TCL Chinese Theatre

Nicht zu übersehen und weltberühmt ist das TCL Chinese Theatre am Hollywood Boulevard mit seinen27 Meter hohen roten Säulen. Das im Jahre 1927 eröffnete Kino sieht wie eine chinesische Pagode aus mit seinem geschwungenen Bronzedach und vielen Originalteilen aus China.
Das imposante Gebäude wurde von Sid Graumann gebaut und hat dann in der Folgezeit mehrmals den Namen und den Besitzer gewechselt. Am Anfang war das Kino neben einem Saal für 2.200 Zuschauer noch mit einem Orchester und eine Showbühne ausgestattet, da die Planung für den Bau vor dem Durchbruch des Tonfilms stattgefunden hatten. Danach wurde immer wieder umgebaut, dazu gebaut und abgerissen. Im Jahre 1994 wurde das mittlerweile denkmalgeschützte Gebäude durch ein Erdbeben schwer beschädigt und musste aufwendig renoviert werden.
Das TCL Chinese Theatre befindet sich unmittelbar am Hollywood Highland Center und ist bekannt für die Zementplatten, wo sich viele berühmte Filmstars mit ihren Hand– und Schuhabdrücken auf dem Innenhof verewigt haben. Es war wirklich ein großer Spaß die vielen Namen und deren Hand– und Schuhabdrücke zu entdecken.
Dabei kann man auch die eine oder andere Kuriosität entdecken, wie Hufabdrücke von einigen bekannten Pferden, die Revolver von William S. Hart und Roy Rogers und die Zauberstäbe von Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson und Rupert Grint. Michel Jackson wurde erst nach seinem Tod dort geehrt und seine Kinder Prince, Paris und Prince II hatten im Jahre 2012 stellvertretend Abdrücke mit seinen Schuhen und dem berühmten Glitzerhandschuh angebracht.
Seit dem Jahre 2013 wird das Kino als I MAX Kino genutzt und verfügt über 932 Plätze. Allerdings kommen die Filmfans, so wie wir, hauptsächlich wegen den Abdrücken im Eingangsbereich des Kinos. Gehört sicherlich zu den Highlights eines Besuchs in Hollywood.

I’ve seen several movies here. The main theater is phenomenal — I saw Star Wars and Interstellar and the quality was incredible.
However I went last year during the horror movie festival in one of the smaller theaters upstairs. They get 1 star because of concessions– there’s no delicate way to put this so here. I found pubic hair in my popcorn.
I asked to speak with the manager and she gave me a new popcorn. But I barely touched it. Appetite ruined. A young staff, sh* happens. But never getting concessions if I ever decide to venture back here again.

This is the most famous movie theatre in the world.
This movie theatre is famous for hosting movie premieres of classic films such as King Kong (1933), The Wizard of Oz (1939), and the first ever Star Wars film (1977).
This theatre still hosts movie premieres; where you can see the stars arrive in person on the red carpet
This theatre is also famous for its forecourt where you can see handprints and footprints of stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Will Smith, Jackie Chan, Michael Jackson, and more.
Outside of the theatre, there’s so many things going on. It’s crowded with tourists taking pictures and putting their hands and feet on the handprints and footprints
There’s also protesters and people walking around in costumes, hoping a tourist will pay them to take a picture with them.
You’ll also encounter inspiring musicians (mostly rappers) asking you to buy their CD.
Now, let’s talk about the name of this building. This used to be called «Grauman’s Chinese Theatre,» which was named after Sid Grauman, the creator of this iconic building. Then in 1973, it was renamed «Mann’s Chinese Theatre,» when it was purchased by Thomas Mann, owner of the now bankrupt Mann movie theatre chain. In 2001, it was renamed back to «Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.»
Then in 2013, TCL corporation, a Chinese electronics company bought the naming rights of this movie theatre. So now its official name is «TCL Chinese Theatre.» It’s interesting because a Chinese company is now affiliated with this iconic Chinese themed theatre
People still refer to it as «Grauman’s Chinese Theatre» however.
Now aside from movie premiers, the handprints, footprints, and the eccentric people hanging around, this move theatre is also famous for its IMAX theatre. It has a gigantic screen with amazing sound systems. It has the largest seating capacity of any IMAX theatre in the world. It can hold more than a thousand people. It’s a perfect theatre to watch those big budget Hollywood films with those crazy special effects.
So, when you’re in Hollywood, a visit here is a must. It was declared a historic-​cultural landmark in 1968!

