Saw it in the IMAX at Veterans 24 (which also happens to be DLP equipped according to some pre-show ads) & it is indeed “immersive”…the backs of my ears started aching a bit, but a small sacrifice for the ULTIMATE Avatar experience!
I was living there in the 80s…why am I remembering being MORE then 2 screens?!? My memory must be fuzzy. I remember seeing the re-release of E.T. at this theater sometime between 1983-1985.
What is the name of the theater curerntly at Plaza Las Americas? I went to see Pixar’s Up there when vacationing & the Digital 3D auditorium’s volume was on FULL blast! I loved every bit of it! I was almost deaf getting out of there!
Geez, I need to read the above captions better…I see it is already KNOWN it stopped working as a theater around 1985..which is around the time I had my above posted memories…it must’ve close shortly after, how sad. As LUISMEL above said, I remember talking to my cousin (who lived in NYC) on the phone & he’d already seen movies that were still a long ways from being screened at the America! I also remember they only showed movies at night…maybe 2 showings, like one at 7:30pm & another at 9:30pm & the popcorn was always “stale” & was always pretty dirty inside…now I know WHY, considering it was pretty much at the end of its “movie theater” run.
This theater is in the SAME square as the Teatro America in Vega Baja…during my short years of living there (3 years) I’ve NEVER set foot in this building, but its one of the bigger ones, if not the BIGGEST within that square.
Here is a photo:[url]http://travelandsports.com/tf693.htm[/url]
Kudos to Cinematreasures for having Puerto Rican theaters on here! I never IMAGINED these would be on here!
I lived in Puerto Rico for only a short 3 years during the mid 80s & recently visited there after a long hiatus…the theater is still there, but it seems it does not operate as a MOVIE theater anymore…I took a peek inside & there are fold up chairs & a stage (no screen that I can see), according to a friend of the family (who has lived in Vega Baja her whole life), she says she has seen her share of “plays” there & can’t remember WHEN they stopped showing movies, so I’m assuming it is operating strictly as a performing arts center for the small town of Vega Baja.
I lived there when I was in the 5th-6th grade, so this theater has a sweet spot from my youth…I have fond memories of seeing movies like The Goonies, Fright Night, Return of the Living Dead, A View To A Kill & several others that escape me at the moment. On my recent trip back, I believe I took a photo of the very front of the theater. I will try my darnest to upload it to Photobucket in the next few days & copy the link over here.
All my years of living in Tampa & consistently driving by this place and I’ve NEVER been there…nor do I know someone who has…but I’ve always been curious.
Judging from Chuck’s comments, doesn’t sound like its worth my time, I’ve been to the Carmike Mugs in Lakeland once & was quite impressed.
I remember a “Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland” theme at the theater that was very pleasant & soothing to the eyes. Muvico is known to have “themes” at their theaters & was wondering if the whole themeing was removed when Regal took it over! I recall seeing the 1st Charlie’s Angels movie at this theater & the “big thing” at the theater during my visit was Star Wars Episode I in IMAX, “50,000 watts of sound”, etc, etc…
I stayed at a hotel across the street from The Pointe last month & the shopping center is looking a little “dead”…lots of empty shops & not many people walking around…& this was a FRIDAY NIGHT, signs of the economy I’m sure. Wondering if the theater can stay afloat in that shopping center.
if this is the theater that was in the Carrolwood area in Tampa, this theater is still standing…it annually operates as a ‘Halloween Express’ & the entrance of the inside of the theater still has the lobby facade with arches & such (I’m going by memory here, so bear with me) & I even recall a “theater” still complete with theater seats minus the screen, now used as a “changing” area.
I used to go to College right across the street from this theater. I always wondered why it got “revamped” considering MEGA theaters (of 20 screens & more) were opening all over the area. What a waste of resources. Oddly enough, I never went to see a movie here…never had a desire to + the neighborhood was indeed “run down”.
This is old news for some of us locals as this has been in the “works” for some time, but I have to say, its a good move considering the area. There is a CineBistro in Wesley Chapel about a 5 minute drive from my house…haven’t tried it yet, but looking to do so soon.
Wow…didn’t think this place was on here! I moved to Tampa in the early 90s & my earliest memory of this location was known as the ‘Casablanca’ nightclub! It was my home away from home on Saturday nights. It was especially nice in that it re-introduced me to my latin roots in music & Salsa dancing (I’m Puerto Rican by nationality, but born & raised in NYC) & now my preference to dance at ALL is Salsa dancing! Not to mention it was “all-ages” because I recall being younger then 18 when I frequented this club! Good times! Don’t remember seeing a movie theater room though, but then again, the ballroom used for the nightclub was on the 2nd floor & that’s where I always went, so no surprise there (the building is HUGE!)
