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

[Bobby Henderson]

I remember when the Chelsea Cinemas theater first opened back in 1989. I was a college student at SVA back then. It seemed like it took them a few weeks longer to finish the theater than originally planned. IIRC, Lethal Weapon 2 was supposed to be one of the first big movies to help open the theater. But a 70mm print of that movie played a short walk farther West on 23rd street at the 23rd Street Triplex (which School of Visual Arts later remodeled into the SVA Theater). I watched Lethal Weapon 2 at the triplex theater within the first week or two of release. I can't remember if they later moved the print down the street to Chelsea Cinemas once it opened.

I didn't watch very many movies at the Chelsea Cinemas theater, even though it was fairly close to SVA's buildings in that part of Manhattan. More often I'd visit the Gramercy Theater farther East on 23rd Street. The Loews 19th Street six-plex opened during the same period.

[Martin Brooks]

The Cinepolis Chelsea Cinema 9 on West 23rd Street in NYC is closing this Sunday 1/8/23. In originally opened in 1989 as a Cineplex-Odeon. In December of 1998, Clearview took it over, in June, 2013 Bow-Tie took over and it became a Cinepolis in July of 2016. It wasn't a great theater originally, although two screens were THX certified, but it was renovated in 2014 and was quite nice.
The closest theater is the AMC 34th Street (near 8th avenue). It's amazing to me that the Chelsea neighborhood could no longer support a movie theater.

My guess is that the building will be demolished and a new condo will be built instead.

[Mark Gulbrandsen]

another small town plex bites the dust...the wood river cinema 4 in hailey idaho has closed, unsure if it will be resurrected. it was originally opened by marshall smith of jackson hole wyoming. i think it was operated by regal the last few years. that leaves 4 screens open in ketchum idaho a few miles north. unsure of the actual close date but a friend let me know .

Good riddance to that place, there used to be a great Japanese restaurant where that building sits now. Rick will be happy and now he may have to re-open two more screens again as that area can easily support six screens. The Sun Valley Opera House is also closed. They were fast talked by Strong into installing a Sony projector. The thing probably died and the Holding kids are reluctant to re-equip the booth. Also, Marshall actually lives in Hailey but still has interest in a plex in Banff.

[Buck Wilson]

Regal is closing a number of locations in the next week, the ones I’m aware of are the Hollywood Theaters Stadium 14(opened 2005) in Topeka KS, the Hollywood Theaters College Station 14(opened 2009) in Springfield MO, and the UA High Ridge in Albuquerque NM.

[Eric Thuemmel]

The Colonial in Belfast Maine.

https://www.wabi.tv/2022/08/15/colon...new-ownership/

http://movietheatreforsale.com/

What are people's opinions, at the sale price of $1.3 Million, could someone or a non-profit make a real go at this, or is it a pie in the sky dream?

Mike's been trying to sell his theater for some time, I hope someone takes it. He's done a lot of work with it.

If you ever get a chance to talk to him he's a wealth of info on movie theater operation!

[J-sun Bailey]

The Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville Maibe just moved to its new location in the $18 million Paul J Schupf Arts Center.

https://www.centralmaine.com/2022/12...ens-to-public/

[J-sun Bailey]

The Colonial in Belfast Maine.

https://www.wabi.tv/2022/08/15/colon...new-ownership/

http://movietheatreforsale.com/

What are people's opinions, at the sale price of $1.3 Million, could someone or a non-profit make a real go at this, or is it a pie in the sky dream?

[Allan Barnes]

Closed mid-November 2022 the STRAND CINEMA in Parry Sound, Ontario. Opened Christmas Day 1940. New owner hopes Reno opening as a 3 screen opening May 2023 for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY 3 with new seats, projection and sound.

[Leo Enticknap]

The Filmhouse cinema, one of the leading independent cinemas in Scotland and the only independent arthouse in the capital, Edinburgh, closed earlier this month (6th October). The closure was due to the bankruptcy of the parent charity, the Centre for the Moving Image, which also runs another cinema in Aberdeen (the Belmont - also closed)

Very sorry to hear about the Filmhouse - I went there a couple of times in the '90s. I'm guessing that covid essentially did for its parent nonprofit. As for the Belmont, was that the 3-plex that the council originally owned, but never actually opened, and then City Screen took over in around 2000? I worked for them from 1996-2001, and in 1999 was sent on a site survey visit there. I can't remember if City Screen had actually taken over the place or was still thinking about it at that point. It struck me as weird and very likely not economically viable to run. All of the auditoria were pretty small (with the walls painted in regulation local government office not quite white/not quite cream!), but no expense had been spared in the booth - 70mm in all houses, Dolby, DTS, SDDS, 70mm mag, CP500s (then state of the art), the works. But I couldn't see the place as being viable for a mainstream/arthouse crossover (which was then City Screen's business model - don't know if it remained that way after the Cineworld takeover), with the main problem being the small capacity houses: even sellout shows seven days a week would have struggled to cover the likely operating costs. City Screen did eventually open that site, but I left the company very shortly afterwards. I wonder how long they ran it until it was handed over to that nonprofit.

