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30 Screens Coming To Destin & Baton
Rouge
Rave Launches Multis
In Florida & Louisiana
DALLAS – The Rave Motion Pictures exhibition chain,
which on Aug. 22 launched a Baton Rouge, La., 16-plex,
plans to have a 14-plex up and running by Halloween in
the coastal town of Destin, located in the western end
of Florida’s panhandle.
Situated at 4000 Legendary
Drive, the Destin Commons 14-plex was expected to tie
its opening to a community-wide event
designed to generate proceeds for local charities.
 The chain’s Baton
Rouge 16, located at 16040 Hatteras Ave., celebrated
a similar community event the day prior
to its opening, collecting more than two tons of food
for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
Both sites feature
stadium-style auditoriums, high-backed recliner love
seats with cupholder armrests and 48-inch
row depths, and 18-inch stadium risers. The lobbies
feature multiple concession areas, game rooms and
audio/visual monitors.
With the opening of
the Destin facility, Dallas-based Rave, founded in
1999, operates 168 screens at 11
sites in Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Ohio and
Texas. The chain also plans to bow a Fort Worth, Texas,
13-plex in December, and has new facilities earmarked
for 2004
launches in Melbourne, Fla., and Peoria, Ill. 
L.A. Suburb’s
Town Center
Pacific Plans For
Glendale 16-Plex
GLENDALE, Calif. – Pacific Theatres announced on
Aug. 18 plans to build a stadium-style 16-plex at the
new Glendale Town Center in Glendale, Calif.
Slated to open late in 2005, the plex
will be located adjacent to the Glendale Galleria, and
bordered by Central
Avenue, Brand Boulevard and Colorado Street. Caruso Affiliated
Holdings, the developers of the popular Grove entertainment
complex in Los Angeles, is set to develop the mall as
a retail and dining destination featuring a Main Street
theme with a 2-acre landscaped village square.
“We are thrilled to be working again
with Rick Caruso of Caruso Affiliated Holdings since
our experience at
The Grove is proof positive that he builds unique and
sought-after entertainment retail destinations,” said
circuit COO Nora Dashwood.
Los Angeles-based Pacific Theatres currently
operates 450 screens in California and Hawaii.
Second Louisiana Site
Southern Bowing
16-Plex In April
LAFAYETTE, La. – Southern Theatres commenced construction
July 8 on its second multi, the Grand 16-plex in Lafayette,
La.
 Slated to open in April, the 62,000-square-foot
site at the corner of Johnston Street and Doucet Road
will
include stadium-style seating with 18-inch risers,
high-backed rocker seats with cup-holder armrests and
surround sound.
The facility will also feature a game room and a specialty
concession stand featuring gourmet hot dogs, pizza,
coffee, frozen cappuccino and frozen daiquiris.
Metairie, La.-based Southern Theatres
currently operates 12 screens at one site and has announced
plans for
further expansion in 2004.
N.J. Speedway Repurposed
The Drive-In
Returns to Jersey
WALL TOWNSHIP, N.J. – After a decade-long absence,
the drive-in has returned to the state in which the drive-in
was born.
Located on Route 34 in Wall Township,
N.J., the Wall Drive-In launched Sept. 26 with an 80-foot
screen and
space enough to accommodate more than 650 autos.
he
facility, which shares its space with the Wall Township
Speedway, was expected to program the latest family-oriented
films.
“The speedway owners are car lovers
who immediately appreciated the possibility of a drive-in
revival and became our
partners,” said Wall Drive-In partner John Halecky.
According to Halecky, the United States
has an average of 64 cars per square mile, while New
Jersey holds an
average 822.
Though Camden, N.J., became in 1933
the site of the world’s
first permanent drive-in, New Jersey has been wholly
bereft of Ozoners since 1991.
According to the United Drive-In Theatre
Owners Association, there were 634 screens operating
at exactly 400 U.S.
drive-in sites this summer.
