1 broken curtain mechanism + 1 half blown out marquee + the cost of repair and / or replacement = Boston saying “ Uh, no, too much to fix. Leave it as it is.” Schumucks.
Deckard, the situation as I understand it is Nelson Page and company planned and booked the films well in advance, dealt with all the film companies to get the best vault prints, did advance pr for the series, had small window card posters made up for each film, and most importantly, kept a huge email list up to date. But since Nelson is no longer associated with the theatre, all this has fallen by the wayside. Neither the town, or the company currently running the theatre, have any interest or any time to build a website for the classics. The town would love the seniors to come out, but as I said before, most have no interest in newer films like this. I did see a small black and white flyer with the whole line up taped to the front door several weeks ago. Perhaps it was taken down so the window could be washed; I don’t know. I think with this dismal turn out, the future of any more classics here is seriously in doubt. Barring a major miracle, that is.
Jimmy; well, Network, Annie Hall, and especially Raging Bull is'nt really the kind of films that would pack'em in at 11:30 in the morning, now is it? The seniors don’t want to see this stuff! They want the films and the stars THEY remember when THEY were young, not this “new junk” as one person put it recently. The line up is all well and good for us young turks, but not for the seniors who are the core audience; the seniors are the only reason there are “classics” here this spring. And as you saw on Saturday, the seniors have spoken and are staying away in droves. I’m sorry for being so negative but someone seriously dropped the ball this season!
Last night was the final event of the spring season, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and it was a treat to see it again as it should be seen, in widescreen 35mm. Kudos to Nelson, Pete, and the whole theatre staff for a wonderful experience, and to Paul Scrabo for the rare props and pre-film talk. A great way to end the series! See you again next season!
My personal feeling is the series will start well, with friendly, easy to take films like West Side Story, Thomas Crown, but as the films move into the early 70’s and beyond, they will get increasingly darker, rougher and edgier. By the time Raging Bull shows, at the first splash of blood or curse, any seniors with delicate sensibilities will get up, find the manager, chew him out for showing such a profane motion picture, than leave. And if that does'nt do it, De Niros' bathroom conversation with Moriarty probably will. As for the quality of the prints, if this line-up was thrown together quickly, they probably did'nt ask about getting the cleanest prints they could. It will be a crapshoot.
The only reason there are “classics” this spring is because the town of Ramapo got many complaints fron the seniors, who get in for free anyway. The town is trying to do right by them by offering a series of “classic” films. However, the current owners took the easy way out by going to MGM and asking for 10 Oscar winning films and this is what they got. Notice that the line-up is devoid of any Warner, Columbia, Paramount or Universal films. Except for Butch Cassidy, all are handled by MGM. Why no other studio? Too much red tape, especially by Warners. This shows the line-up was thrown together in haste, to please the seniors in town, something Pete and Nelson could never be accused of. Also, 20th Century Fox does not have a good print of Butch Cassidy, so who knows what the film will look
like. Do you really thing 65+ year old ladies are going to line up to see Midnight Cowboy or Raging Bull? No way. It may be great for us film fans, but not the seniors, who is the core audience there.
This week, June 9 – 13, The Rialto will have it’s final program. They will be showing, rather appropiately, Cinema Paradiso. Bergen County will be losing it’s last single screen theatre. I don’t know if it will be sold to new owners and reopened, or gutted for retail space, or demolished. I hope it can be reopened at some point. Personally, I feel the current owners really dropped the ball by not considering a classic film program, like the Lafayette in Suffern offers. The Rialto clientele is mostly + 65 yrs old and would appreciate seeing the old classics they remember from their youth. Also, the parking situation in downtown Ridgefield Park is really tight. So, another one bites the dust. Too bad; I’ll miss it.
-update- A big congratulations and thank you must be given to the Lafayette Theatre and it’s management & staff for another memorable Horrorthon! Seeing these classics (or “classics” in Plan 9’s case) on the giant screen was indeed a treat and something to look forward to every year. The highlight of the weekend was seeing Bela Lugosi’s Dracula cape up close and in person on display on the stage. Probably half of the 300 people who attended the show came to the front of the stage for a closer look and to take pictures. The original 3-sheet for A&C meet Frankenstein on display in the lobby was'nt bad, either! It was just great to see almost all the films draw a big and enthusiastic crowd! Keep up the good work, guys!
