The curtain is set to rise again, so to speak, on the big screen at the Humber Odeon Theatre at the end of the month.
Movie buffs can make their way to the corner of Bloor West and Jane streets, Friday evening, April 29, for the official re-opening of the local theatre. Rui Pereira, who breathed new life into the nearby Kingsway Cinema, can take credit for reviving the Humber Odeon. Without any pomp and circumstance, the cinema will re-open with the film 'Fast Five,' the sequel to 'The Fast and the Furious,' starring Dwayne Johnson (aka The Rock), Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.There's still lots of work to be done to spruce up the old gem, said Pereira. That's why only the original theatre upstairs is re-opening at the end of the month. The Humber cinema first opened its doors on Jan. 27, 1949. Twenty-seven years later, its viewing capacity doubled with the addition of a second movie screen. Sitting dormant for the better part of a decade, the Humber Odeon Theatre was expected to re-open in November of last year and then in March - at least that's what Pereira had hoped for. But, the extent of the revitalization was significant. There was water damage and vandalism to clean up as well as a broken furnace, which Pereira originally blamed for the delay.When Pereira got his hands on the Humber, one of the original five Odeon theatres in Toronto, it was rather horrific. Burst pipes had caused the water damage and the cinema had been stripped of its seats and projection equipment. Without further ado, the Humber is ready for movie patrons. The April 29 screening of 'Fast Five' will be followed by the fourth installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, 'On Stranger Tides,' Friday, May 20. For further information and movie schedules, visit www.humbermovies.com