Alien
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| Written by: Michael Coate (Copyright 2004) | Date: July 4, 2004 |
 "Alien"
at the Egyptian in Hollywood, USA[This is an expanded version of an article originally published in Widescreen Review’s 2004 DVD Movie Guide.] "In space no one can hear you scream." — “Alien” promotional slogan "’Alien’ is a corker, a walloper, a rouser, a screecher and a ton of fun... If all movies were as thrilling I would happily spend all of my life in the movies." — Gene Shalit, NBC-TV "With only his second feature, Ridley Scott has emerged as a major film maker. What he has to say is still not clear, but he certainly knows how to say it effectively." — Charles Champlin, Los Angeles Times "You're going to be most appreciative of ‘Alien’ in its most technically advantageous circumstances" — Eric Gerber, The Houston Post |
Further
in 70mm reading: “Aliens”: The North American 70mm Engagements “Alien 3”: The North American 70mm Engagements in70mm.com's page about films blown up to 70mm 35mm to 70mm Engagements by Year 35mm to 70mm Engagements by Title Presented on the big screen in 7OMM The Alleged 70mm Releases 70mm Blow Ups Which Never Were |
Part I: Anatomy Of A Release |
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 If released today, Ridley Scott's “Alien” would
have opened on several thousand cinema screens across the country. Back on
Memorial Day weekend of 1979 when the film was originally released, however,
there were fewer than 100 engagements, 91 select-market engagements to be
exact. That number may seem unusually low to a contemporary audience, but,
in fact, it was selected as part of a calculated plan by the film's
distributor, 20th Century-Fox. The film would open in selected cities and
then take its time expanding to cinemas across the country depending on a
variety of factors, including film critics' reviews, box office performance,
and moviegoer word-of-mouth. Those days are long gone. (If that Memorial
Day weekend release date seems familiar to
“Star Wars” fans, it is no
coincidence. Fox chose the same 25 May date to launch “Alien” hoping
the good fortunes of their “Star Wars” release two years earlier
could be duplicated.)Nearly all of the 91 original engagements of “Alien” were in the deluxe 70-millimeter wide gauge format, which amounted to a record number (at the time) of large format prints made available at a single distribution launch. Ashley Boone, Twentieth Century-Fox Senior Vice President for Domestic Marketing, described the initial release strategy as providing a “proper presentation”, offering moviegoers an “extraordinary” and “special event”. Fox had used a similar release pattern two years earlier with “Star Wars”, but for “Alien” the company amplified the scale of the initial launch, increasing the number of initial engagements and 70mm blow-up prints, and spending more money on promoting the movie. “So much for exhibitors who say the public doesn't care how a film is presented”, Boone told film industry trade publication Variety in May 1979 following the release of the film. “Our initial research shows that in cities where both 70mm and 35mm engagements were playing, customers went to the 70mm cinemas. They know the difference”. Considering the release strategy a success, Fox would use a similar approach — limiting initial engagements to key markets and emphasizing the presentation — in subsequent years with films such as “The Rose” (1979), “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980), “Quest For Fire” (1982), “Die Hard” (1988), and “Edward Scissorhands” (1990). |
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 This presentation-oriented release strategy — reminiscent of the reserved
seat engagement “roadshows” that were popular in the 1950s and ’60s — was
based on providing moviegoers with the most impactful experience. Several
film critics made mention of the 70mm presentation in their reviews urging
moviegoers to consider choosing the 70mm presentation in cities offering
both 70mm and 35mm presentations. Presentation comments in the film reviews
ranged from, “’Alien’ is in 70mm and Dolby, both of which go far in
completing the spookiness” to “you're going to be most appreciative of the
film in its most technically advantageous circumstances”. The “70mm-Dolby
Stereo” format logo was prominently featured in promotional materials:
trailers, TV spots, theatre marquees, posters, newspaper ads, etc. Fox was
very high on supporting “Alien” with the high-quality and expensive
70mm format. (At the time, a 70mm print cost about eight times that of a
conventional 35mm print.) Even the film’s test screenings shown several
weeks before release (in Dallas and St. Louis) were presented in 70mm. The
few 35mm prints that rounded out the launch were essentially used for extra
