We have sad news to share, so we’ll just state it up front:
The Village Picture Shows Cinema, showing movies in Manchester Center since the 1960s, will project its last movie in the Manchester Shopping Center on Thursday, August 22. We hope that everyone will take the opportunity to come to the cinema, buy some popcorn, see a movie and experience this local part of cinema’s history.
We have booked an awesome program of movies to satisfy the largest cross section of tastes in our community! We have even made arrangements for the directors of two documentary films, sharing one screen in the final week, to come to Manchester for a Q&A reception (details to come soon). All of us at the Village Picture Shows, including our awesome staff members George Noyes, Charlie Citron, Sam Barrows, Patrick Ross, Natalia Sowulewski, Piotr Sowulewski, Colby Gunther and Michael DeRita hope to see you at the cinema over the next four weeks! See the schedule below for a complete program.
It has been our pleasure, and surely the pleasure of those who have come before us, to provide jobs to so many, for all these years and we wish to thank them all for their tireless efforts to serve our community.
Please know that all of us, Jeff Nyweide and Michael and Carolina Ellenbogen, are looking at all options in Manchester Center to continue to bring movies to the community in a facility that can provide a unique cinema experience that moviegoers expect today and allow us to offer more programming than the current two-screen configuration and concession options beyond popcorn, candy and soda.
While we have ideas, please don’t hesitate to make suggestions for us to consider during this development phase. We will be inviting you and the community to at least one meeting at the cinema this coming month, to learn about our plans and be able to share some of your own ideas and suggestions.
On behalf of all of us and those operators of the cinema that came before us, we wish to thank you all for your continued support of the cinema! It means a lot to us when we see the same faces over and over again. In 2013 the community helped save the cinema as it transitioned from film projection to digital projection through a successful Kickstarter campaign, and now, we will do our best to ensure movies will come back as soon as possible to silver screens in Manchester Center.
In the meantime, we encourage everyone with Gift Certificates to get them out of drawers and closets and make time to see some movies between now and Thursday, August 22! And as always, please enjoy your movie with popcorn! Popcorn keeps the lights on and the movies on screen… plus, it tastes great and we pop it with organic canola oil ☺
It is an appropriate time to say “Hakuna Matata”… we look forward to seeing you at the movies!
Per Wikipedia: “Paint Your Wagon” became Paramount’s sixth largest success up to that point (and the sixth highest-grossing film of 1969) when it earned $31.6 million over its release, although the earnings never offset the cost of production and marketing.
But both Wizard and Vertigo went on to eventual critical acclaim and financial success, a fate not achieved by the overproduced and underperforming Dolly…
Yes, those theaters are all gone, but Regal last year tore down their old Lynbrook theater and built a new 13 screen multiplex at the same location. The five-screen Fantasy in Rockville Centre is an AMC house and is still up and running but is a little worn around the edges… The Malverne theater is five screen operation and shows a mix of mainstream and independent features.
I think there are people on here more qualified than I to explain the important role played by the RKO Albee in its 50 year run as Brooklyn’s top exhibitor. (Perhaps tied with Loew’s Metropolitan…?)
Of course, Channing created the character and played Dolly Levi née Gallagher over 5,000 times on Broadway alone, not to mention on national and international tours, but I guess the 27-year old Streisand (doing what seems to be a Mae West imitation) is the definitive Dolly. Or not.
I think that Hello, Dolly!’s “somewhat off reputation” is due more to the fact that it is something of an over-produced miss, a healthy serving of sweet cement, saved only by the talent of its charismatic leads, and less to do with its high expense and less-than-blockbuster rentals.
But what do I know, the Academy bestowed several Oscar nominations upon it, including best picture…
It might be the 1950s but since that’s a shot of northern Times Square, its not the Riviera theater pictured
And we have a winner…!
Closing August 22…!
This is the email they sent today:
IT’S CLOSING TIME *
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22 *
Dear Patrons and Moviegoers,
We have sad news to share, so we’ll just state it up front:
The Village Picture Shows Cinema, showing movies in Manchester Center since the 1960s, will project its last movie in the Manchester Shopping Center on Thursday, August 22. We hope that everyone will take the opportunity to come to the cinema, buy some popcorn, see a movie and experience this local part of cinema’s history.
