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Where's Oscar? Not at Schenectady's Bow Tie
Thursday, January 30, 2014

It’s Oscar season, normally a good time of year to head to the movies. But for Schenectady County residents, the pickings are quite slim at the taxpayer-supported theater in town, the Bow Tie’s Movieland. They’ll have to drive to Albany or Bow Tie’s other downtown theater, the Criterion in Saratoga Springs, if they want to take in most of the Best Picture nominees, or wait for Netflix.

In fact, just two of this year’s crop of nine contenders are currently being screened at Movieland. (In addition to “Her” and “American Hustle,” the theater is showing “I, Frankenstein” on two screens, “Devil’s Due,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Nut Job” and “Lone Survivor,” popular-culture movies that have been generally panned by critics and can be seen in malls across America.

Movieland was supposed to be more than just another mall movie theater, of course. That’s what Bow Tie Chief Operating Officer Joseph Masher told Dan DiNicola, the Gazette’s late movie critic, when the theater opened in 2007; and a member of the company’s family ownership referred to the chain as the “anti-mall” theater.

It never turned out that way, except for a brief experiment with so-called art/independent movies that theater management tried briefly a few months after the theater opened. But by then, the patrons of such films had already given up checking the theater’s listings for such movies and probably didn’t know they were showing. Such audiences have to be cultivated, over more than a few weeks’ time, but Movieland never gave them a proper chance.

This page’s unscientific, unofficial tally shows that since Saratoga’s Criterion opened in October, it has screened 52 weeks' worth of Best Picture nominees to Movieland’s 17. Four of the nine nominees — “Dallas Buyers Club,” “Philomena,” “Nebraska” and “Wolf of Wall Street” — never played Schenectady at all. (The Schenectady theater has also been shut out of a handful of other critically acclaimed films that have played the Criterion, including "Book Thief," "Mandela," "Saving Mr. Banks" and "Inside Llewyn Davis.")

Granted, Criterion has nearly twice as many screens as Movieland. Bow Tie also operates a truly traditional mall cinema at the nearby Wilton Mall. But that’s cold comfort to the adult movie-goers and taxpayers of Schenectady County who, through Metroplex, subsidized Movieland to the tune of a $750,000 facade grant and $3 million construction loan.

Without question, the theater has drawn people to downtown Schenectady — a nearly unalloyed good. However, one can’t help but wonder what a more “upscale, sophisticated type of film product” (which is how Masher described the Criterion’s fare when it opened) would mean to the upscale, sophisticated restaurants that have opened in downtown Schenectady over the past few years and are key to the district’s long-term success. It undoubtedly would have attracted a better-quality clientele than the junky mall movies have.

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2014/jan/30/130_prrinrt/

Never been to bow tie and don't intend to in the future.

and remember....these theaters have to 'pay' for the rights to show these movies. Could the bow tie  not have the money?

SCOTIA THEATER-$4.50 adult admission,the freshest/ best popcorn(real butter) in the area.   Wait 4-6 weeks for 1st run movies and you'll see most of them there.   Very clean and in 20 years going never an "incident"   Nuff said.

Quoted from MOONGLOW

SCOTIA THEATER-$4.50 adult admission,the freshest/ best popcorn(real butter) in the area.   Wait 4-6 weeks for 1st run movies and you'll see most of them there.   Very clean and in 20 years going never an "incident"   Nuff said.

hi,is it kid friendly at the scotia theatre? the bowtie was ok but the overall setup seemed a bit strange and spaced out for a non-mall theatre....the popcorn was dull there and the butter was real,just not hot or fresh and for a friday night it should have been.but free refills on the large{as if anyone could finish one bucket lol}

I agree that the movies they play don't seem very appealing. We attended a child's party there to see the Lorax. The faculty seemed decent enough, pricey--though most places are now. I don't get a chance to go to the movies often but when I do I typically go to the Spectrum in Albany.

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Places to see great films
By Sara Foss
Tuesday, February 11, 2014


The Gazette recently ran an editorial bemoaning the lack of good films shown at the Bow Tie Movieland in downtown Schenectady. The piece noted that city residents who want to see Oscar-nominated films will have to travel to Albany or Saratoga Springs, as the Bow Tie mostly shows poorly reviewed Hollywood fare.

I’m rather spoiled, as I live near the Spectrum movie theater in Albany, which specializes in showing more acclaimed, adult-oriented films.

But I do sympathize with Schenectady County residents who want to see good movies, because I think good movies make the world a better place. And judging from the letters the Gazette has received in response to its editorial, there are plenty of frustrated moviegoers in Schenectady — people who would rather see “The Wolf of Wall Street” (which has grossed over $107 million in the U.S., which suggests there’s an audience for it) than “That Awkward Moment” or “Vampire Academy.” In fairness, the Bow Tie theater is showing two new films geared toward adults: “Labor Day” and “The Monuments Men.” But these films have not been especially well-received, and I’m not really sure why I’d bother with them when there are so many better options. “American Hustle” is a good movie, and it is playing at the Bow Tie, but I saw that almost two months ago.

The hand-wringing over the Bow Tie comes at a time when the local movie options have never been better. Of course, to take full advantage of the region’s cinematic offerings, you often have to be willing to 1. pay close attention to venue calendars 2. drive a little bit out of your way and 3. take a risk.

