Empress needs new films

Bring on the FOUR MILLION DOLLARS Vallejo tax-payers were robbed of by the City Council and Mayor Intintoli.

Whoooooooooooooooooooosh - that's the sound of $4 mil going down the toilet. Wow, couldn't see that coming (sarcasm)

Oh get over it Wanglow. That money is about the only spent by the city that makes sense. I don't feel robbed for that. I do feel robbed by the golden PSU contracts.

It's time for the same-sex films. That is the way to draw "huge" crowds downtown. Just think what fun for the lavender hill mob.

Never mind the (little) man behind the curtain. Seems every time the Empress is mentioned he crawls up on that little soapbox to tell us our money was wasted.

I was there that night and there was a happening on Virginia. It was alive, lots of people eating, drinking, socializing and having a great time. If you didn't know it, you would have thought all of downtown was packed with people (Georgia Street was quiet).

This little man wants to urinate on anything good happening downtown. Keep it up Wang because all you do is entertain.

Haven't been here long but I would shell out more than 15 bucks to go to a Rocky Horror show, just as long as the props were allowed and newbies had a script, with instructions. Ah, to relive the throwing toast times!

The Thin Man series would be a hoot on large screen again, as would any of the Kate Hepburn films. Then there are the hard to find like the movie with Lucille Ball, The Long Trailer, I think it was called. Or any animated shorts... those are always fun. Film school students are always creative, not always interesting to me, but creative and they will give you the opportunity to show films for a song.

Again, I would pay big bucks to see The Rope, or The Trouble With Harry on a large screen.

All of those you may have done before, but they never lose the shine, no matter how many times seen.

Hey and Kurwakawa and Bruce Lee films.

How did the Saturday nite fever show go? did anyone attend?

The Who's Tommy,

Now that's a great idea.

Kurt Henke can be wicked Uncle Ernie and At Work can be the Acid Queen.

A simple human wrote:

Haven't been here long but I would shell out more than 15 bucks to go to a Rocky Horror show, just as long as the props were allowed and newbies had a script, with instructions. Ah, to relive the throwing toast times!
The Thin Man series would be a hoot on large screen again, as would any of the Kate Hepburn films. Then there are the hard to find like the movie with Lucille Ball, The Long Trailer, I think it was called. Or any animated shorts... those are always fun. Film school students are always creative, not always interesting to me, but creative and they will give you the opportunity to show films for a song.
Again, I would pay big bucks to see The Rope, or The Trouble With Harry on a large screen.
All of those you may have done before, but they never lose the shine, no matter how many times seen.

Great ideas all. "The Thin Man" series would be fabulous, especially with a Saturday evening period dress showing. A Hitchcock film festival, a Scorscese film festival, a Vallejo film festival, with films shot in, or about Vallejo. "Zodiac" was a great movie, movies shot on Mare Island could be added to the list. Tickets to a series of Best Picture winners, say every Wednesday night at 08:30 would be terrific. I would buy a ticket to such a series, even if I wasn't able to attend each way. It would be a natural add-on to the Wednesday Night Celebration.
I'm not happy about the $4 mill the city spent on this Theater, but I think the best needs to be made of it.

Sam Kurshan wrote:

The Who's Tommy,
Now that's a great idea.
Kurt Henke can be wicked Uncle Ernie and At Work can be the Acid Queen.

More input from Mr. Positivity.

All of the shows should be free since the tax payers paid millions for the place. Too bad the city chose hippie fests and alternative lifestyle entertainment over cops and firemen. Next time you call 911 it can be routed to the ticket booth at the Empress.

Solede wrote:

How did the Saturday nite fever show go? did anyone attend?

Not sure but I did go and see the Martin Scorsese Rolling Stones film which was amazing!

How about HARD ON DEMAND?

Right on Mary! I agree with you 100%. I do give them Kudos for bringing Scorcese.s Beacon Theatre Rolling Stones concert A Shining Light . Cultural diversity and a broad historically awareness needs to come to the Emperess with new films. Hell why not reproduce my awesome collection of concerts from my DVD,S and VHS tapes. I,ve got it all. Super Stars Seventies Soul/Disco, The PBS 60,S Rock Experience Live, Luther Vandros Live At The Royal Albert Hall with Mariah Carey, Carol King concert,Jimi Hendricks,Stevie Ray Vaughn,Old Freddy King concert from 1966 in Dallas,Texas. The Santana Sacred Fire concert from Mexico City, Buddy Guy "The Real Deal",John Cougar Mellencamp classic "Ain't That America,etc. I am willing to let the Emperess borrow my gems if they could be successfully converted to show them through their projector on the big screen there. Like Mary I just want the Emperess to be a diverse educational musical and cultural hub that Vallejo needs so badly. Let The Good Times Roll together for all of us here in Vallejo regardless of race,color,and background. Closing with Rodney King,s famous quote, "Can,t we all just get along?" Glenn Zoslaw (Vallejo)

