Jackson Heights Cinema
40-31 82nd Street,
Jackson Heights,
NY
11373
40-31 82nd Street,
Jackson Heights,
NY
11373
11 people
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Showing 51 - 75 of 139 comments
The writing seemed to be on the wall for this theater….the same owners also operated the Ridgewood Theater, which closed a little over a year ago too.
This article appeared in today’s Daily News:
What’s left of the Eagle Theater’s once majestic marquee is rusting. Signs on the Jackson Triplex advertise films the movie house will never show.
Both of the small Jackson Heights movie theaters have closed within the last six months due to financial problems. And though many locals mourn the loss of cinemas in the neighborhood, others see it as a golden opportunity.
“It has awakened a sleeping giant in our community,” said Edwin Westley, president of the Jackson Heights Beautification Group. “It presents a new opportunity for us to improve the quality of life with a quality, world-class movie house.”
Westley said he wasn’t too disappointed when the theaters closed because they had fallen into disrepair. He would like to see an independent movie theater open in the neighborhood and he’s working with other community members to make it happen.
Several theater operators have expressed interest in opening a new movie house at the site of the Triplex, sources told the Daily News.
The disappearance of small movie houses isn’t a new phenomenon in Jackson Heights. The Polk Theatre on 37th Ave., which showed adult films, closed in 2006.
But the latest losses were devastating for fans of the Jackson Heights Film and Food Festival. The film portion of the fourth annual festival was supposed to have been at the Eagle, said festival founder Bryan Pu-Folkes. When the Eagle went dark, the festival switched the venue to the Triplex, he said.
Several days before the festival, organizers learned the Triplex was also to be shuttered, Pu-Folkes said. It closed Oct. 20.
“It’s very sad and disheartening that we don’t have a theater in the neighborhood,” he said.
But bringing one in is no easy task, said Edward Summer, chairman of the New York State Movie Theatre Corridor, which tries to preserve historic theaters.
It can be extremely difficult for small movie houses to compete with DVD sales and the typically more profitable multiplexes, he said.
These were problems for the Eagle, which was built in 1939, according to the Web site PropertyShark.com.
At one point, it showed pornographic films before specializing in Bollywood films more than a decade ago.
But the cinema was unable to survive the lethal mix of a Bollywood strike in India in April and the renewal of its lease, said former projectionist Amier Khan. The Eagle’s rent was set to more than quadruple, said property manager Judson Ain.
“There were no movies coming out anywhere,” Khan said. “We were losing business.”
The 85-year-old Triplex also struggled to stay afloat, said property broker Suraj (Sonny) Advaney.
It couldn’t compete with the multiplexes, Advaney said, and the owners were unable to pay rent and real estate taxes.
Since the Triplex closed, he has been approached by other cinema operators about the location, he said.
Does anyone have any other information to add about this theater and its future?
Per the Jackson Triplex closing, I’ve noticed more sheriff-enforced eviction notices plastered on business doors around the city lately; literally signs of the times, from both sides…
Just went there to see Harry Potter: The Half Blood Prince. You walk in, make a left, and there are three small theaters. Very interesting theater in that it looks very old-fashioned. It’s clean but needs some work, as some of the seats are pretty beat up. The ticket stands are still the original ones I think! There is a small concession. It’s funny how there were only 8 of us on the theater…ahhh the wonders of the declining American economy.
