Iryat Yerushalayim has put together an initiative to build a Charedi cultural center...

This cultural center will have some rooms for showing movies, a gallery for displays of art and whatnot, studio rooms for activities and workshops, and more. The center will be located in the "Shneller complex".

The initiative was promoted and advanced by Ofer Berkovitz, a secular deputy mayor, and is supported by the Hared councilmen.
source: Mynet

While this Haredi movie theater will definitely be closed on Shabbos (at least for the movies), and despite the fact that it has the support of the Haredi councilmen - and by extension that means they have been given ok by the gedolim with whom they consult, I am pretty sure the complex will still draw the ire of some more extreme Haredi elements and will still be the target of hafganot. Just because of the very nature of the existence of a Haredi movie theater (even if called by another name), it will be a target.

And what I wonder about is what the first movie to be shown will be...  suggestions welcome in the comments :-)

Here is an interesting idea I never heard before. Rav Reuven Fireman says that movies came into being at about the same time that Jews started moving to Eretz Yisrael. He explains that we needed to develop the power of our imagination in order to be able to imagine moving to Eretz Yisrael, and that's what the movie industry did...
interesting..

There used to be two big complaints about seeing movies in Israel. First, they opened here much later than they did in the States. Second, they have an intermission, as if the actors needed a break.

Recently, the first complaint has become less of an issue, as the delay between the American release of a film and the Israeli release has shrunk, if not vanished. The intermission, inexplicably, remains.

In a fit of nostalgia, two American olim are arranging to bring a movie to an Israeli theater a bit later than it was first released. 40 years, to be exact.

On Thursday night, March 15, 2012, "The Godfather" (part I) will be playing at Cinema City in Rishon L'Tzion. The screening is open to the public, but seating is limited, so advance reservations are required. To reserve seats or for more information, emailgodfather40th@gmail.com. There is a 50 shekel charge per seat.

To compensate for the long-delayed release, there will be no intermission.

Iran Defeats Israel

That is a headline we were hoping to never have to see again, after Cyrus the Persian conquered Babylon and Judea in 539 BC. Yet last night at the 2012 Academy Awards Iran defeated Israel.

An Iranian film and an Israeli film were front-runners for the award in the Foreign Language Films category. Ian's film "Separation" beat out Israel's film "Footnote" for the Oscar trophy.

Winning in the entertainment industry is far better than winning in the ongoing hostility and conflict surrounding the Iranians attempt to build nuclear weapons and destroy Israel (and the West). As a matter of fact, I am a bit surprised the Iranian film was allowed to compete, considering the sanctions placed on Iran.

I am happy to announce that the "Israeli" movie Ajami lost its bid for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film to some other film.

Why am I happy that Ajami lost? I don't even know anything about it (though IMDB says it is about a mixed community of Muslims and Christians in Tel Aviv), so why should I care, let alone be happy for the loss?

Well, the producer, Scandar Copti, made a statement that he and his film are not representing Israel. He said this despite the massive support the Israeli government had given him in financing and promoting his film.

So I am happy he lost, and I hope Israel stops giving money to people who reject Israel as an entity and State.

NRG/Maariv reported that the commanders of the Nahal Haredi army unit have given orders, by direction of the Rabbonim, disallowing use of DVD players and mp4 players.

It seems that soldiers in the unit have been bring in these players with which to while away their free time.

the problem is that this unit is called "Nahal Haredi" for a reason. The unit is meant to be one that allows a Haredi person, who has decided it is time to leave Yeshiva and needs to fulfill his requirements to the army, to do so in an environment that is sensitive to his lifestyle. That means they have some shiurim, they have time for davening, they have no women on their base, they are provided glatt kosher food, and more.

Having movies all around the base can easily ne seen as being counter-productive to the idea of Nahal Haredi. if a Haredi yeshiva guy wants to join but sees that it might harm his lifestyle, he might decide against it. The Nahal Haredi wants to be as welcoming as possible, and that means creating a welcoming atmosphere for the intended crowd.

The Nahal Haredi accepts not just Haredi yeshiva students, but many from the national religious public as well. And from other groups, such as Carlebach types, Kahanist types, and more.

I don't know who was bringing in the DVDs and therefore I do not want to say it was this group or that group that was at fault. But it seems the problem might be that they accept guys from many different backgrounds, but they need to impose an atmosphere welcoming to one specific background.

Going to the army means following the army rules. You have to adapt yourself to the army lifestyle. When you join the army, you are no longer in yeshiva. The army is nice enough, accommodating enough (granted it is this way because it has its own objectives), to create a unit that is more in line with the needs of one community.

If you insist on joining that unit, follow the rules. If you want to watch DVDs, nobody in the army cares. Just do it in a different unit. This unit is meant to have an atmosphere for a different type of person.

Everybody must have already read about the upcoming opening of the movie Sex in the City, and how Jerusalem and Petach Tikva have banned the advertisements for it from being run in those respective cities.

I don't know why this movie is different than all other movies, but they are really making a big deal out of it. My wife told em they called the house the other day asking if we plan on goign to see it, if we have seen the ads, if we would take the kids, if we would take the kids if we got a discounted ticket, etc.

I don't remember getting phone calls promoting other movies, but the Sex in the City craze is getting to be a bit much.