Film-Tech Forums: RIP GCC

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Topic: RIP GCC

Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 6175
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-22-2002 09:45 PM

As if there were a need for one more sign that the AMC merger will soon be official, a box of AMC "Mr. Clip" trailers arrived today at the GCC house where I was filling in tonight. Apparently AMC has decided not to keep the "General Cinema" name and advertising materials and is instead planning to re-brand all of the theatres as AMC houses. The trailers won't actually go on screen for another week or two, or so I'm told. Communication from AMC has not been particularly good, at least at the lower levels, or so it seems.

Anyway, the next few weeks and months will be interesting. I am actually kind of surprised that AMC decided to rename the theatres, since they have no theatres and essentially zero name recognition in the New England area.

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Brian Hogan
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 119
From: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Registered: Jul 2001

posted 03-23-2002 01:52 AM

why wouldnt AMC use their name? its their theatre now... so its their name too. im sure that the people in the area will recognise the change and check it out cause its something new. then before long they will have hold of the market and drive everyone out like is the case here in columbus. the corporate machine rolls on!

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Mark Gulbrandsen
Film God

Posts: 13225
From: Bountiful, Utah
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-23-2002 03:03 AM

Brian said...."the corporate machine rolls on!"
It may be but most think its the worst corporate machine there is in this industry. I wonder what'll happen at the Seattle Cinerama. AMC run a Cineama Theatre???? I don't think so....
Perhaps they will replace the Cinerama name with AMC and remove the never used Cinerama Strip screen! It would be known as just the Seattle AMC.
Mark @ GTS
www.getgts.com

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 03-23-2002 10:13 AM

The US bankruptcy court approved AMC's takeover of General Cinema earlier this week.

Scott: AMC once had a 4-plex near UMass Amherst. I drove past the theater when I was in that area two years ago. The theater had long closed and the marquee was all but gone.

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Ken Layton
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1452
From: Olympia, Wash. USA
Registered: Sep 1999

posted 03-23-2002 10:47 AM

AMC running a single screen theater like the Cinerama? They'd probably close it just because it's a single.

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3324
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 03-23-2002 04:59 PM

Nah. They'll chop it up into a 6-plex; next year it'll be a dollar house and the year after that it will close. They have to destroy it first, so no one else can reopen it without spending a fortune.

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Paul Linfesty
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1288
From: Bakersfield, CA, USA
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-23-2002 06:00 PM

I thought the owner of the Cinerama theatre was basically paying GCC to operate it, so I can't see anything happening to it. AMC DID take over a Cinerama theatre in San Jose (Town and Country) and ran it through most of the 90's before closing it, albeit removing the strip screen. They also ran the single screen Cechi Gori Fine Arts in Beverly Hills, also on a pay to manage scheme. It was recently taken over by Landmark.

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 6175
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 03-23-2002 06:37 PM

As far as I can tell, AMC only has one theatre with fewer than six screens (a twin in Florida). It will be interesting to see what happens to some of the smaller GCC houses which AMC will be acquiring.

It is quite odd to watch what was once a well-established company slowly go away. I've seen it with startup-type companies, but one expects a high degree of risk with such a venture. Now, the GCC home office building is vacant. Although I didn't know it at the time, I ran the last show at the corporate screening room last fall (in a building occupied by Harcourt General which, coincidentally, is also vacant now). According to the press releases, they plan to keep most of the theatres open for now, but I wouldn't be surprised if they dumped the unprofitable ones as soon as they could.

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 897
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 03-24-2002 05:05 AM

I just hope some of the typical GCC theatres stay open. I love the symmetrical GCC 10-plex: 5 on one side - 5 on the other. Are there many of the OLDER GCC locations still open? The ones like the Northpark? Or the ones that were just labelled CINEMA I-II-III?

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 03-24-2002 01:22 PM

Love that synchronicity!

The General Cinema (soon AMC) Clifton Commons megaplex has 8 in the west wing and 8 in the east wing. The AMC Hamilton megaplex has 10 in the south wing, 10 in the north wing, and the 4 giant halls in the middle.

Scott D: None of the older General Cinema theaters in New Jersey are still open. They closed due to the Chapter 11 or were torn down well before.

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Arthur Allen
Film Handler

Posts: 91
From: Renton, WA, USA
Registered: Aug 2001

posted 03-24-2002 02:37 PM

There's still an old I/II/III in Seattle. It is the Aurora Cinema turned Aurora Cinema Grill, and since transfered to non GC ownership. I've only been in one of the split screens, so I don't know if the old recessed screen is still up in the large auditorium, the kind that always ran 1.85:1 with the screen open with no side masking. Terraced tables have replaced the normal theater seats, but it's still a plain black wall on one side, soundproofing corregated iron with holes on the other side. I may have a photo of the auditorum somewhere, but I'll have to search for it without Photopoint around.

Cinematour Aurora Cinema entry

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3324
From: Los Angeles, CA
Registered: Nov 2000

posted 03-24-2002 11:29 PM

Actually, the Aurora Cinema Grill gave up the ghost this month.

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Sean M. Grimes
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 247
From: Lunenburg, MA
Registered: Apr 2000

posted 03-25-2002 12:12 AM

This is actually very upsetting... on the first of August I am moving to Boston.

Which, unfortunately will remove one of the chains that I was going to apply to. Well I know that AMC has run at least quite a few great theaters, does anyone know if AMC is now taking resumes for the other GCC locations? Any help would be very helpful... thank you.

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Scott D. Neff
Theatre Dork

Posts: 897
From: San Francisco, CA
Registered: Oct 1999

posted 03-28-2002 03:52 AM

It would be my guess that AMC will want to take the high road and TRY to keep the GCC Management on... but inevitably the GCC Managers might have trouble speaking the AMC language and ultimately depart company.

I'd say it's worth the effort to join AMC's training program in hopes of getting a GCC location once they absorb them.

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Charles Everett
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1470
From: New Jersey
Registered: May 2001

posted 03-31-2002 12:11 PM

AMC officially took over GCC on Good Friday.

When you visit the AMC website you'll see the former GCC locations included as well. If you visit the GCC website you'll get redirected for now to a page promoting the AMC MovieWatcher club.

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