STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- By many accounts, it was sort of a dump.

But the UA Hylan Plaza was THEIR dump.

Old buddies had been Facebooking about getting together on Jan. 28 to say goodbye to the place where their youthful imaginations were ignited by "Star Wars" -- the same place they later fell in love while the "Titanic" went down.

They didn't get there in time. Passers-by spotted workers carting out the guts of the dilapidated-but-beloved New Dorp movie theater over the weekend, making way for the new $150 million Boulevard shopping mall.

When New Springville's Chris Olivieri posted SILive business reporter Tracey Porpora's announcement of the closure, he and his former UA Hylan co-workers couldn't help but reminisce. (Note: That montage up there is his handiwork.)

"For the period that I worked at the theater, it felt less like a job and more like a second home with a second family," said Olivieri, co-founder of NB Technologies Web Design. "Working there cemented relationships that have lasted to this day.

The resulting outpouring of nostalgia spurred this good-natured reality check from FB friend Lisa Lee: "Aw, you guys seemed like you had the best time working there! But from my experience, just based on going there a few times 3-5 years ago, is that is the worssst theater everrrr. I mean ticket prices were awesome because [they were] so cheap. But the bathrooms were awful...like more than awful. The screens were stained. The floors hadn't been cleaned in basically ever. I'm sure you're sad to see it go for nostalgic reasons but damn that is one ghetto theater."

Apparently, that was all part of the charm of the place.

"It seemed very mom and pop although it was part of the Regal chain; many times the person who gave you your ticket also doled out your popcorn," Gary J. Moore chimed in. "The atmosphere was always warm and inviting ... movie theatres are still places of social connection and that is being gentrified out in favor of soulless malls. The Hylan will be missed!"

BOULEVARD ON THE HORIZON: For most of Hylan Plaza's existence since the mid-1960s, it's housed a movie theater. It was Fox Plaza before Regal Entertainment opened the UA in the 1990s.

That cinematic tradition is expected to continue -- albeit probably without what diehard fans praised as the "cheapest tickets in town."

"The Boulevard will have a great theater, along with a fitness center, a great mix of other general merchandise retailers, restaurants and service tenants," said Joshua Weinkranz, president, northeast region of Kimco Realty, the owner of the shopping center.

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES: The following are some of our favorite Facebook post about UA Hylan Plaza.

Shawn Moynihan My aunt, Lynn K. Daly, took me there to see "Star Wars" in the summer of 1977. I was 7. I'll never forget that first time. Absolutely mindblowing, unforgettable experience. Followed up with "Empire" in 1980 (my second viewing of said film), and I remember how godawful hot it was that day while we were sitting in a freezing, air-conditioned theater watching the Hoth scenes. I don't believe I saw "Return of the Jedi" there in '93, but I DID go to a screening of the godawful horror movie "The Deadly Spawn" in '82 just so I could see the "Revenge of the Jedi" trailer.

I then took my aunt in 2015 to see "The Force Awakening," in order to bring things full circle, and afterward I found myself wishing they'd stopped making "Star Wars" movies. Then of course I saw "Rogue One" in December, and all was made right with the universe again.

The End.

Nick Purpura Wednesday, May 25, 1983, my mom, Barbara Maida, once again proved she's the greatest mom by waking me up that morning to tell me I wasn't going to school. We were to wait on line to see "Return of the Jedi" at that UA. The line went from the UA to where Sizzler used to be; the entire parking lot. Didn't matter, I was as happy as a 10-year-old could be.

Laura Brose I saw "Star Wars" there, too. My little brother was with me and he was just a toddler. When my mother took us, she believed that he would just sleep through the movie, but he was wide awake and it made a big impression on him, he remembers parts of it to this day!

Gina Scribbles Harkins I remember my mom taking me there to see "The Lion King" and "Jurassic Park" when I was a kid, and then going to Toys R Us to get the toys. Sneaking into movies as a teenager. Calling them on a payphone when I was 12 to tell them that my daughter and her 2 friends were going to get tickets to see "Baseketball" and they had my permission. Good times.

Nikkianne DiPaola I'll miss the trash tornado outside of that movie theatre the most

Alex Nunez Patrick Simione you remember them good old days

Movie hopping all day for 20$$

Gary J Moore It's a sad day for Staten Island movie goers!

Jessie Kuffner I threw up on my grandma's friend's lap seeing the Holocaust movie "Life Is Beautiful" when I was 9. Good times.

Eric Norcross Last truly cheap hole on the wall cinema....

Don Arangio One time at the UA Hylan we were waiting on line outside of the big theater in anticipation of "The Blair Witch Project." Somebody ran out of the movie and vomited all over the wall. Later, the crew used a box cutter to remove the wallpaper in that spot only, and it got new wallpaper eventually but the seams were very visible. It was like a permanent shrine to bad filmmaking. Every time I took someone to the movies there, I would repeat this story to my friend, saying "and that's where a guy puked because 'Blair Witch' was so dumb."

... I save all of my movie tickets, I've got UA Hylan stubs from 1997 on. Original "Star Wars" trilogy re-release, "The Matrix," tons of others.

Marc R. Williamson I think we snuck into episode 2 as well

Don Arangio Marc R. Williamson it's almost like they didn't want you to pay there. I remember once walking through the front door and past the ticket clerk who didn't even stop me

-- Do you have nostalgic stories or photos to share? Post them in the comments section or email them to bailey@siadvane.com.