Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, the Austin, Texas-based theater chain known for its booze, food and fine movie offerings, is finally going to open its first L.A. venue in July, it was announced Wednesday.
The new twelveplex will be at The Bloc, 700 Flower St. in Downtown L.A., which has a Metro station and parking garage. Each of its 12 auditoriums will have 4K laser projection, and one will have 35mm film projectors for purists who want to attend the classic film programming Alamo’s 38 other locations around the country are famous for.
Clik here to view.
“The reason Alamo Drafthouse exists and continues to grow is to support the movies that we love,” Alamo Drafthouse founder and CEO Tim League said in a news release announcing July’s soft opening. “After SO MANY years of planning and development, to be opening in Los Angeles with such a strong team of movie-lovers at the helm is absolutely thrilling.”
That local team includes film festival veteran and studio genre content consultant Rachel Walker as head of Creative and Programming; lifelong Angeleno Anam Sayed as marketing chief; and general manager Leslie Newell, a veteran of Alamo’s New Mission venue in San Francisco.
“Getting to put together a programming experience that blends the sensibilities of Los Angeles and the Alamo Drafthouse is a dream come true,” Walker said in the announcement. “My colleagues and I look forward to working with the community to create a home for all different types of film fans.” While few details of July’s opening slate (including the exact date operations will begin) are available, the new theater promises to offer a mix of new indie films and studio blockbusters, as well as a strong repertory program of classic and cult films.
Amenities will include a full bar and kitchen for in-theater drinking and dining (a concept Alamo has pioneered since its founding in 1997), as well as a bar/store called Video Vortex, where it says free rentals of Blu-Rays and DVDs will be available.
Alamo Drafthouse Los Angeles will also be a beta test location for the Alamo Season Pass subscription service. For a monthly fee, members can watch a movie a day and reserve seats in advance. There’s a waitlist to join the service; interested parties can put their names on it at drafthouse.com/victory/seasonpass.
It’s been a nearly five-year effort to get an Alamo venue up and running in Los Angeles. The chain’s strict policy of no talking or texting during screenings will be enforced.
