No offense taken. Hey, I’d be upset too if I was in your shoes right now! My car was unfairly towed too once, so I know!
You might want to call the City of Chicago on their “311” number. Also check the city’s official website for consumer affairs. I would also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, etc.
I’ll not doubt that Rooding faces challanges as a small operator of movie theatres. But if the Johnsons, who head up Classic Cinemas can do it, why can’t Rooding? He’s actually got some potentially good sites.
Read my comments above. You’ll know that I definitely do not work for Village Entertainment. I think that they are the WORST theatre company around. I was just sayin' that you may not have any legal recourse against them!
My husband and I used to go to the Village Art a lot because the prices were cheap. We never had any quibbles with the employees that worked there, so I didn’t know about patrons being assaulted. We went to the L-V right after they took over from AMC-Loews, so while it was a masoleum, it still didn’t appear to be in bad shape. My brother and I went to the Village North over the summer and the employees there seemed to be a bunch of stoners. It wasn’t pleasant but it wasn’t horrible either. But I won’t go back there.
I’ll admit that I didn’t know how bad things were at the LV. The thing is, IT COULD BE A GREAT THEATRE. It’s certainly distinct. It’s got a great location with no real competition for miles around.
Read the retort that Village Entertainment gave my friend Paul F. on the Village Art’s page and you’ll see more! Believe me, because of the comments I’ve made above about Village Entertainment, my name is probably persona non grata around there (DiM is the start of my last name). Same for Paul F, so if we ever tried to use our credit cards there, no doubt we’d be shown the door. But I wouldn’t give that outfit anything but cash if I did go.
So, you see GS, I don’t work for Village and I wish that Classic Cinemas or someone else reputable would take this place over and renovate it. I’m saying you might have an uphill battle ahead of you and I certainly wish you the best with it!
I found out that the towing company has every right to collect on that towing charge. Please make good on that credit card. You’ll be out $125.00, but you will save yourself a possilbe whole lotta legal troubles and legal fees. I think that you are going to have to just take the loss on this one. Easier said than done, I know, but I’ve been there too. My car was (I thought) unjustly towed one time, but the towing company was doing as they were told by the owner of the lot. I simply paid them and took it up with the owner of the lot. I lost.
Unfortunately there seems to be little you can do about this situation. You see, I don’t believe that Village Entertainment is responsible for what happened to your car. Village can always say that no one forced you to see the movie that night. They can rightfully say that what you do with your car is your own business and that they are not responisible.
Furthermore, I believe that you can be a whole lotta trouble for denying your own credit card to the towing company. The towing company was after all contracted by the owner of the lot you parked in to remove unauthorized vehicles. Believe you me, they want to be paid for their efforts. Ever hear the song LINCOLN PARK PIRATES from Steve Goodman? “Hey, hey tow them away/The Lincoln Park Pirates are coming your way.” This city is known for towing! I really think you are going to have to make good on your credit card charge to the towing company and I think you haven’t much recourse with the theatre company either.
Whoops, I didn’t know about the Fox Lake. I guess I have more to learn.
Please understand that I would really rather see Village Entertainment succeed because I think that most of the theatres could have remained viable. Okay, so maybe the property owners of the Biograph and the Water Tower received good $$ to turn them into playhouses (and I’m glad that they remained entertainment venues).
But the company doesn’t seem to invest $$ in its properties, yet always finds ways to take over other cinemas.
Is it the plan for this company to take over a theatre, run it awhile and move on to the next one? Sort of taking the path of least resistance?
The owners of the LaGrange could take a lesson from the Portage. The Portage, it seems to me, was in far worse shape during the period it was closed compared to the LaGrange (which remains open). Was public money used in the renovation of the Portage? And who owns this theatre? Someone told me that it was run as a non-profit but couldn’t verify this.
I’ve only been on this site a year or so, and I’ve learned so much about Chicagoland cinemas. I did a poll earlier this year on Village Entertainment vs. Classic Cinemas and the results were most enlightening. Think about it. Niether chain has ever had a new cinema built for it—both have taken over cinemas from other chains. Yet CC manages to make successes out of most of its cinemas, whereas VE seems to run theirs into the ground. Both face the same problems vs the big chains, yet CC somehow manages to obtain good movies and run good theatres.