First thing is that it’s S O HUGE!!! hehe
Very Unique first of all — outside — all the sculptures in a Chinese manner and prints of stars (old and new). And very luxurious inside — red velvet curtains and color tones around, everything massive and made look like rich and expensive.
Friendly and polite staff ready to show the seat and explain and help with anything.
Prices are a lil bit high, but for the such special place, for this GIANT screen, cozy seats and blowing and shaking you-​with-​your-​seat sound — it’s pretty reasonable!
Special words again about the curtains covering the screen and directly this unbelievably big screen!
For some big premiers — it’s good to go!!!

Addition to my older review.
Just to be clear, this IMAX 3D is different than the ones at the movie multi-​plexs. It’s called IMAX Laser 3D and the glasses feel like real sunglasses. They are heavy. They don’t fit over all glasses (whereas I’ve never had any trouble with the headband cheap kind at the multi-​plex IMAX theaters).
My eyes are terrible. And I wore my glasses. I basically had to talk myself out of a panic attack because I was digging into my blackhole of a purse (which incidentally holds just about any random thing) for an extra pair of contacts. I normally have them in there, so after searching intensely, I did find them. But with assigned seating and the women’s restroom all the way on the other side of the theater, I was in a pickle — the movie was just starting and my friends wasn’t back with our sodas yet! Well, my eyes have been terrible since I was eight years old, so luckily I was fine changing contact lens in the dark… LOL!
If you have contacts, wear them. Or bring a pair… just in case.

One of the famous landmark in Hollywood, expect crowds every time visit. Parking is always not easy here.

This iconic building recently had an enhancement. While maintaining the original historical value, they upgraded and preserved the property. The sidewalk out front still remains the same.

Amazing.
I love this theater. Forget all the cool history behind it, which is pretty cool, this is hands down the best screen I’ve ever seen.
3D Laser IMAX. The laser aspects for the IMAX projection is a legitimate game changer in viewing films. While most 3D projections suffer from some loss of brightness, here not only is there not a loss of brightness, but even with the 3D glasses it’s still the brightest projection I’ve seen. You notice details you simply miss or can’t see at other theaters.
This is now my go-​to for movies that demand to be seen in the biggest and best screen around. It’s worth the annoying Hollywood and Highland crowd to have the best theater experience around. And the reserved seating makes the experience even better.
The staff is pretty friendly– the managers are the only ones who don’t seem as eager to help. But the rest of the staff is great. And they do a very good job of making sure the theater is clean.
Go out of your way to see a movie here. It’s worth it.

This is the best theater I have been in. Terms of picture quality, décor and seating.
I watched star wars on the IMAX 3D which is the only theater I have been in.
The walk of stars is kinda neat but the crowds are densely obnoxious on the weekends. I prob won’t come around because of that.

One time I was late for a screening of Star Wars and I tripped on Michael Jackson’s handprint on the way in. I don’t really know if that can happen anywhere else.

First time at this theater. Came here to see Star Wars: The Force Awakens in IMAX 3D. The theater is old but it has a lot of history. Loved walking by and seeing the stars footprints etc in front of the theater. It was sad that those without a ticket couldn’t see the stars footprints as it was fenced off.
Saw on-​line that this theater was renovated a few years ago. Loved the new seats. It was very comfortable and they had cup holders. Liked stadium seating here and you can easily walk to/​from your seats without having to stand up to let someone go by. Theater inside was very big. Saw on-​line it had around 900 seats. The IMAX screen is one of the larger IMAX screen. Also liked that they have reserved seating so you don’t have to get to the theater early to get your seats. The tickets were $ 19/​ticket for a matinée showing but it was well worth it. There’s a parking structure here and I saw that parking is $ 2 with validation. We avoided all that and took the red line metro there. There is a metro station here at Hollywood/​Highland. Will definitely be coming back here again.

I love to go to Hollywood Blvd and visit Grauman’s Chinese Theater whenever a blockbuster film is released.
The design inside the auditorium is spectacular, and when the giant curtain opens and closes, it’s a show in and of itself. I’m not sure if they do it anymore, but the curtain used to close at the end of the final trailer and open for the opening of the feature, simply for show.
It’s not cheap for a ticket, but certainly not expensive either. I still would see as many big «event films» here on opening weekend with a sold out crowd. With regard to watching films, there isn’t much that can top the experience of watching a new movie with a thousand others who are all on the edge of their seat.
If you are not into film, I would suggest stopping by just to see the footprints and the façade and get a glance of all the people dressed in costumes who walk along Hollywood Blvd for the tourists. But if you are into film, The Chinese Theatre is a must at least once in your life. Even if it’s a crappy movie on a slow weekday, check it out, but if you can watch an event film, it’s totally worth the experience!

