A Few Words About A few words about...™ The loss of the neighborhood movie theater (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

Originally Posted by Adam Lenhardt /t/318779/a-few-words-about-the-loss-of-the-neighborhood-movie-theater/30#post_3900731
^ Buying a DVD or BD confers a license for home use only. Theaters are free to negotiate an additional license for public exhibition.
I'd feel gipped if I paid to see a DVD on the big screen, but I'm not so sure I'd even notice with a Blu-Ray. There isn't a huge difference between 2K projection (2048×1080) and Blu-Ray resolution (1920x1080).

As far as pixel count, for a 1.85:1 film, no. But what if you're viewing Casablanca or Gone with the Wind...

on 1080 pixels vertically?

Don't think so.

RAH

 

[SilverWook]

If you guys don't know about this site already...
http://americanclassicimages.com/
Tons of photos of long gone movie theaters. You can even search by movie title. I was able to find the NJ theater I saw Star Wars in back in '77, and the California theater near me that was recently demolished in all it's summer 1984 glory. *sigh*

 

[SilverWook]

I grew up in a smallish Southern California town, Camarillo, which had one neighborhood theater called The Ponderosa. The screen was not huge but it was big enough that you felt like you were "at the movies". They normally played first run films as a double-feature, albeit a few months after their premier runs. The management must have gotten a cheap rate on AIRPORT '75 because it played opposite a variety of films, including THE SOUND OF MUSIC (which I guess this theater finally got very late in its 1973 re-release - a horrible print; during the thunderstorm scenes the optical soundtrack was visible on the screen - which was interesting but certainly not Robert Wise's intent). An unfortunate double-feature was AIRPORT '75 opposite MAME - inspiring jokes like: "I wasn't sure which was the disaster picture" or "That musical with Helen Reddy was OK, but Lucy in that disaster movie, not so much." [If anyone reading this hasn't had the pleasure of seeing AIRPORT '75, the musical comment comes from Helen Reddy playing a kind-hearted nun with a guitar who sings to a frightened child (Linda Blair) - wonder where they got that idea?]. Disclaimer: I happen to like MAME; the jokes were not mine, but one has to chuckle, anyway.
I loved The Ponderosa because they ran the movies back to back and you could stay and watch the pic over and over until closing if you wanted to. I think I watched THE STING 4 times in one day, and watched multiple screenings of WHAT'S UP DOC?, CABARET, SUPERMAN (78), PAPER MOON, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, JAWS, and others I can't remember. Sometimes the prints were pretty worn and I would grip the armrests in fear that the whole thing was just going to go all to hell; I envisioned springs and gears popping out of the projector and ribbons of burning film spilling around it. At the time, I honestly thought that this was the best the films could look and I was thrilled when beautiful clean copies started coming out on home video. But I miss the celluloid, I confess.
The best thing, however, about The Ponderosa was that every now and then the manager would schedule a week of classics. He would do a week of musicals, Hitchcock, etc. It was a great opportunity to see some of those films I had only seen on television, many of which, of course, were widescreen and looked terrible cropped on TV; the widescreen composition of some of them was a revelation, and I am so grateful to have had that opportunity. I am not certain when exactly The Ponderosa closed, but the building is now a church and well cared for.
I miss the neighborhood theater.
--Kevin

Hey Kevin, I live pretty close to Camarillo. Could you tell me where the Ponderosa was? I'd like to see the building where it was sometime.

 

[Bob Furmanek]

After the Universal fire a few years ago, they did not replace a lot of the 35mm prints that were lost.

That's not true. In fact, since the fire, more vintage titles have been printed in 35mm by Universal than ever before. They are not commonly available for booking, but certain prestige venues (such as the Capitol in Rome, NY http://www.romecapitol.com/capitolfest.html) have access.
Bob

 

[KPmusmag]

Hey Kevin, I live pretty close to Camarillo. Could you tell me where the Ponderosa was? I'd like to see the building where it was sometime.

