STAR CINEMAS

Star Cinemas:
Hillsboro’s Gateway to a Bigger World

Introduction

Star Cinemas in Hillsboro, Ohio was located at 211 Harry Sauner Road and served as the town's sole movie theater for over three decades, providing residents with access to first-run films and a communal space for entertainment. Its presence filled a significant cultural gap in Hillsboro, especially after the closure of the historic Colony Theater in 1993.

A Star Is Born

The Star Cinemas story began in 1992 when Mr. Richard Carr serendipitously came across theater owner Rick Robb in South Carolina while hunting for gemstones, who spoke to him about the theater business. His curiosity piqued, Mr. Carr took the idea to his friend Phil Roberts and together they began to envision a movie theater in Hillsboro, OH. They ended up purchasing the blueprints for what would be the Star Cinemas building from Robb and built a team of fellow partners.

Star Cinemas opened its doors on November 19, 1993, as a four-screen theater. Theater 1 was its largest theater space, followed by theaters 2 and 3, and finally the smaller theater 4. Star Cinemas instantly became the go-to spot for the Hillsboro and Highland County community, drawing patrons of all ages. Its instant popularity created high demand for more films and ultimately led to the addition of two more screens in 1995. This new construction allowed the theater to move older releases to the smaller additions and offer new releases in its larger theaters.

The Features of Film

Like other movie theaters, Star Cinemas received their films in weekly shipments of metal film canisters. The movies arrived in sections on individual reels and required projectionists to splice them together into a whole feature using specialized tools. This created the opportunity for employee-only screenings, usually 1-3 days before a film released to the public, where projectionists, managers, and employees assessed the quality of splices and remedied any errors before mass viewing. Moviegoers may recall times where film images would jump “out of frame,” the result of a bad splice. If this occurred, the only fix was for moviegoers to alert the projectionist, who would stop the movie for a brief period of time to correct the mistake.

Star Cinemas operated using a platter system, where small motors would rotate a metal surface to feed film into the projector. Pulled by spokes in the projector at an exact speed of 24 frames per second, film would zip in front of the lens and be transported by plastic rollers to another metal platter where it would wrap for the next showing.

The simple device that controlled the platter system was playfully called “The Brain.” The Brain was comprised of rollers and an arm switch that controlled the speed of the platter motor. This meant that once a film was “threaded” through The Brain, a projectionist could leave it alone with minimal supervision and the movie would play independently. Complications could arise, however, if a brain switch malfunctioned, resulting too little or too much motor speed. When this imbalance occurred, it resulted in a “brain wrap,” where film wrapped tighter and tighter around the brain, sometimes until it completely stretched and snapped the film, resulting in ominous film melting on screen. This was one of the reasons a projectionist was expected to always keep an eye on films.

A Sister Cinema

On May 16, 1997, Star Cinemas opened a second theater in Grove City, OH. This theater boasted 8 screens and was essentially Star Cinemas on steroids. The theater found community support in Grove City, though nowhere near the support and affection the original found in Hillsboro.

Despite its neighborhood appeal, Star Cinemas Grove City faced mounting challenges in the early 2010s. A significant factor was the industry's shift from 35mm film to digital projection. Upgrading to digital equipment would have cost approximately $650,000—a prohibitive expense for a small independent theater. Additionally, the opening of the AMC Grove City 14, a modern 14-screen multiplex just two miles away, intensified competition and drew audiences away from Star Cinemas.

These combined pressures led to the theater's closure on September 27, 2014, after 17 years of operation. A sign on the door thanked patrons for their support over the years. Following its closure, the building remained vacant for some time and was eventually demolished.

Community Impact

Over the years, Star Cinemas Hillsboro significantly impacted the local community. Its presence on the Harry Sauner corridor encouraged other businesses to establish themselves nearby, contributing to the area’s development. It also provided employment opportunities, supported local events and organizations, and contributed to the town's economy. Most notably, Star Cinemas was a proud supporter of Kamp Dovetail, a volunteer run summer camp for children with disabilities in Highland and surrounding counties of Ohio. Each year Star Cinemas opened its doors to hundreds of campers and volunteers, offering free entertainment, popcorn, and drinks to Kamp Dovetail participants.

