I have a gut feeling it was a Regal though the story gives no hint.

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Say, if it *was* a Cobb Theatre, maybe it was a good thing to see those 2:1 screens go away.

Assuming that the equipment is still there. Usually when a theatre closes, the projection, concession, and office equipment is the first thing to go, whether to a company warehouse,another theatre within the chain (for upgrading) or sold off to the highest bidder. Been there Done that.

Seats and screens (especially if they are older) are the only things that get left behind...

I remember the "Grand Opening Weeked" (early 90's) - standing in the parking lot and watching the "Flying Elvis's" parachute jump team come flying into the parking lot - complete with electrically lighted jump suits, gold rimmed sunglasses and of course - Elvis hair. It was a cool sight back then, but lately the parking lot has been pretty empty.

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Barry Floyd
Floyd Entertainment Group
Nashville, Tennessee
(Drive-In Theatre - Start-Up)

However -- this practice does leave me wondering how many UA's there are just waiting for somebody to turn the key and turn on the power and start right up?

-Scott-

Is the current trend to let the presentation quality slide at whichever locations are likely to close soon? I don't think this logic applies to Carmike locations, since I don't think the Carmike Century Cinema 8 in Decatur will close any time soon, even though it has awful presentation quality. If this comment applies to Regal, I wonder if they're going to close the Madison Square 12 location at Madison Square Mall in Huntsville, AL. This theatre did get upgraded to stadium seating back in 1999, but the digital sound systems that were supposedly going in never got installed. I don't think their equipment is as much to blame as the carelessness and lack of experience of the booth people at that location. It makes me wonder if the Madison Square 12 is high on the chopping clock at Regal. I'd hate for Huntsville, AL to lose another theatre, but if I had to pick one to lose, it would be this one.

At Nippers Corner, what kinds of problems have been noticed? Equipment breakdowns? Carelessness of operation? No quality checking and control? I'm just curious, since Regal seems to keep their theatres better maintained than Carmike does. Except for the lack of adjustable masking issue, Hollywood 18 in my area seems to be well-maintained, with good presentation quality. In contrast, Madison Square 12 seems neglected, and no steps seem to have been taken to better train the staff there in regards to framing, splicing, alignment, etc. Their sound systems leave a lot to be desired, as well. Even if new projectors have been installed there, I'm still noticing operator problems that no amount of new equipment will fix.

How does Regal determine which theatres to neglect and which ones to keep up? I'd bet that Madison Square 12 would do far more business if it were better maintained. It currently has a very bad reputation. Most people flock to Hollywood 18 and Carmike 10.

Regal recently got rid of the Rainbow Cinemas in Gadsden, AL, which was probably, by far, the most popular theatre there, even though the one time I went there, it showed signs of neglect (broken masking, poor contrast, severe misframing). Hamilton Theatres took it over and made improvements to it. Why didn't Regal just make those improvememts and keep the place? Do they want to get out of smaller cities? Will the Regal 8-plex that appears to be an old Martin theatre in Tullahoma, TN be gone soon?

Does Regal still operate any theatres that are not first-run?

Another note: I've noticed that Carmike moves their managers around all the time. Seldom does a manager stay in one location in my area for very long. Regal, in contrast, seems to keep the same mangers. While one Carmike location has had 10 managers and another Carmike location has had at least 4 managers, all of the Regal locations currently operating in my area have each had one manger. I think it is wise for Regal to hang on to their good managers, and see this as a bad thing only when an incompetent manager is kept at a location.

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Info Site

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Is the current trend to let the presentation quality slide at whichever locations are likely to close soon? I don't think this logic applies to Carmike locations

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As always, it depends on the people at that particular theater.
I vividly recall talking to one Carmike manager at a theater he knew was going to close (he was being transferred to a new one) & his present theater had no budget for maintenance. He was a former IA projectionist, his theater always had the best presentation in town, still did, & his sister was, as we spoke, in one of the auditoriums stitching up some rips in the masking & wall curtains.

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Do you mean building managers or City managers? The Carmikes in Billings, MT have had the same city manager for at least 15 years. It's hilarious....the guy is not allowed to speak to the press. Even when they opened a new 10-plex there a couple of years ago, this guy was "not available for comment."

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I mean individual theatre managers. The Carmike Century Cinema 8 in Decatur has had at least 10 managers since I started going there in early 1997. Some of these have only been there for a few weeks. Managers tend to be around longer at the Carmike 10 in Huntsville, but they've had at least 4 since March 1998 when the place opened.

