If places have souls, I think the Alamo Drafthouse and I are soulmates. I have never been to a theater like this before, and after having now been twice, I can't imagine going to another theater to watch a movie.

I don't want this post to sound like I'm some kind of elitist, but most every other theater I've ever been to now seems stale and fake in hindsight.

First off, children below 18 are not allowed unless they are with an adult. I don't even think I should have to expand on this, so I won't do too much.

Before the movie starts, you're not staring at advertisements for 20 minutes. Instead of the usual slide show filled with Coca-Cola advertisements and easy as pie trivia questions, you get to watch something relevant to the movie you’re watching. Last night, we saw “Two for the Money” which is about sports betting. So before that sports related movie, they showed old school NFL themed videos on running back Jim Brown, followed by clips of famous football bloopers. I know, it doesn’t seem like much, but it really does make the time go by fast until your movie starts.

Before they show the trailers for upcoming movies, they show advertisements. I’m not talking about advertisements for Pepsi or commercials showing the exploits of the Fantanas, they show advertisements about upcoming geek fests at the Alamo Drafthouse.

Some examples of upcoming events are:

- Michael Jackson sing-along. They show tons of old school MJ videos with the lyrics below so the audience can sing along.

- 100 Greatest Kill Scenes. “Excessive violence without any redeeming qualities.” Basically, if you’re sick and twisted and enjoy watching creative death scenes in movies, then this is something to check out. Being a fan of both the slasher and action genres of movies, I think I’ll have to go check this out.

- Romanian Feast. Showing both Dracula and Frankenstein while serving delicious Romanian food. Another cool theme for Halloween.

-Videoke. This is a recurring event. It’s exact as it sounds. They have tons of dvds filled with clips from classic movies. You can act out the scene using the microphone they give you. I can’t wait to check this out.

- Traveling Roadshow – This is a touring event that goes throughout the country. They showed “Goonies” in Astoria Oregon, where the movie was filmed. They showed “Close Encounters” at the base of Devil’s Tour. They showed “Jaws” at Martha’s Vineyard. Etc.

There are of course many more events that come throughout the year.

What I most enjoy about “The Alamo Drafthouse” is that it really seems to cater to those who want more than just a movie when they go out. They cater to the “experience” with as much energy and attention as the movie itself. It’s a theater created and ran by film geeks, for film geeks.

But you definitely don’t have to be a film-geek to enjoy movies there. It’s great for just plain ol movie watching as well. What’s great about this place is that it’s also an eating establishment. So while you’re watching your meal, you can order some of the best tasting food around. While you’re watching your movie, you can order from a wide selection of wines and beers that they bring right to your seat.

You’d think that the people walking up and down the aisles would be distracting, but truthfully, it’s not that distracting at all. They have the aisles placed far enough apart that it is hardly noticeable when they walk right in front of you.

So far, I’ve seen two movies (Two for the Money and A History of Violence) there, both of which were mediocre at best. But the place is so damn cool, I don’t mind so much that the movies were somewhat forgettable. Because I saw a good movie (North Country) at a conventional theater, and I was really pissed off that people were talking the whole time, answering their phones, there were shitty commercials before the movie, etc.

So yeah, when you guys come down to visit Austin, I’m taking you to the Alamo Drafthouse. Haha

matt out