VE has closed cinemas like the Burnham, the Water Tower, the Biograph, all of which, given proper management, could have succeeded. If you believe Truth Revealed’s posts above, you’d almost believe that VE was a front for other business dealings I’m not making any assumptions about the latter here without substantial proof, but doesn’t it seem plausible considering the chain’s track record?
My good friend and fellow CT'er Paul F told me about this theatre and so I went with my husband to see it. We saw SHREK THE THIRD here. I like this place. No, it’s not the most modern, up-to-date place. But the employees are nice and the service is friendly. We “triple-dated” this past weekend: Me and my husband, Paul F. and his fiancee, and my husband’s sister and her boyfriend. We saw 3:10 TO YUMA. We had dinner down the street from there.
This place certainly is certainly popular with the locals. That is not the problem. It does need a lot of work. It is old. Yes, it is subdivided, but it still has a certain charm. I wouldn’t even mind if they kept it a four-screener. But, LaGrange has become “Yuppie.” And belive me, “Yuppies” are a race of people who have no care for esthetics and can’t see the intrisic value of having a nice, inexpensive theatre.
The value of the theatre is that it adds a touch of culture (something else Yuppies are antipathetic about) and individuality (ditto) to the area. Plus it can add $$ value to Downtown LaGrange. Hell, six of us made a trip from the City on the Metra, spent $$ in a local restaurant for dinner, and $$ in the theatre.
My good friend and fellow CT'er Paul F told me about this theatre and so I went with my husband to see it. We saw SHREK THE THIRD here. I like this place. No, it’s not the most modern, up-to-date place. But the employees are nice and the service is friendly. We “triple-dated” this past weekend: Me and my husband, Paul F. and his fiancee, and my husband’s sister and her boyfriend. We saw 3:10 TO YUMA. We had dinner down the street from there.
This place certainly is certainly popular with the locals. That is not the problem. It does need a lot of work. It is old. Yes, it is subdivided, but it still has a certain charm. I wouldn’t even mind if they kept it a four-screener. But as the poster above says, LaGrange has become “Yuppie.” And belive me, “Yuppies” are a race of people who have no care for esthetics and can’t see the intrisic value of having a nice, inexpensive theatre.
Well, they finally updated their website. Braaaaaa-vo to Village Entertainment for not letting people know which movies were playing at their theatres for the past 6 weeks!
(Must be those stealth movies I’ve heard so much about)!
Village Theatre’s website shows only THE BEE MOVIE playing here. Could it be the end of the road for the Bloomingdale Court (or for that matter, Village Entertainment)?
I was here on Sunday with my girlfriends. You’re right, the changes were more subtle than anything groundbreaking. I like the new seats and the cup holders. The entrance to the ladies' room is no longer on either side of the concession stand (which led to confusion). The ladies' room is much-improved too. The staff seems to be excited about working in this renovated cinema.
I appreciate Keresotas' investment in this theatre and I think it will be around for many years.
“Helene Curtis was also off the Kostner/Grand/North intersection and had an explosion in 1963. I was in school and recall hearing it.”
I think that Cook Brothers, a discount store, moved to that site too! They used to be at Ashland and Lake. The site is visible from the Metra Milwaukee West Line.
My friend Paul is right! Get out there and support an independent second-run theatre such as this! Even though my husband and I don’t live near LaGrange, we’ve been out here a few times. It is a fun theatre to go to. Management acts like they appreciate your business. Plus there are many good dining options in Downtown LaGrange.
I remember all the hoopla when this place opened in 1997 or so. The partners in Inner City Entertainment made all this hoopty-doo about how they were bringing movies back to the inner-city areas.
GS,
No offense taken. Hey, I’d be upset too if I was in your shoes right now! My car was unfairly towed too once, so I know!
You might want to call the City of Chicago on their “311” number. Also check the city’s official website for consumer affairs. I would also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, etc.
I’ll not doubt that Rooding faces challanges as a small operator of movie theatres. But if the Johnsons, who head up Classic Cinemas can do it, why can’t Rooding? He’s actually got some potentially good sites.
