Good morrow, people! Did you hear all about the Oscar nominations? Yes, I’m a few weeks late, but I prefer my mail to be delivered by carrier moose, and apparently all the moose have been tied up with some sporting event in the arctic north. Somewhere around Canada and a place called Vancouver. Never heard of it.
While I will have plenty more to say about the nominations, what I want to concentrate on today is the wonderful indie movie business in this city. One of the greatest things about living (or visiting) Los Angeles is the ability to see classic movies, foreign hits, avant-garde cinema, and notable independent movies on the big screen. Nowhere, and I mean nowhere, anywhere else in the world, can you see Lawrence of Arabia in 70 mm. (Editor’s Note: Probably. Bruce hasn’t actually done any research to verify that fact.) Take that, Portland. And you too, New York. Yeah, I’m calling you out, San Francisco. In this area, you all got nothin’ on our fair city. Word. (Editor’s Note: Rad? Tubular?)
In honor of this, here are a few theatre venues and organizers who tweet their movie schedules:
Downtown Independent @DowntownIndie – Lots of old films, beer, wine, food, and a gorgeous building to boot.
The Cinefamily @cinefamily – Near Melrose and Fairfax, with interesting and unusual screenings in the restored Silente Movie Theatre.
New Beverly @newbeverly – One of the best places to see independent, foreign, and art-house cinema on the planet, at Fairfax and LaBrea. Now owned by director Quentin Tarantino.
Cinespia @cinespia – During the Summer, Cinespia puts on killer screenings of old classics on the lawn of the Hollywood Cemetery. Chilly, and chilling.
Arclight Hollywood @ALHollywood – Not independent by any means, but one of the best places to watch a movie on the planet, period. They respect movies and the audience as much as anyone.
Art Theatre Long Beach @ArtTheatre – Never been, but heard good things. A little out of the way, but looks like a very solid lineup with coffee and wine bars in a classic restored movie house.
Landmark Theatres @LTLosAngeles – Not really indie either, but this is all about the Nuart, one of the better small theatres in LA. At Santa Monica and the 405.
American Cinematheque @sidgrauman – Two theatres, the gorgeous Egyptian in Hollywood and the Aero in Santa Monica. Amazing lineups of films, great festivals, and frequently updated twitter feed.
El Capitan Theatre @ElCapitanThtre – This is the Disney-owned theatre in Hollywood, right across the street from the Hollywood & Highland Center. Big Disney movies, with fun bonus experiences as part of the ticket price. Definitely worth it, at least once.
UCLA Campus Event Commission @uclacec – New to us, but they twitter frequently about coming screenings on campus.
Laemmle Theatres @LaemmleTheatres – With a couple locations around Los Angeles, including the Sunset 5, these theatres are frequently the only place in the city to see a particular small foreign film.
That’s all for today. Make sure to follow these theatres and organizations (and us!), go see movies, and tip your moose when he brings you your mail.
This is Bruce, signing off.
