“Aliens”: The North American 70mm Engagements |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 26.10.2019 |
 The
following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter
engagements of “Aliens” in the United States and Canada. These were the
cinemas worth seeking out to experience this motion picture.“Aliens” was among sixteen confirmed first-run films released in 1986 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. One hundred fifty-one 70mm prints were reportedly struck for distribution in North America and represented about 10% of the film’s total initial North American print run. The 20th Century Fox release — directed by James Cameron (“The Abyss,” “Terminator 2”) and starring Sigourney Weaver — opened July 18th. Pre-release screenings of “Aliens” included its world premiere held July 14th at the Avco Center in Los Angeles, and an invitational preview held July 15th at the Darryl F. Zanuck Theatre on the 20th Century Fox studio lot. For the release of “Aliens,” 20th Century Fox employed the services of Lucasfilm’s Theatre Alignment Program (TAP) to evaluate and approve the cinemas selected to book a 70mm print. The 70mm prints of “Aliens” featured magnetic Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded Baby Boom format [Dolby processor setting “42”]) and 1.85:1 pillarboxed imagery blown up from spherical 35mm. These 70mm prints provided a superior projection and sound experience in comparison to the film’s 35mm prints. Note that some cinemas may have screened a 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo print utilizing Dolby-compatible equipment from another manufacturer (EPRAD, Smart, Ultra Stereo, etc.), and in some instances an exhibitor may have made a special request for a 70mm print that lacked Dolby Noise Reduction so that it could be played on a cinema’s older, pre-Dolby-era sound system. Fox circulated 70mm Six-Track Dolby coming-attraction trailers for “The Fly,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “The Name of the Rose” during the release of “Aliens.” Other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period, as well. Ultimately, any 70mm trailers screened during 70mm presentations of “Aliens” varied by venue and screening. The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) is included in parenthesis following the applicable cinema name. ALBERTA Calgary — Famous Players’ Palace (12) Calgary — Famous Players’ Sunridge 5 (12) Edmonton — Famous Players’ Londonderry Twin (9) Edmonton — Famous Players’ Paramount (12) ARIZONA Phoenix — Plitt’s Cine Capri (13) Phoenix — UA’s Chris-Town Mall 6 (13) ARKANSAS Little Rock — UA’s Cinema City 7 (11) [THX] BRITISH COLUMBIA Burnaby — Famous Players’ Lougheed Mall Triplex (12) Vancouver — Famous Players’ Capitol 6 (10) CALIFORNIA Alhambra — Edwards’ Alhambra Place 5 (11) Buena Park — UA’s Buena Park Mall 8 (11) [THX] Campbell — UA’s Pruneyard Triplex (16) [opened July 25th] (70mm during Weeks 4-11) Cerritos — UA’s Cerritos Mall Twin (12) Costa Mesa — Edwards’ South Coast Plaza Triplex (11) El Cajon — UA’s Parkway Plaza Triplex (10) Hayward — UA’s Hayward 5 (11) Huntington Beach — Edwards’ Charter Centre 5 (11) Long Beach — UA’s Marketplace 6 (10) Los Angeles (Hollywood) — UA’s Egyptian Triplex (15) Los Angeles (North Hollywood) — UA’s Valley Plaza 6 (9) Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks) — GCC’s Sherman Oaks 5 (12) [THX] Los Angeles (Westwood) — GCC’s Avco Center Triplex (12) [THX] Los Angeles (Woodland Hills) — UA’s Warner Center 6 (11) [THX] Marina del Rey — UA’s Marina Marketplace 6 (11) Monterey — UA’s Cinema 70 (13) Mountain View — Syufy’s Century 10 (14) National City — Pacific’s