The link says it's going to take $30,000 to install those seats! And it's not a typo - they say it's $50 a seat. That's crazy! How long can it take to install one seat? Lots of people out there who'd love to work for $50 an hour...and I bet it can't take more than five minutes per seat, once you get rolling. I mean, they're not planning on shutting down the theater for 600 hours to do the install, right? Crazy!

Will they fix the toilet in the men's room while they're at it? That thing has been broken for eight years! Not to mention their "under construction" wall that has been looking like shit for at least as long.

ugh, that last sentence made no sense at all, proofread Craig!

@Reymont: Whoa, thanks for the catch. Yeah, I left off a zero. $30,000 is the correct figure according to the Hollywood, and I've corrected it in the post.

That said, damn, $30,000 does seem like a lot. I've got an email in to the Hollywood to see if they can explain why it's so expensive.

I JUST DROPPED IN TO SEE IF GRAHAM WAS LOOKING FOR ANY KICKSTARTER LINKS TO SUPPORT BELEAGUERED BUGGY WHIP MANUFACTURERS.

DO I HAVE TO TROLL THIS SHIT ALL BY MYSELF?

Thanks for the plug Erik! The $30k covers seat delivery (which already happened), seat tear out and disposal, seat layout design (not easy as there are 3 different seat sizes and seats cannot be installed exactly where old seat bolts used to be), patching and painting the concrete floors, installing the appropriate number of ADA accessible seating areas, tables for the upstairs auditoriums and actual installation of the seats. This also takes a lot of staff coordination and requires our auditoriums be shut down (hopefully only one at a time.) Some of it may be volunteer, but volunteer labor might require that each auditorium be closed for longer so we are weighing the pros and cons of that option.

We also have 2 seats set up in the lobby for test drives. Come on down and try them out!

Best,
Doug Whyte
Executive Director
Hollywood Theatre

Thanks for the clarifications, Doug!

I'm new to Portland, already in love with the Hollywood, and have some experience with movie theaters (managed one many years ago). When I saw the $30,000 figure, two questions immediately sprang to mind. The first you've soundly answered (my initial guess had been that considerable measurement, design, and refit was required rather than just bolting down the new hardware). My second, which was just addressed on the Hollywood's wall on Facebook as well, was how one might volunteer some elbow grease in addition to financial help?

I look forward to any opportunity to join an "army of socket wrenches" or whatever else may be required.

BUT I LOVE PLAYING "WHAT'S THAT STAIN" WHENEVER I SATIATE MY NEED FOR TAKASHI MIIKE FILMS

And here are some of the seats! My, they look comfy! Why don't they make these things with darker material, though? Seems like they'll stain easily.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/toddmecklem/6…

Hollywood is the best cuz they have Lagunitas on tap! The change in programming has been great, too -- all the chop-socky and b-movie stuff is filling a niche the ghetto ass Clinton Theater used to.