The Eltrym Theatre is in the process of installing digital projection units in all of its theatres. This big investment will ensure the viability of the theatre for years to come. I applaud the owners for investing in our community like this. They have done so much to the Eltrym since purchasing it. It has truly become a shining jewel in our downtown historic district.
I am a big time movie buff and I have really lost interest in going to see the movies these studios are putting out. We have a restored movie theater in our town that I love but I don’t want to spend money on stuff that is not of interest to me. Used to be there was at least one movie a month I wanted to see…now I am lucky is there are one or two a year. (Even Michael Moore said that recently in an interview). I have had to look to the independents for quality films as the studios just produce “safe” boring stories which they run with till they are beat to death. I also dislike the way that the industry has minimalized the theater experience starting with the horrible box multiplexes, horrible presentation, and so forth. I always got a thrill going when they done all the fun stuff….curtains that opened, beautiful movie palaces, etc.. That pretty much is gone. I would say wake up major studios, wake up movie chains, make it an event…bring back the big, big screens and exciting presentation!
I think this sounds like a practical solution for many small theater operators. The new 3D still has the the glasses which many have headaches from (not as bad as the old 3D but an issue). I just cannot see paying to see a regular love story or drama in 3D. Sci Fi is another thing…it can put it to good use. I personally believe that 3D is something that will be around for awhile but never become “the” way to show films contrary to all the hype. Cinemascope and Cinerama were generally accepted projection systems that provided all movie goers a exciting picture and not the side issues…much different than 3D.
Word has it that a group in La Grande is trying to resurrect the Liberty Theater there for a community multi purpose theater facility. The Baker could be done this way too. It is pretty much intact. The projection room, balcony, under the floor is the original sloped floor and the stage is still there. At a recent Eastern Oregon Regional Theater play another longterm Baker City resident and former business owner mentioned this to me. EORT is trying to find a location for a permanent theater. This space could be restored much like the Liberty. It would be a great addition to downtown. A great space for plays, traveling music events, etc…I spent many enjoyable hours at the Baker as a child.
I was under the impression that the people that own the Granada (and owned this building when it was The Liberty) didn’t want this returned to a theatre. Maybe they are ok if it doesn’t run films that compete with the Granada and is used as a multi purpose entertainment facility.
Personally I think the way to get people out to the movie theatres is with quality scripts. I find myself going less (and I am an avid movie buff)because most of the films are so poorly scripted. I guess I should realize that years ago all the great script writers (from the golden age) passed away and the mega conglomerates took over programming to teens. I still see some great films but not that many. Gimmicks are great for awhile but gimmicks without quality story lines wear thin quick. I hope that at some point things will change but I sincerely doubt it. So I find myself going back to the oldies but goodies from years past that I can view over and over and enjoy.
I think that 3-D will always be limited. The fact that you have to wear glasses is an obstacle. The old 3 D glasses gave people headaches. The new ones do that to some people too. I think it happens less but it does. I think Avatar will expand the use of 3 D but I would think it will always be better suited to these types of films and have less impact with regular films. CinemaScope really had a great appeal to the masses as it was well accepted by all and really didn’t have the limitations I mentioned above. Anything that draws people in to the theaters is a great thing however.
Loves Movies…I agree about the text messaging. I wear glasses and when I have a dozen people below me opening their cell phones to text every 5 minutes it blinds me in the dark. I cannot enjoy the film. I talked to the manager of our theater and asked them to try to ask kindly that people not do this. I was there recently and they seem to be getting through to the teenagers (worst offenders) and others that just have to do this. I noticed they would go out in the hall and do it…I was having a hard time following the film with this blinding light in my face. This is not asking too much…it is just common courtesy and respect for your fellow movie goer.