engagements in high-population markets to help combat turnaway business.“Alien” grossed an impressive (for the time) $3.5 million in its opening weekend (the four-day Memorial Day weekend period), resulting in a phenomenal $38,709 per screen average. Influenced by the mostly good reviews and capacity-filled screenings, Fox expanded the release of the film two weeks later on 8 June (sooner than originally planned), and, by 22 June the film was playing on over 500 screens throughout the U.S. and Canada, the majority of which at this time were 35mm presentations. Fox's 70mm print order was 110 prints, more than 75 of which were put into circulation in the 25 May first wave release. Of the remaining 70mm prints, they were put into circulation during the expansion waves in markets just beginning an engagement (such as Montreal) or as additional engagements in markets included in the first wave (like St. Louis and Los Angeles), and later, in a number of international markets (including London and Sydney). After several months in release, “Alien” concluded its North American release with a cumulative box office gross of over $75 million, $40.3 of which was considered the "rental" and returned to the distributor. Not bad for an R-rated film and 1979 ticket prices. “Alien” spawned three follow-up films (a fourth is in production) and has had a successful after-life on home video and television. It was among the earliest films ever to be released as a “Special Edition” on the LaserDisc format, the type of treatment we now take for granted with DVDs. In autumn 2003 “Alien” was re-released as a “Director's Cut” (with some D-Cinema engagements), and is included in the nine-disc “Alien Quadrilogy” DVD set released in December 2003. “Alien” remains a sci-fi/horror classic, and it is doubtful those moviegoers who ventured into a cinema in 1979 have forgotten the experience. |
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Part II: The Original Engagements |
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 What follows is a list of the 91 original, 25 May 1979
"First Wave" engagements of “Alien” which illustrates the
presentation and select-market distribution approach used for the film. For
those of you who remember the original release, enjoy the flashback!Presentation Legend: * 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo ** 70mm Six-Track Stereo *** 35mm (2) shown on two screens in complex Engagements have been identified, as best as could be determined, based on the specific community or city in which the cinemas were located. But because the selected-market distribution strategy in which “Alien” was initially released is the subject of this article, the market city or metropolitan area is identified in parenthesis for clarification. The cinema operators, including independents, have been identified in front of each cinema name. Those exhibitors commonly known under an acronym, such as UA (United Artists Theatre Corporation) or AMC (American Multi-Cinema), are listed as an acronym. Canada ONTARIO Toronto: [Famous Players] University * United States ARIZONA Phoenix: [Plitt] Ciné Capri * ARKANSAS Little Rock: [UA] Cinema 150 * CALIFORNIA Corte Madera (Marin Co.): [Marin] Cinema * Fountain Valley (Orange Co.): [Pacific] Fountain Valley Drive-In *** Fresno: [Festival Enterprises] Festival * Hollywood (Los Angeles): [UA] Egyptian * Newport Beach (Orange Co.): [Edwards] Newport * Orange: [Plitt] City Center * Sacramento: [Syufy] Century Complex * San Diego: [AMC] Fashion Valley 4 *** (2) San Francisco: [Plitt] Northpoint * San Jose: [Syufy] Century 22 * Van Nuys (Los Angeles): [Pacific] Sepulveda Drive-In *** Westwood (Los Angeles): [GCC] Avco Center * COLORADO Denver: [Commonwealth] Cooper * CONNECTICUT East Hartford: [Redstone] Showcase ** Orange (New Haven/Bridgeport): [Redstone] Showcase ** DELAWARE Claymont (Philadelphia, PA): [Eric] 3 Tri-State Mall ** DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA [Washington Circle] Uptown * FLORIDA North Miami Beach: [Wometco] 163rd St. ** South Miami: [Wometco] Dadeland Twin ** HAWAII Honolulu: [Consolidated] Cinerama * ILLINOIS Calumet City (Chicago): [Plitt] River Oaks * Chicago: [GCC] Ford City *** Chicago: [Plitt] State-Lake ** Lombard (Chicago): [GCC] Yorktown *** Milan (Quad-City, IA/IL): [Redstone] Showcase ** Niles (Chicago): [Fink] Golf Mill * Norridge (Chicago): [M&R] Norridge * Peoria: [Kerasotes] Beverly ** Schaumburg (Chicago): [Plitt] Woodfield * Springfield: [Kerasotes] Esquire * INDIANA Fort Wayne: [Mallers-Spirou] Holiday ** Indianapolis: [Y&W] Eastwood ** IOWA Des Moines: [Dubinsky] River Hills ** Dubuque: [Dubuque] Cinema Center ** KENTUCKY Florence (Cincinnati, OH): [Mid States] Florence * Louisville: [Redstone] Showcase * MASSACHUSETTS Boston: [Sack] Charles * Seekonk (Providence, RI): [Redstone] Showcase ** West Springfield: [Redstone] Showcase ** MICHIGAN Bloomfield Hills (Detroit): [Redstone] Showcase ** Grosse Pointe Woods (Detroit): [Nicholas George] Woods * Livonia (Detroit): [Nicholas George] Mai Kai * Southfield (Detroit): [Nicholas George] Americana Complex * Southgate (Detroit): [Nicholas George] Southgate * Sterling Heights (Detroit): [Redstone] Showcase ** MINNESOTA Minneapolis: [Plitt] Skyway * MISSOURI Creve Coeur (St. Louis): [Wehrenberg] Creve Coeur * Kansas City: [AMC] Midland 3 * NEBRASKA Omaha: [Commonwealth] Indian Hills ** NEW JERSEY Edison (New York, NY): [GCC] Menlo Park * Lawrenceville (Philadelphia, PA): [Eric] Twin Lawrenceville ** Paramus (New York, NY): [RKO] Paramus Quad * Pennsauken (Philadelphia, PA): [Eric] 3 Pennsauken ** NEW YORK Cheektowaga (Buffalo): Holiday 2 * Colonie (Albany): [Mann] Fox Colonie * DeWitt (Syracuse): [Cinema