Comments from Dav1dJeffers

Showing 10 comments

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about SIFF Cinema Uptown on Aug 7, 2011 at 5:18 am

Seattle International Film Festival made this announcement earlier today: SIFF is excited to announce the acquisition of the historic Uptown Theater in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. The historic neighborhood theater will re-open to the public beginning October 20, 2011 in conjunction with the Grand Opening of the new SIFF Film Center at Seattle Center, ushering in a new era of film in the Northwest. http://www.siff.net

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about 5th Avenue Theatre on Nov 29, 2009 at 3:25 am

After 30 years, Seattle’s 5th Avenue has a new vertical marquee.
http://www.siffblog.com//a_sign_a_sign_005283.html
View link

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about Colonial Theatre on Oct 20, 2009 at 2:23 am

Bill White’s Cinema Penitentiary: Tales from a middle-aged movie house and a critic cuts his teeth…
http://pauldorpat.com/?p=4562

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about Paramount Theatre on Oct 10, 2009 at 6:45 am

On Tuesday, October 6, 2009, the last original marquee element was removed.
View link

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about Criterion Theatre on Oct 31, 2008 at 9:52 pm

Paul Wegener’s terrifying Expressionist masterpiece, “The Golem: How He Came Into the World,” made it’s US premier at the Criterion (New York Times, June 19, 1921 p. 67). Also featured in that program, the third chapter of Tony’s Sarg’s Almanac; “Wandering Tribes of the Sahara,” a Kineto review and “Scenes of Prague,” a Prizma scenic. At a time when the best feature films typically ran for one or two weeks, “The Golem” enjoyed a three and one-half month stay at the Criterion.

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about Grand Theatre on Mar 4, 2007 at 7:47 pm

correction The third link posted on Feb 19,2007 goes to the “Renton History Lives Here Walking Tour” on the City of Renton website, not the Renton Historical Museum website.

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about Historic Everett Theater on Feb 19, 2007 at 8:04 pm

The Everett Theater Society acquired a thee-manual, 14 rank, Kimball theater organ in September 1997. Following installation, an inaugural concert was held on October 2, 1999. The Everett cancelled its Silent Film series after the Tuesday, May 9, 2006 screening of The Phantom of the Opera (1925). At this point, there have been no announced plans to resume the series. The current schedule includes the 10th annual ‘Everett Woman’s Film Series’, a two day event consisting of new feature and documentary films.

Here is a peek at The Everett’s two beautiful, vintage carbon-arc projectors, housed in their main floor booth.
View link

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about Grand Theatre on Feb 19, 2007 at 6:01 pm

Here are three links which include some descriptive text for, and photographs of the Renton Grand Theater.

The Puget Sound Theater Organ Society (PSTOS),

View link

King County Snapshots,

View link

The Renton Historical Museum (#19 on the tour),

http://rentonwa.gov/living/default.aspx?id=1380

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about Lynwood Theatre on Feb 17, 2007 at 2:26 am

David Jeffers for SIFFblog.com

The African Queen (1951)
Wednesday, February 14, 5:00 & 7:30pm
The Historic Lynwood Theater, Bainbridge Island

After many attempts and several near misses, I finally made the trip to Bainbridge Island for The Historic Lynwood Theater’s Valentines Day screening of The African Queen. A short hop from the Coleman Dock and a quick ride down a country lane (well, Lynwwod Center Road) ended at the quaint little strip, a bit reminiscent of Chaplin’s La Brea Avenue cottages. The theater is smack in the middle
Lunch at The Treehouse Café faired well, good soup, great coffee, friendly service, in general a nice roomy place to hang out before or after the show. The theater itself is charming, very well loved, with a faithful crowd of local moviegoers. The atmosphere is cordial and relaxed. I really got a kick out of watching folks arrive for the show to warm greetings with a little schmooze, definitely not the urban multi-plex vibe of icy indifference. What a great place to watch a movie! I was amazed to learn The Lynwood has been in continuous use since opening in 1936! There are generations in their audience that have grown up watching films here, and for years, it was literally the only show in town. Comfy seats inside, plenty of legroom, and a nice big screen. Carefully chosen updates to the building over years have retained the charm, while improving the theatergoing experience. A nicely produced souvenir program from their 2006, seventieth anniversary is filled with memories of The Lynwood’s patrons. What I wouldn’t give for a snapshot of Mister Peepers in the popcorn machine! I’m already looking forward to my next visit!

Here are links to the expanded film preview and post-show theater review, including a photo of the snazzy new (restored) marquee, taken the night of the show.

View link

View link

I’m also including the link to The Lynwood’s home page.

http://www.lynwoodtheatre.com/index.html

I’ve got to say I disagree with the above criticism. There seemed to be adequate parking and Lynwood Center is no more than a ten minute drive from the Winslow Ferry dock. The wooded setting has more than a little to do with The Lynwood’s charm. Coffee at the Treehouse, before a matinee on a rainy Saturday afternoon sounds perfect to me!

Dav1dJeffers
Dav1dJeffers commented about Roxy Theatre on Oct 22, 2006 at 5:35 pm

Update: October 2006
What was formerly the Renton Roxy, has been converted into a ‘for-rent’ hall, used primarily as a storefront church. When the building was last sold several years ago, the buyer did donate the vertical marquee to the city, but it’s unclear if it could ever be restored. The void was covered with sheets of oriented strand board and painted beige, along with the rest of the facade. All of the ornamental lighting was removed and the original ticket booth was quickly ripped out and thrown away (it could have been saved with the marquee), replaced by a landscape border brick planter with plastic plants in the same footprint. The Roxy was our local neighborhood theater and is sorely missed. Single screen theaters are rare as hen’s teeth these days and the Roxy struggled on far longer than anyone expected. Our alternatives in Renton are the eight screen Renton Cinemas about a mile away, and the East Valley 13, located in industrial South Renton. The City of Renton recently built a multimillion-dollar performing arts center as part of the renovation of Renton High School two blocks north of the Roxy. Adjacent to the old theater, the city has created an urban center over the past decade which includes an urban park, a multi-level parking structure, a large single floor building with a high bow-truss ceiling (formerly part of a car dealership) that was converted into a multi-use facility, and a bus transit center. The goal of city planners was to create a new heart in the old commercial downtown core. Throughout this development, historic structures have been demolished (very few remain in Renton), replaced by large apartment blocks and commercial structures, resulting in fundamental character changes to the neighborhood. The Roxy has avoided demolition, so far, but this result seems inevitable in an environment of small town politics, driven by greedy developers and sorely lacking intelligent planning or social responsibility.