Another nice post, Michael. Thanks. As I was six at the time of its initial release, I can’t remember whether I saw Star Wars at the City Center in Orange, CA opening weekend or later at the Big Newport. Somehow the City Center feels right. Wherever it was, I definately
remember it as the day I fell in love with power of pure cinema. That love burns brightly in me to this day and will most likely never fade. For that I offer thanks to George Lucas, John Williams and my mom, who not only indulged my every Star Wars whim for the next six years but made sure cinema remained a constant in my life going foward.
jsittig: I see Ben-Hur does play a couple of other times throughout the weekend at Arclight but it’s only at the Dome for the one showing(Sun, May 13). Sorry, just not the same experience on the other screens. This is the type of film that should get at least a one-week run at the Dome, like The Godfather did a few years back.
Wow! I’ve been waiting forever for Ben-Hur to screen at the Dome. Too bad it’s a one-shot deal, on Mother’s Day no less. Oh well. Somebody tell me how it was.
Took the family to see Titanic 3D at the Dome this past weekend. Hadn’t been in more than three years. Sat in the last row on the ground level (my favorite seats). The film looked great on the giant concave screen and the 3D effects were actually pretty cool. The glasses were a bit cumbsersome over three hours(visor-type XD ones instead of the more comfortable RealD glasses) but overall a very enjoyable experience.
Visited Coronado yesterday and drove by the Village: still no show times listed on the marquee. Couldn’t see any of the ones posted on the box office from the street.
Caught War Horse on the big screen the day after Christmas. While it took a while for a couple of the house lights to go out, it was overall a very enjoyable presentation.
Just read the OC Register article RonP provided via link: apparently your $16.50 gets you leather seats, better concession choices and the privilege to drink beer or wine. There’s no in-theater service like with other luxuary concepts.
It also states that four of the seven screens are 3D compatible.
It is odd that Big Newport won’t have Sherlock Holmes. It could have easily played at both theaters, one screen for the masses @ Big Newport, another couple for the luxury crowd @ the Island. They’re basically two diffent experiences. I can see the need to launch a new theater but as Sherlock is PG-13, how many kids are going to pay $16.50 for a movie? They’re not exactly the demographic for an upscale, pricey environment. Should be interesting.
Looks like 7 screens still. Fandango now has all the films listed for opening day: Sherlock Holmes( on three screens), Young Adult, My Week with Marilyn, Breaking Dawn and Tower Heist. Would anyone really spend $16.50 for Breaking Dawn and Tower Heist?
As I recall, Rocky Horror was my first film at the Balboa. I can also remember seeing Christopher Guest’s The Big Picture and Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train there during my college years. Usually ate at BJ’s Pizza across the street and always seemed to be raining. Good times.
Fandango is listing ticket prices at $16.50, $14.50 for matinees, plus a $1.25 convenience fee if you reserve/purchase online. Prices are comparable to the VIP Lounge at Regency’s San Juan Capistrano theater. So far, Sherlock Holmes is only film listed for opening day.
Always loved the Cinedome. Saw some great shows there as a kid: Airport ‘77 and Raiders of the Lost Ark to name a few. Returned in my twenties for Wild at Heart, Wyatt Earp and Independence Day.
Looks like the Westpark has gone digital. Caught “The Way” in theater #1 yesterday and the presentation was as bright and crisp as I’ve ever seen in 15 years of frequenting the place. Good news as the Westpark was notorious for having film break in the middle of screenings.
Cinema is not dead. Just look at the weekly box office grosses. Films are still opening to $50m weekends. Granted ticket prices are higher but people still like going to the movies. What’s dead is cinema in Westwood. Parking sucks and college kids would rather party on weekends than see a movie.
Man, I’d love to see the newly restored Ben-Hur get a week-long presentation at the Dome. C'mon, Arclight, make it happen. You did it for The Godfather back in 2008.
Caught “Warrior” at the Tustin 6 last week; first time I’d been inside since 2001. Looked the same for the most part, save for the lack of people. Only one other person in my theater for a matinee showing. Had to move twice as the armrests on both seats I tried were loose. Seats in front of me were faded and chipped. Presentation and sound were fine for the most part(surprisingly all theaters feature digital projection) but with its lack of stadium seating and overall freshness, it really fits the model of a bargain theater now and ticket prices should be dropped to at least $5 for all screenings, not just the ones on Sunday and Tuesday. Paying $9.75 for a matinee here is ridiculous. I don’t plan on returning until that happens.
The first film I ever saw at the Town Center was “E.T."on opening weekend in June of 1982. It was the only time I ever saw a line wrap completely around the building.
