★★★★ Watched 13 Dec, 2023

This short tribute to the legendary Egyptian theatre reminded me of a period in my life when I was a freelance film reviewer and journalist. Meaning I had a free press pass to any show on top of getting invitations to early press screenings and local premiers. During those 5 years, I used to see 2-3 movies a week in the cinema. More than I watched at home on the TV/VCR. After a while, you get used to the big screen and quality surround sound. But I never stopped appreciating it. No matter the LCD projection I had at home at some point or the size of TVs today and surround sound, the experience is simply not the same. Out of (budget and time) necessity, I had to get used to it, but the cinema is still my preferred way to see any movie.

This is what this very short look back at what this cinema theatre in the heart of Hollywood is trying to convey. When you see it on the big screen in a quality print, any good classic or cult movie, no matter how old, looks and feels great.

There is also the communal experience, either with friends or simply fellow movie buffs, that love a certain genre, that can’t be denied. I had many opportunities to see movies in the cinema entirely by myself. It felt strange at the beginning, but then I got used to it. I was young and completely mesmerized by moviegoing experience, so I did not mind. Still, the energy in a packed theatre is hard to quantify to someone who did not feel it. The same for concerts and sport events. I never cared much for pre- or after-social events, but the watching a powerful movie with the audience for the first time will augment your emotions evoked by the movie and it will stay with you for a good while.

I did not have chance to see a movie at Egyptian while I visited Hollywood once upon a time, but I did see a movie in El Capitan, another historical venue on Hollywood Blvd less than two blocks away.

Source: Letterboxd
Info: IMDb