Multifaceted Multi in Wichita, Kansas
Warren Serves 5-Plex/Eatery/Bar
WICHITA, Kan. – Warren
Theatre Group celebrated on June 20 the grand opening
of its new restaurant/bar/5-plex
in Wichita, Kan.
 Part of the 5.7-acre Old Town Square
entertainment and retail complex between Second Street
and Third Street,
the Warren Old Town Theatre & Grill offers stadium-style
seating, on-call food and beverage service, wall-to-wall
screens and digital sound. The neon entrance marquee
features a full-color video screen and sound system for
screening trailers and commercials.
The 27,000-square-foot site also features
a full-service restaurant and sports bar dubbed “Oscars.” Its
37-foot-wide screen, billed as the “world’s
largest sports TV,” complements the more than 30
other video monitors utilized by the facility while a “sports
ticker” displays updated scores.
Serving a full range of adult beverages
in the auditoriums, the complex targets a mature
audience, and only those
ages 21 and over will be admitted after 8 p.m.
“I’m always looking for innovative ways to improve
the customer’s experience and this complex will
undoubtedly attract the attention of everyone visiting
the plaza,” noted circuit chief Bill Warren.
Wichita-based WTG currently operates
72 screens at eight sites.
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$22,500 To College-Age Cinema Employees
Wisconsin NATO Dishes Out 15 $1,500 Scholarships
SUSSEX,
Wis. – NATO of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan
announced in May the 15 recipients of its 2003 cinema
employee scholarship program. Each winner
received $1,500 for continuing education.
The recipients are:
- Kristin Bamberger, West Point Luxury Cinema, Brookfield,
Wis.;
- Melissa Beaudre, Cinema I Inc., Manistique, Mich.;
- Kira Borowitz, Goetz Theatres
Inc., Monroe, Wis.;
- Jamie Dye, Rogers Cinema, Wisconsin
Rapids, Wis.;
- Amanda Greene, Campus Cinema, Stevens Point, Wis.;
- Nadia Keller, Westgate Cinema, Racine, Wis.;
- Shelby Lange, Star Cinema, Reedsburg, Wis.;
- Tyler Martin, Wisconsin Theatre, Beaver Dam, Wis.;
- Matthew Moldenhauer, Star Cinema, Fitchburg, Wis.;
- Jeffrey Polacek, Hollywood Cinema, Appleton, Wis.;
- Chelsey Ross, Rogers Cinema, Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.;
- Anne Sampson, Point Cinema, Madison, Wis.;
- Jorel Tingesdahl, Wildwood Theatres, Janesville,
Wis.;
- Donna Vorpagel, Cosmo Theatre,
Merrill, Wis.; and
- Jacea Wimberly, Marc Cinema,
Green Bay, Wis.
Texas-based Cinemark Named
International
Exhibitor of the Year
ShowEast Honors Ferrell, Verbinski,
Rodriguez
ORLANDO, Fla. – Actor Will Ferrell (“Old
School,” “Elf”), film directors Gore
Verbinski (“The Ring,” “Pirates of
the Caribbean”) and Robert Rodriguez (the “Spy
Kids” series, “Once Upon A Time In Mexico”),
and exhibition giant Cinemark International were among
those receiving top honors at this year’s ShowEast.
Cinemark International president Tim Warner
accepted ShowEast 2003’s “International Exhibitor
of the Year” award on behalf of the circuit.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the chain
operates 836
screens at 94 sites in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Argentina,
El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras,
Nicaragua and Panama. The circuit was set to unveil
36 new screens in 2003, and announced a number of projects
set to open throughout Latin America in 2004 and 2005.
“Spreading the magic of movies across the globe, Cinemark International’s
passion for quality shines through at every level,” said ShowEast co-managing
director Mitch Neuhauser.
Verbinski accepted ShowEast’s “Helmer of the Year” at the
convention’s Oct. 2 awards ceremony. His pre-”Ring” feature
credits include “MouseHunt” and “The Mexican.”
