River Oaks Theatre

It was such a big deal to go to RO for a movie. Normally we would go to the Nortown in Chicago heights or theDiana in Washington Mall, the Park Forest, or Brementown mall.

But if the movie was just opening, it was either River Oaks or Lincoln Mall

I would have gone with Leon (then known as The Professional) for Thanksgiving 1994.

If I owned it now…

11/6/09 – PRECIOUS
11/20/09 – THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON
12/11/09 – UP IN THE AIR
12/18/09 – AVATAR (3-D XL)
2/19/10 – SHUTTER ISLAND
3/6/10 – ALICE IN WONDERLAND (3-D XL)
3/27/10 – THE GHOST WRITER (moveover from 1-6)
4/2/10 – TYLER PERRY’S WHY DID I GET MARRIED 2
4/16/10 – KICK-ASS
5/7/10 – IRON MAN 2
5/28/10 – PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
6/4/10 – SPLICE
6/11/10 – THE A-TEAM
6/30/10 – THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
7/16/10 – INCEPTION

PopcornFan, I was able to see pictures (at facebook) of RO durning its years as 1-4. I must say, wow! That was a lot of red in that lobby. I have a few questions regarding some of the interior photos.

Is this 1-4 or another RO theater?

Is that a teaser poster for Scarface in the background?

In this photo taken in the lobby of #4, does anyone know what movie is playing there? Or what was playing at 1-4 around that time? I think it could be “A View to a Kill”, because I can make out the poster of that over on the far right, with the man in blue by the games.

Looking at the photos, I am even more inspired to try and restore this building. Some say it will be costly (I believe that), but its worth it.

Saw a few films there back in their early glory days (when I lived in Lansing for a year or two, walked all the way from 186th to go see most of them): Easy Rider, Bob And Carol And Ted And Alice, They Shoot Horses Don’t They?, MAS*H, Woodstock, Catch 22, probably Carnal Knowledge too. Hadn’t quite turned 16 by then, so guess I was lucky to be let in to see them at all. Think I sat thru just about all of them at least twice in a row. Also saw Towering Inferno there in ‘75 or '76, but perhaps it wasn’t on the biggest screen (thought it was, but same building anyway).

More suggestions:

3/12/2010 REMEMBER ME
3/19/2010 THE RUNAWAYS
3/31/2010 THE LAST SONG
4/2/2010 CLASH OF THE TITANS (IN REALD 3D)
5/14/2010 ROBIN HOOD
7/23/2010 SALT
8/20/2010 TAKERS
10/22/2010 PARAMORMAL ACTIVITY 2
11/19/2010 HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART I

PopcornFan,

Thanks for the link. I can’t view it however, because I don’t have a photobucket account. So I’ll get on that sometime today.

I finally got around to scanning some pictures I had of Rivers 1 & 4, (or 9 & 10 if that is what you know it by). There are pictures inside the lobby and outside the building. I’m sorry I can’t remember who asked me about the paintings in the driveway, but I did manage to find some of those pictures as well. If you are interested you can find them here: View link

Here’s some suggestions:
12/18/2009 AVATAR (in REALD-3D)
12/25/2009 NINE (on screen #9)
12/25/2009 IT’S COMPLICATED (on screen #11)
12/25/2009 SHERLOCK HOLMES (on screen #10)
1/15/2010 THE BOOK OF ELI
1/29/2010 EDGE OF DARKNESS
2/5/2010 DEAR JOHN
2/12/2010 THE WOLFMAN
2/12/2010 VALENTINE’S DAY
2/19/2010 SHUTTER ISLAND
3/12/2010 GREEN ZONE
4/2/2010 TYLER PERRY’S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO
5/7/2010 IRON MAN 2
5/7/2010 LETTERS TO JULIET
5/28/2010 SEX AND THE CITY 2
7/2/2010 THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE

I was going through some microfilm from 1990, and I’m in awe of the discovery that the Rutger Hauer b-movie, “The Blood of Heroes” ran here from 2/23/90 – 3/15/90. For anyone who may have worked here or went here during that time, is that correct? I’m finding it hard to believe because it grossed only 882k at the BO.

My dad drove by the theaters while me, him, and my mom were on the way to the Aldi down the road. It’s still standing, which is great. I’ve wrote a draft of my business plan, now I’m just revising it.

I’ve read about a new system that can project Real-D images with screens up to 80ft wide. This would be perfect to show “Avatar”. With that, here’s another listing of films that would’ve played here if it were open today

5/8/09 – STAR TREK
6/12/09 – TAKING OF PELHAM 1,2,3
6/19/09 – THE HANGOVER (moveover from 1-6)
7/1/09 – PUBLIC ENEMIES (Lansing/River Run would’ve gotten “Transformers”)
7/15/09 – HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
7/31/09 – FUNNY PEOPLE
8/14/09 – DISTRICT 9
9/4/09 – INGLORIOUS BASTERDS (moveover from 11-12)
9/11/09 – TYLER PERRY’S I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF
10/2/09 – ZOMBIELAND
10/16/09 – WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
10/28/09 – MICHAEL JACKSON’S THIS IS IT

Now my planned 11-12 would be next to #10. They would hold about 400 & 300, and feaure waterfall curtains.

Fall sugggestions:

9/4/2009 Gamer
9/11/2009 Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself
9/25/2009 Fame
10/2/2009 Shutter Island
10/16/2009 Law Abiding Citizen
10/23/2009 Astro Boy
11/6/2009 A Christmas Carol
11/20/2009 The Twilight Saga: New Moon
11/25/2009 Old Dogs
12/11/2009 The Princess and The Frog
12/18/2009 Avatar

Thanks for the feedback and mental picture, CinemarkFan.

Fred,

Theater #1, or 9-10 as I knew it, still sits on the lot boarded up. The mall itself looks fine, though the parking lot needs a major repaving. The stores inside are fine, but something needs to be done regarding the hoochie mama, hip-hop clothing, and cellphone kiosks that are starting to pop up. Perhaps a new manager could try to attract more national stores. Heck, maybe go back to an outdoor format & make it look like the Deer Park Center. Be that as it may, it’s nothing compared to Evergreen Plaza. In fact, River Oaks is Woodfield compaired to Evergreen Plaza. Going inside EP is almost depressing. Anyway, I can’t seem to find any photos floating around.

JRS40,

Thanks for the info regarding the crowds for #9 in it’s later years. I know I will have much work to do to make sure lots of people come. I think if done right, #9 could be an attraction. I might dub it “the monster screen” in the ads. I also want to add that I think I will go stadium, but I want the effect to look almost like this
(photo of the Cinerama Dome)
View link

Doing stadium will give me equal footing with nearby cinemas. And if I can go digital with 5 of the 10 RO screens, that will give me an edge over River Run/Lansing 8, and the Kerasotes in Schererville, IN. And since you loose part of the seating capacity with a stadium conversion, it may be easiser to fill up an 800 seater as opposed to trying to fill up 1100 seats.

It may have stadium seating, but the showmanship will still be there, count on it folks.