Movieplex Finally Opens in North Adams

Dreamgirls Oscar Bound

By: Charles Giuliano - Feb 05, 2007

The vintage Mohawk Marquee in downtown North Adams.

Jennfer Hudson left trash talks with Beyonce in Dreamgirls.

The original Dreamgirls with Hudson right.

Dreamgirls slicked up like the Supremes minus the hefty Hudson.

Eddie Murphy has earned an Oscar nomination for his role.

Jamie Foxx as Curtis Taylor, Jr. channels the original Berry Gordy.

The stuff that dreams are made of.

Jennifer Hudson may be the greatest soul singer of her generation.

Berry Gordy was the founder of Motown Records who created the Supremes and other acts.

Dianna Ross in performance. Giuliano photo.

Dianna working an audience. Giuliano photo.

Up close and personal. Giuliano photo.

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    During open studios last fall Mayor John Barrett of North Adams bragged of the terrific development that he was bringing to the depressed and largely deserted downtown of the Northern Berkshire city. It started to come back from the brink when the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art settled into the sprawling campus of buildings comprising the former Sprague Electric once the primary employer in the region. While Mass MoCA has helped to reverse a long downward spiral many local business leaders and shop keepers have found its influence and drawing power far too incremental.

   Even though there are far too many empty store fronts along Main and Eagle Streets the city and its Czarist leadership have a reputation of not being encouraging to new business other than a national chain such as Staples which has recently opened in the mall vacated several years ago by K Mart. Referring to the former movie complex which had become so seedy that your feet stuck to the floor His Honor stated with conviction during a one on one that "I  shut it down." Along with a popular bar Gringo's. The North Adams Mall on Route Eight is now boarded up and looking for an elusive developer. Along the strip into town the wonderful Jae's Inn and Spa has closed its popular restaurant which will relocate to a less accessible location in another failed, upscale restaurant. Since Jae's popular restaurant was a signifier of the New North Adams this is hardly encouraging news. The Mayor hyped the New Movieplex in the former K Mart mall which would draw people from a wide region to state of the art stadium seating. He also expressed optimism "do you want to bet on it" that the traditional Mohawk Theatre, an icon on Main Street with its gaudy E.M. Lowe's vintage marquee, would be developed and reopened within the next several years.

     After more than six months of delays the new Movieplex has finally opened. That's the good news. For us it couldn't be more convenient. From our loft in the Eclipse Mill on a balmy day we can walk to the theatre. It saves a drive to the Pittsfield Mall, a better and more lively destination, or off to Bennington which is a bit of a stretch. In Williamstown there is the single screen art house Images which richly deserves support. And a multiscreen art house is being discussed for Pittsfield. So we do enjoy the prospect of a selection of first run films even though it pales by comparison to what is offered in a major city. Well, there's always Netflix and microwave pop corn.

     Why is there a strange feeling that other than its prime location, serving a wide geographic region in Northern Berkshire County, that the brand new Movieplex already seems like the one it replaced. The major difference is that, for now, the carpet is new and our feet didn't stick to the floor on Saturday night when we caught up with the hit musical Dreamgirls which has eight Oscar nominations including best supporting actors for Eddie Murphy and Jennifer Hudson.

    Yes the Movieplex does have "stadium seating" kind of but very low end. Not a lot of padding but those ubiquitous cup holders on the arms for the biggest soft drinks. The design and layout of the theatre complex will not win any awards. One enters from the mall parking lot down a seemingly endless corridor painted a truly hideous purple. It is more purple than you will ever see in a lifetime. There is a huge movie poster tacked to the wall which attempts to break up the monotony. One comes to a ticket booth and concession stand. The lobby has a couple of games for the kids. The rest rooms are past the concession stand and they form a right angle with another endless corridor with eight theatres. In this design, which seems to have been slapped together by an intern or friend/relative of the entrepreneur, the rest rooms are on one end, and the theatres a very long distance away. We saw Dreamgirls in cinema 8 at the very end of the corridor. I was exhausted by the time we got there. Thank heavens I didn't have a "senior moment" because if I had to make a pit stop probably would have missed half the film before getting back.

     The screen was large and the seats were fairly comfortable but given that they are clearly low end, along with everything else in this "state of the art" complex, I wonder how they will stand up to long term wear and tear? Yes, I imagine that we will be regulars but why do I have this feeling that the Mayor talks more than he delivers in allowing a second rate developer to construct such a disappointing movie palace? This is a place for dreams like the wonderfully ornate and imaginative movie houses of my youth with their fabulous designs and gilded interiors. Movieplex with its small and generic marquee, particularly compared to that of the landmark Mohawk, seems so Home Depot. But at least they turn the lights out and you get to enjoy the show.

    Yes, Dreamgirls is flawed but has nuggets of solid gold. It's a bit late for a review other than to note that I was fighting back tears every time Jennifer Hudson belted out a song. She is the greatest soul singer since Aretha Franklin in her prime. Time after time she took a tune to the top and went beyond that and then reached back for more and more and more until I was just a mess of raw emotion. Just chewin away on that raw titubating soul. My, my, my. Give that girl another movie and another and another.

    When Hudson is not in the script which is way too long as the plot develops the story of the Dream Girls a creation of entrepreneur, Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Jamie Foxx) based on Berry Gordy and his Supremes, things just slip slide away. We just hang in for Effie White's (Jennifer Hudson) inevitable return. By then it's too little too late to prop up the surprisingly thin performance of Beyonce Knowles as Deena Jones a surrogate of the original Dianna Ross. There are hurtful comments that the former backup, Jones, has hop skipped over the vastly more talented White, precisely because she has less but more moldable talent, is skinny, pale complexioned, and pretty. The costumers have a field day dressing her up in ersatz gowns and wigs in the best Supremes's tradition. But there is a big difference, Dianna Ross has talent, tons of it, and Beyonce, well, not. She gets one good song, which Taylor forbid her to record, but she pales by comparison to the full figured belter Hudson who may not be eye candy but just listen and you are lost in a dream. Girl.

    Eddie Murphy is credible but barely so as James "Thunder" Early a composite of Motown stars from Jackie Wilson to Marvin Gaye. Most critics compare him to James Brown but that's a stretch. Critics are hailing this as Murphy's greatest role. It's versatile, but I don't think so. For one thing, he's not very funny and who wants to see a serious comic. His character is less funny than pathetic.

    Overall, although uneven with a slow start, Dreamgirls is a terrific Hollywood musical. There was just enough of the late Michael Bennett's magic to make it credible. And for a musical it even had a decent plot and wasn't just a bunch of songs. But take the phenomenal Hudson out of the mix and Dreamgirls wouldn't even make it to DVD. As Astrid commented this was the first time that she really wants to own the CD soundtrack of a movie. Agreed. Jennifer Hudson is my new all time favorite soul singer. That hasn't happened for me since the all too brief career of Phyllis Hyman. Awesome.