Kahala Mall 8
4211 Waialae Avenue,
Honolulu,
HI
96816
4211 Waialae Avenue,
Honolulu,
HI
96816
3 people
favorited this theater
Related Websites
Consolidated Theatres, Hawaii (Official)
Additional Info
Operated by: Consolidated Theatres
Functions: Movies (First Run)
Previous Names: Kahala Mall 5
Nearby Theaters
The Kahala Mall 5 opened December 19, 1986 by Consolidated Theatres. On November 24, 1989 it became an eight-plex. Seating is listed at 1,922. Of the theatres that I have visited in Honolulu this is the least favorite. Cramped and crowded seating and a very unattractive lobby, it is a typical mall cinema.
The theatre closed in December 2019 for what was supposed to be a short period of restoration. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it didn’t reopen until November 5, 2021. The renovation added reserved, luxury recliner seating in all the screens which has reduced the original 1,922-seat capacity. The lobby and concession stand were also renovated, adding a café & bar with table and counter service, and an expanded food & drink menu, including alcohol options.
Contributed by
Chuck
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Recent comments (view all 10 comments)
This theater got renovated because the flood that happened a few years back.
The Kahala 8 Theatre was opened in December 1986.
Commerce, California-based Reading Entertainment, owners of the Angelika chain of theaters that feature independent and foreign films, bought the Consolidated Theatres chain from Pacific Theatres Exhibition Company in 2007.
I for one love the ambience of Kahala 8. What adds to the experience, however, is that since Kahala 8 is now owned by Reading Entertainment, Honolulu has an arthouse theater that plays indie and foreign films in a timely manner, either the day of their national release or very shortly after. I love seeing films at Kahala 8 and have always had a very pleasant experience.
I love the fact that they show a lot of art house fare but this has to be my least favourite theatre in Hawaii. The seating is uncomfortable and the sound systems in all but the largest theatre are horrid.
I saw the Santa Clause there when I was 16 and being from California this theatre was Pacific’s late 80’s through and through. Wood panelled back seats, stepped down tivoli lights on the walls, may have even had curtains like the Pacific I grew up going to.
I understand though that the mall flooded and the theatre was forced to remodel a bit, but haven’t been back inside since.
The paneling is gone but the lighting is the same. Auditoriums completely remodeled. Still a buisy theatre.
I was about to ask if anyone remembers a Waialae Drive-In? It would been roughly across Waialae Avenue from what is now the Kahala Mall. I recall seeing “The World of Suzie Wong” and some of the Hammer horror flix there.
I didn’t find it listed here, but I did locate a Honolulu TV news story about it. Turns out, it was demolished in 1986, and has been replaced with a nice subdivision.
Here’s the story. Stay with it until the end for a Hawaiian grace note about one of the street names.
http://khon2.com/2014/04/18/a-look-back-at-waialae-drive-in/
My bad, folks. The Waialae Drive-In is indeed listed here. (These guys don’t miss anything!) It’s under “Kahala, HI.”
Try this: http://cinematreasures.org/theaters/6478
This opened on December 19th, 1986 with five screens. Grand opening ad in the photo section.
Found on Newspapers.com powered by Newspapers.com
8 screens on November 24th, 1989