"The Italian Job" Opening in San Francisco

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Organized by Leslie Keller of Allied McDonald Entertainment on behalf of Paramount Studios, the SF screening event was scheduled for Tuesday, May 27, 2003. Invitations were sent out to over 150 MINI owners with instructions to have every car stop at a check point at 5:45pm in front of the parking garage on Geary Street next to the AMC Kabuki Theater to receive their movie pass.

The first MINI's began arriving shortly after 4:00pm, and by 5:30pm, there was a line of over 30 cars waiting to check in! As each car checked in, they were instructed to circle the block around the theater to fill the streets in a sea of MINIs! From 5:30 - 6:00pm, Minis were lined up waiting to get their passes as the streets around the theater quickly filled to the point where the entire block was surrounded by a steady stream of New MINIs, Classic Minis and even a Moke! The local NBC affiliate, KNTV-TV to report on the event for the evening news.

At 6:45pm, the drivers were instructed park in the garage in a specially reserved area. As the garage filled with MINIs, it looked more like a concours event with pristine originals to the highly modified.

The AMC Kabuki theater had a 650 seat theater reserved for this screening which was filled to capacity. As the movie began, the crowd was fully immersed in the move. As the first scene with a Mini appeared, the crowd broke into a cheer as Charlize Theron raced through the streets with her Classic Cooper S. Then the first scene with the New MINI appeared and the crowd broke into another round of applause and continued throughout every scene with the MINI. At the end of the movie, everyone cheered ... a splendid time was had by all!