Cinemark - Front Row Joe (1988-1997, USA)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- Some good ol' American theater nostalgia with Cinemark's top cats Front Row Joe and Popcorn Penny, not to mention the nonconformist Clyde and Elton, from way back when policy trailers defined a good time at the movies, and nobody had to sit through characters from the latest CG kids comedies farting just to remind you to turn off your phone! Produced by Willming-Reams Animation.
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Well, thanks for editing these all together. My garage is full of cels and 35mm original elements from these trailers which we produced with loving care. I remember getting backlash letters copied to me from Cinemark from customers that hated having to sit through a 2 minute policy trailer. Last time I went to Cinemark I had to sit through a 30 minute ad preshow to get to the movie. Even with my free pass, it made me want to stick to my home cinema and that was pre-covid. Maybe some day I'll do a kickstarter or something to transfer the trailers to hi-def as they would look great. Tim Hodge was our lead animator on the earlier trailers, who would go off to a great career with Disney and Veggie tales. Also credits to Bill Reed for the later ones. Thanks and hope our efforts contribute to your fondest childhood memories! Cheers!! - Doug Willming
Thank you so much for sharing this neat bit of information with us. I'm from the Netherlands so Front Row Joe and even Cinemark itself are totally unknown to me. Yet here I am, discovering this awesome work for the first time. I appreciate the hard work you and your crew put into these and thank you for bringing me and others so much joy with FRJ. Had I experienced these real time in the cinema back then, I'm sure I'd have a blast seeing these over and over again with every cinema visit. It would be very interesting to see (if possible, maybe even 4K) scans of those 35mm prints. You have yourself a support here in case such crowdfunding takes place. I'm sure besides myself, many people would love to see FRJ come to life again through such project too. Also, I've been hunting high and low for FRJ merchandise or animated cells but no luck yet. One more thing, a question: Is there any information about the cast? The cast and the composers/writers are something I'd love love to dig into. Again, thanks for FRJ and the entertainment with it. Best regards, Michael Logmans
Interesting stories from your time working for Cinemark, those letters you got made me chuckle, mainly because I'd love sitting through these before seeing a movie.
I hope you can get those prints scanned. Even though there are already print scans of some of these available on TH-cam, some of them have splices, and I'd like to see how yours hold up.
I always loved these trailers going to Cinemark as I grew up, and they're very nostalgic for me. I'm so glad they're on TH-cam now, as media concerning Front Row Joe seems very scarce on the internet. Thank you for the part you had in making them. I was really saddened when Cinemark retired Front Row Joe and co. And I hear you about long preshows today. It's utterly ridiculous. By the time the seemingly endless trailers, product commercials and whatever else has finally finished, often I've actually forgotten what movie I came to see.
hey, if you're ever wanting to sell any of your cels i would absolutely be interesting in purchasing some
I would back that Kickstarter!
“Take your baby outside when it’s crying” FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WHY DONT THEY SAY THIS BEFORE MOVIES ANYMORE?!
No idea, probably because the movie theatres forgot about crying babies during movies
I Don't Know.
Because children were kidnapped by criminals
Maybe they figured customers were capable of using common sense. How silly of them.
PLEASE GOD PLEASE FIND A WAY TO BRING BACK FRONT ROW JOE!!!!!
Joe's not only a cool guy, but he's also a good role model for kids since he teaches proper theater etiquette. I think he should make a comeback.
Eraser: This dude is right!
I agree. Front Row Joe is awesome.
It'd make more sense for those who are texting on their phones to turn them off.
I know many adults who seed some God damn thetre etiquette as well
I think he’s better than Cool Cat
As a former theater employee, we need more mascots like this.
Agreed.
Good idea.
But aren't theaters dying though?
@@alphagiga4878 I'd say that only really applies to independent theaters or ones in isolated areas.
Most theaters I go to have plenty of customers.
How did it take me nearly 30 years to notice that while Popcorn Penny is wearing a top and a skirt, Joe is pantsless?
Fun fact: Popcorn Penny didn't originally have a name. In the early 1990s, they had a contest to name her. I remember because one of my high school students worked at the McAllen Cinemark theater and he contributed a name. Wish I could remember what it was, because it was really cute.
TOP 3
Male cartoon characters going pantless while female ones are fully-dressed is quite common from the earliest cartoons to today.
That's how furry characters were designed back then
fun fact :we called her back row ho....
@@charlietrain oi
We need these back. as a theater employee and frequent moviegoer, no one follows these policies now. trash is left everywhere and people theater-hop really loudly, disrupting movies that are halfway through. Joe would be a lifesaver today!
