Movie-house mogul Bill Warren, buffeted by public backlash to the city’s $6 million loan to his struggling Old Town theater, is asking his audience members for feedback on what they want and how to make the theater succeed. You’d think he and his partners in the Old Town Warren might have a revival plan worked out already, as a condition of the loan, right? Still, it’s smart to try to get Wichitans on his side by asking them what they want to see. And he might actually get some good ideas.
Some think an art film house could be the ticket for the upscale, condo/urban adult audience that lives and plays downtown. Others think showing classic or offbeat movies would draw a crowd. At any rate, Warren might do well to consider something along these niche lines that stands out as a departure from the usual moviegoing fare.
51 Comments
TURN DOWN THE VOLUME. I went to a movie there back in 2000, and that was the most awful movie experience I ever had.
First , he wants our money; secondly , he wants our ideas. I can hardly wait for #3, that’s if I can afford it, of course.
Here’s a novel idea, Bill, the next time you need a loan to bailout your business, go to Intrust Bank.
He knows public opinion of him and his loan request could result in that same public deciding not to support his business. Isn’t helping finance his business doing our part? He wants our money and our ideas? Probably not. He just wants to make it appear he cares about something other than our money.
Good grief. This guy has been painted as an expert and successful busissman? By comparison the guy who created the Western World fiasco was a saint. My suggestion to Mr Warren: Decline the $6 million dollar loan (yesh, and I’ve got some land in Florida underwater for you) and go back to flim flam somebody else. The Wichita City Council is too easy a mark. Throw them out!
If we give Bill Warren ideas how much are we going to be paid for them? Or will we get the shaft again like the taxpayers who worked hard to pay taxes so he can get the money for free?
Screw Warren and his crap theaters. Shut it down and turn it into a casino. That’s bound to be profitable.
What exactly is the business model that is going to entice me to attend his theater in Old Town instead of (a) attending one near where I live or (b) renting a DVD?
Let’s see now, I can navigate difficult traffic, dodge the drunks and go into a high-crime area or I can avoid all that.
Same thing goes for soon-to-be-defunct Oscars. I have a nice sports bar near my home that I patronize. Why should I go to his?
It is very difficult to FAIL at a sports bar in Wichita but Warren managed to do it.
He needs to use a couple of screens for some good movies that are not all Hollywood hype. There are good movies that do not star Will Smith and Tom Cruise. Not to say that they don’t make good movies, but some smaller films are worth seeing for a lot of us. He has enough screens that he could let a couple of them show some of the smaller, but good films.
People need to also remember that Ben Scorintino (the recent former county commissioner) is involved in getting this financial deal out of the city coffers. He is the same county commissioner who was the big pusher to build the new arena.
I don’t agree with PM very often, but I agree with her post here. Turn downthe volume. It’s not just Warren theaters, it seems to be common in all theaters across the country. They have the volume so loud that that it’s a distraction to the film. And I have been sitting in one movie theater hearing the sound track from the next theater.
I’m not happy about the City’s loan to the Warren Old Town Thaeter owners (particularly how the whole thing came about - like an avalanche). But I do want the Old Town area and the theater to succeed.
First, the Old Town Warren Theater and the entire Old Town area needs to be more family-oriented and kid friendly. If there were more things for kids to do, people with kids would be more likely to spend time in the Old Town area. Warren Theater could be part of that attraction.
I really like the idea of dedicating one or two screens to art films. That would fill a niche that a small portion of the Wichita population would certainly like, my wife and me included.
Perhaps not just art films, but films of genre or style. Could have winners of independent film festivals one month, then perhaps past academy award winner classics the next, followed up on by the best in Sci-Fi after that.
I want my tax money back, here is a good ideal!
Be prepared for a legal battle, start by giving the explanation of how your loan request fit in with the original intent of government for the people, by the people.
“Warren plans to start the process with a customer survey that he said will drive planning for the renovation.”
A big problem with this survey: He is surveying people who already go there. He needs to be asking the rest of us why we do NOT patronize his theater.
Bill Warren is a jovial public person. I suggest he hold two or three public meetings in one of his theaters to actually take comments and questions from the public. Maybe something positive would come from this.