The two corner theaters were the largest and the ones you hoped were showing your flick. Saw some great films there over the years: Return of the Jedi(first show opening day; hardly anyone there), Gremlins, Star Trek III, Platoon and Crouching Tiger to name a few.
Always thought it was an odd place for a theater as it was in the far corner of a corporate plaza. The parking lot had an attendent booth and sometimes someone was in it, other times not. I remember always asking someone in the car: “You think I can park here?”
Eventually the lot was closed to theater patrons and you had to park in the corporate structure across the way. Sometimes you had to pay, other times not. Kind of lost its allure after a while.
If presentation is important to you, there really is no better place to see a movie in OC than the 1100-seat Big Newport. It is the county’s version of the Cinerama Dome and Chinese theatre in L.A. Nothing else comes close for my money.
I’ve seen some great shows there over 30-plus years – The Black Stallion, The Empire Strikes Back, The Right Stuff, Last Crusade, Batman (will always remember that as James Edwards Sr. told me to remove my feet from the seat in front of me at a midnight screening) and SW Episode 1 on opening night to name a few.
A smile never fails to form on my face just sitting there waiting for the show to start. It’s like visiting an old friend eveytime I enter the autotorium.
If you have had a bad experience there, I assure you it’s a rarity and urge you to give it another try.
Took a tour of the newly remodeled Village Theatre yesterday. I never saw it prior to the renovation but was quite impressed with its current status. A nice, big vintage concession stand greets you as you walk in and an inviting Art Deco lobby runs the length of the structure, beckoning you toward the the three theaters in the back. The one theater I was able to peek in, maybe the larger one as it appeared to have more than 45 seats, was beautiful: red-velvet, high-back chairs arranged in a semi-circle around the screen, a grand red curtain protecting its secrets; neon, three-dimensional murals depicting Coronado treasures like the Hotel Del adorned each of the side walls. Made me want to run back for a bag of pocorn and stay for the flick.
The only visable complaint would be the marquee. It’s digital and while beautiful too, it doesn’t provide showtimes, just graphics on the three films. To see what time something is playing, you have to physically go up to the box office where the times are posted on a small sheet of paper. Kind of frustrating when there’s really no place for a quick stop on busy Orange Ave.
Overall, though, the Village is a theater worthy of your time and something the people of Coronado should be very proud of.
(I’ve posted six pics for your viewing pleasure.)
The most notable thing about the Tustin Marketplace 6 is that it was the city’s first movie theater since the old two-screen Tustin Theatre covereted to a dinner theater in 1981. For nearly 10 years, Tustin residents had to leave the city to see a movie.
When the Marketplace 6 opened its doors in 1990, you can imagine the interest the theater received. I worked at a bookstore 100 feet from its box office and the theater was packed every Friday and Saturday night for the four years I was there. Most of our business came just before and immediately after the 8PM shows. It would remain the only theater in town until The Irvine Marketplace 10 opened across the street in 1999. Well, technically it was the only theater in town until the AMC Tustin 14 opened in 2007.
I saw some great shows there over the years – The Silence of the Lambs, JFK, Cape Fear, Unforgiven and The Sixth Sense to name a few. The last one I believe was The Majestic in 2001.
Great piece, Michael. I saw Empire at the Big Newport in Newport Beach, CA on Saturday, May 24, 1980. I remember getting a copy of the souvenir program at the box office before it started and fighting the urge to flip through it, as I didn’t want to reveal too much. I couldn’t resist of course and came upon a picture of Han in carbonite. I knew right then that Empire was going to be very different from Star Wars. I couldn’t wait to get into the theater to find out how this all played out. We were about an hour and a half early, however, nobody in line. We went across to a Coco’s for lunch and all through the meal I stared out the window at the theater across the street, hoping we wouldn’t get stuck at the back of the line and fighting more urges to flip through the program. We fortunately made it back with only about twenty people in front of us. I could actually hear the Imperial March from the earlier screening seeping out through the side doors as we waited.
Thirty years later Empire remains a very special movie to me. Where Star Wars opened my young eyes to the power of pure cinema, Empire really introduced me to the power of characterization and storytelling. To me, it remains as layered and complex as any Shakespearean tragedy or classic film noir. I usually screen it at least once a year and every time it’s like visiting with an old friend; I’m transported back to that Saturday in May when I was nine, when worries and responsibilities were foreign concepts and my imagination swelled with endless possibilities. Happy 30th, Empire.
