What a dump!

tower
Originally uploaded by becklerg.

Ha! I scooped Graswich last week about the problems at Sammy Chu's, and he doesn't even have the full story in today's column. I have it from an inside source that the folks that run Ink are taking over there and that it's going to be renamed Icon.

The fake grassroots campaign to Save the Tower-remember the goddamn Alhambra continues (OK, it's half fake, half real grassroots). There's a rally on October 19th at 5:30. People have been telling me that the Cinearts project is being revived, but I can't find anything about that on the net, so I'm not sure how that news got out. While I was searching, I found some interesting discussion about the Tower on this online forum called cinematreasures.com. Here are some excerpts:

The Tower is a lovely place that is in "critical condition." If the current management is listening, please make an investment in repairing this deteriorating local treasure. If you want to "Save the Tower," start by restoring some of it's splendor. The bathrooms, fixtures and general cleanliness of the theatre have been neglected for far too long. Start the shows on time, and train your staff to be informed about the current and upcoming films, friendly and interested. As a former independent classic/arthouse theatre employee, I can tell you that the details count to your patrons. The presentation IS your product (including the experience of attending the theatre itself). Give the people what they want...a quality experience.

This next comment is part of a very long post from Matias Bombal (a great local character, and I heard he has come back to town, but I don't know what he's up to lately)

I get the feeling, having been a past theatre manager, (I do not know this to be a fact) that the company running the Tower may be non-supportive to the local management who likely is helpless to make any improvement without corporate OK which, controlled from so far away, may not have a real sense of the intrinsic value that the Tower has in our Sacramento history and current entertainment. Additionally, this possible lack of Reading’s support for the theatre’s local manager is likely what is behind the current poor screen presentation and insufficient maintenance of the building. In spite of this handicap, it seems the current manager has done everything possible with the limitations of his office, and little touches here and there show a respect for the historical integrity of the building and also an appreciation for its esthetic value.

This is also from that same letter. His point was that the "Closing Credits" cover on News and Review was not cool. I think it's interesting that he points out that corporate art-house theaters are inevitable. I guess that's true if there's money there. So yeah, Tower does need to get their shit together, but the city shouldn't be subsidizing the corporate interests.

While I felt that SN&R article was well intentioned, I found it sensational and manipulative of public opinion. The cover was irresponsible, and potentially damaging to the business of the Tower Theatre in that it looked real enough to appear as if the letters spelling out “Closing Credits” were actually on the marquee. Big movie chain art house business is coming. Your best way to keep those places, that you believe in and wish to support, alive, making them part of the present and not a memory of the past, is to personally take action by showing your support in the form of going to the movies.

Here's a letter from another Tower hater:

I can't believe they actually held a rally for this place- as far as I'm concerned it was already demolished when it was triplexed in 1974. I refuse to go to this theater, hating it even more due to the fact that they get so many exclusive engagements of movies I'd like to see. That said, the only way for this theatre to survive is to restore it back to the original large auditorium, and don't skimp on the projection and sound equipment like Landmark and Reading have (Landmark had good equipment in the original booth, but the 2 lower sections were awful, all the more reason it shouldn't have been triplexed.) If it's restored I promise to attend it regularly, maybe even work there! Til then, I'll be over at the new Cinearts, provided Century doesn't give it the incompetent staff that currently runs the Downtown Plaza 7!

Ooh, snap! This next one reminds us that Senator, I went to the Alhambra, and the Tower is no Alhambra.

The bottom line is the Tower should not be run the way it has been for the past 30 years, and they certainly should not be getting exclusive engagements. The attitude seems to have been "Why should we put any money into this place when we're the only ones who have these movies, where else are they gonna go?" The "Remember the Alhambra" is a bit far-fetched as well. The Tower is no Alhambra, and does anyone really think the building will ever be torn down? I can't see that happening in any case.

OK, this last one is only semi-literate but pretty amusing:

The Tower is now a pure 100% dump, Last time I saw a Picture there (The Mighty Wind)The Unprofessional Display of the Movie, Trash, Dirt, Grime, Water Stains disgusted me, You can feel the springs not the seats, Filthy bathrooms and a crew that just did not care! I am not a Big Fan of Century Theaters but at least there clean.


I thought that all these letters were very amusing. I used to call the men's restroom the Shrimp Shack because of the delightful aroma that would waft past the snack bar. The screens are woefully underlit. I wish that the owners of the Crest would buy the Tower.