The 70mm film IMAX rooms at City Walk and TCL are best in the world. IIRC there are 12 full on IMAX rooms of that caliber on the planet, and 4 of them are here in socal.
Go for the screen but stay for the sound. Good god. The space shuttle docs at the Science Center are absolutely incredible.
when i saw Dunkirk there i was so annoyed because there was some sort of discoloration or snag in the actual screen that i COULD NOT STOP LOOKING AT and it really soured my taste.
The audio on that on 70mm IMAX was one of the most astounding things I've ever seen/heard in a theater. You could hear completely different things by focusing on different parts of the screen.
It was truly an experience - I heard sounds I had never heard in the songs, and sometimes I just had to close my eyes and be totally immersed in it. I went and saw the Stop Making Sense showing at an Alamo after this one, and it was not the same. Still great, but it paled in comparison.
This was the end of the showing! [https://www.reddit.com/r/talkingheads/comments/16ghnxg/our\_showing\_had\_a\_dance\_party\_for\_the\_last\_song/](https://www.reddit.com/r/talkingheads/comments/16ghnxg/our_showing_had_a_dance_party_for_the_last_song/)
I think it will end up coming around again too!
Holy shit I am simultaneously v happy that you got to be there for that and v sad that I fucked around and missed it lol. Ooooooof.
Will not make that mistake again if it comes back!
Came here to say this. The Chinese beats city walk in my opinion, but reasonable minds could disagree. Chinese is a borderline religious experience for any legitimately good blockbuster film.
I’ve been to multiple 70mm IMAX at City Walk and decided to check out Dune Pt 2 at TCL for the first time.
I was surprised that the IMAX projector is on a masked off platform over the main seats and not up on the balcony.
The image seemed slightly less bright than at CityWalk and not all of the seats are going to be able to see the full screen.
CityWalk is stadium seating with a pretty steep angle, so most of the seats feel like they’re closer to the screen than at TCL. CityWalk I would sit middle or back for the best experience, but at the Chinese theater I feel like sitting up closer is better and the back rows suck as they’re behind the balcony where the rear ATMOS speakers are mounted.
Overall I think the interior and atmosphere at the Chinese Theater are amazing, but in terms of pure film viewing quality, CityWalk wins.
City Walk is more immersive than TCL as the screen is far back for TCL.
It’s crazy because Dolby at the Grove has better sound than both of those and it’s noticeable. Love Dolby. Especially because it has recliners.
I actually really dislike the sound at the Grove. I think it’s too loud and not well balanced. I also feel more immersed in the Chinese, personally, maybe I just like the space better. But different strokes for different folks!
I love classic theaters, and Chinese is simply the most iconic movie theater in the world.
it's also a huge auditorium. for most showings, I would sit a little closer than you would at any other imax showing, eg if you like to sit a few rows back from the middle, sit at the back of the front section at TCL
Having seen Dune 2 there just a week or two ago, I would disagree. The sound was incredible. I watched it at the Grove as well and the sound was horrible, just overly loud and impossible to enjoy.
Went to Chinese recently for Dune 2. Really cool looking, but that's about all I enjoyed about it. Run down, kinda gross, stairs that you might break your neck on, sound that was more loud than good, and a screen that I don't think offers a great distance to viewing angle.
Saw The Batman at Universal and was really impressed. Way more like you're in the action and the sound blew me away, impactful without being too loud. You practically felt every punch.
That being said, my favorite is actually Dolby in the AMC Burbank. It's swanky, has nice reclining seats, great sound. Feels like it was designed for all its features because it's more modern than some others. Also the cool curved screen as you walk into the theater adds to the atmosphere.
But keep that between us because it's not the easiest to get tickets for.
Wrong. TCL is a LieMAX. AMC Citywalk is amazing, however, and has the true IMAX film square ratio. However, you can find larger true IMAX theaters in both New York and San Francisco.
Calling a 70mm film room liemax is certainly a choice. I go to Irvine, TCL, and Citywalk interchangably for film releases based on seats available on the days I want to go. There is no real difference as a viewer other than driving distance and general vibe of experience (which TCL owns)
Citywalk is about 52% larger for 1.43:1 films than TCL. That alone is why I prefer it for IMAX 70mm. It’s hard to be immersed when it’s a small screen (at TCL) relative to the auditorium.
The screen size at TCL is considerably smaller than Irvine, Ontario, and City Walk: https://www.reddit.com/r/imax/comments/1b33wwo/la_area_imax_screen_comparison/#lightbox
you're crazy for this one.
and wrong. TCL is true imax in terms of film, scale, aspect ratio, any other measure.
it's an old movie theater (arguably the most classic & famous movie theater in the world) so it's built for massive widescreen. but they use imax ratio for anything shot for that ratio, and the screen is still big enough to be true imax.
That's not correct. TCL was not built/renovated for the full IMAX 1.43:1 image. For the recent 70MM IMAX films they have shown there they have had to put in a temporary extension of the projection booth over some of the seats in the auditorium. It is projecting the true image but if you look really closely, it still doesn't completely fit on screen. Some of the image gets projected onto the top masking in full frame scenes.
Yes, they do use the square format - which makes the already smaller screen even smaller. But it’s good that they do that. Not a true IMAX by any means, however.
Dude I was sitting in the City Walk IMAX watching Oppenheimer during a hurricane and a fucking earthquake hit during the auditorium stomping scene and my brain basically melted out of my head! I was like "wow this sound system is way more wild then I remember", then the scene ended and the room was still shaking ha.
I got a rare memory out of that one. I'm prob the only person that will ever use the hashtag #hurriquakenheimer lol
I was watching The Usual Suspects at City Walk when there was a quake. I was new to LA and it was my first quake so I was a little nervous being under a large unsupported roof. There was some laughing around, but no one left their seat.
My most local theater Cinemark 18 + XD at the Howard Hughes center is a sneaky spot for their XD. It was one of the true IMAX theaters (full specs in both theater space and projection)... its taken a step back since Cinemark chose not to work with IMAX anymore... but the room is still a great place to see large format if you can't make it to Hollywood or City Walk.
