Huntsville movie theater torn down after 26-year run, but memories remain - al.com

The marquee of the 18th cinema at the former Regal Hollywood Stadium in Huntsville. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

The once vibrant building now looks like Godzilla stepping on it.

Demolition work began this week at Regal Hollywood Stadium 18 in Hansville.

But the countless memories and connections left there will not disappear soon. The theater opened in 1994 as a 16-screen Hollywood 16 movie theater. It was a fixed place for entertainment in Huntsville, but the city's options at that time were greatly reduced.

In an era where streaming media will forever change the way people watch movies, Hollywood 18th was renamed after adding two more screens around 2000, which made the business bigger. Maria Wilson, the general manager of the theater, went out of business from 1996 to 2020. He said that during the heyday of Hollywood18 from 2000 to 2010, the number of theater attendance will exceed one million.

.

Wilson recalled: "Lines surround the building." "And we used to have six box offices and 14 franchise booths open, people still line up." Initially, the plan was to expand to 24 screens, until Wilson suggested to have Hollywood No. 18. The head of the record’s Cobb Theater said: "Our parking lot cannot accommodate more cars."

Hollywood 18 is located at 3312 S Memorial Boulevard, in the shadow of the former minor league baseball stadium Joe Davis Stadium. Next door is another landmark that has passed away, Finnegan's bar.

Wilson's name is Moon and he married her husband James Wilson last year. He recalled the 1997 disaster drama "Titanic" (Titanic), a customer accumulated 151 ticket stubs and saw the movie there. "She likes movies and Leonardo DiCaprio," Wilson said.

Wilson (Wilson) has 35 years of experience in the theater industry and worked at Madison Square 12 (Madison Square 12) before Hollywood 16. She also served as the general manager of travel and trained staff in other theaters. In the 18th district of Hollywood, sometimes she met a client for the first time when she was a teenager. A few years later, as her parents introduced her to her,

Teenagers. She told me: "There are many precious memories there."

Hollywood Stadium 18 Cinemas in Huntsville, circa 2001. (File picture)

Cobb Theater sold Hollywood 18 to the Regal Cinemas chain in August 1997. Regal media representatives did not respond to emails requesting an interview for this story. In 2020, the rich

. After the release of the latest James Bond spy film was recently postponed, according to plans, some spring plans for the Knoxville-based Regal Theater will reopen.

Hazel Green resident James Floyd spent many nights in Hollywood 18. Freud will first have dinner at the local Japanese steakhouse shogun, and then go to the movies, such as the 2019 superhero blockbuster "Avengers: Endgame." "Every Friday, this is where I go," said Floyd, a Butler High School graduate, who now takes college classes online. "My love for Hollywood 18 is just a selection of movies and good service. Other theaters have novel features, including reclining chairs and bars, etc., but Hollywood 18 is just a good old-fashioned movie theater."

The earliest movie Floyd (Floyd) can recall the 2003 horror film "Freddy vs. Jason". Last January, the last 2020 police sequel "Bad Boy of Life". After getting the ticket, he will give up and buy large popcorn, corn flakes and soda, and then enter the auditorium to find a seat.

Since the Hollywood film on the 18th closed in mid-March, Freud (like many people) has only watched movies at home. Whenever things return to normal, he is not sure where he will go to watch new Hollywood movies now, and Hollywood 18 no longer exists. "It's hard to find a theater to replace it. Huntsville has many theaters, but it's not like the Hollywood 18th theater."

He said that after Floyd (Floyd) heard the news this weekend, Hollywood 18 will be demolished soon, "It makes me very sad." He drove to the theater, where the construction workers let him into the scene, now behind the barbed wire fence, and then into the theater itself to take pictures, this is the sake of the past.

Local movie fan James Floyd (James Floyd) in Huntsville's former Regal Hollywood Stadium 18 Cinema. (Courtesy James Floyd)

When Maria Wilson started working in Hollywood 16, she had approximately 130 employees. In the end, they dropped to about 30. John Paul Gindhart stayed there in the theater. Gindhart is a Madison County high school graduate who started out as a theater greeter. In the early days of his tenure, some of the biggest films included Tom Hanks's epic Hayseeds "Forest Fever" and Arnold Schwarzenegger's action comedy "True Lies." Around 1999, Gindhart moved to the booth as a projectionist.

