Book a Private Movie Night

 

If you want the ultimate movie night, now is a golden opportunity. Until this pandemic abates or is dealt with, movie theaters across the country are trying about anything they can think of to stay afloat. Between customers too scared to come in, capacity restrictions, or out and out mandatory closures, while actually competing with movie studios going right to streaming while still charging premium screening costs to struggling theaters, many theaters may not even be around in another year. So they’re innovating.

Since you are not legally permitted to publicly show anything in your DVD collection, but you can show it privately, theaters are letting you privately book their giant screens and sound systems, and let you see your favorite films “on the big screen” the way they were intended in the first place. Tonight we took up a local theater on the opportunity.

I don’t know how many movie theaters will survive the pandemic. Many were doing poorly before COVID anyway, and now they’re practically begging for customers. In recent years even the large multiplex theaters have been offering customers the ability to book a screen, but the pricing has usually been affordable only for businesses, and the times available have likewise been in the daytime. This makes sense of course, as these are large buildings to heat or cool, and to staff for concessions and cleaning, so if one is going to open up for a private event, it needs to be remunerative. In this, the smaller independent theaters have a bit of an advantage – they only a few people on duty. Our local theater has decided to get in on the act.

The Strand is one of the 10 oldest theaters left in the country. It passed its centennial recently. Like many old theaters, it was not originally strictly a movie house, having a small stage and dressing room for hosting vaudeville or other live acts. It also originally had a balcony, though it was never large enough for private booths. I do not know how many owners it has had over the years, but it is now run by the local college as part of their business school. Sometime in the 70s or 80s the theater closed its balcony and turned it into a 2nd smaller screen. In the 1990s they acquired storefronts on either side, turned one into a new concession stand, and hollowed out the other to turn it into a third screen. Only in the last decade, however, were the original restrooms finally gutted, with modern facilities added within the expansion space. All of the renovations of the last 20 years have been funded by the community – we’ve done our part to keep the old girl going. Modern seating arrived at last within the last couple of years, just in time for COVID.

You can see where the old balcony was.

As it happens, we caught the very last movie before Ohio shut everything down – Disney’s Homeward – we had the theater to ourselves as people were already keeping away in fear. During Ohio’s long lockdown on theaters, lasting from March through June, when theaters were at last allowed a limited reopening, The Strand offered weekend concessions – genuine buckets of movie theater popcorn and theater-sized candy boxes and sodas, strictly on a drive-up basis. They also had a fundraising drive to keep the bills paid on the place. They survived, but barely.

Down in front!

When they reopened they tried going back to first-run movies, but this has not panned out well. The studios are releasing everything simultaneously to streaming services, it seems, and even at greatly reduced ticket prices the theaters cannot attract the audiences. My wife beelined there to see the latest Christopher Nolan film this past summer – then regretted that Nolan is taking himself too seriously (I long ago wrote him off and refused to go see it myself) Even the big multiplexes are by and large showing classic films instead. I went with one daughter to see Beetlejuice last month – a film she never would have seen “on the big screen” otherwise, and the tickets and concession prices were the lowest I’ve paid since the early 90s. The Strand has tried this too, but it’s still not really paying the bills.

Vestige of old times.

Now, they’re letting you pick the film yourself – all you do is provide the DVD or BluRay disc, and for a fee you’ve got your own private screening. For an upcharge per head, they’ll include popcorn, sodas, and candy (no nachos or hot dogs, though, unless you’ve got a really big crowd). We booked the screen for this evening, called a bunch of friends and family, and watched Wallace and Gromit – Curse of the Were Rabbit. We have it booked again right before Christmas for a yet-to-be-decided Christmas movie. Where my sister lives, she and her friends booked their own screening of The Princess Bride.

Old backstage stairs

There’s something about watching a movie in a theater instead of from your couch. Even with today’s large high-resolution screens at home, the still larger theater screen help you to pick out details you are not apt to notice at home. Plus, for whatever reason, the kids shut the heck up in the theater, while jabbering endlessly at home (or checking their phones every second). The popcorn tends to be, well, not necessarily better at the theater (and you can have real butter at home), but there’s certainly more of it at the theater, to the point of rabid abundance. I’m not of an age anymore where the giant sodas hold any attraction for me, but the kids were happy to indulge too. With the decreased movie attendance and increased theater sanitation, the sticky floors are no longer a problem.

