1981’s “The Great Muppet Caper” starring Kermit, Fozzie & Miss Piggy and “Stripes” starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis & John Candy both opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (June 26, 1981).
1981’s “Superman II” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago today (June 19, 1981).
Still considered one of the best super-hero/sequels movies ever made, it was the third highest-grossing film of 1981 (one of three make over $100 million) & won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film.
Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning 1981 classic “Raiders of the Lost Ark” opened at the Cinedome in 70mm 40 years ago today (June 12, 1981).
Widely considered the greatest action-adventure movie ever made, it became the highest-grossing film of 1981, introduced the world to Indiana Jones & spawned three sequels (with a fourth on the way), not to mention kept all us Star Wars fans busy between The Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi.
I saw Raiders at the Cinedome with my dad & it’s one of the best memories I have of spending time with my old man.
1981’s “The Legend of the Lone Ranger” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (May 22, 1981), starring Christopher Lloyd as Butch Cavendish, Jason Robards as Ulysses S. Grant & newcomer Klinton Spilsbury as the eponymous Masked Man.
The first big-screen adaptation featuring the iconic character in more than 20 years, it was considered a major release for the summer of ‘81, backed by action figures, storybooks & a 1000-screen rollout over Memorial Day weekend. Unfortunately poor reviews, the producers’ treatment of ‘50s Lone Ranger Clayton Moore & Spilsbury’s performance (he won the Razzie for worst actor and never made another movie again) sunk the film & booted it out of theaters by early June.
I was 10 when I saw it at the Woodbridge opening weekend, had collected all of the action figures prior to release, & enjoyed it for the most part. Still revisit it & the John Barry score from time to time.
The little-seen 1981 Libyan historical war epic “Lion of the Desert” starring Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed & Rod Steiger opened at the Dome 40 years ago this weekend (April 17, 1981). Controversial at the time for being bankrolled by the Libyan government under Muammar Gaddafi, the film was well received by critics but not audiences. According to in70mm.com, an unadvertised 70mm print screened at the Dome.
Still shocked at the news of the closure this morning. I live in Orange County & made my first visit to the Dome in 1996 for Apocalypse Now & later From Dusk Til Dawn. Came back in ‘98 for Close Encounters of the Third Kind & Gladiator in 2000. Over the next 15 years my wife & I would make the drive up for Van Helsing, Spider-man 3, Intolerable Cruelty, The Godfather, Shine a Light, Titanic 3D and the Martian.
I always felt like a kid heading there, knowing I was in for a true cinematic treat with every visit.
You have to believe someone like Netflix, Amazon or other deep-pocketed industry savior will step in to at least preserve the Dome. It is a designated LA Historic-Cultural Monument and can’t be demolished or altered without going before the Cultural Heritage Commission, who has the right to delay any demolition for up to one year.
But frankly I don’t see another exhibition chain stepping in to rescue Arclight, not in this volatile climate. They’re all holding on by the skin of their teeth, can’t see any of them determining the acquisition of new properties to be economically feasible. Anything’s possible, though. We shall see.
The third theatrical re-release of “Star Wars” opened at the Saddleback 6 40 years ago this weekend (April 10, 1981). It marked the first time the texts “Episode IV” & “A New Hope” appeared at the beginning of the opening crawl.
The third theatrical re-release of “Star Wars” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (April 10, 1981). It marked the first time the texts “Episode IV” & “A New Hope” appeared at the beginning of the opening crawl.
Jerry Lewis' “Hardly Working” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (April 3, 1981). I was 10 years old & off from school the week of its release & couldn’t wait to see it opening weekend. Haven’t seen it since.
My wife lived in nearby Fountain Valley as a kid & can recall seeing a Disney animated film here with her parents when she was eight & staying for Who’s Killing the Great Chefs of Europe playing right afterwards in the same theater. However, five minutes in they discovered the first chef inside an oven & her parents quickly whisked her out of the theater & headed home. Kind of an odd double bill.
I can remember frequenting Honer Plaza throughout the late ‘70s & early '80s as a kid (my mom got her hair done there) & being fascinated with the nearby Mitchell Brothers theater & the salacious titles adorning the huge marquee. When I’d point it out in the parking lot, my mom would always say “you don’t want to go in there.” Was still open for about a year and half after I turned 18 but by that time I’d forgotten all about it. Probably for the best.
