Vanzant on October 26, 2009, at 11:01PM – #1

This looks awesome...I live the idea of a downtown night! Will that be one time only? But having MJ on all 14 screens the first week..really?? Do enough people want to watch this that they cant have even 1 theatre playing a real movie.

loveandhatela on October 26, 2009, at 11:13PM – #2

That's so great....long time coming..wait is finally over.

I think this is the best part of the whole L.A. Live complex.

Im hoping and wishing that they set aside at least one screen for "cinema art"as they call it at Regal for "critically-acclaimed films, alternative productions, restored classics and first-run foreign movies."

I am finally going to make the switch from AMC and get the Regal loyalty/rewards card.

Jasmijn on October 27, 2009, at 09:19AM – #3

I already miss the little Laemmle Grand. We saw Zombieland there last week as our farewell to the small (OK, tiny) screens & low prices in downtown. ::sigh:: $10 student tickets, huh...

It will be nice to have more than 4 options, I admit, and the "Downtown Night" idea is nice, though why it has to be not-first-run movies seems a penny-pinching counter gesture.

Ah well, life moves on. And there's always Netflix.

Dave on October 27, 2009, at 10:25AM – #5

Theater 1, the 800+ seat theater, also has the highest quality theater sound system I'm aware of. It consists of JBL Professional concert-venue-grade equipment and sounds great. I had the opportunity of helping them out with the tuning of the new system last week and the audience is in for a treat when movies start showing there.

David Hunt - Research Engineer -

JM on October 27, 2009, at 12:52PM – #6

I'm really excited about this, as I've been frustrated about movie options Downtown for a while now. Walking by the neon-lit building this weekend, I thought the Regal looked great. I don't know what all the fuss was before about the design. Just one question: where can I find more info about the Monday "Downtown Night" screenings? Will it be based on an honor system, or will they check to see if people actually do live Downtown?

John on October 27, 2009, at 01:31PM – #8

I really wish they would start showing non-MJ movies soon. I can't imagine that showing one movie on 14 screens for a week straight is a good way to open a movie theater.

jim winstead on October 27, 2009, at 02:07PM – #9

there is an ad for the free movie night in the most recent downtown news. movies included 500 days of summer, gi joe, the proposal, and some other recent-ish releases. if i remember right, they all started around 7-8pm (just one showing of each), and tickets would be available from the box office on november 2.

JM on October 27, 2009, at 02:20PM – #10

Thanks Jim.

Vanzant on October 27, 2009, at 03:43PM – #11

Im looking at the theatre now, the big display says "LA LIVE STADIUM 14, NOW OPEN!" So I'll bet theres people parking and walking over, only to find out they can only watch an MJ movie, which a lot of people said is a body double in the rehearsals.

Ted on October 27, 2009, at 06:23PM – #12

I'm excited to have the theater only two blocks away, but its design is absolutely hideous. Garish beyond belief. The only visual relief will be when the lights go down before a movie.

I also think they're going to regret opening with this hastily thrown together corporate puff piece they're calling a movie.

sebastian on October 27, 2009, at 07:37PM – #13

For some reason this theatre reminds me of back to the future. How it was in those days they made the movie. 80's forever.

peenee on October 27, 2009, at 08:52PM – #14

dear downtowners:

I tried soooooo very hard to love LA Live but just can't!

I had visited the complex 4 times since it's grand opening, went to a live show at Staples and even attended the Christmas tree lighting event.

Each time I diligently took the train and walked a few blocks just to partake the civil pride of this new shinny complex.I now realized I can't love this place because there is nothing lovable about it. Other than a few chain restaurants, a music museum most people won't go more than once, and a few live events that might be traveling through the country there is really no reason to be there.

I really find it boring and the experiences impersonal.

Places like Santa Monica, Pasadena, Hollywood, Long Beach even Universal City Walk offers more "genuine" city experiences than LA Live. I don't understand why the retail scene is so boldly ignored in the planning of this complex. I don't think I would ever love you LA Live even with the new addition of Regal Theaters you are still boring.

David Kennedy on October 27, 2009, at 10:27PM – #15

Dear peewee,

If you're looking to love L.A. Live, I think you are confused. Yes, it is just a place to see a concert, watch a game or see a movie. Yep, there are plenty of chain restaurants. Not sure why you think this is the basis of a loving relationship. You might want to expand your downtown horizons and explore the many other neighborhoods of downtown. Plenty of genuine urbanity and then some. Check it out. You might learn something. At minimum, you'll have fun. If you haven't been, hit Pershing Square on a weeknight for ice-skating this Christmas.

You do have a point about the lack of retail near L.A. Live. Trust me. In due time some retailer will notice the maddening crowds and cash in.

Good luck with your love life.