Bob I agree with you. Nice change of pace from standard presentations but I am doubtful that it would have staying power as a main presentation format. The new 3D is much more advanced but as you mentioned the cinematoghers from that period really were well trained professionals.
vic1964 the studios don’t want single screen theaters.That is why all the nice theaters with BIG screens now are split into little boxes (or closed). They cut down the time between theater release and rental/home release till it is almost nil. They should be helping all their customers not just the big megaplex chain people if they want this digital revolution so badly. I would recommend however that you not hold your breath on that one…They are just like the rest of big corporate america…they think only of themselves…
movie534 you said a mouthful regarding the people running these platter systems in the multiplex’s these days. Lousy focus, poor framing, and they could care less. I cringe anymore when I walk into one of these places. Movie going should be a great experiences for the high prices you are paying, but not so alot of time anymore. I went to one theatre and the film ran for 10 minutes before the curtain was opened…I about walked out. I went to the manager and asked him what was up.
This sounds interesting but wonder the about the long term. The new 3D is better than the old but again what is the cost to convert? Converting to CinemaScope made sense as it was logical and added alot to the viewing of films. It has stood the test of time. 3D is another issue. Yes they are charging more for these films but then they are investing lots of money and expect a return. Ultimately it will be the movie goers that vote with their dollars whether this lasts or not. I would say it would probably hang on longer than the previous incarnations and probably as a novelty more than a mainstream presentation type of thing. Cinerama had more possibilities of durability with refinement than 3D to my way of thinking even though it involved a costly 3 projection system.
From the sounds of it the movie studios are slowly killing the movie theatres. Due to the other revenue channels they have. The theatre chains frankly do not give a damn about how they show the films from what I can tell having set through some horrendous showings in several chains. The almighty dollar is the God of the conglomerate studios. This tells me that things are not looking very rosey for anyone that cares about quality in these several areas. As far as the technology being new…yes it is, and yes they probably can resolve some of the issues, but there are some limitations on any format that might not be overcome for years if forever. I doubt these people are going to throw money after money to get that perfection. I totally believe they will reach a certain state of quality and then stop the cash flow. Why would they continue to spend money if they can get an acceptable picture without going further…They have their other revenue channels…why spend money to bring this kind of perfection…?
I agree with Mark Campbell about the movie going experience dying. I love movie theaters and seeing movies projected properly (this is a joke anymore). The movie theater owners don’t give a damn anymore about showmanship…it is automation and do it as cheap as possible. I have set through so many movies that were poorly presented. Movie studios want to cut costs. Honestly I haven’t seen that much difference either…a film properly shown with a good print vs. DLP. I think it is just a matter of time when this will be the way it will be…all digital. DLP does have its idiosycrasies no matter how they build it up. I agree with the masking comments in these theaters…just totally horrible. I always loved scope films but anymore…
I work in another field but I see what the conglomerates do when they buy companies. They buy them, use the name, milk the hell out of the assets, don’t care about the employees…they are just a commodity that can be replaced. And we wonder why the quality is so dismal? MGM is a classic story of how a company was gutted and gutted and gutted. Thank God we have as many films from the past as we do. It was only when they found out there was a market for them that they started to preserve them…up till then they just let them set and deteriorate…how many films are lost due to these people over the years? I’m sorry but I have more sympathy with the writers than the other side…and we are not talking big amounts of money here…pennies on the many dollars they are taking in…come on.
Gencin I totally agree with what you are doing. I watch about 2 network TV shows and that is it. My TV viewing has dropped that much.I too enjoy the indies and I am very selective about the mainstream films I go to. Several years ago I would see many MUST SEE mainstream films that I had to go see, then the quality went down (and according to what I read those several years, the box office went down too.)From what I read the theatre owners were concerned about this downturn…duh??? One thing that has changed over the years is that more films are now oriented towards 12 year olds. In the good old days films were aimed at the more mature adult
mentality. Yes times do change but I can watch those films over and over and still enjoy them… many of the new ones forget it. I can walk through my local chain video store and be hard put to find a film that I want to rent. I usually walk out with nothing or an idie.
