Make no mistake, Alamo Drafthouse may be in a desperate fight. Not unlike General Sam Houston back in 1836, this over the top novelty bar with 13 theaters, movie rental, video game room, and special events, may for the most part be in the wrong place at the wrong time and outnumbered by hundreds of rivals in the form of other things to do in the new Downtown Los Angeles…
No doubt, by now youâve read all about the Alamo Draft House at the Bloc. Their PR and marketing cast may just be among the best in the country and believe, news of their grand arrival can be seen in print, film and in the form of thousands spent on sponsored ads from coast to coast.
Alamo marketing head, Anna Syed, who seems to rarely miss a chance to be in front of the camera, spares no time expressing the cause and carrying the battle flag.
However, with this earnest effort, they still havenât been able to gain a warm DTLA welcome as did other BLOC newcomers of the summer; JOEY DTLA and Marugame Udon both from day one, being overwhelmed joyfully by a steady crowd.
Mixed reviews and complaints on social media are plenty and it may seem to them the enemy, in the form of the DTLA community, is ready to storm the gates.
How could this be you ask?
During the Alamo Big Bash owner and visionary Tom League seemed like one of the most chill, down to earth people youâd ever want to meet.
Holding a contest for seasonal movie passes, he actually gave a fan a sword and liberty to attempt to shear the cork off of a bottle of bubbly in order to win them.
No, really, it was the coolest thing weâve ever witnessed. While on the mic he even threw in a Samuel L Jackson, “M*therF*r” or two when explaining the rules and the winnings.
How could things go wrong?
A few weeks later, Downtown Weekly visited the theater again incognito …well, because Quentin Tarantino.
âOnce Upon A Time In Hollywoodâ didnât disappoint and the alternate ending to the Tate and LaBianca murders was just the therapy America may have needed. Just as America was still traumatized by what happened on that horrific night in 1969, we needed therapy from our first full movie experience at the Alamo Draft House.
First, from finding parking, second the new price of movie tickets and third, being forced to sit in the first row by the cashier when the theater was almost empty.
We knew from the party those seats were way too close, and couldnât comprehend why they were being suggested to us on multiple attempts after we clearly said no.
When we joked about sitting in the back because we liked to talk, the same cashier made a face and said, âIf you do, weâll kick you right outâ. Haha, what a setup… crew lady we can read…and still, youâre not that cool.Â
Besides, we found the wide armed seats so far apart youâre unable to hear the person next to you anyway.
Plus, we werenât against the no talking rule, although laughing or even getting excited due to the emotional triggers of the film gave us anxiety. We spent two hours holding in our laughter, fearing we were being watched, listened to and maybe even put on “the kicked out/ no refund list” – It completely dulled down the experience.
Being accosted in the dark by the waiter who wanted to check tickets ten minutes after the movie started, wasnât the best feeling either. Here we were with tickets already tucked away having a full-blown conversation while not being allowed to have a conversation. We had to remind him to be quiet.
Over to our right, we found ourselves being looked at suspect by an elderly man who looked like he had a backpack full of MAGA hats. He ended up walking out mid-film for reasons unbeknownst to us.
Date night? Probably not, although the concept seems cool, not being able to whisper, laugh or reach out to hold the hand of your date during a movie may lead to a breakup. The experience inside the theater is totally impersonal when you’re with someone else, and the chairs were sticky. Men wear sleeves. Ladies wear a shawl. Germaphobes hold your breath. The theater, to us, kept a smell of lost chicken crumbs and burped up Cheetos.
Okay, so whatâs the fix?
Just Donât Be In Downtown… Be DOWNTOWN!
Weâre not here for you, Alamo Drafthouse, youâre here for us. Weâve been waiting over a year for you. On three separate occasions members of your cast and crew have been unnecessarily cold, arrogant and many times distant. Expecting us to cater and worship you is probably not the way to go about things in a city becoming famous for its hospitality.
You reek of fear. Be fearless!
Fear of being in a new place perhaps, fear of LA Liveâs $9 movie Tuesdays, fear we donât have enough vintage theater movie buffs, Netflix or maybe even the DTLA natives. Whatever it is we can sense it.
For a venue loaded with vintage horror movie artifacts and a stuffed werewolf that looks like a zombie Crip gang member who just shot grandma in a drive by, you should be fearless enough to say, hey, weâre here to make things better for the community and we welcome you. Hey Tom League, if you really want to be a Downtowner, itâs time to wag a finger at your DTLA cast and crew.
Time is on your side.
The best part about the Alamo Drafthouse, is that theyâve got time. Time to reflect and perfect. And being as though they are presenting movies that may or may not survive the test of time, i.e. Technicolor…Thatâs just freakin special. Weâre a newspaper in a digital world so best believe – we get it!
The interior makeup of the theater is one of the best weâve seen
Itâs certainly not generic. The seats although impersonal, are very comfortable. They really do let you kick back and relax within your own thoughts if need be. Not to mention, being able to drink anywhere and relax in DTLA is always a win-win.
The inspiration of the 70s B Movie, exploitation film and cult classic reminisced by halls of long lost movie posters, just works!!!
The ascending escalator ride gives you a feeling of leaving the world behind. Kind of the same feeling you get from the escalators at the Broad Museum.
Movies where you never know what to expect will fit well at Alamo Drafthouse. Movies that remind us of the less golden age of Hollywood, with bad special effects, great plots with ridiculous one liners – Alamo Drafthouse – Bring it!
Out of all the theaters in LA, we donât see any being more fitting for a Quentin Tarantino movie.
Especially a movie where the real cowboy is the underdog but does all the hard work faces discrimination but still ainât afraid to do the right thing. Where the real cowboy doesnât give a rats _____about the dangers of DTLA, or how many guns there are against him. Heâs there to save the day and take a bullet for you.
But Alamo, you’ve gotta sober up! Take the headphones off, pick up your fire and get into the action! This ain’t no backwoods town with limited options when it comes to fun. Not anymore.
This is Downtown!
But, Alamo, like Leonardo’s Character, you gotta sober up! Do your best to relate to all the people. Take the head phones off, pick up your fire and get into the action!
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