Was the best single screen theatre in the area, and how I miss the blue and white decor!!! I remember my parents taking me to see E.T. there when I was 4 years old. The last movie, “21 Grams,” I saw there was right before they changed the venue over to a strictly “Music Only” theatre. Now it is completely gutted and unrecognizible as a theatre as the 35 Plaza is undergoing a expansion and face lift, and the theate is going to become, what else in Paramus…more retail…like we really need it.
Pete- Thanks for clarifying that for me. It was just b/c I read about the “selling” of the theatre on njo.com on the Sparta forum site. I guess those residents don’t know what they are talking about. I have another question for you, “Why did the Hudson Street Cinemas in Hoboken close back in May with no notice and for what reason?” I never read anything about it in the newspapers. Thanks.
P.S. I live about 8 minutes from the Cedar Lane Cinemas in Teaneck, you guys did a great job renovating it, back when you bought it in 2000. I used to go a lot when it was Movie City back in the day and it was gross. I was just there recently, I saw Monster-In-Law.
The Bellevue has been showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturdays at midnight since August of 2003, when The Screening Zone, another Clearview theatre, closed in downtown Montclair.
When it first became a discount house it was still under the Loews banner, and it was $2.00 all the time, then Cinemagic took it over in 1998 when it acquired the Ocean County Mall Theatre in Toms River and the old Loews Circle 5 in Bricktown. It is now a Work Out World Fitness Center.
I was surprised to read that this theatre was demolished, the last time I was actually on the island was during the summer of 2002, and this theatre just reopened for the summer. I know that the Beach Theatre by the Acme just reopened with an added 5th screen and has stadium seating. Is the other theatre, the Colonial 4 still open or is that closed for good too? This is the one down the strip close to Holgate.
The entire shopping center is supposed to be knocked down, and to be replaced by a brand new Marshalls and a Super Stop & Shop. Don’t worry though, the theatre is staying put, and will undergo a makeover to make it look like the new shopping center. I hope the theatre will surivive during the construction, since that and possibly the Chinese Take-Out place will be the only two businesses opened.
Bad news, I was by this theatre in the middle of last month, and it is completley gutted. If you walk around the back there is a huge opening to let a small truck in, and there is a wooden door attached. In the front, which I assume was the old tickett booth,it is gutted and opened up, and on the left there is an entrance to a jewelers and on the right an entrance to a cafe, and I assume where the entrance was to the actual theatre itself is a glass door, that looks as if it will be the door to new retail. It looks as if the Franklin won’t be coming back.
The final movie wasn’t “Jaws 2” in 1978, it was “John Carpenter’s The Thing” in 1982. In The Record from 1982, they don’t show any more movies playing there after that. Some movies that played there during the time period between 1978-1982, were “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” “The Blues Brothers,” and “1941”. Funny thing is, they all stared the late, great John Belushi. I remember when I was about 4 or 5 I would go with my grandmother to Main St. all the time, and I vividly remember seeing inside the lobby right after it closed before they boarded it all up, and the marquee which was green and said “FOX” in red letters, saying “CLOSED,” where a movie title would be featured.
This movie theatre during it’s final year showed the Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight on Saturdays, I think, was renovated, and beacame a $2.50 discount house. Some final movies that played there were,“Edward Scissorhands,” “Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead,” “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves,” “Decieved,” and “Freddy’s Dead” aka “A Nightmare On Elm Street 6,” which was formatted in 3-D.
Applebees did not replace the movie theatre, it is across the hall. Applebees replaced Burger King and Optical World. The new Burger King is around the corner by Sears and Friendly’s.
It was a General Cinema theatre which closed in the summer of 1997, then it reopened in the winter of 1998 as a Cinemagic Discount theatre, which closed again in September of 2002. It has been closed since.
I have not been there since November of 2002, does anyone know what replaced the movie theatre or does it still have the barricade covering up the front?
They just lowered their ticket prices this past Friday (6/24) or the one before (6/17) not sure. It is now only 4 dollars for a matinee and 7 dollars for an adult ticket. I guess with the plans for the new 16-plex on the table, this reduced admission price is the final nail in coffin for this theatre. I rarely go here, I used too when I was younger, but the place smells like mildew everytime I’m there
After the movie theatre closed somewhere around 1994-1995, it was first replaced by a Sears Hardware store, and now an A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts Superstore. The building is still the same and you can make out that it was a movie theatre at one time.
I recently read that the Sparta Theatre, as well as the Newton Theatre had been sold. Can anyone confirm or deny this? These are the only two theatres in Sussex County. It will be a shame if they were to both close, then again with the new 16-plex opening by the Rockaway mall next year, anything is possible.
