find they need to put in some 35mm or video projectors and offer some film things. With the bars set up on different levels It will be more like a night club. Not a disco type place but a classic place to see what you don’t see in San Francisco. With the Fox Warfield now closed for a big remodel job and new renters in San Francisco the Fox Oakland will have to come up with some different things. Bart is just one block away from the Fox Oakland. If they have the right type of event It will bring in people from all over the Bay Area. At this time the downtown part of Market St in SF is way worse then the Fox Oakland location on Telegraph Ave. The two new people that will run both the Warfield and Fox Oakland will need to have good security out front and around the parking areas. Bring plenty of change If you go to the Fox Warfield in SF, as the street people are not out as much in the Fox Oakland area yet.
I remember seeing Molly Brown at the Paramount down the street from the Fox Oakland. They got a mono print and the manager Mr Apple was very upset as the big Hollywood sneak preview was held a few months before at the Paramount with a 4 track stereo print shown. It sounded so great with all the many surrounds on the Paramount walls. The only stereo print I remember seeing at the Fox Oakland was a nice 4 track stereo print of The Music Man. The screen at the Fox Oakland was not as big as the semi curved Oakland Paramount. At the Fox they dropped down black masking to make Cinemascope but did open the side masking a little. The Fox screen was still large and very impresive for it’s day. I hope the Fox will show some films/video when they open. If the Paramount down the street won’t show movies. then the New Fox needs to offer some classic or first run film features. Have some big Hollywood type sneak previews like the old days. Fly up the stars from Southern CA and let them see what a classic movie palace looks like. I worked at both the Fox Oakland till it closed and then over at the Paramount when I was in High School. Mr Apple the manager at the Paramount was a super nice manager as Mr McDougal the head guy at the Fox Oakland was a very hard person to work for. Too bad they are both gone now. They will both miss the big Fox Oakland opening this Oct. I will be at the Fox when it opens along with my friend Ed Jacklich the former manager of Oakland’s Fruitvale and Fairfax Theatres run by Golden State Theatres. Fox West Coast Theatre ran most of the big downtown theatres in Oakland. They went downhill when they changed to more of property business called National General Corp. At least the Fox Oakland, Paramount and Grand Lake are still arround today in 2008 for a new generation to enjoy!
Does anyone know if the Silver Theatre has a curved or semi curved screen for 70mm projection?
Thanks Mike for the list. These outdoor theatres are most gone now. Some Drive-In’s today must still have some 70mm projectors left in the booth?
Are they showing these films on video or 35mm print film?
The top grossing theatre in the USA when they have a stage show and movie is the El Capitain in Hollywood CA. At least that is what I read in Daily Variety. The two theatres on 42nd St in NYC are also each week in the top ten. To bad the city didn’t keep some of the other movie theatres they tore down on 42nd St as it’s so popular at this time. Most people in NYC don’t even bother going to the two big multiplexes on 42nd as they are way to crowded(mainly tourists). Even the AMC Metreon in SF makes it in the top ten from time to time. With three new movies opening today Wed many of the Multiplexes have moved ‘Dark Knight’ to the small cinemas. Strange the ‘Bat Man’ movie is still #1. Do they think the ‘Pineapple’ film is going to do bigger business then ‘Dark Knight’ or ‘The Mummy’? I think ‘Mamma Mia’ will hang on with word of mouth with the seniors who like it. If you get Daily Variety each week they list the top ten movie theatres in the USA and the money taken in per week.
Some Drive-Ins in the 50’s and 60’s had 70mm projectors and got a few 70mm prints to run on the big outdoor screens. With a new 70mm print of ‘West Side Story’ now avail I wonder If any drive-ins still have 70mm equipment in the booth today that can run this new 7Omm print and do a big advertising thing with it. The larger the outdoor screen the better for 70mm! One outdoor theatre in the Los Angeles CA area even had a curved Cinerama screen and three projector booths in the late 50’s or early 60’s.
Great story in the SF Cronicle about past Bay Area Drive-Ins. Now I hope they will do a story about the loss of the many indoor theatres in the SF Bay Area in the last 50 years. Many still remain but used for other things. The single screen theatres around the SF area are going fast. To start with the Cronicle needs to have a page from the movie listings of 1954 of all the local theatres that survived the Cinemascope remodel, then cross out all the cinemas that are no longer with us. You will find very few are still with us in 2008. Please don’t list any multiplexes as I don’t think we had any in the early 50’s. Show some photos of the Fox SF, Delmar San Leandro CA, Fruitvale and T&D in Oakland, Laurel in San Carlos CA. All torn down sadly now.
