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.