Steven Spielberg’s beloved 1982 classic “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” opened at the Town Center in 70mm 40 years ago this weekend (June 11, 1982).
Starring Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore & Dee Wallace, the film opened at number one on 1,100 screens with $12 million and slowly increased its theater count each week for the next nine weeks, averaging over $10 million a week. It remained the number one or two film through mid-October and stayed in the top 10 through January of ‘83.
At the end of its astonishing 52-week run it had become the highest-grossing film of all time with a domestic take of over $435 million, a record it would hold for 11 years until Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park.”
The Town Center was one of three theaters in OC showing “E.T.”. in 70mm (it would play there for 28 weeks) and I dragged my mom there that first Saturday where we were greeted with a line wrapped completely around the building (first and only time I ever saw that). I remember it played in the large far corner theater on the right and was just a great cinematic experience from start to finish.
1982’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” opened at the Big Newport in 70mm 40 years ago this weekend (June 4, 1982).
Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy & Ricardo Montalban as the titular villain, the film opened at number one with $14 million (the largest opening weekend in history at that time) on over 1600 screens, grossing $79 million and finishing its run as the 6th highest-grossing film of 1982.
The film is still widely considered the greatest Trek film ever made.
Sylvester Stallone’s 1982 crowd-pleaser “Rocky III” opened at the Bristol IV 40 years this weekend (May 28, 1982).
Featuring Talia Shire, Carl Weathers & the debut of Mr. T, the film opened at number one with $16 million and remained in the top ten through mid-August, finishing the year as the 4th highest-grossing film of 1982.
I saw it here, just as I had the previous two Rockys, with a full crowd that first weekend as a kid and loved it.
John Huston’s 1982 big-screen adaptation of “Annie” opened at the Big Newport 40 years ago this weekend (May 21, 1982).
Starring Albert Finney, Carol Burnett and newcomer and Aileen Quinn as the titular heroine, the film rolled out slowly on just 14 screens opening weekend, but it had the highest per-screen average ($36,474) of any other release, beating out “Conan the Barbarian” & “The Road Warrior.”
It would go on to gross $57 million against a $35 million budget, finishing its run as the 10th highest-grossing film of 1982.
I saw it opening weekend at the Big Newport as a kid & thought it played pretty well on the 71-foot screen.
Looks like the Woodbridge has ceased weekend matinees again as the schedule for April 23-24 shows only two screenings of each film per day with none starting before 4PM.
Weekend matinees have returned to the Woodbridge, as a quick check of the schedule for April 2 & 3 show at least a 1-1:35 PM start time for all four films.
Looks like the Woodbridge continues to operate with just two screenings a day per movie, with none starting before 4pm, even on weekends.
Kind of sad neighborhood kids really don’t get to experience Saturday matiness like I did at the Woodridge growing up. Can’t imagine not having a noon or 1pm show to ride my bike to with friends, as it remains a very fond memory of my youth. Glad I grew up when I did.
The wife & I watched Scream Factory’s new 4K UHD/Blu-ray release of the 1980 cult flick “Alligator” last night & while perusing the advertising extras found a print ad listing the Woodbridge as a featured theater opening day back in November of ‘80.
Never saw the film in theaters as a kid but remember those great TV spots with the alligator busting through the sidewalk. They’re on the disc as well.
David S. Ward’s barely seen 1982 dramedy “Cannery Row” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (Feb. 12, 1982).
Adapted from the John Steinbeck novel, the film starred Nick Nolte & Debra Winger & was Ward’s directorial debut, nearly 10 years after winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for 1973’s “The Sting.”
Ward would later score a hit writing & directing 1989’s “Major League.”
Dropped by the Woodbridge Village Center on Monday (Jan. 31) & noticed the Irvine Co. wasted no time in removing all exterior signage from the now-shuttered Barnes & Noble, which closed its doors for good Jan. 23 after nearly 30 years at the center.
Looks like they even slapped on a fresh coat of white paint over the large portico where the large gold “Barnes & Noble Booksellers” sign once hung.
Funny, since most city’s vacated stores can sit for months if not years with the former tenant’s brand, or outline of a brand, over the doors. Not the case in Irvine, though.
A quick check of AMC’s website today shows the Woodbridge hosting screenings again: three films (Spider-Man, Sing 2 & Scream) with no show starting before 4 PM, funny since there’s a big “Low Ticket Prices Starting at $5.49+tax (before 4pm)” banner under the theater’s name.
