Los Angeles, California, may be the centre of the movie industry, but it hasn't had a true center for movies. You can visit the TCL Chinese Theater to see famous handprints, the stars of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and take a celebrity home tour. It can also be fun to visit movie studios such as Warner Bros. and Universal. There are no places for movie fans to visit if they don't have the Planet Hollywood restaurant, which has a lot of valuable artifacts and building blocks that were used to make their films.
Hollywood needed a museum. It was authoritative and definitive. A place where history lives in today's present. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures opened on September 30, after almost a decade of preparations. This beautiful new structure, designed by architect Renzo piano, is located adjacent to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the famous La Brea Tar Pits. It allows you to see a real Rosebud sled, the Dudes robes from The Big Lebowski, Furiosas arm in Mad Max: Fury Road and many other cinematic wonders. This is a paradise for movie lovers and will soon be a top-notch destination for movie enthusiasts.
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io9/Gizmodo attended a preview event at the museum where board members, including Oscar-winner Tom Hanks, spoke about how the museum would transport fans to incredible places until the end. Although it sounds exaggerated at first, once you begin to explore all four floors, the magic becomes real. It is an overwhelming, beautiful experience that offers so many amazing things. You will need to spend three days just to see and experience everything. Two sections are divided the 300,000-square-foot museum. The Saban Building houses most of the gallery exhibitions and the David Geffen Theater is the other section. Piano asked his fans not to call it a Death Star. He suggested that they might be a zeppelin or spaceship, but he did not specify what. It will be connected by an above-ground tunnel and can hold 1,000 people.
Pair of ruby slippers, from The Wizard of Oz. Photo courtesy io9/Germain Orson Welles. Citizen Kane's Rosebud Scene was shot twice. The first shot didn't suit him, so he tried the second. There were three sleds made. This is the third. Steven Spielberg owns it. Photo courtesy io9/Germain Luzier Enter the Dragon: Bruce Lee's costume. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Luzier. A room full of Oscars. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Lussier Advertisement. You can skip a ad after one second. You can continue to the next slide after one second. Continue An actual Oscar was given for Best Visual Effects in Star Wars. Photo courtesy io9/Germain Lussier Charlize Theron wore the top arm on Mad Max: Fury Road. The bottom arm was used for visual effects. Photo courtesy io9/Germain Luzier Zhang Ziyis costume, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Lussier The May Queen outfit by Midsommer. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Lussier Advertisement. You can skip the ad after 1 sec. You can continue to the next slide after 1 sec. Continue Screen-used prosthetics and hats from The Wizard of Oz. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Luzier Spike Lees customized-framed Jurassic Park one sheet, signed by Spielberg. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Lussier 1 / 10.
Upon entering the space, the names of each area are one of the first things that you notice. The Spielberg Family Gallery, Sidney Poitier Grand Lobby and Shirley Temple Education Studio are just a few of the many areas. In some ways, the museum is a gift from Hollywood for fans who have watched its films over so many years. It was made possible by many, many generous donations from celebrities (see a full list here). This theme is evident throughout the museum. For example, you will notice that the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz were bought with part funds from Steven Spielberg and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. Pedro Almodovar and Spike Lee contributed to the exhibits about their careers and works. Private collectors, film studios, directors of popular films, and others also contributed props and mementos. It is clear that the film community saw a need for this place and was willing to make it happen.
The museum's 30,000-square-foot, three-floor Story of Cinema exhibition is the center of attention. It spans the entire history of cinema, as well as the scope of filmmaking. Although some sections are a bit disjointed, they are all still spectacular. The Rosebud sled, which Spielberg lent to Bruce Lee from Enter the Dragon, is located on the second floor. It is next to a presentation on Oscar-winning editor Thelma Scoonmaker. This connects to a section about the Academy Awards themselves that includes actual Oscar statues from all years.
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You can then enter Spike Lee's room. It is highlighted by many posters and art that inspired his career. He has, for example, screen-used costumes from Do The Right Thing and a Jurassic Park poster that Spielberg signed. A huge Michael Jordan poster is also personalized. The Lee's room leads to a full room dedicated The Wizard of Oz (including the ruby slippers), which then leads to a room about costumes, makeup, where you can see Russell Crowes Gladiator outfit, Lupita Nyongos Us costume, and the Midsommer May Queen dress. This is all amazing and I'm only scratching the surface of the details. However, the flow between rooms didn't always feel cohesive.
