| | “Cocoon”: The North American 70mm Engagements “It is everything you’ve dreamed of. It is nothing you expect.” | Read more at in70mm.com The 70mm Newsletter
| Compiled by: Michael Coate | Date: 11.10.2020 | The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter engagements of “Cocoon” in the United States and Canada. These were arguably the best cinemas in which to experience this motion picture.
“Cocoon” was among twenty-three confirmed first-run films released in 1985 with 70mm prints for selected engagements. One-hundred-thirty 70mm prints were reportedly struck for distribution in North America and represented about ten percent of the film’s total initial bookings. The 20th Century Fox release — directed by Ron Howard and starring Don Ameche, Wilford Brimley, Hume Cronyn, Brian Dennehy, Jack Gilford, Steve Guttenberg, Maureen Stapleton, Jessica Tandy, Gwen Verdon, Herta Ware, and Tahnee Welch — opened June 21st.
Pre-release screenings included an invitational preview held June 11th and Opening Night Celebration screening June 21st (both at Samuel Goldwyn in Beverly Hills).
For the release of “Cocoon,” 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 “Cocoon” featured pillarboxed imagery (approximately 1.85:1) blown up from spherical 35mm and Six-Track Dolby Stereo (“A” encoded “baby boom” format).
Fox circulated 70mm trailers for “Bad Medicine,” “Commando,” “Enemy Mine,” “The Jewel of the Nile,” “Key Exchange,” “The Man With One Red Shoe,” “Plenty” and “Warning Sign” during the release of “Cocoon.” As well, other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period. Ultimately, the 70mm trailers, if any, seen during the 70mm presentations of “Cocoon” varied by venue and screening.
The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) has been included in parenthesis following the applicable cinema name.
ALBERTA Calgary — Famous Players’ Palace (19) Edmonton — Famous Players’ Paramount (19)
ARIZONA Phoenix — UA’s Chris-Town Mall 6-plex (8) Tucson — AMC’s Campbell Plaza Triplex (15) Tucson — AMC’s El Con 6-plex (13)
BRITISH COLUMBIA Burnaby — Famous Players’ Lougheed Mall Triplex (18) Vancouver — Famous Players’ Stanley (23) [THX]
CALIFORNIA Alhambra — Edwards’ Alhambra Place 5-plex (12) Buena Park — UA’s Buena Park Mall 8-plex (9) [THX] Cerritos — UA’s Cerritos Mall Twin (15) Costa Mesa — Edwards’ South Coast Plaza Triplex (14) El Cajon — UA’s Parkway Plaza Triplex (10) El Toro — Edwards’ El Toro 5-plex (16) Escondido — AIT’s Carousel 6-plex (16) Fremont — Syufy’s Cinedome East 7-plex (17) Hayward — UA’s Hayward 5-plex (15) La Mirada — Pacific’s La Mirada Mall 6-plex (18) Los Angeles (Hollywood) — UA’s Egyptian Triplex (15) Los Angeles (North Hollywood) — UA’s Valley Plaza 6-plex (9) Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks) — GCC’s Sherman Oaks 5-plex (15) [THX] Los Angeles (Westwood Village) — GCC’s Avco Center Triplex (15) [THX] Los Angeles (Woodland Hills) — UA’s Warner Center 6-plex (13) Monterey — UA’s Cinema 70 (15) National City — Pacific’s Sweetwater 6-plex (19) Oakland — Renaissance Rialto’s Grand Lake 4-plex (13) Palm Desert — Metropolitan’s Town Center 7-plex (15) Palm Springs — Metropolitan’s Camelot Triplex (6) Pasadena — UA’s United Artists (13) Riverside — SoCal’s Canyon Crest 9-plex (14) Riverside — UA’s Tyler Mall 4-plex (8) Sacramento — Landmark’s Tower Triplex (11) San Diego — Pacific’s La Jolla Village 4-plex (14) San Diego — UA’s Glasshouse 6-plex (12) San Francisco — UA’s Galaxy 4-plex (18) [THX] San Rafael — Marin’s Regency 6-plex (16) San Ramon — Festival Enterprises’ Crow Canyon 6-plex (8) Santa Barbara — Metropolitan’s Granada Triplex (15) Santa Clara — UA’s Cinema 150 (15) West Covina — SoCal’s Eastland 5-plex (16) Westminster — UA’s Westminster Mall Twin (15)
