#reopening cinemas theatres

[unwillingadventurer]

Morning walk, bit windy and grey. Wearing two jumpers each and jackets and we were still cold lol.

[richwall101]

The Art Deco DREAMLAND cinema - Margate - UK

As for the history of the cinema, the complex sits on the site of a former theatre that dates back to 1923 and was part of the sprawling Dreamland Amusement Park run by English entrepreneur, John Henry Iles. The cinema, which was designed in the early 1930s, was closed for the duration of World War II and in 1940, along with the rest of the amusement park, was briefly used to accommodate troops evacuated from Dunkirk (26 May to 4 June). The cinema reopened in 1946 and continued to show only movies until the early 1970s. In 1973 Dreamland was subdivided into a live theatre on the ground floor and an independent cinema with two smaller screens in what was originally the circle. The live theatre didn’t take off, however, and in early 1975 was turned into a bingo hall. The bingo club closed in late 2007 and the independent cinema followed suit shortly after.

Restoration work on the cinema began in 2011 when the amusement park was purchased by new owners. But, financial difficulties and a legal battle over land ownership thwarted the project. Eventually, work on the building’s exterior was completed in 2016 after the site was compulsorily purchased by Thanet District Council. Restoration of the interior is ongoing but progress appears to be slow and future plans for this iconic Margate landmark are unclear.

[scotianostra]

Happy Birthday Scottish actor Ewen Bremner, born January 23rd 1972 in Edinburgh.

Bremner has worked with many of the most respected directors in world cinema, including Danny Boyle, Mike Leigh, Ridley Scott, Joon-Ho Bong, Werner Herzog and Woody Allen. Hen has established himself by creating unique characters in critically acclaimed films, as well as going toe to toe with many of Hollywood's biggest stars.

Ewen had worked widely in theatre, television, and film for years before being cast in his breakout role in Trainspotting, by Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle. He was the first to be cast in the role of Mark Renton in Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre production but lost out to Ewan McGregor in the film version, instead he was handed the role of Spud Murphy and earned screen immortality with his character's infamous "speed fuelled" job interview scene.

Prior to Trainspotting, Bremner gave a striking performance in Mike Leigh's Naked, fellow Scot Susan Vidler played his girlfriend Maggie in this excellent film.

In 1999, Bremner received critical acclaim for his portrayal of a schizophrenic man living with his dysfunctional family in Harmony Korine's Julien, Donkey-Boy. Filmed strictly in accordance with the ultra-realist tenants of Lars Von Trier's Dogma 95 movement and starring opposite Werner Herzog, Bremner played Julien its eponymous hero, requiring him to assume an American accent. He then worked with director Michael Bay in his high-profile 2001 war film Pearl Harbor, proving his versatility once again by portraying the role of a wholeheartedly patriotic American soldier fighting in WWII. The following year, he stepped back into fatigues for a supporting role in Ridley Scott's Black Hawk Down, while rounding out the next several years with roles in high-profile Hollywood releases such as The Rundown, Disney's Around the World in 80 Days), AVP: Alien vs. Predator, Woody Allen's Match Point, the comedy Death at a Funeral directed by Frank Oz, and Fool's Gold starring Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson.

This past few of years proved to be a busy when Bremner was invited to join the DC Universe in the Zack Snyder-produced feature Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, co-starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine. Ewen also reprised his unforgettable role as Spud in the highly-anticipated sequel to Danny Boyle's cult classic, T2: Trainspotting

Bremner appeared in the TNT Drama Series Will with Shekhar Kapur. The series told the story of the lost years of young William Shakespeare after his arrival to London in 1589 but only lasted one season. Other notable film credits include Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Perfect Sense starring again alongside Ewan McGregor, Great Expectations, Jack the Giant Slayer, and Snowpiercer starring alongside Chris Evans and Tilda Swinton. Further credits include Exodus: Gods and Kings, Wide Open Spaces, Mojo, Mediator, Faintheart, Hallam Foe, Sixteen Years of Alcohol, and Snatch.

In television, Ewen has worked on many acclaimed productions including David Hare's Worriker trilogy starring Bill Nighy for BBC, Jimmy McGovern's Moving On and also his Australian mini-series Banished, Strike Back for Sky TV, Dominic Savage's Dive, the Dylan Thomas biopic, A Poet In New York and the adaptation of Day of the Triffids for the BBC. Other noteworthy series appearances include portraying legendary surrealist Salvador Dali in the U.K. television drama Surrealissimo: The Trial of Salvador Dali, and a guest spot on the successful NBC series, My Name is Earl, not to forget an early appearance in Taggart way back in 1990.