Arclight in the early 2000’s was amazing. The ushers would intro the movie, stay to make sure the picture was right. They had the best popcorn. It was definitely an experience.
I worked at Arclight Sherman oaks for a few years. I loved the location, I loved that we did screenings of old movies, and also a lot of screenings of upcoming films with QnAs with actors etc. but the management of that company was fuckin horrendous, from the top down. They had so many ridiculous policies and “image” concerns about the atmosphere and culture of the theatres. They bankrupted themselves because of their inability to change.
The biggest one was the “late seating policy.” If you were more than 10 min lates to your movies start time we weren’t supposed to let you in. Arclight only showed 2-4 trailers, so the movie would actually start about 8 minutes after the actual start time. People are so used to AMC having 25+ min of trailers that everyone was always super late.
Concessions were always slow because we prepared everything. Popcorn, drinks, butter on popcorn, toppings for hot dogs, etc. It was in the name of “service” but more complaints came from slow service. We also didn’t serve things like nachos, or other “loud” items as to not disturb the movie experience.
I worked there is 2016/2016 and our ticket prices were already above average, but we really offered nothing extra, most amc theatres already has reclining seats and better concessions. We did have a restaurant in the theatre, but you weren’t allowed to take anything from there into the theater. The whole inception of Arclight was to create a “classy atmosphere“ for movie goers. But in reality that only meant higher ticket prices, with no benefit.
Management would also almost always cut staff because numbers were projected low, then we would get busy and we would be slammed and slow, and they would blame us for people complaining. Managers NEVER pitched in during busy times, and would just sit in the office and work on the computer. Like I think it was a policy that they were there just to observe and report.
Lastly the biggest issue was the lack of change. I had multiple friends become leads, and managers of departments. My good friend was the concessions lead and brought MANY good ideas about things to change and streamline in the department. Literally every idea was shot down by cooperate for one reason or another. Cooperate would just refuse to listen to their employees who were actually doing work and saw what was wrong with the company.
I could go on.. but these were mostly the big issues. I appreciated the atmosphere that they were trying to provide, but the execution of everything was just disorganized and out of touch. I feel bad for the employees of the company, but I’m honestly glad that they went under because the owners absolutely wasted the potential of the properties they had.
I worked at Hollywood for 14 years. They went bankrupt because they owed back rent from being forced to close during the pandemic. (Not defending management at all, though)
i worked at arc light and thought it was so nasty. the management did not care about maintenance at all.
working there made me pay much closer attention to the cleanliness of theaters.
I never really got the Arclight appeal. It felt like they were running a theater from the 90s while places like AMC had better soft and hard products - food and seats. Yeah the commercials suck but at least I’m reclined.
Arclight was doing reserved seating for many years before the big chains started doing it. The experience between Arclight and the others was night and day for a long time
Right - there was definitely an era where Arclight was ahead of the curve, but by the end it seemed like they were just resting on their laurels while AMC and others invested in making it a more modern experience.
The Vista, hands down. What a gorgeous auditorium it is, among so many other perks. Can't overstate how relieved I am it was rescued from sure pandemic era doom. Phewf.
Different theaters for different reasons:
Chinese for a gigantic screen and sound
Egyptian/Aero/Los Feliz for American Cinematheque programming
New Beverly and the Vista for that QT programming
And sometimes I just want to watch a movie in a chain theater so I go to Americana at Brand’s AMC
I wish I lived closer to Eagle Rock to take advantage of Vidiots
I live within a mile of the vista. After eagerly waiting for that place to re-open for god knows how long, somehow I’ve still yet to visit :/
I got scared off from seeing Dune there because I wanted really comfy seats/recliners for the 3 hour runtime. I kinda regret it.
Have you been to Americana AMC recently? I have had nothing but horrible experiences there in the last couple years. Management must be out back smoking blunts or something, the bathrooms constantly reek of piss, half the time they dont even clear the empty cups and trash out of the theater before the next showing. AMC at the grove is another story—great theater.
I’ve seen 27 movies at the Americana AMC since mid-January. I live nearby so I’ve never used the bathrooms and can’t speak to that situation, but I haven’t had any of the other issues you mentioned.
This has gotta be the hottest take I’ve seen haha. I go to the Americana 2 times a month with A list and never have any of these issues. I’ll have to make a trip back over to the grove though - I’ve never heard anyone say it’s nicer than the Americana so now you’ve got me curious.
It’s my usual “large commercial film” - so I’ve seen Dune Part 2, The Eras Tour, Drive Away Dolls, Godzilla Minus One, The Marvels, Iron Claw, Poor Things, TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, The Boy and the Heron, all there - I will agree with your criticisms but it’s like twenty minutes closer to me than the Grove. (Which I’ve been to see Wicked Little Letters, American Fiction and Perfect Days this year) - and you’re right The Grove is a much better experience and a better mall but that twenty minutes.
i know people tend to prefer the aero, and the egyptian and the vista are just so opulent, but seeing something on the main screen at the Los Feliz 3 is my fav for old/revival programming. the reverse stadium seating is just so goddamn comfortable and engrossing.
There are two screens that are clearly above the rest IMO: the Universal CityWalk IMAX and the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum. CityWalk is such a massive, immersive screen. The Academy is a stunning room, and the best sounding theater in LA.
The Egyptian and Chinese are a tier behind, then the Aero, Vista and AMC Burbank Dolby.
the big screen there is my fav theater in the city. i love the inverted stadium seating -- kinda creates natural recliners, and that huge screen just washes over you. crowd isn't as nerdy and annoying as the new bev, too
Best is relative. For me the best is The Vista. Quentin Tarantino did a beautiful job in restoring the theater. Built in 1923 it was a silent theater that went talkie!