COLORADO Colorado Springs — Commonwealth’s Mall of the Bluffs Twin (15) Denver — Commonwealth’s Cooper Twin (1+)
CONNECTICUT East Hartford — Redstone’s Showcase 9-plex (7) [opened June 28th] Stamford — Trans-Lux’s Ridgeway Twin (15)
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington — K-B’s Fine Arts (7)
FLORIDA Kendall — Wometco’s Dadeland Triplex (16) North Miami Beach — Wometco’s 163rd Street Triplex (14)
GEORGIA Atlanta — GTC’s Lenox Square 6-plex (9) College Park — Storey’s National 6-plex (7) Roswell — Septum’s Holcomb Woods 6-plex (20) Stone Mountain — Septum’s Memorial Drive 4-plex (15) Union City — GTC’s Shannon 8-plex (8) [70mm from Week 7]
HAWAII Honolulu — Consolidated’s Waikiki Twin (12) [HPS-4000]
ILLINOIS Belleville — BAC’s Cinema (6) Calumet City — Plitt’s River Oaks 8-plex (7) Chicago — Essaness’ Lincoln Village (13) Chicago — GCC’s Ford City 5-plex (7) Chicago Ridge — Chicago Ridge Mall 4-plex (8) Forest Park — Essaness’ Forest Park Mall Triplex (8) Lombard — GCC’s Yorktown 6-plex (7) [THX] Niles — Essaness’ Golf Mill Triplex (8) Springfield — Kerasotes’ Fox Town & Country (6) Tinley Park — Essaness’ Bremen 4-plex (8)
INDIANA Indianapolis — Keedy’s Eastwood (6) Indianapolis — Loews’ College Park 6-plex (6)
IOWA Des Moines — Dubinsky’s River Hills (8)
KANSAS Overland Park — Dickinson’s Glenwood 4-plex (16)
LOUISIANA Baton Rouge — GCC’s Cortana Mall Triplex (19) Marrero — Gulf States’ Belle Promenade 6-plex (7) Metairie — GCC’s Lakeside 5-plex (16) New Orleans — Gulf States’ Eastlake 8-plex (8)
MANITOBA Winnipeg — Famous Players’ Metropolitan (8)
MASSACHUSETTS Boston — Sack’s Cinema 57 Twin (6) Chestnut Hill — GCC’s Chestnut Hill 5-plex (15)
MINNESOTA Bloomington — GCC’s Southtown Twin (15) Maplewood — UA’s The Movies at Maplewood II 6-plex (1+) St. Louis Park — GCC’s Shelard Park 5-plex (15) West St. Paul — Engler’s Signal Hills 4-plex (1+)
MISSOURI Independence — Mid-America’s Blue Ridge East 5-plex (8) Kansas City — Commonwealth’s Bannister Mall 5-plex (14) Richmond Heights — RKO Mid-America’s Esquire 4-plex (16)
NEVADA Las Vegas — Syufy’s Red Rock 11-plex (22)
NEW JERSEY Edison — GCC’s Menlo Park Twin (8) Paramus — RKO Century’s Route Four 10-plex (16) Secaucus — Loews’ Meadow 6-plex (9) West Orange — GCC’s Essex Green Triplex (14) [THX]
NEW YORK Greece — Jo-Mor’s Stoneridge Plaza Triplex (16) Guilderland — Cinema Centers’ Crossgates Mall 12-plex (15) New York — Loews’ 84th Street 6-plex (10) New York — Loews’ Orpheum Twin (7) New York — Moss’ Criterion Center 6-plex (15) New York — Reade’s Bay (12) New York — Trans-Lux’s Gotham (15) Pittsford — Loews’ Pittsford Triplex (8) Syosset — UA’s Syosset Triplex (1) Valley Stream — RKO Century’s Green Acres Triplex (16)
NOVA SCOTIA Halifax — Famous Players’ Scotia Square (1+)
OHIO Cincinnati — Mid States’ Carousel Twin (14) Cleveland — Colony (11) [70mm from Week 6]
