Comments on: Bill Warren wants your ideas!

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By: Jordy Howard

Jordy Howard — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:55:39 +0000

Bill Warren theater promptly shut as I approached them. So, we’re in theater.

By: Jed

Jed — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:34:33 +0000

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.

By: Wahine_Tara

Wahine_Tara — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:27:46 +0000

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 :)

By: Wahine_Tara

Wahine_Tara — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:26:53 +0000

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!

By: Nathaniel

Nathaniel — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:12:10 +0000

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.

By: BlueJay

BlueJay — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:46:49 +0000

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!

By: Pedant

Pedant — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:13:13 +0000

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.

By: Pedant

Pedant — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:04:51 +0000

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.

By: fleettwood

fleettwood — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:48:50 +0000

“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’!

By: Maggotpunk

Maggotpunk — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:48:24 +0000

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.

By: Maggotpunk

Maggotpunk — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:44:00 +0000

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.

By: jdilts

jdilts — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:42:36 +0000

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!

By: corporalsthilaire31st

corporalsthilaire31st — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:38:26 +0000

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.

By: Maggotpunk

Maggotpunk — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:11:42 +0000

“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?

By: TomPaine

TomPaine — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:08:36 +0000

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

By: Maggotpunk

Maggotpunk — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:07:26 +0000

“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.

By: Phantom

Phantom — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:00:45 +0000

put a dome on the building and play omnimax films.

By: bth

bth — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:31:34 +0000

Free for 5 years; then 1.25%. I’d sure love to get that deal for my Wichita-based business.

By: Nathaniel

Nathaniel — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:27:52 +0000

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?

By: bth

bth — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:54:00 +0000

“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.