Allen Michaan And Gary Meyer Of Grand Lake Theater Oakland, Telluride Film Fest Talking Film
ONN – Allen Michaan And Gary Meyer Of Grand Lake Theater Oakland, And Telluride Film Festival Talking Film
I had the pleasure of hosting three friends, Allen and Yvette Michaan and Gary Meyer for a 45-minute talk about Oakland’s Grand Lake Theater (at 3200 Grand Avenue at Lake Park Avenue) and the future of the movie industry during and after the pandemic. Some highlights:
Allen Michaan said he closed the Grand Lake Theater ahead of the shelter-in-place policy put in by Governor Newsom because he didn’t want to expose his employees to any possibility of getting the virus. “I’ve been operating in Grand Lake, which I’ve had since January of 1980, when I took over. It’s only the second time I’ve closed it. The last time I closed the Grand Lake Theater was after the 89 Earthquake. I wanted to give structural engineers a chance to inspect it and give the ‘all-clear’ sign before we let people in, again.”
Allen calls COVID-19 “COVID-45” because he blames President Trump for reacting to it too late, and causing the spread of the Coronavirus.
Gary Meyer said “The movie industry is always been an “up-and-down” industry since the beginning, because there was radio and there was television, and VHS cable, DVD – each of those. And it always sort of survived. This is the toughest thing that’s ever happened to the industry as far as I’m concerned, because, in fact, basically the industry has shut down. There are no regular movie theaters open in America, and much of the world. There are a few drive-ins that are allowed to be open because you’re staying within the confines of your car. But they don’t really have much to show because there are really no new movies that are opening.”
Allen and Gary understand the situation studios are in, when, in an effort to capture lost revenue during the pandemic, they send movies just released (like Bloodshot) straight to cable and streaming, but it hurts theaters. (On that, it’s important to remember that some states have a few counties where theaters are open and no shelter-in-place policy exists, and yet, no reported cases of COVID-19, as of this writing. There are 50 counties that don’t have a single COVID-19 case in Georgia, a key reason why Governor Kemp has not issued a stay in order.).
Thanks to Allen and Yvette Michaan and Gary Meyer for their time.
The full, raw, timestamped, video transcript is below:
00:00
right front and center here okay well
00:03
hey everybody we are welcome to Zennie62
00:06
this evening and this is a special as
00:11
you can see right here we’ve got this
00:12
lined up this is a special livestream
00:15
discussion with two friends three
00:18
friends and we are talking about well
00:22
first of all let me introduce my friends
00:24
as I get this lined up properly because
00:26
some of you are probably wondering why
00:27
the camera is a little above and now it
00:30
is precisely centered there and Grand
00:36
Lake theater owner Allen Michaan and his wife
00:38
in the screen say hey hey hey everybody
00:40
and and then Gary Meyer is on the phone
00:47
Gary how you doing on here awesome
00:50
Gary is the Gary’s a longtime founder
00:55
and owner of the Telluride Film Festival
00:56
and owner the Balboa SF theater Allen is
00:59
the famous the owner of the Grand Lake
01:02
theater and we’re also (Allen says) and also again he
01:07
was one of the cofounders of Landmark
01:09
Theaters and many years with them
01:11
absolutely well that mark years prior to
01:13
the Telluride (Gary says) and yeah and I didn’t plan
01:17
Telluride I came in 25th year over there
01:21
for 16 years
01:21
thank you and hey and hopefully you and
01:27
everybody is doing well this is a
01:29
difficult time for the nation in the
01:32
world first of all how are you all doing
01:36
and taken how you guys are doing in
01:39
Oakland the theaters closed obviously as
01:45
is pretty much almost every theater in
01:47
the United States now we closed The Grand
01:50
Lake on Sunday evening on March 15th
01:54
which coincidentally was one year
01:57
anniversary of the day then you’ve got
01:59
my man
01:59
it will be celebrated we celebrated our
02:02
anniversary by closing our theater but
02:05
you know temporarily and prevent you
02:08
know we we sort of jumped the gun
02:10
everyone else closed after
02:13
the stay in place or the following day
02:16
that was issued but I felt that no you
02:19
know I watched what was going on
02:21
laughing what was going on in New York
02:23
it was we belong in Italy in other
02:25
countries it did not make sense for me
02:28
to expose my employees and my patrons to
02:32
any possible contagious virus
02:36
I call it COVID-45 – yes COVID-45 well
02:45
over 45 because 45 is Trump’s
02:48
designation as president so anyway so we
02:53
you know I decided on ously it was it
02:56
was clear what was about to happen and
02:59
so I wouldn’t have and it broke my heart
03:02
and he closed the theater and the
03:05
theater really in all the years that
03:07
I’ve been operating in Grand Lake which
03:10
I’ve had since January of 1980 when I
03:12
took over it’s only the second time I’ve
03:15
closed it and it was the third time I
03:18
closed it so I closed it for few days
03:21
after the 89 earthquake so we can give
03:24
structural engineers in the air to
03:27
inspect the building and give us a green
03:29
light to say okay it’s okay you can
03:31
reopen and say and then I closed it one
03:34
more time for a single day when I was
03:37
protesting the city of open our key
03:39
policy of extending the parking hours
03:42
from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. which was a
03:45
part of the occasion of me stage in the
03:48
parking revolt against the City of
03:50
Oakland because they very very
03:52
underhandedly and sneakily in a secret
03:57
late-night session I jokes very midnight
04:01
decided that they would raise all of the
04:04
meter hours till 8 p.m. as of the 6:00
04:07
p.m. and then as of the following day
04:10
July 1st and the next day at 6:00 p.m.