The Retro Decade Revival Project can help that, along with creating new shorts the old fashioned way.
I love Elton’s redemption arc, plus the first two trailers using a saxophone to simulate a baby crying.
And you thought Zuko has the best redemption arc
I like how they used saxophones for the baby cries
They actually brought back Front Row Joe and Popcorn Penny for a brief period between 2003-04, several years after retiring them. This was around the same time Regal Cinemas (then known as Regal Entertainment Group) retired their iconic CGI rollercoaster policy trailer, only to revive it in 2010.
I love that if you watch this in one sitting, you can actually piece together a story. Like how Elton became Joe's friend or how Joe and Penny met. Also going to wager that since that blue cat accidentally through the pink one, she went on to date Elton for a time.
This is adorable. XD
"Along with me and Front Row Joe!"
Aren't YOU Joe?
I also like how Elton went from enemy to a friend even if he aint' did nothing wrong *most of the time.*
Well he was pretty badly influenced by that jerk, Clyde.
Clyde: It's the neurotoxins.
Cake: Shut it, 🅱lyde!
I believe Joe said: “Along with me I’M Front Row Joe”. But it does sound like “and”.
7:22 Goofy called; he wants his signature yell back.
5:24
And he really doesn’t like it, somehow.
These may be just movie theatre adverts, but their animation quality is better than about 90% of the rigidly animated, lazily drawn cartoons today. Man, I miss the cartoons 80s and 90s.
There won't be anymore rigidly animated, lazily drawn cartoons. I'm planning to put together a Retro Decade Revival Project. Our goal is to bring real entertainment, true talent and old school back into the public mainstream, ranging from the 1980s to the Victorian Era.
@Commies Are Bad It's still a work-in-progress. But if you like, you can spread the word to everybody. Here's what you can do;
1. List down which needs to be brought back and which ones won't.
2. Raise funds for the project through Kickstarter.
3. Put an end to rigidly animated, lazily drawn cartoons forever.
4. Eradicate Autotune from the face of the Earth.
5. Restore old school technology to working mint condition, from home game consoles to VCRs.
6. Bring back the old companies, malls, stores, and theme parks you remember from your childhood.
I hope you can do it, I'm counting on you and everyone else.
@Commies Are Bad I haven't done the project yet. I'll need all the help I can get. About RKO Radio Pictures, that's a good idea to bring it back, RKO was one of the most prolific film companies in the 1930s.
@@glennjamin We'll get better animation back, the Retro Decade Revival Project will put an end to animators using Flash, Toon Boom, and CalArts butt faces. Our goal is to bring real entertainment, true talents, pure originality and variety, old school, and more back into the public mainstream, starting with the 1980s. Children will love real hand drawn cel animation all over again.
@@glennjamin Not everybody agrees. The procedures of creating hand drawn cel animation is worth the risk.
1:46 I just love how Clyde and Elton are freaked out by the singing cats. XD
Remember when cinemas cared about branding?
If they still do, that would be great.
It's funny that they took 4 cartoons to make the title character take centre stage in his own piece.
I'm sure they weren't sure at first before he started to get recognized.
As someone who was born in 2006 I’m to young to truly be “nostalgic” but I still love these and I will definitely take it over that one Regal ad (you know the one)
Though it probably helps that as an aspiring animator from San Antonio, I find it inspiring it was made by a studio from there
3:07 OMG! Those iconic pink trash cans! How on earth can I feel nostalgia for a freaking trash can?!?
My local ones were green. When it was closing I really wanted to get one because of how iconic they were. Never did, though.
Clyde: I Talk During The Movie!
Cinemark: So you have chosen… Death.
3:44 : *exists*
Deviantart: *sweats*
Clyde was such a jerk, and Elton wants to enjoy the movie in peace.
Ahhh Cinemark, such wonderful memories of going there especially the dollar theater which was in a mall.
I honestly miss seeing that logo for the company and Front Row Joe and Popcorn Penny (this is my first time knowing their names), I never saw these before and I remember the CG animated ones in the 2000s.
It’s kinda sad that they don’t use the characters anymore but I’ll always see him in those arcade tokens.
Oh btw the dollar theater I went to is now a huge Cinemark theater with XD. 😊
My nearest one has IMAX ☺️
It's a shame Cinemark doesn't use him much anymore.
really? i saw him in an ad at a cinemark last year
Troy Andrew Yeah, perhaps I just haven't seen him in my parts, and I've been to at least a movie or two last year at a Cinemark-owned Rave Cinema.
