my profile | my password | search | faq & rules | forum home

» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Operations   » Ground Level   » UA Stonestown = $3.50 movies; ceiling repairs underway (Page 1)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3

Author Topic: UA Stonestown = $3.50 movies; ceiling repairs underway Mike Croaro Master Film Handler Posts: 394 From: Millbrae, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 07-10-2012 05:21 PM                     Hmmmm....UA Stonestown, which has been an art house since 2002, appears to be dropping that format in favor of second run. Next week's schedule consists of "Battleship" and "Dark Shadows". Fandango shows a ticket price of $3.50 for ALL shows, maintee and nightime. Is this a one week "special"? Or is this their new full time policy? I sure hope not. They are more important to the area as an art house. Mike  |  IP: Logged Edward Havens Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 614 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Mar 2008 posted 07-12-2012 03:08 AM                     quote: Mike Croaro They are more important to the area as an art house. Unless, of course, they aren't.  |  IP: Logged Mike Croaro Master Film Handler Posts: 394 From: Millbrae, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 07-12-2012 10:13 AM                     "Unless they aren't" Not sure what you mean Ed. In this part of SF, the only choices for art house product was the Stonestown Twin or the Empire 3. The empire has not been a relieable source for these films for some time. Only in the last few weeks did they break the hollywood mold and play "Best Exotic" and "Moonrise Kingdom". Stonestown ahd played the genre for 10 years so they must have had at least some success. Mike  |  IP: Logged Claude S. Ayakawa Film God Posts: 2738 From: Waipahu, Hawaii, USA Registered: Aug 2002 posted 07-12-2012 01:32 PM                        Honolulu is not in the same league when it comes to other cultural happenings such as a world class symphony orchestra or opera as San Francisco but we do have a steady variety of art movies. We have two venues that show them on a regular basis. They are the Doris Duke Theatre at the Honolulu Academy of Arts and Consolidated' Kahala 8.. Before it closed and demolished, the Varsity was also a art house. In addition to our two art movie venues, Honolulu has hosted a very sucsessful film festival for many years. -Claude  |  IP: Logged Edward Havens Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 614 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Mar 2008 posted 07-13-2012 01:11 AM                     It's rather simple, Mike. There is only one reason why a company would go from following one business model for a theatre to following another business model.  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-13-2012 08:20 AM                        quote: Edward Havens There is only one reason why a company would go from following one business model for a theatre to following another business model. And that reason is certainly not importance to the area. Their business was down 14% in a time when the industry is generally up. Sounds like it might be time for a change.  |  IP: Logged Edward Havens Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 614 From: Los Angeles, CA Registered: Mar 2008 posted 07-13-2012 09:31 AM                     And let's face facts: The Stonestown Twin was not a great theatre back in the late 1980s, when I had the train its new GM because I was too young to become a GM with UATC at that time. It's even less a theatre twenty-two years later, with all the advances our industry has taken.  |  IP: Logged Mike Croaro Master Film Handler Posts: 394 From: Millbrae, CA Registered: Apr 2005 posted 07-13-2012 03:23 PM                     Mark: How do you know their business was down 14%? The last 6 month or so they have been playing all of the "big gun" titles. Isn't it better to be an art house at full price making no money as opposed to a second run theatre making no money? Mike  |  IP: Logged Mike Spaeth Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1129 From: Marietta, GA Registered: Jul 2000 posted 07-14-2012 03:05 AM                        Mike: Rentrak is my source for the 14% down. The idea when changing formats is not to make no money. Film rental for a discount house is only 35% vs. say, 50%, as an art house. Per capita revenue in concession is roughly the same, as they both are traditionally low-spending crowds. My guess would be the pricing policy is due to the lack of second run screens in San Francisco proper. It's proximity to the university is also a plus for this pricing policy. There's a plethora of specialty product being screened in the city already between the Landmark houses, the Empire, Van Ness, Roxie, SF Film Society Cinema, San Francisco Centre, Kabuki, Metreon, Vogue, Balboa.  |  IP: Logged Mike Frese Master Film Handler Posts: 465 From: Holts Summit, MO Registered: Jun 2007 posted 07-14-2012 09:21 AM                        quote: Mike Spaeth Rentrak is my source for the 14% down Mike Spaeth, this is a big no-no stating publicly that you gotten information from their website. Big no-no as I should know as I got in trouble for doing it once. It always amazes me how people with little to no knowledge of a business's finances knows how a business should be run.  |  IP: Logged Eric Hooper Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 532 From: Fort Worth, TX, USA Registered: May 2003 posted 07-19-2012 03:08 PM                     I see this location doing much better as a discount theatre, rather than trying to compete with the Landmark's over art house films. SF has no 2nd run discount theatres. This may prove to be a unique success for those who don't want to pay $14.95 or whatever the Cinemarks and AMC's are charging now a days. $3.50 for a movie sounds about right to me. Also, the old Century Cinedomes at Newpark Mall in Newark, CA have gone 2nd run discount also, with a $2.00 - $2.50 admission price. I admit I've been a few times, and have enjoyed it. But on the other hand, I like the old funky theatres, so.....  |  IP: Logged Scott D. Neff Theatre Dork Posts: 919 From: San Francisco, CA Registered: Oct 1999 posted 08-03-2012 04:58 PM                        I enjoy Stonestown but I too enjoy funky old theatres, especially those that were once popular. I'm not a big fan of Landmark's theatres but they're the ultimate choice for art films in San Francisco. I was surprised to see that Stonestown went discount but it was clear to me that they weren't doing well with art.  |  IP: Logged Sam D. Chavez Film God Posts: 2153 From: Martinez, CA USA Registered: Aug 2003 posted 08-03-2012 05:52 PM                       I like the Landamrk Embarcadero for sure but the Sundance Kabuki is overall more up to date. Hard to get into as it's always full.  |  IP: Logged Bruce McGee Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1776 From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular. Registered: Aug 1999 posted 08-04-2012 07:34 AM                     I was wondering out loud about why my theatre didnt play any older titles occasionally, and was told by my tech that I'd better hope that the theatre never started doing this, as this usually is the beginning of the end for a location. This was almost 8 years ago. I'm still playing first run!  |  IP: Logged Sean McKinnon Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1712 From: Peabody Massachusetts Registered: Sep 2000 posted 08-04-2012 08:19 AM                        quote: Mike Spaeth The idea when changing formats is not to make no money. Unfortunately, as that would seem to make the most sense I have seen where a company opens a new multi screen complex and either changes a succesful 6-12 screen location so art, sub run, or first run with terrible bookings in the hopes to drive the location into closing (not paying a large percentage to the land lord, be in a better position to renegotiate or get out of a lease etc...)  |  IP: Logged

All times are Central (GMT -6:00)

This topic comprises 3 pages: 1  2  3

Printer-friendly view of this topic

Hop To: Select a Forum: Category: Operations -------------------- Digital Cinema Forum Film Handlers' Forum Large Format Forum Ground Level Feature Info, Trailer Attachments & REAL Credit Offsets Category: Community -------------------- Film-Yak Film Handlers' Movie Reviews The Afterlife Bob Maar's Joke-A-Thon Category: Classified -------------------- Equipment and Supplies Wanted/For Sale Help Wanted/Seeking Employment Category: System -------------------- Software Beta Testing Forum

The Film-Tech Forums are designed for various members related to the cinema industry to express their opinions, viewpoints and testimonials on various products, services and events based upon speculation, personal knowledge and factual information through use, therefore all views represented here allow no liability upon the publishers of this web site and the owners of said views assume no liability for any ill will resulting from these postings. The posts made here are for educational as well as entertainment purposes and as such anyone viewing this portion of the website must accept these views as statements of the author of that opinion and agrees to release the authors from any and all liability.