By
Benjamin Kim
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Proposed theater could bring competition, change for UAB films series
A movie theater that could have between six and 12 screens is tentatively planned by the Marshall Foundation to be located near North Park Avenue and East University Boulevard, said Tom Warne, consultant for the foundation.
The entire plan is still subject to approval by the foundation's board of directors.
The theater would be a part of a new two-story building if the foundation's board decides to continue with the plan and could be ready for audiences by fall 2002, Warne said.
Other details, including financial information, are being kept confidential by the Marshall Foundation until the plan becomes finalized, which could happen within the next three to six months, Warne said.
The University Activity Board films committee is showing second-run movies in the Social Sciences building, Room 100. The UAB hopes to move its film series to a brand-new multipurpose room when the second phase of construction on the new Memorial Student Union is complete, which is also slated for the fall of 2002.
The films committee lost $44,000 last year when fewer students went to see films in Social Sciences 100, instead of Gallagher Theater, which was torn down for construction.
"We're having a tough time right now (showing films) at Social Sciences," said Brendan O'Connell, UAB films chairman. "I'm really not concerned with what is going to happen two years from now."
Competition between the two movie outlets for students living on campus could arise since the venues will be located so close to each other.
"But I don't think we'll be competing for on-campus audiences as much as some people will think," said Mindy Griffith, senior coordinator for campus activities.
Although the films committee plans to continue showing mainstream second- run movies, it will present other types of films. The films committee is currently focusing on showing midnight movies, film series and older popular films such as "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," Griffith said.
"If the (proposed) theater is up and running, then we'll definitely make sure that we're doing a different focus so that we're not competing," she said.
Predicting where the UAB films program stands in two years will be difficult, Griffith said.
"But we have started brainstorming some different program ideas that have a different twist," she said.
"We'll try to look at ways to maintain the films program because that is something that is inherently a part of the Student Union for a long time that was really popular," Griffith said.
Benjamin Kim can be reached at city@wildcat.arizona.edu.
