Theaters I love (a side trip)

Linda, do you have favorite movie theaters?

My VERY favorite is one where, alas, I don't go to many movies anymore; it's the Grand Lake Theater in Oakland, CA, which has interesting things on its marqee and is a lovely old art deco gem. Alan Michaan, its owner, is one of Oakland's characters, and runs a theater which has a distinctly local flavor. The popcorn there is superb: fresh with real butter, and not terribly expensive. My only gripe about the place is the seats: they are worn out and I would not want to sit through a long movie in them.

My favorite in Los Angeles is the Majestic Crest, in Westwood. It has a single screen, and beautiful black-light enhanced murals inside. The theater itself is a show!

What do I want from a theater? First and foremost, I want a theater where the majority of the moviegoers seem to agree that they are there to see the movie, not to talk to each other or chat on their phones or something. I want good sound, and a sharp picture. I want a comfortable chair. I want it to be clean. And yes, as you can tell from my picks above, I really enjoy a beautiful theater.

Lately I've seen most of my movies at the Century City 14 in the Century City Shopping Mall. I just found out that it will be closing when the new Century City multiplex (15 screens) opens. I hope that the new one is as comfortable; I love the little theaters where it is almost like watching the movie with a few friends.

So Linda, what are your favorite theaters? And what are your criteria?