Archives For The Kress

Party like a celebrity – The Oscars 2011

February 16, 2011 — 11 Comments

If you’ve been a longtime resident of HeidiTown, you know that the Mayor likes movies. I don’t post movie reviews here anymore, but I still see a lot of movies, and I love the Oscars despite the fact that there are now ten best picture nominees (it’s hard enough finding 5 movies good enough to be best picture nominees).

The 83rd Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 27, 2011, and I will be glued to my television the moment the stars start to walk the red carpet. I may be a low-maintenance gal, but I’ve always love glamorous fashion and all the glitz surrounding this award ceremony.

If you’d like to throw an Oscar Party, here are a few tips.  If you’d like to attend an organized Oscar party, scroll to the bottom of this post for a couple recommendations.

Red carpet – If you can obtain a large red carpet the length of your driveway to your front door – so awesome and I want to see pictures. However a small one will suffice. Buy a red entry way or bathroom rug at Kohl’s or Target. This will be an amusing addition to your party decorations. You can have your guests get their “party photo” taken while standing on the rug. Here’s when a Polaroid come in handy!

Champagne – I’m not a huge fan of bubbly unless it’s in orange juice, but every Oscar party needs at least a couple bottles. Plus, it looks so pretty in a fluted glass, even if it’s only one of those fake plastic champagne glasses you can buy for a dollar at Target.

SWAG – When the stars attend the Academy Awards they get a SWAG bag. These goodie bags are filled with promotional items like perfumes, slippers, and even jewelry. For your guests fill up SWAG bags with candy, stuff from the Dollar Store, or items from those bins in the pharmacy section of grocery store. Who doesn’t need a small tube of toothpaste?

Oscar Ballots – Moviefone.com has a printable ballot, get it here. Make sure you stock up on prizes for the winners. The prize for first place should be a fake Oscar (you can order them online) or just get a silly trophy from the thrift store. Other prize ideas?  Things from the dollar bins at Target.

Don’t want to throw you own party? Here are a couple of official Oscar parties in Colorado. If you know of any others, please leave a comment with event details.

The Kress Oscar Party, Greeley, Colorado

Website: www.kresscinema.com

Time: 5:30 p.m. until it’s over

Tickets: $20

Attire: Classy

This party includes a red carpet entrance, an appetizer buffet, Oscar ballot with cash prizes, and the 83rd Academy Awards on the big screen and in the lounge.

Oscar Night America, Denver, Colorado

Event Website Here

Where: Exdo Event Center @ 5 p.m.

Tickets start at $80

Attire: Swanky

This is the annual fundraiser for the Denver Film Society, a nonprofit organization working to promote film as an art form and civic forum. Guests will walk the red carpet and pose for the paparazzi. There will be a cocktail reception and seated dinner. A silent auction will be conducted throughout the night while the 83rd Academy Awards is shown via a live feed. Oscar ballots will be provided  and guest can win big prizes. things to do in Denver

Learn more about the 83rd Academy Awards at www.oscar.go.com.

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Three cheers for the holiday movie lineup at The Kress

December 1, 2010 — 1 Comment

"It's a Wonderful Life" (1946)

Nothing gets me in the spirit more than classic holiday movies, and this year The Kress Cinema & Lounge in Greeley has a charming lineup. If you haven’t visited The Kress, you’ve been missing out. To read my entire review of The Kress, go here.

While you are in Greeley, be sure to check out the Christmas lights in Lincoln Park, or take a horse drawn carriage ride through beautiful downtown.

Without further adieu, here’s the Christmas movie lineup at The Kress. These films play on Sundays at 4 and 7 p.m. and cost only $5:

December 5 – Elf (2003)

This is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. In fact, it made my 2008 Favorite Christmas Movie list here on HeidiTown.com. Starring Will Ferrell as a human named Buddy who has been raised by elves at the North Pole, this movie is Ferrell at his very best. When Buddy decides to leave the North Pole to look for his real father, he is more than a little out of place in New York City. James Caan plays Buddy’s father and he is the perfect straightman to Ferrell’s outrageous comedic genius in this movie.