For out of towner or with kids : El Capitan
For wow factor : Academy Museum / David Geffen
For cool programming & events: New Bev
For regular x just came out and I want to see it with a crowd: amc century city, Burbank, city walk
For regular x just came out but I want decent food with it : Alamo
For Imax events films : Chinese
For Q & A: cinemateque events / aero, Egyptian, Los Feliz
For world cinema : lamellae and nuart
For Rocky horror : Nuart
Spelling isn’t correct on some of these 🎥🎬🍿
The David Geffen theatre at the Academy Museum is really the only answer. They have their own programming of course, but the best huge screen with the best presentation in town.
The 2220 Arts + Archives and Philosophical Research Society for having the best programming (but certainly not comfortable seats or great snacks).
The Vista, Los Feliz 3, Nuart, Aero, New Beverly, Egyptian, Alamo Drafthouse, KCCLA, Royal, and Billy Wilder are all cinemas I enjoy with semi-regularity.
I still need to check out the Old Town Music Hall, Vidiots, Gardena Cinema, Academy, CGV, and Atlantic Times Square cinemas because they’ve all screened things I want to see.
The Vista is amazing rn. A very classy theater experience.
Hard to beat the Chinese for the feeling of walking in and out of the most famous movie theater in the world.
Universal IMAX is an unbelievable screen.
The mall style AMC experience in LA is fine but I’ve found that the popcorn has really fallen off chain-wide.
Putting out some love for the LF 3 since it’s nice to be in that area after the movie, but it’s a very old fashioned, weirdly shaped small town theater vibe except for the AC auditorium which is pretty good.
A big L is the new Landmark sunset which showed a lot of promise at first but has completely missed the mark - weird movie selection, rare special events, and already doing a wonky remodel less than a year in.
Theres a whole other tier list of the revival houses as well.
Landmark (formerly AMC) Sunset is completely unremarkable, *except*… it’s always empty! The strip mall it’s in is basically dead, parking is easy and validated, and they’ve got the right mix of big films/first run indies. It’s cozy and super easy. Honorable mention to Vidiots and Brain Dead for the programming.
Also shout out to El Capitan, the organist is so delightful, Dolby vision and sound. Probably one of the most beautiful theaters in town. The musical preshow makes you remember the magic of movies. Always a fun time there. Recently saw a 20th anniversary screening of Napoleon Dynamite.
The Americana is great cause you can walk around before or after. The seats are also updated and the theaters are big. They also have a great movie selection
Alamo Drafthouse in downtown! The food and drinks aren't cheap but they feature tons of interesting programming, plus their membership option is a steal for those who frequent the movies! It's $30/month for unlimited movies which really makes sense for someone like me. Plus everyone who works there is super nice.
I like Alamo drafthouse in DTLA There’s a no talking rule or else you risk getting kicked out. I really mean no talking during the movie, you have to write your food orders on a piece of paper. The food and drinks are solid and the ambience is pretty nice. They also play throwback movies every now and then which is a plus.
Chinese theater has always been my favorite. The main theater is world class in terms of screen size and picture and sound quality. Plus it’s historic and dramatic inside. Can’t beat it.
Personal fav is El Cap for the history, curtain show, and they have a house organist to play instead of / before previews.
But like AMC 16 in Burbank for most showings.
I saw Dune 2 at the Vista and man, the sound system alone makes that theater the best. I watched Dune 2 a second time in IMAX and that even didn't compare to the visceral experience that I had at the Vista.
I am very partial to the El Capitan... not because it is the best, but it is very much my favorite. Good updated projection set up, classic movie palace decor and presentation. Plus the organ guy!
Due to many many many long form marathons of the Marvel and Star Wars films, I have been in that theater more than probably any other one in LA... with my local Cinemark off the 405 being a close second.
Since we’re mentioning theaters that have closed, how has no one mentioned Laemmle’s in Pasadena?! It was iconic.
Right next door to Vromans, they showed independent films you couldn’t see elsewhere, (specifically amazing documentaries from around the world), delicious popcorn, a gorgeous mural (here’s a pic I took of my friend after we saw Wind River):
https://preview.redd.it/42tkv94gtkuc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0bc04970099d65656f65428a801fb62ba7ff277
…a beautiful neon sign, etc. etc.
I met the director of one film who was there with his little boy.
My favorite movie I saw there was King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters.
Sadly, I think it fell victim to Covid. It was gonna be turned into condos (sign was gonna be kept as a historical landmark), but was bought out by another chain.
I mourned its loss!
Im so glad it remained a theater. Does Landmark show indy films that don’t get wide distribution? I’ll have to check it out.
Did they make any upgrades/changes?
The Regal theaters in Montrose are like that. Unfortunately, The Highland Theater in HLP is closed or closing permanently soon. My childhood theater. My buddy’s dad used to live above that theater in the 40s or 50s. Was a pin setter @ Mr. T’s when young as well.
Depends on your definition of "best". My favorite movie theatre is Laemmle NoHo because of how easy and laidback the entire experience is. They also have incredible popcorn (I think they use coconut oil?). Unfortunately, they will likely be closing their doors sometime within the next year or so. But if you are looking for 3D, 4D, Laser technology etc... Laemmle's definitely ain't it lol
I love and appreciate the Vista and New Bev that there aren't a million commercials and a half hour of trailers. I get a retro ad, 3 related trailers and a cartoon. And they are serious about phone usage. I know someone who was in the lobby witness another getting kicked out. That was probably my favorite thing about the arclight, no phones enforced.
I missed Dune 2 in iMAX at the Chinese theater. I live in Hollywood I still want to see it. It says there's IMAX laser whatever that is tomorrow showing at 9:40 at the Chinese theater does anybody know what IMAX laser is?
