Another local movie theatre closes

Some time in the past few weeks, the Stoughton Cinema Pub quietly closed its doors. It was one of the Boston area's few remaining single-screen movie theatres, as well as one of the few remaining independent cinemas. Stoughton now joins the growing list of Boston-area suburbs that no longer have any movie theatres at all.

The only media coverage I've found is this Snyder's Stoughton column in the online Stoughton Journal. from October 4:

Mike Harmen, owner for the last eight years of Stoughton Cinema Pub, told Snyder's Stoughton Friday night (9/28) that he will be forced to close the landmark downtown site. "My new landlord Joe Banks said he'd negotiate the rent, but I can pay the rent. The utilities are what's killing me. I was paying $2,700 a month for gas. That's just to heat the place four hours a night. I tried closing Monday and Tuesday nights, hoping that would increase the rest of the week, but it just isn't working." Harmen says that it has been a labor of love for him and his wife Pauline. But, he just can't do it anymore. "I shut down the heat. So, when it starts to get too cold in here, then I will shut the business down. Hopefully, it will stay warm, and I can keep the place open until the end of October."

The theatre will briefly reopen in December for a local community theatre group's live production of "A Christmas Carol", but that's probably the last show it will ever see.

Please support our remaining local movie theatres.

Single Screens:
Brattle Theatre, Cambridge
Studio Cinema, Belmont
Cabot Street Cinema, Beverly
The Screening Room, Newburyport
Loring Hall, Hingham

Other Independent and Local-Chain Cinemas:
Coolidge Corner Theatre, Brookline
Somerville Theatre
Capitol Theatre, Arlington
Lexington Flick (no web site that I can find)
West Newton Cinema
Cinema Salem
Dedham Community Theatre
Cameo Theaters, South Weymouth
Mill Wharf Cinemas, Scituate

If I've left any out, please let me know.