Latley Ewen has been one of a number of Scottish actors who are backing a campaign to reopen the Film House cinema in Edinburgh, he has a couple of projects on the go just now, Bluefish, which takes us around the globe to tell stories of people trying to break out of their bubbles of isolation, which I take to mean the Covid pandemic, he also has a film on the go called Roo, but there is nothing to report on that just now.

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Photos I took of Rochester-area movie theaters when they were closed early in the pandemic (April-May 2020). All of them eventually reopened, with the exception of Regal Culver Ridge Plaza 16 (last one), although Movies 10 had to change its second-run model and the Cinema Theatre and Pittsford Cinema 9 (the one with the clock) are now under new management.

[rabbitcruiser]

66 Drive-In Theatre is a historic drive-in theater along U.S. Route 66 in Carthage, Missouri which opened on September 22, 1949. The cinema was closed in 1985, but was renovated and reopened in 1998.

[filmnoirfoundation]

Eddie Muller talks with Robert Loerzel, WBEZ Chicago about NOIR CITY Chicago, August 6-12 at the Music Box Theatre.

Passes, tickets, and schedule for NOIR CITY Chicago.

[missing-old-seattle]

February 6, 2021 

The Seven Gables Theatre began life as an American Legion dance hall in 1925, designed by Swedish-born architect Eric Carl Rising (1892-1987). In 1968, Randy Finley bought the Movie House (currently the Grand Illusion Cinema), which he and his partners converted from a dentist’s office and opened in 1970. This led to him eventually buying 15 more theaters, including the Seven Gables Theatre in 1974, which opened on December 10, 1976. These theaters (minus the Movie House) eventually became part of the Seven Gables Corp.

Landmark Theaters acquired the chain in 1989. Sadly, out of all the theaters that existed when I moved to Seattle, only the Crest still operates as a Landmark theater (at least until COVID closed all the theaters in our state).

The first to go was the Neptune, bought out by STG in 2011. Then the Metro, initially turned into Sundance Cinemas in 2012 and then acquired by AMC (who kept the interior and the 21+ rules the same but changed the menus). Next to go was the Egyptian Theatre in 2013, which SIFF reopened in time for the 40th Seattle International Film Festival in 2014 and ran as its second year-round cinema (third if you count the Film Center, though that theater is more of a weekend venue). The Varsity’s future was up-in-the-air for years, until Far Away Entertainment purchased it in 2015 (they also run the Admiral in West Seattle). Then we lost the Harvard Exit in 2015 (see my post about it here), currently a Mexican Embassy. Last to go were the Guild 45th and the Seven Gables.

[archinform]

Lost Chicago Building 6 - The Granada Theater

By Roger Jones, August 2023

The Granada at night

I only saw a movie at the Granada Theater once, in the late 1970s; I believe the offering was Murder by Death. Nonetheless, I always marveled at the movie palace's facade every time the el train passed the Loyola stop on Chicago's north side.

Granada Theater from the CTA Loyola platform, found photograph, Flickr, probably 1970s

Granada marquee, c. 1930

The grand lobby in 1929

Historical details:

Opened: Tuesday, September 21, 1926

Status: Closed/Demolished Sunday, September 30, 1990

Style: Spanish Baroque

Seats: 3,443

The Granada Theater was a 3,400–seat movie palace located at 6427-41 North Sheridan Road, in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago and adjacent to Loyola University. Constructed in 1926 for the Marks Brothers, major theatre operators in the U.S., Edward E. Eichenbaum was the principal designer for the architectural firm of Levy & Klein. Eichenbaum also designed the Marbro, Regal, and Century theaters in Chicago.

The Marks Brothers operated the theatre until 1934, when Balaban and Katz purchased the property. That firm and its successors—United Paramount Theatres, ABC Great States Theatres and Plitt Theatres—operated the facility until approximately 1978. From then until the mid-eighties, it was used sporadically for rock concerts and presented midnight showings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show for several years.

Despite all attempts to save the theater, Senior Life Styles Corporation purchased the property and demolished it in 1989-90 for a planned apartment/commercial structure.

The new 16–story apartment tower and shopping arcade constructed in 1991 was named "Granada Center.”  Loyola University eventually purchased the structure and transformed it into 12 floors of student apartments over a base containing parking, retail and university offices.

Source: Wikipedia

1920s photo, credit John G. Chuckman Collection

Following are scanned pages from The Chicago Movie Palaces of Balaban and Katz, by David Balaban:

Granada Theater under construction

Architectural rendering, front elevation (no date)

Advertisement (no date)

Thanks to Cinema Treasures for the following details:

Built in 1926 for the Marks Brothers circuit, this was one of the largest movie palaces on Chicago’s Far North Side, located in Rogers Park. The Granada Theatre was opened September 18, 1926 with a Jack Haskell stage show “Eastern Nights” and on the screen Belle Bennett in “The Lilly”. The Wurlitzer 4 manual 20 rank theatre organ was opened by organist Alfred F. Brown The proscenium was 60ft wide and the stage 32ft deep. Seating was provided for 3,448, with 1,833 in the orchestra level and 1,615 seats in the balcony.

