The Plaza Theatre hosting 50 Years of Bond throughout July

A Q&A with the theater’s new co-owner, Michael Furlinger
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Photograph by Caroline C. Kilgore

Catch superspy James Bond on the big screen as the Plaza Theatre hosts 50 Years of Bond—the entire franchise in order, from 1963’s Dr. No to last year’s Skyfall. The theater’s new co-owner Michael Furlinger discusses the groundbreaking but expensive endeavor.

Where did you get the idea? It really came out of the whole fiftieth anniversary. We thought, “Why not show every single Bond movie?” Turns out, no one’s done this before.

Are you a Bond fan? I’ve watched a lot of them. It’s one of the few series people can relate to fifty years into the run. Yes, the Bonds have gotten slicker, but it’s amazing to me how people of all ages love these pictures.

>> Click here for the complete Bond screening schedule

I heard you paid $10,000 for screening rights. Actually, it was $8,400. With older movies you have to guarantee money up front. With newer movies, you pay a percentage of what you gross. That’s why you won’t see theaters playing older pictures now.

You listened to Plaza fans and added 1983’s Never Say Never Again, not an official Bond picture. Correct. It wasn’t sanctioned but it starred Sean Connery. It came out the same year as Roger Moore’s Octopussy, the official film. They’re the only two we’re going to run back-to-back on the same day.

You’ve been renovating. Pretty much everything is new—screen, sound, seats, projectors. People who haven’t been here in a while are shocked. We’ve been able to keep the integrity of the 1939 look but make it modern.

This article originally appeared in our July 2013 issue.

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