Palm Desert Theater A Desert Gem

The mall came to Palm Desert when I was barely a teen. For the first time we had a major mall in the desert with an ice-skating rink and movie theater.

Back then it was called the Palm Desert Town Center and it was the only place in the valley where teens could go hang out in the summer. The arcade was always chock full of youngsters playing air hockey, skee ball and Frogger. The movie theater also provided hours of entertainment.

Today, the mall is more about trendy retail and navigating a food court to get to the major department stores on either side, but the movie theater is truly one of our valley’s hidden gems.

It is the only place on this side of the valley where one can get a glimpse of culture in the form of the independent, art house, foreign, documentary, experimental or classic film at the .

Rancho Mirage movie producer Alise Benjamin and her husband Andreas Mauritzson alongside Steve Mason, a nationally-known broadcast personality, created the theater, named after a Cannes Film Festival grand prize. Injecting the desert cultural scene with flicks we used to have to drive to Los Angeles to see has been a welcome addition.

There are also some mainstream films every once in a while for the more sophisticated palate like the recent Woody Allen flick "Midnight in Paris."

Local interior designer Jeffrey Jurasky designed the interiors to look more like a café lobby and gourmet popcorn is served along with multiple flavored toppings and beer and wine. Sandwiches, desserts and cappuccino are also non-traditional offerings at the snack bar.

A highlight that I particularly like is when special events are offered surrounding the films like this weekend’s Saturday showing of "Beautiful Boy," after which Director Shawn Ku will be on hand for a question and answer session.

For upcoming schedules and events, visit online.