Christopher Sobieniak well, it was not just b4 the movie started. It was out in the hallway
Perhaps I didn't notice that in mine then, though it seems like they all use the same materials, whether Cinemark or not (so used to calling them Cinemark than Rave given the exposure).
they do not use him anymore, I do not know the last movie I saw with the intro
these songs are so catchy, they're the only movie theater bumpers that stick in my head once i'm done watching a playlist full of bumpers like these.
edit: a year later and i must point out elton goes through a reformation arc throughout the course of these bumpers. god-tier character development
I like front row joe.
Diddo.
1. January 1-December 31, 1988
2. January 1-December 31, 1989
3. January 1-December 31, 1990
4. January 1-December 31, 1991
5. January 1-December 31, 1992
6. January 1-December 31, 1993
7. January 1-December 31, 1994
8. January 1-December 31, 1995 (In Two Different Ways)
9. January 1-December 31, 1996
10. January 1-December 31, 1997
The animation reminds me of Don Bluth.
I'm honestly glad I haven't had to deal with CG kids comedies and fart jokes telling me to turn off my phone when I'm at the theater. Instead, we have a simple animation telling people to not be a "Tommy texter". Hello from Canada
I'm very proud of you saying that, I was thinking about the same thing myself. I'm planning to put together a Retro Decade Revival Project. Our goal is to bring real entertainment, true talent, old school, pure originality and diversity and more back into the public mainstream, ranging from the 1980s to the Victorian Era. That means there won't be anymore fart jokes and cheesy movies. If you want to join, be my guest. I'll need all the help I can get.
Don't be a... SALLY SOUNDTRACK
What's wrong with using movie characters in policy trailers?
Happy greetings from America I went to CINEMARK to go see Disney and Pixar's elemental in real d 3d today !
Some of them are very generic and are pretty much just a promotion for their respective movies
Our local mall had a cinemark from 1989 to about Y2K. Stupid town ended up with a glut of movie theaters. They boarded up everything. About a decade later, Cinemark built a new theater elsewhere within the mall, leaving the original pre stadium seating theater still sealed up. The mall has since went bankrupt, but the new owners seemed to have attracted a lot of tenants surprisingly. The tenants are all pretty random. A daycare, senior center, ax throwing, war museum... ...I can't help but wonder why they don't open up the old theater and charge admission to see such a time capsule. For all I know, my favorite POG distributor game is still in the arcade!
UmmYeahOk I KNOW THE MALL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT
MUSIC CITY MALL LEWISVILLE
@@SearsCool yep. That’s the one. Vista Ridge in Lewisville. 👍
What if we can reopen that old theater?
@@reneastle8447 the mall has once again changed hands since my comment was made. The theater is still boarded up. The only way we could get it to open is if we offered to pay for the space, even if just for a week.
It would seem as though every single movie theater in that town has since closed, some even being bulldozed. This included the drive in that struggled to open, closing right BEFORE COVID when we would need them the most.
This leaves the town with only the new(ish) Cinemark in that same mall. I can’t imagine them allowing a second to open within the same property, due to competition issues. It’s a good way to lose BOTH tenants. I had thought about renting it though, for like a Girl Scout sleep over event. 9 years before that mall opened, a smaller one story mall opened several miles up the road. Once a year they’ll have a “Mall Madness” event there, where the girls stay the night, and many vendors stay open till midnight including their own movie theater. The problem is that they want you out of there by 6, meaning you’re waking up at 4am. That’s pretty lame IMO. But Vista Ridge has crappy hours anyway. 11-7 daily, except for Sunday, then 12-6. …for a mall!!! So they wouldn’t need to kick everyone out so early to clean.
The problem is, if this theater is truly a time capsule, you can’t exactly allow children to spend an extensive amount of time in an area that hasn’t been cleaned or maintained in over two decades. Think about all the dust, and decay. Even if you wanted to open it as some sort of throwback museum, you’d have to clean it and make it safe, and those theater seats are 30+ years old. They aren’t going to withstand the weight and width of modern humans.
What this would be good for is to have an urban explorer film everything for us, maybe even the new mall owners could. But the theater doesn’t even show up as a vacant space on the maps anymore, like it’s not intended to ever be used again by anyone.
@@UmmYeahOk Don't worry, cleaning up and restoring will be the No. 1 priority before reopening.
What a blast from the past! Also, M&M’S always make Movie watching better.
10:59 Does anyone not notice that Clyde, even with all the times he broke the rules in the theaters, was able to have a child, while Joe and Penny haven’t wed yet?
could just be a nephew he's babysitting but okay
Front Row Joe was Cinemark at its furriest.
I've never once been to the Cinemark Theatres before.
