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Trip to Los Angeles Alamo Drafthouse to see Dune!
Alamo Drafthouse and Why I Value the Movie Going Experience
Author: Kenny Ong
An Aside For Those Skeptical About the Theater Experience
As somebody who generally doesn't enjoy going out, I've always loved the movie-going experience. Not only does it allow us to be whisked away to another world to simply experience life from a different perspective, I believe the act of sitting in the theater and watching the big screen enhances your experience.
This is most prevalent in action movies such as Baby Driver, the John Wick series, etc. which are some of my favorites. Although I'm sure I would have enjoyed watching them at home, I think a good portion of the enjoyment is going either solo or with your companions and simply enjoying the next one and a half to two hours.
With the prevalence of at-home movie watching whether it's due to the abundance of streaming services or simply adaptation amidst the pandemic, I personally feel they are in two different categories.
Many of the people who say they enjoy their at-home experience either possess theater setups (a luxury which not everyone can afford) or don't like it because of the people, rather than the theater itself. "A Rant on Annoying Movie Goers - Part Two" (I just like part two better for anyone curious) from one of my favorite youtubers echoes my opinions exactly in the sense that the theater doesn't ruin the movie experience, but the people that attend it.
Add in things like high prices for simply a bucket of popcorn or too many commercials before the movie or even just other trailers and while I understand why people hate the movie-going experience.
Insert Alamo Drafthouse!
Alamo Drafthouse began in 1997 with its motto of "good food, good beer and good film, all at the same place!" and it continues to uphold that mantra in 2021.
Nowadays, it's seen as an opportunity for movie enthusiasts (I'm sorry ahem "cinema enthusiasts") to experience films in a quiet environment alongside other movie-goers, allowing for people to be whisked away rather than remain in grounded in reality.
Everything from the curated films they show (which are full of classics, arthouse, as well as blockbusters) to their food to their no-tolerance policy when it comes to food and talking, Alamo Drafthouse is something every movie-goer should experience at least once.
Below I will talk about the major aspects which I found great about Alamo Drafthouse, as well as my first (but definitely not last) experience!
The Pre-Show
One of the things that I didn't even realize before taking a closer look at Alamo was the fact that their pre-shows are often entertaining or informative than your average movie theater.
When you go to the theaters, you're already paying to watch the movie and especially in the age of ad-free digital streaming, it simply feels wrong to be advertised too simply for showing up early or simply on time. At least for me personally, I'd prefer to avoid another Noovie commercial featuring Maria Menounos if I can!
For others like myself, have no fear as Alamo's pre-shows are here! They often have useful pre-shows whether it's making you laugh or one of my personal favorites, giving a rundown on the MCU in the case of the Black Widow movie!
And lastly, for people who love watching other trailers to see what's coming out, do not fear as those are still shown. It's simply the commercials prior to the trailers!
The Food
At most movie theaters, the concession experience often consists of a basic popcorn and soda combo and if you're one of the more adventurous people, a hotdog, some nachos, or even candy! Is all of it overpriced? Most definitely!
Although I cannot speak for the quality of Regal and AMC's more expanded menus at certain theaters, I think it's clear that Alamo is no slouch when it comes to their availability. On top of that, all of it seems fairly priced especially when compared to more traditional theater experiences!
Below I've included two pictures which serve as only a fraction of their LA location's limited menu! It doesn't even include their shakes, cookies, salads, film-themed food pairings, or their alcohol!
I had the loaded fries, popcorn with truffle seasoning, and omnivore pizza but more on that later!
Easy on the Eyes and Ears!
As mentioned earlier, one of the main detriments to the movie-going experiences is the fact that it often consists of rude moviegoers who are either silent or a little too addicted to the screens in their pocket rather than the one in front of them!
In the last few years, this has happened at nearly each of my cinema-going experiences (especially prior to the pandemic) where somebody is either talking too loudly or they take out their full brightness device only to distract every viewer behind them!
At Alamo Drafthouse, the silence is all but a guarantee and phones are never taken out, even if you're watching a two and a half hour cinematic masterpiece (but more that next week)! Factor in everything else I've listed above and you're guaranteed that you're getting the experience you deserve when you attend the theaters!
