Regal Ithaca Mall Stadium 14 is ready to show off its projectors within the coming weeks after its guardian firm Cineworld introduced it was submitting for Chapter 11 chapter in September, in line with a report by Enterprise Insider.
On Jan. 17, Cineworld detailed its plan to reject the leases of 39 Regal theaters nationwide beginning Feb. 15. Regal didn’t reply to requests for remark about whether or not the studies on the Ithaca location’s closing are correct.
The Ithaca Mall location has held a movie show since 1976 and opened as a Regal Cinema in 2007. Cornell college students have expressed deep unhappiness over the introduced closing of the most important movie show inside a TCAT trip from campus.
“I noticed going to the movie show as being an opportunity to flee for a few hours and neglect about every little thing else that is happening,” mentioned Jacob Gonzalez ’26, who would see a film about as soon as a month. “Lessons could be very exhausting at Cornell, and it was actually snug with the ability to simply exit and disappear for about two and a half hours and get to observe a terrific film and eat some popcorn. I believe that was actually essential for lots of people.”
Though there are different theaters on the town, college students informed The Solar that Regal’s film choices had been higher for movie-goers who need all kinds of blockbuster movies.
“I would like to have a Regal theater. I am from New York Metropolis, and now we have Regal so much, so it is undoubtedly a unique expertise,” mentioned Lina Liu ’25, who lately picked up a movie minor and was excited to observe the most recent blockbusters at Regal.
Cinemapolis is situated in Downtown Ithaca and focuses on unbiased, overseas and locally-produced movies. There may be additionally Cornell Cinema, which performs traditional Hollywood and overseas movies, documentaries, silent movies, cult classics, experimental work and up to date Hollywood and arthouse motion pictures.
Gonzalez expressed considerations about these theaters’ area of interest demographics.
“Now that there is no massive movie show that has a number of the greater motion pictures, like Marvel motion pictures, I believe it is not a very good factor,” Gonzalez mentioned. “Lots of people are going to have to search out different stuff to do. There’s undoubtedly numerous different issues to do, however that simply takes away one of many massive actions.”
In response to Cinemapolis Government Director Kate Donohue, the five-screen theater has not proven Marvel motion pictures prior to now, nevertheless it could possibly be a chance sooner or later.
“Cinemapolis is evolving with the film business,” Donohue mentioned. “We’re actually dedicated to enjoying all kinds of films which can be enriching but in addition entertaining for the entire neighborhood.”
College students who bought the Regal Limitless go for $18.99 a month are feeling significantly devastated. Rayvaughn Brown ’26 would frequent the Regal theater weekly to see the most recent movies, with journeys within the Ithaca Mall turning into a part of his routine.
For Jakene Reaves ’26, the limitless go meant visits to the theater nearly each different day over the summer season. He participated within the Pre-Collegiate Summer season Students program, leaving him with loads of time to observe motion pictures. Reaves has gone to the flicks a few times every week because the starting of the college yr.
“The best worth [of the Regal theater] is we have no different choices, so it is a terrific place — if folks like watching motion pictures — to go congregate with their mates,” Reaves mentioned. “Not that many individuals had been going there, however a minimum of it was the place to go. Now that there isn’t a place to go, you simply cannot watch motion pictures. You are both compelled to stream or compelled to go to Syracuse,” he continued, referring to the closest Regal north of Ithaca.
Frequent movie-goers seen low showings for many movies, excluding opening nights and on Nationwide Cinema Day, when all tickets had been $3. Reaves mentioned on most events, it was simply him and some others in a theater.
The Regal cinema has left lasting impacts on Cornell alumni. Violet Fermin ’13 nonetheless has reminiscences of spending time with shut mates on the theater. After seeing a highly-anticipated Tyler Perry film, she recollects lacking the final TCAT again to campus.
“We needed to stroll again to campus at midnight from the theater, tremendous late at night time, and we had been making jokes about it, however we had been additionally a little bit bit nervous, however we made it again okay,” Fermin mentioned. “It is a type of issues the place I can look again and smile that that was a reminiscence I made whereas in faculty. It is one of many ones that caught with me.”
Many college students mentioned they plan to see a number of extra motion pictures earlier than the anticipated closing of the Regal theater. Just a few mentioned they hope the theater stays open till a minimum of Feb. 17, when Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is ready to open.
”I do know Cornell college students generally prefer to playfully tease our faculty about being in the midst of nowhere. And that is not essentially true,” Fermin mentioned. “Ithaca is fantastic and there is numerous experiences which can be actually distinctive to Ithaca. However if you would like a extra mainstream expertise, prefer to go to the mall and watch a film, there’s one place for that.”
