The curtain has risen once again on the two years-darkened Kingsway Theatre.Newly renovated, the historic neighbourhood movie house opened to little fanfare last Friday with two critically acclaimed films, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Rachel Getting Married, which ran through yesterday.
Tonight, recently released films Four Christmases (7 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday) and The Spirit (9 p.m.) open for a week's run.
Opening night was quiet, in part, because renovations are not quite complete.
Topping the list of outstanding repairs is fixing the wiring and fixtures for the letters K, I and Y in the cinema's original neon-green marquee. Raccoons gnawed the marquee's wiring during the theatre's 30-month closure.
Demolition and renovations began in August.
"The theatre was in rough shape before it closed, and became worse after it closed," general manager Rui Pereira said at the theatre Wednesday, as curious passersby peeked through the front window.
"All the carpets had to be removed. The women's bathroom was completely unusable. There was a bad odor throughout the building."
New front doors and a candy bar are on order. Finishing touches include polishing the lobby's Terrazzo floors to a high gloss, and installing sound panels on the theatre walls to reduce echo.
New seats, installed before the closure, have been reupholstered.
New additions include wheelchair access, now available in the theatre's back row, and the construction of an accessible washroom.
The company behind the reno is Whip TV, a subsidiary of Toronto-based SwitchWorks Technologies Inc.
The parent company hopes the Kingsway's revival will not only raise awareness of Whip TV and its three-part home entertainment and communications package, but bring Hollywood blockbusters, as well as smaller art films, to the Bloor Street West and Royal York Road neighbourhood.
Matinees, likely older Disney films, are expected to run regularly next summer.
"People were disappointed when the theatre closed. I think there will be a lot of interest in it reopening," Pereira said, adding the location is prime, nestled in a residential neighbourhood, as well as a popular walking area for shops and restaurants.
The Festival chain of theatres, including Kingsway, the Revue and the Royal, closed in 2006, following the death in 2004 of owner Peter McQuillan. The Royal on College Street was reopened, with a new editing and sound-mixing facility in September, 2006, while the Revue on Roncesvalles Avenue reopened as a non-profit, community-run theatre in September, 2007.
Gone is the Kingsway's former memberships. Ticket admission is $10 (adults), and $8 (seniors 65-plus and children 14 and younger).
Pereira said he isn't concerned about Cineplex Odeon's nearby Queensway theatre. "We're not competing with Cineplex's Queensway theatre. This is a different experience that goes back to community theatre. This is one of few of them left."
The film industry, including theatres, seem immune to the economic downturn, Pereira said, as patrons look for an escape, as well as less-expensive entertainment.
Pereira said he expects to be screening first-run films later this month.