Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
More of what’s brewing:
-The Halloween superstore is going up in the parking lot of the Asheville Mall as we speak. The cinnamon brooms are out in force at my local Ingles grocery store, the pumpkin beers have been on shelves/on taps at local breweries for a couple of weeks already and the pumpkin spice craze is in full effect. Happy fall, y’all.
-Word on the street: Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack on Patton Avenue is expanding its kitchen space.
–Beechums is the name of a new restaurant going in on Haywood Road at Beecham’s Curve, where a new brewery, a new butcher shop and new apartments are being built.
–Spicer Greene Jewelers, 121 Patton Ave., is now open after an extensive renovation to the former Wick & Greene space on Patton Avenue
–Gaze Lash & Brow Bar is coming to 800 Haywood Road, Suite B.
–Fill My Cup Cafe is planning an October opening at 1550 Hendersonville Road in south Asheville.
–The Carolina Cinemark movie theater on Hendersonville Road is planning to remove all seating in its auditoriums and replace them with new loungers, according to building permits. Some other work to floors and walls will be happening, too. The Carolina Asheville was acquired by Cinemark, a national theatre circuit operating more than 500 movie theatres across the country, back in March, according to their FB page. “Under Cinemark’s ownership, the theatre will offer the latest technological advances in the movie theatre industry and will continue to provide the absolute best entertainment experience for years to come,” the announcement read, in part.
I haven’t been to that theater in years. The last time I went, I watched a movie I had seen elsewhere, and realized that the projection size was too big for the screens. The movie was cropped substantially on both sides. I complained to the manager, and he said there was nothing they could do. When the place was designed, he said, they planned only 10 screens, but changed it to 12 after the projectors had already been purchased. (I know, some years after it was built, they added 2 more for 14 screens.)
The result was that they installed projectors that were too big for the tiny theaters. Maybe they’ve fixed it. I’d have to know that before I go back there. It’s a shock to realize you’re watching a movie that’s cropped so much.
I’m guessing that has been fixed, as I’ve never seen anything worrisome crop-wise about any projections there over the past couple of years. Maybe it was specific to some of the smaller spaces?
And I would hope that if there were issues, Cinemark would resolve them before re-launching the theater with their brand.
Why is the Mall Halloween tent news? This happens every effing year. Snore.
As for the sofa cinema, I loved those seats and will be sorry to see them go, but the new recliners look pretty comfy. I just wonder how often they will need to be repaired or switched out. Aren’t they electronic? And hurry up with replacing the Slurpy machine already!!!
“The Halloween superstore is going up in the parking lot of the Asheville Mall as we speak.”
Trump wigs for everyone!
Ugh, when I saw “new seating” I thought it meant that they were going to get RID of the lounge cinemas, but one can at least hope that the new seats are less ridiculous than the old ones. Those old lounge seats were crazy low to the ground, strangely deep, and you could only fit like a dozen of them in each small theater. I always hated it when the movie I’d gone to see turned out to be in one of those theaters. Fingers crossed for an improvement.