Hollywood Theater Features on 'The Moveable Fest'

The publication featured five theaters across the nation that need help to "survive the celluloid apocalypse."

The Moveable Fest website has featured Dormont's Hollywood Theater as one of several across the nation that need help "to survive the celluloid apocalypse." The feature comes at a good time. With just 19 days left in the theater's Indiegogo campaign, Hollywood volunteers and patrons have been advocating heavily on social media for donations. According to Hollywood Theater representatives, the theater is in no immediate danger of closing, even if the Indiegogo goal is not met. The theater will continue to provide normal scheduling, and will continue to explore other funding options. However, because the theater does not have a digital projector, it is now unable to show many films that are only available in digital format. That includes "…

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Asner Hoax Brings Donations to Hollywood Theater Campaign

Theater manager Chad Hunter said the Hollywood doesn't want to gain money or notoriety because of a hoax, and looks to move forward in a positive way.

The story of the fake Facebook page bearing actor Ed Asner’s name and a generous donation pledge to Dormont’s Hollywood Theater has brought both attention and increased donations to the Potomac Avenue landmark. Those associated with Hollywood Theater are grateful for recent donations, but theater manager Chad Hunter said this isn’t how they wanted to gain money or notoriety for the Hollywood. “We would prefer not to get attention to our cause through someone’s fraudulent, misguided attempt to draw people to us,” he said. “We’d rather get the message out in more positive ways.” Donations to Hollywood Theater’s IndieGogo campaign were at just above $4,000 on Jan. 29, the day the false post was made. Since then, donations have jumped to $5,…

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Erin Faulk

9:11 am on Thursday, February 7, 2013

This is the weirdest story I've ever covered.   more ›

Alleged Ed Asner Facebook Pledge to Hollywood Theater Is a Hoax

The actor’s representatives confirmed Friday that Ed Asner does not have a Facebook page, and never did.

A donation pledge from actor Ed Asner to Dormont’s Hollywood Theater has turned out to be fake. Social media was buzzing last week after a post—written in first person, as though in the actor’s voice—appeared on a Facebook page bearing Asner’s name, photos and biography. The post was a pledge of support to Hollywood Theater, claiming the actor would double donations to the Hollywood's IndieGogo campaign. But on Friday, representatives associated with the actor confirmed that the Facebook account was a fake. “I guess I’m not terribly surprised,” said Hollywood Theater manager Chad Hunter. “I think initially we were all skeptical but excited, and hoping to get more news. When we didn’t get it I was starting to worry.” It's a local twist on …

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T&B T

3:10 pm on Monday, February 4, 2013

Ed's old as dust :)   more ›

'Perks of Being a Wallflower' Comes to Hollywood Theater in Private Event

Those involved with the theater are hoping Tuesday's event is a precursor to being able to show the film frequently.

A special showing of “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” at Dormont’s Hollywood Theater on Tuesday served as a precursor to what manager Chad Hunter hopes will become a regular event. The viewing was an invitation-only event, mainly for Verizon FiOS customers, to promote the film’s availability through On Demand. But Hunter said as soon as the theater is able to buy a digital projector, he plans to make “Perks” a regular on the theater’s marquee. “As soon as we get that projector, this movie will be here,” Hunter said. “We want to do a ‘Perks’-‘Rocky Horror’ double feature, maybe for a one or two-week run.” That plan hinges heavily on the theater’s ability to purchase the projector. Click here for information about that project. Tuesday’s …

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'Living Dead' to Help Save Hollywood Theater

A "Night of the Living Dead" screening and meet-and-greet with the cast will help raise money for Dormont's Hollywood Theater.

A special screening of George Romero's 1968 film "Night of the Living Dead," plus a meet-and-greet with the cast, will help Dormont's Hollywood Theater raise much-needed funds for a digital projector, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Information about the event can be found in the paper's staff blogs section, in a post by Barbara Vancheri. Click the blue link to read the full report. The March 2 event starts at 2 p.m. and will feature a meet-and-greet with celebrity guests Kyra Schon, Russ Streiner, George Kosana, Joe Unitas, Ella Mae Smith, Paula Richards, and Gary Streiner. All proceeds from the event will go to Hollywood Theater's Go Digital or Go Dark Campaign. The theater must purchase a digital film projector at a cost of $75,000…

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Massive Fundraising Effort Under Way for Hollywood Theater

Hollywood Theater must raise $75,000 for a digital movie projector, or face going dark—possibly for good.

Letting Hollywood Theater’s screen go dark once again isn’t something theater manager Chad Hunter is willing to allow. Unfortunately, that fate is again becoming a real possibility for the Dormont landmark—the only single-screen, independent movie theater in the South Hills—if the theater can’t raise the necessary $75,000 to buy a digital movie projector. “Increasingly, it’s cheaper for studios to produce movies digitally and distribute them that way,” Hunter said. “The writing is on the wall for it … Small theaters are not part of the studios’ financial formula and we’re falling through the cracks.” Hollywood Theater frequently shows movies on 35mm film, a format that used to require 2,000-foot film reels to be shipped and delivered to …

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Hollywood Screen Goes Dark on 'Rocky Horror'

"Rocky Horror Picture Show" will no longer be shown at Dormont’s Hollywood Theater, unless the theater can make a big jump into the digital age.

The end of 2012 also meant the end of a major event for Dormont’s Hollywood Theater—screenings of "Rocky Horror Picture Show." The classic, campy film will no longer be shown at the Hollywood, unless the theater is able to make a big jump forward into the digital age. "We're working right now to raise the money to get a digital film projecter," said Hollywood Theater manager Chad Hunter. "That's really becoming more and more important, and we're getting to the point where we'll depend on it for the future." With the loss of "Rocky Horror," the theater's need for a digital projector and other equipment updates—at a cost of $75,000—became more prevalent than ever, Hunter said. Hollywood Theater frequently shows movies on 35mm film, and when …

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T&B T

5:46 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

Try running other campy classics like the "Evil Dead" series of movies. There's a lot of knuckleheads that like to dress like zombies nowadays. The people that do that kind of stuff are usually pretty establishment oriented; so that's cool.   more ›

Peter Beagle to Host “The Last Unicorn” Screenings at Hollywood Theater

Beagle, the award-winning author of the animated “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and more, will donate all ticket sales to the Hollywood Theater.