Observer Walt
Senior Member
The Revue on Roncesvalles has reopened. They have posted a program for the remainder of October, and one for November is coming soon.
http://revuecinema.ca/
http://revuecinema.ca/
|
|
|
Revue Cinema reopens
- Thread starter Observer Walt
- Start date
Excellent news! I'll do my best to help keep their doors open this time...
42
42
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
Me too. I hope their November program is stronger.
AndreaPalladio
Senior Member
They've got some good movies playing, mixed in with money making crap like Rush Hour 3. Good for them.
junctionist
Senior Member
I've never actually been the Revue, but now I'm taking an interest in the small, local cinema. There used to others just like it, but they went away and are now occupied by convenience stores. And when you go, check out the Polish businesses for high quality coldcuts or dining options. I say this because many Poles have moved to the suburbs.
Observer Walt
Senior Member
There are several small restaurants and delis along Roncesvalles, where you could go for a bite prior to a movie.
An interesting show might be "Journey to Little Rock", a documentary around the experience of Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the "Little Rock Nine" who desegregated a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the 1950s. It was one of the landmark events in the fight against segregation. I found out only recently that she now lives in northern Ontario. She will be attending this screening, Tuesday October 30 at 7.00.
There will be a couple of cheesy scary movies on Halloween.
An interesting show might be "Journey to Little Rock", a documentary around the experience of Minnijean Brown Trickey, one of the "Little Rock Nine" who desegregated a high school in Little Rock, Arkansas, in the 1950s. It was one of the landmark events in the fight against segregation. I found out only recently that she now lives in northern Ontario. She will be attending this screening, Tuesday October 30 at 7.00.
There will be a couple of cheesy scary movies on Halloween.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
Terrific neighbourhood cinemas dotted the city until the multiplex finally took over in the 80's. When I fell in love with movies as a kid in the mid 70's there were at least two dozen cinemas on (or within a block) of Yonge Street alone. Three survive as live theatre venues, the rest are gone.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Cinema Lumiere, which was in that theatre on the north side of College just west of Spadina that later became a computer store, ran similar films to the Revue and the Roxy on the Danforth. Sometimes these places were used for live theatre and other events - I saw William S. Burroughs give a reading there in the mid-1970's.
Observer Walt
Senior Member
There are only a few of these places left. I counted four after the demise of the Festival Cinemas last summer: the Mount Pleasant, Regent, Bloor, and Fox. The good news is that two of those which closed last summer have reopened, the Royal and now the Revue, making six of these old-style neighbourhood cinemas in the city by my count. I'm not counting Cinematheque, at the AGO, which is a bit of a different animal, but also a valuable part of the city's life.
I make a point of patronizing the repertory places. The atmosphere is more authentic IMO, and you can see some of the old classics like Annie Hall, not just stuff that is "current". I hope that the places now in existence will be able to continue.
I make a point of patronizing the repertory places. The atmosphere is more authentic IMO, and you can see some of the old classics like Annie Hall, not just stuff that is "current". I hope that the places now in existence will be able to continue.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
JasonParis
Moderator
Thanks for that US! 
AndreaPalladio
Senior Member
Am I the only one who remembers the cinemas in the Sheraton Centre? I think there were two. They closed in the mid '90s, briefly became a drag theatre, and now are nothing.
JasonParis
Moderator
I don't really remember them, but their angled marquee which now advertises the Sherton Centre shops, etc. is quite obviously a hold-over from their movie showing past.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
The Sheraton Centre cinemas was a strange cookie. Through the 70's & early 80's the cinemas (there were two) played an odd mix of foreign, soft core porn and the odd action film. When the Imperial Six closed due to a "deal gone bad" with the family who owned half the property Famous Players did a quick reno. with new seats, Dolby stereo (including 70MM in cinema 1), new carpets etc. and aggressively tried to bring over the Imperial Six crowd but the venture mostly failed. The location was hard to find, the box office was two levels below, then one had to go down another 2 levels which finally reach the auditoria. To top it all off, the contract with the Sheraton Centre gave them unusual access to the cinemas when they were needed. They could use the complex for a night - or a week so booking the place was also a challenge. Last I heard the cinemas still exist in some form but the space is mostly used as an extension to one of the ballrooms and for corporate hotel rentals.
dt_toronto_geek
Superstar
Yes, thanks US! I never heard of a few of those cinemas. The Fairlawn brings back great memories, that was one of my favorate cinemas. It got chopped into two cinemas around 1975 or 76 but the downstairs auditorium was still nice. The Fairlawn was famous for playing Sensurround movies throughout the 1970's, it worked really well there. That was one of the coolest sound systems ever.