[Langford] Cineplex Odeon Westshore Cinemas | 7 screens | Built - completed in 2011

I work at a store in Westshore Town Centre and we just received a notice a week ago from the City of Langford that Cineplex Odeon's parent company has applied to the City to modify the height variance to allow for the construction of a movie theatre at the mall. The back side of the notice showed proposed elevation designs for the theatre.

Sure enough, yesterday (Monday), crews and equipment were already moving into the parking lot on the Jacklin Road side of the mall, doing surveys and some other stuff. I put the question mark next to under construction in the thread title because it's not at all clear whether these crews were there to start any preliminary work for the theatre (and there is no indication on the City's notice that the theatre is going to be located on that side of the mall property).

Anyone else heard anything about this? I searched for a thread on this already but there doesn't appear to be one; if I'm mistaken, just merge this.

I just looked at the plans today 7 theaters various sizes back wall is like 40 feet high. The big theater room is a THX set up. It is going beside the brick by the power substation.

Whoa, that came out of nowhere!

Thanks for the heads-up!

That's all I was waiting for. Now I can move to Sooke.

Its about 18,000 sf overall, but construction won`t start until early next month.

Weren't movie theatres supposed to die 20 or more years ago, when VHS tapes came out?

Then again when surround-sound and DVDs came out?

Then again when HDTV and cheap big-screens came out?

Next thing you know am/fm radio will be sticking around after TVs, CDs, digital file-sharing and satellite radio and iPods come out.

What's next, print newspapers surviving?

Weren't movie theatres supposed to die 20 or more years ago, when VHS tapes came out?

Then again when surround-sound and DVDs came out?

Then again when HDTV and cheap big-screens came out?

Next thing you know am/fm radio will be sticking around after TVs, CDs, digital file-sharing and satellite radio and iPods come out.

What's next, print newspapers surviving?

Consolidation, megaplexs and $6 popcorn have kept the theatres going. Nowhere near as many people go to theatres now than when I was a kid, but they can make money with 20 people at a movie today when they needed 200 25 years ago.

My main curiosity is how the Caprice is going to respond to this... I mean, they're not exactly the pinnacle of movie theatres, but they do have the monopoly as far as the Western Communities are concerned.

Are they going to take it lying down, or are they actually going to invest some money in improvements and renovations? I'm interested to see whether people abandon the familiarity and value of the $4.25 movie at the Caprice in favour of the flashy brand-new Cineplex...

Consolidation, megaplexs and $6 popcorn have kept the theatres going. Nowhere near as many people go to theatres now than when I was a kid, but they can make money with 20 people at a movie today when they needed 200 25 years ago.

Bah! Don't tell me kids don't even have the creativity to sneak their outside food in anymore.

When I was a kid, because of the difficulty with serving sizes, we'd sneak in unpopped popcorn and then pop it in our seats with bunsen burners we'd stolen from school. We'd bring in soft drink syrup, co2, and use the water fountains or bathrooms to sneak in large drinks and contain them in zip-lock bags. Kids these days.

The projectionists went on strike quite a few years ago, and I think that was almost the end of that trade. Quite highly paid if I remember correctly.

Someone in the business could help me out here.....I don't think they use film anymore do they? I think it is a digital feed.

The projectionists went on strike quite a few years ago, and I think that was almost the end of that trade. Quite highly paid if I remember correctly.

Someone in the business could help me out here.....I don't think they use film anymore do they? I think it is a digital feed.

They use film coupled with a digital tape sound track, I believe. But it is not so likely to catch fire, and the projectors bulb don't run so hot. 1 guy can run all projectors easily. Simply, it once was quite a craft, now it ain't, and the wage reflects that.

^ Thanks

Hmm, there is an awful lot of TC pickup of stuff we talked about here yesterday...

Seven-screen movie house unveiled for West Shore

By Michael D. Reid, Times Colonist September 15, 2010 1:05 AM

Canada's largest movie exhibitor is announcing plans today for a new seven-screen theatre complex in Langford.

The 26,000-square-foot Cineplex Odeon Westshore Cinemas is scheduled to open next spring at Westshore Town Centre, with 1,300 stadium seats in seven auditoriums. It will showcase UltraAVX (audio-visual experience), Cineplex Entertainment's own large-format theatre concept featuring "super-sized" wall-to-wall screens, an advanced Dolby digital surround sound system, reserved seating and high-back tilting seats.

Read more: http://www.timescolo...l#ixzz0zanmRhV1

Is this a MEGA cinema?

>>> Is this a MEGA cinema? <<<

Yes, but it is Landford ... it's OK to be MEGA!

My main curiosity is how the Caprice is going to respond to this... I mean, they're not exactly the pinnacle of movie theatres, but they do have the monopoly as far as the Western Communities are concerned.

Are they going to take it lying down, or are they actually going to invest some money in improvements and renovations? I'm interested to see whether people abandon the familiarity and value of the $4.25 movie at the Caprice in favour of the flashy brand-new Cineplex...

I don't think the caprice needs to change much. They have the same movies at 1/3 the price. Not everyone is willing to pay 12-15 to see a movie. I know my parents for one NEVER go to silver city, they don't see the point. It still has a monopoly on cheap movies.

I think its a great idea and think its also another nail in Downtown Victoria's coffin!!! No druggies camping out there are there?

I think its a great idea and think its also another nail in Downtown Victoria's coffin!!! No druggies camping out there are there?

Yes, once again any topic can be perverted into a rant against downtown Victoria by people who are terrified of hobos.

And how would this affect the theaters in downtown Vic? Who the hell would drive from Langford to downtown to see a movie? If this is going to affect a movie theater in Victoria it will be Silver City. That's MUCH closer to Langford.

The new auditoriums will be equipped with curved screens...

I hope they don't build dinky little theatres with those curved screens that bend and distort the picture like at the downtown Odious Theatre. I HATE that theatre.

I don't think the caprice needs to change much. They have the same movies at 1/3 the price. Not everyone is willing to pay 12-15 to see a movie. I know my parents for one NEVER go to silver city, they don't see the point. It still has a monopoly on cheap movies.

The Caprice isn't 1/3 of the price but it is $3 - $4 less. They will lose some business obviously but many people will want to save money or appreciate the "ambience". The question is whether the Caprice can survive on the reduced attendance.