AMC Century 14

As to the screen described by Douglas above. Back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, AMC utilized Taurus curved screens in some locations and these screens did utilize a vacuum system (there was obviously a problem in your auditorium, as the screen shouldn’t have been making an audible sound during your movie).

I used to go here all the time in the 90’s. Make the trip all the way from Hollywood. Most memorable I saw Barton Fink, Reservoir Dogs, Magnolia, I actually used to sneak in sometimes. It was too easy, as the exit doors were at the bottom of a long staircase which you just walk up that staircase like you forgot to validate your parking.

<<< I want to say it opened in September of 1987 >>>

The AMC Century 14 opened October 9, 1987. The weekend before, they ran a 20th Century Fox retrospective which included numerous classics (“The Sound Of Music,” “Patton,” “The Hustler,” “How Green Was My Valley,” etc. etc.). Memorable highlights for me included a “Star Wars” 70mm triple feature and “Alien”/“Aliens” 70mm double feature.

Grand-opening newspaper ad, the Fox retrospective ad and a photo can be found here.

<<< AMC Century City 14 >>>

The name of this theater was never “AMC Century City 14”; it was “AMC Century 14” (at least according to photographic evidence, recollections of visits, and newspaper promotion I’ve seen). Although it was located in the Los Angeles community of Century City, the word “City” was never a part of its name.

AMC built a brand new facility on the south side of the mall, called the Century City 15 (it should be on this site).

The 14 was gutted out and reconfigured into a Container Store and other retail establishments.

Back when it was a 14 screener, I remember that certain films would open there before anywhere else. I remember fighting traffic just so I could see Celebrity, Being John Malkovitch, or American Beauty before everyone else. The theatre itself was nothing special; a few auditoriums were larger than others… but if you wanted to movie hop, and the two films you wanted to see were on the smaller screened wing of the theatre, it was incredibly easy to do so. The new 15 screen theatre is not quite as easy, depending on the time of day you are trying to hop… though the theatre in absolutely pristine. If only they had reserved seats I’d go there more often…

Funny story— Last time I went there I ran into Bruce Willis. After seeing him ooze testosterone in the Live Free or Die Hard trailer, it was kind of weird watching him walk into the theatre to see Waitress.

It did open in the Fall of 1987. The AMC CENTURY 15 is supposed to be all Stadium Seating auditoriums. I do not patronize the theatres because I prefer the Village, Bruin, National (Westwood) or Arclight and Grauman’s Chinese (Hollywood). Those are ALWAYS my first choices for Cinemas. Maybe I will check out the 15 plex just to see what it is like.

In addition to being in close proximity to the film industry, the Century City theatre was also, quite literaly, in the shadow of AMC’s west division offices (located in the Century Plaza towers). As such, this theatre was a flagship location; testing out every new idea/technology, holding test screenings, hosting VIPs, housing the west division academy (ie. gm school), etc. The special demands of managing this theatre were such that there was an extra yearly bonus handed out for working at the Century 14.

Following a corporate realignment, the West division offices were closed and the Century 14 became less central in the company’s west coast operations.

That mall is my favorite place in the world to eat…and I also love that the AMC is one of only two Los Angeles theaters with coffee (what is up with that????), but I got so sick of SOLD OUT SOLD OUT SOLD OUT for every single showing of every film that I stopped considering this theater as an option!
Westwood and it’s theaters were just a five minute drive away.
That Century plaza is fine, but where the heck is the parking lot? When it was the PLITT Century Plaza, it actually served beer. That was some competition.
Since I don’t go there anymore, here is my AMC parking secret: enter the parking lot from Constellation. Drive all the way forward until the lane ends. Turn left. Go to the end of that lane. Park in the corner. Go through the double industrial doors into the stairway. At the top, you will be at Houston’s, with Brentano’s and the AMC Theater on your right.
By the way, in Silverlake I saw a neon “eXpresso” sign! (emphasis mine)

An “expresso bar”…groan…this makes two theatres demolished in the last couple of years in Century City…