In another “Sign of Our Times,” it appears that Vinegar Hill Theatre will close after the Film Festival. Pity. People just weren’t going to the theater and that killed it. When is the last time you went? I can’t remember the last time I went.
Update from commenter katsd:
the guy from visulite (in staunton) is saving the day and stepping in! it’s not going to close!
History of the Theatre taken from the website and published after the break…
Vinegar Hill Theatre opened on Valentine’s Day 1976 in a converted automobile showroom in downtown Charlottesville. Ann Porotti and her then-husband Chief Gordon modeled the theater after repertory cinemas in larger cities and other college towns like the Biograph in Washington, the Coolidge Corner in Boston, and the Theater for the Living Arts in Philadelphia. For its first eight years of operation, Vinegar Hill followed the repertory format: classic American movies and new foreign films were shown in double features, with one pairing on Monday and Tuesday, another on Wednesday and Thursday, and a third on Friday through Sunday with the occasional midnight show of yet another movie. Everyone seemed to have the Vinegar Hill calendar on their refrigerator, and the 219-seat theater sold out regularly on weekends.
In an attempt to help further revive downtown Charlottesville, Porotti and Gordon opened an Italian restaurant up the street called Fellini’s, then promptly divorced. Porotti kept the theater, and Gordon kept the restaurant.
In the early eighties the film distribution industry began changing: the Hollywood studios that had been renting their old movies increased their prices, and new film distribution companies like United Artists Classics began acquiring a new crop of American independent films and renting them for top dollar. In addition, the videocassette recorder and cable television made access to classic Hollywood films easier. So Vinegar Hill reinvented itself as a first-run cinema showing independent and new foreign films, initially in the three double feature per week format, then less frequently.
By the mid-nineties, downtown Charlottesville was thriving, but Fellini’s restaurant was closed. The Regal Cinema chain opened a six-screen theater a few blocks away, and Vinegar Hill’s business suffered as it was forced to compete for art films with the second-largest theater chain in the country. It stopped publishing a calendar so that it could book available films more quickly. It hired a film booker in New York for greater buying power. And, along with her new husband David Wyatt, Porotti opened a small Italian restaurant attached to the front of the theater building called L’Avventura.
Vinegar Hill survives as many of the theaters of its kind have closed, in part because of real estate prices, the new film distribution landscape, and the changing audience for entertainment. Vinegar Hill’s regular programming is less varied and innovative than it used to be, but screenings like the Virginia Film Festival, the Virginia Festival Film Society, and now the Vinegar Hill Film Festival add interest to the mix.
About the Theatre:
Vinegar Hill Theatre has one auditorium that seats 219 people. The auditorium and restrooms are handicapped accessible. Although there are steps between the front door and the main lobby level, a wheelchair ramp allows direct access to the auditorium, lobby and restrooms. The ramp is located to the left of the front door as one faces the building.
The theatre is equipped with two Century 35mm projectors. Films are shown the old-fashioned way, with the projectionist smoothly “changing over” from one reel to another with the aid of visual cue marks on the film. It is the only theater in Charlottesville using this system, which results in less wear and dirt on the film print. It is also the only commercial theater in Charlottesville to have one projectionist for one auditorium, resulting in the fewest projection problems in town.
The theatre also has a Hortson 16mm projector for small-format films.
The theatre’s sound system consists of a 1999 Smart Mod VI audio processor with Dolby SR emulation driving Hafler amplifiers and Altec and Acoustic Research loudspeakers for five channels of audio (screen left, center, and right; left surround and right surround) plus subwoofer. Sound is read from the optical soundtrack on 35mm film by Kelmar reverse-scan visible-light LED readers. The system is adjusted regularly to insure its proper operation.
[via Jim Duncan]
Related posts:
- French, international film series at U.Va.
- Screening of “Juvies” at Vinegar Hill on May 2-3. Executive Produced by Mark Wahlberg
- Blockbuster
I went for the first time just last month! I would go all the time if they had foreign films with subtitles. I’m hearing impaired and rely on captioning to understand any dialog. It didn’t seem like they had very many foreign films the last two years. Too bad since it’s really the only way I can see movies locally in a theater. In DC they have theaters with captioning systems, but from here I’d have to go to Short Pump or Staunton. It’s easier to just wait for things to come out on DVD.