Guess their temporary closure wasn’t for a renovation, unless they finished it in two weeks.
Thanks for the update, CTCrouch. Hadn’t heard or seen that announcement anywhere.
I’m a bit surprised AMC actually opted to renew the lease, especially when hosting only two screenings a day (4 & 7pm generally) for most movies, even on weekends. Can’t imagine that model, temporary or otherwise, turning any kind of worthwhile profit.
But to be making “significant reinvestments to upgrade the experience” sure makes it sound like they still believe in the property & it’s ongoing appeal to the community and who can argue with that. Actually sounds like what Starplex was interested in doing before the AMC acquisition, which you reported on your Cinelog site, I believe.
Anything to keep the Woodbridge going. We shall see.
Thanks for the tips on clickable links, Michael. I’ll try & remember the process.
I’d like to “strongly encourage” Cinema Treasures to make links clickable once you copy them, as most other websites do. Members shouldn’t have to write “code” every time they add a link.
Hard to believe the South Coast Village Cinemas turned 50 on Dec. 22.
How this little three-screen theater in the heart of the toney, Segerstrom-controlled South Coast Metro area survived five decades while all of its nearby contemporaries (SCP III, the Town Center & Bristol IV) fell under the wrecking ball decades ago is anyone’s guess.
I want to say it & the Big Newport are now the longest-operating theaters in Orange County.
Kudos to UA, Edwards (then Regal) & Regency for keeping things going amid the multiplex craze, DVD/streaming era & a global pandemic.
The Town Center opened 40 years this weekend (Dec. 25, 1981) with “Modern Problems” starring Chevy Chase & “Neighbors” starring John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd.
Burt Reynolds' 1981 crime thriller “Sharky’s Machine” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (Dec. 18, 1981).
Featuring Charles Durning, Bernie Casey, Brian Keith & Rachel Ward, this was Reynolds' third film as both director & star and proved to be a modest hit with both critics & audiences alike, finishing the year as the 19th highest-grossing film of 1981.
I can remember watching it quite a bit on cable at a buddy’s house after school & loving all that gritty action, especially the houseboat sequence & that high-rise finale. Good times.
Caught “The War of the Roses” starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner & Danny DeVito on cable this past weekend & was reminded I originally saw it at the Laguna Hills Mall Cinemas back in December 1989.
Actually recall seeing a few Michael Douglas films here in the ‘80s: “Jewel of the Nile,” “Fatal Attraction” & “Black Rain.”
Heard the news last week that the Barnes & Noble store a few spots down from the theater in the Woodbridge Village Center will close Jan. 23, 2022 after nearly 30 years in business.
According to a B&N Facebook post, the Irvine Co chose not to renew the lease (a bookstore associate told me they actually “broke” it) so they could develop a preschool site.
Spent many a time at the bookstore before & after a movie at the Woodbridge throughout the ‘90s. It was a nice neighborhood store that had the intimate feel of the old mall bookstores in the '70s & '80s. Pretty sure it was the oldest B&N still operating in OC.
My wife & I enjoyed taking a quick spin inside every now & then when in the neighborhood. We’ll both miss it, as will the community, I’m sure.
Terry Gilliam’s beloved 1981 fantasy-adventure “Time Bandits” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (Nov. 6, 1981).
Featuring David Warner, Ian Holm & Sean Connery, the film was Gilliam’s breakout hit in the U.S., opening at number one & remaining there four straight weeks, finishing the year as the 12th highest-grossing release of 1981.
If your’re a true fan of cinema and the Cinerama Dome, do yourself a favor & check out Cinerama’s exceptional Cinerama Dome page at https://incinerama.com/ctdome.htm. Insightful articles, pictures & tons of ads for nearly every film that played there since 1963, in order.
I love how they were already promoting the “Its A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” premiere before they even broke ground on the Dome. And that it was basically announced, built & opened in the span of seven months under a 24-hour-a-day schedule. Crazy.
Film historian Michael Coate has just published an exhaustive Raiders of the Lost Ark 40th anniversary retrospective at https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/history-legacy-showmanship/raiders-of-the-lost-ark-40th
Steven Spielberg’s beloved 1982 classic “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” opened at the Town Center in 70mm 40 years ago this weekend (June 11, 1982).
