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Old Avco in Westwood Will Become 'Luxury' iPic Movie Theater
Finally, the old Avco Center movie theater, which closed in December, is getting its new lease on life. The cineplex will be converted to a luxury movie theater operated by iPic, and should re-open by early 2013, according to Westwood Patch.
News broke last week that the Florida-based cinema operator, who also run the iPic (formerly the Gold Class Cinema) in Old Pasadena, which, like the Avco, was once upon a time an AMC.
The Westwood iPic will have plush reclining seats, a full-service Italian restaurant, and a fancy-schmanzy bar serving up "liquid nitrogen mixology" and craft cocktails. Tickets for iPic showings typically go for $12-$28* and come in two tiers: Premium and Premium Plus, though you'll still have to shell out for your eats and drinks.
While Westwood used to have 18 screens showing films, and was where several movies held their premieres, the neighborhood is down to a mere three screens these days. Is the impending arrival a sign that Westwood is thriving, not dying? Maybe if you're the kind of cinephile who is willing to spend even bigger bucks on a movie-going experience it is. The rest of us? Hmmm. We'll see.
Ed. note: The price range given in this post has been amended to $12-28 based on confirmation from an iPic PR rep.
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