On that note… the film festival page doesn’t list anything as having subtitles either though I’d expect Los Olvidados is in Spanish…
They should have showed porn.
I have not been to a movie theatre (except the film festival) since 1995. I do like to watch movies at home and always use the subtitles. Especially a movie like Trainspotting cause you can’t possibly understand what the hell those heroin freaks are talking about!
I just heard from a very good source that Charlottesville is officially closing.
We need a kick ass place to play miniature golf and ride go karts! Pinball too! And Pop A Shot!
@ 4 Charlottesville is indeed closing. It will be replaced by a planned unit development called “Charlottesvilleberg”.
/a capshaw shanty town joint
it would make an excellent small indie-music venue NOT OWNED BY CORAN CAPSHAW.
i loved the theater and the reek of professors’ tweeds and earnest kids in patchouli, and gentlemanly Reid Oeschlin who worked there forever and evuh, but admit that only about six films in the last five years weren’t utterly-experimental-inscrutable, postmodern-awful, rabid-chick-flicks, hardcore-leftist-whining-save-the-caribous/world, etc. but i did go to see those six. twice each. and bought as many goodies as i could, to give money to the place.
Are the Biograph/OtherOne and Naro and the place in Roanoke, indie alt/art theaters, still open?
@7 It might also make an excellent small indie-film venue owned by Coran Capshaw.
It’s a real loss.
@ Rugby Road… if you are free some night next week can we go out to a bar… just so I can order a drink, and say ” Oh and one for the road”…. such simple pleasures.
the guy from visulite (in staunton) is saving the day and stepping in! it’s not going to close!
@11
that’s awesome!!! I LOVE Visualite, and they have slightly more ‘accessible’ taste in film.
Is it me or does Visualite sound like something Billy Mays would advertise on TV?…. maybe a tube of gloop that you rub all over your light-bulbs to make them brighter and whiter…. I know.. it’s just me.fuck it.
Vinegar Hill going down is a testament to the 20-somethings who only pay to see films with embedded ads for cars, clothes, wristwatches, and selected labels of booze. If it’s not branded you won’t buy it. And Floozy, I’d be honored to stand you one…
FNARRRRRRRRRRRR
@13
anyone go to the magnificently ICKY talk and film-show by Susie Bright (of San Fran) at the Jefferson Theater years ago? I had to walk out during the 20-minute film-segment of her talk on jetting-explosive female org*sms.
@15
AND films that provide actual ENTERTAINMENT. (no offense, Dear Friend—but we ain’t all arts-intellectuals).
/forgot to pick up his black-turtleneck from the dry-cleaner
i went to vinegar hill once during the film festival 2 years ago. the artsy movie theaters in miami i went in high school have all closed. i would have gone to vinegar hill a lot if not for this stupid school thing.
It’s true their scheduling became less interesting — as Ann withdrew from day-to-day operations over the last few years. It’s like any small business — you need an engaged owner.
But movies don’t have to be entertaining in order to be good.
Did she marry? Thoughtless bint.
She did. A professor of English named David Wyatt. They live on Cape Cod, but still have a house here. She has wanted out of VH for several years.
“But movies don’t have to be entertaining in order to be good.”
nor important nor didactic nor artful nor beautiful nor evocative nor inspiring of social change
BUT they DO have to be entertaining in order to be entertaining.
/like i said, i loved the place.
Oh you might be a snobby tree lined street that makes other nearby crappy treeless streets jealous but you need to get with the program.
@23
yup, Floozy. i laughed, but at same time winced to imagine it would float by…
Unless Stanley and Parlie are in the room, we’re all better-off with dick-jokes.
I will never stoop to just dick jokes… there has to be some craft involved, or we all sound like,err, twelve Dude.
Never considered that nearby streets were jealous…thanks for turning my head around.
Oxford called and said stop thinknig you’re such hot shit.
Hey it’s close to 6 PM. Let’s meet for a drink and sort this out. I’ll be the one in the North Face jacket.
Back in from walking the Corgis.
Going to Vinegar Hill soon regardless of what is showing.
i’ll be the one riding the segway, wearing a shiny yellow cape and some red underpants over my slacks! TADA!
oh, it’s only wednesday. my bad.
