Theatre Closed 2 Weeks For Lack of Good Product
Filed under: New Releases, Exhibition
Friday marked the first day in two weeks that the Lorraine Theatre in Hoopeston, Illinois, was open for business. It was closed for this time because its owner, Greg Boardman, didn't feel there was anything worth showing. Is he a film snob? Definitely not, as this weekend's fare includes the generic pairing of Invincible and Open Season. Upcoming attractions include Flyboys; previous movies include Snakes on a Plane. Plus, Boardman also has an art house nearby currently running a Korean Film Festival and The Science of Sleep. So what was his problem? Hard to tell, since Invincible and Little Miss Sunshine, which is coming soon, have been in release and were in release during those two weeks. His argument, which he gives in an audio interview with NPR's Melissa Block, doesn't make a lot of sense.As a former theatre manager, I experienced many droughts in business and thought it would be better to close at different times, but I could never imagine this actually happening. If anything, I never would have had the attitude that Boardman has towards his part-time employees, which he simply didn't pay for the time off, because he didn't feel it was a real hardship for them (I guess I'm just different because I've always had a lot of employees who needed the job).
For those not in the Illinois area (this includes me), the Lorraine is an old palace theater, built in 1922, which has been renovated throughout the years to feature the latest technology. So, it seems like it would be a good place to see just about anything.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
9-30-2006 @ 10:30PM
Lorraine regular said...
I'm sure Boardman's employees would rather work for you or anyone else that had any respect for those who know the challenges of having little income and being dependent on part time jobs. Unfortunately that's not the case in Hoopeston or at his art house.
Thanks for bringing the subject to the table. It was desperately needed.
Reply
9-30-2006 @ 10:49PM
from Chicago Tribune said...
from Chicago Tribune article-
Earlier this year, the National Association of Realtors said the median home price in the Hoopeston-Danville market not only was the lowest in the nation, but also was tumbling faster than anywhere else.
In a business dominated by nationwide chains, Boardman is a small fry. But he said that keeps the business fun and gives him the freedom to do what he wants--including taking his screens dark if he feels like it.
"I can do big promotions, I can fly back there anytime I want and show any movie I want," he said. "How many people can say they have their own movie theater and can do that?"
I'm sure his employees were "thrilled" to have a break from regular pay. But hey, it gives Boardman some freedom...
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10-01-2006 @ 2:09AM
JAKE said...
CNN was reporting that he didn't want to show jackass 2 as the reason he shut down the movie theater but that doesn't make sense to me because there are other movies that he can show (like little miss sunshine.)
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10-01-2006 @ 2:34AM
RC of strangeculture said...
Interesting...but you know, there have been times before when I wished that the theaters would just take a break and pause for a moment b/c everything stinks...but that's usually more around april.
--RC of strangeculture.blogspot.com
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10-02-2006 @ 11:22AM
gta said...
A friend of mine managed the "art house nearby" (The New Art Theater in Champaign-Urbana) for quite some time and the impression I got was that Boardman didnt have much to do with the operation of the theater and came maybe 2-3 times a year to check on things. I know the one in Champaign-Urbaand closed the place down. na consistantly shows great fair and again, i got the impression that had much more to do with the employees than Boardman. Hoopston isnt the most...how shall I say this...cultured, place in the country which might account for flyboys at an "art house" theater. I have a feeling boardman caught wind of jackass 2 playing, threw a fit and closed the place.
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10-02-2006 @ 11:25AM
gta said...
woah...I dunno what happened there...what I meant to say was:
A friend of mine managed the "art house nearby" (The New Art Theater in Champaign-Urbana) for quite some time and the impression I got was that Boardman didnt have much to do with the operation of the theater and came maybe 2-3 times a year to check on things. I know the one in Champaign-Urbana consistantly shows great fair and again, i got the impression that had much more to do with the employees than Boardman. Hoopston isnt the most...how shall I say this...cultured, place in the country which might account for flyboys at an "art house" theater. I have a feeling boardman caught wind of jackass 2 playing, threw a fit and closed the place.
Reply
10-03-2006 @ 7:28AM
Christopher said...
I suspect this protest was nothing more than a way to get a little publicity which eventually went nation wise.
Being an independent theater owner, Boardman is not required to show the most popular movies.
I think he could have made the same statement against subpar Hollywood product by showing classic films for the 2 week run, thus keeping his employees employed, and providing the Hoopeston community with little bit of class.
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