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The latest movie theater news and updates
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August 20, 2010
Gold Class Cinemas takes Dinner-and-Movie to new heights
FAIRVIEW, TX — This article in the Dallas Observer looks at the upscale Gold Class Cinema’s Village at Fairview and whether it’s all worth it.
Thank goodness Gold Class Cinemas doesn’t care. The luxury movie theater chain, which got its start in Australia, freely acknowledges it’s still fun to eat upscale food and be entertained at the same time. The theater isn’t afraid to pound every dopamine receptor, providing its patrons with Jeeves-like service, a lengthy list of big-name West Coast wines and robber baron dishes, including lobster rolls and Waygu burgers.
So is it good? Does it really matter? The food’s good in the same way films like Independence Day and Iron Man are good: It’s silly and extravagant and satisfying. It probably wouldn’t hold up out of context, just as a story about an alien invasion would sound preposterous coming from your neighbor. But within the confines of a 40-seat screening room, lit by Leonardo DiCaprio’s furrowed face, the dishes are rather fabulous.
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Dutch architects propose building revolving outdoor theater
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS — For some reason, a Dutch architectural firm has proposed building a revolving outdoor cinema/live performance venue that would presumptively be built at the Amsterdam harbor.
This article in Dvice includes a sketch of the proposed facility.
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Nickelodeon locations?
Hello,
I am trying to locate a Nickelodeon in Manhattan (or any of the five boroughs) for a BBC documentary series about the start of the motion picture industry. It doesn’t matter if it’s totally derelict, or even if it has been demolished because we just want to film the location of where the Nickelodeon once stood. Maybe several Nickelodeons stood on one street? It would be fantastic if there was still a Nickelodeon standing, although I’ve searched and it seems to me that they have all long since been demolished in the region I’m looking at – I’m hoping you might be able to tell me not!
We will also be filming in Los Angeles and I believe there is still a Nickelodeon there, but we’d ideally like to film outside one in New York for this programme.
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New art cinema opening in Miami area
MIAMI, FL — The O Cinema is slated to open in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District by the end of the month. The 135-seat art theater and gallery space will add a new venue for independent and avant-garde film and video.
“We realized, both myself being a Miami native and Vivian having been raised here since she was 6, that film was one area where we haven’t stepped up to the plate,” Tabsch says. “We have Art Basel, which has been amazing for the visual arts community, and New World Symphony and the Arsht Center … all of these wonderful organizations each tackling different areas and doing amazing things. And film hadn’t caught up. We decided we had to do something about this and bring independent film to Miami year-round.”
They were able to do so thanks to a $400,000 matching grant from the Knight Arts Challenge, a godsend for many South Florida nonprofits in a time of distressing state budget slashes. After two years of fundraising and looking for a viable location, the duo settled on Wynwood, landing a 4,000-square-foot interior space and a courtyard.
There is more at Bocamag.com.
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AMC plans to file $450 million IPO this year
For the third time in its history, AMC Entertainment will file a $450 million IPO under the ticker symbol “AMC” on an unrelated stock exchange. This comes as revenue for the company has been boosted by rising prices for 3-D and IMAX (and IMAX digital) films as well as concessions.
This is the second attempt at an IPO for Kansas City, Missouri-based AMC. The company first filed for a $500 million IPO in September 2007 but pulled the deal in October 2008 saying it had decided not to proceed with the offering, but did not give a reason.
AMC’s revenue grew 6.7 percent to $2.42 billion in the year ended April 1. The company swung to a $79.91 million profit from a $149.05 million loss a year earlier, according to the new prospectus.
Read more at Reuters.
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August 19, 2010
Cameo Cinema in St. Helena becomes the passion of former Michigander
SAINT HELENA, CA — The ninety-seven-year-old Cameo Cinema may still be showing films when some of today’s multiplexes are long gone, if current co-owner Cathy Buck has anything to sat about it. After adopting St. Helena as her home, she and co-owner Shawn LaRue acquired the theater six years later. She sees to repairs, introduces the films, and even changes the marquee letters.
