This now closed and rotting hulk, along with its sister companion, the also closed and rotting Amboys Multiplex in Sayreville, N.J. should be demolished. It is a haven for graffitti taggers.
Sounds a lot like the nit-wit I worked for, for Clearview. Always had perfect secret shopper scores for projection, but he just HAD to get rid of the union. So he brings in 2 guys who cost 50% more an hour than me, and couldn’t even thread the right movie each show. I just LOVE those pencil pushers!!!
I’m glad that the picture looked great, but I still prefer FILM over digital, sorry. I can’t see how you call it a FILM, when thers no FILM involved. But by all means continue to enjoy your classics.
This theatre was supposedly the first Jerry Lewis built in New Jersey back in the early 70’s. It was located on Route 206 and Andrea Ave. It lasted until the mid 90’s. The owner of this theatre now owns the Hillsborough 10-plex about a mile south on Rte. 206. They had a great concept, these Jerry Lewis Cinemas, I think they just expanded too fast, and also caught the downturn in the movie business at that time, the early 70’s. I know this is what happened to the Jerry Lewis Twin in Carteret N.J.
Probably like everything else, the land got expensive, and somebody is going to build condo’s or stores. Why else would it close? Oh, I forgot, everyone wants to see movies in “digital projection” now at the sheetrock multiplex near you.
And I agree, the Union County Arts Center is another beauty. I remember working there in its last days when it was porno. I have seen the before and after.
You know JackS124, I’m hoping someday my efforts will pay off, but I am trying to get the owners of the Ritz in Elizabeth to put on movie series and other stuff. I know they have completely renovated the entire theatre, now its just a matter of geeting shows and people. I hope this happens, because this is a place that has been saved.
With all due respect longislandmovies, I agree with all your above points, however, maybe on long island the union projectionists would not concede, but here in New Jersey, I know (because it happened where I was working), we kept giving back and giving back, until finally it was almost not worth going to work. And the theatres ended up closing anyway. Over here what killed our downtown palaces was A) shopping malls with theatres, and B) the politicians let all the downtowns go to hell, so no one went anymore. I hate it that all the great places my dad worked in when I was a kid are gone. Only now do people realize this, but as always its to damn late.
Yes JackS124, I would like that too, especially since I was the last union projectionist to work there back in 1983. I have many fond memories of the place. We both have fond memories of another theatre you visited, and I worked at, the old Jerry Lewis Twin in Carteret.
This theatre, a single screen its entire life seated 1700 people. In its final years, they showed XXX movies at midnight on Friday & Saturday and the money they made from that paid their expenses for the entire week. The sad thing was, those were the biggest crowds they had all week too.
This theatre has 10 screens. 6 are stadium seating, and the 4 smallest theatres are sloped. Nice size screens in all theatres as well as digital sound. The owner of this theatre once owned a single screen theater by the same name on the other side of town.
The last 2 we are doing in 35MM is Sunday May 4. Singin in the Rain at 2P.M. and Woodstock at 7P.M. They have “Ray” on the 6th of May, but that is DVD and I’m not there for those.
Hey Peter, I guess after that last changeover you could finally sit and enjoy what was left of the movie. I did the same thing last night in Red Bank, after the last reel of “The Big Lebowski” was on. I finally sat and watched. When we do movies down there, the speaker on stage always reminds people to turn the phones off. And last night, with a ¾ full house, not one ring.
Boy, that brand spanking new print of “The Big Lebowski” looked great last night. I was the first to project it, in good old 35MM, I might add (the way it SHOULD be). And the intro by “The Dude” whom the movie was loosely based on was also great. What a fun night. And the sound was awesome.
Just by looking at these bookings, you could see how the movie business was changing in the 80’s. Pictures in the early 80’s were running 19, 20, 21 weeks or more, whereas in the late 80’s, the most you could get was 7 weeks. And you were lucky to get that.
So according to the youtube video, this drive-in is starting out from scratch. A brand spanking new drive-in. Good Luck with it. I wish we could get them back here in jersey, like we did years ago. The only we have is over 2 hours away.
I’m not sure, but is the Fabian in Paterson N.J. still sitting there rotting away? And what about the Montauk in Passaic N.J., another one I think is rotting away as well.
All valid points, Chris, however, over my 33 years as a projectionist, there are many theatres I worked in that suffered the same fate. I wished I could have saved them too. But the sad truth is, in todays world, new is in, old is out. Look what happened in New York City over the years. And like you up in Paramus, down here in Woodbridge, do we really need anymore office buildings, or condo’s? It is sad, because these places they build to watch movies in today are nothing more than ‘sheetrock closets’. No charm, no nothing. As far as saving your tenplex, I think even if you won the mega-millions, you still would be out of luck. Chances are the decision has been made about this buildings fate, good or bad, and its only a matter of time…
Since we can’t post on the “Fair Theatre” site anymore, I thought since this place recently closed, I noticed in todays New York Post, April 12, 2008, that both the Movieland Douglaston is still listed as ‘closed’ and now the Fair Theatre is listed as ‘closed’ also. The last true “grindhouse” within the 5 boroughs is gone, as well as Movieland and Ridgewood. Man they’re dropping like flies.
This now closed and rotting hulk, along with its sister companion, the also closed and rotting Amboys Multiplex in Sayreville, N.J. should be demolished. It is a haven for graffitti taggers.
