slickpete83
Active Member
here are some photos of the new owner inspired Outlet Movie theatre room at Woodbine Liquidation Outlet mall 
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- Thread starter slickpete83
- Start date
J-M-Z
Active Member
Seeing movies at the Woodbine Centre holds a special place in my childhood. Most of which were seen with my father, who just passed away last month. Like so many
providers, my dad was a workaholic. The few times that my brother and I got to see my father usually involved a weekend movie at Woodbine's Cineplex Odeon. Back when
the the Woodbine was still a respectable mall to shop at.
It's funny how the mind tends to remember certain memories from a person's lifetime. For me, I can still remember the day Cineplex folded, and the Racetrack-inspired horse
murals were being painted. The walls of newly-opened Rainbow Cinemas and ceiling were covered with them, as was the bottom of the outside escalator that stood across
from Zellers. Recollections of how we used to get (and hate) haircuts after a movie at the lower-level Zellers barbershop. Not to mention, those cheesy, low-budget CG bumpers
that played before a movie started.
I still remember the space one. Throwing garbage in the correct clam shell garbage bins, not talking during a movie, and making sure to stock up on snacks at the concession
stand beforehand. If the intergalactic graphics don't ring a bell, perhaps the copyright-friendly piano instrumentals and powerpoint movie trivia spots might.
As much as I rolled my eyes at those segments as a kid, I miss them now.
In the years to follow, Rainbow Cinemas also bit the dust, and in it's place came Imagine Cinemas. By this point in time, dad was now retired, Zellers was long gone, and the
Woodbine had become a shadow of it's former self. In the process, dad and I started going to Imagine Cinema's Tuesday movie matinees. Besides the tickets being the cheapest
on Tuesdays, the mall was at it's deadest around lunch time. More often than not, we had the entire theatre to ourselves. As a result, Dad would often joke "looks like we got our
own private screening. We sure can pick 'em, can't we? Nobody else is here!"
Being exhausted, dad would often fall asleep in movies. Which, in itself, became a running gag. Jokingly, dad would rate the quality of a movie by how many times he fell asleep
in it. All you had to do was dim the lights, cut down on the action, and more often than not, you'd hear my pops snoring away.
One of the last movies I can recall seeing with my father was Rambo Last Blood. In actuality, the Woodbine opened with a Rambo film back in 1985 (Rambo First Blood - Part II).
In a way, we came full circle before Imagine Cinemas closed its doors during the pandemic.
My dad never had a lot of money, but the few moments he had to himself, he wanted to spend with my brother and I watching movies. It was a weekend outing we looked
forward TO, and a chance have a few laughs with our pops. Later in life, those screenings remained a way to catch up with my father. Even with the Woodbine constantly going
downhill, we never stopped going. With Cinestarz opening, I'm sure dad would have loved to have seen some movies there.
providers, my dad was a workaholic. The few times that my brother and I got to see my father usually involved a weekend movie at Woodbine's Cineplex Odeon. Back when
the the Woodbine was still a respectable mall to shop at.
It's funny how the mind tends to remember certain memories from a person's lifetime. For me, I can still remember the day Cineplex folded, and the Racetrack-inspired horse
murals were being painted. The walls of newly-opened Rainbow Cinemas and ceiling were covered with them, as was the bottom of the outside escalator that stood across
from Zellers. Recollections of how we used to get (and hate) haircuts after a movie at the lower-level Zellers barbershop. Not to mention, those cheesy, low-budget CG bumpers
that played before a movie started.
I still remember the space one. Throwing garbage in the correct clam shell garbage bins, not talking during a movie, and making sure to stock up on snacks at the concession
stand beforehand. If the intergalactic graphics don't ring a bell, perhaps the copyright-friendly piano instrumentals and powerpoint movie trivia spots might.
As much as I rolled my eyes at those segments as a kid, I miss them now.
In the years to follow, Rainbow Cinemas also bit the dust, and in it's place came Imagine Cinemas. By this point in time, dad was now retired, Zellers was long gone, and the
Woodbine had become a shadow of it's former self. In the process, dad and I started going to Imagine Cinema's Tuesday movie matinees. Besides the tickets being the cheapest
on Tuesdays, the mall was at it's deadest around lunch time. More often than not, we had the entire theatre to ourselves. As a result, Dad would often joke "looks like we got our
own private screening. We sure can pick 'em, can't we? Nobody else is here!"
Being exhausted, dad would often fall asleep in movies. Which, in itself, became a running gag. Jokingly, dad would rate the quality of a movie by how many times he fell asleep
in it. All you had to do was dim the lights, cut down on the action, and more often than not, you'd hear my pops snoring away.
One of the last movies I can recall seeing with my father was Rambo Last Blood. In actuality, the Woodbine opened with a Rambo film back in 1985 (Rambo First Blood - Part II).
In a way, we came full circle before Imagine Cinemas closed its doors during the pandemic.
My dad never had a lot of money, but the few moments he had to himself, he wanted to spend with my brother and I watching movies. It was a weekend outing we looked
forward TO, and a chance have a few laughs with our pops. Later in life, those screenings remained a way to catch up with my father. Even with the Woodbine constantly going
downhill, we never stopped going. With Cinestarz opening, I'm sure dad would have loved to have seen some movies there.
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ItsWillC
New Member
Ask and you shall receive. Place is still a work in progress. Things need replacing and are actively being installed. New seats are great (same as Cineplex VIP and Imagine Market Square but with more legroom).
ItsWillC
New Member
Now that I've been, clearly a work in progress with much to be introduced (food beyond popcorn, liquor, displays, a general sense of life) but goddamn it's shaping up nicely. Seats are great, projector (while improperly letterboxd) is superb quality, sound system is excellent, CNE Popcorn. I suspect once this theatre (and the new casino expansion tbh) hit their groove, I'll travel out here a bit more often.
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kade1064
Active Member
AMAZING!!
kade1064
Active Member
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
Northern Light
Superstar
The auditoriums look decent for what they are...........
But is no one else's OCD triggered by the non-matching light fixture in the lobby with a different colour temperature too?
Side note, the offending (different) fixture was a standard apartment building/condo hallway light choice ~15 years ago, while the others very big for that application right now (though usually done in the white colour range)
kade1064
Active Member
is this group chat dead?
RGB_11
Active Member
No. It is very much alive. As soon as a new store opens up, there will be things to talk about. What type of business etc.
Still waiting on Zellers...would love to see them return to this mall.
I'm looking forward to checking out the new movie theatre soon.
Northern Light
Superstar
A Lobbyist Registry entry caught my eye.
Given past rumours around ownership here, the developer name is doubly amusing.
Given past rumours around ownership here, the developer name is doubly amusing.
J-M-Z
Active Member
So, it looks like a developer wants to turn the Woodbine into condos then? Sounds practical. The selling point would be living next door to the Racetrack
(sorry, Ascott Co-op Housing).
(sorry, Ascott Co-op Housing).
RGB_11
Active Member
Condos and an outdoor mall might work, Don Mills centre style... (Now Shops at Don Mills)
slickpete83
Active Member
and future LRT stops extension and Woodbine Go station , great if you work Downtown but want to live in the area, so you don't have to drive to Malton GO station to get downtown
swigg
New Member
I noticed some activity in this area on Queen's Plate the other week, they flattened some areas. I wonder if it's something related to woodbine or the LRT. Anyone have insights? I checked permit and development applications but nothing showed up. This area has been empty for as long as I remember, at least 30yrs.
slickpete83
Active Member
before covid they had plans to put some private school on that piece of land , but something happened and it didn't go through or was cancelled , they even had some sign saying private school coming soon and to register from what I remember