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“Lethal Weapon 2”: The North American 70mm
Engagements
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Compiled by:
Michael Coate |
Date:
01.05.2022 |
The following is a reference / historical listing of the 70-millimeter
presentations of “Lethal Weapon 2” in North America. These were the best cinemas
in which to experience this motion picture.
“Lethal Weapon 2” was among seventeen confirmed first-run films released in 1989
with 70mm prints for selected engagements. The Silver Pictures production and
Warner Bros. release — directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson, Danny
Glover and Joe Pesci — opened July 7th.
For the release of “Lethal Weapon 2,” Warner Bros. employed the services of
Lucasfilm’s Theatre Alignment Program (TAP) to evaluate and approve the cinemas
selected to book a 70mm print.
Pre-release screenings included an invitational preview held June 28th at Samuel
Goldwyn in Beverly Hills and the world premiere held July 5th at the Chinese in
Los Angeles.
The 70mm prints of “Lethal Weapon 2” featured Six-Track Dolby Stereo
(“A”-encoded “baby boom” format) and full-frame imagery blown up from anamorphic
35mm.
Warner Bros. circulated 70mm Six-Track Dolby coming-attraction trailers for
“Christmas Vacation,” “Cookie,” “In Country,” “Next of Kin,” “Second Sight,”
“Tango & Cash” and “Young Einstein” during the release of “Lethal Weapon 2.” As
well, other studios circulated 70mm trailers during this period. Ultimately, the
70mm trailers, if any, seen during the 70mm presentations of “Lethal Weapon 2”
varied by venue and screening.
The duration of the engagements (measured in weeks) is included in parenthesis
following the applicable cinema name.
ALBERTA
Calgary — Famous Players’ Palace (12)
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Vancouver — Famous Players’ Plaza (13)
CALIFORNIA
Costa Mesa — Edwards’ Town Center 4-plex (7)
Los Angeles — Mann’s Bruin (8) [THX]
Los Angeles — Mann’s Chinese Triplex (14) [THX]
Mission Viejo — Edwards’ Crown Valley 5-plex (12)
Mountain View — Syufy’s Century 10-plex (13)
Orange — Syufy’s Cinedome 8-plex (12)
Pleasant Hill — Syufy’s Century 5-plex (12)
San Francisco — UA’s Alexandria Triplex (16)
San Jose — Syufy’s Town & Country (6)
Universal City — Cineplex Odeon’s Universal City 18-plex (#1: 12) [THX]
Universal City — Cineplex Odeon’s Universal City 18-plex (#2: 5) [THX]
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Washington — Cineplex Odeon’s Embassy Circle (5)
Washington — Cineplex Odeon’s Tenley Triplex (12)
HAWAII
Honolulu — Consolidated’s Waikiki Twin (10) [HPS-4000]
ILLINOIS
Chicago — Cineplex Odeon’s Biograph Triplex (6)
Chicago — Cineplex Odeon’s Bricktown Square 6-plex (13)
Evergreen Park — M&R’s Evergreen 4-plex (5)
Niles — Cineplex Odeon’s Golf Mill Triplex (6)
Lansing — M&R’s River Run 8-plex (15)
Lombard — GCC’s Yorktown 6-plex (10) [THX]
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston — Loews’ Cinema 57 Twin (10)
MICHIGAN
Southfield — AMC’s Americana 8-plex (14)
MINNESOTA
St. Louis Park — Cineplex Odeon’s Knollwood 4-plex (12)
NEW JERSEY
Ridgefield Park — Loews’ Ridgefield Park 10-plex (10)
Sayreville — National Amusements’ Amboy 14-plex (18)
Secaucus — Loews’ Meadow 6-plex (11)
NEW YORK
New York (Bronx) — National Amusements’ Whitestone 12-plex (18)
New York (Manhattan) — Cineplex Odeon’s 23rd Street West Triplex (1)
New York (Manhattan) — Cineplex Odeon’s Chelsea 6-plex (11) [THX] (opened July
14)
New York (Manhattan) — Loews’ 84th Street 6-plex (13)
New York (Manhattan) — Loews’ Orpheum Twin (5)
Valley Stream — National Amusements’ Sunrise 12-plex (19)
Woodbury — UA’s Cinema 150 (8)
ONTARIO
Ottawa — Famous Players’ Rideau Centre Triplex (11)
Scarborough — Famous Players’ Cedarbrae 8-plex (13)
Toronto — Famous Players’ Capitol (12)
OREGON
Portland — LT’s Lloyd 10 (1+) [THX]
TEXAS
Houston — Cineplex Odeon’s Spectrum 9-plex (11) [THX]
VIRGINIA
Bailey’s Crossroads — K-B’s Cinema 7 Twin (15)
Merrifield — National Amusements’ Arlington Blvd/Lee Highway 12-plex (14) [THX]
WASHINGTON
Lynnwood — Cineplex Odeon’s Grand Alderwood 8-plex (1+)
Tukwila — Cineplex Odeon’s Lewis & Clark 7-plex (1+)
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 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 the engagement (or movement out of a branded auditorium) has been included in
the duration figure.
SUBSEQUENT 70MM ENGAGEMENTS & SCREENINGS
1989-08-18 … San Jose, CA — Syufy’s Century 23 Twin (1+)
1989-08-30 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Plaza (2)
1989-09-29 … Toronto, ON — Famous Players’ Cumberland 4-plex (1)
1989-10-13 … Los Angeles, CA — UA’s Egyptian Triplex (2) [THX]
1989-10-13 … Calgary, AB — Famous Players’ Palace (5) [w/ “Batman”]
1989-11-17 … Austin, TX — GCC’s Highland Mall Twin (3)
1989-11-22 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s National (1) [THX]
1989-12-08 … San Antonio, TX — Rivercenter IMAX (7)
1990-01-31 … Toronto, ON — Cinesphere (5 days) [70mm festival]
1990-06-08 … Los Angeles, CA — Mann’s Bruin (1) [w/ “Batman”] [THX]
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 David Ayers, Bill Kallay, Bill
Kretzel, and to the librarians who assisted with research.
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.
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More in 70mm reading:
“Lethal Weapon”: The North American
70mm Engagements
“Lethal Weapon 3”: The North
American 70mm Engagements
70mm Cinemas in North
America
Chronological premiere
list of major 70mm films
Month by month
premiere list of wide gauge and 3-strip films
70mm Engagements
70mm Blow Up List
Dolby Stereo
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