Seeing movies in the city of Los Angeles is a unique experience considering that the majority of them are made there as well. It is movie geek heaven indeed as we get to experience special screenings that no one gets to see anywhere else (unless they are really lucky). We also get to see movies a lot sooner than other parts of the country as they get limited screenings for Academy Awards consideration. And if you go to the right theaters, you get to witness Q&A; sessions with the filmmakers who brought some of the best movies to the big screen. You also may end up paying more than the average moviegoer when going out to view the latest over hyped blockbuster, but depending on which theater you go to, it can be worth the paycheck.
This list includes my favorite movie theaters to visit in the Los Angeles area, and they are the ones I visit more than the others. Some are world famous, and others deserve a bigger following than they currently have.
Grauman’s Chinese Theater
It was once stated that “to visit Los Angeles and not see the Chinese is like visiting China and not seeing the Great Wall.”
The first film I ever got to see here was Martin Scorsese’s “Bringing Out The Dead,” and I try to go here whenever possible. Movie theaters don’t get more famous than this one. It is home to almost 200 celebrity handprints, footprints, and autographs encased in concrete outside of the theaters entrance. The theater opened back in 1927, and it remains a popular destination for movie premieres of all kinds, and remains a first-run theater to this very day. Along with the neighboring Hollywood & Highland shopping center, it has also expanded into an adjacent theater with 6 screens. It continues to offer some of the best picture and sound qualities of any theaters in the nearby area, and each theater offers stadium seating that is more than comfortable.
Ticket prices are between $10 and $12, and there is not much to find in terms of discounts. Since this is such a world famous theater, that shouldn’t seem like much of a surprise. The Chinese does get very packed when new releases come out, and being such a tourist attraction, traffic can be very slow around Hollywood Boulevard at times. Parking is available in the Hollywood & Highland, and you can get validation at the theater. The rates are $2 dollars for 4 hours, and that is one of the best deals on parking that you can ever hope to find in the Los Angeles area. In terms of restaurants nearby, take your pack. There all kinds to be found from Chinese takeout to deli sandwiches to hot dogs and pizza of course. You can go to the nearby California Pizza Kitchen for more specialty pizzas, or you can go to an organic restaurant which is not too far away.
The crowds can get noisier than they should at times, but you have to visit this theater while you’re in the LA area at least once.
Cinerama Dome/ArcLight Cinemas
First opened in 1963, the Cinerama Dome offered a new way to view movies with its geodesic design. Today, it is one of the last of its kind as many like it have long since been demolished. But with this being Los Angeles, the movie center of the world, the Cinerama Dome is one of several famous theaters here that has been rightfully preserved for its historical significance. In 2002, the theater was reopened as part of a new 14-screen complex named ArcLight Cinemas. Many improvements have been made to it over the years, and it is another must see theater for all you movie fanatics.
As for the adjacent ArcLight Cinemas, they have even better picture and sound qualities than Grauman’s Chinese. I sometimes prefer this to the Chinese in that the crowds are more respectful in keeping quiet during the movie’s running time, and the odds of patrons turning their cell phones off are much better (thank goodness). But moreover, this is a movie theater where you can reserve seats which makes it all the more convenient. It’s not just tickets to reserve mind you, but of which seat you want to sit in (assuming it is not already taken).
If there is a big downside of going to the Cinerama Dome or ArcLight Cinemas, it is the ticket prices. While it is typically $10 or $11 dollars during weekdays, tickets end up costing $14 on the weekends and on holidays. This does not include parking which is about $2 dollars for every 3 or 4 hours. You do get your money’s worth though if you see the right kind of movie there. If it’s a really crappy movie you end up seeing, then you will probably feel more miserable when you take into account how much money you spent. And that’s even if you went by yourself…
ArcLight does have a restaurant inside where you can get food, but the prices do tend to be as high as the ticket you bought, maybe a bit more. If you have to, there is a McDonald’s around the corner where you can get something cheaper, or you can go to Baja Fresh which is just across the street. In addition, there is a Body Factory right next door which serves some of the healthiest smoothies you could ever hope to find as well as products for cleansing your body among other things. You also have the added benefit of being right next door to Amoeba Records, one of the world’s biggest music stores where you can shop for what you love for hours at a time. Just be sure to remain aware of when your movie starts.
New Beverly Cinema
Dating back to the 1920’s, the New Beverly Cinema is one of the oldest revival movie theaters in the nation. It remains one of my most favorite movie houses to go to in Los Angeles as it caters to every movie lover’s desire on one day to the next. From Fellini to Tarantino, the New Beverly shows double features on a daily basis for the low price of $7. It is also a favorite hangout for film directors like Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright who have hosted mini-film festivals there from time to time. Tarantino’s own grindhouse film festival of B-movies ended up bringing some of the biggest crowds the theater had ever seen.
Run by Sherman Torgan from 1978 until his untimely death from a heart attack in 2007, the theater is now run by his son Michael. The recent sale of the building has brought the theater’s long term future into question, so it needs the support of movie lovers now more than ever. For many of us Los Angelinos, it has given us an invaluable film education as well as a chance to see some of the best movies on the big screen where they belong.
