Regal Cinemas LA Live Stadium 14

Here is a link for more information on the theater.

Here is an article that was in the LA Times today:
http://tinyurl.com/ylfv2d5

Opening engagement will be Michael Jackson's This Is It on all fourteen screens.

Won't they switch to regular programming on Wednesday 10/28?

Just checked out Fandango...looks like "This Is It" is staying on all 14 screens through Friday.

Uhh Chris, I looked at the photo of the screen in the "premiere" auditorium, and it looks like Regal couldn't curb their habbit of top-down screen masking. If you look closely at picture #8 at this link, you can see that the screen while covered up with curtains, has exit doors close on both sides of screen. It's a setup just like the new AMC builds, or Pacific Grove 14. And with that setup, you know that the screen can't expand at the sides.

Oh well, it least the decor looks great. Kudos to Regal for that. But for those in LA, the
W-I-D-E-S-C-R-E-E-N experience is at the Arclight or Grauman's Chinese.

I look forward to building a movie theater in the future, because when it comes to "wall-to-wall screens", I'm going to show them how it's done.

Can't help but think that opening the Michael Jackson film "This Is It" on all 14 screens is overkill. Oh, that's right - doesn't AEG own LA Live?

I believe AEG owns Regal. I've read articles on the theater that refer to them as AEG Regal LA Live.

And yeah, 14 screens is too much. I could see playing it on 7 of the screens, then you could program 7 other flicks too.

Anyway, I'm even more determined to get my theater corpration off the ground and get ahold of a proposed development here in Chicago, because the location would be perfect for me to construct a theater that would put to rest this "premiere" screen at LA Live. I mean c'mon, they spent 100 million dollars to build this place, and they couldn't get the screen right. When I think of "premiere auditorium", I think of a screen that looks almost as big as this
http://www.cinematour.com/picview.php?db=us&id=20566

CinemarkFan:

1. That's a balcony shot...and a pretty murky one so I can't tell where the heck the exit doors are.

2. The shot just before that one has a 3 aisle configuration - always a tell tale sign of (semi) proper widescreen presentation.

3. This article - http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/2009/10/23/entertainment/doc4ae23ee9afe94934397270.txt - says that the screen is 75 x 38 feet By comparison, The Dome is 86 x 32 feet.

4. The first 3 points don't matter! The Premiere House can have all the ballyhoo it wants - if the other 14 screens are all 40 x 22 feet, then the place is a BUST! All the flashy neon and chandeliers in the world won't compensate for seeing Avatar on a postage stamp sized screen in December! That's what makes Arclight Arclight - they put just as much care into their regular auditoriums as they did for the whole complex.

Where are those photos? I clicked on that site and it only showed an exterior night shot.

Those photos are in the "This" link on CinemarkFan's post on Oct. 27th at 12:58pm. The photo number appear under the main exterior photo.

Tim, when you go to that site, look at the bottom of the exterior photo. There should be numbers 1-12 and "full screen". Click on #8 to see the balcony shot of the screen.

When you see the screen, look at the bottom left & bottom right of the screen (bottom right is more visible), there's a square opening that's most likely the exit door. It's just like the exit doors at the AMC River East here in Chicago.

I hope that because it's a balcony shot, the visual impact is lessened. Because I'm in Chicago (and broke), I won't be able to see the place up close. So if anybody visits, please give us a report on the main screen. I hope my suspicions are proven wrong.

Ok great, thanks William and CinemarkFan....Speaking of Chicago, I read today that Muvico has pulled out of the Block 37 project. Too bad, it would have been nice having a movie theatre right in the heart of the Loop again.

I'm going on Sunday. I'll have a report.

If it is all common width screens then that is a deal breaker. Why do these theater chains always cheap out on the most important thing?

Another potential ray of optimism - most Regals spread their 14-16 screens on the same ground level. This one has 7 screens spread out on 2 different floors - which means they may have created more space in their auds.

Crossing my fingers in hopes that Regal actually GOT! THIS! RIGHT! for a change.

AEG likely built the complex. AEG does not own Regal. As for the complex, I'm sure it's fancier than a regular Regal Cinema, but it's probably not too much to write home about.

These are photos from the opening.
http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/10/downtowns_regal_cinemas_opens_its_doors.php

At best, its Carnival cruise ship 'Deco' with a suburban shopping center facade. The Grove did the faux retro thing better and the Arclight will remain the better place to see films. A welcome addition to the LA cinema scene but a disppointment in terms of design.

"Carnival cruise ship 'Deco' with a suburban shopping center facade." LOL It should have been called the Poseidon Center.

To clarify Scott's comment, both AEG & Regal are owned by the same guy - Philip Anschutz. He operates AEG & Regal as separate companies, so when the whole LA Live thing was conceived, it was a given that Regal would be the operator.