Sure - The Ponderosa was at 340 Mobil Ave., Camarillo, CA 93010. For a while it was Ottavio's Italian Restaurant Banquet Hall until it was bought by the United Church of Religious Science, which still owns it today. The outside looks very much as it did, although the inside was totally remodeled - including a full restaurant kitchen for banquets, weddings, etc.. The balcony was closed in to make a second banquet hall upstairs and the projection booth became offices. I suspect that if you went for Sunday services they would let you look around, although other than the different levels there is no vestige of its movie theater days remaining - although the stairways to the second level were the stairs to the balcony, and the lobby remains. The building is actually in much better shape now than when it was a movie theater. Google maps has a very good street level pic of it as it looks now.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=340+Mobil+Avenue,+Camarillo,+CA&hl=en&ll=34.219228,-119.041929&spn=0.007319,0.013937&sll=34.219761,-119.042572&layer=c&cbp=13,120.74,,0,11.53&cbll=34.219712,-119.042969&hnear=340+Mobil+Ave,+Camarillo,+California+93010&t=h&z=17&panoid=FnPxzjs0lTigkEB6tGAoxw

 

[KMR]

My hometown theater, where I grew up watching movies, still seems to be in good shape. It'll always hold a very special place in my heart.
http://pinestheater.com/
Funny how it looks so much smaller than I remember it being... (guess growing up does that to you)
During the twinning spree going on in the 1970s, I always had this horrible fear that someone would try to do that to the Pines. There's no way the character of the place (or any classic theater) could survive such a thing.

 

[NY2LA]

I didn't realize the Chelsea was using DVD or BD for those revival showings. Is that even legal? DVDs and BDs are licensed for home use only. If I went to a theatre and they played a DVD or BD and it wasn't advertised as such, I would ask for my money back. I knew some small independent theatres were doing this, but I thought they were flying under the radar.

I got a report that Chelsea's latenight series actually ran a laserdisc - you could see the limited LD player menu and the word PLAY appear onscreen. At least one operator of a nice classic cinema told me that the studios expect all catalog titles to be run from a copy of the commercial BluRay. And considering how many older movies don't end up at their best on Blu Ray, that doesn't give me much hope for such movies in cinemas, especially if the operators run them as you would play a disc at home, menus FBI warnings, video logos and all, why leave home?

 

[ahollis]

That's not true. In fact, since the fire, more vintage titles have been printed in 35mm by Universal than ever before. They are not commonly available for booking, but certain prestige venues (such as the Capitol in Rome, NY http://www.romecapitol.com/capitolfest.html) have access.
Bob

I stand corrected. Our booker said he was still having problems with some of the titles he was putting together for series. But what does Universal hope to obtain by limiting their booking? 35mm film kept under key is like not being around. Thanks.

 

[ahollis]

Originally Posted by zoetmb /t/318779/a-few-words-about-the-loss-of-the-neighborhood-movie-theater/30#post_3900730
I didn't realize the Chelsea was using DVD or BD for those revival showings. Is that even legal? DVDs and BDs are licensed for home use only. If I went to a theatre and they played a DVD or BD and it wasn't advertised as such, I would ask for my money back. I knew some small independent theatres were doing this, but I thought they were flying under the radar.

Yes it is legal as long as the theatre pays film rental for the booking to the distributor. There are several major chains doing this for retro film series and for summer kid shows. It really defers costs of not having to pay for freight for those one shot shows. I think it could be bonus to help introduce new fans to older movies, but they only seem to want to see Casablanca, Citizen Kane, or Gone With The Wind. A theatre in New Orleans, single screen, Sony 4K digital, shows classic films on Wednesday and Sunday mornings, the last time it showed Casablanca, it sold out it's 450 seats, but A Star Is Born (1954) only had 50 in attendance and just covered film rental.