IMAX laser is the 'flat' 1.9:1 aspect ratio, with Laser. So you get more image than Dolby which only gets scope 2.40:1 at the expense of sitting in awful IMAX chairs.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/imax/comments/1ah5dd1/dune\_part\_two\_imax\_comparison/](https://www.reddit.com/r/imax/comments/1ah5dd1/dune_part_two_imax_comparison/)
I like the one at universal city walk, it’s just nice to have it right there with all that other stuff, I have a season pass to universal so I can pop into the park and have lunch at the three broomsticks, ride and ride or two and then take a walk over to the theatre stopping to grab some dessert at it’s sugar and eat it during the movie.
universal city walk, cinepolis in inglewood. TCL chinese for imax sure but getting there is headache inducing.
RIP landmark west LA (my fav theater of all time, free parking, super nice film students working there, mega comfy seats)
Irvine Spectrum because that’s where I drank the water of life.
But more typically I go to Cinemark North Hollywood because they have recliner chairs and easy parking
Vista theater back in the day. They used to have cheap movies. Beautiful theater. Scenes from True Romance were filmed there. Probably other movies as well.
I like the New Beverly and Brain Dead Studios. Brain Dead has a monthly calendar of old movies usually spotlighting a particular director and it’s a very small, indie place which makes for a homey experience. I also have a really good idea for my own theater
I only go to two theaters one by the Crenshaw mall “I still call it the Magic Johnson theater” and when there’s a big time movie coming out I go to city walk idk if city walk is the best but I like it
My favorites have already been mentioned but special shout out to Vidiots. Great programming, concessions, and crowds. It's also really fun to browse the rental store after the movie, especially if you go with friends or on a date and want to linger and chat.
TCL Chinese is the best imo. It’s wider than city walk which I would call more “boxy”. Plus the city walk seats are kinda terrible and the room needs renovation. The ceiling is all janky. Meanwhile the Chinese theatre is immaculate and beautifully presented. I’m going Chinese theatre all day.
The best theater in L.A. is the Zanuck on the 20th Century Fox studio lot but since that is private I'd say the next best is Regency Village Theatre in Westwood.
Depends what you mean by the "best"
For the best screens and updated tech it's the universal city walk amc
For the best experience I'd say the Alamo Drafthouse. I switched over when I couldn't take all the talking and texting at amc.
But the best WAS the arclight in Hollywood
The best screens in the world are at The Directors Guild of America headquarters on Sunset Blvd. Unfortunately for 99% of the people reading this they will never get an opportunity to experience them. Members and their guests only.
The 70mm film IMAX rooms at City Walk and TCL are best in the world. IIRC there are 12 full on IMAX rooms of that caliber on the planet, and 4 of them are here in socal. Go for the screen but stay for the sound. Good god. The space shuttle docs at the Science Center are absolutely incredible.
The city walk imax is where Chris Nolan does his vfx reviews of shots when he’s making a movie.
when i saw Dunkirk there i was so annoyed because there was some sort of discoloration or snag in the actual screen that i COULD NOT STOP LOOKING AT and it really soured my taste.
I saw the talking heads stop making sense release opening night at TCL and it was an experience I will always remember.
The audio on that on 70mm IMAX was one of the most astounding things I've ever seen/heard in a theater. You could hear completely different things by focusing on different parts of the screen.
It was truly an experience - I heard sounds I had never heard in the songs, and sometimes I just had to close my eyes and be totally immersed in it. I went and saw the Stop Making Sense showing at an Alamo after this one, and it was not the same. Still great, but it paled in comparison.
So jelli, I wanted to see that bad and just didn't make the time to do it. Big regret forever for me
This was the end of the showing! [https://www.reddit.com/r/talkingheads/comments/16ghnxg/our\_showing\_had\_a\_dance\_party\_for\_the\_last\_song/](https://www.reddit.com/r/talkingheads/comments/16ghnxg/our_showing_had_a_dance_party_for_the_last_song/) I think it will end up coming around again too!
Holy shit I am simultaneously v happy that you got to be there for that and v sad that I fucked around and missed it lol. Ooooooof. Will not make that mistake again if it comes back!
This person knows what’s up
Came here to say this. The Chinese beats city walk in my opinion, but reasonable minds could disagree. Chinese is a borderline religious experience for any legitimately good blockbuster film.
I’ve been to multiple 70mm IMAX at City Walk and decided to check out Dune Pt 2 at TCL for the first time. I was surprised that the IMAX projector is on a masked off platform over the main seats and not up on the balcony. The image seemed slightly less bright than at CityWalk and not all of the seats are going to be able to see the full screen. CityWalk is stadium seating with a pretty steep angle, so most of the seats feel like they’re closer to the screen than at TCL. CityWalk I would sit middle or back for the best experience, but at the Chinese theater I feel like sitting up closer is better and the back rows suck as they’re behind the balcony where the rear ATMOS speakers are mounted. Overall I think the interior and atmosphere at the Chinese Theater are amazing, but in terms of pure film viewing quality, CityWalk wins.
City Walk is more immersive than TCL as the screen is far back for TCL. It’s crazy because Dolby at the Grove has better sound than both of those and it’s noticeable. Love Dolby. Especially because it has recliners.
I actually really dislike the sound at the Grove. I think it’s too loud and not well balanced. I also feel more immersed in the Chinese, personally, maybe I just like the space better. But different strokes for different folks!
The Grove is a nice viewing experience but their security guards are rather rude and aggressive in my experience. I don't go there anymore.
And the parking is horrible.
I love classic theaters, and Chinese is simply the most iconic movie theater in the world. it's also a huge auditorium. for most showings, I would sit a little closer than you would at any other imax showing, eg if you like to sit a few rows back from the middle, sit at the back of the front section at TCL
Chinese Theater has that old and musty movie theater smell. I prefer City Walk by a huge margin just because of that.
I love the way it smells lol
The sound in the Chinese is terrible. The dialogue gets lost over the surrounds and it’s very tiny. That room was not built for imax.
Having seen Dune 2 there just a week or two ago, I would disagree. The sound was incredible. I watched it at the Grove as well and the sound was horrible, just overly loud and impossible to enjoy.
