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by Elissa Den HoedKitchener Citizen
August 1, 2013
To Kelly MacLeod, it was always about the little things.
In the projection room, the owner of Frederick Twin Cinemas (FTC) in Frederick Mall for the past 13 years made it a habit to keep the sound much lower on the dial than the “normal,” overwhelmingly loud setting.
“If kids are going like this,” he said, putting his hands over his ears to demonstate, “it’s too loud.” Movie trailers, which are recorded at even higher levels than the movies themselves, were also reduced accordingly.
It was one thing the megaplexes, for all their glitz, still can’t offer: the personal touch. MacLeod also allowed mothers with crying babies into the projector room to watch the movie through a peephole in the wall, while the babies – without fail – were quickly lulled to sleep by the rhythmic rattle of the projector.
With so much attention to detail and to viewers’ individual needs, why hasn’t MacLeod recently done a major renovation of the aging theatre, the conditions of which he describes as “embarrassing”? Why has he decided to instead draw the curtain on his beloved twin cinemas?
For the last three years, he had been hanging on by a month-to-month lease agreement. Declining business and an inability to remain profitable, competitors’ ever-advancing technology, and the deterioration of the theatre and mall have also contributed to the difficult decision which he finally
made with his family: to let go of one of the last twin
cinemas in the country.
And with it, his dreams for its future.
In the not-too-distant-past, MacLeod had plans to double the number of theatres, upgrade to state-of-the-art equipment, and install an elevator for better accessibility. He even showed the plans to some of his most loyal customers, whom he said expresssed great enthusiasm.
Its future is in someone else’s hands now – or at least, will be soon, as MacLeod is in the middle of negotiating with potential purchasers.
MacLeod was already familiar with FTC when he bought it in 1999, having worked as an usher there 10 years prior. He came with experience in management at a number of theatres in K-W, Cambridge and Guelph (in one he met a concessions attendant Monica, who would become his wife). The theatre in the basement of Frederick Mall had been a bit of a fixer-upper. He and his employees worked assembly line style to refurbish and re-upholster the seats. One artistically gifted employee painted cartoon characters on the walls.
In the early days of owning FTC, MacLeod worked up to 100 hours a week between his two jobs, the other being a full-time position at the Canada Post Waterloo depot (where he is now a supervisor). He had 14 employees to help him out, some of whom have stayed for over nine years. His son and daughter, Darrin and Alyssa, both part-time employees at FTC, are studying in the U.S. and Toronto, respectively, but have both come home many times during vacation for “much needed help.”
Formerly renowned for its $2 Tuesdays (later “double-Toonie Tuesdays”), FTC was unique as a discount theatre in that it showed first-run, or current, films rather than older ones. The theatre regularly sold out movies such as those in the Shrek and Harry Potter series. “Those were the good old days,” MacLeod said.
The theatre’s main customer base has long been parents with children. As MacLeod explained, “If you’re going on a date and you’re trying to make an impression, you aren’t going to come to my theatre.” But for married couples on a budget, the theatre held much appeal.
FTC was famous for its use of old-fashioned reel-to-reel technology, and was in fact the last theatre in K-W, Cambridge and Guelph to do so. The films, shipped from Brazil in octagonal metal cases, had to be ordered months in advance. Movies usually billed as being in 3D had an “In 2D!” correction written on the posters at the FTC entrance.
MacLeod favoured the theatre’s existing technology over digital for its dependability. “Ten per cent of the time, digital goes down,” he said, insisting that the quality of the movie presentation is equal. The theatre still used its original projector, which MacLeod estimated to be 40 to 50 years old.
The enchanting reel-to-reel action in the projection room, which often had its door left open, has been an attraction for so many customers that MacLeod had a window installed to allow viewing. He’s had many a Boy Scout troop come in for tours, and to honour children on their birthdays he would take them over to the projector and let them start the film. “And they’d run down the aisle, yelling, ‘I did it! I started the movie!’” MacLeod recalled.
MacLeod won’t completely be removing himself from the cinema: he still owns shares in another, undisclosed theatre. But it’s the simple fact of being there that he will miss.
“I’ll miss the interactions with people, especially the kids,” he said. “It is emotional for me.”
Private owner of Frederick Twin Cinemas forced to sell struggling theatre
Kelly MacLeod, the owner of Frederick Twin Cinemas at Frederick Mall in Kitchener, gave up his business August. 1, letting go of one of the last twin cinemas in the country. MacLeod is currently negotiating with potential purchasers. Photo by Elissa Den Hoed