With “Return of the Jedi", the most promising film for 1983, UA went all in creating a THX-certified auditorium with 70mm projection in time for the “road show engagement” release of the film. United Artists had a different trick up its sleeve – and it would deliver. That never occurred as the chain decided to turn its attention to its Galleria space acquired in 1981 and opened in 1982 dooming the Prestonwood IV which would eventually become a dollar house and the first of the zone’s three locations to depart. So despondent that AMC had an advantage, General Cinema announced in 1981 that it would add a single “Northpark III & IV” styled-auditorium as its “A” screen at its Prestonwood location. It would also become the first theatre in the nation to accept credit cards for ticketing and, then, concessions. AMC seized the early lead in the zone by having one 70mm auditorium, striking gold with “Rock Horror Picture Show", and having automation. However, the film’s premiere was so notoriously poorly received that plans for a major Christmas release were halted just as the theatre was preparing its launch. The big opening film was supposed to have been United Artists’ “Heaven’s Gate". The opening films for the UA Prestonwood property were “9 to 5” on two screens, “The Mirror Crack’d", “Airplane", and “The Elephant Man". But the three theatres would become the second highest box office territory within the city trailing only the Central Zone’s combination which included the GCC Northpark complexes, the Plitt Caruth Plaza Cinema, and UA’s Ciné and Medallion. Confusion from audience goers mixing up the similarly-named venues was a constant. All three theatres were in the same general area of North Dallas. On Decemand ten months prior to the official Grand Opening of its shopping center, United Artists joined the party with the launch of its UA Prestonwood Creek V in the Prestonwood Creek Shopping Center conceived of by Vance C. AMC then opened its Prestonwood 5 in an external pad spot on May 21, 1980. This was the multiplex era of movie theatre exhibition and General Cinema created created the GCC Prestonwood Cinema IV opening December 14, 1979. In the late-1970’s, the Prestonwood Creek residential and business project was announced just blocks away from the newly announced Sakowitz Village retail complex and not far from the – then - forthcoming Prestonwood Town Center shopping mall.
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