Horrible attitude from Jessica at the counter. We saw tar wars and left. I forgot to validate and she would not validate for us saying but she couldn’t do it unless we had our tickets where’s the customer service when you come and pay so much money to see a movie here

Came here on 12÷29÷15 to catch the 10:45PM Star Wars show at the IMAX theater.
$ 19.00 for adults and slightly less for students.
My siblings and I went to purchase our tickets roughly 5 hours before the show and most of the good seats were already taken. By good seats, I’m referring to the center section towards the back on the first floor. The theater staff told us to arrive at 10PM to line up. We arrived at 10:15 and within a few minutes, there was a long line behind us.
Popcorn and soda were also more expensive than your average movie theater. A large popcorn and two medium sodas cost $ 17.00. They serve butter at another area. The butter machine is child proof! You hold the button for ten seconds and butter will automatically dispense until you release the button.
I didn’t realize how close our seats were until I entered the auditorium. I had trouble adjusting my eyes to the screen since it was so big! TCL Theater has the largest IMAX auditorium in the world and the 5^th largest screen in the world.
If you’re into movies and have the skill to notice the difference in graphics and sound quality, make time to stop by and see a movie!

A group of us saw Star Wars here on opening weekend. The Chinese Theater’s IMAX experience is incredible and completely worth the price for big movies! It was $ 19/​ticket and was assigned seating, which is really nice because you don’t have to get there super early to get your preferred spot. Regarding seating, although the screen is humongous, the seats in the front are actually not as close as they look online. We decided against those seats when booking online because we thought they would be too close, but when we arrived, we realized they actually weren’t ridiculously close (like regular theaters’ front seats are). We sat on the side in the middle-​ish section and were very happy with the seats. Really, I doubt there’s a bad seat in the whole place given the size of the screen.
Besides being one of the best screens in the country, the actual theater is really cool and has beautiful designs inside. They also have displays out for whichever movie is showing in IMAX. For Star Wars, they had the costumes on display, as well as a few droids.
I’m not sure if it works this way for all movies, but when we went, they had people form a «line» (more of a gaggle) several yards in front of the entrance and they let people with tickets in closer groups at a time. Then, we went through a metal detector. The process went pretty quickly, though.
There’s a parking structure right near the theater and the theater validates up to a certain amount. I think our ticket was $ 2 in the end. The validation scanner is at the concession stand.
We would definitely go back for another blockbuster (Star Trek!) …oh yeah! And you can check out the hand/​footprints while you’re there. That’s convenient (=

I picked this theater to see Star Wars because I wanted it to be an EPIC experience with the best quality in picture and sound. I was very pleased to see that it was not too crowded despite it’s busy location. My wife kept going on about how the IMAX theater in London was much bigger but I tuned her out and took in the surroundings of this beautiful theater.
What I liked:
— Comfortable seating
— IMAX lazer 3D provided the best picture I have seen thus far, incredible!
— Sound was like nothing I have heard before (I counted more than 40 speakers)
— Validated parking at the snack bar
— The detail and design of the theater was amazing!
— Costumes from the movie in the lobby
— 3D glasses were comfortable and sleek vs. the big cheesy yellow 3D glasses that dig into the side of your head while seeing an IMAX film
— Friendly staff
— Seeing a film in a theater that had character vs. a commercial chain that feels plastic and reminds me of a revolving door (seat, watch and get out)
— Pricing comparable to other IMAX theaters
Things I didn’t like:
umm not much???
— 3D glasses lenses could have been a little more clean and clear
— late guest disturbing my movie but the theater has little control over that
Things I would like to see:
— Kettle popcorn and maybe a few more choices at the snack bar
Final verdict:
I loved it!!! I would love to come back to see another great film as it was intended to be seen.

Never been impressed with the tourist-​trappy bits in Hollywood but when the kid and I have a blockbuster to see, we come here.
First, it’s nice to get out of the warm, safe cocoon of SaMo, and second, this theater is simply the best. Killer seats. Sound. Great ambiance. Love all of the retro bits in the lobby.
Drinks upstairs, if you need to get your funk on before the show starts and there’s actually a cute little sandwich shop in the mall part if you’re hungry for a proper snack before the show. (They have specialty desserts in a glass case — can’t miss it.)
Or if you really have some extra time on your hands, stop at one of my fave bars, Boardner’s (where you can park, too) just up the road and grab some fabulousness before you rock on over. Or nightcap after!