Mike on October 27, 2009, at 10:30PM – #16

I check the movie theater schedule and find they one show one movie in a perior and than change to another one. Why they can not have more movies in one time? I don't get it sinece they have 14 screens???

peenee on October 27, 2009, at 11:41PM – #17

David Kennedy,

i love most of downtown and am there regularly. in this case i am only talking about "LA LIVE". It had promises before the construction and too bad that vision did not realize.

maybe too much planning went into the project? areas like little tokyo, old bank district, even parts of Spring St. is plenty urban and it just kind of of came together on it's own.

i just hope the LA Live experience is not going to happen to Grand Ave. project.

peenee

p.s. i love pershing sq without the actual square itself. perhap it is also a great example of too much planning.

Valerie on October 27, 2009, at 11:47PM – #18

I would guess that retail businesses other than restaurants were avoided by LA Live's owners probably because they knew that a large number of people who attend basketball or hockey games, or concerts, or conventions, either are sports fans -- who tend to be heavily male and not the best when it comes to mall-type shopping -- or tourists or conventioneers who don't want to lug home a lot of new stuff, or distracted people with short attention spans in search of constant entertainment.

Successful soft-goods stores do best when potential customers are totally serious and singled-minded about buying stuff, and visit a shop (or mall) for that very sole purpose.

Downtown Cowboy on October 28, 2009, at 09:12AM – #20

So I checked out the new flagship movie theatre of our revitalized downtown. It's a shame it's so institutional and boring. Wait - make that ugly. In a city trying to establish it's personalized downtown identity, corporate America keeps shoving unimaginative and ubiquitous 'off the rack' at us. Too bad. Could have been a great opportunity for a statement. Instead we got something that would have been at home in Bakersfield or West Covina.

Oscar on October 28, 2009, at 09:30AM – #21

if I could only yank the fourteen screens and crampthem in one of those buildings in pershing square or one of the theatres in Boradway....

Anyway I was there on the LAST screening of the Laemle's said goodbye and thank you to the awesome staff, they put out a whole bunch of posters, I snatched a few as well as free pop corn... my girlfriend wrote a thank you letter to the chain because that is were we watched our first movie together... Not me, I'm still pissed because they closed it...

The staff mentioned the posibility of someone else re-opening the theatre under new management...

I don't know bout the regal, I won't be there anytime soon, I rather (a thousand times) go to the Arclight...

Regal management: FREE PARKING!!!

JDRCRASH on October 28, 2009, at 09:55AM – #22

I'm going to try and go there when "2012" comes out.

Hopefully I won't come out to find half of LA sunken...

JM on October 28, 2009, at 02:29PM – #23

Cowboy,

Do you really think Downtown LA's not in corporate America?

I love the old theatres on Broadway and frequent them whenever I can, but I'm sure back in the day someone was bitching about how bland they looked...

Personally, I don't give a damn what the place looks like from the outside, as long as they're showing movies inside.

I think one of the most interesting things about Downtown is the unique mix of old and new. I wouldn't choose to live in the Regal theatre, but I think the neons are a pretty cool respite from the epilepsy-inducing tv displays in the rest of LA Live. The tv displays they do have at the Regal, I can live with.

peenee on October 28, 2009, at 04:21PM – #24

the chinese and arclight still have the status of old historic theaters even after the injection of the standard mutiplex formula.

it can be done to any one of the theaters in downtown if there is a will. i don't understand why we need a brand new unidentifiable mutiplex right next to the 101 freeway. how fun it it to walk around this lifeless area of the 101 freeway.

Vanzant on October 28, 2009, at 04:25PM – #25

peewee,

I guess living a block from LA live, being a guy in my early 30s, I have a different perpective. I go to LA live at least 4 times a week, and know most of the bartenders :)

I frequent the Yard House, most of all. Ive seen Kobe Bryant and Blake Griffin there, so thats cool to me. I like watching games there better than ESPN zone(terrible layout). I sometimes check out Flemings happy hour for downtown residents, a ($6 burger that is usually 14!). I check out the Lucky strike, either for bowling or drinks at least every couple weeks. I go to the Conga room, about once a month. And have been to concerts,games at club nokia, nokia theatre and staples.

Now, a closeby movie theatre will be great. And having these premiere events closeby is cool to me too. So, living in South Park, I love having all these entertainment ,restaurant options. I dont care if theyre chains,and dont care how a theatre looks on the outside. I have fun here...so to each his own.

Chris on October 28, 2009, at 08:09PM – #26

I am seriously excited to check this theater out. I'm glad they invested in legit technology & whatnot. But WHY DEAR GOD can't they have assigned seats? It feels so third world to go anywhere other than Arclight and have to arrive early to try to pick out a seat.

Also, the theater is seriously ugly and is better off in a suburb. They didn't take note of anything else in the area to see if this fits in? Still - I appreciate the faith that Regal put into this and am glad for downtown development no matter what.

I just think that having first class amenities (such as Arclight's) would help draw a first class crowd and will keep this from turning into an Eastside fright-fest (like the Magic Johnson theater with its all-to-common gang fights).

TM on October 28, 2009, at 09:15PM – #27

"But WHY DEAR GOD can't they have assigned seats?"

That would make sense only if they expect pretty large crowds on a regular basis. But with over 3,000 seats to fill on an average day, they may need a lasso to snare passerbys far more than they'll need assigned seating.