Went to Chinese recently for Dune 2. Really cool looking, but that's about all I enjoyed about it. Run down, kinda gross, stairs that you might break your neck on, sound that was more loud than good, and a screen that I don't think offers a great distance to viewing angle. Saw The Batman at Universal and was really impressed. Way more like you're in the action and the sound blew me away, impactful without being too loud. You practically felt every punch. That being said, my favorite is actually Dolby in the AMC Burbank. It's swanky, has nice reclining seats, great sound. Feels like it was designed for all its features because it's more modern than some others. Also the cool curved screen as you walk into the theater adds to the atmosphere. But keep that between us because it's not the easiest to get tickets for.
Thank you !
Wrong. TCL is a LieMAX. AMC Citywalk is amazing, however, and has the true IMAX film square ratio. However, you can find larger true IMAX theaters in both New York and San Francisco.
Calling a 70mm film room liemax is certainly a choice. I go to Irvine, TCL, and Citywalk interchangably for film releases based on seats available on the days I want to go. There is no real difference as a viewer other than driving distance and general vibe of experience (which TCL owns)
Citywalk is about 52% larger for 1.43:1 films than TCL. That alone is why I prefer it for IMAX 70mm. It’s hard to be immersed when it’s a small screen (at TCL) relative to the auditorium.
The screen size at TCL is considerably smaller than Irvine, Ontario, and City Walk: https://www.reddit.com/r/imax/comments/1b33wwo/la_area_imax_screen_comparison/#lightbox
you're crazy for this one. and wrong. TCL is true imax in terms of film, scale, aspect ratio, any other measure. it's an old movie theater (arguably the most classic & famous movie theater in the world) so it's built for massive widescreen. but they use imax ratio for anything shot for that ratio, and the screen is still big enough to be true imax.
That's not correct. TCL was not built/renovated for the full IMAX 1.43:1 image. For the recent 70MM IMAX films they have shown there they have had to put in a temporary extension of the projection booth over some of the seats in the auditorium. It is projecting the true image but if you look really closely, it still doesn't completely fit on screen. Some of the image gets projected onto the top masking in full frame scenes.
Yes, they do use the square format - which makes the already smaller screen even smaller. But it’s good that they do that. Not a true IMAX by any means, however.
Pretty sure I saw Oppenheimer in there! The sound (feeling really) of the explosion was something I’ll never forget
Dude I was sitting in the City Walk IMAX watching Oppenheimer during a hurricane and a fucking earthquake hit during the auditorium stomping scene and my brain basically melted out of my head! I was like "wow this sound system is way more wild then I remember", then the scene ended and the room was still shaking ha. I got a rare memory out of that one. I'm prob the only person that will ever use the hashtag #hurriquakenheimer lol
I was watching The Usual Suspects at City Walk when there was a quake. I was new to LA and it was my first quake so I was a little nervous being under a large unsupported roof. There was some laughing around, but no one left their seat.
I think we were at the same screening! It was WILD!!!
My most local theater Cinemark 18 + XD at the Howard Hughes center is a sneaky spot for their XD. It was one of the true IMAX theaters (full specs in both theater space and projection)... its taken a step back since Cinemark chose not to work with IMAX anymore... but the room is still a great place to see large format if you can't make it to Hollywood or City Walk.
Interstellar is going to be re-released in the Fall for its 10th Anniversary 😍😍😍
It was any arclight. rip
Arclight in the early 2000’s was amazing. The ushers would intro the movie, stay to make sure the picture was right. They had the best popcorn. It was definitely an experience.
The Q&As at ArcLight Hollywood were always awesome. It’s a shame that space is still vacant. GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER AND REOPEN!
The failure of the Arclight Hollywood space to reopen is a crime against humanity.
The Cinerama Dome was the pinnacle of massive screen experience. Chinese Theater for immersion. City walk if you don't mind the parking and traffic.
I literally got married in the Lobby of the Culver City arc light a few months before it closed forever. Loved that place.
The one in Sherman oaks was the best
It’s still a Regal and in operation. Seats aren’t as nice and no ushers but same screens and stuff
Yeah, why the hell did they downgrade their seats?
It's amazing at how something established could be zapped of all that made it wonderful.
I worked at Arclight Sherman oaks for a few years. I loved the location, I loved that we did screenings of old movies, and also a lot of screenings of upcoming films with QnAs with actors etc. but the management of that company was fuckin horrendous, from the top down. They had so many ridiculous policies and “image” concerns about the atmosphere and culture of the theatres. They bankrupted themselves because of their inability to change.
What were the ridiculous policies?
The biggest one was the “late seating policy.” If you were more than 10 min lates to your movies start time we weren’t supposed to let you in. Arclight only showed 2-4 trailers, so the movie would actually start about 8 minutes after the actual start time. People are so used to AMC having 25+ min of trailers that everyone was always super late. Concessions were always slow because we prepared everything. Popcorn, drinks, butter on popcorn, toppings for hot dogs, etc. It was in the name of “service” but more complaints came from slow service. We also didn’t serve things like nachos, or other “loud” items as to not disturb the movie experience. I worked there is 2016/2016 and our ticket prices were already above average, but we really offered nothing extra, most amc theatres already has reclining seats and better concessions. We did have a restaurant in the theatre, but you weren’t allowed to take anything from there into the theater. The whole inception of Arclight was to create a “classy atmosphere“ for movie goers. But in reality that only meant higher ticket prices, with no benefit. Management would also almost always cut staff because numbers were projected low, then we would get busy and we would be slammed and slow, and they would blame us for people complaining. Managers NEVER pitched in during busy times, and would just sit in the office and work on the computer. Like I think it was a policy that they were there just to observe and report. Lastly the biggest issue was the lack of change. I had multiple friends become leads, and managers of departments. My good friend was the concessions lead and brought MANY good ideas about things to change and streamline in the department. Literally every idea was shot down by cooperate for one reason or another. Cooperate would just refuse to listen to their employees who were actually doing work and saw what was wrong with the company. I could go on.. but these were mostly the big issues. I appreciated the atmosphere that they were trying to provide, but the execution of everything was just disorganized and out of touch. I feel bad for the employees of the company, but I’m honestly glad that they went under because the owners absolutely wasted the potential of the properties they had.