Yes, I live in the area & can confirm that Fun-Lan now has a total of 4 screens!
Unfortunately, I’ve gone to Fun-Lan plenty of times as a flea market, but only gone ONCE for a movie…and that movie was ‘Sliver’ starring Sharon Stone. I was on a date with a girlfriend, it began to rain and…let’s just say I still haven’t seen all of ‘Sliver’ to this day! :o)
It probably is the same owner, I got kicked out of here in my late teens once fo “browsing too long”…it was my 1st time at a porn video store & of course, it HAD to be my most embarassing.
Last time I went there about 5 years ago, they had the quarter arcades but no semblance of a theater.
I went to a book signing (Bruce Campbell of the Evil Dead movies) & to screen his directorial debut months before it aired on SyFy…Man With The Screaming Brain!…what a hoot screening that movie with a bunch of fellow horror/Bruce Campbell fans. (Bruce himself admits to “loving” the theater).
Not mentioned, but thought I should, I volunteered on 2 occasions to assist & place people who were swearing their “citizenship” to the United States…it was very moving being present during the vow & celebration with family afterwards!…not sure if they still do that here.
Looking forward to taking my kids to the Ghost & Gargoyles Halloween event on October 25th!
Wow…like jjt posted above, I too have memories of seeing one of my “first” movies in a theater which was Raiders of the Lost Ark! I recall seeing E.T. the first time here as well!
Some of my movie going memories at the Sunrise are “not so fond”. Two incidents, both HORROR movies (oddly enough):
My parents made the mistake of taking me & my sisters to see ‘Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors’ on the Saturday night of the weekend it opened…the theater was oversold (or people obviously snuck in) as people were standing in the back of the theater! A big fight broke out between a white & black women as the latter was “kicking” the others' chair..this was within a year of the “Howard Beach” incident some of you NYers might remember, so things got from bad to WORSE…when the mostly “black” crowd started yelling obscenties at the white woman & a bunch of them chanting “Howard Beach!, Howard Beach!, Howard Beach!” as the women got in each others faces & argued…I was SCARED!!!!…took about 15-20 minutes for things to calm down, but by then the crowd was “hyped” up & the mostly young crowd was pretty rowdy after that…I wanted to LEAVE!…
The 2nd time during a screening of Halloween 4…in which my father cussed 2 guys out sitting in the back of the theater that would NOT shut up through the 1st 10 minutes of the movie!!!!…they quieted down to a dull whisper for maybe 5 minutes, only to crank back up to FULL volume after that time! My father got fed up & we left & saw another movie in the multiplex despite paying to see Halloween 4!
I remember those seats being EXTRA sensitive to anyone walking by or even gently tapping the back of your seat! It was HORRIBLE! I wish my later bad experiences at Sunrise didn’t overshadow my early good ones!
Wow…this was my “home” theater after the City Line Cinema burned down in the very early 80s (despite being a short ‘A’ train ride away from Grant Ave). I vividly remember it strictly being a “twin” (never a single theater). I have fond memories of seeing movies like Rocky IV, Spies Like Us, Nightmare On Elm Street 2 & Creepshow 2 at this theater & sometimes crossing that dangerous intersection to have some donuts at the Dunkin Donuts across the street! I also remember skipping school with my cousin & catching a flick here a couple of times (shame on me)! I moved out of NY to FL just before Crossbay II opened..but heard Crossbay I was still “alive” despite that theater opening so close by. Sad to hear ANOTHER theater from my youth has been converted to yet ANOTHER Modell’s (according to my mom, the old City Line Cinema location in Brooklyn has also been converted to a Modell’s).
I was born in Brooklyn in 1974…and have a VERY GOOD recollection of my mom taking me to see the 1979/Frank Langella version of DRACULA at this theater…so it surprises me to read they were showing XXX movies at this location because my only memories were standard Hollywood fare my mom used to take me maybe once every two weeks (then again, I was only 5 or 6…so my memory is very fuzzy??) I remember walking by the theater the day after the fire & seeing a little bit of the inside & thinking I saw a BODY fused to the seats…what a vivid & borderline “sick” imagination I had! I also recall being saddened as this was the ONLY theater within true walking distance from where I lived (corner of Belmont Ave. & Autumn Ave in Brooklyn)…my next closest one was the Crossbay UA in Queens!
I can also confirm an ‘Odd Lot’ 5-&-dime type store opened in the same location shortly after. My mom recently went back a fwe weeks ago (we live in Florida now) & states there is now a Modell’s in the same spot.
