EL BICHO'S TOP 5 ORANGE COUNTY MOVIE THEATERS THAT NO LONGER EXIST.

5.) The UA City Center, formerly at 3901 W Metropolitan Dr., Orange, CA.

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This was the first place an impressionable ten-year-old saw Star Wars, and although there is no evidence of George Lucas’ involvement, the theater has since been demolished like much of the Star Wars legacy.

4.) The Cinedome, formerly at 3001 W. Chapman Ave., Orange, CA.



During the ‘80s it was “the” theater to see 70mm films, such as Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and Back to the Future, and is the first theater I remember having had stadium seating.

3.) The Balboa Theatre at 707 E. Balboa Blvd. is trying to be redesigned and reopened by The Balboa Performing Arts Theater Foundation.



It was a great revival house that offered double and triple bills of all film genres and on Saturdays it ran midnight shows of The Rocky Horror Picture Show where theatre students dealt with their sexuality.

2.) Hi-way 39 Drive-In, formerly at 7901 Trask Ave., Westminter, CA.



The summer after high school my girlfriend had a free pass and we enjoyed listening to a number of movies from the back seat

1.) The UA Westminster Twin, formerly at 530 Westminster Mall, Westminster, CA.



This theater was the home of “The Thursday Night Film Club,” an after hours organization that proved drugs and alcohol were a great tool when dealing with Burt Reynolds in Heat.

This list was cut from the OC Weekly 2004 Best of OC issue.