Sounds a lot like the nit-wit I worked for, for Clearview. Always had perfect secret shopper scores for projection, but he just HAD to get rid of the union. So he brings in 2 guys who cost 50% more an hour than me, and couldn’t even thread the right movie each show. I just LOVE those pencil pushers!!!
The theatre is listed on CT as the Five Points Theatre with its own posts.
I could not find another post. Theatre should have an ‘also known as’ 5 points twin cinema.
I’m glad that the picture looked great, but I still prefer FILM over digital, sorry. I can’t see how you call it a FILM, when thers no FILM involved. But by all means continue to enjoy your classics.
This theatre may also have a seperate listing on CT as the 5 points Cinema, with several posts as well.
This theatre was supposedly the first Jerry Lewis built in New Jersey back in the early 70’s. It was located on Route 206 and Andrea Ave. It lasted until the mid 90’s. The owner of this theatre now owns the Hillsborough 10-plex about a mile south on Rte. 206. They had a great concept, these Jerry Lewis Cinemas, I think they just expanded too fast, and also caught the downturn in the movie business at that time, the early 70’s. I know this is what happened to the Jerry Lewis Twin in Carteret N.J.
Probably like everything else, the land got expensive, and somebody is going to build condo’s or stores. Why else would it close? Oh, I forgot, everyone wants to see movies in “digital projection” now at the sheetrock multiplex near you.
Somebody heard you. It is now called the “United Palace” and will show up as such on the recent comments section.
And I agree, the Union County Arts Center is another beauty. I remember working there in its last days when it was porno. I have seen the before and after.
You know JackS124, I’m hoping someday my efforts will pay off, but I am trying to get the owners of the Ritz in Elizabeth to put on movie series and other stuff. I know they have completely renovated the entire theatre, now its just a matter of geeting shows and people. I hope this happens, because this is a place that has been saved.
With all due respect longislandmovies, I agree with all your above points, however, maybe on long island the union projectionists would not concede, but here in New Jersey, I know (because it happened where I was working), we kept giving back and giving back, until finally it was almost not worth going to work. And the theatres ended up closing anyway. Over here what killed our downtown palaces was A) shopping malls with theatres, and B) the politicians let all the downtowns go to hell, so no one went anymore. I hate it that all the great places my dad worked in when I was a kid are gone. Only now do people realize this, but as always its to damn late.
Yes JackS124, I would like that too, especially since I was the last union projectionist to work there back in 1983. I have many fond memories of the place. We both have fond memories of another theatre you visited, and I worked at, the old Jerry Lewis Twin in Carteret.
Yes. I believe the owner closed the single in 1994 or 95 and opened the 10-plex in late 2000.
This theatre, a single screen its entire life seated 1700 people. In its final years, they showed XXX movies at midnight on Friday & Saturday and the money they made from that paid their expenses for the entire week. The sad thing was, those were the biggest crowds they had all week too.
This theatre has 10 screens. 6 are stadium seating, and the 4 smallest theatres are sloped. Nice size screens in all theatres as well as digital sound. The owner of this theatre once owned a single screen theater by the same name on the other side of town.
The last 2 we are doing in 35MM is Sunday May 4. Singin in the Rain at 2P.M. and Woodstock at 7P.M. They have “Ray” on the 6th of May, but that is DVD and I’m not there for those.
Hey Peter, I guess after that last changeover you could finally sit and enjoy what was left of the movie. I did the same thing last night in Red Bank, after the last reel of “The Big Lebowski” was on. I finally sat and watched. When we do movies down there, the speaker on stage always reminds people to turn the phones off. And last night, with a ¾ full house, not one ring.
Boy, that brand spanking new print of “The Big Lebowski” looked great last night. I was the first to project it, in good old 35MM, I might add (the way it SHOULD be). And the intro by “The Dude” whom the movie was loosely based on was also great. What a fun night. And the sound was awesome.
Just by looking at these bookings, you could see how the movie business was changing in the 80’s. Pictures in the early 80’s were running 19, 20, 21 weeks or more, whereas in the late 80’s, the most you could get was 7 weeks. And you were lucky to get that.
So according to the youtube video, this drive-in is starting out from scratch. A brand spanking new drive-in. Good Luck with it. I wish we could get them back here in jersey, like we did years ago. The only we have is over 2 hours away.
I’m not sure, but is the Fabian in Paterson N.J. still sitting there rotting away? And what about the Montauk in Passaic N.J., another one I think is rotting away as well.
All valid points, Chris, however, over my 33 years as a projectionist, there are many theatres I worked in that suffered the same fate. I wished I could have saved them too. But the sad truth is, in todays world, new is in, old is out. Look what happened in New York City over the years. And like you up in Paramus, down here in Woodbridge, do we really need anymore office buildings, or condo’s? It is sad, because these places they build to watch movies in today are nothing more than ‘sheetrock closets’. No charm, no nothing. As far as saving your tenplex, I think even if you won the mega-millions, you still would be out of luck. Chances are the decision has been made about this buildings fate, good or bad, and its only a matter of time…
Since we can’t post on the “Fair Theatre” site anymore, I thought since this place recently closed, I noticed in todays New York Post, April 12, 2008, that both the Movieland Douglaston is still listed as ‘closed’ and now the Fair Theatre is listed as ‘closed’ also. The last true “grindhouse” within the 5 boroughs is gone, as well as Movieland and Ridgewood. Man they’re dropping like flies.
What the hell is the world coming to???