The Carlton Cinemas to Close December 6th
The Carlton Cinemas will close after a 28 year run at the corner of Yonge and Carlton. Management and staff were told of the news this past weekend by owner Cineplex Odeon who have decided to shut down the cinema rather than sign a new lease with the building's landlord. The last day will be December 6th.
Founded in 1981, the Carlton Cinemas may not have been the most luxurious place in the city to spend a Saturday night, but they more than made up for their shortcomings (small theatres, small screens, rundown look) by screening independent and foreign films that the multiplexes never touched. A glance at their showtimes today is testament to the niche and importance they played in Toronto. Want to catch The Bright Star, Departures or The Boys are Back before they come out on DVD? The Carlton Cinemas have the only screens in town showing these films.
With news still fresh, plans are still not known what will becomes of the current Carlton Cinemas space once it closes. Talking to some of the employees (all will be found jobs at other Cineplex properties) earlier today they suspected Cineplex Odeon will remove all the seats, screens and other equipment and the landlord will likely convert the building to office space.
RIP Carlton Cinemas. You had a good run.
Comments (66)
I love the Carlton. I've shed a few tears there, and seen some really excellent movies. I loved the intimacy of the small theatres. Goodbye, Carlton.
That's too bad. Not that they ever look busy. I have lived pretty much across the street for 2 years and I usually go elsewhere because by the time they get something, it's about to go to DVD - or it's so obscure that I don't know what it is.
Might have to go catch Julie & Julia there before it's all over.
This "prime time real estate" is one of the darkest and dingiest places along that stretch of Carlton. The cinema was the perfect answer to an otherwise disastrous building design. I will miss the Carlton and its quirky cinema fare very much.
I will miss it. I have many fond memories of seeing foreign and indie films you couldn't see anywhere else in the 80s and 90s. Farewell dear Carlton.
awesome jack, now tell us what hong kong would do with that space.
it sucks that it's closing, but anyone who's been there in the last few (or 10) years would have seen that they weren't making any money. i'll miss it.
hong kong would not waste prime real estate like that in downtown.. if you guys miss this place so much, why didn't you go there more often.. that area is so shady... this place should have closed down long time ago.. in fact, most stores in toronto are a joke...they are never busy with shoppers
my suggestion is open a hk style dessert and fast food place there.. 24 hrs..you get people working in the area eating there.. people living in the condo apartments.. tourists staying at days inn, and after clubbing in the village....
So where will one have to go to watch foreign films now…? Will those movies screen somewhere else in Toronto, or nowhere at all?
I am quite disappointed. I have seen many movies there in my years living in Toronto, the Departures being one of them, amazing film!
this cinema is an eye sore.. it is ugly and lowers the value of properties around the area... this is really good news to condo owners around the area...there are always bums and drug addicts sitting outside on the stairs at the cinema... the sooner it is torn down the better
Aw, this sucks. I just moved onto the street this year and I was excited to go see movies there, I guess I'll have to go to AMC from now on. I'll definitely be going to see as many movies as I can before it closes it's doors forever.
the part I really hate about the comment sections around here is the pure and unadulterated stupidity that comes out.
this was a great cinema.
I've seen so many films there over the years that were not playing anywhere else. very many a good night were had.
so to be talking about the 'value of property'? really? I don't want to be an arsehole but goddamn that's just callous and stupid. and I mean stupid in the way that's not good. just in case.
I've never been so it's no loss to me. I assume it was an older smaller theatre, the old-school type with cramped seats, small screen, and near-horizontal seating to give you the perfect view of the giant head in front of you. Yep, I'm not gonna miss it.
I want the bigger screen, bigger sound, and stadium-style seating, makes the movie experience much better. That's why I really hope they renovate the Varsity and Cumberland. I enjoy non-blockbuster independent flicks but they're always played in these smaller theatres and never in the Coliseums.
I'll really miss this cinema. You can always count on it playing great films that aren't playing anywhere else. To all those who aren't sad to see it go, I'm guessing you probably enjoyed Transformers.
