UA The Movies at Sunrise Mall
319 Sunrise Mall,
Massapequa,
NY
11758
319 Sunrise Mall,
Massapequa,
NY
11758
1 person
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Please update, theatre closed February 17, 2000
1975, 1977, and 1984 grand opening ads posted.
Went to this theatre a bunch of times between 1982 and 1990, the theatres were small screening rooms, biggest size was around 250 theatre 3, theatres 6 and 7 were next to theatre 2 on the left. Theatre 6 had Dolby Stereo and DTS when Jurassic Park open. Theatre 8 and 9 were built on a hallway to the right. The box office was in the mall inself. Remember, UA installed computerized ticketing in 1983.
Except for theatre 6 that was Dolby Stereo, the other 8 were MONO. I doubt UA ever upgraded the sound in the 1990’s.
Capri Pizza? It was right next to the mall and had movie posters on the walls.
Will history repeat itself? Regal has announced they plan to open a ten screen theater on the site of the former Walmart at Riverhead Plaza in Riverhead. This time, they plan on tearing down the Walmart and erecting a free standing structure. At the Sunrise Mall I believe they would have had to modify the actual Walmart space since there was really no room on the site for another structure and still have adequate parking.
Last time there was a date for the coming theater on the Regal site but no signage at the Sunrise Mall and no theater materialized. This time there is signage at the Riverhead Plaza but nothing on the Regal site. And we won’t even discuss the more than six month delay of the opening of the new Lynbrook theater beyond the original projected date.
I won a prize package from radio station W.G.B.B for answering trivia questions.It included two tickets to the massapequa-mall showing of James Bond’s"Moonraker",plus:movie poster, a paper back book,a vinyl album sound track,and a souvenir program booklet.A dream come true for a big kid.
Another reality of that site I don’t think there would be sufficient parking for a massive theater. The original theater was on the second floor of the mall. A little nothing.
Maybe they come not come to terms regarding their lease. RKO Century had planed on building a theater in Yonkers, NY as part of the current Costco-Stew Leonards site. They ended up in court over many varied issues and it never was built.
Several years ago it was announced in the press that there would be a new theater at the Sunrise Mall. Nothing since. I found out about the intentions for a 2017 opening at the Regal site when I was looking to see when they planned on opening the new Lynbrook, which is now well under construction.
Since I was in the area of the Sunrise Mall I scouted to see where the theater would be. There was no new construction which would have been obvious for an IMAX and, I forget, around a dozen screens. That’s when I went back to the Regal site and saw the Massapequa Mall had been deleted.
With two large multiplexes in nearby Farmingdale I really don’t know why they had considered this site anyway.
robboehm. See if the local press will update on the theater. Or if near the construction site maybe somebody there will tell you. Maybe revised plans have been filed with the building dept??
The Regal site no longer contains information about a new theater at the Sunrise Mall.
Went past the mall today and did a full circle. There is no new construction nor any signage re the theater which is supposed to open this year. A portion of the old Walmart is becoming a Dick’s Sporting Goods Store. Perhaps the balance will be repurposed for the theater.
If they don’t repurpose the now closed Walmart location they will have to build by the Carmans Road entrance to the complex. Just came back from the mall and saw no signage about a new theater.
Knew about the Lynbrook (they still haven’t begun the demolition of the old theater) but another at Sunrise Mall? From the scope of it I would think a new building would be required rather than using space in the existing mall.
On its website Regal says a new multiplex coming here in 2017. link
Last thing the area needs is another theater. Merrick, Bellmore, Seaford two multiplexes in Farmingdale. What kind of seating capacity are they talking about – many Regal auditoriums have fewer than 50 seats, albeit big lounge ones.
Regal is building a new theatre according to the web site. Originally UA was going to replace the complex in the 90s. Never happened
The screens were small and heads would block the screen. Only 6 had Dolby and DTS in 1993. All others were MONO
TEENAGE MOTHER WAS FILMED ON LONG ISLAND?! That’s nuts. I have it on DVD. Will have to check that out.
Since the theatre was in the mall there was a sign which read, I believe, “The Movies” on the east facing wall closest to the entrance near the theatre, which was on the second level. When an exterior renovation took place that sign was not longer visible.
This theater does NOT appear in Dolby’s installation records during the 1977-78 timeframe, suggesting the Dolby install happened later than what is being recalled in the intro write-up.
Theater 5 was my favorite. It was slighly larger than the average living room at the time. Remember seeing GRIZZLY, AIRPORT 1975/EARTHQUAKE double feature and JAWS in that tiny theater. Very cool to sit in the first couple rows and be overwhelmed by the screen being just 10 feet away. It didn’t take much to impress a fourteen year old kid.
The theater opened in the Mall in July 1975, and was expanded to 7 theaters in late 1979.
The theater opened in the Mall in July 1975, and was expanded to 7 theaters in late 1979.
I grew up there.My father was a projectionist there shortly after it opened,until he retired in 1995.I worked there as well.Fond memories. Correction:the lease had expired in 1998,and shortly after the United Artists Farmingdale opened,they closed it in 1999.However,because of rent issues after the expired lease,they trashed the equipment rather than remove it. In a way that didn’t matter since the projectors were German imports and parts were difficult to get,and the platter/lamphouses manufacturer went out of business. I explored the back area several years ago,and could see the holes in the cement where the seats were anchored down.