Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: What is closest number of cinemas you have to one another?

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Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 12-26-2010, 07:24 PM:

Ok, I live in a pretty busy area but it is still developing. Not a giant area like Toronto or anything. I live close to the highway and it appear we have an extreme number of cinema all close one another.

Within about 20km we have.

SilverCity 10
AMC 24
Encore 5
SilverCity 12
Encore 6
SilverCity 14

There are 13 Real D cinemas, one IMAX (not open to public), One Ultra AVX.

A total of 71 screens all along QEW in my area all within 20km. Going the other from the first cinema, it is about 35 km to the next cinema.

There used to be the Empire 6 that was in there as well, but that closed.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 12-26-2010, 08:09 PM:

I don't know the current status of most of these, but when I was living in Virgina in the late 1990s, we had the following within about a fifteen mile radius, all open for a short period (circa 1997/1998):

AMC Patrick Henry Mall 7 (now closed)
AMC Hampton Mall 4 (now closed)
Regal Kiln Creek 20 (expanded from 14)
NEI Cinemas Hampton (3-plex discount house, now closed)
AMC Hampton Towne Center 24
Regal Riverdale Plaza 12
Carmike Williamsburg Crossing 7 (now closed)
Carmike Williamsburg Montecello 4 (the dumpiest theatre I have ever seen; now mercifully closed)
Williamsburg Theatre (single art-house; I worked there)

I thought that this area was way over-screened at the time, especially considering that most of these were total dumps.

Posted by Kenneth Wuepper (Member # 1174) on 12-26-2010, 09:00 PM:

Carmike Fashion Square Cinema 10 screens all digital
Goodrich Saginaw 12 12 screens less than 1/4 mile apart
in the Township

Court Street Theatre Single screen 35mm film second run
in the City of Saginaw and 4 miles from the 22 first run screens

Temple Theatre single screen 16mm, 35mm and 70mm
rep and special films. 4 miles from the 22 screens and 3 miles from the Court Street Theatre

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 12-27-2010, 02:54 AM:

in 2001, i had the following in about a 1 mile radius:

california theatre (3 screens, where i work)
shattuck cinemas (10 screens, 2 added around 2000)
ua theater (7? screens. i don't go there)
act 1&2 (2 screens, now closed)
uc theatre (1 screen, now closed)
fine arts (1 screen, now closed)
pacific film archive (1 screen)

since then, i've had to travel into san francisco much more frequently for my fix.

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 12-30-2010, 11:37 PM:

Within a four-block radius in Glendale CA is the one screen Alex, the ten screen Mann Exchange, the four screen Mann Marketplace and the eighteen screen Pacific Americana at Brand.

Then, of course, in Ontario CA, there is a 30 screen AMC in the Ontario Mills mall, and a 24 screen Edwards in the parking lot of the mall.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 12-31-2010, 12:08 AM:

quote: Edward Havens
Then, of course, in Ontario CA, there is a 30 screen AMC in the Ontario Mills mall, and a 24 screen Edwards in the parking lot of the mall.

What? Any pics

Posted by John Joseph Fink (Member # 3619) on 12-31-2010, 10:32 AM:

In New Jersey we once had, all within 4 miles (and for most of this they were all unable to play day and date with each other):

-Loews Plaza 8 - Secaucus, NJ (replaced by Kerasotes Showplace 14)
-Loews Meadows 6 - Secaucus, NJ (replaced by Kerasotes Showplace 14)
-Regal Bergen Plaza 13 - North Bergen, NJ (after a year it became a discount house, closed and later was a hybrid Hollywood/Art House/Discount house)
-Regal Columbia Park 12 - North Bergen, NJ (the only of the bunch still open - now permitted to play day and date with Showplace after a discount stint as Interstate and Starplex's only North East location - it shows Bollywood and first run Hollywood films as Phoenix Theaters / Big Cinemas).

=39 screens in four miles

The problem for Bergen Plaza is it was an industrial neighborhood in a parking garage under a supermarket, strange and slightly scary location - whereas both Secaucus theaters were in vibrant shopping areas with plenty of restaurants near by.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 12-31-2010, 11:27 AM:

quote: Tom Petrov
What? Any pics

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 12-31-2010, 12:56 PM:

My apologies... the Edwards is a 22-plex, not a 24. Haven't been there since Lost in Space in 1998.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 12-31-2010, 02:05 PM:

Sounds like it's more a 23-plex since it's got the IMAX screen. And perhaps it was a 24-plex originally before they put in the IMAX part? That could explain your thinking it was. I wouldn't know.

Posted by Edward Havens (Member # 4715) on 01-01-2011, 02:14 PM:

Nah, it was always a 22 including the IMAX, which was there opening day.

Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 01-01-2011, 10:19 PM:

quote: Edward Havens
Then, of course, in Ontario CA, there is a 30 screen AMC in the Ontario Mills mall, and a [22] screen Edwards in the parking lot of the mall.

