Thursday, January 24, 2013

Schedule January 25-31, 2013


Dear New Parkway Lover:



This might be our best quality week yet.  Most of our movies are above 90 on Rotten Tomatoes, and you still get most all of them for $6 at the New Parkway, 474 24th St, www.thenewparkway.com.  Incredible value and we now have free parking (across from 450 24th St) to boot.  Here are some highlights:

•The debut of Brooklyn Castle which seems similar but perhaps even better than my beloved Mad Hot Ballroom
•A couple last showings of Chasing Ice
•Something other than football on the big screen for Sports Sunday, so come on out to boo or cheer on Kobe
•Not one but two midnight screenings, on Friday and Saturday night
•Bond, James Bond

Here’s what Adam has to say about this week’s three features:

Hi All,

Another week gone. We are stepping ever closer to the apocalypse. And the new Superman movie coming out this June. We have a wonderful mix of movies this week. From a gargantuan action juggernaut to a documentary with the budget size of Daniel Craig's masseuse, we have something for everyone here. 

Life of Pi
If you haven't been to see Life of Pi at the New Parkway yet, you must have been very busy for the last two weeks. You must be a doctor saving lives, working 7 days a week and seeing your kids on your morning off (or your mistress on your evening off). Because this thrilling (11 Academy Award nominations) masterwork demands to be seen. On a big screen. With a popcorn bowl in your lap and a cool beverage in your hand. Even if you are not a cardiovascular surgeon with better things to do. 

There is a reason 'Life of Pi' has been on at the New Parkway for the last 2 weeks. People are flocking to see it. It is time you joined the party and see this before it leaves the big screen. I can almost see your dejected face, 5 months from now, when you are watching it on your tiny 46 inch TV, hopelessly thinking 'why did I miss out on this in January'. 

Skyfall
James Bond can be an acquired taste. He has been accused of misogyny (unlike me, he actually has a case to answer for). He went through a hilarious cheesy patch in the 80's (although I look back on Octopussy with fond nostalgic glee) before getting vicious with Timothy Dalton in the early 90's. Daniel Craig started with the best Bond movie in decades with 'Casino Royale' before descending into tedium with 'Quantum of Solace' (I literally remember nothing from that movie- NOTHING, no plot comes to mind). 

Thankfully 'Skyfall' is a wonderful return to form for Craig. He is helped immensely by Sam Mendes (Oscar winning director of American Beauty) and some beautiful photography by Roger Deakins (a Coen Brothers favorite). The plot actually makes sense and it is just wonderful fun. On the 50th anniversary of the Bond franchise, they pulled out all the stops and this is non-stop thrilling stuff. It even has Adele (most overplayed singer in the history of the world) doing the theme song. Do not resist. Just embrace. Bond only comes once every few years. 

Brooklyn Castle
After getting your popcorn entertainment fill of Skyfall, your mind will be replaying multiple explosions, chase sequences and Javier Bardem as a delicious villain. You will need something solid, meaty and juicy (I must be hungry) to fill up the cotton candy whirling around your brain. Brooklyn Castle is the answer. Inner city public school documentary? Check. Championship winning chess team? Check. Hard working teachers? Check. 

Here is just a selection of adjectives that critics have been using to describe it (98% Rotten Tomatoes): enlightening, inspiring, expertly crafted, irresistibly uplifting, and powerful. If you go and see a typical movie you might nitpick your way through the plot, acting and ending but sometimes a movie comes along that is truly transcending. Experience it and you won't forget it. 


Adam


And now for some words about our non-features:

Midnight Grindhouse—our new monthly grindhouse horror series, which will run the last Friday of the month at midnight.  This Friday, we’re showing Zombi with an intro to the film and general mischief provided by horror hostess Misery Ann Mayhem!  I comprehend absolutely nothing of what I just wrote and know less about this than I do about burlesque.  Will there be grinding in the house?  Come check it out.  Info and advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/319446.

Chase Some Ice—We’re offering two more showings of Chasing Ice on Saturday afternoon.  All of these shows of this brilliant documentary have sold out, so either get your tickets in advance or show up well before the showing: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/315831

Mosquita y Mari—Since this award-winning film sold out on Sunday, we’re adding two more shows since so many people expressed to us that they wanted to see it.   Read more about it at: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/mosquita_y_mari_2012/.  Get your advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/307627.

Grease is the Word—We’ve got the Barely Legal crew, the ones who used to do Rocky Horror at the old Parkway, leading a Grease sing along on Saturday night at midnight.  It doesn’t get much better than this.  Instead of doing the hand-jive in the privacy of your own home, why not come do it with scores of onlookers? Advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/318728.

