As published in FanthaTracks.com
On a quiet February Saturday, nestled in the hills of the charming city of Orinda, just east of San Francisco, Star Wars: A New Hope returned to the big screen for two screenings at the historic Orinda Theatre.
Both the 1.00pm. matinee and the evening show saw crowds pack the grand main auditorium, evoking the kind of anticipation usually reserved for opening nights. By showtime, the theater was just shy of its 600-seat capacity. Families filled entire rows. Some guests arrived in their best Star Wars garb, while others went all in with full costumes, adding to the festive energy in the lobby and along the aisles.
It felt like a mini spectacle, the way moviegoing once was. A tuxedoed host stepped onto the stage before the curtain parted. The audience was welcomed, the lights dimmed slowly, and the murals along the walls glowed blue under black light. The experience was elevated before the first frame even appeared.
I sat down with the person responsible for bringing A New Hope back to Orinda’s big screen.
FROM A MORE CIVILIZED AGE
Matias Bombel serves as the theater’s film programmer, repertory programmer, and booker. He has been involved with the Orinda Theatre for about three years, stepping into booking responsibilities more recently. Beyond Orinda, he is also a syndicated radio movie critic heard coast to coast, offering capsule reviews of new releases each week.
But here, inside this historic movie palace, his focus is not simply on what is playing. “We don’t just show a movie,” Bombel told me. “We present it.”
To understand why this Star Wars screening felt different, you must understand the theater itself.
The Orinda Theatre opened on December 27, 1941, just weeks after Pearl Harbor. As World War II halted new theater construction across the country, it became one of the last movie palaces built before the war reshaped the industry. When it opened, this stretch of town was barely developed. The theater helped anchor what would become the heart of Orinda.
The auditorium carries features that were meant to define 1940s theaters nationwide. Inside, murals created by artist Anthony Heinsbergen line the walls. During a screening, black light causes them to glow blue. It is subtle, but once you see it, you cannot unsee it.
This screening of A New Hope was not random nostalgia.
Since acquiring 20th Century Fox and Lucasfilm, Disney has quietly invested significant resources into restoring films originally shot on physical film stock.
Bombel saw an opportunity.
Through a connection within Disney’s restoration department, the Orinda Theatre was vetted for presentation quality. Sound clarity. Projection standards. Overall environment.
Once approved, Bombel received a list of roughly 100 restored titles. Some were classic Disney animation. Many were Fox catalog films. His task was to curate a yearlong series that honored the scope of the restoration work while resonating with the local audience.
When he saw Star Wars on the list, it was among the titles he requested. Disney said yes.
Tickets began selling earlier than expected. Weeks before the screening, hundreds of seats were already claimed. By showtime, the theater was just shy of capacity. The Force was truly strong with this one.
A CONVERGENCE OF LEGENDS
The experience extended beyond the screen.
Members of the Golden Gate Garrison of the 501st Legion transformed the lobby and sidewalk into unmistakable Imperial territory (The Force may have been strong inside the auditorium, but outside, the Empire clearly had the numbers!). Darth Vader stood beneath the marquee as Stormtroopers, a Scout Trooper, and a TIE pilot flanked him. A Tusken Raider lingered nearby. An Imperial officer surveyed the scene. Even a Snowtrooper made an appearance, proving this galaxy spans more than one climate.
For many of the younger attendees, this was not simply a screening. It was a delightful encounter.
And then, as if scripted by the Force itself, another surprise unfolded.
Academy Award–winning visual effects legend Phil Tippett also made an appearance, arriving from a wrap celebration for The Mandalorian and Grogu, the feature slated for release in May.
“I just happen to be here having a wrap party for this Mandalorian feature that we did,” Tippett told the audience, adding that they “did some substantial stop motion sequence for the movie.” (Yes, you read that correctly.)
The crowd erupted.
Tippett then shared stories from the original trilogy, including his work on the holochess scene aboard the Millennium Falcon and the creatures of the Mos Eisley cantina.
For a few precious minutes, the artist who helped animate the galaxy animated the room all over again.
You cannot script moments like that.
THE FORCE ENDURES
What stayed with me most was not the near capacity crowd or the surprise appearance.
It was the presence of families and their kids.
Inside a theater that opened more than eighty years ago, generations sat side by side, sharing the same light from the screen. Parents passed down the galaxy that shaped them. Children received it with fresh eyes.
Nearly fifty years after its original release, A New Hope still resonates. Not because of nostalgia alone, but because its story endures. Goodness triumphing over evil. Ordinary people standing up to tyranny. Hope refusing to be extinguished.
In a time when the real world often feels divided and uncertain, that story still lands.
That night, it was not just a film that was restored.
It was the reminder that the fight for what is right and the belief that good can prevail still belong to every generation.
