Comments from ChasSmith

Showing 76 - 100 of 236 comments

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Cinerama Hollywood on Apr 12, 2012 at 12:26 am

Oh man.

Thank you, DEFG.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Hunt's Cinestage Theatre on Mar 31, 2012 at 11:36 pm

I’m wondering if Hunt’s Cinestage is the theater that was running “The Sound of Music” at some point in the 1968-1969 time frame — and if not, which downtown Columbus theater might have been the one.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Mann Festival Theater on Mar 22, 2012 at 9:47 pm

Did the theater have a balcony?

I remember it as the UA, and I loved the Bratskeller, the restaurant at the corner of the block in the 1970s.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about iPic Westwood on Mar 10, 2012 at 10:31 pm

It’s scary how inaccurate our memories can be on things like this. I found some of mine confirmed on your list, but could have sworn I saw “Carrie” and “Silent Movie” in the main auditorium there. Oh well, this is endlessly fascinating.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about iPic Westwood on Mar 10, 2012 at 10:27 pm

Thanks for that pointer. It’s a great listing. If only there were many more like it.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about This is DCP at the Film Forum on Mar 8, 2012 at 9:07 am

“forward direction”

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about iPic Westwood on Feb 29, 2012 at 8:32 pm

I think we can all agree the AVCO needs a generous, detailed description. How do we go about getting that done?

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Nuart Theatre on Feb 28, 2012 at 2:44 pm

I practically lived at the Nuart in the 1970s and 1980s, and I gather the curved screen was installed sometime later. Would love to see some current photos of the place.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Regent Showcase Theater on Jan 30, 2012 at 9:34 pm

I’m trying to recall this one. I think I went to it a few times in the early/mid-1980s. Was it showing second runs around that time?

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Granada Theatre on Jan 30, 2012 at 9:30 pm

When did this theater close? I don’t remember knowing it from when I moved to L.A. in 1972, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t still going for a while.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Bexley Theater on Jan 13, 2012 at 10:42 am

What a great picture!

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about National Theatre on Jan 12, 2012 at 12:51 pm

A big thanks to markinthedark for the latest batch of photos taken on the National’s last night.

Heartbreaking.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Los Feliz 3 Cinemas on Jan 6, 2012 at 7:34 pm

I haven’t been in the Los Feliz since 1984 when I savored the experience of sitting through two showings of “Vertigo” in a lovely vintage, comfortable neighborhood theater perfectly befitting the film.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Center Mayfield Theatre on Jan 4, 2012 at 2:18 pm

Saw a number of films here during my college years in University Circle. A couple I’ve always remembered are “Bonnie and Clyde” and “The French Connection”. I think the latter played here during its first run.

There was an Int'l House of Pancakes (early IHOP) across the street, and somewhere in the area, a Royal Castle (White Castle style joint popular in the 1960s). I mention these because they’re inseparable from my movie-going memories here.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Severance Theatre on Jan 4, 2012 at 1:47 pm

Just uploaded an old aerial shot of the mall. I saw “Funny Girl” but don’t recall if it was a roadshow presentation. Other films I think I saw here: “Alice’s Restaurant”, “The Priest’s Wife”, “Little Murders”, “The Touch”.

Severance was the first mall I knew. Some nice memories of those movie-going surroundings include:

The record store I remember as “Disc Records” (or “Discount Records” or “Disc Shop”). Their main store was downtown. If anyone can help with the name or anything else about the store, please speak up.

Eating before or after a movie at Diamond’s Deli in the lower section of the mall accessed from outside. My first deli food, and I loved it. To this day, you can set a plate of blueberry cheese blintzes in front of me and I’ll think of Diamond’s.

Eating inside the mall at Hot Shoppes Cafeteria, probably one of the nicest cafeteria style places ever, and a bit of luxury eating for a poor college student.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Fight for 35mm on Dec 19, 2011 at 10:22 pm

Signed the petition and passed it on to a few people. Hope others are doing the same. They need to hear our voices.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Mann Torrence Promenade 6 on Dec 15, 2011 at 9:46 am

I saw “Beverly Hills Cop” here, not sure about anything else, but the mall itself was unique (as you all know) and I wish I’d discovered it earlier, but in the early 1980s, my interest in decent stereo equipment led me to a wonderful high end shop there (which I believe was called Dimensions in Stereo), and I owe them much for introducing me to what I now know were some great components. Also recall the Federated Group store there, where coincidentally I was also pointed in the right direction — toward the new Toshiba BETA Hi-Fi — when I went shopping for my first VCR.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Westland Twins on Dec 15, 2011 at 9:28 am

Remembering the Laemmle Westland Twins, I was just there a handful of times: “Cousin cousine”, “La cage aux folles”, and Universal’s 1984 re-releases of the Paramount Hitchcock films.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about iPic Westwood on Dec 9, 2011 at 10:31 pm

All of this about Westwood is shocking to hear. Okay, so I haven’t been there in two decades — but it still makes no sense. I’m grateful that I knew it in its prime, in the glory years of the ‘70s and early '80s.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about iPic Westwood on Dec 4, 2011 at 8:15 am

I’m trying to recall the configuration of the auditoriums. Which direction did the seating face for the original big screen?

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Rock Hill Drive-In on Nov 30, 2011 at 8:19 pm

I’ve just uploaded a picture of the entrance taken in June 2006. Drove back into the lot and there’s nothing to see. It looked like the image linked to by rivest266 above.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about iPic Westwood on Nov 30, 2011 at 11:05 am

Thanks. I was remembering “Avco Embassy Pictures”, the film company. No relation, then?

Also, the more I look at it, the more I think it’s a word (Avco) as opposed to an abbreviation or initials (AVCO). I know the marquee and ad logo were all in uppercase, but so was the word CINEMA, etc.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about iPic Westwood on Nov 30, 2011 at 8:48 am

Under previous names, “Centre” should be “Center”. Can someone correct that?

Variations found in the attached movie ads: For ANNIE, it’s “General Cinema’s Avco Center Theatres”.

At some point early on, wasn’t it “AVCO Embassy”?

Last, how about “AVCO” vs “Avco”? What was the name derived from? In the FAME ad it’s clearly typeset as “Avco”, but that could just be a newspaper thing.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Picwood Theatre on Nov 28, 2011 at 9:13 am

Funny how I clearly remembered seeing “E.T.” at the Picwood but had forgotten the Dome. I’ve always been pretty good at remembering where I saw certain films, especially in a unique place like the Dome, so the impact of this one must have been pretty significant to have wiped that part out.

Boy, do I miss the long runs of great films.

ChasSmith
ChasSmith commented about Picwood Theatre on Nov 27, 2011 at 7:49 pm

Yes, it would have been within the first 2-3 weeks. That’s great to hear, and it was a VERY good one!