AMC Loews Plaza 8

I just realized, I’m pretty sure I’ve also been to the theater at Menlo Park, though not in quite a few years. I, like movie534, also liked its style and format quite a lot. Of course I understand that it could have taken a turn for the worst since then, but if it is the theater I’m thinking of, the “traditional” lay-out it offered was something I wish more theaters would follow. Sadly, as AMC has no interest in classical styling, I just don’t see that happening any time soon. Too bad they don’t use the Ziegfeld in NYC as an example when they build new theaters, instead of whatever kind of “factory” composite they currently use. If I wanted to see movies in a warehouse, I’d bring a projector to Home Depot.lol Heck, forget about the Ziegfeld, copy the Tenplex’s design from it’s heyday. Then again, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the set-up of the 8, as the seats were comfortable, the screens were nice and wide, and there was easy access to any seat in the house for anyone with a disability or who’s elderly.

thanks for updating the status of the theater.

What other theatres in Edison, Justin??? You dont mean that hunk of junk on Oak Tree Road that Clearview used to run, that now shows Bollywood films on 6 of the 8 screens?? And I like the theatre in Menlo Park. I remember when it was built, I was there for 3 weeks helping to install all the screens. What that theatre needs is some TLC, which they wont get from AMC.

I remember when I was young that this theater always showed family, comedy, and indie films such as Aladdin (where I got a coloring paper and wanted to win something like free movie tickets but didn’t) while the Meadow six had the event films like The Fifth Element (probably the last movie I saw there before they expanded the Loews Wayne) back when Sony/Loews owned the chain before AMC ran it to the ground.

I’ve been to another theater with CO decals, the one in Menlo Park Mall in Edison, complete with Cineplex Odeon logo outside and Loews Cineplex decals near the auditorium with Rear Window/DVS. That theater should close down since there’s other theaters in Edison. I hope they make a better Bridgewater Commons theater with stadium seating and digital projection to compete against the Reading Cinema in Manville.

Bill, I don’t think it’s JUST the large Indian clientele, though I’m sure that has something to do with it. Slumdog was just a really fantastic film and will probably get the Oscar. I still think Gran Torino was the best film of the year, but the Academy decided to snub it, along with The Wrestler and Revolutionary Road for best picture.

Movie534, AMC’s greed is why they want those 15 to 20 screens, though they try to say it’s for the good of their customers. You and I both know that’s just BS. I agree with your boss, in that, AMC has truly destroyed the movie theater business. Up until a decade or so ago, when Clifton Commons arrived in North Jersey, AMC had no presence here. Back then, it was all either Loews, Sony-Loews, Cineplex Odeon, RKO, or just plain old independent theaters around here. Back then, it didn’t matter which one you went to, as you were going to get a wonderful cinematic experience at whichever one you chose. All of a sudden, AMC arrived and started spreading like a virus. I still don’t know why Loews merged with them, or allowed themselves to be acquired, as their business seemed to be at its peak when it happened. I wonder if their execs knew what the negative results were going to be down the road for the movie going public. Then again, as long as these idiot kids keep filling AMC’s horrible theaters, blissfully ignorant to what they’re missing out on, AMC will never see a dip in their bottom line. As I said earlier, the digital projection reminds me of watching a movie on my home television. To me, it’s not really cinema. I like a few flaws and scratches here and there to remind me I’m watching a film, along with sound that sounds normal and natural, not overly amplified and alien. I know that’s probably just me. As you said, “movies the way they were meant to be”. Sadly, AMC doesn’t even list a customer service email address on their site or a phone number to call. There are lots of links and sections on there, but it’s like going through a maze to find an actual person to contact about something non-business related. Due to that fact, I haven’t been even able to express my opinion to them regarding these theater closings, along with asking them why they have no interest in making their newer theaters comfortable and accessible to the elderly and disabled. Not everyone in that situation is in a wheelchair, and many of them just want the be able to sit further back or closer to the screen, which is prevented by the endless stairs in their auditoriums. I just wish there were a lot more people like us who were “vocal” in their distaste of the current state of the theater business. There probably are a lot of people who agree with us, but they’re not really willing to speak their mind about it. I keep hoping I’ll wake up one morning and find everything has gone back to the way it once was. Sadly, I know the odds of that happening are incredibly slim.

