Show must go on
As my daughter would loudly proclaim, “ohhh noes!” That was my first reaction when I read the Alameda Sun article about the most recent Central Cinema problems. Highlights for those of you that have not yet read it:
Alameda’s Central Cinema, the plucky small-time independent operation, is $2,900 in arrears on its rent and will be evicted June 5 unless payment is made, according to a Notice to Pay or Quit taped to the movie theater’s door Tuesday.
…
“The landlord and I have had back and forth negotiations,” Haskett said. He said the notices could be a negotiating tactic.
The property’s owner, Dennis Keefe, said that Haskett had earlier declined an offer to renew his lease and had switched to a month-to-month arrangement based on anticipation of overwhelming competition from the downtown multiplex set to open later this month. “I don’t believe he wants to be here anymore,” Keefe said.
…
Haskett said he has been scouting new locations for his operation, mostly outside of Alameda. “Everybody’s talking about how the megaplex is going bury us,” he said.
So, here’s the thing I don’t get, if Central Cinema is already having problems paying its rent prior to the Alameda Theatre opening (still three weekends away), I imagine with a rather defeatist attitude like switching to a month-to-month lease and actively looking for space outside of Alameda, Central Cinema will probably not make it once the Theatre opens. Although the real question is, would they have made it even if the theatre didn’t open?
Also, admittedly I don’t talk about the Central Cinema v. Alameda Theatre battles nearly as much as Mark Haskett probably does, I’ve seen a lot of positive things that people have said, wishing for the best for the future of Central Cinema and proffering suggestions as to what Central Cinema could possibly do to stay afloat. The most recent one was a very nice letter in the Journal about the issue. Basically I haven’t heard anyone say that the Alameda Theatre is going to “bury” Central Cinema. I think that Mark H. needs to do some surveying of his current customers to see what other movies they would be interested in seeing: second-run, art house, classics, etc… And then basically keep trying until he finds something that works. Maybe do a “season pass” of sorts during the day for kids during the summer and show classics like Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the Gene Wilder version), Lassie, etc…
Anyway, I hope that Central Cinema can make it without needing to leave Alameda.
However, in other awesomeness, did everyone see Jean Sweeney’s letter on Alameda Daily News about the recent Planning Board nomination? Of course, sometimes one has to take Jean S. statements with a rather large grain of salt. But, if true, that Art Arturino has made a public statement about Measure A in the past which involved not calling it the greatest thing since sliced bread, we might be possibly be in for a larger shitstorm than the one that was originally anticipated, but I’ll go into detail about this next week.
Also, this weekend is Park Street’s Spring Festival, this year if you are not walking to get there, there’s a pretty convenient parking garage now open for those that have to drive to get to the festival. I hope there are funnel cakes this year.
I keep reading about all Mr.Haskett has done for the community. I am interested in what that is. Also I think he opened when the Alameda theater was not yet a done deal. He had to have some idea what was coming down the pike. Business is business and you have to plan when you aren’t the big guy. Crest maybe the big brand of toothpaste but that doesn’t stop other people from making it. One of the most exciting parts of being the little guy is out thinking the big guy.
I do believe his price isn’t that much less than a true theater. For that one gets to sit on frat-boy sofas that are well on their way to a white trash front porch. (lot’s of soda spilled on them, they just need beer). the popcorn isn’t great and I need ice for my soda thank you.
Comment by Virginia — May 9, 2008 @ 8:14 am
Sounds to me like he wasn’t making it and has a great excuse in the big gorilla (that nobody likes? ) down the street.
It also seems to me that the rancor over the demise of the CC is just so much noise. Apparently not that many people are going — since he’s not making his rent. Either that or he doesn’t have enough seats in the house to break even.
One thing about that nice letter. I so dearly love the hypothetical that why can’t SOMEONE do a study and figure out what people want in an independent theater. Why can’t the entrepreneur do his own market research?
Comment by delmundo — May 9, 2008 @ 10:18 am
I like the Central Cinema quite a bit. It is a really relaxed way to watch a movie. But to me part of the problem with it is the programming. It seems like the theater caters heavily to families with small children, which makes sense being located in prime baby breeding territory. But for parents that want to get away from the kids for a night or for couples who don’t have kids , there is often nothing worth watching there. Usually kiddie fodder like ” Horton hears a who” or something like that. This means that if you do go, you get to sit amongst screaming children the whole time.
It would be good if it alternated venues so that there would be more entertainment options for a wider audience.Perhaps late movies with higher than G ratings?
I go there usually once a year to watch my annual Pixar film.If they played a better mix, I’d go more often.
On the other hand, there’s a small cinema near my parents that was lovingly restored that played a wide variety. They started having problems. Their solution was allowing the local high school to use the stage for practicing plays and letting a church have services there on Sunday.Seems to be doing ok now. But it doesn’t seem like running a theater is something you do for the money. Those reels are expensive to rent.