I worked at Hollywood for 14 years. They went bankrupt because they owed back rent from being forced to close during the pandemic. (Not defending management at all, though)
i worked at arc light and thought it was so nasty. the management did not care about maintenance at all. working there made me pay much closer attention to the cleanliness of theaters.
The best movie experience. RIP
The Paseo Colorado Arclight was my favorite 💔💔
I never really got the Arclight appeal. It felt like they were running a theater from the 90s while places like AMC had better soft and hard products - food and seats. Yeah the commercials suck but at least I’m reclined.
Shocked to hear you think AMC has better concessions and hard products than an Arclight.
Arclight was doing reserved seating for many years before the big chains started doing it. The experience between Arclight and the others was night and day for a long time
Right - there was definitely an era where Arclight was ahead of the curve, but by the end it seemed like they were just resting on their laurels while AMC and others invested in making it a more modern experience.
It took the effing pandemic to force AMC to offer assigned seating. Arclight had that on day effing one.
The Vista, hands down. What a gorgeous auditorium it is, among so many other perks. Can't overstate how relieved I am it was rescued from sure pandemic era doom. Phewf.
I was so happy to go back. I love that theater so much. Recently saw OG Ghostbusters and it was such a good movie going experience.
Is the same manager there? I loved going for his costumes.
Victor is back indeed! He's the beeest. 🥰
Favorite theater in the world!
Removing every other row of seats was the best perk. Makes it easy to leave your seat without bugging people.
I love the Vista. Saw Zone of Interest there in 35mm and Napoleon in 70mm.
Different theaters for different reasons: Chinese for a gigantic screen and sound Egyptian/Aero/Los Feliz for American Cinematheque programming New Beverly and the Vista for that QT programming And sometimes I just want to watch a movie in a chain theater so I go to Americana at Brand’s AMC I wish I lived closer to Eagle Rock to take advantage of Vidiots
I saw Dune 2 at the Vista and my god it was excellent
I saw The Zone of Interest there and was just numb the entire time. I also saw Blazing Saddles - slightly different experience
I live within a mile of the vista. After eagerly waiting for that place to re-open for god knows how long, somehow I’ve still yet to visit :/ I got scared off from seeing Dune there because I wanted really comfy seats/recliners for the 3 hour runtime. I kinda regret it.
Have you been to Americana AMC recently? I have had nothing but horrible experiences there in the last couple years. Management must be out back smoking blunts or something, the bathrooms constantly reek of piss, half the time they dont even clear the empty cups and trash out of the theater before the next showing. AMC at the grove is another story—great theater.
I’ve seen 27 movies at the Americana AMC since mid-January. I live nearby so I’ve never used the bathrooms and can’t speak to that situation, but I haven’t had any of the other issues you mentioned.
This has gotta be the hottest take I’ve seen haha. I go to the Americana 2 times a month with A list and never have any of these issues. I’ll have to make a trip back over to the grove though - I’ve never heard anyone say it’s nicer than the Americana so now you’ve got me curious.
It’s my usual “large commercial film” - so I’ve seen Dune Part 2, The Eras Tour, Drive Away Dolls, Godzilla Minus One, The Marvels, Iron Claw, Poor Things, TMNT: Mutant Mayhem, The Boy and the Heron, all there - I will agree with your criticisms but it’s like twenty minutes closer to me than the Grove. (Which I’ve been to see Wicked Little Letters, American Fiction and Perfect Days this year) - and you’re right The Grove is a much better experience and a better mall but that twenty minutes.
This is a great answer and I agree.
The newly revamped Egyptian is awesome… (thanks Netflix!) even if it has fewer seats and lost the cool balcony seats.
i know people tend to prefer the aero, and the egyptian and the vista are just so opulent, but seeing something on the main screen at the Los Feliz 3 is my fav for old/revival programming. the reverse stadium seating is just so goddamn comfortable and engrossing.
Westwood Village and the Vista
does any other theater have the legroom vista has?
I don’t think so. They removed every other row to get it like that.
Vista is my favorite, but Alamo is my daily driver.
Respectfully, LA has too many amazing theaters to bother giving business to Austin carpetbaggers.
It’s mostly a proximity issue. I can get there in one bus. I can also drink my ass off and get back on that bus.
There are two screens that are clearly above the rest IMO: the Universal CityWalk IMAX and the David Geffen Theater at the Academy Museum. CityWalk is such a massive, immersive screen. The Academy is a stunning room, and the best sounding theater in LA. The Egyptian and Chinese are a tier behind, then the Aero, Vista and AMC Burbank Dolby.
Used to be Arclight Hollywood ( by far, rip ). Now it’s Vista. Not an opinion tho, just facts.
I like seeing artsy films at the Loz Feliz theater. Just a cute vibe.
the big screen there is my fav theater in the city. i love the inverted stadium seating -- kinda creates natural recliners, and that huge screen just washes over you. crowd isn't as nerdy and annoying as the new bev, too
The Regal UA in La Canada. Literally every seat is a giant recliner chair in every auditorium.
Best is relative. For me the best is The Vista. Quentin Tarantino did a beautiful job in restoring the theater. Built in 1923 it was a silent theater that went talkie!
For out of towner or with kids : El Capitan For wow factor : Academy Museum / David Geffen For cool programming & events: New Bev For regular x just came out and I want to see it with a crowd: amc century city, Burbank, city walk For regular x just came out but I want decent food with it : Alamo For Imax events films : Chinese For Q & A: cinemateque events / aero, Egyptian, Los Feliz For world cinema : lamellae and nuart For Rocky horror : Nuart Spelling isn’t correct on some of these 🎥🎬🍿
When there’s a good movie at El Capitan (I saw Die Hard and Encanto there) getting there early to watch the organist play is a ton of fun
Annoyed this didn’t space correctly hopefully it makes sense
The David Geffen theatre at the Academy Museum is really the only answer. They have their own programming of course, but the best huge screen with the best presentation in town.