Incidentally, the EAGLE says that Drury Inn company would like to purchase the Broadview Hotel. I have always liked the Drury Inns. Several are in the Kansas City area. I hope they don’t replace the Broadview name but add their name to it somehow.
As far as I know, Drury Inn company is headquartered somewhere in southern Missouri, perhaps Springfield.
The next step will be too protect the nearly 100 year old Broadview Hotel building and find a top-notch operator like Drury Inns company to run it.
I could be a bit off here, but how is this all an examle of Warren not being successful at running a business and all his fault?
The city gave him an enticing deal to build down town and it was the city trying to lure business like Warren down there to begin with.
Now that the business is struggling, the loan was to keep Warren from shutting it down.
I don’t think the city wants to see downtown fall apart and the theater was a big part of it.
This is a mix of governmnet and business where governmnet is artificially luring a business in to where the business wouldn’t have went to begin with becuase they would not have been successful.
http://www.wichita.gov/News/Announcements/07-01-2008b.htm
http://wichita.bizjournals.com/wichita/stories/2008/06/09/daily45.html?surround=lfn
The thing is Nathan he needs to find a way to make it at least somewhat successful. Otherwise the taxpayers will be bailing it out again and again.
Ben,
I agree and I think that is what the loan was for, so that so much money wasn’t going to pay off the original mortgage interest and so that they could remodel the theaters to help increase revenue.
WAR: I miss the westside cinema. I saw lotsa good, and not so good, art and foreign flicks there.
But often I was the only person in the auditorium. Can’t stay in business that way.
Bill has been good over the years showing such films. The Premiere palace for one. But they don’t draw much of a crowd.
BTW: Maybe it is me, but I say that a bad foreign flick is so much worse than a bad American flick. As a former night worker who had Cinemax (since canceled), I clicked away from many of them.
Dennis
In five years he will be back for more.
I wonder if I can get the City to give an interest-free loan to MY business …
I think some of the reason for this public survey is to help increase public relations as well.
Lets face it, the local media isn’t going to do anything to help report the whole truth of the matter.
The way the media leaves things the public is left wondering why we are giving Warren money when we see how great and wonderful he is doing elsewhere.
So naturally people get upset and wonder about it. Some of them might choose to not go to Warren theaters anymore.
Will the media help explain anything? Nope, they will just report about the loan and continue to make it look bad.
“public survey”? Is he doing one? As I noted at 12:59 he needs to expand beyond his current customer base.
Someone ought to tell the city council and mayor that supply side economics doesn’t work. There was little demand for Warren’s piece of crap theater so throwing more money into it isn’t going to instantly create demand. The best way to create demand is for Warren to shut down his other theaters.
Think about the lousy timing too. unemployment and inflation are in the double digits, later the theater will have to compete with a new arena, the Sedgwick County government is going to up the price on everything by increasing the sales tax, and gas isn’t going to get any cheaper. With all the economic problems will people be more willing to spend money on entertainment or less?
We just kissed that money goodbye but Bill will be making a pretty penny off of it.
Maggotpunk,
The entire point was that Warren wasn’t making any money off that theater for the past 5 years.
So how is he making a pretty penny off ot it?
I really like War’s proposal to do more non-traditional films… that would be a draw from all across the state.
We drive all the way down to Old Town when we can, LOVE Old Town…especially the Mosley’s Theater.
I agree that they could do a family friendly thing in the day, perhaps more date/couples oriented in the evening. And I won’t go back till they turn down the volume. It was PAINFUL.
They could also go more ‘risque’ not necessarily full out pornographic.
“The entire point was that Warren wasn’t making any money off that theater for the past 5 years.
So how is he making a pretty penny off ot it?”
Simple. If you get an interest free loan then you can invest that money and draw interest from it. Meanwhile you and I worked to pay taxes so he could get that welfare check and make more money. Rob from the poor and give to the rich, it’s the Republican system of economics.
