At the Movies
I wouldn’t know an Oscar-bound film from a box
office bomb, but I do know a thing or two about comfortable chairs. My totally
subjective ratings of OC theaters follows.
By Terence
Loose
|
A |
night
out at the movies is akin to a night out dining: the ambiance means as much as
the fare served up. Don’t get me wrong; just as a five-star setting and Limoges china can’t make a corndog taste like prime rib, a
great movie house can’t make a bomb watchable – even
a huge screen, reclining stadium seating and Dolby Digital won’t save Madonna’s
Swept Away. But a supreme theater can make a good movie great, and a great
movie seem like an Oscar shoe-in.
Then there’s the surrounding experience, and I’m not talking sound.
It’s whether there’s a nice ice cream stand or cozy bar nearby to discuss that
film you just saw. Or shopping for a rainy day. All
this is why it’s every bit as important to choose wisely where to view as it is
to choose what to view.
So over a span of a few weeks I conducted a totally unscientific
examination of eight
Second, getting an unobstructed view of the screen in a
non-stadium-style theater around here is like playing Masters-level chess.
First, arrive early. Second, watch the “board” develop until you have an
opportunity at a seat that accomplishes the most out of the following: two rows
behind a tall man; between two couples with a buffer of two seats on either
side; two rows in front of a short little old lady. This virtually insures you
of no one sitting in front, beside, or behind you. Unless of course, you draw
that unholiest of movie-goers: the tall cowboy, who
sits in the seat directly in front of you and won’t take his hat off even in a
dark theater, shakes his Skittles, slurps his Coke and neglects to turn his
cell phone off. (Yes, that was me,
Lastly, if you go to a matinee when crowds aren’t a problem,
arrive half an hour after the listed show time and skip the commercials. Let me
say a few things here. One, there was a commercial for a TV show, I repeat, a
TV show, at a movie. That’s just wrong. Next, I don’t know about you, but I
knew enough about puppets at age five; I don’t need anything more on that,
thanks. I won’t describe any more, let’s just say I
won’t be purchasing anything from
Now, I tried not to let any of the above personal views skew my
judging, but of course they did. So I’d like to hear any feedback you have to
offer. Here’s the scale: Four stars: a classic experience. Three stars: you’re
entering the B-list. Two stars: Look at the bright side: you finally found a
babysitter and got out for an evening. One star: Think Waterworld.
The
Irvine Spectrum, where the 5 and 405 meet
3 1/2 stars
If Mr. Edwards had used this grand space to build, say, 10
theaters and the IMAX, the place would have garnered at least four stars. But,
as they say in
Much better to hold your appetite for after the movie. The Spectrum has no less than 25 dining experiences, from Johnny
Rockets (I’m willing to bet a burger, fries and a shake is more nutritious than
any three things from the theater) to the new Asian restaurant Thaifoon.
Prices: Adult $9
AMC 30 at the Bloc
The
2 1/2 stars
That’s right, thirty theaters. Looking at the billboard of what
was playing reminded me of the TV Guide: 500 channels playing 499 crappy shows
and a “Seinfeld” rerun (in fact, Seinfeld’s Comedian was playing at the Bloc).
I bought a ticket for Barbershop, a film I was prepared to dislike.
Once inside, finding the theater proved an almost surreal
experience. The long corridors with arrows pointing to theaters 1-10 or 17-28,
gave me the feeling of walking through an international airport. Huge black and
white photographs of
When I did find my theater, number 11, all the voluminous promise
shrunk away. The screen seemed barely bigger than the murals
and the seats, while stadium style, were not as plush as those further
south. The one consolation was that I loved the movie (that probably accounts
for the half star).
The final insult: The Bloc charges a dollar more than most other
places – $9.50 for general admission, $7.50 for a matinee.
The surrounding entertainment at The Bloc does make up for the
theater size, however. And in the interest of fairness, I should say that I
seem to be the Grinch in this situation, as most
people I run into sing high praise for the Bloc and its theater. True, as a day
or night out destination, it does offer a lot. First, it’s outdoors, always a
bonus. Second, The Bloc offers something for everyone, from monolithic-surf
shops to fine dining. There’s even a skate park so the kids can burn energy
while you take in a romantic comedy.
Prices: Adult $9.50
Metro Pointe Stadium 12
Across
2 1/2 stars
This place reminds me of the Yogi Bera-ism,
“It’s so crowded nobody goes there anymore.” I have never gotten into a big
movie after
I returned the following Monday afternoon, Veteran’s Day, at two,
and nabbed a ticket for Ghost Ship. Santa Claus 2 was sold out, with an already
long line headed by a guy sitting on a plaid blanket and playing cards with his
kids.
Once inside, a manager assured me that the theater does have some
mellow times. I assumed he meant Wednesdays at
The one redeeming quality of Metro Pointe is that it is
kid-and-teen friendly. Of course, it is somewhat dependent on the movie, but if
you are worried about your kids bothering other moviegoers, bring them to Metro
Pointe, they’ll blend right in. If you can get in, that is.
