The closing of the Pemberton Mall theater left our town with… zero theaters. Admittedly, the theater had apparently gotten to the point that some parents were concerned for their kids’ safety, and the theater’s owners were apparently concerned that whatever profit they were making was insufficient to keep it open. Were there other reasons for its closure? Regardless of the cause, we are all faced with a trip to Clinton or Jackson if we want to see a movie. Will a new theater locate in Vicksburg? If so, location will be a prime consideration, with Pemberton Mall probably out of the running. So, where would it be located, and what precautions would be taken to avoid the same problems that closed the other theater? Your comments are requested.
Will Vicksburg get another movie theater?
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VICKSBURG SPEAKS 
There does need to be a new movie theater in Vicksburg, especially since it is supposed to be a “retirement” community. The old theater was not run properly for years, but the last time we went, a couple of weeks before it closed, the picture, sound quality, and temperature of the theater were all fine. The only problem was that no one working there seemed to be old enough to drive!
Now what would be good is to get a “dollar” theater. I don’t have to see first run movies, and if I did, I would go to Clinton (which we are doing anyway, now), but a fairly recent movie on the big screen for a buck? I’m there, and I think a lot of other people would be there, too! I am a native Vicksburger, so I have waited in line at the Joy, the Strand, and Battlefield Cinema, so it really wouldn’t matter where it was located, I think people would go. “Build it and they will come”……., yeah, a “theater of dreams”…. That works!
(Beware of run on sentence).We also don’t have a toy store, a maternity store, a TCBY, Barnes & Noble, Marble Slab Creamery, a fabric store, a petite clothing store,or a bowling alley. Our craft store only does framing now. Our pet store doubles as an antique store. Thanks a lot Wal-mart you’re killing our town. Just my opinion, I love downtown, I grew up right around the corner from it, but it’s not that convenient for a lot of people. We need to spend some time re-vitalizing the rest of our town. There’s no reason why we can’t support a mall. We have enough people. We need some variety in our small businesses. Is there no way to make it affordable to set up a new struggling business in the mall, Or interest an established business that might draw people into the mall? All I hear in the paper is that we are such a great little town with so many possibilities and opportunities yet we can’t even keep a cafeteria or theatre open. (all they really needed was cupholders and some decent movies):) There may be reasons why these things can’t be done, I don’t know, but it sure would be nice to have more available here with gas prices being what they are.
The rent is oppressive at the mall. A small business must have deep pockets to locate, stock and then operate at that mall.
David u hit it right on the money. By the way beside charging high rent,CBL also takes store profits. Every mall in the Jackson metro area is undergoing some form of revitlization by the way. Includin the old MetroCenter. CBL scewed when they built this mall small which was stupid in my opinion.
And Christine you hit on the money too with Post. I don’t believe the proganda they put out. Especially trying to paint something positive where the economic realities are strong negatives. As for the cinema CBL is as much at fault as Village Entertainment is. But the cinema trend is now out of the malls. My mom would love to have stadium cinema here.
The old Blackburn Motors buildings on Washington Street would make a great mini-mall. . .lots of space for lower rent buildings for small specialty shops to open. I would probably open one if a developer made this space available. A farmer’s market in Vicksburg would be great too.
Didn’t Thad Pratt buy the old Blackburn Building? Or maybe he’s just renting.
Now former Alderwoman Gertrude Young has been talking about new cinema investors? Now why haven’t we heard publicly about this. All some can do is talk,talk about downtown. Seriously they never consider those living in county at all. I can tell you on this cinema issue the paper hasn’t done enough to cover it.
Yesterday I heard former Alderwoman Getrude Young on live from Klindike talking about a new cinema deal coming closer here. Now I’m skepitical. Why? If we have a new cinema operator coming who are they? Are they cheap outfit like Village Entertainment; are they going to open at the old Pemberton mall? Or they going to constuct a new classier Box cinema. By the way another factor that chased an audience was crime. The new trend with cinemas is going back to box cinema outside the malls; I can tell you Monroe has a nice mall cinema in Pecanland and they have a Tinseltown like Pearl does.
