Regency Village Theatre

Oh, and here’s a photo of the theater that I took in 2004.
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yes, the Tower did have 2 stories and I remember the little classical music annex as well. Those stores were narrow if I remember, certainly not the size of the Sunset one.

Actually, the Tower Records that existed throughout the eighties, in an old brick storefront that probably was about as old as the Village, was 3 stories, not 2. The second story was small, only extending from the stairway to the rear of the store about 20 feet with a low ceiling, so lots of people forget it existed. The changed the layout a few times, but I think that was mostly singles and Jazz. The third floor was classical and soundtracks/musicals. It was on Westwood, just past Weyburn. Looking on a map, I’d say it was around 1024 Westwood Blvd. or so.

In the nineties, Tower moved to not one but two different locations, maybe a block away from each other IIRC, one selling music and the other selling primarily movies.

Most all of the buildings in that old 1930s aerial shot are still there, many remodeled, but very, very few of the businesses in those buildings that I remember from the 1980s are still there. The Ralphs market in that photo has been all sorts of restaurants and cafes over the years (Bratskellar restaurant, Dole cafe, etc.), and last time I checked was a Peet’s coffee house, with the Mann Festival to its right in the same building.

now that the 1100 seat National has actually been torn down will Mann revive their plans of adding a multiplex behind the Bruin?

I recently went back to the Village after an eleven year hiatus. And that trip eleven years ago was really my first trip since the late 1980’s. I remember well Westwood of the 1980’s. In high school and college I would travel down to Westwood with friends on the weekends to hang out and see films. At the time Westwood offered the best opportunity to see moves due to the large concentration of theaters, most single screen theaters. Now going on two decades later, Westwood lacks the nightlife and four theaters have closed. As I read the postings for the Village, I am concerned that even the Village is not safe. I especially began to worry after the National Theater was demolished. For some years now I have been involved in the Los Angeles Conservancy and their efforts to rehabilitate and prevent the destruction of the historic theaters on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. Cannot a similar campaign be launched to preserve the theaters of Westwood?

I was there on 6/7 and the curtains only did the close/open thing once and that was after the “preshow” (ugh). They should close and then open after the trailers but oh well. I’m grateful they move at all at this point.

As for the idea that there should never be blank screen it’s nice to have at the end of the credits but there’s nothing more annoying than having the curtains close at the end of a trailer.

Phallic Architecture.

I personally don’t like it when they start or finish projecting something on the curtain. Particularly when you have a trailer that jumps right in, rather than show you two minutes of corporate logos. If you don’t want me to see the whole thing, then don’t bother showing it.

Oh yeah, about the curtains. They closed the curtains for a minute in between the Screenvision slide show and the trailers. Screenvision ended, the screen was blank for a moment, and the curtain lowered.
The curtain raised, the screen was blank for a moment, then the trailers played.

Then after the last trailer the screen was blank for a moment, and the curtains lowered, and the house lights started to come up for a moment. Then, the curtain rose, the screen was blank for a moment, and the THX Cavalcade trailer played, and then the movie.

Its awkward like that.

Raising and lowering the curtains is a really nice touch, but I think its better if if the curtains open and close so that you don’t see a blank screen. The curtains should finish closing just as the last trailer is done. Curtains should open right when the feature starts. House lights shouldn’t come up.

Here’s how I’d do it.

House lights dim.
Theater chain policy trailer starts and curtains open.
THX trailers, Digital Projection trailers, etc.
Coming attraction trailers.
As the last coming attraction trailer is winding down, the curtains close and house lights go off.
Feature starts and curtain opens.

Here is a video from The Village Lobby showing people running into the theatre on the midnight show of Indiana Jones on 5/22/08:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc-iK-NPHsg

The next big premiere scheduled is WBs Get Smart on June 16, and there will be a midnight show of Dark Knight also.

Having trouble with it Michael. Do we have to join your group to view the photos?

Not sure. So far there having only been Midnight pre-sales for May 21.

In case anyone is interested, On the Mann Theatres site the Village is now pre-selling INDIANA JONES tickets for the May 22 debut.

As a projectionist of almost 33 years, some of these titles bring back memories. I remember running many of the above titles as a “co-feature” in some of the “dollar houses” I started out in. Great movie line-up above Mike, and a great time in the movie industry as well. Wish I could go back in time.