R.I.P. Humber Cinema (again) – Updated (10/21)

If you have been following me this year, you would know about how I have been covering the reopening of the Humber Cinema in Bloor West Village.  I was personally really excited about the reopening of the cinema, since it was one of the two local movie theatres where I developed my love of film during my teen years.

When it reopened in April, it was obvious it wouldn’t return to its former glory overnight.  However, it was nice (and convenient) that I once again had a local theatre that I could walk to.  The peak of the Humber’s return came during the summer when a full house showed up for a midnight screening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part 2.

After months of renovations the larger downstairs cinema opened in early August and I was prepared to start seeing movies at the Humber more often and already saw both Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Conan in the larger screening room.  After the completion of the Toronto Film Festival, I noticed that Drive was playing at the Humber and I was preparing to go see it at the theatre the following weekend.  However, one day without warning the Humber showtimes were removed from the Kingsway Movies website and when I looked at the listings in the Toronto Star, the Humber was listed “closed for renovations”.

I initially took this at face value and let it pass.  However, after a week, the movie listings for the Humber didn’t say anything at all and it was also apparent that, Humber manager, Rui Pereira was once again concentrating solely on his other theatre the Kingsway.

Concerned, I e-mailed Rui Pereira about the status of the Humber and he responded with the sad news that he decided to close the Humber for good after disagreements with the landlord.

As such, after an all too brief five month resurrection, the last remaining of the original Rank Odeon theatres in Toronto has once again closed it’s doors.  What will become of the, now empty, refurbished theatre is anyone’s guess.

Update 10/21: It seems the Humber’s re-closure was short-lived as the Kingsway Movies website has announced that The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Pt 1 will be opening at the Humber on November 18.  Not really a film I plan to see, but thank goodness that the Humber is back in business (again).

Related Links

• Returning (Again) to the Humber (with Video)
• Opinion: A Final Goodbye to the Humber Cinema
• The Humber Cinema: Two Months Later
• My Return to the Humber Cinema
• Interesting Developments in the Saga of the Humber Cinema