You can see the fourth floor where you will find a shark that was used to create Jaws. Photo courtesy io9/Germain Luzier. This is the actual nose that Danny DeVito wore in Batman Returns. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Luzier A costume that was used in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Photo courtesy io9/Germain Luzier Alien head worn in original film. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Lussier Advertisement. You can skip an ad after one second. You can continue to the next slide after one second. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Luzier The museum contains many pieces from The Dark Crystal. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Lussier A cabinet devoted to visual inspirations: The Abyss and Avatar, Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Lussier A model that was used by animators to create Bambi. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Lussier Advertisement. You can skip an ad after one second. You can continue Wallace and Gromit from A Close Shave. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Lussier Multiple head sculpts taken from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Luzier 1 / 10.
The third floor is a bit more focused. The Stories of Cinema section contains large sections that are dedicated to animation, special effects and creature design. This section is a must-see for sci-fi lovers. It houses original cells from Akira and head molds from The Nightmare Before Christmas. You can also see Danny DeVitos Penguin nose in Batman Returns. You will also find life-sized props and costumes from 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Dark Crystal. You can see some of them in the photos. Some are almost charmingly, but others are so good that you would swear they were made yesterday.
The museum's inaugural temporary exhibition, based on Hayao Miyazaki films, is located at the fourth floor. It will be open until June 5, 2022. This is the museum's first retrospective of his work in North America. It's worth the admission alone if you love movies such as My Neighbor Totoro and Kikis Delivery Service. Many rooms contain storyboards and paintings as well as miniatures, animation cells, posters, and posters. You can interact with a magical tree and you can even lay down and gaze up at animated clouds just as you would in one of his films. The stunningly beautiful animations brought these animated masterpieces to life almost made me weep. Although photos were not permitted inside this exhibit, below are some images that were made available to the press.
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An imageboard for My Neighbor Totoro. Image courtesy Studio Ghibli Layout. Kikis Delivery Service. Image courtesy Studio Ghibli Imageboard Porco Rosso. Image : Studio Ghibli Production image board for Howls Moving Castle. Image : Studio Ghibli Advertisement. You can skip the ad after 1 sec. You can continue to the next slide after 1 sec. Continue Production imageboard by Ponyo. Image : Studio Ghibli Panorama photo of the Miyazaki exhibition. Photo courtesy of io9/Germain Luzier 1 / 6.
This would be enough, but there's more at the Academy Museum. The Path to Cinema is a gallery that focuses on pre-cinematic storytelling tools and how they lead to the modern movie. Backdrop: An invisible Art is an ode of matte painting. It features a two-story tall image of Mount Rushmore, which Alfred Hitchcock used for North by Northwest. For $15 more, you can also sign up for The Oscars Experience. This is a fun interactive experience that allows you to hold an actual Oscar and pretend you have won it. You will receive a short, shareable video to use on social media. It's worth sharing a funny video with your friends or to experience the joy of holding an Oscar. It is probably okay to skip if you don't use social media.
I felt dizzy as I left the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. It was almost impossible to find enough information after spending two hours exploring its many corners. It was amazing to see so many items that are related to so many of the things I love in one place. And it was all done with the same care and respect I give other film lovers. Are there any criticisms? Yes. It is possible to find the layouts confusing and disjointed in some exhibits. It is clear that although most film eras are represented well, there are still large gaps. There are some films that feel overrepresented, and it is possible that a few of your favorite films won't make it. While some rooms may be suitable for younger children, most of the museum's contents are best suited for older film fans. Perhaps most important, I was there alone, which would have made the experience even more enjoyable.
However, I can't wait to return to film history and explore more. It was an amazing experience to spend time in film history. I want more. The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures is a must-see if you're in Los Angeles. Doors open again on September 30th. Tickets are $25 for adults, $19 per senior, $15 for students, free for anyone 17 years and under. You can reserve them and make reservations only at the museum website. Reservations are not required at the moment, but they will be made available in the near future.
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Update 9.22/2021 at 7:50 pm ET: We have added the closing date for the Miyazaki exhibition and information about walk-up tickets.
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