The Last Picture House set to open Monday in Davenport

Table Of Content

• Community Partners
• The Last Picture House aims for 'soft opening' Monday in downtown Davenport
• REVIEW: QCSO and Ax bring A games to gala
• Last Picture House theater will be ‘a real gem’ for Davenport
• United Way Day of Caring MLK Center
• The Last Picture House prepares for Saturday grand opening in downtown Davenport
• The Last Picture House to open downtown Davenport by year's end

Beck and Woods recently announced that Iowa audiences will have an opportunity to see the film weeks before its nationwide release during the theater’s grand opening weekend on Sat., Dec. 9. As news of her death spread, other celebrities and people who knew Mandisa have spoken out on social media, saying her music and lyrics served as inspiration to them when they needed it. Downtown Davenport Partnership Executive Director Kyle Carter said downtown development, especially on East 2nd Street, has been reaching critical mass. Projects on different downtown corridors are coming together, new businesses have opened post-flooding and construction improved the street. However, Beck said, they're trying to change the actual structure as little as possible, to keep its roots as an East 2nd Street Motor Row building. Having been customers at many downtown Davenport businesses, Woods said they're excited to add another amenity to bring people to the area.

Community Partners

Another unexpected entry on this list is Walt Disney Pictures' animated family feature "Brother Bear," a G-rated alternative to the more adult-oriented movies released in theaters at the same time. In another classic element of horror movies, Myers can't seem to die—making "Halloween II" the second in a long series of 13 films, most recently including 2022's "Halloween Ends." "Fatal Attraction" had already been in theaters for more than a month by the time Halloween rolled around in 1987—and its box-office longevity helped the erotic thriller spend eight weeks at #1. The film terrified audiences with its story of a woman (portrayed by Glenn Close) who relentlessly pursued a married man (portrayed by Michael Douglas) she had a weekend affair with. With The Last Picture House's event space, bar and lounge, Allison said she's expecting a "communal experience" that'll set it apart from more traditional cinemas.

The Last Picture House aims for 'soft opening' Monday in downtown Davenport

The first movies to be shown at The Last Picture House in downtown Davenport appropriately have “Last” in their titles, as well as the new “Hunger Games” film. Bryan Woods and Scott Beck are excited to bring their love of film making to downtown Davenport. Shawn, Marlon, and Keenan Ivory Wayans created the series, but the brothers were not part of the third installment, reportedly getting fired by Harvey and Bob Weinstein. "Scary Movie 3" introduced some new faces to the franchise, including Pamela Anderson, Charlie Sheen, Kevin Hart, and Jenny McCarthy. The film's critical acclaim helped it achieve incredible commercial success upon its Halloween weekend release—with accolades coming from many major media outlets. The praise was exceptionally high for actor Jamie Foxx's portrayal of the film's subject, which earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2005.

REVIEW: QCSO and Ax bring A games to gala

The theater will show everything from summer blockbusters to cult classics and foreign films, and 35mm projection of old productions that can't be seen any other way. The rooftop will offer chances for outdoor screenings when weather allows. The theater will include two state-of-the-art viewing screens, a cocktail bar and social lounge, and a rooftop bar that will have an additional screen for outdoor viewings when the weather allows. By the time "I Know What You Did Last Summer" was released in theaters in 1997, co-writer Kevin Williamson had already made a name for himself in the horror genre—having penned the wildly successful "Scream" franchise in 1996.

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While they're perhaps best known for their work as screenwriters on the 2018 horror film A Quiet Place and, more recently, as directors of the sci-fi thriller 65, the filmmaking duo’s influences run wide and deep. The Last Picture House's design and aesthetic have been developed with a cinematic mindset, Woods said. They've worked with others in the film business to curate the right lighting and other atmospheric elements to elevate the space, which will house costumes, posters and other Hollywood artifacts.

The movie puts audiences in the position of flies on the wall when things start to turn supernatural with the two lead characters, Katie and Micah (portrayed by relatively unknown actors Katie Featherston and Micah Sloat, using their real first names). "Paranormal Activity 2" was the sequel to the extremely successful, low-budget 2007 film "Paranormal Activity"—but it couldn't quite outdo the original's performance at the box office. Both films used the same found-footage convention that transformed the horror genre when it was used to great effect in "The Blair Witch Project" in 1999. In what one Hollywood Reporter critic called a "horror-of-personality" movie, the spurned lover takes her pursuit further than audiences expected—by (now infamously) boiling a pet rabbit in a pot in just one of the film's horrifying moments.

The most successful box office hits around that period haven't necessarily offered the biggest chills and thrills. Casino Bonus Canada compiled a ranking of the highest-grossing movies in the U.S. on Halloween weekend from the last 40 years, using data from The Numbers. All films in theaters during the years when Halloween landed between Friday and Sunday were considered.

