[GandyW]

Stop being lazy and go to Sumter theater

[Papa_lecki]

Originally Posted by dhdallas

These people are deluded and wasting their time. The theater wasn't profitable & TV is not a charity organization. Personally I think that the real reason these people that still want a movie theater is because they are too old and stupid to understand how to stream movies & set up a home theater sound system.

If the theater was profitable, it would be open. Especially if it was wildly profitable.

Imagine that meeting,
“we have the brownwood theater, it’s returning 17% on our investment; when should we re-open it”
“Screw those villagers, we are never opening it, think of something that will return 3%, then we will open it”

[Sonja Marie]

Originally Posted by dewilson58

Did you see the petition on the on-line rag to open the theater???

+3k signatures.

One person quoted, "For the last six months or more, she and her husband and a friend have been going once a week and there are usually 10-15 people there per show, she said.".....................BINGO.

Then you have another wishing for Katie Belle's.

Would love to go and I had no idea it was open. Never seen anything on the marquis. Where do I sign the petition.

[mlmarr]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

If made them money when they had it leased. The person who leased probably had different view. Can’t really blame Covid it was going down hill before that, but Covid finished it off. Maybe Why it’s empty no one wants to lease it. Movie theaters going way off the phone booth IMO.

movies going going gone.. why... because 90% of the new makes are trash ..

[Sonja Marie]

Would love to go and I had no idea it was open. Never seen anything on the marquis. Where do I sign the petition?

Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive

Yep.

Two points: as the OP mentioned attendance at the Old Mill Playhouse is spotty at best. I've been to packed theaters there on a couple of the big releases, but have also attended when there are far more empty seats than patrons. Why have two active theaters when one is obviously more than filling the bill?

Second the petition approaches this as all-or-nothing. Not even close. AMC Lake Square 12 in Leesburg is only about 2.5 miles farther from Brownwood Paddock Square than Lake Sumter Landing is, with better traffic flow. There are other theaters in the area as well though admittedly with a bit longer drive.

Please tell me the golf cart route to the Leesburg theater so I can have a fun trip in the cart with my grandchildren as part of T V Lifestyle.

I used to take them to the Brownwood Theater. It was so much fun to get ice cream afterward and nice to see their faces away from their phones and tablets you foolish old people that think no one cared about the Brownwood theater.

[skippy05]

A small movie theater off 441, nearby the Villages, in Belleview is sitting abandoned, up for lease. Instead of signing petitions why not get together your capital money and make it your own small business?

[SaucyJim]

Originally Posted by Topspinmo

If made them money when they had it leased. The person who leased probably had different view. Can’t really blame Covid it was going down hill before that, but Covid finished it off. Maybe Why it’s empty no one wants to lease it. Movie theaters going way off the phone booth IMO.

Daddy? What's a phone booth?

Originally Posted by Michael 61

The Brownwood Theatre closed during Covid 2020, two and a half years prior to me moving here. Buying just across 44 in Richmond, it would have been great to have had a movie theatre so close to where I live, but I knew it had a zero chance of reopening when I purchased here. This situation is not unique to The Villages - theatres across the country are either closing or struggling to remain profitable. People got used to streaming services during Covid, and most have not returned to the theatres. This is also coupled with the quality of movies being shown. Small and independent films are seldom screening at cinemas these days, opting to go straight to a streaming service. Action and superhero movies seem to have taken over, targeting a young male audience, that will see these movies over and over again. I know most folks I talk to here (including myself) are not fans of this genre of movies. I was an avid movie goer (2-3 times per week) most of my adult life, and looked forward to continuing this trend in retirement. However, based on the quality of films showing at theatres since Covid, I rarely go to the movies. Since moving here, I think I’ve gone to The Old Mill Playhouse maybe 6 times, and 3 of those times was to watch a special screening of an old classic movie.

Movies truly went down hill when D I E kicked in and movies are more about political messaging and indoctrination than allowing creativity. To be in the Guild too many preconceived boxes have to get checked to have movies approved and p c has made historical movies the enemy just like history. Its sad. If the theater focused on and brought back old movies I bet people who want to get out of their houses for a while just might go.

[Ponygirl]

Last year many classic movies like “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” played at the Sharon. Was absolutely fantastic to see the movies on that big screen. Watching some of the movies was like seeing the play on Broadway

BUT every time I went there were less than 6 people in the theater

Was very disappointing because I knew the movies would not be continuing. have not seen any indication of movies this year

[villager7591]

We went to LSL movie, Bad Boys (newest version) last Saturday. Four people were in the theater.
If Brownwood movie theater was profitable, it would still be open.

[Michael 61]

Originally Posted by GizmoWhiskers

Movies truly went down hill when D I E kicked in and movies are more about political messaging and indoctrination than allowing creativity. To be in the Guild too many preconceived boxes have to get checked to have movies approved and p c has made historical movies the enimy just like history. Its sad. If the theater focused on and brought back old movies I bet people who want to get out of their houses for a while just might go.

I agree with everything you just posted. Hollywood has an “agenda” now with most movies - so sad.

Regarding old movies, I remember when I first moved here in 2022 that the Sharon had classic movie series they would show in the afternoons- that stopped abruptly, so I guess that was not profitable. I also attended the monthly “Film Noir” club at the Savannah last year, showing great classics, with commentary before and after the film with a film historian - that seemed to be well-attended, but alas seems to have also stopped.

Tonight, Old Mill is screening the 1975 classic “Jaws” - I may attend that - granted you could watch at home - but nothing like watching a movie on the big screen with a big bucket of movie popcorn - makes for fun night out!

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Flyers999

I'd like to see a combination casino, cannabis lounge, and gentlemen's club.

Heh. How about female mud wrestling? A woman who worked for our agency moonlighted as a mud wrestler. She was smaller than me but she could probably more than hold her own against any of the guys. She looked like a wound-up spring.

[airstreamingypsy]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

The interesting part of this topic is those that trash the ‘online rag’... but continue to read and quote from its content. So the real winner here is its publisher....as he continues to occupy space (rent free) in Villagers heads!

It was on Nextdoor.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by skippy05

A small movie theater off 441, nearby the Villages, in Belleview is sitting abandoned, up for lease. Instead of signing petitions why not get together your capital money and make it your own small business?

Tiny screens and poor seating. Unless they upgraded it. I have not been there in a while.