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Home My WebLink About2014 01-29 Moviehouse keeps $2 films, adds new outreach for church MAPLEWOOD REVIEWMov le causekeep, $2 filmsadds . a�utrh'-for :c surh...". 7 . 7 1N Patrick Larkin Review 'JAN 2. 9 2014 Dougherty.to pick up trash in theparking lot r � :.. East. Sider Javori G`lark, 21, who's worked for the Lift doing ' ''theate�r staff He recalls looking of the Plaza Maplewood and. ' child was plugged'into a job at the theater to learn dew job .: Y .. With a new look and puns for anew digital projector, `the thinkin "Wouldn't it be cool to run that�somo�day?" skills such as cash handling and customer sexwiice.. Now, ills time has come, and he seems enthused to be worlr- ` .. "So far. it's cool;" he said. "It's coni 1ete1 difl'etent (testi m . ' completely Y Plaza Ma lewood theater i� back u and rennin this time, ' Maplewood p ; g, , ing in a field that he loves. other ob). under a church's ownership. Dougherty; who used to manage a pharmacy, said file move ` Deynn Hampton, progxaria: manager at the Lift, worked with' wing. g Follo investment and fundraisin from the new man- :. ' into the role has been a good change of pace..It s been pleasant :the church to get: the jobs-skills program up and running. agement, Woodland Hills Church, the place; has 'new carpet; to be in a:business where cttstorriers.are consistentlychee , xfix1,, Hampton reme.inbers coining to the theater as single new walls, new-ceffingtiles, new seats, and neve staff. he said. mother with her children. The arcade machines are. gone and thins look fresh, new, i4Eyerybody's in'a great mood when they come to a movie "This was pretty much the only way I could affoxd'to take A and almostpristixae• Dougherty used to organize-movie nights .for singles at the, my:kids to a movie," she said, so she's glad to lie a`par� of the But some of the character has held up -- the vintage vibe church and was spotted as a natural fit for the new miariager .place now. remains; the layout is still the same, and the popcorn is still p p 3 Y Y- • osi # on. He eager to learn how to run the old film ro'ec- The Lift ms onl ..one wa the church is loo ' at � the made. with an old-time' popcorn maker aa.rd topped `with .real _L tors at the place, he said. theater for other'programin ng. Planners are stall. figurxir g out butter. ` other potential uses, but they've got sonie:ideas Yn miind, f' The prices have also stayed at $2, with $7- Tuesdays, mid the `Nostalgia The congregation has carried on Nathan Block's tradition � mnovie. selection is reminiscent of the offerings under the fox- Swaxason has also stepped in to.share those projection duties ..of hostang.school fitndraisers for its neighbors; it had Webster mer management, with showings ranging from lads movies to with him, Elementary School students;; staff and parents at the; theater in -xated'#licks. Woodland Hills, which. has owned the Plaza i iiilding for "It's been fun to.learn 35mm systems,". he said. But digital.':,D' d rnbei for °a fundraiser. : will be easier to tun, and more of the staff will be able. to share "It was, great having a bunch of new families ."*in 1!._ . l .13 .13 years, took over management of the theater in November ro ection duties he said. Plus the su 1 of i is is starting sonsaid '� pp Y P g , 2013; pulling the plug on the previous operator, Nathan Block. t to chy up. _ Beyond school fundraisers;'.the 'congregation is consider- Church planners said at the time they wanted to refurbish the «They just aren't making that many 35mm .prints," he saidholding;;classes in the ltheater on Sunday mnorrlings, ;while .place-to house churoh events as well as cont it ing to run it as "We're really getting squeezed." church services are being held across the parking lot., a discount inoviehvuse. Often, he said, distributors make as few. as 10 film reel cop- The 'congregation is also talking about working with a The. theater is located in Maplewood northeast of the inter- res of a film, to be vied for by theaters kross the country.. prison ministry to bring in former prisoners for ;worship and section of White Bear and Larpenter. avenues. So digital projectors will be a welc;ome'addition at the end of fellowship. Woodland Hills reopened the place at the end of November Januaty, h:e said. `They're guys that aren't super epmfortable about going j and have just gotten into the full swing of things. And they'll come with a volunteer discount as well' - a into normal churches," Swanson said, "but they'd, come- to a Volunteer Dower member of the congregation happens to be a professional theater, and take part in a service, just-because it's less intimi- installer of digital projectors and other high-end media hard dating:" Sprucing .the place upwas no easy task, said C iarlie Swan- ware He offered to install the new system for free: They've .also begun talking about working with Union Gos- son, spokesperson'for Woodland Mills rurch. "We were shocked waxehforward," Swanson said. pet Mission to provide a venue four its clients, he said, , 1 Around.. 