Sports Sunday—After riding the 49er wave all the way through the NFC Championship game (Super Bowl advance tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/319343), we’re now turning our attention to the NBA.  We’ll first have the Lakers and Thunder (be a true Warriors fan and come boo Kobe) followed by the Hawks and the Knicks.  Doors open at noon on Sunday with big screen TV lasting until 5PM.   It’s better than any sports bar out there!

Spectrum Queer Cinema—After a sold out house of Mosquita y Mari, is there any chance that there will be seats in the house this week?  Come see “Endgame: AIDS in Black America” with the filmmaker and experts in the house.  Buy your advance tickets and join the discussion.  Info at: http://www.spectrumqueermedia.com/.

Thrillville--Sunday, January 27, 6pm, Thrillville Theater presents ENTER THE DRAGON (1973), Bruce Lee's immortal martial arts masterpiece, co-starring John Saxon and John Kelly as his fellow ass-kickers: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/318401.

Parkway Classics—On Thursday, Parkway Classics presents John Hughes' ageless tale of teenage romance PRETTY IN PINK (1986), starring Molly Ringwold and Jon Cryer, bursting with classic '80s songs and fashions. "Everything's duckie!"  More info and advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/318398.

Double Baby Brigade—Two showings of Baby Brigade next Monday, 4:30 and 6:30PM.  Good movies but we need more babies so that this theme night can really represent its name.  So come on out for some adult fun with baby in tow.  All ages welcome!  Check the schedule for what’s playing this week: http://thenewparkway.com/index.php?date=01/28/2013

2 for 1 Wednesday—Every Wednesday, two people for the price of one.  Included in this are…

Senior Special—a special 3:30 showing (or approximately that) geared towards the senior crowd, but open to everyone.

Afterschool Special—since school gets out early on Wednesdays in Oakland, we hope that students will come join us for a 4PM showing of a teen-friendly movie.  And at 2 for 1 prices, perhaps the whole family would like to attend.

For the full schedule, please check out: http://thenewparkway.com/schedule.php, or our home page with a synopsis of all of our current offerings.


Looking forward to seeing you all at the theater!


Moses





Thursday, January 17, 2013

Schedule January 18-24, 2013


Dear New Parkway Lover:

We’ve got four features, one big football game, scantily clad dancers at midnight, an Obama inauguration, Thrillville, double Baby Brigade, family movies, and Spectrum Queer Cinema.  Here’s what Adam has to say about our features:

Hi All,

The Awards season has fully kicked off with the Golden Globes out of the way. Watching Tommy Lee Jones gazing at Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig with murderous hate as they made fun of 'Hope Springs' made the overall self-congratulation and out-of-control egotism easier to watch. I am not sure if actors realize we don't care about their managers, agents, or family (unless they fawn over their spouse only to divorce a week later). They should be forced to describe who they had to back-stab for the role. I did quite like how Jennifer Lawrence could not resist rubbing in her victory with gleeful joy with 'I beat Meryl Streep'. Not 'I don't deserve to be here with these nominees', blah blah blah. I beat Meryl Streep so suck it losers. Awesome. Here are the movies for this week…

This is 40
I'll be honest. If you have never liked a Judd Apatow movie this is not going to change your mind. If you found yourself grinning or laughing to '40 Year old Virgin', or 'Knocked up', this will be right down your alley. If you liked the first half of 'Funny People' but found the last hour weird, meandering and somewhat depressing, this might not be down your alley but it's certainly on your block. 'This is 40' is as close to auto-biographical as you can get. It stars Apatow's real wife (Leslie Mann in her best role in years), and kids. Paul Rudd (very hard to dislike although 'I Love You, Man' pushed me to the edge) is the husband dealing with life at 40. 

Once you get over the fact that 'This is 40' is for wealthy, privileged yuppies, this is a funny, thoroughly enjoyable movie. It has a wonderfully diverse supporting cast including Melissa McCarthy, Albert Brooks, Lena Dunham and John Lithgow. If you are young, you can get a snapshot of what life may be like in 20 years (hair starts growing everywhere if you are a guy). This was also supposed to be out last summer but it was moved to make room for 'Snow White and the Huntsman'. So another reason to hold a lifetime grudge against Kristen Stewart.


Chasing Ice
Did you find 'An Inconvenient Truth' a gripping documentary on the effects of climate change? Did you find Al Gore to be really fat from the last time you saw him as Vice President? If your answer is yes to either of these questions, the perfect follow-up is here. Acclaimed National Geographic photographer James Balog was once a skeptic about climate change. But through his Extreme Ice Survey, he discovers undeniable evidence of our changing planet.  Through beautiful time capture video, he takes you on a great adventure that needs to be seen to be believed (unless as a kid you believed in the Easter Bunny- then you are just gullible). 