Star Cinemas was also known for its popular free kids shows. With the help of local sponsors, each Wednesday the theater would open its door to hundreds of kids and parents, giving everyone in the community an opportunity to experience the theater for themselves. The theater was also a popular spot for school field trips, with school groups renting entire theaters to watch the newest releases as a reward for their students.

Going Digital

In 2012, after nearly two decades of using film projectors, Star Cinemas Hillsboro followed the film industry’s lead and adopted digital projection systems. The rise of digital of 35mm film print was ultimately a financial one on the studios’ part, as film prints were expensive to produce and ship—often costing over $1,500 per movie per theater. Digital files, by contrast, could be delivered via hard drive or even satellite at a fraction of the cost. This switch saved film studios millions and became a major driving force behind the transition.

Another important factor was image quality. Film degrades over time with each showing, leading to scratches, fading, and inconsistent quality. Digital projection offered a crisp, stable image every time, regardless of how many times a movie was shown. This consistency improved the viewer experience, ensuring that viewers received the same image quality in week 4 as opening weekend.

The Beginning of the End

The closure of Star Cinemas can be attributed to a combination of industry shifts that undermined the viability of small, independent theaters. The COVID-19 pandemic proved devastating to the theater industry, especially to independent theater chains like Star Cinemas. In March 2020, theaters closed for months on end by government mandate. Overnight, blockbuster movies headed for theaters were suddenly shifted to streaming. The only business Star Cinemas could conduct during this time was the sale of popcorn, which was hardly enough to keep the lights on.

Another significant factor was the repeal of the Paramount Decrees in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. These antitrust regulations, established in 1948, had previously prohibited major film studios from owning theaters and engaging in practices like block booking, which forced theaters to show less desirable films to gain access to major releases. With the repeal, studios regained the ability to exert greater control over film distribution, often favoring their own affiliated theaters and making it more challenging for independent venues like Star Cinemas to secure popular titles.

Simultaneously, the rise of streaming services dramatically altered consumer viewing habits. Platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max began releasing films directly to streaming, sometimes just weeks after their theatrical debut. This shift shortened the traditional release window, which had previously spanned several months, reducing the exclusivity and appeal of theater showings. As an example, there was an 8-month gap between when the movie Titanic’s opening day and its VHS release. This meant that in order to see it again, audiences had to return to the theater. Compare this to the film War of the Rohirrim, which debuted on December 13, 2024 and released digitally on December 27, 2024, only two weeks apart!

For Star Cinemas, these industry changes translated into decreased revenue and limited access to high-demand films, making it increasingly difficult to compete. The combination of diminished negotiating power and the accelerated shift toward streaming created an unsustainable business environment that affected not only Star Cinemas but other independent theaters across the country.

Closure and Demolition

In January 2025, Star Cinemas announced its closure after more than 30 years of operation. The news was met with an outpouring of nostalgia and appreciation from the community. Residents shared memories of first dates, family outings, and cherished moments spent at the theater. The closure not only marked the end of an era but also left Hillsboro without a local cinema, requiring movie enthusiasts to travel to neighboring towns for similar experiences.

The cinema site was sold to the Aldi grocery chain, who demolished the building in February 2025 and began construction on a new Aldi supermarket.

A Lasting Legacy

Star Cinemas served as a symbol of community pride for 30 years, designating Hillsboro as a small town capable of supporting and appreciating cinema. From the outside there wasn’t anything special about the simple block building, but those who ventured inside found expansive new worlds within its walls. As the city’s direct link to Hollywood, the theater made Hillsboro bigger than it really was, affording its citizens the same experience as larger, more affluent communities. This “equal playing field” offered Hillsboro a form of cultural power that shaped its identity and economic power that legitimized the Harry Sauner corridor (now home to Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Lowe’s).

In the end, Star Cinemas was a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit, the power of communal spaces, and the universal appeal of cinematic storytelling. The theater brought endless amounts of joy to the Hillsboro community, and will be remembered fondly for generations.