I think it is a good idea that Bill Warren wants to open up a theatre where the sports bar use to be. I am a little confused though, it was my understanding that it was someone else who owned the sports bar, not Bill Warren. It was a very nice sports bar and I feel bad that it didn’t make it. I think it would be nice for Bill Warren to play movies for us fans who are sick and tired of the new movies that Hollywood is putting out, the ones that are constantly cramming their ideas and views down our throats, their politics among other things. I like movies that are fun and adventurous, like Walt Disney types such as Pirates of the Carribean all the way going back to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. There are a lot of westerns and science fiction movies that also have no political slant to them either. I know there are a lot of us out here who are tired of politics having to be crammed into everything. The new movies ten to be for 20s to 30s right now and what we need is something for the younger and older generation so I think that older movies would work too. I agree with the person earlier who said we need to make the downtown area more friendlier for kids and family. I think starting out with family movies would be a good beginning. Then maybe they could open up a fun pizza place or ice cream place and go from there.
“So how is he making a pretty penny off ot it?”
Also - skim money off with construction and operations. I notice one of the partners is in construction.
The loan was not interest free. I believe it was at 1.25%.
The loan was agreed to be used to pay off his existing mortgage at about 4 million and the rest to convert the sports bar to another theater and update the rest.
So where is he going to use the loan for anything else?
Explain to me how the city council is full of Republicans and how this is an example of Welfare for the rich?
Free for 5 years; then 1.25%. I’d sure love to get that deal for my Wichita-based business.
put a dome on the building and play omnimax films.
“The loan was not interest free. I believe it was at 1.25%.”
For five years the interest rate is zero, after that it’s 1.25% which is below the current interest rate should he get a loan from a bank. So he can still invest that money and draw out a higher interest rate than what he’d have to pay back. He never has to pay back the loan, simply make his interest payments and pocket the excess profit.
Also, according to the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, Warren can get a tax deduction on the property he purchases for the theater. So the taxpayers pay for the property with our taxes and he writes it off of his making an additional profit and we have to make up the loss in tax revenue.
It’s another corporate welfare scam that the Republicans love because it plays all of us for suckers. No wonder Bill wanted to be mayor, it would have made fleecing the taxpayer that much easier.
Warren wants ideas to make his downtown theater successful? how about making it less 9 bucks for one movie. Maybe instead of all first run movies the downtown theater could run classic movies, cult movies so, and I’m with Ben how do you lose money on a sports bar Ive been their for events that were standing room only
“I’m with Ben how do you lose money on a sports bar Ive been their for events that were standing room only”
It can’t be because he’s paying his employees much, they all make minimum wage with no benefits. Makes you wonder how much he’s skimming for himself. Will Billo show his desire to make the business work by taking a paycut?
I agree with alot of the other contributers on here as far as not JUST showing first run movies. Alot of movie theatres across the country have “retro nights” on the weekends where they’ll screen older films for like midnight screenings. Or making an effort to get a hold of “select showing” films that aren’t released in every single theatre. Anyone who has ever travelled out of the state of Kansas, or the city of Wichita for that matter and has gone to the movies in another town knows about alot of the other ideas and ploys implemented by thousands of similar theatres. Midnight screenings are a fun crown pleaser as well, or even Indie film screenings on weekday afternoons. Above all else he needs to have a special appreciation night for the same public he asked to bail him out of bankruptcy that he is now asking for ideas from. Show a little gratitude publicly for being able to still be in business before asking for input.
Show lots of indie movies!! Downtown is the perfect place for independent films that will bring in an audience that is not full of usual suspects. With the local music scene, Final Friday arts shows, and emerging galleries all over town, an indie theatre would be the perfect addition!
Here’s an idea for Warren. Until the loan is paid back anyone showing a Wichita driver’s license gets a dollar discount on their movie ticket.
If that helps drive more people to the theater (since Old Town is a dollar more expensive than elsewhere) he’ll make up the revenue in popcorn, drink and candy sales.
Here’s a note to everyone here. If you want cheaper ticket prices at Warren’s theaters you can use the student ID discount without being a student. All it takes is to get a library card from WSU. It looks exactly like the student ID but has one word difference which the ticket salespeople don’t bother looking at.
The library card cost $10, but all proceeds go to the WSU library. Consider it a charitable donation.
“Until the loan is paid back anyone showing a Wichita driver’s license gets a dollar discount on their movie ticket.”
I like it! Now we’re talkin’!
Political_mama
Posted July 10, 2008 at 7:06 am | Permalink
TURN DOWN THE VOLUME. I went to a movie there back in 2000, and that was the most awful movie experience I ever had.