This outstanding documentary currently has a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and the only detractors are the San Francisco Chronicle (pretty sure they are owned by the Koch brothers) and a website called 'Little White Lies' (the name itself is evil). So if you drive a Prius (or considered buying one) you owe it to yourself and humanity to see this movie and spread the word. It is both gorgeous and gripping and definitely worth a watch. 

Life Of Pi
This got 11 Oscar nominations. Need I say more? What's that you say? 'Chicago' got 13 nominations. An Oscar nomination isn't worth the paper it's printed on? That might be a bit harsh. There are plenty of movies that are fully deserving of their nominations and awards. 'Life of Pi' is one of them. See below for my write up from last week:

It turns out Tom Hanks in 'Castaway' was a bit of a whiny baby. He got to 'survive' on a tropical island with delicious fruit and a cell phone that did not work and ocean views. Most people would pay for this luxury. Pi has to survive in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a boat with a man-eating tiger. I think we all think less of Tom Hanks now. Based on the best selling Booker prize-winning novel, Ang Lee's movie successfully takes you on a journey you have never been before. 

Without question, it is a visual wonder, indulging you with scenes of absolute beauty. It also takes you on a spiritual journey. In 2010 Barack Obama wrote to the novel's author describing Life of Pi as "an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling". But then again, he is a politician and might have been looking for some votes. Ang Lee definitely does the book justice. Skilfully weaving everything together, this is one you don't want to miss on the big screen. 

Hitchcock
Also continuing this week is 'Hitchcock' in a limited number of shows. So this is your last chance to see Anthony Hopkins in delicious form while eating delicious pizza in a movie theater. More info below:

Every few years, movies about very similar topics come out within months of each other. 'Armageddon' and 'Deep Impact'.  'Antz' and 'A Bug's Life'. 'Capote' and 'Infamous'. Skip, skip, watch, skip, watch, watch. Fortunately this year, we get two quality movies on Alfred Hitchcock. 'The Girl' was broadcast on HBO late last year and delved into the making of 'The Birds'. It is excellent and well worth checking out if you are a HBO subscriber. 'Hitchcock' focuses on the making of 'Psycho' with Anthony Hopkins in the title role. In Hannibal Lector form, he eats it up and delivers his best performance in years. 

He has some talented support as well with Helen Mirren giving one of the best performances this year. It's also a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of the scariest movies ever made and how 'Psycho' became his biggest hit. If you have never seen 'Psycho' I would highly recommend you seek it out. Before you watch 'Hitchcock'. You don't want any spoilers for this one. If we don't support older actors working in film, we are going to get more Kristen Stewart movies. A lot more. So let's support good movies and diminish the possibility of a 'Twilight' reboot franchise. 

Adam


And now for some info about all of the other stuff going on this week at the theater:

Burlesque-- We've got burlesque on Saturday night at midnight. I don't even know what burlesque is though it seems like it involves some dancing women. And I'm told this dancing will take place with movies in the background, which sounds apropos since we are, after all, a movie theater. $10 at midnight gets you in for the show. Advance tickets also available at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/318288

Spectrum Queer Cinema—Join us for the award winning “Mosquita y Mari”.  See this amazing film, with director Aurora Guerrero in person, Sunday at 3PM.  Advanced tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/307627.

Inauguration Breakfast— We'll open our doors at 8AM for viewing of the festivities from Washington DC, see Obama getting sworn in for his second term, and then listen to his presidential address to the nation.  Breakfast will be served (omnivore, veggie, vegan, and gluten-free options) and is included in the $15 price of admission.  For a full choice of breakfast offerings, you must buy your advance ticket at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/318861.

49ers Playoff Game—Come root on the Niners (or the Falcons) in the NFC Championship game, live from Atlanta.  Game starts at around noon with doors opening at 11.  We’ll have our full menu and won’t run out of beer gas this time around.  $10 entry includes one drink coupon.  The game sold out last week so consider getting your advance tickets online at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/318857.

New Parkway Family Classics—This is a new Saturday lunchtime feature (preview showing on Friday afternoons) of a family-friendly classic.  This week, we’re showing Madagascar.  Yay!  Hope to see you on Friday at 4 or on Saturday at 11AM.

Thrillville—On the 20th at 6PM, Thrillville Theater presents the all-time fantasy classic JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963) with masterful stop motion special effects by the legendary Ray Harryhausen. Skeleton fight!