04:14
they sent out legions of meter
04:16
enforcement people and blanketed the
04:18
city with parking tickets even though
04:21
there was not a single sign anywhere
04:23
said that the meters were enforced until
04:25
8 p.m. they devastate
04:27
my business and all nighttime businesses
04:31
restaurants and everyone else in
04:33
Oakland that they have had a business
04:36
that was opened in the evening I created
04:39
a petition that said rescind or recall I
04:43
gather 10,000 signatures another group
04:47
in Chinatown created their own similar
04:50
type of petition we forced the council
04:53
to rehear it with took three months
04:56
because they went off on their summer
04:57
recess few months and let us all suffer
05:00
and other businesses suffer clicking
05:01
once and I got 500 people to show up at
05:05
that council meeting and boy did they
05:07
get an earful from the community they
05:09
did roll it back in speaking so it was a
05:11
success man oh man I always been through
05:14
the wars and Gary I know you lived some
05:16
of the words that he’s talked about but
05:17
Gary I know you’re consulting now but
05:20
what are your thoughts about what Alan
05:23
of the movie industry are going through
05:25
right now and people that you’re
05:26
connected with let me know Gary. The movie
05:33
industry is always been an up-and-down
05:35
city since the beginning because there
05:38
was radio and there was television KTV
05:42
jeans and VHS cable DVD each of those
05:47
are not and it always sort of survived
05:50
this is the toughest thing that’s ever
05:53
happened to the industry as far as I’m
05:55
concerned because in fact basically the
05:57
industry has shut down there are no
06:00
regular movie theaters open in America
06:03
and much of the world there are a few
06:05
drive-ins that are allowed to be open
06:07
because you’re staying within the
06:09
confines of your car but they don’t
06:11
really have much to show because there
06:12
are really no new moves that means open
06:14
theaters and there’s a challenge because
06:18
studios have a lot of money connected in
06:21
their films and if the film was supposed
06:23
to come out for Easter this year for
06:25
example they look at it and say well we
06:27
don’t know that we can hold on for sales
06:30
and world tour which is there in the
06:31
kids movie that will go out on demand
06:34
most of the studios are saying they’re
06:36
going to hold off and because film
06:39
production has also
06:41
and faulted the movies that they had
06:43
plans for their 2021 dream a schedule
06:46
will be pushed back so there will be
06:48
sort of a network flow movie they we’re
06:51
going to come out in the next couple of
06:52
months will come out hopefully in late
06:54
summer and fall and then push other
06:56
things back because they won’t be ready
06:58
before that in any way but that that’s
07:00
okay
07:01
of what is going to happen though
07:04
depends on how long we’re out there’s
07:06
only way people will be anxious to get
07:08
back to doing things out of their homes
07:10
and movies are one of the least
07:12
expensive most accessible things that
07:14
they can do but some of these faint
07:17
circuits like am c-3po Cinemark they are
07:22
so heavily leveraged they owe so much
07:24
money for all their buildings they’re
07:26
gonna have a struggle getting all the
07:29
theaters back open inevitably in one or
07:32
two of us probably gonna file for
07:33
bankruptcy that doesn’t mean they’ll
07:34
close but it will give them the cover to
07:37
close some of the theaters so I believe
07:39
there will be a reduction in the number
07:41
of operating screens by the time this
07:44
thing is finished that may be healthy in
07:46
some way because like right now I think
07:49
there are too many screens most of the
07:52
distributor that I know particularly
07:54
Disney and I know Allen gets a lot of Disney to
07:57
Grand Lake didn’t really does believe
08:00
that the theatrical window very strongly
08:02
they know that those films was costing a
08:05
lot of money to make neat that be a trickle
08:08
to generate tremendous amount of revenue
08:10
and then create an awareness of those
08:14
movies for their eventual appearance on
08:17
video on demand Disney plots as well as
08:20
all the side products that they generate
08:23
the license coins and books and music
08:26
how to fix Disneyland which is close now
08:28
the Disneyland but neighbors reopen but
08:31
they have things that are inspired by
08:32
the movie so that’s really good news and
08:35
give me kind of course the market the
08:38
bad news for theater owners does that
08:40
mean Disney will probably raise the
08:42
percentage rates that they charge the
08:44
theaters to play their film well what do
08:46
you think well I’m hoping they don’t do
08:50
that just Rendell clear clearly our
08:52
mortgages are very very very low and I
08:54
think the
08:55
Disney you know they I think the big
08:58
studios understand the value that
09:01
theaters bring to their product but by
09:04
releasing first removing theaters we
09:07
created an identity for a title on and
09:10
without that identity you don’t really
09:12
have being want to see downstream after
09:16
the whole theatrical rollout has
09:19
completed and then people are going to
09:21
buy it on DVD it were to the news minute
09:24
goodness pay-per-view or wait to see it
09:26
on HBO or one of the other premium
09:29
channels like like different plots so I
09:31
think that they understand the
09:33
predicament we’re in we understand the
09:36
predicament they’re in I know that some
09:37
people in exhibition were critical of
09:42
Disney and Universal when when blood
09:45
shot went out immediately on
09:48
pay-per-view and onward went out and
09:50
immediately on pay-per-view when we shut
09:52
all of our theaters I think that that
09:54
was the only thing they could do I mean
09:56
for the people who made those movies and
09:59
for the people who produce them and and
