I wonder how much the annual THX certification fee is? Is it worth it? I remember reading several years ago over at film-tech.com they were saying that most customers only cared about seeing a movie in a THX auditorium if it was a star wars movie.
I mean since the studios are always using these two theaters for premiers, there are always tech people from the studios keeping the presentation quality here in first class shape anyway.
I’ve heard that the businesses in westwood don’t like all the premieres. They usually lose money on premiere nights because they don’t get much business from the fans lining the streets, and their regular customers stay away on premiere nights, because of traffic and parking hassles during premieres.
“Good news. It looks like the month to month will be going on longer than originally anticipated. They just re-installed digital projectors."
—posted by Talionis
Talionis, you said projectors – as in more than one. Did you mean two digital projectors for the big screen in the Village, or did you mean a digital projector back in the Village, and one back in the Bruin also?
If they only have one in the Village, maybe they are still deciding whether to add another for 3D. Then they could charge a couple dollars extra per ticket, and that’s why tickets aren’t on sale yet?
the curvature of the screen at the Chinese is just enough for optimal picture quality. To maintain optimal corner to corner focus and optimal uniform brightness, the curvature is just right. Unlike a certain other movie theater whose screen curvature is so overly exaggerated that it causes geometric distortion and washed out contrast <cough> Dome <cough>.
well next week will be the 9th week for Book of Eli in Grauman’s. I liked Book of Eli, but a 9 week engagement in this day and age?
Avatar played in the Dome for 9 weeks, before moving aside for Shutter Island. But of course Avatar had a boxoffice run for the ages. I wonder if Eli will make it to 10 weeks in Grauman’s, LOL. I wonder what the last movie was that played 10 or more weeks in Grauman’s. Was it Titanic back in ‘97-'98?
if no one else is willing to commit to a multiyear lease, then I guess it makes sense for Mann to continue month to month, since April is when the blockbusters start coming out. Blockbuster season is usually April thru July or maybe August. But things are usually pretty dead at the boxoffice in September. Maybe Mann will keep going month to month thru July, then if no one has signed a lease yet the Village and Bruin will go dark.
I believe Mann still owns the Chinese don’t they? They are trying to sell it, but I think they still own it. (CIM is currently the landowner and will become owner of the theater when the 99 year land lease that Sid Grauman took out expires several years from now. Mann never owned the Village or Bruin. They always had to lease those. In order for “you know who” to get the Chinese, they would have to actually buy it from Mann, instead of merely taking over a lease like they are doing in Westwood.
they put the Chinese up for sale and are not renewing the leases on the Village and Bruin. Why start a Facebook page now? For the past couple of years they have been giving every indication they are getting out of this business. Weird.
Another weird thing. At movietickets they now list showtimes for the ‘Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Tour’.
“@ segask, the sound system would stay. my friend over there told me they were taking inventory of all the equip. especially the soundrack. plus when the national closed, all the equip stayed behind.”
—posted by Talioni
thanks for the info Talioni! It is much appreciated. :)
if Mann does leave at the end of March will they take that awesome sound system with them, or would it still be there when the independent theater company takes over?
went to see Book of Eli at the Village last night. Where the National once stood is now a chainlink fenced-off empty lot, densely covered with 3 to 4 foot high weeds. It’ll probably be that way for a while. Lots of empty retail space in westwood right now.
saw Book of Eli here last night (Saturday 1/30, 7PM). Probably less than 50 people there. On their website Mann doesn’t seem to have any premiers booked for the Village, though one is scheduled for the Bruin in March.
Mann is still doing a great job with the upkeep though. Clean and polished. No burnt out lights in the ceiling. They lowered the curtain in between the Screenvision prefeature show and the trailers. The balcony was open. That awesome sound system is still there.
Among the Coming Soon posters in the lobby was Clash of the Titans and also Hot Tub Time Machine. Both movies open March 26.
The leases run out next March right? I haven’t been there in a while. I wanted to go to the Village to hear that awesome sound system one last time. I’m Looking at Warners' release schedule through next March. ‘The Book of Eli’ opens mid January.
Well maybe Avatar could play there for one week before Sherlock Holmes opens? I remember a couple summers ago Transformers 1 played at the Village for only ten days or so before making way for Harry Potter.
its been that way for a couple years now. Maybe its just coincidence, but the bookings seems to have gone downhill after CIM became the landowner back in september ‘07.
definitely more ultimate than the Cap. Grauman’s Chinese is the most famous movie theater in the world. When those Starline Tour buses pull up, the tourists don’t flock to the Cap, they head straight for the Chinese forecourt. Most people outside of L.A. have probably never heard of the El Capitan theater, unless they are on a Disney mailing list and get those flyer/invitation thingies that Disney mails out to announce the latest big budget blockbuster VIP movie experience they have going on there.
yeah, on the Regency website you can inquire about renting the Village and Bruin:
http://regencymovies.com/rentals.php
wow! So there it is. They’re taking over the Bruin too.
I wonder how much the annual THX certification fee is? Is it worth it? I remember reading several years ago over at film-tech.com they were saying that most customers only cared about seeing a movie in a THX auditorium if it was a star wars movie.
I mean since the studios are always using these two theaters for premiers, there are always tech people from the studios keeping the presentation quality here in first class shape anyway.
I’ve heard that the businesses in westwood don’t like all the premieres. They usually lose money on premiere nights because they don’t get much business from the fans lining the streets, and their regular customers stay away on premiere nights, because of traffic and parking hassles during premieres.