At that time, the newly released films were still real motion picture films. Gindhart is happy to work with the projector and is relatively isolated in the dark booth. He also enjoyed a carnival in the theater with the projectionist.

He said that Hollywood 18 was fully digital around 2010. In the first few years of the digital age, movies arrived via blade drives. Soon, the title was transmitted to the theater via satellite. "No one has been upstairs in the past ten years or so," Kinderhart said. After things were automated, Gindhart assumed the position of assistant manager, supervising the operation of the theater while still supervising the projection equipment. Kindlehart is rarely excited about new movies now. He said: "But back that day, I will watch everything."

In recent years, it has become common for movies to start their weekend screenings on Thursdays. But this used to be a theater, and new movies were not shown until 12:01 on Friday, so tents like George Lucas's "Star Wars" prequel at the turn of the century, "midnight screening" are popular. "This is a big event, everyone will be there," Kindlehart. "And super fun."

A "Star Wars" fan at the 18th cinema at Regal Hollywood Stadium in Huntsville. (File photo)

While the theater was still using 35mm reels, Gindhart had to stitch all the movies together when the new version was released. Then, he and some selected friends and friends of friends will watch the movie earlier than those who watch the movie. "We will have so many people watching (in the screening room), like on Wednesday, Thursday morning at 1 AM. This is my biggest highlight, which is to have as much fun at work and as much as possible Increase the pressure." On the Gindhart website, someone asked their favorite personal movies released in Hollywood 18 "Fight Club" or "The Matrix".

Sometimes, real life can be as interesting as a novel. Just like that night, the prince rented a theater at the 1998 "Purple Rain" superstar concert at the Von Braun Center. Late that night, the prince's tour bus stopped behind the theater. Prince and his entourage entered the 18th district of Hollywood through the back door and drove towards Auditorium 6. That night, Gindhart operated the projector for Prince's entourage and recalled that the movie was Halle Berry's comedy "BAPS", but Prince just stayed in the theater After a few minutes, he returned to his tour bus.

There is also a complete film premiere called "Constellation", which is a 2007 period drama filmed and filmed in Hansville. The red carpet, movie stars, the whole deal. "Constellation" starred by Billy Dee Williams, handsome actor Billy Dee Williams (Billy Dee Williams) was originally a sneaky smuggler in the "Star Wars" trilogy Portrait of Lando Calrissian. While in the city, Williams even signed several autographs with the charm of prosperity: "May the force be with you." The "Constellation" cast also features future "Star Trek" star Zoe Saldana and "Bring It" groundbreaking Gabriel League.

Celebrity Billie Dee Williams shakes hands and signs at the world premiere of Huntsville's movie "Constellation". (File photo)

When "Star Wars Episode One: The Threat of Phantom" was released in 1999, the Hollywood film No. 18 was running 24/7. Literally. "I think I slept there that morning," Kindhart recalled with a smile, "I was like,'I'm going to lie on the floor and everyone wakes me up.' Yes, that's crazy."

For things like the 2001 children’s fantasy adventure film "Harry Potter," fans would form a row around the building when the tickets were first sold. "Because you couldn't buy tickets online at that time," Gindhart explained.

Located in Huntsville’s former Regal Hollywood Coliseum 18 Cinema. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

In general, consumers tend to be mag-lovers and fly to the next spark. Kinderhart said that when the luxurious Monaco Pictures opened at the Bridge Town Center in 2007, just after Valley Bend's 2006 fashion show, the business of the Hollywood 18 companies "dropped substantially." . But there are still periodic peaks. Movies such as "Black Panther", "Magic Mike" and "American Sniper" brought large audiences back to Hollywood18.