December 12 – It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Based on Philip Van Doren Stern’s short story, “The Greatest Gift,” this is the heartwarming tale of one man finding a reason to live on Christmas Eve. Interestingly, when it was first released “It’s a Wonderful Life” was a flop. Today it rates as the #1 Christmas Movie on most critics’ lists.

December 19 – A Christmas Story (1983)

This movie is tip top in my book and ranks as my favorite Christmas movie. Set in the 1940′s, it’s a story about obsession. Writer and narrator, the late Jean Shepherd, once said he felt obsession often makes very good comedy and he was right. Ralphie is a 9-year-old with one Christmas wish – he wants nothing more than a Red Ryder BB gun and it is an all enveloping desire. His mother is dead set against the idea, fearing Ralphie will “shoot his eye out.” If you’ve ever been a kid, and I bet you were, I think you’ll enjoy this humorous look at childhood. I, for one, will be at The Kress on the 19th!

December 26 – White Christmas (1954)

Believe it or not, I’ve never seen this iconic Christmas movie starring Bing Cosby and Danny Kaye and featuring the songs of Irvin Berlin. It’s the story of two men who served in WWII together. After the war they make it big as entertainers. The men eventually become romantically involved with two sisters and the four team up to save the failing inn of their former general.

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If The Kress would like my recommendations for next year, I’d suggest showing “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” (my husband’s favorite), “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “Joyeux Noel.”  Another Christmas movie to consider is one from my childhood, “Home Alone.” Don’t laugh, I loved that movie as a kid!

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Impressed with the Kress

August 5, 2010 — 3 Comments
Kress Cinema & Lounge at 817 8th Avenue, Greeley, Colorado. Photo by H.M. Kerr-Schlaefer

A couple weeks ago I walked into the Kress Cinema & Lounge in Greeley for the first time, and the first words out of my mouth were, “How did I not know about this place?”

The truth is, despite being in business for several years, I’d never heard of the Kress until the Greeley Chamber of Commerce & Visitor Bureau (@GreeleyCVB) tweeted me about them during World Cup. The Kress showed many of the World Cup matches for free on their big screen, and as soccer nut I applaud them.

After Greeley CVB brought the Kress to my attention I found their Facebook page and discovered that at least once a week they have a free movie. I decided to take my husband to their free showing of “Blade Runner – Final Cut,” and that brings me back to my original exclamation. As soon as I walked in the door I was impressed with the Kress. It’s a trendy sort of retro-looking bar that just so happens to have a nicely appointed movie theater too.

On the Friday evening we arrived a musician was playing guitar in the front area of the establishment. It turns out the Kress lounge has live music every Friday and Saturday night. We sidled up to the bar and perused the menu. The food items at the Kress all have fabulous names such as Porky’s Revenge, a pulled pork sandwich, A Fish Taco Called Wanda, a fish taco, a Quesablanca… okay, I think you get it. The drink titles are just as entertaining, but we stuck with beer from Crabtree Brewing Company in Greeley. Beer is $4.50, wine is $7, and mixed drink prices vary.

The Kress bartenders are hip and cool and so are the patrons. I noticed a lot of well-dressed young people drifting in and out through the backdoor. I solved this mystery when I visited the ladies room; a group of hipsters were swing dancing in one of the rooms behind the Kress.

After enjoying our beer we bought soda, popcorn and candy and got our free ticket to the show. The theater snacks are reasonably priced, and to my delight, the candy comes in retro-packaging. The theater at the Kress is even more impressive than the bar. It’s not large, but not too small. The screen is high quality and the theater itself is well appointed with beautifully restored high ceilings that look original to the building.

There are cozy booths with tables in the back for snuggling or eating.  The room slopes downward towards the screen, and in addition to comfy theater seats, there’s a long, narrow table in the middle of the room where patrons can comfortably sit with their drinks. When the movie started we were happy to discover the sound system was top notch.

The Kress plays new movies as well as classic films. The new movies are often indies, although recently they had the mainstream movie “Get Him to the Greek.” I’m so glad I discovered the Kress Cinema & Lounge. I was impressed and think you will be too. 

The Kress is located at 817 8th Street in downtown Greeley. Find them online at www.kresscinema.com or on Facebook here.

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