How Eagle River didn’t patronize this, then let this be remodeled, still didn’t patronize it, and then allowed it close and the building be demolished so all that remains is an eyesore crater, I’ll never know.
Then again I guess Eagle River just doesn’t mind being a cultural cesspool. 🙄
This is an incredible history to learn and just makes me depressed that no one has stepped up to replace this theater with one in Anchorage solely devoted to arthouse/indie fare.
Instead we’re reliant on whatever the corporate executives at Regal or Cinemark decide to book, or the sometimes suspect whims of the booker at Bear Tooth. It’s not enough; maybe one day a true arthouse theater will open again in Anchorage.
If I remember correctly from an article at the time they both opened (August 1998, by the way; I saw “Blade” there opening weekend.), both theater chains wanted the land & I think they were on the verge of filing lawsuits over who staked their claim on the land first when both sides agreed to split the land. It’s a very unusual scenario indeed.
If I remember correctly from an article at the time they both opened (August 1998, by the way; I saw “Blade” there opening weekend.), both theater chains wanted the land & I think they were on the verge of filing lawsuits over who staked their claim on the land first when both sides agreed to split the land.
Actually Chuck, this theater opened in 1993; I remember seeing “Now Playing” ads for the 1993 zombie comedy “My Boyfriend’s Back” alongside ads advertising the theater’s grand opening in the Savannah Morning News and the now-defunct Savannah Evening Press.
And I saw “The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” there in early 1994.
Uh, with all due respect Chuck, Eisenhower Square 6 was opened in the early ‘80s, if I remember correctly though it may have been the late '70s.
I saw “Beetlejuice” (1987) and several other movies at this theater in the ‘80s.
Eisenhower Square 6 was also part of the Litchfield Theatres chain (as were Abercorn and Tara Cinemas, respectively) until their founder died in a plane crash; the chain was then sold to United Artists, which itself was then sold to Regal Entertainment Group.
What a great read, SPOK. What actually caused Abercorn Cinemas and their sister theater Tara Cinemas to close was the opening of Carmike Cinemas' Wynnsong 11 and Regal Entertainment Group’s Savannah 10 behind Savannah Mall in August of 1998. Once they opened, the writing was on the wall for Abercorn & Tara Cinemas, unfortunately. Tara changed from a first-run theater into a dollar theater shortly before they wound up closing, to no avail.
If I ever won the lottery, I’d find the blueprints for Tara Cinemas (what a well-designed theater that was) somewhere, rebuild it elsewhere, and screen indie and arthouse/foreign films. Ah, to dream.
Commerce, California-based Reading Entertainment, owners of the Angelika chain of theaters that feature independent and foreign films, bought the Consolidated Theatres chain from Pacific Theatres Exhibition Company in 2007.
I for one love the ambience of Kahala 8. What adds to the experience, however, is that since Kahala 8 is now owned by Reading Entertainment, Honolulu has an arthouse theater that plays indie and foreign films in a timely manner, either the day of their national release or very shortly after. I love seeing films at Kahala 8 and have always had a very pleasant experience.
How Eagle River didn’t patronize this, then let this be remodeled, still didn’t patronize it, and then allowed it close and the building be demolished so all that remains is an eyesore crater, I’ll never know.
Then again I guess Eagle River just doesn’t mind being a cultural cesspool. 🙄
This is an incredible history to learn and just makes me depressed that no one has stepped up to replace this theater with one in Anchorage solely devoted to arthouse/indie fare.
Instead we’re reliant on whatever the corporate executives at Regal or Cinemark decide to book, or the sometimes suspect whims of the booker at Bear Tooth. It’s not enough; maybe one day a true arthouse theater will open again in Anchorage.
This theater has closed.
This theater just closed a few weeks ago. The lease was up, from what I’ve heard. It opened in 1998.
This should be the main photo for this theater’s page on the site.
If I remember correctly from an article at the time they both opened (August 1998, by the way; I saw “Blade” there opening weekend.), both theater chains wanted the land & I think they were on the verge of filing lawsuits over who staked their claim on the land first when both sides agreed to split the land. It’s a very unusual scenario indeed.
If I remember correctly from an article at the time they both opened (August 1998, by the way; I saw “Blade” there opening weekend.), both theater chains wanted the land & I think they were on the verge of filing lawsuits over who staked their claim on the land first when both sides agreed to split the land.
It’s a very unusual scenario indeed.
Actually Chuck, this theater opened in 1993; I remember seeing “Now Playing” ads for the 1993 zombie comedy “My Boyfriend’s Back” alongside ads advertising the theater’s grand opening in the Savannah Morning News and the now-defunct Savannah Evening Press.
And I saw “The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult” there in early 1994.
You’re very welcome, Chuck. I don’t know why United Artists would lie about something like that. Strange.
Uh, with all due respect Chuck, Eisenhower Square 6 was opened in the early ‘80s, if I remember correctly though it may have been the late '70s.
I saw “Beetlejuice” (1987) and several other movies at this theater in the ‘80s.
Eisenhower Square 6 was also part of the Litchfield Theatres chain (as were Abercorn and Tara Cinemas, respectively) until their founder died in a plane crash; the chain was then sold to United Artists, which itself was then sold to Regal Entertainment Group.
What a great read, SPOK. What actually caused Abercorn Cinemas and their sister theater Tara Cinemas to close was the opening of Carmike Cinemas' Wynnsong 11 and Regal Entertainment Group’s Savannah 10 behind Savannah Mall in August of 1998. Once they opened, the writing was on the wall for Abercorn & Tara Cinemas, unfortunately. Tara changed from a first-run theater into a dollar theater shortly before they wound up closing, to no avail.
If I ever won the lottery, I’d find the blueprints for Tara Cinemas (what a well-designed theater that was) somewhere, rebuild it elsewhere, and screen indie and arthouse/foreign films. Ah, to dream.
Commerce, California-based Reading Entertainment, owners of the Angelika chain of theaters that feature independent and foreign films, bought the Consolidated Theatres chain from Pacific Theatres Exhibition Company in 2007.
I for one love the ambience of Kahala 8. What adds to the experience, however, is that since Kahala 8 is now owned by Reading Entertainment, Honolulu has an arthouse theater that plays indie and foreign films in a timely manner, either the day of their national release or very shortly after. I love seeing films at Kahala 8 and have always had a very pleasant experience.