Prices: Adult $9.50
Jamboree Blvd. at Michelson
3 stars
This, to me, is the antithesis of Metro Pointe. I have never not gotten into a movie at
Prices: Adult $9
Campus Drive across from UCI
3 1/2 stars
Three and a half stars! you’re yelling at
this page right now. I know,
Except in one respect. Here is the
lineup for the week I visited: Shanghai Ghetto; Flipside; Tully; Real Women
Have Curves; Bowling four Columbine; The Man From
Elysian Fields. With that kind of intelligent stuff playing, I have no idea how
this theater makes money. It probably doesn’t, and is carried by the crowds of
Jackass viewers at Big Newport and Spectrum. In fact, even the Regal
Entertainment Group (the company that now owns the Edwards chain) newspaper ads
seem to warn you to notch up your sophistication meter: Edwards University 6,
along with Edwards South Coast Village 3, are listed
under “Cinema Art” instead of a city.
Which is why at
Prices: Adult $9
The Bridge Cinema DeLux
4 stars
And I even took a half star away for being 45 miles north of us,
in
The Director’s Halls feature 25-inch ultra leather seats in a
stadium setup. At the theater lobby concierge desk, a business-attired
attendant held out a seating chart for me to pick my seat – they’re numbered.
Then, another attendant led me to it. As I sunk into the soft leather I almost
believed I was boarding a first class flight – then I remembered I didn’t know
what that felt like. You do pay a little more for the niceties – $11 for a
matinee and $14 for a weekend night – but if you sneak in your Coke and candy
it more than makes up for it.
Or you can just wait till after the movie to snack, at the very retro
airport-like (in a good way) lounge, called The Lounge. It features very
non-movie theater menu items and prices: a Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad goes
for $7.95. Let’s hope this movie thing catches on, so The Bridge will come
south a little.
Prices (Director’s Halls): General for Monday – Thursday $13;
Friday – Sunday $14; Matinee $11
Big
3 1/2 stars
This would easily get four stars if you could get anywhere near it
other than weekdays before three. Really, Big Newport does live up to its name,
boasting the biggest screen on the west coast with over 1200 seats, so, to be
fair, unless you’re seeing a Star Wars Episode on opening night, you’re almost
guaranteed a seat. Then there is the stadium theaters,
which have comfy, high-backed seats that recline. No, not all stadium seating
is created equal.
Also, if you do manage to see a movie at Big Newport at night, the
grand light show of the complex adds to the premier-like feeling. It’s one of
the few Edwards that is both lit up like Vegas and stands on its own; it is not
part of a mall or shopping plaza. Yes, it’s at
To see a movie in the “Big Room” is to see a movie the way it was
intended to be seen, with some real estate both up on the screen and in the
theater. In this day of theaters that sometimes seem barely bigger than a
Prices: Adult $9
PCH at Broadway
3 stars
Three stars may be a bit kind for this aging theater with no
parking and medium-sized screens, but the old girl seems to call up an odd
mixture of sympathy and respect. Like an aging stage actress who props herself
up, dons her makeup and refuses to let the show die. In fact, the Laguna theater was built as a stage theater in the 30s, and has
since survived the transition from stage to movies, floodings,
a dividing wall to create the “twin,” and the bankruptcy of the Edwards chain.
She was built to last.
Heralded as Laguna’s first steel-and-concrete structure, the
Laguna Theater opened to great fanfare. The opening night program describes a
“modern air-condition system” and “gas-fired furnace.” I can only guess what
that must have been like, but I have a feeling it did not produce, as the
program says, “air as fresh and pure as the ocean breeze, tempered to bodily
comfort.”
Today, of course, this is true, as much as can be expected anyway.
From 1985 to 1993, the Edwards chain invested heavily in renovations of the
dilapidated theater, installing new seats with cup holders, a new projection
system and new sound system. Some of the renovations, however, did not go over
so well. The popular Edgar Payne murals on the walls were covered with drapes
and the wall that divided the theater cut through the grand starburst light
fixture that adorned the center of the ceiling. Today, half of the starburst
resides in each theater.
Regardless, seeing a movie at the Laguna Twin is a pleasant
experience. You don’t go in expecting plush stadium-style captain’s chairs and
booming digital surround sound. All that fades behind a warm nostalgia that
comes with sitting in the balcony section and looking to the far distance,
where a screen that seems propped up on a stage takes light. You don’t go see a
movie at the Laguna Twin, you go out to the movies.
That is, if you can find parking.
Prices: Adult $8
The
Via
3 1/2 stars
The
Appropriately, the
First, the somewhat posh Via Lido Plaza now surrounds the theater,
with the Regatta Café making a great after-movie cocktail experience. For its
50-year anniversary, in 1989, the Lido underwent a $250,000 renovation and more
recently, after Edwards closed the theater and Regency reopened it, another
facelift was completed.
But the charm of the Lido has remained intact. Its art deco décor,
with the swirling underwater mural populated with sharks and set aglow under
fluorescent black light, along with its 200-seat balcony (closed for a time),
make for great pre-movie conversation. Make sure you wear white when attending
a movie here. Half the fun is your
newfound glow-in-the-dark wardrobe, shirt to shoes.
Even its small circular box office, with room for only one
attendant and standing free under the lighted marquee, is a call to the past.
You won’t catch Spiderman here. More like Frida or Amelie. And though the Lido’s fate still seems a bit
uncertain, you’ve just gotta believe that that old
movie magic won’t let her – or her fans – down.
Prices: Adult $8.50. þ