10:02
the studios of Finance them I think that
10:04
if they had them gone and immediately
10:07
tried to get some revenue out of them
10:09
they would have been all that for just
10:10
forgotten by the time we get back in
10:13
business
10:13
so I think that was okay but I still
10:16
think it when you have a movie that
10:17
costs hundreds of million dollars to
10:19
make and market put out into the inch of
10:21
the theaters in the and the world
10:22
marketplace you only get that money back
10:25
by first having a theatrical release and
10:28
these days it’s not unusual the world
10:32
but the market outside of the United
10:35
States has become much bigger than the
10:36
United States mark and so it’s not
10:38
unusual for blockbuster film to do
10:40
billion dollars at the box office
10:42
worldwide and out of that billion
10:45
dollars a little more than 50% of its
10:47
going back to the studio anyway so they
10:49
need that marketplace in order to be
10:53
able to justify spending hundreds of
10:55
millions dollars to make the movie and
10:56
so they still needles and I think that
11:00
yes and I think it you know we’re all of
11:03
us we’re all stuck in our homes going
11:05
stir-crazy this is we’re only knocking
11:07
canes into this
11:08
home confinement thing here and we
11:11
really want to go out and see a movie
11:13
which we can’t do we’re saying a
11:14
tomorrow and I think that when the time
11:16
comes and it will it will come and we
11:18
don’t know whether it’s going to be 14
11:20
days 21 days 2 months 3 months 6 we
11:24
don’t know yet let’s pray to pray to God
11:27
they come up with some kind of a vaccine
11:30
you know so that this thing you get
11:32
knocked down quick but when that day
11:35
comes that that we can all go back out
11:39
and feel safe in a restaurant in a
11:41
theater in a sports stadium whatever I
11:44
think that you’re going to see numbers
11:47
of attendance that we’ve never seen I
11:51
think people are just going to come
11:52
roaring back in into our venues and I
11:56
know that with all of this wonderful
11:58
film that you know we were supposed to
12:00
be playing so it’s like a quiet place to
12:03
and love and the James Bond movie in
12:07
black widow Marvel film that’s supposed
12:09
to be showing on May 1 from Disney
12:11
Studios will probably work together so
12:14
that they don’t throw everything out at
12:15
once and that we have some sort of a
12:17
reasonable you know staged release
12:20
pattern of these things and people they
12:22
didn’t want to see these movies I
12:24
believe yes / consequence more
12:26
affordable easier to get out get your
12:29
family those are things that people are
12:31
going to be able to do right away go to
12:32
dinner and go to movies get back some
12:34
traditionalism definitely believe it hey
12:37
question for all your first of all yeah
12:39
I agree with that remark with good
12:41
direct right here it’s completely what
12:43
what the theaters do need to do though
12:45
is make sure that they up their game so
12:49
that the experience when people come to
12:51
their theater is better than it was
12:53
before so when people come to Russia
12:56
have to get out and see the thing god
12:58
this is great I want to be doing this
13:00
rig though I’m going to be coming back
13:01
here all the time so because I want you
13:04
just kind of came later iron iron
13:06
hearing you don’t alone yes okay Gary
13:13
I’m sorry I was saying I agree with Gary
13:20
I’m sad sad
13:22
a lot of these theater circuits you
13:24
don’t have just not done a good job as
13:27
far as their presentation to the public
13:29
and really what are we selling our
13:31
patrons are selling the picture of sound
13:33
and you have to have the best picture
13:35
and good quality and good sound and I
13:38
think that the fact that almost every
13:40
theater in the country subjects its
13:43
audience to 20 30 minutes of commercials
13:47
before the movie is a scandal you’re
13:51
paying a premium price to go in and see
13:53
a movie the only thing that should ever
13:55
be shown in front of a movie is coming
13:58
attraction previews so that you can
14:00
build awareness and excitement for films
14:02
that are in the pipeline countdown
14:04
screen I think that you know as part of
14:06
what maybe should happen with with
14:09
retooling and the theater business is an
14:12
elimination screen advertising I think
14:14
it’s an awful thing to make people pay
14:17
to see commercials by the way we don’t
14:20
ever just a quick just a quick note
14:23
folks everyone wrong with Alan and
14:25
yevette Michonne and gary meyer if you
14:27
have a question you could type it in
14:28
thank you for all for coming into view
14:31
you can type it in and I’ll get to it as
14:33
I can
14:34
hey um I just wanna have a little fun
14:36
here because how did you two meet Alan
14:39
and Gary you all know each other for
14:40
quite a while
14:50
and you’re in the film business in San
14:53
Francisco you all know each other and
14:57
you share certain information and ideas
14:59
and you keep other things to yourself
15:04
both started in Berkeley sorry and you
15:09
know and you know zoom me back in the
15:11
day you know Gary and I both started the
15:13
film business and seventies I built my
15:16
first theater about 19 and in 1972 back
15:20
in those days every studio every major
15:22
studio had a branch office in San
15:24
Francisco we were one of the muds and
15:26
the Western ones you know and so we
15:29
would we would go and you know sit down
15:32
and talk to the people who is doing the
15:34
heads of
15:35
distribution of the wrench managers
15:37
there and their sales people and that
15:39
the Booker’s and there was a lot of
15:42
social events that would happen like you
15:44
know like variety Club parties and other
15:46
parties there were certain bars that
15:48
we’ve also hang out and we don’t do each
15:54
other it was a film community and the
15:57
exhibitors are a lot of independent
