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Carlton Cinema is shutting down... and opening back up again

^
Those are sort of what I was thinking of, but I didn't know they were simply called "dvd rooms." I'm a bit nervous about the hygiene of renting a dark room to a small group of teenagers though, the likelihood of unwarranted fluids seems inescapable.Maybe get some kind of waiter to travel around randomly asking if viewers wanted snacks, just to stop them from getting too comfortable.

Are they only 10$ to rent though? I had no idea they were that cheap. I wonder if it would be possible to get something similar running here.
 
^
I wonder if it would be possible to get something similar running here.

Oh, they're around.... :rolleyes:

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^
Those are sort of what I was thinking of, but I didn't know they were simply called "dvd rooms." I'm a bit nervous about the hygiene of renting a dark room to a small group of teenagers though, the likelihood of unwarranted fluids seems inescapable.Maybe get some kind of waiter to travel around randomly asking if viewers wanted snacks, just to stop them from getting too comfortable.

Are they only 10$ to rent though? I had no idea they were that cheap. I wonder if it would be possible to get something similar running here.

Well they were always spotless when I went (you can turn the lights on). Having a faux-leather couch/bed certainly helps with the "fluids" issue. Since most people live in apartments (and often don't move out until their engaged or married) in Korea there's quite a demand for these places as it allows couples some privacy they can't get anywhere else (except for a love motel of course). I personally loved them as they're terrific for having a cinema-esque experience for dirt cheap. The small intimate nature of the rooms would be difficult to reproduce in a home theatre setup. The average price is around $10, most places base it on how long the movie is (which makes perfect sense).
 

Good one!
Reg Hart is a wonderfully colourful guy who is often more entertaining than what hits his screen. He's one of Toronto's unsung heroes, we're lucky to have him and his extraordinary film collection. I don't go there alone though, there's something a little unsettling about Hart's place. I can't quite put my finger on it. That said, Cineforum should be experienced by every open-minded film lover looking for a truly cool, trippy experience.
Respect.
 
There's no surprise smaller places like this are closing. You can get more and more on DVD and online. For theatres its only go big, which you can't do at home, or go away.
 
There's no surprise smaller places like this are closing. You can get more and more on DVD and online. For theatres its only go big, which you can't do at home, or go away.

Foreign and Independent films take considerably longer to reach DVD than Hollywood films do plus they're not nearly as accessible. I don't give the big chains my money, I support my local video stores which are amazing at getting those types of titles plus films which don't get picked up for distribution in Canada (a shout-out to Bay Street Video, 7 & 24 Video, Suspect Video and Queen Video on Queen or Bloor). Last time I went into a Rogers video store to look around they did have an area for alternative DVD's but it was a pretty slim selection. I love the DVD & Blu ray formats but to me there's nothing like sitting in a dark cinema with a friend and a bunch of strangers sharing a great film experience then excitedly discussing it over coffee afterward.
 
Oh I'm not in disagreement about the movie theatre experience but the business realty is changing things. I loved going to Sam The Record Man to spend hours checking out new albums. iTunes does nothing for me but what you can you do about it?
 
Oh I'm not in disagreement about the movie theatre experience but the business realty is changing things. I loved going to Sam The Record Man to spend hours checking out new albums. iTunes does nothing for me but what you can you do about it?

Me too!

Fair points. Things are a changin'

Netflix will soon be offering something like 17,000 "on-demand" movies via PS3 and I think, XBOX in the US (but not in Canada due to different ownership of films). But it will happen here eventually by a Canadian company then there may not even be a need for video stores. That makes me even sadder.

Hmm, I wonder how our Internet "owners" (Rogers and Bell) will deal with their clogged "series of tubes" once on-demand is introduced and becomes widely accepted in Canada? People could plow through their monthly bandwidth allowance in a weekend. But I digress.
 
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Hmm, I wonder how our Internet "owners" (Rogers and Bell) will deal with their clogged "series of tubes" once on-demand is introduced and becomes widely accepted in Canada? People could plow through their monthly bandwidth allowance in a weekend. But I digress.

They will be very happy as they will gladly sell you their own on-demand services instead. Makes me envious of the Telus connections in Cityplace.
 
My best Carlton memory was seeing Wild At Heart in September. The air conditioning was broken and the whole experience was indeed hotter than Georgia asphalt.

The final line-up of movies is a testament to why it will be missed -
Antichrist, Bright Star, Cairo Time, Capitalism: A Love Story, Good Hair, Inside Hana's Suitcase, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Prom Night in Mississippi, The Informant
 
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Carlton Cinemas - Last Day, Dec. 6th 2009

A sad day and a great loss for film aficionados

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge, then click again on the image for full size.

 

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