University Plaza 1 & 2
4000 University Parkway,
Winston-Salem,
NC
27105
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Additional Info
Previously operated by: Carmike Cinemas, Stewart and Everett
Functions: Church
Previous Names: University Twin
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Located in the University Plaza Shopping Center. Opening on December 29, 1974, the University Plaza 1 & 2 was the second twin cinema to opened in Winston-Salem, and the one of two theatres that were under Stewart and Everett Corporation(the other was the Reynolda Twin and later on the Reynolda Triple during the late-1970’s).
This twin cinema had a seating capacity of 1,200(both auditoriums seated 600) with full widescreen projection capable of showing either 70mm and 35mm films. The opening attractions for the University Plaza 1 & 2 were “The Gambler” starring James Caan on Screen One. On Screen Two was the exclusive limited engagement showing of “Gone With The Wind”.
Stewart and Everett held operations into the early-mid 1980’s. Carmike took over in 1987 and it reopened on November 16, 1989. It was closed in early December 2000. The theatre is still there but it is being used as a church.
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
HISTORY:
1974-1986 Stewart and Everett Corporation
1986-2000 Carmike Cinemas
Wild is an understatement for this theatre. A lot of hardcore flicks played here…from “Boyz In The Hood”,to “New Jack City”, “Friday”, “Menace II Society”,and “Set It Off”.
WILD is an understatement for this theatre!
Steven Spielburg’s “E.T.” got the exclusive engagement showing at this theatre on June 11,1982. It was the only theatre within the entire town of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County where it played!
By the time Carmike took over this theatre in the mid to late-1980’s the conditions this cinema was in was absolutely horrific. There were numerous reports of garbage between the seats with empty beer bottles,fried chicken boxes lying around and not to mention some of the seats were just filthy! Also did I mention condoms were between the seats,and the numerous report of gang fights that broke out during weekend screenings. By the mid-1990’s,this theatre converted from first-run films to showing second-run movies as a discount theatre in order to keep afloat. By 2000,this theatre was closed by Carmike Cinemas and from there were plans to reopen this theatre,but that didn’t help. A church was set to reopen it by showing kiddie matinees in order to stay open which at the time of the University Plaza 1 & 2’s closing had tough competition from a bigger and larger megaplex that was being built just up the street. By the time the church took over where the University Plaza Cinemas once stood,no one would have ever suspected that once upon a time this was a movie theatre located on the Northern section of the city.
Wow, I used to live literally across the street in Deacon ridge condos and had no idea there was ever a cinema at University Plaza. My condo complex was nice, but I rarely went to this shopping center because it does tend to have spa reputation for rough clientele. Out of curiosity, which building was the cinema in? I don’t remember a church unless it was on the far side past subway and dollar general, but I thought that was a pawn shop.
You are right, Mmandarano. The theater was where the pawn shop is now. The last movie that I saw there was the 2nd run showing of ‘Scream 3’ in the spring of 2000. There was a surprising number of low class families with their young children there, and they thought the death scenes were hilarious. One of the last movies to show here was the Mel Gibson starrer ‘The Patriot’.
This closed before it became a Carmike in 1987 and reopened on November 17th, 1989. Another ad posted.
Closed December 6th, 2000.
University Cinema 1 & 2 closing 07 Dec 2000, Thu Winston-Salem Journal (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) Newspapers.com