Syosset Theatre
7500 Jericho Turnpike,
Woodbury,
NY
11797
7500 Jericho Turnpike,
Woodbury,
NY
11797
20 people
favorited this theater
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I can’t seem to find the Encore site.
POMovie2 Maybe you could go to the Encore site and flesh out the info. Was there a sloped floor. A more exact location, etc.
The Encore Theater? Oh my goodness. What a dump. I think I saw one double feature there of THE THING and CAT PEOPLE.
They announced another 150 theatre for the Gardiner Manor Shopping Center in Bay Shore. But that never materialized and all the existing Bay Shore theatres- Bay Shore, Regent, Cinema, Bay Shore Sunrise Drive In, Fifth Avenue Drive in, Loew’s South Shore Mall and the Encore closed.
I believe this is the theatre where I saw the reserved seat, roadshow engagements of “Star!‘ and "Hello, Dolly!”. Both films played here for their initial LI release,while continuing their reserved seat, roadshow engagements in Manhattan
The UA Syosset Formerly the Cinema 150 was my favorite. I always went for the blockbusters, Independence Day, The re-release of Star Wars and Men in Black. haven’t been to a movie theater since it closed.
Hi miclup… Just to refresh your memory, that sound process was called “Sensurround.” It was probably most effectively used in the movie “Earthquake,” but it was also employed in the movies “Midway” and “Rollercoaster” and tacked on to the theatrical release of a made-for-TV “Battlestar Galactica” movie. Unfortunately, coming from Queens, I didn’t discover the Cinema 150 until the late 1980’s. Saw “Earthquake” at the Ziegfeld in Manhattan and the other sensurround movies at Century’s Green Acres Theatre in Valley Stream.
UA Cinema 150 was such a strange place. It was the first “stadium seating” I remember ever seeing even though it wasn’t called that. Amazing screen and sound. Two favorite experiences here: EARTHQUAKE in SurroundSound and TERMINATOR 2. Both were jampacked. The 150 made them both so special. Best of all, I remember the manager coming out before EARTHQUAKE and telling us not to put anything on the ledge of the balcony for fear the seats would shake. That sense of fun was great at the 150.
more pix : http://snackbar-confidential.blogspot.com/2011/06/blog-post.html
also saw “Return to Oz” there and the “Metropolis” reissue.
I was there on the “Little Shop of Horrors” night. Huge crowd. we did not get in!
Ironic, me and my high school girlfriend saw “Animal House” at the Syosset . I saw “Sgt. Pepper” at the York in Huntington Station to a near empty house. I wanted my money back!
The snack bar !
View link
Bloop
Regarding your earlier post of a waste of 70mm on SGT PEPPER at the 150. Want to take a guess what was running exclusively across the street at the Syosset the same week to packed houses? NATIONAL LAMPOON’S ANIMAL HOUSE. In glorious 1.85 and Mono.
I ran the UA Cinema 150 from January ‘89 to May '89. Prior to that, I used to be a film geek that loved going to that theater no matter what played. I knew Bob T for years when he was a manager there and I was an usher at another theater. Bob T was the kind of manager I always aspired to be. When he was moved to the Sunrise Mall, his gifts were completely wasted at that hellhole of a theater. He put care and love into everything he played there. And you just do not see that in theater managers anymore. Especially those working in the big chains. It’s a dying breed. I remember him introducing me to John Landis at the SPIES LIKE US test screening and Landis spent several minutes grilling me about what I liked and disliked about the film. Sure enough, many of his cuts in the final release were from negative comments I had discussed with him. I would remember Bob getting elated over being able to play LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS there for a one night “hush-hush” sneak preview. I think it was one of the last times that they ran an ad in the paper for the film without telling the audience what they were seeing. Or a sneak preview of THE LAST STARFIGHTER in 70mm playing with… wait for it… THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE. Another Bob T touch, and this was a beauty… After UA showed the Will Rogers “Beg For Money” trailers, Bob would turn up the houselights and while the cans went around, he would play a popular music video in 35mm on the big screen. I remember at least 2 Bowies, DANCING IN THE STREETS & UNDERGROUND from Labyrinth. Theater is missed but if we don’t care more, managers like Bob T will be too.
Yes, I remember UA calling this theater “The Syosset”, after being the UA Cinema 150 forever. It didn’t make a difference: my invoices were always addressed to the UA Cinema 150, and they always got paid. UA used to have a strange way of naming theaters incorrectly back then: “The Syosset” was actually in Woodbury; and the Smithtown Drive-In was actually located in Nesconset. I would think somebody would have looked at the zip code before naming (or re-naming) a location. Funny stuff and yes: this was the absolute premiere showcase house on Long Island. Like the many drive-ins that once were here on LI, there will never be a beautiful showcase theater like this ever again.
Seattle Wa. also had a UA 150 that was constructed as a dome. The same building had a second theater, the UA 70. I remember seeing Star Wars in the 150. The place was packed and the film played for over 1 year. They even had a big celebration when they reached the 1 year screening mark. Today the site is a gravel lot as the theaters were torn down some time ago. They also were well maintained up to the end.
Oddly enough, in the year before it closed a new pylon was erected. It just said United Artists Theatres. The actual features display area was actually split in two leading me to believe that the theatre was to be twinned. When it closed after featureing Miss Congeniality I was sure. Months later Sandra Bullock was still in place. Eventually they did the renovation adding windows at the second story level where, today, you can see people running around the track.
A second 150 was to have been built in the Gardiner Manor Shopping Center on Sunrise Highway in Bay Shore. The sign announcing it was up for a long time but nothing came of it.
Long Island’s Cinerama exhibition history posted here.
Hey Wally… The shape of the building is exactly the same, curve and all. It was completely gutted and windows were added, but the exterior shape is intact.
Bill… I think that would be a long shot over in Montclair, eh? Ha ha. Nope, I think the only way I’ll ever see true Cinerama is to book myself a flight out west to Seattle or LA when something of interest is screening. Sigh.
Ed: the ex-Cinerama Clairidge Theater in Montclair NJ is reportedly still intact. The multiplex that goes by that name now is enclosed in a metal box which fits inside the shell of the original theater. Boy, if I only had a couple of million dollars.
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has anyone been to the back of it…has it still have the 150 shape
rear wall?
This was a gem on Long Island, Bloop, no doubt. Rather amazing that it survived intact for as long as it did. With its demise went the our best hopes of ever seeing Cinerama in the New York area again!
I think it just LOOKS taller with the windows that were added. FYI, the first time I was here, my friend’s parents, took us to see “Earthquake” in SENSSUROUND! Great first experience for me with the 150! What a shame that it is gone!
I drove by not that long ago… Seems like the building is taller. Did they add a story on top of the original footprint when they gutted this for the gym, or is my mind playing tricks on me?