Karen Krizanovich, Author at Celluloid Junkie - Page 2 of 2

By karenkrizanovich

Worried About Face Masks in Cinemas? Ask About HVAC Instead

As cinemas re-open, people have been understandably concerned about the issue of wearing masks within cinema interiors. But are we missing a bigger factor in potential transmission of the Coronavirus, that is the HVAC or heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems that pump and often re-circul…

On-Demand Cinema Proves a Hit in Sweden and South Korea

Cinema-on-demand in an actual cinema is a wow, who knew? This ‘private cinema show of your own’ proves that the moviegoing tradition can stay alive even when there’s no new product to show. Despite having run out of audience for the older films it was showing while its cinemas remained uniquely open…

CJ Interviews: Peter Fornstam, Svenska Bio – Europe’s Biggest* Exhibitor

When Peter Fornstam was awarded the UNIC Achievement Award in the summer of 2019 he probably didn’t expect that less than a year later his would be the last major cinema chain in Europe keeping the projectors lights burning. But the man who is not only Director of Svenska Bio, but also Chairma…

Cinema on Wall in Cork, Republic of Ireland

Larger Than Life – Outdoor Cinema Thrives in the Pandemic

The Coronavirus pandemic has brought a surge of urban cinemas screening anywhere but the movie theatre. Homes around the world have been making outdoor home cinemas with a large screen and some chairs. Real cinemas are selling popcorn outside of their closed doors. The UK’s Luna Cinema, the ne plus…

Cinema Marquees Go Viral Amid COVID-19 Shutdown

Cinema Marquees Go Viral Amid COVID-19 Shutdown

“Electric tiaras” are what theatre historian Ben M. Hall called the movie marquee. The cinema marquee and its readograph – the backlit sign written with moveable letters – is as important as the movie poster. Originally a rectangular sign, its shape was adapted to a more trapezoid format…

Drive In Cinema

Drive-Ins: How Big Screen Entertainment Survives During COVID-19

In these days of self-isolation, “vectoring” only with those you must, going out to the cinema is not an option – or is it? As the coronavirus closes multiplexes, movie theatres, outdoor screenings and specialist cinematic events in the west, the drive-in seems to be the last man standing in b…

What Will Film Critics Do, Now That Cinemas Have Closed?

“Lose our jobs and starve, most likely.” The Vulture critic Bilge Ebiri’s response to the question, “What will film critics do if all cinemas close for several months” was pithy and to the point. In a profession that had already shed many writers, the critical community is, as are others connected t…

Shifting Your Blockbuster Release Date? Head to Gower Street

When should you release your USD $1 billion+ Blockbuster? Given the number of releases that have radically shifted release dates (Bond in November, “Fast & Furious 9” next year), the question is more crucial than ever to box office success. In a sea of international releases, global…

Why November, Mr Bond?

When James Bond moves, everyone pays attention. As arguably the best known film franchise of all time, with a combined unadjusted gross of nearly $7 billion, James Bond has set the pace for earnings, consistency and remaining an event that few long-term franchises can match. When three studios…

Majestic Theater Marquee in Madison, Wisconsin

Merry Christmas, Movie House!

Yes, there were movie houses as magical as the one greeted by Jimmy Stewart in It’s A Wonderful Life. I worked in one of them, writes Karen Krizanovich in this exclusive CJ Christmas cinema column. Single-screen cinemas were all we had in the mid-80s. Most American towns had one. I grew up seeing th…