Teaneck Cinemas
503 Cedar Lane,
Teaneck,
NJ
7666
503 Cedar Lane,
Teaneck,
NJ
7666
8 people
favorited this theater
Showing 26 - 50 of 68 comments
C SWalczak, Im sure that in the coming months, we are going to see more amd more stories like this, and I can almost guarentee you its all due to the cost of digital projection.
An article about the closing can be read here.
It would hardly be surprising if another reason for the theater’s closing was the high costs of going to digital projection.
Sorry to see another fine Bergen County theater go. Tonight I’ll look at my collection of old movie ads from the Record to see all the great movies that played here over the years.
Very sad that a neighborhood cinema cannot maintain a local audience thus keeping itself out of the competitive race with such big “multi-plexes” as the Garden State 16 with their inflated prices.($32.00 for two tickets during primetime!!) Saddened to see the the Cedar Lane go the way of the Rialto in Ridgefield(?) (I’m hoping the Lafayette is still “healthy”!!) Bob
The theatre’s status should be changed to “Closed” as it’s last day of operation was 11/25/2012.
While we don’t have any regularly scheduled classics set up for Cedar Lane, we hope to do the occasional show. Ironically, one of the problems is the theatre’s success with its regular line-up of first-run, indie, and foreign films – the studios do not like us scheduling the classic film shows at a time when we have to cancel a showing of one of the regular films.
I want to second Bolorkay’s comments. I am sorry to see the Classics series end in Teaneck. I am just never going to get up to Suffern on a Saturday morning, given how much I need my beauty rest on the weekends.
I think the second series had a number of overly familiar titles, such as MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET and IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE that even a buff such as I have difficulty working up the enthusiasm to see yet again, even projected in front of an audience. But seeing MAD MAD WORLD and anticipating seeing the GODFATHER (to which I brought four Film Studies students!!!)…now that’s worth leaving home and paying extra for!
I would hope that Cedar Lane conduct a little local market research to see what would appeal to its local audience. Given the popularity of contemporary foreign and independent film, I would think some Classic foreign and independent titles would do well. Also, any film which is distinguished for its cinematography and which, therefore, is important to see projected from a print rather than a digital reproduction would be an enticement.
Hello Again, Peter,
Thank you for taking the time to provide a little perspective regarding last night at the Cedar Lane. I thought we might be on the “same page” re: such venues as the Cedar Lane.
I’ll always be indebted to folks such as yourself and Nelson Page (and,dare I say the Landmark Loew’s Jersey and the Film Forum)for “fighting the good fight” by providing the average movie-goer with the opportunity to find alternatives to the usual multi-plex fare. Not that I have anything against “Avatar” or “Sherlock Holmes” or “Saw 56” (Well, maybe I might object to that one!!!), but when you give me the choice between seeing the 32nd remake of “Conan the Barbarian” or a fine print of “To Kill A Mockingbird” or “The Thief of Bagdad” or “The Uninvited”… well, I guess you know what line I’ll be on.
And I still hope that there will be a place for classic films at the Cedar Lane.
Until that time arrives, the Lafayette will always have my patronage.
I can verify what Pete says. Anything can go wrong with a 35mm projector or it’s support systems at any time. It’s unfortunate, but it happens. I’ve had it happen to me, and I’ve been a venues where it has happened during a show.
Hi Bolorkay,
No offense taken – thanks for your support. Yes, there are checks taken as much as possible. The auditorium had a show the night before with no incident and I was told the afternoon run-through of the print of The Godfather yesterday was fine. So whatever the problem is (the technicians are coming out today to see what’s up) happened with no advance warning. If it’s an electrical fault with the lamp mechanism, there’s no way to predict that it would happen. An issue such as that tends to happen at the worst time. I could document all the problems over the years (exploding lamps, burned out amplifiers, blown speakers, et al) that I’ve either seen as an audience member, heard about, or been a part of at all types of theatres.
Hi Peter,
I hope you don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say, because I will always be in attendance at and a supporter of as many local, “neighborhood” movie theaters as I can find (within a reasonable traveling distance)but….. I was saddened to see Big Screen Classics at the Cedar Lane go out with such a whimper with last nights screening of “The Godfather”!