Here is the Jackson Triplex today, May 3, 2009, playing first run movies, though the marquee and entrance is in horrible repair.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldj/3498753524/
Here is a back view showing the loft space.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michaeldj/3498753492/
Here’s a fairly recent street view of the Jackson:
View link
OMG!!!! Ignorance is not dead!!Have YOU all forgotten that the very city YOU live in was built by immigrants. People who have sacrificed time and family for less than what YOU make. Immigrants are in fact the backbone of this country. And yet they are subjected to prejudice and humiliation DAILY. If a community, any community wants to give something to OUR NON ENGLISH speaking neighbors than DEAL. They deserve something.After all they work hard for a little entertainment. Those of you who live in the Jackson Heights area, know of the 74 st station Hop on the freakin E to 71 Forest Hills (15min ride) walk 7 mins to any of the 2 theaters there. Or visit Barnes and Noble an educate yourselves, a book perhaps written by an immigrant. it is Your mentality that may intimidate some immigrants to pursue an English education. Or rather stop being so CHEAP and cough up the 11.00 dollars like everyone else and go to another theater. Oh an I speak 3 languages and still enjoy a subtitled film. TOO Bad there isn’t enough theaters like Jackson Triplex
The Jackson is visible in this 2004 photo. The Passion of the Christ, Scooby Doo 2, Kill Bill, and The Alamo are playing. Judging from the order of the words on the marquee, it appears that not everything is subtitled in Spanish.
Can someone please post a photo with a workable link?
thanks for the picture, i always imagine that it could look like that…
Wow,that photo shows how beautiful this theater was. It may be a diamond in the rough, but hopefully one day it can be restored. At least it is still operating as a theater, and not gutted like so many other theaters.
How is it triplexed? One theater downstairs, and the balcony divided in two?
hello, I just became a member because I wanted to find out about this theater that’s been haunting my curiosity for quite some time now, not because the movies they show, but because of the architectural details that you could appreciated around the stage or screen whatever you want to call it, and around the columns and at the top of the dome, but cannot at the same time because of the poor managment in taking care of the theater,they recently change the seats by I hope the will never destroy the main theater, just by walking in, it is like going back in time, and all I find it’s a disscution about subtitles and language, in a way I’m pleased because I found the information that I was looking for, but I feel sad, because the discussion about the ethnicity of the theater, I’m hispanic, and when I go to the theater don’t pay attention to the subtitles, but I do take my time staring at the sorroundings.
My daughter whos 13 would like to add a comment…
hello i believe that the theater is an amazing structure. I as well believe that you are all arguing for the wrong reason, about subtitles and language choice in the theater. The top of the dome in the main center theater is astonishing. The architectual detail inside the theater in general is beautiful and i just hate to see the condition it is presently in. The Jackson Heights community is not aware of this beautiful Queens monument that we have today. They just treat it like a low quality theater.
I just don’t get people who don’t go to foreign films because they “can’t handle ” the subtitles. If you would just try it you would see that after the first few minutes, you don’t even realize you’re reading anymore. My favorite film this year is La Vie En Rose, which is in French with English subtitles. I guess I’m completely floored because I’ve been going to see so many great films for more than 30 years which are in foreign languages. Bergman, Fellini, Kurasawa; God, I can’t imagine missing these great films because I stubbornly refuse to make a slight effort and read subtitles(which by the way are far preferable to dubbing). I also happen to live in Jackson Heights, just a few blocks from The Jackson. Just as reading subtitles doesn’t bother me, NOT reading them doesn’t bother me either!
Wow, that’s a nice photo, the theater looks so out of place there!
If the Diaz brothers really wanted to stay in the business they could take back the Plaza, multi-plex the balcony like the Coliseum in Manhattan and even take over the Polk.
or a bank!!!
The truth is, a theater has to do whatever it can to survive. It’s certainly better being alive as a Spanish movie Theater, than gutted up and turned into another CVS store.
I have to admit, though I said above that subtitling is no big deal, I now remember that it was an acquired taste. Way back when, I didn’t see subtitled movies because I found them annoying, but over the years I realized that I was missing out on incredible films and so I began to watch and got accustomed to it. Now, I don’t have any problem at all with them.
I think what also helped was that I had subscriptions for many years at NYC Opera and The Metropolitan Opera. The only reason I got the tickets was because I could read the subtitles. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have the foggiest idea what was going on. I know that the purists still complain about the intrusion, but if it weren’t for the titles I would never have gone at all. I think that is the lesson here at the Jackson. It probably is the reason that this theater is still open. Without subtitles, many of the local population who now go wouldn’t.