200 volunteers helped out, scraping gtxrn from the Converting to digital may still be an emotional blow for Old manages' welghs In floor; painting the floors and ceilings; and meticulously pulling those.who relish loading the big film reels like their predeces= Brent. Etwin, the former manager of the theater under out each bolt that was cemented imrto the floor from the old 01..g dirt since the early days: Nathan Block; said he has come to terms with the change in seats. "71-zere'8 Just something cool and-nostalgic. about 35mm. management. People also pitched in monetarily as, file congregation held film,. Dougherty said.; "I certainly thought it was malicious at some poiht'..'he said'. a fundraising drive, Swanson said. The .church raised over However, he resigned himself to the fact he and Block. were $88,000 afar exceeding .expectations -= which helped pay for Holiday luck dust leasing the space. "It was just a building owner wanting to the renovations and.for the soon-to-come digital projectors. It's been . a learning process for the church, though they've utilize."' property the best they could, and more power to `em Cbnvetsion. to: digital- projection was a big:. hurdle Nathan more or less got a handle on It, Swanson said. irithat.regard. " Block had. faced with the theater The age. of 35mm film reels "Even stuff like cleaning between shows -- we had no idea-. In an interview last week, Erwin says he's seen the theater, is coming to an end, and movie'theaters will soon need-digital how much time to"give ourselves for that, because it was brand.and Iile place looks nice. "They did a good job in there. They; projectors in order to be able to show new -films and stay in xrew>' certainly have something to show for Meir. effort" It was: also a slow start numbers-wise. The congregation � And 'indeed, .he said the format. seems to have stayed the The volunteers and the generosity, of the', conre ation g $ star ted with a soft openitg, without much advertising, , so it same;.with a variety of films and genres to draw in audiences- "made all the difference" in renovating . the° place, Swanson could gena feel for how to rix. the place. "It:definitely seems that their mission is to keep.the theater' said'ti� Swanson mused that the ready supply of volunteeY•s from ° But just in the nick of time, the theater was able to be poised alive and keep it a staple of the community," he said. for the holidays, which manager Mike Dougherty said "turned Nonetheless, he did wonder abofxt the decision to put in . I the church made the project feasible, and made for an: easier outvezy well." new seats. while they may look better, he considered them tulle that another tenant might have had if they'd hied to They got both screens up and ' running less than a week perhaps less coridortable: xemnodel. before Chr stxmaas."We were able to get five new -movies right But he, lauded the Woodlan& Hills congregation ori the "We � were really fortunate to be in that pvsltlon," he said. before. the holidays," Dougherty said. "We're very happy with majority of the renovation work; saying, "They really are tak- ..' ``The congregation really responded." xt." ing pride in the facility." ,. Manager mac a dor he ob Anal Dougherty took pride in having people turn up to As-for the former proprietor, Nathan Block, he .didn't return , j check out the updated digs. a message from the. Review` by press fume. The:theater's new manager, Mike Dougherty, has a l.onghls- Jab skills Erwin briagiYles he's still sore about i tory with the dace: Woodland Hills has teamed up with a non-profit, faith based "I really don't ever see him ever stepping `foot back in there . He used to work at the. building where Woodland Hills job skills company called the Lift to staff the Plaza. , again,'' he said. h no <s is 4t>: si b ck vtrl�.en it .was. h1 'C . ? - gs.;ne dor e:TJn..,.-..aV_ y . �a�: The two nr0nizattons, have' a llonLs history of `workiri Centarf `Prxfr�irk T, r► ir�.r�t_ F.5.7_-74R-7R7F. nr :rpt. n. ct�srr�PnIn