Saw it in the IMAX at Veterans 24 (which also happens to be DLP equipped according to some pre-show ads) & it is indeed “immersive”…the backs of my ears started aching a bit, but a small sacrifice for the ULTIMATE Avatar experience!
I was living there in the 80s…why am I remembering being MORE then 2 screens?!? My memory must be fuzzy. I remember seeing the re-release of E.T. at this theater sometime between 1983-1985.
What is the name of the theater curerntly at Plaza Las Americas? I went to see Pixar’s Up there when vacationing & the Digital 3D auditorium’s volume was on FULL blast! I loved every bit of it! I was almost deaf getting out of there!
Geez, I need to read the above captions better…I see it is already KNOWN it stopped working as a theater around 1985..which is around the time I had my above posted memories…it must’ve close shortly after, how sad. As LUISMEL above said, I remember talking to my cousin (who lived in NYC) on the phone & he’d already seen movies that were still a long ways from being screened at the America! I also remember they only showed movies at night…maybe 2 showings, like one at 7:30pm & another at 9:30pm & the popcorn was always “stale” & was always pretty dirty inside…now I know WHY, considering it was pretty much at the end of its “movie theater” run.
This theater is in the SAME square as the Teatro America in Vega Baja…during my short years of living there (3 years) I’ve NEVER set foot in this building, but its one of the bigger ones, if not the BIGGEST within that square.
Here is a photo:[url]http://travelandsports.com/tf693.htm[/url]
Kudos to Cinematreasures for having Puerto Rican theaters on here! I never IMAGINED these would be on here!
I lived in Puerto Rico for only a short 3 years during the mid 80s & recently visited there after a long hiatus…the theater is still there, but it seems it does not operate as a MOVIE theater anymore…I took a peek inside & there are fold up chairs & a stage (no screen that I can see), according to a friend of the family (who has lived in Vega Baja her whole life), she says she has seen her share of “plays” there & can’t remember WHEN they stopped showing movies, so I’m assuming it is operating strictly as a performing arts center for the small town of Vega Baja.
I lived there when I was in the 5th-6th grade, so this theater has a sweet spot from my youth…I have fond memories of seeing movies like The Goonies, Fright Night, Return of the Living Dead, A View To A Kill & several others that escape me at the moment. On my recent trip back, I believe I took a photo of the very front of the theater. I will try my darnest to upload it to Photobucket in the next few days & copy the link over here.
All my years of living in Tampa & consistently driving by this place and I’ve NEVER been there…nor do I know someone who has…but I’ve always been curious.
Judging from Chuck’s comments, doesn’t sound like its worth my time, I’ve been to the Carmike Mugs in Lakeland once & was quite impressed.
I remember a “Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland” theme at the theater that was very pleasant & soothing to the eyes. Muvico is known to have “themes” at their theaters & was wondering if the whole themeing was removed when Regal took it over! I recall seeing the 1st Charlie’s Angels movie at this theater & the “big thing” at the theater during my visit was Star Wars Episode I in IMAX, “50,000 watts of sound”, etc, etc…
I stayed at a hotel across the street from The Pointe last month & the shopping center is looking a little “dead”…lots of empty shops & not many people walking around…& this was a FRIDAY NIGHT, signs of the economy I’m sure. Wondering if the theater can stay afloat in that shopping center.
This is SO awesome…never knew a theater was there! Love this site! The site of the abandoned area is visually “haunting” in its own way.
if this is the theater that was in the Carrolwood area in Tampa, this theater is still standing…it annually operates as a ‘Halloween Express’ & the entrance of the inside of the theater still has the lobby facade with arches & such (I’m going by memory here, so bear with me) & I even recall a “theater” still complete with theater seats minus the screen, now used as a “changing” area.
I used to go to College right across the street from this theater. I always wondered why it got “revamped” considering MEGA theaters (of 20 screens & more) were opening all over the area. What a waste of resources. Oddly enough, I never went to see a movie here…never had a desire to + the neighborhood was indeed “run down”.
This is old news for some of us locals as this has been in the “works” for some time, but I have to say, its a good move considering the area. There is a CineBistro in Wesley Chapel about a 5 minute drive from my house…haven’t tried it yet, but looking to do so soon.
Wow…didn’t think this place was on here! I moved to Tampa in the early 90s & my earliest memory of this location was known as the ‘Casablanca’ nightclub! It was my home away from home on Saturday nights. It was especially nice in that it re-introduced me to my latin roots in music & Salsa dancing (I’m Puerto Rican by nationality, but born & raised in NYC) & now my preference to dance at ALL is Salsa dancing! Not to mention it was “all-ages” because I recall being younger then 18 when I frequented this club! Good times! Don’t remember seeing a movie theater room though, but then again, the ballroom used for the nightclub was on the 2nd floor & that’s where I always went, so no surprise there (the building is HUGE!)