Just because Jam bought the building doesn’t tell the story on what they are going to do with it. It may be turned into a huge night club with no seats and levels of bars. Or they can cut it up and turn it into mega mini movie theatres. They may want to put in a Imax type system upstairs and a comedy night club downstairs. The Jam people need to bring in some other type of entertainment into this huge theatre that will draw all kinds of people not just the rock crowd. Thanks and good luck on bringing this great Uptown Theatre back to life!
In cities like Santa Cruz CA Regal took over the new Harris SC 9. The city of Santa Cruz has no digital theatres or 3-D. Regal won’t even spend money in the local papers for disply adds on what they are showing. Jim who runs the Nickelodeon Theatres ‘Delmar Theatre’ and other art theatres in the Santa Cruz area runs display adds in the local papers. Regal is so cheap but they love the money they are making in this Surf City Santa Cruz as being the only big megaplex in town. Most movie people have to drive over the hill to San Jose Ca (30 mn drive) to see the new digital 3-D as the Regal 9 in Santa Cruz does not have digital projection or even advertise. It’s so sad a big college town like SC and you have to leave town to see a movie like ‘Journey’ in 3-D because the Regal 9 is showing it in 35mm no 3-D. Now I hope someday the art deco ‘Delmar’ with it’s waterfall curtain and red/blue stage lights and a great Dolby Digital® surround system will have digital and 3-D. Regal down the street has no showmanship and even if they do install a digital projector no one in Santa Cruz will find out as Regal won’t advertise it! I guess you can drive downtown and look at the Regal 9’s dusty dirty marquee to see what is showing each week and stand in the long line with one cashier in a 3 window booth. Someone needs to open a big Imax Theatre with 3-D in this coast tourist city. Then Regal will wake up.
Wait till the article comes out in the regualar paper The East Bay Exprees about how things are so bad at the New Alameda. As of now only the limited people reading our great Cinema Treasures site can see what is going on. Now with the public and the many people that have had trouble with the Alameda going in a telling their horror stories maybe they will get some new people that know projection and management. The worst thing If there is a problem they give you a pass but when you try to use them they show in the paper no passes on all the films they are showing. When I go to use my pass (because the projector stopped 7 times in 20 minutes) If they don’t honor It I will call the police. The scam about passes will come to a end.
Thanks REndres**Can you imagine how a BIG curved Todd-AO or D-150 screen would look coming out of the huge stage with the booth moved downstairs with a new 70mm print shown and wrap a round curtins. Seems to me the Fox had a semi curved Cinemascope screen at one time? Now It’s just flat as they raise it for stage shows.
Thanks for your notes about last Sunday at The Fox. The people in the lobby I guess didn’t know the correct media used that night. It seems when I have been to the Fox in the past many years ago the Cinemascope screen was very wide. Wider then what I saw Sunday night. More like a big wide blind with the masking pulled down at the top. Now if someone can work out the pre show times and put in the add we won’t have all the people walking around in the dark 20 minutes into the feature. A new 70mm print of ‘West Side Story’ is now avail. Lets hope the Fox Atlanta can get a copy and advertise it in 70mm for future Coke shows. It is so great that the Fox runs the curtains and curtain lights. I still like the look of film 35mm or 70mm over digital video. Iam glad the Fox Atlanta still has kept the 35mm/70mm projectors. Even though they are not used much with the new digital video projector in the booth. To see a true 70mm film in the Fox with all the stereo surround speakers on It’s a dream come true!
I’d like to see the new 3-D video the Alameda is now showing ‘Journey. Can you imagine if they have so much problems with regular projection how will they do with Digital 3-D? Has anyone seen the 3-D system the Alameda? I know a few old Fox West Coast Theatre managers that can get this place in A-1 shape both in the theatres and candy counter. They know how to teach the new kids that the Alameda has hired that know nothing about the movie theatre business. To bad 'Elmer’ is no longer around with the projectionist union. The theatres he and his crew worked in Oakland had the best screen presentation. This was before the platter or Digital Video. Bring Jack Tillmany out of retirement! Let him clean house at the Alameda Theatre.
