“Camarillo city officials blast school movie theater plans - Ventura County Star” plus 4 more

---

• Camarillo city officials blast school movie theater plans - Ventura County Star
• Johnny Depp voted sexiest movie star - MSN India Entertainment
• Local LDS filmmaker creates a fun, family movie - Mormon Times
• Curtain may come down on plan for Westgate Mall movie theater in ... - Enterprise
• Leonardo DiCaprio & Ellen Page: Mysterious Movie - Just Jared

Camarillo city officials blast school movie theater plans - Ventura County Star Posted: 20 Oct 2009 10:26 PM PDT Camarillo city officials have threatened to sue the Oxnard Union High School District if it doesn't pull the plug on a proposed IMAX-like theater at Camarillo High School. School district trustees last month approved plans to allow Texas-based Schlosser Constellation Inc. to build a $1.5 million outdoor theater near Camarillo High's football field, behind the visitors' bleachers and adjacent to Highway 101. If state officials approve the plan, the theater would include two high-definition, 50-foot-high, 200-foot-wide screens with IMAX-like quality, district officials said. In a letter this month to the district, however, Camarillo City Attorney Brian Pierik said the district "failed to follow proper legal procedures," including state environmental law and city zoning rules, by approving an amphitheater that would be used as a "non-classroom facility" to generate profit. Camarillo Mayor Don Waunch said he is concerned, among other things, about Highway 101 drivers who might be distracted by the huge theater screens. The district said it plans to sell the back of the screens for a limited amount of advertising. "That is a safety issue ... and we don't want that thing there," Waunch said. "The area is not even zoned for a theater, and the district approved the item on its consent calendar without having a public hearing on it. They would be foolhardy to sign that agreement." The city attorney's letter threatened to sue the school district if the lease between Schlosser and the school district was not rescinded by Oct. 14. No suit has been filed yet. Although the board approved a lease agreement, the papers have not been signed yet, said Thomas Griffin, the school district's attorney. The district is waiting for final plans and designs from Schlosser. The designs need to be approved by the Division of the State Architect before the district can finalize the lease terms, Griffin said. Two interpretations of act City officials challenged the school district's interpretation of the California Education Code's Civic Center Act, which allows the use of school facilities for nonprofit organizations. Schlosser's "operation of the amphitheater would not be 'as a civic center,' but rather as a commercial venture," Pierik says in the letter. "Accordingly, the district's reliance on the Civic Center Act is misplaced." Griffin, however, said the act does allow districts to use property for profit ventures when it is not being used for educational purposes. He said only about 7 percent of the theater's total use would be showing commercial films to the public — from May to October. The theater would be used for educational purposes the rest of the school year, he said. "The Civic Center Act very clearly allows profit-making organizations and nonprofits to use school facilities when they are not being used for school purposes," Griffin said. "For-profit users still have to be charged a fair rental value." The Oxnard Union board approved a 15-year agreement with Schlosser, which would pay for the theater's construction, Griffin said. Profits from the movie theater and concessions would reimburse the company for the construction, interest, staffing, licensing and management costs. Any money left over would be split equally between Schlosser and the district. According to Pierik's letter, city officials are also concerned that the district did not consider city zoning restrictions. The theater area is currently zoned as residential. Environmental impact questioned City officials also said the district failed to follow the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires review of potential environmental impacts before a big project is approved. "If the subject use is not directly used for or related to student instruction, which the commercial use of the amphitheater after school hours would not be, then the use cannot be exempted from local zoning controls," Pierik says in the letter. Griffin countered that school districts are exempt from such requirements when it involves "minor" additions to campus sites and would not add to the student capacity of the school. "Adding an outdoor facility is not like adding a whole building, which in that case, CEQA would apply to that," Griffin said. "Frankly, I don't understand their argument." If Oxnard Union does sign the lease with Schlosser, Camarillo High would be the first school in the nation to have an outdoor theater generating profit for a company and a school district, Griffin said. Schlosser also approached the San Diego and Saddleback Valley unified school districts for similar projects. According to the Orange County Register, Saddleback Valley terminated a deal with Schlosser because the company could not guarantee the theater's profitability. Company Chairman Andrew Schlosser did not return a phone call seeking comment about the Camarillo project. Griffin said that like with many new businesses, the amount of profit is difficult to predict. In prior meetings with district officials, Schlosser officials estimated the facility could generate $453,000 in its first year and about $1 million annually for the next 15 years. Under the lease agreement, if the theater fails to make significant profits after five years, the district would have the option of tearing it down, Griffin said. "We are extending the invitation to talk about their concerns," Griffin said of city