Naturallawyer on October 29, 2009, at 12:28AM – #28

So the theater is ugly because it doesn't go well with the rest of LA Live. Which everyone already thinks is ugly anyway because it doesn't look "urban" enough. Perhaps they should've made sure the complex matched the nearby Holiday Inn and Salvation Army building, in which case it would be...ugly.

Got news for everyone, the history of the area IS ugliness. What do you think the area looked like before Staples Center was built? If they ultimately replace an ugly urban disaster with an ugly corporate success, why are we obsessing about ugliness?

The outside of the building really doesn't matter. We have movies. Lots of movies. And they are for us. I couldn't be happier.

Downtown Cowboy on October 29, 2009, at 05:52AM – #29

@Naturallawyer - so ugly is justified because it's already the norm for the area?
I, too, live in South Park and was hoping the new development would redefine the area in terms of outstanding architecture rather than Bakersfield-Mall prototypes. They certainly were able in redefine the nondescript Music Center with the new iconic Disney Hall. Doesn't this are deserve the same world class recognition as Bunker Hill? I would imagine on a nightly basis that more people are at LA Live than at the Music Center.

Downtown Dawg on October 29, 2009, at 11:18AM – #30

I don't know why everyone thinks the theater is ugly. It looked plain jane and perhaps a little corporate in its early stages, but now it actually looks like a standout theater. I can't think of any other theaters in LA that look any better. I guess to each his own, but I challenge anybody to name some new theaters which look distinctly better. I feel like people are just here to bitch and rant about something which doesn't truly exist...come on, is it really that repulsive?

I know plenty of people who have said that it looks like a cool theater.

Jon on October 29, 2009, at 01:54PM – #31

Interesting point, Downtown Dawg. Perhaps people's expectations were a bit too high. I know the theater is supposed to be Regal's west coast flagship, but is it fair to compare the architectural merits of a movie theater with a concert hall?

LA Live is an entertainment venue, and is also intended to complement the convention center. On those grounds, it appears to have been a success. But if you're looking for an "urban" experience, LA Live isn't the place for you. Let's see how the area feels if/when the retail component (LA Central) is completed.

Ted on October 29, 2009, at 03:21PM – #32

"I guess to each his own, but I challenge anybody to name some new theaters which look distinctly better."

Umm, I don't know. Arclight?

Downtown Cowboy on October 29, 2009, at 03:27PM – #33

LOL Yeah, that's not a hard one, is it? In the middle of a city trying to define itself architecturally it's a shame someone thought "Art Deco" was cutting edge. We know nothing will change what is already there, but hopefully it will draw future developers attention to the importance of starting with good design.

cajeta on October 30, 2009, at 06:56PM – #34

Monday is Self Help Graphic's Dia de los Muertos Event! Way better than this! Also, Art Deco is the best architecture in LA!!

cajeta on October 30, 2009, at 06:56PM – #35

Monday is Self Help Graphic's Dia de los Muertos Event! Way better than this! Also, Art Deco is the best architecture in LA!!

jed on October 30, 2009, at 11:49PM – #36

it's not so bad - there's some great deco stuff around, and i think it fits in pretty well.

Brigham Yen on November 02, 2009, at 12:35PM – #39

I just saw This Is It last night at LA Live and was so excited before, during, and after the movie as I couldn't help but think that just a few years ago, this part of Downtown LA was nothing but a deadzone surface parking lot!

There were plenty of people there watching MJ's film and also many people crossing Olympic Blvd. at the crosswalk at Georgia St. I think the hoards of people crossing attracted a lot of attention and there were probably quite a few people in their cars that had no idea the theater even existed, but now they do! I saw looks and stares at the people and theater and I just smiled because it just means Downtown LA's image is constantly changing for the better.

Russell Brown on November 02, 2009, at 11:42PM – #40

Attended 500 Days of Summer and had a great time. Good quirky film and it was fun trying to guess all the locations downtown. Shows the great comfortable neighborhood we have created for ourselves.

Also arrived early and saw This is It for the second time. I was not a huge Michael Jackson fan, but this film won me over. He was genius. Part Chorus Line, part documentary, part Chicago, West Side Story, MTV and Thriller. All amazing where you can crawl into the film making and concert creating biz. RUN to see this film.

Thanks AEG and Regal. You are creating a place I did not feel most downtown residents would hang out at. I am changing my mind. Now just need a late night streetcar and it will be that much better.

John on November 03, 2009, at 10:22AM – #41

In case any of you guys were wondering they will start to show non-MJ movies starting Friday, Nov. 6th. I believe half of the screens (7) will be showing This is It and the rest will have regular movies. You can see the movies and showtimes on Fandango.

On another note I'm happy to have a movie theater in walking distance, regardless of what the outside looks like.

aldo on November 04, 2009, at 08:00AM – #42

There has always been a movie theatre within walking distance. For 25 years.

JM on November 04, 2009, at 12:37PM – #43

Can we start lobbying for a real Christmas tree at LA Live this year?