Loew's Jersey Theatre
54 Journal Square,
Jersey City,
NJ
07306
54 Journal Square,
Jersey City,
NJ
07306
98 people
favorited this theater
Showing 1,051 - 1,075 of 1,509 comments
There’s a Rite Aid around the corner on Kennedy Blvd. near Tonnele Ave. And with Boulevard Drinks, the White Castle and the V.I.P. Diner all a short walk away, I’m completely satisfied. Of course that’s only one man’s opinion – I know plenty of people who would never set foot in a White Castle.
As somebody who regularly makes the trek from NYC to attend Loew’s J.C. screenings I think downtown J.C. could use a Starbucks or a Rite Aid or anything that would bring some life to the area. It is pretty rundown. That downtown area could use some redevelopment. There are plenty of seedy buildings and land right around the cinema that could be used for buildings. Leave the theatre alone, but that area needs a fresh infusion of capital.
Jim again you are dead on right. I only wish the Jersey reporters and papers would chronicle the greed and destructiveness of our developers but then they are in their pockets through the advertisers(see the New York Times for example.)
Sad to say, the only thing that will save the JERSEY from the greed of developers is money — BIG MONEY! You must always cultivate a Friend on the city council who will keep his ear to the ground and advise you as to which politician is getting how much money under the table, then you must discretely approach him vote in your favor. If he is getting a hundred thousand for his “progressive” vote, you must come up with $250.000 for his “more progressive” vote; if he is getting a million, you must present him $250 million, plus swear to turn all your volunteers into his campaign volunteers next voting year. To do anything less than this is simply naieve as to how politics works, and quite futile. Once Big Money wants a site, consider that site SOLD unless you can out bid that money. This is a fact of life in America today, and I have only pity for those unable to see that reality. Remember that there is really no such thing as morals in politics, which is defined as the acqusition of power through money. If you can’t furnish lots of money to a politician, then he will see you and your cause as part of the problem and not the solution (to HIS problem which is always Money). Now if you can ASSUREDLY get overwhelming numbers of voters lined up against him, that may get him to favor your cause even if you don’t have Big Money, unless he is a ‘Lame Duck’ in which case his attitude wll be: “The public (voters) be damned!” In such cases, only Lots of Money will help you with him. You respond to this by saying: ‘But bribery is illegal.’ Then I say as the French do: ‘It is to laugh.’
By all means, photograph more of the JERSEY, and arrange now to salvage artifacts, but don’t break your heart by trying to resist BIG MONEY; it is the ultimate ruler everywhere in our society in this nation, and in most all others. The wonderful JERSEY is but another ‘pebble’ in the on-rushing ocean of Big Money.
Bob Furmanek… OK. I
m calm now. I DO plan on attending the Jersey on Saturday for "The Misfits" and also for whatever new programming is scheduled for the next few months.I DO NOT know how these rumors get started, but the story above the scheduled features {posted on the Jerseys official wed site} kind of raised a red flag.Is the Jersey to go the way of so many other movie palsces? This MUST NOT happen. Let the greedy momey grubbing developers look elsewhere. I am ready to do my part even if it requires some good old fashioned 60s style sit ins or demonstrations. Does Journal SQ really need to be redevoloped? Who needs {or wants} another sterile urban mall with a “Target”, a “Gap”, an “Old Navy” a “Rite Aid” drug store or another{of course} “Starbucks Coffee”.The “blandification” of way too many urban areas is leaving a bad taste in too many peoples mouth.Maybe the Jersey will come out of this OK- we can all pray, but this website is The place to rally the “troops” to the Jersey
s defence. I personally do not want to see "closed", "demolished" or "retail" whenever I search theaters for the Jersey.Some of my best moviegoing has taken place at this theater over the last year. It never fails to impress me no matter how many times I go. The people I have met there seem loke I have known them for a long time and the general feeling of friendliness and enthusiasm of the people who staff it and volunteer is something that you never will experience at any multiplex. The closing or demolition of this theater will be like ripping the heart out of Journal Sq. Lets not let this one close! We have the power to save it, so let`s use it.I would think that they would not want to demolish it but after seeing the work that FOL has done they are seeing the potential of the Loew’s.
For a time the Jersey politicos have been trying to get their greedy little hands on the place.
FOL in addition to working like dogs to bring the theater back into workable condition have the grief on continually watching their backs.
I would say the developers are anxious to get some kind of mixed retail and housing on the spot where the Jersey is. Jersey City is HOT, HOT, HOT right now. That location is GOLDEN. You’re situatied between Newark (believe it or not, a luke warm/cool area getting warmer every friggin' year) and NYC which, as everyone knows is sizzling. For commuters, that site would be fantastic.
No landmark preservation in NJ, huh?
It might very well be that what they are doing is not only immoral it is illegal. But New Jersey executives (I mean, politicians) have never allowed immorality or malfeasance to hinder a comfortable cushioning of the their pockets.
After all it is easier to cheat a citizen than a customer.
