Closing The Screen Door

When I first moved to LA, one of the sleekest places to see movies was the Beverly Center Cineplex. It was on the top floor of the then-modern Beverly Center mall. But LA is a fast-paced city, and wasn't long before the Cineplex was outmoded.

First, the Beverly Center started charging for parking, so why go there to begin with? Then the Beverly Connection with its own cinemas opened up next door. Then (after the Connection theatres closed) you had The Grove open up just down the street, not to mention the ArcLight a bit farther away, and who needed the Cineplex?

So it closed last year. It briefly reopened, showing more out-of-the-mainstream films, which was great. But there simply wasn't the traffic necessary to keep it open, and now it's gone for good.

It was nice knowing it was there. But knowing it was there isn't the same as going there, and that made the difference.