As suggested by topspeed on the Episode III discussion, here's a thread for everyone to list out their favorite movie theaters and tell us what you like about them. I refrain from saying that any theater is the "best" because I've not visited a lot of theaters outside of California. In general, I tend to prefer old single screen theaters that have been appointed with more modern projection and sound equipment, but outside of L.A., I've found that to be an unfortunately rare combination. So, anyway here's my list of personal favorites.

S.F. Bay Area
Castro Theatre, San Francisco - Probably the grandest single screen theater left in San Francisco. S.F. has lost 30 neighborhood theaters (most of them single screen) since 1980, and this is the only one that I see with a certain future. Most of my other favorite theaters in the city like the Coronet, Alhambra, and North Point have sadly shut down the last few years, as megaplexes have moved in.

The Castro itself has very ornate architecture, huge auditorium with a balcony, and generally receptive and knowledgeable audiences. Plus, the theater has a restored Wurlitzer pipe organ that plays before the movies begin -- worth the price of admission by itself. The theater program is a combination of revival, film festivals, first run art house fare, and offbeat stuff -- all of it scheduled on a printed three-month calendar. Drawbacks are bad acoustics and a sound system installed with a huge space behind the screen that creates plenty of echo. Very difficult to follow non-subtitled movies because the dialog is so unintelligible.

Grand Lake, Oakland - Another old single screen theater that has a loyal enough audience to keep going for at least a little while. To stay viable, the theater's balcony section was converted into a second auditorium, and two smaller auditoriums were added along the side. This theater plays first run features with occasional revival festivals, and has a Wurlitzer pipe organ that plays on weekends, but it also has sound problems. Terrence has worked on this theater and said that the acoustics are to blame because the sound now bounces off of the wall that was constructed when they converted the upper balcony into another auditorium.

Jack London Theaters, Oakland - generic multiplex, but it uses European high back seats and has a conventional seating configuration to go with a THX certified sound systems. Other newer megaplexes in the area also have THX auditoriums, but the steep stadium seating configuration detracts from the surround effect IMO.

Century 21, San Jose - Classic wood frame dome built in 1964 with amphitheater-style seating for 800 and a deeply curved Cinerama screen. Served as the prototype for a string of dome-style theaters that Century built across California -- most of which have since been demolished. Decent sound system with weird acoustics. Big screen, but the curved Cinerama screen was replaced by a more conventional flat screen during a renovation, which has its tradeoffs.

Los Angeles area theaters
Mann Village, Westwood Village - My personal favorite. No matter how many other theaters I've tried, this seems to always be the one that I go back to. Best combination of grand architecture and state-of-the-art presentation. 1,400 seat auditorium with a balcony, 60'+ wide screen, and one of the first THX installations back when the certification meant something. The management was so proud of the sound system that they used to have lighted sign in the lobby that listed out all of the equipment that they used in their monstrous creation! Projection quality is consistently outstanding (I've read that the Village uses a real silver screen), and bass is powerful and deep without sounding strained like it does at a lot of multiplexes. (The subwoofer uses a custom enclosure that required ripping out the front three seating rows to install) No coincidence that this is where studios frequently have their premieres and screenings.

Crest Theater, Westwood Village - Westwood is full of top notch single screen theaters that would be star attractions in most towns. The Mann Bruin and Mann National are larger more celebrated theaters, but this single screen gem has more of small town feel, albeit with top notch presentation quality. 600 seat auditorium with fluorescent murals celebrating old Hollywood that glow like neon signs when the lights go down, and classic streamline moderne architectural details. A local movie buff bought this theater when the Pacific Theater chain abandoned it a few years ago. This is one of the few independently owned theaters left in Southern California, and one of only two independent single screen theaters I know of that offer both distinctive buildings and good presentation (the Vista in Los Feliz Village is the other).

Grauman's Chinese, Hollywood - The most famous theater around, with grandly ornate surroundings, huge 1,100 seat auditorium, 60' wide screen, and very good presentation quality. Despite recent upgrades and renovations, I still think that the Mann Village still has better presentation quality. But, this is THE Chinese Theater!

Cinerama Dome/Arclight Theaters, Hollywood - Classic dome architecture with the huge curved Cinerama screen. Recent renovations upgraded the sound system, made huge improvements to the acoustics, and added two additional projection booths that now allow the Dome to show three-strip Cinerama movies. Seeing an action pic on a Cinerama screen can give a sensation of motion if you're seated in the middle of the row. The renovation also added a 12-screen multiplex next door along with a new lobby area that has bar service. The multiplex hosts frequent seminars and retrospectives, and the auditoriums are setup like screening rooms with a reputation for outstanding sound and projection quality. The service at this theater is the best I've ever seen and all seating is reserved, but the ticket prices are also the highest I've paid. One side benefit to this though is that the audiences tend to be more serious moviegoers (i.e. no cell phones going of, no audience chatter, fewer rude teenagers, etc.).

Silent Movie Theatre, Hollywood - Very unique theater in that it predominantly shows silent movies. But, it's also a nice small-scale theater in its own right. The site of an infamous murder a few years ago that killed the former owner. New owner bought the property and renovated the theater. Not sure how well the theater is doing because they only show movies on Monday nights now.