As for the movie we picked, Wallace and Gromit are old favorites, but only our eldest daughter ever saw the film on the big screen, and she was five at the time. Number 2 was present in the theater, but at only a year old she remembers nothing. The other 2 hadn’t yet arrived on the scene. With this sort of opportunity, we can at last show them all, and without all the previews and commercials to wait on. Right now The Strand is only allowing maximum rental blocks of 2 hours, so I can’t show them the old epics like Ben Hur, or It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World, but at some point perhaps we’ll have that chance.

And in the meantime, we and others in the community will keep doing what we can to keep the old girl going. If you get the chance, support your local theater too, while it’s still around. Many are already gone.

Published in Entertainment
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  1. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey
    @GaryMcVey

    A great story, SkipSul, and it’s a praiseworthy thing to try to help out your local theater. When it comes to Covid-era improvisation, renting theaters directly to viewers is right up there with being able to order a gin and tonic for home delivery. 

    That Simplex projector was first marketed 85 years ago, but it was still the standard of the film industry when I was a projectionist, forty years ago. I could walk up to it today, thread the film and trim the carbon arc blindfolded–I’m not exaggerating. The craft never truly leaves you. 

    • #1
  2. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    A great story, SkipSul, and it’s a praiseworthy thing to try to help out your local theater. When it comes to Covid-era improvisation, renting theaters directly to viewers is right up there with being able to order a gin and tonic for home delivery.

    That Simplex projector was first marketed 85 years ago, but it was still the standard of the film industry when I was a projectionist, forty years ago. I could walk up to it today, thread the film and trim the carbon arc blindfolded–I’m not exaggerating. The craft never truly leaves you.

    I photographed the projector specifically because I thought you’d recognize it.

    • #2
  3. Clavius Thatcher
    Clavius
    @Clavius

    Keep it going! There is nothing you can have at home that is like the experience in a theater.

    Man, could I watch Sorcerer in a theater again?

    • #3
  4. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    • #4
  5. Cat III, Nymphoid Barbarian Member
    Cat III, Nymphoid Barbarian
    @CatIII

    SkipSul: Even the big multiplexes are by and large showing classic films instead. I went with one daughter to see Beetlejuice last month – a film she never would have seen “on the big screen” otherwise

    As far as theaters go, this has been one of the best developments of recent years. How ecstatic was I when last year provided the opportunity to see Alien on the big screen, an experience I’d assumed fate robbed from me by my being born about a decade too late. This particular innovation is so brilliant, it’s crazy it took a pandemic for someone to think of it. Will have to look and see if any theaters nearby are offering this, though unlikely in nowhere, UT. Know a lot of people who would be interested. Problem would be deciding on what flick to see. Doubt I could convince enough people to watch my disgusting torture porn. Director Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Studios says for their test screenings they would wrangle a bunch of homeless people who were just glad to have a roof over their heads for a couple hours. Maybe I could give back to the community and do something like that.

    Seriously, awesome on you for highlighting this. Hopefully this keeps theaters afloat until things clear up, and beyond really since it’s not like the theater business was doing so hot pre-COVID.

    • #5
  6. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    We have a restored movie palace in the area. A group of organ enthusiasts wanted to do something to save the organ, and what they found was that the best way to do that was to buy and restore the theater:

    https://redfordtheatre.com/

    • #6
  7. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    My 14-year-old went to a birthday party about 2-3 weeks ago where the host family did this – rented a theater at the multi-plex, had all the kids over for a movie.

    I didn’t get the exact figure, but I understood it was pretty cheap.

    • #7
  8. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    They have their pricing here.  We bundled together with other folks just happy to join us, or let their kids have a night out with friends.

    https://www.thestrandtheatre.net/byom

    • #8
  9. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    Cat III, Nymphoid Barbarian (View Comment):
    Problem would be deciding on what flick to see. Doubt I could convince enough people to watch my disgusting torture porn. Director Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Studios says for their test screenings they would wrangle a bunch of homeless people who were just glad to have a roof over their heads for a couple hours. Maybe I could give back to the community and do something like that.