On November 18, 1932, the theatre was acquired by the Publix/Balaban & Katz chain and it was briefly closed, reopening on July 29, 1933 with John Barrymore in “Reunion In Vienna” & Laurel & Hardy in “Me and My Pal”. The Granada Theatre was originally designed by Edward Eichenbaum (of the firm of Levy & Klein) for both live stage shows and movies, but by the 1940’s, was only showing films. On November 19, 1975 the World Premiere of Jack Nicholson in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was held at the Granada Theatre, with Jack Nicholson & Louise Fletcher appearing ‘in person’. It remained open as a movie theatre, operated by Plitt Theatres until the late-1970’s.

Information from the HABS Report on the Granada:

The report goes on to say that the primary reasons for the Granada’s historic significance include:

its size, as it was one of the three largest movie theatres ever built in Chicago, the other two being the Uptown and the Chicago theatres; its elaborate design, often cited as the most ornate in the city; its place as the flagship of the Marks Brothers empire, who were second only to Balaban and Katz in the construction and operation of opulent movie palaces; and its association with architect Edward Eichenbaum.

Perhaps the most heartbreaking element of the HABS report is one of its closing statements: “The Granada had survived in essentially unaltered condition until the past two years (1988-89), when it was left unattended and the weather and vandalism were allowed to proceed unchecked.” This was a demolition that could have been avoided.

The HABS report included several dozen photos of the interior and exterior of the Granada Theatre, taken shortly before demolition. While it is depressing to see the damage the theatre suffered in its final two years, especially during a time when movie palaces across the country were being renovated to the benefit of communities large and small, these photos do show in great detail the artistry of Edward Eichenbaum.

Source: Compass Rose Cultural Crossroads

In addition:

...the Granada was still in remarkably good shape as recently as 1987. While it was allowed to deteriorate after that, eyewitnesses to the demolition mourn the fact that there was little wrong with the theatre structurally, that it could, in fact, have been saved.

Despite efforts to landmark the theatre or get it reopened, the Granada’s fate was sealed. Much of the terra cotta of the facade was stripped and sold off, as were many of the interior decorative elements. One of the large chandeliers from the lobby was salvaged and now hangs in the Riviera Theatre. Another, smaller, chandelier hangs in the Music Box on Southport.

Source: Compass Rose Cultural Crossroads

Photographs from the HABS Report, Library of Congress:

VIEW OF BLOCK FROM NORTHWEST LOOKING SOUTHEAST, 1980s, N. Sheridan Road

MAIN LOBBY CEILING FROM GROUND LEVEL

HORIZONTAL VIEW FROM STAGE LOOKING SOUTH

VIEW OF CEILING FROM STAGE

ALCOVE 2ND FLOOR LOBBY WALKWAY, during demolition

LOOKING EAST, VIEW OF COMMERCIAL OFFICE SECTION, NORTH PORTION OF THEATER COMPLEX

VIEW OF BLOCK FROM SOUTHWEST LOOKING NORTHWEST - during demolition

Admission ticket

Photos during the theater's destruction can be viewed in the Flickr set by Genial23 Ruined and abandoned.

A final view: Granada Theater, 1920s - Cinema Treasures, photo by Chicago Architectural Photographing Company

An incredibly detailed description of the building can be found on Historic Structures.

Today:

"Completed in 1991, Granada Center hosts residential apartments, a parking garage, office space for Loyola University, and several store fronts. The Center was built to help aid the growth and development of the Rogers Park neighborhood, as well as to provide more space for Loyola University." Loyola University Chicago Digital Special Collections

Finally, if you're interested in fragments, view the Urban Remains site for some interesting pieces of the Granada Theater.

[brian-in-finance]

Video 📹

Disney, Altitude, Mubi win top prizes at The Big Screen Awards 2022

The Walt Disney Company, Altitude, Paramount Pictures and Mubi were among the winners at The Big Screen Awards, which recognises excellence in UK marketing, distribution, publicity and exhibition.

The Big Screen Awards were rebranded from the Screen Awards, last held in 2019, and were unveiled tonight (November 24) at a ceremony in The Brewery, London, with comedian Phil Wang on hosting duties.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK & Ireland won a special distributor of the decade award, recognising 10 years of achievement. The company has released 145 titles in theatres since 2013 totalling £2.21bn at the UK and Ireland box office, making it the decade’s top distributor with a 20.5% share. The award was collected by Lee Jury, senior vice president of studio content marketing and co-head of Walt Disney Studios UK/EMEA.

