{"id":425808,"date":"2026-08-06T22:26:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-06T22:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/425808\/"},"modified":"2026-08-06T22:26:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-06T22:26:14","slug":"a-film-geeks-guide-to-los-angeles-movie-theaters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/425808\/","title":{"rendered":"A Film Geek\u2019s Guide to Los Angeles Movie Theaters"},"content":{"rendered":"

What better place is there to see a movie than the home of Hollywood? Visit some of these iconic movie palaces for a glimpse into film history<\/p>\n

The spirit of old Hollywood is alive and well today in the city of Los Angeles, especially at the independent theatres across the city. L.A. is home to more than just some of the most iconic studios and filming locations in Hollywood history, it is home to some of the oldest and most famous movie theaters in the world.<\/p>\n

L.A. cinephiles have the unparalleled opportunity to see a repertory film at a theatre where its very stars may well have once sat. The combination of the ornate architecture and the newly installed premium cinematic technology at these historic monuments transports audiences back to their original grandeur. For a blast from the past, take a trip to one of these movie palaces and see a picture.<\/p>\n

TCL Chinese Theatre<\/p>\n

\"TCLCredit: Courtesy TCL Chinese Theatre<\/p>\n

The TCL Chinese Theatre<\/a> has seen iconic red carpet movie premieres since 1927, and was featured in the classic Hollywood film Singin\u2019 in the Rain. The theatre\u2019s famous \u201cForecourt of the Stars\u201d holds cement hand and footprints of stars throughout Hollywood history. The theatre also features one of the largest IMAX auditoriums, and is one of the few movie palaces in California with an IMAX Laser projection experience.<\/p>\n

El Capitan Theatre<\/p>\n

\"\"Credit: Disney. All Rights Reserved<\/p>\n

Built in the 1920s by the same developer as the Egyptian and Chinese Theatres, the El Capitan<\/a> was dubbed \u201cHollywood\u2019s first home of spoken drama.\u201d In 1941, Orson Welles premiered his first film, Citizen Kane, at the theatre. In 1981, Disney and Pacific Theatres remodeled the theatre and reopened it to the public. It is known as \u201cDisney\u2019s home on Hollywood Boulevard,\u201d and hosts live stage shows and screenings of classic Disney films.<\/p>\n

New Beverly Cinema<\/p>\n

\"\"Quentin Tarantino\u2019s New Beverly Cinema in the Fairfax DistrictCredit: Photo by Ian Logan<\/p>\n

Scroll to continue reading<\/p>\n

Oscar-winning filmmaker Quentin Tarantino is the owner and head programmer of the New Beverly<\/a>. The theatre is known for projecting film prints, many of which are from Tarantino\u2019s private collection. The cinema also has unique programming like Shawtember (a Shaw Bros. retrospective), Ozploitation (Australian exploitation) and Meeker Mania (an extended Ralph Meeker celebration) and Grindhouse Tuesdays.<\/p>\n

The Vista<\/p>\n

\"AA view of the Vista Theatre in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Hollywood in Los AngelesCredit: (Photo by AaronP\/Bauer-Griffin\/GC Images)<\/p>\n

The Vista<\/a> is over a century old, and is also owned by Tarantino. Its video archives cinema club is inspired by cinema clubs he visited in Paris. The micro-cinema holds 21-seats, and shows VHS tapes and 16mm prints from his collection. The theater was a prominent location in the golden age of silent film and post-renovations boasts a new 70mm projection and sound system, according to LAist.<\/p>\n

Aero Theatre<\/p>\n

\"aeroThe Aero is coming back in JuneCredit: Photo by Amanda Edwards\/Getty Images for ABA<\/p>\n

The Aero Theatre<\/a> opened in 1940. In 2005, the American Cinematheque renovated and re-opened the theatre, and it was updated again in 2021 with new projection equipment and upgrades to its sound system. American Cinematheque programs at the Aero Theatre include advance screenings, retrospectives, revivals, restorations, discussions with filmmakers and an annual All-Night Horrorthon.<\/p>\n

