@RandyHintz I saw THE OUTSIDERS there with a couple of friends. And the diner across the street - diagonally - would have been the Landmark. When I was riding the bus home to Port Washinton from NYIT back in the winter of 1984-85, I would hang out inside the restaurant to escape the cold between buses. I would always order a dish of rice pudding, then wait inside the vestibule after finishing that.
It should be noted that the theater closed in 1985 - I believe - and that the outdoor mall was called the Americana. “Miracle Mile” refers to a stretch of Northern Boulevard that included the Americana. Saw KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN here, not to mention that awful NATIONAL LAMPOON’S EUROPEAN VACATION, which I only went to for the travel scenery. A-ha’s clip for “Take On Me” was screened along with “Vacation”.
I saw U2: RATTLE & HUM here in late ‘88 with my friend George, who, sadly, committed suicide just a few months later. We both lived in Nassau County, and he liked to go into “the city” to see films.
As someone previously mentioned, this was an easy place to sneak into. A friend and I did so in 1991 to see the period drama MISTER JOHNSON. My friend - allegedly an old pro at this sort of thing - was caught, but I made it to the auditorium!
Saw PLATOON here in early ‘87 during the “Plitt Century Plaza” era. It was in the main house and having moved to CA from Long Island just a few months before, I’d never experienced such a theater. Massive screen…high-backed reclining chairs…it was something! I was staying across the street that weekend at the Century Plaza Hotel.
I moved into the neighborhood just a few months after the theater opened. I’m a film critic and saw ANGEL HEART here in early ‘87, which I reviewed for the paper at Mt Sac. Later saw LETHAL WEAPON, GRAND CANYON, and JFK here, among others.
The largest auditorium has only 63 seats?! Surely that’s a misprint!
01261967
commented about
Kulton
Jul 5, 2022 at 2:13 pm
So sad that this place is gone. I have some great memories of moviegoing at the DI. A retrospective screening of John Carpenter’s THE THING, covering the Downtown Film Festival as a critic in 2014, watching a B-grade dinosaur thriller with an enthusiastic invited audience, among others. And I recall when they had a half-price discount for Metro card holders and downtown residents. I could see a film for $5! That’s it for indie cinema in DTLA.
I saw THE INCREDIBLE HULK here in June of 2008 with a friend and his mom, during a wicked heat wave. I had just moved to Pasadena and was living with this idiot who refused to run the A/C. Felt so good feeling that cool air on my skin! That was a Saturday night, and the temps cooled down the next day. It was still the Paseo Stadium 14 at the time. After the switch to ArcLight, I stayed away due to the high prices, but did see ROCKETMAN in 2016.
Saw WALL STREET here in 1988, and they held a women’s film festival in ‘93. Lost track of the place afterwards. Frankly, I assumed it had been demolished!
@RandyHintz I saw THE OUTSIDERS there with a couple of friends. And the diner across the street - diagonally - would have been the Landmark. When I was riding the bus home to Port Washinton from NYIT back in the winter of 1984-85, I would hang out inside the restaurant to escape the cold between buses. I would always order a dish of rice pudding, then wait inside the vestibule after finishing that.
It should be noted that the theater closed in 1985 - I believe - and that the outdoor mall was called the Americana. “Miracle Mile” refers to a stretch of Northern Boulevard that included the Americana. Saw KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN here, not to mention that awful NATIONAL LAMPOON’S EUROPEAN VACATION, which I only went to for the travel scenery. A-ha’s clip for “Take On Me” was screened along with “Vacation”.
I saw U2: RATTLE & HUM here in late ‘88 with my friend George, who, sadly, committed suicide just a few months later. We both lived in Nassau County, and he liked to go into “the city” to see films.
As someone previously mentioned, this was an easy place to sneak into. A friend and I did so in 1991 to see the period drama MISTER JOHNSON. My friend - allegedly an old pro at this sort of thing - was caught, but I made it to the auditorium!
Saw PLATOON here in early ‘87 during the “Plitt Century Plaza” era. It was in the main house and having moved to CA from Long Island just a few months before, I’d never experienced such a theater. Massive screen…high-backed reclining chairs…it was something! I was staying across the street that weekend at the Century Plaza Hotel.
I moved into the neighborhood just a few months after the theater opened. I’m a film critic and saw ANGEL HEART here in early ‘87, which I reviewed for the paper at Mt Sac. Later saw LETHAL WEAPON, GRAND CANYON, and JFK here, among others.
The largest auditorium has only 63 seats?! Surely that’s a misprint!
So sad that this place is gone. I have some great memories of moviegoing at the DI. A retrospective screening of John Carpenter’s THE THING, covering the Downtown Film Festival as a critic in 2014, watching a B-grade dinosaur thriller with an enthusiastic invited audience, among others. And I recall when they had a half-price discount for Metro card holders and downtown residents. I could see a film for $5! That’s it for indie cinema in DTLA.
I saw THE INCREDIBLE HULK here in June of 2008 with a friend and his mom, during a wicked heat wave. I had just moved to Pasadena and was living with this idiot who refused to run the A/C. Felt so good feeling that cool air on my skin! That was a Saturday night, and the temps cooled down the next day. It was still the Paseo Stadium 14 at the time. After the switch to ArcLight, I stayed away due to the high prices, but did see ROCKETMAN in 2016.
@impumag…How would you know any of that?
I believe I saw MALCOLM X and CANDYMAN here back in ‘92. I remember that brightly-lit coffeehouse in the little mini-mall just behind the theater.
Used to see films here in ‘91 on Thursday bargain nights. Why is it closed? AMC Victoria 12 stole away all the business?
Went here frequently 1988-91, always on Tuesday bargain nights. Saw DO THE RIGHT THING, HARDWARE, NARROW MARGIN, WILD AT HEART, among many others.
Saw WALL STREET here in 1988, and they held a women’s film festival in ‘93. Lost track of the place afterwards. Frankly, I assumed it had been demolished!
@versusfan I wouldn’t stand three hours in line to see Jesus Christ!
You’ve omitted Michael Nouri’s potrayal of the Count in NBC’s “Cliffhangers”, another 1979 debut!