Not to mention, in addition to those 50+ screens, within a fairly short distance can be found another 26 screens (Mountain Village 14 and Victoria Gardens 12). Totally over-screened area.

Another over-screened region in Southern California, in my opinion, is Murrieta/Temecula. When I lived there in the late-1990s/early-2000s, there was the following all within a couple miles of one another:

The Movie Experience 17
Temecula 15
Tower Plaza 10
Temeku 7

That's 49 screens for an area covering only a few miles and a population of about 100,000. (The Temeku seven-screener started life as first-run but at some point switched to second-run.)

Plus, built during the '80s, there also was the Rancho California 10 and Winchester Square 3. Both of these were closed by the time I arrived, if I remember correctly, but there may have been some operational overlap with some of the ones cited above. (Rancho California 10 converted into a gym, and the Winchester Square operated as an auto parts store.)

What are your thoughts on how many screens are needed for a region/population range? At what point does an area become over-screened? And, which is more relevant: the number of screens in a complex, or the cumulative screens in a region?

Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 01-01-2011, 10:42 PM:

The old formula (up through the end of the 1970's when most theatres were still single screens/twins/triplexes) was one screen for every 10,000 people within a given geographic area (if you wanted to make a decent profit).

When multiplexes evolved in the 80's and 90's that formula became one screen for every 5,000 people within a given geographic area(because each auditorium was smaller in terms of seat count).

In each of the above formulas the geographic area would vary a bit but generally it is based on the premise that no one is going to travel more than 20 to 30 miles one way to see a movie. (so in figuring out an area you need to calculate a radius of 20 to 30 miles of a given location.)

IMHO it the total number of screens in an given geographical area based on the population within that area which is the most important. However there is some leeway in the one screen per 5,000 population drawing area as some areas are just bigger moviegoing areas than others.

It also seems that when an area has more smaller complexes (e.g. 8 or less screens per venue) the public ends up with LESS choice in films as each of these smaller complexes all play the same half dozen popular titles.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-02-2011, 06:10 AM:

quote: Jonathan M. Crist
It also seems that when an area has more smaller complexes (e.g. 8 or less screens per venue) the public ends up with LESS choice in films as each of these smaller complexes all play the same half dozen popular titles.

I think more complexes is the problem. The smaller complexes will never do as well. Also the larger theatre will be preceived as better based just on the size alone.

Posted by Christopher Crouch (Member # 3784) on 01-02-2011, 06:15 AM:

Irvine/Tustin, Ca.
Within a five mile radius:

Edwards Spectrum 21
Edwards Westpark 8
Edwards Marketplace Stadium 10
Edwards Marketplace 6
Edwards University 6
AMC District 14
Starplex Woodbridge 5

If you were to expand the range to twenty miles, the number of theatres/screens would become really freaky. However, the population density and movie going habits of Orange County really don't result in a notable over-screening issue.

Posted by Jason Whyte (Member # 1433) on 01-02-2011, 10:00 AM:

Tom,

You also forgot about the AMC Interchange 30 and Colossus 19 screen cinema in Woodbrige, ON. The 49 screens are across the highway from each other.

Posted by Mike Rivest (Member # 5500) on 01-02-2011, 06:23 PM:

Ontario CA: Edwards Ontario Palace 22 & IMAX and AMC Ontario Mills 30 223 meters apart

Ste-Foy QC (Quebec City): Cineplex Odeon Ste Foy 14 and Famous Players StarCite 18 72 meters. The StarCite closed in 2008

The AMC Interchange 30 and the Cineplex Colossus 19 are 870 meters apart.

Posted by Sam Graham (Member # 2889) on 01-02-2011, 09:08 PM:

Layton, UT in the early 90's...Cinemark demolished an old 6-plex next to a Movies 10 and built a 7-screen Tinseltown adjacent to Movies 10, which originally operated separately (they've since closed the entrance to the 10 and everything feeds through the Tinseltown entrance).

Meanwhile, Cineplex Odeon was putting up 9 screens right behind it.

AMC still runs the 9-plex. The distance between The back of the Cinemark building and Layton Hills 9's parking lot is nothing but a mall access drive.

Posted by Jeff Arellano (Member # 3249) on 01-05-2011, 12:47 PM:

Up the road from Tustin, Anaheim/Garden Grove/Fullerton. Even though it has a larger population, all within a 5 mile / 8km radius of Disneyland we have:

Brookhurst 4 (Dollar)
Picture Show Mainplace 6 (dollar)
AMC Downtown Disney 12
UltraStar Gardenwalk 14
Regal Garden Grove 16
Krikorian Buena Park 18
AMC Fullerton 20
Century 25
AMC Block 30

Do the math, thats 145 movie screens within a 5 mile radius, and NOT including the Fiesta 3 in Santa Ana which is spanish subtitled films.

The Century, Gardenwalk, Disney are all off the same street all within a 4 minute drive of each other!

