Have a news tip for us?
Just email . Ideas for stories, links to interesting articles, and press releases are welcome.
The latest movie theater news and updates
-
May 18, 2006
The Polk Theater’s Last Days
The Village Voice is running a report about the closing of the Polk Theater:
Harold Gussin never expected that one day he’d end up running a porn theater. When he started working at the Polk, a theater in Jackson Heights, Queens, it was the late 1950s and the Polk was just a regular movie house.
But only a decade later, it was starting to show films like charscalex98 Carmen, Babcharscalex98 y, an update on the opera that was billed as “Carmen in modern undress!” And for the next 40 years, the Polk showed nine dirty films a day. The place got increasingly run-down.
By last winter, there were only five flickering bulbs above the entrance.
3 comments -
May 17, 2006
Theatre Pipe Organ For Sale
CINCINNATI, OH — The 4 manual, 33 rank Theatre Pipe Organ from the now closed Music Palace Restaurant is for sale.
The organ was originally installed in the Mastabaum Theatre in Philadelphia, PA in 1929. The console was rebuilt in 1998 after a 1992 fire destroyed the orginal. All the other components were not damaged and are originals.
The organ and the entire business are for sale. Inquires can be made to Barbra Martey at 513-821-1675. Photos can be seen at http://the-music-palace.tripod.com.
-
May 16, 2006
Loew’s Jersey Theatre Presents 3 Classic Dystopian Films - May 19-20
Sleeper — On The Beach — Brazil
“The Future” is a concept that is often imbued with optimism. America’s good fortune in our 230-year history has tended to endow us with the expectation that tomorrow will be a better day. But if we let our imaginations stray into our darkest fears, wallow in our baser tendencies, and peruse not the triumphs but the horrors of the past as prelude, The Future can seem a very dark shadow indeed. Though the movies have often been criticized for looking at the worlds — including The Future — with rose-tinted glasses, certain films have gone in the opposite direction, vividly and unforgettably depicting the most dystopian possibilities for tomorrow. Amazingly, some of these films have even wrung black humor from the subject.
“Sleeper” — Fri., May 19 at 8PM
Starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, John Beck, Mary Gregory. Directed by Woody Allen. (1973 — 88mins. — Rated PG)
Woody Allen goes to the hospital for a routine procedure, dies on the table, is cryogenically frozen, and awakens 200 years later into a Brave New World of deadening conformity ruled with an iron fist by a never-seen omnipotent Leader. So begins one of the goofiest yet insightful dystopian films ever made. Four years before his Oscar-winning breakthrough with Annie Hall, Woody Allen was still deep in absurdist humor. While the comedy is broad, it’s hardly unintelligent, delving into political and social commentary. Allen may have made more personal and moving films later in his career, but on a laugh-out-loud scale, Sleeper is one of the most enjoyable works he’s ever produced.“On the Beach” — Sat., May 20 at 3PM
Starring Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins.
(1959 — 135mins. — Not Rated, but not recommended for children.)
Although there had been “doomsday dramas” before it, Stanley Kramer’s On the Beach was considered the first “significant” entry into the genre. Released in 1959, the story was set in the then-future of 1964, when most life on Earth has just been destroyed by radioactive fall out. The population Australia is still alive, but only until the fallout inevitably drifts “down under.” Much of the population resigns itself to doom or goes mad, while some desperately try to figure out how to survive. The film captures the now half-forgotten fear of inevitable, if not imminent nuclear holocaust that gripped the
civilized world in the late 1950s and ‘60s, and is a harrowing experience.“Brazil” — Sat., May 20 at 7:15PM
Starring Jonathan Pryce, Michael Palin, Kim Greist, Robert De Niro.
Directed by Terry Gilliam. (1985 — Rated R.)
In 1985, director Terry Gilliam (of Monty Python fame) concocted this comedic fantasy-nightmare about a world where which life seems to go on routinely, except that fear of nameless, faceless terrorists is the excuse for government bureaucracies to seize citizens, force confessions from them, and kill them — even in cases of mistaken identity. From our post-9/11 vantage, we can only hope any resemblance to our world is an eerie coincidence and not frightening prescience. Rather than diminishing the film’s coherence and emotional impact, Gilliam’s intermixing of humor actually makes the characters and situations seem more human. When it was first released, Brazil’s American distributor forced Gilliam to change the ending to something “happier.” Fortunately, when new prints were struck a year ago, the original ending was restored. Brazil will be screened at the Loew’s in this restored original ending. -
May 15, 2006
PA Theater Summit
I found this interesting event on the Pennsylvania Downtown Center website…
Theater Summit
PDC is spearheading the creation of a network of independent theaters (Pennsylvania Association of Independent and Neighborhood Theatres) for the purpose of creating a more level playing field. PDC recognizes the challenges faced by smaller, independent film and live theaters and with the creation of this network, we hope to create leverage that places PA’s independent theaters in the league of larger, corporation owned theaters, as well as provide a support system among theater owners.
