Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Changes at the Charles (Redux)

(So much information to add that I felt it best to just re-post a revised version of the previous, with added CGI effects)

It should be noted that the nine o'clock round of film screenings on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays at the Charles has been cut. The screenings were cut for financial reasons, as too few patrons were showing up to justify keeping the theater open. The timing is particularly strange on this, as the theater has been especially busy recently thanks to the success of Slumdog Millionaire. A lively conversation on this controversial decision has been taking place over at Beatbots, which you may wish to join. Go here for more.

Also, Robocop, Back to the Future, and Home Alone have been chosen as midnight movies in an employee-led effort to bring this practice back. Each film will screen Friday at Midnight and Saturday at noon. Robocop will be projected digitally on December 5th and 6th. Back to the Future will screen on December 12th and 13th. Home Alone will screen on December 19th and 20th. I have heard there may be an actual print of one of the second two selections screened. I personally am hoping that the restored print of Home Alone, which the good people at the Criterion Collection have labored on so painstakingly, will make its way to Baltimore. For more information on their epic journey to save this classic film, click here.

Up next, my monthly films list for November.

2 comments:

Davey G. said...

What I don't understand: where is the Charles Theater void being filled? Where are the younger people who would have gone to the art-house theater-type things that the Charles had always offered going? The Landmark? Too yuppy, too corporate, not fun like the Charles had always been. The Senator? Sometimes, but with only one movie at a time, it is by its very nature limited. I just don't understand if this relative failure of the Charles to adapt to the current movie situation and getting the younger people out is because some of us are becoming old farts and not going out as much or because the younger generation has better things to do, or a little of both, or something else entirely.
You probably know more and think more about this stuff than I do. I'm just perplexed at how a city like Baltimore doesn't offer more (or any) cheap theater and beer options. What the hell is happening? Why am I the youngest person at the Charles these days???

Quilliam said...

CCC here, under another "handle."

The people you are looking for are currently updating their Netflix Queue or stealing movies online.

It is correct to say that the Charles is failing them, but, still, how can you fail a generation that has no value for the arthouse in the first place?