What Happened to the Fire Breathing Dragon at West Edmonton Mall: Part 2 - Best Edmonton Mall
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
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Years ago I spoke about the Fire Breathing Dragon at WEM's Silver City Cinema. Famous Players flagship jewel in their collection of new mega cinemas was unarguably West Edmonton Mall's iconic Movie Theater location.
More details, more footage, and most of all... what actually happened to the West Edmonton Mall Dragon after it was removed. All this and more await you in the highly anticipated sequel to one of my earliest productions.
Enjoy!
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Update: Intro Music got Copyright Claimed (4 years later!) and instead of arguing that it was offered with commercial license, I opted to replace the intro music with content from the TH-cam Library. It doesn't affect much, but the title music seems a little louder and less synced than the original. Oh well, enjoy! :)
Watch Part 1 Here: th-cam.com/video/8R_Wn4jNli8/w-d-xo.html
It's kinda sad to think those baby dragons are still waiting for a mama that's never going to come 😪
😢😭
This video actually made me cry. I loved that dragon. When I lived in Saskatchewan and we’d come to edmonton for summer vacation, the dragon was always the first thing we’d go see. Even when I got older with friends we’d do the same or make it a tradition to go visit it and take a photo and send it to each other. So sad it’s gone and so sad to hear about the idiot chopping the head up. People are unreal I tell ya.
I never knew that story of Excalibur’s babies being stolen by the steampunk flyers!! I always imagined some grand tale building up to this firey encounter when we visited, but to know there’s already a story - now with a tragic ending - makes my dragon-loving heart wrench!
It would have been wonderful to keep the dragon elsewhere. How awful that someone took Excalibur’s head away and destroyed it. At least we have your videos, more footage elsewhere, and our memories!
I took my husband to this theatre, and to the dragon, on one of our first dates. He’d never seen such a spectacle in America! It was cool to impress him!
Thank you so much for finding and sharing these slices of history! Excalibur was my favourite feature of WEM for so many years. I’m glad we got to see him in his prime! Maybe another spectacle will one day return... I mean, the babies are still there...!
I never knew about that to when I last seen the dragon
I missed that as well
. That got me too, Ryuko! Slightly twisted story! The flame represents the moment a dragon's children are stolen? Odd. SAD!!
We used to go just to see the Dragon. I remember how hot it was. I didn't know why they took it down until today 🙄. I thought they finally realized it was a potential lawsuit. I wondered if one day someone would get hurt. Ppl were able to stand way too close to that flame.
Still...it was a 😎 theatre. It was an event before you even saw the movie.
Bravo! Excellent video. Damn near brought a tear to my eye. I miss the dragon, whom I now know was named Excalibur, so much.
Excellent and nice video. Super and beautiful to watch. Thumps up LIKE👍💯✅🔝🔥💝💟💥💝💕💯✅🆒✔'''''NEW SUBSCRIBED TO YOUR CHANNELS, BIG LIKE💯💯👍👍👍
I miss it too man. I miss the whole mall during the silver city years. It was some of the best.
I was a small child when the dragon was added. I remember seeing it for the first time and scream crying in terror 😂. It took me a long time to be able to walk under it after that, let alone watch it breathe fire. I remember hearing the music start which signalled the start of the show, and I’d go hide around the corner lol
I did that as an adult
Ah, that glorious music.
😂 I JUST got over my fear when they decided to turn her off and I was like "really!?"
You rock Emily wow!
I remember always running upstairs with my friends to stand on the upper deck to be right in front the fire as it came out, that was some intense heat 🔥 🐉
I can still feel the heat from that flame. Lol I got a good whooping from mom for crossing the line when the flame spit out 🤣
Very cool you got footage of them dissembling her, Matt! Although, I died a little inside when I saw the poor creature.
The guy that made off with the head had balls! Pretty shitty of the theater to tell him to destroy it if he wasn't going to return it.
EDIT- I originally said, "What's it to them, they were just going to destroy it anyway?" Then I went back and watched that part in the video again, where you state that the theater actually planned to display it somewhere. My bad! Still, he should have returned it so that everyone could've still enjoyed it to some extent. Maybe this guy didn't know they were going to keep it; maybe he thought they were just going to trash it. If not, then that was very selfish of him.
I’m so glad I got to witness the dragon live in action before it disappeared. I had a picture of it on my Nintendo DSi. I’ll never forget how sad I was when I walked into the theatre & seen the dragon was gone. You brought back so much memories for me. I forgot the had air planes besides the doors & the giant Kong.
West Edmonton Mall might have the most lore out of any mall I’ve ever heard of.
