Jim Ross: An Epic addition to Marion County
Staff WriterOcala Star-Banner
Feb. 29, 2020, 12:46 p.m. ET
People who live in the State Road 200 corridor, west of Interstate 75, were so desperate for a movie theater on their side of town that almost anything would have been welcome.
Heck, if some savvy entrepreneur had spread a bed sheet between two utility poles and projected a movie onto the makeshift screen, thousands of people would have flocked to the new “theater.”
That’s not what happened. Instead, the epic people at Epic Theatres have built a five-star facility that is an instant classic and the envy of the local entertainment scene.
Have you been inside this place? It isn’t just the nicest movie theater in Marion County. It’s one of the nicest commercial buildings of any kind in Marion County
Epic opened quietly last week, as our Carlos Medina noted in his story. And the complex at the Market Street at Heath Brook mall was very quiet when I visited at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The quiet won’t last long.
If there’s a traditional box office, I didn’t see it. You buy your tickets by using simple touch screens, either outside or in the lobby.
It’s a simple process, but staff might have to help people the first time around.
Speaking of the lobby: It’s gargantuan.
The bar (yes, a bar) has 16 (yes, 16) beers on tap, plus machines for frozen daiquiris and frozen Jack and Coke.
Tabletops have movie posters on the surface — all equine movies, like “Seabiscuit” and “Black Stallion.” I suspect this is a nod to the mall’s former life as a horse farm.
The traditional concession area is roomy, and the fare looks pretty standard.
What isn’t standard is the huge seating area, with lots of tables, chairs and couches. It’s more like a hotel lobby than a theater lobby.
The 12 theaters are of varying sizes. “Downhill” was playing in a 47-seat theater, which was 46 more seats than needed when I peeked in during the 5:10 p.m. showing. (Sorry, Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Drefyuss.)
Another theater had 299 seats. I didn’t peek in there.
Speaking of seats: They are huge leather recliner-like contraptions that are nicer than any furniture in my house.
Even better: The aisles are wide. Very wide. No knee-knocking in this place if people are trying to scoot past you.
In December, this column chided Epic’s owners for taking so long to open. After all, the plans were announced almost three years ago.
CMX CineBistro Opens at Coastland Center Mall
Promoted as a restaurant with a movie theater, CMX CineBistro opened October 1 at the Coastland Center mall in Naples.
by Tim Aten Dining Oct. 01, 2021 4:41 p.m.
romoted as a restaurant with a movie theater, CMX CineBistro opened October 1 at the Coastland Center mall in Naples. Guests are advised to arrive a half-hour before showtimes so that the wait staff can deliver meals from full menus prepared by classically trained chefs and craft cocktails from a full bar and lounge. The venue’s kitchen is larger than one of its six theaters. The cinema features state-of-the-art projection and technology, including leather reclining seats with tray tables. All patrons must be at least 21 for the dinner-and-movie experience after 8 p.m. nightly. The theaters and entire complex also are available for private events.
Tavernier Cinema 5 to open after renovations
JILL ZIMA BORSKI Special to The Citizen Oct 11, 2025
The Upper Keys’ only movie theater reopened briefly last month during renovations to feature a movie showcasing a few local and part-time residents in the background scenes of the movie “Looking Through Water” based upon the book written by Islamorada homeowner Bob Rich.
After that successful venture, Tavernier Cinema 5 closed to finish renovations, such as installing new seating and replacing curtains adorning the walls of the five different theaters, so it can be ready for the typically busy winter season.
Upon entering the revamped cinema in Tavernier Towne Shopping Center near Mile Marker 91.3, bayside, guests may spy colorful carpeting, which is brand new, and the snack bar right inside the front doors. The theater’s color scheme is highlighted by sky-blue paint on the trim and in the halls. The theaters’ seating is now comfortable blue leather recliners with drink holders and a small sturdy tabletop on which to place a meal, drink or snack.
The Thai and sushi restaurant J-Dao, located a few storefronts away from the cinema, delivers to the snack bar. Customers may order via a special QR code and are alerted when their orders are ready for pickup inside the cinema.
Among the concession’s adult beverage choices are beer, wine, wine coolers and BeatBoxes, which typically have an alcohol content of 11.1% by volume — comparable to a few beers or a bottle of wine.
