Toronto Festival Tower and tiff Bell Lightbox | 156.96m | 42s | Daniels | KPMB

Towered said:
From the outside, you'd hardly know there's a theatre there. I don't go by often, but the lack of advertising struck me as odd - there's a big, fancy restaurant on the corner, and then the unceremonious entrance to the theatre, which you can miss if you blink. I don't recall seeing many movie posters on the sidewalk-facing glass - am I misremembering? The vibe I got from the one time I went there (about a decade ago now) was, "the cool movie snobs know we're here - good enough."
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You're not wrong, it feels relatively invisible.

The original project should have gotten approval and funding for a modern version of a traditional cinema marquee. The big pylon sign with the semi-circle/oval underneath advertising individual films.

But, sigh, not the direction they went.

I advised against the entire project.

They should have bought the Uptown and built additional space around/above it. (that was under discussion, many moons ago).
 
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Northern Light said:
You're not wrong, it feels relatively invisible.

The original project should have gotten approval and funding for a modern version of a traditional cinema marquee. The big pylon sign with the semi-circle/oval underneath advertising individual films.

But, sigh, not the direction they went.

I advised against the entire project.

The should have bought the Uptown an built additional space around/above it. (that was under discussion, many moons ago).
Click to expand...
I miss the Uptown - it's grandeur could have been restored, but what can you expect from a trash developer like Pemberton...

I think the last movie I saw there was Face/Off. Or maybe John Carpenter's Vampires (horrible movie, and horrible date).
 
Towered said:
I miss the Uptown - it's grandeur could have been restored, but what can you expect from a trash developer like Pemberton...

I think the last movie I saw there was Face/Off. Or maybe John Carpenter's Vampires (horrible movie, and horrible date).
Click to expand...

The Uptown I, (and you) grew up with was never the original, our Cinema 1 was the balcony of the original.

Still, it had chandeliers and arches and detailing and was a really good cinematic experience even in its molested form. To imagine it brought back to its original one-screen glory...........sigh.

So much opportunity there. While I'm happy to lay into Pemberton...........

The real fault lies both with Famous Players ditching the venue and with TIFF not being a buyer at a point where it was feasible (real estate prices were rising but nowhere near what they are today)

That the City didn't protect the venue..........is beyond comprehension as well.
 
...yeah, and not to mention, people literally died when they pulled that down. /bleh
 
Towered said:
From the outside, you'd hardly know there's a theatre there. I don't go by often, but the lack of advertising struck me as odd - there's a big, fancy restaurant on the corner, and then the unceremonious entrance to the theatre, which you can miss if you blink. I don't recall seeing many movie posters on the sidewalk-facing glass - am I misremembering? The vibe I got from the one time I went there (about a decade ago now) was, "the cool movie snobs know we're here - good enough."
Click to expand...

Agreed. Since it was first built, the Lightbox has sort of blended in with the massive new developments in the area. It doesn't scream "landmark."
 
So Luminato is moving into The Lightbox. Great move! Also OCAD is using space here. Another great move!

www.theglobeandmail.com

After Artscape collapse, Luminato finds new home inside TIFF Lightbox

As Luminato prepares to launch the 17th edition of its festival, both organizations mark the start of what they hope will be a long-term collaborative relationship
www.theglobeandmail.com www.theglobeandmail.com
 
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