This is how I like to remember movie theaters and how magical they were to me growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. The warmth of the lobby, the glow of the marquees inside, the smell of popcorn, the excitement of upcoming movies and the big promo stand ups, a bank of great arcade games, that mysterious excitement of what you were about to see walking into a dark theater, and great movies like Jurassic Park and The Fugitive to watch. I miss it a lot. It was like walking into another world and escaping anything boring in real life or any problems you had. For those couple hours, you were transported. Just doesn’t quite feel the same as it used to today.
Thank you for this. I'm an Augusta area native, and I saw so many movies in both of these theaters. I remember when they built the 8-screen General Cinemas behind the Regency Mall in the late 80s, back when Gordon Highway was still a bustling thoroughfare instead of the desolate strip of highway it currently is. It was my family's default theater for pretty much all of the 90s, though we did see quite a few movies at Masters Cinema and the old Augusta West Regal (the one before the current one at the Augusta Exchange). I even went to the Regency Exchange 8 on my first date back in 1999 (we watched Varsity Blues). Those old General Cinemas clips for the coming attractions and feature presentation (esp. the candy & drinks in space) will be stuck in my head forever. It's sad that these places that I have so many memories of no longer exist. The Regency 8 was demolished a few years back and the long-abandoned Regency Mall looks like it's being gutted. Augusta has changed so much since my childhood. I'm glad some people actually took the time to document some of these places so we can relive those memories.
I remember visiting this theater (We saw the "Quick and the Dead" movie if I remember right) and mall in 1995 when I was stationed at the nearby Army base........The mall looked like it was outdated then even in the mid-90s......
I loved the Regency 8 theater. I went there a lot in the 80s and 90s. Last movie I saw there was Scary Movie in 2000. So many memories. I even saw Jason Goes to Hell opening weekend in that same auditorium.
As I mentioned in my first comment, I worked at Movie Tavern. Before then I worked at and started my career as a projectionist at General Cinema Theatres Prestonwood 4, Galleria 5, and Town East 5 alternately. Each of these 3 General Cinema Theatres had different sound equipment, but all had CENTURY MODEL S.A. PROJECTOR HEADS, AND CHRISTIE AW3 PLATTER DECKS. Town East 5 (in Mesquite, Texas) Had 1 Century J.J. Projector with a 35mm optical sound head, and a 70mm magnetic sound head. The lamp houses varied from theater to theater. One theater had Christie lamphouses, and the other I worked at had ORC 2000 LAMPHOUSES. O.R.C. was short for "Orcon." The largest auditorium at Town East 5 had a 3,000 watt xenon short arc lamp and a THX certification. All other auditoriums had 2,000 watt xenon lamps. Many people who ran the projectors at General Cinema Theatres who were relatively new to film projection got to learn from seasoned projectionists, good managers, and maybe the technicians when they offered free advice once in a while. Thanks to everyone who reads this.
I worked for Movie Tavern from 2003 to 2010 at an 8 screen theater that once was a General Cinema. The booth for the most part was the same, except Movie Tavern put D.T.S. digital sound systems in 6 of the 8 screens. The other 2 screens were converted to digital video projectors. Then they went ALL DIGITAL in 2010 and laid me off the first day of being all digital. They could have at least given me notice of my last day if employment 2 weeks or more in advance. I knew when they would go all digital, and a month before then, I asked the area supervisor and his boss if I was going to be laid off, and they refused to tell me. They might have honestly not known what the decision would be. That was a bad way to treat me after I was one of the best protectionists the company had ever had. I got called upon to train new managers for other theater locations about film projection.
Wow! I still remember seeing movies at these places! My first movie was at the 3 screen cinema. My parents took me with them to see an R rated movie because they couldnt find a babysitter for me that night lol. I've seen quite a few movies at the 8 screen cinema as a kid. I remember my mom's best friend picking me up early from school one day and she took me and her daughter to see The Flintstones here. I miss these places.
This is an awesome find. Thank you for posting this. I was a regular at both theaters in the late 80s; almost every weekend seeing a movie there. It's sad how that whole side of town went to hell in a handbag.
When I was living in Gurnee,Illinois there was one that was close to me near Lakehurst Mall. I used to go to it and the Marcus theater in the 90’s. I remembered General Cinema was being remodeled in early 1986.
Ahhh the memories. I don't think I was fortunate to go into the Regency Mall 3 because most of the movies I remember watching was at the Regency 8..That and the Regal Augusta Village 12 were the places to be.
