70mm Presentations in Champaign | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 27.05.2023 |
 What follows is a work-in-progress chronology of 70mm six-track stereophonic sound feature-film presentations in the Champaign-Urbana region of Illinois, USA.The focus of this work is 5-perf 70mm feature films and the cinemas in which they were exhibited. Short subjects, 8-perf and 15-perf (IMAX, Iwerks, etc.) and Special Venue presentations have not been included. The emphasis here is on the titles that received publicly-promoted, commercial exhibition in 70mm and their playdates. To facilitate an easy-to-reference title- and date-based layout, no details have been provided pertaining to the brand of 70mm (i.e. Todd-AO, Super Panavision, Ultra Panavision, Cinerama, D-150, etc.) or technical particulars of each presentation (i.e. O-neg source, inter-neg source, blow-up, pillarboxed, letterboxed, Dolby A, Dolby SR, five screen channels vs. three, baby boom, split surround, digital sound, etc.). Part 1: The 70mm-Equipped Cinemas CHAMPAIGN Virginia SAVOY Savoy 10 / Savoy 14 (two screens equipped with 70mm) An overview of each cinema will be provided in a forthcoming revision. Part 2: The 70mm Presentations Opening date YYYY-MM-DD TITLE cinema (duration in weeks) [notes] 1980-05-21 THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK Virginia (20) 1981-05-08 SLEEPING BEAUTY Virginia (2) 1982-10-08 TRON Virginia (2) 1982-10-22 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Virginia (1) 1983-08-27 LETS SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER Virginia [midnight] 1983-09-30 BRAINSTORM Virginia (5) 1984-02-17 THE RIGHT STUFF Virginia (7) 1984-06-01 STAR TREK III: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK Virginia (6) 1984-12-07 2010 Virginia (7) 1989-09-29 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA Virginia (3) 1990-06-15 DICK TRACY Virginia (9) 1997-03-13 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Virginia [Cyberfest] 1999-04-25 TRON Virginia [EbertFest] (35mm substitution) 2000-04-30 OKLAHOMA! Virginia [EbertFest] 2001-04-25 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Virginia [EbertFest] 2002-04-24 PATTON Virginia [EbertFest] 2003-04-23 THE RIGHT STUFF Virginia [EbertFest] (35mm substitution) 2004-04-21 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA Virginia [EbertFest] 2005-04-20 PLAYTIME Virginia [EbertFest] 2006-04-26 MY FAIR LADY Virginia [EbertFest] 2008-04-23 HAMLET Virginia [EbertFest] 2009-04-26 BARAKA Virginia [EbertFest] 2010-04-21 PINK FLOYD: THE WALL Virginia [EbertFest] (35mm substitution) 2010-04-22 APOCALYPSE NOW Virginia [EbertFest] (35mm REDUX substitution) 2018-04-19 INTERSTELLAR Virginia [EbertFest] 2018-08-20 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY Virginia (1) [50th anniversary re-issue] 2020-04-18 VERTIGO Virginia [EbertFest] (canceled) Q&A/post-screening-discussion guests for the 1997 screening of 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY were actor Gary Lockwood and 2001: Filming the Future author Piers Bizony. Event was hosted by film critic and University of Illinois alum Roger Ebert and served as a belated birthday celebration for HAL9000 who in the film was said to have been born in Urbana, Illinois in 1992 (the locale of the University of Illinois). Q&A/post-screening-discussion guests for the EbertFest screenings were . TRON: Steven Lisberger and David Warner OKLAHOMA!: Tim Zinnemann 2001: Keir Dullea, Frederick Ordway and (by telephone) Sir Arthur C. Clarke PATTON: Dr. Richard Vetter THE RIGHT STUFF: Veronica Cartwright, Donald Moffat and Scott Wilson LAWRENCE OF ARABIA: Robert A. Harris and Anne V. Coates PLAYTIME: Jonathan Rosenbaum MY FAIR LADY: Marni Nixon, Robert A. Harris and Jim Katz HAMLET: Timothy Spall and Rufus Sewell BARAKA: Mark Magidson and Ron Fricke APOCALYPSE NOW: Walter Murch INTERSTELLAR: Professor Miguel Alcubierre and Brand Fortner Note that some of the titles included in this chronology may have been presented in 35mm during the latter week(s) of their engagement due to contractual terms or print damage (and the distributors 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 an engagement (or movement out of a branded auditorium) has been included in the duration figure. References: Various issues of the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette and The Daily Illini, plus projection and sound system trade advertisements and installation records. Special Thanks: Champaign County Historical Archives, Steve Kraus and Tim McGlynn. Dedicated to Roger Ebert, 1942-2013 If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. | 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 |
Go to 70mm Presentations in Champaign | |
| Go: back - top - back issues - news index Updated 02-06-23 |