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July 17, 2007
It's Tuesday -- Time for $3 movies!
My friend Dawn recently moved to Highland Park and we quickly discovered that there is a theater on Figueroa near Avenue 56 that has movies for $3 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays -- and not second-run movies either, real, live, first-run movies. In the last month we have gone four or five times and saw "Shrek the Third," "Evan Almighty," "Ratatouille" and "Transformers."
(Some pros and cons of the Highland Park theater after the jump)
They also have a frequent visitor card which awards you with a free popcorn on your third visit and a free movie on your seventh. Can't beat it!
On the downside, you can see where they're cutting costs. I'm pretty sure three people run the whole thing, one at the door selling tickets, one at the concession and one starting the movie. Which is fine, but also means that sometimes you have to wait for one of them to get back from a bathroom break, or from doing the other jobs if only one guy is on that night.
Also, the bathroom is pretty small, and has powdered soap to wash your hands. Weird. But for three bucks, who cares?
All photos by Jessica Roberts for LAist
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i just discovered this theater too!! even on regular nights it's still only $6. i kind of love it, despite the fact that i went to see 1408 there and was more scared by the bathroom than by the movie...and are those knife slashes in the graffiti-covered seats? not for me to say...but it's also cool that while waiting for your movie you can see into the projection room and watch the giant spools of film go around and around and ponder how much longer, in this digital age, we're going to be using that technology.
bottom line--it's no arclight, but then again, it's no $14 ticket. i approve!
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There is a great piazza place just north of the theater. The name escapes me now. It's also nice to head on over to the little cave right after.
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There's a three dollar theater in Culver City too. It's not exactly first run but it has a great mix of indie films and mainstream films that just left the theaters. It's the Mann Culver 6 Plaza at 9919 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232
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Ooh, very cool, good to know, and I must add that it's literally around the corner from the Highland Park Metro station. I can see that this place is going to get heavy use by me soon. Is the $3 price good on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings too?
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I've been there loads... the price is simply unbeatable. Can't say I recommend the popcorn, though. Stale - inedibly so, and I actually bought it a second time. But I won't again.
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Ooo powdered soap reminds me of high school.... ::shudder::
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As a former teacher at Franklin High School - just down the street - the students would comment on what goes on in this theater and I think csharp7 covered it nicely - LOADS
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Love that place! It's right up the street from my house. The only bad experience I've had there is when I sat through 3 hours of Grindhouse with a deranged homeless person screaming out nonsense every two minutes. But that's really no different than seeing a real grindhouse move at the New Beverly ;)
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Yes, the price is $3 all day Tuesdays and Wednesdays. This week they're showing "Harry Potter," "Transformers" and "Ratatouille."
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I LOVE powdered soap! Haven't you ever had really dirty hands? Apparently not! I'd pay 3 bucks for a good powdered soap anyday. Free movie?? Sweet! You can go stick your hands in a bucket of lotion if you want but your popcorn is gonna taste like potpourri. Sucker.
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The Academy in Pasadena is like this, but it does indie movies. $4.00 before 6:00 PM
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The Redondo Beach Cinema 3 on Hawthorne at Artesia is also another cheap theatre, although I don't know if it's $3.
The Highland used to have a balcony - if you turn left at the top of the stairs on the way to the bathroom, you can see where it was.
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I saw a movie there once, and there were at least three people talking on cell phones throughout the entire film. Haven't been back since, but maybe it's worth another try.