In a company town like this, there is no shortage of screens to see films, old and new.  I get out to the Landmark once in a while, the Grove is still nice just because of the shopping center that surrounds it.  From a purely film geek, filmgoer experience, I will always have a soft spot for the Arclight.  It was one of the first theatres to offer reserved seating (meaning almost no more last minute runs or someone sitting where you wanted to sit arguments); the Hollywood location is fairly centrally located (Sunset and Vine) which has led to many wistful Friday and Saturday evenings pondering how the hands of fate had conspired to place me in the position I was in.  The Cinerama Dome has a history of its own, which I won’t fully go into here.  But that location has hosted and continues to host its share of premieres and special events. 

I caught at the Arclight the re-issued versions of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II (still the only time I’ve seen the two classics on the big screen).  I was in the midnight screening of The Dark Knight there; even watching at home doesn’t duplicate the initial chills from watching the opening logo sequence in a completely full auditorium that’s hushed in revered silence.  I was also in the midnight screening of Iron Man, where before the lights went down, Robert Downey Jr. himself thanked the crowd for coming out (and putting him back on the A-list).  Only in Hollywood right?

Well…yeah.