15:58
exhibitors in those days and we all you
16:02
know we’re friendly they would have gone
16:03
tournaments and things I don’t play golf
16:05
I didn’t do that but but there was
16:06
really a film community and later on
16:10
though the studios one by one all
16:13
opposed their branch offices in San
16:15
Francisco move everybody down to LA they
16:18
closed Salt Lake City and they closed
16:20
Seattle move everybody down to LA they
16:22
closed Salt Lake City and they closed
16:24
Seattle and and we’re at one point yeah
16:27
oh the camaraderie that went away and
16:31
then we deal with everyone on the phone
16:32
Wow Gary one ants of everybody every
16:35
city that had that had a thing called
16:39
Hilton rub right it was an area and
16:44
there were squeak there’s a screening
16:46
room down there we go to previews and
16:48
movie and a lot of other others daily
16:51
steps then but ounces was at a luncheon
16:53
together complete all within a few
16:55
blocks of each other let me get any more
16:57
oh my god hey so Alan and Gary what do
17:01
you think in unit as well what do you
17:02
all think of the presidents and the the
17:05
Congress just passing this to trillion
17:07
dollar assistance program you hold out
17:10
hope that it will help get the movie
17:12
industry back on a footing quickly you
17:17
know I haven’t really looked at it
17:19
closely at any um as I understand it
17:22
it’s released
17:23
SBA SBA loan type of things that you’re
17:26
doing and what Paris with SBA was it was
17:30
just too much of a labyrinth to ever get
17:32
anything out of them and you know and so
17:36
yeah I can’t really comment on it maybe
17:38
you’ve looked at it more Gary yeah NATO
17:43
theater that’s been very actively making
17:48
sure that there
17:49
card out there so the theaters get help
17:51
I was going to get help we don’t know
17:53
whether the speed of the circuits to get
17:56
to help or the independent thought to
17:57
find some sort of a balance on that and
18:00
obviously there are a lot of businesses
18:02
they’re all looking for a piece of that
18:03
pie but the theatre industry is
18:06
definitely included in what is allowable
18:10
if you will how much per theater would
18:14
help I mean I expect you to really have
18:15
the answer but it did occur to me it’ll
18:17
be nice to know if they actually carved
18:19
out that you know piece so trillion
18:24
dollars per theater I like that about
18:27
that number all right no I like that I
18:30
like that number two what is the future
18:34
of film I mean take us how long does it
18:37
take the horse to get through this what
18:39
happens to the industry after this and
18:40
Alan how can the City of Oakland help
18:43
the Grand Lake and how can its fans help
18:46
the Grand Lake survive this stuff well
18:50
I’m very fortunate in that I don’t have
18:55
a lot of debt at the Grand Lake where
18:58
mortgage but I can cover the mortgage
19:01
payment you know month months a month
19:04
what was a little inconvenient for me
19:06
right now is we just invested half a
19:08
million dollars in solar panels on the
19:10
roof the Grand Lake you know by when we
19:13
go online later this week or next week
19:15
when the installation is complete we
19:18
would have we would have been generating
19:21
80% of our electrical use off the solar
19:23
panels on the roof now theoretically
19:26
assumedly we’re feeding it to the grid
19:29
and PG&E will be paying us back for the
19:34
energy that we are generating which will
19:37
help with the payment on the on the
19:39
solar panels because they did finance
19:42
those on the on a five-year uh type of
19:45
financing instrument so we’re okay there
19:50
we don’t have a lot of fixed costs but
19:52
what I’m worried about is there are a
19:55
lot of companies out there that have
19:58
been very very growth oriented and have
20:01
a lot of
20:02
occasions and a lot of debt and I was
20:06
talking to to someone just the other day
20:09
I mean in the old days back at the 80s I
20:12
operated about 20 theaters at one time
20:14
but I have a big staff at the office and
20:16
a huge overhead and all of these friends
20:19
and if this had happened to me then with
20:23
20 theaters I would not have been able
20:25
to survive it I don’t have to go
20:27
bankrupt because there was no way I
20:29
would be able to pay the rent to all of
20:34
those landlords and the other fixed
20:38
costs that would have remained while the
20:40
theater said inside clothes would have
20:41
been we’d have been gone in a month so I
20:44
think I’m in a unique position just
20:46
being a single theater or older
20:48
I’ve had that theater for 40 years all
20:50
of the equipment that’s in the theater
20:52
the seats the projectors you know all
20:55
the remodeling everything that I
20:56
financed over the years there was all
20:58
paid back years ago so I don’t have all
21:01
of these you know ongoing debts that
21:03
have to be paid so we’re in pretty good
21:06
position I don’t you know I can’t say
21:08
how how that works for other theaters
21:11
especially companies that have been
21:13
growing fast you know when you look at
21:15
these big companies that are always
21:17
building these let megaplex is
21:18
everywhere uh and I think they’re the
21:22
ones that are gonna really be in a
21:23
pickle it’s on particular now Gary I got
21:26
worthless I got to pull a plug for Gary
21:28
Balboa
21:29
I’m sorry the event we’re gonna say
21:30
something go ahead give it at least yeah
21:33
I’m but we not wait for the customers oh
21:36
we look forward to having their homes
21:37
back in the theater that’s what we’re
21:41
missing
21:41
absolutely and Gary you I believe still
21:44
are the owner of the Balboa theater in
21:46
San Francisco which is a fantastic place
21:47
to see a film as well what about the
21:50
Balboa same question the future of it
21:52
and all this I’m not actually verging on
22:00
Jamie Kocher
22:01
a great job they also run the globe my
