Pondering An Emory Village Movie Theater
Decatur Metro | May 14, 2009 | 11:39 amI wrote on this topic a couple days ago in my oft-celebrated “Emory Smorgasbord” post, but Macarolina inquired into giving it a little more exposure.
We’ve talked a lot about movie theaters over the past few months, lamenting lost buildings downtown and wondering whether the city could support a new one. However, now it turns out we may not need to put in the effort…just reap the sweet rewards.
The Alliance to Improve Emory Village is working with Goizueta to gauge interest in a movie theater as part of the complete redesign of Emory Village.
What do people think of the idea and what kind of theater would you hope it would be?
Personally, I think something like Midtown Arts would be great.
I’m with you. I think something like the Landmark Midtown would be ideal: 75% art and foreign, 25% mainstream Hollywood releases. My first preference would be within walking distance downtown, but that’s probably a pipe dream. You have a built in audience for that mix in Emory and Decatur. I do worry if it would hurt the Landmark and possibly the Tara, but seems like it could only help to develop that audience and provide a greater selection of intelligent films in this city.
That said, I do remember a time when Lefont was the only game in town and his were about the only screens bringing in non-mainstream stuff, with a few film societies doing one-off screenings. Compared to those days, we’re already pretty spoiled.
The Emory University Department of Film Studies already presents free artsy, non-mainstream films during the fall and spring semesters. Check their website for information and schedule — big screen, nice theatre, usually a crowd, sometimes a free reception afterward. There are some film lectures on their schedule too.
I would die for a neighborhood movie theater that played something other than Rocky Horror Picture Show. I’d be fine with a Midtown Arts style theater or one that included some family films or a combo.
For what it’s worth, I just thought I’d mention that there actually used to be a movie theater in the heart of the Emory Village, a 492 seater! It was known as The Emory Theatre and it was located at 1439 Oxford Road on the site where Domino’s Pizza is now located. I think it was in business from the (late?) 1930s to the late 1970s, until a fire burned down the building.
For way more information, check out Cinema Treasures’ entry on the theater.
http://cinematreasures.org/theater/11658/
Make sure to scroll down to read the comments, as that’s where most of the information is located. A former employee (a projectionist, I think) named Mike had some really great details to offer.
I cringe at the thought of Midtown Arts Cinema (or something like it). I’m a big, big movie guy. Watch lots of them.
But Midtown Arts Cinema has got to go. For every cool movie they show, they show nine others I could see at any multiplex in the Atlanta region. Seriously, check their lineup right now. A whole bunch of mainstream stuff — which is fine; I’m not pretentious — and then a few, small independent films. The theater is owned by Landmark Theatres, which is a very smart company. First and foremost, Landmark is a business, but they do an extraordinary job convincing people in all major, American cities that if you want to be into movies, you need to go to their theaters (even if you’re unware said theater is owned by Landmark). They create these really nice theaters, and they put them in progressive neighborhoods and they fill the lobby with massive, foreign art house and classics posters and they whisper to you, “If you want to learn about cinema this is the place. And it will only cost you… $10 per ticket.”
Even the Atlanta Film Festival sniffs their throne, and I don’t understand it.
Which is why I go to Plaza Theatre on Ponce de Leon Avenue. That place is honest, guys. It’s a dingy old grindhouse (essentially) that used to be a porn theater, and they show most of the indy stuff you’re gonna wanna check out at Midtown, and then they show stuff Midtown would never have the stones to show like classic, ’80s slasher movies and classic comedies like “Raising Arizona.”
And it’s cheap. It’s so cheap.
That’s the kind of theater I want more of. Not this Midtown stuff.
OK, crib, you’ve got Landmark all figured out and so do a lot of people. That’s what they do, fine, but why does that mean that Midtown Arts Cinema “has got to go?” They seem to be doing pretty well and popular with lots of folks. And seem to be a better option than an AMC or something – I mean they’ll serve me a beer, so god bless them.
Thanks for giving this topic its own forum DM! Thanks also Carolyn for the Emory info on already available arts films.
While I was glad to hear that Emory Village has even a remote possibility of having a movie theater included in its mix, I was hoping that idea may also instigate more creative thinking about how we could get a movie venue in walking distance of downtown Decatur and its restaurants. Part of Midtown Arts’ benefits isn’t just that it has arts films available, but that you can also have a meal nearby and then stroll to the film afterwards. Oh how I would love to do that in Decatur.