Was the man filming this video your grandfather? Very interesting as I worked with the same Cinemeccanica Victoria 5 projector heads, Cinemeccanica lamphouses, and Christie AW3R platter systems at Movie Tavern. All of the Mono or non stereo theatres got upgraded to digital surround sound DTS 6 tracks, and it was amazing watching the technicians install them. Film projection is an art, craft, and a learned skill.
@@marsman57 He must be a really nice man, he did show humor during the video recording, and has a very cheerful voice. Great memories of General Cinema, I worked at one in 1995 in Dallas, until it closed in 2000. My theater happened to be non-union, so I could learn from the projectionist there. He taught me not only about how to run the projectors, but also how to do maintenance, change xenon short arc lamps, and troubleshooting for the most common problems. He was not against union workers, but made sure that the union had nothing to do with the theater he and I worked at. This way, we became a training center theater.
Thank you for recording this! I saw many movies at this theater back in the day, most notably the Super Mario Bros movie.... (even though that movie was...not that good...).
Wow I remember that place when I went there a few times in the early 90s. There was another movie theater that had a pizza place in front of it (Think it was a Sbarros). Been trying to remember the name of it.
@@marsman57 Holy hell. And it released in June that summer yet still making that much. That’s crazy. Wonder what doing during the holidays of ‘93. I know Mrs. Doubtfire was in the top spot around that time.
This is the first time I see this place. I cannot believe I witness the film tape quality on the big screen in that time. This is why Film Tape is better than Digital.
Great video! I wish I was born in the 80s and 90s. These theaters look very nice and classic back in the day. P.S. I think you took this video in mid September 1993 instead of August 1993 because Undercover Blues wasn’t released until September 10th of that year.
We have discussed this in other comments, but despite the timestamp saying 1992, the evidence from the movies featured says it must instead be the Summer of 1993. Unless you're saying this for a different reason.
it would of been nice to get anything that was general cinema from regency 8 like the poster light up display that has the general cinema on it or anything else
Such a great video. Love it. Are the projectors the Carbon Ark rod kind or the zenon lamp kind. I remember the Peerless magna ark projectors. Had to replace those rods lots. Kind of upsetting that the theaters are going to a costly digital format. Theres just something refreshing about old school film.
I only have recordings of spots my granddad worked at or visited, and I don't think I have anything from that area. If I come across something though, I will let you know.
This is how I like to remember movie theaters and how magical they were to me growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. The warmth of the lobby, the glow of the marquees inside, the smell of popcorn, the excitement of upcoming movies and the big promo stand ups, a bank of great arcade games, that mysterious excitement of what you were about to see walking into a dark theater, and great movies like Jurassic Park and The Fugitive to watch. I miss it a lot. It was like walking into another world and escaping anything boring in real life or any problems you had. For those couple hours, you were transported. Just doesn’t quite feel the same as it used to today.
Seeing that Jurassic Park banner in the lobby is such a nostalgia hit...man I miss the 90s.
I drove by the theater the other day and it’s sad to see the state it’s in. It also really cool he showed how the film projectors work.
There's nothing left inside. Just the structure really.
I saw Forest Gump here with my grandpa. This brings back good memories :) I loved that man.
Thank you for this. I'm an Augusta area native, and I saw so many movies in both of these theaters. I remember when they built the 8-screen General Cinemas behind the Regency Mall in the late 80s, back when Gordon Highway was still a bustling thoroughfare instead of the desolate strip of highway it currently is. It was my family's default theater for pretty much all of the 90s, though we did see quite a few movies at Masters Cinema and the old Augusta West Regal (the one before the current one at the Augusta Exchange). I even went to the Regency Exchange 8 on my first date back in 1999 (we watched Varsity Blues). Those old General Cinemas clips for the coming attractions and feature presentation (esp. the candy & drinks in space) will be stuck in my head forever. It's sad that these places that I have so many memories of no longer exist. The Regency 8 was demolished a few years back and the long-abandoned Regency Mall looks like it's being gutted. Augusta has changed so much since my childhood. I'm glad some people actually took the time to document some of these places so we can relive those memories.
Yeah! I don't have videos of those other locations, but remember them well. I take time to document current theaters for when they are gone someday
I remember visiting this theater (We saw the "Quick and the Dead" movie if I remember right) and mall in 1995 when I was stationed at the nearby Army base........The mall looked like it was outdated then even in the mid-90s......
I loved the Regency 8 theater. I went there a lot in the 80s and 90s. Last movie I saw there was Scary Movie in 2000. So many memories. I even saw Jason Goes to Hell opening weekend in that same auditorium.
