LOS ANGELES (AP) — On a sweltering summer night, Miles Villalon stood in line outside the New Beverly Cinema long before the start of the show.
This 36-year-old barista from Starbucks, who dreams of becoming a filmmaker, had already secured tickets for a Watergate-themed double feature featuring 1976’s “All the President’s Men” and 1999’s “Dick.” Undeterred by the notorious Los Angeles rush-hour traffic, he was determined to grab front-row seats at Quentin Tarantino’s renowned cinema.
For Villalon, this devotion to cinema is nothing new. He typically watches up to six movies each week, favoring independently owned theaters in and around Los Angeles. “Going to these theaters feels like church to me,” he explained. “When I visit AMC, I find myself sitting there without that special sense of community we share here, all of us united in our love for film.”
A Revival in the City of Angels
One standout feature of Los Angeles is its rich array of historic theaters, many of which have been preserved amidst closures or revived by those with deep connections to the film industry. Experts observe a successful trend in the experiences offered by certain theaters in Los Angeles.
“The people who run these venues are incredibly attuned to their audience,” said Kate Markham, the managing director at Art House Convergence, an organization for independent cinema exhibitors. “They’re curating unique programs and environments to provide an exceptional experience.”
Tarantino set the bar high when he acquired the New Beverly in 2007. Following in his footsteps, Netflix purchased and restored the nearby Egyptian Theater, which first opened in 1922 as a silent film venue. The theater reopened to the public in November, in partnership with the nonprofit American Cinematheque, now thriving as a vibrant hub where A-list celebrities regularly debut their projects and film enthusiasts look forward to lengthy marathons like the recent showcase of four movies by Paul Thomas Anderson.
Further east lies Vidiots, originally a video store in Santa Monica before closing in 2017. It reopened five years later, now featuring a 271-seat theater and a bar, attracting a new generation of fans. “It’s my absolute favorite place outside my cozy home,” remarked filmmaker and actor Mark Duplass, one of the many high-profile investors in Vidiots, alongside names like Aubrey Plaza and Lily Collins.
What’s Drawing People In?
What attracts audiences to independent theaters can differ — from nostalgic programming to improved food and beverage options, often at lower prices. However, many agree that the most significant draw is the unique sense of community that these venues provide, which is often lacking in larger chains.
“Major chains may offer state-of-the-art formats, but they can’t replicate that communal feeling,” shared Dr. Michael Hook, who joined a colleague at Vidiots for a matinee screening of “Seven Samurai.” “You’re surrounded by fellow cinema lovers who have also chosen to watch a three-hour 1950s Japanese film.”
The pandemic was a significant setback, leaving the box office struggling to bounce back. Yet, as Janice O’Bryan, a senior vice president at Comscore, points out, it also led to a natural selection that yielded a more sustainable theater landscape suitable for the current streaming-oriented era. “COVID helped eliminate some venues that were already on shaky ground,” she said, noting over 500 theaters closed nationwide. “This pruning has ultimately led to a healthier industry.”
The surviving theaters have often carved out distinctive niches, sometimes intentionally avoiding the comfort of chain offerings, such as luxurious reclining seats and extensive dining services. “For the kinds of films we showcase, I wouldn’t want waitstaff circulating and interrupting the audience with plates and cutlery,” laughed Greg Laemmle, co-owner of Laemmle Theaters, a mainstay of independent cinema in Los Angeles for nearly a century.
Nevertheless, Laemmle recognizes that providing alternatives to popcorn and soda can create a unique destination for audiences, serving as an additional source of revenue. “When I go to a typical movie theater, I show up at the last minute,” Duplass shared. “At Vidiots, I arrive 45 minutes early to grab my chilled Junior Mints, enjoy a drink at the bar, mingle with others, and stroll through the video store.”
In February, over 30 filmmakers — including Jason Reitman, Steven Spielberg, Denis Villeneuve, and Christopher Nolan — banded together to acquire the iconic Village Theater in Westwood, aiming to keep it thriving. The plans for this red-carpet favorite include a restaurant, bar, and art gallery.
Not Without Challenges
Like their counterparts nationwide, LA’s movie theaters faced considerable challenges due to the pandemic — some compounded by the strikes last summer — which resulted in fewer films available for screening.
Not every theater has been fortunate enough to find its champion like Tarantino or Reitman. The closing of the Cinerama Dome devastated local cinephiles. Previously managed by ArcLight Cinemas when it shut down in April 2021, the Dome served as a prominent premiere location and a cherished symbol of Hollywood’s cinematic history.
The reopening of this iconic venue remains uncertain, with delays reported despite the parent company, Decurion Corporation, securing a liquor license in July 2022.
The theaters that have endured have often relied on benefaction or funding assistance, such as the $16 billion federal Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program, which Laemmle utilized during the pandemic. He described the funds as essential support in June 2021, emphasizing, “It provided a lifeline. But the road to complete recovery is still long.”
Only in Hollywood?
This renaissance within the film industry is, to some extent, unique to Los Angeles due to its cultural significance and profusion of historic theaters, acknowledges Bryan Braunlich, executive director of the National Association of Theatre Owners Cinema Foundation. “You’re not likely to see someone like Tarantino saving a struggling movie house in Peoria, Illinois,” he said. However, Braunlich believes that the movement could inspire similar changes across the nation.
“Hollywood and filmmakers are emphasizing that movie theaters are vital,” he noted. “Across the country, fantastic independent theater owners are thriving, gaining confidence that this is a worthwhile business to undertake and invest in. We’re not alone as film enthusiasts doing this.”
Reflecting on his own early cinema experiences in the suburbs of New Orleans, Duplass reminisced about visiting Vidiots with his parents to watch “Raising Arizona.” “I realized I was the same age now as they were back then when we first saw that film together. It was a moment of bonding with my dad as we wept during the final scene,” he shared. “We didn’t just share a movie; we also shared a passage of time in our cherished sanctuary, the movie theater.”
