TCL Chinese Theatre

I don’t care for 3D animation movies. The Majestic Crest in Westwood converted from 2D to 3D midway through its two week run of “Alpha & Omega”. I saw both versions and 3D added very little to the experience.

I plan to go to the Chinese on Saturday to see the new Wes Craven 3D movie “My Soul to Take.” At age 64, I want to attend the Chinese for every upcoming movie as its a real trip back in time.

It was weird to sit in the Egyptian Theatre last night to see a movie I last saw in 1965 on 42nd Street in Times Square(it may have been one of those cheapy Brandt theaters). “Dr Terror’s House of Horrors” held up very well in 2010.

Something is terribly wrong! There are always hordes of locals and tourists outside the Chinese eagerly taking pictures of the footprints, but few go in to experience the well maintained gem of a theater. FYI, the $6 Manns Value Pak is a good deal(but adding the sales tax to make it $6.58 is annoying): A small soft drink, but a large lunch pail of popcorn, enough for 2-4, and a small Welch’s Gummi-Bear type snack pak.

Opening weekend for “Guardians” and the Sunday 7:30 showing only had 25 attendees. The three other times I attended since August tallied 21, 30 and 50 in the audience. How can this be?

Miraculously, the Nuart drew 250(yes 250) to yesterday’s Monday 8:30 showing of “Enter the Void.”

All it takes for the Chinese to get a new movie every week or every few weeks is some horrible August crap that ArcLight won’t touch.

I think there’s still a chance for a double-booking with WB ala TERMINATOR SALVATION. When they installed 3D at the Chinese, they must have been thinking about a big movie that would help bring a return on that investment. HARRY POTTER would be that movie. But maybe I’m overly optimistic.

Its on IMDB showtimes

4 New Movies this coming week: Lottery Ticket at Grauman’s. Piranha 3D, Vampires Suck (2 screens) and Nanny McPhee Returns at the 6. Film Fest must only be on 2 screens

I think ArcLight Hollywood just hasn’t posted times yet, Brad. (THE SWITCH was pre-selling for a couple of weeks, the rest of the bunch were just added for Sherman Oaks today.) Three screens at the Chinese 6 are already taken up for the LA Latino Film Festival this weekend, and VAMPIRES SUCK is getting two screens. This means they only have one screen + Grauman’s for new content over the weekend, which probably only means one movie. My guess: PIRANHA 3D takes both.

Mann re-did thier website and wants people to be fans of Facebook. Difficult to be a fan of Mann theatres these days. But I did become of fan of Regency theatres.

Well, looks like the Chinese is not getting the next Harry Potter film in November. I was at Arclight and they had the HP7 one sheet posted as a Coming Attraction. Even though the bookings have been weak lately, Mann was still booking the Harry Potter films at the Chinese. They have had all 6 films up now now first run.

I’m not sure the quality of films being booked here is as important as the fact that hardly any new product is being booked at all. If Grauman’s changed movies every three weeks, consistently, I think we’d be fine. Not happy, but fine.

Here’s my question: why don’t they just put some second-run stuff into the big house if they’re going to keep going like this? When they took “Iron Man 2” from the ArcLight, they continued to play “Splice” in Grauman’s for Weeks 4 and 5. I’m sure they weren’t obligated to play that relatively low-grossing film in the big house for THAT long per their contract. And I don’t think “Iron Man 2” headlining on Hollywood Blvd over two months into its release would be any more embarrassing than a box office bomb over a month into its own. I’m pretty sure those who missed the movie or those who like the Chinese in general and wouldn’t mind seeing it again would have shown up… at least in greater droves than they did for “Splice”.

Mark, I do agree with you that locals pass on the Chinese sometimes because of the tourist congestion. I’ve given neighbors a nice tongue lashing out not patronizing the Chinese enough. :–)

The Chinese 6 theatres have turned into what the Galaxy was during its last couple years, a move-over house. The only new films booked into the Chinese 6 seem to be whatever is in the Main house or something like this weeks “Standing Ovation” which is a wide release that is looking for first run screens. The Chinese 6 also gets alot of kiddie films like “Alvin & Chipmunks” that Arclight passes on.

I do wonder however if the locals prefer avoiding all the tourists at the Chinese and the Hollywood & Highland complex where the Chinese 6 is located, and if that plays into the fact that most of the desired releases being booked at the Arclight. Is there a prestige factor involved in a studio putting a film at the Arclight, where industry people seem to prefer going to the movies?

I believe Mann was owned by Westar when they filed for bankruptcy back in the late ‘90’s? Then Warner and Paramount stepped in and created an entity called WF Holdings to take over Mann. They must have spent quite a bit of money renovating the Chinese. In the forecourt they removed the boxoffice and covered walkway. Inside they upgraded the THX sound system and also put in a new screen, new screen curtains, new seats, new carpet, and enlarged the concession area by moving the projection booth back upstairs. Ever since Star Wars Episode II back in 2002, they’ve kept the booth upgraded with the best digital projection equipment.

They spent all that money spiffing the place up :) but then they don’t showcase their big budget tentpoles there anymore :(