AMC Loews Meadow 6

Wow when did this go bargain? The combined screen count is only 14 less then many new multi-plexes, I wonder why business fell off.

I'm not sure why buisness fell off. It could be the AMC Clifton Commons a little further down the road on route 3.
Honestly? It's outdated. Severely. I went to this theater growing up and only stopped a few years ago...because of the AMC in Clifton.
It went bargain about...a year ago? Not sure. I went there for about 20 years after the single screen theater I went to went triplex.

Why did they lower the prices (here and at the Eight)?
The Columbia Park 12, featuring stadium seating and $2 admission, is located at 3125 Kennedy Blvd. in North Bergen.
Compared to that price, the Six and the Eight, each located less than two miles and 5 minutes away, aren't really much of a bargain at $6.50. (And remember that both 1980s theatres fail to provide stadium seating.)
In addition, Loews Cineplex's own Ridgefield Park location, just 7 miles away, went bargain several years ago. The circuit's been cannibalizing itself.

I don't remember exact counts (and installation of wider seats in the late 1990s cut into them anyway) but the auditoriums here used to seat something on the order of #1=400, #2=400, #3=600, #4=600, #5=800, #6=800. Thanks to these numbers and the wonder of interlocks, this theatre used to put up some monstrous grosses - I'm thinking "Terminator 2" era.
Traditionally, the Six hosted action films while the Eight, located just across the Plaza at the Meadows mall, featured family-oriented films.

The Loews Wayne Theatre, in Wayne, NJ, originally shared the same design layout as this theatre. Eventually, the two large houses at the Wayne were twinned, causing that location to be known as the Wayne 8 for many years. Later, an addition was added to that facility growing the total count to 14 auditoriums. The original front of the Wayne, nearly identical to the Six, is now the rear of the building.

The Loews Meadow Six had to be one of the hottest places to see movies in the mid-1980s. They had 70mm capability, and they showed the biggest blockbusters at the time, most notably the Indiana Jones films. What other blockbuster films played at the Meadow Six?

Here is a link to more 70mm presentations at the Loews Meadow Six.

http://www.fromscripttodvd.com/70mm_in_new_york_main_page.htm

The seating capacities of the Loews Meadow 6 are: 784, 784, 584, 584, 370, 370 - total of 3476 seats.

From Loew's 1982 annual report:

"During 1982 the [Theatres] Division added seventeen new screens in three ultra-modem complexes. Our new theatres, featuring spacious lobbies with giant refreshment centers, and large, wide auditoriums with wall-to-wall screens, which our research indicates the public prefers, have met with great acceptance.

"In the fast-growing Houston suburbs, a five- screen complex was opened in the exclusive Southpoint Center. A six-screen free-standing building was constructed opposite New Jersey's mammoth shopping center, Willowbrook Mall, and another six-screen theatre is the focal point of the Harmon Meadow complex of shops, hotel, restaurants and office buildings located within sight of the New Jersey Meadowlands sports complex."

This theatre and the Loews Plaza Eight nearby outlasted two attempts by Regal to operate competing multiplexes in nearby North Bergen in the late '90s. Both the North Bergen theatres are second-run discount houses now, and while the two Secaucus venues are reduced-price, they are still first-run. I guess the real test of the Loews theatres' durability will be when the Muvico Xanadu complex opens up, probably sometime in 2007. I haven't been to either place in about seven years; at one time (mid to late '80s) they seemed about as good as we were going to get in suburban multis.

Regal's venture in to North Bergen is flat out one of the stupidest movies in the history of cinema exhibition, I'm guessing they thought that Secacus and North Bergen would be considered two diffrent booking terratories, I remember when Bergen Plaza (now Cineplaza) opened, it was showing Titanic on two screens, after it had finished its run in Secacus, it has found its place though successfully showing Indian movies, whereas their other complex (opened just as Bergen Plaza switched its pricing to 3.50) Columbia Park is in a successful mall that is in a low income (3% sales tax urban enterprize zone) which eventually found success when Innerstate Theaters took it over and charged $2.00 for movies that were just comming out on DVD.