Movie content on the screens these days are green lighted by the studio heads. Mind you these are conglomerates which took over years ago and that was the start of the downfall of Hollywood. I have relatives that have worked in the business (not writers) for years and these congloms were wearing old TV scripts out back in the 70’s till some of the critics started noticing,as did the viewers, that the plots seemed familiar. The NEW Hollywood moguls operated then and still do like shoe salesmen. If red is the hot color you make 45 red shoes (quality be damned). The recent TV scripts to movie trend follows the same logic. Then there is the special effects with no story line drek. Personally the best place to see anything new and daring is the indie circuit. These(mostly low budget) films have more substance than 80% of the output of the major film studios. I doubt that these projects would ever see the light of day with things as they stand at the majors these days. So when we start criticizing the writers I think we need to look at the source of the problem. These same type folks are the ones that worked on the music industry over the past few years…same modus operandi.
Well that is like saying that since I have a product on my shelves in my store that is not selling and shows no promise in the near future of selling, then it is ok for someone to remove it and use it. What the “big deal” is that these are valuable products whether or not they are showing in the local cinema. I am sorry but I cannot justify these people taking this into their own hands….As far as the legality being cloudy at best? Wow I don’t think there is much cloudiness in this regard…I think it is very clear that you don’t show movies to mass audiences without paying royalties…Look at the beginning of DVD’s and see what it says about public exhibition of copyrighted films…that is pretty clear. Maybe these people ought to form a club and work with a distributor to get a deal that would be workable. I know Walla Walla, Washington has done this for several years (legally) downtown and people love it.
Corporate Hollywood is cheap. They go for easy money…they don’t want to buy new scripts when they can churn out this old stuff on the cheap. We are all guilty of going to this stuff. We need to quit going to it and maybe it would send a message. Yes they redone movies back in the good old days but not to the degree they are doing it now. Yes some are fairly good but most are not….I frankly have quit going to the movie theatre as much as I used to as I am tired of this. I try to go and support my historic theatre when something worthwhile and new comes around but that isn’t happening as much as it used to. I don’t even want to rent most of these rehashes…that is how bad some of them are.
Yes these are unauthorized, the picture has to be very poor and etc..I will continue to support my local theatre with great surround sound and quality picture…
Unfortunately Roadshow there has been a major decrease in gay characters in shows on TV in the past couple of years. Some good articles have been written regarding this. You mention Brothers and Sisters (yes they have a wonderful gay character on that show), yes Disney has been threatened with boycotts in the past for their support of gay days at Disneyland/tv shows and they stood up to it. I am afraid that I wouldn’t be setting on my laurels thinking that these people are not working to get rid of more stuff from films. They are working at the grassroots level to get people into office that support their views. The cable industry has been under heavy fire the past two years. The one thing that these people are learning is to slowly eat away at stuff…not be as aggressive as they have been in past years. As they call it “stealth” action….I have worked in the political scene and know what they are up to. All I can say is BEWARE!
I don’t care about seeing smoking on the screen either (I won’t miss it being gone) but what I was getting at is the slow and not so slow censorship movement from the right…do some research on how these people have harrassed the entertainment business in the past decade. I could list them here but won’t take the time as you know who they are if you read about their boycotts and so forth. These people are working constantly to push “their” agenda on the entertainment business. Their definition of destructive behavior covers a wide spectrum including gays and anyone not in line with their beliefs…now that is scary…My friends in Europe think it is weird we are ok with with the blood and guts action movies we send there but think sex is horrible and should censored…they do not get it. You mentioned this Roadshow and I agree but again that all boils down to the groups I mentioned earlier. We certainly do not need to go back to the days of the Hayes Office…
This is just more of the slow erosion of our rights….I never have smoked, i prefer people not to smoke where i am dining or in a confined area, but this is a bit much. Some pictures have story lines from the 40’s…I mean can you imagine removing the scene with Bette Davis and Paul, that classic moment? Come on folks. The religious right radicals have been pushing to force all kinds of things out of the media that do not support “their” beliefs…You know the folks. It is time to say enough is enough. Either stand up and be counted or let these people get control and ruin film making, etc..
Thanks for noting the passing of Mr. Mitchell. This website should be one to remember people that contributed to the theatrical business. Whatever your thoughts about the Mitchell’s they were a part of history and yes they did save theatres. Thank God.
