Here is a news story about the upcoming closure, can’t believe there will be only one movie theatre left in the entire Borough of the Bronx.
http://bronx.news12.com/multiplex-cinemas-in-concourse-plaza-set-to-close-next-month
The estimated costs for the renovation project apparently are turning out to be way more than originally estimated.
https://www.nj.com/hudson/2023/07/cost-of-renovating-landmark-loews-jersey-theater-balloons-to-105-million.html
The National Amusements Linden Blvd Multiplex is going to close and be replaced by a Food Bazaar Supermarket.
https://eastnewyork.com/supermarket-chain-buys-multiplex-movie-theater-on-linden-blvd-in-east-new-york-for-40-million/
Now slated to become even more Manhattan Mini-Self Storage:
https://patch.com/new-york/upper-east-side-nyc/shuttered-ues-cinema-become-even-more-self-storage
After viewing the video above I can see why the Colossus won the war, this megaplex really has no charm whatsoever. It’s almost as if whomever designed this said to themselves “How can I make this 30-plex look as boring and as plain as possible” I don’t think another 30-plex will ever be built in Canada again, what a waste!
The stadium seating and megaplex trend in the mid 1990’s made this type of theatre so obsolete so very quickly, many of these Famous Players streetscape design theatres lasted less than fifteen years unfortunately, not a very long lifespan at all.
I think it’s such a great shame that such a historically significant movie palace has to be destroyed to put up some ugly condo project, I do hope that they can at least save something from the interior that has historical significance. Glad I got to see some films here in the late 90’s when it was still open as a fiveplex by Famous Players.
The Alpine Cinema recently celebrated it’s 100th Birthday this past Sunday June 6th 2021, they say that at this point it’s now the oldest continually operating movie theatre in all of New York City: https://www.brooklynpaper.com/alpine-cinemas-reopens-centennial/
It actually closed in January 2001, among the last titles that were listed on the Kingsway marquee were: Castaway, Dracula 2000 & Miss Congeniality all of which opened on December 22nd 2000. There were also other films listed like The Emperors New Groove & Vertical Limit which had opened earlier in that month.
Famous Movie Shops sold movie themed memorabilia of films that were playing there during this era, such as: Batman t-shirts, Star Trek Soundtrack tapes & compact discs etc. I don’t seem to recall any Famous Players branded logo products although it would have been nice. This concept unfortunately turned out to not be profitable after awhile & was quickly discontinued. Also Cineplex Odeon seemed to know better at the time and did not have similar shops in any of their new 80’s multiplexes.
The original auditorium names and seat counts at opening were: Majestic 451 seats, Olympia 298 seats, Bijou 254 seats & Alto, Palace & Rio with 238 seats in each one.
The original auditorium names at opening were: Avalon, Rio, Paradise, Olympia, Palace & Alto. The largest of them was the Paradise Auditorium which seated 472 & had 70mm, meanwhile the smallest one was the Olympia with only 216 seats. Dolby SR was featured in all auditoriums when this complex opened in May of 1989.
Did someone at Cineplex forget to remove the vintage 80’s Famous Players signage outside? LOL, can’t tell if this used to have chaser bulbs like the Loews one in Montreal did.
That was the resolution of the photo on the Boxoffice website, I wish that it was in high resolution as well. I supposed we are lucky to have a photo at all.
I noticed in the YouTube video that grandcameo posted this cinema already had the new Famous Players logo and the “Street of Theaters” design with each auditorium having the separate movie palace names of Alto, Rio & Bijou. Was this a prototype for Famous Players? The first cinema that I thought opening with this design was the Gateway 6 in Brampton in October 1988, the Portage Place opened a year earlier. Is there anyone who worked either for Famous Players or Petroff Partnership on this site that would know the prototype status of this cinema?
Here is a news story about the upcoming closure, can’t believe there will be only one movie theatre left in the entire Borough of the Bronx. http://bronx.news12.com/multiplex-cinemas-in-concourse-plaza-set-to-close-next-month
Yes, you are correct robboehm.
