iPic Westwood
10840 Wilshire Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
10840 Wilshire Boulevard,
Los Angeles,
CA
90024
34 people
favorited this theater
Showing 201 - 225 of 281 comments
I spent a lot of time in Westwood in the early and mid 80s, which was kind of its heyday, at least in my era. It was packed to the gills with students and non-students having a good time. There was a shooting in 1988 which put the brakes on the crowds, and then after the SM promenade opened it was downhill all the way. I’ve probably been to Westwood Village once since 1990 or so.
agreed, they ruined this theatre years ago. I’m surprised it’s still open, the place barely does any business year after year, it surely can’t last much longer.
That said, back in the early days a lot of great memories at the Avco, many big openings and premiere’s, and they had the 1st THX system on the westside back in 1983. I also always thought the location of this theatre was interesting, right behind the Westwood cemetary
Sigh it’s over now, these are the last dying days of cinema. It is..OVER!
It is very awkward sitting in the downstairs theatres now. I could never get comfortable.
I am surprised the downstairs auditoriums are THX, considering the seats are arced toward the center wall and the screen is a little off center.
The Avco was one of the premium theatres in Los Angeles during the 70’s and 80’s. It really became a faceless nothing film when GCC split the large screen in half. The last time I was there the presentation was pretty medicore. The PQ and Sound quality was really bad.
I saw Empire Strikes Back at AVCO on 9-12-80. I had just moved to LA to attend USC. I wanted to see Robert Altman’s Health, which opened that day exclusively at a UA theater in Westwood — can’t recall name. I had no idea where Westwood Village was, in fact I didn’t realize Westwood Village was right next to UCLA. I just drove down Wilshire for what seemed like an enternity, finally encountered Westwood Blvd. I parked in one of those expensive parking lots, didn’t realize there was street parking in residential neighborhood. Saw Health, first showing of afternoon, then strolled over to AVCO to catch Empire for about the 10th time. I saw Melvin and Howard in October 1980, it opened exclusively at AVCO. Saw so many films in the 80’s. Die Hard first run — Robert Townsend was there, I said hello and told him I enjoyed Hollywood Shuffle, he was very nice. There was an actor from Hollywood Shuffle working at theater at the time. Saw Milagro Beanfield War and Midnight Run in 88. Last film seen there was Catch Me If You Can. The AVCO used to be one of THE places to go for first-run films.
On 5/25/77, Star Wars was playing at the Chinese, the Avco and the Plitt in Orange County. It would soon be playing everywhere. The ad is from the LA Times;
http://tinyurl.com/3dl9g3
Thank you very much for the Link!
interesting, just noticed the film-tech.com site also has a 70’s GCC feature animation intro, but the wierd purple blob background version which god sure brings back memories.
funny, your post made me want to do a web search for the old GCC feature presentation intro’s (with the projector) which i so fondly remember as a kid, and low & behold I found a link to them here
View link
Now if i couold just find that 80’s Mann Theatres presentation one, with the cheesy laser animation FX zapping the letters, remember that? Someone posted the 1973 version on that link above, but i can’t find the early-mid 80’s one
Pvt. Hudson,
You can find that clip and many other classics from General Cinema at www.film-tech.com Can’t link to it directly, but once you’re at the home page, click on the videos button and scroll about halfway down to the Policy Trailers section. There, you’ll find it listed as General Cinema 1990s (candy and clouds).
General Cinema truly had the best policy trailers in the business.
Also, check out the RC Cola commercial from 1970. I still can’t get that jingle out of my head!
There was an animation in the 80’s that was run before the movie about throwing your trash away. It was basically a gummi bear, a piece of popcorn and a cup in space that drifted into the trash receptacle. It had a really catchy tune and the audience would always clap to the beat. Does anybody have a link to this animation?
Mark Campbell:
OK, the list of films that played the NATIONAL has been posted on its Cinema Treasures page. I hope you and others enjoy it and that it brings back fond memories. And, you’re right, the list is “wildly long”!