Whoa...who are you, Li Ka Shing?? Tear down the Carlton? How you gonna do that without taking down the whole freaking block?
Yeah, I've been to HK and it works just fine. TO isn't HK by any stretch and will never be. The little alleyway 5-10-table eateries won't fly in TO. And the TO bums are here to stay, unless we adopt Brazilian tactics. HK has no bums, no panhandlers, and very little down and out. HK is Holt FrooFroo, TO is Honest Eds.
The Carlton was perfect for this dismal space. I can only hope some filmophile with $$$ can re-open it.
It was dingy, cramped and empty. And I'm pretty sure some of the TVs they sell at Future Shop are bigger than the screens at the Carlton. This isn't exactly a big shock. Still, hopefully Cineplex will find another home for the art-house fare that they played there.
jack, this isn't HK.. its not gonny fly here.. nobody is going to go sip bubble tea and do karaoke, we are into beer, dancing and fscking, different night life scenes.
I literally gasped when I read the headline. It's so sad that there won't be a screen for these kinds of films any more.
I've gone to a couple of movies at the Carlton that where myself and my girl were the only people in the theatre. Given that we were in a theatre in downtown Toronto, we felt pretty special.
If you are interested in information on this listing or renting the theater you can reach out to me as I have the listing! Sad to see it go but we have some great interest from two awesome groups.
I personally believe that the Carlton was way past it's prime, I agree that the Cumberland should get a extreme face lift and possibly add another cinema to boot (that office space Famous Players vacated hasn't been filled up, except for the Burberry store front on Bloor). Jack has a point if some many people cared about the Carlton, more people should have went to it. Remember Cineplex is a publicly traded company, it needs/wants to make money. People don't got to small, fairly uncomfortable venues anymore when you have the alternative of the new AMC. Cumberland isn't owned by Cineplex (but has some agreement that they [cineplex] take care of back office support, but if they just renovate the theatre I'm sure it could be a star again for arthouse films and TIFF (before TIFF leaves the Bloor Yorkville area).
I will be honest...i got my first bj in that place :)
Couldnt tell you the name of the movie though.
Her name was Becca however!
Havent miss her since nor will i miss this place.
this is awful... i wish there was something we could do. this is the theatre i go to most of the time... i love their selection of foreign and independent films. i am heartbroken.
I won't be shedding any tears about the closing of this cinema. It's owned by Cineplex, and was a dingy and uncomfortable movie going experience. I would much rather see films at truly independent theaters like The Bloor, The Revue, or the Royal. Nothing compares to seeing a movie at a real movie house. Multiplexes! No thank you!
I used to live on the same stretch of Carlton as the theatre- in 5 years, I probably went to that theatre 3-4 times max. The theatre was less than 30 years old (i.e it was built in the 80s) - not much historical significance there. The theatres were cramped, the screens were tiny - compared to a typical viewing experience today, it didn't have much to offer - hence the lack of patronage. Its not like there's a lack of options in the area.
to Jack: why the obsession with HK? HK has a population of 7 million in an area barely larger than the downtown core of Toronto - that type of density allows you to do things that aren't feasible here. Get over it!
Jack, you obviously have some kind of axe to grind (as evidenced by your multiple ignorant comments). The fact is, yes, this place may not be relevant anymore, but back in the day, it was the only place to see movies that were not hugely commercial. A lot of people think that counts for something and have a sentimental attachment to it for those very reasons.
Best popcorn in the city, and cutest staff.
Loved only having to share an entire theatrre with maybe 1 or 2 other people, max!
Will be missed.
first off, thanks for all the personal attacks, just show your ignorance, so keep them coming, I don't mind at all...if you want a city that doesn't move forward and elevate to similar level like other cities around the world, then please let the mayor know..
as to "jack, this isn't HK.. its not gonny fly here.. nobody is going to go sip bubble tea and do karaoke, we are into beer, dancing and fscking, different night life scenes.".. really? 20 years ago, nobody was using cell phone.. nobody drank iced milk tea or iced mike coffee.. and nobody wanted to live in a condo.. young chinese people living in richmond hill and markham are going out and have late night snack...people don't do this downtown, coz we don't have any to offer...
if you people miss this cinema so much, then why didn't you all make a point to go there every day, every week.. write to cineplex and tell them you want them to keep it there...and don't cry all over blogto
too bad Carlton; we needed the competition,of course. But also, you showed some really interesting films and you were always a good ource for foreign movies.