The distributor of year – independent award went to Altitude, which was praised for its support of cinemas coming out of the pandemic, including the release of Minari into cinemas when venues reopened last year. “[They] gave cinema audiences something to come back for at a time when new product was badly needed,” said one judge.

Paramount Pictures UK picked up the new blockbuster of the year award for Top Gun: Maverick. The award shines a spotlight on the studio campaigns that galvanised audiences to return to cinemas. Top Gun grossed a huge $102m at the UK box office after star Tom Cruise held out for its cinema release during Covid.

Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, released in the UK by Universal, won the best British film award, voted for in an online poll by readers from a shortlist selected by Screen International’s senior editors. Jamie Dornan and Jude Hill appeared by video link to accept the award.

PHD UK & Warner Bros won theatrical campaign of the year (200 sites and over) for The Batman, with judges praising the villain-centric approach taken as ”ballsy”, “striking” and “brave”.

Mubi won theatrical campaign of the year for a title released into 199 sites or under as well as the international feature film campaign of the year awards for The Worst Person In The World. The film passed £1m at the UK and Ireland box office, in part due to a “cheesy but brilliant” Valentine’s Day marketing campaign.

Documentary campaign went to Dartmouth Films for Eric Ravilious: Drawn To War, with event cinema campaign going to Empire Street Productions and National Theatre Live for NT Live: Prima Facie, which starred Jodie Comer and was seen by more than 300,000 people.

For this year’s rebranded awards, several new prizes were introduced, including breakthrough British filmmaker, which went to Boiling Point director Philip Barantini, and breakthrough British actor, awarded to Honor Swinton Byrne, who most recently starred in Joanna Hogg’s The Eternal Daughter and The Souvenir films.

There were three other new categories for 2022. Big screen event of the year went to the 2022 edition of the Glasgow Film Festival, which achieved a record high of 73% audience capacity on its first in-person edition post-Covid.

The green screen award, honouring a company that put sustainable practices first, went to Lewes-based independent cinema Depot. The diversity and inclusion initiative prize, recognising inspirational work towards creating a more inclusive industry, was awarded to the BFI London Film Festival’s critics mentorship programme.

Other returning awards included PR campaign of the year, which was won by Premier’s “smart, funky and funny” campaign for Prano Bailey-Bond’s horror Censor.

The cinema of the year prizes went to Ilkley Cinema (for 24 screens and under) and Cineworld Basildon (for 25 screens and over).

Vue Entertainment won cinema marketing campaign of the year for ’Get Lost in Great Stories — Jurassic World Dominion’.

Cineworld’s Olivia Ter-Berg won the industry rising star category; Picturehouse Entertainment & Intermission Film took home the ever-competitive poster of the year prize for The Reason I Jump; Ali & Ava won trailer of the year for Altitude and Intermission Film; and Into Film & Universal Pictures UK won brand partnership of the year for their No Time To Die schools marketing partnership.

Finally, the Cinema First achievement award went to cinema programmer Roy Gower, who worked at ABC Cinemas (which became Cineworld in 2006) from 1975 to 2014, before joining Everyman Cinemas, where he worked as director of film until his retirement in 2021.

The full list of nominations is here.

Sponsors for the evening included: Eikon, MediCinema and Powster. The event was in association with Cinema First and the UK Cinema Association.

The full list of winners: Screen Daily

Twitter

SOURCE: SCREEN INTERNATIONAL JUDE HILL, JAMIE DORNAN

Remember… Brian will post Jamie’s and wee Jude’s thank-you video if/when it’s available. 🍿

[oldnewyorkpictures]

Oceana Theater

1029 Brighton Beach Ave.

Circa 1940

“The 2,184-seat Oceana Theatre was opened on January 25, 1934 with Joan Crawford in “Dancing Lady”. It was operated by an independent exhibitor. By 1943 it was operated by Rugoff & Becker. In the 1950’s, it was taken over by the Century Theaters chain.

The Oceana Theatre was later divided into a 4-screen multiplex. What was interesting though is that the owners were so concerned about people going from picture to picture, that they made a “rats maze” in where you had to go through different doors to access each individual auditorium.

The candy counter upstairs and down was divided in half and each theatre even had its own rest rooms! However, this shrunk the lobby into a very small size.

Later, they took the backstage area, and added theatres 5 and 6 to the building. The backstage area used to have vaudeville-era clothes in boxes and other great old items plus the original stage was hidden behind the screens on the 1st floor.

Also, originally in multiplexes, all screens had to share a common projection booth due to union rules. At the Oceana Theatre the booth was in the back of the two downstairs theatres and the upstairs booth was accessed through a ladder which would go to the booth which was in the middle of the theatre upstairs.

They eventually got rid of the booth structure and moved the projection booth to the rear of the upper theatres after union rules were relaxed.