The article I mentioned is still a few days from completion, and so I thought I’d give the list a test spin.
Does anyone out there have pictures of the Avco’s original main auditorium?
Also, Michael: When you get the pictures William is telling us about on your site please make announcements on Cinematour and Cinema Treasures so we can know when to look.
Thanks!
Damon his name was Al Szabo.
Yes, I have a few shots of the National, Village, Bruin and other theatre locations that I’m almost ready to send the Michael for his site. I just finished scanning around 150 for the first batch.
yea the UA Marina, I even remember when they had that ET sneak preview. Used to hang out at the “Westworld” arcade quite a bit back then, they seemed to have a bigger more cutting edge selection of new games than the one in Westwood. Now we’re really getting off subject of the the Avco, btw does anyone know of or have any vintage pics of places like The National or Avco from the 70’s/80’s? I would love to see some National pics when they had those huge marquee’s and murals.
Ok so how about that evil german guy who used to manage the Avco back in the early 80’s, every now and then he’d catch me waiting at the exit doors (to sneak in) and shout out “Hey get away from there!” in a vicious nazi-like voice
D. Packard:
If you’re referring to this theatre in Marina del Rey, then the 70mm presentations shown there (if the 70mm stuff was correctly promoted) was:
RETURN OF THE JEDI
GHOST BUSTERS
2010
ALIENS
THE LAST BOY SCOUT
LAST ACTION HERO
You’d think they would’ve run more than that, but the theatre was not in a prime location and seemed to get 70mm prints only when a large run was made, which was not the case with most titles released in 70. Now, maybe they ran some others on a moveover.
OK, sorry folks. Back to the AVCO…
Mark Campbell:
In a May 6 post on the NATIONAL page, I mentioned Bill Kallay and I working on a tribute article. Have no fear, the intent is to include the list in the article.
Be patient! We hope to get it posted in a few days. Thanks for your interest.
Dragonslayer did open at the Avco. MANN did not have a theatre in Westwood to book it into. The National had Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Village (where I was working during that Summer) had Superman II, the Bruin had S.O.B. and the Regent had Stripes. MANN did not have the Plaza yet at that time. Laemmle ran the Plaza until September 1981. It was one of the rare times the Avco showed a Paramount film, MANN’s biggest suppliers were Warner and Paramount.
Michael, I know it would be wildly long, but could you post that compete list of the National on your site or under the National’s thread on this site?
As William just stated, the Westwood first run of “Dragonslayer” was at the AVCO in an upstairs auditorium. (I believe “For Your Eyes Only” was booked into the AVCO’s big house.)
I have a list of everything that played the NATIONAL…and can confidently state that “Dragonslayer” did not have an engagement there. If it did play there it would have been for a one-off test screening, sneak preview, premiere or midnight show. “Raiders Of The Lost Ark” opened two weeks before “Dragonslayer” and was playing the NATIONAL during that time.
Did you see “Raiders” at the NATIONAL during its first couple of weeks? Maybe there was a “Dragonslayer” trailer that you’re remembering?
It played the Avco in one of the upstairs theatres in 35mm (I think #3). The 70MM print played over at the Mann’s Hollywood, cause I saw it at that theatre. I think it played at the Cineplex Fairfax for one of those early Sunday shows in 70MM.
now i could sware Dragonslayer opened at the National are you sure?? I know i did see it there (at a later midnight screening when er, whats his name from the Plaza was doing those midnight shows)
Maybe i’m getting alzheimers, jeesus.
The Avco seemed to get all the sword & sorcery films, if you guys were around or working in westwood in those days i’m sure we must have crossed paths. Well back to editing SpaceDisco One.
DP www.reflectionsofevil.com
www.myspace.com/choogo
And at the Mann’s Hollywood.
Isn’t memory a bitch! “Dragonslayer” was at the Avco…