We just visited the Fox this past Sunday Eve for ‘Ben Hur’ While I love the theatre the problem for me and many other people these days is the Fox Atlanta is not showing film most of the time on thease Coke Summer Film Series. You see film reels in the window display the posters for all the summer FILMS. They are not showing film just digital video. Many people in the theatre Sunday thought they were going to see the 70mm version of ‘Ben Hur’ This was not the case. The new digital projector at the Fox is way up in the old projection booth. A super long distance. The screen is not as wide as when they use film. Plus the advertised time for the movie is 7 PM. This is correct, but for the first 25 minutes of the film you have hundreds of people wandering all over trying to find a seat in the dark. The pre show organ and video ‘Film’ pre show started at 6:15 PM. In the adds for Ben Hur it says 7PM. Most people missed the pre show. Please someone at the Fox needs to put in the adds Come early for the pre show Starts at 6:15 then put movie time. The video digital image of ‘Ben Hur’ looked fuzzy. The stereo sound did sound great with all the surrounds being used. They even played the oveture with red lights on the curtain. The Fox people need to put in the adds Digital Projection. The days of showing a restored 70mm or 35mm print or classic 35mm film are gone at The Fox. Many people think digital video is the way to go but at the Fox Atlanta the image is not as big and crisp as 35mm or 70mm film. Next time you go complain. They need to change the name from Coke Film Summer Series to Coke Digital Series. Most of the movies this year are new and on DVD. They showed the same newsreel during the pre show I saw last year. Someone must have some 35mm Cartoons and Newsreels to rent the Fox or loan out. Bring back FILM at the Fox Atlanta. I think the owners are more interested in the wine tasting they have before the theatre opens to the regular public (they charge extra) then the way they are presenting the image on the smaller Fox video screen. Bring on wide Cinemascope 35mm film, open the masking up to the full wide side of the screen. People can see video at home. I left after the organ pre show and after 25 mn of Ben Hur I got tired of people walking all over with bad video presentation on the smaller Fox screen. With all the ushers before the movie started they need to send them back into the theatre for the late people. I saw a few older people in the very dark balcony stumble on the stairs. It’s a accident ready to happen!
Most of us have no problem with the remodel. It’s the projection problems that happen everday! Plus many other things like training candy help and not opening the main curtains in the big house. How long will it take to get things in order?
Thanks ‘Don’ for the great photo. To bad they took off the front sign. I often wonder what happens to these big old neon theatre signs? Like the Royal Theatre on Polk St in SF. At one time I heard they were going to put it back on the new condo building on the lot that the Royal was on. I was not around when the big neon Cinemascope sign was taken off the front of the Fox Theatre on Market St in San Francisco in the mid 60’s. They had two of them, Some lucky person has them hidden away I guess. The big Fox sign was going to a store called the Fox Market but I never have scene it.
For anyone making bad remarks about anyone on this Movie Theatre board they need to be locked up and tied up for 5 days in the old Loews Kings Theatre in NY. Let them feel and breath the mold till they mellow out. Give them a box of old popcorn to eat found under one of the broken seats with pigeons to keep them company! I think they will be nicer when they come out and see the light! Don’t bring your camera or flashlight you will be busy fighting off the rats coming from the stage.
This place has not bit the dust yet. Just because the inside is down to the cement walls doesn’t mean the end for entertainment. A few curtains and nice seating, good sound and lighting can bring this place back to The Palace Theatre. The Live Event people are looking at many mid size venues in SF CA as they lost the Warfield Theatre lease that another company (GoldenVoice) is doing a big remodel job at the Warfield now. Other places the Live guys are looking at are the Metro Theatre the Alexandria Theatre plus the Harding Theatre with the small Strand Theatre in San Francisco all ready to open again for entertainment. Another company (Another Planet) has taken over the bookings for the new HUGE Fox Oakalnd Theatre in Oakland CA. The Fox opens in just a few months. To bad the Paramount and The Fox Theatre in SF are no longer with us. They are needed now by Live and they are long gone! Watch out for the Live people, don’t let them do what they did to the Boyd Theatre in PA. The Palace Theatre is waiting to sign the lease.
Now that school is out for the summer you will need to wait till Sept and go to a mid week matinee. Some kids ruin everything for everyone else.
I think the curtain is working but they are not useing it. I talked to the manager Eric opening week and he was going to close it for me but he had other things to do as I got into the theatre early. Hope they do make it work. It’s all is place on the sides of the masking ready to go. Looks clean and very colorful. Turn on the red & blue lights and let it shine!
Stef**Did they open and close the curtains? The non union guys they have for projection people don’t know how to splice correct. How sad I’ll have to wait till I ever go back. Do you remember If they were playing Dolly Parton music when you came into the big art deco house? I need to get over there and give them some movie theme pipe organ music or big band from the 30’s CD’s. I guess they have done nothing to the big flat screen with glare. How was the Dolby Digital® did you hear split surround?
