Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Abandoned theater explorers

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Posted by Rex Oliver (Member # 7593) on 08-16-2015, 06:19 AM:

Watched a video on YouTube about some guys exploring an abandoned cinema-if you recognize it-maybe you worked there?The place still has the power on.The guys delight in lighting the neon lights and signs.Next they go to the projection rooms and try to start the projectors.No go-so they go to another breaker room and restore power to the projectors.One guy finds a xenon bulb-his partner warns him of the dangers.They manage to get a projector started-and start the projection lamp-the lamphouse door is ajar-interlock not working,bypassed,and they open the door while the lamp is running!!!Lucky the lamp didn't blow in their faces-hope they didn't get "flash burn" in their eyes or sunburns.They run the motor on the projector-one calls it--"that finger chopper thing"then they find a roll of film and try to play it!No good-the projectors light no longer comes on.They also didn't start the exhaust blowers for the projectors.Its under "proper People" on Youtube-"abandoned theater exploration.

Posted by Rick Raskin (Member # 1561) on 08-16-2015, 11:22 AM:

Beavis & Butt Head go exploring!

Posted by Mitchell Dvoskin (Member # 751) on 08-16-2015, 12:13 PM:

Link to the video?

Posted by Matthew McBride (Member # 6598) on 08-16-2015, 12:21 PM:

Here is the link:

Exploring an Abandoned Movie Theater

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 08-16-2015, 02:35 PM:

The building, where-ever it is located, is near some train tracks. "Well, this is why the theater failed. Bad location."
Likely the theater failed due to a more recent building going up nearby that took it's customers away, and plans must have been in place for shut down as there seemed to be no digital equipment installed (though they may have for some 3D titles but took that equipment out.)
One of the comments had the building closing in 2012.
I wonder who is paying the electric bill...

Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 08-16-2015, 05:06 PM:

I found that really sad.

Closure in 2012 seems about right, there was a poster up for "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" which is that year.

Their website suggest they are Florida based, so, cinema closed in 2012, in Florida, near a railway line. How hard can it be?

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 08-16-2015, 08:10 PM:

It might be the Regal-->Sunrise Cinemas-->Frank Theatres Las Olas location in Ft. Lauderdale. I've never been inside but I once peaked in the lobby and vaguely remember escalators.

I think the time frame makes sense. Train tracks run right behind the building.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-16-2015, 09:02 PM:

quote: Lyle Romer
It might be the Regal-->Sunrise Cinemas-->Frank Theatres Las Olas location in Ft. Lauderdale.

Lyle definitely wins the prize.

Awesome yelp reviews

There is a picture of the escalator on the yelp page above and if you look at the video @ 2:00 into it, you will see the same image.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-16-2015, 11:22 PM:

Here's a strange one ... a movie theater discovered in caves under the streets of Paris.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-17-2015, 01:38 AM:

It took a few minutes to find, but a photo does exist.

Posted by Rex Oliver (Member # 7593) on 08-17-2015, 02:36 AM:

Ahh!!The mystery of this theater has been solved.In reading the Reviews of the site-sounds like most were displeased with the place and weren't going to watch another movie there again.The popcorn covered esculator was pretty gross-and unsafe.I am wondering why a theater would have been built by train tracks??Would be good,though for movies with trains.In the video I noticed the purple wallpaper was peeling off the walls-and you do get a glimpse of what looked like mildew on the floors in the auditoriums.I am guessing the place was nice when it first opened-but then with other owners-the place went down.I wonder in the later years if the lady that sold you the ticket and concessions ran up the nasty stairs and started the movie from the projector that has the loose lamphouse door!I could use that for my UV flourescing mineral specimens!
That cinema-guerilla one-in the catacombs in Paris sounds really wild!The picture of it with folks watching a show--like the impromptu hung curtains and screen.Wonder what sort of projector they used??

Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 08-17-2015, 07:00 AM:

This has been a most excellent use of the last hour and a half [Smile]

Thanks for this awesome find!

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 08-17-2015, 01:07 PM:

Yep, definitely Las Olas. I used to see movies there frequently when I lived in the area. Its closing makes me sad. I knew it was no longer operated by the company who built it (Regal), but I didn't know it was closed. I can't believe the booth equipment is just sitting there abandoned.

How did these guys gain access? Is it legitimate and buy permission of the landlord?

Posted by Manny Montes (Member # 5639) on 08-17-2015, 04:06 PM:

Probably useless at this point but lyle is right, its the las olas, Frank theaters ran it for a bit and just abandoned at the end of 2014. I forgot when regal dumped it onto sunrise, but it was a while back as well. Since sunrise took over it really went downhill, the escalator stopped working and just wasn't ever repaired until it closed (I guess since it works as stairs). At one point frank theaters stopped running movies in the bottom auditoriums (not sure why either).

I've seen a few movies here as it is near where my dad lived, the train tracks were the least of the issue and I can't recall ever having an issue with it sounding, there are some bars around the area as well, but it really is more of a younger nightlife crowd, not the movie going crowd. You had to pay to park as well, though the theater did validate it at some point (never had to park there, just walked).

