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| - Oh Valley Art ... I really wish I could love you. I love your marquee and the idea that a major chain could run one of their locations like a real indie theater, I love that this and Camelview both have murals dedicated to classic cinema in your lobbies. I even love that the Valley Art has a ticket booth in front even though Im sure if it ever was manned it was decades ago. Aesthetically it looks A LOT like the old Regent Showcase Theater in West Hollywood not far from the New Beverly. Their main screening auditorium is also nice, they have a good system and I saw the Blade Runner: The Final Cut the remastered version when they first were screening it. Ive actually seen a few good movies here, Let The Right One In, Exit Through The Gift Shop, Mystery Team. That being said, its also very far and few between them getting good movies. This place tends to serve as overflow for their other "indie" location the Camelview 5 - so when Black Swan was just opening, they ended up playing that here as well. After Exit Through The Gift Shop played at Camelview, they just ported it here. They get some awesome movies like Hesher and then sweep them out after 4 days to play noxious garbage like Atlas Shrugged for over a month. The only times they do repertory programming is when someone really famous dies, like their John Hughes film festival which is the last time they did any kind of retrospective. They dont screen repertory movies, or do midnight shows - mainly documentaries, small-ish movies and occasionally a few gems. I just wish this place had an identity or a programming voice. That being said, every show here feels intimate the most people ive ever seen for a show here is maybe 20, if that, ever. Period and Ive lived here since 2005 and its right down the street from my house. Parking is a nightmare here sometimes. Its worth it to see the nice marquee which looks even better lit up at night.
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