Parkway Classics—will the string of sold-out shows continue?  If so, we’ll be adding a second show, about a half an hour later so bring on the pre-sales.  This week’s offering is Raiders of the Lost Ark.  Will the Thrill's Parkway Classics presents Steven Spielberg's original, iconic adventure classic RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981), Harrison Ford's first gig as  Indiana Jones. Whip it, whip it good.  Advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/318389.

Double Baby Brigade—Two showings of Baby Brigade next Monday, 4:30 and 6:30PM.  Great showing last week at 6:30 but 4:30 could really use a bunch more babies.  So come on out for some adult fun with baby in tow.  All ages welcome!  Check the schedule for what’s playing this week.

2 for 1 Wednesday—Every Wednesday, two people for the price of one.  Included in this are…

Senior Special—a special 3:30 showing (or approximately that) geared towards the senior crowd, but open to everyone.

Afterschool Special—since school gets out early on Wednesdays in Oakland, we hope that students will come join us for a 4PM showing of a teen-friendly movie.  And at 2 for 1 prices, perhaps the whole family would like to attend.

For the full schedule, please check out: http://thenewparkway.com/schedule.php, or our home page with a synopsis of all of our current offerings.

Mailing List Removal—if you’ve had enough of this and want to be removed from the list, please do so at: http://thenewparkway.com/unsubscribe.php


Moses

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Complimentary Tickets for CHASING ICE this weekend!


Dear New Parkway Lover:

Come see Chasing Ice this weekend, and we've even got complimentary tickets to some or all of the four screenings. Interested? Read on: 

COMPLIMENTARY TICKETS! Opening this weekend at The New Parkway: See the Sundance award-winning film CHASING ICE (NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR for Best Original Song, "Before My Time", featuring Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell). A limited number of tickets, on a space-available basis, are being purchased for our most loyal fans and supporters while supplies last. Visit this link below and use the Group Code "TNP" to request your tickets. Confirmations will be emailed approximately 24 hours prior to your requested show. Seats are not guaranteed through this program until you receive your email confirmation. Quantities are limited and confirmed tickets are not transferable to other dates, times, or shows.

Please see additional details and submit your request here:

You can also purchase tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/315831

For the full schedule, please check out: http://thenewparkway.com/schedule.php which or our home page with synopses.


Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Advance Tix Info For Playoffs, Superbowl, Oscars, Inauguration!


Dear New Parkway Lover:

I wanted to send out a special announcement about four upcoming events at the theater, going on sale tonight, three of which are sure to sell out:

•The 49ers playoff game on Sunday, starting at noon, doors at 11AM.  $10 gets you admission and a free drink.  Lots of good food available for purchase.  Advance tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/318857.
•Presidential Inauguration on Monday morning, 8:00-10:30AM.  Key festivities start at 9, but we'll be serving up breakfast and community when we open our doors at 8AM.  $15 gets you in the door and a lovely breakfast with a hot drink.  Advance tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/318861.
•Super Bowl Extravaganza on Sunday, February 3rd.  Game starts at 3:30 but we'll start the party at 2.  $10 gets you admission and a free drink.  Lots of good food available for purchase.  Advance tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/319343.
•Academy Awards party on Sunday, February 24th, starting at 5PM and ending some time the next day.  $20 gets you the party with free finger food galore.  Drinks will be available for purchase and we'll have some special ones for the event.  Advance tickets at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/319346.

Moses

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Schedule January 11-17, 2013



Dear New Parkway Lover:

Lots of great stuff coming up at the New Parkway (474 24th Street, www.thenewparkway.com) in the upcoming week, including:

•The 49ers playoff game on Saturday, and five hours of Sports Sunday on…Sunday
•The debut of the New Parkway Family Classics, a Saturday 11AM-1PM lunchtime program, this week featuring ET.  Preview screening the day before—Friday—at 4PM.
•Doubling the Baby Brigade fun, with one early showing at 4:30 and then a “later” showing at 6:30.  Come with babies or without.
•An encore presentation of the sold out Brooklyn Reconstructed, 4:45 on Saturday, looking at gentrification and urban development in Detroit and NYC. 

Check our website for listings on these and all other programs.  Now for Adam’s take on our features:

Hi All:

It's a fresh new week and we have some excellent new movies to cheer you up on a dreary January evening. You are going to be pining for movies of this quality when the post Oscar dump-pile of movies comes rolling in around February. You are truly spoiled for choice. Every one of these movies should be featured in the Oscars next month (no guarantees- Cuba Gooding Jr is an Oscar winner so literally anyone can be nominated). So without further delay let's dig into this week's selection of masterpieces that you can enjoy in sumptuous surroundings with delightful treats at the Parkway.

