Have a news tip for us?
Just email . Ideas for stories, links to interesting articles, and press releases are welcome.
Closings
-
September 5, 2008
Curzon Cinema closes
URMSTON, GREATER MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — After a long struggle to keep this cinema open it has lost the battle. The last of three in the district, the owners tried so much but it needed too much renovation work and it became financial liability. The loss of the Empress, the Palace, and now this, means there isn’t a local cinema anymore.
0 comments -
August 28, 2008
Curtain will close on two cinemas
BOSTON, MA — National Amusements is closing two Boston-area cinemas including Brookline’s Circle Cinemas
The Dedham-based movie chain plans to close the Showcase Cinemas Lawrence 1-6 on Monday and the Circle Cinemas in Brookline will close for business after the last show on Sept. 7. The private company said it would try to find positions at its other locations for the 51 employees affected by the closings.
“We watch all of our theaters closely,” Wanda Whitson, the company’s spokeswoman, told the Globe yesterday, “and make every effort to keep them as viable operating businesses. Once they are no longer viable, we make the decision to close them.”
Read the full story in the Boston Globe.
-
August 26, 2008
Plaza Twin to close
DUNN, NC — The town’s only theater, the Carmike Plaza Twin, will close this week with no plans yet on what will happen to it.
Just last year, the two-screen theater was given a full makeover, including new seats in both auditoriums and the latest Christie digital projectors.
“I think we’re the only theater that actually has (the new projectors),” Mr. St. Onge said. “They’ve been fixing up everything, so I’m surprised they’re closing.”
Read the full story in the Dunn Daily Record.
-
June 18, 2008
Hollywood Studio Theatres chain abruptly closes theatres
Update: Please note that this story was NOT submitted by Chakeres Theatres, Inc. (The post below is modified from an earlier submission.)
COLUMBUS, OH — Hollywood Studio Theatres might be no more. They closed Brice Mall Dollar Cinema 8. And now it looks like Dollar Cinema Westland 8 (a former General Cinema), the Westerville 8 (a former Silver Cinemas Discount House) which Hollywood uses as a first run cinema and the Delaware Square 5 (a former Regal Cinema and last operated prior to Hollywood Studio by an out of business chain called Classic Theatres, which was also based out of Columbus).
The official website lists times for last week June 6-12 but all phone numbers are disconnected. Westerville recording has times for June 6-12 but the office number is disconnected. Coshocton Twin in Coshocton, OH seems to still be open.
-
June 4, 2008
Theatre may close due to property taxes
BRADENTON, FL — A mixup involving the possible tax=exemption from showing certain films may shutdown the Lakewood Ranch Cinemas.
Lakewood Ranch moviegoers may lose their only theater, and theater operators say it’s because of a property tax mix up.
The non-profit Sarasota Film Society just opened the Lakewood Ranch Cinemas in December, and the group believed it was eligible for a property tax exemption. But the Manatee County Property Appraiser says it doesn’t apply. Now the Film Society is passing out flyers, hoping you’ll come to the rescue.
Read more at My Suncoast.com.
-
June 2, 2008
Hollywood Theatre closed once again
DORMONT, PA — The Hollywood Theatre, one of two theatres in the Pittsburgh suburb of Dormont was praised after it reopened on March 30th 2007. The Hollywood Theatre had been closed since 1998. Sadly more people wanted it to reopen than people would actually support it and it once again closed on May 25 just a little over a year after it reopened.
From member Susan The Bass Player:
A second Pittsburgh area second run house has bitten the dust. Not long after the shuttering of the Screenworks 14 in Bridgeville comes the news that the Hollywood Theatre in Dormont has also closed. Like the Screenworks, the re-incarnated Hollywood lasted a very short time—only 14 months from its re-opening to the time of closure.
-
May 28, 2008
Screenworks 14 closes
BRIDGEVILLE, PA — The Screenworks 14 Cinema in has closed. This theatre used to called the Star City South Fayette 14. It opened in 2000 amid much hoopla, with city officials happy to add a long-dormant piece of property to the tax rolls. It was to be the first of six planned Star City theaters, including two in West Virginia, but it was the only one ever built.
The problem was that the 20-screen Destinta Theater, which screened more popular first-run movies, dinners, and table service, opened up nearby. Destinta also killed the Loews 20 North Versailles (which lasted less than two years). Star City lasted only from 2000 to 2005. It was re-opened a couple of years ago as the Screenworks 14 Cinemas and operated as a 2nd-run bargain house.
-
April 22, 2008
Three Charleston-area theaters close
CHARLESTON, SC — AMC is closing three theaters in Charleston.
AMC Entertainment, Inc. announced that their multi-screen theaters at Citadel Mall and Northwoods Mall will close. Both theaters were purchased by AMC Entertainment, Inc. in 2002. Both theaters were built before the trend to Megaplex theaters. Neither theater has ever been significantly remodeled.
Get the full story at SC Movie Theaters here.
-
March 17, 2008
Tameside Hippodrome to close?
ASHTON-UNDER-LYNE, UK — The future of the Tameside Hippodrome is in doubt as the local Council have failed to appoint anyone to run the venue. It has been managed by Live Nation for the past 10 years, but their contract ran out at the end of 2007, they have continued to run the theatre for the last six months to allow appointment of a new management company, but none has been forthcoming.
Due to close for a refurbishment in 2008, it is not now clear if this will be carried out, or if it will be curtains for the theatre which opened in 1904, and was rebuilt as a cinema in 1933, retaining the original stage (architects Drury and Gomersall). It became a Union Cinemas house and thus passed to ABC. Films ceased in 1986, and it has been a live venue ever since, but completely unaltered.
Meanwhile the staff have been made redundant, or moved to other Live Nation venues , and at the end of March 2008 the Hippodrome will be boarded up.
Read more at The Stage.
-
February 26, 2008
Showcase Cinemas closing
ORANGE, CT — The National Amusement’s Showcase Cinemas is closing on March 3rd, 2008. According to a NA spokesperson, the decision to shutter the 14-year-old theater is purely economic.
Best attempts are being made on their part to find employment for the theater’s 37 workers at other cinemas in the state.