Both complexes have stadium seating but had this misfutune of not being able to run product on the same day as Loews. For a while Fox opened their movies in North Bergen (There's Something About Mary played on 3 screens at Bergen Plaza presumably because it was the only movie making any money there, I doubt demand was that strong). Regal also played art films too, bassicly showing anything they could.

These theaters went discount I'm guessing because it needed to keep up with Ridgefield Park (a Loews house that also showed first run pictures for a lower price) and Clifton Commons and Edgewater which were successful (as they were in good locations) and had stadium seating.

Now that AMC bought out Loews, when will the AMC name replace both the Loews and Cineplex Odeon brand names? Can't wait to see the AMC name dominate the NY Times theatre listings.

Both AMC Theatres in Secaucus need to replace ALL 35mm projectors and have much brighter lamps to project the picture on screen. But still have capabilities of 70mm as well. New sound systems (as in new speakers are needed). Also have all auditoriums THX Certified with the ability to read Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital EX, SDDS, and DTS. NEW screens themselves would really help in all auditoriums too. And last but not least they do need to get at least one Digital Projector at each location. (Two per location would be better but one at each would be great).

I know that's a VERY EXPENSIVE TALL ORDER. But I have noticed that when going to newer theatres, the picture is much brighter and way sharper and the sound is also better. If both AMC 6 & 8 in Secaucus want to be highly successful they really need to upgrade to new equipment listed above. Or they will close down to these new Multiplexes with just that kind of equipment that is listed above. Plus the fact these new theatres have stadium seating.

happy belated 25th amc loews meadow six! it was 25 years ago yesterday that the theater opened. has anything changed since then? hopefully it will not close when the muvico xanadu 26 opens next year just in time for indy to jump ship from secaucus to east rutherford!

too bad blade runner is not playing at this theater. is it weird that this place is showing more of what the plaza 8 shows? and are all 6 screens dolby digital rather than sdds?

The town where this theater is located was once the home of the hq of the loews theater chain. After the cineplex merger, it currently resides in NY. Pretty soon this theater, as well as the 8 plex, will be closed once the new xanadu complex opens later this year. This theater is located not too far from Channel 9, the only commercial TV station in New Jersey.

FYI, the first Indiana Jones movie played at this theater's predecessor, the Harmon Quad. It was re-issued at the sixplex, and then the next two movies came out at the same theater. No word yet if the new one will be playing at this one or the plaza 8, which when opened lacked 70mm but showed mostly family fare.

Well the Indy movie is playing at both the MEadow 6 and the Meadow Plaza 8.

Soon all 14 screens will be in one facility when Kerasotes brings their racist brand of movie going to the Meadows. Both AMC Loews sites are due to close at the end of the summer with Kerasotes Show Place 14 arriving for Summer 2009. It seems as if every regional, out of market chain aside from Pacific and Harkins have operated in the area with Columbia Park changing hands between Starplex, Cinemark, Interstate, Regal/UA, and now Phoenix. And of coarse we'll have Muvico soon in the mix at in already over screened area, where neither AMCs or Columbia Park are charging full price for first run features. My guess is Kerasotes' notoriously wacky, racist and anti-teen policies, not to mention full price tickets, won't put a dent in Columbia Park's box office, and Muvico at Xanadu will be successful on its own groundbreaking terms.

I agree with you John. AMC has done a terrible job of maintaining run-down Loews theaters (except the one in Lincoln Square) that it acquired after the merger, even though it still runs most of the popular GC venues well (e.g., Clifton Commons).

It looks like another one of the last "classic style" theaters is on its way out, along with its sister theater, the 8-plex. Let me just say that I despise AMC for what they've done with the classic theaters they aquired under the merger with Loews. Instead of keeping money makers, like the 10plex in Paramus which was still going strong, they decided to close that and open a new factory style theater at Garden State Plaza. Now it looks like these two gems will be closed as well to make way for another factory style theater with narrow screens and stadium seating. I know I'm not alone in preferring the style of these older theaters, with their wide screens and normal seating arrangement, but the younger crowd seem to be all the theater chains are going for these days and they love anything "new". I've never heard one of them complain that they're watching movies like "The Dark Knight" on the narrow screens at the AMC at Garden State Plaza, when they could have been watching them on a true wide screen at the Tenplex, or the 6-plex/8-plex for that matter. I'll never understand why the crowds migrated from these theaters in Secaucus to that horrorible factory style theater in Clifton. Maybe I'm just getting too old because I still appreciate the classics, even with their flaws, over the newest fad. Thank God the Ziegfeld in NYC isn't going anywhere, because after these theaters go, and I still hope that doesn't happen, that's going to be one of the last "classic style" theaters in the whole area. I only say that because I'm guessing the former Loews in Wayne will eventually be converted into a factory style theater in the near future as well. :(

