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

[Scotty Wright]

Seattle Cinerama reopens on Dec 14 as the SIFF Cinema Downtown

[Scott Jentsch]

Some recent closings that I didn't see listed here already:

1. Kailua-Kona, HI: Regal Makalapua Closed
2. Wilmington, NC: AMC Classic Wilmington 16 Closed
3. New Haven, CT: Bow Tie Criterion Cinemas Closed
4. Broussard, LA: Celebrity Theatres - Broussard 10 Closed
5. Mill Valley, CA: Cinemark CineArts at Sequoia Closed, Renovations Planned
6. Blair, NE: Blair 3 Theatre Closed
7. Naples, FL: B & B Naples Towne Centre 6 Closed

[William Kucharski]

Gold Hill Theatres, Woodland Park, CO.

https://www.fox21news.com/top-storie...ses-its-doors/

[Martin Brooks]

Not technically a closure, but Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre is up for sale.

https://www.thewrap.com/dolby-theatr...rds-hollywood/

Anyone who buys that theater for $70m is not going to keep it as a theater IMO in spite of the deal with the Academy, which I'm sure has some kind of cancellation clause. It will be torn down and the site used for a hotel or condo or an office tower. I never realized until this news that Dolby didn't actually own the theatre. Hopefully, no one buys it and it just continues as it has been.

[William Kucharski]

Not technically a closure, but Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre is up for sale.

https://www.thewrap.com/dolby-theatr...rds-hollywood/

[William Kucharski]

Showcase City Center, White Plains, NY.

IMG_9082.jpg

[Ed Gordon]

I've never been there but I just looked at the pictures on their website and it looks like their screen is a postage stamp.

Yes, it is a very small theater (68 seats).

THERE ISN'T ANYTHING grand about the Grand Illusion unless you value intimacy, stamina, quirkiness, seats that don't rock and the certainty that nobody involved is getting rich. It is as humble as a screening room — and no bigger than some you'd find inside mansions around town.

grand illusion theater.png
MovieHouses_Takeover.jpg

The audience can be as eclectic as the film menu. Director Quentin Tarantino might be there. When he attended the Seattle Film Festival two years ago, he showed up at the Grand Illusion and fell in love with the place, ambience and goal. He talked about dropping out to a theater like this after his Hollywood run, and bought a lifetime membership. Some day or night you might notice an old guy sashaying past the ticket table without paying. The story goes that he walked in one day, donated $1,500 and said, "I probably won't live much longer so how about I get in free for life?"

Quotes from: A Film Classic: Beyond the Hollywood hype, The Grand Illusion keeps the faith

[Ronda Love]

Mahoning Valley Cinemas in Lehighton, PA closed permanently Sept 14, 2022. Landlord bringing in a Marshall's.
https://www.tnonline.com/20231007/ma...highton-plaza/

Anyone know of a 4 plex or better available in eastern/central pa?

[Frank Cox]

I've never been there but I just looked at the pictures on their website and it looks like their screen is a postage stamp.

[Ed Gordon]

Love the Grand Illusion. Hope they can find a new venue in time. A joint venture with Scarecrow would be an incredible opportunity.

The Grand IIlusion is a local treasure that should be saved. I hope they don't wait "a couple of years" to see what happens. A partnership with Scarecrow would be beneficial to both. My main concern is that both venues probably won't be able to afford the rising cost real estate in Seattle.

Grand IIlusion: https://grandillusioncinema.org/

Scarecrow Video: https://scarecrowvideo.org/

[Scotty Wright]

Source: https://kuow.org/stories/what-this-t...ndie-directors

Love the Grand Illusion. Hope they can find a new venue in time. A joint venture with Scarecrow would be an incredible opportunity.

[Ed Gordon]

Seattle's Grand Illusion Cinema, indie film buff favorite, faces uncertain future following $2.3 million sale




Mikiech Nichols at the Grand Illusion Cinema at University Way NE and NE 50th Street.


The tiny Grand Illusion Cinema — or at least, the building it occupies in the University District — has sold to a developer for just over $2 million dollars.
The theater’s manager said it will probably be torn down in a few years.
We went to a recent screening to see why the place has become so important to film fans and filmmakers.

The Grand Illusion Theater has just 68 seats in a retrofitted dental office above a computer repair shop. It’s been a go-to destination for weird and wonderful films since 1970.
Mikiech Nichols is a volunteer projectionist there. He also wrote, directed, and starred in his own indie comedy film called "Mountainside" about a filmmaker with writer’s block.

In one scene, the main character tells a woman at a party about his efforts to write a schlocky science fiction horror movie.
“Unfortunately, it’s really hard to write, because I don’t know the first thing about 1. science, 2. the future, or 3. werewolf women from outer space,” he says.
“That’s your title right there,” she responds.
The film is somewhat autobiographical, and Nichols’ character in the film is also a film projectionist. Naturally, the real Nichols filmed a scene in the Grand Illusion Cinema where he works.
When sitting in the audience at Grand Illusion, I was watching a fictional audience sitting in the same theater —it was a very meta moment. And like me, they were watching a film about making a film.
After the film, Nichols — the real one — came down the aisle to talk with the audience.
“Man, this is a dream come true," he said, facing the seats full of friends, actors who were in his film, and strangers. "I mean, you saw the movie. We filmed in here. The entire time we were making it, I was just hoping that I’d be able to play it here. I mean, I’m a volunteer, but I don’t book the movies. So the fact that I was able to make that happen and get three nights, and...I didn’t rent the space, they just booked the movie — that is so cool.”



