“I think we do miss it. It was fun, it was something to look forward to,” said Hamden’s Jolyne Brown.
Bow Tie Partners announced this week that Criterion Cinemas, the last movie theater in New Haven, is closing its doors after a final film showing on Oct. 12.
“This movie theater played a lot of more interesting, less mainstream, kind of arthouse films every now and then,” said New Haven’s Billy Valvo.
Bow Tie Partners said that focus on independent films made business especially difficult as streaming services entered the independent film market, though some moviegoers would argue the experience is quite different.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
“I have friends who keep telling me to see this and see that on Netflix, and it just isn’t the same,” said New Haven’s Berclee Cameron.
“Going to the big screen and being there with a group of people who are reacting to the movie when you are is wonderful,” said Diane Chodkowski of Guilford.
Compared to pre-pandemic, ownership said there have been roughly 30% fewer films released to theaters, and that’s affected attendance.
“I have not been in a crowded movie theater yet, and I’ve been here for two years this year,” Brown said.
In a statement ownership said it is “currently evaluating multiple scenarios for redevelopment of the movie theater space, several of which include new entertainment offerings.”
They said the hope is to have the new space up-and-running within the year.
“We’re getting what we signed up for really, and it’s too bad,” Cameron said. “I think it’s going to be after the fact that we realize what we’ve lost.”
