“Backdraft”: The North American 70mm Engagements |
Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 22.05.2022 |
 The
following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter
presentations of “Backdraft” in North America. These were the cinemas worth
seeking out to experience this motion picture. “Backdraft” was among ten confirmed first-run films released in 1991 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. The Universal release — directed by Ron Howard (“Cocoon,” “Far and Away”) and starring Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Rebecca DeMornay, Donald Sutherland and Robert DeNiro — opened May 24th. Pre-release screenings included invitational previews on May 16th at the Samuel Goldwyn in Beverly Hills and May 22nd at the Universal City 18-plex in Universal City and a sneak preview screening on May 18th at the Ziegfeld in New York. For the release of “Backdraft,” Universal 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 “Backdraft” featured magnetic Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded Baby Boom format [Dolby processor setting “42”]) and 2.20:1 full-frame imagery blown up from Super-35 and 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. Universal circulated 70mm Six-Track Dolby coming-attraction trailers for “Child’s Play 3,” “Far and Away,” “Jungle Fever,” “Mobsters,” “Problem Child 2” and “Pure Luck” during the release of “Backdraft.” Other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period, as well. Ultimately, any 70mm trailers screened during 70mm presentations of “Backdraft” varied by venue and screening. The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) is included in parenthesis following the cinema name. |
More in 70mm reading: 70mm Cinemas in North America in70mm.com's list of films blown up to 70mm 70mm Engagements by Title 35mm to 70mm Engagements by Year Large Format 7OMM Engagements Month by month premiere list of wide gauge and 3-strip films Chronological premiere list of major 70mm films 70mm Blow Up List Dolby Stereo |
 AALBERTACalgary — Cineplex Odeon’s North Hill (7) Edmonton — Cineplex Odeon’s Eaton Centre 9 (10) [THX] BRITISH COLUMBIA Vancouver — Cineplex Odeon’s Granville 7 [THX] (70mm from Week 7) Vancouver — Cineplex Odeon’s Oakridge Centre Triplex (6) [THX] CALIFORNIA Los Angeles — GCC’s Avco Center Triplex (9) [THX] Newport Beach — Edwards’ Newport Triplex (3) Orange — Syufy’s Century Cinedome 8 (8) Sacramento — Syufy’s Century 6 (7) San Francisco — AMC’s Kabuki 8 (9) San Jose — Syufy’s Century 22 Triplex (4) Universal City — Cineplex Odeon’s Universal City 18 (9) [THX] COLORADO Denver — AMC’s Colorado Plaza 6 (8) CONNECTICUT East Hartford — National Amusements’ Showcase 10 (6) Orange — National Amusements’ Showcase 7 (11) DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — Cineplex Odeon’s Uptown (4) ILLINOIS Calumet City — Cineplex Odeon’s River Oaks 14 (10) [70mm from Week 4] (THX) Chicago — Cineplex Odeon’s 900 N. Michigan Twin (3) [THX] Chicago — Cineplex Odeon’s McClurg Court Triplex (6) [THX] Lombard — GCC’s Yorktown 6 (10) [THX] Niles — Cineplex Odeon’s Golf Mill Triplex (5) Northbrook — Cineplex Odeon’s Edens Twin (9) Schaumburg — Cineplex Odeon’s Woodfield 9 (8) MASSACHUSETTS Boston — Loews’ Cinema 57 Twin (7) MINNESOTA Plymouth — Cineplex Odeon’s Willow Creek 8 (7) NEW YORK New York — Cineplex Odeon’s Ziegfeld (4) |
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 ONTARIOToronto — Cineplex Odeon’s Hyland Twin (9) PENNSYLVANIA Philadelphia — UA’s SamEric 4 (6) QUEBEC Montreal — Cineplex Odeon’s Place Alexis-Nihon Triplex (7) [THX] TEXAS Dallas — GCC’s Northpark West Twin (4) [THX] Houston — Cineplex Odeon’s Spectrum 9 (7) [THX] WASHINGTON Seattle — GCC’s King (9) Note that some of the presentations included in this listing may have been 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 1991-06-14 … Newport Beach, CA — Edwards’ Fashion Island 7 (3) [THX] 1991-06-21 … Chicago Ridge, IL — Cineplex Odeon’s The Commons 4 (4) 1991-06-21 … Dallas, TX — GCC’s Northpark East Twin (5) 1991-06-21 … Los Angeles, CA — Cineplex Odeon’s Showcase (6) 1991-06-21 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 23 Twin (2) 1991-07-03 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 24 Twin (1) 1991-07-05 … Edmonton, AB — Cineplex Odeon’s Meadowlark (4) 1991-07-19 … Casper, WY — Movie Palaces’ America (4) 1991-08-02 … Norfolk, VA — Naro (1) 1991-08-30 … Wichita, KS — Dickinson’s Mall 4 (3) 1991-10-04 … San Antonio, TX — Rivercenter IMAX (4) 1991-11-01 … Cleveland, OH — CWRU’s Strosacker [CWRU Film Society series] 1992-02-12 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (11 days) [70mm festival] 1996-09-27 … Dallas, TX — GCC’s Northpark West Twin [Fri-Sat lateshow] (THX) 2024-07-13 … Santa Monica, CA — Aero [70mm festival] 2025-08-17 … Chicago, IL — Music Box [70mm festival] 2025-08-18 … Chicago, IL — Music Box [70mm festival] The information included in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications, regional newspaper promotion, print enclosures, TAP records, Dolby records, etc. Special thanks to Bill Kallay and Bill Kretzel. International 70mm engagements of this title have not been accounted for in this article. International 70mm engagements 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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