I wish the Central well…
Comment by edvard — May 9, 2008 @ 11:11 am
How anyone can be bullish on the prospects of movie theaters is beyond me. But I’ll say the gov’t-subsidized one has better chance of survival.
Edvard, so you’ve been there twice? thrice? best to wish them well w/ a little consumer action. Like I should talk, I’ve only been there once.
Comment by Jack B — May 9, 2008 @ 11:47 am
Edvard complaining about screaming children….
Comment by Wilson's Bobby — May 9, 2008 @ 1:11 pm
Edvard complaining about screaming children….
-and people who shadow comments on blogs.
Comment by edvard — May 9, 2008 @ 3:40 pm
I’ll be sorry if it closes. When a good adult movie is showing (which I also wish they’d do more often) we like to take my MIL there. She has really bad arthritis and it’s great that we can drop her right at the entrance, and then it’s just a few short steps into the theater for her. She likes the comfy sofas also.
On our own, we’ve walked there a number of times and then walked to the New Zealander for dinner after. We can walk to the new theater and Pappo’s also, but it won’t be quite the same.
Comment by Susan — May 9, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
Mr. Haskett started the business with problems from the neighborhood, which might have been them over reacting a little since many of them were pretty up tight about the previous use permit for the Multi Cultural Center. But Haskett got in hot water over having no use permit for his theater either and ended up getting the Council to pass a boutique theater ordinance so he could stay.
He was trying to come up with ways to get a lease on the historic theater the whole time and when the anti-cineplex campaign started he spoke at council against it and pretty much bit the hand that had just passed a special ordinance for him.
On his private home he did extensive demolition beyond what was permitted and had to go through a whole review process.
The guy seems like a user and an opportunist and it makes one suspect that he made a calculation to not sign a lease and then do his poor mouthing routine while he screws the landlord for back rent. I’m sure he decided long ago to bag it when the cineplex came on line.
Comment by Indiana Jones — May 9, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
I think you nailed it Jones.
Comment by anachrofella — May 9, 2008 @ 7:40 pm
Indiana Jones, you are “Dead on” he”s a very sneaky guy.
Comment by john piziali — May 9, 2008 @ 11:13 pm
# 3 and 4
Speaking of movies, marketing and alternate venues, I received an email from a friend in Beijing this morning.
“Last night some coworkers said they were going to see Iron Man and asked if I wanted to go. I had nothing else to do so I figured what the hell. When we called the theater to find out the times we found that they had a VIP room. A regular ticket is ¥70, about $10, and a VIP ticket was ¥150. We went for the VIP.
What we got was amazing, similar to the business class lounge at an airport. You get ushered into a waiting room. There is a fridge full of soft drinks, juice, beer, and wine, and a table of snacks—chocolate, crackers, fruit, and so on. So you sit there in the waiting room “gettin’ yo’ drink on and yo’ snack on” waiting for the start time. When the movie is about to start you walk into a 20-seat screening room. All the seats are massive leather recliners, the feet go up and the back tilts. There is a button you can press if you need anything, a waiter comes running in silently.
It was the greatest moviegoing experience of my life. Simply awesome, and all for $22. I swear to God, if they offered this service in Los Angeles I’d pay $100 a ticket.
The only drag about watching a movie in China is the subtitles. It’s not that they’re really distracting, it’s that they don’t also include English subtitles. So, say you have a scene where there are multiple characters speaking in English. One turns to the other and says something in a foreign language, which is subtitled in English on the bottom. Since the film is already being subtitled in Chinese you don’t get the English subtitles as well. Thus in Iron Man, when the terrorists are talking to each other, I had no idea what they were saying because all the translations were in Chinese characters.”
Comment by anachrofella — May 10, 2008 @ 10:09 am
China is pretty amazing these days in regards to how rich some are and how poor others are. A huge disparity. Interestingly enough, the best selling import brand in China is GM. Of their brands, Buick sells the best.
Buick in China is marketed as an upscale mid-entry and upper level luxury car for professionals. Some of their upscale models feature reclining heated seats with massagers, wine coolers, and so on.They look much nicer than the models they have here. A much nicer fit and finish. If they were to import Chinese made Buicks to the US, they would still cost 45,000 US dollars for the mid entry model, and over 65,000 for the upscale model. Now just imagine how much that is in China. Astronomical. yet they sell well.
Pretty wild.
Comment by edvard — May 11, 2008 @ 10:26 am
Edvard, China would like to know how many days they have left. You’re sending them mixed signals please, for the sake of billions, could you clear it up?
“China is pretty amazing these days in regards to how rich some are and how poor others are”
Comment by edvard — May 11, 2008 @ 10:26 am
“dude,
“…but the truth is that no society in modern history has survived without a middle class for very long,…”
Comment by edvard — May 2, 2008 @ 12:25 pm
Comment by Jack Richard — May 11, 2008 @ 12:00 pm