Opened by Loew’s on Christmas Eve of 1971, the Fountain Valley Twin was a transition era cinema; larger and more luxurious than the multi plexes that came to dominate the later decade, yet exemplifying the move away from grand single screens of decades past. Featuring a red color scheme, the theatre had a shallow, but wide, lobby, with a broad concession stand located along the back wall. Entry to the twin auditoriums was gained via a set of double doors, located on either side of the concession area. The auditoriums were somewhat narrow, relying more on length for the three hundred seats contained in each. The overall facility was designed in a plush, 70’s style, which remained relatively unchanged throughout the venue’s near thirty year run as a cinema. 

 

In 1973, the Fountain Valley Twin was sold to General Cinemas, along with most of Loew’s Southern California locations. Four years later, the theatre fell under Edwards’ management, having been sold to the chain in a package deal, that included General Cinemas’ El Toro venue. Edwards continued to operate the site, until their bankruptcy announcement. As with many of Edwards’ older, under performing, theatres, the Fountain Valley Twin was placed up for sale in 2000, but there were no takers, forcing the cinema’s closure by the Spring of that year. The site sat vacant, until 2008, when the former movie house was purchased and remodeled in to an Asian performing arts center. Heavily modified (including re dividing the twin auditoriums in to a large live performance hall and small recording studio) and re decorated (abandoning the 70’s styling, in favor of an Asian motif), the venue was reopened in the Summer of 2008, as the Star Performing Arts Center.     

The theatre opened with the features, “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight” and “T.R. Baskin”.