Phoenix Theatres The Edge 12

Starting with the mid 60’s decline of the downtown theaters and the opening of the 70MM Cinerama equipped Eastwood Mall Theater, the Crestwood area was the place to go for the big first run movies. With the Eastwood a big draw Cobb Theaters, which had taken over Eastwood in 1968, opened the Village East Twin in the new Village East Shopping Center built directly across Oporto Madrid Road and later twinned the Eastwood. By the late 80’s the megaplex era was in full swing and in May 1989 Cobb opened this new 12 screen location, closing both Eastwood and Village East at the same time. Five years later it was expanded to 16 screens. In 1997 R.C. Cobb Theaters sold out in their entirety to Regal who then poured a ton of money into this place to convert it to stadium seating. Unfortunately for Regal it was at this time that the area started going downhill fast. Eastwood, Alabama’s first enclosed mall, which had been partially torn down and remodeled was soon completely torn down and replaced by a Super WalMart. The larger mid 70’s era Century Plaza Mall, built directly across the road from Eastwood Mall also closed at this time and has been demolished and replaced by an Amazon distribution center

From reading the comments on the news story linked to above, it seems that the entire neighborhood has declined. Crime and gang activity seem to be a problem and in 2006 Regal bailed out of this location after only eight years. A company called Edge Theaters which operated by picking up closed locations such as this and rehabbing them decided to give it a try. They reopened 12 of the screens but were soon introduced to the realities of their new location when on Christmas Day 2011 the place was overwhelmed by a social media generated flash mob which resulted in a massive police response and theater shut down on the busiest day of the year. By 2017 Edge said enough and Phoenix Theaters took over although it was still branded as The Edge 12 so as to take advantage of the big signage on the building. Two years later it was time for the Covid shutdown. Although the theater did reopen, Phoenix soon bowed to the inevitable and in April 2023 shut the place down again.

Grand opening ad posted.

Showtimes search now reveals that this is now open.

Judging from the Google satellite view, it appears that there was a 6-screen addition at some point. Its relation to the rest of the shopping center would lend itself to being turned into retail so it’s not surprising that only 12-screens are being used in the new project.

This theater is shortly to reopen as The Edge Cinemas 12; story here: View link. The article says it was formerly the Regal Festival 12, so the number of screens it had seems to be in dispute.