Never, I'm afraid.
please go
I enjoyed these back in the day, especially the ‘50s style music. Not ashamed to admit it.
I remember these intros when we'd go to movies at Cinemark theaters. They'd only do it for family friendly movies however.
How about r and NC 17 movies
@@kascnef I heard that they would just have the front row joe surround sound logo and no policy trailer
Joe was the front row hero.
Clyde was the back row villain.
Oh, and by the way, we had absolutely no involvement in the crappy cgi or out of US trailers done after 1997 when we did the last trailer "StarStruck". Those were done by other companies after Cinemark threatened us with legal action if we didn't turn over the rights of all the characters we'd developed after FRJ.
Why was Front Row Joe booted at that time? Was it a rebranding of some sorts? Very unfortunate to see what happened in terms of production The legal stuff, the later phase of FRJ with CGI/new animation. Also, who has the rights to the characters and/or the film footage nowadays? I'm just so interested! I've recently learned about FRJ and I'm so hooked. Amazing to see. Thanks in advance~
This should be its own movie
11:45 - 11:49
Joe’s face when Elton faints kills me every time 😂🤣
Very nice. I thought I never saw any American cinema policies like those before.
Greetings from Ireland 🇮🇪!
More pre movie animations should tell you to take your baby out when it's crying.
Actually the last song used to be played on the Cinemarks in Brazil back on the early 2000s, such a memorable jam
As a Brazilian, that is great to hear!
Late 90s cgi was the weirdest thing ever
Have you seen the cgi in The Santa Clause? Try that
0:14 1988 - 1989
2:16 1989 - 1990
4:17 1990 - January 1991
6:18 January - March 1991
7:51 July 1991 - 1992
8:36 March - July 1991
9:24 1992 - 1993
10:09 1992 - January 1993
10:25 January - March 1993
10:41 1993 - 1997
11:15 1997 - 1998
I love how Elton got that don bluth smile
I wish they put this in our theaters. Or at least have Regal and AMC do something like this.
Regal has the Rollercoaster, AMC has the circles.
Regal: Rollercoaster
AMC: Red Circles
Cinemark: Front Row Joe
Corey Lineberry it used to be the ticket guy Clip
AMC is quickly becoming the Disney of movie theatres.
Excuse me, explain to me how this isn't a meme yet.
This song reminds me of ditching school my senior year with my friends and going to the Cinemark!
"you're ready to party you're ready to rock, you've got a big we're cinemark!"
*you've got a date with Cinemark
When I was a lad I used to get him confused with the cat from Cats don't Dance.
I wonder if these ads were somebody's furry awakening
I can guarantee you they were. Just as the sun shines and rain is wet. These trailers spoke to some people, heh.
You have brought me back to my old childhood theater! Thank you so much for this wonderful gift! 😊❤️
11:50 I really love the Toy Story Reference
I’ve been going to Cinememark for many years, and always wondered “Why is there a tiger on that sign?” So now I know!
Coaster Jackson that’s a cat
Just imagine u r watching these b4 watching a horror movie in 1988 like childs play
These only played before movies for all ages, not horror films or anything above a PG rating.
@@MaryS2022 I know, but still
@@MaryS2022Taken from The Rugrats Movie (1998)
It's always anthropomorphic cats.
At least it's better than AMC's Filmstrip dude.
But even the AMC's Filmstrip dude is better than a Minion screaming "Illumination, ILLUMINATION" or Bomb's phone making fart noises.
The Hall of Advertising Glad I haven't seen those at Cinemark yet (which is the only chain in my town these days). I do recall the early days of the film strip dude though in the 90's, but honestly, had I had a Cinemark to go to instead, I would've loved these ones!
This is theater's trailers in a nutshell:
Cinemark (or at least at the time): Front Row Joe/Soft Piano
Regal: ROLLER COASTER!!!!!
AMC: FilmStrip Dude
Marcus-Krikorian: Lets put in random clips of different movies in with cheezy music and Cheap looking CG.
IMO Cinemark wins this one.
Westley West I wouldn't argue there.
What a great transfer!
What a charmed life Front Row Joe leads
Gotta appeal to them cool kids!
Holy shit the 80s aesthetic
I don't mind it at all (having lived it)!
@@ChristopherSobieniak I love it, everything 80s aesthetic is perfect.
Everybody Have Fun at Cinemark
Never saw those segments since I never went to a Cinemark Theatre until years later, but they look really great.
awesome front roe Joe is totally awesome
Holy hell, the animation is majestic marvelous. 😍❤️
Does anyone want to meet Front Row Joe at a Cinemark grand opening?