Justin, I have'nt been to the Paramus theatre yet, but I will soon. I was at Ridgefield Park 2 weeks ago, and the theatre is slowly sliding downhill, sad to say. The upstairs consession stand is no longer in use and has a coat of dust on it; the coffee bar downstairs has been abandoned for more than a year and is now being used for storage with everything just laying around it for all to see. The film I saw started late, with no pre-show ads or music – just silence. The print of the movie had a green scratch through most of 1 reel. The parking lot and covered parking was less than ¼ full. All in all, a sad state of affairs for this theatre. Paramus must be loving it.
Fred, yes I’ve been noticing the smaller art house films have been showing at Tenafly instead of here. Too bad, since Tenafly used to be nice before it was chopped up. I really hate the way it is now, and just won’t go there unless they show something really worth while. I would rather patronize Ridgefield Park or Teaneck first.
Quick update – I recently went to a showing of “You Kill Me” here, and the 3 theatres are just about the same as before, except for new seats in all 3. They are more plush, with padded armrests, but sitting there looking up at the screen feels like you are sitting in a pit. The boxoffice/candy stand is now one long counter. The second pair of inner doors have been removed and the ticket takers post put in it’s place. The ticket prices are still on the high side; $6.50 for a matinee, $9.75 for evening prime time shows. I guess it would be worth it to see something not playing anywhere else here.
Justin, you’re probably right. Whatever equipment is useable will be spread out among the other AMC theatres that need them; snackbar equipment, candy counters, projection equipment, you name it.
Face it, folks. It was nice while it lasted, but this theatre is d o n e.
Has anyone tried to get into the parking lot from the back roads? Don’t bother. All access roads will be blocked on Sundays. The only way in or out on Sundays will be either Routes 4 or 17. You can thank the town of Paramus and it’s blue laws for that.
Quick update – the theatre will be open this Friday in time for Pirates of the Carribean. Looks like the theatre is having a minor renovation with a new boxoffice/candy stand, and some ceiling tiles being replaced. Nothing drastic.
I have'nt been to this theatre in at least 10 years, but I might go one last time, to look around. I was just remembering the lobby in the original part of the theatre; I recall seeing 2 of the biggest standees I’ve ever seen were on display during these films original runs; one was Star Trek TMP; the standee was probably 15 or 20 feet tall. The other was for the remake of Mighty Joe Young; that was from the top of the escalator to the floor. Gigantic!
<sigh> As of Sunday, May 6, the triplex is now just a heap of bricks and rubble. The parking lot has also been completely torn up and will be either repaved or built on. The area is completely fenced off, so no chance to get a memento from the place.
Century Paramus Theatre 1965-2006 R.I.P.
Tommy, before it was twinned in 1971, it had 2000 seats in it, balcony included. Now it just sits there, waiting to be razed. It’s all very depressing.
I haven’t heard what will be going in there, but I would venture a guess that the only thing going there will eventually be a wrecking ball. Aside from the theatre, the 3 connected stores are a joke; the last time I saw them open for business was 10 years ago, at least.
There’s no doubt that the theatre will be a huge success. But the down side may be other smaller theatres closing because of no business, due to the 16 plex. The other thing I personally don’t care for is no access from the side streets on Sunday. Traffic on both 17 and 4 will go way, way up on Sunday.
True – I’m still in a state of denial over the triplex coming down soon. I thought I heard that a parking garage may go up where the triplex stands now.
Fuddruckers will probably take a hit when the 10 plex closes, since there will be less foot traffic, especially on Saturday nights. Not sure about the other surrounding businesses, though. I can guarantee you one thing, when the 16 plex opens, any memory of easy parking in the GSP parking lot, especially past the Best Buy store, will be long gone. Parking will be horrific!
For me, trailers are one of the best parts of the show. Like Laura Ann said, some have caused me to spend money to see the film, others have put up a red flag to avoid them. One of the funniest trailers I have seen lately was for Blood and Chocolate. A semi decent looking horror film about werewolves, but when the title came up, the audience laughed at it. What the hell is that title supposed to mean? My main gripe about trailers today is a lot of them all look the same. Quick 2 second shots from the film, a pounding soundtrack, and the end credits that go by so fast you can’t read them. Gotta slow things down a bit, guys.
TommyR – any idea when exactly the wrecking ball plans to drop on it?
Justin – I know before Route 4 became 10 screens, it was the largest screen in Paramus. It played Star Wars, Empire, & Jedi in 70mm and the screen was huge! After it was carved up, I don’t know. I would say it’s a draw between one of the screens on Route 4 and the triplex’s upstairs screen. As for any mementos from Route 17, most likely anything of any use like projection equipment, poster frames, etc. has been removed. Maybe try to get one of the white bricks it’s constructed from?
