Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The 70mm Presentations | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter |
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 06.07.2025 |
 The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter presentations of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. These were the cinemas worth seeking out to experience this motion picture.Close Encounters was among two first-run films released in 1977 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. The Columbia/EMI presentation was directed by Steven Spielberg (Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.) and starred Richard Dreyfuss, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon and Francois Truffaut. The 70mm prints of Close Encounters 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 anamorphic 35mm and provided a superior projection and sound experience in comparison to the films 35mm prints. (The 70mm prints for the 2025 re-issue feature Datasat [aka DTS] audio and 2.39:1 letterboxed imagery within 2.20:1 sourced from a 65mm film-out.) Note that some cinemas 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 made a special request for a 70mm print that lacked Dolby Noise Reduction so that it could be played on a cinemas older, pre-Dolby-era sound system. The films visual effects were originated in 65mm. The original plan was to retain an all-65mm/70mm workflow for the VFX footage and intercut final effects shots with the blown-up principal photography footage to create a hybrid final 70mm print. Ultimately the decision was made to reduction print all of the visual effects footage to 35mm anamorphic, intercut with 35mm anamorphic principal photography, and then blow-up the entire film for the 70mm prints. Prior to release, Close Encounters was test-screened October 19th and 20th at the Medallion in Dallas. Its undetermined if these screenings were 70mm, 35mm, or 35mm with interlocked audio. The films world premiere was held November 15th at the Ziegfeld in New York. The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) is included in parenthesis following the cinema name. | More in 70mm reading: 70mm Blow Up List 1977 70mm Blow Up List 1980 70mm Blow Up List 2025 Douglas Trumbull - A Conversation 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 |
 Part 1: First Run (135-minute original cut)1977-11-16 New York Ziegfeld (23) 1977-11-18 Los Angeles Cinerama Dome (4) 1977-12-14 Beaverton, OR Westgate Triplex [canceled due to lawsuit] 1977-12-14 Belleville, IL Cinema (14) 1977-12-14 Boston, MA Cinema 57 Twin (14) 1977-12-14 Calumet City, IL River Oaks Triplex (13) 1977-12-14 Cheektowaga, NY Holiday 6 (14) 1977-12-14 Chicago, IL Esquire (13) 1977-12-14 Colorado Springs, CO Cinema 150 (23) [70mm from Week 14] 1977-12-14 Costa Mesa, CA South Coast Plaza Triplex (42) 1977-12-14 Dallas, TX Medallion (27) [70mm?] 1977-12-14 Denver, CO Cooper Twin (27) 1977-12-14 Evergreen, IL Evergreen Twin (22) 1977-12-14 Houston, TX Alabama (26) 1977-12-14 Houston, TX Town & Country Village Triplex (24) 1977-12-14 Lakewood, CA Lakewood Center 4 (23) 1977-12-14 Livonia, MI Mai Kai (24) 1977-12-14 Los Angeles, CA Paramount (22 [26]) [m/o from Cinerama Dome] 1977-12-14 Louisville, KY Showcase 8 (23) 1977-12-14 Orange, CA Cinedome 6 (33) 1977-12-14 Paramus, NJ Route Four 4 (23) 1977-12-14 Pasadena, CA Hastings (22) 1977-12-14 Philadelphia, PA SamEric (22) 1977-12-14 Pittsburgh, PA Warner (13) 1977-12-14 Pittsford, NY Loews Triplex (27) 1977-12-14 Portland, OR Eastgate Triplex (27) 1977-12-14 Portland, OR Rose Moyer 6 [canceled due to lawsuit] 1977-12-14 Salt Lake City, UT Regency (27) 1977-12-14 San Diego, CA Cinema 21 (13) 1977-12-14 San Francisco, CA Coronet (27) 1977-12-14 Santa Clara, CA Cinema 150 (31) 1977-12-14 Skokie, IL Old Orchard Triplex (21) 1977-12-14 Southfield, MI Americana 4 (22) 1977-12-14 Southgate, MI Southgate Triplex (22) 1977-12-14 Toledo, OH Showcase 4 (20) 1977-12-14 West Allis, WI Southtown Triplex (27) 1977-12-16 Beaverton, OR Town Center Triplex (27) 1977-12-21 Monterey, CA Cinema 70 (12) 1977-12-21 Palm Springs, CA Camelot Twin (12) 1977-12-21 Santa Barbara, CA Granada (12) | |
