Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here. If you don’t understand why someone would be upset by a particular theater being closed... why it matters when “you can always just go somewhere else”... then I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t know this theater, but it’s obviously important to this guy, and we’ve done the same for theaters in Baltimore... Edinburgh... anywhere a fan sees a truly good theater in danger of closing its doors permanently... because that theatrical experience is one of the most important parts of being a film geek. If you’re in a position to help this guy... check out his letter... and consider seeing if there’s some way you can get involved:
Hi Harry, As you are known far and wide as the world’s leading movie geek, I thought this piece of news may be of some importance to you. Studio 28, which for many years was the gem of Jacks Loeks Theaters, is closing on November 24th. It was the world’s first megaplex and created the environment in which we see films in the theater today. It was the world’s first 20 screen theater and unless something has changed dramatically, it is still the world’s largest free-standing theater, meaning that it’s not part of a mall or other type of venue. There are larger theaters out there but they are part of larger structures. Two weeks ago, a local TV station reported that the theater was eliminating most of its matinee shows as a cost cutting measure. In a blog I wrote after discovering this, I had predicted that this was the first step toward the eventual shut down of the building. The theater opened in 1965 with only one screen, the 905 seat Theater #1. At this time, that screen is the largest in the state of Michigan (to my knowledge). It eventually expanded to 20 screens over the years after upgrading to 6 and then a few years later to 12 screens. With the opening of the 20 screen giant, it sparked a wave of megaplexes across the country. In 1990, John Loeks took over the family business from his father, Jack, who started it with the Midtown Theater on Pearl street in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1944. The Loeks family owns Celebration Cinema which has four theaters in the Grand Rapids area, as well as Portage, Muskegon, Lansing, and Battle Creek, and runs Studio 28. This is truly a sad day for West Michigan moviegoers as this 45 years old landmark prepares to shut their doors for the last time. A press conference revealing this to the public takes place at 10:30 AM EST on Friday morning. The news was revealed to employees on Thursday evening. – This link goes to my blog where I predicted the shut down two weeks ago. - Local news coverage announcing the closing as well. – History of Jack Loeks Theaters with some great pics of the early days of the company. - A rather extensive collection of images of Studio 28, inside and out. Regards, The Mysterian