Like I said, tickets are $7 dollars for a double feature, and you will be lucky to find a better bargain than that anywhere else in LA. The box office only takes cash for tickets and concessions, so don’t even try using a credit card because it ain’t gonna happen. There are also midnight showings on Saturday night called “New Beverly Midnights,” and that is $7 for one movie. Those are worth checking out just to see how the audience reacts to each movie shown. Films like “Footloose” and “Big Trouble in Little China” have managed to bring in sell out crowds, and it feels like the movie geeks of the world have all managed to converge on the very same location.
Not many improvements have been made to the New Beverly because Sherman once said that it would have forced him to raise ticket prices which he did not want to do. The seats are the antithesis to the chairs in stadium seating movie houses, and some of them could still use some fixing after all these years. The lobby is way too small to accommodate large crowds as do the bathrooms, and you can feel really cramped as soon as you step inside. However, the theater did manage to get a surround sound system donated to it and installed. While it may not work with every movie shown, it makes up for a painfully dated sound system that sounds more like a boom box than anything else.
Air conditioning was also added to the theater a couple of years ago, and that was a much needed addition. The lack of it kept me from going there for a while because somehow, it did not seem right to be on the verge of passing out during Brian DePalma’s “Blow Out.” With an air conditioning system now installed and the theater’s ceiling having been completely redone, it is much more pleasant to take in some classics.
In terms of parking, there is no assigned lot to the theater, and you will have to rely on street parking. Truth be told, this is not so bad as you don’t have to pay extra money like you do at every other theater, and there are usually plenty of available spaces to park. Just be sure to keep an eye out for signs that indicate permit parking areas because you will get ticketed if you park in the wrong place. There is a shopping center across the street which has a Game Stop store and a Papa John’s pizza joint among other amenities, but don’t even think of parking over there.
I have tried to go to this theater as many times as I can after first checking out a double feature there of “Evil Dead 2” and “Bubba Ho-Tep.” Even with some substandard qualities, it is a must for any true movie buff, and it will introduce you to movies you should have taken the time to rent years before. Once you see your favorite movies here on the big screen, any problems you have with the New Beverly will forever vanish.
The Aero Theater
One part of the American Cinematheque (the other being the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood), the Aero Theater first opened in 1940 to show movies 24 hours a day for aircraft workers who were working shifts all around the clock. It is a beloved movie theater in the Santa Monica area that (like the New Beverly) plays double features and special screenings of all kinds of movies. In the past few years, the theater has played host to filmmakers like John Carpenter who came to talk about movies of his like “The Thing” and “Escape From New York, and Savage Steve Holland was also here to talk about “Better Off Dead” and “One Crazy Summer.” These movies from our youth brings in all kinds of movie fans out in droves, and they can sell out pretty quick.
It was re-opened in 2005 by American Cinematheque after lengthy renovation of the building which was a $1 million dollar project, and it provided the Aero Theater with new screen, sound, and projection equipment. The seats are comfortable, and the only thing that can possibly take away from the movie going experience is if the print from the studio is in horrendously crappy condition.
Prices for the theater are actually quite reasonable as it costs about $10 for a double feature, and there are discounts available for students and seniors. You can also get a membership package from American Cinematheque which allows you to pay only $7 a ticket, and you get the added advantage of being able to attend special screenings that are not listed in the monthly calendars. Tickets can also be purchased through the Fandango website, and this is a big advantage and highly recommended because (as I said earlier) some showings will sell out quickly.
As for parking, this theater also does not have its own parking lot, and you will have to park on the street. The few times I have been there, it hasn’t been all that bad finding parking. But for your own sake, be sure to get to the theater a half hour to an hour early so you don’t miss out on good spaces close to the theater. The theater is located on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, and it is not that far removed from the beach.
The Bridge Cinema de lux
Located at the Promenade at Howard Hughes Center, this is a state of the art theater with 17 screens as well as one for IMAX. There is also a bar on the second floor, and some showings allow patrons to bring in their alcoholic drinks. Although it may get more crowded and noisy than is comfortable for the most discerning of guests, the theater has stadium seating which is very comfortable, and it features great screen and sound systems that serve to enhance your movie watching experience. The IMAX theater itself puts many others like it to shame, and I have had fantastic experiences watching “U23D” and “The Dark Knight” among other films.
Pricing varies at the theater as some tickets go for $9 or $10 dollars, while tickets for their specialized Director’s Hall screens go for $14 dollars (they have reserved seating). They do have discounts for students, so make sure to have your student ID handy even if you graduated from college 10 years ago, seriously. The center does of course have parking which is hourly during the day, and a flat rate of $2 dollars in the evening. As for restaurants you can go to Marie Calendars for their overpriced but delicious pies, you can go to Islands for their extravagantly calorie-laden hamburgers which can be too irresistible to avoid, or you can go to On The Border for some flavorful margaritas and some spicy Mexican food. Personally, I’d recommend Stefano’s pizza because the gourmet slices are too good to pass up, and one slice will not be enough (which always seems to be the case with pizza anyway).
While you wait, you can also go to Borders bookstore and browse all sorts of books, CD’s, and DVD’s that you’ll want to buy but not just yet. There is also a TJ Max Express store which is the equivalent of a Ross Dress for Less store with great deals on all kinds of stuff, especially clothes. The women will not be able to leave for hours, so be careful when going on a date and passing by the store.
If you can handle the crowds, seeing a movie here is also worth the price as are the others. Los Angeles is the city of movies, so it only makes sense that it has theaters that are both the best of their kind as well as havens for the true movie lovers of the world. Have fun at the movies wherever you end up going!