Which raises the question: What does it mean to take a risk when you go to the movies? Well, it means being willing to go to a movie even though you don’t know exactly what to expect and it might be a little bit unusual. I’ve seen some pretty interesting things lately, and I thought I’d put together a short list of some alternative movie options for those who are interested.......................>>>>.....................>>>>.....................http://www.dailygazette.com/weblogs/foss/2014/feb/11/places-see-great-films/

I've been to Scotia, it is a good deal. The Bowtie theater has to deal with all the problems that were evident from the beginning, so I don't know how much the management is to blame. If the writer(s) of that piece knew so much about how to run a successful theater, why didn't they take their own money and open one up?
I take exception to the assertion that "without question" the theater draws people to downtown, and that is a "nearly unalloyed good". That is highly questionable on several levels, but I think that mostly I don't like the aggressive, no room for debate tone of that phrase. Once again, put your own money where your mouth is.
They don't seem to get it, that the audience for the "upscale, more sophisticated" type of movies does not need to go to Schenectady in their car, and the will certainly be travelling in their cars because they don't live here. I know, they think they are going to build their "upscale" apartment towers down the block, near various poverty-related facilities, and they will fill up with all these hipsters or something and they will just be dying to walk down the street to see a government subsidized movie. Guess what? Your hipsters, if we had them here, might like to stop in to a movie at a beautifully restored architectural treasure of a theater, to see an 'arty' movie, but that ain't gonna happen, because those in charge who think they are genius planners would not know an upscale sophisticate from a hole in the ground.
Anyway, if you take your little girl to see Channing Tatum in Schenectady, you get a free live reality floor show thrown in. Can't get more 'arty' than that.

This is just another red herring bullshit issue thrown out by the nayboobs.  The nayboobs are still lamenting the fact that Hollywood stopped making silent movies and started making all those evil talking movies with women wearing immoral skirts that reveal their ankles.

The 'issue' was thrown out by your beloved Gazette, dope. Who said anything about immoral movies, besides you, fool?
BTW, do you have any real numbers for the "good" that these taxpayer paid businesses are doing for downtown? We just had some real numbers for Proctor's, and I defy anyone to try to spin those. How about the Bowtie? Do the patrons buy enough popcorn to reimburse Schenectadians for our "investment"? Got anything intelligent to say?

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

This is just another red herring bullshit issue thrown out by the nayboobs.

Us nayboobs....as you refer to us.............would like nothing better than to applaud these developments. But the TRUTH is that, first, bowtie not only has crappy movies....the place gets vandalized. We know folks that work there. I personally have NEVER gone there and don't intend to. Second, how have ANY of these developments helped the over taxed homeowners? THEY HAVEN'T! Half of the population is on public assistance....thanks to the taxpayers!

We would like nothing better than to say we live in a city with low taxes, low crime, little to none on welfare/food stamps/section 8, solid infrastructure and a productive school system. But we can't!! The city is a mess and only the rich are getting richer! And to think the left says the right is for the rich!

Not in METROPLEX/GILLEN/MCMAYOR land!!

Exactly, bt.

Quoted from DemocraticVoiceOfReason

This is just another red herring bullshit issue thrown out by the nayboobs.  The nayboobs are still lamenting the fact that Hollywood stopped making silent movies and started making all those evil talking movies with women wearing immoral skirts that reveal their ankles.

Awww, poor little puppet DV, crying because financially struggling overtaxed taxpayers are making noise about the THEFT of their money and MISUSE of their tax being spent on an UNNECESSARTY theater and a lousy one at that.

So, DV, tell us how this theater has helped the tax base in the city?
The theater 0 what effect has it had on the property values in the city?   The tax BILLS????  The desirability of people to move into the city and buy a house IN the city to live IN the city?????   Gee, it's been about 4 years you've been bragging how oh so wonderful the city is and all this spending of tax money on downtown is so great and helping the city and the city is in a renaissance.  Well, tell us WHY you are REFUSING to live IN the city - neither by buying a house NOR by renting??????   What's the matter, cat got your tongue, no answer?????  

Quoted from Madam X

The 'issue' was thrown out by your beloved Gazette, dope. Who said anything about immoral movies, besides you, fool?
BTW, do you have any real numbers for the "good" that these taxpayer paid businesses are doing for downtown? We just had some real numbers for Proctor's, and I defy anyone to try to spin those. How about the Bowtie? Do the patrons buy enough popcorn to reimburse Schenectadians for our "investment"? Got anything intelligent to say?

You start by making a very ignorant statement "your beloved Gazette."  Which, if you ever bothered to actually read and comprehend my posts, you would know is as far from the truth as Uranus is from Mercury.  The Gazette is a rag and has been a rag for years.  
If you can't comprehend the rest.  I can't help you with that but I would suggest that you refrain from criticizing today's educational system.  It is obvious that whatever system you were educated in -- way back in the dark ages -- was a colossal failure.

DVOR, you dummy, you said it was a red herring issue thrown out by the nayboobs. The issue was raised by an editorial writer at the Gazette. You have the comprehension problems. I know they taught reading comprehension when you were at MP, I don't know where you are getting "today's educational system" from. The topic was movies at Bowtie.
You can't answer MC's questions because you are too stupid. I don't blame the schools, because I know people you went to school with who did just fine.

Quoted from mikechristine1

Awww, poor little puppet DV, crying because financially struggling overtaxed taxpayers are making noise about the THEFT of their money and MISUSE of their tax being spent on an UNNECESSARY theater and a lousy one at that.So, DV, tell us how this theater has helped the tax base in the city?

It has destroyed the neighborhood  tax base. Because like Proctor's, Bomber's, etc they refuse to pay their fair share. As far as the horrible fare, it was initially promoted as
another Spectrum with art/foreign movies. This quieted a few who questioned wasting Metrograft resources on a sure flop. Downtown is a retail free facade.