Aero Theatre

The Aero Theatre is a single-screen movie theater in Santa Monica, California, built in 1939 and opened in 1940.[2][3][4][5]

Aero Theatre
Address1328 Montana Avenue
LocationSanta Monica, California, United States
OperatorAmerican Cinematheque
TypeMovie theater
Genre(s)Film
Capacity427[1]
Construction
BuiltJune 19, 1939
OpenedMay 15, 1940
Website
americancinemathequecalendar.com/aero_theatre_events

History

Named in tribute to the aerospace industry,[6] the Aero Theatre was built by aviation pioneer Donald W. Douglas of the Douglas Aircraft Company, serving as a 24-hour movie house for his employees that worked at a nearby plant.[7] The French Normandy-style theater, designed by P.M. Woolpert, cost $45,000 to build, and originally seated 678 people.[8]

By the late 1980s, the Aero was one of Los Angeles' last repertory theaters, regularly programming double features.[9][10] However, by the end of the 1990s, the theater, then owned by Chris Allen, had fallen on hard times and decreased attendance.[11] Robert Redford, who spent time at the Aero growing up, had attempted to buy the theater for Sundance Cinemas in 2001, but the deal never came to fruition[12] and the theater closed in April 2003.[13]

In January 2005, the theater reopened, after renovations were made by the nonprofit organization American Cinematheque.[14] The $1 million renovation of the Aero included the installation of a new screen (44 feet wide by 17 feet high), larger and more comfortable seats (reducing the theater's capacity to 427) and a new concession stand.[15] The Cinematheque had previously overseen a $12.8 million renovation of Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre in 1998, and the organization schedules programming for both theaters.[16]

The Aero Theatre has made appearances in a variety of feature films throughout the years, including 10 to Midnight (1983),[17] Masquerade (1988),[18] Sleepwalkers (1992),[19] Get Shorty (1995)[20] and Donnie Darko (2001).[21]

Horrorthon

Since 2006, the Aero Theatre has been home to the annual "Dusk-to-Dawn Horrorthon", a popular event held every October, featuring an all-night marathon of six to seven horror films (usually projected in 35mm), as well as free food, candy and giveaways for patrons.[22] Grant Moninger, the festival's organizer, describes the Horrorthon as "...going into some kind of absurd church of horror films."[23] The event has spawned a number of original characters, including Corn Gorn (a variation of the Gorn creature from Star Trek), the unofficial mascot of the festival, as well as his family, friends and nemeses. Some patrons have gone so far as to vote for Corn Gorn in national elections.[24]