    Many theaters have a ratings limit of R, and the Strand’s manager also has a right of veto – they don’t want to make their operators to sit through certain things.

    But that does still leave a wide variety of things open, often even movies that never actually had theatrical releases in the first place.  My wife is lobbying hard for Bernard and the Genie, an early 90s low budget British Christmas movie that not only never showed here, but was not even been a theater release in the first place over there – it was made for TV.  

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_and_the_Genie

    Personally, I’m lobbying instead for National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – I missed it in theaters because my parents didn’t want to go see it, and so first saw it as a VHS rental (at which we all laughed ourselves sick, proving my instincts right).

    • #9
  10. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    They have their pricing here. We bundled together with other folks just happy to join us, or let their kids have a night out with friends.

    https://www.thestrandtheatre.net/byom

    Not bad at all.

    • #10
  11. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    They have their pricing here. We bundled together with other folks just happy to join us, or let their kids have a night out with friends.

    https://www.thestrandtheatre.net/byom

    I just checked the Marcus theaters in our area.  Theater for up to 20 people, with a selection from their catalog is $175.  If you want to bring your own movie, it’s an extra couple hundred bucks for them to “secure the rights”.

    • #11
  12. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    They have their pricing here. We bundled together with other folks just happy to join us, or let their kids have a night out with friends.

    https://www.thestrandtheatre.net/byom

    I just checked the Marcus theaters in our area. Theater for up to 20 people, with a selection from their catalog is $175. If you want to bring your own movie, it’s an extra couple hundred bucks for them to “secure the rights”.

    That seems dodgy – if you are showing it privately, Marcus doesn’t need to “secure the rights”.

    • #12
  13. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    They have their pricing here. We bundled together with other folks just happy to join us, or let their kids have a night out with friends.

    https://www.thestrandtheatre.net/byom

    I just checked the Marcus theaters in our area. Theater for up to 20 people, with a selection from their catalog is $175. If you want to bring your own movie, it’s an extra couple hundred bucks for them to “secure the rights”.

    That seems dodgy – if you are showing it privately, Marcus doesn’t need to “secure the rights”.

    I completely agree, but all I know is that they show on their website  (although it does say in the really tiny, tiny print on most dvd/bluray packaging that it’s licensed for private in-home viewing only).  My guess is lawyers got involved, and since this is a regional chain instead of a one-off theater, they have more visibility to the big studios so need to cover their butts.

    https://www.marcustheatres.com/amenities/multi-amenity/marcus-private-cinema

    Can I bring in a Blu-ray DVD or a Streaming Device and watch that?

    For us to show anything on the big screen, we have to obtain the rights to do so. Typically, there is an extra $350 fee for these rights. In addition, some film studios require that we secure the content directly from them, which could take up to 10 days.

    • #13
  14. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    I completely agree, but all I know is that they show on their website (although it does say in the really tiny, tiny print on most dvd/bluray packaging that it’s licensed for private in-home viewing only). 

     

    If you watch the warnings at the end, it talks about not being legal on trains, buses, schools, prisons, oil platforms, hotels and a few others.  They never mention theaters.

    (I’ve gotten to know this message in about 23 languages.)

    • #14
  15. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Arahant (View Comment):

    We have a restored movie palace in the area. A group of organ enthusiasts wanted to do something to save the organ, and what they found was that the best way to do that was to buy and restore the theater:

    https://redfordtheatre.com/

     

    From the website:

    A Chapter of The American Theatre Organ Society, The Motor City Theatre Organ Society was established to promote the preservation of theatre organs in their original settings. To fulfill that mission, MCTOS owns and operates the Redford Theatre and its original-installation Barton Theatre Pipe Organ.

    The Rialto has one of those.

     

    • #15
  16. Clavius Thatcher
    Clavius
    @Clavius

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    They have their pricing here. We bundled together with other folks just happy to join us, or let their kids have a night out with friends.

    https://www.thestrandtheatre.net/byom

    I just checked the Marcus theaters in our area. Theater for up to 20 people, with a selection from their catalog is $175. If you want to bring your own movie, it’s an extra couple hundred bucks for them to “secure the rights”.

