Comments from Al Alvarez

Showing 1,326 - 1,350 of 3,447 comments

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about United Palace of Cultural Arts on Aug 20, 2010 at 8:50 pm

Radio City was never built as a movie palace. The Roxy (Center) was the failed movie palace. Radio City was built as a Music Hall and settled for movies when music shows failed.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Nickelodeon locations? on Aug 20, 2010 at 3:19 pm

Nickelodeons did not first start in New York City but in cities like Pittsburgh and Chicago. New York was not the birthplace of film exhibition.

The New York boom was centered between Park Row and The Bowery in Manhattan where over two dozen operated by 1906 to service the crowded lower east side tenements.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Filmmaker Michael Moore wants to restore Michigan theaters on Aug 18, 2010 at 8:22 pm

“If we continually rob those who are successful and give it to those who aren’t, then we stifle growth and innovation.”

..and if you continually rob those who aren’t successful, you have no buyers."

Even conservative right wing Henry Ford understood that an employee paid a fair wage might buy a car. Why do conservatives fail to understand that basic capitalist idea today?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Foreign forces transform Hollywood films on Aug 18, 2010 at 8:14 pm

Thank God the foreign markets had some sense.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Aug 15, 2010 at 11:04 am

…in 1971.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Ziegfeld Theatre on Aug 15, 2010 at 11:04 am

Stan, the RKO 86th Street re-opened as a twin in

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Springs 3 Theatre on Aug 13, 2010 at 8:35 pm

Joe, those dates are indeed correct. I still worked for them at the time.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Teatro-Cine Trianon on Aug 13, 2010 at 8:22 pm

Here is the Miami exile version:

/theaters/25103/

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Radio City Music Hall on Aug 13, 2010 at 8:20 pm

A sequel would soon follow (direct to DVD…)

Is 64 years really “soon”?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Bell Forge 10 to become Islamic center on Aug 13, 2010 at 8:06 pm

Why not? How many hundreds of ex-porn theatres are Christian Churches today?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Petitions call for movie theater on Aug 12, 2010 at 5:07 pm

Chains build theatres based on marketing studies of age demographics, area income, employment, population, competition and complimentary retail. They then present a report to the bankers who will green light the financing. No chain in their right mind would start with a petition.

Cities approve projects based on projected size, footfall, traffic projection, public transport, impact on nearby residents, parking facilities, noise pollution, etc. They would only license a credible operator at a specific location.

Sounds like someone at Carmike gave this guy the brush off.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 3-D boom going bust? on Aug 11, 2010 at 10:03 pm

As a manager who worked Sensurround, I can tell you it was rumbling seats for shitty films, and nothing more.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Filmmaker Michael Moore wants to restore Michigan theaters on Aug 8, 2010 at 8:56 pm

Unemployment was the highest since the great depression for three years after Reagan became president. It then improved for the following election (as it will improve in 2012 for Obama).

Yes, Scott, there is a way to give tax credits that are not strictly corporate. You support Medicare, Social Security, and let the rich pay fair taxes instead of always paying less than the average guy. And yes, it was an over the table payment to Marriott who owned Omni at the time.

The REPUBLICAN RICH COME FIRST mentality of St. Louis has yet to recover from the greedy Reagan years after thirty years because your wealthier white citizens are still doing just fine. Everyone else is getting screwed.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Filmmaker Michael Moore wants to restore Michigan theaters on Aug 7, 2010 at 8:59 pm

Massive tax breaks for the rich and deregulation of most industries, including the movies, allowing corporate take overs of most independent distributors AND exhibitors by the big eight.

The St Louis Union Square was designated a National Landmark in 1976 while Nixon was president.

Reagan’s 150 million dollar tax credits for Union Station were strictly corporate and Marriott made millions by building a free hotel with our tax dollars there. Pork spending defined.

Looking at the city’s dire job losses and population drops since, I think would have been better spent on helping people survive and keep their jobs without having to leave town.

An economic mess like St. Louis is exactly the product of companies like Marriott that Michael Moore targets.

If St. Louis had 150 million federal dollars today would you give it to Marriott for a hotel?

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Filmmaker Michael Moore wants to restore Michigan theaters on Aug 7, 2010 at 12:51 pm

Altruism became dispensable in the greedy eighties when making a profit at any cost became acceptable among otherwise decent people. That was never the case anytime before in US history.

Trickle down Reaganomics and deregulation lead the charge. Movies about unpunished greed like “Risky Business” showed the rewards to whole generation when the hero received a scholarship for running a suburban brothel. The Material Girl Madonna was the poster child for raking in the cash.

Michael Moore’s movies are, albeit manipulative, not against capitalism itself but against this acceptable unbridled greed.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Filmmaker Michael Moore wants to restore Michigan theaters on Aug 6, 2010 at 8:18 pm

It’s called capitalism without exploitation.

You make a reasonable profit without screwing the workers or the customers in order to do it.

It is the premise of every movie made between 1934 and 1981 before get-rich-quick Republican asshole Ronald Reagan became president.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about 3-D boom going bust? on Aug 5, 2010 at 9:29 am

“Now, movies have a week or two to maximize their 3D ticket sales before finding themselves edged out of those screens by the next 3D movie, especially since most theatres that do have 3D capabilities only have two or three 3D screens.”

That theory would hold if each of these films had a huge opening followed by a huge drop. “Airbender”, “Despicable Me” and “Cats & Dogs” all had weak opening weekends on prime screens.

I think price gouging has been a factor. These are kid films and the family price plus popcorn can be extreme.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about AMC Empire 25 on Aug 5, 2010 at 5:57 am

AMC and Regal didn’t put small theaters out of business. Audiences embracing big stadium seating noisy multiplexes did.

If people bought tickets to quaint, small, classic theatres AMC and Regal would have bought, built or remodeled one on every block in America.

You should also note that specialty theatre audiences practically disappeared when the DVD player and VOD arrived.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Save the Palm Beach Paramount on Jul 30, 2010 at 8:16 pm

Shame on filthy wealthy Palm Beach.

They should know better.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about IndieHouse Cinema at the Producers Club on Jul 30, 2010 at 8:11 pm

So it is IndieHouse, not Indiehouse.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about IndieHouse Cinema at the Producers Club on Jul 30, 2010 at 10:51 am

Opened July 16.

http://www.producersclub.com/

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Abandoned DC move-over house to reopen as new art-house this fall! on Jul 28, 2010 at 8:21 pm

Congratulations Josh. All the best!

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Criterion Theatre on Jul 27, 2010 at 6:44 am

That re-release of “A Farewell to Arms” was in July 1938.

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Strand Theatre on Jul 27, 2010 at 6:32 am

Could this have been the open-air Miami Beach Strand?

View link

Al Alvarez
Al Alvarez commented about Wonderland Theatre on Jul 23, 2010 at 8:54 am

This location may have been part of the New York Theatre and Roof Annex.

/theaters/15178/