The Eltrym Theatre is in the process of installing digital projection units in all of its theatres. This big investment will ensure the viability of the theatre for years to come. I applaud the owners for investing in our community like this. They have done so much to the Eltrym since purchasing it. It has truly become a shining jewel in our downtown historic district.
Thanks Mike it saddens me the way things are going these days…
I am a big time movie buff and I have really lost interest in going to see the movies these studios are putting out. We have a restored movie theater in our town that I love but I don’t want to spend money on stuff that is not of interest to me. Used to be there was at least one movie a month I wanted to see…now I am lucky is there are one or two a year. (Even Michael Moore said that recently in an interview). I have had to look to the independents for quality films as the studios just produce “safe” boring stories which they run with till they are beat to death. I also dislike the way that the industry has minimalized the theater experience starting with the horrible box multiplexes, horrible presentation, and so forth. I always got a thrill going when they done all the fun stuff….curtains that opened, beautiful movie palaces, etc.. That pretty much is gone. I would say wake up major studios, wake up movie chains, make it an event…bring back the big, big screens and exciting presentation!
I think this sounds like a practical solution for many small theater operators. The new 3D still has the the glasses which many have headaches from (not as bad as the old 3D but an issue). I just cannot see paying to see a regular love story or drama in 3D. Sci Fi is another thing…it can put it to good use. I personally believe that 3D is something that will be around for awhile but never become “the” way to show films contrary to all the hype. Cinemascope and Cinerama were generally accepted projection systems that provided all movie goers a exciting picture and not the side issues…much different than 3D.
Word has it that a group in La Grande is trying to resurrect the Liberty Theater there for a community multi purpose theater facility. The Baker could be done this way too. It is pretty much intact. The projection room, balcony, under the floor is the original sloped floor and the stage is still there. At a recent Eastern Oregon Regional Theater play another longterm Baker City resident and former business owner mentioned this to me. EORT is trying to find a location for a permanent theater. This space could be restored much like the Liberty. It would be a great addition to downtown. A great space for plays, traveling music events, etc…I spent many enjoyable hours at the Baker as a child.
I was under the impression that the people that own the Granada (and owned this building when it was The Liberty) didn’t want this returned to a theatre. Maybe they are ok if it doesn’t run films that compete with the Granada and is used as a multi purpose entertainment facility.
Personally I think the way to get people out to the movie theatres is with quality scripts. I find myself going less (and I am an avid movie buff)because most of the films are so poorly scripted. I guess I should realize that years ago all the great script writers (from the golden age) passed away and the mega conglomerates took over programming to teens. I still see some great films but not that many. Gimmicks are great for awhile but gimmicks without quality story lines wear thin quick. I hope that at some point things will change but I sincerely doubt it. So I find myself going back to the oldies but goodies from years past that I can view over and over and enjoy.
I think that 3-D will always be limited. The fact that you have to wear glasses is an obstacle. The old 3 D glasses gave people headaches. The new ones do that to some people too. I think it happens less but it does. I think Avatar will expand the use of 3 D but I would think it will always be better suited to these types of films and have less impact with regular films. CinemaScope really had a great appeal to the masses as it was well accepted by all and really didn’t have the limitations I mentioned above. Anything that draws people in to the theaters is a great thing however.
Loves Movies…I agree about the text messaging. I wear glasses and when I have a dozen people below me opening their cell phones to text every 5 minutes it blinds me in the dark. I cannot enjoy the film. I talked to the manager of our theater and asked them to try to ask kindly that people not do this. I was there recently and they seem to be getting through to the teenagers (worst offenders) and others that just have to do this. I noticed they would go out in the hall and do it…I was having a hard time following the film with this blinding light in my face. This is not asking too much…it is just common courtesy and respect for your fellow movie goer.