As I mentioned in my first comment, I worked at Movie Tavern. Before then I worked at and started my career as a projectionist at General Cinema Theatres Prestonwood 4, Galleria 5, and Town East 5 alternately. Each of these 3 General Cinema Theatres had different sound equipment, but all had CENTURY MODEL S.A. PROJECTOR HEADS, AND CHRISTIE AW3 PLATTER DECKS. Town East 5 (in Mesquite, Texas) Had 1 Century J.J. Projector with a 35mm optical sound head, and a 70mm magnetic sound head. The lamp houses varied from theater to theater. One theater had Christie lamphouses, and the other I worked at had ORC 2000 LAMPHOUSES. O.R.C. was short for "Orcon." The largest auditorium at Town East 5 had a 3,000 watt xenon short arc lamp and a THX certification. All other auditoriums had 2,000 watt xenon lamps. Many people who ran the projectors at General Cinema Theatres who were relatively new to film projection got to learn from seasoned projectionists, good managers, and maybe the technicians when they offered free advice once in a while. Thanks to everyone who reads this.
I can hear the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade cabinet playing in the background 😂
I recognized it from the very first sound it made hahah
I worked for Movie Tavern from 2003 to 2010 at an 8 screen theater that once was a General Cinema. The booth for the most part was the same, except Movie Tavern put D.T.S. digital sound systems in 6 of the 8 screens. The other 2 screens were converted to digital video projectors. Then they went ALL DIGITAL in 2010 and laid me off the first day of being all digital. They could have at least given me notice of my last day if employment 2 weeks or more in advance. I knew when they would go all digital, and a month before then, I asked the area supervisor and his boss if I was going to be laid off, and they refused to tell me. They might have honestly not known what the decision would be. That was a bad way to treat me after I was one of the best protectionists the company had ever had. I got called upon to train new managers for other theater locations about film projection.
My granddad got out after this because he would only run movies through the union. Sad that you were treated so poorly.
Just a former 80's to 90's movie theater employee/projectionist liking this. Thank you.😁
Yep. Got to love those old carbon ark rod type projectors.
Wow! I still remember seeing movies at these places! My first movie was at the 3 screen cinema. My parents took me with them to see an R rated movie because they couldnt find a babysitter for me that night lol. I've seen quite a few movies at the 8 screen cinema as a kid. I remember my mom's best friend picking me up early from school one day and she took me and her daughter to see The Flintstones here. I miss these places.
Your parents took you to a R rated movie?! What the heck is wrong with them????
@@ThePoreproductions They Didn't Had A Choice.
This is an awesome find. Thank you for posting this. I was a regular at both theaters in the late 80s; almost every weekend seeing a movie there. It's sad how that whole side of town went to hell in a handbag.
This brings me back a lot of memories I was a film projectionist for 20 years Union for Pacific theaters
When I was living in Gurnee,Illinois there was one that was close to me near Lakehurst Mall. I used to go to it and the Marcus theater in the 90’s. I remembered General Cinema was being remodeled in early 1986.
Wow. This was back when it wasn't uncommon for the poster next to the door to show what movie was on that screen.
I missed the 1990's here in Augusta,GA.
I found out that this was taken during the Candy Band/Spotlights Era, due to the Coming Attractions sequence shown during 8:32-8:55 and 11:08-11:29.
Ahhh the memories. I don't think I was fortunate to go into the Regency Mall 3 because most of the movies I remember watching was at the Regency 8..That and the Regal Augusta Village 12 were the places to be.
I used 2 go over there in Chicago, when I was a little boy. Ford City Mall with General Cinema.
Was the man filming this video your grandfather? Very interesting as I worked with the same Cinemeccanica Victoria 5 projector heads, Cinemeccanica lamphouses, and Christie AW3R platter systems at Movie Tavern. All of the Mono or non stereo theatres got upgraded to digital surround sound DTS 6 tracks, and it was amazing watching the technicians install them. Film projection is an art, craft, and a learned skill.
Yes, it was my granddad. He worked in booths from the 1950s to around the year 2000 when the last union house in town closed.
@@marsman57 He must be a really nice man, he did show humor during the video recording, and has a very cheerful voice. Great memories of General Cinema, I worked at one in 1995 in Dallas, until it closed in 2000. My theater happened to be non-union, so I could learn from the projectionist there. He taught me not only about how to run the projectors, but also how to do maintenance, change xenon short arc lamps, and troubleshooting for the most common problems. He was not against union workers, but made sure that the union had nothing to do with the theater he and I worked at. This way, we became a training center theater.