The estimated costs for the renovation project apparently are turning out to be way more than originally estimated. https://www.nj.com/hudson/2023/07/cost-of-renovating-landmark-loews-jersey-theater-balloons-to-105-million.html
The National Amusements Linden Blvd Multiplex is going to close and be replaced by a Food Bazaar Supermarket. https://eastnewyork.com/supermarket-chain-buys-multiplex-movie-theater-on-linden-blvd-in-east-new-york-for-40-million/
Now slated to become even more Manhattan Mini-Self Storage: https://patch.com/new-york/upper-east-side-nyc/shuttered-ues-cinema-become-even-more-self-storage
Comfortably Cool, this is the former Walker Theatre in Brooklyn located on 18th Avenue & 64th Street, not the Jackson Heights Cinema.
After viewing the video above I can see why the Colossus won the war, this megaplex really has no charm whatsoever. It’s almost as if whomever designed this said to themselves “How can I make this 30-plex look as boring and as plain as possible” I don’t think another 30-plex will ever be built in Canada again, what a waste!
The stadium seating and megaplex trend in the mid 1990’s made this type of theatre so obsolete so very quickly, many of these Famous Players streetscape design theatres lasted less than fifteen years unfortunately, not a very long lifespan at all.
I think it’s such a great shame that such a historically significant movie palace has to be destroyed to put up some ugly condo project, I do hope that they can at least save something from the interior that has historical significance. Glad I got to see some films here in the late 90’s when it was still open as a fiveplex by Famous Players.
The Alpine Cinema recently celebrated it’s 100th Birthday this past Sunday June 6th 2021, they say that at this point it’s now the oldest continually operating movie theatre in all of New York City: https://www.brooklynpaper.com/alpine-cinemas-reopens-centennial/
It actually closed in January 2001, among the last titles that were listed on the Kingsway marquee were: Castaway, Dracula 2000 & Miss Congeniality all of which opened on December 22nd 2000. There were also other films listed like The Emperors New Groove & Vertical Limit which had opened earlier in that month.
Famous Movie Shops sold movie themed memorabilia of films that were playing there during this era, such as: Batman t-shirts, Star Trek Soundtrack tapes & compact discs etc. I don’t seem to recall any Famous Players branded logo products although it would have been nice. This concept unfortunately turned out to not be profitable after awhile & was quickly discontinued. Also Cineplex Odeon seemed to know better at the time and did not have similar shops in any of their new 80’s multiplexes.
The original auditorium names at opening were: Metro, Paradise, Tivoli, Palace, Majestic & Rio.
The original auditorium names at opening were: Majestic, Paradise, Palace, Metro, Avalon & Olympia.
The original auditorium names and seat counts at opening were: Majestic 451 seats, Olympia 298 seats, Bijou 254 seats & Alto, Palace & Rio with 238 seats in each one.
The original auditorium names at opening were: Avalon, Rio, Paradise, Olympia, Palace & Alto. The largest of them was the Paradise Auditorium which seated 472 & had 70mm, meanwhile the smallest one was the Olympia with only 216 seats. Dolby SR was featured in all auditoriums when this complex opened in May of 1989.
The original auditorium names at opening were: Bijou, Alto, Rio, Palace, Olympia & Majestic.
The original auditorium names at opening were: Avalon, Olympia, Alto, Bijou, Rio.
The original auditorium names at opening were: Alto, Majestic, Olympia, Bijou, Rio, Avalon, Palace & Paradise.
The original auditorium names were: Alto, Bijou, Rio, Palace, Olympia & Avalon.
Yet, another Famous Players Street of Theaters design will be gone unfortunately. After this one closes, will there be any left in all of Canada?
Did someone at Cineplex forget to remove the vintage 80’s Famous Players signage outside? LOL, can’t tell if this used to have chaser bulbs like the Loews one in Montreal did.
Thanks! Maybe it was only given out the first weekend when we went.
That was the resolution of the photo on the Boxoffice website, I wish that it was in high resolution as well. I supposed we are lucky to have a photo at all.
I noticed in the YouTube video that grandcameo posted this cinema already had the new Famous Players logo and the “Street of Theaters” design with each auditorium having the separate movie palace names of Alto, Rio & Bijou. Was this a prototype for Famous Players? The first cinema that I thought opening with this design was the Gateway 6 in Brampton in October 1988, the Portage Place opened a year earlier. Is there anyone who worked either for Famous Players or Petroff Partnership on this site that would know the prototype status of this cinema?