1 broken curtain mechanism + 1 half blown out marquee + the cost of repair and / or replacement = Boston saying “ Uh, no, too much to fix. Leave it as it is.” Schumucks.
Deckard, the situation as I understand it is Nelson Page and company planned and booked the films well in advance, dealt with all the film companies to get the best vault prints, did advance pr for the series, had small window card posters made up for each film, and most importantly, kept a huge email list up to date. But since Nelson is no longer associated with the theatre, all this has fallen by the wayside. Neither the town, or the company currently running the theatre, have any interest or any time to build a website for the classics. The town would love the seniors to come out, but as I said before, most have no interest in newer films like this. I did see a small black and white flyer with the whole line up taped to the front door several weeks ago. Perhaps it was taken down so the window could be washed; I don’t know. I think with this dismal turn out, the future of any more classics here is seriously in doubt. Barring a major miracle, that is.
Deckard, check the above posts from Feb. 13 onward for more info about the current situation.
Jimmy; well, Network, Annie Hall, and especially Raging Bull is'nt really the kind of films that would pack'em in at 11:30 in the morning, now is it? The seniors don’t want to see this stuff! They want the films and the stars THEY remember when THEY were young, not this “new junk” as one person put it recently. The line up is all well and good for us young turks, but not for the seniors who are the core audience; the seniors are the only reason there are “classics” here this spring. And as you saw on Saturday, the seniors have spoken and are staying away in droves. I’m sorry for being so negative but someone seriously dropped the ball this season!
Last night was the final event of the spring season, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and it was a treat to see it again as it should be seen, in widescreen 35mm. Kudos to Nelson, Pete, and the whole theatre staff for a wonderful experience, and to Paul Scrabo for the rare props and pre-film talk. A great way to end the series! See you again next season!
My personal feeling is the series will start well, with friendly, easy to take films like West Side Story, Thomas Crown, but as the films move into the early 70’s and beyond, they will get increasingly darker, rougher and edgier. By the time Raging Bull shows, at the first splash of blood or curse, any seniors with delicate sensibilities will get up, find the manager, chew him out for showing such a profane motion picture, than leave. And if that does'nt do it, De Niros' bathroom conversation with Moriarty probably will. As for the quality of the prints, if this line-up was thrown together quickly, they probably did'nt ask about getting the cleanest prints they could. It will be a crapshoot.
The only reason there are “classics” this spring is because the town of Ramapo got many complaints fron the seniors, who get in for free anyway. The town is trying to do right by them by offering a series of “classic” films. However, the current owners took the easy way out by going to MGM and asking for 10 Oscar winning films and this is what they got. Notice that the line-up is devoid of any Warner, Columbia, Paramount or Universal films. Except for Butch Cassidy, all are handled by MGM. Why no other studio? Too much red tape, especially by Warners. This shows the line-up was thrown together in haste, to please the seniors in town, something Pete and Nelson could never be accused of. Also, 20th Century Fox does not have a good print of Butch Cassidy, so who knows what the film will look
like. Do you really thing 65+ year old ladies are going to line up to see Midnight Cowboy or Raging Bull? No way. It may be great for us film fans, but not the seniors, who is the core audience there.
This week, June 9 – 13, The Rialto will have it’s final program. They will be showing, rather appropiately, Cinema Paradiso. Bergen County will be losing it’s last single screen theatre. I don’t know if it will be sold to new owners and reopened, or gutted for retail space, or demolished. I hope it can be reopened at some point. Personally, I feel the current owners really dropped the ball by not considering a classic film program, like the Lafayette in Suffern offers. The Rialto clientele is mostly + 65 yrs old and would appreciate seeing the old classics they remember from their youth. Also, the parking situation in downtown Ridgefield Park is really tight. So, another one bites the dust. Too bad; I’ll miss it.
-update- A big congratulations and thank you must be given to the Lafayette Theatre and it’s management & staff for another memorable Horrorthon! Seeing these classics (or “classics” in Plan 9’s case) on the giant screen was indeed a treat and something to look forward to every year. The highlight of the weekend was seeing Bela Lugosi’s Dracula cape up close and in person on display on the stage. Probably half of the 300 people who attended the show came to the front of the stage for a closer look and to take pictures. The original 3-sheet for A&C meet Frankenstein on display in the lobby was'nt bad, either! It was just great to see almost all the films draw a big and enthusiastic crowd! Keep up the good work, guys!
