Actor Chiko Mendez at the Showcase Cinema de Lux Broadway in Hicksville
Photo courtesy of Scott Goldberg
The movie theater at the Broadway Commons shopping mall in Hicksville will be closing its doors after one final screening.
The Showcase Cinema de Lux Broadway is set to close on Jan. 5, 2025, after being in business for 30 years. The theater will host “The Forest Hills“ for one last showing before closing. The movie initially premiered at the cinema on Oct. 10 and then played from Oct. 25-31. The movie will return to the screen one final time in Hicksville before the theater closes.
“Due to a business decision, we have chosen not to renew our lease at Broadway Mall,” Showcase Cinemas said in a statement. The decision was made on Dec. 3 and the company encourages movie-goers to head to other nearby theaters, including the Showcase Cinema de Lux in Farmingdale and Island 16 Cinema de Lux in Holtsville.
The closing of the theater will perfectly align with the final film of Shelley Duvall’s career. Duvall is a storied actress with decades of experience, most well-known for her roles as Wendy Torrance in “The Shining” and Olive Oyl in “Popeye.”Duvall died in July at her Texas home from complications relating to diabetes. She was 75.
“We wanted to do a final showing because not only it being Shelley Duvall’s final film, but also the theater is closing down and we wanted to celebrate with fellow Long Islanders in a communal experience where people can get together and enjoy the theater one last time,” said Scott Goldberg a filmmaker from Glen Cove and director of “The Forest Hills.”
The movie follows Rico (played by Chiko Mendez), a character dealing with mental health issues, as well as potential head trauma that may have occurred while on a hiking trip in Upstate New York. The movie follows Rico as he tries to get away from the everyday struggles in a cabin in the Catskill Mountains. Duvall plays Mama, a supporting character and motherly figure to Rico.
Goldberg praised Duvall and her work shortly after her death. “Shelley was an amazing actress to work with, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to direct her,” he told Entertainment Weekly in July.
“We decided to put it in theaters and I contacted Showcase Cinemas and a couple of other cinemas, and we were able to get on 74 screens, and Showcase Cinemas in Hicksville was one of those locations,” Goldberg said. “The Forest Hills” can also be found on multiple streaming platforms.
The theater will have other films playing during its final day as well. “Showcase Cinemas remains deeply committed to our U.S. theatrical exhibition business and we look forward to continuing to provide a superior movie-going experience to all of our loyal customers,” the company said in its statement.
The final screening at Showcase Cinema de Lux Broadway will be at 7 p.m. on Jan. 5, 2025. Tickets can be purchased online at https://tickets.showcasecinemas.com/startticketing/0642/112286.
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