That’s always been a debated issue amongst movie entusiasts – subtitles vs. dubbing. Do we want the distraction of having to read the translation and keep the integrity of each actor’s performance whole, or will we suffer through even a hack dub-job so that are eyes need not be distracted from the images on screen? We might all agree that in certain cases (most Godzilla films and kung-fu epics) the hilarious dubbing might actually enhance the experience, but I personally find that subtitles work best in more seriously dramatic films, but it often depends on the film or director. I can’t imagine watching, say, an Ingmar Bergman film like “Wild Strawberries” dubbed over with American actors and missing half of Victor Sjostrom’s wonderful performance; he conveys so much with the tone of his voice in that film that one almost need not read the dialog. On the other hand, Fellini always shot silent and post-synched all of the dialog in his films – often having the actors recite the alphabet on set because the dialog was not yet written! Even then, at least the original Fellini dubs were performed by the same actors who appear on screen. It is rare that a film gets as expert and well directed a dubbing job as, say, “Das Boot.”
Luis, no I don’t watch foreign films, just because I can’t handle the subtitles, or the dubbing either for that matter. I could probably take the dubbing easier than subtitles, I just can’t come to the movies to read instead of listen.
LuisV makes an excellent point, Bway, that the Spanish subtitles are primarily what keeps this theater afloat. I’m sure without benefit of those subtitles, the Plaza Theater in Corona wouldn’t even have lasted as long as it did. In the end, even that wasn’t enough. I have no problem with a business attempting to cater to the overwhelming population in its marketplace.
The market in Jackson heights is there for Spanish subtitling or they wouldn’t do it….If there were a movie theater in Chinatown, I would feel the same about Chinese subtitling.
For me (and I am just speaking just for me) subtitles are no big deal. If a theater goer finds it so annoying then yes, they should go to another theater. It’s not like they are dubbing the dialogue; they are just subtitling.
Note to Bway: Please don’t misunderstand. I am not trying to be mean, but do you see any foreign films? Do you see them only if they’re dubbed? If you do see them and they are subtitled, what’s the difference?
One more thing….Let’s say the theater stopped subtitling and a big part of their audience stopped going to the theater. The theater stands a real chance of closing. Then, everyone has to go to another theater or the DVD. I’m just saying that the management has determined that this helps their business and it is, after all, their business.
Quote:
The same situation applies to all of the Spanish speaking immigrants in Jackson Heights.
And what about all the non-Spanish speaking immigrants or residents in Jackson Heights having to have that annoyance flashing under the screen?
Quote:
* If it bothers you, then you should go to another theater.*
When another theater is not close or convenient?
[i]The same situation applies to all of the Spanish speaking immigrants in Jackson Heights.[\i]
And what about all the non-Spanish speaking immigrants or residents in Jackson Heights having to have that annoyance flashing under the screen?
[i] If it bothers you, then you should go to another theater.
[/i]
When another theater is not close or convenient?
I hate to rehash an old topic discussed above, but here goes…..I was born and raised in the US and speak perfect English. I also speak Spanish fluently. When I see the latest Almodovar film or other Spanish film I insist that the film be subtitled in English. Why? English is my first language and while I speak and understand Spanish quite well, there are some things I have trouble with: sometimes accents, sometimes very rapid speech, sometimes words I am not familiar with. So, even though I understand Spanish, having subtitles adds to my enjoyment of a film so that if I missed something that was spoken I can read it in English. Since I go to a movie to be entertained I think this is a great feature. The same situation applies to all of the Spanish speaking immigrants in Jackson Heights. They may and probably do know some English, but they go to the movies to be entertained. Having the Spanish subtitles enables them to enjoy the film and learn English at the same time.
I also insist on subtitles when I go to the Opera, even when the Opera is in English since I don’t always understand the singers words.
There is obviously a market in this neighborhood for sub-titled movies. If it bothers you, then you should go to another theater.