The first time I saw the dragon was also my first time seeing an IMAX film - my mom took me to Fantasia 2000. The fire was much hotter when you stood on the 2nd floor IMAX level. I prenteded I was calm and grown up about it, but I was as much terrified as delighted. 😂
A few years later I saw the dragon many times while waiting in line for Star Wars Episode 3. Very good memories. And for some reason, I also have the distinct memory of seeing live flamingos in WEM on that day...
WEM did have a flamingo exhibit at one point.
I remember ber my mom falling asleep during that movie she snored. I found it funny
We should figure out who the dude was that stole the dragon's head and egg his house.
Yeah, very selfish of him. We could've enjoyed seeing it. But maybe he didn't know they were going to keep the head to display.
And fill his swimming pool with garbage bags full of newspaper.
EYE get that ALLLL Dragon Heads "lives MATTER!!!" buuuuuuuuut lets not THROW ANYTHING AT ANYONE....... this week
Agreed. I’m actually super pissed about that. He needs to be punched in the face a few times.
@@Glosoli4 Although, plot twist: Perhaps the contractor's original orders were to destroy it anyway, and he brought it home to "save" it. Maybe he lied about destroying it, and it is safe in someone's garage, hidden under a tarp.
I miss the dragon! It scared the crap out of me every single time, but I loved it.
BEM thanks again for another trip down memory lane! I remember vividly my first time walking into the "new" theater in 1999 to watch Star Wars. I remember being wowed going up that escalator and could not to figure out that silver thing to only be amazed by the fire breathing dragon. It was almost magical the atmosphere at the time and exciting to go to that theater to watch a movie.
I wish wem was how it used to be. Used to have such a unique and fun theme but now, they’ve turned it more into a shopping theme.
Was there about a year ago with a friend that never had been before. I tried to explain this fire breathing Dragon to her but words couldn’t explain. Showed her your video and she was thrilled to see this!
When you’re stuck sitting for 12 hours
How did you write your comment 20 hours ago if this video was premiered 113 minutes ago?
I'm always pleased to see you cover the theatre, and the dragon. As someone who's worked there since 2002, I must have seen the dragon fire of thousands of times. While I don't miss how loud, and frequent it was, it's still hard not to get nostalgic for it.
I didn't actually know about the contractor stealing the head. That pisses me off. I would have loved to see it on display in the lobby, considering how iconic it was.
Next time you stop by, notice the auditorium door handles - they're dragon claws!
Oh yeah! I've definitely noticed that before!!!
I just clicked on your channel by accident and I noticed you played games like this but I think you would like stardew valley lmao
@@LimeLoaf It's true, I do like Stardew Valley! But alas, I don't make videos anymore.
As amazing as this dragon was, it was a nightmare to keep up and running. One maintenance worker lamented that every time the fire alarms went off in the mall itself it would automatically shutdown the dragon and those alarms often go off every day.
But oh, the nostalgia this video gave was amazing. I remember going to see Episode 1 and my 10 year old self watching it at Silver City. Disappointing they got rid of the dragon tail (or was it a snake tail?) that started at Phase 4 and went up into the theater itself.
Does anyone remember Kidtropolis a WEM? I used to love going there as a kid!
Love the video!! Your histories are well done!!
I remember feeling the heat from the Dragon. That, along with the tongue and planes being removed shows the mall losing its quirky-ness.
They used to have a skate park in the basement, and so many other things
I CAN'T WAIT, need this vid in my life now!!
Went there while visiting people back in 2012. Glad I got to see it before its removal
We lived across the street from the mall and my little brother and I were so terrified of the dragon. Eventually we grew up and were so amazed by it. One of my only vivid memories of my childhood - I cried watching this
I saw Episode 1 at silver city at least 4 times. Went to movies there all the time good place for dates. Nice memories thank you.
My brain is trying to trick me. I'm remembering it being right on the outside as you came up the escalator, as if the Dragon was guarding the entrance. Clearly I am wrong! Great piece of trivia, thanks Matt!
Thank you for your videos Matt! You're unlocking so many great childhood memories ♥️♥️♥️
I'm surprised it took until 2013 for the Dragon to come down. I worked here 3.5 years and left in 2007. I barely remember any Dragon shows in my final year. When I worked box office I was constantly asked by customers when the dragon would start. I remember for my last several months I always had to tell people it was under maintenance. I didn't get specifics, just that there was problems. It was ALWAYS under maintenance during my last year or so there, it was more surprising when it was actually on.
