Island 16 - Cinema de Lux

National Amusements has a second complex of this type in White Plains, the design is called "Cinema Delux".
The 15 White Plains cinemas cinemas are equiped with huge wall to wall screens and state of the art Dolby Digital sound. The concession stand features "Directors Hall Express Service". Ushers will also show you to your reserved seat. This concept brings a little class back to the movie going experience.

It sounds exactly like the Holtsville NA theater. They also have those ushers that bring you to your seat in the 4 director halls.

Visited only once when Chchago opened....one of the best on Long Island's theatres today...no curtain but in the director's hall it is a close as one can get. The screen, at least in the one theatre I visited was a very good size and slightly curved!!! Who'd a thought!
Kudos all around...great projection and sound and seating!

National Amusements buys only the best in projection and sound. In addition, the equipment is kept in top form thru a maintenance agreement with a projection survice company. The condition of the theatres is monitred regularly, nothing in the booth or anywhere else in the theatre is allowed to deteriate and must be kept in tip top condition at all times.

Now this is an idea I can get behind....I'm surprised that nobody thought about this before. NA's exactly right--why should the movies only be a PART of a night out? It's pretty much like going to a hotel. Finally, they're putting atmosphere back into movie theaters! Here's hoping that they build more of these on Long Island.

very nice theater the best on LONGISLAND today

Capt Ron, you will get your wish very soon. The Commack multiplex will soon be closed to make way for a new Commack Cinema de lux.

I was recently at the Island 16 (Heck I live just up the road), The prices at the concession are high, but the place is nice.

MISCONCEPTION, I never had an usher bring me to my seat at their director's halls.

MY MOST INTERESTING STORY OF THERE goes like this. I went there to see the Disney Movie Treasure Planet. I was concerned about what would happen if I left to go to the bathroom. I was the only one in that theater and a man kept coming in to check on it. Would they cut the movie if I left? It was a good movie despite the reviewers, and I'm glad I held out.

An usher should have found your seat. Perhaps some miscommunication within the usher staff occured. As to cutting the movie, that would not be something that would be done, the person you saw coming into the theatre is required to do so by management. A National Amusement policy requires an usher/manager to check every auditorium during every show to check temperature and sight and sound quality, as well as all rest rooms to check for paper products and clean if needed.
A punch card indicating the check was completed must then be turned into management at the end of every shift.

Oh, heck yeah! This is by far the most incredible place to go see a movie, at least when it isn't crowded. It can be a madhouse, but when calm, the Island 16 is a beautiful moviegoing experience. There is nothing more to say.

It probably is best to take out your credit card or, in my case, giftcard, and purchase tickets from the electronic kiosk and go straight to your show. Or, you can get there early and try to get some pizza from Sbarro, which really makes for a great dinner and a show.

I just figured I would tell a cute story above. They would likely not have stopped the film, but that was my feeling at the time.

Does anyone on this page remember a theater in the shopping center at the intersection of Horseblock Road, and Waverly Avenue? It has a page on cinematreasures.org, but is not getting much attention. I figured this theater was close enough to ask. It was a twin that was operated by United Artists that was located where the Family Dollar is now.

National Amusements (or whoever bought the building) has just torn down the Island 16's predecesor, the Brookhaven Multiplex Cinemas, over at Exit 64.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_096062913.html
this is horrible....

That happened once at the AMC Empire 25 on 42nd Street in manhattan too. ANd it was also some kid's movie that it was supposed to be, and it turned out to some movie where the character hangs himself from a tree in the opening scene. These switches always seems to be switched for kids movies...

Splits, as they are called, are a common method of film booking. When two movies have come close to the end of their run they will be tied together to create a split, where the two films share a common screen in one auditorium. The two movies usually alternate showings through the day, a family G rated film might get all the matinees and one evening show and the adult film will follow later in the evening. But generally the two films will be evenly spit throughout the day.
Another reason for setting up a split is when two movies are alternated between two auditoriums, for example a kids movie might play in a larger house during the day and then moved to a smaller auditorium for the late shows when not as many seats are needed. This is also happens on a rainy weekend day where
You want all the kid friendly movies in your largest auditoriums for the matinees.

One reason why is that kid friendly movies have loud surround sound and that the larger auditoriums (with their big screens) can hold lots of kids and their families as opposed to smaller ones. This is the case with smaller multiplexes like the Allwood Sixplex, where a kid's movie would be played in the four other auditoriums that don't have digital sound (e.g., Tarzan in theater 3, Hercules in theater 4). Newer theaters, such as the AMC in Rockaway, NJ, do show family movies in their large to medium large screens (e.g., Night at the Museum and Happy Feet) to accommodate the crowds. As for that incident at the Long Island theater, that is quite a rare occasion.

This theater is the worse I've been to, and I went to alot of the LI greats. The popcorn tastes stale, everything is expensive, the employees are nasty, the place has the vibe of being in a generic plasticy airport, the directors theater seating is a rip-off. GRADE: F

Love this theater one of the best of modern giant plex in the country!!!!!!

is that theater better than the rockaway 16? I wouldn't want to go all the way to this one unless a friend of mine lives in long island!!!

Let me quess LI Oddities, you are a ex-employee with a score to settle, right??
For the record, National Amusements, who owns and operates the Island 16, is hands down one of the best theatre circuit in the country. The conditions you described would never be tolorated at this or any other NA location. I speak with authority since I am proud to have worked for them for over 20 years.
The Managing Director, an old friend of mine, and a veteren of many years, has been there since the theatre opened. I can assure everyone who reads this, he would never allow his theatre to deteriorate to the level described in that prevous post.

The Island De Lux seems to still be going strong, and now especially so now that even the Patchogue Multiplex is gone.