Comments from MarkHaskett

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MarkHaskett
MarkHaskett commented about Holcomb Woods 6 Cinema on Oct 10, 2007 at 1:45 am

I started working at HW6 after the “Cocoon fiasco”. However, there was always someone on the schedule for projection work only. Projectionist were manager trained. The manager (for years was Reed Rickborn) did not run projection.

MarkHaskett
MarkHaskett commented about Picture Show At Merchants Exchange on Oct 10, 2007 at 1:34 am

I was working there as a projectionist in 1988. So I think the opening date was more like 1987. Man, I could tell some stories about that place. I was working for Septum at the Holcomb Woods 6 in Roswell in 1986. Septum was bought by Plitt and soon after that Cineplex Odeon was in charge. As long as my check arrived I really didn’t care who owned the place. Septum started building and then stopped for a year or so. I lived in Marietta and wanted to work at Merchants Exchange when it opened. It seemed like it took forever. I transfered over from Holcomb Woods and worked there some before the place was open. Garth Drabinski(CEO of Cineplex Odeon) was there on opening day. We did pretty well at the box, I remember that we split all the product with the General Cinema theater at Merchant’s Walk about a half mile away. The lobby at Merchants Exchange was awesome. Yes, the original 6 plex design was scrapped for a 5 plex, but the sixth auditorium was turned into the lobby!(Septum loved those tiny lobbies). The lobby was truly great. The management kept changing, I was always bringing some new manager up to speed. The booth was also impressive. All 5 projectors where in the same room, one big room. It got pretty loud in there. I could go on and on….. I think many of us high schoolers had some real good times in that place. As I recall, at one after hours party, we drove a small car through the front door, up the handicap ramp and into the lobby. Crazy kids.