PDC will be hosting a summit to bring people together to discuss some of these issues and to provide a forum of networking. This will be held May 15 and 16, at the Comfort Suites in Carlisle. Items on the agenda include who we are and what the theatre network hopes to accomplish, managers' presentations (theatre owners' introductions of themselves and their theatres), educational sessions on feasibility studies, and funding, a facilitated discussion about cooperative marketing, vendors, and productions, and a presentation of the fall theatre promotion.
We have reserved a block of rooms at the Comfort Suites. Meals will be on your own, but we will plan a group dinner at a local restaurant for Monday night for those who wish to attend. We expect cost to be about $20 per person. We intend on finishing the Summit around noon on Tuesday.
Registration Form
Please have this returned to us by May 1, 2006. We will allow later registrations, but printed materials may not be available to those who register after this date, or at the door.
For more information about this, please contact Kristen Janowski at
This may be a little late, but it looks like it is good theater news in Pennsylvania.
-
Know someone who can refurbish marquees and ticket booths?
Can anyone give me info on who refurbishes marquees and ticket booths?
Need help in fixing my marquee with new neon. Also, does anybody build ticket booths from old pictures?
-
May 12, 2006
Livingston Arts Council Takes Key Step in Historic Opera House Restoration
LANSING, MI — Master-planning will commence this spring, for the transformation of the original Opera House into a historically updated version of what Opera House patrons might have experienced in the 1800s. The owner of The Opera House, Livingston Arts Council (LAC), has chosen The Christman Company of Lansing and the Ann Arbor office of SmithGroup, Inc., as its design/build team to develop a master plan for the restoration.
The project will begin with a review of a 2001 Development Plan Report and a series of quality, cost and modeling workshops to assist LAC in identifying and balancing its needs, priorities and cost constraints. The series of workshops will help determine a detailed project scope and schedule for the building’s eventual restoration.
“This project is especially meaningful because much of our staff, me included, is from Livingston County and call the County home,” said Ron Staley, Director of National Preservation at The Christman Company. “I have personally witnessed the difference made in the community by the preservation of the Livingston County Courthouse and the Carnegie Library (other local Christman projects). This project will provide the community with more than a theater; it will also give us a more complete glimpse into the past.”
-
Seeking vintage movie theater ads
It seems to me that one of the major factors that fostered my love of theaters and movies from my youth was the way they were advertised in our local papers.
The ads were designed to enthrall you to view the movies-many conveyed special images, catch phrases,and imagination-surging presentations.
I love the comments sent by your members that include some of these pages concerning the particular theater, especially since nowadays the newspaper ads are so lackluster (or even absent altogether) that there is nothing to provoke the reads into attending the particular theaters in question.
I was wondering if you could invite members to submit more of these ads and add a link to them.
Thanks for listening!
-
May 11, 2006
Historic Texas movie theater for sale on eBay
KENEDY, TX — The Rialto is currently listed on eBay as Item number: 4461464199. It looks like someone ignored the roof and it is in rough shape, but the starting bid is only $5,000.
Auction ends in 2 days (sorry, I just noticed it).
-
Rumored Sunset at Old Hyde Park Theater
TAMPA, FL — Tampa newspapers and local television stations are having a frenzy with rumors of Sunrise Cinemas at Old Hyde Park closing its doors.
Wasserman Vornado Strategic Real Estate Fund LLC is buying most of the Old Hyde Park Shopping Mall and turning it in to condominiums. Just what the world needs… more condos.
The rumors are getting a little over blown, but needless to say it is still a concern. The area has been contacting Old Hyde Park in efforts to stop them from selling the theater and shops. The theater means a lot to people in the area. Some say they purchased homes with the added thought that they could walk to see a film.
The theater is an asset to Old Hyde Park. Sunrise presents not only independent and foreign films, but also first run films as well. With The Wine Exchange (a little beverage cafe) next door and the patio setting area being in front of the box office, the theater does very well and would not be closing if not for being purchased for condominiums.
If you live in the Tampa area or are a patron of the theater or shops, please contact either Old Hyde Park Mall Management Wasserman Vornado Strategic Real Estate Fund LLC to urge them to rethink their plans.
-
May 10, 2006
Pasadena’s Historic Raymond Theatre Needs Buyer Immediately!
PASADENA, CA — After a 19-year preservation battle to save the historic Raymond Theatre. Bulldozers are now on the theatre grounds and poised to start gutting the theatre for housing.
The Raymond Theatre opened in 1921 and was one of the finest theatres on the West Coast, it has presented vaudeville, movies and in it’s last incarnation it was known as one of LA’s top concert venues, Perkin’s Palace.
Friends of the Raymond Theatre have secured major operators, concert promoters and the ability to use historic tax credits for renovation.
A buyer (or someone to lease) the theatre is needed immediately!
Please contact us at:
Friends of the Raymond Theatre
www.raymondtheatre.com
www.myspace.com/raymondtheatre