Buck signs every correspondence and ends phone calls with a cheery “See you at the movies!” Her energy can be seen during a tour of the theater, which can be covered in about 15 paces but is stretched by Buck into 20 history-filled minutes.
Buck sometimes programs 15 or more movies in a month – a mix of art films, 3-D blockbusters, opera transmissions and local events. Teachers from area schools use the film house for educational purposes, and last Memorial Day weekend Buck organized the Cameo’s first Family Film Festival – a four-day fundraiser for local teen centers. Among the programming was 33 short films made by local children and a special faux-Oscar night to celebrate their efforts.
There is more at SFGate.com.
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Dobie Theatre in Austin closes
AUSTIN, TX — Its current lease having expired, Landmark Theatres is closing the Dobie Theatre as of August 22. The theater, near the University of Texas campus, has been managed by Landmark since 1999. The theater’s landlord has been looking for a new operator for several months.
The move had been expected, but the date was unclear. In March, Landmark said it was not renewing the lease on the theaters where Richard Linklater’s “Slacker” premiered in 1990. But the center’s landlord, the Carlton Group, said at the time that it was talking to potential operators to take over the four-screen arthouse and return it to its tradition as an independent film space with a strong local flavor.
There was no immediate word on whether the Carlton Group, an international real estate investment bank, had secured another theater operator. As recently as last month, the owner was advertising for a theater manager.
There is more at Austin360.com.
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Freeport may get new theater
FREEPORT, ME — The Town Council here has approved $200,000 in tax-increment financing for Boston-based Berenson Associates which wants build a six-screen theater beneath the L.L. Bean outlet store in Freeport Village Station development. The approval, however, was not unanimous. If built, the theater may be named the Nordica which was the name of a theater in Freeport demolished years ago.
“Some residents felt (the original) amounts were excessive,” said Sande Updegraph, executive director of the Freeport Economic Development Corp.
The cinema complex would occupy space under the L.L. Bean outlet store in Freeport Village Station. Yebba said each theater would have a different seating capacity, with a total capacity of about 760.
The theaters would be operated by Massachusetts-based Belmont Capital, which operates the Windham Five Star Cinema, the Wells Five Star Cinema and Bangor Mall Cinemas under the name Your Neighborhood Theaters.
There is more in the Press-Herald.
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August 18, 2010
Capitol Theatre commemorated with giant mural
MILTON, PA — Several large murals honoring the history of Milton, PA have been commissioned by T.I.M.E. (The Improved Milton Experience) Main Street Manager, Deb Owens, by Altoona-based artist Pamela Snyder-Etters according to the Sunbury (PA) Daily Item reporter Cindy O. Herman.
The first completed mural honors the restoration and re-opening of the Capitol Theatre, 55 Broadway, Milton, PA, on August 6th 1972. The massive restoration project was by The Cinesathe Group (Jack Oberleitner, Thomas Poling and others). The colorful mural depicts the front of the theatre and renderings of Shirley Temple, W.C. Fields, Laurel and Hardy and King Kong, all of which were represented on the opening night extravaganza which included gifts for all “first nighters” including orchids for the ladies.
A town celebration is planned to honor the Theatre, The Cinestage Group, and the artist is planned for the Summer of 2011.
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One former Spinelli circuit theater reopens; another still seeks buyer
ROCHESTER, NH — When Spinelli Cinemas ceased operations last year, the chain’s four cinemas were put up for sale. One of these, the Lilac Mall Cinema 4 reopened on July 30, now operated by TBA Theatres. The Strand in Dover, which opened in 1925 and which was last operated as a triplex, remains closed though a principal in the realty company that now owns the building may be interested in operating it if another buyer does not step forward.
The future of The Strand, however, remains uncertain. Currently owned by Rose Realty, the Third Street theater has been vacant since last September. Robert DiBerto of Rose Realty said he is still entertaining the options of selling the theater or reopening it himself. DiBerto also owns BarnZ’s Barrington Cinema.
DiBerto said he has been preoccupied with other projects over the last few months but now plans to focus his attention on The Strand. “It’s time to get back on this project and stay focused on it,” he said.
There is more in The Wire.