A Diamond In The Rough

You have to know where to look for these things.

They exist. In LA. They really do. Lately I've found myself on a kick to find places in LA- be they parks or theatres or theaters (there is a difference) or restaurants or cafes or attractions that fly under the radar but that are worthy of attention. Places that are intriguing or interesting... I am pleased to announce that I have my first report for you folks out there in LaLa Land!

Last week I went with my friend Mary to see a David Lynch Double Feature at the New Beverly Cinema on Beverly Blvd near La Brea.

Now, travel back in time...remember what theaters were like before the age of the Multiplex? Remember theaters before The Grove? Or, for you New Orleaneans, before The Palace ran every single theater in NOLA out of business. The days when theaters didn't cost you your first born child for admission and concessions were reasonable enough so that you could also afford lunch the next day.

Congratulations! You have returned to those days with the New Bev! The New Beverly Cinema is a family-run operation that specializes in showing movies that you can't really see anymore in theaters. Rare movies, old movies, indie flicks, Grindhouse films- you name it! The family loves movies and they provide an opportunity for people to enjoy themselves with a good ol' fashioned movie-going experience.

Being that the movies they show were mostly not commercial smashes when released (though many acheived cult status or are widely regarded as fine films), the people coming to see them are seeing them out of a love for movies. You know what that means? You guessed it! During our David Lynch Double Feature, not one single cell phone was turned on!!! Not one person got up to answer a call from a stock broker or agent or publicist or whatever in the hell else people do that crap for. And though giddy before the movie started, once the 2 old vintage movie trailers began before the 1st and 2nd films, you could hear a pin drop from the audience throughout the flick (barring laughter or, in Twin Peaks's case, gasps).

Oh, and by the way, Quentin Tarantino recently bought the building in which the New Bev operates to save it from having to close. And from time to time, he shows up to watch movies and screen some of his own. Inglorious Basterds, according to an article I read, had one of its first screenings at the New Bev and the revenue from that night made the theater's year. How cool is that?

So, for all of you who love movies but a) can't stand the majority of the crap they're cranking out these days or b) can't stand the people you have to share the large, noisy, crowded theaters with, well you have an alternative....why dontcha take a trip back in time? Go to a theater that won't break your bank, where you can see movies that are interesting enough to be given a screening by movie-lovers for movie-lovers without being snooty or pretentious. Support a theater that's open for the sake of enjoying movies...

http://www.newbevcinema.com/