Saw Miami Vice here last week. Word of advice, avoid theater #3 at all costs. The picture was all off to the side, the sound was low, the AC was turned up to high etc… It was a mess. My brother went to complain about the picture being off to the side, so the manager fixed it….a little bit. They still had this thing on top of the screen that made it look like you were watching a dvd. They never corrected the other stuff. If they keep managing this place like that, someone else should take it over. Sad part, this isn’t the only time this happened in #3. My Dad and I saw Doom in #3 back in December, and the AC was on too high. We would have gotten out money back and left, but that was the only place it was playing at.
Yep, Water Tower held the exclusive first run showing of Rocky. Paul, do you think Mesbur & Smith(architects for Cineplex Odeon) might have photos of the remodeling jobs they did for this theater? I hoping they do, I just want to see pictures of WT again. They may have been small, but it was comfy and made every moviegoing experience memorable. Some movies I saw in the mall include: Broken Arrow, The Rock, Long Kiss Goodnight, The Relic, and John Carpenter’s: Vampires. Some movies I saw in WT 5-7 include: Speed, Scream, Double Team, and Black and White.
To Paul: I wish there were pictures I could see of this place. Can you describe this place to me? Was it a two level building like Burnham and Lincoln Village 1-6?
Don’t worry LongGrovemom, if I ever take over this place, I’ll fire those people. People like them are the reason why people nationwide are staying away from theaters.
Barney, I belive “Adventures in Babysitting” played at the McClurg until 8/5/87. That was the opening day of Stakeout. McClurg played that in 70MM. “Babysitting” might have been in 70MM too. I’ll look it up next time I go to the library.
Right now, I’m in contact with some people in getting funding for my corporation. After that, I’ll be contacting Baum Realty(I belive they own the theater space) about reopening this and taking a look inside. I know this will be a tough journey, but we need a place to see art-house films after Esquire is gone and this would be perfect. Keep in mind that I know the dangers of going toe-to toe with River East. But, I have some plans to make this a winner again.
Hal T, I had a 70MM film festival idea already in mind. It’s good to know that I wasn’t the only one with that idea. And last time I was here, this place look very well keept, but the bathrooms were another story.
Paul, I’ll be seeing A Scanner Darkly here next week. So I’ll try to sneak and take some photos. Funny enough, the last movie my brother saw here was Good Night, & Good Luck. How fitting.
After reading today’s sun times, if I reopen this, I won’t be up against the Esquire for art house movies because Esquire will be closed and torn down soon. And we all know how well AMC books art house movies, so maybe I might have a shot. Plus, I’ve got so many ideas on how to keep this place profitable that people would love to come here.
The last time I was here was to see Kingdom of Heaven. The place seemed fine to me except the seats. It’s comfortable but it needs cupholders. That’s always been by problem with Esquire.
I plan to see A Scanner Darkly here sometime next week. I’ll check out the cafe/seating area you were talking about Paul.
Damn, I was hoping for 1st run regular films with art house fare. And when this Metro 290 was first announced, the developers were trying to get a 10/12 screener put in here. Oh well, here’s hoping there’s another development nearby that would include 1st run films. But, it’ll be interesting to see what Redford’s got in store with this place.
This didn’t close in 1993. I was looking at some microfilm at the library today, and I saw the Diana listed 10/14/94 in the Cineplex Odeon directory. Price was $2.00 at all times.
Reopened June 2nd by Jenco, the people who run the nearby Lansing 8. I went here to see Waist Deep, and nothing’s changed except it’s cleaner(at least in the theater I was in). Which is something because when Loews/Cineplex ran it, it was clean too.
In fact, can anyone here tell me if the Village’s screens look like Water Tower 1-4? If that’s the case, it’s near next to impossible to add stadium seating.
Paul, I went to Burnham a few weeks before it closed to see Red Eye. Good sound too. It looked like it could’ve stayed around a little longer. I think if I had Golf Glen, I would remodel it a little and screen 2nd run films at low prices. Oh, the new Golf Mill will have 12 screens and 3300 seats in total.
