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Author Topic: What a mess Frank Rapisardi Film Handler Posts: 96 From: Methuen, MA, USA Registered: Apr 2000 posted 09-01-2000 05:28 AM                     Just saw the new Showcase Cinemas Lawrence(1-6) Wow! floors not level;walls not level;painters working while customers arrive;heavy equipment(back hole diggers,bull dozers,while customers are trying to get into the parking lot) No lights at the boxoffices,Huge boxes everywhere. Auditoria not completely finished!What a mess! They opened one week before Loews in Methuen.It seemed to be a race to see who would open first.Why rush like this and build a mess of a cineplex? ------------------  |  IP: Logged Tim Reed Better Projection Pays Posts: 5246 From: Northampton, PA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 09-01-2000 08:44 AM                       This is typical of the Redstone outfit: unrealistic construction schedules and deadlines, etc. When I worked for their theatre supply company (I built over 700 biamped CP-500 racks for them in 2 years!), the timespans for new construction kept getting progressively shorter and shorter, mainly because the deadlines were being met. Everything was no lead-time, and then when they DID want it, it was a 4-alarm-bell emergency! Sounds like they've pushed well beyond that point now. ------------------ Better Projection Pays!  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 09-01-2000 11:00 AM                     Actually, this is not unusual for most theater companies. There's a big push to get the theaters open and generating an income, to keep the bank happy. One time I had to run with no port windows, and I could see huge amounts of concrete and sheetrock dust getting sucked into the lamp. Although, we have a theater in Hartford, CT. that was supossed to open in Oct. of 1999, and it's still not done. They are trying to do a good job. We've been getting Xetron to almost completely pre-wire our racks for us; it's cut down a lot of labor at the site.  |  IP: Logged Joseph Pandolfi Expert Film Handler Posts: 213 From: Milford, CT. Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-01-2000 10:41 PM                     Joe -- If you are by the southern part of the state EMAIL me. I'll show you around here. I normally work Tues and Saturday nights now. I had a VIP up in my screening room last Saturday where our booth is. I showed him around here and he could not believe the amount of space we have here. I guess you have a very spaceous booth up Hartford way.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 09-01-2000 11:30 PM                     Joseph Pandolf; Do you mean me, or someone else? You are the only "Joe" here!  |  IP: Logged Joseph Pandolfi Expert Film Handler Posts: 213 From: Milford, CT. Registered: Nov 1999 posted 09-02-2000 08:08 AM                     I'm sorry, John Walsh not Joe Walsh, I created another name for you.  |  IP: Logged Jeff Taylor Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 601 From: Chatham, NJ/East Hampton, NY Registered: Apr 2000 posted 09-05-2000 07:19 AM                     Unrealistic construction schedules...well how does 85 days from level ground to opening sound for a 16-plex. Yep, it was Redstone/National Amusement/Showcase. We added it to our shopping mall in Springfield, MA, and the only real problems were the projection room elevator (3 mos late), and some teething problems with the Simplex fire system which we solved by paying a fireman for two days to keep a fire watch until it was straightened out. Otherwise, everything went well. As far as quality, well the basic construction was good, the booths worked, and the auditoriums looked good (as long as the lights were off!) The main payoff, though, was that we beat a Regal which started 6 months ahead of us, and opened 6 months AFTER us.  |  IP: Logged

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