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| New cinema, Web site
nears completion |
Hugh Kellenberger
Chancellor | Student Development Beat
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Chris Hill | The AppalachianThe nearly completed Greebriar
Cinema is planned to open later this month with a showing of the
film “Remember the Titans.”
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After months of construction,
Greenbriar Cinema in W.H. Plemmons Student Union is nearing completion.
At the same time, a new Web site devoted to films will be launched,
J. Phil Arnold, associate director of Student Programs, said Tuesday.
The website, www.films.app- state.edu, will focus on what films
will be playing every night by every department on campus. Along
with providing a calendar of films, hyperlinks to a synopsis of
the film will be added to the site.
Dr. Craig J. Fischer, an assistant professor in the department of
English, will update the site and said it should be up next week. |
“Previously,
unless you saw a specific poster, there was no way of knowing what
films are playing when,” Arnold said. “I’ve always
felt that [attendance would be higher] if everyone knew about these
films.”
The departments of English, history and foreign languages and literatures
expect to show films at Greenbriar, along with film series focusing
on food in film, Spanish/Latin-American films and German films.
The Private Screening Series, created by John McElwee to showcase
forgotten film classics, will continue at the new cinema.
Because of space concerns, Appalachian Popular Programming Society
(APPS) will continue to show the popular recent films in I.G. Greer
Auditorium. However, some films with lower demand, such as “Bowling
for Columbine,” could be moved to Greenbriar.
Arnold said he expects the theatre to be inspected tomorrow. If
all goes well, the only obstacle left is the punch-list, a list
of minor adjustments that must be made by the general contractor.
The goal is to open up during [the] last week of January with a
showing of “Remember the Titans,” a film the Center for
Student Involvement and Leadership (CSIL) has asked to show in preparation
for a visit by Herman Boone, the former coach of the Titans. Boone
is portrayed in the movie by Denzel Washington.
The grand opening will occur in mid-February. A classic film will
be shown, and remarks will be made as well honoring McElwee, a retired
lawyer from North Wilkesboro who funded the entire project. No student
funds or taxpayer dollars were used.
No film has been chosen for the grand opening, but “Sabrina,”
a 1954 film starring Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart, has been
mentioned, Arnold said.
The theatre, built at a cost estimated by Arnold to be between $500,000
and $1 million, features 74 high-back leather seats with private
armrests and digital surround sound. Stained glass windows and original
posters of upcoming films will greet visitors. The concession stand
will sell all the typical theatre munchies, such as popcorn, soda
and candy.
“It won’t matter what film is playing, the experience
will make [coming] worth it,” Arnold said.
The theatre can handle films in DVD, VCR, LaserDisc and 16 mm film
formats.
“This is easily the best theatre in Boone,” Arnold said.
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