Soon several thousand movie theaters will close nationwide.
January 14, 2001 8:13 AM Subscribe
posted by jbelshaw at 8:48 AM on January 14, 2001
The front section could even be "under-18," with a guy checking handstamps for access to the alcohol-serving areas in the back. Lots of cool stuff could be built into the place to differentiate it. Being Vegas, I even entertained the notion of cage dancers in the halls of the over-18 area (to help create a sort of crazy, over-the-top, post-modern feel in certain areas). The possibilities are limitless.
In Portland, OR, there are McMenamin theaters that serve beer and food, pub-style. This idea would build dramatically on that concept.
posted by rushmc at 9:17 AM on January 14, 2001
posted by Postroad at 9:38 AM on January 14, 2001
posted by peterme at 10:54 AM on January 14, 2001
posted by chrish at 11:52 AM on January 14, 2001
what would i do with the theatres? keep them theatres and play independent, foreign or avant-garde films. there is a HUGE market for such a place in non-metropolitan areas.
posted by brittney at 11:55 AM on January 14, 2001
posted by brent at 12:10 PM on January 14, 2001
that's EXACTLY what I was thinking about doing to an old theater that closed down near my former home. If any of you live/lived in Orange County, CA and remember the Centry Cinedomes....my friend worked there until the day they shut the place down and it was basically a building with 11 theaters with domes on them....so you see probably 6 or 7 big domes from the freeway...and it's where all the major freeways intersect providing a great location...
a friend of mine had quite a bit of money and we actually thought about doing it...but alas it was swept by the wayside and nothing came of it...there were 11 theaters and we were going to call it "eleven"...
posted by physics at 12:40 PM on January 14, 2001
But I guess they couldn't draw loads of people to things like the last episode of Seinfeld and stuff. So now their focus has changed ("the nation's first luxury Internet theatre and venue!") and you can pay them $450/hour to do Powerpoint on a big screen.
posted by gluechunk at 1:05 PM on January 14, 2001
posted by m.polo at 1:21 PM on January 14, 2001
;)
posted by davidgentle at 2:02 PM on January 14, 2001
They have that in my city too! It's called Brew and View. A movie for $5 along two full service bars. Tons of fun!
posted by Bag Man at 3:41 PM on January 14, 2001
<caveat>
We (in the U.S.) already have millions of square feet of vacant retail space in abandoned bix boxes, drugstores, and shopping centers. These are all more versatile spaces, yet instead of reusing them, developers continue to build from scratch. More than likely, provided that the theatres are located in prime retail locations (though most of the new multi-plexes here in Cleveland are found at the rear of shopping centers), the theatres will simply be torn down.
</caveat>
posted by Avogadro at 4:28 PM on January 14, 2001
posted by dhartung at 5:35 PM on January 14, 2001
posted by Aaaugh! at 6:02 PM on January 14, 2001
Through bonds and contributions the city raised enough money to completely remodel it. One rich benefactor, Arlene Schnitzer, gave a really huge amount of money, so they named it after her, and at least at the time I left Portland forever it was known informally as the "Schnitz". I never got a chance to see inside after the remodeling, but I did look through the windows and see what they'd done to the lobby, and it was a complete transformation -- and a welcome one. If the rest of the work was of equal quality, then the city got its money's worth.
It now serves as a second city-owned Auditorium, for various kinds of live shows. I seriously doubt they do rock concerts in it anymore, but someone from Portland might know for sure. (I think the rock concerts are held at the Coliseum, which seats a lot more people.)
I'm really glad it was saved; it was a fine old theater and it would have been a shame to tear it down. The building was and is structurally sound. It was probably the nicest of the old-time movie-palaces in Portland. It looks like the people who designed the remodeling did it with love for what it originally had been, for they seem to have tried to recapture that old time glory.
As pointed out, the movie theaters which are in trouble now are the 8-screen shoeboxes in the suburbs. There will be few tears if they're torn down.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 6:37 PM on January 14, 2001
posted by bjgeiger at 7:58 PM on January 14, 2001
posted by bjgeiger at 7:59 PM on January 14, 2001
The thing that is frustrating about all this for me is that newer, all-stadium seating theaters do not have 70mm projectors installed in them, and the older theaters which do have 70mm are closing down. 70mm exhibition died off in the early 1990s with the introduction of digital sound, and unfortunately, the stadium-seating building boom came after that, so none of the newer, more popular theaters have 70mm. There are still quite a few 70mm installations left in the USA, but with these closings, that number will be rapidly declining. If a studio or director wanted to release a movie in 70mm after this year, it would be very hard to do.
Side note: there is supposedly a (minor) rerelease of "2001: A Space Odyssey" planned for October of this year, but I've heard that only about 10 or so new 70mm prints will be struck. That sucks. If this were still 1989 or 1990, there would be hundreds if not thousands of 70mm prints going out, much like the spectacular "Lawrence of Arabia" rerelease that took place. Now we get a limited 70mm theatrical release in a handful of cities, followed by a souped-up DVD release. That makes me sad.
posted by Potsy at 9:41 PM on January 14, 2001
I have seen the giant subwoofers behind one cinemas screens and would love to play some music on them.
posted by Zool at 9:47 PM on January 14, 2001
posted by shylock at 1:09 AM on January 15, 2001
I'd think that big screen space and seating for many would make a closed multiplex the perfect locale to hold corporate computer training classes. Screen one: Word; screen two: Excel; screen three: Lotus Notes, etc. Turn the screening room most adjacent to the former snack bar area into the cafeteria and show television on the screen for people to enjoy during downtime. . . hmm, I'm formulating a business plan now. I should find some investors and get myself some VC!
posted by Dreama at 8:57 AM on January 15, 2001
posted by dhartung at 12:07 PM on January 15, 2001
So a 70 mm theater costs more but has the same ticket price and doesn't do any more business. It doesn't make sense from the standpoint of a theater owner.
posted by Steven Den Beste at 2:55 PM on January 15, 2001
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posted by tiaka at 8:42 AM on January 14, 2001