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Welcome to Marquee History, the weekly column that takes you back to a time when you - or your parents - were younger. Prepare to become nostalgic (and shocked) at how much time has passed when you recall what was new in theaters 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years ago.

This week's post-Thanksgiving slate features few new releases but brings us the 25th anniversary of Misery and the 30th anniversary of Rocky IV.

Here are the movies that premiered on theater marquees this week...

10 years ago - December 2, 2005

Aeon Flux
This live-action sci-fi thriller was based on the animated shorts that originated on MTV back in 1991. Charlize Theron plays a sexy and athletic superspy in the 25th century who is tasked with assassinating humanity’s leader, played by Marton Csokas, in a plot involving DNA cloning and governmental control. Theron’s drama North Country was still in theaters but had dropped out of wide release. This was the second movie for director Karyn Kusama, but unlike the well-received Girlfight, this movie’s trying-too-hard style disappointed critics and audiences. Aeon Flux’s creator Peter Chung even publicly criticized the final product. Aeon Flux opened at #2 behind Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (in its third week at #1) with $12.6 million from 2,608 theaters. It suffered successive weekend drops of over 60% and was out of wide release by the end of December, eventually only earning $25.8 million in the U.S. In the meantime, Theron was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in North Country.

First Descent
Shaun White and other snowboarders are featured in this documentary about the sport and its history. First Descent opened on more theaters than 2004’s big wave surfing documentary Riding Giants, but came up short at the box office. First Descent opened at 243 theaters with a week average and left theaters by the New Year with only $750,000.

Transamerica
Felicity Huffman plays a transgender woman named Bree whose gender surgery is put on hold when she finds out that she had previously fathered a son, who is now a teenager and in trouble with the law. The movie takes place in the form of a road trip that exposes the complicated relationships affected by Bree’s sexuality. Huffman had received accolades for her roles on TV in Sports Night and Desperate Housewives, and received more for this performance. Huffman was nominated for an Oscar and Screen Actors Guild award, winning the Golden Globe and Independent Spirit awards as well as others. Transamerica opened at just two theaters this weekend, expanding to limited release in February. By the end of its U.S. theatrical run in May 2006 it had grossed $9 million.


15 years ago - December 1, 2000

There were no new wide release movies for this post-Thanksgiving weekend, leaving the top five movies in their same box office order as the previous weekend. How the Grinch Stole Christmas held onto the #1 spot in its third weekend with $27 million. Unbreakable took in $14 million, 102 Dalmatians took in $8 million, Rugrats in Paris took in $6 million, and Charlie’s Angels took in $5 million.

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