I also got the email with the above information. I have to say, not surprised in the least. Judging by the rate that the landscape of New York City is being bulldozed for a more generic future, it’s not news to me that there is now an issue with the Loews Jersey’s future. I’m sure there is some fat-cat developer out there salivating at the prospect of tearing it down and putting a more ‘modern-in demand retail outlet’ of some sort under the guise of furthering the economy and well being of Jersey City. Let’s face it, when you get off the PATH train the Loews Jersey is right there in front of you. Can you imagine what goes through the minds of developers when they look at that location? Target, Whole Foods, Virgin Megastore, you name it. They probably would love to install one or all of those stores in that space. To developers and corporations ‘history’ is for the history books, consumption is NOW. Nevermind production, something that is also becoming scarce in this country, it’s all about feeding your face and liking it. Not to go off on a tangent here, but this concept of malls in urban areas is relatively new, and for my money totally wierd. Malls don’t belong in cities. Has anybody seen the Atlantic Avenue Mall in Brooklyn with the Target and Chuck E. Cheese? In a word….DEPRESSING! Anyway, before I further become the forecaster of gloom and doom, I for one hope that the Loews Jersey is left alone! Just let it be! Now, if the worst case scenario does happen, I will be glad that I got to spend some time in there and appreciate it that space the way it was meant to be.
It looks like the soap opera continues between the politicians & the folks running the theatre. This was in my e-mail in-box this a.m.:
But first, an important message to supporters and patrons of Friends
of the Loew’s:
Recently, the City has taken the position that the lease which was
executed between it and Friends of the Loew’s on October 15, 2004, is
not valid, that the ordinance which approved the lease should be
rescinded, and that the property should be conveyed to the Jersey City
Redevelopment Agency.
It is our position that the lease was approved by the City Council,
signed by the proper City officials, and is valid and binding on the
parties. We have retained counsel to try to resolve the matter with
the City, on a consensual basis if possible, or by litigation, if
necessary. We will keep you informed on this site as the case develops.
True, true. Woody Allen- along with Peter Falk did star together in a made for cable {?} version of Niel Simon
s " Sunshine Boys" a few years ago. I rented it at my local library and it was OK- but nowheres as good as the George Burns Walter Matthau movie from 1975.As far as " Antz" is concerned, the same years release of " A Bugs Life" was the better of the two, but Allens voice did set the right tone for the movie.As far as Allens current work is concerned, I kind of find it to run hot and cold, but I am a great fan of thi comedies from the early 70s to early 80s.Also, he is one of the few directors to occasionally shoot a film in black and white- something that I miss in most of todays films.“The Front” is a rare case where Woody was hired solely as an actor. The film was directed by Martin Ritt. Allen took no part in its direction, screenplay or conception. The only other films I can think of that fall into this same category for Allen (not counting any cameos or smaller roles) are Paul Mazursky’s “Scenes From a Mall” and the animated “Antz.”
Cut myself off on above comment.While it is true that many of the blacklisted writers had a difficult time finding work, some of them did manage to come back.Hollywood was caving in to the popular paranoia of the times.This subject is handled well in “The Front”– one of Woody Allens best films. Quess a person is entitled to his or her own views, but in the not too distant past it was a different story.
Sometimes wars can make strange allies.Guess the Soviets were never precieved as a threat until after the war. One good thing the so-called cold war did produce were films like “Doctor Strangelove”, “The Manchurian Candidate-1962},” Fail Safe} a sort .of serious Strangelove, and of course the James Bond series among others.
I guess the Soviet Union was still our friend in 1942, based on the film ad. Unfortunately the Americans most sympathetic to Russia’s plight in World War II ended up blacklisted ten years later.
This ad from September 20, 1960 made a huge impression on me when I was 5 years old:
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Here are some more old Loew’s ads from the Jersey Journal, courtesy of the microfilm collection at the Jersey City Public Library.
December 1942:
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March 4, 1943:
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July 25, 1961:
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Talking about Marilyn and Dean Martin … ironically, they are both now laid to rest in the same cemetery in the Westwood section of Los Angeles:
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The empty crypt to the left of Marilyn’s in the third picture is the future final resting place of Hugh Hefner.
Bill Huelbig and Yankee Mike… Thank you.I read about this film many years ago, and even saw some clips from it.So, I guess in this respect, the Misfits was her last movie- along with Clark Gable`s.As usual, you guys are right on the money.
She was fired from this movie. Some of her scenes from this film turned up in a documentary about this film a few years ago. I believe it was on TCM.
Theaterat: That Marilyn film was “Something’s Got to Give”. Dean Martin was her co-star. She was fired (or maybe just suspended – not sure) from the film right before her death, and Fox wound up retooling the whole project for Doris Day and James Garner. This version was called “Move Over, Darling”.
Don’t forget Kevin McCarthy (not much screen time, though).
Or how about Scooby Doo AND Scooby Doo II.I may be wrong on this one, but didn`t Marilyn Monroe make another film after The Misfits that was never released due to her death at about the same time the film was being made?
As to The Misfits, besides Gable we also have Marilyn Monroe (her last film, too), Thelma Ritter, Montgomery Clift and Eli Wallach. All worth seeing on a big screen.