Offers Come In on Royal and Revue

I hope they find a viable way to keep the theatres operating - with any luck they'll read and consider your opinions.

Increasing the ticket prices is reasonable, I'd rather give twelve dollars to an independent than Paramount - but will it cover costs if they do switch from classics to niche market films?

If we're expected to pay 3x the price to see a film, shouldn't we expect 3x the experience? I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Revue a few months back and found the lyrics of the various songs muddy and unintelligible due to the sound system. I didn't feel gipped though, as my cost for entry was low.


It could have been the film print perhaps that was of poor quality, but still, if you want to charge the same as the multi-plexes, shouldn't the quality of the image and sound at least be up to par?


And I'm not sure if going niche is really the answer. As mentioned previously, Cinematheque kind of has that covered, and it gets support from the government to keep it going.

i love the Revue, but 3x the price for poor projection and crackling sound? (it's not the prints!)And one of the reasons many of us go to the festivals is, in fact, because it's cheaper.

Then, you're suggesting pricier snacks be made available at cheap prices..?

Until I read this post, i hadn't considered the historical designation a hinderance to finding a new owner. I suppose the designaton would make it difficult for new owner to modernize the interior in terms of a new screen or overall aesthetics. Hopefully the new owner keeps the facade and cleans it all up (and keeps showing movies). Is the Eglinton cinema that became an event theatre a few years back a historical landmark?

Jason:

Historic designation won't stop a new owner from modernizing the interior or putting in a new screen - historic designation is designed to protect buildings, not force them to decay.

The reason that historic designation will reduce the building value (and make it more difficult to find an owner) is because with it historically desginated, you need to keep the facade, and can't just tear down the place to build a condo. Believe it or not, there are lots of more valuable things to do with a large lot on College St than show films. ;)

If you get the right Manager or Owner to run the Revue its going to stay afloat. You just have to be a little more varied with your programming. The problem with the festival cinemas was that they all kinda played the same stuff, they just rotated the prints between the screens. Open your options, get a video projector so you can have more local smaller festivals, make sure the presentaion is top notch. Really mix up the programming, the owner's need to go to film festivals and find out whats going to work at their cinema. Play KID stuff on the weekends, they bring in the most money. Its not tickets that make these theatres money its popcorn, pop and candy!!! remember that. Arty folks don't eat junk food.