BTW, I was just thinking of doing one on Merdian and how they ran Water Tower into the ground. If they had payed their taxes, WT could’ve stuck around until River East opened. But anyway, my thing on Essaness is done. I’ve wrote about how they never quite got off like Plitt did. Here’s a quote: “At the end of their run, they had 2 downtown theaters, the Woods and the Chestnut Station. Both along with the rest of Essaness Theaters were bought out by Cineplex/Plitt in 1986 making Essaness history. As of this year, the Foxfield and the Golf Glen are the only Essaness theatres still standing but are closed. The only Essaness still open is Chicago Ridge 6, but the question is, for how long? The rest of Essaness is either retail or torn down.”
Paul, I was able to make out some of the movies playing on the marquee in the architect photos Brian posted. The movies are, House Party, I Love You to Death, Crazy People, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Miami Blues.
Oh, Kerasotes’s south loop theater should open in 2008. That would make it the 20 year anniversary of Burnham.
Man, Village ain’t going to do jack except clean up the floors and bathrooms. I went to Lincoln Village a few days ago to see Tokyo Drift, and they haven’t did nothing except what I said above. It looks the same as it did when I was there 5 years ago. You can best bet that I’ll never be like Village when I make it in the theater business.
Speaking of Kerasotes, I’ve heard from a good source that Showplace 16 at Naperville Crossings opens this Friday. Soon after that, Kerasotes will open Showplace 14 at Hawthorne Works and Showplace 12 at Golf Mill. I might come here and visit Webster Place next week to see how’s everything coming.
Saw Miami Vice here last week. Word of advice, avoid theater #3 at all costs. The picture was all off to the side, the sound was low, the AC was turned up to high etc… It was a mess. My brother went to complain about the picture being off to the side, so the manager fixed it….a little bit. They still had this thing on top of the screen that made it look like you were watching a dvd. They never corrected the other stuff. If they keep managing this place like that, someone else should take it over. Sad part, this isn’t the only time this happened in #3. My Dad and I saw Doom in #3 back in December, and the AC was on too high. We would have gotten out money back and left, but that was the only place it was playing at.
Yep, Water Tower held the exclusive first run showing of Rocky. Paul, do you think Mesbur & Smith(architects for Cineplex Odeon) might have photos of the remodeling jobs they did for this theater? I hoping they do, I just want to see pictures of WT again. They may have been small, but it was comfy and made every moviegoing experience memorable. Some movies I saw in the mall include: Broken Arrow, The Rock, Long Kiss Goodnight, The Relic, and John Carpenter’s: Vampires. Some movies I saw in WT 5-7 include: Speed, Scream, Double Team, and Black and White.
To Paul: I wish there were pictures I could see of this place. Can you describe this place to me? Was it a two level building like Burnham and Lincoln Village 1-6?
Don’t worry LongGrovemom, if I ever take over this place, I’ll fire those people. People like them are the reason why people nationwide are staying away from theaters.
Barney, I belive “Adventures in Babysitting” played at the McClurg until 8/5/87. That was the opening day of Stakeout. McClurg played that in 70MM. “Babysitting” might have been in 70MM too. I’ll look it up next time I go to the library.
Actually opened 12/16/1994 in a joint venture with Loews/Sony Theatres. They did a similar thing with the Streamwood theater.
Right now, I’m in contact with some people in getting funding for my corporation. After that, I’ll be contacting Baum Realty(I belive they own the theater space) about reopening this and taking a look inside. I know this will be a tough journey, but we need a place to see art-house films after Esquire is gone and this would be perfect. Keep in mind that I know the dangers of going toe-to toe with River East. But, I have some plans to make this a winner again.
Hal T, I had a 70MM film festival idea already in mind. It’s good to know that I wasn’t the only one with that idea. And last time I was here, this place look very well keept, but the bathrooms were another story.