Chris mentioned 20 mile radius...make it a 10mile / 16km radius and it gets worse!

Off the top of my head in the 20 mile radius would include:

Family Four
Brea 5
Regal Edwards Tustin Marketplace 6
Regal Edwards Westminster 10
Cinema City 13
AMC Tustin 14
Regal Edwards Festival 14
Century Bella Terra 20
Regal Edwards Brea 22

And im sure I forgot a few...but thats another 110 theaters!
255 Screens within a 10 mile/16km radius of disneyland.

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 01-06-2011, 10:35 PM:

The West End in London is quite packed. By my estimate you've got 53 screens within a five minute walk of each other across 10 locations. Could extend the area slightly and add another 15 screens across 5 more locations. It's probably been like that for about 30 years, as some sites have closed others have added screens.

There are a fair few private screening rooms as well for all the media companies around there. People don't bat an eyelid when some intern is struggling with a print on the busy streets!

Posted by Mandy Moncayo (Member # 6040) on 01-09-2011, 02:35 AM:

We're in NYC on the lower east side.

Angelika
Cinema Village
Anthology Film Archives
AMC Lowes 7
IFC Center
Village East
Quad Cinema
Regal Union Square Stadium 14
& tons more but this is our main competition.

Posted by David Kilderry (Member # 142) on 01-17-2011, 12:21 AM:

Lets go back, way back to the early 1980's to Reservoir a suburb of Melbourne where I grew up.

Within 10 mins we had:
Village Reservoir Drive-in (70mm)
Village Northland Twin Drive-in (70mm)
Hoyts Preston Drive-in (this & above very close to each other), Hoyts Coburg Drive-in (70mm)
Village Cinema North Twin hardtop.

Only Village Coburg Triple Drive-in remains today of this group.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 01-17-2011, 12:55 AM:

In "Old Town" Pasadena (Calif.) there used to be an AMC 8 Screen theatre right across the street (Colorado Blvd) from a UA Theatre. The UA is now gone and the AMC became a Laemmle's.

Just a little further down on Colorado, there's another Laemmle's (The Playhouse 7) which is very near to the (crappy) Academy 6 theatres.

Also on Colorado Blvd -- halfway between the AMC/Laemmle's and the Playhouse 7 -- is an Arclight. I once attended a screening at this theatre (when it used to be a Pacific) where the center channel amplifier wasn't turned on. Very interesting experience.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-17-2011, 03:59 AM:

quote: Manny Knowles
AMC 8 Screen

Does anyone know what the smallest AMC theatre is? I have always thought of them giant megaplexes

Posted by Chris Bias (Member # 6049) on 01-17-2011, 07:13 AM:

Tom,
AMC has few 1 screen theatres and several under 6 screens

Posted by Steven J Hart (Member # 2340) on 01-17-2011, 07:46 AM:

Well, the Cavalier Cinema (Single Screen) is 35 mi away, Curt's Cinema (Single Screen) is 55 mi away, and the Strand Twin is 70 mi away. If you want to cross an international boundary, there's the Empire Southland Cinema (5 plex) about 40 mi away.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 01-17-2011, 09:53 AM:

In New York City, not including special venues that don't show movies every day, we have:
Manhattan (23 sq miles): Total 212 screens in 32 venues
Village & Downtown: 63 screens in 10 venues
East Side: 49 screens in 11 venues
West Side: 100 screens in 11 venues

Queens (109 sq miles): 104 screens in 14 venues
Brooklyn (71 sq miles): 70 screens in 9 venues
The Bronx (42 sq miles): 44 screens in 4 venues
Staten Island (58 sq miles): 30 screens in 3 venues

Note that in Queens, Brooklyn and The Bronx, the number of screens is almost uncannily equal to the number of square miles. About five years ago, I performed an analysis for a client and back then there was about 122,000 New York City residents for each theatre and about 17,000 people for each screen.

Posted by Tom Petrov (Member # 1534) on 01-24-2011, 04:57 AM:

Can anyone from the Toronto area confirm.

Weren't the Cineplex Hyland and Famous Players Hollywood theatres about 50 feet apart from one another?

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 01-24-2011, 07:44 AM:

In Miami, FL -- inside the Omni mall -- AMC 6 and AMC 4 were on the same level just across from each other! Both are gone now.

At Media Center in Burbank, Calif -- there were two AMC's on opposite ends of the mall parking lot.

Posted by Robert Crabtree (Member # 4795) on 01-24-2011, 01:49 PM:

A veer off topic, but an unusual connection to Manny's post: a former General Manager for the Omni AMC location happens to be a fairly famous blogger within the LGBT community. Joe Jervis wrote about hosting the Bengals at his theater during the 1989 Super Bowl during the riots that left them trapped. His post about that experience linked below (somewhat mature ads, in case that is an issue for you; while the post itself would be safe for work, some of the other content is not)

"Sorry Dad- I can't leave the mall or I might get killed."