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Draft:MJR Digital Cinemas
From the Audiovisual Identity Database, the motion graphics museum
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Descriptions by
Matt-SoutheastMichiganRetail and TheLogoFan2004
Matt-SoutheastMichiganRetail and TheLogoFan2004
Background
MJR Digital Cinemas is a theater chain serving the Metro Detroit region of the US state of Michigan. It was founded by former Warner Bros. booker Michael Mihalich as MJR Theatres in 1980 with their headquarters in Oak Park, Michigan, and their acquisition of the Main Theater (now the Main Art Theater) in Royal Oak, Michigan. Throughout the 1980's they would only run second-run theaters, which included indoor theaters and two drive-in theaters. MJR Theatres' first first-run indoor theater opened in June 1990 in Adrian, Michigan, with six screens (adding four additional screens in 1997). As they would open two more first-run multiplexes in the mid-1990's, they sold off or closed all of their second-run theaters, though their five-screen Allen Park Cinema in Allen Park, Michigan would continue business until 2019, when it too closed. MJR Theatres would later begin building megaplex theaters, starting with a 20-screen location in Southgate, Michigan in November 1998. MJR Theatres would eventually be renamed MJR Digital Cinemas in 2007 as a result of their phase-out that year of their 35mm projectors in favor of digital projectors. MJR Digital Cinemas debuted their large-screen format, named "EPIC Experience", in June 2014 with the opening of a 16-screen location in Troy, Michigan. MJR Digital Cinemas currently operates 10 theaters and 164 screens from headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Background Trivia
The MJR abbreviation stands for "Movies Just Right", the former MJR Theatres slogan used until 2001.
1st Opening (2001-2022)
Opening: The trailer begins with a parody of the Motion Picture Association of America green trailer bumpers, with the following text:
The bumper fades out, and a filmstrip, containing movie clips, moves across the screen from the bottom over a film reel (with its own movie clip reel) and a blue sky with clouds. The text "It's More Fun At MJR" rolls across the foreground filmstrip, as another filmstrip makes its way from a hole on the reel in a zig-zag pattern. A frame from that filmstrip moves into full view as additional movie clips play. Then the camera pans away from that filmstrip as more clips fly by, as they zoom out and turn to reveal the MJR Digital Cinemas logo, which then zooms out to reveal itself on a red popcorn bag on a film reel along with various concessions (including Pepsi, Buncha Crunch, Butterfinger and Raisinets) as the camera briefly pans down on the reel, revealing a filmstrip with additional movie clips, before panning back up as the concessions fly into the center hole of the reel. The screen pans back down as the filmstrip now displays the text with the following next to an early-2010's model smart phone switching to "OFF":
The frames then fade to an image of MJR's Premiere Rewards card and the cinema's gift card. The reel then turns, revealing the text:
Another filmstrip comes out of the "O" in "SHOW", and further movie clips are again seen in full view. The filmstrip then flies away and fades into the filmstrip in the MJR logo as it assembles itself together against a background of a moving film reel.
Variants:
- This trailer is updated with new movie clips around the start of each year, almost always using clips from movies released the previous year. For example, Cars and Night at The Museum clips were used in 2007, and The Secret Life of Pets and The Peanuts Movie clips were used in 2016.
- Until the 2007 rebranding, the MJR Theatres logo was used, and the former white popcorn bag design was used.
- The Pepsi logo used was the "Project Blue" logo from 2001-2003, then was changed to the 2003 version until 2009, then changed to the 2009-present version.
- The cell phone depicted was previously a silver 2000's model with a cyan screen flashing "OFF".
- Until April 4, 2017, before MJR's Movie Rewards became Premiere Rewards, an image of the Movie Rewards member card, and that of MJR's gift card, were used.
- The gift card's former "Entertainment Card" name was of course depicted in that such design.
- Until the early 2010's, the trailer ended with additional footage: a newspaper pile, displaying the name of the local newspaper serving the particular MJR location, and the headline "MJR Theatres... Movies are Better Than Ever", landing on a concrete surface.
- As MJR Digital Cinemas launched their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages, their icons and handle names began being respectively displayed at the bottom of the beginning bumper, below text reading "STAY CONNECTED WITH MJR!",
Technique: CGI with footage from various movies. This is actually part of a template by Cinema Concepts also used by other chains during the early to mid-2000s, such as Krikorian Premiere Theatres and Marcus Theatres.
Audio: The beginning bumper is silent. The trailer proper features a fast-paced funky rock jingle, with a chorus and lead vocal Mark Bucchare alternating the lyrics, and another man announcing the theater rules when the MJR logo reveals itself for the first time: "Welcome to MJR Theatres [2001-2007]/Digital Cinemas [2007-], your hometown showplace for great movies and quality refreshments. Please deposit [former]/Help keep the theater clean by depositing [current] litter in (trash [current]) receptacles, (and thank you for not talking during the show [former]). Be sure to turn off cell phones and pagers [former]/No talking or texting during the show [current], and see manager about Movie Rewards and gift cards [former]/and please visit the box office to join our Movie Rewards program or purchase gift cards [until April 3, 2017]/and be sure to use the MJR App or visit the box office to sign up for Premiere Rewards [April 4, 2017-]. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!" Near the end, a cartoon whistle sound effect plays as the film strip flies and fades into the MJR logo.
Audio Trivia: The jingle was developed by commercial songwriter Steve Curran at a Lansing, Michigan-based company now known as Harvest Creative Services with producers Julie Magsig and Mark Miller and composer Julie Miller.
Audio Lyrics: The jingle lyrics go as the following:
- Mark Bucchare: "Come and have a party with Hollywood"
- Chorus: "It's more fun at MJR"
- Mark: "Big screens, big fun/Makes you feel so good"
- Chorus: "It's more fun at MJR"
- Mark: "It's more than just a movie/It's a big night out"
- Chorus: "Got to go to the show/Where the good times are/It's more fun at MJR/It's more fun at MJR".
Continuing after the rules are announced:
- Mark: "It's more than just a movie/It's a big night out"
- Chorus: "Got to go to the show/Where the good times are/It's more fun at MJR/It's more fun at MJR".
Legacy: This trailer, and the jingle in particular, is a favorite of many across the Metro Detroit region of Michigan. Many have even begun a tradition of clapping three times after the two times the "It's more than just a movie/It's a big night out" line is sung.
2nd Opening (2022-)
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Visuals: Unknown
Technique: Unknown. Done by Cinema Concepts.
Audio: Same as the 1st opening.
Availability: First seen on MJR's YouTube channel, and currently seen on, at the basic level, most MJR screens in Michigan.
