CRITICS’PICKS

I love the ArcLight Hollywood, I really do. It’s got great seats, spacious theaters (including the legendary Cinerama Dome), an exciting atmosphere, and it’s right next door to Amoeba Music, a movie in and of itself. But I almost never go. As someone who lives in West L.A., I feel like renting a helicopter whenever I have to make the trip. I’ve driven 100 miles in Montana in less time than it takes me to get to the ArcLight. Truth.

So I was delighted, and still am, when Landmark Theatres opened the Landmark (what else but?) at Westwood and Pico on my side of town, boasting great seats of its own in 12 state-of-the-art auditoriums, including those famous sofa rooms we’ve all read so much about.

If I feel like looking in on a bookstore, a three-level Barnes & Noble is right next door. If I feel like a snack, what could improve on a Hebrew National hot dog on a La Brea Bakery bun? And there’s so much free parking, you don’t need a ticket. Let the ArcLight try to top that, if it can.