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Author Topic: New Warren 12 in Wichita Jeff Leyland Film Handler Posts: 28 From: Lake Charles, LA Registered: Dec 2001 posted 04-22-2002 12:22 AM                     I was wondering if anyone has details of this new theatre opening in May in Wichita? I found an article about the company making/installing the neon. It mentioned that this 12 screen was huge 100,000 sq ft. If this is correct it has to be the biggest 12 screen I have heard of. Warren's site does have some construction shots from the air.  |  IP: Logged Jim Ziegler Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 753 From: West Hollywood, CA Registered: Jul 99 posted 04-22-2002 04:10 AM                     Warren is building a new theatre in Kansas City, Kansas too..  |  IP: Logged System Notices Forum Watchdog / Soup Nazi Posts: 215 Registered: Apr 2004 posted 03-21-2007 12:44 AM                 It has been 1793 days since the last post.  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-21-2007 12:44 AM                     I went to the Warren Theatre on 13th Avenue in Wichita, Kansas tonight to see "The Number 23". Not a very good movie. The story was okay but the acting sucked. I was not impressed with Jim Carrey's performance either. Very bad delivery on the lines and not very believable situations. Anyhow, I did like the atmosphere of the theater. The owner definitely sank some money into it. I was pretty early so I decided to try out the Diner in the lobby. It was themed after a 50's style diner. There was a pamphlet on the table that told the story of the owner. He grew up during the movie palace era and wanted to recreate that feel. Overall I think he did well and even incorporated into it newer things. There was a sitting room outside of the bathrooms with a fireplace in it. There was a drive-up atm/ticket machine in the parking lot. They had their own security vehicle that was sitting in the parking lot when I came out. The theaters had stadium seating and were decorated to look like an older movie palace with curtains and lighting. I have one serious criticism though. Throughout the lobby there are these neon clocks from the 50's era that have the name of the theater on them. Someone thought it was a good idea to put these in the theaters. As soon as I sat down I thought, "I sure hope those clocks turn off with the dimmers". Nope. It burned brightly throughout the whole show! Worst part is, it was mounted about halfway up the screen on the right side. I was sitting in the back row in the middle and it really bothered me. I can't imagine how annoying it must be to someone who is sitting on the right side of the theater right in their line of sight. Who in the heck thought this was a good idea?! Even if the movie would have been good, I would not have been drawn in due to this overwheleming distraction. The kicker is, all of their theaters are THX certified. How does the big glowing neon clock not constitute a distraction to the movie-goer? This really makes me re-think how worthy a THX certification is. Anyone else ever go to this theater to know what I am talking about?  |  IP: Logged Sam Graham AKA: "The Evil Sam Graham". Wackiness ensues. Posts: 1431 From: Waukee, IA Registered: Dec 2004 posted 03-21-2007 07:11 AM                        The clocks are a tribute of sorts to clocks that used to be in a lot of old theatres mounted exactly the same way. It used to be they'd have the name of a local business who "sponsored" the clock on them. They were pretty much the same style. The clocks at the Warren might be a BIT more obnoxious now that I think about it, but it's been a couple of years since I've been there. Some of the old palaces still have them. The Lorraine in Hoopeston, IL does. The Cameo in Newberg, OR still does. The one at the Cameo didn't work for years (it glowed but didn't tell time). Brian had it fixed a few years back, and people complained because they felt its not working was "part of the charm" of the place.  |  IP: Logged Mark Lensenmayer Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1605 From: Upper Arlington, OH Registered: Sep 1999 posted 03-21-2007 08:29 AM                     Sam is right on this. I remember 2 local theatres that had clocks to the right of the screen back in the early '60's. Actually, I still look for the one at the old DREXEL theatre whenever I go in there...it was very distinctive.  |  IP: Logged Jack Ondracek Film God Posts: 2348 From: Port Orchard, WA, USA Registered: Oct 2002 posted 03-21-2007 09:02 AM                        We had one of those in Port Townsend (WA), where I grew up. That clock had one of those "circline" fluorescent tubes inside it, and no neon. You could make out the time, and the sponsor... if you got close enough... but otherwise, it wasn't much of a distraction. Neon would be baaaad!  |  IP: Logged Louis Bornwasser Film God Posts: 4441 From: prospect ky usa Registered: Mar 2005 posted 03-21-2007 09:39 AM                        Isn't THX certification supposed to address "ambient light?" It centainly was back when we did it. Louis  |  IP: Logged Kenneth Wuepper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1026 From: Saginaw, MI, USA Registered: Feb 2002 posted 03-21-2007 09:57 AM                     In the restoration of the Temple Theatre, we did not replace the clock as we were going back to 1927. (We did not replace the act announcing easel either.) Our clock has blue Neon around the outside and advertised the local bank. When the bank did not pay for repairing the Neon, their ad was painted over in Black so only the clock hands showed. But the clock was still there when restoration began. That clock was always 5 minutes slow from real time. The booth was instructed to start the shows by "house time", which we did for 62 years. The clock remains and I am trying to get the owner to give it to the historical museum where they could use it in their huge lobby. KEN  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 03-21-2007 10:05 AM                     The Warren 20 in Moore, OK (in between Oklahoma City and Norman along I-35) is finally under construction. The project had been delayed for several months and then a lot of ground preparation work had to be completed. Currently the foundation is being poured. If crews make serious progress the theater could possibly be open before the end of the year. Thanksgiving might be a bit optimistic. From the way it sounds, I hope they don't do that neon clocks thing inside the theaters at the Warren 20 like they have elsewhere. I agree, any kind of exposed neon inside a movie theater auditorium would be a very major visual distraction. If it is mounted close to the screen the light emitted would really interfere with stuff happening on screen. Perhaps the sponsored clocks thing is indeed a certain tradition from old theaters from decades past. However, at least to me, it sounds little different from trying to watch a movie with intrusive banner ads happening. It's just one of the reasons why I simply cannot stomach watching a movie on cable channels like FX and TNT (the main one is how they stretch a 2 hour movie into 5 hours with all the commercials). Their promo ads (with audio) running across the screen during the movie make me feel like throwing a bar-bell into the TV tube. Since I don't feel like buying new TVs all the time, I just won't turn on their channels instead. Warren Theaters just needs to keep the neon clocks out the lobby and hallways where stuff like that belongs. The only other thing that should ever be allowed to light up noticeably in a movie theater auditorium is the "exit" sign above the exterior door (for fire code rules).  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-21-2007 01:00 PM                     One cannot cater to everyones taste the local theatre I grew up going to had a neon clock down by the screen from peerless films I have one in my screening room some people who may choose to patronize the theatre in question may like it and as such go there for the ambiance and atmosphere just like I know many people who only patorize older mono equiped theatres as that is what they preffer and if they come in sufficient numbers to pay the bills so be it  |  IP: Logged Mike Blakesley Film God Posts: 12767 From: Forsyth, Montana Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-21-2007 02:17 PM                        Our theatre had a clock sponsored by the local jewelry store when I was a kid. By the time I owned the place, it was gone. I remember it was lit such that the hands and the clock face had a soft glow, and I do remember it was a purplish green color. But very soft, not distracting to the picture at all. I would think NEON would be far too bright...but given the number of kids who come up and ask "what time is it" during a movie, it might be nice to have a screen clock again.  |  IP: Logged Joshua Waaland Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 800 From: Cleveland, Ohio Registered: Dec 1999 posted 03-21-2007 10:45 PM                     I would be able to stomach to some degree a soft glowing clock but this thing was like staring into a xenon bulb. Way too bright for a theater. Also the huge sconces on the sides were lit throughout the film. This probably would have bothered me but since the clock was so stinking bright I couldn't really see anything in my peripheral vision.  |  IP: Logged Bobby Henderson "Ask me about Trajan." Posts: 10973 From: Lawton, OK, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 03-21-2007 11:45 PM                     I know about neon. It's fantastic on a theater marquee, great to have in a lobby, ornamental on the borders of the building and a great source of recessed cove lighting along the walls and under the counters. However, exposed neon has no absolutely no business at all being lighted inside a movie theater while the movie is playing. That just seems downright retarded. It's a movie theater auditorium. Not a bar or night club. I have a big enough, anger inspiring problem when it comes to people flipping open their cellphones and lighting up their section of the theater with those displays. Any kind of neon sign, especially anything with exposed neon glass, is going to be many times brighter than any cellphone display. It is beyond retarded to have such a thing running during a movie. Warren Theaters can design their auditoriums how they see fit. But if I find their decorations disruptive to the actual movie in progress, then I will see fit not to ever return with any of my business. They build their theaters their way. I spend my money MY way.  |  IP: Logged Mark Gulbrandsen Resident Trollmaster Posts: 16657 From: Music City Registered: Jun 99 posted 03-21-2007 11:58 PM                     I have one of those old neon clocks at home and fondly remember the clocks in all the neighborhood theaters I attended as a kid. The one in my home town at the Glen Theater always said the same time so you were never late getting home...... bad motor I guess. Fun times. I never found the clocks annoying or as distracting as the decoration that keeps you looking around some old theaters during the film. I wonder of THX has a annyance factor for a theater having too much ornimental plaster work . Mark  |  IP: Logged

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