 

[mkhawaja]

As far as pixel count, for a 1.85:1 film, no.  But what if you're viewing Casablanca or Gone with the Wind...
on 1080 pixels vertically?
Don't think so.
RAH

Dear Mr. Harris,
I am overseas in the United Arab Emirates and was just forwarded this post of yours by a friend from New York. It's my first introduction to the forum and I'm glad your post brought me into the community.
I am meeting with a multiplex cinema manager tomorrow to test a blu-ray copy of The Wizard of Oz, The Red Shoes and along with a few other blu-ray titles that are in 1.37:1 ratio. Are there any guidelines you can suggest to follow or discuss with the theater if it is only possible to project blu-ray? Most audience members here would be seeing these older films for the very first time.
Theaters and organizations that arrange public screenings for classic silent or sound films here in the city of Abu Dhabi are increasingly relying on DVDs and Blu-rays instead of trying to source 35mm prints, 2K or 4K DCP alternatives for the films. I am told by the cinema manager that their new digital projector produces a great picture and sound presentation on their regular sized cinema screen from commercially produced blu-ray discs or DVDs .
The screenings are free to the public and I am advising organizations against presenting films on upscaled DVDs. It seems that the best we can do here in this city for these sort of screenings is rely on blu-ray. Is there anything that the theater can do to ensure us the best possible picture and sound presentation for these screenings?
Thanks for taking the time and wishing you well from Abu Dhabi.

 

[NY2LA]

Dear Mr. Harris,
I am overseas in the United Arab Emirates and was just forwarded this post of yours by a friend from New York. It's my first introduction to the forum and I'm glad your post brought me into the community.
I am meeting with a multiplex cinema manager tomorrow to test a blu-ray copy of The Wizard of Oz, The Red Shoes and along with a few other blu-ray titles that are in 1.37:1 ratio. Are there any guidelines you can suggest to follow or discuss with the theater if it is only possible to project blu-ray? Most audience members here would be seeing these older films for the very first time.
Theaters and organizations that arrange public screenings for classic silent or sound films here in the city of Abu Dhabi are increasingly relying on DVDs and Blu-rays instead of trying to source 35mm prints, 2K or 4K DCP alternatives for the films. I am told by the cinema manager that their new digital projector produces a great picture and sound presentation on their regular sized cinema screen from commercially produced blu-ray discs or DVDs .
The screenings are free to the public and I am advising organizations against presenting films on upscaled DVDs. It seems that the best we can do here in this city for these sort of screenings is rely on blu-ray. Is there anything that the theater can do to ensure us the best possible picture and sound presentation for these screenings?
Thanks for taking the time and wishing you well from Abu Dhabi.

I'm sure Mr. Harris will have some great technical knowledge to share...
Meanwhile, On the showmanship side - Wishing you well right back from Hollywood. May I ask if your screen has masking on the sides that can close to the 1:37:1 ratio and give you nice sharp edges all around? Does your theatre have a curtain to cover the screen inbetween shows? Do you have a TV monitor so you can cue up a picture before it hits the big screen?

 

[NY2LA]

encouraging words...
Old movie theaters find new life
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-02-16/movie-theater-revival/53122180/1

 

[SilverWook]

Sure - The Ponderosa was at 340 Mobil Ave., Camarillo, CA 93010. For a while it was Ottavio's Italian Restaurant Banquet Hall until it was bought by the United Church of Religious Science, which still owns it today. The outside looks very much as it did, although the inside was totally remodeled - including a full restaurant kitchen for banquets, weddings, etc.. The balcony was closed in to make a second banquet hall upstairs and the projection booth became offices. I suspect that if you went for Sunday services they would let you look around, although other than the different levels there is no vestige of its movie theater days remaining - although the stairways to the second level were the stairs to the balcony, and the lobby remains. The building is actually in much better shape now than when it was a movie theater. Google maps has a very good street level pic of it as it looks now.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=340+Mobil+Avenue,+Camarillo,+CA&hl=en&ll=34.219228,-119.041929&spn=0.007319,0.013937&sll=34.219761,-119.042572&layer=c&cbp=13,120.74,,0,11.53&cbll=34.219712,-119.042969&hnear=340+Mobil+Ave,+Camarillo,+California+93010&t=h&z=17&panoid=FnPxzjs0lTigkEB6tGAoxw

Thanks! I've passed by this building many times over the years, and never knew it was a movie theater.