Thank you for recording this! I saw many movies at this theater back in the day, most notably the Super Mario Bros movie.... (even though that movie was...not that good...).
I saw that one at the Augusta Exchange Regal. I wish I had video from there.
I love that movie lol
12:40 I wish there was one of these Coming Attractions snipes where sold on eBay
It was on eBay Nowadays
I worked at a gcc in 88. I wore that ridiculous vest and bowtie too 🤣
August 1993...I was about three months old when this was filmed.
Wow I remember that place when I went there a few times in the early 90s. There was another movie theater that had a pizza place in front of it (Think it was a Sbarros). Been trying to remember the name of it.
The Regal Exchange near the Augusta Mall was contemporaneous, but I'm not sure if they had a Sbarros nearby.
@@marsman57 Dont think it was that one. It was in like a strip mall if my memory serves me. Probably long gone by now.
Oh yeah I remember the centuries all so well damn good machines along with the simplex
Great video, love these classic theater tours
This was in August ‘93 and Jurassic Park was still playing in cinemas. Damn!!!
I looked up some details at it was still doing over $3.5 million in a weekend when this was filmed (over $2000 PTA)
@@marsman57 Holy hell. And it released in June that summer yet still making that much. That’s crazy. Wonder what doing during the holidays of ‘93. I know Mrs. Doubtfire was in the top spot around that time.
@14:09 brotha is sporting that clean-ass box fade.
I swear this was the same layout as The Lakehurst mall General Cinemas. I went there all the time in the early 90s
Such fascinating footage being filmed here.
This is the first time I see this place. I cannot believe I witness the film tape quality on the big screen in that time. This is why Film Tape is better than Digital.
The best year for movies.
I think I had to make a run from Cola SC to here to pick up bags of popcorn kernels when ours didnt get shipped!
I LOVE GENERAL CINEMA ‼️
🔵 G C C
Great video! I wish I was born in the 80s and 90s. These theaters look very nice and classic back in the day.
P.S. I think you took this video in mid September 1993 instead of August 1993 because Undercover Blues wasn’t released until September 10th of that year.
This is awesome.
Did You Project Tom And Jerry The Movie On The Big Screen.
this was nice to see. The Victoria 5 is always nice to see running.
So different compared to current operations. great to see this history/.
This video is from 1992.
We have discussed this in other comments, but despite the timestamp saying 1992, the evidence from the movies featured says it must instead be the Summer of 1993. Unless you're saying this for a different reason.
Before Stadium Seating.
Fun fact: My mom was in 11th grade when This was filmed she would have been still in school
Your mother and I both were still in school. I was getting prepared for the 9th grade. Time flies
TITLE DATE: August 1993
TAPE DATE: April 1992
ME: Visible confusion
I think the tape date was wrong due to various pieces of evidence in the video. Most notably that Jurassic Park was already released.
marsman57 Ah. Thanks.
@ 14:29, "Drop it!" - Robocop: The Arcade game from Data East
it would of been nice to get anything that was general cinema from regency 8 like the poster light up display that has the general cinema on it or anything else
Such a great video. Love it. Are the projectors the Carbon Ark rod kind or the zenon lamp kind. I remember the Peerless magna ark projectors. Had to replace those rods lots. Kind of upsetting that the theaters are going to a costly digital format. Theres just something refreshing about old school film.
Say hello to Sarah, Yolanda and Norma. I was away in Athens the week. Yolanda was always employee of the Month!
At 9:00, there is a trailer for Rudy.
Do you have any footage of projecting Jurassic Park?
Unfortunately what is posted is all I have.
It Is Predicted There Is A 35MM Coming Attractions Give It To Us
Its been released.
czcams.com/video/kbMBR2zbExA/video.html from the GCC Archives: Coming Attractions bumper '92.
Nobody has a recording of the General Cinemas in Sandy Springs Atlanta, Georgia?
I only have recordings of spots my granddad worked at or visited, and I don't think I have anything from that area. If I come across something though, I will let you know.
@@marsman57 ok Thank you.
@@marsman57The First film to Use DTS and THX Grand Before the movie starts Was Jurassic Park
what movie is that at 15:55?
True Romance (1993) starring Christian Slater; Patricia Arquette - directed by Tony Scott and music by the one and only Hans Zimmer
@@hiltonkilljoi Figures. I Looked it up on IMDB. HA HA!
@@ThePoreproductions I really like your reviews by the way. Keep up the good work! 👍
14:04 Young man "mean mugging" customers to make sure they don't try funny business in the theater.