Does anyone have photos of the Esquire’s screen before it was gutted in 1989?
Paul, I’ll be seeing A Scanner Darkly here next week. So I’ll try to sneak and take some photos. Funny enough, the last movie my brother saw here was Good Night, & Good Luck. How fitting.
After reading today’s sun times, if I reopen this, I won’t be up against the Esquire for art house movies because Esquire will be closed and torn down soon. And we all know how well AMC books art house movies, so maybe I might have a shot. Plus, I’ve got so many ideas on how to keep this place profitable that people would love to come here.
The last time I was here was to see Kingdom of Heaven. The place seemed fine to me except the seats. It’s comfortable but it needs cupholders. That’s always been by problem with Esquire.
I plan to see A Scanner Darkly here sometime next week. I’ll check out the cafe/seating area you were talking about Paul.
Damn, I was hoping for 1st run regular films with art house fare. And when this Metro 290 was first announced, the developers were trying to get a 10/12 screener put in here. Oh well, here’s hoping there’s another development nearby that would include 1st run films. But, it’ll be interesting to see what Redford’s got in store with this place.
This didn’t close in 1993. I was looking at some microfilm at the library today, and I saw the Diana listed 10/14/94 in the Cineplex Odeon directory. Price was $2.00 at all times.
Reopened June 2nd by Jenco, the people who run the nearby Lansing 8. I went here to see Waist Deep, and nothing’s changed except it’s cleaner(at least in the theater I was in). Which is something because when Loews/Cineplex ran it, it was clean too.
Oh boy, I better get down to this place and snap photos before they tear it down.
I’m going to the library tomorrow, I’ll look and see if this was called the Village South at one point.
I know I’ll be watching.
In fact, can anyone here tell me if the Village’s screens look like Water Tower 1-4? If that’s the case, it’s near next to impossible to add stadium seating.
Oh yeah, forgot the Lake was an Essaness.
Paul, I went to Burnham a few weeks before it closed to see Red Eye. Good sound too. It looked like it could’ve stayed around a little longer. I think if I had Golf Glen, I would remodel it a little and screen 2nd run films at low prices. Oh, the new Golf Mill will have 12 screens and 3300 seats in total.
BTW, I was just thinking of doing one on Merdian and how they ran Water Tower into the ground. If they had payed their taxes, WT could’ve stuck around until River East opened. But anyway, my thing on Essaness is done. I’ve wrote about how they never quite got off like Plitt did. Here’s a quote: “At the end of their run, they had 2 downtown theaters, the Woods and the Chestnut Station. Both along with the rest of Essaness Theaters were bought out by Cineplex/Plitt in 1986 making Essaness history. As of this year, the Foxfield and the Golf Glen are the only Essaness theatres still standing but are closed. The only Essaness still open is Chicago Ridge 6, but the question is, for how long? The rest of Essaness is either retail or torn down.”
Brian, the photos at that link looks like it was taken before CO took over.
Paul, I was able to make out some of the movies playing on the marquee in the architect photos Brian posted. The movies are, House Party, I Love You to Death, Crazy People, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Miami Blues.
Oh, Kerasotes’s south loop theater should open in 2008. That would make it the 20 year anniversary of Burnham.
Man, Village ain’t going to do jack except clean up the floors and bathrooms. I went to Lincoln Village a few days ago to see Tokyo Drift, and they haven’t did nothing except what I said above. It looks the same as it did when I was there 5 years ago. You can best bet that I’ll never be like Village when I make it in the theater business.
Some of these theaters will be treasures to some people in the future.
Any new word on what’s happening with this theater? If nothing happens within 3 years, I’ll see what I can do.
Speaking of Kerasotes, I’ve heard from a good source that Showplace 16 at Naperville Crossings opens this Friday. Soon after that, Kerasotes will open Showplace 14 at Hawthorne Works and Showplace 12 at Golf Mill. I might come here and visit Webster Place next week to see how’s everything coming.