Dave-bronx, I think you nailed it with the Walmart reference.lol

WOW Christophersepp, you said everything that just couldn’t bring myself to type. You are right on several accounts, the biggest one being, AMC doesn’t want anything less than 15 to 20 screens. End of story. (too bad for the rest of us) And as the independant owner I work for always says, 90% of the ill’s in todays movie business is because of AMC. They were the ones who introduced 20-plexes, they were the ones who brought about stadium seating. And they are the ones who are pushing for the elimination of film and having digital projection and dietmax (or minimax or whatever the hell you want to call it, but it isn’t IMAX). I have been in the business for over 30 years, and I can tell you, I hate it now, the only time I get pleasure is the occasional film fest at the Count Basie in Red Bank. Reel-to-reel and changeovers, on 20 minute reels. Movies the way they were meant to be.

movie534, it’s nice to know that I’m not the only person who thinks all of this new “technology” is crap. :) “Change” is rarely a good thing, as it’s so often for the worse, not the better. I agree, the extra money involved with buying a 3-D ticket is rarely worth the expense, especially in this economy. I would definitely take 35 or 70mm over any of the new technologies that they’re trying to convince us are an improvement. Back in the 1940’s, 50’s, 60’s, etc…., when they would come out with some new way of showing films, it was usually in the best interests of the audience, with much wider, sometimes curving screens, better color, and improved sound. These day, the only reason for “changes”, such as stadium seating and “digital” projection, are because it’s better for their bottom line, since they can built a “bigger” theater on a smaller footprint, and explain away the smaller screens by touting them as being “digital”, which to the kids means “super duper”.lol They want more auditoriums per theater, which means “smaller” auditoriums and smaller screens, which is of no benefit to the consumer. It’s not like AMC is known for showing hard to find indies or foreign films in it’s 16-plex theaters, to go along with most of the big budget tripe. If that was the case, it would be a little easier to stomach. Mostly, it all comes down to the audience. If the company is only worried about the younger audience, who has absolutely NO taste whatsoever, they will continue to get away with closing all of the beloved theaters and replacing them with garbage. Since the elderly pay a reduced rate, AMC is probably happy that the newer theaters don’t truly accomodate their needs. It’s a foolish move, as that’s the reason most of the matinees in their newer theaters are EMPTY. For those of us who are middle-aged, they just don’t hear a loud enough outcry from us to stop their current course of action. As you can see, there are only a small number of us really dedicated to a true cinematic experience. Possibly there are more, who just aren’t up on networking about it.

I don’t think the theater in North Bergen is the cause of the two Secaucus closings, as the manager at the Plaza 8 said they were still profitable. Based on my own experience there on the weekends, I believe she was telling the truth. I’m not saying it was selling out its Friday and Saturday night showings like the Tenplex was doing right up until its closing, but it seemed to be filling up quite nicely. I always wonder the same thing about the Columbia Park 12 as I pass by on the highway, which is basically, how the heck do you get in there.lol Luckily, it never attracted me in the first place, as it has stadium seating. I liked the fact that the Plaza 8 would occasional show some Indian/Bollywood films, as it made their film selections much more diverse than the typical AMC. I think AMC just wants to close ALL of the original Loews theaters, so they can advertise everything they own as being “New and Improved”, even though that’s far from the case. With both Secaucus theaters closing, and the Tenplex gone almost two years ago now, I wonder if the Willowbrook AMC in Wayne will be on the chopping block too. The only thing that might keep it afloat is the fact that it has 14 theaters, which is closer to AMC’s typical 16-plexes. Why they’d want to close it or change it to stadium seating, when it still makes a bundle, is beyond me, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they do just that. Sadly, it has been renovated quite a few times in recent years, but then again, the Plaza 8 truly looked brand new inside when I was there on Monday and that didn’t stop them. I swear, the beautiful blue carpet they had throughout the theater looked like they had just laid it down recently. I think one of the biggest casualties of AMC’s policy is that they’ve taken away the feeling of “home” that most of us had at the old fashioned theaters. That is DEFINITELY not a feeling anyone is ever going to get at theaters like Clifton Commons or Garden State Plaza, which feel more like going to a factory or a college lecture hall.

I live in the neighborhood and can walk there. If you can get up to Kennedy Boulevard, I think there are signs directing you to the theater. If there aren’t, there really should be!

When it was a $2 house, it was in terrible condition. There were about two employees running the whole place. The bathroom sinks were always stopped up, with popcorn floating in them. There was also popcorn all over the escalators, stuck in the metal ridges. It’s in much better shape now.

“Slumdog Millionaire” has been playing at the Columbia Park since November.

Could the Columbia Park 12 in North Bergen have anything to do with the closing? I often wondered how this theater, only one mile east of Secaucus, could be playing the same movies at the same time as the Loews theaters. Right now 4 of the movies at the Meadows 6 are also playing in North Bergen.

The AMC Loews' were always more accessible. When you pass the Columbia Park on Route 3, unless you’re a local resident you have no idea how to get up to it.

After the Meadow six closes, then the only Loews-style theaters that will be left are the ones without stadium seating across the hudson, especially the Lincoln Square w/ IMAX, and the ones in East Hanover, Wayne, and Ridgefield Park.

it’s now closed.

this theater will become an la fitness center.