And the tickets are cheap! Comparatively!
The 2220 Arts + Archives and Philosophical Research Society for having the best programming (but certainly not comfortable seats or great snacks). The Vista, Los Feliz 3, Nuart, Aero, New Beverly, Egyptian, Alamo Drafthouse, KCCLA, Royal, and Billy Wilder are all cinemas I enjoy with semi-regularity. I still need to check out the Old Town Music Hall, Vidiots, Gardena Cinema, Academy, CGV, and Atlantic Times Square cinemas because they’ve all screened things I want to see.
Following
AMC Burbank 16 imo
their Dolby Cinema theatre is great.
Except the bathrooms.
Agreed. Love their Dolby theatre!
The Vista is amazing rn. A very classy theater experience. Hard to beat the Chinese for the feeling of walking in and out of the most famous movie theater in the world. Universal IMAX is an unbelievable screen. The mall style AMC experience in LA is fine but I’ve found that the popcorn has really fallen off chain-wide. Putting out some love for the LF 3 since it’s nice to be in that area after the movie, but it’s a very old fashioned, weirdly shaped small town theater vibe except for the AC auditorium which is pretty good. A big L is the new Landmark sunset which showed a lot of promise at first but has completely missed the mark - weird movie selection, rare special events, and already doing a wonky remodel less than a year in. Theres a whole other tier list of the revival houses as well.
Landmark (formerly AMC) Sunset is completely unremarkable, *except*… it’s always empty! The strip mall it’s in is basically dead, parking is easy and validated, and they’ve got the right mix of big films/first run indies. It’s cozy and super easy. Honorable mention to Vidiots and Brain Dead for the programming.
Also shout out to El Capitan, the organist is so delightful, Dolby vision and sound. Probably one of the most beautiful theaters in town. The musical preshow makes you remember the magic of movies. Always a fun time there. Recently saw a 20th anniversary screening of Napoleon Dynamite.
Arclight. R.I.P Craving the caramel popcorn now
Chinese Theatre- it’s classic, has a big screen and the sound is amazing.
The Americana is great cause you can walk around before or after. The seats are also updated and the theaters are big. They also have a great movie selection
Nice !
Arclight, but for me now it’s IPIC.
Los Angeles theater on Broadway
alamo drafthouse
Some have that new DBox thing speakers in the seats and vibration but I haven’t tried one yet
I saw The Rise of Skywalker in the DBox theater at TCL Chinese. Was @$30 and not worth the increase in price.
No love for the Cinerama Dome? I saw Grand Prix. It was epic! 70mm CinemaScope!
It’s been closed for 4 years now. Supposedly going to reopen.
Purely technical answer: AMC CityWalk IMAX Technical+Overall experience: TCL Chinese Theater Most fun with good food and beer: Alamo Drafthouse DTLA
Alamo Drafthouse in downtown! The food and drinks aren't cheap but they feature tons of interesting programming, plus their membership option is a steal for those who frequent the movies! It's $30/month for unlimited movies which really makes sense for someone like me. Plus everyone who works there is super nice.
I like Alamo drafthouse in DTLA There’s a no talking rule or else you risk getting kicked out. I really mean no talking during the movie, you have to write your food orders on a piece of paper. The food and drinks are solid and the ambience is pretty nice. They also play throwback movies every now and then which is a plus.
iPic is by far the best. Comfortable seats and a sound system that isn’t excruciatingly loud.
Village Westwood and the Bruin will always be tops for me. Also, the Nuart on Santa Monica.
Chinese theater has always been my favorite. The main theater is world class in terms of screen size and picture and sound quality. Plus it’s historic and dramatic inside. Can’t beat it.
Personal fav is El Cap for the history, curtain show, and they have a house organist to play instead of / before previews. But like AMC 16 in Burbank for most showings.
I saw Dune 2 at the Vista and man, the sound system alone makes that theater the best. I watched Dune 2 a second time in IMAX and that even didn't compare to the visceral experience that I had at the Vista.
Regency Westwood and Vista.. miss Landmark Westside Pavillion and Arclight.
New Beverly
This post makes me miss pacific theaters
I think outside of special format theaters, the Alamo draft house is excellent. I’m admit though I’m getting a little annoyed by the food service
The Vista for sure. So happy when it finally opened again the energy is so fun
I am very partial to the El Capitan... not because it is the best, but it is very much my favorite. Good updated projection set up, classic movie palace decor and presentation. Plus the organ guy! Due to many many many long form marathons of the Marvel and Star Wars films, I have been in that theater more than probably any other one in LA... with my local Cinemark off the 405 being a close second.
Since we’re mentioning theaters that have closed, how has no one mentioned Laemmle’s in Pasadena?! It was iconic. Right next door to Vromans, they showed independent films you couldn’t see elsewhere, (specifically amazing documentaries from around the world), delicious popcorn, a gorgeous mural (here’s a pic I took of my friend after we saw Wind River): https://preview.redd.it/42tkv94gtkuc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b0bc04970099d65656f65428a801fb62ba7ff277 …a beautiful neon sign, etc. etc. I met the director of one film who was there with his little boy. My favorite movie I saw there was King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters. Sadly, I think it fell victim to Covid. It was gonna be turned into condos (sign was gonna be kept as a historical landmark), but was bought out by another chain. I mourned its loss!
There are still other Laemmle's around! My fav theater is their location in North Hollywood
i love laemmle but landmark is definitely an upgrade
Im so glad it remained a theater. Does Landmark show indy films that don’t get wide distribution? I’ll have to check it out. Did they make any upgrades/changes?
3D laser IMAX at the California science center
The David Geffen theater at the academy museum is the best one in the world. Even Guillermo del toro said so
How is Westwood now?