I guess the aspects I mentioned in my earlier post are truly regional, and global hypotheses should not be made based on local observations. I would think that Carmike 10 is typical of larger, more modern Carmike locations in "good" areas (well-maintained) and the Carmike 8 in Decatur is more of an example of older locations (built by other companies like Martin or Fairlane/Litchfield) in the late 70s and early 80s in smaller cities (not well maintained). I don't understand the logic of moving managers around so much down here at the Carmikes. As I said before, Regal keeps their managers for long periods of time down here.

The title of this thread is "The boarded-up megaplex". Maybe we should start a collection of photographs of deserted multiplex theatres. I went to Birmingham and noticed two: one on Center Point Parkway (a Carmike) and one in Bessemer down near where US 11 intersects I-59. I could not tell which company had that one. Most businesses down there were deserted due to high crime. I need to start taking my digital camera when I go on road trips again.

Jackson TN has just lost a multiplex, and this is a nice article, with dates and histories of some theatres there! From The Jackson Sun:

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Jackson's 25-year-old theater, Cinema 8, opened and shut its doors for the last time Tuesday night and for some Jacksonians, going to the movies will just never be the same.

Projectionist J.T. Kesterson threads the movie 'Swordfish' on Tuesday night at Ajay's Cinema 8, formerly Malco Cinema 8, in Jackson for one of the theater's final showings. The theater closed Tuesday night.

"I brought my little girls here when they were just 4 years old to see their first movie," Humboldt resident Joan Marsh said.

Marsh, a teacher in Humboldt, has been employed part time as a cashier for the theater for three years and hopes to transfer to another theater. Parent company Ajay Theatres also owns Hollywood 12 and Jackson 10, formerly Regal.

Cinema 8 has been at its 2891 U.S. 45 Bypass location since 1976 and was known as Malco until November 2000 when its name was changed by Ajay. Employees were told last week that the theater would be closing.

"It was only a matter of time, because we weren't busy at all," Cinema 8 assistant manager Shanease Hart said.

West Tennessee Healthcare has a contract on the property, although a sale isn't expected to be finalized until later next month. WTH says it has no specific plans for the property if it is bought.

But Jackson developer Gary Taylor said that residents should not view the Cinema 8 closing as losing a theater.

"That place had a long run, and North Jackson is moving toward new business coming to the area," said Taylor, who added that it was his understanding that Hollywood 12 would be increasing its theater size to 16 screens. "So people shouldn't look at it as though we're losing something but gaining a larger theater."

Ajay Theatres owner Ambarish Keshani couldn't be reached for comment Tuesday.

Cinema 8 opened its doors to approximately 20 sentimental moviegoers Tuesday, opening for only two evening show times, 7 and 9 p.m., on its final night.

"It makes us sad to see it go," Debbie Sullivan of Jackson said. Sullivan and her daughter, Courtney, went to see the movie "Legally Blonde."

"We always came to the theater because it was close to where we lived, and I trusted it enough to drop my kids off here when they wanted to go to movies by themselves," Sullivan said.

At least one person was in each theater Tuesday night as the employees joked around behind the concession stand rehashing old stories.

"We loved playing truth or dare while we were working," general manager Jeremy Young said.

Employees described working together over the past few years like being with family.

"We all get along and have a good time together," said Carrie Doss, a junior at Middle Tennessee State University. Cinema 8 was Doss' first job, one that will hold a special place in her heart.

"I doubt that I'll ever find a job like this one," she said. "A job that I don't mind coming to everyday."

Theater history

1920s-1940s: Paramount and Malco downtown theaters build and start operating.

1967: Malco opens Mall Theatre.

1975: Malco Theatre opens at Old Hickory Mall.

1976: Malco Twin Theater opens at 2891 U.S. 45 Bypass.

Mid-'70s: Cabana and Phase II Theatres open at Hamilton Hills Shopping Center.

1985: Malco Twin is expanded to Malco Quartet.

Sept. 16, 1986: Paramount Theatre downtown closes - adjoins with Malco off East Baltimore.

July 17, 1987: United Artists Theater (Regal Cinema) opens at 71 Conrad Drive.

July, 30, 1987: Malco at 204 E. Baltimore closes.

1990: Malco Quartet expands to Malco 8. Cabana-Phase II closes.

May 6, 1991: Malco Theater at Old Hickory Mall closes.

June 18, 1999: Holly-wood 12 Cinema opens at 575 Vann Drive.

November 2000: Ajay Theatres acquires Malco and Regal theaters, names change to Cinema 8 and Jackson 10, respectively.

July 31, 2001: Cinema 8 closes.
Jackson Sun research by business reporter Kelli L. Ross

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Evans A Criswell
Huntsville-Decatur Movie Theatre Information Site