Very nice theatre. I like this place a lot. I never saw it when it was a single screen, unfortunately, but it’s very charming today. Well decorated in the lobby. It’s a real asset for Richmond and its neighborhood.
Yes, I’m from a small city down south and can remember the days when black people would have to sit in the balconies of the theatres, ride in the back of the bus, and not use the water fountains unless they were clearly marked. Many of the restaurants would serve their black clientele with only food to go, through a small hinged door in the back of the place called the “dog hatch.” None of this changed until around 1965 or so. A totally different world. It’s unbelievable but true.
Makes me feel like I really missed out. And I thought triple features (wish I could find one nowadays) were fantastic. That would be the ideal derelict lifestyle: nice work if you can get it. The only real grindhouses I ever attended were the ones on 42nd Street in Times Square that showed the X-rated movies. They doubled as houses of prostitution, though, going the normal grindhouse one better, I guess.
By the way, I still dream about the old Paramount Theatre in my hometown down south, long since torn down. I’d love to be able to walk back into that place today, but now I only do it in my dreams.
Yes, and the place to sit is right in the middle, midway between the throw and the screen, of course. I think it was a sort of one-shot experiment when they ran “Ocean’s Eleven,” and the Ziegfeld hadn’t actually purchased the necessary equipment, although that’s only a conjecture. In any case, it was just awful, and you’re right, the Ziegfeld’s awesome screen undoubtedly only made it worse. Digital is a horrible technology. The hell of it was that “Ocean’s Eleven” was the sort of rather emptily glitzy film that depended more on attractive images than anything else; I love quite a few of Clooney’s films, but this isn’t one of them. I can’t believe they’re shooting a sequel. By the way, the obvious reason that Don Cheadle wasn’t billed along with the others is that his name comes before Clooney’s alphabetically.
That’s a good eye, Bway. I got a kick out of that video. It sure does capture Williamsburg’s unusual feel, there’s no two ways about that. I can’t really tell whether or not the interior of the theatre is the Commodore, since it’s been over a year since they closed it and I can’t remember exactly, but I do think it could be. The Commodore has an interesting design in the huge main theatre, and I do think that video might have been shot there, but I’m not sure. If we could’ve gotten a better look at it more of it in a shot, I imagine I could. I liked the footage of her running down Broadway beside the theatre like in Run Lola Run; I love that neighborhood. Thanks for pointing that out, Bway.
cjdv,
We certainly didn’t have to wait long for that excellent answer. I’m curious about your sources for this, since they’re obviously excellent and I’d like to be able to access this kind of information so readily myself. My hat’s off to you for solving these mysteries so immediately, cjdv. Thanks.
It’s hard to say. It almost looks like it could be an old shot of what is now the Commodore, but I can’t really tell. I wish I knew the minutia of the neighborhood well enough to be able to tell at a glance, but I’m afraid I don’t. I’m guessing, though, that the name on the sign isn’t
“Aster,” it’s “Easter,” with the “E” obscured by the edge of the elevated train, since that word would normally be spelled “Astor,” of course. It could be anything, though, since if you look at the length of the part of the sign that’s covered up, there’s plenty of room for a couple of letters, at least.
I didn’t attend this theatre during my visit to Kamloops back in ‘95, but the city is so small that I doubt you’ll have much problem finding it once you get there. The citizenry of Kamloops are predictably gracious.
I love the Film Forum’s programming. By the time I’d seen 99% of their Chaplin festival back in ‘97, I was dreaming that I was Chaplin. They ran out of film to show just in time to save my sanity. The remarks here really focused something I’d never really consciously paid that much attention to, which is that the theatres really are just small screening rooms, unfortunately. They should find a better theatre; with the backing of that foundation and the surfeit of closed theatres in New York City, that shouldn’t be too difficult to do. I’d suggest trying the Commodore Theatre in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Two huge screens with an impressive ceiling downstairs, it’s a truly magnificent theatre recently closed, and I imagine they could buy it for a song. It’s right at the JMZ subway line at Marcy Avenue, the very first stop going out of Manhattan, so it’s quite convenient to the usual clientele. It is a shame for the Film Forum’s superb screenings to be limited to such tiny screens and theatres when the situation could be fairly easily remedied, I think.
This theatre is located on Broadway at the JMZ subway stop at Marcy Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which is the first stop on that line on the way out of Manhattan. (Very convenient.)
I forgot about directions. Take the F or G train to the Bergen stop and walk over to Court Street, then proceed south a short block or two. The theatre is close by, at Court Street and Butler Street.
