Save the Warren Old Town Theatre

03/10/2024

Another update on the Old Town theatre reopening including an interview with one of the new owners and with a random Big Foot they found wandering around downtown.
https://www.ksn.com/video/new-old-town-theatre-owners-have-big-plans-for-upgrades/10097072/

-------------

New owners are raising the curtain on the Old Town theater and planning on some big updates. KSN's Derek Lytle spoke to the owner and a movie buff, who petitioned to bring movies back to the big screen, about what to expect.

27/09/2024

I met Tyler Cooper, one of the new owners of the OldTown Theatre, for breakfast last week and we talked for around 2.5 hours. Straight up, they have some genuinely great ideas for the place, some I've never even heard other theatres doing yet, and for the first time since it was closed, I am very optimistic and excited about the future of our beloved Old Town! Fellow film buff Jennie Jo and I both had lobbied hard for the Alamo Drafthouse to take the theatre over, but after talking with Tyler, I think we may have lucked into something even better. I'll definitely be checking it out when it opens!

https://www.kansas.com/news/business/biz-columns-blogs/carrie-rengers/article293158289.html =wichita_breaking_newsletter

-------------------------

Remember when we said the Warren Old Town may reopen? It’s official now, and here are the new owners.

31/05/2024

DARKNESS: THE MOTION-PICTURE SOUNDTRACK release & record signing Friday June 7th & Saturday June 8th at four locations around Wichita, KS!

Fri 6/7 - 7:00pm-8:00pm @ SPEKTRUM MUZIK
Sat 6/8 - 12 Noon to 1:00pm @ CD TRADEPOST West
Sat 6/8 - 3:00pm to 4:00pm @ CD TRADEPOST East
Sat 6/8 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm @ KIRBY'S BEER STORE

We will have some copies of the 2-Disc albums for sale, along with 19x13" soundtrack posters signed by 7-10 of the musicians involved with the release, PLUS, some of the musicians will be on hand at each location to sign your copy of the album for free!

BIG THANKS to Shawn Swope for so beautifully recreating the SPINAL TAP record signing poster for us!

Mike Curtis - Jeff Kirby - Rob Carlo - Bob Merth - Jeff Kerby - Scott Gladfelter - Greg Seiwert - Mitchel Clay - Joe Kirby - Sammy Roach - Shawn Fast - maybe more!

-----------------------------

04/05/2024

Please Share! THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: 50TH ANNIVERSARY 4K Restoration WILL play on a WICHITA BIG SCREEN this OCTOBER! I have planned to show TXCM this October ever since we showed it for it's 40th Anniversary back in 2014* and since the last time we showed it with THE EVIL DEAD and PHANTASM at the StarLite Drive-In back in 2017**, and I've never swerved from that plan, so everyone can stop writing me asking if we're "getting it".

There's rumble that Regal and/or AMC are going to pick it up for a special engagement, but if they don't, we will still celebrate the anniversary properly and experience this amazing movie here in Wichita as it was meant to be seen - in a real theatre on the big screen! WILL WE SURVIVE AND WHAT WILL BE LEFT OF US?!

*2014 - 4th Annual OCTOBER AT THE OLDTOWN Horror Festival official trailer: http://youtu.be/DdDeIYcP4Dg

**2017 - Return of the StarLite Drive-In's TRIPLE FEATURE TERRORFEST official trailer: https://youtu.be/TZRQXPZOwlo

BeAst WisheS - Leif

-------------------------------

16/09/2023

The first rule of Groovy Movies is WE DON'T TALK ABOUT GROOVY MOVIES...but for Frank LaLoggia I'm happy to make an exception. 😁 Frank shared this entry on his new website about our Groovy Movie screening of LADY IN WHITE, FEAR NO EVIL and MIRO/MIRANDA at the Warren Old Town Theater here in Wichita, Kansas.

Love you Frank. Honored to have you share this brother. Sadly Regal closed the Old Town a little while ago so Groovy Movies are on hold for the time being, but we were never going to top this show anyway.

I remember the screening very well but had forgotten how many Wichitans are featured or mentioned in the thank you video. If you were at that screening you'll want to check it out to see if you're in it and be sure to watch it til the end for a couple of great cappers including one shot of the whole audience.

