Movie Time

I've always liked where I live in Hollywood, since I'm so close to some great cinemas.

In particular, there's the New Beverly and the Silent Movie Theatre.  The former shows double-features of classics, usually from Hollywood, and--ever since Quentin Tarantino bought it--projected on film. In addition, the tickets and refreshments are reasonably priced.

The Silent Movie Theatre used to show silent films, which was great, but then was taken over by Cinefamily, a group that showed a wide range of films, including oddities both old and new, which was also great.

However, both are now closed.  The New Beverly has been closed for repairs since the beginning of the year, and shows no signs of reopening any time soon.  Are they really refurbishing it, or have Tarantino's recent controversies made him lose interest?

Cinefamily ran into a worse fate, closing down permanently due to a sex scandal. (I was a Cinefamily Black Card member, which got me free admittance for the year--luckily, renewal came up around the same time they shut down.)  It had the most imaginative programming anywhere in town, and now it's gone.

All is not lost.  There's always the Arclight, which is within walking distance. It used to just be the Cineramadone, but added a whole bunch of screens where there was a parking lot.  It shows new movies, both wide releases and art-house films--it's not uncommon that a new film only debuting in 3 or 4 theatres across the country will be at the Hollywood Arclight.

Then there's the Egyptian, a great old theatre taken over by the American Cinematheque.  They show old movies, both classics and rarities.  It's a bit too far to walk, though, and the parking stinks around Hollywood Boulevard.

And only recently has the Arena Cinelounge, which used to next to the Egyptian, moved a little closer. In fact, it's about a mile up the street from where I live.  It's a cozy theatre--about 50 seats--but it's comfortable and has a nice screen.  They show independent films that are not available anywhere else, so you never know what you'll get.

But I still miss the New Beverly and Cinefamily.  They were the two theatres I attended most.  I wish they'd come back.