Palladium Times Square
1515 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
1515 Broadway,
New York,
NY
10036
33 people
favorited this theater
Showing 301 - 325 of 577 comments
Spike’s new film “She Hate Me” just premiered there. The Astor Plaza ended with a bang. To have a Spike Lee joint premiering, that’s big.
Will they screen For Pete’s Sake as a farewell, with 1974 prices? The movie is still pretty funny, and it would be a good send off after 30 years of service.
It would have to be a film I’m not the slightest bit interested in seeing.
It looks like the last premiere to take place at the Astor Plaza will be Spike Lee’s new film “She Hate Me”. Because the marquee had a new artcraft marquee signage on it yesterday afternoon (July 20th).
Here is a link to an article about the purchase of Loew’s:
View link
I agree with you William. I think the last theater along broadway will be gone next year. Having it in the basement the way it is doesn’t add any appeal to having people support the theater.
If the Loew’s State Theatre was a 6-10 screen plex, it would have a better chance of surviving. Any theatre lower than 6 screens, would have a problem. Unless they signed a lower rent long term lease when they opened the theatre. Loew’s is not putting any money into that house. Just stand across the street from it. Half the neon signage is out and the electric marquee has not been running too. The TV’s that once played trailers for the movie at the theatre, is now playing what Virgin plays on the screens in the store. If the theatre was a real money maker for the company, it would stay. Look at the Worldwide Theatre that Cineplex opened on 50th between 8th & 9th Ave.. It opened as a first run house and finished a bargain house, like the State Theatre will soon do.
John
I had not heard that Loews Cineplex was purchased. Maybe that is good news. Maybe Loews State will survive next year.
Is the company planning on changing the name or will they continue to use Loews Cineplex?
You won’t have to worry about the Loews Cineplex corp for long…
Since they were purchased by a conglomerate… including the Carlyle Group…
Those who say Fahrenheit 9/11 will be familiar with that company.
It really upsets me that Loews has to also open this film at the E Walk. It is one week, they could have had the Astor Plaza go out in glory with an exclusive showing. Loews Cineplex corp really sucks.
I forgot to name the theatre where I saw “Ben Hur” as a reserved seat roadwhow attraction back in 1959 when I was 7 years old and recently saw “Troy” in 2004. The theatre in question is the Grand Lake Theatre on Grand Ave in Oakland Calif. I moved out of the Bay Area in the late 1970’S and moved back in 2003.The Grand Lake is rated by a poll in the local newpapers as the best theatre to see a movie in the East Bay. They even play the organ on Fri/Sat/Sun.brucec
No word on any special event send-off screenings, but the final, wide-release booking for the Astor Plaza is official: M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘The Village’ is opening there next Friday, the 30th. It’s also, to absolutely no surprise, opening at the 42nd Street E-Walk and, to something of a surprise, the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas, among other Manhattan locales.
good article of the sendoff..but, WILL there be a final hurrah as faintly implied in the article….if anyone finds out…give a big shout out… I will venture there next week to see Spiderman 2 and make my final visit….with camera in hand..
Name that theater, Bruce!
I saw “For Pete Sake” at the Astor Plaza when it opened in 1974.I thought it was a nice modern theatre at the time but no way came even close to the Rivoli,Criterion,Warner,State,Capitol,Paramount and Roxy. In fact the ugliest legit theatre on broadway the “Minskoff” is located in the same building as the Astor Plaza.I still can’t get over the fact that NYC let the “Hotel Astor” be demolished for this ugly skyskraper.Remember the ugly Madison Square Garden replaced the Pennsylvania Train Station which NY has never recovered from.I do understand the love for the big screen and the “Astor Plaza” and the “Ziegfeld” are all that is left.The era of the megaplex is here,but what I don’t understand is the lack of imagination going into the building of many of these megaplex theatres. They want so much to be the modern day movie palace and some do a better job than others. Thank god many of our beloved movie palaces have found life as Performing Art Centers. When I lived in LA they use to rate the 10 best places to see a movie and most were single screens.Why can’t the theatre owners use an Egyptian,Mayan,French,Italian, theme throughout the megaplex including the auditoriums. I find more thought has gone into the Lobby than the auditoriums. Lucky for me I am still able to go to a first run movie palace where I first saw “Ben Hur” as a reserved seat attraction back in 1959 and saw “Troy” in 2004.brucec
So they’re turning it into an enormous rock concert venue? As someone noted a moment ago, I guess that means they’ll be more or less keeping it as a theatre, which is very good news and almost a happy ending (almost). If the bands are good enough and some of the ticket prices are low and accessible, it might not be a complete disaster after all. I wouldn’t think that much renovation would be necessary, but I guess it’s mostly a matter of muffling the din. Despite their similarities in size, this theatre has a totally different feel from the Ziegfeld, strangely. Has anyone done any speculating about why it is that theatres, that are essentially the same sort of thing, can feel so utterly different from theatre to theatre, even when their sizes are almost identical? The pitch of the seats and the method of entry and the lobby and everything else has an enormous cumulative effect.
