Looks like my time at J-school is finally paying off: I reported some news yesterday!
See, earlier this week I read on Torontoist that the Cumberland Cinemas were going to be closed and demolished to make way for condos, so I figured that’d make a good subject for my weekly movies column on the NOW Daily page. You know, we’re losing our precious art-house screens, why God why, that sort of thing.
But then I talked to a couple of people at Alliance — which owns the theaters — and they didn’t seem to think the Cumberland would be closing any time soon. In fact, the screens were fully committed to the film festival, and a number of movies were booked to open there afterward.
So I called around and talked to a few people and put the story together. Turns out the Cumberland has not been sold, and won’t be closing any time soon. Cool, huh?
It’s nothing terribly earth-shaking or life-changing, but it’s good to know I still have that muscle. The, um, dialing-the-phone, asking-pertinent-questions muscle.
And I can always write that art-houses-dying story when Cineplex unloads the Carlton.
(I’m kidding. The Carlton will be with us forever.)
Which one are you in that photo?
I am in the closet.
I’m always the last to know.
nice work norm.
considering all the theaters that have shut down in toronto in past years, it was very easy to believe this rumour. thanks for debunking it.
kind of related, since you’re somewhat of an expert on the small cinema experience, i was wondering if you could maybe comment at length on what you think of the revitalized versions of the revue and royal since their recent closures…?
OBVIOUSLY it was going to remain open for TIFF. Get a statement that’s a little more assuring than “any time soon” because come the start of the year they could tear it down and that wouldn’t have been a good 5 months.
Also, I’ve heard rumours of the Carlton getting demolished for condos. Look into that too, Detective Heavy Finger.
@ Jeff: Obviously, the owners of the property are interested in selling, but having spoken to the architect, the distributor and a couple of other people, “the Cumberland’s not closing any time soon” seemed like the apporopriate correction to Torontoist’s “The Cumberland is closing”.
@ Liam: I like the refurbished Royal, though I wish they’d put in new seats; the existing chairs are prone to squeaking, and I find I get uncomfortable in longer movies.
As for the Revue, well, I haven’t made it out there since it reopened; it’s never been the most convenient location, and nobody holds press screenings there, so the opportunity’s never come up.
Oh, wait; they’re showing “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” there this weekend, so that could get me out there … I feel like I really should see that theatrically.