Face it, «TCL» doesn’t have a ring to it. Let’s stop kidding ourselves and go back to calling you Grauman’s. Your new name is hereby Grauman’s.
With that said, Grauman’s is an amazing venue to see any movie. Soaking in Hollywood history, Grauman’s is that theater with all the celebrity handprints in cement surrounding its entrance. Many movies have premiered here, including a small little sci-​fi flick called Star Wars. Now nearly 40 years later after its initial release, my inner nerd was given the opportunity to totally geek out during the opening weekend of The Force Awakens.
So was it worth it? Absolutely. However, if it were a spontaneous, unplanned movie trip on a random weekend, it wouldn’t have been. Grauman’s is way too crowded and tickets exceed the normal movie-​going price (more on that later). Instead, it’s the perfect venue for that movie you’ve had your eye on for weeks in advance and want to see in the best picture quality possible.
Let’s start with the tickets – seats are reserved online. If you get them weeks in advance, you’ll have access to any seat in the house. My girlfriend bought tickets a month prior for The Force Awakens and we basically got center row tickets in the back of the theater. When movie day came around, despite the crazy LA traffic we battled on the 101 and later finding ourselves at wit’s end trying to find parking, there was peace in mind knowing we had somewhere to sit at least. Essentially one less thing to worry about.
Now with that said, tickets do get pretty expensive. About $ 20 a pop. Why the fuss then? While Grauman’s is fading from age on the outside, all of it’s glitz and glamour lies within. With the recent remodeling of its interior, Grauman’s now houses the largest 3D IMAX theatre in the world. That’s great if you think size matters, but to top it off they are the only American theatre to showcase their movies in IMAX laser projection – the equivalent of HD resolution for movies, as IMAX would want you to believe. I imagine this level of clarity would be subtle depending on which movie you saw, but for a movie like Star Wars which oozes in special effects, the picture quality actually seemed cleaner and crisper. Previous movies I’ve seen have sometimes used 3D to gimmicky effect, making characters seem like cardboard cutouts from a 3^rd-​grader diorama instead. Grauman’s laser projection, however, was the first time I actually felt immersed in the movie after donning those dorky 3D glasses. Amazing stuff.
As for the venue itself, Grauman’s auditorium feels enormous, like you’re stepping into an opera house for the first time. They even have balcony seating, although it was off-​limits for us during our viewing. At full capacity the auditorium seats nearly 1000 people, but it still has the same intimacy of a normal movie theater when the lights are dimmed. Outside the theater, there’s a small lobby where you can buy all your concession goodies. As a side note, because Grauman’s is steeped in Star Wars history, they actually had display cases of various costumes from previous movies outside in the lobby to gawk at. Not sure if they do this for every movie premier, but it was pure, unadultered geekiness for me.
Finally, with a venue like Grauman’s, you’re actually paying for the crowd you attend with too. Getting those movie goosebumps just feels better among fans. On the night we went, there was an even mix of all-​out cosplaying stormtroopers and Darth Vaders along with your causal fans as well. Regardless of where you fell on the Star Wars fan continuum, there was a certain nerdy solidarity among everyone as the movie went on, from laughing at the same references to applauding all the cameo appearances.
With enough planning and foresight, Grauman’s is perfect for seeing that anticipated movie premier you’d been obsessing about for months on over. For everything else, you might save yourself time by going to AMC instead.

This is a 15 – 30 minute stop on your walk on Hollywood Blvd to people watch.
For 15 – 30 minutes, its a good investment of your time. This is not an all day stop.

This place has gone through several name changes but it remains an iconic piece of Hollywood history. The courtyard area is full of concrete handprints and signatures from various celebrities and a lot of movie premieres are held here. The theatre itself is beautiful, both from the outside and the inside. The theatre lobby also has items from past movies, whether it is a costume or some memorabilia in a display case.
If you have not seen a movie here yet, I highly recommend coming here for something you want to see in IMAX. Their screen is huge and the seating is pretty comfortable. I’ve seen the second and third Hobbit films here in IMAX HFR and it was pretty amazing to watch. No matter what, it is definitely a memorable experience to watch a movie here.
And parking is pretty easy – just use the Hollywood/​Highland structure and TCL will validate the parking ticket.