The article in today’s NY Times is excellent, by the way, so be sure to check the link a few entries back.
Camden
Thanks for a sprawling and engrossing thread! My Astor Plaza memories include the usual suspects (Star Wars, Superman, Raiders, press screening of Altered States, Explorers, Under Fire, 2001 screening of 2001 sans intermission), some forgettables (Brewsters Millions), and some oddities (late 70s reissue of Fiddler on the Roof that had songs cut out). There should definitely be a 70mm festival as a swan song.
Bill & Rhett: Sadly I recently tossed out a bunch of ‘70s and '80s Dolby-related papers and ads from NY/NJ, but contact me if you can trust my memory on some 70mm engagements.
Does anybody know if the Eastside playhouse on 55th street is also closed/ I know it is not on the web site for City Cinemas anymore. When I lived in NYC it was run by United Artists. I saw Annie Hall there.If this theater is also closed that really puts a dent in the eastside. Gone is the Coronet,59th St East,Gotham(originally Trans Lux)Manhattan Twin, 68th St Playhouse. This really stinks. I guess the Sutton and Cinema 123 will be next.
I wish I still lived in NYC. I would organize a protest group. Loews operates an old theater in downtown Chicago called the Esquire. It has six screens. I certainly hope they don’t let this theater go too. Maybe with the Astor plaza closing, Loews State will get better films for there last year in operation. I also am not sure why Loews closed the 34th St Showplace. It opened in the early 80’s and was one of there newest theaters. It didn’t seem to last a long time.
I did find a great little art deco theater here in Asheville, NC that still use curtains instead of slides. I wrote the theater owner to try and get it added to cineam treasures. If you want to check out there web site it is www.fineartstheater.com
make way for the music, but at least it will remain a theater venue in Times Square. Maybe they’ll keep the screen for special movie events.
There is an article in the NY Times today about the closing of Astor Plaza.
It also mentions cinematreasures.org
View link
Camden, I saw Apocalypse there also. While I thought it was a great presentation, I had the Ziegfeld experience from 1979 too imbedded in my mind. Believe it or not, I was awed when I saw Redux a 2nd time, at the Imax screen at Lincloln Square.
But I had a bunch of great Astor Plaza experiences. I was fortunate to see 2001 in Dec. 01 , a re-release. it was great. The only problem was that they didn’t really publicize it and it played to a pretty empty house. Lucky me though, I brought my camera that day and took a few pics of the outside marquee.
But what was really great was the 25th Anniversary showing of The Godfather in 97. Man, that was something. A packed house, seeing on a huge screen with digital surround sound made it an awesome experience. Marlon ruled. Once again, it’s a damn shame the Astor is closing.
Height: 730 ft (223 m)
Floors: 54
Erected: 1970
Architects: Ely J. Kahn and Der Scutt
Major tenant: Viacom
This is terrible, the loss of that huge screen and comfortable theatre. By current standards, it is a treasure. I wish I’d read all this before seeing Spider-Man 2. Maybe I’ll go see it again. If I don’t, I’ll regret it. My two favorite Astor Plaza experiences: the magnificently restored “Wizard of Oz” back around ‘97 or so (I’d never seen color like that on film) and the breath-taking “Apocalypse Now Redux,” another one of the best-looking films I’ve ever seen.
Camden
Sorry I can’t join you guys bemoaning the fate of the Astor Plaza.
Especially since I’m still mourning the loss of the Astor Hotel, one of New York’s truly great buildings, which it replaced!
As I’ve said before I remember being a little boy in ‘68 and looking into the gaping whole where this theater was about to be built while literally across the street Funny Girl was playing at the Criterion in the last hurrah of first class roadshow presentation. That being said I will go one more time because maybe I have missed something.
Anyway the Murnau festival will be at Film Forum so you all have something to look forward to!