    That seems dodgy – if you are showing it privately, Marcus doesn’t need to “secure the rights”.

    The theatet is receiving money to show a film.  Therefore they need the rights from the owner of the film to show it.  Because there is money for exhibition, it’s not just like playing a DVD you own.

    • #16
  17. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    The Rialto held “Quarantine Concerts” earlier this year.

    The organ at the original Chicago Stadium was a Barton. It was the biggest Barton organ ever built.

    It has the distinction of having been used once for riot suppression.  Al Melgard, who I heard play back towards the end of his illustrious career, once stopped the brouhaha that followed a controversial decision of a boxing match by first playing the National Anthem, and then when that didn’t work, by literally pulling out all the stops and leaning on the keyboards. That started to break light bulbs, and everyone went home.

    Is that story true? I dunno. I’ve heard it all my life. There was, as there is with the Comiskey Park Disco Demolition, more eyewitness testimony than there possibly could have been eyewitnesses.

    • #17
  18. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    Clavius (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    They have their pricing here. We bundled together with other folks just happy to join us, or let their kids have a night out with friends.

    https://www.thestrandtheatre.net/byom

    I just checked the Marcus theaters in our area. Theater for up to 20 people, with a selection from their catalog is $175. If you want to bring your own movie, it’s an extra couple hundred bucks for them to “secure the rights”.

    That seems dodgy – if you are showing it privately, Marcus doesn’t need to “secure the rights”.

    The theatet is receiving money to show a film. Therefore they need the rights from the owner of the film to show it. Because there is money for exhibition, it’s not just like playing a DVD you own.

    Sounds like theaters run a risk, then, in doing this, if Hollywood lawyers yet again show more interest in short term lucre over long term prospects. 

    Though technically, couldn’t one argue that the theater is simply renting the space, while the renter is the one showing the film?  The theater is simply receiving money for concessions and staff to open the building and turn everything on.

    • #18
  19. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Clavius (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    They have their pricing here. We bundled together with other folks just happy to join us, or let their kids have a night out with friends.

    https://www.thestrandtheatre.net/byom

    I just checked the Marcus theaters in our area. Theater for up to 20 people, with a selection from their catalog is $175. If you want to bring your own movie, it’s an extra couple hundred bucks for them to “secure the rights”.

    That seems dodgy – if you are showing it privately, Marcus doesn’t need to “secure the rights”.

    The theatet is receiving money to show a film. Therefore they need the rights from the owner of the film to show it. Because there is money for exhibition, it’s not just like playing a DVD you own.

    Sounds like theaters run a risk, then, in doing this, if Hollywood lawyers yet again show more interest in short term lucre over long term prospects.

    Though technically, couldn’t one argue that the theater is simply renting the space, while the renter is the one showing the film? The theater is simply receiving money for concessions and staff to open the building and turn everything on.

    Logically, it would seem there’s a difference between showing a movie open to the general public, and one for a private group.

    But, you know how lawyers are…especially Hollywood lawyers.

    • #19
  20. Clavius Thatcher
    Clavius
    @Clavius

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Clavius (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Not to be uncouth or anything, even though I am, how much are we talking about here for the two hour slot, and the upsell?

    They have their pricing here. We bundled together with other folks just happy to join us, or let their kids have a night out with friends.

    https://www.thestrandtheatre.net/byom

    I just checked the Marcus theaters in our area. Theater for up to 20 people, with a selection from their catalog is $175. If you want to bring your own movie, it’s an extra couple hundred bucks for them to “secure the rights”.

    That seems dodgy – if you are showing it privately, Marcus doesn’t need to “secure the rights”.

    The theatet is receiving money to show a film. Therefore they need the rights from the owner of the film to show it. Because there is money for exhibition, it’s not just like playing a DVD you own.

    Sounds like theaters run a risk, then, in doing this, if Hollywood lawyers yet again show more interest in short term lucre over long term prospects.

    Though technically, couldn’t one argue that the theater is simply renting the space, while the renter is the one showing the film? The theater is simply receiving money for concessions and staff to open the building and turn everything on.

    According to this, exhibition in a public place likely requires additional licenses.  I would think the theater chains’ lawyers are going to be more worried about an issue than the studios would be chasing it down.