GS,
Read my comments above. You’ll know that I definitely do not work for Village Entertainment. I think that they are the WORST theatre company around. I was just sayin' that you may not have any legal recourse against them!
My husband and I used to go to the Village Art a lot because the prices were cheap. We never had any quibbles with the employees that worked there, so I didn’t know about patrons being assaulted. We went to the L-V right after they took over from AMC-Loews, so while it was a masoleum, it still didn’t appear to be in bad shape. My brother and I went to the Village North over the summer and the employees there seemed to be a bunch of stoners. It wasn’t pleasant but it wasn’t horrible either. But I won’t go back there.
I’ll admit that I didn’t know how bad things were at the LV. The thing is, IT COULD BE A GREAT THEATRE. It’s certainly distinct. It’s got a great location with no real competition for miles around.
Read the retort that Village Entertainment gave my friend Paul F. on the Village Art’s page and you’ll see more! Believe me, because of the comments I’ve made above about Village Entertainment, my name is probably persona non grata around there (DiM is the start of my last name). Same for Paul F, so if we ever tried to use our credit cards there, no doubt we’d be shown the door. But I wouldn’t give that outfit anything but cash if I did go.
So, you see GS, I don’t work for Village and I wish that Classic Cinemas or someone else reputable would take this place over and renovate it. I’m saying you might have an uphill battle ahead of you and I certainly wish you the best with it!
GS,
I found out that the towing company has every right to collect on that towing charge. Please make good on that credit card. You’ll be out $125.00, but you will save yourself a possilbe whole lotta legal troubles and legal fees. I think that you are going to have to just take the loss on this one. Easier said than done, I know, but I’ve been there too. My car was (I thought) unjustly towed one time, but the towing company was doing as they were told by the owner of the lot. I simply paid them and took it up with the owner of the lot. I lost.
Oh, boy GS!
Unfortunately there seems to be little you can do about this situation. You see, I don’t believe that Village Entertainment is responsible for what happened to your car. Village can always say that no one forced you to see the movie that night. They can rightfully say that what you do with your car is your own business and that they are not responisible.
Furthermore, I believe that you can be a whole lotta trouble for denying your own credit card to the towing company. The towing company was after all contracted by the owner of the lot you parked in to remove unauthorized vehicles. Believe you me, they want to be paid for their efforts. Ever hear the song LINCOLN PARK PIRATES from Steve Goodman? “Hey, hey tow them away/The Lincoln Park Pirates are coming your way.” This city is known for towing! I really think you are going to have to make good on your credit card charge to the towing company and I think you haven’t much recourse with the theatre company either.
Whoops, I didn’t know about the Fox Lake. I guess I have more to learn.
Please understand that I would really rather see Village Entertainment succeed because I think that most of the theatres could have remained viable. Okay, so maybe the property owners of the Biograph and the Water Tower received good $$ to turn them into playhouses (and I’m glad that they remained entertainment venues).
But the company doesn’t seem to invest $$ in its properties, yet always finds ways to take over other cinemas.
Is it the plan for this company to take over a theatre, run it awhile and move on to the next one? Sort of taking the path of least resistance?
The owners of the LaGrange could take a lesson from the Portage. The Portage, it seems to me, was in far worse shape during the period it was closed compared to the LaGrange (which remains open). Was public money used in the renovation of the Portage? And who owns this theatre? Someone told me that it was run as a non-profit but couldn’t verify this.
Wasn’t private money used to re-open the Portage in Chicago?
I forgot about the Casino. But if I’m not mistaken, it lasted less than 10 years.
LTS,
I’ve only been on this site a year or so, and I’ve learned so much about Chicagoland cinemas. I did a poll earlier this year on Village Entertainment vs. Classic Cinemas and the results were most enlightening. Think about it. Niether chain has ever had a new cinema built for it—both have taken over cinemas from other chains. Yet CC manages to make successes out of most of its cinemas, whereas VE seems to run theirs into the ground. Both face the same problems vs the big chains, yet CC somehow manages to obtain good movies and run good theatres.
