With the closing of one local movie theater last weekend, the future of other local theaters remains uncertain.

The Movies, on the corner of Beaver Avenue and Garner Street, closed Thursday after its parent company, Carmike Cinemas, declared bankruptcy.

"Theater operations were not meeting expectations," Carmike spokeswoman Suzzanne Brown said.

The close is permanent. "We are not planning on reopening," Brown said.

The building has been locked up, the signs have been taken down and the phone line has been disconnected.

However, there are three other movie theaters owned by Carmike in the State College area: Cinema 5, 116 Heister St.; Cinema 6, 501 Benner Pike; and State Twin, 128 W. College Ave.

These theaters will continue operating — at least for now.

"For now, it's business as usual," Brown said.

However, she would not discuss how or when these theaters would be affected by the parent company's current status.

"I cannot comment on what is in store for the other Carmike theaters," Brown said.

A representative at Cinema 5 said Sunday that the theater was unaware of the closing of The Movies and was unsure how Cinema 5 would be affected by the bankruptcy.

The closing also came as a surprise to employees at The Movies.

Manager Amanda Breon was not told why the theater was shutting down, just that it was closing.

"I don't know anything, not even why we closed," she said.

Breon said she does not know what this means for other movie theaters in the area.

For now, the space where the movie theater stood is vacant and the Downtown State College Partnership will figure out how to best use the space after a market analysis is completed, partnership executive director Teresa Sparacino said.

The Movies' closing could also be connected to increased competition this year, one university official said.

The theaters in downtown State College could be affected by the free movies Penn State offers as part of Late Night Penn State at the HUB-Robeson Center.

"We average an attendance rate of 1,500 to 2,500 students a weekend," said John Harlow, assistant director of student activities.

This semester Late Night Penn State has had its highest attendance rate ever for free movies, he said.

"We have turned more students away and had to resort to overflow seating," Harlow said.

Even though most of the movies played in the HUB-Robeson Center have already been in theaters, they are still current, popular titles.

"It's a pretty new movie for free," Harlow said.

After a movie leaves the theater it will usually play at the HUB-Robeson Center a month later.

"It's very possible it (Late Night Penn State) could affect downtown attendance," he said.

The downtown theaters could also be suffering because their technology is out-of-date, Harlow said.

Many students drive to Altoona to see a movie because the theaters there are of a better quality with digital surround sound. The downtown movie theaters aren't "keeping up with technology," Harlow said.

Another experience the HUB-Robeson Center offers is free movie sneak previews. These are movies that are free and have not yet hit the theaters.

"They are exceptionally popular and always pack the house," Harlow said.