 

[RolandL]

http://www.vintagecinemas.com/vista/vistacontact.html
http://sandiego.about.com/b/2011/06/28/coronados-village-theater-re-opens-with-a-new-glow.htm
http://www.ecoronado.com/profiles/blogs/step-inside-the-finished?xg_source=activity

I was in San Diego many years ago for a business trip. I rented a bike to ride around Coronado and I remember riding past the old Village theatre. I thought it would be cool to see a movie there. I wish I had as I love to visit old movie theatres. Glad to see it was restored.

 

[RolandL]

If you guys don't know about this site already...
http://americanclassicimages.com/
Tons of photos of long gone movie theaters. You can even search by movie title. I was able to find the NJ theater I saw Star Wars in back in '77, and the California theater near me that was recently demolished in all it's summer 1984 glory. *sigh*

http://cinematreasures.org/theaters also have pictures of old movie theatres.
I have pictures of many of the Cinerama movie theatres that once exisited - http://cineramahistory.com/ctcineramatheatres.htm

 

[Bryan^H]

Great article Robert.
One of my favorite movie theaters just recently closed here in Michigan. The absolute worst part was that the theater played independant, and Foreign films. Films that the local mega-plex wouldn't go near. Films that suit my taste in cinema. My highlight was watching Bright Star(2009). They also played classic films on some weekends. I caught a late Saturday screening of 'The Evil Dead' with a very enthusiastic audience. It was without question one of the coolest theater experiences I have ever had. The young couple that ran the theater(They came on board in 2007 after it being closed as a 'second run' theater for years) were really nice, and certainly loved the movies they played. They cited the main reason for closing the theater was the large cost of going 'digital' roughly $120,000 they didn't have to spend.
The Harbor Theater as it was:

http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/muskegon/index.ssf/2012/01/post_134.html

 

[Brent Avery]

Here is a site detailing the history of theaters in Winnipeg. I found it quite interesting as an example of how most cities have changed - being born and raised there I certainly remember a few of them during my youth from the mid '60's until 1975 when we moved.
http://www.dancebob.com/Winnipeg_Theatres/Winnipeg_Theatres.html

 

[EricSchulz]

What a timely thread post. This past Tuesday, the owners of Milwaukee's Rosebud and Times Cinema theaters announced they would both close for good this weekend. I discovered The Times last year and got to see several classics in a REAL theater that I had only seen growing up on TV. Rosebud played a mix of new, second run and indie films, and the Times was a mix of classics (Psycho, the restored Metropolis [which played to a packed house], and most recently Bride of Frankenstein), indie, and "festivals" (Three Stooges, Looney Tunes, Oscar shorts, etc.). The times had been open for 75 years...

It was a quirky, kitschy (sp?) place, with a life-size Alfred Hitchcock statue in the lobby, vintage comic book and movie memorabilia decorating the walls (and FUN restrooms!!!!), and the best popcorn in town...you know, with BUTTER on it! I missed Double Indemnity when it played, but my saddest "miss" will be the original King Kong which was scheduled for April.

Times Cinema :: Milwaukee, WI

 

[Jeff Job]

Brent,
Thanks for posting the Winnipeg theater site. I really miss some of those theaters. Especially the Metropolitan - that was my favorite theater during the 70's and 80's. I also remember seeing the first run of Star Wars at the King's - it was converted into a sports store.

 

Well I miss the days of the single screen movie house. They were easy. You didn't have a long line to buy tickets. and the Snack Bar line was also smaller. Today wwe have idiots buying tickets (they have no idea what they want to see) an idiots selling tickets!