National] Shoppingtown I ** Manhattan (New York): [B.S. Moss] Criterion * Manhattan (New York): [Loews] New York 2 * Manhattan (New York): [Loews] Orpheum * Pittsford (Rochester): [Loews] Triplex in Pittsford * Syosset (Long Island): [UA] Syosset * NORTH CAROLINA Charlotte: [Plitt Southern] Park Terrace 1&2 ** OHIO Cincinnati: [Mid States] Carousel * Columbus: [Mid States] Continent * Dayton: [Chakeres] Dayton Mall Cinema 1 * Toledo: [Redstone] Showcase ** Whitehall (Columbus): [Sugarman] Cinema East ** OKLAHOMA Oklahoma City: [Oklahoma] North Park Cinema 4 * OREGON Beaverton (Portland): [Tom Moyer Luxury Theatres] Westgate * Portland: [Tom Moyer Luxury Theatres] Eastgate * PENNSYLVANIA Fairless Hills (Philadelphia): [Eric] Twin Fairless Hills ** King of Prussia (Philadelphia): [Eric] King Twin ** Monroeville (Pittsburgh): [Redstone] Showcase East ** Montgomeryville (Philadelphia): [Eric] 3 Montgomeryville ** Philadelphia: [Sameric] Eric's Place ** Pittsburgh: [Cinemette] Warner * Robinson Township (Pittsburgh): [Redstone] Showcase West ** TEXAS Dallas: [Plitt Southern] Medallion * Fort Worth: [Plitt Southern] Ridglea * Houston: [Plitt Southern] Alabama * Houston: [AMC] Almeda 9 East *** (2) Houston: [AMC] Northoaks *** (2) Houston: [AMC] Westchase * Richardson (Dallas): [Plitt Southern] Promenade I *** UTAH Riverdale (Ogden): Cinedome 70 * Salt Lake City: [Plitt] Centre * WASHINGTON Seattle: [UA] Cinema 150 * Tacoma: [SRO] Tacoma Mall * |
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Part III: Summary/Conclusion |
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Observing the list, readers can get a sense of what the
major markets were in North America circa 1979. Those moviegoers who saw
“Alien” in a theatre in 1979 may feel a touch of nostalgia looking over
the engagement list, particularly if the cinema in which they recall
attending a screening is represented. As well, moviegoers with an
appreciation or fondness for classic or hometown cinemas may be saddened by
the realization that most of the cinemas included in the engagement list are
no longer in business, victims of what some in the exhibition industry would
consider progress: the megaplex. The important role “Alien” played in film exhibition history is that the movie was the first of the post-roadshow era 70mm releases to get W-I-D-E distribution, meaning that cities other than the very largest could get prints if the studio chose to make them available. (Even in the roadshow days, where 70mm prints were plentiful, the distribution typically would be staggered over a several-month span.) Though the introduction of Dolby Stereo and the one-two punch of “Star Wars” and “Close Encounters Of The Third Kind” largely fueled the 70mm comeback two years prior, it was the release of “Alien”, with its large 70mm print run, that was the forerunner of a trend that continued throughout the 1980s: the release of major motion pictures in 70mm Six-Track Dolby Stereo. This practice thrived for over a decade as each year more and more newly-built and existing cinemas were having the requisite equipment installed, and every year the studios would release more and more films in 70mm, and with more and more prints (sometimes exceeding 200). For many years, the 70mm exhibition format was the top-class manner in which a film could be experienced. With the introduction and eventual widespread adoption of digital sound on 35mm in the 1990s, the use of the 70mm format came to an abrupt end. (Whether the industry's lack of support today of 70mm is justified is a topic worthy of a separate article.) |
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Part IV: Additional 70mm Engagements of “Alien” (Work-In-Progress) |
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Australia Sydney: Hoyts (opened 6 Dec 1979) Canada Montreal: [Famous Players] York (opened 22 June 1979) Mexico Mexico City: Hollywood Cinerama (opened 21 Dec 1979) New Zealand Wellington: Kings (opened ???) Spain (opened 25 Sep 1979) Barcelona: Florida Cinerama Barcelona: Montecarlo United Kingdom London: [Rank] Odeon Leicester Square (opened 6 Sep 1979) United States CALIFORNIA Lakewood: [Pacific] Lakewood Center (opened 8 June 1979) Montclair: [SRO] Montclair (opened 22 June 1979) Pasadena: United Artists (opened 8 June 1979) Woodland Hills: [UA] Warner Center (opened 8 June 1979) ILLINOIS Belleville: B.A.C. Cinema (opened 22 June 1979) MISSISSIPPI Jackson: [Plitt] DeVille (opened 22 June 1979) NEW JERSEY Cedar Grove: Cinema 23 (move-over; 27 July 1979) |
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Part V: REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY |
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“Alien” advertisements
between 20 May - 22 June, 1979 from dozens of daily newspapers archived on
microfilm (too numerous to list; available upon request), plus the
following: |
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Special Thanks |
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Miguel Carrara Carlos Fresnedo William Kallay Bill Kretzel Mark Lensenmayer Peter Preuss If you wish to provide feedback or contribute to this list, please contact Michael Coate or Thomas Hauerslev. |
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