[Steve Guttag]

Harbor East Cinemas (managed by Flagship Cinemas) just opened after an extensive renovation in Baltimore, MD (Inner Harbor area). This was a site managed by Landmark Cinemas, previously.

https://harboreastcinemas.com/

[Martin McCaffery]

Țara Theatre in Atlanta closing:
https://www.atlantanewsfirst.com/202...ilm-community/

Regal Tara to close its doors for good, surprising Atlanta film community

Employees said they were notified just days before closure

Bridget Spencer
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - If you have ever been to the unique Regal Tara theater, you may be sad to know that it will soon close its doors for good.

The Regal Tara is an art-house theater located just off Cheshire Bridge Road. For decades, it has been the place to come for movies of all kinds including independent films. The landmark will close this week, with employees finding out about the closure just three days before, they told Atlanta News First.

A spokesperson for Regal sent this statement:

“As part of our real estate optimization strategy, Regal has made the decision to close our Regal Tara theatre as we continue to position our company for long-term growth. We are working to support our employees through this transition, and we thank them for helping to make us the ‘Best Place to Watch a Movie.’

All of our other Regal theatres in Atlanta – including Regal Atlantic Station, Regal Hollywood N-I85, and Regal Perimeter Pointe – remain open and are operating as usual. We look forward to continuing to serve our guests and members at these locations and providing them with the most memorable cinema experiences.”

Patrons can go to another Regal location, but they said the truly unique architecture and style of the Tara, will be something that cannot be duplicated.

Copyright 2022 WANF. All rights reserved.

[Ian Puffenberger]

https://www.arlnow.com/2022/10/19/al...ity-next-week/

Alamo Drafthouse opened their Crystal City location in Arlington, VA, on Oct. 24, with nine screens including a Big Show which they claim is 66' x 28' and features Dolby Atmos.I was able to check it out during that first soft opening week. The art-deco flourishes all throughout the three-level lobby and the bar area are really attractive, particularly the bar area itself--they're calling this one Departures--with its airport lounge-style look. They've also gotten progressively more extravagant with the mural-style Big Show entrances with this one referencing Snakes on a Plane. Of course once you go down the hall to the other auditoriums it's pretty much the same old Alamo with a bunch of medium to small top-masked screens. Based on the theatre I was in and peeking into a couple others it looks all the screens here are top-masked except for the Big Show; that's a step down from their DC location which has four scope screens out of nine, and their Woodbridge, VA, location which has two scope out of eight. At least they're still using masking.

[Frank Cox]

I think your caps lock key is sticking....

[Allan Barnes]

TONIGHT. RE-OPENING the LARGEST DRIVE IN THEATRE in CANADA. 4 SCREENS OUTSIDE NIAGARA FALLS. TEST WEEKEND OCT 28-29-30th 2022. NEW OWNER - OPERATORS are PREMIERE OPERATING of DON MILLS, ONTARIO. FULL TIME OPERATION APRIL or MAY 2023. See my list of 35mm treasures / junk for sale or trade. Rebranded as SKYWAY - NIAGARA FALLS formerly known as the CANVIEW.

[David Ferguson]

The Filmhouse cinema, one of the leading independent cinemas in Scotland and the only independent arthouse in the capital, Edinburgh, closed earlier this month (6th October). The closure was due to the bankruptcy of the parent charity, the Centre for the Moving Image, which also runs another cinema in Aberdeen (the Belmont - also closed) and also the Edinburgh International Film Festival (also affected by the closure - unsure if it will run again).

The Filmhouse opened in 1979 in a renovated church building, and had three screens (a large 280-seat auditorium, and two smaller screens) with 70mm, 35mm, 16mm and digital capabilities. Current rumour is that the building (with all equipment and furnishings intact, at least initially) will be put up for sale imminently - anyone here want to open a cinema in Edinburgh?

The community has set up a petition to raise support in the hopes that it can be re-opened in the future: https://www.change.org/p/save-edinbu...and-belmont