VE has closed cinemas like the Burnham, the Water Tower, the Biograph, all of which, given proper management, could have succeeded. If you believe Truth Revealed’s posts above, you’d almost believe that VE was a front for other business dealings I’m not making any assumptions about the latter here without substantial proof, but doesn’t it seem plausible considering the chain’s track record?
My good friend and fellow CT'er Paul F told me about this theatre and so I went with my husband to see it. We saw SHREK THE THIRD here. I like this place. No, it’s not the most modern, up-to-date place. But the employees are nice and the service is friendly. We “triple-dated” this past weekend: Me and my husband, Paul F. and his fiancee, and my husband’s sister and her boyfriend. We saw 3:10 TO YUMA. We had dinner down the street from there.
This place certainly is certainly popular with the locals. That is not the problem. It does need a lot of work. It is old. Yes, it is subdivided, but it still has a certain charm. I wouldn’t even mind if they kept it a four-screener. But, LaGrange has become “Yuppie.” And belive me, “Yuppies” are a race of people who have no care for esthetics and can’t see the intrisic value of having a nice, inexpensive theatre.
The value of the theatre is that it adds a touch of culture (something else Yuppies are antipathetic about) and individuality (ditto) to the area. Plus it can add $$ value to Downtown LaGrange. Hell, six of us made a trip from the City on the Metra, spent $$ in a local restaurant for dinner, and $$ in the theatre.
My good friend and fellow CT'er Paul F told me about this theatre and so I went with my husband to see it. We saw SHREK THE THIRD here. I like this place. No, it’s not the most modern, up-to-date place. But the employees are nice and the service is friendly. We “triple-dated” this past weekend: Me and my husband, Paul F. and his fiancee, and my husband’s sister and her boyfriend. We saw 3:10 TO YUMA. We had dinner down the street from there.
This place certainly is certainly popular with the locals. That is not the problem. It does need a lot of work. It is old. Yes, it is subdivided, but it still has a certain charm. I wouldn’t even mind if they kept it a four-screener. But as the poster above says, LaGrange has become “Yuppie.” And belive me, “Yuppies” are a race of people who have no care for esthetics and can’t see the intrisic value of having a nice, inexpensive theatre.
Tick, tick, tick…that’s time running out for Village Theatres!
Tick, tick, tick…that’s time running out for Village Theatres!
Tick, tick, tick…that’s time running out for Village Theatres!
Truth Revealed,
Woah!
That’s why I’d like to see someone do an expose on this company!
Well, they finally updated their website. Braaaaaa-vo to Village Entertainment for not letting people know which movies were playing at their theatres for the past 6 weeks!
(Must be those stealth movies I’ve heard so much about)!
They finally updated their website after 6 weeks!
Village Theatre’s website shows only THE BEE MOVIE playing here. Could it be the end of the road for the Bloomingdale Court (or for that matter, Village Entertainment)?
A poster on the Lincoln Village page says that this theatre is “temporarily closed.” Can someone please elaborate?
Someone should do an expose on Village Entertainment. It would be fascinating to find out about this company.
Paul F.
I was here on Sunday with my girlfriends. You’re right, the changes were more subtle than anything groundbreaking. I like the new seats and the cup holders. The entrance to the ladies' room is no longer on either side of the concession stand (which led to confusion). The ladies' room is much-improved too. The staff seems to be excited about working in this renovated cinema.
I appreciate Keresotas' investment in this theatre and I think it will be around for many years.
“Helene Curtis was also off the Kostner/Grand/North intersection and had an explosion in 1963. I was in school and recall hearing it.”
I think that Cook Brothers, a discount store, moved to that site too! They used to be at Ashland and Lake. The site is visible from the Metra Milwaukee West Line.
The status of this theatre should be changed to “Open/Renovating”.
My friend Paul is right! Get out there and support an independent second-run theatre such as this! Even though my husband and I don’t live near LaGrange, we’ve been out here a few times. It is a fun theatre to go to. Management acts like they appreciate your business. Plus there are many good dining options in Downtown LaGrange.
I remember all the hoopla when this place opened in 1997 or so. The partners in Inner City Entertainment made all this hoopty-doo about how they were bringing movies back to the inner-city areas.
What went wrong?