I remember this because I would always get That One Guy freaking out at me that the Dragon wasn't working. Like they assumed I had a button that I could press and start the dragon. The worst one stood there and screamed at me in front of his kids because they were on vacation and drove all the way here specifically to see the Dragon and didn't have much time until they had to leave Edmonton. I couldn't help him so he just continued ranting until his wife asked if they could go.
I do not miss that job.
What a douche nozzle. Sorry that happened.
I worked at the Famous Players Chinook for opening night and I would have to say it was very a very interesting time and got to see the mummy show hundreds of times! got to visit Silver city many times too was a great time!!
This was so good. I grew up as part of the SilverCity generation and I loved these Famous Players theatres. It is a company which is greatly missed.
Glad I was able to see the dragon breath fire in my face from the IMAX staircase.
Oh man, that bell and lightning with the dragon gave me the chills
Me too. From the whimsical music that signalling the show was about to start, to the dramatic DUN!! and rest of build-up, to the creepy chanting, to the thunder and wind sounds, the lightning clashes, the mighty roar she gave, and finally to the calming chorus that played as she went back to sleep.
@@sabrinamiller3671 Always wondered if that whole audio piece that played the music/souds were ever saved.
Would love to hear a clear audio track of it all, like I was back in that theatre..
man i’m so glad you made these videos
TY!
my dad helped build the movie theater!!! we got a free year pass to see as many movies as we wanted to! the good ol days!
Keep up the great work!
...and then Cineplex ruined everything by turning an awesome place into a generic theatre like every other cineplex, because they are too cheap to send someone to clean it every once in a while.
Cineplex sucks I'm happy they are going under. Much prefer Landmark theatres or independent theatres.
@@naderzein2435 Same. I used to work for them in high school. Just a greedy corporation that charge a ridiculous amount at the concession stand. Managers and supervisors don't help with aggressive or harassive customers. Also, we're told we always have to refer to the people coming in as "𝑮𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔", not customers...but "𝑮𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒔". Managers are pretty useless when it comes to getting any actual answers. And by managers, I mean like about 9 or 10 of them, sometimes all there on the same day. Not to mention, the cineplex store, where you can rent or buy 1 movie from $5 - $20.
No thanks, i'll stick to netflix.
Anyway, I rant too much. But yeah, I'd rather go to Empire (at the time) or Landmark. It's just too bad there isn't at least one closer to the Southside.
I'm with the other commenters, Landmark is so much better than Cineplex. The theater in City Centre is my favorite theater in the city.
EDIT: I forgot to mention that any tips from customers are to be placed in the cash register and later given to supervisors or managers during cash out. None of it goes back on our paychecks.
@@Damianator13 That's so shitty!! That just decreased my respect for this company even more.
Thank you for making this video, I love learning about west ed mall's history
I to remember that Dragon at W.E.M. at was the Coolest thing I have ever saw and how it breath out fire Like it did it was awesome to see that. but now it's sad how it's gone from the Silver City we will all miss it from there :o( :0( :0(
I used to love running up the IMAX stairs to get as close to the fire as I could. We didn't get to visit the mall much when I was younger but every time we made a special trip just to watch Excalibur. Great memories.
11:05 this is the saddest image I have seen today 😭 😭 😭 😭
I never thought I'd be so invested in a Mall that I have never heard of before, have no intention of ever visiting or know anything about. Great videos!
Hahaha, well I'm glad you enjoy them all the same!
I always remember when I was a kid, when we went to the mall for shopping we'd always time our shopping around going up to see that dragon. by then it only happened once an hour but we always tried our best to work it into our day.
Excited to show my girlfriend the dragon in 2019 as I hadn’t been to WEM in 10 years and was utterly shocked and disappointed it was gone
My dad was part of the team that built the dragon in the nineties. He was really upset when he heard it was getting taken down, as was I. I only ever got to see it fire a couple of times, once when I was seeing Shrek the Third lol.
That's so cool! Did he have any interesting stories to share with you about working on it? And where was it built?
I went there numerous times. I remember taki g my kids when they were younger. I cant believe i didn't know about the babies until today
1:01 These songs were most popular the only time I ever visited WEM and the “SilverCity” theatre. Along with Sugar Ray and Aaliyah (may she RIP) and Afroman and Spin Doctors. I especially remember listening to these last 4 artists just outside WEM. Good days.
Would LOVE to see it rebuilt and be performed AGAIN
I visited the mall recently and accidentally showed up to the Theater a hour early. An old man about 70 to 80 years old I would say, was wearing an employee jacket and told me all about the dragon. He said that it actually ran off a single laptop somewhere in a broom closet.
I love the editing of his videos! And living close to the mall was great.
