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The latest movie theater news and updates
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July 4, 2013
Happy 4th of July!
Cinema Treasures is closed today for the holiday. See you at the movies … and, remember, no texting! If you need a helpful reminder, check out this PSA from Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and the Alamo Drafthouse.
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July 3, 2013
Kickstarting the Future of the Past
As someone who began working in digital media fifteen years ago and was part of the dot com boom of the late 1990s, I’m always skeptical when some new wave is forming, even when it splashes over me. That’s why I’ve been genuinely elated by the impact Kickstarter and other online fundraising services have had on the plight of independent theaters across the US and UK. Although many larger cinema circuits converted to digital projection years ago, hundreds of small, independent movie houses still cannot not afford the digital transition without significant funds from the public and large donors.
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July 2, 2013
Keeping It Cool
The Hollywood Reporter goes behind the thermostat to report on the exhibition industry’s efforts to keep theaters cool while the earth heats up. As Seth Abramovitch notes, “Maintaining that [74-degree] temperature is not as easy as it sounds. The stadium-style seating that has become the norm in today’s multiplexes can leave upper seats too warm and lower seats too cold. Plus theaters cycle from empty to crowded and back again every two hours, placing uneven demand on heating, ventilation and air conditioning units. Evenly cooling a multiplex is therefore a costly, complicated and, not surprisingly, energy-depleting enterprise.” Read more at The Hollywood Reporter…
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Scholars Need Your Feedback on ‘60s British Moviegoing
“Did you go to the cinema in 1960s Britain?” If so, historian Melvyn Stokes and his project team would like your help in filling out a questionnaire for “a major AHRC-funded research project which aims to shed light on the social and cultural history of cinema. To many writers, sixties films summed up the changes transforming British society, but the films themselves reveal nothing about how they were received and remembered. We want to find out how cinema-goers remember the films they saw. We are asking anyone who went to the cinema in 1960s Britain to share their memories with us by completing a short questionnaire.”
To fill out the questionnaire, visit this page…
(Thanks to Ken Roe for the classic photo.)
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July 1, 2013
Loew’s Pitkin Redeveloped As Charter School
The Loew’s Pitkin Theatre, closed since 1969, will reopen (sort of) on September 13th as a mixed-use space for the Brownsville Ascend Charter School and more than 10,000 square feet of retail space. The theater had fallen into severe disrepair in recent years before a $43.3 million renovation project. According to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, “The completion of this project is a key milestone in the revitalization of the once vibrant Pitkin Avenue corridor…. The renovation of the Loews Pitkin [also] preserved many architectural details, including the terra-cotta ornamentation” and the “original detailed neoclassical and Art Deco-themed cornices, pilasters, and niches.”
(Thanks to our illustrious editor Ken Roe for the image.)
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The Battle Over Texting Continues
David Edelstein at Vulture rails against texters and talkers in movie houses, while Jason Bailey at Flavorwire thinks we should all just get over it. No surprise that I think texters and talkers in movie houses are the scourge of the modern age, but what do you think?
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June 28, 2013
70mm Film Series Returns to the AFI Silver Theatre
The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center is featuring “70mm Spectacular, Part 2” between July 4–September 2. As their website notes, “There’s nothing like seeing large-format films on the big screen, and this summer, AFI Silver delves deep into the history of 70mm filmmaking. … Surviving 70mm prints are extremely rare; theaters equipped to project 70mm films are even rarer. This summer’s edition is a follow-up to 2012’s very popular series; 70mm prints will be presented wherever possible along with several stunning new restorations on the Silver’s new Digital Cinema Package (DCP) system.”
For more information, visit the AFI Silver.
(Thanks to JackCoursey for the photo.)
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Next steps for Warner Film Center
NEW CASTLE, PA — The Warner Film Center project is gaining steam at the former Cascade Picture Palace. A 20-year lease was signed for the space last week and they aim to open Phase I in February on the Anniversary of theater’s opening.
Read more in News Castle News where they also recently published a piece on the man behind the project, Jack Oberleitner.
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Community saves Page Theatre
PAGE, ND — After placing the call for help in December, the community surrounding the Page Theatre showed up big time by contributing almost $100K for a digital projector. The volunteer-run theatre is now set for a while and requires even less help to run it.
Read more in the Dickinson Press.
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June 27, 2013
Why the United Palace is important
NEW YORK, NY — After mentioning the campaign two weeks ago to save the United Palace, the New York Times took a look at the history of the theatre. They focus on how the church that maintained the the space for many years added to it and how its held its role in the changing neighborhood.
(Thanks to Tinseltoes for providing the photo.)