My first class at Ryerson was at this theatre, 8am Algebra. I fell asleep in my seat to the smell of stale popcorn.
I actually saw a bunch of good indie movies here over the last few years, sad to see it go. I guess Cumberland 4 is the next go to theatre for non-mainstream movies.
I'm going to try and get in one more movie before they shut it down.
Some of us don't go to the movies much because we don't want stadium-style seating and state-of-the-art sound. I love the Carlton. It's where I first learned about independent and foreign film. I've seen countless movies there, and learned a lot from them. I'll miss this theatre a lot.
grreat.. that's why they are called "sweet memories"... time to move on, something better and nicer, hopefully.. bye bye old crappy cinema
Man, I don't get the complaints about this being an outdated cinema or the fact it is owned by Cineplex.
The Carleton is comfy, has good popcorn, screens and sound and, best of all, good movies. I have fond memories of going there. I scared the bejesus out of my gf when we saw 28 Days Later. She had me walk her home afterwards only to kick my butt to the curb for my audacity. Good times.
I remember seeing Taxi to the Dark Side at the Carleton with a friend and afterwards going to the Brownstone to debate whether Khadr was a child soldier. That movie opened my eyes about a few things. I never would have seen it at Scotiabank.
Who cares if Dundas or Scotia or Varsity has bigger screens and stadium seating? That's a bit like saying Transformers is a better movie than Atanarjuat because it has special effects. It does, but it ain't.
And who cares if Carleton is owned by Cineplex? Is any more good done in the world because you see an indie film at the Cumberland vs. a chain? Not that I'm aware. In fact, if more people went to see indies at chains, maybe more indie (and Canadian) cinema would be carried by chains and more Canadians would be exposed to great movies.
Toronto sucks. HK is better. The buildings are taller and they have more elevators. Plus, the subways are never put out of action because some dumb contractor cut through the street. I don't know why anyone lives in Toronto. The only reason I'm here is for a pipefitting job.
"Toronto suck. HK is better. The buildings are taller and they have more elevators..." - okay, I get it now, you're a just a troll who posts solely to start up sh** on anonymous internet forums. Until you wrote that last post, I almost believed you were offering a legitimate opinion. You almost had us fooled.....
Goodbye little theater that gave this city so much culture, hello dollar store. Is Toronto dying?
Ok to all those that say the popcorn is good at the Carlton compared to other theatres, I mean come on all the Cinplex theatres use the same corn kerrnals, same oil, and equipment. Saying that a programed machine makes it taste better at one place than another is... just odd. I don't think people are against Cineplex as in more that they quietly close smaller theatres cause, "It is not representative of the calibre and quality of theatre that we would like to present to our guests … it is not what would be called state of the art."
Translation: it's not representative of the kind of Revenue Per Guest Cineplex Corp. can generate in auditoriums showing piece of crap films that cater to illiterate teenagers.
Indie films don't get enough screens mostly due to booking managers at Head offices that don't think they'll turn a buck at a multiplex, or in general. No cause of lack of art houses, do you know how much is skimmed off a ticket from a theatres?? Lets say that it would be better to put it right to DVD and put the money in marketing, then leave it to theatres to push product.
Im sure the "Village" folk will turn into some sort of all male revue type place. That should really put the ass in class.
someone is impersonating me to post comments here...as i didn't write some of the idiotic postings here
i didn't write this.. i meant
"Toronto suck. HK is better. The buildings are taller and they have more elevators..." - okay, I get it now, you're a just a troll who posts solely to start up sh** on anonymous internet forums. Until you wrote that last post, I almost believed you were offering a legitimate opinion. You almost had us fooled.....