—
Yeah, his sound system wasn’t all that great back then.
But. He made some awesome improvements. I saw “War of the Worlds” at the eastside Warren in 2005, and it totally rocked.
For example, the sound was extremely reasonable, not at all loud. In fact, I was just remarking to my date that I thought he’d made some big audio changes when his theater proved it (I didn’t go to movies very often, mainly because I am just not a big fan of video games, comic books, or graphic novels).
There’s a scene toward the end of WotW where one of the tripods come crashing down to earth. Just out of instinct my index fingers were headed to my ears…but it never got too loud. Honest.
However, the hairs on my arms and on my head felt as if they were literally waving in a breeze. There was a profound physical effect on me, but it was not a auditory one.
At least on the east side, Warren’s sound system totally rocks.
You know, it just occurred to me (duh) that it may have been the signal from Spielberg’s movie deserving of the larger credit here. Because really what I’m comparing here is “Independence Day,” suffered by me at the west side Warren (really, really loud) and “War of the Worlds” 9 years later, on the east side. :D
So maybe all I can vouch for is this. If you ever get the chance to see WotW at the east side Warren, hop on that bad boy like white on rice. Really, it was awesome.
Make it another discount movie house like the Palace out west.
Show “cult” movies like “Rocky Horror” and “Plan Nine From Outer Space” and let the audience be as rowdy as they like.
Screen cult classic TV programs like Mystery Science Theatre 3000 on the BIG screen.
STAR WARS marathon!
MAggotpunk,
Again, the loan will be used to pay off his existing mortgage and the rest spent on remodeling.
So where is this money that he will invest?
Yes, the loan is at a low interest rate, that is because the business is not currently making enough money to pay off the existing mortgage and make a profit.
The deal was that the theater would remain open for at least 10 more years with this loan.
Once again, the reason for the loan was to help keep the theater downtown where the city has been spending a bunch of money in remodeling and building up.
For the very same reason that the city has helped to lure business to downtown with tax cuts and incentives is the very same reason the city is now trying to keep the theater there by helping Warren not shut down the theater with this loan.
How about one night a week where they have 1$, old-almost-to-DVD movies? Like the palace out west did fifteen years ago? And make it a Friday or Saturday night, when people can actually go to a late movie, rather than a Tuesday or something.
Here in Honolulu we have a dollar theater–1$ in the evening and $.50 for a matinee. I have absolutely no idea how they make enough to pay rent in Restaurant Row and still stay afloat, but they’re doing something right. They’ve been in business for a while and they draw large crowds consistently. Perhaps they make money on concessions.
In this stinky economy, plenty of people want to be able to escape in a movie…make it affordable!
I have to admit, being able to drink Corona’s while watching Order of the Phoenix on the big screen was pretty sweet. He had the right idea :)
I’ve probably been to the Old Town Warren more often than any other theater in recent years. I like it, like the parking, like having dinner served with a good movie; it’s been a good experience.
However, I don’t believe that the business of government is to subsidize businesses. When we bail out businesses that have been mismanaged to near bankruptcy, all we are doing is prolonging the mismanagement. If the concept is viable and Bill Warren can’t properly manage it, it ought to be salable to investors who might do a better job. If the problem is in the concept, then it needs to die a natural death and make way for a business concept that makes money.
What the city is doing is placing a bet with our tax money that Mr. Warren can make the theater work, even though is hasn’t yet, and repay his sweetheart loan out of future profits. Warren’s promise to keep the theater open for another ten years is meaningless if the theater goes bankrupt.
Some of you have suggested reworking the Warren into an art house type theater. It’s a nice idea that has been tried in Wichita several times. The only one that survived any reasonable time was the Vogue Art that paired true art movies with soft porn. It worked for a while, but I’m sure it isn’t what most of you had in mind. Art houses work as niche theaters in areas with a population large enough to find a regular sophisticated audience that wants something more than Saw III. We don’t have that in Wichita. Sorry, you’ll just have to dress up, open the wine and slice the cheese, slip The Virgin Spring into your DVD player and pretend.
Bill Warren theater promptly shut as I approached them. So, we’re in theater.
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