Bob I agree with you. Nice change of pace from standard presentations but I am doubtful that it would have staying power as a main presentation format. The new 3D is much more advanced but as you mentioned the cinematoghers from that period really were well trained professionals.
vic1964 the studios don’t want single screen theaters.That is why all the nice theaters with BIG screens now are split into little boxes (or closed). They cut down the time between theater release and rental/home release till it is almost nil. They should be helping all their customers not just the big megaplex chain people if they want this digital revolution so badly. I would recommend however that you not hold your breath on that one…They are just like the rest of big corporate america…they think only of themselves…
movie534 you said a mouthful regarding the people running these platter systems in the multiplex’s these days. Lousy focus, poor framing, and they could care less. I cringe anymore when I walk into one of these places. Movie going should be a great experiences for the high prices you are paying, but not so alot of time anymore. I went to one theatre and the film ran for 10 minutes before the curtain was opened…I about walked out. I went to the manager and asked him what was up.
This sounds interesting but wonder the about the long term. The new 3D is better than the old but again what is the cost to convert? Converting to CinemaScope made sense as it was logical and added alot to the viewing of films. It has stood the test of time. 3D is another issue. Yes they are charging more for these films but then they are investing lots of money and expect a return. Ultimately it will be the movie goers that vote with their dollars whether this lasts or not. I would say it would probably hang on longer than the previous incarnations and probably as a novelty more than a mainstream presentation type of thing. Cinerama had more possibilities of durability with refinement than 3D to my way of thinking even though it involved a costly 3 projection system.
From the sounds of it the movie studios are slowly killing the movie theatres. Due to the other revenue channels they have. The theatre chains frankly do not give a damn about how they show the films from what I can tell having set through some horrendous showings in several chains. The almighty dollar is the God of the conglomerate studios. This tells me that things are not looking very rosey for anyone that cares about quality in these several areas. As far as the technology being new…yes it is, and yes they probably can resolve some of the issues, but there are some limitations on any format that might not be overcome for years if forever. I doubt these people are going to throw money after money to get that perfection. I totally believe they will reach a certain state of quality and then stop the cash flow. Why would they continue to spend money if they can get an acceptable picture without going further…They have their other revenue channels…why spend money to bring this kind of perfection…?
I agree with Mark Campbell about the movie going experience dying. I love movie theaters and seeing movies projected properly (this is a joke anymore). The movie theater owners don’t give a damn anymore about showmanship…it is automation and do it as cheap as possible. I have set through so many movies that were poorly presented. Movie studios want to cut costs. Honestly I haven’t seen that much difference either…a film properly shown with a good print vs. DLP. I think it is just a matter of time when this will be the way it will be…all digital. DLP does have its idiosycrasies no matter how they build it up. I agree with the masking comments in these theaters…just totally horrible. I always loved scope films but anymore…
I work in another field but I see what the conglomerates do when they buy companies. They buy them, use the name, milk the hell out of the assets, don’t care about the employees…they are just a commodity that can be replaced. And we wonder why the quality is so dismal? MGM is a classic story of how a company was gutted and gutted and gutted. Thank God we have as many films from the past as we do. It was only when they found out there was a market for them that they started to preserve them…up till then they just let them set and deteriorate…how many films are lost due to these people over the years? I’m sorry but I have more sympathy with the writers than the other side…and we are not talking big amounts of money here…pennies on the many dollars they are taking in…come on.
Gencin I totally agree with what you are doing. I watch about 2 network TV shows and that is it. My TV viewing has dropped that much.I too enjoy the indies and I am very selective about the mainstream films I go to. Several years ago I would see many MUST SEE mainstream films that I had to go see, then the quality went down (and according to what I read those several years, the box office went down too.)From what I read the theatre owners were concerned about this downturn…duh??? One thing that has changed over the years is that more films are now oriented towards 12 year olds. In the good old days films were aimed at the more mature adult
mentality. Yes times do change but I can watch those films over and over and still enjoy them… many of the new ones forget it. I can walk through my local chain video store and be hard put to find a film that I want to rent. I usually walk out with nothing or an idie.
