Nuart Theatre

Nuart Theatre is an art-house movie theater in Los Angeles, California, and the flagship venue of the Landmark Theatres chain. Located on Santa Monica Boulevard near the 405 Freeway, the theater is distinguished by its single-screen format and its long-standing focus on independent, foreign-language, arthouse, experimental, and cult films. Rather than operating primarily as a multiplex for the broadest commercial releases, the Nuart has historically served as a specialized exhibition venue where films can build audiences through extended runs, word of mouth, revival screenings, and community interest. The building was constructed in 1929. Landmark Theatres acquired the venue in 1974, making it the first theater in the chain and establishing the Nuart as an early foundation of Landmark's American arthouse exhibition network. Other Landmark venues subsequently followed, including the UC Theater in Berkeley. In February 2024, the theater marked the fiftieth anniversary of its association with Landmark Theatres. The venue was remodeled in 2006 and has a reported capacity of 303 seats. The Nuart's programming has been described as eclectic. It has presented independent and international movies alongside films that initially performed modestly elsewhere but later gained reputations as cult classics. This role has made the theater part of Los Angeles's specialist cinema culture, where theatrical exposure can help sustain or revive films that do not fit conventional mainstream distribution patterns. The theater's identity is therefore tied not only to the films it screens but also to the audience communities, filmmakers, performers, and local cultural institutions that gather around those screenings. One of its best-known recurring attractions is The Rocky Horror Picture Show, screened at the Nuart on Saturday nights with a live shadowcast. The tradition dates to the 1980s and reflects the theater's broader commitment to participatory and cult-film exhibition. The Nuart has also hosted significant premieres and special events. Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Vixens had its theatrical world premiere at the venue, accompanied by a live appearance by Edith Massey and the punk group The Incredible Edible Eggs, which featured Regina Schock on drums before her later work with The Go-Go's. The theater has appeared in and around popular culture in several ways. It was used as a filming location for the Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn comedy Foul Play, despite that film being set in San Francisco. It has also been associated with filmmaker John Waters through promotional trailers made for the theater, including material referring to the Nuart's screenings of Pink Flamingos and its contribution to the cult reputation of Divine. Other Nuart-related trailers by Douglas Brian Martin, Steven M. Martin, David Lynch, and Peter Ivers further connected the theater to Los Angeles's independent film and video culture. Michel Gondry filmed part of the music video for Beck's "Deadweight" at the Nuart, and the theater is mentioned in the film Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death. Today, the Nuart remains a Landmark Theatres venue and a recognizable Los Angeles destination for specialized theatrical film programming. Its historical significance comes from the continuity of its building, its role as Landmark's first theater, its single-screen operating model, and its sustained association with arthouse and cult cinema.

Nuart Theatre occupies a building constructed in 1929 on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles, California, approximately one block from the 405 Freeway. Its early operating history is not detailed in the available reference material, but the venue later became important to the development of Landmark Theatres. Landmark acquired the theater in 1974, making it the first location in the chain. The acquisition established the Nuart as a base for a theater company that would expand its presence in specialized and arthouse film exhibition, with later venues including the UC Theater in Berkeley. Under Landmark, the Nuart developed a distinctive identity as a single-screen cinema devoted to programming outside the mainstream multiplex model. Its schedule has combined independent productions, foreign-language films, arthouse releases, experimental work, cult titles, and repertory presentations. The theater has been particularly associated with movies that found limited commercial success during their initial releases but later acquired dedicated followings. This programming approach made the Nuart a venue where films could gain visibility through sustained theatrical exposure and audience word of mouth. The theater was remodeled in 2006 and is reported to seat 303 people. Its single-screen configuration has remained central to its character, allowing the venue to present a curated program rather than a broad set of simultaneous commercial releases. The Nuart has also used special events and participatory screenings to reinforce its identity. Its Saturday-night presentation of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, accompanied by a live shadowcast, has continued since the 1980s and is among the theater's most recognizable traditions. The Nuart's history includes a number of notable film and music-related events. Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Ultra Vixens received its theatrical world premiere there. Edith Massey, known for her work in John Waters's Pink Flamingos, appeared on a makeshift stage with her punk band The Incredible Edible Eggs; the group's drummer was Regina Schock, who later joined The Go-Go's. The venue's relationship with Waters also extended to theatrical trailers and promotional pieces. One trailer addressed the theater's no-smoking policy in Waters's characteristic irreverent style, while another thanked the Nuart for its long-running support of Pink Flamingos and its role in elevating Divine's cult status. The theater also screened material connected with the Shock Value film festival. The Martin brothers produced and directed Nuart-associated trailers featuring figures including David Lynch and Peter Ivers. These productions helped turn the theater's promotional material into part of its cultural identity rather than treating trailers as ordinary advertising. The Nuart was used as a location for Foul Play, the Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn comedy, even though the movie's story is set in San Francisco. Michel Gondry filmed part of Beck's "Deadweight" music video at the venue, and the theater is referenced in Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death. In February 2024, the Nuart commemorated fifty years under Landmark Theatres. The milestone underscored the continuity of the venue as both a physical cinema and a specialized cultural institution. Its enduring significance rests on the combination of a historic theater building, a single-screen operating model, Landmark's long-term stewardship, cult-film traditions, and a programming philosophy centered on films and audiences that may be underserved by conventional commercial exhibition.

