So from the LA based, privately-owned and family-owned ArcLight comes its tenth location. On top the third floor of the posh Santa Monica Place comes their latest theater up to their standards of cinema experience.
Don't look for the box office, it's gone. They want tickets bought online or at the 6 kiosks out front, all self-service. To the side of them, the gift shop, which they promised would be stocked with Star Wars goods for its upcoming release. Head up some some stairs to the concession and lounge area, where you have the bar and can grab your popcorn before going in.
For bar snobs, don't worry your red-faced head, hick, they have some lovely specialty drinks to try. You might like the Audrey Hepburn or the..uh..wait, no, I'm fine. I had a few, ah, the Hollywood ArcLight. They've made deals with the local Santa Monica Brewery for their tap and a monthly changing tap from them. So twelve new beers to taste a year. Take them into the theater with you if you like.
Foodies, they have a menu of starters for you to share before or after a film. Though they weren't our favorite things to eat, we believe clientele who wants to have a little drink and something to eat with it will enjoy some of these snacks with their own slants on pizza and other starters. This is a simple cafe, not a restaurant, so get dinner outside at the many adjacent locations. The food is more of just something to add to a conversation while waiting for more friends to arrive.
They'll have collectibles from films on display, their large story wall to remind you what's going big in theaters at the time and local artists work will be curated inside and along the hall before you can enter the theater.
For theaters buffs, there are twelve theaters, two of them have dolby atmos sound, for that clear crisp sound you need today. Two theaters have 4k projectors. Six theaters can show 3D films. As the usual, it's three previews and the film starts instead of a fifteen or longer wait with your average other theater.
We got to experience sitting in on the largest theater and with all the sound, the "black box" feel of full inversion of stadium seating with no distractions. We were plunged into whatever was shown on screen.
It's an ArcLight, near the ocean, a screen experience to enjoy before shopping or spending a day at the beach.
