The company that owns iPic has filed for bankruptcy.
Photo courtesy of Wade Park
The financially troubled iPic Entertainment dining-and-movie theater chain, which operates one location in Austin and another in Houston, filed for bankruptcy protection Monday, August 5, and is seeking a potential buyer or a court-supervised restructuring. In the meantime, the chain’s 16 theaters remain open.
“Our brand is thriving and leads the industry in popularity, but our balance sheet needs to course correct,” founder and CEO Hamid Hashemi says in a release issued Monday by Boca Raton, Florida-based iPic. “Our theaters will remain open during this transition, our employees are being paid, as are our vendors and suppliers.”
The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, which seeks to reorganize the company’s finances, lists nearly $291 million in debt.
The iPic chain, founded in 2010, operates 16 upscale theaters throughout the U.S., including one in Austin at 3225 Amy Donovan Plaza in the Domain development and one at 4444 Westheimer Rd. in Houston's River Oaks District.
The company says it plans to open more iPic theaters in Texas, but the prospective locations of those new theaters couldn’t be determined. Representatives of iPic couldn’t be reached for comment.
The iPic bankruptcy filing comes on the heels of big news about another dine-in movie theater chain.
Late last month, Austin-based chain Moviehouse & Eatery was purchased by Dallas-based Cinépolis USA, part of a conglomerate that operates movie theaters in 17 countries. Moviehouse & Eatery has five theaters in Texas — two in Austin and three in Dallas-Fort Worth — with another theater set to open in The Woodlands in November.
Neil Diamond — a member of both the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame with 10 No. 1 songs and over 56 million albums sold — is such a music legend that it would be easy to do a straight-up biopic of him. Instead, the new Song Sung Blue — named after Diamond’s 1972 hit song — serves as a shadow Diamond biopic, with his songs showcased through a real-life husband-and-wife tribute act known as Lightning & Thunder.
Based on the 2008 documentary of the same name, the film focuses on Mike Sardina (Hugh Jackman), who comes up with the idea for a Diamond-centric act when he meets Claire (Kate Hudson). The duo soon grows in popularity locally in Milwaukee, headlining not just restaurants and bars but also some larger venues. As their legend spreads, they even start to get the attention of the media and bigger names outside of Wisconsin.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a good biopic without a little turbulence, and — without spoiling things — Mike and Claire learn that good times never seemed so good when they face more than their fair share of troubles. The couple endures their ups and downs with the help of their combined family, including children Rachel (Ella Anderson) Angelina (King Princess), and Dana (Hudson Henley), as well as a community of fellow tribute acts.
Written and directed by Craig Brewer (Dolemite is My Name), the film’s appeal lies mainly in the irrepressible enthusiasm of Mike, a man born to entertain if ever there was one. Neither his long-dormant alcoholism nor health problems nor location in the Upper Midwest can stop Mike from demonstrating his showmanship skills. Of course, it helps that he’s portrayed by Jackman, who - despite getting a little long in the tooth — gives every performance his all.
What the story can never quite answer, though, is why this particular couple is worth an entire feature film. Sure, they have a somewhat interesting arc, especially when it coincides with a certain early ‘90s grunge band, but otherwise there’s little that separates them from other tribute acts toiling around the country. Brewer struggles to define them outside of their singing lives, and when things get really bad for them, the emotional connection is at a minimum.
Then there’s the aspect of incorporating Diamond’s music, some of which has endured across the decades more than others. Naturally, “Sweet Caroline” gets a notable showcase, but whither “America” or “Heartlight”? The title song is featured the most often, as Mike uses it to celebrate his yearly “sober birthday,” but it’s not a barnburner. Mike also has an obsession with the relatively obscure "Soolaimón," an odd choice both for him and for the movie to include so much.
Jackman and Hudson have good chemistry together, and when the film puts them together in singing scenes, their bond becomes infectious. Each of them has naturally melodic voices as well, lending an extra boost to that part of the film. Supporting actors like Anderson, King Princess, Michael Imperioli, and Fisher Stevens complement them well, but Jim Belushi, playing their promoter, gives a hammy performance that seems to be in a completely different movie.
While it’s unclear who the audience for Song Sung Blue might be other than hardcore Diamond fans, it has just enough crowd-pleasing moments to make for a solid watch. The entertainment factor of the film comes and goes, but Jackman using every ounce of his abilities mostly makes up for any deficiencies.