I agree. Both theaters will soon become retail space, just like the original Loews quad in Secaucus became the outlet shops that are still successful.

I can't believe both of these theaters are still open!!! That is until fall 2009, when Kerasotes' unleashes Showplace, a 14-screen behemoth with stadium seating and hopefully digital projection and sound. But nothing could replicate the original Meadow Six.

Even with the Showplace 14, could this place, even with a small chance, stay open? I think the 14 is being built in the same lot as the Plaza 8, so I know that will close. What bothers me about the new Showplace 14 is that it will have a capacity of just 2,752, which is less than this theater. So expect screens with the top-down masking, and small seating capacity (largest auditorium maybe 250-300 seats, smallest 90-105). I think the Meadow could hold it's own if another operator took over, remodel it with new carpeting, screens, seats, sound, expanded concessions with coffee, doughnuts, kosher hot dogs, etc... Screen 70MM classics on the largest screens, mix 1st run movies with art house & 2nd run fare. Oh yeah, install a digital projector on at least two screens, and lower ticket prices. Heck, maybe expand it from 6 to 9 screens by buying mall space. I've got lots of ideas, it's just that I can't do anything at the moment.

BTW, the new showplace 14 will have DLP in all of its screens for alternative content similar to NCM Fathom. CinemarkFan, just write an email to Kerasotes about expanding the theater!!! Maybe even put an IMAX screen in, although the big three chains are trying their best to do that.

You know I have to agree with you on most points Cinemark. (Digital aside, you know my feelings on that one) You say the same things my father would say before passing on 15 years ago. Nothing GOOD management and upkeep cant cure. Unfortunately, in todays world, we have nothing but pencil pushers running the industry, and we also have the "out with the old, in with the new" attitude. I would sooner go the the theatre showing 70MM, 2nd run and lower prices, than I would a place with top-down masking, (god do I hate that. I call it shrink-scope), and 95 seats. But what do I know, I've only been an IA projectionist now for almost 34 years, come June 2009.

Top down masking, arrrggghh! I only go to places like that because it's closer to where I live, but I'm slowly getting away from that. Now I could accept the new Kerasotes if they built it like the Showplace in Niles, Il (love that theater, and it has side-masking), but this is turning out to be just another shoebox that's too often today. And while I never went to the Meadow, I can agree with people's comments regarding the possible closure. Here in Chicago, theaters with super large auditoriums are becoming scarce. And I must change that.

Movie534, soon, I want to start some kind of myspace page or fansite that explains 70MM to the teenage audience of today. And I want the page to include a plea to filmmakers to shoot with a camera like the Arri 765 or the Super Dimension 70. If you know anyone who might do know how to do this, then let's get 70MM off the ground again!

There is already a fine 70MM website up and running now.

CinemarkFan, it's called http://www.in70mm.com/ BTW, not only did the Loews in Secaucus back in its heyday before AMC took over showed stuff in 70mm, but in all three surround sound formats, including 8-channel SDDS, which is very similiar to the 70mm surround sound mixes of the past.

Here's another excellent site, dealing not only with 70mm but all other widescreen processes including Cinerama. It's the creation of Martin Hart:

http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/lobby.htm

I'm aware of that website Justin. I often write to the editors. But there needs to be something like it to reach young people who don't know about 70MM. If there's a way we widescreen fans can get teen-based sites to link in70mm.com, then that would be a good start.

Here's another site that teens need to see
http://www.superdimension70.com/history/

PS: Notable 70MM engagements at the Meadow include "Temple of Doom", "2010", "Stakeout", and "Last Crusade".

