Quentin Tarantino has purchased Los Angeles’ the historic Sunset Boulevard venue Vista Theatre, the director and film buff announced on a podcast.
“I bought the Vista on Sunset,” Tarantino said today on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast. “We’ll probably open it up around Christmas time. And again: only film. It won’t be a revival house. We’ll show new movies that come out where they give us a film print. It’s not going to be like the New Beverly. The New Beverly has its own vibe.”
Tarantino bought the Landmark New Beverly in 2007. That venue, which shows 35mm and 16mm films, reopened last month.
“The Vista is like a crown jewel kind of thing,” Tarantino said. “We’ll show older films, but it will be like you can hold a four-night engagement.” The Vista has been closed due to the Covid pandemic shutdown.
The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood director did not offer additional details about the recent purchase, but made clear his feelings about the current state of exhibition, saying some chains “have taken all the specialness out of movies.”
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“Some of these chains where they’re showing commercials all through it, they don’t turn the lights down, everything is stadium seating, plastic shit,” he said. “They have been writing their own epitaph for a long time, but they assumed the business would take you along. It’s been crazy throughout my career to see how the film experience is lessened for the viewer like every five years.”
Tarantino said he believes “boutique cinemas” might “thrive in this time,” adding, “and I am not talking about the La-Z-Boy, order nachos and margaritas. I actually like the Alamo Drafthouse a lot, but I have a living room. I want to go to the theater.”