It has been a long withdrawal for cinephiles like myself, waiting with our knuckles clenched for the New Beverly Cinema to reopen. In late December 2017, we all said our farewell to the repertory cinema in Los Angeles while it planned to be closed for the first few months to work on renovations. Unfortunately, as life happens on life's terms, the theater ended up being closed for almost an entire year, and will reopen its doors on December 1st, 2018. The New Bev holds a special place in many people's hearts as a cultural institution. For a reasonable price, one can enjoy an evening of vintage films (usually a double feature). I won't go on too much about the theater too much because its website can tell you more about its founding and programming, but I would like to take a moment and share some anecdotes about my own history with the theater.
In January 2009, I was set to have my first date with a very nice gentleman. Two days before we were supposed to meet I came down with a violent stomach flu. I kept our first date, which lasted about an hour, but had to cancel our second one. I understood that I had probably broken this poor chap's heart and needed to make it up to him so once I mended I gave him a ring and asked if he wanted to give it another go. I had never been to the New Bev, but he knew that on February 12, 2009 they would be running one of my favorite movies HAROLD AND MAUDE along with a film you could not get on DVD, ELECTRIC DREAMS. We set the date. I didn't have GPS at the time so I looked up the address on Yahoo! Maps and jumped in the car. 7165 Beverly.
Now....being someone who had only lived in LA for about 6 months I did not know the lay of the land and really wish someone would have told me that there is both a Beverly Drive as well as a Beverly Blvd. I probably flew up to the top of the Hollywood Hills and down into the pits of Castle Heights about 3 times looking for this darn theater at 7165 Beverly. Finally about my third time up (and repeatedly calling my date and apologizing profusely) I found someone who explained my error at the top of the hill. Flying down into the city, I was desperately praying that this gentleman hadn't thought I was flaking on him yet again and as I screeched past Formosa on Beverly, I saw him standing in front of the theater, leaning against the building. While I was 45 minutes late, he still waited with two tickets in his hand and we snuck in and enjoyed what was left of the film and the second feature. We didn't end up staying together but are still good friends.
Tuesday May 28, 2013 would be a life changing day for me. It was the day I was to begin a life of sobriety, free of mind altering substances that had controlled my life for far too many years. Anyone who has ever gotten sober can tell you that the first few days are agonizing-- physically, mentally and emotionally. Among other things, you sweat at random times and the sweat always smells vile. Your insomnia, mood swings, and anxiety go through the roof. Also, you don't make the best decisions. So, of course I chose to get sober in one of the hottest summer weeks of the San Fernando Valley in an apartment with no air conditioning. I was working a regular 3:00 pm-12:00 am shift at Deluxe Media at the time and was therefore able to get through Tuesday through Friday.
Then came Saturday, my first night by myself since I got sober. Without a single coping skill, I was alone and I was scared and I didn't have a single clue on what I was going to do. All I needed was something air conditioned to get me out of my head and away from the thought of getting hammered. That night the New Bev coincidentally happened to be playing a 3 hour edit of CINEMA PARADISO and without giving it a second thought, I drove to the theater. I remember being so filled with anxiety about this new sober journey I had embarked but somehow when the lights went down and the film started, everything was okay. I got home at the same time I would have if I had been at work and was able to get myself some rest.
The next night, the theater ran a double feature of MANHUNTER and ANGEL HEART, and I once again was able to make it through the evening safely without falling apart. I look back now and think about how much gratitude I really owe the theater. If it hadn't been there showing those specific films which were enticing enough to grab me in my state of agony, I don't know if I could have gotten through that first weekend.
Thursday March 20, 2014 was my first day being unemployed in about three years. I remember my head not being in such a great place as I hadn't really settled into the idea of not knowing how I was going to pay my bills. The concept of living in a box or moving back in with my parents didn't seem so wonderful. I didn't know if anyone in the industry would hire me again as I had been buried under a film bench for so many years. My mother called me three times to ask me what my career plans were and was already phoning cousins I hadn't seen in 10 years asking if they could help me get a job. Not to mention, as busy as LA is, when you're not working it can feel like the quietest place. That night, feeling unsure of myself and forlorn, I wandered into the double feature of CAT PEOPLE and I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE. While I had seen both films several times, I used the screening as a time to think. What was I doing with my life and where was I headed? Did I even want to stay in the film archive and restoration field? Seeing the beautiful suspenseful shots of a black panther's shadow walking in and out of street alleys, I made up my mind that I would try to give working in my beloved field one last 'good old college try'. That try turned into working for the USC Shoah Foundation where I know have been employed for over 4 years.
So you see, The New Beverly Cinema is more than just a theater that runs old movies. It's more than just a 'neighborhood institution'. It really is a magical place that has touched me personally. I'm sure these three stories will just prompt many readers who have also gone there to say 'Well, let me tell you MY New Beverly story!' to which I simply say, bring it on. Let's all tell our stories. Let's all share why this theater is so important to all of us, and why we hold it so deep in our hearts.
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