I missed out on prior threads discussing a potential Decatur theater, so maybe all the creative thinking has been done. I certainly know that movie theaters are on slim margins and it is extremely difficult to get a new one up and started, especially in a high rent area. Did any of the prior discussion discuss potential public/private partnerships to get a theater in place? I watch the new auditorium at the high school go up and wonder if we didn’t miss an opportunity there… or an opportunity that is still viable? How great would a community based movie theater be where, with supervision, the high school students help run it? The kids would get employment, business and management experience if it is set up as some type of Jr. Achievement program, and the community would receive a double benefit of movies nearby and dual use of taxpayer bond funded facilities that are vacant during many hours of the evening and weekends. Area businesses would also get a boon as I suspect there would be extra traffic for a dinner and a movie linkage.
If we’ve missed the boat or it is too difficult to share resources w/ Decatur schools, is there any hope of enticing a developer to include a one or two screen theater as part of public space concessions? (I know, as long as there is parking nearby!)
Both of these ideas are probably pie in the sky, but I’m curious if anyone else thinks there is even a remote possibility of making something work in Decatur.
What about that huge carpet warehouse place on West Ponce next to Decatur CD? Sharian? That would be the perfect spot for an in-town cinema … I could stumble past the Grange on my way home…
I like your attitude, Lisa. Consider me on board.
One small clarification, though. Decatur actually does have both. Downtown, even by obscene suburban standards, is over-parked. The difference is that, because it’s in various midblock decks, it requires a modicum of consideration and flexibility on the part of the driver. It’s not spoon-fed to the masses. You can’t drive here on autopilot and automatically expect a space five feet from the door.
Oh, boo hoo.
Seriously, I’m with you. I find the “insufficient parking” criticism exasperating for two reasons. First, it’s contrary to the kind of downtown we’re trying to create and, second, it’s not even true!
Oh, the irony.
Forget the parking–I want someone to come to my house, pick me up, and plop me in one of those pedicabs. Then I want the pedicab driver/rider to pick me up and plop on a bar stool in the Brickstore.
Ha ha…that is, “…and plop me on a bar stool…”
Grrrrr, I put one meant-to-be-sarcastic comment in my post (parking), and the whole point of the post gets derailed for the rest of the thread. Seriously, I was not serious about the parking. I was hoping to get some real feedback on ideas for walkable (not parkable) theater locations, as well as potential partnerships to make this really happen. Anyone?
If I had my druthers, I’d go with something along the lines of Midtown’s Landmark– they do show the big blockbusters, but they also show lots of indie stuff, too. I think they’re smart to hedge their bets, because theatres can seldom live by indies alone (plus, selling frosty adult beverages never hurt anyone’s bottom line). I wonder if a Movie Tavern-type establishment would go over here? What with all the PWKs who live here, I think it could do pretty well…
It could happen…look what they did in Marietta….
http://www.earlsmithstrand.org/index.php
If only we had a ’30s art deco theater to inspire us Dawg.
The last time we talked about this I was also in favor of using the new auditorium for things like movie showings and other large community gatherings. Its central location begs to be used for things other than DHS assemblies.
Yep, sad Decatur lost this. Would the old Masonic building work?
My post had more to do with what can happen when folks come together to do something like we are referring to. What about that building with the two story entrance/glass front on Chuch street near the Commerce Intersection…facing west?
There’s no lack of support for these kinda ideas in Decatur. What we need are people that will organize these efforts.
Same goes for my old food co-op idea.
One of the great wonders of the Midtown Arts operation is they sell beer and wine in the lobby. It makes some of the romantic comedies almost tolerable. Why no one else can do this, I have no idea, but it’s the killer app of theatres – people have just had dinner, and presumably drinks – sell them more.
Speaking of dinner and a movie, that’s why the parking thing shouldn’t be such a huge deal in Decatur, as long as the theatre is smack dab amongst the bazillion restaurants we’ve got downtown. People would park as if they are going to dinner, which is a different mindset than when you are going to a movie at the mall or wherever and have acres of parking.
When I lived in Cincinnati, the Esquire Theater was in my neighborhood of Clifton. It’s still there and I think it is exactly what most people are talking about in this thread. Check it out here: http://www.esquiretheatre.com/Home%20Page.htm
It had two screens when I was there but it has since expanded to four, I think. I bet Decatur and the surrounding areas could support it.
I know the perfect place for a Decatur Theatre…The same place it used to be on N. McDonough St.