Kinnelon Cinemas
25 Kinnelon Road,
Kinnelon,
NJ
07405
25 Kinnelon Road,
Kinnelon,
NJ
07405
2 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 30 of 30 comments
Photo and review here View link
http//www.dailyrecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20060422/COMMUNITIES22/604220337/1203/NEWS01&cid=0
This is terrible news…
This one in general isn’t that great of a movie theatre, its not bad, its just the theatre is notrious for having small screens (the sound is good, however). There was talk of building a multiplex in Riverdale, down the road a few years ago, maybe that project will resurface as they are building up that part of 23.
The largest theatres are in the mall building (Known as Kinnelon 4-11), theatres # 4 and 5. Theatre 1 in the Meadtown Cinema building (known as Kinnelon 1-2-3) is actually a great place to see a film, with Dolby Digital Sound and a decent screen.
As for the Meadtown Cinema, CJM purchased it and used it for the ‘big films’ as it was a bigger auditorium than any in their 8-plex next door. It was only open when business warranted. When Clearview bought most of the CJM theatres (which at the time included the Bellevue in Upper Montclair, the Middlebrook Galleria 10 in Ocean Township, and the Cinema 23 in Cedar Grove), they also acquired Meadtown. Clearview then divided it into three auditoriums and combined it with the Kinnelon 8 to make Kinnelon 11.
The theatre currently is comprised of the Kinnelon 1-3 (which, may techincally be in Butler) and Kinnelon 4-11. The Kinnelon 1-3 was formerly the Meadtown Cinema, behind Butler Bowl this was a one screen location (formerly a Jerry Lewis cinema). CJM, a local chain aquired by Clearview ran this as well as the ‘Kin-Mall 8’ which was built in 1992.
The theatres took over what was once half the mall. The mall’s supermarket expanded, a back section was closed off (thats where the cinemas are) and a very small indoor convience center style mall exists now with a hair salon, ice cream eatery, pizzaeria and a variety store (that kinda of stuff).
Clearview went on a buying spree in 1997 or so, aquiring CJM (as well as Nelson-Firman and others). The Meadtown Cinema was closed for a while before this (I don’t think it ever operated as a Clearview). In 2000 Clearview Cinemas reopened the Meadtown deviding it in to three very small theatres (the one screener was formerly a Jerry Lewis cinema, meaning it was small already). The cinemas now operated as the Kinnalon 1-3. Up the hill at the Kinnalon 11 the cinemas were renumbered (#1 was now #4 and so forth).
The cinemas still do well, but this numbering system makes it hard to tell what building you’re actually in (I’ve had friends buy tickets at the 4-11, only to be told by a ticket taker that they had to go down the hill to the 1-3). The 1-3 were orginally supost to show art films, they played Gods and Monsters and Hidious Kinky there amongst others as their opening features. Now, that kind of content at the Kinnelon 11 is rare.