Unfortunately, Gindhart watched the last movie in Hollywood on the 18th in mid-March, and then locked the theater door in the last scene of last night. Unfortunately, this is "Impractical The Joker: The Movie. Last weekend was the Monday after the pandemic started to put reality sideways. He said: "That night, it was easy to end, I felt very strange." The film studio pulled the main release to the left and right.

Inside the 18th cinema in Huntsville’s former Regal Hollywood Stadium. (Courtesy James Floyd)

Soon, the Hollywood employee on the 18th was fired. Wilson was the only employee left to check in the theater and handle company conference calls. In the next few months, when and whether Hollywood 18th will open again is a process of pushing and pulling. . Finally, around August/September, Kindlehart said that this was the final decision. Hollywood No. 18 is over.

This Wednesday, the demolition was in progress. He drove into the theater because the front wall of the ticket office was smashed. "It's really weird," Kinderhart said. "I spent more time building houses anywhere else on the surface of the earth."

Now, Gindhart works for FedEx and has been in contact with Wilson and his assistant manager Christina Corbett. Kindlehart said: "I am still chatting with all my friends. I met them in the theater." "For me, everything happens in the theater or revolves around the theater."

If it cannot be as popular as Hollywood 18, and the previous moviegoers are used to watching new movies on their home screens, what is the real prospect of the movie industry? Gindhart believes that unless theaters can restore longer exclusivity, this will be difficult. He still saw a glimmer of hope. "People want to leave home at some point, and movies are a super easy way to do so."

The Regal Hollywood Stadium 18 Cinema in Huntsville. (File photo)

For Wilson, working alone in the once prosperous 18th district of Hollywood is very difficult. Gindhart and Corbett would stop and visit her, "Let me stay sane." Once, she posted a sweet message in front of the theater gate: "I miss my Hollywood 18 family." She especially misses her former assistant manager and long-term maintenance worker Donnie Dodson. Wilson said: "I am so full of love for everyone that I get excited when I talk about it or think about it." "They are like family and will be cherished forever."

Although several employees have worked there for decades, Hollywood 18 has left its mark on other people with shorter working hours. William Messervy, now a local lawyer, worked in the theater for a few years when he was a student at Grissom High School and later at the University of Alabama in Hansville. Messervy initially worked as a doorman in Hollywood at the age of 18 and was later promoted to assistant manager.

"For children, this is a springboard," Meswelli said. "It keeps you out of the high school crowd and teaches you how to work with people from all walks of life. But no one doesn't like the movies that are shown there, so everyone there automatically has something in common."

Jesse Pollard mainly works in the franchise in the 18th district of Hollywood-making popcorn, selling sweets, etc. He was 19 years old and just graduated from Grissom High School. He recalled that some fans would appear in the complete Spidey cosplay to watch Tobey Maguire's 2002 debut film "Spider-Man".

Pollard said Wilson, who he still calls "Ms. Moon", is a "really nice lady who makes everyone feel at home." He added that working at the 18th Theater in Hollywood "is really busy and crazy, but that place is like a gasoline engine." Today, Pollard assists in running the Shenanigans comedy theater in Huntsville and performs as a stand-up comedy. He recalled Hollywood 18 as "a truly cool environment, like a family disorder." Over the years, Pollard still kept in touch with his 18 colleagues in Hollywood through Facebook, most of the time in 2021.

It is unclear what the next steps are planned at Memorial Parkway’s former Hollywood 18 property. Local CBS member

Realty Income Corporation sold the theater to a local company, ANA Hollywood, LLC, for $3.5 million in October. According to WHNT, “documents show that the agent of ANA Hollywood, LLC is Dr. Madison, and the organizer is a lawyer in Huntsville.” To be continued...

For the first time since her career began to kick off, Maria Wilson enjoys a weekend vacation because "Pink Pretty" and "My Stand" are in the theater. When asked what he missed most about Hollywood 18, Wilson said: "All the energy from people and the environment-movie fans are the best."

Wilson's next scene begins on a farm with the help of her husband, children and grandchildren. They have obtained chickens and goats. One Pyrenees also ran around the farm. Then, like an action hero, she said: "Life will be an adventure."

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