The Alamo Drafthouse chain of movie theaters is opening its first location in Southern California this week.
Tucked into an upper corner of the open-air plaza of The Bloc in downtown Los Angeles, the Alamo Drafthouse chain of movie theaters is opening its first location in Southern California this week. From this unlikely perch, the venue has its sights set on nothing less than becoming a new and vital home for film-goers in Los Angeles and a focal point for a fervent community of movie fans.
But the question remains. At a moment where many feel that the theatrical business is in peril and that streaming services are becoming the dominant force in entertainment, why would a theater want to launch into Los Angeles in such a big way?“I feel like that’s the wrong competitor in the fight. I’ve never felt we’re at war with any streaming services,” said Tim League, founder and CEO of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. “No matter what, everybody wants to get out of the house.
“There’s a lot of stuff going on in Los Angeles, a lot of variety, but most of it is always pretty segregated,” said Syed. “You can go to a Q and A with the celebrity on the west side. You can see the tiny art film in some little pop-up space on the east side. And Drafthouse is the only place where it’s under one roof. We’ll have a family coming in for ‘The Lego Movie’ in the morning and then some nerds coming for a reptile movie from the 60s and then everything in between.
Adding to the eclectic mix, Kids Camp screenings of “Paddington 2” and “The Iron Giant” will target families and allow for flexible $1, $3 and $5 ticket prices. The Care Package series spotlighting documentaries opens with “Skid Row Marathon,” set amidst downtown Los Angeles. And the Drafthouse will host a live recording of the popular podcast “Unspooled,” featuring Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson.
The 50-seat Amanda Theater, part of filmmaker Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY creative campus in Echo Park, plans to announce its inaugural 6-week fall program in late August. Negotiations are ongoing for Netflix to purchase the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood from the American Cinematheque, which also runs the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica. The UCLA Film and Television Archive features a smart mix of programs in Westwood.
Alamo Drafthouse has itself not been immune from controversy. After critic Devin Faraci was let go from the Drafthouse’s in-house publication Birth.Movies.Death in 2016 following accusations of sexual abuse and harassment, League quietly hired him back in another role until online outcry in 2017 caused Faraci to leave permanently.
The idea of structuring the company to have individual, unique and diverse voices in every market, that reflect the tastes of that market is certainly willful.“The early days of Alamo, the theater was a reflection of me and I am who I am,” League said on how the company has moved forward. “But the idea of structuring the company to have individual, unique and diverse voices in every market, that reflect the tastes of that market is certainly willful.
The nearest theaters to the Alamo Drafthouse location within the complex of The Bloc downtown are the Regal Cinemas multiplex at L.A. Live and the single screen Downtown Independent.
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