A 70mm double-bill of Disney’s “The Black Hole” & “Sleeping Beauty” began a 4-week stint at the Mann South Coast Plaza 40 years ago this weekend (March 27, 1981).
The AMC Woodbridge has reopened for weekend business with two screenings each of four films Friday nights and three screenings (matinee) Saturdays & Sundays. Looks like one screen is reserved for private showings.
FYI: An amusing title, indeed, but this ad is for the the South Coast Village 3 across the street, not the South Coast Plaza III, which had already been shuttered by 2000.
First film I distinctly recall seeing here was “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” in 1991.
It was a nice little theater, one I visited quite often throughout the ‘90s. It was comfortable & intimate & served as a nice compliment to the Big Newport across the street.
Can also remember seeing both Peter Weir’s “Fearless” with Jeff Bridges (left theater emotionally exhausted after that plane-crash finale) & Jim Sheridan’s “In the Name of the Father” with Daniel Day-Lewis here.
Irvine Spectrum was quite a revelation when it opened 25 years ago last fall. Back then the center was just a handful of shops & restaurants (B&N, Diedrich Coffee, Champs) and the massive 21-screen theater.
It became the go-to destination for catching dinner & a flick with friends, even when I was living in Costa Mesa & Fullerton.
The Hollywood & Palace were the massive stadium-style theaters, while the Chinese & Egyptian were big, but more intimate. You always hoped your movie was playing in one of the four. Luckily they were noted in the newspaper ads.
Can remember seeing 12 Monkeys, Executive Decision, Twister, Mission Impossible, The Rock, Boogie Nights & Magnolia there, to name a few. Even remember catching Meet Joe Black so I could get my first glimpse of the Star Wars Episode 1 trailer.
Caught a few in the early 2000s, but as the center grew it kind of lost its allure. Last thing I saw there was The Hateful Eight in 2015.
I frequented Hutton Center quite a bit in the late ‘80s & throughout the ‘90s. I can remember seeing “The Dead Pool” with Clint Eastwood, “Back to the Future II & III,” “Lock Up,” “Jennifer Eight,” “Dave,” “Star Trek Generations,” “Goldeneye” and “There’s Something About Mary” there. Was sorry to see it close.
The Park Place was a nice 10-screen theater in a rather odd little
pop-up shopping center. Located off busy Jamboree Road at the 405, you had to take cross street Michelson down a ways to access the center from behind. There was a new B. Dalton bookstore (odd since small mall bookstores were closing as B&Ns were opening everywhere), a sporting goods store (Big 5 or Sports Chalet) and a few restaurants, most notably the city’s first California Pizza Kitchen. It was basically that CPK that drew me to the theater a handful of times after dinner in 1996/‘97. I can distinctly remember seeing “Primal Fear” and “Grosse Pointe Blank” there but nothing else.
The Uni, as locals called it, was Irvine’s second movie theater and opened four years after the Woodbridge 5.
Even though it was at the far end of town, it didn’t stop my Irvine High School buddies and I from coaxing our parents to drop us off on a Friday or Saturday night for such flicks as “Commando,” “Predator” & U2’s “Rattle & Hum.”
I even recall taking my one and only bus ride there in the summer of ‘87 to see “Dragnet” with Dan Aykroyd & Tom Hanks. Other memorable '80s films included “Die Hard,” “Big” Lethal Weapon 2" & “Christmas Vacation.”
Came back in the ‘90s for “Misery,” “Ed Wood,” “Speed” & “Pulp Fiction” (with a full crowd opening weekend).
The Uni later became a popular indie art house in the Regal chain and was soon booking OC exclusives. Unfortunately, the theater has an absolutely terrible parking lot they share with a Trader Joe’s, Target and every other retailer & business office in the center. Most close-by parking is 45 minutes or less & I can’t tell you how many movies I’ve given up on seeing because I couldn’t find a parking space. By far, the worst parking lot of all of Regal’s OC locations.
Exclusives should be at the nearby Westpark, which has its own sprawling, dedicated parking lot.
1981’s “The Great Muppet Caper” starring Kermit, Fozzie & Miss Piggy and “Stripes” starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis & John Candy both opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (June 26, 1981).
1981’s “Superman II” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago today (June 19, 1981).
Still considered one of the best super-hero/sequels movies ever made, it was the third highest-grossing film of 1981 (one of three make over $100 million) & won the Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film.
Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning 1981 classic “Raiders of the Lost Ark” opened at the Cinedome in 70mm 40 years ago today (June 12, 1981).
Widely considered the greatest action-adventure movie ever made, it became the highest-grossing film of 1981, introduced the world to Indiana Jones & spawned three sequels (with a fourth on the way), not to mention kept all us Star Wars fans busy between The Empire Strikes Back & Return of the Jedi.
I saw Raiders at the Cinedome with my dad & it’s one of the best memories I have of spending time with my old man.
1981’s “Clash of the Titans” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago today (June 12, 1981), starring Harry Hamlin, Burgess Meredith & Laurence Olivier.
1981’s “The Legend of the Lone Ranger” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (May 22, 1981), starring Christopher Lloyd as Butch Cavendish, Jason Robards as Ulysses S. Grant & newcomer Klinton Spilsbury as the eponymous Masked Man.
The first big-screen adaptation featuring the iconic character in more than 20 years, it was considered a major release for the summer of ‘81, backed by action figures, storybooks & a 1000-screen rollout over Memorial Day weekend. Unfortunately poor reviews, the producers’ treatment of ‘50s Lone Ranger Clayton Moore & Spilsbury’s performance (he won the Razzie for worst actor and never made another movie again) sunk the film & booted it out of theaters by early June.
I was 10 when I saw it at the Woodbridge opening weekend, had collected all of the action figures prior to release, & enjoyed it for the most part. Still revisit it & the John Barry score from time to time.
The little-seen 1981 Libyan historical war epic “Lion of the Desert” starring Anthony Quinn, Oliver Reed & Rod Steiger opened at the Dome 40 years ago this weekend (April 17, 1981). Controversial at the time for being bankrolled by the Libyan government under Muammar Gaddafi, the film was well received by critics but not audiences. According to in70mm.com, an unadvertised 70mm print screened at the Dome.
Still shocked at the news of the closure this morning. I live in Orange County & made my first visit to the Dome in 1996 for Apocalypse Now & later From Dusk Til Dawn. Came back in ‘98 for Close Encounters of the Third Kind & Gladiator in 2000. Over the next 15 years my wife & I would make the drive up for Van Helsing, Spider-man 3, Intolerable Cruelty, The Godfather, Shine a Light, Titanic 3D and the Martian.
I always felt like a kid heading there, knowing I was in for a true cinematic treat with every visit.
You have to believe someone like Netflix, Amazon or other deep-pocketed industry savior will step in to at least preserve the Dome. It is a designated LA Historic-Cultural Monument and can’t be demolished or altered without going before the Cultural Heritage Commission, who has the right to delay any demolition for up to one year.
But frankly I don’t see another exhibition chain stepping in to rescue Arclight, not in this volatile climate. They’re all holding on by the skin of their teeth, can’t see any of them determining the acquisition of new properties to be economically feasible. Anything’s possible, though. We shall see.
AMC Classic Woodbridge 5 - April 2021.
John Boorman’s 1981 sword & sorcery epic “Excalibur” opened at the Big Newport 40 years ago this weekend (April 10, 1981).
The third theatrical re-release of “Star Wars” opened at the Saddleback 6 40 years ago this weekend (April 10, 1981). It marked the first time the texts “Episode IV” & “A New Hope” appeared at the beginning of the opening crawl.
The third theatrical re-release of “Star Wars” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (April 10, 1981). It marked the first time the texts “Episode IV” & “A New Hope” appeared at the beginning of the opening crawl.
Jerry Lewis' “Hardly Working” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (April 3, 1981). I was 10 years old & off from school the week of its release & couldn’t wait to see it opening weekend. Haven’t seen it since.
My wife lived in nearby Fountain Valley as a kid & can recall seeing a Disney animated film here with her parents when she was eight & staying for Who’s Killing the Great Chefs of Europe playing right afterwards in the same theater. However, five minutes in they discovered the first chef inside an oven & her parents quickly whisked her out of the theater & headed home. Kind of an odd double bill.
I can remember frequenting Honer Plaza throughout the late ‘70s & early '80s as a kid (my mom got her hair done there) & being fascinated with the nearby Mitchell Brothers theater & the salacious titles adorning the huge marquee. When I’d point it out in the parking lot, my mom would always say “you don’t want to go in there.” Was still open for about a year and half after I turned 18 but by that time I’d forgotten all about it. Probably for the best.