Known later on as the Atlantic Oceana, the theatre operated as a venue for Russian live dinner theatre, known as the Millennium Theatre. This closed in 2014, and in the summer of 2014, it was being converted into a Russian supermarket. It was reopened in 2016 as the 1,326-seat Master Theater. It had closed by 2019”

- Cinema Treasures.

[ultraheydudemestuff]

The Mayfield Theatre Building

12300 Mayfield Road

Cleveland, OH

The Mayfield Theater, 12300 Mayfield Road, Cleveland, OH, —a.k.a., the Mayfield Art Theatre, the Old Mayfield Theater, and the New Mayfield Repertory Cinema—opened in 1923. The first of the Mayfield Theater’s many lives began that year, when Michele Mastandrea, an Italian immigrant, built the two-story brick building with a theater on the first floor and a large apartment on the second. Mastandrea had previously operated a dry goods store on that same parcel. Before that he worked as a shoe salesman in a shop on the current site of Maxi’s Bistro. Mastandrea and his wife Christina lived in a small house behind the theater (fronting Fairview Court) until they moved to the new building’s second floor quarters in 1929. They operated the theater and remained in the spacious eight-room apartment until their deaths in 1955 and 1958, respectively.

Michele Mastandrea died in August 1955 and the theater closed. In January 1959, it reopened as the Mayfield Art Theater, part of a national chain of art movie houses. Veteran managers Jack Silverthorne and Jack Lewis upgraded the marquee, interior, and projection equipment, and installed a new CinemaScope (super-wide) screen. The two Jacks showed first-run foreign films, as well as domestic comedies, dramas, and documentaries. Rod R. Mastandrea, a Cleveland attorney and son of Michele Mastandrea, assumed control in September 1959, a tenure that ended that December when the curtain came down again, save for a very brief attempt at live theater in 1961.

The year 1968 saw the space’s third reincarnation called the Old Mayfield, a silent movie house. Blood and Sand with Rudolph Valentino kicked things off on October 3, 1968. The Old Mayfield's emergence wasn't driven by movie men. Instead, the rescuers were Sam Guarino, owner of Guarino’s restaurant, and Hank Schulie of the Golden Bowl. The two restaurateurs cleaned the place up, hired a pianist, and installed a bar in a corner of the lobby, but the theater closed in October 1969. It reopened briefly in January 1970 with a spate of Marx Brothers and W.C. Fields movies, but lapsed back into sleep by late spring.

After four years, the theater was resurrected for the last time by an English and drama professor and cinephile named Sheldon Wigod. Dubbing his new movie house the New Mayfield Repertory Cinema, he stuck with classic movies but interspersed them with foreign films—from Flynn to Fellini. Wigod brought a personal—and personable—touch to the business, introducing each film prior to its showing. It was during Wigod’s tenure that the building was designated a Cleveland Landmark. Wigod’s labor of love did better than most; the New Mayfield Repertory Cinema stayed awake until 1985 but has been vacant ever since. However, it did receive a spot in the National Register of Historic Places on June 14, 2013. The Mayfield Theatre Building, after damage by Hurricane Sandy, is now abandoned looking from the outside, but the owner is cleaning up on the inside.

[scotianostra]

On May 18th 1939 the Cosmo cinema in Rose Street, Glasgow opened its doors for the first time.

The Cosmo cinema was the first purpose-built ‘art-house’ cinema to open outside of London. Designed as the flagship for the Singleton chain (which also included the Mecca, Riddrie and Kingsway cinemas in Glasgow), this 850-seater was prolific cinema architect James McKissack’s final design before his death.

The foyer was originally double-height, with twin staircases leading to the balcony. Payboxes were situated to both the left and right, between the two sets of entrance doors. A small kiosk was situated at the back of the foyer, which was panelled in walnut. A large globe, set above the main rear stalls entrance, reinforced the international nature of the films being shown. A large cloakroom and luxurious ladies powder room were also provided.The cinema was advertised under the slogan 'Entertainment for the Discriminating’, with the cartoon character of the bowler-hatted Mr Cosmo, a familiar sight in newpaper advertisments of the time.

In 1968, the foyer was dramatically altered to become single height, and a new bar was incorporated over it, in a style that matched the restt of the interior decoration very well. Part of one of the twin staircases was also removed at this point.

In 1973, the Cosmo was bought by the Scottish Film Council, who undertook major structural alterations. The auditorium was split, to form a large single screen upstairs, with the balcony extended fully forward and a new proscenium constructed.

Much of the original decoration was retained, including the central light feature nicknamed Mr Cosmo’s bowler hat. Renamed the Glasgow Film Theatre - or as it’s better known - the GFT - the building reopened to the public in May 1974. At this time, the stalls space was used as an conference and exhibition area. In 1986 the GFT became independent of the SFC, and in 1988, the building was B Listed by Historic Scotland.

