Village Plaza 5
141 South Elliott Road,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
141 South Elliott Road,
Chapel Hill,
NC
27514
1 person
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The Plaza Theatre opened in 1969 as the Village Plaza Theatres. A third screen was added in the late-1970’s and it was also equipped to screen 70mm presentations. Two more screens were added in the mid-1990’s by splitting the third auditorium in two.
It was closed in 2004 to make way for construction of a new ten screen by the same name.
The new theatre will feature stadium seating and digital sound which the old Plaza Theatre was not equipped for.
The Plaza Theatre was operated by Eastern Federal Theater, as will be the new ten screen.
Contributed by
Chuck Van Bibber, Raymond Caple
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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)
Here is a 2002 article that discusses closure of the Plaza:
http://tinyurl.com/26y45u
Lots of bureaucratese from 2003:
http://tinyurl.com/2zwqtx
The Village Plaza Theatre was a Chapel Hill landmark for 33 years from 1970 until 2003. Located at the corner of Elliott Road and East Franklin Street in the Village Plaza Shopping Center. The theatre opened in 1970 as a twin cinema,a third auditorium was added in 1973,making it a triplex. Two more auditoriums were added in the late 1980’s-early 1990’s until its demise in 2003.
Owned and operated by Eastern Federal Corporation.
A lot of good movies played at here at the Village Plaza…
“Airport"
"The French Connection"
"Chinatown"
"Purple Rain"
"Terminator 2:Judgment Day"
"Dirty Harry"
"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom"
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
"The Empire Strikes Back"
"Goodfellas"
"Blazing Saddles"
"Young Frankenstein"
"ALL of the Planet of the Apes movies”-original
“The Towering Inferno"
"Terminator 3"
"Staying Alive"
"Lawrence of Arabia”-re release
“Ben-Hur”-re release
“Gone With The Wind”-re release
“The Poseidon Adventure”–(1972)
“Sounder"
"Harold and Maude"
"A Man Called Horse”
FYI: The Village Plaza installed the systems for DOBLY STEREO in 1980(in screen 3) for the showing of The Empire Strikes Back during its initial run.
The third screen was equipped for films to be shown in either 35MM or 70MM presentations.
This is what I found from an article that was posted in the Friday October 16, 1970 edition of the Durham Herald-Sun and the Chapel Hill News…….
GRAND OPENING TODAY OF CHAPEL HILL’S FIRST-EVER TWIN THEATRES OPENS AT 1:00PM TODAY!
THE PLAZA TWIN THEATRES 1 & 2
Located in the Kroger Plaza Shopping Center at the corner of Elliott Road and East Franklin Street:
-Full Rocking Chair Seats For Maximum Comfort
-Super Widescreen Projection in both auditoriums
-Astounding Stereophonic Sound in both auditoriums
-Huge Lobby Area and Concession Stand Available for your convenience!
-ACRES OF FREE FRONT DOOR PARKING..
-SUPER BARGAIN SHOWS WITH MATINEES EVERYDAY!
OUR GRAND OPENING ATTRACTIONS AT THE PLAZA TWIN THEATRES:
PLAZA 1-LEE MARVIN IN MONTE WALSH
PLAZA 2-EXCLUSIVE TRIANGLE ROADSHOW ENAGEMENT IN STEREOPHONIC SOUND
GEORGE C. SCOTT and KARL MALDEN IN “PATTON”
“PATTON” was one of several roadshow enagements that played here in North Carolina.
The Official Grand Opening of the PLAZA TWIN THEATRES on October 16, 1970 was one of the first to show it during its premiere engagement before capacity crowds.
THE PLAZA TWIN THEATRES was Chapel Hill’s first-ever twin cinema that opened on October 16,1970.
The other premiere showing was MONTE WALSH Starring Lee Marvin that played in Screen One.
This was supposed to be rebuilt as a ten screen megaplex…..And they just recently turned the property that the Village Plaza was on is now a park owned and operated by the Town of Chapel Hill?
The site that was formerly Crown Honda-Volvo off 15-501 would be a great place for putting a 10 screen or a 20 screen megaplex with acres of free parking. Comments???
The Re-release of George Lucas' STAR WARS played here at the Village Plaza I-II-III in August of 1978.