Columbia Place Cinemas 8

7201-802 Two Notch Road,
Columbia, SC 29223

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dansdriveintheater
dansdriveintheater on April 22, 2023 at 10:31 pm

Wallieb26just uploaded an epic video of the cinema 10years later

Scott Neff
Scott Neff on March 2, 2023 at 1:37 pm

So the original 4-plex was inside the mall? From the google imagery the newer building outside the mall looks like it has a 4-plex with a modern GCC wrapped around it.

rivest266
rivest266 on February 27, 2023 at 8:45 pm

Reopened June 22nd, 1990 with 8 screens. Grand opening ad posted.

Brandon Barkley
Brandon Barkley on December 2, 2021 at 11:49 am

There is a long article on a local site called Columbia Closings and I am going to summarize a few highlights here along with my own recollections.

  1. It was originally opened as simply the “Columbia Mall Theater” to the recollection of the blogger. It opened in the late 70s originally.
  2. It was located across from the Columbia Place Mall.
  3. It was closed and reopened (or possibly transferred without closing during a decline) to Phoenix Theaters. My only visit to this theater was under this branding in 2006. It was called the Phoenix Columbia Place Cinema 8 at the time.
  4. It received a remodel to stadium seating at some point after my visit in 2006. It then closed in 2011.
  5. It reopened in the Spring of 2012 as noted above as Columbia Place Stadium Cinemas, but that iteration only lasted about 6 months before it closed again due to lack of attendance.
  6. The last iteration seemed to have 3-D capability in at least some auditoriums.

mcs1996: I don’t know with 100% certainty, but I believe that it closed running 35mm. The version that closed in 2011 ended up with 35mm projectors in the lobby though. So I am not sure if the final version moved them back up to the booth or if they put in digital. It seems like a full digital conversion would have been an expensive proposition for a theater that was reopened independent and only lasted about 6 months.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on April 29, 2021 at 12:23 pm

On October 20, 1979, Sen. Strom Thurmond (D-SC) Was Instrumental In The Showings Of “Monty Python’s Life Of Brian” Was Cancelled At The Columbia Mall Cinema Due To Its Nature. Rev. Bill Soloman, A Preacher At The Minister In Irmo Gave Credit To Him. Mrs. Thurmond Received A Call From Soloman And Later Called The Operators, General Cinema, Distributors Of The Film, And Asked That The Film Will Be Banned, Or No Longer Be Seen In South Carolina As It Was Replied By The Minister. 150 Protestors Then Demonstrated Outside The Columbia Mall Cinema To Protest The Cancellation Of The Film. Many Of Them Were Carrying Placards To Voice Their Concern On Censorship.

Warner Brothers Notified That 2 Days Later They Were Accepting Bids For The Film.

50sSNIPES
50sSNIPES on September 26, 2019 at 5:13 pm

I’m Pretty Sure GCC Had Took Over Operations In The Mid-Late 1980s.

mcs1996
mcs1996 on June 28, 2016 at 2:33 pm

in this theater’s most recent run (it closed in 2012 sometime) did it run 35mm or was it digital? thanks.

CSWalczak
CSWalczak on December 6, 2012 at 3:25 pm

Since it had gone independent by the time of its closing, another factor in deciding to closemight have been the cost of conversion to digital. Converting eight screens, depending on whether Regal had converted any of them, would have be a heavy financial burden on an independent.

cvolosin
cvolosin on December 6, 2012 at 2:36 pm

I am amazed that this location is now closed by their website… Should be changed to closed.. did someone build a Mega-Plex across the street or is the landlord just an A$$? it’s already stadium, the smell can be removed and the cleaning and coat of paint with the installation of digital projectors will generate income to then do seat replacements etc.. it looks like it was maintained by Regal.. if it had been a Carmike I wouldn’t even take a look it would be a shithole ran into the ground. an independent could get in here and make some money… the only thing must be a GREEDY LANDLORD!

mg1
mg1 on September 15, 2012 at 1:09 am

It actually is an old General Cinema theatre. I was the General Manager there back in 1997. It’s been closed and re-opened two or three times in the last fifteen years.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on May 28, 2012 at 5:44 pm

Birthdaygirl, some story,too bad you weren’t around when i was in the Biz when moviegoers were treated like class.

Mike Rogers
Mike Rogers on May 28, 2012 at 5:43 pm

It looks like an old GCC.

Scott Neff
Scott Neff on May 27, 2012 at 11:29 pm

The theatre will be reopening in a few weeks under new management. While doing a Cinematour through Columbia tonight we were fortunate enough to meet the new management and get a tour of the building. Check out their site:

http://www.columbiaplacestadiumcinemas.com/

Scott Neff
Scott Neff on February 5, 2012 at 12:02 pm

What gives you that idea?

JoelWeide
JoelWeide on February 4, 2012 at 11:56 am

It looks like it could originally been a General Cinema theatre.

birthdaygirl
birthdaygirl on June 15, 2010 at 10:34 pm

The worst! No air Conditioning! Very poor picture quality- The images are what you see on bootleg movies.
I paid $9 to to see Get him to the Greek.
The 9:30 movie had not started by 10pPM and we had to leave.
The attendant who said he was the manager started a verbal fight after I told him I would try to have the theater closed because he would not give us a refund. The attendant threw money on the floor as I walked away then and the almost had a fist fight with my boyfriend.

The theater itself smelled horrible and the carpet needs cleaning. The whole place was truly awful.(We were moved to two separate theaters as the movie place kept changing). Did not visit the bathroom. NEVER GO TO THIS THEATER— IT reeks and they basically stole $15 from me.

We are both really upset. This ruined the date with my boyfriend. It is my birthday and the movie was something I was really looking forward to seeing.