Pittsburgh Center for the Arts fires all film staff... (Media: live, lawsuit)

[gg]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I mean as an analogy brick-and-mortar retail is also dying due to amazon. But urban boutique style shopping is generally holding up better than suburban strip mall shopping. This leads me to think the same general dynamics can also apply to film.

That said, screening arthouse films has never been a profitable endeavor.

Sort of the point I was trying to make. Things sure seem to change fast. Wasn't that long ago theaters were in every little town. Maybe some rich folks will step up and save it. They did that in Oakmont with the Oaks.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by gg

Sort of the point I was trying to make. Things sure seem to change fast. Wasn't that long ago theaters were in every little town. Maybe some rich folks will step up and save it. They did that in Oakmont with the Oaks.

Rowhouse Theater in Lawrenceville seems to do good business, and almost everything they play is an old movie you could watch on a streaming site. It's about the venue, being able to bring in a beer, and the snacks I think.

[SteelCityRising]

We don't go to the movies nearly as often as we used to; however, when we DO go to the movies (maybe three times per year) we go all-out for a luxurious experience. The Cinemark at Settler's Ridge is superb with the most comfortable reclining seats (with plentiful legroom) I've ever enjoyed at a theater. We also prefer to utilize a theater where we can not only pay for tickets in advance but also select our seats in advance---if we're going to pay top-dollar for tickets we don't want to partake in the risk of being stuck in the very front row.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Rowhouse Theater in Lawrenceville seems to do good business, and almost everything they play is an old movie you could watch on a streaming site. It's about the venue, being able to bring in a beer, and the snacks I think.

The Regent Square theater used to have Sunday night theme nights--one month it would be Hitchcock films, the next pre-code films from the 30s, etc. These were always pretty well attended. Sure, streaming is convenient, but like you say about boutique shopping or farm-to-table restaurants, there will always be a group of people who want to sit in the dark with popcorn and see a movie as a communal experience.

I used to be in a movie group that would go to stuff at the Harris, the Manor, Oakmont (when it showed films.) I was so happy to see the Three Rivers Film Festival come back strong this year, but it was a swan song, not a real comeback.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

skimm, kind of a low blow, dont you think? the mayor is not God. he cant be all things, to everyone, all the time. is he supposed to use city tax funds to save a dying entity? its not a major employer or anything.

let it die - if there is no demand, what else can you do?

Bingo

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Exactly, no sense pumping tax dollars into a dying franchise. I still hear people complaining about the loss of the Syria Mosque. It was time for it to go.

was THAT the reason? i thought Pitt bought it because of its prime location.

that was a nice building. i actually attended a wedding reception in its basement area - a huge, finished space.

i remember Black Sabbath played there in the mid-1980s.

[gg]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

i thought Pitt bought it because of its prime location.

Well Pitt is tax free and due to that has TONS of money charging kids $100,000 for a 4 year degree. They can afford it

[Independentthinking83]

It’s pretty simple to understand. The organization wasn’t a moneymaker and became unsustainable. Welcome to capitalism and letting the market (supply and demand) dictate winners and losers

[AaronPGH]

Of course, it's not actually that simple. If you've been following this organization the last few years at all, it has been a cluster**** as far as management goes the entire time. They'd hire talented people and squander them until they left. Lots of people came on board thinking they could try to help turn it around, only to find a seriously toxic environment. Here's from 2018: https://www.wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-...ction#stream/0

From everyone I know that has had a part in this thing, it didn't have to end this way. It was just run into the ground.

Also, some good news –*it sounds like the Harris will be kept open by the PGH Cultural Trust. I can't find a link yet but will post when I do.

[svband76]

Originally Posted by Copanut

I still hear people complaining about the loss of the Syria Mosque. It was time for it to go.

Person or persons responsible for this tragedy should have been imprisoned for life. One of the most outrageous tragedies in the history of Pittsburgh. Those who didn't care know nothing about music, the acoustically perfect performing venues, historical architecture, etc.