Go Alexander Bulay!

Funny how the megaplex chains make decisions like that all the time and the implications are much more severe. If MegaMovie Chain (tm) decides not to carry the new Michael Moore flick then NO ONE sees it.

I don't agree with this guy but at least he has the courage of his convictions to say it out loud.

Locally owned movie theaters.... what a concept! When we lived in Carmel there was one in Brewster - owned by a local guy who showed the kind of movies he liked.

I think it closed in '97... it was the ONLY movie theater in Putnam County.

Make that two people - I don't necessarily agree with his political views, but threatening a boycott unless he changes his policies? Please! If you don't like what he is doing, go find another theatre, don't make a huge public stink about it.

I am very impressed by his willingness to stand up for himself. Quite frankly, I've always liked his theatres anyway - now I just have a very good reason to give him as much business as I can.

I loosely know Mr. Bulay from growing up in the small town where 2 out of 3 of his small theaters are located. Although I agree with him this time, I should point out that in the past Mr., Bulay has made judgments about movies based on the movies content that have not been so easy to defend. He has also made several statements to his customers, employees, and towns people in general that have been questionable. To the point where as a native of his home town I would not, 12 years ago or to this day, set foot in his theaters, for fear of giving him even six of my dollars. I do not want to get into an Al Bulay bashing rant here, it is not the place. I happen to agree with Derek’s point about Mr. Bulays right to his convictions, and the idea of supporting the “small town business�. I would however advise to get to know the man and his convictions before you tout his willingness to stand by those convictions or his theaters, in any public forum.

Some of the townsfolk in the Northern Dutchess area are simply transplanted assholes from NYC. I dont know this dude, I appreciate his convictions, but if he doesn't want to show a film that is his business. Where was this article? In the Kingston Daily Rag? These relocated people are always egging for a fight and are accutely affected by the "NIMBY" syndrome because they already shit up their former place of residence and now come up here to peddle their BS on the locals.

Many of these posts praise bulay for standing by his convictions, but I think it's important to question what those convictions are about. People who choose to boycott Bulay's theaters are also standing by their convictions. It really comes down to: Do you want theaters that censor movies because they question Bush's call to war? If you want to censor these movies, than Bulay is your man. If you don't, then it makes sense to criticize him.

It's not censorship. Governments censor. Private businesses can't. He's making a decision on what ideas he wants to promote. I'm not claiming I *agree* with the ideas he wants to promote, but I respect his resolve in not caving in to the political elements who disagree with him.

I both agree & disagree with Mr. Bulay. I agree that it's his theater and he is free to show whatever films suit his fancy. He is also a businessman and realizes the risks involved in alienating any portion of the potential moviegoing public. I imagine he is hoping the boycotters will be offset by other people who didn't patronize his theaters previously.

I disagree with his assertion that Hollywood's gone crazy. Hollywood is generating even more profits this year than last; that denotes good business acumen, not crazyiness. He is also wrong to say that Hollywood doesn't reflect "our" values; it might not reflect "his" values but he can't speak for ALL of us.

Basically I believe he's free to show whatever he wants but was stupid to take out the ads UNLESS it was a PR ploy.

He is free to show whatever the hell he wants. Just as I and others are free to watch movies wherever the hell we want. I happen to agree with the boycotters. No, I am not a NYC transplant. I'm from 'upstate', an area that considers Rhinebeck to be the 'city'. Others I know who are refusing to patronize these three theaters are also not NYC transplants and have lived in this area for well over 20 years. The people I know who are planning to stop visiting the theaters are all former patrons.

Personally I'll take all the weekend NYC second home owners Rhinebeck can get. They are excellent for real estate values and they don't have kids to send to our schools, but still pay a full share of school taxes. They also only clog the roads on weekends (while the full time natives have been avoiding downtown for years anyway).

Mark wrote: "Make that two people - I don't necessarily agree with his political views, but threatening a boycott unless he changes his policies? Please! If you don't like what he is doing, go find another theatre, don't make a huge public stink about it."

I'm not understanding you, Mark. Bulay can take out an ad advertising to thousands of potential listeners that he would like them to reward him with their patronage because he refused to show a particular movie for a particular reason. But if someone who doesn't want to see him rewarded for that chooses to publicize their point, in this case by sending out a chain e-mail, you think that's wrong. If Mr. Bulay didn't want to show a movie, why didn't he just not show it, instead of advertising it on the radio and, in your words, making "a huge public stink about it?"

Is this America? Why does the movie guy have the right to publicize his point and ask for money, but the other side can't publicize their point and ask that the money be withheld?

You also may not understand what a boycott is. It is one person not patronizing a business, and then a whole bunch of other people decide to do that too. That's it. It's not like some giant organized conspiracy is trying to ruin somebody's life. It's just people expressing their point of view by voting with their wallets, in other words, standing up for what they believe in. If Mr. Bulay is your new folk hero because he's standing up for what he believes in, then the boycotters deserve the same credit.

Long live America, long live freedom. For everyone, not just rich, cranky, right-wing loudmouths.

Here's Al Bulay, Real American Hero for 2005, talking to The People about his deeply held convictions:

Besides, he added, he doesn't really like any movies all that much, catching at most one a year.

"Look, I do Coca-Cola and candy orders. I'm in the popcorn business," Bulay said. He was adamant about his right to air his political views, and act on them, as he pleases. "It's all about getting as many people as you can into a giant junk-food room."

There you go, folks, Al Bulay in his own words.

In his radio ad, Bulay declared, "when you go to the movies, remember who's looking out for you and your family."

Thanks for the tip, Al, I will remember, which means I'll be going to any theater not owned by you. I don't really care what your politics are. The one thing for sure is Al Bulay is a jackass.

These are troubling times, folks, be careful how you pick your heroes.

That's all movie theaters are.... hell, they've been that way for about 20 years.... there's at least one regular reader of my blog who used to manage one, and I'm sure he'll concur. Just as "cigarettes are a nicotine delivery device", "movies theaters are a junk food delivery device"... the theater owners don't make dick off the gate, they make the entirety of their profit margin on concessions.

Hence, why so many refuse to let you bring food in from the outside.