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Madison - It isn't just the film lineup, heavy on indie and foreign flicks, that showcases the rarefied market niche of the new Sundance Cinemas 608.
After all, Madison, Milwaukee and a lot of other cities have such art house cinemas, where the choices often include low-budget films with some media buzz (such as "Waitress," the new bittersweet comedy starring Keri Russell) along with others you probably never dreamed existed ("Air Guitar Nation," a documentary about air guitar contests).
But it's the theater itself that brings to life the ambitions of movie icon Robert Redford and his financial backers, who are using Madison as the launching pad for what they hope will become a national art house chain.
Sundance Cinemas 608 (the number is the local area code) will offer more than its six theater screens and popcorn when it debuts Friday at Hilldale Shopping Center on Madison's west side. The cinema also boasts a bistro, with a full bar that stays open until 2 a.m.; a cafe serving breakfast; a second bar, on the theater's roof; and luxurious furnishings and snazzy decor, including paintings and other works from local artists.
At the 20-screen cineplexes, "Spider-Man 3," "Shrek the Third" and the next "Pirates of the Caribbean" will pack 'em in. Sundance Cinemas targets a smaller group of more serious film fans, said President and Chief Executive Officer Paul Richardson.
That audience appreciates not just the movies at Sundance Cinemas but also the theater's...