California's ArcLight and Pacific Theaters to close for good including the iconic Cinerama Dome

[Demovictory9]

California’s ArcLight and Pacific Theaters to close for good

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https://wtop.com/national/2021/04/californias-arclight-and-pacific-theaters-to-close-for-good/


California’s ArcLight and Pacific Theaters to close for good

Hollywood’s theatrical business may be slowly rebounding but for some exhibitors the last year has been catastrophic. Pacific Theaters, which operates some 300 screens in California, including the beloved ArcLight theaters and the historic Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, said Monday that it will not be reopening.

The permanent closures include the 16-screen Arclight Cinema at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda, Maryland. The Bethesda theater opened in 2014. It had been temporarily closed since March 2020.

“This was not the outcome anyone wanted, but despite a huge effort that exhausted all potential options, the company does not have a viable way forward,” a Pacific Theaters representative said in a written statement.


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The ArcLight theaters were a favorite of many entertainment industry professionals and celebrities, with locations throughout Southern California. The ArcLight Hollywood was the first in the chain to open in 2002 featuring the then-novel concept of reserved seating and ushers who introduced each showing. Latecomers were not admitted entry.

Many took to social media to express their dismay over the news. “Love & Basketball” filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood tweeted, “This is so painful. The Arclight is my go-to. Clean, great sound, assigned stadium seating, great popcorn, usher movie introductions. A true movie-going experience.”


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One of the biggest loses for movie fans is the historic Cinerama Dome. The concrete geodesic dome on Sunset Bouelvard is an official historic monument and a tourist attraction in and of itself, featured in movies like Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and occasionally decorated for higher profile premieres. Positioned adjacent to the ArcLight Hollywood, it was commissioned in 1963 by Pacific Theatres founder William R. Forman as a state of the art way to see movies using three projectors for its custom curved screen and is only one of three in the world to have the capability.

[BigmanPigman]

2. If it's an official historic monument

does that mean they can close it but not tear it down?

[crickets]

3. Here's hoping someone saves the building so that it may reopen later. nt

[customerserviceguy]

4. Movie theaters

have been on a slippery slope ever since the cheap VCR was invented. Streaming is probably the final nail in the coffin.

[MizLibby]

5. It will probably become some shitty mega church.

[Demovictory9]

8. let's hope not

[Xolodno]

6. The iconic one's will probably get bought out by studio's.

Disney plays Nightmare before Christmas at the El Capitan every holiday season...and people go. Not to mention, some of the premier's of certain movies. They are also not operating in the traditional format, showing the movies repeatedly through out the day. Add to that, they tend to demand certain run times...they can now completely ignore that.

Once my wife came along with me to work as we planned to hit the airport afterwards for vacation. She went to the nearby AMC...and was the only one in the theater for The Lorax.

And more and more are opting to bypass them. Sure some movies you want to see on the huge screen for the visual and sound effects. But most...not so much. And you can't pause a movie in the theater when you have the urgent response "to go".

[Demovictory9]

7. true. the location, the building... it will make a great venue for special presentations

[XanaDUer2]

9. This breaks my heart nt