The Alex<\/p>\n

\"\"The Alex Theater in GlendaleCredit: Photo by Chris Nichols<\/p>\n

The Alexander Theatre opened in 1925 as a Vaudeville house and movie palace, bringing stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Charlie Chaplin to the theatre, according to the theatre\u2019s website. The Alex closed in 1991, but a year later, the Glendale Redevelopment Agency purchased the theater and reopened it as a performing arts center. This year, with a new 70mm film projection<\/a> system to show The Odyssey, the Alex returns as a movie theatre.<\/p>\n

Los Feliz 3 Theatre<\/p>\n

The Los Feliz 3 Theatre<\/a> opened in 1935 as a single-screen theatre, and was converted to a triplex in the early 1990s, according to American Cinematheque. It is currently owned and operated by Vintage Cinemas. American Cinematheque programs Cinema 1, the largest of its three screens, hosting special events and screenings. The theatre has newly installed 35mm projectors.<\/p>\n

The Nuart Theatre<\/p>\n

The Nuart Theatre<\/a> first opened in 1930, according to LAist. It is now operated by Landmark Theatres, and features 4K digital and 35mm projection with Dolby surround sound. The theatre shows independent films, foreign language films, documentaries and hosts events with filmmakers. The theatre is known for its midnight showings of cult classics like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The theatre began screening the film in 1976 and still shows it on Saturday nights, with performances by the shadow cast Sins O\u2019 The Flesh.<\/p>\n

The Bruin<\/p>\n

The Bruin Theatre<\/a>, named after UCLA\u2019s mascot, opened on New Year\u2019s Eve 1937 in Westwood, according to L.A. Conservancy. It was featured in Tarantino\u2019s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood before closing in 2024, but was recently announced to be re-opening in October, according to Deadline. Its new operator, exhibitor Rui Pereira, told Deadline<\/a> he intends to equip the theatre with 70mm and 35mm projectors.<\/p>\n

The Egyptian<\/p>\n

\"EgyptianFront entrance of the Egyptian Theatre located at\u00a06712 Hollywood Blvd. in\u00a0Los AngelesCredit: Photo courtesy Netflix<\/p>\n

The Egyptian Theatre<\/a> opened in 1922, and hosted some of the first movie premieres, introduced the original red carpet and was prominent throughout Hollywood\u2019s golden age, according to the theatre\u2019s website. In 2020, Netflix and the American Cinematheque partnered to restore the theatre and it is now one of five theaters in the United States capable of projecting nitrate film, 35mm, 70mm and digital formats. It is temporarily closed as of June but will reopen in the fall.<\/p>\n

Directors Village<\/p>\n

\"FoxFox Westwood Village TheatreCredit: Photo by George Rose\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The 95-year-old theatre formerly known as the Fox Westwood Village Theatre was purchased in 2024 by the Village Director\u2019s Circle, a group of 35 directors including Jason Reitman, Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg. American Cinematheque operates the theatre, and recently screened<\/a> Nolan\u2019s The Odyssey <\/a>from July 16 to Aug. 6, to fundraise for a year-long, $25 million renovation beginning in the fall, to be completed next year, according to the L.A. Times.<\/p>\n

The Cinerama Dome<\/p>\n

\"AA person walks past a boarded-up entrance at the famed Cinerama Dome at the shuttered ArcLight Hollywood movie theater on April 13Credit: Photo by Mario Tama\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

The Cinerama Dome<\/a> will be restored and reopened by Sony Pictures Entertainment and Alamo Drafthouse, following a six-year-long closure that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. Renovations will begin next month and go through early 2028. The restored theater will retain its iconic \u201cCinerama\u201d name and exterior. The theatre has been showing 70mm film since 1963, on its nearly 86-foot-wide, curved screen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What better place is there to see a movie than the home of Hollywood? Visit some of these…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":425809,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[169728,27078,86192,1924,48,52,51,47,50,49,5260,144030,169729,169730],"class_list":["post-425808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-aero-theatre","tag-alex-theatre","tag-el-capitan-theatre","tag-film","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-los-feliz","tag-new-beverly-cinema","tag-tcl-chinese-theatre","tag-the-vista-theater"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=425808"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/425808\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/425809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=425808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=425808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=425808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}