Why the Experience of Seeing Movies in the Theater Will Never Get Old

It’s well past midnight at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn, yet nearly every seat in the theater is taken. There’s a palatable sense of glee in the dark room (likely aided by the cinema’s plentiful bar) as the film reaches its crux: “Run! Go! Get to da choppa!!” screams Arnold Schwarzenegger. The audience breaks into hysterics.

That’s right; we gathered here tonight not to see some newly released Blockbuster but to watch the original 1987 Predator.

CinemaCon Showcase: Twentieth Century Fox’s Upcoming Film Releases

So we’ve gotten a peek at Paramount, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Walt Disney Studios, and Sony Pictures upcoming slate of films during our time at CinemaCon.

Here’s a trailer roundup for you from Twentieth Century Fox, which includes a good cross section of animation, comedies, and big-time action blockbusters.

Epic (May 24)

This 3D animated adventure directed by Chris Wedge and based on William Joyce’s children’s book “The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs”

CinemaCon Day Three: Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek, & Auteurs Galore

The third day of CinemaCon was an epic ode to the art of filmmaking and an optimistic look ahead at the future of theaters and movie-going. From a dynamic panel on keeping up with today’s savvy moviegoer, to an intimate and engaging lunch with three of the biggest directors on the planet, and incredible studio presentations from Walt Disney and Sony, here are a few of the highlights from today’s action packed ‘day three’

A Look at Four CinemaCon Award Winners & Their Epic Films

This week at CinemaCon at Caesar’s Palace it’s all about the film business—more specifically though, it’s all about the theater going experience, which is why a closer look at some of this year’s 15 honorees reveals a lineup of heavyweights whose movie careers aren’t simply noteworthy, they’re cinematic. (For the entire list of award winners, click here.)

While no one can dispute the value of the quiet comfort of watching a movie in your own home,

Meet Amy Hunter, General Manager of AMC Loews Theater Lincoln Square 13

There might not be an institution we love more than the movie theater. The smell of fresh buttered-popcorn, the soothing glow of high quality projection, the joy of an epic two-hour cinematic journey – the movie theater, so far as we’re concerned, is the ultimate venue for entertainment. So in this latest installment of our Meet A Maker series, we’re thrilled to present theater manager, Amy Hunter.

As General Manager of New York City’s AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 –

CinemaCon Showcase: Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures’ Upcoming Films

So we’ve gotten a peek at Paramount, Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures’ upcoming films in our first two days at CinemaCon, and today Walt Disney Studios and Sony Pictures are offering a glance at what they’ve got on tap.

Here’s a trailer roundup for you to whet your pallet. This spring and summer are looking like a monstrously good time to be at the movies.

–WALT DISNEY STUDIOS–

CinemaCon Day Two: 4D, Man of Steel World Premiere & More

While many attendees are still reeling at Brad Pitt’s unannounced appearance at the Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Monday night, Tuesday’s CinemaCon lineup proved no less exciting. The day kicked off with a dynamic state of the industry address from MPAA CEO and Chairman Chris Dodd, followed by an address by John Fithian, President of NATO. The trade show floor opened up to much acclaim – thanks to generous samples of fresh buttered popcorn,

CinemaCon Showcase: Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures’ Upcoming Films

CinemaCon continues apace today in Las Vegas, with a look at the 21st century moviegoer, a retrospective on some of the top grossing films of 2012, and the CinemaCon Trade Show to name a few events. While we’ve been reporting from the Con, we’ve already gotten a chance to sample Paramount Pictures upcoming slate of films, and today both Universal Pictures and Warner Bros. are showcasing their upcoming slate.

How Disney Creates Magic Moments and Generations of Happy Customers

No other brand on the planet has so thoroughly captured the essence of ‘enchantment’ quite like Walt Disney has. Fairy tales, animation, an international treasure trove of ethereal amusement parks – Walt Disney’s CV is proof that the brand’s ceaseless commitment to provoking wonder in everyone, of any age, anywhere pays off in dividends. Look no farther than memory recall – the mere mention of the brand name evokes sun-hued snapshots of real life magic;

Extra Butter: How Popcorn Came To Be Cinema’s Most Beloved Snack

In honor of CinemaCon, we are saluting movie theaters everywhere with an entire week of theater-themed content.

For many, a trip to the movies elicits a Pavlovian response: As soon as you walk through the theater doors, an irrepressible craving for popcorn ensues. Since childhood, we’ve been conditioned to—and more importantly, allowed to—consume handful upon buttery handful of salt-dusted popcorn from the moment the theater lights go down until the credits begin to roll.