Films screened

2006[25]
Title Director Release Year
Night of the Living Dead George Romero 1968
Re-Animator Stuart Gordon 1985
House by the Cemetery Lucio Fulci 1981
Castle of Blood Antonio Margheriti 1964
Pumpkinhead Stan Winston 1988
Burial Ground Andrea Bianchi 1981
2007[26]
Title Director Release Year
Return of the Living Dead Dan O'Bannon 1985
Freaks Tod Browning 1932
From Beyond Stuart Gordon 1986
The Beyond Lucio Fulci 1981
The Last House on the Left Wes Craven 1972
The Children Carlton J. Albright 1980
City of the Living Dead Lucio Fulci 1980
2008[27]
Title Director Release Year
Night of the Creeps Fred Dekker 1986
Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 Tobe Hooper 1986
Braindead Peter Jackson 1992
Let's Scare Jessica to Death John D. Hancock 1971
Demons Lamberto Bava 1985
Deathdream Bob Clark 1974
2009[28]
Title Director Release Year
The People Under the Stairs Wes Craven 1991
Day of the Dead George A. Romero 1985
Society Brian Yuzna 1989/1992
The Brood David Cronenberg 1979
Maniac William Lustig 1980
Terror Norman J. Warren 1978
2010[29]
Title Director Release Year
Fright Night Tom Holland 1985
Don't Look in the Basement S.F. Brownrigg 1973
Candyman Bernard Rose 1992
Bloody Birthday Ed Hunt 1981
Phantasm Don Coscarelli 1979
Cemetery Man Michele Soavi 1994
2011[30]
Title Director Release Year
Pet Sematary Mary Lambert 1989
Tourist Trap David Schmoeller 1979
The Pit Lew Lehman 1981
Videodrome David Cronenberg 1983
Alice Sweet Alice Alfred Sole 1976
Just Before Dawn Jeff Lieberman 1981
2012[31]
Title Director Release Year
Hellraiser Clive Barker 1987
Motel Hell Kevin Connor 1980
The Devil's Rain Robert Fuest 1975
Christine John Carpenter 1983
The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue Jorge Grau 1974
The Manitou William Girdler 1978
2013[32]
Title Director Release Year
Amityville II: The Possession Damiano Damiani 1982
Kingdom of the Spiders John Cardos 1977
The Fly David Cronenberg 1986
Hell High Douglas Grossman 1989
The Car Elliot Silverstein 1977
The Sentinel Michael Winner 1977
2014[33]
Title Director Release Year
Creepshow George A. Romero 1982
Gargoyles Bill L. Norton 1972
The Thing John Carpenter 1982
Night of 1,000 Cats René Cardona Jr. 1972
The Deadly Spawn Douglas McKeown 1983
Basket Case Frank Henenlotter 1982
Zombie Holocaust Marino Girolami 1980
2015[34]
Title Director Release Year
Halloween III Tommy Lee Wallace 1982
Death Spa Michael Fischa 1989
Anguish Bigas Luna 1987
Spookies Brendan Faulkner / Thomas Doran / Eugenie Joseph 1986
Dead & Buried Gary Sherman 1981
Pieces Juan Piquer Simón 1982
The Nest Terence H. Winkless 1988
2016[35]
Title Director Release Year
The Blob Chuck Russell 1988
Devil Fetus Lau Hung-chuen 1983
The Entity Sidney J. Furie 1982
Phantasm II Don Coscarelli 1988
Hell Night Tom DeSimone 1981
Brain Damage Frank Henenlotter 1988
Humanoids From the Deep Barbara Peeters 1980
2017[36]
Title Director Release Year
An American Werewolf in London John Landis 1981
Popcorn Mark Herrier 1991
The Tingler William Castle 1959
Hack-o-Lantern Jag Mundhra 1988
Shocker Wes Craven 1989
Brainscan John Flynn 1994
Death Bed: The Bed That Eats George Barry 1977/2003
2018[37]
Title Director Release Year
Jason X Jim Isaac 2001
Body Melt Philip Brophy 1993
Link Richard Franklin 1986
Maximum Overdrive Stephen King 1986
Zombie 3 Lucio Fulci/Bruno Mattei 1988
Curtains Richard Ciupka 1983
Antropophagus Joe D'Amato 1980
2019[38]
Title Director Release Year
Critters Stephen Herek 1986
Halloween II Rick Rosenthal 1981
Ruby Curtis Harrington 1977
Lisa and the Devil Mario Bava 1972
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker William Asher 1981
Demonoid Alfredo Zacarías 1980
The Crazies George A. Romero 1973

References
  1. http://www.americancinematheque.com/information/visittheaero.php
  2. Cinematreasures.org
  3. LA Weekly
  4. Los Angeles Times
  5. Santamonicahistory.org
  6. https://santamonicahistory.org/exhibits/past-exhibits/aero-theater/
  7. https://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/after-waiting-game-aero-takes-flight-1117915842/
  8. "26 Mar 2003, Page 37". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-10-14 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "23 Feb 1987, 22". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-10-14 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "6 May 1990, Page 613". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-10-14 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/aero-theatre
  12. "26 Mar 2003, Page 37". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-10-14 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/aero-theatre
  14. Los Angeles Conservancy
  15. https://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/after-waiting-game-aero-takes-flight-1117915842/
  16. https://variety.com/2019/film/news/netflix-egyptian-theatre-american-cinematheque-1203184419/
  17. https://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/phantasm-three-o%E2%80%99clock-high-10-to-midnight
  18. https://twitter.com/PeterAPeel/status/1301576594545209344
  19. https://globalfilmlocations.net/2018/07/16/sleepwalkers-1992-film-locations/
  20. https://www.movie-locations.com/movies/g/Get-Shorty.php
  21. http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/donnie-darko-the-evil-dead
  22. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/classichollywood/la-et-mn-ca-aero-theatre-classic-hollywood-20150118-story.html
  23. Beebe, Lisa. "The Aero's All Night Horrorthon Is as Weird as It Is Scary". LA Mag. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  24. Bowman, Parker. "Don't Blame Me I Voted For Corn Gorn". Visalia Times Delta. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  25. http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2006/Aero/DraculaHorrorthon.htm
  26. http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2007/Aero/Halloween_Horror_Aero_2007.htm
  27. http://egyptiantheatre.com/archive1999/2008/Aero/Halloween_Aero_2008.htm
  28. http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2009/Aero/HalloweenHorror_2009.htm
  29. http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2010/Aero/Halloween_Horror_Aero_2010.htm
  30. http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/6th-annual-dusk-to-dawn-horrorthon
  31. http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/7th-annual-dusk-to-dawn-horrorthon
  32. http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/8th-annual-dusk-to-dawn-horrothon
  33. http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/9th-annual-dusk-to-dawn-horrorthon
  34. http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/10th-annual-dusk-to-dawn-horrothon
  35. http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/all-night-horrorthon
  36. https://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/all-night-horrorthon-0
  37. https://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/all-night-horrorthon-1
  38. http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/content/all-night-horrorthon-2
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