It wasn't a bad theater. It's too bad the logistics of the place are so terrible. Especially with the kids who would hang out in the parking structure and harass patrons.

The moment I won't forget was seeing no way home on opening night and the excitement around the movie and then seeing Dragon Ball movie and how bad the response was to that movie. No one got hyped, even for a second.

Going to miss it. Living downtown it was nice to be able to walk a few blocks and you were at the theatre. Plus it was always dead even for major openings. Last time I was there was for Maverick on opening night and there were only 20 people in the whole auditorium. Which I'm sure played some very very minor small part in its closing.

Last movie I saw there was F9 the week it came out. Bought a popcorn and a soda, also snuck in some airplane shooters since they never sold booze. There were maybe two or three other folks in the theatre. This was my first trip to the movies since the pandemic started and I'll never forget the fun I had that night.

It's a nice facility and I've always had a good experience there. Unfortunately the pandemic permanently changed the way movies are distributed and let's be honest, there are other theaters that are "easier" to attend, with more food and beverage options. Gotta change with the times, and they did not.

Now is a good a time as ever to support The Moxie!

My wife and I went there on our first date, hit a pillar in the parking garage with my truck trying to pull in a spot. THEN the movie she wanted to see was sold out so we saw Draft Day. Can’t believe I didn’t get ghosted!!

Being a northsider, we always went to this theater. Loved that it was never busy, but yeah I’m sure that led to its demise. The trend is towards theaters more like Alamo but I don’t need all those real food options. Just give me the popcorn. They did build this theater before theaters started putting in the reclining seats and Regal never updated the seats. That didn’t help.

I loved it! Saw Attack the Block there back in the day. Loved the neon, reminded me of an old school theatre

Went there in 09 to see Avatar years later I worked there for a very brief period of time

that’s what all my downtown friends tell me, too. and yes, the few times i went there it was dead. always felt more like watching a movie in the living room with buddies

Also a northsider and it was the only theater we ever went to. Haven't been since the pandemic started though. Got used to streaming new releases at home.

definitely need to go to the moxie again!!

I had my sweet 16 there… I loved that theatre. I went to all my midnight premieres there. I had numerous dates there and had friends who worked there in HS. I also found lots of knives there lol. It never recovered from the pandemic though. I hope it can stay a theatre and maybe someone else can take it over and do a little more with it. I’m sad I didn’t get to see one last movie to say goodbye.

awe haha great story :)

lol was planning on seeing way of water there today

I no longer live in SGF but even when I lived there nearly a decade ago there was never a full house for any of the movies I went to see. I can't imagine this location was generating much, if any, profit. Cool theater though, I always remember it as clean and a super convenient option for downtown.

I enjoy the experience of going to the theater to see a new movie. But I know that’s changed for a lot of people.

Exactly and the seats never bothered me. You could always find seats with no one in front of you to stretch out more.

Saw terrifier 2 there not too long ago. R.i.p

me and a friend saw avengers endgame in that theater! was so much fun, a great experience and i’ll definitely miss it

First time getting high was seeing Taking Pelham 123 at Hollywood theater! Will never forget!

No offense to anyone who liked this theater, but I always found it to be the worst in Springfield.

As a Browns fan, could be worse.

Same. I can walk there in ten minutes at a leisurely stroll, and I never had a bad experience there. I'll miss it.

Although I didn’t go often, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the theater (mostly because it was always not crowded) saw a couple good flicks there- it’ll definitely be missed. I think the last movie I saw there was the new Batman in March

They didn't keep up with the times. When an Alamo comes to town, you kind of need to step up your game.

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that sucks there one of the few places that was showing the Fathom Events stuff around here

A lot of good memories at that theater. I lived downtown for awhile and we could pregame before the movies and walk.

One bad experience, some jackass would not shut tf up durning Finding Nemo 2. Cops got called and the crowd cheered as he was removed from the theater.

haha that finding nemo story actually seems like a great experience in disguise. love people banding together against a common enemy

I shouldn’t say “bad experience” it did tick me off but the crowd started to fight back and yell at him. Only problem is there were kids in the theater and this dude had no filter.

It was unquestionably the worst. But as someone else mentioned, it had some Fathom events and other screenings that aren't carried by our AMC or Alamo. So it was a nice option to have, even for people who didn't particularly like driving downtown to visit the shittiest multiplex in Springfield.

yea….that’s not fun. seems like drinking a few before going there was common lol

They really needed to update their seating. I don't need an waiter to serve me, but I couldn't go back to not having a recliner.

Went on plenty of first dates lol always a great theater if you wanted to see a movie without fighting crowds.

Gypsy Rose had sex with Nick Gotejohn in the bathroom. It was their first meeting before he eventually killed her mother.

Went there a LOT on college night back when I was at MSU.

I think they had a coupon in the campus coupon book also.

I remember being annoyed when the fence went up that prevented walking through the grass straight to the box office if you were coming from the garage by herrs tower.

I used to go there all the time for matinees. It was super empty and quiet. Stopped going there about 10 years ago and have only been doing Alamo/IMAX.

I wrote to Alamo today with my idea, copied here:

This is definitely more of a corporate suggestion/idea but hey here we are. Hear me out, convert the now shuttered Hollywood Cinema in downtown Springfield into a second Alamo location for the city. Build out The Backlot into the giant open lawn in front.

Step 1: Acquire downtown theater building. Step 2: Hold Gypsy Rose Blanchard themed event. "The Room Where it Happened" Step 3: Profit.

And this was the reply I received only minutes later:

“Thank you so much for your comment. We want that location to be a theater always.

But then we'd have to split revenue with ourselves, and then what if we both closed somehow as a result?

Still, we always love the idea of more Alamo, and we're sending this on to our owners!”

True crime white women will pay to have that bathroom removed and put in a museum.

It does have a nice aesthetic to the building exterior. I’m not sure how repurposable big rooms with angled floors and no windows is for anything other than a theatre though. Plus, you know maintenance was on an emergency basis only due to no money the past couple years.

Perhaps it could be an MSU lecture hall building.

Went to Scary Movie 4 with a buddy. Was god awful. We left and went to Harbells to continue our pregame drinking. Ended up spending way too much money drinking with a couple homeless guys. And then topped it off with some terrible decision making and got my only DUI in my driveway out of my car.

Glad I'm not drinking and being dumb anymore. But man, some memories down there.

Edit: Scary Movie 4, not 3. 3 is fucking great.

Worked there for about 2 years and it was the best place I've worked, great management and crew and lots of nostalgia for that place. Really sad to see it go.

That’s a shame, so many movie theaters have gone. Losing The Palace stung because it was so much more affordable for families.

So glad Hollywood theater is going away

I saw The Hunger Games there in 2013 back when midnight premieres were still a thing. It was packed. Hard to believe that was 10 years ago.

The last time I walked past Hollywood Theater (because I never go downtown anymore, really) there were literally, like, 8 to 10 high school aged kids just brawling on the steps. I shouted a few "Get 'em in a headlock" and then I walked off before the cops came.

I remember seeing The Wolf of Wall Street there to a packed theater of mostly college kids. Crowd reactions made that movie even better.

I have 3 $25 gift cards from there ! Are they just unusable now?

since the theater is officially closed today, yes. but you could probably use them at other regal theaters? if you ever happen to stumble upon one

Absolutely love that place me and my friends used to hangout there all the time so many good memories there