22:04
feeling is that like like Allen the
22:07
smaller operators who can survive this
22:11
period of time you know that don’t have
22:14
to pay so much out of the ranch and
22:15
other kicks
22:16
cost and a blurry oven are much more
22:20
adaptable you know as independent
22:23
operators you can find interesting
22:25
things to do I mean anything and
22:27
everything that goes on to Grand Lake is
22:28
unique putting solar in there are a
22:31
couple of the theaters around the have
22:32
solar in the country but not many this
22:34
is a major things that that Allen is
22:36
done after community things except for
22:39
an example for everybody and ultimately
22:41
spent in saving money and this can take
22:43
a lot to do that but that’s the kind of
22:45
thing that he can do a big circuit
22:47
couldn’t just solder in across the
22:49
country and a couple of hitters that
22:51
would be impossible to find that but
22:53
also it turns out to be a program and
22:56
your staffing and on that whole
22:59
presentation you do so if a bow is it
23:00
both to lock a special event which are
23:03
really what Kate they’re build the
23:05
special event the first-run movies they
23:07
play don’t do that great because those
23:09
films are playing and five or six
23:11
theaters in San Francisco in addition to
23:13
their theater but that’s sort of what is
23:16
available to them most of the time in
23:18
the first run stuff Alamo is a really
23:22
interesting example exam look is it you
23:25
know fairly fast growing small chain but
23:28
they are very very flexible in what they
23:32
do they have a tremendous food and drink
23:35
some post if somebody makes naturally
23:38
make their money is the food and rate
23:39
you can get you they have big bars you
23:42
can walk it’s a cocktails their
23:43
sentences and they charge a pretty good
23:46
price for it but thank you lots of
23:47
special events also they’ve created a
23:49
real following for Trillium on
23:51
Millennials
23:52
thank you my audience of those there you
23:54
bet you wanna miss our Mary that’s a new
23:57
mission
23:58
you bet you want to add something it’s
24:06
different though because you don’t have
24:07
alcohol Allen doesn’t serve alcohol it’s
24:10
very traditional it’s very family
24:12
oriented the ground leg also there’s a
24:14
lot of different events so we just
24:18
started working with a local church
24:23
there was all the church services every
24:25
Sunday morning at the grand lady and we
24:27
started in
24:28
January and they were just going great
24:32
guns if we’re good tenant we’re really
24:34
happy to have them and of course you
24:36
know they’re they’re shut down mail – we
24:38
can’t do that we go have anybody in the
24:40
theater but we we know that they’ll be
24:42
back when when we’re when we’re allowed
24:46
to have people in when it’s safer for
24:47
audiences to come out again and we
24:50
always do all kinds of this we were
24:51
really looking looking forward to San
24:53
Francisco Film Festival next month
24:55
you know they had three or four events
24:57
scheduled in my theater and we do a lot
25:00
of political events of course we did
25:02
fundraisers a lot of special screenings
25:05
and things like that we had we had a
25:07
comedy comedy night just recently a
25:11
rented us on Saturday night and about
25:14
three or four weeks ago
25:15
and they sold out the main auditorium
25:17
with tickets ranging from seventy
25:19
dollars down to fifty dollars it was
25:21
amazing I don’t think we’d ever seen
25:23
anything you know as as and it’s just
25:27
going in there before so I mean there
25:29
are a lot of things that that happened
25:32
there and around Oakland and the city
25:38
and the community of Oakland yeah
25:52
is that when he reopens let’s say that
25:55
there are four great movies open at
25:57
first week hmm he could do a wheel on
26:00
Oakland Festival playing the great films
26:02
made in Oakland their BIOS and
26:03
filmmakers that have been huge successes
26:05
the Grand Lake can do a little week-long
26:07
festival of those things well those
26:09
filmmakers might even show up because
26:11
they love the theaters but really
26:12
because we’re so many of our global
26:14
filmmakers grew up learning the books
26:16
it’s why they fell in love with the roof
26:18
that’s exciting that’s okay I’ve got a
26:20
great a thing we can be done
26:21
hey that leaves me a lot good question
26:22
for Gary real quick Gary uh you ran one
26:25
of the world’s great film festivals on
26:27
Telluride what about the future of film
26:29
festivals on all this a festival
26:35
unless they have a financial reason to
26:38
not be able to happen again
26:42
Danny probably just fine we also have
26:45
too many film festivals so but few of
26:47
them drop out I won’t
26:48
I won’t miss them in the Bay Area I’m
26:54
here and we are the how sustainable that
26:57
really is but a silent film festival
27:03
which was supposed to be the end of
27:04
April rescheduled their date in November
27:07
they picked their dates already have a
27:09
sense of international was supposed to
27:11
be in balance said in a few weeks they
27:14
had their camp their program look
27:15
actually on the website it was ready to
27:17
go but that’s just canceled that’s not
27:20
going to reoccur because that nobody
27:23
knows when this could happen you can’t
27:24
just say ok with an investor one two
27:26
week and of course in the floral we have
27:28
a number of important fall festivals
27:31
particularly here but the Valley Film
27:33
Festival made a lot of run into that so
27:35
it’s a lot of custom – despite that
27:36
skippy year if they are in cities where
27:39
there aren’t a lot of festivals they be
27:41
able to move back six months or whatever
27:43
the timeline of me
27:44
hey a quick question for everybody
27:47
Netflix what’s the impact of Netflix on
27:50
your business a bit of a softball
27:52
question I would think but I’m curious
27:54
to hear your answer and is it is it