It’s always sad to lose an art-house or indie film venue. I’ve *heard* that in some cities, art theatres are often supported by showing porn during the day or late-nights… which reminds me of the most entertaining show I’d ever seen at Vinegar Hill: 6-7 years ago they played 3-D porn (glasses and all!) for two nights to the only packed house I’ve ever seen there. Man, that was a hilarious audience too, screaming and laughing at all the surprises that seemed to jump off the screen.
If someone buys it, they really need to replace the sound system.
@25
i think Waldo/CvilleNews.com demonstrated statistically that we ARE all about Twelve on this site.
@29
Corgis? Plural? gag. Quentin Crisp wants his cardigan back.
I once saw a angry Corgi gut a Rotweiller in about 10 seconds — not pretty!
@32
not pretty at all but gorgeous to hear told. they are a noble breed, with a lot of history.
I will pass along your compliment to Otto & Agnes!
I used to go to Vinegar Hill – 3-4 years ago, when they showed more foreign movies with subtitles. I depend on captioning and subtitles to understand any dialogue. IDEA! I hope Visualite can show more movies with subtitles, OR retrofit the theater with a closed-captioning system.
Check out http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/ for retrofitting a theater with MOPIX – As to how this can be done, please read http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/roadmap.html Best of luck.
Sylvan Learning Center called and said they have a place for you on their spelling course next Thursday.
I saw Religulous there just last week. Speaking of the rarest of creatures (a C-Ville native), it’s a damn shame that joint is closing.
And about the subtitled films… they used to show a whole lot of foreign films, but they stopped back in the 90’s, or they drastically reduced the number of foreign films.
Anyone guess why? Lack of attendance. I’m not dissing the foreign films – I’m just saying most people don’t really enjoy having to read with their moving pictures.
Haha – this place can gin up an argument on ANY topic.
How about confirming unsubstantiated rumors before posting on a website.
You guys are rediculous. OOOhh, has anyone heard of cVilliam going down???
I heard it from a birdie, or was it a homeless man?
Somewhere west of Cville there is a skinny red haired girl shouting goddamn-it at her computer in…3…2…1
I guess I have to ask… did I annoy you somehow, Floozy?
@40.. sorry brian, did you actually read the references and the update from a commenter?
oh wait you didn’t .
@41
wait, you’re a redhead too? that makes no sense to me at all.
@Post.
I do rather miss Chief Gordon, from Fellini’s-days. Anyone know where he is now or what he’s doing? I love the scene with himn in jail in the film DINER (foreshadowing?) and the response to him “I’ll hit you so hard I’ll kill your whole FAMILY from the duffle-coated preppy). HE allegedly was GREAT pals with Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner—i looked for Chief in Perfect World and a few others, but couldn’t spot him.
Wizard…. it’s a reference to Shen…. I iz not red headed nor skinny. … you have not awoken the Medusa
@45 @46 @41
oh—that’s what i thought, but missed the connection (i TRY to follow you, learn from you).
When last seen (by me) Chief was a limo driver in Los Angeles.
@48
that’s funny (do you know the story?) because it was a limo-driver (his) who ultimately took-him-down.
/poor guy, i liked him–was hoping he had become an actor or independent producer in Hollywood. it was not a bad life or community-role or ambition to be Rick of Rick’s Place in Casablanca. I was jealous of it (not of the dr*gs and alcohol and degenerate-sex stuff), just the standing behind the bar and welcoming people, ‘presiding’ over the place. I would KILL to be able to be that guy at that time/place.
@49 Since you ask
Several years ago I am taking a very early morning limo (say 4:30 AM) from a hotel in Beverly Hills to catch a flight back towards CHO. It’s still dark outside. The driver asks me where I am going. I say, Charlottesville, Virginia. He says: “I used to live in Charlottesville,” and turns around to face me and I say: “hello Chief.”
@37 I picture an obstacle course strewn with dangling modifiers and split infinitives where contestants race to prove their mastery of the language…to the death.
@50
that’s cool as hell. would love to track him down and drop him a nice grateful letter—his bar essentially MADE my first few years in Cville, and its regulars persuaded me to stay here. Would love to send him a stack of early-days photos and some diary-entries and writings i have collected about the place when it was in-swing.
