What's the latest theatre to close or open you have heard about?

[Leo Enticknap]

Related to Ed's porn theater pic, my favorite "porno pun" title was of a James Bond-inspired masterpiece, The Man With the Golden Bum. It was shipped by mistake to a theater I once worked at that was doing a Bond retrospective: the print distribution depot in West London that, at that time, handled pretty much every print that went to and from every cinema in the UK had obviously gotten the titles mixed up. I knew something was wrong when a case containing only three reels arrived. At first, I thought that the second case had been lost in transit, but then I looked twice at one of the cans, and saw the title. I so wish I'd taken a pic, but this was in the mid-1990s, before the days of even standalone digital cameras, let alone cameras in phones.

Of course we could not resist the temptation to hang a reel and roll it after work that evening (especially as I was almost the only member of staff at that place who was not gay - the others practically demanded it!). Suffice as to say that removing the gold paint once shooting (in more ways than one) was complete must have required avery hot shower...

[Frank Cox]

For anyone else who's wondering (like me) whether hits a strike means they opened or closed, the article says that there's a new theatre going in there along with a bowling alley.

That culturemap website runs a dozen javascript scripts and trackers before it will actually show any information.

[William Kucharski]

EVO Entertainment hits a strike with new movie/bowling center in Dallas

https://dallas.culturemap.com/news/e...ood-belt-line/

[William Kucharski]

Golden Ticket Cinemas to reopen Greenville (N.C.) Grande theater location with IMAX screen

https://www.witn.com/2023/11/08/gree...x-screen-east/

[Ed Gordon]

There’s hope that MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry) will end up with it, but no telling what Vulcan’s plans are these days.

If the MOHAI can save the sign from a porno theater, they can certainly save the Cinerama sign!

lusty+ladies-seattle-1380453296.jpg

[Scotty Wright]

A friend sent me these pictures of them removing the CINERAMA™ sign from the building.
NoCinermaSign1.jpg

(It'll probably show up on E-bay in a few weeks! lol)
NoCinermaSign2.jpg

There’s hope that MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry) will end up with it, but no telling what Vulcan’s plans are these days.

[Scotty Wright]

Glad to see they added 70mm here. Curious about the sound improvements.

[Frank Cox]

If the former owner is no longer using the trademark then it should be available for the next owner as a simple matter of common sense.

I saw that someone was making a legal argument the other day that he should be able to trademark a phrase due his rights to free speech. Which is the same sort of silliness. "In the name of freedom of speech I want to lock up the right to use this particular speech so nobody else can use it."

[Jim Cassedy]

<edited>

"They mentioned that the Cinerama name can't be used any more. . ."

A friend sent me these pictures of them removing the CINERAMA™ sign from the building.
NoCinermaSign1.jpg

(It'll probably show up on E-bay in a few weeks! lol)
NoCinermaSign2.jpg

We had a similar situation here in San Francisco when the historic/iconic Cliff House Restaurant was sold. The owners
apparently had trademarked the phrase "Cliff House" as it applies to this location in San Francisco, and so when it closed
the sign came down, and the new owners cannot use the phrase "Cliff House" Restaurant when it re-opens.

I WAS THERE THE DAY THE SIGN CAME DOWN
NoClifHseSign.jpg

So, this place has been open for over a century. When it re-opens, it will still be a restaurant, and it will still be on the edge of a cliff
(overlooking the ocean) and I can't think of anybody here who will refer to it as anything other than "The Cliff House Restaurant"™
for the next hundred years when it re-opens, no matter what it may eventually wind up being re-named.
. . I have no doubt that the Seattle Cinerama™ theater will forever be known as such, with or without a sign, and no matter what the
lawyers say.

[William Kucharski]

Palace Cinema 9 in South Burlington, VT to close.

[Martin McCaffery]

The theater’s dining-focused mobile technology lets guests order from the food and drink menus from their seat. Orders are delivered directly.

SO, they are encouraging their customers to use their phones during the movie?

[Ian Puffenberger]

https://wtop.com/business-finance/20...-large-screen/

Look Dine-in Cinemas reopened the theater at Reston Town Center in Reston, VA, on Nov. 2. This theater dates to (I believe) the '80s, originally operated by National Amusements, then Rave Cinemas briefly, and finally Bow Tie Cinemas, who did a full renovation (including de-twinning a couple of broom closet-sized auditoriums). They operated it for about a decade but it never seemed that busy when I visited and ultimately never recovered from the pandemic, closing in May 2022. Look has installed recliners and a full bar, and beefed up the kitchen for full dine-in service. The PLF screen is scope (no masking).

[William Kucharski]

Rohnert Park (California)'s movie theater Reading Cinemas has quietly closed after 25 years.

The multiscreen theater announced the Rohnert Park Expressway location’s closing on signs taped to the windows Wednesday afternoon.

Santa Rosa resident Katie Davis stood in front of one of the “closed” signs with her jaw dropped. She’d been going to the movies there for the last 20 years.

Davis had just picked up her three kids after school with plans on taking them to see “PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie” until she saw the signs.

[ … ]

Located on the west side of Rohnert Park, it was previously the Stadium 16 owned by Pacific Theaters before Reading International purchased it.

https://www.pressdemocrat.com/articl...fter-25-years/

[Scotty Wright]

I hope that does not mean they intend to remove the Cinerama equipment.

As far as I know, the equipment from before closure is all still there and in working order. There is very much an intention to make full use of it when they are able. The theater is in really good cinema-loving hands.

[Ed Gordon]

Seattle Cinerama reopens on Dec 14 as the SIFF Cinema Downtown

They mentioned that the Cinerama name can't be used any more, but I hope that does not mean they intend to remove the Cinerama equipment. SIFF is a non-profit organization that may not have the money to continue showing Cinerama films occasionally. Paul Allen loved How the West was Won and could afford the luxury.