The Claremont Drive-In was open until about 1987, when it was razed to build a shopping center adjacent to what’s now called the Claremont Marketplace on Washington Street, when then housed Claremont Triple Cinemas (the same owner, I believe, owned the Drive-In at this time), and now is home to Claremont Cinema 6. The anchor store in this new plaza was a Kmart, replacing the existing Kmart in the Marketplace. Adjacent to the new Kmart were several additional store units. Today a Hobby Lobby is the main store that sits on the former Claremont Drive-In property, not a car dealership as stated above.
The Latchis was open until 1982 or so, when competition from the Claremont Triple Cinemas on Washington Street (as well as home video and cable movie channels) drew a lot of people away from the Latchis' older and more “lightly maintained” single screen. The theater sat dormant (with a MOTEL HELL poster still up in one of the outdoor cases) for a few years, until the owners of the nearby New Falls Cinema in Bellows Falls, VT opened it up again in 1985, with a mix of second-run titles and new features, along with a vintage CAPTAIN AMERICA serial chapter before the film. The continued disrepair and older titles didn’t do much to revitalize the theater, and it closed again within a few months, to lie dormant until its eventual partial demolition.
There was a newspaper article in the EAGLE TIMES (Claremont, NH newspaper) in the late 80s/early 90s about the state of the interior of the theater at that time, with photos of the torn and paint-splattered screen, and overall state of decay and vandalism. As Steve said above, the town didn’t see the value (or have the means or funds) to restore or save the theater, so the auditorium was turned into a a parking lot. A few businesses have occupied what’s left, with the marquee, entry ramp with stone floors, poster cases, stairs to the balcony and balcony lobby still intact, perhaps the most fitting of which was Captain R&R Video for a short period in the late 90s/early 00s.
Correct. The building was demolished after the fire, and there’s a gap in that block where it used to be. What was once the basement has been a small parking area since the late 70s.
The Mahoning Drive-In is open this season under new management, as the article above details. They’re a great, film-loving crew and super-friendly. This season they’re going all-retro/all-35mm with an eclectic line-up of themed weekends, with some really rare titles being shown among the classics. They undid the corral setup, and the lot is once again wide open, with the original ticket booth in use. They now offer camping (outdoors or sleeping in your car) for an extra $10 per car, which makes it easier on folks like me who travel long distances to see these rare and amazing shows they’re putting on. Snack bar prices are very inexpensive, too.
I know what you’re saying — just a few weeks ago I saw a digitally restored print of THE GODFATHER at a local theater that was absolutely stunning. It looked like it could have been shot yesterday. Pretty amazing what can be done these days.
Universal had an older print of KING KONG ESCAPES and a recently-struck one of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA in their possession up until the studio fire last year that wiped out the majority of their repertory prints. They’re striking this new KKvG print for this event, which will then be available to theaters to once again screen to adoring monster maniacs.
I don’t think there’s been any remastering done, but the print screened in Keene should at least look as good as the DVD, and certainly better than how it looked to so many of us when we saw it on TV as kids.
We managed to get an original PHIBES “Love means never having to say you’re ugly” one-sheet haning outside the theater to promote this event. I wonder what the usual art-house patrons must think, seeing that on their way into the theater’s usual highbrow fare…..?
The Claremont Drive-In was open until about 1987, when it was razed to build a shopping center adjacent to what’s now called the Claremont Marketplace on Washington Street, when then housed Claremont Triple Cinemas (the same owner, I believe, owned the Drive-In at this time), and now is home to Claremont Cinema 6. The anchor store in this new plaza was a Kmart, replacing the existing Kmart in the Marketplace. Adjacent to the new Kmart were several additional store units. Today a Hobby Lobby is the main store that sits on the former Claremont Drive-In property, not a car dealership as stated above.
The Latchis was open until 1982 or so, when competition from the Claremont Triple Cinemas on Washington Street (as well as home video and cable movie channels) drew a lot of people away from the Latchis' older and more “lightly maintained” single screen. The theater sat dormant (with a MOTEL HELL poster still up in one of the outdoor cases) for a few years, until the owners of the nearby New Falls Cinema in Bellows Falls, VT opened it up again in 1985, with a mix of second-run titles and new features, along with a vintage CAPTAIN AMERICA serial chapter before the film. The continued disrepair and older titles didn’t do much to revitalize the theater, and it closed again within a few months, to lie dormant until its eventual partial demolition.
There was a newspaper article in the EAGLE TIMES (Claremont, NH newspaper) in the late 80s/early 90s about the state of the interior of the theater at that time, with photos of the torn and paint-splattered screen, and overall state of decay and vandalism. As Steve said above, the town didn’t see the value (or have the means or funds) to restore or save the theater, so the auditorium was turned into a a parking lot. A few businesses have occupied what’s left, with the marquee, entry ramp with stone floors, poster cases, stairs to the balcony and balcony lobby still intact, perhaps the most fitting of which was Captain R&R Video for a short period in the late 90s/early 00s.
Correct. The building was demolished after the fire, and there’s a gap in that block where it used to be. What was once the basement has been a small parking area since the late 70s.
The Mahoning Drive-In is open this season under new management, as the article above details. They’re a great, film-loving crew and super-friendly. This season they’re going all-retro/all-35mm with an eclectic line-up of themed weekends, with some really rare titles being shown among the classics. They undid the corral setup, and the lot is once again wide open, with the original ticket booth in use. They now offer camping (outdoors or sleeping in your car) for an extra $10 per car, which makes it easier on folks like me who travel long distances to see these rare and amazing shows they’re putting on. Snack bar prices are very inexpensive, too.
The Colonial will once again be presenting a Spooktacular on Sunday, October 30th at 3pm, with a 35mm screening of FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN.
Here’s the official promo for the event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R2K5vQfRkM
I know what you’re saying — just a few weeks ago I saw a digitally restored print of THE GODFATHER at a local theater that was absolutely stunning. It looked like it could have been shot yesterday. Pretty amazing what can be done these days.
Universal had an older print of KING KONG ESCAPES and a recently-struck one of KING KONG VS. GODZILLA in their possession up until the studio fire last year that wiped out the majority of their repertory prints. They’re striking this new KKvG print for this event, which will then be available to theaters to once again screen to adoring monster maniacs.
I don’t think there’s been any remastering done, but the print screened in Keene should at least look as good as the DVD, and certainly better than how it looked to so many of us when we saw it on TV as kids.
We managed to get an original PHIBES “Love means never having to say you’re ugly” one-sheet haning outside the theater to promote this event. I wonder what the usual art-house patrons must think, seeing that on their way into the theater’s usual highbrow fare…..?
The Colonial will be screening a 35mm print of THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES on October 30, 2008 as “The Colonial Theatre Spooktacular”:
http://thecolonial.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=150335