In 1988, part of the original stalls space was converted into a second screen, and the rest into a cafe-bar, which in a nod to the cinemas past was named Cafe Cosmo.

Despite strong competition from the nearby UGC / Cineworld , the GFT is thriving, and is without doubt the most pleasant place in Glasgow to go see a film on the big screen. I must admit to only having visited once, but was impressed by it’s ambience and the feel of the place.

The GFT may not be of a great age but it is now the oldest active cinema in the city.

[raitrolling]

Damage Control

[Easy reading version on Toyhou.se]

(Note: This drabble is preceded by Eye of the Storm)

After a week of relentless downpour, the storm surrounding Vernrot Harbour had subsided.

It took some time before residents felt that it was safe to leave their hives once again, fearing the wind and the rain could pick back up again at any time, but businesses were required to reopen and supplies needed to be replenished. And, most importantly, buildings needed to be repaired. The architecture of Vernrot Harbour favoured brick and stone for its walls, but the tiled roofs and single-glazed glass windows were much more vulnerable to the elements.

The library was leaking more than ever. The roof above the Vernrot Pub had collapsed. Two of the theatres at the Cinema were destroyed. The clinic’s front windows had shattered. Many businesses within town had flooded, and Lernie lost a whole season’s worth of stock, clothes that he had carefully tailored now covered in muck and soaked to the very last fibre. 

Power had been restored to the town, but telecommunication wires had been badly damaged. It would take days before workers could arrive to restore the system. Repair drones would also be in high demand, but the town’s isolated location and reputation made it difficult for aid to arrive quickly. When Fleet officials had mysteriously disappeared in the past, Empire-aligned businesses were hesitant to send staff into town. 

At the very least, the residents were self-sufficient. Neighbours would work together to sweep flood waters out of their hives and set up temporary tarpaulin sheets to cover up holes in roofs and broken windows. It was all they could do until the next shipment of supplies were due to arrive in town.

All merchant ships and commercial freight services had been suspended due to inclement weather, and the train system was facing similar issues. Any ships that would have stopped in Vernrot Harbour were forced to continue on to the next stop of their shipping route, and it would be anywhere between a couple weeks to an entire perigee before they would return. For a town that relies so heavily on imports, the long-term effects could be disastrous.

The fishing industry was booming, and the weather allowed for fisherman and trawlers alike to resume business. The town would not starve, but one can only ration out their other supplies for so long. Vegetables will wilt, red meat will rot, stocks of flour and rice and other staple goods will eventually run dry. The Quartermaster, the town’s general store, was seeing unprecedented amounts of empty shelves as people had scrambled to grab as many supplies as possible.

The owner of the store could only shake their head, and tell customers to wait for the next shipment, whenever that may be. They hoped it was soon.

Lusien had expected as such, and opted to avoid trying to find anything into town until the initial panic passed. That, and he was also facing his own problems due to the storm.

While the lighthouse at the top of the hill emerged from the storm unscathed, still lit using what remained of the oil supply, Lusien’s shed did not.

Large portions of the roof had been torn clear off by the gale force winds, and while the sturdy foundations of the walls prevented its contents from being tossed out to sea, the torrential downpour wrecked every single painting he had stored inside. Power tools had also been knocked off the shelves and smashed, and some of his other building equipment was not in its usual place, but while those were important to him now, they could be replaced. The canvases could not. 

His heart had sunk when he saw the ruined works of art, but there was nothing that could be done but to throw them out. For now, he had to focus on salvaging what he could. 

Tarpaulin sheets were a must-have for any Vernrot resident’s emergency preparation kits, as one may never know when a storm could damage their hive. Lusien’s sheets were completely waterlogged due to being stored in the shed, but they were still usable. There were some spare wooden planks he could use to secure them to what remained of the roof, which should hopefully hold until the next shipment of timber arrived in town.

If he could get his hands on the first shipment, that is. Undoubtedly many residents will be putting in orders to fix their hives and businesses that had been wrecked by the storm. Lusien could place an order in for more wood now, but it didn’t feel right to him to focus on his shed when that space on the freight train could instead hold much more important cargo.

Just the tarp on its own will have to suffice for the foreseeable future, just as how he’ll have to live rationing out everything else until trade shipments resume. 

Lusien first set up a ladder against the outside wall, then collected the tools he’d need. Fetch moduses were a godsend, given how he didn’t have to worry about how to carry a tarp, multiple planks, and a hammer and nails all at once. As he was rifling through the boxes on the shelf to look for the right-sized nails, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Squeezed between the shelf and the corner was a cat, shivering from the rain. But he knew better than to try and coax it from its hiding spot, as his psiionics made it perfectly clear it was nothing more than an apparition.

