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Movie Theater To Go On Tour 112

Posted by samzenpus from the moving-pictures dept.
ilsie writes "The Austin, TX based Alamo Drafthouse theater is undertaking a massive 6000 mile, 21 day tour across the western United States. They will be screening "12 famous films in their original shooting locations, chosen specifically to intensify the viewing experience," using their 20'x40' inflatable rig."
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Movie Theater To Go On Tour More

Movie Theater To Go On Tour

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  • Why not....... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Jambon ( 880922 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @06:50PM (#12618182) Journal
    .....Jaws in shark infest waters?

    • Re:Why not....... (Score:3, Funny)

      by cei ( 107343 )
      They'd have to save that for an East Coast trip...
    • The Drafthouse has done a jaws pool party as part of their rolling road show for several years now...

      This sounds like a fun idea for them, and since they're expanding beyond Austin, it'll be good to get their name out there.
    • ....Jaws in shark infest waters?

      Brilliant idea, genius - it would work beutifully until one of the sharks sinks it teeth into a nice bite of inflatable screen [originalalamo.com].

      Brilliant, Watson, just brilliant. ;-)

      • Brilliant idea, genius - it would work beutifully until one of the sharks sinks it teeth into a nice bite of inflatable screen. Brilliant, Watson, just brilliant. ;-)

        Wrong story. "Sarcasm" was a couple posts ago. This is the "inflatable doll jokes" story.

    • Re:Why not....... (Score:4, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 23, 2005 @07:15PM (#12618431)
      Actually they've done it. Sort of.

      http://www.dailytexanonline.com/media/paper410/new s/2004/08/09/Entertainment/The-Alamo.Drafthouse.Ta kes.Its.Show.On.The.Road-701786.shtml [dailytexanonline.com]

      "...played host to eccentric events - like a showing of "Jaws" at Lake Travis, where moviegoers watched the film from inner tubes while swimmers under the water pinched their legs."

      Lake Travis is just outside Austin, TX. It's not shark-infested, the most fearsome creature I've ever seen while scuba diving there was a giant catfish maybe 4-5 ft long. Hard to tell, it was dark and murky, scared the willies out of me coming up from behind!
      • '...the most fearsome creature I've ever seen while scuba diving there was a giant catfish maybe 4-5 ft long...'

        I'm assuming that you mean the most fearsome creature *other* than the dreadful Drunkassicus waverunnicus, known to infest the waters of Lake Travis, particularly during the summer months.

    • Re:Why not....... (Score:5, Funny)

      by pinopino ( 747071 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @07:30PM (#12618535)
      They screened Jaws a couple years ago on Lake Austin, with the audience in innertubes. I think they had divers swimming around and grabbing at peoples ankles during the scary bits. You don't want to know what they did during the screening of Deliverance.....

  • Fortunately (Score:4, Funny)

    by Timesprout ( 579035 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @06:51PM (#12618194)
    they decided against showing Titanic, event though its possible a few viewers may have survived by clinging to the inflatable rig.
    • I heard they turned down Texas Chainsaw Massacre too.

      • Nope!

        I went to the Rolling roadshow premiere of the new Texas Chainsaw Massacre a few years ago.

        The movie was shown on the grounds of the abandoned state mental hospital where part of the film was shot.

        The best part was the Q&A session with R. Lee Ermy afterwards.

  • I miss Austin (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 23, 2005 @06:52PM (#12618214)
    Alamo Drafthouse is the best movie theater in the country, hands down.

    They frequently have free showings of B-movies at midnight. Like a comedy club, they usually expect you to buy a drink or two, but it's always a memorable experience.

    Not to mention, I've never been to another theater that has 'Bucket O Beer' on the menu. :)
    • Not to mention, I've never been to another theater that has 'Bucket O Beer' on the menu.

      Now you can get into that pissing contest with a race horse eh?

  • I've been wanting to track down the Repo Man shooting locations for a while. Seems like this tour would be a good opportunity, since they're showing the film as one of the stops.

  • Awesome (Score:2, Funny)

    by [cx] ( 181186 )
    Now I can finally see a movie on the big screen, lucky for me as there is no theatres where I live.