Was the best single screen theatre in the area, and how I miss the blue and white decor!!! I remember my parents taking me to see E.T. there when I was 4 years old. The last movie, “21 Grams,” I saw there was right before they changed the venue over to a strictly “Music Only” theatre. Now it is completely gutted and unrecognizible as a theatre as the 35 Plaza is undergoing a expansion and face lift, and the theate is going to become, what else in Paramus…more retail…like we really need it.
Pete- Thanks for clarifying that for me. It was just b/c I read about the “selling” of the theatre on njo.com on the Sparta forum site. I guess those residents don’t know what they are talking about. I have another question for you, “Why did the Hudson Street Cinemas in Hoboken close back in May with no notice and for what reason?” I never read anything about it in the newspapers. Thanks.
P.S. I live about 8 minutes from the Cedar Lane Cinemas in Teaneck, you guys did a great job renovating it, back when you bought it in 2000. I used to go a lot when it was Movie City back in the day and it was gross. I was just there recently, I saw Monster-In-Law.
The Bellevue has been showing the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturdays at midnight since August of 2003, when The Screening Zone, another Clearview theatre, closed in downtown Montclair.
When it first became a discount house it was still under the Loews banner, and it was $2.00 all the time, then Cinemagic took it over in 1998 when it acquired the Ocean County Mall Theatre in Toms River and the old Loews Circle 5 in Bricktown. It is now a Work Out World Fitness Center.
I was surprised to read that this theatre was demolished, the last time I was actually on the island was during the summer of 2002, and this theatre just reopened for the summer. I know that the Beach Theatre by the Acme just reopened with an added 5th screen and has stadium seating. Is the other theatre, the Colonial 4 still open or is that closed for good too? This is the one down the strip close to Holgate.
The entire shopping center is supposed to be knocked down, and to be replaced by a brand new Marshalls and a Super Stop & Shop. Don’t worry though, the theatre is staying put, and will undergo a makeover to make it look like the new shopping center. I hope the theatre will surivive during the construction, since that and possibly the Chinese Take-Out place will be the only two businesses opened.
Bad news, I was by this theatre in the middle of last month, and it is completley gutted. If you walk around the back there is a huge opening to let a small truck in, and there is a wooden door attached. In the front, which I assume was the old tickett booth,it is gutted and opened up, and on the left there is an entrance to a jewelers and on the right an entrance to a cafe, and I assume where the entrance was to the actual theatre itself is a glass door, that looks as if it will be the door to new retail. It looks as if the Franklin won’t be coming back.
The final movie wasn’t “Jaws 2” in 1978, it was “John Carpenter’s The Thing” in 1982. In The Record from 1982, they don’t show any more movies playing there after that. Some movies that played there during the time period between 1978-1982, were “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” “The Blues Brothers,” and “1941”. Funny thing is, they all stared the late, great John Belushi. I remember when I was about 4 or 5 I would go with my grandmother to Main St. all the time, and I vividly remember seeing inside the lobby right after it closed before they boarded it all up, and the marquee which was green and said “FOX” in red letters, saying “CLOSED,” where a movie title would be featured.
This movie theatre during it’s final year showed the Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight on Saturdays, I think, was renovated, and beacame a $2.50 discount house. Some final movies that played there were,“Edward Scissorhands,” “Don’t Tell Mom The Babysitter’s Dead,” “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves,” “Decieved,” and “Freddy’s Dead” aka “A Nightmare On Elm Street 6,” which was formatted in 3-D.
Applebees did not replace the movie theatre, it is across the hall. Applebees replaced Burger King and Optical World. The new Burger King is around the corner by Sears and Friendly’s.
It was a General Cinema theatre which closed in the summer of 1997, then it reopened in the winter of 1998 as a Cinemagic Discount theatre, which closed again in September of 2002. It has been closed since.
I have not been there since November of 2002, does anyone know what replaced the movie theatre or does it still have the barricade covering up the front?
They just lowered their ticket prices this past Friday (6/24) or the one before (6/17) not sure. It is now only 4 dollars for a matinee and 7 dollars for an adult ticket. I guess with the plans for the new 16-plex on the table, this reduced admission price is the final nail in coffin for this theatre. I rarely go here, I used too when I was younger, but the place smells like mildew everytime I’m there
After the movie theatre closed somewhere around 1994-1995, it was first replaced by a Sears Hardware store, and now an A.C. Moore Arts and Crafts Superstore. The building is still the same and you can make out that it was a movie theatre at one time.
I recently read that the Sparta Theatre, as well as the Newton Theatre had been sold. Can anyone confirm or deny this? These are the only two theatres in Sussex County. It will be a shame if they were to both close, then again with the new 16-plex opening by the Rockaway mall next year, anything is possible.