Jonny Gulmatico me
Be awesome if cinemark bring back front row Joe
Front Row Joe must be super rich, He bought like 200 dollars worth of snacks.
Dominic Tesch he has some nice cars
Back then that would've been about $20.
I thought in the first few policy trailers, the cat ushers reminded me of Tom from Tom and Jerry
The lobbies in the early part of the video reminds me of the old Movies 8 in Provo, Utah; just before they closed for good.
Is it just me for does Elton look a lot like Eek the Cat?
Yeah he kinda looks like him
11:15
Hey, let's party, let's rock
We've got tickets to the Cinemark
Come on with me, I'm Front Row Joe
Starstruck Penny, where'd she go?
Keep the peace in the wild west
That loud dude is such a pest
Clyde, I'll run you outta town
If you don't put that cellphone down
A real good scare, big ol' fright
Who's that chattering in the night?
No one likes a big-mouthed creature
(Quiet, please, for the feature!)
When the lights go down
I wonder why
Little babies start to cry
They gotta be good or go bye-bye
The brightest star in the galaxy
Cinemark fun is waiting for me
I'm at home in the front row seat
Only here at the Cinemark!
Ah, the 80s.
I miss the 80s.
A lot.
Me too. And I wasn’t even born at the time.
1. 0:14
2. 2:16
3. 4:17
4. 6:17
5. 7:50
6. 8:36
7. 9:22
8. 11:14
The movies had to have been such an energetic place in the late '80s. That was before you had to sit through an hour worth of crap...
If they still do today, that would be awesome.
4:17 My childhood memories begin with this policy trailer.
"an American bigwig cinema chain purchased 88 years of British cinema heritage"
Who?
AMC apparently (though someone from China owns them now).
www.ft.com/content/9d353ae8-4820-11e6-8d68-72e9211e86ab
Dear Cinemark, bring Joe back!
He is
@@Ene-Chan Where? I went to Cinemark on Sunday and I didn't see him
@@SearsCoolits kinda a silent revival he cameos on marketing stuff and there is a costume (but for some reason theres only 1 version of the costume and every cinemark shares it)
This looks very cool!
Ethan Anania IKR?
Back when movie theaters actually made creative policy trailers instead of using CGI kids movie characters to the brim.
And I'm Gen Z so it should mean something. 😂
SMG4 sucks😒
SMG4 is annoying irritating overrated content😒
Thanks for bringing back memories. This is Classic.
11:49 Hey wait a minute, did they just reference one of my favorite Disney and Pixar movies?
I think so because there's Pixar ball and in toy story there Pixar ball as a Easter egg
They need to bring this back.
The only policy trailers with a redemption arc
It’s funny because the front row is actually not a great place to sit. Joe’s neck must be killing him.
11:17 was the first one I ever saw because it was from the first time I ever went to a Cinemark theater.
06:21 is the one I remember, for the same reason. We didn't have Cinemark up here in Dallas, or at least not that I ever heard of. My first encounter with Cinemark was when I moved down into the Lower Rio Grande Valley and used to go to the one in McAllen, Texas.
Amazing
They really gotta consider bringing back Joe , Penny, and the other cats 🐈⬛
Catchy tunes, soo 90's
I miss a 90s.
A lot.
Peavey? Now that’s rad.
These Front Row Joe commercials are once Used by Cinemark, but not anymore since May 2007.
Not for long, he'll make a permanent comeback thanks to the Retro Decade Revival Project. Our goal is to bring old school, real entertainment and true talent back into the public mainstream, ranging from the 1980s to the Victorian Era.
@@reneastle8447 yay
If you're interested in the project, I'll give you a couple of hints. First, we will start the project at the top of a country. Second, each month will represent a golden decade. Last but not least, everybody's going to have fun traveling back in time and bringing real entertainment, old school, true talent, pure originality and diversity and more back into the public mainstream.
“Front Row Joe Mama”, get it?
(Nostalgia is perfect combining 1980s, 1990s, and others, not 2020s.)
8:49 choir: at cinemark we love the movies
3:56
Elton snickered like Muttley
What the heck is with their insistence on rhyming "rock" with "cinemark"
8:37 Watch the whole thing and it’s pretty good because the effort and animation to me is fantastic even the food and other people.
I always wondered what animator did these. They look Looney Tunes inspired.
To me more like Tom and Jerry.
Yeah, I can see that.
They've only really done these... But they're really well-animated.
this is the most 90's thing i have ever seen.
Never seen that before!
I love this!!!!
Oh this was probably a HIT with the furry fandom in the 80s and 90s, holy crap. I can imagine the Usenet threads.
11:17 goodbye song