Justin, I have'nt been to the Paramus theatre yet, but I will soon. I was at Ridgefield Park 2 weeks ago, and the theatre is slowly sliding downhill, sad to say. The upstairs consession stand is no longer in use and has a coat of dust on it; the coffee bar downstairs has been abandoned for more than a year and is now being used for storage with everything just laying around it for all to see. The film I saw started late, with no pre-show ads or music – just silence. The print of the movie had a green scratch through most of 1 reel. The parking lot and covered parking was less than ¼ full. All in all, a sad state of affairs for this theatre. Paramus must be loving it.
Fred, yes I’ve been noticing the smaller art house films have been showing at Tenafly instead of here. Too bad, since Tenafly used to be nice before it was chopped up. I really hate the way it is now, and just won’t go there unless they show something really worth while. I would rather patronize Ridgefield Park or Teaneck first.
Quick update – I recently went to a showing of “You Kill Me” here, and the 3 theatres are just about the same as before, except for new seats in all 3. They are more plush, with padded armrests, but sitting there looking up at the screen feels like you are sitting in a pit. The boxoffice/candy stand is now one long counter. The second pair of inner doors have been removed and the ticket takers post put in it’s place. The ticket prices are still on the high side; $6.50 for a matinee, $9.75 for evening prime time shows. I guess it would be worth it to see something not playing anywhere else here.
Justin, you’re probably right. Whatever equipment is useable will be spread out among the other AMC theatres that need them; snackbar equipment, candy counters, projection equipment, you name it.
Face it, folks. It was nice while it lasted, but this theatre is d o n e.
Has anyone tried to get into the parking lot from the back roads? Don’t bother. All access roads will be blocked on Sundays. The only way in or out on Sundays will be either Routes 4 or 17. You can thank the town of Paramus and it’s blue laws for that.
Quick update – the theatre will be open this Friday in time for Pirates of the Carribean. Looks like the theatre is having a minor renovation with a new boxoffice/candy stand, and some ceiling tiles being replaced. Nothing drastic.
No idea. Any clue as to what’s being done to it?
I have'nt been to this theatre in at least 10 years, but I might go one last time, to look around. I was just remembering the lobby in the original part of the theatre; I recall seeing 2 of the biggest standees I’ve ever seen were on display during these films original runs; one was Star Trek TMP; the standee was probably 15 or 20 feet tall. The other was for the remake of Mighty Joe Young; that was from the top of the escalator to the floor. Gigantic!
<sigh> As of Sunday, May 6, the triplex is now just a heap of bricks and rubble. The parking lot has also been completely torn up and will be either repaved or built on. The area is completely fenced off, so no chance to get a memento from the place.
Century Paramus Theatre 1965-2006 R.I.P.
Tommy, before it was twinned in 1971, it had 2000 seats in it, balcony included. Now it just sits there, waiting to be razed. It’s all very depressing.
I haven’t heard what will be going in there, but I would venture a guess that the only thing going there will eventually be a wrecking ball. Aside from the theatre, the 3 connected stores are a joke; the last time I saw them open for business was 10 years ago, at least.
There’s no doubt that the theatre will be a huge success. But the down side may be other smaller theatres closing because of no business, due to the 16 plex. The other thing I personally don’t care for is no access from the side streets on Sunday. Traffic on both 17 and 4 will go way, way up on Sunday.
True – I’m still in a state of denial over the triplex coming down soon. I thought I heard that a parking garage may go up where the triplex stands now.
Fuddruckers will probably take a hit when the 10 plex closes, since there will be less foot traffic, especially on Saturday nights. Not sure about the other surrounding businesses, though. I can guarantee you one thing, when the 16 plex opens, any memory of easy parking in the GSP parking lot, especially past the Best Buy store, will be long gone. Parking will be horrific!
For me, trailers are one of the best parts of the show. Like Laura Ann said, some have caused me to spend money to see the film, others have put up a red flag to avoid them. One of the funniest trailers I have seen lately was for Blood and Chocolate. A semi decent looking horror film about werewolves, but when the title came up, the audience laughed at it. What the hell is that title supposed to mean? My main gripe about trailers today is a lot of them all look the same. Quick 2 second shots from the film, a pounding soundtrack, and the end credits that go by so fast you can’t read them. Gotta slow things down a bit, guys.
TommyR – any idea when exactly the wrecking ball plans to drop on it?
Justin – I know before Route 4 became 10 screens, it was the largest screen in Paramus. It played Star Wars, Empire, & Jedi in 70mm and the screen was huge! After it was carved up, I don’t know. I would say it’s a draw between one of the screens on Route 4 and the triplex’s upstairs screen. As for any mementos from Route 17, most likely anything of any use like projection equipment, poster frames, etc. has been removed. Maybe try to get one of the white bricks it’s constructed from?