Starring Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore & Dee Wallace, the film opened at number one on 1,100 screens with $12 million and slowly increased its theater count each week for the next nine weeks, averaging over $10 million a week. It remained the number one or two film through mid-October and stayed in the top 10 through January of ‘83.
At the end of its astonishing 52-week run it had become the highest-grossing film of all time with a domestic take of over $435 million, a record it would hold for 11 years until Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park.”
The Town Center was one of three theaters in OC showing “E.T.”. in 70mm (it would play there for 28 weeks) and I dragged my mom there that first Saturday where we were greeted with a line wrapped completely around the building (first and only time I ever saw that). I remember it played in the large far corner theater on the right and was just a great cinematic experience from start to finish.
Actually Rocky III’s $16 million opening weekend the week before was the largest in history at that time. My bad.
1982’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” opened at the Big Newport in 70mm 40 years ago this weekend (June 4, 1982).
Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy & Ricardo Montalban as the titular villain, the film opened at number one with $14 million (the largest opening weekend in history at that time) on over 1600 screens, grossing $79 million and finishing its run as the 6th highest-grossing film of 1982.
The film is still widely considered the greatest Trek film ever made.
Sylvester Stallone’s 1982 crowd-pleaser “Rocky III” opened at the Bristol IV 40 years this weekend (May 28, 1982).
Featuring Talia Shire, Carl Weathers & the debut of Mr. T, the film opened at number one with $16 million and remained in the top ten through mid-August, finishing the year as the 4th highest-grossing film of 1982.
I saw it here, just as I had the previous two Rockys, with a full crowd that first weekend as a kid and loved it.
John Huston’s 1982 big-screen adaptation of “Annie” opened at the Big Newport 40 years ago this weekend (May 21, 1982).
Starring Albert Finney, Carol Burnett and newcomer and Aileen Quinn as the titular heroine, the film rolled out slowly on just 14 screens opening weekend, but it had the highest per-screen average ($36,474) of any other release, beating out “Conan the Barbarian” & “The Road Warrior.”
It would go on to gross $57 million against a $35 million budget, finishing its run as the 10th highest-grossing film of 1982.
I saw it opening weekend at the Big Newport as a kid & thought it played pretty well on the 71-foot screen.
Looks like the Woodbridge has ceased weekend matinees again as the schedule for April 23-24 shows only two screenings of each film per day with none starting before 4PM.
Weekend matinees have returned to the Woodbridge, as a quick check of the schedule for April 2 & 3 show at least a 1-1:35 PM start time for all four films.
Looks like the Woodbridge continues to operate with just two screenings a day per movie, with none starting before 4pm, even on weekends.
Kind of sad neighborhood kids really don’t get to experience Saturday matiness like I did at the Woodridge growing up. Can’t imagine not having a noon or 1pm show to ride my bike to with friends, as it remains a very fond memory of my youth. Glad I grew up when I did.
The wife & I watched Scream Factory’s new 4K UHD/Blu-ray release of the 1980 cult flick “Alligator” last night & while perusing the advertising extras found a print ad listing the Woodbridge as a featured theater opening day back in November of ‘80.
Never saw the film in theaters as a kid but remember those great TV spots with the alligator busting through the sidewalk. They’re on the disc as well.
New print looks great, by the way.
David S. Ward’s barely seen 1982 dramedy “Cannery Row” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (Feb. 12, 1982).
Adapted from the John Steinbeck novel, the film starred Nick Nolte & Debra Winger & was Ward’s directorial debut, nearly 10 years after winning the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for 1973’s “The Sting.”
Ward would later score a hit writing & directing 1989’s “Major League.”
Dropped by the Woodbridge Village Center on Monday (Jan. 31) & noticed the Irvine Co. wasted no time in removing all exterior signage from the now-shuttered Barnes & Noble, which closed its doors for good Jan. 23 after nearly 30 years at the center.
Looks like they even slapped on a fresh coat of white paint over the large portico where the large gold “Barnes & Noble Booksellers” sign once hung.
Funny, since most city’s vacated stores can sit for months if not years with the former tenant’s brand, or outline of a brand, over the doors. Not the case in Irvine, though.
I hate AMC’s website, by the way.
A quick check of AMC’s website today shows the Woodbridge hosting screenings again: three films (Spider-Man, Sing 2 & Scream) with no show starting before 4 PM, funny since there’s a big “Low Ticket Prices Starting at $5.49+tax (before 4pm)” banner under the theater’s name.
Guess their temporary closure wasn’t for a renovation, unless they finished it in two weeks.
