Plastic plants, validated parking...
Embarcadero Movie Theater
The best thing about the Embarcadero Movie Theater is by far the parking. In a town where the frustration of finding a parking space can make someone spend an entire week at home, parking validation at the Embarcadero Center give this theater a real edge.
| And of course there are the films. The Embarcadero Cinema is well known for showing several sharp independent films that you might have read about in the New Yorker or heard about from some friend in L.A. Any given week, you are sure to find some movie that won an award from the Sundance Film Festival or was the Palme d'Or winner at Cannes. Arnold Schwarzenegger would never show up on the Marquee of this cineplex, unless he was playing the role of a gay Holocaust victim (and if he was, we might actually see one of his films…). |
Of course, you could really top off the evening with a meal at Chevy's. Hey, it's cheap. It's got a big menu (plastic, easy wipe off), and you can dine al fresco. Or, seeing as you saved at least $4 on parking, why not go for a snazzy, ritzy, fancy dins? |
Anyway, back to the Embarcadero. The inside of the lobby is surprisingly bright thanks to the wide windowed courtyard in the middle. (Please note the fake ivy "growing" in the flower-boxed edge outside the courtyard-charming.) And the concession stand offers a few unusual treats-the Ben & Jerry peace pops are a great addition to the average "Raisinets and Red Vines" movie fare. When you finally enter your movie theater of choice, you'll probably notice some badly dated non-sequitor colored paneling that I'm still trying to figure out. The interior design team was probably quite avant-guard in the late 1980s and only beginning to show its age. This theme which is hinted in the lobby in the overhead lighting seems to fall apart when it's actually applied in the screening rooms. But never mind, just remember that you are here to see the movie.
The Embarcadero Cinema's sad lack of character rather reflects the area in which it is located. Other cinemas absorb some of the charm of their surrounding neighborhood. Therefore one cannot expect much from a movie theater that is next to the Gap clothing store and a Chevys restaurant. So, just come for the movie (not the experience) when heading to the Embarcadero movie theater. And you'll leave singing this downtown cinema's praises as you hand over your validated parking ticket. Now that's something to really enjoy.
Leslie Dotson
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