We getting tired of hearing talk of a cinema operator. Where are the results? Local are getting tired of the talk and they want action. They want something wich class. Oh one more thing: the reason the Pemberton Cinema hardly got any first runs features both Regency and Village Entertainment catered to blacks and teens. In fact there were more black films in the old cinema than more first run films which appear in the Jackson metro market.
Where is Gertude Young’s big announcement of a new cinema opening here? Why has she gone quiet all of sudden?
Where is Gertude Young’s big announcement of a new cinema opening here? Why has she gone quiet all of sudden?
As far as a new cinema goes, I would love to see it built on 61 North. On the corner of Oak Ridge and 61 to be exact. A Rave or Tinseltown specifically. 61N is starting to become more and more populated with businesses. This whole corridor will be inundated with more modern day stores and I am sure big box shops. Someone actually told me we were supposed to be getting a Lowes on 61 sometime. Not to fond of that. Home depot is just fine. I’d rather watch a movie.
Manuel I agree with u on that. What has been interesting former Alderwoman Gertude Young has gone silent of the cinema issue. And she give her own residents why she is quiet on this. I can tell you the chatter on the cinema issue has picked up.
Now a Lowes? That’s the first I ever heard of.
I agree with y’all that 61N is the ideal place for a free-standing theatre. If a cineplex goes back in at the mall, it’ll be the same story all over again: A nasty, unenjoyable movie experience. If we just MUST have one at the mall, make it a ‘dollar’ theatre (shudder at the thought) to benefit Pemberton’s specific clientele. As for Gerty Young, I wouldn’t hold my breath on anything the woman might be expected to do.
The new cinema trend for operators are the box cinemas. Everywhere I’ve traveled too like Tyler,Texas; Dallas,Tx and Austin I’ve seen these wonderful classy box theatres. I’ve been to a stadium cinema in Houston,Texas and Pearl and there Awesome. The real question is why didn’t Regel Entertainment Group follow the trend like they did with Clinton,Ridgeland here? Now Gerty Young’s big mistake is bragging about a new cineman on the radio. Now all of sudden she’s quiet. Like back in summer she mentioned Viacom Inc. I speculate if the her investors have pulled out on her becouse of the over priced property and they don’t want to come here. Another fact I believe Renee Williams out the dead Pemberton Mall is running into the same issues becouse of the crime and bad reputation the mall now has.
The mall is a horrible place for a theater. My husband & I went to see a movie & we couldn’t even hear it for all the black teens & kids literally running up & down the aisles laughing & playing. My hubby got up & got the guard & of course they all sat down quietly & not said a word while the guard was in there. Made us look like a fool. Then when he left they were back at it again. Then I went out to ask for our money back & the lady wouldn’t give it to us. I told her we couldn’t hear a word the movie was saying for all the commotion & that was going on in the audience. THEN, when it was over, we were walking out of the theater, a black boy walked up beside us & told us “I should slit your throat.” and he kept walking. This place is horrible with crime. You can’t even watch a movie in Vicksburg in peace without getting threatened!! We watch movies at home now thru Blockbuster Online.
Jenny I don’t blame you at all. I can tell you from my own experince that the cinema on a saturday afternoon didn’t hardly have a crowd. Why? they went to Clinton to see the movies. I can understand the mall crime real easily I heard stories from some of the clerks who work out there too.
You know the Clinton 14 and Northpark 14 are running into the same criminal problem. When I went to the Clinton 14 I saw the police there out in force. I can tell you there never was a cop at the mall.
In order to have an upscale theater, or business for that matter, there has to be some form of proffesionalism. The mall theater never had that. If they build a box theater, like rave or Tinseltown, you most likely will not see the same kind of people and attitudes there. Primarily because it is a bigger company who takes pride in their business while making money too.
Manuel what has been interesting. City leaders have been mum on the word of a new cinema. Even Gerty Young who has bragging about a cinema she has gone quiet all of sudden. Now why are they quiet? What tickled me about Mayor Leyens after the mall cinema closed he bragged that this port would have a new cinema buy summer. Never happened. And these people Mayor Leyens and Gerty Young owe the movie buffs of this community an explaination. Instead of hiding.
