Despite the industry gridlock, cinema lovers in L.A. are feasting right now. First it was the arrival of Vidiots’ Eagle Rock cinema over the summer. Then it was the Netflix-funded renovation of the Egyptian Theatre, which debuts this week. And now comes word that the Vista Theatre has wrapped up its own two-year restoration. (Your move, Cinerama Dome.)
After going dark during the pandemic and then finding a new owner in iconic director Quentin Tarantino, the single-screen Los Feliz theater will finally return on November 11 with a 35mm screening of True Romance, hosted by Tarantino himself (it’s, of course, already sold out). After that, you can expect regularly scheduled screenings to begin on November 17.
According to Variety, the programming kicks off with a run of Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving in 35mm on November 17, and then Ridley Scott’s Napoleon in 70mm on November 22 (the theater is now outfitted for both film formats). The publication also confirms that the venue will actually feature two theaters: the main 400-seat Egyptian-themed auditorium that we all know and love, as well as a tiny 21-seat screening room and café dubbed Coffy that’ll debut later on.
If you’ve gone by the century-old theater lately, you’ve probably noticed some exterior changes: Its bold red paint job has given way to a creamy gold one, and its graphic marquee has been swapped with a still-blank hand-lettered one. As for the inside, a sneaky redditor shared a snap last month that shows the main auditorium looking largely the same, albeit with new carpeting and some refreshed seats (still with lots of leg room).
Whereas the New Beverly, the single-screen Fairfax theater that Tarantino purchased in 2007, specializes in short runs of cinema classics and grindhouse fare, the Vista will continue to focus on first-run movies—screened exclusively on film—with some longer engagements of old features thrown into the mix, too.
Oh, and for Vista regulars, we’ve saved maybe the best news for last: Longtime manager Victor Martinez and his movie-themed costumes are set to return, as well.
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