Life of Pi
It turns out Tom Hanks in 'Castaway' was a bit of a whiny baby. He got to 'survive' on a tropical island with delicious fruit and a cell phone that did not work and ocean views. Most people would pay for this luxury. Pi has to survive in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a boat with a man-eating tiger. I think we all think less of Tom Hanks now. Based on the best selling Booker prize winning novel, Ang Lee's movie successfully takes you on a journey you have never been before. 

Without question, it is a visual wonder, indulging you with scenes of absolute beauty. It also takes you on a spiritual journey. In 2010 Barack Obama wrote to the novel's author describing Life of Pi as "an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling". But then again, he is a politician and might have been looking for some votes. Ang Lee definitely does the book justice. Skilfully weaving everything together, this is one you don't want to miss on the big screen. 

The Sessions
Has Hollywood ever made a grown up movie about sex? Watching Fatal Attraction when I was fifteen made a lifetime impression on me. I vowed never to cheat on my wife. Or if I did, I would never give my real name and do it in a foreign city. The Sessions is the one of the first movies to deal with sex in a grown up, mature and funny way. This is a real crowd-pleaser. If you were to tell me a movie about a paralyzed poet hiring a sex surrogate to lose his virginity would be a real crowd-pleaser last year, I would call you a filthy liar. But wonders never cease and this really is one of the best movies of the year. 

I love John Hawkes. You might know him as Sol (Bullock's friend) on 'Deadwood'. Or a meth addict in 'Winter's Bone'. Or Dustin Powers on 'Eastbound and Down'. He is wonderful in this movie. Expect a similar career trajectory as Phillip Seymour Hoffman with Oscar buzz building with each movie. He is expertly supported by Helen Hunt (in award winning form) and William H Macy (always good in everything- Jurassic Park 3 being the exception that proves the rule). You might think this isn't the best movie to bring your mother in law or first date to, but you would be wrong. Just don't tell them what it's about before you go or you might end up looking like Robert De Niro in Taxi Driver inviting Cybill Shepherd to a porno movie. They will be pleasantly surprised. 

Hitchcock
Every few years, movies about very similar topics come out within months of each other. 'Armageddon' and 'Deep Impact'.  'Antz' and 'A Bug's Life'. 'Capote' and 'Infamous'. Skip, skip, watch, skip, watch, watch. Fortunately this year, we get two quality movies on Alfred Hitchcock. 'The Girl' was broadcast on HBO late last year and delved into the making of 'The Birds'. It is excellent and well worth checking out if you are a HBO subscriber. 'Hitchcock' focuses on the making of 'Psycho' with Anthony Hopkins in the title role. In Hannibal Lector form, he eats it up and delivers his best performance in years. 

He has some talented support as well with Helen Mirren giving one of the best performances this year. It's also a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at one of the scariest movies ever made and how 'Psycho' became his biggest hit. If you have never seen 'Psycho' I would highly recommend you seek it out. Before you watch 'Hitchcock'. You don't want any spoilers for this one. If we don't support older actors working in film, we are going to get more Kristen Stewart movies. A lot more. So let's support good movies and diminish the possibility of a 'Twilight' reboot franchise. 

Adam


And now for some of the other stuff:

New Parkway Family Classics—This is a new Saturday lunchtime feature (preview showing on Friday afternoons) of a family-friendly classic.  We’re kicking it off with E.T., and what young person—and adult—wouldn’t want to see it and then say “phone home” in a raspy voice for the next week.  Get your tickets at the theater or online at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/316389.

Sports Sunday—it’s NFL playoff time, and we’ll have football on the giant screen running from noon to 5 on Sunday.  That means one and a half games for a simple $5 minimum food/drink purchase.  It’s really big and really HD.  Don’t miss it, or the 49ers game on Saturday at 5PM.

Brooklyn Reconstructed—this sells out every time, so come check out an amazing documentary showing for the second time (since scores of people were turned away at the door).  More info and advance tickets available at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/307625.

Documentary Tuesday—our second Tuesday event—after the sold-out first one—will be our presentation of This is Not a Film, a clandestine documentary that got rave reviews.  Read about it and get advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/315820.

Thrillville—on Sunday night at 6PM, we’re presenting Forbidden Planet as part of Thrillville Theater.  It’s Will the Thrill's favorite sci-fi flick, an all-time classic and reportedly the inspiration for "Star Trek"; loosely based on William Shakespeare's "The Tempest" except it has Robby the Robot, monsters from the Id, futuristic/midcentury modern decor, Leslie Nielsen (of "Naked Gun") trying not to be funny, and Anne "Honey West" Francis wearing skimpy but sparkly space dresses, which makes all the difference.