Sweetwater 6 (14) Newark — Syufy’s Cinedome West 7 (18) Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Twin (9) Oakland — Renaissance Rialto’s Grand Lake 4 (12) Orange — Syufy’s Cinedome 6 (10) Pasadena — UA’s United Artists (9) Pinole — Syufy’s Century 9 (14) Redwood City — UA’s Redwood 6 (11) Sacramento — Syufy’s Century 6 (12) Sacramento — Syufy’s Cinedome 8 (15) San Diego — UA’s Glasshouse 6 (17) San Diego — UA’s Horton Plaza 7 (11) [THX] San Francisco — UA’s Coronet (12) San Rafael — Marin’s Regency 6 (12) San Ramon — Festival’s Crow Canyon 6 (11) Santa Barbara — Metropolitan’s Arlington (9) Santa Clara — UA’s Cinema 150 (12) South San Francisco — Syufy’s Century Plaza 8 (14) Thousand Oaks — UA’s Oaks Mall 5 (10) [THX] Westminster — UA’s Westminster Mall Twin (10) COLORADO Colorado Springs — Commonwealth’s Cinema 70 Triplex (11) Denver — Commonwealth’s Continental (13) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — K-B’s Fine Arts (13) FLORIDA Coral Springs — GCC’s Coral Square 8 (12) Fort Lauderdale — GCC’s Galleria 4 (9) Jacksonville — Kent’s St. Johns 6 (12) Kendall — Wometco’s Dadeland Triplex (10) Largo — AMC’s Tri-City 8 (13) North Miami Beach — Wometco’s 163rd Street Triplex (10) Orlando — GCC’s Colonial Promenade 6 (18) Tampa — GCC’s Northdale Court 6 (15) [THX] [70mm from Week 9] Winter Park — Wometco’s Winter Park Triplex (12) GEORGIA Atlanta — Columbia (12) Atlanta — GTC’s Lenox Square 6 (11) Kennesaw — Storey’s Town Center 8 (10) Savannah — Litchfield’s Tara 4 (1+) Tucker — AMC’s Northlake Festival 8 (10) HAWAII Honolulu — Consolidated’s Waikiki Twin (12) [HPS-4000] ILLINOIS Belleville — BAC’s Cinema 4 (11) Calumet City — Plitt’s River Oaks 8 (10) Chicago — Plitt’s Carnegie (8) Evanston — M&R’s Evanston 5 (8) Evergreen Park — M&R’s Evergreen 5 (10) Niles — Essaness’ Golf Mill Triplex (10) Norridge — M&R’s Norridge 8 (9) Northbrook — Center’s Edens Twin (8) Schaumburg — Plitt’s Woodfield 9 (12) KANSAS Overland Park — Dickinson’s Glenwood 4 (12) LOUISIANA Baton Rouge — GCC’s Cortana Mall Triplex (12) New Orleans — GCC’s Robert E. Lee (12) MANITOBA Winnipeg — Famous Players’ Metropolitan (12) MARYLAND Catonsville — Westview 8 (12) MASSACHUSETTS Boston — USA’s Cinema 57 Twin (12) MICHIGAN Ann Arbor — UA’s Fox Village 4 (14) Bloomfield — Redstone’s Showcase 10 (10) Cascade — Redstone’s Showcase 8 (11) [THX] Harper Woods — AMC’s Eastland 7 (15) Livonia — NGT’s Mai Kai (11) Southfield — NGT’s Americana 8 (16) [Cinemagic] Sterling Heights — Redstone’s Showcase 11 (8) Troy — UA’s The Movies at Oakland 5 (12) MINNESOTA Bloomington — GCC’s Southtown Twin (11) Roseville — UA’s The Movies at Pavilion Place 7 (11) St. Louis Park — GCC’s Shelard Park 5 (12) MISSOURI Independence — Mid-America’s Blue Ridge East 5 (11) Richmond Heights — AMC’s Esquire 4 (12) Springfield — Dickinson’s Century 21 (10) NEBRASKA Lincoln — Commonwealth’s Cooper (10) Omaha — Commonwealth’s Indian Hills Twin (13) NEVADA Las Vegas — Syufy’s Cinedome 6 (22) NEW JERSEY Egg Harbor Township — Frank’s Towne 12 (15) Paramus — RKO Century’s Route 17 Triplex (12) Sayreville — Redstone’s Amboy 12 (11) NEW MEXICO Albuquerque — GCC’s Louisiana Blvd. Triplex (12) NEW YORK Cheektowaga — AMC’s Holiday 6 (13) Commack — Redstone’s Commack 10 (11) Guilderland — Cinema Centers’ Crossgates Mall 12 (12) Henrietta — Loews’ Towne Triplex (11) Hicksville — Town & Country’s Mid-Plaza 6 (9) Levittown — Loews’ Nassau 6 (9) Nanuet — UA’s Route 59 (8) New York — Loews’ 84th Street 6 (10) New York — Loews’ Orpheum Twin (11) New York — RKO Century’s Warner Twin (#1: 14) New York — RKO Century’s Warner Twin (#2: 8) New York — Trans-Lux’s Gotham (12) Valley Stream — RKO