UA Movies at Coram

This was never agood house for UA /a very good theater up the road Pj cinemas a mom and pop multiplex that still does very well and has outlasted the big boys.

Yeah, this was usually not my first choice when seeing a movie. The only time I would go to it was when a movie I really wanted to see was sold out at my "first choice" theater, or the time was inconvenient at my "first choice" theater. You could tell the multiplex was going down years before it closed.

This theater (coram) closing was no great loss, but the brookhaven multiplex on the south service rd of the expressway at exit 64 was what I thought a really nice theater, and it will be missed.

This theater property is currently in shambles. It's a good thing that it's somewhat hidden from the road, blocked by some trees, as if there were no trees it would be a real eyesore.

Shouldn't the Drive-In have a seperate listing?

It's the same site. The UA Patchogue Multiplex is also built on the same location as Pathcogue's Drive-in but the listing is combined. Granted though of course, one auditorium at the Patchogue 13 is theold indoor theater at the Patchogue Drive in, but I don't think a seperate one is needed, it's the same "theater" reincarnated from a drive-in to a multiplex.

That's a debatable point, Bway. The old Sunrise Drive-In in Valley Stream was demolished and replaced with the Sunrise Multiplex, yet both of these theaters have separate listings on CT.

Hello ALL,

I do not live to far from this theatre having moved to the area in 2001. Shortly after this multiplex closed down. Given the recent resurgence in the interest in drive-in theatre's I always thought that converting this location to a drive in is ideal given the shape of the lot and it being set back from the main road. It wouldn't be obtrusive to anyone around and the screen would face away from the corner where the Rt.112 entrance is now. Opposite there wouldn't be stray on-lookers because there is nothing behind the lot but a small lake. Looking at an old map of the area today there was a marker pointing out the 'former Coram Drive-In' I just did a HUGE "OMG", when I realized the property WAS the site of a drive in. Now I have an idea up my sleeve that could convert this property to a hybrid (both Drive-In and Indoor) very much like what the Bayshore Cinema was like. So, who would be in favor of seeing a drive-in return to Long Island?

JG

Didn't even know the old UA used to be a drive-in until a few years ago...it'd certainly explain the large parking lot. :-)

Ah...so many memories, used to go there w/my grandfather practically every other wknd, and I've lost count of how many movies I saw there between 87-94...in fact, I was there on its last day of operation (4/17/03) and saw Chicago w/my then-GF. Was sad to see it go after so long, but I agree that the opening of the Island 16 was suicide for both it and the Brookhaven Multiplex (the latter is/was 2 exits away from the Island 16, off the LIE...I knew it was suicide for them when it opened!).

Oh, for anyone who went there religiously (or to any other UA theater) in the mid-to-late 80s, go to www.networkmusic.com, search for a piece called "Ponderosa" and see if it sounds familiar. :-D

Oops...try this link: www.networkmusic.com

And one thing I remember was that they had A Christmas Story during its initial blink-and-miss-it release, which I actually saw there when I was 4 and wound up remembering the flagpole scene for years...LOL

Hello Chuck D,

Do you want to have a big laugh? You are very much correct in that that newer Cinema Deluxe Island 16 that opened up just two exits further up on the expressway from The Brookhaven Multiplex/AKA Medford Multiplex was the nail in the coffin for that cinema. The reason being was that the Medford Multiplex didn't have stadium seating or the other amenities offered by the Island 16.

What most people DON'T know is that both theatres are/were both owned by National Amusements.

Yes, that is right. National Amusements put their own theatre out of business. To say that this is stupidity on the company's part and you would normally be correct, however, at around the time the Island 16 was built, there was surgence in movie goers and the big wig movie companies fell into a false sense of security and began to overbuild. My wife worked for Loews and they made the same mistake in overbuilding as National Amusements did. So when the surgence subsided, many took to the new theatres and the older ones were left empty.

Naturally, National Amusements made a wise decision to quickly close and demolish the Medford Multiplex to avoid the competition from possibly taking it over.

The UA theatre at Coram is still standing. Normally this isn't a bright move on UA's part. But the theatre was falling into disrepair even long before it closed. The building would need a major overhaul now.

Personally I think justice should be served and the UA building should be demolished and the lot returned to a Drive-In once again.

If a Drive In did return at Coram, it would be the only one on Long Island in operation.

The good news is that the lot was never subdivided from when UA changed it to a Multiplex. So it is very much possible that a Drive-In could exist on this site again.

Whether it is economically feasible is another story.

Geo

Hey Geo...yeah, I knew that National Amusements owned both the Multiplex and the Island 16, which is why I referred to the latter's opening as "suicide" for the former (in fact, the Island 16 still runs a pre-show slide reminding patrons that the screenside exits provide easier parking lot access, which the Multiplex used to run from the early 90s till the end...actually features the familiar "N" logo).

While a drive-in would def be nice, given that their time has passed, one wonders if an attempted comeback would be economically feasible...who knows, though.

Hello Chuck D,

Believe it or not...there has been some areas where drive-ins have made a come back. Upstate NY is one area where they have been reopening old drive-ins. In some states such as Texas, they not only have been re-opening old drive-ins, but they have even built new ones.

Ohio and Pennsylvania also have seen some resurgences in drive-in reopenings too.