I miss the dragon so much! Every time I went I asked the staff if the dragon would ever run again but then they took him down 🥺
Epic!!! Show
I love all the work you do!! Still can't wait for the playdium video! Hopefully it is soon since the mall is open!
As an homage it would be cool if they added a sword in stone, or maybe Excalibur’s skeleton
Very interesting, I didn’t know the story of what had happened to it. It was very exciting when it opened for sure
The F-14's were great. I volunteered at the Alberta Aviation Museum on Kingsway Ave for many years. I remember seeing the 2 F-14's show up and quickly sold. Don't know where they are now.
I saw it for the first time in year 2000 when I came to Canada for my study . I miss those days 😢😢😢😢
I really miss the fire-breathing Dragon of Silver City.
I wanted to show it to my Nephew.
The good old days. I miss that dragon. I loved, we all did. We would go up to see him breath fire, it was so cool. I also miss how cheap it was to go see a movie. Now it cost an arm and a leg.
they should paint a mural of excalibur somewhere near the theatre
Man that dragon was my childhood I was obsessed with it. I’d make my grandma drive from St. Albert every weekend just so I could see the dragon. I was 6. It didn’t matter if it was static or not moving that thing was awesome
I had no idea whatsoever the statues would breathe or the baby dragons. Why would they take out Kong. My Dad used to pick me up and offer me up to the dragon like a sacrifice as a child. I was always so scared and the flames were so warm. I wish they left it alone or the guy at least returned the head. Like why steal it in the first place when there's plans to keep it apart of the mall.
Fricking Simon's...
The exterior of Simons looks like it was scorched by the dragon..
Im a new subscriber and i love your attention to detail in your mini documentaries. Video is super sad and i wish Silver City could have stayed the way it was in its hayday. 😔 I am very happy i took my daughter to see Excaliber come to life everytime we were in WEM. I know this video is gunna make her sad, when she see it, especially about the baby dragons 😔
I didn’t see Episode 1 on opening day or weekend, but yea. I remember seeing it at Silver City.
Oh I had to work under that fucking dragon for a season and I am forever scarred by the beginning song.
I saw Excalibur only once in action and then, when we went again and he was still there, I asked why he wasn't moving and the movie staff told me that he was broken. Understandable. When we were able to make it to the city again and make it to West Edmonton Mall, I was ranting and raving about how much I loved the thing and the friend we were staying with finally told me that they removed him and that he was no longer there. I never saw the babies though in all of my times being there or I have seen them and I just don't remember.
Don't take this the wrong way... but there isn't a week that goes by where I don't think about Excalibur and how he totally freaked me out but was also interesting at the same time. He was so freaking cool and I was sad to hear that he was gone.
In a way, the dragon died without ever reuniting with its babies. While they, and the captors still live on, Excalibur breather her last breath was decapitated and later destroyed… such a sad, yet symbolic ending to the flagship of that theatre.
I was TERRIFIED of this thing as a kid, I would always run into the bathrooms to hide lol
Just because I grew up, doesn't mean that the Mall had to!! 😔
This got me thinking about vintage movie theatres in Edmonton and wondering if there’s any archive footage of them, especially the three original theatres in WEM?
That was probably the coolest theatre in the world and they turned into a boring generic building. The dragon was one of the first memories of Canada. We saw it the first week we moved to canada.
You learn something new everyday...
I was a little kid when I first went to this theatre, I didn’t know the dragon moved and I nearly shit myself in fear lol
I LOVED this thing :(((
Wow I’ve been there 1000 times and never noticed the baby dragons. Maybe because that concession has never once been open while I’ve gone 🤔
IKR?? I've never noticed them at all. And now that I know they actually moved at one point, I wanna cry. Lol
wow it feels like yesterday, I saw SWFM opening day, standing in line for eight hours.
SWPM
I totally remember that dragon
It makes me sad to see so much of the original mall getting the axe, but I guess that's just how it goes. As long as the waterpark, my favorite place in the mall, remains awesome, I'll still be going there.
My childhood 🥲
I used to call it puff the magic dragon
I remember being terrified of the dragon as a kid. Too bad it went away before I was the right age to appreciate how awesome it was. The theatre has lost all of its soul.
Yeah, it was the same thing for me. I was 7 years old when they removed it, and I have absolutely no nostalgia of the dragon, just blurry mental images. I am 13 now.
I can't believe some dude got away with stealing the giant dragon head and then why wouldn't he just return it?? An awesome thing destroyed for nothing smh
It's possible he didn't know they were going to save it for display purposes. He may have thought they were going to destroy it, anyway. If not, then it was a "If I can't have it, nobody can!" mentality.