Movie content on the screens these days are green lighted by the studio heads. Mind you these are conglomerates which took over years ago and that was the start of the downfall of Hollywood. I have relatives that have worked in the business (not writers) for years and these congloms were wearing old TV scripts out back in the 70’s till some of the critics started noticing,as did the viewers, that the plots seemed familiar. The NEW Hollywood moguls operated then and still do like shoe salesmen. If red is the hot color you make 45 red shoes (quality be damned). The recent TV scripts to movie trend follows the same logic. Then there is the special effects with no story line drek. Personally the best place to see anything new and daring is the indie circuit. These(mostly low budget) films have more substance than 80% of the output of the major film studios. I doubt that these projects would ever see the light of day with things as they stand at the majors these days. So when we start criticizing the writers I think we need to look at the source of the problem. These same type folks are the ones that worked on the music industry over the past few years…same modus operandi.
Well that is like saying that since I have a product on my shelves in my store that is not selling and shows no promise in the near future of selling, then it is ok for someone to remove it and use it. What the “big deal” is that these are valuable products whether or not they are showing in the local cinema. I am sorry but I cannot justify these people taking this into their own hands….As far as the legality being cloudy at best? Wow I don’t think there is much cloudiness in this regard…I think it is very clear that you don’t show movies to mass audiences without paying royalties…Look at the beginning of DVD’s and see what it says about public exhibition of copyrighted films…that is pretty clear. Maybe these people ought to form a club and work with a distributor to get a deal that would be workable. I know Walla Walla, Washington has done this for several years (legally) downtown and people love it.
Corporate Hollywood is cheap. They go for easy money…they don’t want to buy new scripts when they can churn out this old stuff on the cheap. We are all guilty of going to this stuff. We need to quit going to it and maybe it would send a message. Yes they redone movies back in the good old days but not to the degree they are doing it now. Yes some are fairly good but most are not….I frankly have quit going to the movie theatre as much as I used to as I am tired of this. I try to go and support my historic theatre when something worthwhile and new comes around but that isn’t happening as much as it used to. I don’t even want to rent most of these rehashes…that is how bad some of them are.
Yes these are unauthorized, the picture has to be very poor and etc..I will continue to support my local theatre with great surround sound and quality picture…
Unfortunately Roadshow there has been a major decrease in gay characters in shows on TV in the past couple of years. Some good articles have been written regarding this. You mention Brothers and Sisters (yes they have a wonderful gay character on that show), yes Disney has been threatened with boycotts in the past for their support of gay days at Disneyland/tv shows and they stood up to it. I am afraid that I wouldn’t be setting on my laurels thinking that these people are not working to get rid of more stuff from films. They are working at the grassroots level to get people into office that support their views. The cable industry has been under heavy fire the past two years. The one thing that these people are learning is to slowly eat away at stuff…not be as aggressive as they have been in past years. As they call it “stealth” action….I have worked in the political scene and know what they are up to. All I can say is BEWARE!
I don’t care about seeing smoking on the screen either (I won’t miss it being gone) but what I was getting at is the slow and not so slow censorship movement from the right…do some research on how these people have harrassed the entertainment business in the past decade. I could list them here but won’t take the time as you know who they are if you read about their boycotts and so forth. These people are working constantly to push “their” agenda on the entertainment business. Their definition of destructive behavior covers a wide spectrum including gays and anyone not in line with their beliefs…now that is scary…My friends in Europe think it is weird we are ok with with the blood and guts action movies we send there but think sex is horrible and should censored…they do not get it. You mentioned this Roadshow and I agree but again that all boils down to the groups I mentioned earlier. We certainly do not need to go back to the days of the Hayes Office…
This is just more of the slow erosion of our rights….I never have smoked, i prefer people not to smoke where i am dining or in a confined area, but this is a bit much. Some pictures have story lines from the 40’s…I mean can you imagine removing the scene with Bette Davis and Paul, that classic moment? Come on folks. The religious right radicals have been pushing to force all kinds of things out of the media that do not support “their” beliefs…You know the folks. It is time to say enough is enough. Either stand up and be counted or let these people get control and ruin film making, etc..
Thanks for noting the passing of Mr. Mitchell. This website should be one to remember people that contributed to the theatrical business. Whatever your thoughts about the Mitchell’s they were a part of history and yes they did save theatres. Thank God.