The Alamo is (about to be) dead... Long Live the Alamo Drafthouse
In two more days, it will be the LAST of the Alamo Drafthouse. The original one, deep in the heart of downtown Austin.
The Alamo has a place deep in my heart. As a film geek, there are no better crowds than at the Alamo. Except, maybe, an Alamo SXSW crowd. Watching Elijah Wood gracefully handle being told an audience member was going to marry him was pretty cool (Hooligans world premiere). Seeing the fantastically funny Black Sheep at a midnight showing was pretty damned fun, right up there with The Rise of Leslie Vernon: Behind the Mask.
It took me a long time to get to the Alamo. A friend dragged me there with a group for a Mr. Sinus Theatre, for Top Gun... after weeks of seeing the trailers done as Gay film trailers, it was a must see. And it lived up to the hype. Most importantly, it was great crowd. And Food. And Beer. Both good.
The last few SXSW's I've planned my schedules around what played when at the Alamo. It's always a receptive, energetic crowd. On the rare times I needed to leave early, I've had bruises on my knees because the tables weren't very hight. I won't miss that at all. But I'll miss the feel of a urban space converted into something really funky. It reminded me of some converted spaces I've seen in NY and Boston... very organic and lots of energy. But every inch of it's Austin.
The Alamo is not like any other theater, anywhere. I can say that as a former Bostonian who used to go to Play it Again Sam's to catch classic flicks... through the smoky haze and decent pub food. That was just tables set up in a long room. The Alamo has taken it to a whole new level, no matter how many other pub-theaters open up.
The Alamo is so cool, a friend of mine always brings visitors to the Alamo whenever possible just to experience how cool it is. Entertainment Weekly knows it, and Premiere's raved about the Rolling Road Shows.
That's not to say I've experienced the full gamut of the Alamo extravaganza. I've regrettably missed out on a lot of the special events, because of conflicts, or the fact they sell out so fast.
That's OK... I got to drag friends to the Austin Film Society Essential Cinema Series several times, mainly for foreign language films my friends hadn't even heard of, but I'd wanted to see.
The last time I was at the Alamo (Downtown) was for an advanced Screening of Once, which came with a mini concert afterward.
As a friend in FL said... I'd kill to be at the last show... with a wrench, taking my seat with me at the end. What a night that will be! But it will live on, on two new screens, and at least I have the South Lamar Alamo to console me.
The Alamo has a place deep in my heart. As a film geek, there are no better crowds than at the Alamo. Except, maybe, an Alamo SXSW crowd. Watching Elijah Wood gracefully handle being told an audience member was going to marry him was pretty cool (Hooligans world premiere). Seeing the fantastically funny Black Sheep at a midnight showing was pretty damned fun, right up there with The Rise of Leslie Vernon: Behind the Mask.
It took me a long time to get to the Alamo. A friend dragged me there with a group for a Mr. Sinus Theatre, for Top Gun... after weeks of seeing the trailers done as Gay film trailers, it was a must see. And it lived up to the hype. Most importantly, it was great crowd. And Food. And Beer. Both good.
The last few SXSW's I've planned my schedules around what played when at the Alamo. It's always a receptive, energetic crowd. On the rare times I needed to leave early, I've had bruises on my knees because the tables weren't very hight. I won't miss that at all. But I'll miss the feel of a urban space converted into something really funky. It reminded me of some converted spaces I've seen in NY and Boston... very organic and lots of energy. But every inch of it's Austin.
The Alamo is not like any other theater, anywhere. I can say that as a former Bostonian who used to go to Play it Again Sam's to catch classic flicks... through the smoky haze and decent pub food. That was just tables set up in a long room. The Alamo has taken it to a whole new level, no matter how many other pub-theaters open up.
The Alamo is so cool, a friend of mine always brings visitors to the Alamo whenever possible just to experience how cool it is. Entertainment Weekly knows it, and Premiere's raved about the Rolling Road Shows.
That's not to say I've experienced the full gamut of the Alamo extravaganza. I've regrettably missed out on a lot of the special events, because of conflicts, or the fact they sell out so fast.
That's OK... I got to drag friends to the Austin Film Society Essential Cinema Series several times, mainly for foreign language films my friends hadn't even heard of, but I'd wanted to see.
The last time I was at the Alamo (Downtown) was for an advanced Screening of Once, which came with a mini concert afterward.
As a friend in FL said... I'd kill to be at the last show... with a wrench, taking my seat with me at the end. What a night that will be! But it will live on, on two new screens, and at least I have the South Lamar Alamo to console me.
Comments