Forty years ago today, Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” opened here. And for those with an interest in this sort of stuff, here’s the link to a new retrospective article which includes a photo from and a mention of the Dome’s run (plus a mention of hundreds of other cinemas in which it played).
For those with an interest in this sort of stuff, here are links to a new retrospective article for the movie’s 40th anniversary. And another one focused on the movie’s 70mm presentations over the years.
MSC77
commented about
Cinemas Von
Nov 17, 2017 at 11:26 pm
^WSL… I’m curious why it took until a second-run of “Grease” for this theater to present a movie in stereo? My understanding is that those Eprad units were compatible with Dolby-encoded prints, and there were several Dolby releases during the timeframe of the theater’s late ‘77 opening through the timeframe of the summer '78 “Grease” release. “Close Encounters” (a Dolby release), for sure, played there during winter 77/78; why wouldn’t it have been presented in stereo?
I detect some timeline discrepancies or mistaken recollections in some of the recent comments. A comment was made that a member saw “Divine Madness” here (presumably in autumn 1980) while it was still a single screener. But in another comment the member recollects seeing “The Omen” (presumably in 1976 if they were referring to the first run of the original movie) after the theater had been plexed. To further confuse matters, the overview includes a blurb about the 5-plex renovation occurring in early 1980. As well, in this article about the 70mm presentations of “Divine Madness” the Criterion is listed as a 5-plex. And the “Divine Madness” newspaper ad posted in the Photos section refers to the theater as Criterion Center implying plurality with the screen count. Can anyone familiar with this venue clarify its screen count timeline history?
The name of this theater needs to be changed (corrected) to Minitek Cinemas. The Phoenix 2 (aka Phoenix Village 2) was a different theater operated by AMC and located near Towson and Phoenix. (I don’t see a database entry for the Phoenix Village 2.)
Giles… I don’t see any evidence the K-B Cinema ran CE3K in 70mm. The MacArthur did, though, following the K-B Cinema first run and at the same time as the Tysons run you cited.
Here is an article about the closing of the Bellevue.
Does anyone know/recall if “Camelot” had its Atlantic City roadshow run at this venue?
Does anyone know/recall if “Camelot” had its Atlantic City roadshow run at this venue?
nid3: Eric’s Place.
Here’s the link to a new podcast which focuses on the Westgate and its long run of the original “Star Wars.”
For those with an interest in this sort of stuff, here’s the link to my recent retrospective article, Still Watching the Skies: Remembering “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” on its 40th Anniversary, which includes mention of the Ziegfeld run (and a bunch of other info).
Forty years ago today, Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” opened here. And for those with an interest in this sort of stuff, here’s the link to a new retrospective article which includes a photo from and a mention of the Dome’s run (plus a mention of hundreds of other cinemas in which it played).
For those with an interest in this sort of stuff, here are links to a new retrospective article for the movie’s 40th anniversary. And another one focused on the movie’s 70mm presentations over the years.
^WSL… I’m curious why it took until a second-run of “Grease” for this theater to present a movie in stereo? My understanding is that those Eprad units were compatible with Dolby-encoded prints, and there were several Dolby releases during the timeframe of the theater’s late ‘77 opening through the timeframe of the summer '78 “Grease” release. “Close Encounters” (a Dolby release), for sure, played there during winter 77/78; why wouldn’t it have been presented in stereo?
The world premiere of Steven Spielberg’s “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” was held here forty years ago today.
Is the Crest located in Seattle, or is it actually in Shoreline?
Does anyone have a concise screen-count timeline for this venue? In particular, when did it transition from three to four screens?
I detect some timeline discrepancies or mistaken recollections in some of the recent comments. A comment was made that a member saw “Divine Madness” here (presumably in autumn 1980) while it was still a single screener. But in another comment the member recollects seeing “The Omen” (presumably in 1976 if they were referring to the first run of the original movie) after the theater had been plexed. To further confuse matters, the overview includes a blurb about the 5-plex renovation occurring in early 1980. As well, in this article about the 70mm presentations of “Divine Madness” the Criterion is listed as a 5-plex. And the “Divine Madness” newspaper ad posted in the Photos section refers to the theater as Criterion Center implying plurality with the screen count. Can anyone familiar with this venue clarify its screen count timeline history?
The name of this theater needs to be changed (corrected) to Minitek Cinemas. The Phoenix 2 (aka Phoenix Village 2) was a different theater operated by AMC and located near Towson and Phoenix. (I don’t see a database entry for the Phoenix Village 2.)
Giles… I don’t see any evidence the K-B Cinema ran CE3K in 70mm. The MacArthur did, though, following the K-B Cinema first run and at the same time as the Tysons run you cited.