Plantation Cross Roads

This opened on April 9th, 1976 as the Mercede Cinema 4. Grand opening ad in the photo section.

I’m told Plantation Crossroads finally closed in January 2012 after a 35-year run. A new CVS Pharmacy now fronts University Drive: I’m unaware if the rest of the Mercede Center and the theatre were demolished. Nearest screens are now Frank Sunrise, Regal Sawgrass, and Ridge Cinema.

If I’m not mistaken there is also another entrance to the complex off Sunrise where the Quizno’s Subs is.

Enjoyed the story on “10”.We had to watch teenage boys slipping in on it in the twin I worked,which was pretty easy since the screens were apart.I don’t really remember that much nudity if any in the movie.Thanks Irv.I did sneak into to see “THE GROOVE TUBE” when i was underage,so i know the thrill.

It appears Planation CrossRoads is no longer listed at the Frank Theaters site, and there was a report that foreclosure proceedings are underway for the entire shopping center.

There was an attempt to add two more screens to the Plantation CrossRoads, but the city nixed the request.

Most of my visits were in the 80s, when the rare subtitled or alternative movie showed up (“The Last Metro” had a very long run here, and did help increase awareness to the distributors that Broward was ready for international films; I remember Drier telling the local paper about their earlier attempt to book another acclaimed subtitled movie of the time, but he was turned down). Around the mid 80s, they were even trying midnight movies (saw “Don’t Look Back” there, and “Eraserhead” was on another screen).

On the other hand, I remember reels being switched around when they played “Fantasia” in the early 80s: A Tchaikovsky/Beethoven mashup.

As of this writing (and as various proposed megaplexes nearby still haven’t materialized), Plantation CrossRoads is still the only game in town for moviegoers.

Wow…end of an era. They’re changing the name, huh? I wonder what kind of ‘renovations’ they could possibly make to that place. It’s not very big, so maybe they’re changing the carpet or something. But there you go, change is happening all around. CBGB closes in New York and the Mercedes changes it’s identity. Heavy..

Yes, the former Mercede Cinema 4 will now be called “Plantation CrossRoads.” Awful name, if you ask me. Sounds more like a halfway house or substance abuse rehab facility than a movie theater.

Irv,

The Mercede Cinema’s experiments with “alternative” programming have all been mostly short-lived. The Mercede’s sister theater, the Gateway, has always played the bulk of the chain’s more limited releases. In 1996, the owner, Mitch Dreier, attempted an “early morning classics series” at both theaters, showing various “classics” on Tuesday (Gateway) and Thursday (Mercede) mornings. The films on the roster were, in chronological order, ‘My Fair Lady,’ ‘Driving Miss Daisy,’ ‘Dial M For Murder,’ ‘Hannah and Her Sisters,’ ‘High Noon,’ ‘The Searchers,’ ‘That Touch of Mink,’ ‘Camelot,’ and ‘House of Wax.’ I requested special permission from my high school principal to allow my Thursday absences to be excused so that I may enjoy this series.

Unfortunately, Dreier’s promotion of the series was too low-key, too grassroots. From what I recall, not a single ad was placed in the newspaper. Furthermore, Tuesday and Thursday morning screenings limit attendance mostly to retirees. As such, the series didn’t make it past ‘High Noon’ and was cancelled after only one showing of ‘The Searchers’ at the Gateway. I showed up to see it, excitedly (since I was saving this movie for the big screen), only to find the cinema desolate, with not a sign of employee life. After forty minutes, I and the other twelve people waiting decided to leave. I called the theater and it was explained to me that the series was cancelled. I was sent, by mail, a typewritten apology and one or two free passes which I never used, since the theater failed to subsequently book anything of interest.

From 1995 until about 2002, the only limited release I recall the Mercede getting was ‘Kiss Me Guido.’ In early 2003, the cinema became a second-run discount cinema, and that’s when, after scrapping all its digital sound equipment (which was sent to other locations in the now-expanded chain), it booked ‘Laurel Canyon,’ ‘How I Killed My Father,’ ‘The Company,’ ‘Talk To Her,’ ‘Far From Heaven,’ and others. While some of these drew crowds (‘Talk to Her’ and ‘Far From Heaven,’ namely), the Sunrise Cinemas (formerly Dreier Theaters) reverted the Mercede back to a first-run house, resuming its wholly uninspired programming.

What’s playing there right now?

Guess Who, The Ring Two, Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous, and Robots.

Awesome post, Irv.

My list might be less impressive:

The Land Before Time (I was a cub scout, and this was an event movie for my den), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Scrooged, Parenthood, Hot to Trot, Sneakers, Pet Sematary Two, Consenting Adults, Death Becomes Her, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Few Good Men, Hero (with Dustin Hoffman), Housesitter, Stay Tuned, A Stranger Among Us, The Cemetery Club, Mrs. Doubtfire, Babe, their aborted Tuesday Classics series from 1996 (where I saw My Fair Lady, Driving Miss Daisy, Dial M For Murder, Hannah and Her Sisters, and High Noon), In & Out, Gangs of New York, How I Killed My Father, Laurel Canyon, Far From Heaven, Talk To Her, and finally, The Company.

And yes, a few others I can’t recall.

This is the oldest theater in the South Florida-based Sunrise Cinemas chain, which was initially known as Dreier Theaters. The Mercede is tucked away behind the Mercede shopping plaza and has been there since the 1970s. It’s an intimate four-plex in a very nondescript building whose parking is limited, although not a problem since the theater is rarely packed. The theater’s main attribute is that it’s cozy. A good theater to which to bring a girl with whom you can make out in the back. The lobby is small, and so the smell of popcorn and hot dogs pleasantly fills the air, making this smell like a cinema. Projection is good, although two of the houses have only monaural sound. Watching features in these houses is not advised.

I worked here very briefly and can attest to the cleanliness of the projection booth. A union projectionist, at least at the time I worked here, mans the booth part-time and projection staff is well-trained. The floor staff, however, is varied. At times, as a patron, I was impressed by the staff. At other times, particularly as an employee, I was frightened by the sleaziness of the given crop.

been here nice theater