I just seems to me (please excuse my ignorance of such angst-inducing matters as successfully running a movie theater)that the problem that happened at Wed.’s screening should just not have happened. Aren’t there periodic projector checks?
Please understand where this is coming from because I value venues such as The Cedar Lane and The Lafayette but “incidents” like last night just make me believe that we are turning over our business to the huge multiplexes. (remeber what happened to the Rialto, in Ridgefield ? Makes me a bit nervous!)
Once again, I’m just a fan who hopes the local neighborhood cinemas can stay alive and vibrant.
Hi bolorkay –
The Godfather showing will be the concluding classic show at Cedar Lane for now. We will still have a few special events there (silents, film festivals, etc.), but no regularly scheduled classics.
Looking forward to seeing “The Godfather” this Wed., (perhaps a bit early) any thoughts as to how next season is shaping up ?
A Teaneck Theatre was built for Cedar Garrison Corp by John Eberson around 1937.Thursday 14 September also occurred in 1939.
Announcing the 2009-2010 season of Big Screen Classics at the Cedar Lane Cinemas; showtime is 8pm:
9/23 – Woody Allen’s Manhattan (Woody Allen, Mariel Hemingway)
10/21 – Father of the Bride (Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor)
11/25 – Miracle on 34th Street (Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood)
12/27 – Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life (James Stewart, Donna Reed)
1/20 – An American in Paris (Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron)
2/17 – Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (Marlon Brando, Al Pacino)
Very glad to hear that BSC will return in September…. but I hope some consideration might be given to a new day and time. I certainly would have attended more shows had the presentations been scheduled for Friday or Saturday.
Bob
I’d like to second what hotwaterbottle said. “Mad World” looked great up there on that big screen, especially from the second row. I know it was 35mm, but you could tell that it was designed for 70mm. It LOOKED like 70mm, even in a reduction print. The whole Big W sequence comes to mind – the way it was shot, the way the actors were arranged in the frame, camera placement, etc. I wonder how many days they had to close off that state park to the public to get that scene on film.
Thanks, hotwaterbottle. We’ll be back in September for another round at Cedar Lane.
Last night was the final event of the spring season, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and it was a treat to see it again as it should be seen, in widescreen 35mm. Kudos to Nelson, Pete, and the whole theatre staff for a wonderful experience, and to Paul Scrabo for the rare props and pre-film talk. A great way to end the series! See you again next season!
Attended the screening of BEYOND THE ROCKS this week. Although the movie was a piece of cheese, the presentation was first rate, with a live warm-up music act, good projection and excellent live organ accompaniment. The crowd was pretty substantial for a rainy Wednesday night—and for a very little-known silent film.
The theater is old, a bit threadbare and the seats are not as lush as are found in a modern chain theater, but the place is clean and well-kept and the management clearly cares about the quality of the experience. If you like classic films and you live in or near Bergen County, you should check out this series.
Schedule for the Spring “Big Screen Classics at the Cedar Lane Cinemas”:
3/11 – CASABLANCA
3/18 – A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
3/25 – GOLDFINGER
4/1 – BEYOND THE ROCKS (silent film with LIVE organ accompaniment)
4/8 – DR. STRANGELOVE
4/15 – JEZEBEL
4/22 – ON THE WATERFRONT
4/29 – IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD
The website at www.bigscreenclassics.com will be updated with this information over the weekend.
Hello,
We expect to announce the complete lineup by tomorrow. Just waiting for one final title confirmation to arrive.
When will the complete “Big Screen Classic” schedule be posted since, I believe the program is scheduled to start in a little over two weeks?
Thank You
“Not as nice as the Lafayette” is an understatement, which makes it a crying shame that the Big Screen Classics series, which was such a perfect fit for the Lafayette, will be moved in March 2009 from that gorgeous single-screen theatre to a chopped-up multiplex like the Cedar Lane.
This is a very nice, classic theater. As their projection technician, they get the same treatment that is given to Lowes, National Amusement, Regal, UA and anyone else. They get the same treatment as all the mega-chains. If there was a problem, you should have reported it because we would be out to fix it. Yes, they get the same service as the big guns. I like this theater.