Cinemark Hazlet 12
2821 Route 35,
Hazlet,
NJ
07730
2821 Route 35,
Hazlet,
NJ
07730
6 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 44 of 44 comments
Of the eight full time managers I had when I left Hazlet in 2002 only two remain.The LED signs outside the auditorium where intended to be installed by NA, they were removed from another theatre that had just closed.
Rave intends to have the both converted to 100% digital very soon, as for the digital slides they were installed by NA along with DVD projectors for classic movies.
You are right about the design being the same as Berlin; the only difference is in the sloped roof which in Berlin is flat allowing additional storage room in the second floor booth area which Hazlet does not have. As a matter of fact while we were building Hazlet I visited Berlin to have a look-see.
Serving Coke is actually a throw back because NA served Coke until the late 80s when a deal was struck with Pepsi.
The Multiplex sign had to be removed because NA owns the copy write to “Multiplex Cinemas†and “Showcase Cinemas†and can not be used by any other company except under special conditions
My biggest concern is in the maintenance, I had a full time maintenance man who kept the building looking like new, and Rave has eliminated that. I would expect you to find more torn and broken seats now and less attention paid to the grounds, landscape and paining.
Rave also plans, if they haven’t already, to have front of the house staff, (ushers etc) run the booth which concerns me as well, and hopefully they will be well trained.
I caught a flick here earlier today: what’s changed? Glad you asked. Strangely enough the theater is identical in design to the former Showcase Cinemas Berlin (Berlin, CT) and also has a new expanded snack bar with hot foods and ice cream, Rave kept that and changed the popcorn (not for the better) and now serve Coke.
I had last been to Hazlet about 5 years ago, since then the concession stand is new as are the electronic displays over the auditorium entrances, the ticket stands still have analog boards. They’ve also added LCD menu displays at the main concession stand. The theaters aren’t stadium, ironic since we saw a digital slide show (Screenvision) before the feature that told us Rave is the “ultimate stadium theater”.
As for outside signs they’ve pained over “Multiplex” on board near the highway and also removed that lettering from the building, they’ve also centered the word “CINEMAS” over the main entrance so I’m not sure if they will be changing any other signs (theres slight label scarring). The presentation was 35MM with no Rave logo (they did show the National Amusements exit bumper before the previews). I really wish Rave didn’t change the concessions, National has the best popcorn of any major theater chain, Rave’s is decent and actually larger but not as delicious.
So sorry to hear that Mark, I wish the best for you.
Yeah we did move a lot of prints at City center. Every Saturday morning I would pour over the friday grosses and play musical chairs with the prints. It is/was a bit easier in Hazlet with all the projectors in one room and the distance betwen them closer together than City Center. Still there was alot of switching of prints from one house to another, as much as 3 or 4 times a day.
A lot of that is getting much easier now with the Digital format.
I do remember that conversation very well. Unfortunately, my back had other plans for me, and early in 2005, I was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease (pardon my spelling) and now I can not do a lot of heavy lifting anymore. The theatre I work at do not move a lot of prints, when they do, I have help, and I don’t work thursdays. Its a very painful thing, and I never know when my back will just give out. Its even painful to get in and out of the car. Just to thread up is a chore sometimes. But this is the hand I was dealt, and I forge ahead. Whatever my maker has in store for me, I accept. Don’t you wish sometimes you could just go back 20 or 30 years, when life was so much simpler??
You are correct Mark, Multiplex is a regestered trademark of NA.
I will inguire about it but unless some seperate deal was struck,
the name will have to change.
by the way, i had not realised you left City Center 15.
I recall when you applied for the projectionst position there I said to you “take a look at the four booths the running around and work involved and if you are crazy enough to still want the job
it’s yours” :)
I guess this is kind of a stupid question, but since Redstone has a patent on Multiplex, I guess once Rave takes over the name of this theatre will be changing to maybe Hazlet 12-plex or something like that. The same I guess for all the theatres involved in the sale.
Will do Vito. And I already got my answer from the article posted on Cinema Treasures last week. Someone listed all the theatres that were sold. Its a real shame to see whats happening to that company. I really miss those old days at the Amboys. Have a nice holiday.
Hi Mark, nice hearing from you. Out of respect to NA I am not at liberty to discuss the sale until after the transition and have been given the green light to do so.
Plesae give Carl my best wishes.