Thanks for the update, CTCrouch. Hadn’t heard or seen that announcement anywhere.
I’m a bit surprised AMC actually opted to renew the lease, especially when hosting only two screenings a day (4 & 7pm generally) for most movies, even on weekends. Can’t imagine that model, temporary or otherwise, turning any kind of worthwhile profit.
But to be making “significant reinvestments to upgrade the experience” sure makes it sound like they still believe in the property & it’s ongoing appeal to the community and who can argue with that. Actually sounds like what Starplex was interested in doing before the AMC acquisition, which you reported on your Cinelog site, I believe.
Anything to keep the Woodbridge going. We shall see.
AMC website says Woodbridge 5 “temporarily closed” and to check back for future updates. Interesting.
Thanks for the tips on clickable links, Michael. I’ll try & remember the process.
I’d like to “strongly encourage” Cinema Treasures to make links clickable once you copy them, as most other websites do. Members shouldn’t have to write “code” every time they add a link.
Happy New Year!
Hard to believe the South Coast Village Cinemas turned 50 on Dec. 22.
How this little three-screen theater in the heart of the toney, Segerstrom-controlled South Coast Metro area survived five decades while all of its nearby contemporaries (SCP III, the Town Center & Bristol IV) fell under the wrecking ball decades ago is anyone’s guess.
I want to say it & the Big Newport are now the longest-operating theaters in Orange County.
Kudos to UA, Edwards (then Regal) & Regency for keeping things going amid the multiplex craze, DVD/streaming era & a global pandemic.
Long live the Village.
The Town Center opened 40 years this weekend (Dec. 25, 1981) with “Modern Problems” starring Chevy Chase & “Neighbors” starring John Belushi & Dan Aykroyd.
Burt Reynolds' 1981 crime thriller “Sharky’s Machine” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (Dec. 18, 1981).
Featuring Charles Durning, Bernie Casey, Brian Keith & Rachel Ward, this was Reynolds' third film as both director & star and proved to be a modest hit with both critics & audiences alike, finishing the year as the 19th highest-grossing film of 1981.
I can remember watching it quite a bit on cable at a buddy’s house after school & loving all that gritty action, especially the houseboat sequence & that high-rise finale. Good times.
Caught “The War of the Roses” starring Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner & Danny DeVito on cable this past weekend & was reminded I originally saw it at the Laguna Hills Mall Cinemas back in December 1989.
Actually recall seeing a few Michael Douglas films here in the ‘80s: “Jewel of the Nile,” “Fatal Attraction” & “Black Rain.”
Heard the news last week that the Barnes & Noble store a few spots down from the theater in the Woodbridge Village Center will close Jan. 23, 2022 after nearly 30 years in business.
According to a B&N Facebook post, the Irvine Co chose not to renew the lease (a bookstore associate told me they actually “broke” it) so they could develop a preschool site.
Spent many a time at the bookstore before & after a movie at the Woodbridge throughout the ‘90s. It was a nice neighborhood store that had the intimate feel of the old mall bookstores in the '70s & '80s. Pretty sure it was the oldest B&N still operating in OC.
My wife & I enjoyed taking a quick spin inside every now & then when in the neighborhood. We’ll both miss it, as will the community, I’m sure.
Terry Gilliam’s beloved 1981 fantasy-adventure “Time Bandits” opened at the Woodbridge 40 years ago this weekend (Nov. 6, 1981).
Featuring David Warner, Ian Holm & Sean Connery, the film was Gilliam’s breakout hit in the U.S., opening at number one & remaining there four straight weeks, finishing the year as the 12th highest-grossing release of 1981.
If your’re a true fan of cinema and the Cinerama Dome, do yourself a favor & check out Cinerama’s exceptional Cinerama Dome page at https://incinerama.com/ctdome.htm. Insightful articles, pictures & tons of ads for nearly every film that played there since 1963, in order.
I love how they were already promoting the “Its A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” premiere before they even broke ground on the Dome. And that it was basically announced, built & opened in the span of seven months under a 24-hour-a-day schedule. Crazy.
It’s still standing, but more or less just part of the scenery now as vendor kiosks dot the front entrance area.
Film historian Michael Coate has just published an exhaustive Raiders of the Lost Ark 40th anniversary retrospective at https://thedigitalbits.com/columns/history-legacy-showmanship/raiders-of-the-lost-ark-40th
Great job as usual, Michael.