27:58
something that portends a a trend that
28:01
should be feared or what I think like
28:08
here Gary earlier game sort of a nice
28:12
list of all the threats that we faced
28:14
over the years radio was gonna put us on
28:16
that business and TV was gonna put us
28:18
out that this is and DVDs would be to
28:20
put us out of business
28:20
you know I think that people are always
28:24
gonna watch and go out to the movies and
28:27
people are also always gonna wanna watch
28:28
movies at home and you know one one is
28:32
not exclusive of the other I think one
28:34
of the good things about Netflix is
28:36
they’ve been financing movie production
28:39
and they’ve been stimulating the
28:41
industry and they have put together some
28:44
very nice films that have gone out into
28:47
the theaters have done some business I
28:49
think if I would be hopeful that maybe
28:52
down down the line which might become
28:55
more
28:56
like like a more regular film
28:58
distributor and give the theaters a
29:01
proper window before going out on their
29:05
streaming service uh but I don’t see
29:07
Netflix or any of these other streaming
29:09
services services putting us out of
29:11
business
29:12
um it’s like back in the 50s I think so
29:16
gloom and doom people were saying that
29:18
TV dinners will put the restaurants out
29:20
of business
29:30
your thoughts Gary no we get a horse
29:34
VHF isn’t cable there was a TV in the
29:37
very late 60s Pat Weaver so let’s
29:41
believer in who’s Sigourney we was dad
29:43
and ran Andy went over started his whole
29:45
TV thing and the film industry actually
29:49
went full force to shut it down never
29:52
had to the movie theaters which he did
29:54
Madeline every Thursday but their ads
29:57
saying vote no on a TV they were very
30:00
threat to that campaign because the
30:03
screening services are really in a way
30:05
they’re their own worst enemies because
30:08
there’s waiting so many of them and it
30:10
becomes a point where we just consumers
30:12
say I can’t pay an average of ten
30:15
dollars a month for ten different one so
30:18
which you’re going to be the winners
30:20
Disney clusters go deal with Netflix
30:22
right now it’s a winner but you never
30:24
know if you change maybe Apple TV comes
30:27
forward really strong in a couple of
30:29
years and knocked them out and so that
30:33
doesn’t mean an interesting thing to
30:34
watch but what Alan said is true there
30:36
are a lot of filmmakers who have great
30:38
films in them but couldn’t get financing
30:40
for and these various streaming services
30:42
let I guess use today by Netflix aren’t
30:46
providing them that and those film drop
30:48
and play and film festivals the big
30:50
circus won’t play the movies that are on
30:52
Netflix or a streaming service unless
30:54
there is a 90 day window The
30:56
Independent’s been more open to doing
30:58
that because they know that there are
31:00
people who don’t subscribe to Netflix or
31:02
who want to see the real Martin Scorsese
31:04
film on the big screen not on the TV
31:07
screen so
31:09
you know that’s what I feel about that I
31:11
want to back up a little bit to a couple
31:13
of spots on the there’s video game where
31:16
found the same happy film that were
31:19
playing in theaters suddenly there’s no
31:20
theatres he didn’t see a problem with
31:23
new students acting bergamont goody
31:26
button and which I agree with completely
31:28
what I wish but they were smart enough
31:30
to do for two things
31:31
one if you rent that here Victor in the
31:35
middle mound TV tonight let’s begin it
31:38
in the end there’s a couple of trailers
31:41
for films that are coming out later this
31:43
year from that studio and there’s a card
31:46
that says coming to a theater only near
31:49
you but they’re not straight up to do
31:51
that the second thing that I would like
31:53
to see them do which is happening in the
31:55
art house world is that the distributors
31:58
are making some that they were wondering
31:59
but now can’t available for Rio D so you
32:03
have to go to an art house both the film
32:07
and the theaters are getting 50% of the
32:09
revenue the daters are sending out email
32:12
to their list of people saying this film
32:15
was coming to our theater obviously we
32:17
can’t show it now you can still see it
32:18
and you can help support the theater by
32:21
booking a painter and I think those are
32:23
two really interesting things but studio
32:24
of course they weren’t going to share
32:25
any of it with the theater hmm you get
32:28
up on some o’clock that I’d like to get
32:30
you guys a reaction to I was at CES this
32:33
year and happen to sit next to a
32:35
gentleman with full sales full screen
32:37
which is one of the new style of
32:41
agencies and make a long story short we
32:44
were talking about local sign mother
32:46
Grand Lake and I forgot how we got in
32:48
the conversation over lunch but I’ll cut
32:49
to the chase
32:50
you all remember Fruitvale station and
32:53
then of course boots riley films each
32:57
ones of which have an Oakland basis but
33:00
it seemed to me and we agreed when we
33:03
were talking the gentleman I was eating
33:05
lunch with that the future of film in
33:08
part may be locally produced productions
33:12
that then have a national audience or
33:15
reaction but then because of the nature
33:17
I think Gary you hit on it support or
33:19
help support the local independent like
33:22
the ground
33:23
like theater is that it is that a
33:24
possible future I think the more films
33:29
you get produced the better off we all
33:31
are because you don’t not it’s like an
33:34
artist in the Canon blank canvas
33:36
sometimes he creates a masterpiece and
33:38
few creative answers just sometimes crap
33:40
right you just don’t know and I think
33:43
it’s great you know that more and more
33:45
things I mean a great example is it was
33:48
a film that just just premiered
33:50
streaming on Amazon last week called