I didn't write this either.
"hong kong would not waste prime real estate like that in downtown.. if you guys miss this place so much, why didn't you go there more often.. that area is so shady... this place should have closed down long time ago.. in fact, most stores in toronto are a joke...they are never busy with shoppers"
My family treated my boyfriend to a dinner at a Chinese (that's right, I'm not bothering distinguishing the cuisine type) restaurant once. We were ordering and they asked us if we wanted to order fried chicken specially just for him, because "Western people like that."
Maybe a lot of people don't eat some Chinese food because we seem to prohibit them from eating it.
Paul, I don't know how you can say that all the popcorn at every Cineplex is the same. That's as silly as saying every experience at every Cineplex theatre is the same. You obviously haven't had the popcorn at the Carlton: it is made with love and tastes 10x better than the popcorn anywhere else.
I don't think my statement is silly, since going to ANY cineplex I need to pay $12.95, perhaps a 'value' combo (more $$), sit through 15 mins or so of commercials, and prey that a cell phone doesn't ring during the show (that or have the hue of a bright cellphone screen cause someone is texting)... mmmm nope I would say that's a genaric visit to any cinema/cineplex. Oh I've had the popcorn at the Carlton, and no I don't think 'love' is making it any different(except for perhaps the Bloor, since they use different oil to cook it in).
Paul, I don't think you've ever been to the Carlton. it's $10.50 admission, they barely have any commercials before the movie, and most importantly, you *can* taste the love in the popcorn.
Sad to see that such a great landmark of TO is going to be gone soon only to empower the plastic culture of Hollywood and their overwhelming movie theatres! This kind of 'intimacy' in terms of featured indies, artistic movies as well as the quaintness of small theatres inside makes cinema great, not the bombastic, uniformized, overpowering sound effect filled, storylineless, soulless menues that we are fed with huge spoons with! The soul craves for refinement and discerning movie goers will have a huge loss with the Carlton. Hopefully on the other end of the 'stick' some intelligent and sensitive millionaire/developer will revitalize or further empower other oldies which will take over the task of delivering fine and soul empowering stories on screen.
cheers! support small movie theatres!
I totally agree..this is DISGUSTING what's happening to this city...but unfortunately venting online about it isn't gonna stop big biz demolishing culture. Unless we organize and put huge pressure on politicians/licence issuers...nothing will change..other than our blood sugar levels!
Oh yes, because mundane, snobby cunts like you know what fans of 'bombastic, uniformized, overpowering sound effect filled, storylineless, soulless menues' are like. You don't know me or what I like, you Sundance/kitchen sink fanatic, so please lay off of the insults. You also don't know what kind of film is the way you described it, (and a lot of great films have been made in this genre) so please don't presume that science fiction/fantasy films (the type of film you used that dice loading codeword for) are all like that (as compared to the boring, nihilistic, oversexed kitchen sink swill that you watch at the Carleton-which is also distributed by the boutique divisions of the film companies based in the same 'plastic culture of Hollywood' that you despise so much!) Keep an open mind instead of being a snob.
Do you think there is any resemblance in the industries of movie theatres & bookstores? There is a market for the independents to compete with the big box, and perhaps it's time to brand the value that small could be better. Somehow, I don't think the theatres on Queen E or Mt Pleasant have quite risen to the ocassion. If it's not Carlton, it could be someone else. Why is it an anomaly for independent films to appear in nice movie houses? Hollywood isn't always the answer, and isn't there a market for the cache of finding the next big sleeper? (Or just enjoying a flick for the shear pleasure of its' plot, that wasn't picked up by Hollywood first.)
Big theatres don't like to take on indie films for the pure reason of profit. If they don't think it's going to make much money, they won't play it. It's a huge shame that Carlton is closing because it had a nice balance of films from all across the spectrum. Even if it was a little slow to bring them out, even "popular" Hollywood films got played here alongside the foreign language, documentary, and other small-budget productions. Carlton was my favourite theatre to visit; the atmosphere was just so intimate... I'm truly going to miss this place.
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