Art House chains show improvement

posted by Michael Zoldessy on January 17, 2007 at 4:45 am

LOS ANGELES, CA — No longer just a niche product, art house theaters are now sprouting up as the backbone of shopping centers. With the Laemmle and Landmark chains leading the pack in L.A., the independent film market is becoming a more profitable sector.

But lately, Laemmle Theatres has been going uptown. The chain has been attracting a new group of fans — community planners, developers and powerful homeowner associations — that has taken art houses from dusty afterthoughts to project anchors.

The theaters are in demand, not only for their highbrow offerings, but because they also attract an upscale, generally well-behaved crowd that can help set the tone for business developments.

For more, go to the Los Angeles Times.