We have booked an awesome program of movies to satisfy the largest cross section of tastes in our community! We have even made arrangements for the directors of two documentary films, sharing one screen in the final week, to come to Manchester for a Q&A reception (details to come soon). All of us at the Village Picture Shows, including our awesome staff members George Noyes, Charlie Citron, Sam Barrows, Patrick Ross, Natalia Sowulewski, Piotr Sowulewski, Colby Gunther and Michael DeRita hope to see you at the cinema over the next four weeks! See the schedule below for a complete program.
It has been our pleasure, and surely the pleasure of those who have come before us, to provide jobs to so many, for all these years and we wish to thank them all for their tireless efforts to serve our community.
Please know that all of us, Jeff Nyweide and Michael and Carolina Ellenbogen, are looking at all options in Manchester Center to continue to bring movies to the community in a facility that can provide a unique cinema experience that moviegoers expect today and allow us to offer more programming than the current two-screen configuration and concession options beyond popcorn, candy and soda.
While we have ideas, please don’t hesitate to make suggestions for us to consider during this development phase. We will be inviting you and the community to at least one meeting at the cinema this coming month, to learn about our plans and be able to share some of your own ideas and suggestions.
On behalf of all of us and those operators of the cinema that came before us, we wish to thank you all for your continued support of the cinema! It means a lot to us when we see the same faces over and over again. In 2013 the community helped save the cinema as it transitioned from film projection to digital projection through a successful Kickstarter campaign, and now, we will do our best to ensure movies will come back as soon as possible to silver screens in Manchester Center.
In the meantime, we encourage everyone with Gift Certificates to get them out of drawers and closets and make time to see some movies between now and Thursday, August 22! And as always, please enjoy your movie with popcorn! Popcorn keeps the lights on and the movies on screen… plus, it tastes great and we pop it with organic canola oil ☺
It is an appropriate time to say “Hakuna Matata”… we look forward to seeing you at the movies!
Thank you all,
Jeff Nyweide
Michael & Carolina Ellenbogen
Village Picture Shows Cinemas
Manchester Center, VT
Per Wikipedia: “Paint Your Wagon” became Paramount’s sixth largest success up to that point (and the sixth highest-grossing film of 1969) when it earned $31.6 million over its release, although the earnings never offset the cost of production and marketing.
It seems as though age of the easily-offended snowflake has even reached the sunny shores of cinema treasures
But both Wizard and Vertigo went on to eventual critical acclaim and financial success, a fate not achieved by the overproduced and underperforming Dolly…
If only Barbra Streisand had played Gen. Tojo, it would have been the definitive role of her career…
Yes, those theaters are all gone, but Regal last year tore down their old Lynbrook theater and built a new 13 screen multiplex at the same location. The five-screen Fantasy in Rockville Centre is an AMC house and is still up and running but is a little worn around the edges… The Malverne theater is five screen operation and shows a mix of mainstream and independent features.
Good grief. I couldn’t see North by Northwest a while ago because of “technical difficulties…”
Correct link for Howard’s July 6th post
I think there are people on here more qualified than I to explain the important role played by the RKO Albee in its 50 year run as Brooklyn’s top exhibitor. (Perhaps tied with Loew’s Metropolitan…?)
It seems to have played exclusively here for one week before going wide all over the metropolitan area.
I’m sure that woman and her children also remember them…
Sure, Jan…
Rialto? Albemarle? Astor? Flatbush? Midwood?
I know it wasn’t the RKO Kenmore or Loew’s Kings, lol
I saw a double feature here last week, happy to report images on both screens were bright and clear. Six new photos added.
Probably the only time in its entire run that “Can-Can” was ever sold out
And regular screenings of Spiderman were indeed at the $6.00 Tuesday discount price.
There certaining is a box office counter at the Empire and at other AMC locations
Of course, Channing created the character and played Dolly Levi née Gallagher over 5,000 times on Broadway alone, not to mention on national and international tours, but I guess the 27-year old Streisand (doing what seems to be a Mae West imitation) is the definitive Dolly. Or not.
No service charge if you belong to their loyalty programs.
I think that Hello, Dolly!’s “somewhat off reputation” is due more to the fact that it is something of an over-produced miss, a healthy serving of sweet cement, saved only by the talent of its charismatic leads, and less to do with its high expense and less-than-blockbuster rentals.
But what do I know, the Academy bestowed several Oscar nominations upon it, including best picture…
So Hello, Dolly! moved in Manhattan from a 2,000 seat theater to a 450 and a 299 seat theater.
I don’t know whether it’s funny or sad that you would have to explain to readers of this site, who Walter Reade was.
OK, so I’ll try a different browser