Another nice post, Michael. Thanks. As I was six at the time of its initial release, I can’t remember whether I saw Star Wars at the City Center in Orange, CA opening weekend or later at the Big Newport. Somehow the City Center feels right. Wherever it was, I definately remember it as the day I fell in love with power of pure cinema. That love burns brightly in me to this day and will most likely never fade. For that I offer thanks to George Lucas, John Williams and my mom, who not only indulged my every Star Wars whim for the next six years but made sure cinema remained a constant in my life going foward.
jsittig: I see Ben-Hur does play a couple of other times throughout the weekend at Arclight but it’s only at the Dome for the one showing(Sun, May 13). Sorry, just not the same experience on the other screens. This is the type of film that should get at least a one-week run at the Dome, like The Godfather did a few years back.
Wow! I’ve been waiting forever for Ben-Hur to screen at the Dome. Too bad it’s a one-shot deal, on Mother’s Day no less. Oh well. Somebody tell me how it was.
Took the family to see Titanic 3D at the Dome this past weekend. Hadn’t been in more than three years. Sat in the last row on the ground level (my favorite seats). The film looked great on the giant concave screen and the 3D effects were actually pretty cool. The glasses were a bit cumbsersome over three hours(visor-type XD ones instead of the more comfortable RealD glasses) but overall a very enjoyable experience.
Visited Coronado yesterday and drove by the Village: still no show times listed on the marquee. Couldn’t see any of the ones posted on the box office from the street.
Caught War Horse on the big screen the day after Christmas. While it took a while for a couple of the house lights to go out, it was overall a very enjoyable presentation.
I see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol is at both the Island and Big Newport.
Just read the OC Register article RonP provided via link: apparently your $16.50 gets you leather seats, better concession choices and the privilege to drink beer or wine. There’s no in-theater service like with other luxuary concepts. It also states that four of the seven screens are 3D compatible.
It is odd that Big Newport won’t have Sherlock Holmes. It could have easily played at both theaters, one screen for the masses @ Big Newport, another couple for the luxury crowd @ the Island. They’re basically two diffent experiences. I can see the need to launch a new theater but as Sherlock is PG-13, how many kids are going to pay $16.50 for a movie? They’re not exactly the demographic for an upscale, pricey environment. Should be interesting.
Looks like 7 screens still. Fandango now has all the films listed for opening day: Sherlock Holmes( on three screens), Young Adult, My Week with Marilyn, Breaking Dawn and Tower Heist. Would anyone really spend $16.50 for Breaking Dawn and Tower Heist?
As I recall, Rocky Horror was my first film at the Balboa. I can also remember seeing Christopher Guest’s The Big Picture and Jim Jarmusch’s Mystery Train there during my college years. Usually ate at BJ’s Pizza across the street and always seemed to be raining. Good times.
Fandango is listing ticket prices at $16.50, $14.50 for matinees, plus a $1.25 convenience fee if you reserve/purchase online. Prices are comparable to the VIP Lounge at Regency’s San Juan Capistrano theater. So far, Sherlock Holmes is only film listed for opening day.
I like the back row so no one can sit behind me and kick the seat through the entire show.
Always loved the Cinedome. Saw some great shows there as a kid: Airport ‘77 and Raiders of the Lost Ark to name a few. Returned in my twenties for Wild at Heart, Wyatt Earp and Independence Day.
Looks like the Westpark has gone digital. Caught “The Way” in theater #1 yesterday and the presentation was as bright and crisp as I’ve ever seen in 15 years of frequenting the place. Good news as the Westpark was notorious for having film break in the middle of screenings.
Cinema is not dead. Just look at the weekly box office grosses. Films are still opening to $50m weekends. Granted ticket prices are higher but people still like going to the movies. What’s dead is cinema in Westwood. Parking sucks and college kids would rather party on weekends than see a movie.
Man, I’d love to see the newly restored Ben-Hur get a week-long presentation at the Dome. C'mon, Arclight, make it happen. You did it for The Godfather back in 2008.
Caught “Warrior” at the Tustin 6 last week; first time I’d been inside since 2001. Looked the same for the most part, save for the lack of people. Only one other person in my theater for a matinee showing. Had to move twice as the armrests on both seats I tried were loose. Seats in front of me were faded and chipped. Presentation and sound were fine for the most part(surprisingly all theaters feature digital projection) but with its lack of stadium seating and overall freshness, it really fits the model of a bargain theater now and ticket prices should be dropped to at least $5 for all screenings, not just the ones on Sunday and Tuesday. Paying $9.75 for a matinee here is ridiculous. I don’t plan on returning until that happens.
The first film I ever saw at the Town Center was “E.T."on opening weekend in June of 1982. It was the only time I ever saw a line wrap completely around the building.
