Is this town big enough for two indie movie houses?
Up until last month, Regal’s Westhampton was Richmond’s only indie film theatre, and that alone gave it significant value. Will Bow Tie Cinema new art house theatre, Criterion Cinema, send the landmark Westhampton reeling?
Is this town big enough for two indie movie houses?
Up until last month, Regal’s Westhampton was Richmond’s only indie film theatre, and that alone gave it significant value. Will Bow Tie Cinema new art house theatre, Criterion Cinema, send the landmark Westhampton reeling?
Located on the Avenues at Libbie and Grove, Westhampton Theatre has been a mainstay for art and foreign film fans, and an iconic staple in the Richmond community. Originally built in 1938 as a single screen theater, complete with a balcony and Williamsburg architecture, the movie house later converted the balcony to a second screen in the 1980’s.
Jewel Gallagher, Regional Marketing Manager for Regal, believes the River City is amply ready to sustain two independent theatres. “We feel the historic Westhampton will continue successfully,” Gallagher remarks. “An increased selection of art films in town may help cultivate an even stronger following of cinema art enthusiasts,” she adds.
Owned and operated by Bow Tie Cinemas, Criterion Cinema is a four screen, all stadium-seating theatre located alongside Bow Tie’s Movieland theatre on Boulevard Square. Though the company’s website boasts the cinema as “Richmond’s new home for independent film,” according to Bow Tie Cinema owner Ben Moss, it’s not about competition with any other theatre in town. “We saw the opportunity to do something similar to what we’d done at Movieland, and showcase all of the historic and interesting attributes of the building,” Moss has said.