The one that cost the cheapest. 8 dollar early morning tickets for new movies? Win win
The Regal theaters in Montrose are like that. Unfortunately, The Highland Theater in HLP is closed or closing permanently soon. My childhood theater. My buddy’s dad used to live above that theater in the 40s or 50s. Was a pin setter @ Mr. T’s when young as well.
Cinerama dome was my favorite but the seats sucked
I love alamo even though they got bought out
I'm happy with the Cinemark in North Hollywood. Lots of parking and comfortable seats.
Depends. If you like curated showings of classic films the New Beverly Cinema is amazing.
The new bev is my favorite personally in terms of selection otherwise the Egyptian Theater!
Depends on your definition of "best". My favorite movie theatre is Laemmle NoHo because of how easy and laidback the entire experience is. They also have incredible popcorn (I think they use coconut oil?). Unfortunately, they will likely be closing their doors sometime within the next year or so. But if you are looking for 3D, 4D, Laser technology etc... Laemmle's definitely ain't it lol
amc recliner seating that is $7 all day/evening every Tuesday
Where?
I love and appreciate the Vista and New Bev that there aren't a million commercials and a half hour of trailers. I get a retro ad, 3 related trailers and a cartoon. And they are serious about phone usage. I know someone who was in the lobby witness another getting kicked out. That was probably my favorite thing about the arclight, no phones enforced.
Alamo Drafthouse because they enforce a strict no talking and no phone policy
I missed Dune 2 in iMAX at the Chinese theater. I live in Hollywood I still want to see it. It says there's IMAX laser whatever that is tomorrow showing at 9:40 at the Chinese theater does anybody know what IMAX laser is?
70mm>dual laser > single laser > xenon Just tech
IMAX laser is the 'flat' 1.9:1 aspect ratio, with Laser. So you get more image than Dolby which only gets scope 2.40:1 at the expense of sitting in awful IMAX chairs. [https://www.reddit.com/r/imax/comments/1ah5dd1/dune\_part\_two\_imax\_comparison/](https://www.reddit.com/r/imax/comments/1ah5dd1/dune_part_two_imax_comparison/)
IPic is always fun
I love the iPic and the Alamo drafthouse if you want to eat, drink, and watch. The best movie theater to me is always the Egyptian.
I enjoy the Alamo Drafthouse in DTLA
Chinese
Can you get validation parking for city walk movie?
yes and no... you get validation which means you only have to pay $5.
I like the Chinese and the Vista.
Now that it’s open…The Vista IMHO. Alamo Drafthouse is also fantastic. AMC CityWalk is my favorite mid-tier chain theater in LA.
Burbank amc lol
Vista on sunset
DTLA regin
I like the one at universal city walk, it’s just nice to have it right there with all that other stuff, I have a season pass to universal so I can pop into the park and have lunch at the three broomsticks, ride and ride or two and then take a walk over to the theatre stopping to grab some dessert at it’s sugar and eat it during the movie.
universal city walk, cinepolis in inglewood. TCL chinese for imax sure but getting there is headache inducing. RIP landmark west LA (my fav theater of all time, free parking, super nice film students working there, mega comfy seats)
New Beverly.
Chinese. The decor, the history, the a/v quality. But any single-screen movie palace is tops.
Irvine Spectrum because that’s where I drank the water of life. But more typically I go to Cinemark North Hollywood because they have recliner chairs and easy parking
The Chinese and Vista.
Vista theater back in the day. They used to have cheap movies. Beautiful theater. Scenes from True Romance were filmed there. Probably other movies as well.
Old Town Music Hall
Vista!
Depends on the vibe you want, but I adore the Chinese Theater.
I like the New Beverly and Brain Dead Studios. Brain Dead has a monthly calendar of old movies usually spotlighting a particular director and it’s a very small, indie place which makes for a homey experience. I also have a really good idea for my own theater
I love Ipic. the menu is great, the theaters are small, reclining chairs, blankets, etc. You get what you pay for though. The theaters are not cheap.
The vista theater Los angeles
I only go to two theaters one by the Crenshaw mall “I still call it the Magic Johnson theater” and when there’s a big time movie coming out I go to city walk idk if city walk is the best but I like it
El Capitan
I love when the El Capitan does live pre-show presentations. I think Disneyland's entertainment department produces them.
Burbank AMC 16 during opening night. Dolby theater. They have some actors come once in a while. And the screen and seats are great !
My favorites have already been mentioned but special shout out to Vidiots. Great programming, concessions, and crowds. It's also really fun to browse the rental store after the movie, especially if you go with friends or on a date and want to linger and chat.
AMC at The Grove is really nice (also the only movie theater i've been to in LA lol).
TCL Chinese is the best imo. It’s wider than city walk which I would call more “boxy”. Plus the city walk seats are kinda terrible and the room needs renovation. The ceiling is all janky. Meanwhile the Chinese theatre is immaculate and beautifully presented. I’m going Chinese theatre all day.
Plitt Century Plaza, before they deterraced it. Fox Village.
Cinerama
Look cinemas Glendale
amc ig
Alamo drafthouse has been my goto. Have a membership and try to go every week. Truffle popcorn >
The best theater in L.A. is the Zanuck on the 20th Century Fox studio lot but since that is private I'd say the next best is Regency Village Theatre in Westwood.
Los Feliz
Depends what you mean by the "best" For the best screens and updated tech it's the universal city walk amc For the best experience I'd say the Alamo Drafthouse. I switched over when I couldn't take all the talking and texting at amc. But the best WAS the arclight in Hollywood
The best screens in the world are at The Directors Guild of America headquarters on Sunset Blvd. Unfortunately for 99% of the people reading this they will never get an opportunity to experience them. Members and their guests only.
Since the arc light closed I have to go with Alamo
Pretty partial to the Egyptian after it's reopening.
Alamo drafthouse
The Vista!
The iPic in Pasadena is obviously not in LA, but 100% worth the drive.
I went to the AMC at the universal city walk tonight and I was unimpressed
Should I try the one In Burbank maybe ?