If at some point in time they decide to get their act together and get us a theater, I can only hope that they do it right this time. And I pray the mayor does not decide to put it downtown as one of his pet projects to revitalize the area. He has done a great job so far, but don’t put a theater there.
Manuel I agree not downtown nor the old mall. But being quiet on the issue only stirs people to talk and speculate. U know Jackson has now claimed this market and it’s going to be hard to get it back.
Chuck, I wouldn’t say that. Think of it in this sense. If we get a major theater, we will be able to attract all of Vicksburg, Tallulah, Port Gibson, Bovina, Redwood, and maybe even Yazoo. I think we could get it back real quick, but like I said, they have to do it right.
Manuel I happen to agree.
But if a major cinema operator does come here,I wouldn’t want in Pemberton Mall. I was reading in Conde Naste Portfolio and the major cineme chains like Cinemark,Regel Entertainment Group those which are located here in the southeast thier own earnings took a real big dip. Shari Redstone,whose CEO of National Amusements, a cinema chain owned by Viacom Inc pointed the fact the industry let the cinemas fall into decay. Real telling eh?
Definitely not in the Mall. I would even go as far to say take the old department store that Kroger is about to take and turn that into a theater. Plenty of parking and lighting.
Now once again Gertrude Young was on the radio playing her secret games over the cinema. The excuse she played this time around that the cinema investor coming. Looking at reality this town’s overpriced commerical marketplace. She played the fact that’s why the cinema investor is quiet. But I’m skeptical what she says. Becouse one can lie over the radio.
Like Vicksburg Booming? C’mon people here need to be more honest.
Booming like the new hotel being built next to Big Lots which has been in the building state for about a year now. Or the half finished building behind Walgreens on Halls Fery. Or the half demolished building in downtown area that hasn’t been cleaned up in over a year.Why wouldn’t they think we weren’t booming? Hmmmm.
Guess who’s getting a new cinema? Well so far it isn’t primitive Backyard Vicksburg. Byram is and Byram is booming out of the seems. They make these lacklusters yahoos we got look real stupid.
You will not see enclosed malls like Pemberton in the future. Not in our area. If you want women to shop you better give them stores where they feel safe. The stores with outside entrances at Pemberton are the only ones getting our business and we won’t go there after dark. The outlet mall is alright, check our crime records. The new Dogwood mall has store fronts. A new cinema in Vicksburg can not be at the mall. That’s just a hang out for black teenagers. There’s not a chance in the world I would go there or let my family go there. If we get a new cinema it has to be a box theater. The kids won’t have a place to congregate.
Exactly. The box cinemas have come back. I’ve seen them in Austin,Texas and other places. Now when Regel Entertainment Group was here, why didn’t they build a brand new cinema when they had the chance? The old Battlefield had one back in the ’70s and eighties. Mall Cinemas aren’t the trend anymore.
Here’s a new fact: the cinema operators are now using this town’s small population as thier weapon against it. I wouldn’t be surprise if crime issues have been raised as well.
Help Save Our City Inc. A non-profit organization. Is in the early planning stages of building a new 115,000 sq. ft. movie megaplex in the city of Jackson ms. if you want to know more go to the website at savmycity.com or call Min. Jeffrey Vann at 601-346-6039
Speaking of walmart … I went to the gulf coast earlier and notice they had more stuff in there stock of stuff in there stores and more to choose from then the walmart down here and the dollor tree they have down here is nothing compaired to the jumbo dollor tree they have down in diberville ms ……. This is suppossed to ba a historical town ….. why cant we make it bigger with more shops and stuff instide of taking it all away from us …… It takes us a bunch of gas to travel from here to jackson back and forth all the time .. There needs to be a change soon …… If they can rebuild down on the coast after a hurricain then there needs to be more bussinesses down here too .. There are people that had move away from the coast to vicksburg also and it makes it harder on them when they have to waste there last dollor just to go all the way to jackson just to shop !!!!!
Guess Big Chuck had to shut up now Vicksburg got the cinema theater