They probably got in through a roof access hatch or exit door though, since it is part of a "mall/strip" I figure the LL just continues to keep electric hooked up. Doubtful another theater will ever go in there, but I think its just too much of a hassle to tear down.

Its by the broward center for the performing arts and Museum of Discovery and Science (which has a real IMAX), the neighborhood is wealthy on one side but 5 minute drive and you're in a poor area of town. Can't imagine anything would really draw people to a theater in the area.

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 08-17-2015, 04:34 PM:

quote: Ken Lackner
I can't believe the booth equipment is just sitting there abandoned.

How did these guys gain access? Is it legitimate and buy permission of the landlord?

I've been in an abandoned theatre that were still loaded with equipment years after they closed. I was let in by the landlord. Odds are the operator of those theatres and whoever was last operating this theater had leases that they defaulted on and the equipment is now the landlords' problem (what's it going to sell for?).

I have no idea if the people who made the video had permission to be there or if they were foolish enough to record and post a breaking and entering.

Posted by Justin Hamaker (Member # 2165) on 08-17-2015, 04:57 PM:

There's a comment on the video which says the gained access through an open door or window, so they were not "breaking and entering". Trespassing is probably the worst crime.

Got an education on B&E last year when we caught a person who was stealing things from cars in our parking lot. Although we caught the person, they could not be charged with breaking and entering because they were only entering cars which were unlocked. And since they were not found with any stolen items, they couldn't be charged with theft.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 08-17-2015, 10:21 PM:

quote: Martin McCaffery
Odds are the operator of those theatres and whoever was last operating this theater had leases that they defaulted on and the equipment is now the landlords' problem (what's it going to sell for?).

And yet most landlords in this situation think the equipment is worth $2 million and haven't a clue, but they sure as shit get pissed off when you tell them it's junk and not worth anything. [Razz]

Posted by Rex Oliver (Member # 7593) on 08-18-2015, 12:23 AM:

I was wondering who would own all of that apparatus since the previous operator just seemed to walk away from the place and left it as it was.Someone will be surprized to learn the gear is just scrap metal unless someone offers them some money for the projectors and platters and such-say the person is some sort of collector or something.I would have to assume the equipment could be repaired and still used- IF you could still get films to play on those things.From the glimpses I could see of the explorers flashlights shining on things caught Xetron lamphouse/consoles and Strong projector heads?Some of the rack cabinets appeared to have been stripped of equipment-guess the sound gear and amps?Wonder if speakers will still be behind screens?.I could see some of the sorround speakers still on the walls in the auditoriums and some of them missing.That place hasn't been graffeited up-or vandalized-yet.Time will tell-If the place is easily accessed could it be considred an attractive nuisance?What if those guys did get hurt while fooling around there-who would be responsible?Possibly hazardous equipment left accessable and unattended.Just food for thought.And who is paying for the power-I am guessing someone is.If not think the power company would have removed the meter from that site.

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 08-18-2015, 05:42 AM:

For some more information about this location, it was part of the Las Olas Riverfront dining, nightlife and entertainment complex. I was working for GCC as an assistant manager when this complex was planned.

My manager was asked for his opinion on the location and he asked me for mine before he reported back. I told him that I thought it was a terrible location for a movie theatre. Regal decided to build and I turned out to be right.

It opened as a 23 screen complex in June 1998. Sunrise Cinemas subleased it from Regal sometime in 2003. From the time Sunrise Cinemas took over, they only operated 15 screens. Frank took over from Sunrise a few years later when they took over all of Sunrise's locations.

Regal was eating a huge chunk of the rent and the location still didn't do very well for the latter two operators. I guess that's why they let it get so shitty. Sunrise Cinemas wasn't into major upgrades but they did typically maintain their locations well. They even had dedicated projectionists.

This location being built did stop GCC from expanding/rebuilding their Galleria Mall 4 location to 14 screens. The Galleria was a much better location and would have destroyed the Las Olas Riverfront complex but GCC was way too conservative.

As for the Las Olas Riverfront, there have been reports for years that the entire complex will be demolished and rebuilt as condos. It is a good location for condos with street level retail/restaurants. It is just not a good location for a destination entertainment complex.

Posted by Rex Oliver (Member # 7593) on 08-18-2015, 06:04 AM:

If the place is by railraod tracks-wonder if it would be a good location for a condo-housing complex.How busy is the RR there?If not so busy the residents could tolerate the trains.I live by a RR track but it is owned privately by PCS Phosphate mining.The trains go slow thru there.Carry Phospahte products Northbound and fill dirt Southbound.Back to that cinema-if its part of a complex guess it would be hard to pull the power there if it wasn't being paid without disturbing the other clients.

Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 08-18-2015, 08:55 AM:

quote: Lyle Romer
It is just not a good location for a destination entertainment complex.

Why not? I used to love going there. Of course, that's just one man's opinion. I'm interested in knowing why others feel the way they do about the place.

Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 08-18-2015, 09:39 AM:

I'm told by a co-worker here that during the period the Egyptian in Hollywood was closed between it being damaged by the Northridge Earthquake (it struggled on for a few years under private ownership afterwards, but the cost of repairing the building properly was such that they eventually walked away) and refurbished by the American Cinematheque in 1999, it was inhabited by homeless people. The found the more or less intact booth with a print of Home Alone 3 in it, and figured out how to thread and run the projector, but not how to play the audio (which I find a bit strange - if they were able to figure out a projector and platter, you'd have thought that they'd have been able to get the sound on). So apparently they watched this movie many times, in silence, over the course of a few months.

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 08-18-2015, 12:35 PM:

Ken,

The reasons I thought it was a bad location were:

-Lack of free parking
-Too far from both I-95 and I-595 to go just for a movie
-Disconnected too much from the trendy part of Las Olas Blvd.
-Proximity to Courthouse/Jail and Bail Bonds
-Lack of residential density in the vicinity (was even more the case when it opened in 1998)

With the growth of Ft. Lauderdale, maybe it could work as a completely renovated, luxury, 8-10 screen complex now. However, I don't think the owners will give a long enough lease for anybody to make that type of investment because they want the option of sale/demolition.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-18-2015, 12:45 PM:

Those Yelp reviews are hilarious. I don't think that I have ever seen a theatre that was reviewed so badly.

This looks like it could have been a decent enough place from the video, although the reviews seem to indicate that maintenance was seriously lacking. I also question the quality of the soundproofing, given that the train horn was clearly audible from the inside.

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 08-18-2015, 07:54 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
I also question the quality of the soundproofing, given that the train horn was clearly audible from the inside.

There has to have been something they could have done. The train tracks are literally 40 feet from the back wall of the building. Maybe they overlooked that during the design phase.

Posted by David Buckley (Member # 2600) on 08-18-2015, 08:10 PM:

The comments above about the value of a dead cinema are interesting. It looks like the place closed last Friday and everyone just walked out, will the last one out please switch off the lights.

The only things that appear to have been removed are the amplifiers. Either purposefully removed, or perhaps filched, a rackload of QSCs has value any day of the week.

What I'm curious about now is that the screens that haven't been used since 2003, was that just all left as it was from 2003 to 2012? That was before the digital revolution, and thus the film kit still had some value.

Still, at least if someone sometime needs 35mm kit, there's a bit "in storage" that hasn't made it to the scrapheap - yet.

Posted by Lyle Romer (Member # 1266) on 08-18-2015, 08:29 PM:

David,

I will try to find out about the screens that were dark for all of those years and what equipment was left there.

As for the amplifiers, I'm pretty sure that Frank Theatres removed them when they closed it down.

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 08-18-2015, 10:09 PM:

I helped open this location and didn't recognize it.
I think I've opened one too many theatres in my life....

Posted by Buck Wilson (Member # 5885) on 08-18-2015, 10:27 PM:

Is that at all depressing? Seeing theaters you helped open go to shit?

Posted by Frank Angel (Member # 248) on 08-18-2015, 11:49 PM:

quote: Scott Norwood
Those Yelp reviews are hilarious. I don't think that I have ever seen a theatre that was reviewed so badly.

Yelp: The Pavillion "Cinema" Brooklyn NY

Yelp: The Kent Anti-Cinema, Brooklyn NY

Posted by Rex Oliver (Member # 7593) on 08-19-2015, 01:48 AM:

At this point can see that the QSC or any other amps would have more value than the projectors and other apparatus.The amplifiers can always be used for so many other applications.Guess will see what happens to the place-There was also a video about an abandoned bowling alley with the power still on-someone even turned on the "Cosmic Bowling" UV lights-and a broken ceiling fan still running.Bowling balls,pins,bowling shoes scattered all about.Rest of the site trashed.The explorer says homeless live there and chased him out of the place!Will the homeless move into that theater and tgry to play any movies left there-Least they have something to watch!No if they get the popcorn machines working?Oh goody Stale popcorn popped with stale popcorn popping oil!

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 08-19-2015, 08:11 AM:

Dennis: I feel your pain. I don't know which is worse; theatres closing that you helped build or being retired. No, wait! Retired is good.

Posted by Rex Oliver (Member # 7593) on 08-20-2015, 06:13 AM:

Dennis:I don't work in cinemas-but have a strong interest in the subject.Been following this site for awhile-then decided to join.I work at a Short Wave transmitter site-VOA-the neighboring site closed in 2006.Felt a sense of loss when that happened-budget cuts.I worked in tate plant for a short time-but the feeling of it closed-now it is owned by the state of North Carolina.The plant HVAC systems were shut down.The transmitters corroded-parts were taken from them to keep the plant I work operating.Equipment is 30,50,and 65 yrs old.The building is full of black mold.So guess it can be a similar feeling-I would think more so for you since you helpted commision that site.The plant I work at is the only one now operating by VOA in the US.Just hope something good can come out of that closed theater.Just hope the equipment isn't destroyed by vandals or curious urban explorers.