ONTARIO Hamilton — Famous Players’ Tivoli (1+) London — Famous Players’ Park (1+) North York — Famous Players’ Town & Countrye Twin (16) Ottawa — Famous Players’ Elgin Twin (16) Scarborough — Famous Players’ Cedarbrae 6-plex (16) Toronto — Famous Players’ Eglinton (16) [THX] (opened July 5th) Toronto — Famous Players’ Runnymede Twin (16) Toronto — Famous Players’ Uptown 5-plex (#1: 16) Toronto — Famous Players’ Uptown 5-plex (#2: 3)
OREGON Beaverton — LT’s Westgate Triplex (14) Portland — Moyer’s Bagdad Triplex (16)
PENNSYLVANIA Bensalem — AMC’s Premiere Twin (1+) Philadelphia — Budco’s Olde City Twin (1+) Philadelphia — Budco’s Orleans 8-plex (1+)
QUEBEC Dorval — United’s Dorval Triplex (16) Montreal — United’s York (16)
TENNESSEE Nashville — Martin’s Belle Meade (15)
UTAH Salt Lake City — Mann’s Villa (8) Salt Lake City — Plitt’s Centre (8)
VIRGINIA Fairfax — UA’s The Movies at Fair Oaks 8-plex (17) McLean — NTI’s Tysons Center 4-plex (14) Richmond — NTI’s Ridge 7-plex (13) Springfield — GCC’s Springfield Mall 6-plex (15) [THX]
WASHINGTON Seattle — UA’s Cinema 150 (15) Spokane — SRO’s Lyons Avenue 4-plex (17)
WISCONSIN Madison — Marcus’ Eastgate 4-plex (9) Wauwatosa — UA’s Mayfair Twin (15) West Allis — Marcus’ Southtown 6-plex (16)
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 smaller, non-70mm-equipped auditorium within a multiplex. As well, the reverse scenario 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 such 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
1985-06-28 … Woodbury, NY — UA’s Cinema 150 (4) 1985-07-26 … Syosset, NY — UA’s Syosset Triplex (8) 1985-08-16 … Winnipeg, MB — Famous Players’ Northstar Twin (8) 1985-08-23 … Atlanta, GA — Columbia (3) 1985-08-30 … Knoxville, TN — UA’s East Towne 7-plex (4) 1985-08-30 … Little Rock, AR — UA’s Cinema 150 (4) 1985-08-30 … Madison, WI — Marcus’ Eastgate 4-plex (3) 1985-09-13 … Forest Park, IL — Essaness’ Forest Park Mall Triplex (4) 1985-09-20 … Irvine, CA — Edwards’ University 6-plex (1) 1985-10-04 … Los Angeles (Westwood Village), CA — UA’s Coronet 4-plex (3) [THX] 1985-10-18 … Carmel, IN — Heaston’s Woodland Twin (4) 1985-10-25 … Augusta, GA — GTC’s National Hills (1) 1985-10-25 … Los Angeles (Century City), CA — Plitt’s Century Plaza Twin (3) 1985-11-01 … Mountain View, CA — Syufy’s Century 10-plex (3) 1985-11-08 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Imperial 6-plex (1) 1985-12-04 … Los Angeles (Westwood Village), CA — UA’s Egyptian (1) [THX]
1986-02-07 … Ottawa, ON — Famous Players’ Nelson (1) 1986-02-07 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Hollywood Twin (1) 1986-02-26 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm fest] 1986-03-28 … Los Angeles (Century City), CA — Cineplex Odeon’s Century Plaza Twin (2) 1986-06-03 … Atlanta, GA — Fox (9th annual summer film fest)
1987-10-02 … Los Angeles (Century City), CA — AMC’s Century 14-plex (3 days) [Fox Retrospective]
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 Bill Kallay, Bill Kretzel, Monty Marin and Joe Odenthal, and an extra special thank-you to all of the librarians who helped with this project.
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. | More in 70mm reading:
70mm Engagements
70mm Blow Up List
Dolby Stereo
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