It may look a little down-at-heels, but the Culver Plaza Theatres is a great place to maintain your reputation as a movie guru without breaking the bank. First-run hits show up fast enough that it's still cool to talk about them. Plus the five-plex screens some indies, foreign-language films and documentaries, as well as a steady stream of Bollywood hits. And it has air conditioning! It's not state-of-the-art, but the projection and sound are decent. What more can you expect for $7 ($6 matinees)? And it's located in the heart of Culver City's burgeoning downtown entertainment district, so you can use the money you save on a movie to check out the latest hot restaurant. Instant reputation boost. 9919 Washington Blvd., Culver City. (310) 836-5516, culverplazatheatres.com.

—Lisa Horowitz

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