Rodriguez, honored at the same ceremony for “filmmaking excellence,” is
best known for writing and directing the “Spy Kids” and “El
Mariachi” trilogies. “Desperado” and “Once Upon a Time
in Mexico” are the latest chapters in the “Mariachi” franchise.
His other directorial credits include “Four Rooms,” “From
Dusk Till Dawn” and “The Faculty.”
Longtime “Saturday Night Live” linchpin Ferrell was honored Oct.
1 as the convention’s “Comedy Star of the Year.” He collected
the honor following a screening of “Elf,” the Christmas-themed
Ferrell vehicle due Nov. 7 from New Line.
Ferrell’s prior credits include “A Night at the Roxbury,” “Superstar,” “The
Ladies Man,” “Dick,” “Zoolander,” “Jay
and Silent Bob Strike Back” and all three “Austin Powers” movies.
He is slated to star in DreamWorks’ upcoming comedy “Anchor Man:
The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”
ShowEast 2003 was held Sept. 29 through
Oct. 2 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando,
Fla. .
As Santikos Vet Coleman Joins Consolidated
Stone Rolls With ShowSouth Honor
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Consolidated Theatres CEO Herman
Stone was honored Aug. 19 as ShowSouth’s “statesman
of the year.”
 Stone, a 40-year exhibition vet, accepted
the honor in Callaway Gardens, Ga., site of the Aug.
19-20 conference.
“It is an honor to be recognized
by an industry that has given so much to me and the world
of entertainment,” said
Stone.
In other Consolidated news, the circuit
on Sept. 5 named Dale Coleman its vice president of operations.
 A 30-year industry vet whose resume includes
a 15-year stint with Loews Theatres, Coleman, prior to
joining
Consolidated, most recently worked with San Antonio-based
Santikos Theatres.
“I am certainly looking forward to
the challenge of being part of such a quality organization
during this exciting
time of growth and expansion,” noted Coleman.
Charlotte, N.C.-based Consolidated currently operates
222 screens at 16 sites in Virginia and the Carolinas.
Boston Fans
Cheer As Red Sox Beat Yankees 9-3
NA Puts Live Baseball On Big Screen
RANDOLPH, Mass. – Sept. 5 marked a first in
Red Sox history as fans gathered inside National Amusements’ 16-plex
in Randolph, Mass., to watch the first-ever live cinemacast
of the ballclub in action.
 The event, which allowed attendees to
view the Red Sox’s
9-to-3 victory over the Yankees on a 25-foot by 56-foot
screen, was a collaboration between the circuit, the
ballclub, WSBK-TV/UPN38 (which broadcast the game), and
Viacom-owned
WBCN-FM and WZLX-FM.
More than 21,000 fans entered to win tickets
online at circuit Websites and through radio stations.
The facility temporarily transformed its
décor for
the event into a “baseball fan’s fantasy” with
murals of Yawkey Way and Fenway Park.
Patrons were greeted with a live organ
playing traditional baseball tunes, while ballpark concessions
were sold
up and down the auditorium aisles. Baseball trivia
and prizes
were offered during commercial breaks.
Employees Impersonate
X-Man, Elle, Hulk, Angels
Harkins Staff Dresses Up Summer
SEDONA, Ariz. – Employees at the Harkins Theatres’ Sedona, Ariz.,
6-plex promoted summer’s movie slate by dressing up as movie characters
such as The Hulk, Charlie’s Angels, “X2” character Pyro, and “Legally
Blonde’s” Elle Woods.
 The costumed staff was available to greet
patrons in the lobby and auditoriums, offering autographs
and photos to interested moviegoers.
“Showmanship is always a priority for
us, but so is employee morale,” noted
Sedona 6 general manager David Garrant. “When our team members are
able to leave their regular uniforms at home and dress as some of their favorite
movie
characters it makes the moviegoing experience all the more entertaining for
our guests and employees alike.”
Harkins says it will allow its employees
to dress up as their favorite movie characters once again
during the upcoming holiday season. |
