The Glendale movie palace hasn’t shown a first-run film since Terminator II in 1991

Thirty-five summers ago, the Mann theater chain opened a new multiplex in Glendale. The Exchange 8 was bland, small and hidden off the main street, but it could show multiple films at the same time. The Alex, Mann’s grand and glorious movie palace with a 100-foot neon tower that dominates Brand Boulevard, was a relic from the silent era that majestically soldiered on even as its replacement was being built a block away.

Matt Damon is Odysseus in THE ODYSSEY, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.Credit: Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

After it closed in 1991, a community coalition between the city, the Glendale Historical Society and even comedian Bob Hope worked to save the theater and the Alex reopened as a performing arts center following a multimillion-dollar restoration in 1993. Today, the landmark sits poised to welcome a new generation of movie fans back in to enjoy big movies on the big screen, the way they were meant to be seen. On July 16, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey opens at the Alex in 70mm, marking the first opening day debut of a first-run major studio feature since Terminator II closed out the place in 1990.

Taylor Umphenour and Miles Williams at the Alex TheaterCredit: Photo by Chris Nichols

Miles Williams of The EVNSONG took over operations in 2021 and has been working to expand the programming and reach a wider audience. “The four pillars of the Alex,” Williams says. “Are music, dance, comedy and cinema.” He recruited master projectionist Taylor Umphenour of Film Leader Co. who not only brought film programming to the Ojai Playhouse and won awards and made headlines for his upgrading of the technology at the Hollywood American Legion (which the Los Angeles Times called “The hottest red carpet in Hollywood) but projected dailies for director Christopher Nolan on Tenet and ran the booth for Oppenheimer and Interstellar at Universal Citywalk. The pair set out to bring a brand-new light and sound experience to the Alex.  

THE ODYSSEY, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.Credit: Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

Williams and Umphenour hatched the audacious idea to try to bring the summer’s biggest movie to the historic venue by giving the place a complete technology makeover. In only a few weeks, they not only convinced Universal to let them run the film, but designed and built a massive new booth the size of a studio apartment to accommodate new projectors, new sound equipment and that precious four miles of 70mm film that will unspool up to five times a day. Picture windows will allow audiences to see technicians inside wrangle the large-format.

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Umphenour thinks that this is a great example of the flexibility from a studio on a new release that could help save small town and historic theaters across the country struggling to keep up and is excited to see regular film programming come back to the Glendale icon. “(The Alex) is in a new era,” Williams says. “We now have all this investment in technology, and we want to use it as much as we can.”

Alex Theater in GlendaleCredit: Photo by Chris Nichols

“You have to remind people how much they love going to the movies,” Umphenour says. “People still love coming to a movie palace. It is an entirely different experience. The theater is a destination rather than just the event.”

One fan they don’t have to win over is David Joshua Taylor, who shares his enthusiastic love for moviegoing at @ultimatemoviebuff. The Christopher Nolan superfan is planning his own epic journey to see the blockbuster in every available format all over the state of California. “I’m going to see it in 2D, digital IMAX, 4DX, DBox, 35mm and 70mm,” Taylor says. “Letterboxd has a punch card for formats. It’s like bragging rights.”

Director Christopher Nolan (frame left) with Matt Damon (as Odysseus) and Zendaya (as Athena), on set of his film THE ODYSSEY, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.Credit: Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures

After tracking down both rare Odyssey popcorn buckets, visiting a massive ship and Trojan horse props from the film at Universal Studios and admiring screen-used armor and costumes on display at Citywalk, Taylor has tickets to large format experiences at the TCL Chinese, Universal Citywalk, L.A. Live, Irvine Spectrum and the Ontario Palace. “I’m very excited about the Chinese because it’s part of Hollywood history. The Alex is also beautiful, and the architecture fits The Odyssey with those huge pillars and artwork.”

A big budget action blockbuster from an Oscar-winning director with practical sets, location filming and loaded with huge stars like Matt Damon, Zendaya, Tom Holland and Anne Hathaway has fans excited enough to pay hundreds of dollars on eBay for sold-out tickets. “With Nolan, each film pushes the boundaries of film,” Turner says. “It’s going to be incredible, and I can’t wait.”

The Odyssey in 70mm
July 16-August 6, 2026
The Alex
216 N Brand Blvd, Glendale

Director Christopher Nolan on the set of his film THE ODYSSEY, written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.Credit: Photo by Melinda Sue Gordon/Universal Pictures