An Ode To New Beverly Cinema (written by Ben Kenber)

The first time I went to New Beverly Cinema was about 4 or 5 years ago when I was a student at the writing conservatory of Second City in Los Angeles. Some of the students in the program invited me to go with them to check out a double feature of “Evil Dead 2” and “Bubba Ho Tep,” both which starred the always entertaining Bruce Campbell. I had heard a little about this theater before, and I figured it was some sort of rundown theater with crappy sound and loaded with seats so uncomfortable that you were afraid a metal spring would pop out from underneath you. But knowing that this theater was in operation brought back memories of when I went to another just like it right near UC Berkeley and it too was a revival house showing movies from years past that many of us never got to see on the big screen. I went to that one as much as possible before it disappeared without any real explanation.

After witnessing the “groovy” Bruce Campbell double feature (and he gave a truly great performance as Elvis in “Bubba Ho Tep”), my interest in this theater began to grow and grow over time, and I consider it my favorite independent theater in all of the Los Angeles area. There were many others like it, but they have since disappeared as the market for videos and DVD’s continued to grow exponentially. The fact that this particular revival house is still standing despite its struggles is a testament to the film fanatics who come more and more to certain screenings as well as the big name movie stars and directors who can be seen here from time to time.

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