Century’s Green Acres Triplex (16) NOVA SCOTIA Halifax — Famous Players’ Scotia Square (1+) OHIO Beavercreek — Chakeres’ Beavercreek 7 (14) Cincinnati — USA’s Carousel Twin (13) Columbus — GCC’s Eastland Mall Twin (13) Woodmere — Loews’ Village (11) OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City — GCC’s Quail Springs Mall 6 (16) ONTARIO Mississauga — Famous Players’ Square One 4 (11) North York — Famous Players’ Towne & Countrye Twin (11) Ottawa — Famous Players’ Nelson (11) Scarborough — Famous Players’ Cedarbrae 8 (12) Toronto — Famous Players’ Runnymede Twin (10) Toronto — Famous Players’ University (7) OREGON Beaverton — Moyer’s Tanasbourne Triplex (11) Portland — LT’s Eastgate Triplex (12) PENNSYLVANIA Bensalem — AMC’s Premiere Twin (10) Montgomeryville — Budco’s 309 9 (14) Philadelphia — Budco’s Orleans 8 (13) Philadelphia — Budco’s Regency Twin (12) QUEBEC Dorval — United’s Dorval Triplex (8) Laval — United’s Laval 5 (8) Montreal — United’s Imperial (8) [THX] Sainte-Foy — United’s Canadien (8) TEXAS Addison — UA’s Prestonwood Creek 5 (13) [THX] Austin — Presidio’s Arbor 4 (12) [THX] Dallas — GCC’s Northpark West Twin (15) [THX] Houston — GCC’s Galleria 4 (11) Houston — Plitt’s West Oaks 7 (16) San Antonio — Santikos’ Northwest 10 (14) [THX] UTAH Riverdale — Plitt’s Cinedome Twin (13) Salt Lake City — Plitt’s Crossroads Triplex (11) South Salt Lake — Syufy’s Century 5 (13) VIRGINIA Richmond — NTI’s Ridge 7 (13) Virginia Beach — AMC’s Lynnhaven 8 (14) WASHINGTON Bellevue — SRO’s John Danz (10) Lynnwood — SRO’s Grand Alderwood 8 (14) Seattle — SRO’s Northgate (10) Seattle — UA’s Cinema 150 (12) Tacoma — SRO’s Tacoma Mall Twin (10) Tukwila — SRO’s Southcenter (10) WISCONSIN Milwaukee — UA’s Southgate (13) West Allis — Marcus’ Southtown 6 (10) Note that some of the presentations included in this listing were presented in 35mm during the latter week(s) of engagement due to contractual terms or print damage and the distributor’s unwillingness to supply a 70mm replacement print or because the booking was moved to a non-70mm-equipped auditorium within a multiplex. As well, the reverse may have been true in some cases whereas a booking began with a 35mm print because the lab was unable to complete the 70mm print order in time for an opening-day delivery or the exhibitor negotiated a mid-run switch to 70mm. In these cases, any 35mm portion of the engagement (or movement out of a branded auditorium) has been included in the duration figure. SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS & SCREENINGS 1986-09-04 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Uptown 5 (1) 1986-09-12 … Dothan, AL — Davis’ Northside Mall 7 (1) 1986-09-12 … Montreal, QC — United’s Imperial (11) [Version Francaise] 1986-09-12 … Montreal, QC — United’s Loews 5 (5) 1986-09-12 … Montreal, QC — United’s Westmount Square (1) 1986-09-26 … Bellevue, WA — SRO’s Factoria 8 (3) 1986-09-26 … Tacoma, WA — SRO’s Tacoma South 5 (1) 1986-09-26 … Tukwila, WA — SRO’s Lewis & Clark 7 (3) 1986-10-03 … Kentwood, MI — Goodrich’s 29th Street Quad 6 (3) 1986-10-03 … Salt Lake City, UT — Plitt’s Regency (1) 1986-10-10 … Los Angeles (Westwood), CA — UA’s Coronet 4 (5) [THX] 1986-10-10 … Utica, NY — Fitzgerald’s Uptown (1) 1986-10-10 … Ventura, CA — Syufy’s Century 8 (3) 1986-11-14 … Downers Grove, IL — Classic Cinemas’ Tivoli (1) 1986-11-28 … Montreal, QC — Cineplex Odeon’s Champlain Twin (3) [Version Francaise] 1986-11-28 … Norfolk, VA — Naro 1987-01-28 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm festival] 1987-02-27 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker [CWRU Sci-Fi marathon] 1987-03-20 … Arvada, CO — Commonwealth’s Cooper 6 (1) 