Yes, I live in the area & can confirm that Fun-Lan now has a total of 4 screens!
Unfortunately, I’ve gone to Fun-Lan plenty of times as a flea market, but only gone ONCE for a movie…and that movie was ‘Sliver’ starring Sharon Stone. I was on a date with a girlfriend, it began to rain and…let’s just say I still haven’t seen all of ‘Sliver’ to this day! :o)
It probably is the same owner, I got kicked out of here in my late teens once fo “browsing too long”…it was my 1st time at a porn video store & of course, it HAD to be my most embarassing.
Last time I went there about 5 years ago, they had the quarter arcades but no semblance of a theater.
I went to a book signing (Bruce Campbell of the Evil Dead movies) & to screen his directorial debut months before it aired on SyFy…Man With The Screaming Brain!…what a hoot screening that movie with a bunch of fellow horror/Bruce Campbell fans. (Bruce himself admits to “loving” the theater).
Not mentioned, but thought I should, I volunteered on 2 occasions to assist & place people who were swearing their “citizenship” to the United States…it was very moving being present during the vow & celebration with family afterwards!…not sure if they still do that here.
Looking forward to taking my kids to the Ghost & Gargoyles Halloween event on October 25th!
Wow…like jjt posted above, I too have memories of seeing one of my “first” movies in a theater which was Raiders of the Lost Ark! I recall seeing E.T. the first time here as well!
Some of my movie going memories at the Sunrise are “not so fond”. Two incidents, both HORROR movies (oddly enough):
My parents made the mistake of taking me & my sisters to see ‘Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors’ on the Saturday night of the weekend it opened…the theater was oversold (or people obviously snuck in) as people were standing in the back of the theater! A big fight broke out between a white & black women as the latter was “kicking” the others' chair..this was within a year of the “Howard Beach” incident some of you NYers might remember, so things got from bad to WORSE…when the mostly “black” crowd started yelling obscenties at the white woman & a bunch of them chanting “Howard Beach!, Howard Beach!, Howard Beach!” as the women got in each others faces & argued…I was SCARED!!!!…took about 15-20 minutes for things to calm down, but by then the crowd was “hyped” up & the mostly young crowd was pretty rowdy after that…I wanted to LEAVE!…
The 2nd time during a screening of Halloween 4…in which my father cussed 2 guys out sitting in the back of the theater that would NOT shut up through the 1st 10 minutes of the movie!!!!…they quieted down to a dull whisper for maybe 5 minutes, only to crank back up to FULL volume after that time! My father got fed up & we left & saw another movie in the multiplex despite paying to see Halloween 4!
I remember those seats being EXTRA sensitive to anyone walking by or even gently tapping the back of your seat! It was HORRIBLE! I wish my later bad experiences at Sunrise didn’t overshadow my early good ones!
Wow…this was my “home” theater after the City Line Cinema burned down in the very early 80s (despite being a short ‘A’ train ride away from Grant Ave). I vividly remember it strictly being a “twin” (never a single theater). I have fond memories of seeing movies like Rocky IV, Spies Like Us, Nightmare On Elm Street 2 & Creepshow 2 at this theater & sometimes crossing that dangerous intersection to have some donuts at the Dunkin Donuts across the street! I also remember skipping school with my cousin & catching a flick here a couple of times (shame on me)! I moved out of NY to FL just before Crossbay II opened..but heard Crossbay I was still “alive” despite that theater opening so close by. Sad to hear ANOTHER theater from my youth has been converted to yet ANOTHER Modell’s (according to my mom, the old City Line Cinema location in Brooklyn has also been converted to a Modell’s).
I was born in Brooklyn in 1974…and have a VERY GOOD recollection of my mom taking me to see the 1979/Frank Langella version of DRACULA at this theater…so it surprises me to read they were showing XXX movies at this location because my only memories were standard Hollywood fare my mom used to take me maybe once every two weeks (then again, I was only 5 or 6…so my memory is very fuzzy??) I remember walking by the theater the day after the fire & seeing a little bit of the inside & thinking I saw a BODY fused to the seats…what a vivid & borderline “sick” imagination I had! I also recall being saddened as this was the ONLY theater within true walking distance from where I lived (corner of Belmont Ave. & Autumn Ave in Brooklyn)…my next closest one was the Crossbay UA in Queens!
I can also confirm an ‘Odd Lot’ 5-&-dime type store opened in the same location shortly after. My mom recently went back a fwe weeks ago (we live in Florida now) & states there is now a Modell’s in the same spot.