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"By examining the evolution of movie
"The Paramount is a representation of |
Analyses of movie theatres have been been largely inadequate. On the one hand architecture critics have failed to see them as cultural edifices, on the other hand historians have insufficiently analysed their economic and aesthetic values. Throughout the twentieth century they have reflected changing consumer culture. Given their profit motivated goals to attract larger audiences and boost concession sales, theatres have constantly evolved in order to generate or cater to changing consumer demand. [1] As this website will show, movie theatres derived their form from the experience of watching a film; likewise, theatre design had an impact on the film watching experience. By examining the evolution movie theatre design we open a window on popular culture and the role of mass entertainment in North American life. In the past fifteen years, movie theatres have undergone a rebirth. Theatre managers realised that to compete with the growing home video and cable television market, they had to offer a “total moviegoing experience” that included greater selection at the concession stand, and better projection and sound quality in the auditoriums. The most recent incarnation of this trend can be seen in the new Paramount theatre in Montréal located at the corner of Sainte Catherine street and Metcalf. The Paramount is emblematic of a new trend in movie theatre construction. In the last two years, similar ‘megaplexes’ have been built in many Canadian cities inciting a greater demand for the motion picture industry. Famous Players Incorporated, the theatre chain that constructed the Paramount, embarked on an ambitious expansion project in 1997 building megaplexes like the Colossus, Coliseum and Silver Cities.Movie attendance in Canada increased by 4% to a fourteen year high of 91.8 million visits in 1997, while the following year it increased by over 28%. [2] In its opening week on June 18 1999, the Paramount was the top grossing theatre in North America. According to Famous Players, it continues to be among the top three most popular theatres in North America. [3] What makes these new megaplexes like the Paramount such attractive places for consumers? The Paramount theatre merges aspects of old and new movie theatres in its aesthetics and technology. At the same time it introduces greater choice and new forms of entertainment and concessions. Ultimately, the Paramount is a representation of a new consumer culture which integrates the old and the new - the urban and the suburban. This will be shown through a comparative historical analysis of other movie theatres, in particular, the Imperial and the Palace. Comparative historical analysis is necessary in order to establish specifically what old and new aspects are appropriated by the Paramount. The Imperial and Palace are relevant theatres to examine first because they are theatres which reflect different yet related narratives of Montreal public life. Yet more importantly they represent polarized trends in movie theatre development. The Imperial and original Palace celebrated aesthetics in their heydays. In contrast, the current Palace is a representation of a period which downplayed aesthetics.page 1 of 1 | next page > |
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