He would also have to investigate all the anomalies of the town to ensure they weren’t causing trouble, it seems.

Leaving the apparition to its own devices, he exited the shed and scaled the ladder. There was just enough framework and tiles remaining for Lusien to have spots to safely stand while he unfurled the tarp and began to drape it across the roof. The lack of wind was very welcoming, as it made the sheets less unruly to lay out, and allowed him to temporarily hold it in place with planks without needing to nail them down first. He worked methodically, making sure the tarp was flat and could be pulled as tightly as possible to prevent further leakage.

One sheet was enough to cover half the roof, but as he moved around to the other side to lay out the second sheet, he discovered that he was short a couple planks to keep it in place. He looked back at the opposite side, humming in thought as he attempted to figure out where he could move planks around to ensure the best coverage.

In his concentration, he failed to notice someone else approaching, humming the exact same tune. 

Lusien stepped carefully around the roof, spying the planks he could spread out further to better utilise the space. The rainfall was light, but the tarpaulin sheets were already soaked through and slippery, one wrong move and he could-

“Hello! Lusien.”

One moment, Lusien had turned around too quickly, confused by the voice breaking him out of his concentration. His shoe slid just a bit too much, and he was too close to the edge of the roof-

The next moment, he was lying in a bed of tentacles, staring up at the same roof where he had just been standing. 

Huh?

“Ah! You’re heavier than I thought you’d be. But. Lucky! I saw you slip. And then. I acted without thinking! Haha.”

Lusien looked around in confusion, trying to find the source of the voice but only seeing masses of black and glowing purple spots. Then he felt all the tentacles shift around him, manoeuvring him back onto his feet, and then retract back into the body of his saviour.

Vallis was now standing right next to him, clenching and unclenching his fists as he accustomed himself to the feeling of troll limbs.

“Oh. Thank you.” The blueblood acknowledged with a nod.

The horrorterror hybrid grinned, flashing multiple rows of teeth.

“Yes! Well. I haven’t used that many tentacles in this form for a while. But. It would be worse if you had hit the ground. Then. I would be without any friends! To talk to. Haha.” He replied, chipper as ever. It would have made Lusien wonder if he had gotten over the previous shock of losing Zanzul, had he not noticed the air of melancholy hanging around Vallis. “So. I wanted to say hello! And. What are you doing? The town feels chaotic. Yet. You were not around.”

Lusien frowned slightly, recognising that Vallis was correct to assume that he should be out in the town. 

“The shed needed fixing first. Then I’ll assist the town.”

“Yes. Of course! There is a saying. Put on an oxygen mask first before you assist others! Otherwise. You might both die! From carbon monoxide poisoning. Haha.” The purpleblood laughed, oblivious to the morbid comparison. 

Lusien enjoyed Vallis’ company, as much as one ever could, but occasionally he said things that made the blueblood uncomfortable. That was one of them. Still, he tried to make it not too evident on his face, and looked over towards the ladder. It had been knocked over when Vallis caught him, so he moved to rest it back against the shed.

It was unlikely that the other troll would leave so easily, which gave Lusien an idea. There was no way that Vallis had any experience in woodworking or disaster relief, but he did have more than enough sets of limbs handy.

“Mhm. Can you help? I’ll need someone to help move the planks. You can stay on the ground and use your tentacles, if you want.” He glanced back over at Vallis. It was a rarity for Lusien to ever ask for help so openly. 

Vallis looked surprised for that very reason, but then nodded.

“I can! Tell me what you need me to do. And. I can assist!” He beamed, happy that he could stick around for some time longer.

---

Vallis hummed as he kicked his legs back and forth, having opted to sit on the edge of the roof to keep Lusien company. The blueblood didn’t mind, being more focused on hammering down the planks at the roof ridge. He was careful not to chew on the nails he kept in his mouth as he worked, which also doubled as a substitute for the cigarettes he was still rationing out. Occasionally he would ask Vallis to assist with moving planks around or helping hold the tarp in place, which the hybrid complied with happily. 

He wasn’t providing a large amount of help in the long run, but Lusien still appreciated that the process was speeding up slightly with that extra assistance. That, and he had grown quite accustomed to the pleasant sound of Vallis’ humming, which seemed to persist even when the other troll spoke.

“Hm. Perhaps if Zanzul was here. She could grow more wood to use. Then. We wouldn’t need to ration so much!” He ran his hand down the length of wood as he spoke, and Lusien felt that air of melancholy return once again. Vallis truly did miss his friend.   

“Maybe,” Lusien replied quietly, pulling a nail out of his mouth to finish securing another plank. “Can you still not hear them?” 

He recalled what Vallis had said that night when he showed up on the lighthouse keeper’s doorstep, distressed and half-transformed.

