I saw “The Empire Strikes Back” and probably “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” there. If you were into science fiction special effects spectaculars, Loews Astor Plaza was one of the few theaters in the city that had 70mm and a Dolby Stereo sound system.
As of April 2022, the Hollywood has changed its prices. Deep discounts no longer exist. It’s $6 for adult matinees, seniors and children and $9 for regular adult admission.
The map markers for the Dewitt theaters including this are all messed up. This Cinema East marker should be further east on Erie Boulevard, roughly in the location currently occupied by Texas Roadhouse, just west of the former Dewitt Drive-In. The current marker puts it west of Thompson Road, which would be officially in Syracuse, not Dewitt. Mini One (Cinema East 2) was roughly where Olive Garden is today. ShoppingTown Theaters should be more than a mile further southeast on Erie, near the end of the boulevard, where ShoppingTown is.
The Westcott was a great place in the 1980s. Thanks to their low sub-run prices, I probably saw nearly a couple of hundred movies there. Crocodile Dundee, Commando, Predator, Beverly Hills Cop, Karate Kid, Lethal Weapon, Hot Shots, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Last Starfighter, Fletch, Secret of My Success, The Right Stuff, Extreme Prejudice among too many others to recall. Most films were shown for one week, although a few really popular ones were held over for a second week. Sound was pretty bad at times, though, often turned up way too loud, which didn’t help with the frequent crackles and other noises.
They’ve taken out the back wall of the theater to expand the backstage out over the storefronts in the back. The addition is in a postmodern style that doesn’t fit in with the classic architecture of the building. They’re hoping the expanded stage will attract more live events.
I remember when they used to show first-run movies. I stayed the entire day for one movie on the day it premiered. Six showings for $3.50 in 1982. Felt a little guilty, but they still got quite a bit of money from me for several cups of soda and several tubs of popcorn, which were lunch and dinner that day.
“It was operated as a fourplex until the Shoppingtown was converted into a mall.”
What does this mean? Shoppingtown was always a mall.
The map is also way off. Shoppingtown is the gray area near the end of Erie just north of Genesee Street. IIRC, the cinemas were just north of Grenfell Rd, about where Dick’s Sporting Goods is today. I watched a few movies there including Return of the Jedi and Cocoon.
On the night that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom premiered, the line stretched completely around the theater an hour before the box office opened. Inside, pretty much every seat was filled.
I saw “The Empire Strikes Back” and probably “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” there. If you were into science fiction special effects spectaculars, Loews Astor Plaza was one of the few theaters in the city that had 70mm and a Dolby Stereo sound system.
As of April 2022, the Hollywood has changed its prices. Deep discounts no longer exist. It’s $6 for adult matinees, seniors and children and $9 for regular adult admission.
The map markers for the Dewitt theaters including this are all messed up. This Cinema East marker should be further east on Erie Boulevard, roughly in the location currently occupied by Texas Roadhouse, just west of the former Dewitt Drive-In. The current marker puts it west of Thompson Road, which would be officially in Syracuse, not Dewitt. Mini One (Cinema East 2) was roughly where Olive Garden is today. ShoppingTown Theaters should be more than a mile further southeast on Erie, near the end of the boulevard, where ShoppingTown is.
The Westcott was a great place in the 1980s. Thanks to their low sub-run prices, I probably saw nearly a couple of hundred movies there. Crocodile Dundee, Commando, Predator, Beverly Hills Cop, Karate Kid, Lethal Weapon, Hot Shots, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Last Starfighter, Fletch, Secret of My Success, The Right Stuff, Extreme Prejudice among too many others to recall. Most films were shown for one week, although a few really popular ones were held over for a second week. Sound was pretty bad at times, though, often turned up way too loud, which didn’t help with the frequent crackles and other noises.
Another of the last movies run there in June 1977 was Exorcist II – The Heretic.
They’ve taken out the back wall of the theater to expand the backstage out over the storefronts in the back. The addition is in a postmodern style that doesn’t fit in with the classic architecture of the building. They’re hoping the expanded stage will attract more live events.
I remember when they used to show first-run movies. I stayed the entire day for one movie on the day it premiered. Six showings for $3.50 in 1982. Felt a little guilty, but they still got quite a bit of money from me for several cups of soda and several tubs of popcorn, which were lunch and dinner that day.
By the way, I could have sworn it was still a twin in 1983 when Jedi played, although it was definitely a quad by the time of Cocoon in 1985.
“It was operated as a fourplex until the Shoppingtown was converted into a mall.”
What does this mean? Shoppingtown was always a mall.
The map is also way off. Shoppingtown is the gray area near the end of Erie just north of Genesee Street. IIRC, the cinemas were just north of Grenfell Rd, about where Dick’s Sporting Goods is today. I watched a few movies there including Return of the Jedi and Cocoon.
On the night that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom premiered, the line stretched completely around the theater an hour before the box office opened. Inside, pretty much every seat was filled.