Rather telling from the “participating theaters” under National’s Star Pass program, it looks like in NJ they’re keeping Edgewater and Town Center. Those that are no longer participating in Star Pass are Hazlet and Showcase at Ritz Center. The whole OH and MI regions that had it are also out. I for one am glad they’re keeping Edgewater, the closest site to me and my theater of choice – I was the Rave in PA once, the complex was nice, well maintained, comfortable, but the popcorn…. pretty awful. Hopefully if the economy turns around they’ll install a Lux Level and turn Edgewater into a Showcase Cinema De Lux.
Oh and Vito, I saw Carl about a month ago. He services where I now work. He looks good. His daughter just got married. He looks very relaxed, away from the daily routine he did for so many years.
Hi Vito, how are you. Mark here, from Amboys and White Plains. A friend of mine told me just a few days ago that Rave Motion Pictures Theatres?? has purchased Hazlet and they are taking it over as of this Friday, the 18th. Do you know about this, and what other N/A theatres might have been sold?? Also, you and Meredith (whom I never met) have a great holiday season.
I just had to walk up a dirt road with four bags of groceries because the snow would not let me drive. I live in the Poconos.
Sunrise, wow. The old man’s palace. I wish Redstone would put one projectors in it instead of it being a projectionist smorgasbord. They have every type of stuff know to man in that booth.
Yeah, the trick is too start out low, but high enough, on the voltage and gradually increase them in time to keep abreast of it going back into SR.
They still have trouble with DTS. I told Bill it is over for DTS but he still like it and I do too, actually.
Well, I am snowed in. Time to make some pasta. Got the extra virgin olive oil, fresh roma tomatoes, garlic, onion, pepperoncino, fresh basil and maybe, maybe, some sausage if I can find the fennel seeds for the sausage. Mama Mia, Now That’s Italian!
Merideth, my tech was Carl Cricoli whom I sure you know. We worked together going back to my days at Sunrise in the early 80s.
Carl had his hands full when we first installed Dolby Digital sound at Hazlet. It was one of the first installations with the basement readers, which were always going out of calibration. The penthouse readers never had that problem but they were history and Carl had to make these s new ones work. It was carl who fiquered out that we should increase the voltage output in the LEDs so the film would not go into error. Trouble with that was it also shortened the life span of the LEDs. But Carl never gave up, but it sure took up a lot of his time.
Carl also had to keep the DTS units at Hazlet running, the company refused to buy parts anymore since they werer no longer buying them and were gradualy replacing them with Dolby Digital.
Carl would take parts from one two broken DTS units to make up one good one. he was a big help to me.
Vito, Pisan, hire me for your next new move, or we can hopefully work together. hehehe
Bill is very good. You hired the best. He and I worked in LA at the same time years ago. Him and his assistant always talk about Amboy. Vito, the Amboy booth looks well, except for the creeps damage that broke into it for stealing wire.
The big boy, Marino, is doing very well also. They are great people.
Talk with you soon Vito!
Meredith,you must have came on board after I left in ‘02
so I don’t think we never met.
Hazlet is/was one the best in the NA chain. I know Bill very well, i hired him away from UA a few years back. he is one of the best,a very knowledgable theatre man and all around nice guy.
I hand picked him as my choice to replace me as Managing Director when i retired, he was running Amboy at the time.
Yeah, ask for Bill Wilson, and tell him Meredith said, “Hello Buddy.” One of the best theaters I can ever remember servicing. It is that great. And, they have a NEW million-dollar snack bar installed. The place is ran like, well, like theaters used to be run! I love this place. Tell Bill Hello!
MadMax, Hazlet was built in 1991-92 before National Amusements began building theatres with stadium seating. Although Hazlet does not have the seating you prefer, I believe you will enjoy the theatre. it is well run with a friendly well organised staff, very clean, and has an excellent sound system. Should you have any questions about the theatre feel free to ask.
Loved the picture Lost Memory, those white curtains you see on the windows had to be motorized to prevent the heat from overpowering the A/C and blinding our cashiers. I always insisted that they were left open in the evening however, because the lobby lights looked great from the parking area.
Is this theater stadium seating? I am moving to the area and looking for a home theater.
I would like to comment on the new listing for the Hazlet Multiplex. It is listed as a 10 screen Megaplex but it is in fact a 12 screen Multiplex
I was involved in the post construction work at Hazlet Multipex and also served as Managing Director from opening in August 1992 till February 2002.
Built on the grounds of the old Route 35 drive-in, the twelve screen Multiplex opened in August 1992.
The complex has 2960 seats, and is equipped with DTS and Dolby Digital sound
Opening day was Fifty Cents Day; admission and all concession items were 50 cents. The event was a huge success with box-office lines that stretched out to Route 35 for most of the day.