Saturday night, my wife and I went to the Cerrito Theater to see In the Heights. It was more than just a really good movie on the big screen. It was the first time in 16 months I sat in a good-sized theater with a good-sized audience. That meant a lot. No more masking tape … Continue reading In the Heights & in the theaters – along with reserved seats
Category: Theaters
One theater opens and another one closes
I entered the Cerrito Theater Monday for the first time in more than a year, for a matinee screening of Singin' in the Rain. After the song and dance, my wife joined me for a screening of Shadow of a Doubt. (It was not a double bill.) This is all part of the Cerrito Classics … Continue reading One theater opens and another one closes
Our night at the movies
My wife and I actually went to the movies Friday night! It's a much better cinematic experience than what we've been having for more than a year. And yet, I was left worried about the survival of theatrical cinema. The Shattuck Cinema is a multiplex in downtown Berkeley. It's owned by Landmark Theatres, which means … Continue reading Our night at the movies
Movies on the big screen – in Berkeley!
Like almost everyone else, I haven't seen a movie in the theater in more than a year. But come Friday, that will change. Berkeley's Shattuck Cinema opens tomorrow with eleven films from this year and last. I've seen seven of these films, but only at home. And yes, I know that other theaters have been … Continue reading Movies on the big screen – in Berkeley!
What we lost when the theaters closed
Please indulge me my nostalgia. As 2019 turned into 2020, none of us really knew what would soon happen. Looking back at the first months of this year, it seems amazing how many great films were available theatrically in real, hard-top movie theaters; some of them even using physical film. And you didn't have to … Continue reading What we lost when the theaters closed
Movie theaters are opening, but should they?
Last year I wrote an article about the joys of seeing a movie theatrically. It's so much better than watching one at home. In theory, I still believe it. I would love to sit down in a crowded cinema, get close to the giant screen, and share an emotional experience with hundreds of happy strangers. … Continue reading Movie theaters are opening, but should they?
It’s a long time before we can go to the movies, but the New Parkway is trying to do their best
If we lived in New Zealand right now, we could go to the movies. Down under they seem to have this whole COVID-19 thing completely under control. But we're in Trump's America, and I'm talking about something in Oakland: the New Parkway. One of the friendliest movie theaters in the Bay Area, it offers good … Continue reading It’s a long time before we can go to the movies, but the New Parkway is trying to do their best
Drive-in Memories
I never thought that drive-in movie theaters would come back. I haven't been to one of them (aside from flea markets) in almost 50 years. And yet, here they are again, thanks to that changer of all things, COVID-19. For various reasons, I haven't yet visited my nearest Drive-in, the Solano, in Concord. I hope … Continue reading Drive-in Memories
Virtual Cinema: Is it helping the theaters?
Note: I have made errors in this article. You'll find them below. Movie theaters have been dark for almost two months now. It's hard on cinephiles, but it's much harder on the people who own, manage, and work in these palaces of the imagination. Independent distributors and art house cinemas have found a way to … Continue reading Virtual Cinema: Is it helping the theaters?
When this is over, we’ll still want movie theaters
While we watch movies on our TVs, the good people who run the theaters we love worry about paying their bills. They don't know how long this situation will last, and for the time being, they're not getting any money. "On paper, they've only shut their doors temporarily—but faced with the prospect of being shuttered … Continue reading When this is over, we’ll still want movie theaters
