Nearly seven months into repairing and remodeling the old double-screened cinema, adding a better sound system and a lamp house, the owners of The Box have cranked up the projectors and are now showing movies again in Douglas.

"It's been a labor of love," said Carlos Rodriguez, owner of The Box, Douglas' only cinema. "We had so many people come in and volunteer their time."

For the first two months after he bought the empty Douglas Cinema, a two-story brick building with two movie screens, Rodriquez and two others toiled long hours in repairing the interior and exterior of the building.

And it was no easy task. First of all, there weren't enough seats, so they had to buy extra rows of seats and install them. They also remodeled the front exterior of the building, replaced poster windows and relocated the ticket both.

"We've had about thirty people at one point or another come through here and help with a variety of jobs."

But no sooner did they finish one project when other problems arose. There were electrical problems, plumbing problems and water issues. They found much that needed to be updated.

"Perhaps the newest piece of equipment here was about forty years old," Jimenez said. "I can only imagine how old the rest of this stuff is."

But now after seven months of working on the building, they have begun to see the first flickers of light.

The new equipment will provide not only better sound but also a better image on the screen.

Rodriguez said they also soundproofed the walls in order to keep out noise.

"We want people to have the best sound and picture possible," Rodriguez said.

All movies showing at The Box will not be first release films but fairly new movies that been out for about three to four weeks such as Happy Feet or The Nativity Story, which are still relatively new movies.

Rodriguez said that once The Box can prove its credit worthiness, then the distribution companies will be more willing to let him have the first release films.

But even with second run films, Douglas will now have a place to buy a tub of popcorn, sit back and watch movies on a wide screen.