Click on the photo of the Old Town for Frank's post about the show and all the Groovy Movie members who attended. There's more direct links below to Frank's Groovy Movie video, the MIRO/MIRANDA promo and trailers for LADY IN WHITE and FEAR NO EVIL all on YouTube.

Ciao Franky!

"Groovy Movies" Thank You For Screening "Lady in White" & "Fear No Evil":
https://youtu.be/Vf1-qwrhwSo?si=BE5SwbrFVKGcHuCa

Miro/Miranda! (English Dubbed Version):
https://youtu.be/qllKaqIk8xI?si=3J-hbVYFopL5_rpZ

Lady in White (1988) - Trailer HD 1080p:
https://youtu.be/8xk86Hz74CY?si=J5Pd8mHLj2c1Dnht

Frank LaLoggia's FEAR NO EVIL vintage FULL HD TRAILER!:
https://youtu.be/KchHHSNGDJA?si=7maBP5RCxiH0djHR

Frank's post on his website about Groovy Movies:
https://www.franklaloggia.com/post/lady-in-white-fear-no-evil-screening-in-wichita-kansas

-------------------------------------

A couple of years back, filmmaker Leif Jonker of "Darkness" fame put together a double bill screening of "Lady" & "Fear" for his wonderful "Groovy Movies" gang in Wichita. After the screening, Leif sent me photos of the event and some attendees actually recorded videos of their reactions to the film...

22/08/2023

They're changing out the locks? What does this mean? Is there a new owner?

19/08/2023

Thanks to Stacey Storck for this link:

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A new business could soon be moving into the Warren Old Town Theater. The property went on the market at the end of July. Occidental Management is the company in charge…

17/08/2023

https://www.kake.com/clip/15414487/high-interest-in-warren-old-town

High interest in Warren Old Town

17/08/2023

OLD TOWN/ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE UPDATE: Many folks have been posting/sharing the Wichita Business Journal article about the Old Town being for sale. I think they're trying to stoke some more interest, maybe a bidding war, because there were interested buyers doing walk throughs before it was closed. I spoke with the realtor a couple of weeks ago and he confirmed the same info as the Journal - lots of interested parties.

As for Jennie Jo's and my campaign to get the Alamo Drafthouse to look at the theater, it was confirmed weeks ago that our emails and the petition got them to call on it and more recently we were told that one of the higher ups did make a trip to Wichita and had a walk-through of the theater. We have no information beyond the fact that they did visit and looked into it, so the first goal of the campaign was accomplished. Congrats Jennie and thanks to everyone who signed the petition and helped spread the word. We'll see what happens. Here's hoping someone reputable who loves movies steps up and brings the Old Town back to it's original glory and then hopefully even better!

Some various links copied below:
https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheWarrenOldTownTheatre/

https://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2023/08/16/old-town-theater-for-sale-downtown-wichita.html

https://www.change.org/p/bring-alamo-drafthouse-theaters-to-wichita-for-an-unparalleled-movie-experience

-----------------

17/08/2023

https://www.bizjournals.com/wichita/news/2023/08/16/old-town-theater-for-sale-downtown-wichita.html

It's not just movie theater operators looking into the property, Occidental Management president Chad Stafford said.

24/07/2023

2nd aired Alternate Edit: KWCH reporter Shawn Loging was the first to speak with Jennie Jo and myself about our hopes to get the Alamo Drafthouse, or other good independent theater chain, interested in taking over the Warren Old Town Theatre. The first piece linked at the bottom of this page ran at 5:00 & 10:00 and Shawn was very kind to send me this alternate edit that ran on the 6:00pm news.

Please CLICK on the LINK and SIGN the PETITION! Let Alamo Drafthouse, or other independent film chains, know Wichita once loved and supported the Warren Old Town Theatre and will again under the right owners! https://www.change.org/p/bring-alamo-drafthouse-theaters-to-wichita-for-an-unparalleled-movie-experience

-------------------------------

24/07/2023

Please CLICK on the LINK and SIGN the PETITION! Let Alamo Drafthouse, or other independent film chains, know Wichita once loved and supported the Warren Old Town Theatre and will again under the right owners!
https://www.change.org/p/bring-alamo-drafthouse-theaters-to-wichita-for-an-unparalleled-movie-experience

-------------------------------

Bring Alamo Drafthouse Theaters to Wichita for an Unparalleled Movie Experience!