I read a headline today that says that the opening of Xanadu is delayed yet again until 2010, which means that moviegoers will have to go to North Bergen or the new Hoboken theater that will open this year for their moviegoing fix.

Although this theater was one of the first to show "Star Wars: Episode I" digitally and that it shares the digital pre-show with other AMC theaters now that National Cinemedia does the preshow instead of Screenvision, it will probably not get the digital projection that other AMC theaters will get since it will close this summer to make room for the Kerasotes 14 plex, which is under construction.

the new kerasotes showplace that will replace AMC Loews Meadow 6 is trying for a Oct 2009 opening

Here's a list of movies that will play at this theater...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_in_film#October_.E2.80.93_December
Hopefully they play Toy Story in 3D...the first one.

BTW, how is construction going on the new theater in Secaucus?

When that theater is done, the Kerasotes theater will have all screens with DLP 3D projection and stadium seating (similiar to Clearview's August debut of the Hoboken 5 plex). The only real competition will be the bigger Muvico Xanadu 18 plex with a real IMAX screen, whenever that's done.

This is how the Showplace 14 will look when finished.

Looks more attractive than the old Meadows Six, and best of all, it will have stadium seating and digital projection and sound. Too bad moviegoers who have AMC cards won't use it at this theater once the Meadows six closes, leaving moviegoers to drive to the many AMC theaters surrounding Secaucus. BTW, how's progress going on the giant Xanadu theater?

It now appears Muvico has walked away from Xanadu as the new site for the project (visitxanadu.com) is calling it "Movie Experience" and promises an IMAX screen. I don't know if the California chain The Movie Experience is now running Xanadu (when/if it opens), or if they're looking for another operator.

I figured that Cinemark would pick up the Xanadu project since they apparently bought out Muvico.

most likely this theatre is closing down the first week of october.. i heard some rumors over the internet

Makes sense since Kerasotes is selling tickets for Michael Jackson: This is It. They've also got tickets on sale for the midnight show of Twilight: New Moon - tickets are $10, which isn't bad considering the other newest theater in Northern NJ (AMC Garden State) is at $11.50.

Sounds like a bargain!

One of a few theaters that hosted the short-lived "Coming Attractions" series of sneak peek films. Do they still do that at AMC theaters? My dad and I would get like a free pass or something to an advance screening of a major movie, then after the movie was over, there was a survey that had to be filled out and returned to the studio for review before they make changes to the the rough cut. Most of the movies that I saw were not as good as the blockbusters that rarely get advance screenings, and they bombed.

What movies did you see under this program?

I think "Celebrity" was shown there; "The Man Who Knew Too Little" was in Wayne, and "Outside Providence" was in Paramus. My dad saw a rough cut of a really bad movie, "Robinson Crusoe", with Pierce Brosnan....the print was bad, and reaction was negative; it eventually went straight to video and bombed.

You're right. All those movies did in fact suck.

Thanks. BTW, what movie was the most popular at this theater? Probably ET since it played previously at its predecessor, the Harmon Cove Quad.

Called today, last day for this theater is Oct. 8

I had a feeling this theater was closing soon. The Route 3 marquee (a new one, by the way) always displays the movie names with letters missing, and some of the letters that are up there are hanging off the sign ready to fall off. A sad sight.

It'll be sad to see that movie theater go, leaving behind the Loews Wayne theater as the only one left out of the two NJ theaters that opened in 1982 by the company. It began as Loews Theaters (1982-1994), then became Sony (1994-1997), and then Loews (1997-2006) and finally AMC Loews (2006-10/8/09). When Sony owned this theater, it was one of the first theaters in NJ to have the 8 channel SDDS in the larger auditoriums, yet it didn't became as popular as Dolby Digital or DTS. Sony no longer supported SDDS as they shut down their cinema sound division in 2002, yet the studios still mix films in the regular 5.1 format and not like the 8 channel kind. Sony still operates a website devoted to the format and has a list of 8 channel films, none of which were released this year.