The cinema’s general manager, John Clouse, is a Coral Shores High School graduate who has worked at the cinema since 2013 while still attending CSHS. It was known as B&B Theatre then, he said, and a few design features of the former theater remain, such as the mural of film reels over the concession stand.
During the pandemic, Clouse was offered the opportunity to become shift leader, and his next promotion came four months later. While the B&B owner wanted to entice Clouse to work at a theater in Georgia after he sold the business, Clouse chose to stay put at the popular Keys’ theater and kept rising through the ranks to GM.
Expected movie ticket prices are to be in the $14 to $16 range, and the theater will continue its $5 Tuesday special, which usually shows movies at 4 and 7 p.m. Clouse said the theater often sells out on Tuesdays, and he expects Tuesdays’ popularity to continue after the reopening.
Sam Nekhaila of Islamorada owned the cinema from 1991 to 2001 as a two-theater complex, and then took about 18 months to expand to five theaters in 2001. He then sold the cinema to the franchise operator B&B because his other Keys enterprises were requiring additional time. He circled back to the entertainment business, and with the renovated movie house, Nekhaila continues to offer residents the opportunity to enjoy big-city opportunities with Keys flare and comfort.
To see what’s playing, visit taverniercinema5.com.
Please update, rename theatre to Regal Star as per website, theatre was expanded to 12 screens with 5 opening on May 23, 1997 and the other wing 6-12 on July 11, 1997
Uploaded the grand reopening ad for December 22, 2006 in the photos section.
Total seats 1,593 based on 10 screens, 4 and 5 temp closed
Please rename to Cinemark Beaumont 15 and XD as per website, theatre opened on September 26, 1997 (grand Opening ad in the photos section) and total seats 1,122
Please update, rename theatre to Epic Theatres of Ocala with Epic XL and total seats 1, 474
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 317 EPIC XL
Theatre 2 and 11 98
Theatre 3 and 10 45
Theatre 4 and 9 68
Theatre 5 and 8 96
Theatre 6 and 7 125
Jim Ross: An Epic addition to Marion County Staff WriterOcala Star-Banner Feb. 29, 2020, 12:46 p.m. ET
People who live in the State Road 200 corridor, west of Interstate 75, were so desperate for a movie theater on their side of town that almost anything would have been welcome.
Heck, if some savvy entrepreneur had spread a bed sheet between two utility poles and projected a movie onto the makeshift screen, thousands of people would have flocked to the new “theater.”
That’s not what happened. Instead, the epic people at Epic Theatres have built a five-star facility that is an instant classic and the envy of the local entertainment scene.
Have you been inside this place? It isn’t just the nicest movie theater in Marion County. It’s one of the nicest commercial buildings of any kind in Marion County
Epic opened quietly last week, as our Carlos Medina noted in his story. And the complex at the Market Street at Heath Brook mall was very quiet when I visited at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The quiet won’t last long.
If there’s a traditional box office, I didn’t see it. You buy your tickets by using simple touch screens, either outside or in the lobby.
It’s a simple process, but staff might have to help people the first time around.
Speaking of the lobby: It’s gargantuan.
The bar (yes, a bar) has 16 (yes, 16) beers on tap, plus machines for frozen daiquiris and frozen Jack and Coke.
Tabletops have movie posters on the surface — all equine movies, like “Seabiscuit” and “Black Stallion.” I suspect this is a nod to the mall’s former life as a horse farm.
The traditional concession area is roomy, and the fare looks pretty standard.
What isn’t standard is the huge seating area, with lots of tables, chairs and couches. It’s more like a hotel lobby than a theater lobby.
The 12 theaters are of varying sizes. “Downhill” was playing in a 47-seat theater, which was 46 more seats than needed when I peeked in during the 5:10 p.m. showing. (Sorry, Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Drefyuss.)
Another theater had 299 seats. I didn’t peek in there.
Speaking of seats: They are huge leather recliner-like contraptions that are nicer than any furniture in my house.
Even better: The aisles are wide. Very wide. No knee-knocking in this place if people are trying to scoot past you.
In December, this column chided Epic’s owners for taking so long to open. After all, the plans were announced almost three years ago.