Parkway Classics—every Parkway Classic has sold out so get your advance tickets for The Goonies, a crowd-pleasing favorite with ageless appeal about a gang of typical fun-loving '80s kids who find a treasure map and embark on a thrilling hunt for hidden pirate booty; directed by Richard Donner ("Superman"), written by Steven Spielberg ("Raiders of the Lost Ark," etc etc etc) and Chris Columbus, the guy who wrote "Gremlins" and two "Harry Potter" movies, not the explorer guy who allegedly discovered America. He gets enough credit already.  Advance tix at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/316216.

Queer Cinema—Come out at 3PM for another great showing of Spectrum Queer Cinema.  Details at: http://www.spectrumqueermedia.com/

Double Baby Brigade—Two showings for Baby Brigade next week, 4:30 for Hitchcock and 6:30 for the Life of Pi.  We only had a handful of babies show up last week and we need a good crowd to keep this offering going.  So we’re hoping that a choice of two times will work out for everyone.  Come on out and support.

2 for 1 Wednesday—the name says it all.  Included in this is…

Senior Special—a special 3:30 showing (or approximately that) geared towards the senior crowd, but open to everyone.

Afterschool Special—since school gets out early on Wednesdays in Oakland, we hope that students will come join us for a 4PM showing of a teen-friendly movie.  And at 2 for 1 prices, perhaps the whole family would like to attend.

For the full schedule, please check out: http://thenewparkway.com/schedule.php which or our home page with synopsies.

Mailing List Removal—if you’ve had enough of this and want to be removed from the list, please do so at: http://thenewparkway.com/unsubscribe.php


Moses

Friday, January 4, 2013

Schedule January 4-10, 2013


Dear New Parkway Lover:

This week, we’re holding over two movies (Perks of Being a Wallflower and Holy Motors) and welcoming in two others (Flight, Killing Them Softly), and we’ve got lots of other special events, all happening at 474 24th Street in Oakland with info on line at www.thenewparkway.com .  Please read what Adam’s got to say followed by info about First Friday and other goodies:

Hi All,

It is that time of year again. After gorging ourselves on copious amounts of food and drink, we make the pledge to live a better life and be healthier. You can almost imagine the smug, self-satisfied facial expressions on gym owners across the country. But life is all about balance. Or if you believe my workout DVD, strengthening your core (I always imagine it is my spine but I could be wrong). In these bleak, cold winter months it is important to replenish your emotional state as well. Seeing a movie at the New Parkway can deliver both. Great food (calories to fit any January restriction), delicious drinks and amazing movies. What are you waiting for? Dive in below for what movies we are enchanting you with this week. 

Flight
Finally. After 10 years of spending (wasting) his time in digital animation, Robert Zemeckis is finally back where he belongs, directing live action movies. This is the man responsible for 'Back to the Future part 3', 'Forrest Gump', 'Death Becomes Her' and 'Contact'. If you don't like one of those movies, you are a hollow, soulless person like William H Macy in the Cooler. You instantly chill the room like a Dementor and happily suck the happiness and joy from everyone. Everyone else can rejoice that one of the finest directors in the world is back on top form. 

The main attraction without question is Denzel Washington, on scintillating form. Yes, he does entertainingly stupid thrillers too often (Deja Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, Unstoppable, Safehouse, the list goes on). But every so often he gets lucky. He is given the room and story to deliver a masterful performance that keeps you gripped until the very end. This is old-fashioned movie making at it's finest, deftly combining some exhilarating action with outstanding performances. Let's face it. We all love Denzel. If you don't love him, never admit it. Because people will dislike you and question your judgment. Now we can see him in an exceptional movie that appeals to all ages and genders. 


Holy Motors
Usually when you go to see a movie, you know exactly what you are getting. Sometimes the title explains the entire plot (Friends with Benefits, He's Just Not That Into You). The trailer handholds you through the story so there is almost no need to see the movie. There are very few surprises left in cinema. Romantic comedies (meet, fight, break up, re-union), Horror (ghost, ghoul, scary little girl is behind you), Tim Burton (Johnny Depp in heavy make up and Helena Bonham Carter). Very few movies come along that truly surprise anymore. Holy Motors is completely original. 

