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The latest movie theater news and updates
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August 19, 2013
Upstate NY theaters hedge bets on Project Drive-In
NORTH HOOSICK & GREENVILLE, NY — The Hathaway’s and Greenville Drive-In’s have been trying to raise money for digital projectors but it looks like Project Drive-In contest from Honda will be their last hope. They’re part of six remaining drive-in’s in the Capitol Region of New York but competition is fierce with entries from around the country.
Read more in the Times-Union.
(Thanks to Drive-In 1954 for providing the photo.)
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August 16, 2013
New luxury theater opens in Glendale
GLENDALE, CA — Delays due retrofitting made the wait longer than expected but Glendale’s luxury Five Star Cinema is now open in the former Mann Exchange 10. Like local competitor iPic, Five Star aims to bring patrons in with in-theater dining and plush seats with a call button. Their tickets are about $10 less expensive though.
Read more in the Glendale News Press.
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Longtime Longview theater purchased by neighboring car dealer
LONGVIEW, TX — Ever since it closed a few months ago following a final stint as a discount, the future was unclear for the Movies 9. It’s still not completely set in stone but the Volkswagen dealer next store has bought it. It will likey be torn down so they can expand the dealership but nothing has been announced. The cinema was built nearly 50 years ago as the Cargill Theater.
Read more in the News Journal.
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August 15, 2013
Veteran Cinema Consultant retiring, Oberleitner Associates closing doors
Cinema consultant and film historian, Jack Oberleitner, entered the movie business as an usher in a small theatre in New Castle, Pennsylvania in 1959. Oberleitner stated several reasons for this heartfelt decision in an open letter to friends, associates, and customers on the Oberleitner Associates website. An extract from his letter follows" “…I am retiring for several reasons. First, I’ll celebrate my 70th birthday on August 26,2013. Second, my eyesight is getting critically worse. As some of you know, my eye problems go back to the Vietnam years. I spent more than a year in Valley Forge Army Hospital in 1968. I’ve had more than a dozen surgeries since then There’s been a lot of ups and downs since then; however, I have made a nice life, as an author, in the theatrical world, and business consultancy, ever since those days back in the 60’s.
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Academy launches fundraiser for digital
PORTLAND, OR — Like so many other theaters around the world, the Academy Theater is in trouble if it can’t raise enough funds for a digital projector. After a celebrated reopening in 2006 (which led to preservation award, they now need to raise $120,000 to stay open. They’ve enlisted indiegogo.com to manage the donations.
Read more at Oregon Live.
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August 14, 2013
La Paloma is worshipped
ENCINITAS, CA — The SoCal favorite La Paloma was featured on Movie Houses of Worship. From the charm of being right next to the train tracks to its annual involvement in the local Italian Film Festival, there is no shortage of reasons to visit. Plus there’s the always popular Rocky Horror tradition.
(Thanks to KenRoe for providing the photo.)
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Ambassador theaters make jump to digital
RALEIGH, NC — Ambassador Entertainment wanted to wait until all the kinks were out with digital technology and has finally made the conversion. The Rialto and other local cinemas like the Colony, Six Forks and Mission Valley have all made the switch. The theaters can now even be rented for $60 outside of operating hours.
Read more in the News Observer.
(Thanks to jeterga for providing the photo.)
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August 13, 2013
Bricks Flicks at the US 23 Drive-in is tonight
FLINT, MI — Flint, Michigan’s annual Back to the Bricks events kick off tonight with Bricks Flicks at the US 23 Drive-in Theatre with new digital projectors installed. Many classic vehicles will fill up the drive-in’s field and possibly spill over onto Fenton Road like in previous years. There will be a DJ spinning oldies and the free movie tonight is the 1978 film Grease starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John.
Further details are in the Flint Journal. They’re encouraging participants to send photos of the event to the paper for a planned photo gallery. Expect quite a few patrons to be dressed up like the characters in “Grease.” You may recall that part of the movie was filmed at the long gone Pickwick Drive-in Theatre in Burbank, CA.
(Thanks to steelbeard1 for providing the photo.)
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Honda gets involved with saving drive-ins
Large automaker Honda has put their money where their mouth is with their summer initiative, Project Drive-In. They’re launching a nationwide campaign to make people aware of the difficulties of converting to digital. In a month, by popular vote, they’ll be giving away five digital projectors to theaters in need.
With so many stories coming in about theaters closing because of digital, it’s refreshing to hear about a corporation getting involved.
Read more in Auto News or go to the official website.
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Cedar Creek Lake’s only movie theater closes
GUN BARREL CITY, TX — MovieStar Cinema is no more after an abrupt closing last week. No official word has been given from the former operator on the reason for its closing but the building has construction issues that need to be repaired along with digitization. With the rising costs, its future is unclear but there is a strong local following as it’s one of the few entertainment options nearby.
Read more at Cedar Creek Lake.com.