33:52
blow the man down and it’s actually very
33:57
good as sort of a filter worth paying a
33:58
little bit with a Fargo much labor and
34:01
it was it was done by these two women
34:03
directors up in Maine I think it was and
34:07
you know no one had ever heard of them
34:08
before but at least I have it but they
34:11
made this film is getting very good
34:13
reviews it’s being widely viewed on the
34:18
streaming service and on the back of
34:20
this they’re going to become regular
34:23
directors you’re gonna see when things
34:25
get back to normal and field starting
34:27
going back into production again you’re
34:29
going to see a studio whether it’s an
34:30
art house studio or it’s a major studio
34:33
give them a chance and a big-budget film
34:36
and just like Ryan Coogler you know Ryan
34:39
went out and he went out on a limb
34:42
created Fruitvale station he became a
34:47
very successful film and now look at him
34:50
you know he’s directing 200
34:52
million-dollar movies for Disney you
34:54
know so I mean that’s that’s the
34:56
evolution that we want to see it happen
35:00
in our industry you know if we’re to get
35:03
these people out there to get them
35:04
launched and to create a stream of
35:08
better product down downstream you we
35:11
need new blood we need you directors so
35:14
they because George Lucas and Steven
35:15
Spielberg who they’re gonna retire at
35:17
some time I think Lucas already asked
35:19
Steven Spielberg these are the 70s now I
35:21
mean how long is he gonna keep going we
35:24
need we need young fresh filmmakers that
35:27
can speak to a young audience and these
35:30
screening services are really wonderful
35:33
incubators for the future of
35:36
film that we will see in theaters Gary
35:39
you thought sisters agrees we’ve done a
35:44
cannery up we’ve got now yeah yeah yeah
35:51
when those young directors come out it’s
35:54
considered art and you want to leave
35:56
your house to see art you know what a
35:58
lot art at home it feels it’s date night
36:01
it’s art it’s it’s keeping people out
36:03
and connected beautiful looking in the
36:06
remaining 13 minutes we have or 13 to 15
36:09
what films are you to three actually
36:14
looking forward to I know I have my
36:15
favorite but I’ll I’ll say but I’m
36:17
subordinate Alan continent films and and
36:23
of course Black Widow
36:25
I like the Marvel Universe it seems to
36:28
be the most popular thing going right
36:29
now yeah excited excited about that I’m
36:35
intrigued with Steven Spielberg’s remake
36:38
of west side story coming on yeah let’s
36:41
schedule a Christmas I don’t know if it
36:42
will be whatever whatever it is but I
36:44
mean there’s there’s so much you know
36:46
there’s such variety that that that
36:48
comes in out in the industry and of
36:50
course the next Black Panther movie I
36:52
loved love to see that I mean Brian is
36:55
you know Ryan Coogler has been a
36:57
wonderful booster of the Grand Lake and
36:59
he saw all of his boyhood films there at
37:02
the theater when Black Panther came out
37:04
a few years back he was doing all the
37:06
interviews locally and he was saying I
37:08
grew up with the Grand Lake theater it’s
37:11
the best theater go see him go see it
37:13
there and it sent us records we’d never
37:16
seen such crowds at the Grand Lake
37:17
before it was amazing and so you know
37:20
that’s something I’m looking forward to
37:21
I think the future is bright for film I
37:24
do agree with Gary that the circus have
37:27
to clean up their act and do a better
37:29
job of presentation unfortunately the
37:35
projectionists Union which at one time
37:36
was very strong and had really great
37:39
talented professional projectionists
37:42
they’ve been sort of pushed aside by the
37:44
the big film company so they really are
37:47
hardly a handful of them left we
37:49
Union projections of the Grand Lake and
37:51
so we’ve hardly ever have a technical
37:55
problem there because they know what
37:57
they’re doing and they keep the
37:59
equipment and maintained their grant
38:01
people they have their dedicated to to
38:06
the craft and we’re proud of the
38:08
projection with sound down and yet you
38:10
see complains all the time you know with
38:12
a fit of films in major circuit theaters
38:15
it with people their arms too dark it
38:18
was out of focus or the sound was bad or
38:21
it broke down in the middle I think this
38:23
is not there’s not a real pride in the
38:29
presentations showmanship that really
38:32
built this industry from storefront
38:34
Nickelodeon’s and in the early part of
38:37
the 20th century to what it became you
38:39
know the Golden Age of the movies in the
38:41
20s and 30s and 40s and so we need to
38:45
get back to that really need to get back
38:46
to that and and things have to be really
38:50
special has to be a special event and
38:53
and I think that maybe if there is a
38:55
shakeout in the industry theaters like
38:58
the Grand Lake would be the ones to
38:59
survive because we offer our customers a
39:01
lot more for a lower price then when you
39:05
go to AMC or we go Gary that’s yes I’m
39:14
looking forward to my story in the
39:16
height Mulan kind of intrigue me
39:22
Wonder Woman 1984 could be really good
39:25
yes you caught me off guard with this
39:32
question I should prepare myself but
39:33
there are gonna be a lot you know come
39:37
out whenever they just they’re all
39:39
everything sort of up in the air nobody
39:41
really can say when when these terms are
39:45
going to be released so it’s kind of
39:46
hard to know that and the de studios
39:50
can’t really even start to plant until
39:53
they have a some sort of indication that
39:54
there’s a date when theaters can Ryoga
39:58
the aim is of it is another Pixar film
40:00
calling coming out called Sol
40:03
and this onward got really killed
40:06
because it did get to open in theaters
40:08
but the virus was starting to happen and
40:12