    There is an organization formed to make the process easy: https://www.mplc.org

    • #20
  21. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Percival (View Comment):
    The Rialto has one of those.

    Yep, they are great instruments. The one in Redford has a dragon theme to go along with the Japanese theme of the theater. It also has a piano that is connected to it key-for-key so that when the organist flips the piano button, he or she can play it. It has lots of nice toys.

    • #21
  22. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Percival (View Comment):
    The Rialto has one of those.

    Yep, they are great instruments. The one in Redford has a dragon theme to go along with the Japanese theme of the theater. It also has a piano that is connected to it key-for-key so that when the organist flips the piano button, he or she can play it. It has lots of nice toys.

    The one at the Rialto has that too. I’ve heard it played.

    • #22
  23. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Percival (View Comment):
    The one at the Rialto has that too. I’ve heard it played.

    It’s been at least forty years since I was there, so I don’t remember.

    • #23
  24. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    I wanted to show this image full sized, but not a good idea in the body of post due to pagination issues, so I’m repeating it here.

    • #24
  25. Gary McVey Contributor
    Gary McVey
    @GaryMcVey

    Cat III, Nymphoid Barbarian (View Comment):

    SkipSul: Even the big multiplexes are by and large showing classic films instead. I went with one daughter to see Beetlejuice last month – a film she never would have seen “on the big screen” otherwise

    As far as theaters go, this has been one of the best developments of recent years. How ecstatic was I when last year provided the opportunity to see Alien on the big screen, an experience I’d assumed fate robbed from me by my being born about a decade too late. This particular innovation is so brilliant, it’s crazy it took a pandemic for someone to think of it. Will have to look and see if any theaters nearby are offering this, though unlikely in nowhere, UT. Know a lot of people who would be interested. Problem would be deciding on what flick to see. Doubt I could convince enough people to watch my disgusting torture porn. Director Lloyd Kaufman of Troma Studios says for their test screenings they would wrangle a bunch of homeless people who were just glad to have a roof over their heads for a couple hours. Maybe I could give back to the community and do something like that.

    Seriously, awesome on you for highlighting this. Hopefully this keeps theaters afloat until things clear up, and beyond really since it’s not like the theater business was doing so hot pre-COVID.

    I’ve had lunch with Lloyd Kaufman. Very funny guy, totally unpretentious about his films (indeed, how could he not be?) When I told him I’d projected Waitress on Times Square, he gave me a Troma Diploma, signed “Toxie” (The Toxic Avenger). 

    • #25
  26. TheRightNurse Member
    TheRightNurse
    @TheRightNurse

    This is wonderful.

    I wonder what it would be like to see one of my favorite movies Dangerous Beauty on the big screen!  Maybe, just maybe, I’ll be able to ask around and find out.

    • #26
  27. Dave of Barsham Member
    Dave of Barsham
    @LesserSonofBarsham

    I’d love to see some John Wayne classics on the big screen like that. Sadly, the closest one to us only lets you rent it out for whatever they’re playing at the moment. 

    • #27
  28. Jim Chase Member
    Jim Chase
    @JimChase

    Gary McVey (View Comment):

    A great story, SkipSul, and it’s a praiseworthy thing to try to help out your local theater. When it comes to Covid-era improvisation, renting theaters directly to viewers is right up there with being able to order a gin and tonic for home delivery.

    That Simplex projector was first marketed 85 years ago, but it was still the standard of the film industry when I was a projectionist, forty years ago. I could walk up to it today, thread the film and trim the carbon arc blindfolded–I’m not exaggerating. The craft never truly leaves you.

    Gary, I’ve told a similar story on a post here years ago.  I’m willing to bet I could do the same on the Simplex model we had at the twin where I worked through high school.  Skip, that popcorn machine was pretty close to the size model we had as well.

    Loving the memory trip.  Thanks for this post, Skip!

    • #28
  29. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    This is why free-markets are so great. People will find a way even with restrictions. Of course, the more restrictions, the less incentive to stay in business, but you have to love the creativity.

    • #29
  30. Dr. Bastiat Member
    Dr. Bastiat
    @drbastiat

    @skipsul

    Did you go to OWU?

    • #30
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