Cineplaza 13

2115 69th Street and Tunnely Avenue,
North Bergen, NJ 07047

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Additional Info

Previously operated by: Regal Cinemas

Previous Names: Regal Cinemas Bergen Plaza 13

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News About This Theater

Jan 4, 2007 — New Jersey cinema highlights the films of India

Originally opened on December 16, 1998 as Regal Cinemas Bergen Plaza 13 (there wasn’t much of a plaza there- the theatre is on the lower level of a parking garage complex below a PathMark supermarket on the upper level). Opening with first run style prices most of the films shown were holdovers from the more successful Loews/Sony Secaucus locations. Less than a year after opening Regal Cinemas lowered ticket prices to 3.00. Stupidly, the company, in its over expansion campaign opened the 12-Screen Columbia Park complex (also in an enclosed parking deck) that fared slightly better than this one.

Regal Cinemas Bergen Plaza closed soon afterwards and was reopened in 2001 as Cineplaza 13. Indian movies fared well when the cinema was under Regal’s ownership and preformed well under its later ownership Cinecorp USA (also an Indian film distributer). The four largest screens (some containing 400 seats) sold out with Indian picture. The other screens were a mixed bag of alternative, independent and art programing as well as hold overs from Loews.

The area is currently over screened (Loews has 14 screens, Cineplaza 13, and Interstate Theatres Columbia Park 12, with a 25 screener on the way from Muvico at Meadowlands Xanadu…), and the Cineplaza sometimes served as an intermediate house between the Loews and Columbia Park theatres.

However, this is some of the best, most diverse movie going in the nation, the theatre was well kept (although a bit darkly lit thanks to previous owners Regal) but practically hidden. It was closed in January 2006.

Contributed by John J. Fink

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Recent comments (view all 11 comments)

John Fink on September 28, 2005 at 12:15 pm

Columbia Park is at I-495 at Kennedy Blvd, its under the Columbia Park shoping center (accessable from a ramp off Kennedy Blvd leading back on to 495.

ArchStanton007 on September 28, 2005 at 12:55 pm

What a stupid place for a theater !!!
Just to find it becomes a treasure hunt !!!
By placing the theater below street level it’s almost as if the movie going experience has become second rate compared to the stores above. At least witht the NYc Loews inside of Virgin Records, there is a marquee outside.

John Fink on October 4, 2005 at 7:08 am

Regal wasn’t thinking, they were focued on expansion, this theatre should have never been built. They did advertise it frequently when it first opened but I suspect part of the reason its doing okay now (besides being the premere Bollywood theatre in the country) is because Tunnelly Ave has seen some new devolopment over the past few years too. Regal didn’t think. National Amusements which didn’t really get caught up in the multiplex boom studies a site for years before building. Regal just wanted screen counts, as a result of those muliplexes built during the boom only 2 of the top 100 were Regals (now that number has gone up surly with the aquistion of Union Square) but Regal Cinemas was astonishingly stupid during the late 90’s. Glad this theatre and Columbia Park proved it to you.

John Fink on January 29, 2006 at 1:10 pm

It’s closed, as of this weekend they are screening the Indian movies at the Columbia Park 12 and have closed this facility – this is a loss for Northern NJ as those additional screens would play anything and everything – I saw a lot of revolutionary world cinema there including movies like Oldboy, Kings and Queen, and City of God. This place will be missed.

JKane on January 3, 2007 at 6:16 pm

Interesting article in today’s New York Times (Section A) about the thriving Indian movie fare screening at the Columbia Park Cinema 12, a venue apparently facing possible redevelopment problems.

LouL on February 28, 2010 at 3:42 pm

The Cineplaza was close da few years ago. It is now a Foreman mills store whihc doesn’t seem top be fareing any better than the theater.

John Fink on April 5, 2010 at 8:31 pm

The article linked by Lost Memory refers to the other North Bergen theatre, now run by Big Cinemas (at Columbia Park, about two miles away). That theater is still up and running. By the way I discovered a while back that the theater was originally going to be a Bradlees – when they went bankrupt Magic Cinemas signed the lease to open this theater.

Regal acquired Magic Cinemas (which had a few multiplexes and smaller theatres that were taken over by Regal – Northhampton Crossings in Easton, PA for example, or Clearview Cinemas – the now gone Colony in Livingston, NJ and Abby in West Millford, NJ). Regal I suppose had Columbia Park on the docket already, which then couldn’t play day and date with Loews. Somehow Starplex was able to do it later, and Columbia Park has found success as a hybrid Bollywood / Hollywood multiplex and even has a digital 3-D projector screen.

Retail might have faired well with Target and other big box retailers opening a few blocks down on Tunnely Ave.

John Fink on March 20, 2015 at 6:50 pm

Should be marked as closed – both the Pathmark and Forman Mills (which replaced the theatre) on site are now sitting empty. The big box shops only a few blocks away seem to be thriving, not sure why exactly this location failed so horribly.