Vallis shook his head, and gazed up at the slice of the moon barely visible amongst the rainclouds.

“No. I cannot. I’m afraid. But. I think The Slumbering Ones quieting down is a good sign. What happened has happened. And. Won’t happen a second time.” His tone was somewhat distant, detached. “Though. I wonder. If we can hear of their disappearance. Can they hear us? Out beyond the stars?”

Lusien’s ears perked up slightly, genuinely curious. He had not thought of that.

“Zanzul had once mentioned The Furthest Ring. It was dangerous, she said. Since. Well. There are no bodies within the ring. Only concepts. Ideas. Someone with no understanding of the world could be swallowed up forever. That’s very frightening! Isn’t it? But. She didn’t say you could never return home.”

Vallis closed his eyes, and the glow spots under his eyes began to light up rhythmically. 

“Maybe. I can try and sing them a way back. If my voice could reach that far. Then. They can follow the echoes home.” He hummed.

It sounded nonsensical, as if such a thing were possible surely both Varzims would be back by now. But Lusien saw the hopefulness in Vallis’ expression, and he wanted to believe in it. He nods.

“You can try. And, you can tell Thrixe and Zanzul they’re always welcome here. I’ll make them something, when they next visit.” Lusien nodded, and smiled. 

Soon, Vallis’ singing filled the air, harmonic notes in a language unintelligible to trollkind yet still identifiable as an aria of hope and longing for a friend to return. It may have been unwise for Lusien to keep listening as he worked, but if any emotion were to trap him in a perpetual loop, he would prefer it to be this. 

[rabbitcruiser]

66 Drive-In Theatre is a historic drive-in theater along U.S. Route 66 in Carthage, Missouri which opened on September 22, 1949. The cinema was closed in 1985, but was renovated and reopened in 1998.

[richdadpoor]

NATO EVP & General Counsel Jackie Brenneman Exits, Exec Key In Reopening Cinemas – Deadline

EXCLUSIVE: The National Association of Theatre Owners’ EVP & General Counsel Jackie Brenneman has departed, several sources inform Deadline. This became effective Friday. Brenneman was also one of the founders, and the President of NATO sister org, The Cinema Foundation. The news follows in the wake of the new administration at NATO led by new President and CEO Michael O’Leary who took over for…

[bolllywoodhungama]

BREAKING: Koi Mil Gaya, starring Hrithik Roshan, will reopen in theatres on August 4.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) and Jab We Met (2007) both returned to theatres during the Valentine's Day week earlier this year. On the occasion of Amitabh Bachchan's 80th birthday last year, a number of his classic films were released in theatres.

Even though fans have watched all of these videos numerous times and they are all streaming, they all received a tremendous response. And now, yet another movie will make an attempt at this. This Friday, August 4, is the rerelease date for the big-screen version of Koi Mil Gaya (2003).

The re-release will take place as part of the movie's 20th anniversary celebrations, according to a report in Hindustan Times. On August 8, 2003, the Hrithik Roshan and Preity Zinta movie was released. Then, 450 screens were used for the release. Meanwhile, the tight release for the re-release will occur in 30 cities. The prints could, however, go up based on demand, as it did in the case of Jab We Met earlier this year.

In the film Koi Mil Gaya, which was directed by Rakesh Roshan, Rohit (Hrithik Roshan), a young boy with developmental delays, falls in love with Nisha (Preity Zinta). He does, however, conceal a sweet extraterrestrial named Jadoo. The kind alien gives Rohit his power, who then gives it to his son Krrish (Hrithik Roshan). The makers of the follow-up, Krrish (2006), concentrated on Krrish's tale, his romance with Priya (Priyanka Chopra), and his confrontation with the frightening Dr. Siddhant Arya (Naseeruddin Shah), who had imprisoned his father for nearly 20 years. Krrish's box office performance inspired Rakesh Roshan to direct Krrish 3 in 2013. It was the story of Krrish against Kaal (Vivek Oberoi), a greater evil.

Krrish 4 is currently being made by Rakesh Roshan. He said he wants to take it on floors in 2024 in a recent interview. In honour of his birthday in 2022, Bollywood Hungama held a private interview with the renowned director. Upon being questioned about Krrish 4, he responded, "My scripting is almost done. It’s a big-budget film. The challenge for me is that in today’s day and age, people are aware of and watch superhero films from all over the world. These superhero films are made on very big budgets. And we don’t have such big budgets. So we have to make superhero films with very strong content and with newer ideas to come at par with the big-budget superhero movies. Meanwhile, Hollywood films are released all over the world. Our films are released in India and certain overseas territories with a huge South Asian diaspora and hence our box office potential is limited as compared to Hollywood. So, I am just waiting for the right time when the audiences would start flocking to the cinemas once again in big numbers.”

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