Hackensack Meridian Health Theatre
99 Monmouth Street,
Red Bank,
NJ
07701
99 Monmouth Street,
Red Bank,
NJ
07701
14 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 88 comments
Tonight, Monday Jan 7 and tom'w Jan 8, I am screening 2 films, both in 35mm. I will be there after 2 pm to begin inspecting them. I believe tonights movie is “West of Memphis” and tom'w is “Neil Youngs Journey.” Hope to see you all there.
We attended on Friday night and the screen , projection and sound were amazing! My fellow audience members, not so much. Perhaps the Count Basie Foundation should include “no one under the age of age permitted”.
Hello Kris, I apologize for only receiving your comment just now but yes concessions will be available. The film starts at 7pm, seating begins @ 6:30pm and doors open at 6pm. But most people usually arrive about 5-10 minutes before the movie. Enjoy the show!
I am attending the free screening tonight. What time should I arrive for a 7pm start? Will they sell concessions?
The movie looked fantastic on screen tonight. I was proud to have projected it.
I gues in those days you didn’t have idiots that threw GUM on the Screen.
Dug up or found at various times over the years, after being long-hidden in the cavernous spaces of Count Basie Theatre. (More found in photo albums at http://www.facebook.com/countbasietheatre)) :
am searching for some information about a Vaudeville show that may have performed at the theatre in the late 1920’s somewhere between 1927-1929. The show was called “Jungleland” which was a traveling contortionist show. If anyone could help out, that would be great.
Looking forward to the March 24 presentation of “The Red Shoes”! Excited this will be my first movie at the Cound Basie.
Last nights showing of “The Maltese Falcon” looked and sounded great. Nice crowd too. Next week “North By Northwest” with yours truly at the projection helm once again.
Tonight at 7:30 ‘American Graffitti’ in Cinemascope on the giant screen. I’ll be the projectionist.
To MBD from March 25, 2009, at least when I’m there they get a great presentation. Thats what 34 years or expierience will get you.
On another note, I was just informed that the last movie “Pretty in Pink” will now be a DVD. Why dont they just call it a DVD festival and be done with it.
most people today don’t know or care if its film or video
True, but they do care about good and bad presentation. What most people don’t do is complain about poor presentation, they just don’t come back.
I’m sorry screeningroom, because for me as the house projectionist, it means not only a days pay lost, but also more important, the joy of running reel-to-reel the way film should be shown. The problem is that the sponser only gave the theatre so much money to work with. I’ve been told that to ship the film prints back and forth costs a lot, and it chews the budget up. I agree that if its advertised as a FILM series, then it should be shown on FILM. But most of todays public, except for us true film and palace lovers here on CT, most people today dont know or care if its film or video. And thats really the true sadness of it all.
WOW, that really is a shame about TITANIC and video projection. What gives? 35mm prints ARE available. This epic DESERVES 35mm projection to appreciate all that went into this wonderful production. I don’t understand this logic(?) with video projection, ESPECIALLY when it is advertised in local papers as a “FILM Program”. I’ll skip that trip, even for free.
I know you’re not blaming me Bob, and believe me I’m not taking it that way. I can only tell them what to do, how to do, and hope they do. Beyond that, Oh well…
As I said elsewhere here on CT, if the Ritz in Elizabeth ever gets going, and I have a say in the projection, well I will bring in anyone who wants to help do it right. From start to finish.
Movie534: I’m not blaming you personally, and I know that you are doing your best. It’s just frustrating that they have such a great booth and SO much potential to do it right.
I was just informed this morning that “Titanic” will now be a DVD and not 35MM. Sorry folks.
Again Bob, this venues main fare is stage. And I don’t think they have a bonafide film programmer. They are given a very small budget to work with, and try to make it work. I know part of the problem is the cost of shipping the films. And I agree with you about Zhivago. I remember running it when I first became a projectionist in ‘76. What I did with that intermission, and curtains , it was remarkable. And I know the Union County Arts Center also ran it a few years back, and had a decent print. But I am just the house projectionist, and do what I can, with what I have.
Why would a film programmer book academy ratio films when they don’t have the appropriate lens to present it properly? That’s very poor showmanship.
Dial M was intended for 1.85 presentation so I’m sure it looked fine.
Running DVD’s is pretty sad too. The Lafayette in Suffern, New York ran a beautiful 35mm print of DR. ZHIVAGO a few years ago.
With all the money spent on that booth, it’s a shame they couldn’t spring for a pair of lenses and plates to do this properly.
Unfortunately Bob, I had no choice but to show it in 1.85 because I do not have the lens selection to do 1.33 or 1.37. It makes me sick as well, but you must remember, this is a stage venue, that only does this once a year, and even that, all the movies are not 35mm, some are DVD. I just ran ‘Robin Hood’ from 1938 and ‘Dial M for Murder’ 1954 yesterday. I made it look as good as I could. I tried using the back-up from the ‘scope’ lens with the scope aperture, but I ended up with picture all over the place. I even tried the scope aperture with the flat lens, but to no avail. So I went with what fit the screen. But I will say this, not to toot my own horn, but man my changeovers were crisp.
I just heard CITIZEN KANE was shown in 1.85. What the heck?!! That would totally destroy the compositions! How can they make such a presentation error?
ANY film produced before mid-1953 should be presented in 1.37.
Here is the schedule for the upcoming ‘Take 9 Count Basie Theatre Foundation Film Series.’
Sun Feb 22 2:00pm Doctor Zhivago 1965 DVD
Wed Mar 4 7:30pm Citizen Kane 1941 35MM
Sun Mar 8 2:00pm Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 35MM
Sun Mar 8 7:30pm Dial M for Murder 1954 35MM
Tue Mar 31 7:30pm Cool Hand Luke 1967 DVD
Sat Apr 11 2:00pm Happy Feet 2006 DVD
Sat Apr 11 7:00pm Titanic 1997 35MM
Tue Apr 28 7:30pm American Graffitti 1973 35MM
Wed May 6 7:30pm Pretty in Pink 1986 35MM
More info can be found on the theatres website “www.countbasietheatre.org”
The architect of record for the 2008 restoration is Farwell Mills Gatsch Architects out of Princeton NJ (also did the State Theater in New Brunswick). William E. Lehman is the 1925 architect for the building. This building has undergone an amazing transformation from a white-washed eyesore to an amazing space.
Todays Star Ledger had a full page story with a great shot of the auditorium, and about events leading up to this friday’s re-opening.