@51
and mixed metaphors, sweetie?
a race to the death would be interesting. Coronaries if on foot, mostly i suppose; highway accidents or monoxide–inhalation if motorized? If on bicycles then by passing cars on narrow country roads, or getting feet caught in those shackling foot-pegs, or strangulation by spandex; if by luge or toboggan then frostbite; if by dogsled then eaten by wolves or one’s own huskies?
@52
I guess Ann could find him. They have 2 children.
@54
i would be scared to even mention his name to her. Did we mention above if she still owns/runs L’Aventurera?
What about the tall zesty blonde who was around at the end? I’ve forgotten her name.
I would remember any tall zesty blonde but this one I can not picture.
Don’t believe Ann owns/operates the restaurant, now stupidly called the “dog collar.” She owns the building, however. But if Scott Robinson still works there, then that it s a good thing.
The Dog Collar? How damned peculiar. I missed the change. Do they serve innuit food?
W/o wishing to cause Ann offense, i meant the nice gal who was with Chief at the end, and who briefly took over and tried to run Fellini’s after Chief was ’sent up’.
Rugby, please. It’s called Il Cane Pazzo and that means “Crazy Dog” in italian and it’s in honor of the owner’s dog. The owner is Brian Helleburg of Fleurie and Petit Pois. That dog collar was painted by a very cool local artist named Tanya.
but do they have innuit food?
They serve italian. They have the best damn pizza.
How does it compare to Dr. Ho’s?
Sorry, it’s just unappetizing to see a dog collar used in a restaurant logo.
Thanks Shenanny!
Our dearly departed Lilith gave it a nice little review last year. I think this may be a nice place to check out. Thanks for breathing new life into it, Nanny.
Hey, how was the size in there? Would you recommend reservations?
http://cvillain.com/2007/05/31/il-cane-pazzo/
@61: It’s different. Cane Pazzo’s is more like a flatbread, and it’s grilled with gorgonzola and carmelized onions on top. OMG. Mmmm.
@62: No it isn’t ya weirdo.
It’s small but cute. I don’t know if they take rezzies.
@64
It must be tough to lose it so completely so early in the day.
@66: I don’t know, is it?
@67
Generally OK during daylight hours. Traditional entirely legal coping mechanisms after dark.
I remember going to VH in the early 80s. I saw “Liquid Sky” there and a bunch of soviet films.
Liquid sky is one of my all time favorite movies. Soundtrack is awesome too.
@69, 70
OMFG Liquid Sky is one of the best worst films EVER: “You’re no-thing; you’re no-body; you’re a FLY!!!!!”
Back in 1997 I think they screened Disco Dolls in Hot Skin (1977)
That was awesome. The place was *packed* (ie., seats were full, people sitting in the aisles). Definitely an eclectic crowd, with lots of of undergrad girls. I spent most of the time watching their faces, while they were registering shock and awe at John Holmes’ angered member.
/this was before the current generation who, raised on interweb pr0n, probably would’ve just yawned …
@46 – phew!
I don’t want to rouse the Medusa!
Wait… Medusa… so – you’re not a redhead, but a snake-head?
If it keeps you happy Wizard… here I am.
market street is having a wine dinner at il cane pazzo on nov. 11th.
/wine AND italian food? orchid’s heaven!
It is a real loss. I hope someone picks it up as a movie theatre. We need another indie music venue like we need another local coffee shop.
I never went there, but I heard good things…however, why go there when you can rent all the same movies at Sneak Reviews down on Ivy? That place is awesome. After I saw No Country for Old Men, my friend and I went there and rented every single Javier Bardem movie they owned. They were awesome and most of them were kind of smutty and showed him in at least one sex scene (which I have NO problems with).
/I love with Javier Bardem
//Would have went to Vinegar Hill if they showed more of his movies
@78 tangentially related: cormac mccarthy’s _the orchard keeper_ is the worst book i’ve read in a long time.
@79 “the road” reminds me not to have children. NCFOM reminds me to lock the door.
if anybody is interested, i have a hermit workshop you can attend to learn more. about being a hermit.
And NCFOM=North Carolina Friends of Midwives says thar Googol.
vinegar hill not closing.
http://www.readthehook.com/blog/index.php/2008/10/29/vinegar-hill-back-from-the-dead/