I saw the George Clooney version of “Ocean’s Eleven” (shot on film) projected digitally at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City and the picture quality was so abominable that I actually thought about getting up and going to a different theatre so I could see it properly. It looked like a huge projection of a VHS picture, which is basically what I guess it was. The trees in the background were an indeterminate blur and I swore I’d never see another digital projection in a theatre; predictably, that resolution didn’t last and I’ve seen several others since, the best picture being the unusual look of “28 Days Later.” It still can’t compete with film, though, and I’ll join the awful ranks of people that seldom go to theatres when film finally disappears.
This is a wonderfully comfortable neighborhood theatre with an unusual ticket pricing system. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it’s $5 a ticket until 5PM. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s $5 all day long. On Saturdays and Sundays, it’s $5 until 2PM. I saw “Fahrenheit 9/11” there last week and will see it again and “Spiderman 2” there tomorrow if I have time for both (if not, I’ll settle for an encore of “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which is the most powerful movie I’ve ever seen).
The Byrd in Richmond was magnificently restored about ten or fifteen years ago and now runs second-run movies for a dollar a ticket. Along with Hollywood Cemetery and Joe’s Inn on Shields Avenue in the Fan, it’s one of Richmond’s few treasures. Don’t miss catching a movie here if you ever happen to find yourself enduring Richmond.
One more thing: the screen downstairs is huge, just enormous, and is probably the original screen. The upstairs screen is also very large, which lends it a very modern configuration, like some of the brand-new upstairs screens I’ve seen at a new theatre in Manhattan (maybe it was Kips Bay, I can’t remember). Most importantly, the entire building has a wondrous feel and ambience, like the movie palace that it certainly is. I’d love to see it reopen.
This theatre has a great feel to it. I went there quite often and was there for its last films a couple of years ago, and I really miss the place. The downstairs theatre is huge, with an extraordinarily impressive ceiling, while the upstairs is smaller, with a screen built in front of the balcony, but it’s still pretty big. Aside from films, they also had Latin music shows with live bands in the main theatre on weekends that were extremely well-attended. The theatre did a good business and I don’t know why it closed.
Very nice theatre. I like this place a lot. I never saw it when it was a single screen, unfortunately, but it’s very charming today. Well decorated in the lobby. It’s a real asset for Richmond and its neighborhood.
Camden
Yes, I’m from a small city down south and can remember the days when black people would have to sit in the balconies of the theatres, ride in the back of the bus, and not use the water fountains unless they were clearly marked. Many of the restaurants would serve their black clientele with only food to go, through a small hinged door in the back of the place called the “dog hatch.” None of this changed until around 1965 or so. A totally different world. It’s unbelievable but true.
Camden
Makes me feel like I really missed out. And I thought triple features (wish I could find one nowadays) were fantastic. That would be the ideal derelict lifestyle: nice work if you can get it. The only real grindhouses I ever attended were the ones on 42nd Street in Times Square that showed the X-rated movies. They doubled as houses of prostitution, though, going the normal grindhouse one better, I guess.
By the way, I still dream about the old Paramount Theatre in my hometown down south, long since torn down. I’d love to be able to walk back into that place today, but now I only do it in my dreams.
Camden
Camden
Yes, and the place to sit is right in the middle, midway between the throw and the screen, of course. I think it was a sort of one-shot experiment when they ran “Ocean’s Eleven,” and the Ziegfeld hadn’t actually purchased the necessary equipment, although that’s only a conjecture. In any case, it was just awful, and you’re right, the Ziegfeld’s awesome screen undoubtedly only made it worse. Digital is a horrible technology. The hell of it was that “Ocean’s Eleven” was the sort of rather emptily glitzy film that depended more on attractive images than anything else; I love quite a few of Clooney’s films, but this isn’t one of them. I can’t believe they’re shooting a sequel. By the way, the obvious reason that Don Cheadle wasn’t billed along with the others is that his name comes before Clooney’s alphabetically.
Camden
That’s a good eye, Bway. I got a kick out of that video. It sure does capture Williamsburg’s unusual feel, there’s no two ways about that. I can’t really tell whether or not the interior of the theatre is the Commodore, since it’s been over a year since they closed it and I can’t remember exactly, but I do think it could be. The Commodore has an interesting design in the huge main theatre, and I do think that video might have been shot there, but I’m not sure. If we could’ve gotten a better look at it more of it in a shot, I imagine I could. I liked the footage of her running down Broadway beside the theatre like in Run Lola Run; I love that neighborhood. Thanks for pointing that out, Bway.
