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Don’t count on Island Cinemas re-opening anytime soon — or maybe ever.
The shuttered looking Mastic movie theater on Montauk Highway looks frozen in time.
Outside, a billboard promotes such early 2020 releases as “Call of the Wild” and “Bad Boys 3.” Inside, the concession area is as unkempt as it was on the day the business closed at the height of the pandemic last spring.
But there’s a glimmer of hope.
“We’d like to see it open as a movie theater, but we’re open to considering other uses,” said the property’s leasing broker, Raymond Mordekhai with Forest Park Properties. “We want something that works for the community.”
Shut down since March 2020 because of COVID-19 safety restrictions, Island Cinemas closed last fall. Some theaters on Long Island have opened as the state’s coronavirus precautions have eased.
With nine screens, a dine-in option in the Castaway Café, and economically priced tickets, Island Cinemas billed itself as the hidden gem of movie places in Suffolk County.
The 20,000-square-foot space at 1708 Montauk Highway was converted from an A&P Supermarket, and originally opened as Movieland Cinema of Mastic more than two decades ago.
The theater hosted birthday parties, “Ladies Nights,” “FUNdraisers,” and private screening events.
But down the stretch toward its closing, the movie house wasn’t getting much love from its customers — and seemingly not giving much either.
One- and two-star reviews were the norm in 2019 and early 2020, with moviegoers complaining about cold theaters, funky smells and hot dogs served without a bun.
Perhaps better days lie ahead for Island Cinemas. For leasing information on the property, visit forestparkny.com or call 718.820.1200.
