The El Capitan Theatre on Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles is one of the most underrated Disney experiences in the US. Located directly across the street of the Dolby Theatre and just a few yards away from the TCL Chinese Theatre, it occupies a very hallowed space among Hollywood’s movie palaces. The El Capitan Theatre was opened in 1926 by entrepreneurs Charles Toberman and Sid Grauman alongside their sister theaters Egyptian Theatre (1922) and the Chinese Theatre (1927). And both are within a block of the El Capitan. The theater fell into disrepair by the 1970s and was purchased by Disney in the late 1980s when they purchased a controlling stake in Pacific Theaters to make the El Cap in Hollywood and the Crest in Westwood their flagship theaters in LA. After two years in was reopened in 1991 with the premiere of THE ROCKETEER.
Since that time the El Cap has consistently offered a great Disney experience for a fraction of the price that it would cost to go to one of the Disney parks and for just a little more than an average movie. For the past 30 plus years, the El Cap has offered a great place to see Disney features with a little bit extra of that Disney magic, including exhibits, photo ops, and even themed areas (done for huge franchises like TOY STORY and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN) during theatrical runs.
I’ve seen so many films at the El Capitan over the years, including SOLO and recently ETERNALS, which I profiled previously and you can read if you CLICK HERE. And I am old enough to remember seeing Tim Burton’s NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in theaters as a kid. So when the El Capitan Theatre offered a repertory screening of the now classic NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and I was in LA, I decided it was a must do.
You see, the theater regularly premieres Disney Studios films here (including Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel films) along with a repertory slate of Disney films that are played when there is no major release. They also have now offer an annual NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 4D presentation that runs in October along with a few other Disney Halloween classics including THE CORPSE BRIDE, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (Disney acquired Fox and now regularly showcases their films in the El Cap), and HOCUS POCUS. Today I went to a matinee screening of NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in 4D, their October and maybe annual marquee repertory offering to see what all the hype was about. And I was not disappointed.
A screening calendar and tickets for all El Capitan screenings can be purchased HERE at: https://elcapitantheatre.com.
Arrival
I arrived at the El Capitan about 20 minutes prior to showtime, which was honestly not enough time. When the El Capitan is doing a normal Disney film screening or even a less popular repertory screening, 20 minutes is more than enough time to get through through security (yes the El Cap has metal detectors) and to hit the concessions line, find your seat, and listen to the organist for a few minutes before curtain up.
That’s right, the El Capitan has both an organist and a “curtain show”. The organist regularly plays Disney tunes – both classics and those related to whatever is screening. And the curtain show offers a ceremonial opening of the curtain to reveal the movie screen. The El Capitan has six curtains that are opened, each ornately decorated, to a theme played over the theatre’s sound system. It is tough to verbally explain why this “curtain show” is so cool, but trust me, it is something to see and really gets you in the mood for the film.
Concessions
The concessions/snack bar line was out of control for this screening. While that is a bit of a bummer, I was happy to see the El Capitan so hopping, because I’ve had a few recent visits where the screening was attended by 50 or so people. And I often worry that the El Cap might not make it. But visiting during NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS week proved that it will be here for years to come. Anyway, the line ended up a 15 minute wait and I arrived at my seat just as the curtain show was kicking off.
One note, and another thing that makes the El Cap such a special place to visit: the concessions/snack bar offers treats and souvenirs that you can otherwise only get at Disney theme parks including Mickey Pretzels along with seasonal popcorn buckets like the much sough after Vampire Stitch Popcorn Bucket and Mickey in a Jack-O-Lantern Bucket and Donald Duck Candy Corn Sipper. They also have some treats you can ONLY get at the El Capitan like the Jack Skellington Donuts and Mummy pretzels that are being sold at the theater currently.
Photo Ops and Props
In addition to everything else the El Cap offers, they also have numerous NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS photo ops for the guests to pose with throughout the theatre lobby and in the basement area below the theatre which also featured props and costumes from some of the theatre’s current Halloween repertory offerings.
Accompanying Trailers and Shorts
As I made it to my seat with my popcorn (courtesy of the Mickey Jack-O-Lantern popcorn bucket), Mickey Pretzel (have to get one at the El Cap), Diet Coke, and licorice, the curtain show was just ending and the trailers began. There were two trailers: MOANA 2 and MUFASA (both of which will be arriving at the El Cap this holiday season). And before NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, Disney had the great insight to program the famous (and now iconic) Skeleton Dance short prior to NIGHTMARE which was really fun to see on the big screen.
Feature Presentation
NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS was presented in 4D – meaning in addition to being 3D, it also features projections, props, fog – and a few other surprises that occur inside of the theater. First, it was great to see the movie on the grand El Cap screen with great sound and great 3D projection (which can get very muddy at lesser theaters). The 4D effects were excellent and well worth it – and really added a dramatic punch at times, especially Jack’s welcome into Christmas Town and Oogie Boogie’s entrance. The audience was packed, laughing, and applauding at times. And it was wonderful to watch this great film with such a fun and packed audience. I would take a long concessions line any day if I could get this wonderful energy.
Conclusion
The El Capitan Theatre’s 4D presentation of THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS is absolutely worth it. Tickets currently cost $22 (with a $3 service charge if you buy online) – a price that is well worth the experience and the film presentation. Honestly that’s less than most IMAX or Dolby presentations at AMC or Regal – and the El Cap’s screen at least in terms of visual and audio output is competitive or better than both. Add in the concessions, the photo ops, the costumes, and ease of parking ($3 for 4 hours across the street at the Hollywood and Highland underground garage with validation) and the event is well worth your time and money. And if you are a die-hard NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS fan, it is an absolute must-do.
No Scoops Club 