But there is a pattern though. Most of these areas the land values have not skyrocketed as they have here on Long Island...but it does make one wonder. Long Island has over 5 million people on it and yet, no drive-in theatre exists anymore here.

For the person who ventures into this territory here, it could be a big thing.

What more is that I have the spot already picked out! The UA theatre is sitting right on the corner of Rt 25 (Middle Country Rd) and Rt 112. It is surrounded by trees too. And there WAS once a drive in here :).

Geo

It is for obvious reasons that drive in theatres close - concessions! Movie theatres make most of their money at the concession stands - so if you can bring in cheaper food - why would you buy the movie theatre's high priced food? And that is the reason for the dying era of drive-in theatres.

On a side note for Coram - UA mad two blunders with this theatre. The first was that Target had opted to buy the land - so Regal made the decision to close the theatre - but before the official sale went through. UA took whatever valuable assets was left in the building and shut their doors anticipating the sale. Alas, Target nixed the deal at signing and the theatre was already closed. Two weeks later - Brookhaven Multiplex shut their doors and UA was the real loser. So you might be thinking - why didn't they reopen? Well, there were 2 reasons - first it was vandalized in a way that would have cost UA a large amount of money just to make repairs to re-open and since the theatre was already losing money, they sat on the fence about what to do (talk about cheap). Then, when the district manager finally made his way into the building - they had to evacuate. Due to the stale tempratures, mold started to develop (more like expanded to unsafe levels) and now the building is a toxic waste inside. The building will have to be demolished before anything could happen there - it's actually quite dangerous for anyone to go in there - which is why the building is forever closed.

Hello JBock,

Wow! That sure is a nice chunk of info. I have heard about the vandalism of the property, but I have not heard about the mold issue. It must be very very damp in that building for mold to develop like that. I could be too that if they have a damp or wet basement, that may trigger it as well. If I am not mistaken, I think there is a small lake nearby the building.

I don't imagine a multiplex like that having a basement, but I could be wrong.

True, if it wasn't for the nearby fast food places, I think a drive-in could still work there. I do miss the Long Island drive-ins and it would be nice to see something like that return.

One nice thing they do have on the Island is movie night at the Brookhaven Amphitheater. The only thing is they never have first runs, but it is as close as you can get to a Drive-In. Just hope for good weather though.

Geo

Does the Brookhaven Amphitheatre run 35mm film?

Hello Robert

I am sure they do. Or they could even have one of those new digital models. The place is huge, so they obviously have something with POWER.

Geo

Wow, had no idea...rather sad to learn that an important piece of the Long Island I grew up in was basically left to rot for no reason. :-( And yeah, I work for Love 96.1/WRCN (whose building is just down the road from the old UA, ironically!), so we've done promos during those drive-in nights @ the Ampitheater.

Hello Chuck

LOVE 96.1 RCN??? Am I missing something here? Last I remember WRCN was a rock station.

The Coram Drive-In was perhaps a good piece of Long Island movie history, but to be honest with you UA has always had a knack for building showbox sized theatres and I am sure that place was no different than any other UA theatre. I never liked UA theatres...black bland boxes. So there is really nothing of historical value attached to that building. So personally I don't mind if they bulldoze the place. (And according to JBock above, they may just have to do that). As I said above, I would rather see a Drive In return to that spot.

Overall it is very tough to find buildings to get attached to nowadays. In terms of modern theatres, I like the Stonybrook Loews. They at least tried to follow an Art Deco theme with that building. I think the last building I was attached to was the Babylon Theatre. It was the biggest theatre I went to when I was a child and the only one in the are with a balcony. But that theatre fell victim to UA's theatre dividing in the 80's. That too is another reason UA theatres leave a foul taste in my mouth.

Now if you really want to see a beautiful Long Island theatre, check out the Patchogue Theatre. It is a fairly new restoration and they pretty much use the building for performing arts rather than movies. But in terms of what a real theatre is like, one could get quickly attached to this place.

Geo

My bad, guess I should've been clearer...yes, RCN is still a rock station, but they now share a building w/WLVG (Love 96.1), an AC station that's also owned by Barnstable Broadcasting. And yeah, the current SB Loews def has a nice art deco feel to it, and I also have no complaints about the restored Patchogue Theatre, either...saw Hammer of the Gods (a Zeppelin tribute band) and the Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular there.

The theater is a kids hangout inside. And I mean a LOT of kids hang in there all weekend. Which probably is why the place is a complete mess. I've heard, and I don't know how true it is, that shoprite had an interest in buying the land the theater sits on.

Jared, I think you are confusing Chuck's "Patchogue theater" comments, which is the beautiful 1920's theater on Main St with the Multiplex Patchouge 13 on Sunrise Hwy.

Thanks for the clarification...yeah, I meant the restored 1920s theater on Main St. :-) But I digress...was on YouTube just now, and stumbled across something that should bring back memories for anyone who frequented the UA in the mid-to-late 80s like me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYJAYlHCh_4&NR=1

This site has some information about the drive-in that was located here prior to this theater.

The Coram multiplex building is falling deeper and deeper into shambles every time I go by. the whole site is overgrown, and the building covered in graffiti at this point, all with slashed awnings, etc. the place looks terrible.

This site shows some pictures of the old Coram Drive In. Go to...

http://www.longwood.k12.ny.us/history/index.htm

To see other old pictures of the surrounding area go to...

http://www.topix.net/city/farmingville-ny