HTLA presents: Revival House: Part 7 - The Long Road From Silent Films to Brain Dead Studios

California Love

LAist Studios

Music

4.5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 11 April 2024

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Go back to the movies with us!

We're still profiling LA's repertory theaters in Revival House cause there are SO MANY to check out! In this episode, we explore a cool space with some deep, messy history.

Fashion label Brain Dead has taken over a site that some would consider....a little cursed. Originally opened in the 1940s as The Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax, the venue was home to premieres and parties. Until a theft and murder shut the theater down.

In the 2000s, it was taken over by Cinefamily, which programmed in that space until allegations of abuse came to light in 2017.

But today, Brain Dead Studios is keeping the lights on for nerds, artists, and skate punks in Los Angeles -- aiming to create an eclectic community space to inspire creatives and show good movies. Take a listen as we explain the history and present of this theater.

Guests: Professor and historian Ross Melnick, Brain Dead founder Kyle Ng

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Julia Paskin.
0:01.6	Join me as I talk with NPR's Sarah McCammon
0:04.2	about her new book, The Ex-Vangelicals,
0:06.4	Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church.
0:09.4	That's April 25th at the Crawford, tickets at LAS.com
0:12.6	slash events.
0:16.6	Hello LA, we're taking is how to LA the show that helps you discover your city.
0:32.0	We're back with another episode of Revival House, our love letter to
0:35.8	vintage and independent movie theaters around Los Angeles. Brainted is a fashion
0:42.1	brand that's been around LA for years.
0:45.0	You might have seen its skate and punk-inspired pieces on cool kids around town.
0:50.0	It was from film and music that I learned about anything about fashion.
0:55.0	Well, in October of 2020, Braintet reopened an iconic movie theater with a long messy history.
1:02.0	And it's like this theater can't catch a break.
1:05.0	So today we're driving down Fairfax to the old silent movie theater
1:10.0	or as it's known now, Brain Dead Studios.
1:14.0	How do a lay producer Victoria Alejandro is going to take it from here.
1:18.0	With a cafe and patio in the such an inviting place. I realized that I wanted to create a place where it was more inclusive and more inviting
1:38.4	to an audience that maybe never felt like they were being spoken to by the
1:43.4	Repertory cinema. This is Brinded founder Kyle In.
1:46.7	And what we wanted to do is because we're a clothing brand we could take risks
1:51.6	and do things to make the theatrical experience a little different.
	...

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