It also served as a swan song for the pop star who had become a bona fide Halloween icon, thanks to the 1983 release of his zombie-themed "Thriller" music video. "Vampires," based on a novel by John Steakley, involves a team of vampire hunters coming upon a nest of blood-suckers and embarking on a journey to chase down and destroy their master—as well as the victims who get "turned" along the way. The movie—considered a horror Western—challenged audiences' expectations of charming, seductive vampires with a harsher, more grotesque take. The version of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" that hit the big screen in 2003 was a remake of the Tobe Hooper-directed original from 1974—which, according to Time, "set a new standard for slasher films to come." Allison said she's excited not only about what The Last Picture House could bring to Quad-Cities cinephiles but also for downtown Davenport.

Lights! Camera! Action! The Last Picture House opens in downtown Davenport - WHBF - OurQuadCities.com

Lights! Camera! Action! The Last Picture House opens in downtown Davenport.

Posted: Sat, 09 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

The well liquor comes from pricier name brands, and the bar will have fresh-pressed juices and house-made syrups, too. "Once you leave the theater, you can sit down, have a cocktail and talk about the movie you just saw, which is missing a lot of times from (the typical) experience," Allison said. Outside, the building's mural of its gold logo went up in early November, courtesy of local artists Heidi Sallows and Sarah Robb. The largest auditorium has a unique split-level setup, with an overhanging balcony adding three rows of seating.

The Last Picture House cinema opens in downtown Davenport - WQAD Moline

The Last Picture House cinema opens in downtown Davenport.

Posted: Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Follow the issues, companies and people that matter most to business in the Quad Cities area. Critical business news, thoughtful analysis and valuable strategic insights for business leaders in Quad Cities area. Stay up-to-date with the people, companies and issues that impact business in the  Quad Cities area. The building was built in the late 1800s and was the home to many QC businesses. Woods and Beck recall it once being a pawn shop that they would see when growing up in the area. At The Last Picture House on Saturday night, four searchlights traced the Davenport sky.

"I think it goes to show the continued confidence in that corridor in particular," Carter said. "After 2019, there were a lot of people who wondered if we'd ever see any kind of life down there, and it is in fact one of the most energized corners of downtown, so that's really nice to see." Beck and Woods, Quad-Cities natives and University of Iowa alums, co-wrote 2018 horror blockbuster "A Quiet Place." Their next two projects, "65" and "The Boogeyman," will premiere next year. With their vast connections and new cinema palace, Beck and Woods are hoping to inspire and create opportunities for local, aspiring artists. The bar at The Last Picture House on Thursday, Dec. 7, in downtown Davenport.

The reviews are already in, and The Last Picture House in downtown Davenport is getting a thumbs-up from the community that packed the theater Saturday night at its grand opening on the corner of 2nd and Iowa streets. The blockbuster filmmakers Beck and Woods have dreamed of opening this theater since the summer of 2000. "Paranormal Activity" tells the chilling story of a possible demonic presence in an everyday suburban home through surveillance footage.

While ghosts and goblins are notably absent from this Halloween release, "Red Corner" does revolve around a murder—and a blood-curdling scream that implicates the main character. The plot thickens as he partners up with his lawyer (portrayed by Bai Ling) to unravel the mystery of how he was framed—and who actually did it. "Come spring and summer, I think this place will probably be one of the coolest parties in town," she said. 2nd St., Davenport, owned by “A Quiet Place” creators Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, will officially be open to the public on Saturday, December 9th. The upcoming thriller, which Beck and Woods wrote and directed, stars Hugh Grant and will be distributed by A24.

Audiences were clamoring to see Al Pacino as the Prince of Darkness in the lead role, surrounded by a stellar cast including Keanu Reeves (in between "Speed" and "The Matrix") and Charlize Theron, in one of her earliest roles. While the inside will open, the Last Picture House rooftop will be closed on Monday, Allison said, with plans to open it seasonally as weather permits. Parkin said the bar prices would be comparable to other "more upscale dining places" downtown, with craft cocktails costing in the low-teens but more typical rail drinks and draft beers priced around $7. Local artists Heidi Sallows of Port Byron, left, and Sarah Robb of Davenport start to paint a mural on the east side of The Last Picture House in downtown Davenport on Friday, Nov. 3.

An afternoon screening of FIELD OF DREAMS will be also be open to the public, with tickets currently on sale. In addition to revival screenings of classic and cult films, audiences can expect to see major new releases, including independent and international films that might not otherwise be available in the Quad Cities. On Saturday night, they're showing an advanced screening of "The Iron Claw," the new A24 movie about the Von Erich professional wrestling duo of the '80s. It stars Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White and is not slated for wide release until Dec. 22.

They filmed movies with their family and friends playing roles, and soon, they were casting people from beyond their close network. Owners Pete Stopulos, Bryan Woods and Scott Beck give a tour of The Last Picture House on Thursday, Dec. 7, in downtown Davenport. The newest theater in the Quad-Cities consists of a bar, two indoor theaters and a rooftop theater. It was announced in October that the development received a Destination Iowa grant of $600,000, making up 16% of the total project investment of $3,719,075. Beck and Woods said after the initial announcement that the theater would be ready to open by this spring, but construction schedules forced them to push back the timeline. 2nd Street in Davenport the new movie theater and event space owned by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.