The two corner theaters were the largest and the ones you hoped were showing your flick. Saw some great films there over the years: Return of the Jedi(first show opening day; hardly anyone there), Gremlins, Star Trek III, Platoon and Crouching Tiger to name a few.
Always thought it was an odd place for a theater as it was in the far corner of a corporate plaza. The parking lot had an attendent booth and sometimes someone was in it, other times not. I remember always asking someone in the car: “You think I can park here?”
Eventually the lot was closed to theater patrons and you had to park in the corporate structure across the way. Sometimes you had to pay, other times not. Kind of lost its allure after a while.
If presentation is important to you, there really is no better place to see a movie in OC than the 1100-seat Big Newport. It is the county’s version of the Cinerama Dome and Chinese theatre in L.A. Nothing else comes close for my money.
I’ve seen some great shows there over 30-plus years – The Black Stallion, The Empire Strikes Back, The Right Stuff, Last Crusade, Batman (will always remember that as James Edwards Sr. told me to remove my feet from the seat in front of me at a midnight screening) and SW Episode 1 on opening night to name a few.
A smile never fails to form on my face just sitting there waiting for the show to start. It’s like visiting an old friend eveytime I enter the autotorium.
If you have had a bad experience there, I assure you it’s a rarity and urge you to give it another try.
Took a tour of the newly remodeled Village Theatre yesterday. I never saw it prior to the renovation but was quite impressed with its current status. A nice, big vintage concession stand greets you as you walk in and an inviting Art Deco lobby runs the length of the structure, beckoning you toward the the three theaters in the back. The one theater I was able to peek in, maybe the larger one as it appeared to have more than 45 seats, was beautiful: red-velvet, high-back chairs arranged in a semi-circle around the screen, a grand red curtain protecting its secrets; neon, three-dimensional murals depicting Coronado treasures like the Hotel Del adorned each of the side walls. Made me want to run back for a bag of pocorn and stay for the flick. The only visable complaint would be the marquee. It’s digital and while beautiful too, it doesn’t provide showtimes, just graphics on the three films. To see what time something is playing, you have to physically go up to the box office where the times are posted on a small sheet of paper. Kind of frustrating when there’s really no place for a quick stop on busy Orange Ave.
Overall, though, the Village is a theater worthy of your time and something the people of Coronado should be very proud of. (I’ve posted six pics for your viewing pleasure.)
Tustin Marketplace 6 is now offering $5 tickets all day on Sundays and Tuesdays.
The most notable thing about the Tustin Marketplace 6 is that it was the city’s first movie theater since the old two-screen Tustin Theatre covereted to a dinner theater in 1981. For nearly 10 years, Tustin residents had to leave the city to see a movie.
When the Marketplace 6 opened its doors in 1990, you can imagine the interest the theater received. I worked at a bookstore 100 feet from its box office and the theater was packed every Friday and Saturday night for the four years I was there. Most of our business came just before and immediately after the 8PM shows. It would remain the only theater in town until The Irvine Marketplace 10 opened across the street in 1999. Well, technically it was the only theater in town until the AMC Tustin 14 opened in 2007.
I saw some great shows there over the years – The Silence of the Lambs, JFK, Cape Fear, Unforgiven and The Sixth Sense to name a few. The last one I believe was The Majestic in 2001.
Great piece, Michael. I saw Empire at the Big Newport in Newport Beach, CA on Saturday, May 24, 1980. I remember getting a copy of the souvenir program at the box office before it started and fighting the urge to flip through it, as I didn’t want to reveal too much. I couldn’t resist of course and came upon a picture of Han in carbonite. I knew right then that Empire was going to be very different from Star Wars. I couldn’t wait to get into the theater to find out how this all played out. We were about an hour and a half early, however, nobody in line. We went across to a Coco’s for lunch and all through the meal I stared out the window at the theater across the street, hoping we wouldn’t get stuck at the back of the line and fighting more urges to flip through the program. We fortunately made it back with only about twenty people in front of us. I could actually hear the Imperial March from the earlier screening seeping out through the side doors as we waited.
Thirty years later Empire remains a very special movie to me. Where Star Wars opened my young eyes to the power of pure cinema, Empire really introduced me to the power of characterization and storytelling. To me, it remains as layered and complex as any Shakespearean tragedy or classic film noir. I usually screen it at least once a year and every time it’s like visiting with an old friend; I’m transported back to that Saturday in May when I was nine, when worries and responsibilities were foreign concepts and my imagination swelled with endless possibilities. Happy 30th, Empire.
Looks like Regency will kick things off at the Village with “Hot Tub Time Machine” on Thursday, Apr 1.