cinelog.org

This past week saw time catch up with a new generation of cinemas, as two forebearers of the megaplex era reached their proverbial end credits. First, AMC announced that they won’t be renewing their lease on the Grand 24, in Dallas, Texas. Then, Los Angeles’ Beverly Center 13 closed it’s doors to make way for [...]

In conjunction with the Fox Fullerton’s 85th anniversary celebration, the Fox Historic Theatre Foundation has announced that phase one of the property’s renovation will begin this fall. The $6 million project will focus on the complex’s exterior and refurbishment of adjoining commercial spaces. Work on the theatre is being scheduled for a later phase, as [...]

The long delayed reopening of the former Edwards Franciscan Plaza 5 took place this past Friday (5/7/10). Re-christened the Regency San Juan Capistrano, the theatre has undergone a major renovation, now utilizing a Moroccan theme and featuring an eatery, “Rick’s Cafe” (both a nod to the film “Casablanca”). The theatre has also added stadium seating and cut the [...]

On May 11, the Fox Fullerton will celebrate it’s 85th anniversary with an evening of festivities and free screening of “Citizen Kane”.  As with the theatre’s previous movie nights, the event will be held in the complex’s rear parking lot, utilizing the auditorium’s exterior wall for a screen. For more information, please visit the following [...]

This past week marked the fortieth anniversary of the Buena Park Drive-In. Opened by Pacific Theatres, on April 24, 1970, the Buena Park was located adjacent to the smaller and older Lincoln Drive-In (formerly known as the Cina-Car Drive-In), but the two drive-ins were operated separately until the mid 80′s. Around 1985, the Lincoln was [...]

OC History Roundup (an excellent Orange County history blog), posted some pictures of the Crystal Cathedral’s Orange Drive-In artifact collection. Among the items on display are a pair of Koropp window speakers and a piece of the snack bar rooftop.    .   For those wondering why the Crystal Cathedral would hold on to drive-in memorabilia; the church’s [...]

Today’s picture is a bit of a mystery theatre. This architectural rendering comes from the 1920 Los Angeles  Times, announcing a “picture playhouse” to be erected in Anaheim. The only other information provided was the builder, Head & Ingram, and the architect, E.J. Borgmeyer.    .   . Edward J. Borgmeyer was a prominent architect in the Los [...]

Drama, inaction, and politics continue to plague San Clemente’s Miramar Theatre. This past week, the city notified the long dormant venue’s current owner that he was in violation of city codes, due to a host of ongoing maintenance shortcommings. Naturally, this resulted in a round of finger pointing between the city and current owner, Marc Spizzurri; [...]

When a cinema closes, there is rarely an official effort made to preserve anything that doesn’t have a resale value. In recent decades, departing operators have even made a habit of damaging facilities and fixtures, to hinder any future use by competition. However, the former Edwards Huntington Cinema stands as a rare example of an operator [...]

This past Saturday, Irvine’s Woodbridge Theatre held a celebration in recognition of the venue’s 30th anniversary. Roughly 2,400 people turned out for a day of giveaways, contests, and festivities. .                .           .   In addition to being Irvine’s first theatre, the Woodbridge currently stands as Orange County’s seventh oldest operating cinema; an [...]