Is the new Digital Video format going to be as good,crisp,clear and large as the 7Omm Imax format? I don’t think so. I heard the new Imax digital instalations will use a smaller screen. To bad 70mm goes away again to be replaced by video to save money. How many Imax film projection people will be out of work when the Imax house manager flicks on the video digital light? Will the pixels show up on the bigger Imax screens? Some one will get a good deal on used 70mm Imax projectors. Can you imagine if you had a super large Home Theatre set up and show Imax 70mm for your friends, and tilt and curve the screen more then Imax did. Almost like Cinerama back in 2008 with one big projector. Many feature movies have been blown up or made in 70mm 3-D Imax. What will happen to the 70mm film Imax prints? Watch for them on E Bay or The Big Reel.
Jim**Thanks for the up date. I will go visit the Marina Theatre again and check out some of my suggestions I made to the Lee’s. Glad they made the adjustments. Now when the Walgreens downstairs goes bust the Lee’s can take over the whole building and put in a grand BIG Marina Theatre under the two they run upstairs.
A group of us went the day it opened and IronMan was on the bill. The bigger theatre up stairs is very small. No curtains and the worst part you enter the Cinema from the screen right. So when the previews are on you see everyone who comes into the theatre plus the light from the lobby. I told the Lee’s about this problem and sugg ested they put a small curtain to block the door from being scene from every one in the theatre. Also they have boring white lights above the screen. They reflect on the screen when the previews are on. I told them if they don’t have a curtain put in some blue lights above the screen so when you come in you don’t look at a white screen. The Dolby Digital® sound was good, but the projector was loud. I did not go into the tiny cinema across from the main theatre. Has anyone been to this theatre in the last few weeks. Did they add color lights to the screen or block the door view with a small curtain? I can’t believe the Lee’s ran the same movie ‘Sex City’ at the other theatre they run just a few blocks from the new Marina. Turn the Marina into a small art type cinema. Give Landmark Theatres in SF some competition. At least the Marina is larger then the small Opera Plaza Landmark shoebox. Good Luck to the Lee’s!
The Paramount is about two blocks away. The downtown Oakland area is coming back to life. New places to eat and many new condos. The people that will run the Fox are music people. They will be open for music type entertainment for the new Fox. We all hope it won’t just be Rock. I think after they test out the place they will find they need to put in some 35mm or video projectors and offer some film things. With the bars set up on different levels It will be more like a night club. Not a disco type place but a classic place to see what you don’t see in San Francisco. With the Fox Warfield now closed for a big remodel job and new renters in San Francisco the Fox Oakland will have to come up with some different things. Bart is just one block away from the Fox Oakland. If they have the right type of event It will bring in people from all over the Bay Area. At this time the downtown part of Market St in SF is way worse then the Fox Oakland location on Telegraph Ave. The two new people that will run both the Warfield and Fox Oakland will need to have good security out front and around the parking areas. Bring plenty of change If you go to the Fox Warfield in SF, as the street people are not out as much in the Fox Oakland area yet.
I remember seeing Molly Brown at the Paramount down the street from the Fox Oakland. They got a mono print and the manager Mr Apple was very upset as the big Hollywood sneak preview was held a few months before at the Paramount with a 4 track stereo print shown. It sounded so great with all the many surrounds on the Paramount walls. The only stereo print I remember seeing at the Fox Oakland was a nice 4 track stereo print of The Music Man. The screen at the Fox Oakland was not as big as the semi curved Oakland Paramount. At the Fox they dropped down black masking to make Cinemascope but did open the side masking a little. The Fox screen was still large and very impresive for it’s day. I hope the Fox will show some films/video when they open. If the Paramount down the street won’t show movies. then the New Fox needs to offer some classic or first run film features. Have some big Hollywood type sneak previews like the old days. Fly up the stars from Southern CA and let them see what a classic movie palace looks like. I worked at both the Fox Oakland till it closed and then over at the Paramount when I was in High School. Mr Apple the manager at the Paramount was a super nice manager as Mr McDougal the head guy at the Fox Oakland was a very hard person to work for. Too bad they are both gone now. They will both miss the big Fox Oakland opening this Oct. I will be at the Fox when it opens along with my friend Ed Jacklich the former manager of Oakland’s Fruitvale and Fairfax Theatres run by Golden State Theatres. Fox West Coast Theatre ran most of the big downtown theatres in Oakland. They went downhill when they changed to more of property business called National General Corp. At least the Fox Oakland, Paramount and Grand Lake are still arround today in 2008 for a new generation to enjoy!