taking its toll people were aware that
40:15
and there were people didn’t wanna bring
40:17
their kids to a theatre where there’s a
40:18
chance that something could happen to
40:20
that so I think that really hurt that so
40:23
I think but that really hurt that film
40:25
you know obviously got two weeks and
40:29
then the theaters closed Artemis Fowl
40:32
kind of intrigued me Kent Brantly with
40:35
Judi Dench Josh God that can be fun
40:39
fantasy film based on really popular
40:41
children’s books there’s a Tom Hanks
40:44
film greyhound trailer was just kind of
40:47
intrigued looking the best we’ve done I
40:49
think it’s German u-boats I used to like
40:54
horror films but most of my songs
40:55
anymore
40:56
top 10 mavericks is Tom Cruise sequel
40:58
could be really good money the Grand
41:02
Lake will protect a key in play because
41:04
that is big screen in that sound that’s
41:07
what you want to see it I remember the
41:09
first time I saw the first when it was
41:10
that great presentation house just
41:13
excited yes no I couldn’t care less out
41:16
of mother Ghostbusters film but I hope
41:17
we show it again right correct and
41:21
correct the originals the French
41:25
dispatch that’s Wes Anderson so always
41:28
looking forward to knew what Anderson
41:29
felt okay fuck you you met certainly
41:34
what about what I’m working over to is
41:37
just people going back to theaters it
41:40
doesn’t matter what we’re watching I
41:42
want to see people come back to theaters
41:44
and then I love going to movies we go to
41:46
the ground like every Friday night or
41:48
Saturday night to watch a movie even if
41:50
it’s not something that’s very good or
41:52
even if it’s something to be seen before
41:55
just to go out and be with the audience
41:57
and be in the theater and just enjoy the
41:59
audience and be in the theater and just
42:01
enjoy that wonderful ambiance and the
42:04
surrounding and people around us and we
42:06
so missed that in our lives and I know
42:09
that there’s so many millions and
42:10
millions and millions of people all
42:12
around the world
42:13
they’ll also miss that with their lives
42:15
and are looking forward
42:16
you can move back to it hey you bet what
42:18
are you looking forward to in terms of
42:19
film real quick my husband I’ll see all
42:27
of them we want them all okay I’ll tell
42:29
you what I’m looking for it – go ahead
42:34
Gary oh okay happy all your toys and
42:38
movies would you get out no we don’t
42:41
really get it but we get together with
42:44
Gary and Kathy we go to one of the local
42:46
restaurants where the grand like and
42:48
then watch a movie I love it very much
42:50
I love the Vietnamese restaurants really
42:52
kick-ass but I’m one movie that I’m
42:54
dying to see and I hope they get right
42:56
then none of you mentioned is Godzilla
42:59
versus Kong or as I said King Hey look I
43:17
can’t help it it’s like I grew up with
43:19
the thing was born it was literally
43:21
created when I was born I mean yeah what
43:24
do you think about it Gary are you gonna
43:25
tell me it’s you’re not looking forward
43:27
to idea that’s cool I understand and I
43:37
hear was like waste my fiber or my waist
43:42
I find a couple of those don’t tell it’s
43:45
done that’s for me the original does
43:48
over to King Kong of courses hilarious
43:52
Japanese film with mannequin about Dylan
43:56
King Kong suits around each other
43:59
totally there was a different ending in
44:02
Japan Godzilla wins that America can
44:04
calm wind
44:05
right Fabio totally I still say the
44:15
greatest Godzilla film every may ever
44:16
may was the original one
44:18
1954 that was actually played at the
44:21
Balboa and and also the Grand Lake and
44:25
it showed Godzilla is an instrument of
44:28
destruction
44:30
in closing I want to thank you all hey
44:32
stick around I’m just gonna close the
44:34
Liars do you want to thank everybody
44:35
who’s viewed consistently through this
44:37
and hey go to the Grand Lake enjoy the
44:42
Miley Wurlitzer spin your money folks
44:45
I can’t a size enough spend your money
44:47
at the Grand Lake Theatre you know when
44:51
we reopen when you reopen and and be
44:55
sure to subscribe this is Zennie 62 on
44:58
YouTube and and thanks Allen and Gary
45:00
and Yvette. Again, stick around I’m just gonna
45:02
close the livestream thanks thank you
45:03
everybody and thank you for watching
45:05
I’ll see you okay do on YouTube and and
45:07
thanks Alan, Gary, Yvette – again stick
45:10
around I’m just gonna close the
45:11
livestream thanks thank you everybody
45:12
and thank you for watching I’ll see you
45:15
okay that ends the stream thank you okay
45:18
and that ends yeah that.
Stay tuned.
Note from Zennie62Media and Oakland News Now: this video-blog post demonstrates the full and live operation of the latest updated version of an experimental Zennie62Media , Inc. mobile media video-blogging system network that was launched June 2018. This is a major part of Zennie62Media , Inc.’s new and innovative approach to the production of news media. What we call “The Third Wave of Media”. The uploaded video is from a vlogger with the Zennie62 on YouTube Partner Channel, then uploaded to and formatted automatically at the Oakland News Now site and Zennie62-created and owned social media pages. The overall objective is smartphone-enabled, real-time, on the scene reporting of news, interviews, observations, and happenings anywhere in the World and within seconds and not hours. Now, news is reported with a smartphone: no heavy and expensive cameras or even a laptop are necessary. The secondary objective is faster, and very inexpensive media content news production and distribution. We have found there is a disconnect between post length and time to product and revenue generated. With this, the problem is far less, though by no means solved. Zennie62Media is constantly working to improve the system network coding and seeks interested content and media technology partners.