The movie business is undergoing a revolution as big—or possibly bigger—than the era of silent movies transitioning into talking pictures. Back then, theaters had to make the transition or close down. It was a historic day back on October 6th, 1927 when the very first spoken word in a film was ever heard. The movie was The Jazz Singer and it featured Al Jolson. Imagine being in that theater and hearing, for the first time, spoken words in a movie!
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No, that’s not Tony Stark standing next to the Iron Man display. It’s Hank Garcia, the Owner of Movies Havasu, proudly promoting the theaters upgrade to digital projection, Dolby Surround Sound, and 3-D capabilities.
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Another transformation is sweeping the movie industry in the form of visual excellence. Film projectors are being replaced by state-of-the-art digital projectors that can be found on RM Projectors website. They deliver movies in the highest definition possible with surround sound that delivers an experience unlike any you’ve ever seen or heard. The advances in 3-D technology are also immersing audiences into the viewing experience.
But the advances don’t come without a price. Some theaters may be forced out of business by the sheer expense of upgrading equipment. By 2014 the only way to receive first run movies in theaters will be through digital copies. By the close of 2012, just 37 percent of theaters around the country were still showing analog (film) projected movies. Estimates are that by the end of 2015 those numbers will be less than 17 percent.
Ask Hank Garcia, the sole owner of Movies Havasu as of April 1 of this year, and he can attest to the changes in the movie business during his tenure as an owner these past 50 years. “I purchased my first movie theater in Guadalupe, California, near Santa Maria back on June 10, 1962. It was a stand-alone theater that I purchased for $75,000.” Since that time, Hank has owned a number of stand-alone and multiplex theaters. Today though, he owns two—an 8-screen theater in Watsonville, California, and Movies Havasu here in town. “I have a lot of fond memories over the years of running movie theaters. I remember owning several drive-in theaters and really thought they were great.” Hank feels that movies bring families together–they can get out and enjoy a movie and have some refreshments. “I really felt the drive-ins captured the family values with mom, dad, and the kids, sitting in their car under the stars, enjoying a movie—I sort of wish drive-ins were still popular.”
From Monterey, California, Garcia remembers buying the ground for Movies Havasu and building it on its present location with his former partner, Bob Gran Sr. “We bought the land in 1993, built the theater in 1994, and were open for business on November 10 of that year. It was exciting back then and it’s still exciting.”
Garcia recounts being one of Safeway’s youngest produce managers in California at age 22, “I was working in Seaside, California and doing well with Safeway, they really had high hopes for me in management. I recall the look on the district manager’s face when I told him I was going to quit and purchase a movie theater. Management was pretty much in shock, but I never forgot the advice from my boss that told me that if I worked half as hard at my own business as I did for Safeway, I was sure to be a success.” It appears that his boss was right on the money.
Now, Garcia has placed a major investment in his business—and in LakeHavasu—with an $800,000 upgrade. All 10 screens feature digitally projected movies. Plus, the addition of Dolby 3-D provides the best 3-D experience in town. All of the upgrades are in effect and Garcia is proud of what he’s bringing to the community, “I love seeing smiles on the faces of people as they come out of a movie. There’s still that excitement of going out to the movies with family and friends, and now it’s a lot more exciting with the digital upgrades.”
Garcia pointed out that the seating would also be upgraded to the high-end, stadium seating type of chairs later this summer. “I just love bringing quality entertainment to the masses,” Garcia stressed. “I love looking forward to the new releases ever week and seeing the excitement and buzz that each new movie brings.” He pointed out the heightened buzz over Iron Man 3 that looks to be one of this summer’s blockbuster movies. “When 42 came out, the Jackie Robinson baseball movie, it wasn’t a big blockbuster, but I have to tell you, a lot of senior citizens from that era came out to see the movie and I really enjoyed seeing the smiles on their faces after the movie.” With all of the upgrades that Garcia has invested in Movies Havasu, entertaining the masses is something that he should have no problem doing for a long time to come.