Meridian East 4 Okemos MI - WaterWinterWonderland.com

Info Updates:

12/24/2015 - Greg Hunt

I was the GM at all three mall locations and if I remember right the Meridian West closed about 6 months after the Meridian East Closed.

10/21/2003 - Clint

Curtain falls on local theaters By ERIC LACY The State News Actor Samuel L. Jackson is known for his portrayal of witty and aggressive characters, but his summer movies “Rules of Engagement” and “Shaft” could be somewhat dramatic and sentimental for local die-hard movie buffs this Sunday. The day marks the closing of two theaters in Meridian Township: AMC West in the Meridian Mall, 1982 W. Grand River Ave. and the Super Cinema Multiplex, 6365 Newton Road, off Old M-78. AMC West will feature Jackson’s “Shaft” for its final showing, while the Super Cinema Multiplex will show “Rules of Engagement.” Rick King, spokesman for AMC Theatres, said the AMC West was known as a pioneer when it was built with the Meridian Mall in 1969. AMC Outer Six near the Meridian Mall is still open. “The theater was one of the first four-screen multiplexes in the country,” King said. “It was considered to be a big complex then, but now it’s considered rather small.” AMC Theatres operates more than 214 theaters with 2,906 screens in 23 states, the District of Columbia, China, Japan, France, Portugal, Spain and Canada. King said AMC West’s popularity didn’t occur overnight. “When the theater first opened, it was thought of as a novelty,” he said. Closing old theaters is becoming more common, King said. “The theater is closing because it’s an older theater and the lease is expired. This is not an unusual thing around the country for those type of theaters,” he said. Larry Parsons, Meridian Mall general manager, said having theaters in shopping malls is important. ”We always value theaters as part of our shopping mall,” he said. “We like to combine the entertainment element with retail. Now we are working on securing a new modern state-of-the-art theater.” The vacant theater will become retail space. The Super Cinema Multiplex, which is known for its competitive movie price - $2.75 - for second-run films, is owned by National Amusements Inc. The company owns and operates 1,348 motion picture screens in the United States, the United Kingdom and Latin America. “The theater had to be closed due to economic reasons,” spokeswoman Dana Wilson said. Customers’ interest in second-run movies is still present - new theaters could come to mid-Michigan, she said. “A lot of people like second-run theaters and I think that the market for them is there,” she said. “We are always looking to building new theaters and create new opportunities in Michigan.” There are many reasons why both theaters closed, said Tom Leach, owner of Video-to-Go, 300 N. Clippert St. “Celebration Cinema (200 E. Edgewood Blvd. in Lansing) and AMC were holding onto the films longer - with more screens, they could run a film that was less popular in a smaller theater,” he said. “MSU’s Campus Center (theater) was showing the same second-run films and there are also earlier video releases of many movies.” MSU film Professor Erik Lunde said the loss of one-third of the area’s theaters is “not a disaster” because of the rise of video rental stores. “In some ways it may be helpful to the video business,” Lunde said. Lunde said East Lansing should acquire a theater “so students can just walk to the theater.” He said students had problems finding transportation to the Super Cinema. Botany senior Amanda Borel said she was disappointed to hear the Super Cinema was closing. “That is the only one we go to - that’s very uncool it’s closing,” she said. Okemos resident Kevin Cox said he will miss the AMC theater. “I didn’t get to that one that much, but it was nice ’cause it was there,” he said.

HomeMovie TheatersMeridian East 4

Meridian East 4 - Okemos MI