 |
 |
Landmark Theatres - Outside the Box Office |
| |
 Since the acquisition of the first theatre back in 1974, West
Los Angeles’s revered Nuart, Landmark Theatres has grown to its present chain of 59 theatres
in 23 markets with 196 screens, with many more slated to open in the near future.
Holding the title of the largest theatre chain with an independent/art house focus, Landmark
has been making a splash showcasing American, foreign and cult classics for over thirty years
now. Causing a sensation with the college crowd initially, Landmark Theatres took marketing
risks, operating on a grassroots level and now holds its own in the motion picture industry.
By the end of the seventies, Landmark Theatres had become the nation’s biggest name in
repertory theatre. The Landmark signature is also distinguishable by venue; its owners having
housed all films and art within a dazzling array of architectural gems both old and new,
including the Rialto, an art deco structure in historic South Pasadena.
Landmark Theatres score honors in many more categories, including on the technology front.
Visit one of the renowned Landmark Theatres and purchase a DVD, onsite. Take in a show during
one of several annual film festivals. Count on enjoying one of many left-of-center theatre
environments along with the bonus of viewing in 100% digital glory.
Landmark fought the advent of the VCR and home videos in the eighties. Part of their hang-tough
response included an explosive expansion and renovation campaign that earned the Landmark
another thumbs-up. Improving the quality of films showcased and managing to run foreign fodder
in advance of other cinemas secured the position of Landmark Theatres that much more.
 Notable in expansion of the Landmark name is a merge with the South by Southwest – based Movies,
Inc., which scored them 12 screens. In the late eighties they merged with Seattle-based Seven
Gables, which grew their screen base by 33. Through its partnership with Samuel Goldwyn, Landmark
landed 30 more screens in the San Francisco Bay area, holding the Berkeley crowd captive.
It wasn’t until the nineties that Landmark began building its own multiplex theatres. These
included the Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis, Cambridge’s Kendall Square Cinema and the Embarcadero
Center Cinema in San Francisco. Close to the turn of the century, with the acquisition by Dallas-
based Silver Cinemas Inc. came more theatre openings and in March of 2000, Chicago’s Landmark’s
Century Centre Cinema packed them in, shortly followed by New York City’s universally acclaimed
Sunshine Cinema.
Having been purchased by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban in 2003, the Landmark screen base is growing
larger than ever, with a commitment toward preserving the best independent/art house experience.
Even if the trend continues to grow, this independent enterprise will never be swallowed by the
mainstream and puts its love of the art of filmmaking in front of selling out. |
|
|