 Part 2: International First Run (work in progress)1978-02-25 Tokyo, Japan Shinjuku Praza (1+) 1978-02-25 Tokyo, Japan Theatre Tokyo (1+) 1978-02-25 Tokyo, Japan Yurakuza (1+) 1978-03-03 Copenhagen, Denmark 3 Falke Bio (14) 1978-03-03 Stockholm, Sweden Astoria (1+) 1978-03-11 Tokyo, Japan Shibuya Toho (1+) 1978-03-11 Tokyo, Japan Shinjuku Scalaza (1+) 1978-03-13 London, UK Odeon Leicester Square (17) 1978-03-15 Paris, France Marignan (1+) 1978-03-16 Melbourne, Australia Hoyts Mid City (24) 1978-03-16 Sydney, Australia Hoyts Entertainment Centre (27) 1978-04-27 Adelaide, Australia Cinema 2 (22) 1978-04-27 Perth, Australia Cinema 1 (22) 1978-06-29 San Juan, Puerto Rico Cinema 150 (7) 1978-06-30 Mexico City, Mexico Hollywood (1+) 1978-07-13 London, UK Odeon Marble Arch (18[35]) [m/o from Odeon Leicester Square] 1978-08-31 Melbourne, Australia Hoyts Cinema Centre (4 [28]) [m/o from Mid City] 1978-11-17 London, UK Columbia (8 [43]) [m/o from Odeon Marble Arch] Part 3: Subsequent North American 70mm engagements & screenings 1978-02-08 Honolulu, HI Waikiki Twin (9) [70mm from Week 6] 1978-03-17 El Cajon, CA Parkway Plaza Triplex (20) 1978-04-26 New York, NY Bay (3) 1978-04-26 New York, NY State Twin (7) 1978-04-28 Portsmouth, VA Plaza Triplex (4) 1978-05-03 Albany, NY Madison (4) [70mm series] 1978-05-12 Seattle, WA Crest 70 (17) 1978-05-19 Los Angeles, CA Century Plaza Twin (5) 1978-05-19 Phoenix, AZ Bethany (4) 1978-05-19 Scottsdale, AZ Kachina (4) 1978-06-02 Port Washington, NY Sands Point (3) 1978-06-16 Baltimore, MD Reisterstown Plaza (5) 1978-06-16 Vienna, VA Tysons (8) 1978-06-16 Washington, DC MacArthur (4) 1978-06-23 Dallas, TX Preston Royal (3) 1978-06-28 San Francisco, CA Warfield (2) 1978-06-30 Toronto, ON University (3) 1978-07-12 San Francisco, CA Warfield (1) [w/ Logans Run] 1978-09-01 Atlanta, GA Fox (4 days) [1st annual summer film festival] 1980-01-18 Cleveland, OH CWRU Strosacker [Science Fiction Marathon] Part 4: Subsequent International 70mm engagements & screenings 1999-??-?? Lille, France Kinepolis Chateau du Cinema [Spielberg tribute] 2013-09-22 Karlsruhe, Germany Schauburg [70mm festival] 2018-05-19 Varnsdorf, Czech Republic Kino Centrum Panorama [Panorama Weekend] 2024-04-13 Krnov, Czech Republic Kino Mir 70 [KRRR! 70mm festival] 2026-01-24
Oslo, Norway Cinemateket [70mm festival] | |
 Part 5: 132-Minute Special Edition Re-Release + Special Edition Subsequent 70mm Screenings1980-08-01 Boston, MA Cheri Triplex (4) 1980-08-01 Chicago, IL State Lake (2) 1980-08-01 Los Angeles, CA Fox (6) 1980-08-01 Philadelphia, PA Sams Place Twin (3) 1980-08-01 Seattle, WA Crest Twin (11) 1980-08-01 Washington, DC Tenley Circle Triplex (6) 1980-08-08 New York, NY New York Twin (7) 1980-08-08 Paramus, NJ Route Four 4 (3) 1980-08-29 Boston, MA Saxon (1) 1980-09-12 Oakland, CA Grand Lake (2) [w/ 2001] 1980-09-26 Chicago, IL McClurg Court (1) 1980-09-26 Northbrook, IL Edens Twin (1) 1980-10-17 San Francisco, CA Cinema 21 (1) [w/ 2001] 1980-10-31 Sacramento, CA Century 6 (1) [w/ 2001] 1980-11-21 South Salt Lake, UT Century 5 (2) [w/ 2001] 1980-11-26 Orange, CA Cinedome 6 (2) [w/ 2001] 1981-01-22 Toronto, ON Cinesphere (4 days) [70mm festival] 1981-02-13 New York, NY Ziegfeld (4) 1981-03-06 Los Angeles, CA Cinerama Dome (3) 1981-05-01 Calgary, AB North Hill [midnight] 1981-05-01 Washington, DC Uptown (4 days) [70mm festival] 1981-05-15 Los Angeles, CA Paramount (1) 1981-05-22 Las Vegas, NV Cinedome 6 (2) 1981-06-05 La Mesa, CA Cinema Grossmont (1) 1981-07-03 Los Angeles, CA Picwood (2) [w/ Alien] 1981-08-28 Ottawa, ON NAC Opera (2 days) 1981-09-11 Oakland, CA Grand Lake Twin (1) [w/ 2001] 1981-09-18 Calgary, AB North Hill [midnight] 1981-11-06 Cleveland, OH Colony (1) 