Pittsburgh, U.S.A — Two of Pittsburgh’s largest cinemas, Chartiersvalley 20 in Bridgeville and North Versailles 22, will reopen after a temporary closure this Friday, August 3 with new films ‘Total Recall’ (PG13) and ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days’ (PG).

The theatres will be closed Wednesday and Thursday of this week for the properties to undergo some changes including the introduction of Phoenix Big Cinemas Management to operate the cinemas. Other changes to the sites include the introduction of RealD 3D– a the state-of-the-art Digital 3D format, Gift Cards, online and advance ticketing through MovieTickets.com and an expanded concession menu. Guests can also join the free “Motion Picture Points” loyalty club to earn points for free popcorn, soft drinks and movie tickets at both locations.

“Phoenix Big Cinemas brings a track record of high quality entertainment to the Pittsburgh cinemas,” said Marc Kossman, part of the ownership group of the two mega-plexes. “The theatre upgrades and renovations will improve the overall cinema experience by offering a state-of-the-art Hollywood destination to our guests.” Both cinemas offer plentiful parking and their convenient locations provide easy access for the surrounding communities.

Additional changes and enhancements for the all stadium theatres are planned during the next several months including a conversion to All Digital Projection, upgrades to digital surround sound, more screens offering RealD 3D and new signage. With the upgrades to All Digital Projection, Chartiers Valley will change from 20 to 18 stadium auditoriums with approximately 4000 seats and North Versailles will adjust from 22 screens to 18 with over 3000 seats. The new management will oversee the changes and implementation of the digital systems.

Opening on Friday, August 3, Chartiers Valley Stadium 18 and North Versailles Stadium 18 will play new releases including ‘Total Recall’ and ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days’, as well as, recent and summer blockbusters such as ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, ‘The Watch’, ‘Ice Age: Continental Drift’, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, and many more. The sites will play ‘Step Up Revolution’ in Digital RealD 3D. During the opening weekend, the cinema will offer a Free Popcorn to all guests with a paid admission.

Knoxville-based Phoenix Big Cinemas Management will manage the cinemas for the Pittsburgh based ownership group. ”We are proud to include these cinemas within our circuit and be a part of their conversion to all digital projection. As we transition the theatres under our management we hope to bring a new, refreshed energy and provide the best possible entertainment experience possible,” said Phil Zacheretti, President of Phoenix Big Cinemas Management. As of August 1, Phoenix Big Cinemas Management managed 27 theatres with a total of 220 screens in 16 states throughout North America.

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Over the past few years we have seen a lot of movie remakes or rebooting — has Hollywood run out of ideas or could it be an excuse for making a mistake the first time round? Among the most recent examples, we have seen remakes of movie and television series such as The A-team, Footloose and Fame with The Amazing Spider-man and Superman in the pipes.

If you think they are about to slow down, you should check out the amount of remakes that are in the planning stages. According to OhNoTheyDidnt.livejournal.com there is an extensive list of movies that are being dusted off and ready for a reboot, including Guys and Dolls, Alien, Total recall, Romancing the Stone and the Creature from the Black Lagoon. Were these movies that terrible? Why do we need to see them remade?

The new saying in Hollywood seems to be ‘if it’s is not working, let’s go back to the beginning’; the studios seem to be finding big bucks in well-established franchises and rebooting them with young fresh faced stars. But the exciting thing about movies with original ideas is that we don’t know what’s going to happen next; Is the films ending going to make us feel good, sadden us or is it going to shock us?

The problem with these prequels or reboots is that we know how the story is going to end. A reboot can be a risky proposition because it takes some of the drama out of the story.

When Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi were fighting during the Star Wars prequels, we already knew already how that was going to end — we knew Obi Wan would win and Anakin would get burned and be transformed into Darth Vader.

Boxoffice.com editor Phil Contrino says it’s a real test of the filmmaker and the story to use younger, well-established actors for their reboot without running the risk of not having the same “star power.” Films like Indiana Jones, Die Hard, and Rambo are all associated with the actors who played these characters and bringing in someone new may not have the same impact.

So if that’s the case, then why reboot? Well one of the reasons is that it’s much less cost efficient. By the time you get into the third or fourth sequel, the actors and directors demand ridiculous amount of money, says Contrino. There is also a lot of control over the project at this point so if the whole thing is scrapped, the writers and producers can start fresh and simpler.

This is one of the reasons why the Spiderman movies starring Toby Maguire and Kirsten Dunst was ended and rebooted with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone — it was just too difficult to make the movie with the same cast and crew. Another factor for reboots is that it bring a new energy to the franchise. Contrino points out if a reboot is successful, it sets the stage for a really good rebooted sequel.

After Batman Begins came The Dark Knight and this movie earned $530 million at the box office, becoming the 3rd film of all time and will be followed by another sequel in 2012, The Dark Knight Rises.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.facebook.com/officialateammovie

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