"At The Matinee" Looks back at 2014

1977 advertisement in Boxoffice Magazine
for Washington-area cinema chains, film
laboratories, and distribution branches.

I can't believe that 2014 has been a quick and successful year for my blog, At The Matinee.  It's been a joyful and interesting year, writing about classic/contemporary/cult film, television, music, and technology.

Here are some of the most notable events that happened throughout the year (not only on this blog, but in the area as well):

-My article in the January 2014 edition of The Woodsboro-Walkersville Times (formerly The Woodsboro Times, on the bottom-half of page 15) on the town's movie theater in the Woodsboro Bank building* that operated for nearly forty years.

-Praised by Turner Classic Movies for my article on the network's twentieth anniversary.

-A conversation with Mr. Ron Hutchinson of The Vitaphone Project, and how those weren't Warner Bros. Vitaphone discs on the wall of the Shepherdstown Opera House (it must have been the labels that threw me off, from this News-Post photograph of the theater's office).

-Mentioned in The Digital Bits (in Mr. Bill Hunt's My Two Cents column) on MGM's negligence to restore and preserve the "roadshow" print of The Alamo (1960).  This was published shortly after veteran film preservation expert Robert A. Harris' account of the condition of the film.

-Finally got to see several classics on the big screen in one of the classes that I enjoyed at Hood College, History of American Film. They included the classic Laurel and Hardy short- The Music Box, The Marx Brothers' 1932 comedy classic- Horse Feathers, and Orson Welles' 1941 masterpiece- Citizen Kane.

-Spreading the word about At The Matinee to fellow students and friends at Hood, along with flyers about the blog on the library bulletin board.  Will make new fliers in 2015 (not only on bulletin boards on the Hood campus, but in other area locations with community bulletin boards).

-Helped stop WJLA-TV's constant preemptions of Me-TV's Saturday lineup (including iconic horror host Svengoolie, portrayed by Rich Koz).  This was done with the help of fellow Me-TV viewers in the area.

HOPEFUL WISHES FOR FELLOW FILM BUFFS IN THE NEW YEAR:

-Revival screenings of classic films shouldn't be ignored by Frederick's cinema venues.  Sadly, classic cinema is still under-appreciated in the Frederick area.  As I've said before- classic films should be shown the way they were meant to be seen, on the big screen.  This is why Frederick needs a repertory cinema house (besides The Weinberg Center For The Arts).

-Hood College shouldn't be ignorant of showing classic films on the big screen in their Hodson Auditorium film series (which would be a great way to compliment their "blockbuster film series").  Yet unfortunately, their "Film club" hasn't responded to my message, nor have they set up any club meetings.  Even worse, my application to the college's "Campus Activities Board" (the organization programs the "blockbuster film series") was rejected.  I wonder if I should start a classic film club of my own at Hood...

-MGM should finally come to their senses, and restore the "roadshow" version of The Alamo before it's too late (or at least have someone else restore the film).  There won't be enough time to save it (due to the deteriorating Eastmancolor stock) if MGM is ignorant of the film.

Thanks to all for reading!  Happy New Year to everyone from the author of At The Matinee!

*There will be an update on the movie theater that was in the Woodsboro Bank building in 2015.