The State - News from Aug. 11, 1988

General Cinema Theaters, a Boston-based chain with 1,350 movie houses in California and 34 other states, joined in a growing boycott of the controversial film “The Last Temptation of Christ,” which premieres Friday in nine U.S. and Canadian cities, including Century City. “After viewing the motion picture, General Cinema has decided not to show this film in any of their theaters,” said James Tharp, senior vice president of film and marketing. Last week, Edwards Cinemas of Newport Beach, which has dozens of theaters in Southern California, and Luxury Theaters of Portland, Ore., said they would not show the Universal-MCA movie directed by Martin Scorsese. The picture has brought a storm of protest, particularly from conservative Protestant and Catholic clergy.