What's the latest theatre to close or open you have heard about?

[Ryan Gallagher]

The Eastside Cinema (in collaboration with Blue Starlight Drive In's), Austin, TX.
Part of the Millenium Youth Entertainment Complex.

Grand re-opening was 1/20/2024. 300+ Seat single screen Digital 7.1 and original 35mm capacity. Technically a re-opening of the long shuttered single screen at the east austin youth complex cinema that closed during the transition to digital.

https://www.kvue.com/article/news/lo...c-f9206476dee4

https://www.eastsidecinema.com/

[Martin Brooks]

Not really closing, just upscaling and changing name.

Why would you put a USB port into each seat? Won't that just encourage people to use their phones and pads? Terrible idea IMO.

[Martin McCaffery]

The paranoid me would wonder if the theater can hack the cell phones from those ports.

[Steve Guttag]

Then again, I think the future of ADA compliance will be BYOD. This would solve many things...like having enough displays/headsets and sign language devices. Having a place to keep a phone charged would make sense to me. Providing headsets and caption displays is a money losing proposition as well as a frustration for the user when they don't work. Like it or not, ADA type rules will continue to expand to include more forms of disabilities and the cell phone is about as ubiquitous as any device.

[Frank Cox]

Then you get people with their cell phone light glaring in the dark auditiorium and you can't tell them to turn it off.

[Steve Guttag]

I know...the problem is, you're going to get that anyway. Furthermore, depending on the laws of your area, you'll go broke accommodating every form of disability. As it is now, what is the ratio of the number of headsets required versus the number used? How many caption displays get destroyed? The technology also goes stale and you end up with an obsolete system that has to be replaced.

Perhaps a solution is to design seats/seat backs such that they hold cell phones, provide power yet direct the screen back to the viewer rather than to the entire crowd.

[Jim Cassedy]

The paranoid me would wonder if the theater can hack the cell phones from those ports.

I used to wonder about that too, when "Free" charging stations started popping up in places
like TARGET, and hotel lobbies, etc. When I travel, I carry a couple of charging cables for
my phones & tablet that only have the power pins wired, and the 'data' pins are dead.

[William Kucharski]

425508167_341724865506381_1207006013752220520_n.jpg

College Point Multiplex, Whitestone, NY.

[Leo Enticknap]

When I travel, I carry a couple of charging cables for my phones & tablet that only have the power pins wired, and the 'data' pins are dead.

As a variation on that, I carry a "USB condom," together with a fully wired cable. That way, if I actually want the data connection (e.g. to transfer pics from my phone to my laptop while in the field), I can have it, but the same cable with the condom on one end of it allows safe charging at airport and other public USB outlets.

[Leo Enticknap]

Returning to the thread topic, and sadly...

Sole theater in San Bernardino Mountains closes its doors after 25 years

By Madison Hart | mhart@scng.com
PUBLISHED: March 1, 2024 at 4:38 p.m. | UPDATED: March 1, 2024 at 4:41 p.m.

Village Theaters North in Big Bear Lake, the only theater in the San Bernardino Mountains, has closed its doors after 25 years.

The theater opened in 1999 under owner Will Viner.

Viner died in February due to complications following a surgery, according to Big Bear Chamber of Commerce officials.

“Unfortunately, the Village Theaters North did close their doors this month,” chamber office manager Patricia Gallagher said in an email Monday, Feb. 26. “The owner, Will Viner, passed away. His son did come up the mountain to assess the idea of staying open but said it is not affordable at this time for him.”

The theater’s final day was Feb. 19.

“After 25 years of movies and memories in beautiful Big Bear Lake, the Village Theaters North has closed its doors for the final time,” said a note on the theater website.

Residents in the San Bernardino Mountains will now have to drive down the mountain, and back again, in order to catch a film on the big screen.

“The other unfortunate thing is it was our only movie theater in the Big Bear Valley,” Gallagher said.

“Our condolences to the family and they will be missed,” she added.

[Ronda Love]

FunTime Cinemas, Inc with locations in Harrisburg, York and Willow Street, PA closed all three locations yesterday. March 4th, 2024. Anyone interested in operating these locations needs to contact me immediately. 30 Years in the business. Sad to say goodbye.
Colonial Park Mall 4, Kendig Square Movies 6, and South York Cinemas (4-plex)

[William Kucharski]

This could be very bad for film fans:

The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Circuit Is Up For Sale

https://deadline.com/2024/03/alamo-d...ale-1235871003

[William Kucharski]

AMC Classic Allentown 16 closes this weekend:

https://www.wfmz.com/features/eat-si...1339bb8ab.html