Movie Theaters | Ep #48

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Let's all go to the lobby, because we've got some stuff to discuss about movie theaters, and only jerks talk during the movie. But are those jerks the key to saving the cinema? Please silence your cell phones as our big-screen tribute takes an unexpected turn. 

 

Show Notes: 

01:58 St. Louis movie theaters

02:12 A crash course in theater history
02:50 United States vs. Paramount Pictures, Inc. 
03:25 Movie palaces (The Fox / Grauman's Chinese / The Egyptian)
07:40 Gimmicks (3-D / Cinemascope)
08:26 See also: Summer Blockbusters
09:02 The "New Hollywood"
10:20 Home theaters
12:05 The quality plateau
17:35 Interlude: The Drifters: "Saturday Night at the Movies"
18:27 Saving movie theaters
23:20 Simulcasts (This American Life / Rifftrax)
24:20 The teenage refuge
28:39 Interlude: "Intermission Time"
29:15 The wrong people
39:45 Interlude: Wehrenberg Theaters Theme
40:41 The experience argument
46:10 Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
47:40 The Chase-Park Plaza Cinema 
48:20 Ronnie's 20 Cine
52:45 Projection notes
57:05 Rise of the Planet of the Apes
59:48 The Hi-Pointe Theatre

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Movie Theaters | Ep #48

Comments

[Dianer]

While I agree with Drew on the necessary aspects of a movie theater, I am in John's camp in the sense that I have effectively stopped going to theaters altogether due to the clientele. There's always someone who insists that their experience is more important than everyone else's.
Drew's Chase Park comments reminded me of a Tivoli experience I had while watching Jerry Seinfeld's Comedian. About 25 mins into the movie, a cat decided to sit in front of the projector, obscuring about a third of the screen with a perfect cat-shaped silhouette. It remained there for about a half-hour before moving on. I'm fairly certain it actually improved the movie.