5 Movie Theaters in Hollywood Perfect for Movie Night

Watching a movie in Los Angeles is like eating candy in candy factory: Angelenos love to consume what they’ve made, right here in their little industry town. Even though you’re never really too far from a movie screen in Tinseltown, there are some stars in the theater constellation adored for their charm, authenticity, and enhanced moviegoing experience.

These places will make you ditch binge-watching on the couch, at least for a night or two, and Uber in Los Angeles is a perfect way to make it to and from your movie night.

First opened in 1963, this unique geodesic dome theater in Hollywood screened It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World in CinemaScope, a rich, wide projection on a special screen for 800 audience members in extra-cushy seats. Eventually modern technology eclipsed it, as it does, but in 2002, the dome was restored and the theater expanded to accommodate many screens. Now viewers can watch modern films in a way that will outshine your run-of-the-mill mall theater every single time. ArcLight was also one of the first theaters to offer reserved seating to avoid the rush-and-wait experience of moviegoing—all the better to enjoy cocktails and food from an actual menu beforehand. And perhaps best of all? Real butter on the popcorn.

This opulent institution opened in 1926 as “Hollywood’s First Home of Spoken Drama” (read: a theater for stage plays) but was converted in 1941 as a way to screen the controversial Orson Welles classic Citizen Kane. The 1,550-seat theater changed hands over the years, and it was restored (including the original Wurlitzer organ) to its former lavishness in 1991. El Capitan was declared a Historic Cultural Monument by the city, and today it serves as home to live shows, first-run movies, special premieres, and other events requiring a certain historical panache.

A fun, community approach to moviegoing, Cinefamily has been in operation since 2007, and offers silent movies, old classic films, Saturday morning cartoons, and even “hangover matinees.” The advisory board includes big names like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Terrence Malick, Spike Jonze, and Richard Linklater, and the organizers of this nonprofit theater believe in how films work best as an experience shared with others. Look for events with potlucks, dance parties, and live music, and support a true supporter of the arts.

Family-owned since 1938, there are now seven Laemmle theaters in the Southland where you can find first-run indie, foreign, and under-the-radar films you can’t see anywhere else. They also reward returning loyal cinephiles; when you join the theater’s Sneak Preview Club, you’re granted access to exclusive free screenings, filmmaker Q&A sessions, and other related events. These screenings are sometimes in advance of the public, so members can contribute to the pre-release buzz of hot new films.

It’s rare to find a single-screen theater in L.A. anymore, but the Vista has stood strong since 1923 with its inaugural screening of Tips starring Baby Peggy, a child star of the silent film era. The Vista, quaint in comparison to its multiplex brethren, has a 50-foot screen with upgraded Dolby sound, and uses real butter on its popcorn. The theater also boasts celebrity handprints outside—look for John C. Reilly, John Landis, and entire cast and crews of film such as Paper Moon, Poltergeist, and On Golden Pond.