By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
It’s a week of big events at West Seattle’s city-landmark Admiral Theater. None bigger than tomorrow, when the first-run “Interstellar” premieres with a sneak-peek screening at 8 pm.
Tonight, Admiral manager Dinah Brein and her crew were preparing the film reels for the screening.
It’s an hours-long task, but one that is a reminder of the reason they are getting “Interstellar” before the megaplexes, as reported here last month: The Admiral is one of just a few theaters still screening in 35mm, and that’s one of three film formats in which the producers are releasing the movie two days in advance.
Tuesday will come just three nights after a crowd jammed in for the final monthly “Rocky Horror Picture Show” shadow-cast-enhanced screening:
(Saturday night WSB photo by Torin Record-Sand)
That ended a 10-year run; the shadow-cast producers are moving to a venue in North Seattle.
And this all happens as a cloud of uncertainty hovers as if The Admiral’s distinctive nautical facade were mired in a fog bank.
On one hand, this premiere event should be cause for elation, as should other milestones, like a community-organized screening of the documentary “I Am Eleven” that sold out the house last Tuesday.
The result of some maintenance work and minor upgrades was evident when we stopped by tonight – including new house speakers (above), which mean that “Interstellar” will sound as good as its brand-new film print looks.
But as Admiral fans know, much more work is needed – is planned – but can’t be done because the theater’s management still doesn’t know whether it will be there beyond the end of this month. While they have a renovation plan that would turn The Admiral into a hub of not just first-run movies, but also other types of entertainment – as reported here in July – they still have no commitment from their landlord, they say.
“Utter frustration” is how Brein describes it. She says they are aware that property owner Marc Gartin has been “entertaining” potential new tenants for the building. It’s long been listed for lease, with its listing status currently described as “pending.” Brein says they were aware that a Portland theater owner was looking at it as of about a month ago, but they can’t get owner Gartin to return their calls or e-mails about whether a deal is going through, or whether he’ll commit to them continuing.
The theater business currently is part of Faraway Entertainment, a regional chain owned by Brein’s brother Jeff Brein, and she says the company has been actively looking for funding for the potential renovation project and are optimistic they could get it. They also are grateful to community members who have contacted them offering help in fundraising. But without the landlord committing to a lease – they’ve long been on month-to-month – they can’t pursue fundraising or other financing. They can’t even tell their employees whether they’ll have a job through the rapidly approaching holiday season. Brein expressed anger at Gartin’s reported non-communication, calling it “reprehensible.”
The deadline they’re facing is caused by the same situation that’s brought them the “Interstellar” premiere – the fact The Admiral has not converted to digital, with ever-fewer movies available on film. They’ve been waiting for a commitment and a lease so they could proceed with a significant investment for the conversion and other updates the two-screen theater needs.
In the short run, Dinah Brein says she’s excited about showing a first-run movie: “I could kiss (director) Christopher Nolan” for deciding to release it on film. She adds, “I really hope that all of our regular customers come out in force to watch this movie and support us here at the
theater. It may be our last hurrah. If so, we want to go out with a bang.”
“Interstellar” toplines for The Admiral’s run:
*8 pm Tuesday, then Wednesday-Saturday, screenings at 11 am, 2:30 pm, 6 pm, 9:30 pm (see theater website for showtimes beyond that)
*Two lines planned – cash-only and credit-card-only
*Tuesday night’s price, $10.25 for all tickets
*After that: Both matinees will be $8.50; seniors (65+) and kids (under 11) will be $8.50 all day
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