By Brenda De La Cruz
Arclight and Pacific theaters announced their permanent closing, and it just adds to the long and depressing list of losses millennials continue to face as they grow older.
ArcLight Cinemas and Pacific theaters have fallen victim to the pandemic, adding to the end of an era for many with added fears that more landmarks will go next.
The theaters, which are jointly owned by Decurion corporation, closed their doors for good on April 12.
Due to restrictions placed on theaters due to COVID-19, the company was forced to shut down for more than a year. The closure resulted in both theaters taking big financial hits.
The closure of these theaters inspired many in Hollywood to rally in hopes of saving the once frequented businessess.
It’s understandable why many in Hollywood are rallying to save theaters. Director Rian Johnson, who directed “Knives out” and “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” was among those hoping to save the theaters. He tweeted his sentiments about the closure.
“Well this sucks. Every single person who worked at the Arclight loved movies, and you felt it.
“Sending love to every usher, manager and projectionist who rocked that blue shirt and made it such a special place,” Johnson said.
With technology advancing more each day, closures such as these were bound to happen one day. But never did the thought cross anyone’s mind that it would come sooner on account of a global pandemic.
Gone are the days of reserving your seat or worrying about having to be extra early to snag a good one.
Arclight also had the yummy gourmet smoothies and snacks that you munched on while a special guest or employee introduced the feature film to the audience.
The theater sometimes had celebrities show up for premieres and surprise guests.
Although other companies such as ‘AMC’ remain in business, nothing can compare to grubbing on some pizza while watching the midnight screening of the latest “Twilight” installment in the Arclight’s Cinerama dome.
The feeling of being in such a huge arena like that was simply magical.
The theaters made patrons feel a part of the movies with the high definition and surround system.
These theaters offered reward cards to their customers. This meant that free or discounted food or tickets made people come back.
The Arclight cinemas were hubs of return business and social interaction.
The question now is what will happen to the spacious theater locations.
Perhaps other theaters will snag them as they seemed to have done okay during the pandemic. AMC managed to still rent/sell films to patrons virtually.
Arclight theater locations included Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Pasadena, La Jolla, and Beach Cities.
Pacific theaters locations included Glendale, Lakewood, Sherman Oaks, Northridge, Chatsworth, and the Grove/Los Angeles.