Turns out the wait was worth it.
See you at the movies.
Contact Jim Ross at 671-6412 or
Please update, theatre is Closed
Please update, total seats is 963 and uploaded a small grand opening ad in the photos section.
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 14 85
Theatre 2 and 13 59
Theatre 3, 5, 10 and 12 31
Theatre 4 and 11 45
Theatre 6 and 9 103
Theatre 7 127 XTS
Theatre 8 127
Please update, rename theatre to Regal Naples as per Regal website and total seats 1,276
Regal Cinemas bought Cobb Theatres on September 19, 1997
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 20 84
Theatre 2 and 19 46
Theatre 3 and 18 86
Theatre 4 and 17 65
Theatre 5 and 16 44
Theatre 6, 8, 13 and 15 43
Theatre 7 and 14 31
Theatre 9 and 12 58
Theatre 10 131 IMAX
Theatre 11 144 4DX
Please update, total seats 664 and add to previous operators, Regal Cinemas bought Cobb Theatres on September 19, 1997
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 6 41
Theatre 2 111 AXS15 Extreme/Dolby Atmos
Theatre 3 and 4 81
Theatre 5 93 AXS15 Extreme/Dolby Atmos
Theatre 7 54
Theatre 8 and 9 46
Theatre 10 70
Please rename theatre to CMX CineBistro Coastland as per CMX Website and total seats 588
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1, 4 and 5 95
Theatre 2, 3 and 6 101
CMX CineBistro Opens at Coastland Center Mall Promoted as a restaurant with a movie theater, CMX CineBistro opened October 1 at the Coastland Center mall in Naples.
by Tim Aten Dining Oct. 01, 2021 4:41 p.m.
romoted as a restaurant with a movie theater, CMX CineBistro opened October 1 at the Coastland Center mall in Naples. Guests are advised to arrive a half-hour before showtimes so that the wait staff can deliver meals from full menus prepared by classically trained chefs and craft cocktails from a full bar and lounge. The venue’s kitchen is larger than one of its six theaters. The cinema features state-of-the-art projection and technology, including leather reclining seats with tray tables. All patrons must be at least 21 for the dinner-and-movie experience after 8 p.m. nightly. The theaters and entire complex also are available for private events.
Please update, total seats 683
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 58
Theatre 2 83
Theatre 9 60
Theatre 10 61
Theatre 11 73
Grand opening ad in the photos section, just uploaded and total seats according to newspaper article 1400
Please update, total seats 1,283 and Regal Cinemas took over the theatre from Litchfield Theatres on August 12, 1994
Seating Capcity:
Theatre 1 184
Theatre 2 196
Theatre 3 128
Theatre 4 290
Theatre 5 244
Theatre 6 241
Tavernier Cinema 5 to open after renovations JILL ZIMA BORSKI Special to The Citizen Oct 11, 2025
The Upper Keys’ only movie theater reopened briefly last month during renovations to feature a movie showcasing a few local and part-time residents in the background scenes of the movie “Looking Through Water” based upon the book written by Islamorada homeowner Bob Rich.
After that successful venture, Tavernier Cinema 5 closed to finish renovations, such as installing new seating and replacing curtains adorning the walls of the five different theaters, so it can be ready for the typically busy winter season.
Upon entering the revamped cinema in Tavernier Towne Shopping Center near Mile Marker 91.3, bayside, guests may spy colorful carpeting, which is brand new, and the snack bar right inside the front doors. The theater’s color scheme is highlighted by sky-blue paint on the trim and in the halls. The theaters’ seating is now comfortable blue leather recliners with drink holders and a small sturdy tabletop on which to place a meal, drink or snack.
The Thai and sushi restaurant J-Dao, located a few storefronts away from the cinema, delivers to the snack bar. Customers may order via a special QR code and are alerted when their orders are ready for pickup inside the cinema.
Among the concession’s adult beverage choices are beer, wine, wine coolers and BeatBoxes, which typically have an alcohol content of 11.1% by volume — comparable to a few beers or a bottle of wine.
The cinema’s general manager, John Clouse, is a Coral Shores High School graduate who has worked at the cinema since 2013 while still attending CSHS. It was known as B&B Theatre then, he said, and a few design features of the former theater remain, such as the mural of film reels over the concession stand.
