AUDIENCE SAYS YES TO NEW FILM CENTER

The public’s early reviews are in. Universal City Cinemas, Cineplex Odeon’s new 6,000-seat multiplex, had all the earmarks of a hit in its opening weekend.

About 38,000 people saw movies at the 18-screen complex during the Fourth of July weekend--traditionally a slow period for summer box office--said Cineplex Odeon President and CEO Garth Drabinsky.

Since the opening of the $16.5-million movie emporium last Wednesday, about 55,000 visitors have plunked down $6 apiece to see a film in the 120,000 square foot neo-Art Deco complex atop the hill adjacent to the Universal Studio Tours and Amphitheatre.

Instead of packing picnics on the Fourth, almost 12,000 people packed their families into their cars to check out the hoopla over the world’s biggest film showcase. They came from Orange County, from Beverly Hills, from Canoga Park, from all over the Southland hoping to discover something different. Most reported they weren’t disappointed.

“I thought it was amazing,” said Henry Haddad of Los Angeles, echoing the sentiments of many. “This is some cinema complex here. I think it’s about time we had something elegant, something nice to go to, and I was happy that the screen itself wasn’t one of those video (size) screens like they have at the Beverly Center.”

The turnout didn’t disappoint Drabinsky, either, who claimed that Friday’s $89,000 box-office gross “virtually equaled” the entire box-office receipts from all of the theaters in Westwood and “was nearly double” the box-office business on Hollywood Boulevard.

Visitors to the complex said they were impressed by its sheer size as well as its purple and pastel decor, which features multicolored marble tiles on the lobby floor and exotic anthuriums and orchids on the countertops of the two-story French cafe. One man gaped at the 47-foot-high ceilings and marble pillars as he ascended the grand staircase, oblivious to the espresso that sloshed in the tray in his hands.

“It’s really pretty,” said Loretta Blake of Canoga Park. “It’s something that you want to come and get all dressed up for.” She also liked the variety and number of movies available--15 in all.

Clean and comfortable were words used often by filmgoers to describe the different theaters, though one person complained that the interior decor--the seats and the walls are shades of purple--was “really ugly.”

With few exceptions, the customers relished the THX sound system installed in 10 of the theaters.

The multiplex has its own parking structure, but also uses spaces in the lots allocated for the Universal Studios Tour and the Universal Amphitheatre. Club Nouveau performed at the amphitheater Saturday, but parking was still readily available.

Although most patrons questioned said they had no difficulty finding places to park, others found the system inconvenient. One called the situation “chaotic.”

Not many patrons complained about long lines or crowded parking, although some were confused by the process. (Customers pay for parking at the entrance gate and collect a refund when they purchase tickets.)

“We’re going through an awful lot of hassle to just see a movie,” said Douglas Benson of Sherman Oaks. “It just takes forever to park, and you pay them money to park, and then you get your money back when you buy a ticket.”

Despite occasional glitches, most people questioned said they would definitely be coming back. “When I saw it, I told the ushers, ‘This is Hollywood,’ ” said Laney Graham of Riverside.