You may be thinking to yourself "Well Kenny, all of this sounds great but why would any of this stuff ever work? Don't all theaters say to be quiet and off your phones?" Well that is an excellent question!
How is Everything Kept in Control?
Alamo's plan is quite simple but effective! They simply include movie attendees for the near full-duration of the film!
These attendees will simply respond to any of the issues which are happening whether it's noisy moviegoers, food requests, etc.! They use a quite simple "paper note system" where a pencil and slips of paper are included by your seat. Once you would like the attendees to respond to something, you simply write it (with a convenient light covered by your side-arm tray) and put it up for them to respond
By having attendees check in for more of the movie, it eliminates many of the issues you see in other theaters and instead allows you to simply sit and enjoy the film all while remaining equally priced to major theaters.
My Experience
As mentioned at the end of the last section, my experience began at check out. Many of the showings were busy (presumably as Alamo theaters are smaller) but I was pleasantly surprised to learn the prices were similar to nearby Regal/AMC theaters! (Side Note: They also had an option to "reserve food" which would be served in courses for those who are interested in that)
On the journey to the actual theater, I already knew we were in for a great experience as while we were slightly lost on our way to the theater, somebody pointed out directions to Alamo Drafthouse. The woman said that "Are you guys going to Alamo Drafthouse?" to which we and another party responded yes. She then proceeded to say "Oh you guys are going to love it. It's the best movie theater and there's not comparison, it's only place I go to watch movies nowadays". If I wasn't already excited to watch Dune at Alamo, the excitement for the experience only grew with that coincidental encounter...
Once we got in, they asked us for our vaccination and tickets then ushered us to the movie theater! The aesthetic leading up was a breath of fresh air from the standard experience, with old movie posters, costumes and movie props, as well as a rental store. If it hasn't been made clear already, every step of Alamo Drafthouse is for people who truly love cinema!
Example of some cool posters they had on display!
Once we stepped into the theater, it was larger than I expected for its lower seat count but that simply meant ample space for people to eat and stretch their legs which was amazing. Not only that, but I definitely regretted agonizing over "optimal seating" when every option would have been good.
As the movie started to get close, the server introduced himself and gave us a rundown of how Alamo's ordering system worked (which I had overprepared for beforehand) and as such we ordered some of their fries, an "omnivore pizza", as well as popcorn with truffles!
The Mishap...
Without talking about the cinematic masterpiece which is Dune, it's important to mention that my experience at Alamo actually had a bit of a mishap. During our showing, we only ended up receiving our fries yet neither the popcorn nor pizza showed up. You may be wondering to yourself... "Well why are you raving about Alamo then? You must have received some good compensation!"
For context, we were sitting throughout the movie and I had rationalized the mistake throughout whether it was due to them serving the food in "different courses", Dune being much longer (clocking in at two anda half hours) so the food must come out later, etc. Eventually, we realized there would be a mistake and once our server came by for the "a-okay" on our order, my girlfriend had already prepared a note which we handed to him. He had a clearly puzzled look on his face (despite his mask being on) and then he gestured for us to wait and left.
When he came back, he had given us a new receipt with only a charge on the fries as well as a response on the note. He said something along the lines of "Sorry for the mistake, popcorn and pizza on the way!" With 30 minutes left in the movie, he had comped both of our food and yet we still received both orders to which I was excited for! Although I was hungry, I can definitely attest that the pizza was extremely tasty (especially when compared to my airport experience but that's a story for another time) and the "truffle seasoning" on the popcorn was great too!
Also, apologies for not taking a picture of the note, as it's something both my girlfriend and I regretted not doing!
In Conclusion...
So despite my rather unique experience at Alamo Drafthouse, I would strongly recommend that any film-watcher (whether you usually go to the theaters or not) partake in this experience at least once! I guarantee it will eliminate most qualms and cons of the movie-going experience.
The simple statement of silence is enough to disusade many people from being rude, instead attracting only enthusiasts (or simply empathetic people) to their theaters.
With their top-notch customer service, amazing food, and all the other little bonuses that add to the experience, Alamo is not just one of the best experiences when going to the theaters but it serves as what the perfect movie experience should be!
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