During the pandemic, Clouse was offered the opportunity to become shift leader, and his next promotion came four months later. While the B&B owner wanted to entice Clouse to work at a theater in Georgia after he sold the business, Clouse chose to stay put at the popular Keys’ theater and kept rising through the ranks to GM.
Expected movie ticket prices are to be in the $14 to $16 range, and the theater will continue its $5 Tuesday special, which usually shows movies at 4 and 7 p.m. Clouse said the theater often sells out on Tuesdays, and he expects Tuesdays’ popularity to continue after the reopening.
Sam Nekhaila of Islamorada owned the cinema from 1991 to 2001 as a two-theater complex, and then took about 18 months to expand to five theaters in 2001. He then sold the cinema to the franchise operator B&B because his other Keys enterprises were requiring additional time. He circled back to the entertainment business, and with the renovated movie house, Nekhaila continues to offer residents the opportunity to enjoy big-city opportunities with Keys flare and comfort.
To see what’s playing, visit taverniercinema5.com.
Please update, total seats 548
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 64
Theatre 2 and 4 47
Theatre 3 108
Theatre 5 and 6 131
Please update, rename theatre to Movie Bowl Grille Corsicana and total seats 488
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 2 102
Theatre 3 and 4 56
Theatre 5 48
Theatre 6 42
Theatre 7 and 8 41
Please update, rename theatre to Movie Bowl Grille Sherman as per website.
Total Seats: 964
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 205
Theatre 2 149
Theatre 3, 4 and 5 110
Theatre 6 88
Theatre 7 95
Theatre 8 97
Please update, rename theatre to Cinemark Sherman and total seats 820
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1, 2, 9, 10, 11 and 12 44
Theatre 3, 6 and 8 103
Theatre 4, 5 and 7 82
Please fix website, the website is https://www.moviebowlgrille.com/locations
They also operate Corsicana and Sherman locations.
Please update, total seats 416
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 2 65
Theatre 3 and 4 97
Theatre 5 and 6 46
Please rename theatre to Cinemark Stephenville Cinema 6 and total seats 543
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 149
Theatre 2 78
Theatre 3 76
Theatre 4 62
Theatre 5 84
Theatre 6 94
Please update, rename theatre to Cinemark Lake Charles and XD as per website and total seats 2,310
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 11 131
Theatre 2, 3, 4 and 5 138
Theatre 6 143
Theatre 7 262
Theatre 8 258
Theatre 9 244
Theatre 10 and 13 113
Theatre 12 128
Theatre 14 239 XD
Please update, total seats 610
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 and 9 68
Theatre 2, 4, 5, 6 and 8 47
Theatre 3 110 with DBOX
Theatre 7 129 with DBOX
Please update, rename theatre to Regal Star as per website, theatre was expanded to 12 screens with 5 opening on May 23, 1997 and the other wing 6-12 on July 11, 1997
Uploaded the grand reopening ad for December 22, 2006 in the photos section.
Total seats 1,593 based on 10 screens, 4 and 5 temp closed
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 285
Theatre 2 307
Theatre 3 89
Theatre 4 and 5 ?????
Theatre 6 141
Theatre 7 162
Theatre 8 and 9 200
Theatre 10, 11 and 12 72
Please rename to Cinemark Beaumont 15 and XD as per website, theatre opened on September 26, 1997 (grand Opening ad in the photos section) and total seats 1,122
Seating Capacity:
Theatre 1 108 XD and DBOX
Theatre 2 60
Theatre 3 and 4 62
Theatre 5 52
Theatre 6 62
Theatre 7 and 9 88 with DBOX
Theatre 8 115 with DBOX
Theatre 10 62
Theatre 11 50
Theatre 12 and 13 63
Theatre 14 62
Theatre 15 123 with DBOX
Total Seats: 413 based on 7 screens, not sure if the location is adding recliners or PLF, will check again in a few weeks.
Seating capacity:
Theatre 1 CLOSED
Theatre 2 and 5 48
Theatre 3 and 4 40
Theatre 6 21
Theatre 7 136
Theatre 8 CLOSED
Theatre 9 80
Theatre 10 closed
grand opening ad posted in the photos section