AMC Loews Paramus Route 4 Tenplex

The original huge screen used to be on the left. When they showed SW there in 1977, man it was so amazing, 6 track sound, great speakers, astonishing screen size. At that time, there were two other screens to the right, the auditoriums there were about the same length, but much narrower and without the towering height and balcony. At the time Phantom Menace came out, the only one of the 1970’s screens left was the far right auditorium, very, very long, but so tiny compared to the fabled great main screen which I have heard described as making a top ten list of movies screens in the entire world back in the late 70’s or early 80’s. A crime. I also saw ESB in 70mm there. Some of the scenes were different than in the 35mm releases for both SW and ESB. I have been looking for such a theater, with such a giant screen ever since. My local mall had about as large as a screen would get for an early 80’s multiplex in its biggest auditoriums, yet this theaters main screen must have had 4x the surface area for sure. When I saw TPM there in digital, an employee told me that the main screen used to sit over 2200 people. I recall it being an extremely long and wide theater with many different rows, perhaps two giant main section and perhaps two smaller ones at the edges. The screen was so, so much bigger and better than say the Ziegfield in NYC, although the theater was certaintly not as ornate, if moreso than for a typical multiplex. Maybe, the Sony Lincoln square is using there 100' screen for some regular films not and it will feel the same. I’ve heard the AMC 24 in Hamilton has 4 giant screens with balconies. I doubt they are as big as this one was. Has anyone been there?

Has ownership of the theater recentely changed? Who is the current owner and how long has ownership been in place?

You think 4100 is a lot? Check out the listing for the Loews Ridgefield Park, this theatre’s ‘competition’ for much of the 1990s. Before its largest auditorium was tripled, taking the screen count from 10 to 12, that theatre accommodated 4802!

As of 1988, in its 10 screen configuration, the theater’s total seating capacity was 4100.

So what was the layout of the theatre complex? I heard it was like a spaceship?

At a recent screening as I was leaving the theater I looked in the booth by the entrance (the office) and on the wall were large pictures of when the theater opened featuring shots of the original exterior, interior with the balcony before splitting into a multiscreen, and the interior from the elevators. I meant to ask about them but the people sitting there didn’t notice me or ask me and they seemed aloof but I hope to get copies (although i doubt it) Does anyone have any pics of the previous theaters. or acssess to.

My first time there was in June 77 , waiting in line for Star Wars…it was a grand experience, 20 years later , I waited in line again to see it on the same screen, it was a great trip and nostalgic. In all the years I go there to see alot, I prefer the big theater as that’s the original with screen. I hear it may close if they build a new multiplex down the road. A shame.

Theaters 8 and 9 are to avoid as they are the small theaters with TV size screens. Does anyone remember the Route 4 Cinema?? Is theater 6 and 7 that theater?? or where was the Route 4 Cinema?? Appreciate a little help on this.

Overall, I go there as it’s the last of the classic theaters still going with the original auditorium even though it’s been re-done, but it’s the same as Star Wars 77 as there was no balcony then. A great theater, i hope they don’t close it.

I remember reading about the Route 4 Paramus theatre in the New York Times movie listings since I was a kid. It was originally owned by RKO Stanley Warner. It always played the biggest blockbusters during the 70s and 80s. Some even played in 70mm. What is the architectural design of the theatre? When the theatre was split into three separate ones, what were the seating capacities? When they started adding screens in the 80s, was it next to the existing theatre? How many screens had 70mm capacity?