The final movies at the Meadow 6:

Fame
Pandorum
Surrogates (closed captioned)
The Informant!
Love Happens
Kaminey (an Indian film that opened in August)

Sad to see the Loew's era in Secaucus coming to an end. I attended the very first show at the old Harmon Cove Quad: "King Kong" (Jessica Lange version) in 1976. I walked there from Rutherford to see "It's Alive" in 1977. And the biggest opening night crowd I'd ever been part of there was unfortunately for a very bad movie: "Jaws 2" (1978).

Saw my last film ever here today in "Surrogates" - was the ONLY person in Theater 5 and was easily outnumbered by the staff, who had already begun some minor breakdown of displays in the lobby. The auxiliary concessions stand in the middle of the theater main floor looked to have already been cleaned up and closed down. Hadn't seen a film here in many years, and am sorry to see the old place go, as it still looks good in many respects, especially that unique mural of old-time Hollywood stars situated over the lobby. The 14-screen Kerasotes replacement in the parking lot looks much better now after having been painted, but it also looked like there's still some interior work going on.

For those who have AMC moviewatcher cards, they can go to either Jersey City, Linden, Ridgefield Park, Lincoln Square, Clifton Commons, or Jersey Gardens. Why is AMC shutting this place down? It's not because of the lease not getting expired. It's because there's a new theater opening up that will have the same number of screens as this theater and its now gone sister theater. I've been to this theater several times, and it had more large screens than the Loews in Wayne, since there were six screens and some of them could show 70mm film and even show films in 8-channel SDDS, which was changed to Dolby Digital EX after AMC took over. A lot of businesses near the theater will suffer after the theater closes, only to resurface when Kerasotes opens up their new theater.

It's all over. So long, Meadow 6.

So now Secaucus residents will have to go to North Bergen for their movie fix, as the Columbia Park 12 is the only theater that shows the same movies that this theater had. That is, until the new Kerasotes 14 theater opens with the new Michael Jackson movie in a few weeks.

Wow, they sure updated this theater's status fast - it's not even 24 hours since it shut down.

I'll give the new Kerasotes cinema a try just to see what it's like, although I will miss the Meadow 6 and the way it blended in with the rest of the plaza. The AMC Clifton Commons is just up the road, although Route 3 is a pain to navigate at peak times. I guess I can also trek the 15 miles or so to the AMC Wayne 14, whose original portion looks like the Meadow 6 - minus the mural, of course.

Wonder which old theater will fall by the wayside next.

Kerasotes is opening next week per their website. Now - when the are Clearview Hoboken, City Center Fabien 8, and Xanadu going to open?

Hoboken is opening next week. I don't know about the Fabian, and Xanadu might open in 2010. The Kerasotes theater will open on friday with a ribbon cutting ceremony and free movies and food.

he is an ad for the New Kerasotes Showplace
http://www.kerasotes.com/Showtimes.aspx?OptionTheater=Go&TheaterSearch=8875

Here's a link to the story...
http://hudsonreporter.com/pages/full_stories_home/push?article--Kerasotes+ShowPlace+opens+14-screen+theater+in+Secaucus+Friday-%20&id=3995085--Kerasotes+ShowPlace+opens+14-screen+theater+in+Secaucus+Friday-&instance=up_to_the_minute_lead_story_left_column
The big thing is that this theater will have digital projection in all screens and stadium seating. Digital projection was at the Meadow Six, only for "Star Wars Episode I" and also for the digital pre-show. I think the Wayne theater will survive since it has digital projection in one screen, and another at the smaller theater. The Clifton Commons will outgrow the Allwood since the Allwood lacks digital projection, and hopefully when the economy improves the Fabian 8 will open in Paterson.

One of my favorite experiences going to this theater was when I saw "Independence Day" the weekend it first came out. They didn't show the "Star Wars" special edition trailer (which I saw at the Loews in Wayne with Jingle all the Way) but they showed a few other trailers as well as lots of filmed advertisements (alongside the slides) and then the feature presentation, which was great. Although the film was not mixed in 8-channel SDDS (it was a 5.1 mix, similiar to the Dolby Digital and DTS), it sounded great and the picture was good. After the movie was over, there were lines to go see the movie. After the Loews in Wayne expanded to 14 screens in 1997, I stopped going to this theater, and then Clifton Commons came.