1987-03-20 … Littleton, CO — Commonwealth’s Cooper 7 (1) [HPS-4000] 1987-07-15 … St. Charles, MO — Wehrenberg’s St. Charles 10 (2 days) 1987-10-02 … Los Angeles (Century City), CA — AMC’s Century 14 [Fri-Sat-Sun; Fox retrospective] 1987-10-30 … Seattle, WA — Cineplex Odeon/SRO’s Cinerama [Fri-Sat midnight] 1988-03-09 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm festival] 1988-03-11 … Memphis, TN — Malco’s Winchester Court 8 [Fri-Sat midnight] (THX) 1988-04-22 … Edmonton, AB — Cineplex Odeon’s Meadowlark (1) [70mm festival] 1989-02-17 … San Antonio, TX — Rivercenter IMAX (1) [70mm series] 1989-10-27 … Fremont, CA — GCC’s Fremont Hub 8 (1) [THX] (w/ “Alien”) 1990-01-19 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker [CWRU Sci-Fi marathon] 1990-05-04 … Oakland, CA — Renaissance Rialto’s Grand Lake 4 (3 days) [w/ “Alien”] 1991-02-22 … San Antonio, TX — Rivercenter IMAX (2) [70mm series] 1991-11-29 … Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA — GCC’s Galaxy 6 (3 days) [THX] [w/ “Alien”] 1996-05-31 … Los Angeles (Westwood Village), CA — Mann’s Plaza [Fri-Sat midnight] 1996-06-07 … Dallas, TX — GCC’s Northpark West Twin [Fri-Sat midnight] (THX) 1996-08-30 … Dallas, TX — GCC’s Northpark West Twin [Fri-Sat midnight] (THX) 1996-11-01 … Long Beach, CA — CSULB’s Carpenter Center [Wide Screen festival] 1996-11-08 … Atlanta, GA — GCC’s Sandy Springs at Parkside 8 [Fri-Sat midnight] (THX) 1998-05-29 … Los Angeles (Westwood Village), CA — Mann’s Plaza [Fri-Sat-Sun midnight] 1998-09-28 … Indianapolis, IN — White River State Park IMAX (1) [70mm series] 1999-02-05 … Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA — Egyptian [w/ “True Lies”] 1999-02-26 … Los Angeles (Westwood Village), CA — Mann’s Plaza [Fri-Sat-Sun midnight] 1999-05-07 … Columbia Heights, MN — Heights (2 days) 1999-07-02 … Los Angeles (Westwood Village), CA — Mann’s Plaza [Fri-Sat-Sun midnight] 2001-10-27 … Columbia Heights, MN — Heights [late show] 2008-12-20 … Los Angeles (West Los Angeles), CA — Laemmle’s Royal [w/ “The Abyss” & “Titanic”] 2009-05-29 … Santa Monica, CA — Aero [70mm series; w/ “The Abyss”] 2011-08-08 … Austin, TX — Paramount [70mm series] 2016-04-26 … Chicago, IL — Music Box [Alien Day] 2016-07-16 … Portland, OR — Hollywood [70mm series] 2016-09-11 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival] 2016-09-18 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival] 2016-10-23 … Tucson, AZ — The Loft [70mm series] 2016-10-25 … Tucson, AZ — The Loft [70mm series] 2017-08-26 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival] 2017-09-01 … Seattle, WA — Cinerama [70mm festival] 2023-11-18 … Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA — Egyptian [70mm festival] 2023-11-20 … Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA — Egyptian [70mm festival] 2025-07-25 … Los Angeles (Hollywood), CA — Egyptian [70mm festival] (w/ Gale Anne Hurd Q&A) The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications, regional newspaper promotion, print enclosures, TAP records, and Dolby records. Special thanks to Julian Antos, David Ayers, Don Beelik, Bert Branson, Roland DeAngelo, Bill Kretzel, Mark Lensenmayer, Stan Malone, Joe Odenthal, Grant Smith, and an extra special thank-you to all of the librarians who helped with this project. This article is based upon a previously-published article at TheDigitalBits.com (http://www.thedigitalbits.com/columns/history-legacy--showmanship/this-time-its-war-aliens-30th). International 70mm presentations of this title have not been accounted for in this article. If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. |
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