Michael Mann’s 1981 crime-noir debut “Thief” starring James Caan opened at the Saddleback 6 40 years ago this weekend.
A 70mm double-bill of Disney’s “The Black Hole” & “Sleeping Beauty” began a 4-week stint at the Mann South Coast Plaza 40 years ago this weekend (March 27, 1981).
Michael Mann’s 1981 crime-noir debut “Thief” starring James Caan opened at the Bristol IV 40 years ago this weekend.
Michael Mann’s 1981 crime-noir debut “Thief” starring James Caan opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend.
The AMC Woodbridge has reopened for weekend business with two screenings each of four films Friday nights and three screenings (matinee) Saturdays & Sundays. Looks like one screen is reserved for private showings.
FYI: An amusing title, indeed, but this ad is for the the South Coast Village 3 across the street, not the South Coast Plaza III, which had already been shuttered by 2000.
First film I distinctly recall seeing here was “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” in 1991.
It was a nice little theater, one I visited quite often throughout the ‘90s. It was comfortable & intimate & served as a nice compliment to the Big Newport across the street.
Can also remember seeing both Peter Weir’s “Fearless” with Jeff Bridges (left theater emotionally exhausted after that plane-crash finale) & Jim Sheridan’s “In the Name of the Father” with Daniel Day-Lewis here.
Irvine Spectrum was quite a revelation when it opened 25 years ago last fall. Back then the center was just a handful of shops & restaurants (B&N, Diedrich Coffee, Champs) and the massive 21-screen theater.
It became the go-to destination for catching dinner & a flick with friends, even when I was living in Costa Mesa & Fullerton.
The Hollywood & Palace were the massive stadium-style theaters, while the Chinese & Egyptian were big, but more intimate. You always hoped your movie was playing in one of the four. Luckily they were noted in the newspaper ads.
Can remember seeing 12 Monkeys, Executive Decision, Twister, Mission Impossible, The Rock, Boogie Nights & Magnolia there, to name a few. Even remember catching Meet Joe Black so I could get my first glimpse of the Star Wars Episode 1 trailer.
Caught a few in the early 2000s, but as the center grew it kind of lost its allure. Last thing I saw there was The Hateful Eight in 2015.
I frequented Hutton Center quite a bit in the late ‘80s & throughout the ‘90s. I can remember seeing “The Dead Pool” with Clint Eastwood, “Back to the Future II & III,” “Lock Up,” “Jennifer Eight,” “Dave,” “Star Trek Generations,” “Goldeneye” and “There’s Something About Mary” there. Was sorry to see it close.
The Park Place was a nice 10-screen theater in a rather odd little pop-up shopping center. Located off busy Jamboree Road at the 405, you had to take cross street Michelson down a ways to access the center from behind. There was a new B. Dalton bookstore (odd since small mall bookstores were closing as B&Ns were opening everywhere), a sporting goods store (Big 5 or Sports Chalet) and a few restaurants, most notably the city’s first California Pizza Kitchen. It was basically that CPK that drew me to the theater a handful of times after dinner in 1996/‘97. I can distinctly remember seeing “Primal Fear” and “Grosse Pointe Blank” there but nothing else.
The Uni, as locals called it, was Irvine’s second movie theater and opened four years after the Woodbridge 5.
Even though it was at the far end of town, it didn’t stop my Irvine High School buddies and I from coaxing our parents to drop us off on a Friday or Saturday night for such flicks as “Commando,” “Predator” & U2’s “Rattle & Hum.”
I even recall taking my one and only bus ride there in the summer of ‘87 to see “Dragnet” with Dan Aykroyd & Tom Hanks. Other memorable '80s films included “Die Hard,” “Big” Lethal Weapon 2" & “Christmas Vacation.”
Came back in the ‘90s for “Misery,” “Ed Wood,” “Speed” & “Pulp Fiction” (with a full crowd opening weekend).
The Uni later became a popular indie art house in the Regal chain and was soon booking OC exclusives. Unfortunately, the theater has an absolutely terrible parking lot they share with a Trader Joe’s, Target and every other retailer & business office in the center. Most close-by parking is 45 minutes or less & I can’t tell you how many movies I’ve given up on seeing because I couldn’t find a parking space. By far, the worst parking lot of all of Regal’s OC locations.
Exclusives should be at the nearby Westpark, which has its own sprawling, dedicated parking lot.