JSLALALAND

CITY & ITS PEOPLE

In the city of movies, seeing a film can be an event | The LA special cinema map

In LA, a movie doesn't have to mean a mall multiplex: you can watch on a cemetery lawn, in Tarantino's old theater, or with the director right there. LA's special cinemas, with a final 'what are you in the mood for tonight' page you can screenshot to decide.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. 00 | In this city, movies are close to life

    I've lined up for premieres, standing at the barricade waiting for the red carpet to start. A lot of LA's theaters are a piece of film history themselves; next time you're here, save an evening for one.

  2. 01 | Movie theater lingo, decoded

    35mm, 70mm, IMAX 70mm, nitrate, double feature, Q&A. Check the format before you buy; the same movie on 35mm and digital are two different experiences.

  3. 02｜TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX

    Stars' handprints out front, and inside it can screen IMAX 70mm. In summer 2026, The Odyssey sold over $4.1 million here in 37 days, and Nolan screenings like that sell out weeks ahead.

  4. 03 | El Capitan: the pipe organ plays before the show

    A 1926 theater and Disney's movie palace, where a 1929 Wurlitzer organ rises from the stage and plays live before the show. All seats are reserved, so go in early to hear it.

  5. 04 | Egyptian Theatre: Hollywood's first premiere

    Robin Hood premiered here in 1922. Now it screens Netflix films on weekdays, and on weekends the American Cinematheque programs classics and post-screening Q&As; after upgrades in summer 2026, screenings resumed at the end of September.

  6. 05 | The Academy Museum's 1,000-seat theater

    The David Geffen Theater can screen 35mm, 70mm and even nitrate. No museum ticket needed; movie tickets are $10, $5 before 4 p.m., unassigned seats, so get there early.

  7. 06 | New Beverly: take out your phone and you'll be asked to leave

    Tarantino saved it from demolition in 2007, and much of what it screens is 35mm from his personal collection, with vintage trailers before the show. Tickets are about $13–15; pick a double feature.

  8. 07 | Vista Theatre: a hundred years in, still showing film

    A 1923 single-screen theater that Tarantino bought and reopened in November 2023, film only, with coffee shop Pam's Coffy next door. Just one screen, so book popular showings online.

  9. 08｜Westside：Aero、Nuart、Laemmle

    The Aero is a 1940 theater with frequent director Q&As; the Nuart screens The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday at midnight, and you can shout along >_< During awards season, catch up at the Laemmle.

  10. 09 | Dinner and a movie: Alamo + Vidiots

    At Alamo Drafthouse DTLA, food comes to your seat, but talk or text and you get one warning before being asked to leave; after a movie at Vidiots in Eagle Rock, you can rent a video too.

  11. 10 | Broadway's old movie palaces

    The whole row of old theaters on Broadway in DTLA is mostly closed, so June's Last Remaining Seats and Secret Movie Club are your chance to see 35mm inside the Million Dollar Theatre.

  12. 11 | Cinespia: picnic movies on a cemetery lawn

    In summer, bring a picnic blanket to watch movies in Hollywood Forever cemetery; tickets are about $30, bring a blanket, and rideshares are slow when it lets out.

  13. 12 | Rooftops, drive-ins, parks, the Hollywood Bowl

    At Rooftop Cinema Club you watch La La Land on a rooftop with headphones; Electric Dusk is a drive-in; in summer there's also Street Food Cinema and movies with a live orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl.

  14. 13 | Still waiting for these to come back

    The Cinerama Dome is expected to reopen in early 2028 under Sony and Alamo; the Bruin in Westwood reopened October 23, 2026; the Fox Village was bought by directors including Nolan and Spielberg. 'Even the directors are racing to save old theaters.'

  15. 14 | Moviegoing tips

    Look for Q&A screenings: in LA, that might be the closest, and most polite, way to get near a star. Check the format before you buy, put your phone away, and since most old theaters mean street parking, read the signs first.

  16. 15 | What are you in the mood for tonight?

    Classic film prints → New Beverly, Vista. See the director in person → Egyptian, Aero, Academy Museum. Blockbusters → TCL Chinese. With kids → El Capitan. Shouting along → Nuart.

  17. 16 | The second before the lights go down

    The red carpet is where a movie meets its audience for the first time. But the most special part isn't necessarily the carpet; it's that one second before the lights go down, when the whole theater goes quiet together.

  18. 17 | Two-city mirror

    In Taipei, you catch an art film at SPOT after work; in LA, you spend the weekend watching 35mm in Tarantino's theater. 'In Taipei, we go to the movies; in LA, the theater is the movie.'

Places in this story

In this series

Read it with the slides →

An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).