The babies are still there, you can see their heads poking out from the boarded up concession stand. I went there earlier this month, and took the opportunity to finally confirm it.
I think that guy who stole Excalibur's head is the true villain of the story. Should be exposed.
Wherever is baby dragon?
Simons had them take down the scaly tongue? As if they didn't have enough space and reach in that mall. Sheesh. That was neat architectural feature.
It's pretty dumb. Sucks all the life out of the mall. I don't think the mall even tried keep those fighter jets and tongue. Ngl, the mall is trash now. Catered to chain stores, nothing unique to see. No need to drive half way across the city when Southgate is closer.
LOL in all the years I've been going to this theater (at least since 2002) I've never once noticed the two baby dragons in that side! I mean, I usually saw new releases, which are in the other side, but still!
I worked a few years after it opened. the baby dragons were the first piece of the story to fail. plus you had to have a ticket to a show, down theatre alley AND kind of be loitering in front of an exit or woman's washroom at the exact time to notice.
I recall being startled by the baby dragon sounds back in the day, as I had never heard them before, but I don't recall I ever saw them move.
Also never knew the gargoyle statues breathed.
I've been 1000s of times too and never noticed
Dang, I remember going around 2001 or so, I was 9 or 10 and I saw the dragon but I never got to see it breath fire. I think the rumor was they scaled back the breathing to like once an hour or something? Or maybe it stopped altogether by that point.
*sobs uncontrollably*
whoa whoa whoa wait, Calgary's Chinook Cineplex had a laser show?!?
Do you have a podcast? If not you should make one :)
Sadly I was born in December of 2010 so I did get to see it but I didn’t get to see it breathe fire
I stopped going there when they made the place so plain...... I can go to any theatre, to make that trip I needed the reason. Even though I lived blocks away.
I can't believe I never even knew about the baby dragons before, much less that they also moved! I'm so mad now!!
Cool backstory! I did always notice the steampunk fliers, and vaguely wondered about them. I haven't been to the theater in ages, are they still there?
They, and them babies, are... or, were before COVID shut down anyway. I don't expect they've gone anywhere.
@@BestEdmontonMall Do the fliers still move? If not, it's silly that they don't; I can't see them being that expensive to keep going. Same with the babies- I wonder what their excuse is for turning them off!
@@sabrinamiller3671 Fliers do (sometimes), Babies don't at all
@@sabrinamiller3671 Laziness from management and counting every penny that'll be part of their salary
@@Damianator13 True! Cineplex is a very cheap company that loves to save every penny while gouging the public horribly.
My dad welded at the water park and help build it
I’m quite literally from the other side of the country, but this dragon animatronic has always impressed me
Always wondered why movie theatres haven’t started doing crazy stuff like this again, it’s a literal trump card against the streaming services.
They could be like “oh, you have movies at home right? But do you have a FIRE BREATHING DRAGON?”
The whole go big or go home mentality that FP had was what kept them in the lead until Viacom sold them. I think modern-day Cineplex needs to channel some of that to combat the decline of their movie theatres
Very true. They have shitty arcades and air hockey, but its really not the same at all.
The 90s/00s in general had so much charm, we don't see anything like it anywhere anymore.
@@vangoghsseveredear agreed, we should bring back 90’s gaudiness for sure. It’s not all gone though, the Colossus theatre in Vaughan still has its hanging statues and stormtroopers, as well as the original spaceship theme in remarkable condition for their age. It’s like stepping into it when it was brand new (minus the alien ticket machines but hey, those were retired pretty early on)
Imax is also in really good condition there too. Oppenheimer in 70mm was something else. Also there are neon and blinking lights everywhere it’s beautiful
In the lobby not the imax theatre sorry
Imax theatre is really good, lobby has neon lights everywhere
@@vangoghsseveredear they’ve managed to maintain and preserve the old and add new technologies without intruding on the existing theming. That is how theatres should be done
It's really weird, I remember the arms moving as well...
Do you have any more footage of the Episode 1 release? I remember my brother telling me that he was there opening day.
Matt, I meant to ask. In your King Kong vid, you said you didn't know about the dragon's ultimate fate. When and where did you hear about what happened? And where did you get the best but heartbreaking footage of it being dismantled?
"Neat" footage I meant to say, not "best". Autocorrect...
I found out after. Someone who was there approached me on the condition of anonymity.
Ah, fair enough! :)
I always thought he was named Draco after Dragonheart.
Damm I’m always gonna miss that dragon I always wondered why it left ngl