The opening of the theater last night coincided with a Lakers-Clippers season opener last night, which I saw part of. After the ring ceremony was over, TNT showed an overhead shot of the LA Live complex, complete with ESPN's new studios, the shopping area, the Staples Center, and the Regal 14 cinema.

Cannot really say this theatre excites me. I'll probably never patronize it.

When I come to the movie capitol of the world, I expect to see a movie in a real movie palace, preferably on Hollywood Blvd., or one of the old downtown palaces, Orpheum, Los Angeles,Palace, etc.on a real WIDE SCREEN, I attend a drive- in that has a screen 75 X 150. Now thats wide !

Well good luck. Hollywood Blvd only has the Chinese (great projection and sound) and El Capitan (for Disney films only) left showing films. The Egyptian is curated by the American Cinemateque and most of the original decor is lost. All other theatres are closed. Most people attend the modern Arclight movie complex.
The downtown movie palaces are all closed and only show movies on special occasions like the Last Remaining Seats series. The Million Dollar, although in poor condition, was amazing to see for a one time screening of Mildred Pierce. The Mayan, one of the most spectacular movie palace interiors in the US is only open on occasion as a nightclub and concert venue. Fantastic decor in original condition.
Downtown was lacking a new theatre and LA Live is looking to fill the gap.

Wow, did you see the calories listed on the vid screens here? It made me never want to eat or drink anything at a theater again. Popcorn, a drink and a hot dog adds up to a person's entire suggested calories for a day! Ugh!

That's why I stopped eating concession food...Arclight popcorn included!

I wonder if REGAL , being so anti-union is using IA projectionists in a pro-union town.Sorta surprized this Knoxville theatre chain is this far from home. Was just wondering if the candygirls are running the films?

It should not be surprising; as noted by Chris Utley above, both Regal and L.A. Live complex are owned by the same person.

Visited this place on 11/1. The verdict: IT'S A BUST!

My prophecy fulfilled itself: It literally is 1 big auditorium and 13 skinny, postage stamp sized screens with top down masking. YUCK!

Arclight has nothing to worry about. The downtown area folks who don't care too much about optimum cinematic presentation will eat this place up, though. The folks who dwell on this page and CinemaTour will undoubtdly fire me off a round of "I Told You So's" for the next week.

Love the Arclight. Perhaps, someday they will build another to add to their two existing locations. Maybe an Arclight Downtown LA? There's certainly lots of space to put a new facility and demand will only increase in the area.

The next Arclight complex should be in Westwood.

Thanks for the report on the LA Live theatres.

we have a Regal 17 here in Nashville, I have never been in it but it looks great on the outside!!!!!!it also seems to be busy tough.

They ALL look great on the outside. THAT'S THE PROBLEM!

Cinemark Fan: The exit doors are on the left & right sids of the Premiere Cinema - not below the screen. But, at the same time, it looks like that screen will have a combination of top & side masking. There are wings that were enclosed on the left & right sides of the screen (because "This Is It" is 1:85). However, they are very short lengthwise. From my impression, the only way that 2:35 can be shown in there is if they expand those tiny wings AND mask the top of the screen ever so slightly.

Once again, we don't have those problems at the mighty Arclight. Or Graumans Chinese.

Thanks Chris, as "Max Loew" said we sell tickets to "Theaters not Movies" check him out! Would like to see the mighty Arclight.Look at these and see what a theater really was. Lots of Love.Terry Smith at terrys66@comcast.net

Hey Chris look up Marcus Loew. He was the 1st. M in M.G.M.

By the M.G.M was and is METRO-GOLDWIN_MAYER.

I knew that...

:)

Actually, the first M stood for Metro Pictures Corp, the G stood for Goldwyn Pictures (who also benefactored Leo The Lion) and the other M was for Louis B. Mayer when the 3 entities merged their assets into MGM.

Marcus Loew later purchased MGM and all the copyrights for its subsequent films read "Loews, Incorporated."

But we're digressing from the topic at hand: "Why Regal Can't Build A Friggin Decent Movie Theatre In The Film Capital Of The World!"

I think you guys are going on waaaaaaay to much about this. Just be glad that downtown L.A. got anything new. I mean it looks from the pictures to be a state of the art widescreen, great sound modern multiplex and getting a brand new one like this is better than nothing at all. Other cities should be so lucky.

Hey Tim, Money is why! In he old days the owners gave you a place that was better than the movie you were watching,much better, all the new movie houses are like shoe boxes. All they care about is the box office and candy stand.You are lucky to be getting a new house in Downtown L.A. All the downtown movie houses closed in Nashville in the late 70's.Enjoy the show!

State of the art widescreen isn't masked at the top.

Tim: It's only "State Of The Art" on the outside, brother.

Saw "2012" in the Premiere Cinema on 11/14 and have confirmation: the screen is indeed top masking. BUT the sound is so loud and crisp in there that the masking doesn't hinder the presentation of a film like that.