Modular Building 10232 Palace Cinema

[MAH4546]

Looking at it again, there's another thing that I dislike about this model (besides from the mismatched case and terrible car) is that the vertical "palace" sign is an art-deco feature. It would look just as good without it in my opinion, and leave that kind of feature open for later use. That kind of vertical sign is not on Grauman's Chinese Theatre as it isn't part of the style.

That said, I otherwise like the model and I'm pleased to see them going in an unexpected direction.

Grauman's has two vertical neon signs - each saying GRAUMAN'S on one side and CHINESE on the other - hanging on each side of the building's façade. They were removed at some point, but they were reinstalled in the 2000's.

The building was influenced by Chinese palaces, but it's details, and interior, are largely art deco.

Edited January 2, 2013 by MAH4546

[antp]

It would look just as good without it in my opinion,

You can always remove it (and eventually replace it by something else)

That's what I did for the Fire Brigade's flag & truck, as these were the two things I disliked in that set: http://www.mocpages.com/image_zoom.php?mocid=321665&id=/user_images/68992/1335974042m

And for sure what I'll do for the limousine coming with the Cinema

[Black Llama]

Ugh, was psyched for this hoping it would be an old style Cinema like you would see in small town America. Instead we get something that looks like a renovation of a 40's Hollywood building. Maybe I need to see it in person to appreciate it, but the image so far is leaving me very underwhelmed. We didn't need a car, that's just wasted bricks that could have gone to another part of the set. I sincerely hope those are NOT stickers for the movie posters The sign seems way out of place as well, maybe its the colors?

I like the roof, but why do all of the sets have to have towers now? Town hall, Fire Brigade and now this.

[Aanchir]

Ugh, was psyched for this hoping it would be an old style Cinema like you would see in small town America. Instead we get something that looks like a renovation of a 40's Hollywood building. Maybe I need to see it in person to appreciate it, but the image so far is leaving me very underwhelmed. We didn't need a car, that's just wasted bricks that could have gone to another part of the set. I sincerely hope those are NOT stickers for the movie posters The sign seems way out of place as well, maybe its the colors?

I like the roof, but why do all of the sets have to have towers now? Town hall, Fire Brigade and now this.

"All the sets" don't have to have towers now. We've had several sets with towers and several without. The Pet Shop, for instance, didn't have any towers. Neither did the Grand Emporium.

In the case of the Fire Brigade, it had a tower because being an old-fashioned fire station the designers wanted it to have a bell. In the case of the Town Hall, the designers wanted it to look tall and stately compared to other buildings on the block (and to give it a clock tower, which would make it a centerpiece of the community like many real-life town halls). In the case of this, the tower is likely a reference to the source material, Grauman's Chinese Theater. There's no conspiracy to put towers on every building; it's just that some of the recent and less-recent ones have had them.

[eurotrash]

Whatever it looks like or finally morphs into. All I know that if it's half as much to build as the Town Hall with just a quarter of the ingenuity and design esthetics then it's still going to be a great building. We should all be thankful that TLG is providing such a fantastic range of sets!

[DaddyWhale]

Ugh, was psyched for this hoping it would be an old style Cinema like you would see in small town America. Instead we get something that looks like a renovation of a 40's Hollywood building. Maybe I need to see it in person to appreciate it, but the image so far is leaving me very underwhelmed. We didn't need a car, that's just wasted bricks that could have gone to another part of the set. I sincerely hope those are NOT stickers for the movie posters The sign seems way out of place as well, maybe its the colors?

I like the roof, but why do all of the sets have to have towers now? Town hall, Fire Brigade and now this.

Apart from Town Hall, I have a hard time seeing any of the modulars in a small town setting. I believe that FB was modelled on a specific New York City fire station, PS is a pair of townhouses, which tend to be more common in larger cities, GE looks like a London department store (my wife thinks it looks like a dreary Debenhams we used to pass by in Clapham Junction), and both CC and GG look like urban buildings to me. The Palace Cinema seems to continue that tradition.

[Nebi]

Maybe the movie posters will be printed on paper/cards, so that you can put them into the windows. Would be the best solution.

[Faefrost]

Apart from Town Hall, I have a hard time seeing any of the modulars in a small town setting. I believe that FB was modelled on a specific New York City fire station, PS is a pair of townhouses, which tend to be more common in larger cities, GE looks like a London department store (my wife thinks it looks like a dreary Debenhams we used to pass by in Clapham Junction), and both CC and GG look like urban buildings to me. The Palace Cinema seems to continue that tradition.

FB is less a NYC prototype as it is one applicable to any of the smaller red brick industrial cities that stretch across the Northeast US from NYC through to Cincinati or Cleveland. Most of the Modulars aren't so much "small town" as they are " small industrial era city". Sitting right on that boundry between "urban" and early "suburban". If you are not sure what I mean drop in the movie "A Christmas Story" and just look at the background settings. They work fine if you want to picture them as NYC or London or similar. but they also keep the feel of a smaller more localized city.

The FB is actually about a third too wide for a typical NYC fire house of the era. (Or if it was that wide the front windowed side would be a second truck bay.)

[Ferrik]

This new Modular looks excellent. I really like the colour scheme and the whole set looks so detailed. This set is going to be interesting....

[diamond]

Ahhh I feel we are being mean to this set now. I am delighted that lego have done a cinema. Its defintaly on my buy list even if I wanted pure Art Deco.....and so far my to buy list is only that and minifgures series so its a elusive list (though the lotr and sail barge sets are possibles, reserving judgement until better pictures).