    (/sarcasm)
  • indeed. One of the best science fiction movies ever, on tour. It's too bad it's not a flying tour with lots of muusic. Still, though, it'd be cool to see.
  • Any word on whether or not they'll tour Santa Ana for the historical irony of it?

  • They have a history of creative events (Score:4, Interesting)

    by lou2ser ( 458778 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @06:56PM (#12618266)
    Check out the Photo Archive of past events.

    http://www.originalalamo.com/archives/photoarchive s.html [originalalamo.com]

    They had a Mullet Premiere with free admission if you agreed to get a mullet (http://www.originalalamo.com/archives/mullets2002 /index.html [originalalamo.com])

    • Re:They have a history of creative events (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Ryan Amos ( 16972 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @07:11PM (#12618401)
      Are you kidding me? The Alamo Drafthouse is legendary (and extremely successful) in Austin, TX. They've recently expanded to Houston and Dallas. Look for them to go national; a movie theater where you can buy beer and pizza for about the same price as soda and popcorn anywhere else will be very successful. Not to mention they are totally willing to throw you the fuck out if you're noisy/talking on your cell. At their all-day Monday matinee showings, they sell $1 sodas and popcorn. On Wednesday nights at midnight at the original location they show free B-movies which you are encouraged to get drunk and heckle.

      In other words, after going to the Alamo, I rarely see movies elsewhere. They survive by selling some pretty decent food (nothing spectacular, but it beats Chilis) for about the same price you'd pay at a normal restaurant, except you get to watch a movie while eating. Pray they open one in your town, the Alamo is run by film buffs for film buffs without that snooty film buff atmosphere.

  • Definately stop by if it comes anywhere near you (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    Shows at the Alamo Drafthouse are shit loads of fun. It's a great experience - and not only because you can order pitchers of beer. I go there about once a month. The MCs are always hilarious, the food is good, and they know how to get the audience involved.
  • They should add a second tour and show Animal House in Eugene, Oregon.

    Or maybe the Chamber of Commerce of Eugene would rather forget that episode.
  • I am actually quite impressed with this idea... it sounds like a fun way of enjoying a movie and experiencing it in a different way. The Alamo Draft House is a great place to watch movies now, as they have cheap tickets and serve food and beer as well as playing old trailers that the actors in the current movie were in (Bill and Ted's excellent adventure and Point Break before Matrix, as an example)... the real question is where do i have to camp out to get tickets?

  • Someone's gotta say it (Score:3, Funny)

    by FlyByPC ( 841016 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @07:09PM (#12618383) Homepage
    "Let's get this show on the road!"
  • ....we will use a time machine to show the movies in their original time as well. (Disclaimer: we are not responsible for any injuries sustained during war films.)

  • Wait!!! (Score:5, Funny)

    by slapout ( 93640 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @07:20PM (#12618474)
    The MPAA can't allow this! It's just another form of distrubited clients!
  • Its not a real theater if your feet don't stick to the floor, and the employees aren't mean.
  • I was wondering what texas classic they were going to start with. Best little whorehouse would have been to obvious and commercial. The Last Picture Show is a good choice. It is a racy film with enough T&A to keep the youngsters happy, and story to keep everyone else attentive.

    And it gives another view of the fifties. One is which young people do what they have always have done, and were as insensitive as they always will be.

  • Reality -- What a Concept! (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Michael_Burton ( 608237 ) <michaelburton@brainrow.com> on Monday May 23, 2005 @07:40PM (#12618629) Homepage

    They will be screening "12 famous films in their original shooting locations, chosen specifically to intensify the viewing experience,"

    Sounds like a great idea. "Close Encounters" made me want to visit Devil's Tower, and I've considered taking the "Vertigo" tour in the San Francisco area. As time goes by, we'll need to depend more on classic older movies for terms like "original shooting locations" to mean anything. Somehow I can't see them showing "Revenge of the Sith" in cyberspace.

  • ...will eat your share of the picnic basket. Do not doubt this.

    He will eat, oh yes, for that is what he does...