“Good news. It looks like the month to month will be going on longer than originally anticipated. They just re-installed digital projectors."
—posted by Talionis
Talionis, you said projectors – as in more than one. Did you mean two digital projectors for the big screen in the Village, or did you mean a digital projector back in the Village, and one back in the Bruin also?
If they only have one in the Village, maybe they are still deciding whether to add another for 3D. Then they could charge a couple dollars extra per ticket, and that’s why tickets aren’t on sale yet?
the curvature of the screen at the Chinese is just enough for optimal picture quality. To maintain optimal corner to corner focus and optimal uniform brightness, the curvature is just right. Unlike a certain other movie theater whose screen curvature is so overly exaggerated that it causes geometric distortion and washed out contrast <cough> Dome <cough>.
well next week will be the 9th week for Book of Eli in Grauman’s. I liked Book of Eli, but a 9 week engagement in this day and age?
Avatar played in the Dome for 9 weeks, before moving aside for Shutter Island. But of course Avatar had a boxoffice run for the ages. I wonder if Eli will make it to 10 weeks in Grauman’s, LOL. I wonder what the last movie was that played 10 or more weeks in Grauman’s. Was it Titanic back in ‘97-'98?
has anyone been to the Chinese recently? In the forecourt they usually have the poster of their next attraction.
if no one else is willing to commit to a multiyear lease, then I guess it makes sense for Mann to continue month to month, since April is when the blockbusters start coming out. Blockbuster season is usually April thru July or maybe August. But things are usually pretty dead at the boxoffice in September. Maybe Mann will keep going month to month thru July, then if no one has signed a lease yet the Village and Bruin will go dark.
yep, according to movietickets.com Book of Eli will still be playing here this weekend. My god.
I believe Mann still owns the Chinese don’t they? They are trying to sell it, but I think they still own it. (CIM is currently the landowner and will become owner of the theater when the 99 year land lease that Sid Grauman took out expires several years from now. Mann never owned the Village or Bruin. They always had to lease those. In order for “you know who” to get the Chinese, they would have to actually buy it from Mann, instead of merely taking over a lease like they are doing in Westwood.
well I’m really glad to hear that the Village (and Bruin also?) will continue to be a first run house.
Does Rave have any THX certified theaters? Does anyone know if the new management of the Village will continue paying the THX certification fee?
William, thanks for all the insider info on equipment that Mann has taken/left behind when they left those other theaters.
But since the Mann chain is shrinking nowadays, do you think they would probably just leave all the good projection/sound equipment this time?
they put the Chinese up for sale and are not renewing the leases on the Village and Bruin. Why start a Facebook page now? For the past couple of years they have been giving every indication they are getting out of this business. Weird.
Another weird thing. At movietickets they now list showtimes for the ‘Grauman’s Chinese Theatre Tour’.
View link
“@ segask, the sound system would stay. my friend over there told me they were taking inventory of all the equip. especially the soundrack. plus when the national closed, all the equip stayed behind.”
—posted by Talioni
thanks for the info Talioni! It is much appreciated. :)
if Mann does leave at the end of March will they take that awesome sound system with them, or would it still be there when the independent theater company takes over?
“Were you able to talk to anyone there about closing date or if Mann will extend these leases a bit?”
—posted by BradE41
sorry, I didn’t.
Clash of The Titans has just been pushed back a week to April 2.
View link
went to see Book of Eli at the Village last night. Where the National once stood is now a chainlink fenced-off empty lot, densely covered with 3 to 4 foot high weeds. It’ll probably be that way for a while. Lots of empty retail space in westwood right now.
saw Book of Eli here last night (Saturday 1/30, 7PM). Probably less than 50 people there. On their website Mann doesn’t seem to have any premiers booked for the Village, though one is scheduled for the Bruin in March.
http://www.manntheatres.com/premieres/upcoming.php
Mann is still doing a great job with the upkeep though. Clean and polished. No burnt out lights in the ceiling. They lowered the curtain in between the Screenvision prefeature show and the trailers. The balcony was open. That awesome sound system is still there.
Among the Coming Soon posters in the lobby was Clash of the Titans and also Hot Tub Time Machine. Both movies open March 26.
boo.
bah.
You guys were right. Avatar tickets are on sale at the AVCO:
View link
oh well.
Mann’s lease runs through March?
2 weeks to go and Avatar tickets are still not on sale at Arclight Hollywood. Are we 100% sure that Avatar won’t play at Graumans?
no Avatar at The Village? :(
bah.
The leases run out next March right? I haven’t been there in a while. I wanted to go to the Village to hear that awesome sound system one last time. I’m Looking at Warners' release schedule through next March. ‘The Book of Eli’ opens mid January.
Well maybe Avatar could play there for one week before Sherlock Holmes opens? I remember a couple summers ago Transformers 1 played at the Village for only ten days or so before making way for Harry Potter.
its been that way for a couple years now. Maybe its just coincidence, but the bookings seems to have gone downhill after CIM became the landowner back in september ‘07.
definitely more ultimate than the Cap. Grauman’s Chinese is the most famous movie theater in the world. When those Starline Tour buses pull up, the tourists don’t flock to the Cap, they head straight for the Chinese forecourt. Most people outside of L.A. have probably never heard of the El Capitan theater, unless they are on a Disney mailing list and get those flyer/invitation thingies that Disney mails out to announce the latest big budget blockbuster VIP movie experience they have going on there.