Rumors started circulating earlier this week that the staff of the Cinemagic theater, on SE 20th and Hawthorne, had been let go—rumors, it turns out, that were true. The Cinemagic is under new management, and the theater’s former owner, Chuck Nakvasil, Jr., says a former employee of the theater is its new owner. In taking over, the new owner replaced the Cinemagic’s staff with one he already had.
Considering layoffs occurred, it’s not surprising there aren’t a ton of details about the changes—but layoffs aside, the changes sound pretty run-of-the-mill. Nakvasil says he’s helping oversee the theater’s transition, and he doesn’t predict any big shifts when it comes to the mainstream, first-run films that the Cinemagic currently books. The Cinemagic will be upgrading soon to digital projection—it’s one of the few theaters in Portland that hasn’t already switched over—and it will continue to serve as one of the venues for the Portland International Film Festival. In the coming weeks, Nakvasil says, we can expect to see a “general cleanup” of the theater—the plan, he says, is “pretty much [to] keep it the same—the same, but better.”
I’ve heard reports of horrific projection failures this week at Cinemagic and also that the staff was complete failures at giving refunds or help to the patrons.
This place sucks. The projector upgrade is nice, but the cash-only policy, the super-loud and uncomfortable seats, and the weird bathroom setup all need to be fixed. I loathe to say it, but I’d rather go to a Regal than Cinemagic.
But really, go to the Roseway. Or better yet, wait for the beer theaters.
That building should really just be sold to some rich weirdo who wants to live in an old theater (sadly I’m not rich).
sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell beer sell b
They need to renovate the whole theater, not just add digital projection. The screen is too low (try watching a sub-titled movie with someone sitting in front of you), the seats are old and uncomfortable, the bathrooms are sub-par, and worst of all they don’t sell beer or decent food. We expect better from an independent Portland theater.
MORELAND OR GTFO
All of the theaters mentioned here used to be owned by Chuck Nakvasil, Sr. – my former boss and elementary school principal.
He took a mostly hands-off approach. And this business is not really so profitable that capital investment is easy.