And for me GE is NY style. I sware I saw a building off central park (view from the lake looking left) that looks identical to it

[Old Brick]

I think it is a great addition to the Modulars, definitely will be a focal point on my street.

[TheLegoDr]

I think most of the Modulars are for a larger scaled city. I picture the official City sets as more of a small town setting. I don't know why, but that is how I look at it.

However, I think the beauty of a lot of these buildings is you can see these in your city or a city near you, no matter what country you are in. However, the Palace doesn't fit that as well. That doesn't bother me because I think it is beautiful and can't wait to get it. But it has more of a distinct look than the previous releases. I think it fits in nicely with the line-up thanks to that photoshopped image and it looks great on its own.

[stephen_rockefeller]

While I find this building to be beautifully done, it seems really small compared to past Modular Buildings. I really hope this isn't some new scale of modular building. I don't think it will look right with past sets.

regardless of its scale it won't fit in, because as someone already posted, it doesn't have the NYC feeling to it as the others do.

[GRogall]

regardless of its scale it won't fit in, because as someone already posted, it doesn't have the NYC feeling to it as the others do.

Eh? The only Modular Building that has a New York City style is FB!

10182 Café Corner is Paris Hausmann Architecture

10185 Green Grocer is San Francisco Elizabethan Revival style

10197 Fire Brigade is a New York fire House

10211 Grand Emporium is Jugendstil Architecture

10218 Pet-shop is Amsterdam Row House and Part Elizabethan Revival style

10224 Town Hall is Greek Orders: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian.

[glendo]

regardless of its scale it won't fit in, because as someone already posted, it doesn't have the NYC feeling to it as the others do.

So are people don't like these beautiful Modular because it doesnt look American enough??? it's a homage to the Chinese theatre in LA... you can not get more american than that.

IMO the Modulars are European, with the exception of the FB and now the new one..

Edited January 3, 2013 by glendo

[Faefrost]

Eh? The only Modular Building that has a New York City style is FB!

10182 Café Corner is Paris Hausmann Architecture

10185 Green Grocer is San Francisco Elizabethan Revival style

10197 Fire Brigade is a New York fire House

10211 Grand Emporium is Jugendstil Architecture

10218 Pet-shop is Amsterdam Row House and Part Elizabethan Revival style

10224 Town Hall is Greek Orders: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian.

Thank you. I don't quite grasp all of the complaints that it doesn't blend in with the others? As it is the only place you would find all of these buildings attached is the back lots of Universal Studios. And hey! Wouldn't this thing blend in there?

PS am I the only one who, after seeing the Western coloring and styling, and those faux Chinese horns on the tower, can't help but think of this thing as the "Cow Palace" Theater?

[LegoDad]

Personally like the new cinema very much. Not sure about the negativity towards the set fitting in with the other buildings, none of them fit together architectually like Grogall pointed out. I will be very excited to pick up a couple of these when they are released.

[Cunctator]

I think this is a great addition to the modular line, I think it will also look ok with an additional floor.

For me it’s great that the designers are exploring different styles, I hope that sooner or later a modular in Italian style will appear in future.

Regarding the interiors I think there will be plenty of pearl gold and dark red

[Shushen]

I think its a great set that continues in the tradition of the other modulars. Car looks a little meh but other than that it looks great.

I would really really love to see the insides of it though.

[lelee]

I think that this is a magnificent addition to the Modular Street and i cant wait to have it! I love the homage to Graumans theatre, with a bit of Hollywood Italianate deco thrown in I really love that the Modular buildings are a little bit "time warpy" and could almost be any place and time, for me this looks very 40's and i love it. I actually rather like the car and it fits in perfectly with the 40's Hollywood vibe, i can just see my Norma Desmond minifig sitting in the back of that on the way to paramount.

Really want to see inside now!!!!!

[Hey Joe]

I actually rather like the car and it fits in perfectly with the 40's Hollywood vibe, i can just see my Norma Desmond minifig sitting in the back of that on the way to paramount.

Really want to see inside now!!!!!

I have two of Joe Gillis, do you have an extra Norma Desmond to trade?

EDIT; Sorry if tongue-in-cheek references about the movie 'Sunset Boulevard' were off-topic. It was late and I was feeling silly.

Edited January 4, 2013 by bjtpro

[LuxorV]

Please, try to stay on topic; in case, use the PM system for personal chats. Thank you.

[Bighappysmiles]

It looks like a modular, in fact it probably will be one. I personally do not like the new creator "Expert", to me the creator line is, for give me people who like it, kiddish. Now, plz don't take this the wrong way, I just don't really like them having "Creator" in front.

[Crownie]

And let's pull back the curtain: Brought to you through Brickset: http://www.flickr.co...s/91708573@N07/

I'm definitely warming up to it more after seeing all the little details and the interior. It's just so darn...cute, lol. But really, LEGO seems to be doing a great job on this series. Click above if you haven't already. Seriously. Why are you still reading?! High-res explodable views of the new Modular Theater!

Edited January 4, 2013 by Crownie

[Kristel]

Definitely warmed up to this one now. The star tiles are great, lots of grill bricks in tan , lots of 1x6 dark tan bricks !! I think they could have done a little more with the interior, but that's the beauty of Lego ... we can make it whatever we want it to be.