Camden
cjdv,
We certainly didn’t have to wait long for that excellent answer. I’m curious about your sources for this, since they’re obviously excellent and I’d like to be able to access this kind of information so readily myself. My hat’s off to you for solving these mysteries so immediately, cjdv. Thanks.
Cheers,
Camden
It’s hard to say. It almost looks like it could be an old shot of what is now the Commodore, but I can’t really tell. I wish I knew the minutia of the neighborhood well enough to be able to tell at a glance, but I’m afraid I don’t. I’m guessing, though, that the name on the sign isn’t
“Aster,” it’s “Easter,” with the “E” obscured by the edge of the elevated train, since that word would normally be spelled “Astor,” of course. It could be anything, though, since if you look at the length of the part of the sign that’s covered up, there’s plenty of room for a couple of letters, at least.
Camden
I didn’t attend this theatre during my visit to Kamloops back in ‘95, but the city is so small that I doubt you’ll have much problem finding it once you get there. The citizenry of Kamloops are predictably gracious.
Camden
I love the Film Forum’s programming. By the time I’d seen 99% of their Chaplin festival back in ‘97, I was dreaming that I was Chaplin. They ran out of film to show just in time to save my sanity. The remarks here really focused something I’d never really consciously paid that much attention to, which is that the theatres really are just small screening rooms, unfortunately. They should find a better theatre; with the backing of that foundation and the surfeit of closed theatres in New York City, that shouldn’t be too difficult to do. I’d suggest trying the Commodore Theatre in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Two huge screens with an impressive ceiling downstairs, it’s a truly magnificent theatre recently closed, and I imagine they could buy it for a song. It’s right at the JMZ subway line at Marcy Avenue, the very first stop going out of Manhattan, so it’s quite convenient to the usual clientele. It is a shame for the Film Forum’s superb screenings to be limited to such tiny screens and theatres when the situation could be fairly easily remedied, I think.
Camden
So THAT’S what a grindhouse theatre is. We’ve all been hearing about them from Quentin Tarantino, but I didn’t know exactly what one was. Thanks, Jay!
Camden
This theatre is located on Broadway at the JMZ subway stop at Marcy Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, which is the first stop on that line on the way out of Manhattan. (Very convenient.)
I forgot about directions. Take the F or G train to the Bergen stop and walk over to Court Street, then proceed south a short block or two. The theatre is close by, at Court Street and Butler Street.
I saw the George Clooney version of “Ocean’s Eleven” (shot on film) projected digitally at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City and the picture quality was so abominable that I actually thought about getting up and going to a different theatre so I could see it properly. It looked like a huge projection of a VHS picture, which is basically what I guess it was. The trees in the background were an indeterminate blur and I swore I’d never see another digital projection in a theatre; predictably, that resolution didn’t last and I’ve seen several others since, the best picture being the unusual look of “28 Days Later.” It still can’t compete with film, though, and I’ll join the awful ranks of people that seldom go to theatres when film finally disappears.
Camden
This is a wonderfully comfortable neighborhood theatre with an unusual ticket pricing system. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it’s $5 a ticket until 5PM. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it’s $5 all day long. On Saturdays and Sundays, it’s $5 until 2PM. I saw “Fahrenheit 9/11” there last week and will see it again and “Spiderman 2” there tomorrow if I have time for both (if not, I’ll settle for an encore of “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which is the most powerful movie I’ve ever seen).
Camden
The Byrd in Richmond was magnificently restored about ten or fifteen years ago and now runs second-run movies for a dollar a ticket. Along with Hollywood Cemetery and Joe’s Inn on Shields Avenue in the Fan, it’s one of Richmond’s few treasures. Don’t miss catching a movie here if you ever happen to find yourself enduring Richmond.
Camden
One more thing: the screen downstairs is huge, just enormous, and is probably the original screen. The upstairs screen is also very large, which lends it a very modern configuration, like some of the brand-new upstairs screens I’ve seen at a new theatre in Manhattan (maybe it was Kips Bay, I can’t remember). Most importantly, the entire building has a wondrous feel and ambience, like the movie palace that it certainly is. I’d love to see it reopen.
Camden
This theatre has a great feel to it. I went there quite often and was there for its last films a couple of years ago, and I really miss the place. The downstairs theatre is huge, with an extraordinarily impressive ceiling, while the upstairs is smaller, with a screen built in front of the balcony, but it’s still pretty big. Aside from films, they also had Latin music shows with live bands in the main theatre on weekends that were extremely well-attended. The theatre did a good business and I don’t know why it closed.
Camden