Ridiculous BC liquor laws jeopardize Rio Theatre

[SpongeG]

i went to the VIP once so far, the crowd was mostly older i would guess 40+, the price prices it out of the range for most teens and underage people as well they play more movies that would appeal to an older demographic such as the descendants, sherlock holmes, war horse etc.

the bar staff were all older too, the one thign i found a little annoying is they have a lot of staff in the theatre taking orders with really bright hand held tablet type things, once the theatre darkens they throw off a lot of light

[SpongeG]

i have been doing some serving through school and one of the students is only 18 - he is not allowed to pour drinks, he can take orders and stand there at the bar if someone over 19 is there to do all the pouring for him, I believe he can take the drinks to the table but he cannot do much else, like no pouring of the wine, he can serve it though

[hollywoodnorth]

good story here

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/britis...ermarkets.html

Sell beer and wine in B.C. supermarkets, groups say
Growing chorus of calls for liberalized liquor laws, though not all agree

[Vancity4life]

Thanks for the story hollywoodnorth...Vancouver is like a late teen trying to assert itself...become an adult if you will. The Olympics were a great boost, but in order to grow up (become a true world class city)...Outdated liquor laws hould be changed.

[jsbertram]

Originally Posted by whatnext

The thing about prohibiting movie theatres to serve alcohol is fairly easy to understand:
1. The concession staff has traditionally been underage
2. The clientele for many Hollywood blockbusters is teens who would test the boundaries of ID checking.

I see about two movies a month and can't see how alcohol would improve the experience. This is more about single screen theatres not being viable than serving booze.

Reading all the articles, I didn't get the impression that the RIO wanted to serve booze during films, but instead wanted to be allowed to serve booze during non-film (aka live on stage) events without needing to get a new liquor permit for each event.

As I've been reading about the issue, I don't understand why the laws can't distinguish between a building that is sometimes a film theatre, and at other times a 'live stage' theatre.

I don't understand why when a venue is 'licensed' it can to be used only for the purpose stated on the license, and not for any other purposes -period. It should be simple to say "this liquor license is only for when the RIO is operating as a 'live stage' theatre, and liquor sales are not permitted when operating as movie theatre"

[SpongeG]

remember this is BC the province didn't allow sunday drinking until 1986 because of expo

[WBC]

I don't think that liquor is the problem for Rio. The Internet and mega-theatres are what killed them. Simply put Rio cannot survive any longer as a movie theatre and now they are trying to be a multi-purpose venue. BC, laws aside, they are done as a movie theatre anyway like all the other small players will be sooner or later.

[SpongeG]

they have first run movies and a lot of midnight showings which is popular with some crowds

although cineplex has started playing old movies in their theatres recently to cater to the same people

[Terra_Ryzing_Jr]

Originally Posted by whatnext

The concession staff has traditionally been underage

What you didn't know is university and college students work in cinemas too. They are the ones who serve alcohol, not high school students.

[cc85]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

remember this is BC the province didn't allow sunday drinking until 1986 because of expo

hahaha, that is crazy.

[mr.x]

I'm organizing several major 1,500+ person parties in the city next month, the process of SOLs, appropriate permits, going through the VPD/RCMP, and all these surprise extra costs are driving us insane...this would never happen in another city - Vancouver is quite a backwater location for lots of things...

[SpongeG]

some may find this an interesting read...

Where Can You Go for a Real Movie Experience Anymore?

Real as its popcorn butter, Vancouver's Rio Theatre is a classic worth defending.
By Dorothy Woodend, 27 Jan 2012, TheTyee.ca



The Rio Theatre, at the intersection of Commercial and Broadway in Vancouver, is the last single screen cinema in East Vancouver. It is a member of a dying, near extinct breed.

Vancouver movie theatres continue to close in quick succession. Oakridge Cinema shut its doors a few weeks ago, to be replaced by a Crate & Barrel or some such infernal thing. The Hollywood Theatre is long gone. The Granville 7 is looking a little iffy. If it turns off the lights and closes out the till, it will join a long line of vanished cinemas that haunt the city like the flickering ghosts of movies palaces past.

When I first moved to Vancouver in the mid '80s, the city was still chock-a-block with movie theatres. In downtown Vancouver, three different cineplexes lined Granville Street. The Vancouver Centre theatre perched atop the corner of Granville and Georgia Street, where London Drugs is now. The good old Capital Six held court on Robson and Granville. Just across the street, the Granville 7 was a Johnny-Come-Lately to the scene. In the catacombs of Royal Centre Mall, there were 11 different small theatres that showed all manner of films. With that many screens to fill, there was always something to see. I had some of the most seminal of my film-going experiences in those tiny theatres, such as the moment I thought I was about to throw up in the middle of The Cook, the Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover. It's been such a long time since a film moved me to genuine nausea that I feel a little misty just thinking about it.

...

http://thetyee.ca/ArtsAndCulture/201...7/Rio-Theatre/

[LeftCoaster]

Love the Rio, have some great memories of that place.

Hopefully they can work this out in time to save it. If not hopefully its demise will help change the rules so other establishments do not suffer the same fate.