officials. "If they want some input into what this amphitheater would look like, we welcome their comments." This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Johnny Depp voted sexiest movie star - MSN India Entertainment Posted: 20 Oct 2009 09:50 PM PDT 'The Pirates Of The Caribbean' star beat competition from Robert Pattinson and Robert Downey Jr, who landed on second and third place respectively in the list released by Empire magazine. Brad Pitt came fourth in the sexiest man rundown, while 'The Dark Knight' star Christian Bale came fifth. Source: IANS This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Local LDS filmmaker creates a fun, family movie - Mormon Times Posted: 20 Oct 2009 11:09 PM PDT This family-friendly show was produced by Salt Lake-based talent: "The Wild Stallion" (HaleStone, 2009, G, $16.96). Local filmmaker Craig Clyde's latest stars Miranda Cosgrove, of the Nickelodeon channel's "iCarley" series (though this was filmed before she got that gig). Cosgrove plays a teen city slicker who yearns to take photos of horses in the wild. She's also curious about the legend of a black stallion that is much talked about, although no one's actually seen the animal. She and her country-savvy pal (Danielle Chuchran) find the wild horses, including the mysterious black stallion, only to discover thieves are rounding them up for drug experiments. The impressive adult cast includes Connie Sellecca as a widowed rancher, Fred Ward as Cosgrove's father, Paul Sorvino as the local sheriff and Robert Wagner as the chief bad guy. You may also recognize local actors KC Clyde, in a comic role, and Corbin Allred, atypically playing a villain. Sam Cardon contributes a nicely understated score. Extras: widescreen, music video, photo gallery, trailers This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Curtain may come down on plan for Westgate Mall movie theater in ... - Enterprise Posted: 20 Oct 2009 09:50 PM PDT The fenced work site at Westgate Mall sits idle, a vacant eyesore, with no sign of the movie theater that was to be built there. Construction on the 12-screen theater was originally set to begin last spring, then was postponed for six to 12 months because of the slumping economy. The cinema was billed as a way to keep moviegoers in Brockton — many now travel to the Showcase Cinemas in Randolph — and boost business at the shopping mall off Route 24. Now, Ward 7 Councilor Christopher MacMillan said the theater plan may be dead. "It looks like it's not going to happen," said MacMillan. "I'm getting very bad vibes." He wants something done to improve the area where the vacant Macy's store was demolished to make room for the new theater. The mall owners had planned to build a 20,000-square-foot addition to Westgate Mall on the former Macy's site. It was to include the theater, eateries and other businesses catering to patrons of the theater. Dedham-based National Amusements, which also owns the Randolph cinema two exits north on Route 24, was to lease the space for a 12-screen movie theater, complete with stadium seating. Mall manager Luciano Villani said the construction zone is nearly 95 percent ready for work that is "still pending." "It's a construction zone. It's not going to look like the rest of the property," said Villani. He said the property owners would decide what to do with the site, but no decision has been made. The mall is owned by Gregory Greenfield and Associates Ltd. of Atlanta. A spokesman was not available for comment Tuesday. Meanwhile, two road projects will greatly enhance entrances to the mall, said MacMillan. The city recently began work on Campanelli Way, the road that leads from Oak Street to the mall. The project is expected to cost $500,000 and will be completed before the holiday shopping season, according to city officials. "That's going to make a huge difference," said MacMillan. The road was in such poor condition it was difficult for motorists to maneuver, especially in winter when it was further marred by potholes. "That's been the number-one complaint since I became councilor four years ago," said MacMillan. According to MacMillan, an area resident who uses a wheelchair could not get to the mall because the road was in such poor condition. MacMillen said he is hopeful the newly resurfaced road will attract a tenant for the 300,000-square-foot warehouse there. It has been vacant for many years. Last year, Good Time Emporium announced plans to locate a huge arcade and entertainment center in that building. The plan went through the local permitting process, but in the end it also fell to the poor economy. At the other end, on the former Macy's side, a major reconstruction of the mall entrance is under way in a project that includes realigning Pleasant and West streets and Reynolds Memorial Highway (Route 27), which goes by the mall. That work is being done with $4 million in federal stimulus money. This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

Leonardo DiCaprio & Ellen Page: Mysterious Movie - Just Jared Posted: 20 Oct 2009 07:55 PM PDT Leonardo DiCaprio chats with Ellen Page between takes of their new film Inception in downtown Los Angeles on Monday (October 19). Leo, 34, and Ellen, 22, have been filming for several months now, however, little is known about this film. Recently, Batman Begin's Cillian Murphy sat down with MTV and shared a little more about this sci-fi thriller directed by Christopher Nolan. "It's conceptual. It doesn't fit into any genre," shared Cillian. "There are elements of different types of things in it but it is all from Chris' imagination. I've never read anything close to it before." 35+ pictures inside of Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page filming scenes for Inception… Share This Post: This content has passed through fivefilters.org.

You are subscribed to email updates from Add Images to any RSS Feed To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610