Saul Goode wrote:

All of the shows should be free since the tax payers paid millions for the place. Too bad the city chose hippie fests and alternative lifestyle entertainment over cops and firemen. Next time you call 911 it can be routed to the ticket booth at the Empress.

Saul, why don't you treat yourself to a night out on the town? I think the Red Lobster "All You Can Eat Shrimp Special" would be a god choice for you. They don't mind if you loosen your belt after over-indulging. And then maybe heading to the Metro Plex to see a re-showing of "Backdraft" so you can fantasize about your highly paid PSU's. Sounds like a fancy night out on the town for you.

Re: The Thin Man - great idea!

The Empress is awesome. I came from a small town in Illinois that did a similar thing to their last theater. The traffic downtown increased and some really good restaurants came in.

yes, I spent two years in Pittsburgh, PA, which art house movie theatres.
There is one owned by a local East Indian family that shows foreign movies and Bollywood. Even white gals like myself enjoyed dancing to the Bollywood films. But the art movie theatres were affordable and reached out to the diversity of Pittsburgh, which has six universities/colleges, and people from all over the world.
Vallejo still has large low income population, why not make it affordable for all? Like a five dollar matinee for kids and the parents. But is Disney too political correct for some in this town???(big eye roll) Let the kids have some positive memories in downtown Vallejo. I wish to h-ll that there more and more events could be there for them. As for me I can afford a 14 dollar admission, but seriously, I am not taking my kid to a cocktail event even if old classic like Robin Hood or Star Wars is playing. They need to have more weekend events for families like they did for "the Wizard of Oz." But, again, I feel for the downtown families who are scrapping by. cut them a break.
Oh, by the way, Gracie's is a restaurant in downtown, great for families. Great local music!
I forgot to mention a Mozart night with "Amadeus."
Carol Reed's The Third Man is worth showing as well. A favorite of many film noir nuts.
thanks for the positive feedback, Glenn. People like you rock!

Glenn Zoslaw wrote:

Right on Mary! I agree with you 100%. I do give them Kudos for bringing Scorcese.s Beacon Theatre Rolling Stones concert A Shining Light . Cultural diversity and a broad historically awareness needs to come to the Emperess with new films. Hell why not reproduce my awesome collection of concerts from my DVD,S and VHS tapes. I,ve got it all. Super Stars Seventies Soul/Disco, The PBS 60,S Rock Experience Live, Luther Vandros Live At The Royal Albert Hall with Mariah Carey, Carol King concert,Jimi Hendricks,Stevie Ray Vaughn,Old Freddy King concert from 1966 in Dallas,Texas. The Santana Sacred Fire concert from Mexico City, Buddy Guy "The Real Deal",John Cougar Mellencamp classic "Ain't That America,etc. I am willing to let the Emperess borrow my gems if they could be successfully converted to show them through their projector on the big screen there. Like Mary I just want the Emperess to be a diverse educational musical and cultural hub that Vallejo needs so badly. Let The Good Times Roll together for all of us here in Vallejo regardless of race,color,and background. Closing with Rodney King,s famous quote, "Can,t we all just get along?" Glenn Zoslaw (Vallejo)

Those ALL sound fabulous! Maybe some of the old black and whites from years ago, the sound is mono, but the spirit, ah the spirit. The old delta blues players.... there was a fab series on the history of the blues. Co-play something like that with blues bands later and I would stay there all night! And where did you get some of those videos? I KNOW they aren't commercially available. Did you get the sound off of the board?

Mary,
The Disney films are abfab for many, including myself, and I have no children. You are right about the kids and the families though. In Champaign Illinois there is a popular chain theater that has (or did, don't know if they still do) FREE showings of kids movies on Sat and Sun mornings for kids and families. It is a win/win. The projectors would normally be down and the concessions take in $$$ and the community goodwill factor is off of the charts.

Too many years ago, when I was in elementary school and the Empress was named the Crest (I think), they used to have kids matinees in the summer. I still remember the buttered popcorn more than any of the movies. I would like to see more kids matinees as well.