One of the highest rated movies of the year (90% on Rotten Tomatoes), this gem is hard to describe. It's kind of a French road movie. It is completely surreal. It is really funny. Trying to describe the plot is like trying to explain the meaning of life. This is a movie that the UK newspapers fell in love with and they hate the French. Go in with an open mind and experience something new. You can be one of those 'interesting people' who goes to see French surrealist cinema but actually ends up thoroughly enjoying it.

Killing Them Softly
This comes highly recommended. With a caveat. Some people do not like movies to challenge them. That is not to say this movie is a challenge to watch because it is very entertaining, fast, and stylized. But is has some interesting commentary and viewpoints on America that some people will reject. That's fine. They can always watch 'Armageddon' when Bruce Willis personally saves the world, draped in an American flag. 

Brad Pitt is just cool in this. Despite his incredibly cheesy perfume ads, he just oozes coolness in this movie. How he dresses. How he talks. How he acts. This is as close to Steve McQueen as you are going to get. This movie is very tense and if you are on the verge of a nervous breakdown, this will probably send you over the edge. If you are on the verge, please stop checking email and seek help. Maybe check out 'Perks of Being a Wallflower' at the Parkway on the way there. It is funny, brutal and quite violent so don't pretend I did not warn you. It has James Gandolfini in it. He is as wonderful as you would expect. 


Also, it is 90 minutes! Whatever happened to the 90 minute movie? Every self-indulgent film needs to be 2-3 hours now. Hollywood seems to think it's like an all-you-can-eat buffet and unless we eat to the point of self-hatred, we won't be happy. I love how fast and focused this movie is.   

Perks of Being a Wallflower
Novelists are usually apprehensive when Hollywood pays them off and proceeds to butcher their beloved work. It is a rarity for novelists to write the screenplay for the movie and only once in a blue moon do they direct their screenplay. But Stephen Chbosky is the exception (and quite possibly an egomaniac) that proves the rule. Based on his best selling novel, this excellent coming-of-age high school movie stars Emma Watson (Hermione from Harry Potter is still in high school but way less annoying) and Logan Lerman (you probably know his face but won't be able to name previous movies). 

Good high school movies are rare. This film 'captures the phenomenon of high school with all the tenderness and horror it deserves' (Film.com). It seems the only critics that disliked it were three Australians. But they were probably drunk on Fosters (wild stereotype of the week). Because it is one of the most critically adored movies of the year. Also as an added bonus, you get one of the best soundtracks of the year. I didn't realize there were so many good songs from the early 1990's. Or maybe this movie just includes all of them. So to recap: great story, funny script, excellent soundtrack, cold beer, tasty wine, succulent pizza and snacks. All in one place. 


Adam


And now for the non-feature presentations at the theater…

First Friday—this Friday is the first of 2013, and our debut on the Art Murmur scene since we opened to the public.  Come by to see us in our new home!  Our doors will be open, free of charge, from 6-9PM, and we’ll be selling food, showing some shorts, and should have one of the best beer selections on the circuit.  At 9PM, we’ll clear the houses, clean the place up a bit, and then show our feature films at 9:30 and 10:00, either for $6. 

Sports Sunday—it’s NFL playoff time, and we’ll have football on the giant screen running from noon to 5 on Sunday.  We’ll start with the second half of the Colts-Ravens game and then see the Seahawks-Redskins game in its entirety.  A great way to see the game as we get closer to Super Bowl Sunday in HD Grande!

Documentary Tuesday—we’re also debuting our prime time documentary slot (how many other theaters can say that?) with the Brooklyn Reconstructed series.  We had a sneak preview of the series last month and it totally sold out so get your advance tickets now for Lemonade: Detroit and My Brooklyn at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/307625.  In fact, you can read all about the screenings through that link.  Not to be missed!

Thrillville and Parkway Classics—Sunday at 6, we’ll be showing Blue Hawaii as part of Thrillville.  Will will tell you all about it on Facebook.  And on Thursday, don’t miss one of the all-time Parkway faves, Purple Rain, in which Prince will melt you with his looks and music.  Buy advance tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/315031.

Queer Cinema—Have you been out to our Sunday afternoon Queer Cinema at the New Parkway?  Its popularity is growing by the week and this Sunday, come check out “It Gets Messy In Here”.  3PM is the start time and you can read all about the film at: http://crunkfeministcollective.wordpress.com/2011/12/12/it-gets-messy-in-here-a-review/.

Baby Brigade—Parents can finally come to the theater again, and bring their less than quiet child/children with them.  This week we’re showing Flight, since Killing Them Softly would not have been the right choice for a movie with screaming childen.  $6 for adults, crying little ones are free (though expected to be on your lap).

2 for 1 Wednesday—the name says it all.  Included in this is…

Senior Special—a special 3:30 showing (or approximately that) geared towards the senior crowd, but open to everyone.