1981-11-27 Toronto, ON Science Centre/Ontario Film Theatre 1982-01-16 Cleveland, OH Strosacker [CWRU Sci-Fi marathon] 1982-02-03 Toronto, ON Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm festival] 1982-03-19 Toronto, ON Cumberland 4 (1) [La Reserve] 1982-08-23 Atlanta, GA Fox [5th annual summer film festival] 1982-09-03 Florence, KY Florence 6 (1) 1982-09-03 Springdale, OH Tri-County 7 (1) 1982-09-04 Minneapolis, MN Uptown [w/ 2001] 1982-09-10 Pittsburgh, PA Warner (1) 1982-09-17 Winnipeg, MB Grant Park (1) 1982-10-01 Des Moines, IA River Hills (1) 1982-10-15 Lincoln, NE Cooper (1) 1982-10-29 San Antonio, TX Galaxy 6 (2 days) [Fantastic Films Festival 3] 1982-11-12 Seattle, WA Cinerama [Fri/Sat midnight] 1982-11-26 Scarborough, ON Cedarbrae 6 (1) 1983-08-25 Saginaw, MI Temple (3 days) [classic film series] 1985-12-06 Houston, TX Commerce Park 8 (1) [AMC Series 70] 1989-03-17 San Antonio, TX Rivercenter IMAX (1) [70mm festival] 1991-04-19 Portland, OR Roseway (1) [70mm festival] 1991-09-13 Washington, DC Uptown (1) [70mm festival] 1991-10-25 Richmond, VA Ridge 7 (1) [70mm festival] 1992-03-13 Seattle, WA Cinema 150 (1) [70mm festival] 1992-06-19 Cleveland Heights, OH Centrum Triplex [Fri-Sat midnight] 1992-12-11 Seattle, WA Egyptian (1) [70mm festival] | |
 Part 6: 132-Minute Special Edition Re-Release (international) + Special Edition Subsequent 70mm Screenings (international) [work in progress]1980-09-18 London, UK Columbia (14) 1981-01-22 Sydney, Australia Hoyts Centre (7) 1981-03-18 Paris, France Ambassade (1+) 1983-09-30 Stuttgart, West Germany Atrium (2) | |
 Part 7: New 70mm-DTS Print of 137-minute Directors Cut (worldwide)2025-06-21 Bologna, Italy Piazza Maggiore [Il Cinema Ritrovato] 2025-06-22 Bologna, Italy Cinema Modernissimo [Il Cinema Ritrovato] 2025-08-15 Chicago, IL, USA Music Box [70mm festival] 2025-08-15 Los Angeles, CA, USA Egyptian [w/ Grover Crisp intro] 2025-08-16 Los Angeles, CA, USA Egyptian 2025-08-17 Los Angeles, CA, USA Egyptian 2025-08-20 Chicago, IL, USA Music Box [70mm festival] 2025-08-21 Chicago, IL, USA Music Box [70mm festival] 2025-08-29 New York, NY, USA Paris [Big & Loud festival] 2025-08-29 Santa Monica, CA, USA Aero 2025-08-31 Santa Monica, CA, USA Aero 2025-09-01 Portland, OR, USA Hollywood [Summer of Celluloid] 2025-09-03 Portland, OR, USA Hollywood [Summer of Celluloid] 2025-09-14 New York, NY, USA Paris [Big & Loud festival] 2025-09-18 New York, NY, USA Paris [Big & Loud festival] 2025-10-03 New York, NY, USA Paris [Big & Loud festival] 2025-10-03 Austin, TX, USA Paramount 2025-10-05 Austin, TX, USA Paramount 2025-10-17 Somerville, MA, USA Somerville 2025-10-18 Somerville, MA, USA Somerville 2025-10-19 Somerville, MA, USA Somerville 2026-01-10 New York, NY, USA Lincoln Center [The Secret Agent Network] 2026-01-12 New York, NY, USA Lincoln Center [The Secret Agent Network] 2026-01-16 Santa Monica, CA, USA Aero 2026-02-06 Los Angeles, CA, USA Egyptian 2026-02-12 North Olmsted, OH, USA Great Northern Mall [Ohio Goes to the Movies] 2026-02-28 Columbus, OH, USA Wexner Center [Cinema Revival w/ G. Crisp intro] 2026-05-01 Toronto, ON, Canada Revue [To 70 and Beyond series] 2026-05-02 Toronto, ON, Canada Revue [To 70 and Beyond series] 2026-05-03 Toronto, ON, Canada Revue [To 70 and Beyond series] 2026-05-04 Toronto, ON, Canada Revue [To 70 and Beyond series] 2026-05-07 Toronto, ON, Canada Revue [To 70 and Beyond series] The information in this article was principally referenced from film industry trade publications and regional newspaper promotion, with thanks to Don Beelik, Miguel Carrara, Peter Fraser, Ryan Gallagher, Sheldon Hall, Hans Haenssler, Thomas Hauerslev, Shinnosuke Hobo, Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Doug Louden, Mark Lensenmayer, Stan Malone, Keyvan Rad, John Sharp. If you believe this article contains any errors or omissions, please consider emailing the author or editor. | |
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