Normally, I wouldn’t take too much notice of a movie theater that’s about to be closed and torn down, even one that’s profitable and getting shafted by its landlord. In this case, however, I must give a salute to the soon-to-be-doomed Meyerland 8, because it’s where Tiffany and I had our first date.
(All together now: Awwww.)
We saw Inventing the Abbotts, a nice if not very exciting little film in which the not-yet-famous Jennifer Connelly gets nekkid. I confess, that was probably the last movie I ever saw at the Meyerland 8, as I have since succumbed to the charms of stadium seating, which can only be found at the various Googleplexes. Nonetheless, I’m sorry to see it go. There’s not a whole lot of places like it left around here.
It’s a sign of the times that a movie theater with 8 screens is being closed down since it is considered outdated.
When my mother moved to the suburbs of Philadelphia earlier this year, she was amazed to find that the theaters near her had upwards of 15 screens. She was used to going to single screen theaters as a kid (the grandest of which was the Loews Paradise on Fordham Road), and even the four screen place in her old neighborhood was quite unfamiliar to her. At the same time, the closest place for videos to her new house is an adult book store, but that’s another discussion.
One of my good friends in high school worked as a projectionist at the 1 screen theater in his hometown. The Karate Kid ran for 8 weeks. It was good that he loved it.
On the other hand, The Perils of Gwendoline in the Land of the Yik Yak ran for 8 weeks as well. The owner, who never came to the theater, was there all the time.
That’s too bad. It’s one of my favorite “out of the way” theaters here. I took the boys there several times when we lived on the west side of town, and it was a favorite at Rice as well.
No go for Nova
Houston’s Nova Meyerland 8 theater, operating since 1965, is closing tomorrow: The little theater tucked away at the back of Meyerland Plaza off the West Loop has become the latest casualty of the industry’s move toward megaplexes and stadium seating….
Interesting. Inventing the Abbots was my third date with my 4-year ex-girlfriend Tanya. I really liked the movie (she didn’t) and remember it well. Hard to believe it’s been so long since the movie came out.