  • Alamo Drafthouse (Score:3, Interesting)

    by yar ( 170650 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @07:49PM (#12618711)
    If you have a chance, check out the Alamo Drafthouse. My wife and our friends are big movie buffs. It's the only theater I've really gone to in the last few years, and I can't rave about it enough.

    The people who work there are great- they love what they do, and it shows. I can't even mention all of the great events they put on. The giant inflatable screen Rolling Roadshows are also a lot of fun. They've done Goonies in a cave, Deliverance on the banks of the Mississippi, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre where it was filmed... My wife and I love those types of events. ^_^ We got to see Buster Keaton's The General out in the country with a live band and train participating in the background, and Mr. Sinus (formerly Mr. Sinus Theatre but ran into Trademark problems) mocking- yes, Xanadu, at a roller skating rink. Just this weekend we saw the Wizard of Oz synced to the Dark Side of the Moon.

    The Alamo is an experience. They even have specials with their regular movies- you can order a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster when you see Hitchhiker's Guide, or a That Yellow Bastard hot dog when you watch Sin City.
    • Actually, the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster was free with admission to the Hitchhiker's Guide. Don't forget their live events like Mister Sinus Theater or Foleyvision. Truly worth the price of admission.
      • Actually, the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster was free with admission to the Hitchhiker's Guide.

        Not to the matinee. (Not that I'm complaining, mind you -- they still kick ass).
        • Huh. Something's gotta give with the matinee price. Not to drag this too far off topic, but the Gargle Blaster wasn't quite like being smashed in the head with a lemon-wrapped brick, but it did look and taste a lot like a cup of Windex with an olive in it.
  • Just watch out for the 2' inflatable billy-clubs the ushers will be carrying to beat anyone attempting to bring a camcorder into the theater into submission.

  • Bad movie insurance (Score:4, Interesting)

    by ajlitt ( 19055 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @08:05PM (#12618864)
    In addition to all the wonderful things that others have to say about the Drafthouse, there's one point others may have overlooked. This theater provides ample insurance against having a bad time despite a bad movie.

    First off, they serve excellent food, but more importantly they serve beer. Amazingly, a pint of Guinness costs less there than a large drink at a chain theater.

    If that weren't enough... You know how most theaters will show ad slideshows before the movie? Instead, each theater has a video projector in addition to the film one, and for some time before the movie (over an hour at a special event) they show related and often funny material related to the movie in question.

    Example: I went to see Episode III at the Drafthouse on opening night (well, 12:01am opening day). Not only did I have the option of getting hammered if it turned out to be crap, I was entertained by the pre-movie screening of parts of the Cartoon Network Clone Wars short animations mixed between the likes of excerpts of Turkish Star Wars, Star Crash, various interviews, Mark Hamill's appearance on The Muppet Show, and (possibly worth the price of admission) the Star Wars Thanksgiving Special.
    • I've heard legend of the Alamo Drafthouse. It's where they hold the SxSW Film Festival (South by Southwest) I believe. The guys over at Red vs Blue have done some events there, which would have definately been worth seeing.

      It reminds me of particular cinemas in you find in Europe. For instance, here in Ireland there's the Irish Film Centre (http://ifi.ie/ [ifi.ie] which is government funded with a mandate to show varied and culturally relevant films, giving it the biggest variety of old and new films of any cinem
      • Partially true. There is a theater downtown called the Paramount that also participates, as does the Dobie Theater next to campus (2nd floor of the Dobie mall/dorm complex thing). The Arbor theater used to cooperate as well, but they went under and the location had been bought by Alamo Drafthouse.

        SXSW really encompasses all of central Austin, and most every venue is a unique local establishment.
        • The Arbor went under and the space was bought out by The Cheescake Factory. However, it has reopened at the old Great Hills cinema location and is now called Regal Arbor Cinema @ Great Hills. It still shows first run "indie" films and participates in SXSW.

