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Memories
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July 15, 2008
Remembering “Die Hard”
Twenty years ago today, the classic action flick “Die Hard” was released.
REMEMBERING DIE HARD
Compiled by Michael Coate
CAST:
John McClane … Bruce Willis
Holly Gennaro-McClane … Bonnie Bedelia
Sgt. Al Powell … Reginald Veljohnson
Dwayne T. Robinson … Paul Gleason
Argyle … De'voreaux White
Thornburg … William Atherton
Ellis … Hart Bochner
Hans Gruber … Alan Rickman
Karl … Alexander Godunov
Theo … Clarence Gilyard, Jr.DIRECTOR: John McTiernan
SCREENPLAY: Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza (screenplay), Roderick Thorp (novel)
RELEASE DATE: Friday, July 15, 1988 (70mm limited release); Wednesday, July 20, 1988 (general release)
26 comments -
July 14, 2008
All Brooklyn’s a Stage: Heights – Part 2
BROOKLYN, NY — The Brooklyn Eagle takes a further look into the theaters of its past included on Cinema Treasures.
Here are a few details of theaters catalogued on the web site, just so you know what those emporiums were like.
The RKO Albee — remember Albee Square? — had vaudeville as well as movies. Edward Albee, the original owner, donated paintings in the theater from his private collection. (He was a vaudevillian and either the adoptive father or grandfather of Edward Albee, the playwright.) The movie house existed off Fulton Street from 1925 until 1978. Now a new structure awaits us.
The Orpheum, another vaudeville house on Fulton Street, was owned by Percy Williams who also created the Bergen Beach Amusement Park. At 578 Fulton St., it was demolished in 1954.
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July 7, 2008
Mystery theater, Munnsville, NY
Does anyone recall a theater that operated in Madison County, NY in the early 1900’s? It would have had a grand theater curtain. It was located near Stockdale – Munnsville.
Thanks,
Jon Jay -
June 30, 2008
Monticello Broadway recollections
MONTICELLO, NY — The Broadway Theatre, which is still located in Monticello, NY but closed for 20 years meant the world to me growing up. It had been an ok theater but with a change of ownership morphed into this great light of hope in the middle of town!!! The new owner renovated the entire building turning into an old fashioned theater with a hollywood canteen that doubled as the snack bar and an old fashioned ice cream parlor right next door.
The outside of the building was painted bright pink with a checkerboard sidewalk and a great sign with the theater’s name and a tribute to old Hollywood!! The town of course gave the theater nothing but trouble insisting that they move their sign off the sidewalk and somewhere onto the building. The town finally won and in the last season the theater was opened, they moved their sign on to the theater’s roof. They stayed open till the end of the summer and never opened again.
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June 23, 2008
Stardust Twin info?
I’m looking for photos or any bits of info on the Stardust Twin Cinemas. Located in Vista, Cailfornia, it closed down in 1989.
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June 13, 2008
After 30 years, GREASE is still the word!
UPDATED 6/16 with verranth1 post below:
The movie version of “Grease” was released exactly 30 years ago today, June 16, 1978. It was based on Jim Jacobs' and Warren Casey’s original 1972 Broadway musical. It is widely considered the most popular movie musical of all time. For myself, I saw it six (6) times in the theater upon its release. Generally, I don’t like musicals, but I still love “Grease”.
Some film facts that may interest you:
- It was the highest-grossing movie in the U.S. in 1978.
- It was filmed at Venice High School in Venice, California.
- Henry Winkler and Marie Osmond were originally considered for the roles of Danny and Sandy.
- Danny’s blue windbreaker at the film’s open is an homage to “Rebel Without a Cause”
- Olivia Newton-John had to be sewn into her black spandex during the film’s final sequence.
- Director Randal Kleiser has previously stated that he hated two of the film’s most popular songs, “Grease” and “You’re The One That I Want”.
Some theatrical 30th anniversary screenings of the film this weekend would certainly make sense. Unfortunately, I am unaware of any. So, pull out your DVD and celebrate 30 years of GREASE!
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Happy 15th anniversary, “Jurassic Park” and DTS!!!
On June 11, 1993, Universal Studios released what would become the first mega blockbuster of the 90’s, “Jurassic Park”. It was so popular that it would be re-released later that year and proved to be an annual Thanksgiving TV event on TV, and sold well on VHS, DVD, laserdisc, and eventually DVD.
This was the first movie to be shown in DTS, and a few select theaters were lucky to get the system installed. The result would be big and would start the digital surround sound wars that continues to this day, with Sony soon following suit with its soon-to-be-gone SDDS format. I first saw JP when it came out on VHS, since I was a bit too young to see this movie. What are your memories of this great movie?
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June 6, 2008
Drive-in theaters celebrate 75th anniversary
First drive-in theatre opens in Camden NJ on June 6, 1933.
The concept was developed by Richard Hollingshead Jr., who experimented with various projection and sound techniques in the driveway of his house. Using a 1928 Kodak projector mounted on the hood of his car and aimed at a screen pinned to some trees, Hollingshead worked out the spacing logistics to make sure that all cars had an unobstructed view of the screen.
He received a patent for his idea in May 1933 and opened his first drive-in theater only three weeks later. They quickly fanned out across the country.
More at Wired.
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June 5, 2008
Phoenix’s Cine Capri, 1966-1998
CINE CAPRI, 1966-1998
Compiled by Michael Coate
So, what are your memories of the Cine Capri?
It’s been ten years now since the Cine Capri closed. For over thirty years, the Cine Capri was one of the Phoenix area’s most popular movie theaters. With a seating capacity approaching 1,000 and boasting state-of-the-art sound and the largest screen in Arizona, the Cine Capri played Phoenix metro area exclusives for nearly twenty years of its life. The venue survived as a single-screener throughout its entire existence, despite industry trends such as saturation booking and the proliferation of multi- and mega-plexes. It closed in 1998, to the dismay of longtime Phoenix moviegoers, and met the same fate as many large ‘old’ theaters: the wrecking ball.
The Cine Capri played host to many films now considered classics, including a few reserved-seat ‘roadshow’ attractions, a 34-week run of “The Godfather,” and a spectacularly successful 60-week engagement of the original “Star Wars.” The theater was also host to numerous industry trade and test screenings.
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Cinematical discusses movie theater movies
The always entertaining blog Cinematical, touches on the topic of films within films over the years and the bloggers experience as a projectionist.
The earliest movie that I’m familiar with that significantly involves a theater is Buster Keaton’s “Sherlock Jr.” The silent comedian plays a projectionist who falls asleep on the job then has a dream in which he literally climbs through the movie screen and into a detective film. A similar idea of breaking the boundary between auditorium and screen is used in Woody Allen’s “The Purple Rose of Cairo” and in John McTiernan’s “The Last Action Hero,” both of which involve a movie character who manages to leave his respective film within the film. But nothing tops Keaton’s screen-entering stunt, which utilizes special effects that still astonish more than 80 years later.