After having dinner with a friend, I drove back to the Lakewood 8 and obtained a ticket to see the Academy Awards Best Picture of the year, ARGO. The movie started at 9:50 p.m. and was over at 11:55 p.m. I was the only one in the theater, so I ended up having a private viewing of this great movie. (The movie was very suspenseful and true, regarding the Iran hostages in 1980 - I recommend seeing it. Be sure to stay for most of the credits at the end. There's a surprise commentery). Before the movie started, I got a tour of the projection booth, which was fascinating (most movies are digitally projected these days, but ARGO in this theater was traditional 35 mm, which the manager said was rare in 2013). ARGO had been playing at this theater since October 2012. I also got free popcorn....yay!
I was told that the theater will be torn down soon, making way for a gym of some sort. One of the reasons it closed was because the new Regal Theater inside McCain Mall, just a block away, was getting all the best movies and taking away Lakewood 8's customers. Plus, I don't think there's that big a customer base for two large theaters so close to each other.
I took photos, with permission, some of current movie posters and upcoming movies and inside the theater, plus some from the outside. It's always kinda sad to see movie theaters close. I also attended the final movie at the Heights Theater in west Little Rock years ago. That final movie was called "The Last Picture Show" and they gave several weeks notice of the final day.
The blank marque of the Lakewood 8 Theater. This is what made me curious as to what was happening.
For the record, movies showing at the Lakewood 8 on its final day, March 7, 2013.
A traditional 35mm projector. The digital projectors all had a computer screen and were much more quiet and smaller.
Inside the theater.
Leaving the theater about midnight.