By Michael Letendre

The one business that has taken one of the biggest hits during the global pandemic is the entertainment industry and, specifically, movie theaters.

Arguably, the movie theater industry was in a downward trend even before COVID-19 as streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu, and the like have kept families from going out to see major motion pictures.

And as big screen TVs have become common household items, the need to drag a family out to the movies  – which includes the task of purchasing overpriced, but tasty, buttered popcorn and soda, and candy, and seconds on candy, and perhaps even a dinner at a restaurant that doesn’t start with the letters ‘Mc’ – has gone by the wayside.

That’s not including the price of the ticket just to get into the building!

But way before the global pandemic, we’ve all seen the rise and fall of movie theaters in and around New England.

Think about all the movies you’ve seen in theaters that are no longer in existence just in Connecticut alone.

I remember several movies I’ve seen over the years and recently wondered how many of those venues are still in existence.

I picked a selection of movies I’ve enjoyed as a wee lad, including the location of the theater, a tidbit on what happened during the screening, and if the building is still standing as of 2022.

Here’s my list:

Chariots of Fire – Elm Theater, West Hartford (April 1982).

Overview of the experience: Chariots was the first picture I saw in a movie theater.

I remember running around the venue before the presentation and my pops yelling at me to sit down.

Hey, they were going to be running around in the so why not run around the theater, too?

My pops did not like my logic… 

The Building now: The location actually turned into a Walgreens right around 2005.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – Showcase Cinemas, East Hartford (July 1982). 

Overview of the experience: My ‘Papa’ took me, and it was a bit of a drive (people flocked to see the E.T. movie locally) so the movie, at least in and around Bristol, and was always packed.

I remember eating plenty of popcorn before, during, and after the showing.

And as an extra bonus, the E.T. video game made for Atari was one of the worst games of all time.

The Building now: Toast. It closed due to the theater built near the Buckland Hills Mall area. It was torn down a couple years ago and a Burlington Coat Factory was constructed on that property.

Return of the Jedi – Newington Cinemas (June 1983).

Overview of the experience: Even a month after the release of the epic, the theaters were still packed with people flocking to see Darth Vader and his minions hanging out with the Emperor.

I remember trying to find three seats in a row proving difficult that night.

People must have clapped and applauded about seven or eight times during the movie when seeing their favorite character for the first time (Lando Calrissian got a huge ovation), something unheard of today.

The Building now: More toast. A Lowes Home Improvement store was constructed on the site and a Roy Rogers restaurant, a staple in Bristol for a time (think Caldor’s plaza, er, Bristol Commons), also closed on that same Newington property decades later. It was very sad.

The Karate Kid – Centre Mall Cinema, Bristol (June 1984).

Overview of the experience: Located across from Bristol Center Mall, I spent several hours as a kid, taking in a movie on one of the two screens from that venue.

Once again, there was my Pops before the movie, telling me to sit down and threatened to take my candy away (he still says that to me in 2022…).

Back in those days, you’d go see a movie, shop at the Center Mall, get dinner, and make a real evening of it.

The Building now: A Bristol Health Medical Care Center is now on the property where the theater sat.

LionHeart – Waterbury Theater, next to the old Naugatuck Valley Mall (January 1991).

Overview of the experience: I went there with my buddy Scott and his parents during my freshman year of high school.

It was my first rated ‘R’ movie experience in a theater, and I thought I was the man that night. 

And hey, it was Jean-Claude Van Damme for crying out loud, so you knew it was going to be good…

The Building now: The venue is still open! It’s called the Apple Cinemas Waterbury 10. It’s the only theater from this group of movie selections I picked that is still standing.

Speed – Sony Movie Theater, Pine Street in Bristol (June/July 1994).

Overview of the experience: You mean experiencesbecause I saw Speed at that venue four times.

The last time I enjoyed Speed in that theater was the day I was awarded my Eagle Scout badge, hoping for a bit of a distraction.

It didn’t work with star Keanu Reeves wildly screaming things like,“There’s a bomb on your bus!” and “shoot the hostage.”

However, if I could have, I would have seen the movie in Forestville for a fifth time. 

The Building now: The structure is there still but it turned into a Subway and other businesses across from the Forestville Stop & Shop.

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