Afterschool Special—since school gets out early on Wednesdays in Oakland, we hope that students will come join us for a 4PM showing of a teen-friendly movie.  And at 2 for 1 prices, perhaps the whole family would like to attend.

For the full schedule, please check out: http://thenewparkway.com/schedule.php which hopefully has all the latest and greatest (as should our home page).

A Note About Safety—We sadly had a report of someone having their car window broken while attending the New Parkway.   Please be sure to not leave any valuables in your vehicle, and consider parking in one of the nearby lots (like the YMCA) if you prefer driving over public transportation.  We hope that this will not be a growing trend, but want to encourage all theatergoers to take precautions when possible.
To be removed from this mailing list, please go to: http://thenewparkway.com/MailingListRemoval.html.


We look forward to seeing you at the theater!


Moses
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About Our Labor Practices


Dear New Parkway Lover:

As some of you may know, the New Parkway Theater was picketed on our first weekend of business by the projectionist union.  I shared a lot about this on our Facebook page, but we're clearly still getting questions so I'm sending out this note out to the email list for anyone not on Facebook or who didn't take the time to digest the main points.  I won't belabor you all with too many specifics, but here's a bit of the overview.

I'll start by saying that we were quite surprised to be picketed, especially right at the start.  We had received a couple of emails from the union and the tone seemed to be that they were offering their services, much in the same way that hundreds of others offered their services to us along the way.  I replied that we were not employing a projectionist, and that it would be a very small part of one of our manager's job.  With digital projection, the growing trend is to not employ projectionists since it's such a small slice of theater operations post-35mm.  This is not to say that projectionists are no longer needed or not nice to have around.  We just had decided to structure our staff in a different way, and obviously we'll see how that works out over the long run. So, I basically said "thanks but no thanks", not realizing that we would be picketed a few months later. 

When the picketers came, we tried to be very cordial to them, especially since they were out in the rain for a good part of two days.  We didn't enter into dialogue with them on day one as we were both in a bit of shock, and we were a bit dumbfounded by their literature encouraging our patrons to not go to the New Parkway but instead to go to the AMC's and to other theaters that employ union projectionists.  I think we took this a bit too personally since we know that what we're paying our staff, especially our line staff, is significantly more than what these other theaters are paying, and that we have some very progressive labor practices like paying a living wage, profit sharing, and free movies/food/drink for all.  And we also knew that we were creating thirty new jobs and that the ownership of the business--if we can call the 56 investors that--were all pretty small time local folks who just wanted to see this theater reopen.

On the second day, we invited the union in for discussion and really tried to get to the bottom of what would work for them and for us.  They realized that we were not hiring a projectionist and really were steering more towards providing us with service for our new equipment.  After some back and forth, both in person and via email, we came up with a plan for them to provide us with a two-year service agreement in which the first year they are providing on call service and then something more substantial in year two.  I can't share any more of the specifics since we've not yet put everything in writing but I think that we're both satisfied with the agreement and are both committed to the success of the New Parkway, as it ultimately benefits both parties.  

Like many things along the way, we wish that things had unfolded a bit differently, and I take some of the blame as a rookie theater operator for not knowing all the right things to do at many steps along the way.  I made many mistakes in getting this place open, and we face new challenges every day.  It seems to be part of the process.  But I'm also quite proud of many things we've done, and our business practices are front and center in that regard.  Profit has not been the driving force thus far, and it's certainly lower in the pecking order than how we treat our employees, how we try to treat our patrons, and how we impact the planet.  Sustainability is the goal for us, and I'm quite frankly far more concerned about our ability to keep our doors open than I am about much else.  It's not easy to pay good wages, give good value to patrons, be green, and earn enough to pay off close to a million dollars in loans.  And being picketed certainly didn't help our cause and has kept otherwise excited people from coming out.

I told the union and our followers on Facebook that not only are we pro-labor, but that we would be supportive of our staff unionizing if they chose to do so.  I also wrote that we'd be happy to have a community dialogue about our labor practices, about our choice to not hire a projectionist, and about unions and progressive labor practices in general.  We'd still be happy to do that, and what better place than a movie theater that is committed to Oakland, to self-reflection, and to dialogue?  That's a conversation that we'd be eager to have, and from which I'm sure we'd learn a great deal.

So that's a bit about what went down over the past couple of weeks.  I'm sorry that it's taken me until now to put something in writing, but my world has been turned upside down these last many months and nothing gets done as quickly as I'd like.  I welcome your questions about this or anything else, and I thank you for your continued support.


Moses