« Previous Entry | Main Page | Next Entry »
June 3, 2007
Thursday at Landmark
Note: The following originally appeared, briefly, on the OC Weekly blog, before being ruled insufficiently local. For those asking what the distinction is between what I blog about here and there, now you get an idea.
A lot of people ask me if, as a film critic, I'm able to see any movie any time I want for free. The answer is no, but the art house chains (Laemmle and Landmark) do grant me passes, because they tend to show movies that need critical support.
Which is why I'm tremendously happy that Landmark just opened a brand new 12-screen megaplex in West Los Angeles that will show the odd Hollywood movie as well as the indies. Staff can expect my ass to be parked there for the entirety of some weekends.
Last night was the grand opening, giving those of us in the press ample opportunity to eat for free and get loaded on Landmark's dime, in hopes that such treatment would equal praise and revenue for them down the line. And I will praise them, but not without some criticism. More on that later.
Another perk that critics sometimes have is the ability to see movies in private screening rooms with plush seats and/or couches – this experience is now open to the general public in four of the upper level screens at the new Landmark, which, I believe, is simply being called “The Landmark.” There are plusses and minuses to this – if the couch-filled screening rooms are sell-outs, you may have to sit next to some jackass on a double-wide seat, with no armrest to separate you, and gravity trying to force the beginnings of a lover's embrace. Just rife for problems there. Also, the couches in the front row are orange, which isn't bad until you think about what happens the first time someone spills their Coke, ice cream or red wine (yes, alcohol is available here) on it – poor theater employees. Do they come armed with carpet cleaner now?
The seat-numbering system is interesting – rather than consecutive digits, they have the middle seat in each row designated number 1, then all seats to the right are even-numbered, and all seats to the left odd. The thinking behind this is so that people reserving will know exactly how far from the center they are, but it's such a break with normal numbering that it seems likely to confuse.
More of a problematic seating issue is the closeness of seats to screen. I'm a notorious front-row guy, but the front rows here are idiotic – your seat is on the floor, but the screen is approximately SEVEN FEET above your head. An employee told me they won't even sell these seats to the public – they're just for guest Q&As. But then, why have them? Even a hardcore immersion dude like me can handle maybe the third row here, tops. (The rooms with the couches are fine, incidentally – front row up there is perfect, which makes it all the more frustrating they got it wrong elsewhere.)
Now, I'm no architecture critic, though if I were, I'd probably have a lot of awards by now, since the LA Press Club almost always gives their “Best Entertainment Reviews/Criticism” Trophy to an architecture critic. But there's one major design flaw in most of the new deluxe theaters being built that is really bothersome, and you'd think it would be obvious:
In a multi-level 12-plex with a wine bar, there is exactly ONE set of bathrooms. There are all of two urinals to service 12 theaters and a frickin' bar. This isn't going to be pretty.
The Arclight is rough enough – they have a bathroom on each level, but only at the entryway of a really long corridor. The Chinese 6-plex is worse – if you're on the upper level and not a VIP ticket holder, you have to run downstairs to take a leak, past the ticket-taker, who may need to see your ticket again. But at least there are many urinals to choose from, and they certainly aren't serving wine and beer.
There are a lot of options at the snack bar, from all the usual movie fare to exotic chocolate bars containing dried chilies, and foreign trail mix with lemongrass and dried pineapple. Maybe they should sell Depends too. I mean, who do you think the biggest client base is for art-house movies? I worked at the Sunset 5 a few years back, and can tell you – it's old people. And they're gonna love the downstairs trek to two urinals, I tellya whut.
Needless to say, at the opening night party, most people thought I was making too big a deal of this, when I could have better spent my time heavily mocking Laemmle Theaters' Greg Gardner for the string of dried beads he had around his neck. I suggested we should make a drinking game based on the number of times people told him that the new theater was going to crush Laemmle. Alas, he doesn't drink. I do, of course, but the first cocktail I was handed was horrifying, an alleged margarita made from Patron, which only proved that yes, you can fuck up Patron. I poured it out into the bathroom sink, and because it was all so pristine, I even carefully picked out the mint leaves and threw them in the trash.
A soju mudslide proved far more agreeable, though I couldn't get anyone to give me a straight answer as to what the theater bar will and won't serve. Advance buzz said no beer, just wine. Some folks here said beer and wine. Soju is often allowable under liquor license loopholes even if hard spirits are not. And then I got interviewed on camera by some reporters who swore to me that Jack Daniel's would be available, but this I doubt.
Some good frozen yogurt will be available courtesy of Yogurberry, which is kind of like Pinkberry except, well, I can't tell you, because I've never had Pinkberry. It's kinda sour and has strawberries mixed in, if that helps. Better than most movie ice cream. There's gonna be gourmet pizza and pretzels, too, but samples were not on hand. (Note: the concession stand and bar will be available to non-filmgoers too – not a bad deal since there aren't really any other bars in the Westside Pavilion.)
And for all the ragging I've been doing, the digital projection was crisp as all hell. The movies will look nice here. One thing this theater does that almost no others do, even though it's a very simple thing that improves picture quality, is paint the projection rooms black. Seriously, you'd be amazed how few are.
Posted by LYT at June 3, 2007 2:39 PM [Message Board]
Comments
So LYT,
Does this mean you come from Santa Ana to West Los Angeles to watch a movie?
MarioGeorgeNitrini111
mariogeorgenitrini111
_____________
The OJ Simpson Case
Posted by: MarioGeorgeNitrini111 at June 3, 2007 4:36 PM
Not "a" movie.
Multiple free movies.
As for work, though, yes, all press screenings are in LA.
Posted by: LYT at June 3, 2007 7:57 PM
I was wondering that, too--what was O.C. about it. I refrained from snarky commentary on it, though, cos I'm a giver.
Posted by: David N. Scott at June 3, 2007 10:52 PM
I was wondering that, too--what was O.C. about it. I refrained from snarky commentary on it, though, cos I'm a giver.
Posted by: David N. Scott at June 3, 2007 10:52 PM
when I was visiting the wonderful Mr Bart Schwarz in Santa Monica back in 1975 he decided to look through the available movies and picked from a huge list. We drove over an hour (no hold ups) crosstown to see 'Sleuth' - during which he got bored and decided we should leave.
I assumed, since, that Angelinos would happily travel 60 miles of an evening to see a movie.
Posted by: offpat at June 4, 2007 2:15 AM
Finally! A much larger venue to showcase indie eccletic films as well as the weird stuff!
Isn't this the same theater that going to have the capability of High Definition theatrical presentations?
Posted by: Edwin Santos at June 4, 2007 7:04 PM
If you go to this Landmark, you will be crossing the picket lines... so stick with Laemmle :)
Posted by: Matthew at June 5, 2007 5:37 AM
If it makes you feel better, Matt, neither one is actually going to make much money from me, with my free pass and all. (Want to make money from me, Laemmles? Open a bar in one of your theaters that serves hard liquor)
As long as Laemmle keeps running THE ROOM, there will at least be $7 spent by me from time to time...though I don't know how much of that goes directly into Tommy Wiseau's pockets.
Posted by: LYT at June 5, 2007 6:13 PM
What were mint leaves doing in margaritas?
Posted by: Hlubik at June 6, 2007 12:44 AM
All of it Luke. He still looses money every week though. He would need almost a full house to cover his costs, not including the billboard and LAW ad.
Side Note: the One Colorado "almost" started serving liquor and "real food" like burgers and stuff.. But it's a logistical nightmare with the licensing and age requirements of staff, etc. Plus "where the hell is the One Colorado?"
Posted by: Matthew at June 6, 2007 3:57 PM