• 2024

  Fiftieth anniversary under Landmark Theatres

  [1]Nuart Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  In February 2024, the Nuart celebrates fifty years since Landmark Theatres acquired the venue.

• 2006

  The theater is remodeled

  [1]Nuart Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The Nuart undergoes a remodeling and is described as having a capacity of 303 seats.

• 1980

  Rocky Horror shadowcast tradition begins

  [1]Nuart Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The Nuart becomes associated with Saturday-night screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show accompanied by a live shadowcast. The available source places the beginning of the tradition in the 1980s rather than identifying a more precise year.

• 1974

  Landmark Theatres acquires the Nuart

  [1]Nuart Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  Landmark Theatres purchases the venue, making the Nuart the first theater in the Landmark chain.

• 1929

  The theater building is constructed

  [1]Nuart Theatreen.wikipedia.org

  The building that houses the Nuart Theatre is constructed on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles.

A historic Los Angeles specialty cinema positioned around arthouse, independent, international, cult, and repertory film exhibition, with an emphasis on distinctive theatrical experiences and audience communities.

• Theatrical exhibition

  Arthouse and independent film screenings

  The Nuart's core offering is theatrical exhibition for independent, arthouse, and international films. As a single-screen venue, it presents a curated schedule rather than a multiplex-style portfolio, giving specialized releases a dedicated Los Angeles outlet and helping films reach audiences interested in work outside mainstream commercial cinema.

• Specialty film exhibition

  Cult and repertory screenings

  The theater is known for screening cult favorites, revivals, and films that developed strong followings after underperforming or receiving limited attention during their original releases. This part of the program supports repeat viewing, fan communities, and the discovery or rediscovery of distinctive films.

• Participatory film event · 1980

  The Rocky Horror Picture Show with live shadowcast

  Saturday-night screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with a live shadowcast have been a Nuart tradition since the 1980s. The format combines movie exhibition with live performance and audience participation, making it one of the venue's signature recurring experiences.

• 2006

  Theater remodelingOther

  Background

  The historic single-screen venue required modernization while retaining its identity as a specialty cinema.

  Action taken

  The Nuart was remodeled.

  Aftermath

  The theater continued operating as a single-screen venue with a reported capacity of 303 seats.

  Source

• 1974

  Landmark Theatres acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Landmark Theatres sought to establish a network of cinemas focused on specialized film exhibition. The Nuart became the company's first theater.

  Action taken

  Landmark Theatres acquired the Nuart Theatre and incorporated it into the emerging chain.

  Aftermath

  The venue became the foundation of Landmark's theater network and retained a flagship role in the company's arthouse exhibition identity.

  Source

1. 1Nuart Theatreen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Landmark Theatreslandmarktheatres.com