I’ve never had an issue with this theater. I’ve seen their iMax 3D screen which is HUGE and has comfortable seats. They have a bar and their other screens have little tables with couches in the front which is nice. The parking structure only charges $ 2 (you can get your ticket validated as well) and it’s right on Hollywood blvd. where people dress up as batman, superman, etc. and you can take pictures with them. You’ll also see the Hollywood stars strewn across the floor as you walk around.
I also like the fact that the name TCL is the same as my initials (not in exact order but nevertheless close enough).
If you’re from out of town I would highly suggest you catch a movie in their iMax screen. Tickets are pricey but it’s definitely worth checking out.

First of all, I never realized they renamed the theater. Either way, I still call it Grauman’s. I’ve never been inside of the theater to watch a movie or any type of event, however I’ve been outside enough times to know that this area is rampant with tourists. And sadly I’m a tourist myself. Even though it’s a foot traffic nightmare, it’s a must-​see attraction at least once in your life due to its iconic status.
The space outside of the theater where all the hand prints of celebrities are imprinted onto the pavement is always crowded with people posing for pictures and rarely will you see it empty during the day. In addition to the tourists, there are plenty of street performers, celebrity impersonators and other sketchy folks looking to make a dollar off your photos with them. As a tourist, I say look for your favorite celebrities hand prints, get your photos in quickly and get out. It’s not an area you want to linger around. With that said, it’s a great spot to buy LA souvenirs though with plenty of shops lining the Blvd., with a few big ones on corners.

We got some gift certificates from The Chinese Theater which actually ended up being a little bit more of a chore than a gift. Let me explain:
The gift certificates came in $ 5 increments, which we were not able to use online to book movie tickets. On a Saturday night, unless you arrive very early, it was impossible to get good seats guaranteed without booking online. Annoying! So we changed our plans and went for a Sunday matinée. Getting to the theater is a pain because it’s in the most touristy part of the city. The line at the theater was not well managed either, with only one attendant selling tickets.
Finally, we got our seats and headed in. The rows and seats are not labeled clearly. This is sad! I’m in my 20s and couldn’t read the sections/​seat numbers, I can’t imagine an elderly person trying to do so. This definitely needs to be fixed, everyone we met was confused and couldn’t find their seats.
However, once you get past all the inconveniences of getting to The Chinese Theater, waiting in line and paying, and playing the major guessing game of trying to find your seat, it’s an amazing movie experience. The digital projection looks absolutely stunning. And the Dolby ATMOS sound makes you feel like you’re in the film! What a great venue to experience the magic of the cinema, in the most historic place to do it.
So all in all, expect it to be a pain to get to, but once you’re there, you’re golden.

This is a cool place to visit if you’ve never been. It’s located on Hollywood Boulevard right next to Hollywood & Highland (Shopping) Center. Now known as TCL Chinese Theatre (aka Mann’s Chinese Theatre and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre), this place is a historical Hollywood landmark.
Outside of the theatre, which they’ve recently renovated to IMAX, you’ll find concrete squares of signatures, shoe/​foot prints, and hand prints of famous celebrities (past and present). There must be easily over one hundred of them.
Since this place is well known, it is quite crowded and full of tourists. Along with that are the people that are hustling to make money. People dressed up in costumes or as impersonators that accept «donations» to take pictures with them. Then there are people selling things (such as CDs) and street performers (bucket drummers, dancers, singers, etc).
I came up here a few months ago when we decided to mark off some Los Angeles bucket list sites. I’ve heard that this IMAX theatre is pretty cool, but my party didn’t feel like catching a movie. I would like to return someday just to watch a movie in this place. We ended up checking out the Hollywood Walk of Fame and exploring Hollywood & Highland (Shopping) Center.
For the historical value and cool factor, this place is worth visiting. The only negative are all the hustlers. I mean I respect the hustle (people have to make a living)… I just don’t like the people that are really pushy or rude.

I must confess. My recent trip to Los Angeles was not my first. When I visited this Chinese Theater, I had feelings of deja vu. When I got back home to Hawaii, I asked my mom if we had been there before — yes! When I was ten years old, my sisters, my mom, grandma, and I visited the Mann’s Chinese Theater.
Many years have passed since that time. It is now called TCL Chinese Theater. My Unilocal friends and I didn’t go inside, but we stayed outside and looked at all of the hand and footprints on the ground, in the cement, at the front. Some of the ones that I liked the best were Star Wars, Star Trek, Michael Jackson, and Sidney Portier.
It was quite crowded and busy with many tourists like us, wandering around, looking at the ground… and trying to avoid the guys selling/​promoting their CDs… haha! Maybe some day we’ll be back and have time to see a movie inside! That would really be epic!