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Topic: Windy City theatres
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Mark Gulbrandsen
Resident Trollmaster
Posts: 16657
From: Music City
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 06-06-2001 02:30 PM
As an ex chiocago area resident I keep pretty good track of whats going on there .... however, there are really no good movie theatres in chicago or the chicago area anymore. Just mainstream crap, imporperly restored supposed movie palaces or plexed and cut up palaces of years gone by.
The Chicago Theatre is no longer film equipped nor is the Palace or Oriental or any of the other downtown movie palaces that are still standing and restored. However, these theatres are well worth going into for a look around, especially the Chicago which is an absolute knockout. The Uptown with it's acre of seats(just on the main floor) is in the renovation stages now, having been closed for several decades.
There is one place wotth seeing on the near north side. Its called Copernicus Center. Its an old atmospheric theatre that has been totally restored and is now a polish residents center. This place is still film equipped and has Simplex XL's # !05 and 106 with a pair of Super Cinex's on the back. Super Cinex's used to be all over the city at one time.
Out in Dekalb there is the Egyptian Theatre which is also nice, but smallish. It was restored by Konrad Schmidt though and the detailing is impeccable. In Aurora is the Paramount Theatre(now Paramount Arts Center) which is another proper, impeccable restoration.
The rest of what lies in and around Chicago has either not been correctly restored or is simply not worth taking the time to see. I highly reccommend the trip to see Gord in Toronto. He will show you areound(time permitting) and allow you to have the best seat in the house for viewing as many Imax films as you want to see. The Imax "vaults" in the Cinesphere are very interesting as is the fact that it is Imax projector #1! All in all I've had far more fun in Toronto than Chicago any day. If you make it to Toronto you need to continue up about 100 miles north to Kinmount to see Highlands Cinemas Museum and theatres. This is probably the most unique cinema and museum you will ever have the chance to go through. There are a few pictures of the place posted on the picture page.
Mark @ GTS
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John Schulien
Expert Film Handler
Posts: 206
From: Chicago, IL, USA
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 06-12-2001 06:09 PM
The Music Box Theatre is worth seeing. It's an 800 seat miniature movie palace, built in 1929, and is a real gem -- in nearly original condition, complete with star projectors on the ceiling, and a sort of Spanish/Moorish fantasy theme. The theatre was beautifully restored in 1983. Now it's billed as "Chicago's Year-round Film Festival", and their schedule is a nice eclectic mix of art films, independent films, and repertory. They don't show current Hollywood films though.When they got into financial trouble, instead of multiplexing the main auditorium, they bought up an adjacant building, and added a 100 seat second theatre, and it isn't just a box -- they decorated the room in a "garden" theme to complement the main auditorium. The Music Box is also one of the only theatres in Chicago where that gives a damn about presentation. The picture is always bright and in sharp focus. They go out of their way to book new 35mm prints of repertory films when they can, and they even mention it in their advertising. The main thing to be aware of if you decide to visit is that there isn't quite enough legroom between rows of seats, but right in the middle of the auditorium is a horizontal aisle, and if you sit there, you'll have the best view, *and* plenty of room to stretch your legs. In short, it's my favorite theatre in Chicago and an excellent example of a small, surviving vintage movie palace. There's a good history of the theatre, as well as a schedule, at their web site:
http://www.musicboxtheatre.com
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I hopefully ,at some time in the near future , will get to Toronto anyway on a separate trip.
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