          The Arbor [fandango.com]

          -l

      • I saw all of Red Vs. Blue's first season there, and it truly was a hilarious event. I don't think I've ever been to the Drafthouse and not had fun.
        • I absolutely love Alamo drafthouse - saw Ep.III there the other day, but I've actually had a bad experience there once. An example of the strange taste of whoever puts together these outlandish movie events they so often have.

          It was entitled "The 100 sexiest moments in film" and it will go down in infamy as the most misnamed show ever.

          It was advertised with "Lady and the Tramp" and, to be honest, half of the 100 were somewhat innocent. The Graduate, that type of thing, but the other 50 or so were so over
  • They can just show 12 cheesy scifi movies from the 50's, and do the whole thing at Vasquez Rocks in California.
  • Yeah, like that needs to be any more intense than it already is.

  • Too late! (Score:3, Funny)

    by rackhamh ( 217889 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @08:33PM (#12619021)
    Slashdotters are already all too familiar with using inflatible rigs to simulate the original experience...
  • This is great news! I've known about these screens for a few years, as a friend of mine living in Germany at the time did the translation for one company's promo DVD (if there IS more than one company). Unfortunately, I can't find the name of the company my friend worked for to check. The last I heard (in 2003) was that they were looking for a US distributor, so it looks like they may have found one.

    Now if only Zorb [zorb.com] would open up a site in eastern PA...

  • WOO! (Score:3, Interesting)

    by jrwillis ( 306262 ) on Monday May 23, 2005 @10:46PM (#12619863) Homepage
    As an Austinite all I can say is LONG LIVE THE DRAFTHOUSE. You don't know what cool is until you're watching the latest movie with a pint of Guinness and a plate of REALLY good food. That or their annual showing of The Big Lebowski at a local bowling alley with a free white russian with every ticket.

    Keep Austin Weird!
    • I second that: LONG LIVE THE DRAFTHOUSE. Last summer I had a good friend who was interning down in Austin and she told me about this great movie theater where they bring reall food right to your seat. Sounded to good to be true.

      Lucky for me this summer I'm down in Austin and last Friday I got to experience all the greasy goodness of the Drafthouse while watching the new Star Wars. Not only did the food turn out to be halfway decent, but the beer was cold and to top it all off, the company I'm working f

    • I'm some guy from Idaho. I visited Austin for a few weeks last year to go to the Song Fight [songfight.org] concert held there, and I went to the Drafthouse four times, and God damn if that isn't the best theater ever.
    • I saw "Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Animation Festival" there my freshman year at UT, and it completely flabbergasted me how awesome a movie experience could be. The Drafthouse is amazing, and I'm looking forward to getting back to Austin from Japan so I can go see movies there again.
  • Alamo showed the William Castle horror movie "The Tingler" starring Vincent Price, complete with Castle's original extras: Lloyds of London insurance policies issued to all movie goers, and electric buzzers installed under random seats. Best of all though was when int he middle of the movie, someone stood up, screamed, and fainted across the theater. The movie stopped, the lights came up, and two nurses in skimpy outfits came down the aisle and took the poor soul away on a stretcher! All that plus beer a
  • I'm glad to see that they are not showing The Conqueror [imdb.com] at Snow Canyon [americansouthwest.net], near St. George, Utah. Not only was it a lousy film, but the filming location was contaminated with radioactive dust from nearby atomic bomb tests in the previous couple of years. An unusually high number of the cast and crew (including John Wayne) died of cancer.
  • You know, during my grandad's times, all movies used to be screened in 'Touring Talkies'...a tent with a white cloth screen at the end. Good to know that the Touring Talkies are striking back...
  • ...movie theatre goes to you!
  • Gee, I'm surprised all you MST3K-can-do-no-wrong people aren't hating on Alamo for letting those evil horrible intellectual property pirates, "The Sinus Show"*, perform on their premises.

    /me rolls eyes,
    -l

    *formerly Mr. Sinus**
    **formerly Mr. Sinus Theatre 3000

  • The RRs are great fun--I went to the Dazed and Confused 10 year reunion and had a fantastic time
  • Three cheers for the Alamo. I love this insane idea. They (and their spawned franchises) are a true asset to the Austin community. It's the only place I watch movies in Austin.

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