CinemaCon Showcase: Paramount Pictures Upcoming Releases

Today at CinemaCon, among panels on the movie theater's embrace of the digital world and the future of theater architecture, Paramount Pictures is putting together an exclusive presentation highlighting their slate of summer films and more. We've put together a little trailer rundown of three upcoming Paramount releases for your perusal.

Pain & Gain

 Release date: April 26

Michael Bay’s Pain &

“Playing the Palace”: A History Of Motion Picture Palaces

Today’s motion picture exhibitors treat the movie going public to the most technologically advanced presentation in the history of the medium. We take a look back to see why this has always been so.

In 1914, Mitchell Mark and his brother Moe, opened what many consider the first movie palace, the one-million dollar Mark Strand Theater in Times Square, New York City. Mitchell Mark hired Samuel “Roxy” Rothafel to manage the theater and bring in the crowds.

So Long, Sold Out Shows: The Best Movie Ticket Apps For Smartphones

With so many blockbusters slated for upcoming releases, 2013 is pretty much guaranteed to be a banner year for movie theaters. Don’t get us wrong – content everywhere is great, but there’s no denying that G.I. Joe: Retaliation, The Great Gatsby, and Iron Man 3 are simply too epic to be viewed upon a tablet screen for the first time. And have you seen the trailer for Pacific Rim?

Scoring Giants: Mark Isham on Composing the Jackie Robinson Biopic 42

Let’s take a quick glance at some of the giants composer Mark Isham has worked with; Robert Redford, Brian De Palma, Jodi Foster, Robert Altman, and Sydney Lumet. In the music realm, his list includes; Bruce Springsteen, Willie Neslon, Joni Mitchell, The Rolling Stones, and Van Morrison. Yet there is one legend Isham has worked for (in a very different sense) that loomed even larger when he joined director Brian Helgeland’s team to take on Warner Bros.’ 

Veep‘s new VIP: Veteran Actress Mimi Kennedy Takes us Behind-the-Scenes of HBO’s Comedy

Mimi Kennedy pops up on the screen in the most unexpected places, but as an actor, writer and political activist that should be no surprise. She recently played the formidable madam in a house of ill repute in ABC's Scandal, Jason Segel’s tough talking mother on the big screen in The Five-Year Engagement and the soigneé mother-in-law-to-be in Woody Allen’s all-star cast of 

Company Man: A Conversation with The Company You Keep Author Neil Gordon

“During the war in Vietnam, you were either for Jane Fonda or you were for John Wayne,” says Neil Gordon. The author and professor doesn’t remember where he first heard this maxim, but it perfectly sums up his feelings about one of the most tumultuous eras in our country’s history. Though he’s firmly on Team Fonda, Gordon’s 2003 novel The Company You Keep — and the big-screen political thriller it inspired —

With Twitter’s New Vine App, Life Is But a Meme

If new developments in technology are a driving force in cinematic innovation, it should only follow that the same applies to the marketing of the final work. And as such, it has been a golden few weeks for the new Twitter-based, 6-second video loop application Vine.

Launched just three months ago, the extreme constrictions and meme-like novelty of 6-second looping video has naturally captured the imagination of the film world—interestingly,

The Midas Touch: From Mad Men and Breaking Bad to Copper, Christina Wayne’s on a Roll

You will not meet a lot of TV executives who were once writers and directors themselves. This might go some way in explaining how Christina Wayne, now the president of Cineflix Studios, has had such a keen eye when it comes to selecting incredible (and oft-overlooked) scripts and getting them made. Wayne’s credits include not one but two game-changing shows, Mad Men and Breaking Bad,

Cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle Puts us in a Trance

Chances are you’ve seen the trailer to this weekend’s Trance, and while it may be an incredibly intense three minutes, you’re likely left with several questions. Fear not, many of them might never get answered. But that’s okay, according to the film’s director of photography, Anthony Dod Mantle. Trance tracks what is a largely internalized journey taken on by an art auctioneer-turned art thief (James McAvoy) forced to see a hypnotherapist (Rosario Dawson) to help him recall where he’s stashed his latest haul.

House of Sound: Composer Jeff Beal Talks David Fincher, Scoring Netflix’s Breakout Hit, and Jazz

When composer Jeff Beal heard that director David Fincher was involved in an intriguing television project with Netflix, he wanted in. That project was House of Cards, an original series starring Kevin Spacey as House Majority Whip Frank Underwood, a vengeful political animal with scores to settle. Fincher asked Beal to submit some musical sketches, and what Beal created ended up becoming the basis for the show’s theme,