Mikiech Nichols plays a film projectionist in the locally-filmed movie Mountainside

He said he’s sad the theater will have to move. But he said the feelings people have for this place will ensure that it finds a new home, somewhere else.
“I’m in love with this theater. And I think, most of the projectionists here, at the very least — and there are a lot of them have been here for a very long time — I think feel very similarly.”
The future of the University District cinema has been up in the air lately. In the 1990s, there were five movie theaters in this neighborhood, many of them showing indie films. When the Grand Illusion leaves, only two theaters will remain.
The original Metro theater is now an 21-and-over venue owned by AMC that serves dinner and drinks during films.
The other one is the Varsity, just steps from the U District light rail station. When University Way finally gets an upzone, the land beneath that the Varsity will become like gold, and will probably be developed just like the Grand Illusion.

Kate Barr at Scarecrow Video on Roosevelt Way in Seattle's University District

Kate Barr is the executive director of Scarecrow Video, a nonprofit library of videos just down the street. It's another place loved by local film buffs. Barr also volunteers at the Grand Illusion, and sits on its board.

“The filmmaker that you spoke with, where would he be able to exhibit his movie, if it weren’t for small cinemas, and especially ones like the Grand Illusion?” she asked. Because it’s volunteer-run, the Grand Illusion can show indie films that don’t generate a lot of money.

Barr said nonprofit institutions that lose their space need help surviving while they search for a new location.
Scarecrow could face the same future, too, she added. Its current lease only goes through 2024.
“My dream, would be if we could find a large enough space in which Scarecrow could exist, and also right next to it would be the Grand Illusion," she said. "And we would have a mega-*********** there. But I don’t know…it’s a pretty big pipe dream.”

Back at the Grand Illusion, Mikiech Nichols reminded us that the Grand Illusion is still here for now.
“Tell your friends!" he told the audience as everyone left. "And come back to the Grand Illusion.”

Source: https://kuow.org/stories/what-this-t...ndie-directors

[Frank Cox]

https://leaderpost.com/news/local-ne...w-cinema-space

Second-run movie theater opening in old Rainbow Cinema space

When Shawn Davis started working in movie theatres he always thought about opening his own.

That’s what led Davis and his business partner to start Moonlight Movies a decade ago.

“We’re former managers of one of the big chains,” said Davis, co-owner of Moonlight Movies which operates drive-in movie theatres. He said that was always a fun “side summer job” for him but there was always a dream of doing it full-time.

“It’s a pretty expensive endeavour to buy land and all that,” said Davis. “So when Rainbow closed our first instinct was, well, I wonder what kind of equipment we could buy for the drive-in.”

Months went by before Davis acted on that instinct to check out what was left behind at the longstanding Golden Mile second movie theatre — Rainbow Cinemas.

“We found out there was a big opportunity sitting there for us, so we just kind of went for it.”

So he and his business partner Jason Longworth decided to dive feet first into the project, resurrecting Regina’s second-run movie theatre as Moonlight Movies Cinemas.

While the space is under new management and a new name there are some things that remain. Like the old seats screens and carpet. The neon displays over the concession stands, rainbow lights that illuminate a glass feature along the south side of the foyer and the old popcorn machine.

Davis said he knew the announcement would be big, but the response from Regina has been massive. Since announcing the new cinema on Sept. 27 the company says it has received more approximately 1,000 messages on Facebook ranging from people expressing their happiness to people looking for work, asking questions about hours or what kind of movies will be shown.

There are lots of details to iron out but the excitement is palpable. Davis said he wonders if the response would have been the same if his company had taken over operations immediately after the Rainbow closed.

“Sometimes you don’t know what you have until you lose it.” said Davis. “With the cost of everything going up, not just movies but the cost of living, I think people right now are realizing how important something like the Rainbow is.”

On their Facebook page, the company said their soft launch will be Oct. 13 with four screens offering films. As they get off the ground the company is asking for people to be patient as screens, times and concessions will be limited.

“Please still come support us now. While we call it a “soft opening” we still have “hard” bills to pay,” said the company online.

Tickets are $4.99 per person with with Tuesday offering a half-price night for all customers.

Davis said the operation is a small “mom-and-pop.” They aren’t looking to renovate and change the cinema.

“We’re cleaning and reopening,” he said.

Old standbys like Studio 7 will, hopefully, come back eventually. Davis said the projector in that theatre was sold and with the drive-in theatres, they already have established contacts with major film studios, not indie ones.

“If it’s not there in the beginning, that doesn’t mean it won’t be there.”

Rainbow Cinemas closed that theatre on September 25, 2022 so it's been closed for just over a year.

[Leo Enticknap]

Agreed (that he's likely broke). Their website now lists the Buena Park site as the only remaining theater branded as Krikorian. CGV is snapping at his heels there, too (if you don't mind your movies with Korean subtitles!).

[Don Furr]

Yes Leo, work stopped when the pandemic started but also he's in several lawsuits for not paying the construction crews. I think he's broke. I believe the city is going to tear the structure down sometime this month or no later than November.