THE owner of Cessnock Cinema 3 is considering closing the theatre and turning it into retail space after young vandals went on a school holiday spree, costing him about $75,000 to replace slashed and damaged seating and cover graffiti on walls.
John Genetzakis said about 100 seats in his three theatres had been damaged, some pushed off their metal plates which were bolted to the floor.
He said other seats were slashed, ripped and their legs snapped and graffiti drawn on walls throughout the building.
Mr Genetzakis said each chair cost about $500 and he was looking at a $75,000 repair and replacement bill.
"This is all really starting to take its toll on the business," he said.
"Some of the graffiti we were able to remove with special solutions but there is still a lot there and it really needs to be repainted."
No stranger to crime, Mr Genetzakis was the target of a firebomb attack on his home last year and has been the victim of other verbal and physical attacks.
He was toying with the idea of employing security guards to patrol movie sessions but said the cost factor was an issue.
"We're struggling here at the best of times and school holidays this year were not as good as last year.
"The main movie was Avatar this year and we don't have the proper 3D equipment so patronage was down.
"I'd probably be looking at about $45 an hour for security for each theatre. I know that seems a trivial amount when you consider the damage that has been done but it comes down to what you can afford to pay."
Mr Genetzakis said he was frustrated recently when a patron came to him after a movie and said some boys destroyed three to four seats while she was sitting there.
CCTV was another alternative to police the vandalism but that would come at a cost of about $10,000, he said.
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