America Cinemas Pasadena

rivest266 on July 29, 2026 at 12:42 pm

Reopened May 18th, 2005 as Cine Latino. article: Cine Latino Pasadena opening May 27, 2005 La Vibra (Houston, Texas) Newspapers.com

Translation:

A room dedicated to Latino cinema

Cinema Latino de Pasadena presents an entire billboard in Spanish on its six screens

Joey Guerra
For La Vibra

HOUSTON, Texas.- The Hispanic public of the Pasadena area now has another option to watch movies: Cinema Latino of Pasadena. This six-screen theater with 1,110 seats has room for everyone and its entire billboard is presented in Spanish, all the time.

This theater shows premiere Hollywood films subtitled or dubbed into Spanish, as well as a selection of Latin American films that generally only have limited release in smaller theaters in the city.

The place opened on May 18 with films like Sahara, XXX: State of the Union, the Mexican Nicotina, the independent film Un dia sin mexicanos and a dubbed version of the animated film Robots. One day later arrived Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. And soon, Bad Education, by Pedro Almodóvar, will be screened, which originally had a limited season in Houston.

The Pasadena screening rooms are located in a shopping center surrounded by Mexican restaurants, discount stores and a grocery market. It is Cinema Latino’s fourth theater in the United States and the second in Texas. The others are located in Fort Worth, Aurora (Colorado) and Phoenix (Arizona).

“We loved the location. It’s visible and is located in the right neighborhood. It needed a touch of affection so it could recover its glory, but I think we did a good job with that,” said Anne Tengler, president of Sonora Entertainment Group, owners of Cinema Latino.

The place was a modest cinema before it closed several years ago. Today, it shines with clear energy. The seats in the theater are not stadium-style, but they are comfortable, and the screens are large enough. There’s music in Spanish in the lobby, and the snack menus are also bilingual.

Many of the concessions are also exclusive to Cinema Latino. Alongside the usual fare, typical Mexican treats are also offered: Duvalín, Vero Elotes, Pulparindo and Salsa Valentina for popcorn.

Employees at all Cinema Latino locations are not required to speak English, except for managers, who must deal with business partners, suppliers and promoters. Tengler said that about a third of Pasadena’s employees do not speak English.

“For us, coming to this theater is similar to why Latino people go to a salsa club,” said Tengler. “It’s comfortable, it’s fun, it’s family-friendly. They’re used to it, and that makes it special.”

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“When grandmother is visiting, they can take her to the movies, and she can enjoy it,” she added. “In reality, this is the first time that clients who speak Spanish will have an option in a specific market, since they will be able to watch Star Wars in Spanish and at the same time enjoy the same experience as the rest of the market in general.”

At the recent inauguration, clients seemed to be fascinated by the simple and distinctive approach that Cinema Latino offers. Almost all found something to enjoy, and a few clever parents planned to use Cinema Latino as a special educational tool.

“It’s good because it teaches [the children] to speak Spanish better,” said Yesenia Cruz, who took her four young children to see a movie. “In regular theaters, we don’t have movies in Spanish. It’s exciting for them. It’s a movie. It’s a cartoon. It helps them much so that they will be bilingual.”

The children agree and even some understand the value all this offers. Celeste Hernández, 7 years old and who does not speak Spanish fluently, attended a dubbed screening of Shrek 2. She learned the words “burro” (donkey) and “encantador” (charming) and hopes to return soon to reinforce the language.

“It was something good. I liked it,” she commented with a slight smile. “It teaches small children, like me, to learn Spanish.”

DETAILS

What: Cinema Latino de Pasadena
Where: 2233 Southmore Ave., Pasadena
For more information: Call 1-888-588-CINE

JOHNNY HANSON: PARA EL CHRONICLE

OTHER OPTION: Cinema Latino of Pasadena offers Hollywood films subtitled and dubbed into Spanish, in addition to Latin American films.