I would totally go door to door for this theater.

[kungfuwaynewho]

You know how some people proselytize about their religion?  And they're super into it and you can tell it's really important to them and maybe you even think once in a while "hmm, maybe I should try it out if it makes you feel that good"?  And they just keep doggedly bringing whatever up over and over because to not preach is just unthinkable?

I'm like that about the Alamo Drafthouse theaters in Austin, Texas. 

These are the BEST MOVIE THEATERS EVER.  They are THE BEST.  Every other movie theater pales in comparison.  Full menu of really fantastic food, alcohol, very cool special presentations (a sample: Shaun of the Dead with blow-up bats to smack your neighbors during the zombie fighting scenes; Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical sing-a-long; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with all-you-can-eat pizza; all three Lord of the Rings movies lasting all day, served with a "hobbit feast" that is, like, eight separate meals).  Best of all, though, they have a very strict no talking/texting/being annoying policy.  Before every single movie, there's a short reminder that tells you that if you talk or text or annoy your neighbors during the film, they will, and I quote, take your ass out.  They're very creative with this message.  There was one featuring Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, for instance.  Here's a bunch of others.

This is the best one ever, though.  How could you not have the best time ever watching movies at a theater like this?

Comments

[nhpw.livejournal.com]

LOLOLOL for infinity.

I'm pretty sure that if Firefly had told us about Special Hell five years later, it would've included people who TEXT at the theater. Or a general "people who use their phones" or something.

The only thing I can think of that comes remotely close to that that I've done is a midnight screening of The Big Lebowski at this theater that just has couches, and you can drink alcohol, and people came in their bathrobes and drank White Russians. And I fell asleep because I suck.

The bat thing sounds awesome, though. Seriously.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

When we saw Serenity at its opening night midnight show, the no talking PSA was specially put together just for that movie, and it was Book's scene about the special hell intercut with the standard "don't talk or we'll take your ass out" title cards. AMAZING. It was a heavily geeked-out crowd, and I thought people were going to legit die, they were laughing so hard.

[cath822.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha! Austin is on the list of ten places I want to visit before I'm 30, and the Drafthouse is #1 on my list of places to go. We tried to go to the one in Houston, but we were there for so little time that there wasn't a good showtime. Awww.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Yes! I support this!

[cath822.livejournal.com]

Oh, and while I'm sure it does, in fact, pale in comparison, our local one-screen theater has monthly beer tastings with movies like Monty Python and This Is Spinal Tap.

[pwincess.livejournal.com]

Of the money I spend in the average week, I'd say about half of it goes to the Drafthouse.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

A sister! I raise my bucket of hard cider to you!

Yeah, I did okay my first year in Austin, when I stuck to the student ticket-and-a-pizza combo; then one day, I was like, but I wonder if different food is good...and then I was lost.

Oh, I would kill for a five dollar milkshake right now.

[pwincess.livejournal.com]

TRUTH BE TOLD I've never had one of their shakes, I don't think. If I get a drink it's usually Italian soda but they're so expensive. And $4 for an iced tea, really, tea is practically water.

For food I am all over the menu!

I'm totally going to get a milkshake next time I go there.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Oh God, totally get the espresso shake. It's AMAZING. If I get an actual meal thing, I just get water (and is it just me, or does the water at the Drafthouse taste vaguely like popcorn?), but if I'm going to get a shake, I'll just stick to fries or popcorn or something. One time I was ambitious (read: dumb) and got a Philly cheesesteak and a shake, and it wasn't a good idea.

I lit'rally died, my stomach was so full. /Rob Lowe

[liminalliz.livejournal.com]

COSIGNED, LIZZEN

[celamity.livejournal.com]

I was once in a planetarium where, despite instructions not to use cameras etc., the guy in front of us took out his camera and tried to record the view. The light from his little LCD screen was so bright that we couldn't see a thing of the planetarium. Thankfully, the disruption only lasted 30 seconds as the guy was man enough to accept a polite request to turn the thing off.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

Oh, goodness. At least he turned it off! I don't understand that, either, where people seem to never actually just experience something - it's always about immediately taking a picture of it, or texting about it, or whatever. Just shut up and enjoy the show!

[la-loony.livejournal.com]

I would have to tape my mouth, I have a hard time not to talk in the movies because there is always something in the film I need to say something to my friends about RIGHT NOW because if not I will forget itXD

But I love the add, we need something like that for our lectures so people start to shut the hell up and either listen or if they need to distract themself do something quiet.

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

I think talking's okay as long as it's a whisper, and doesn't bother anyone else. Most people do that, it's no big. The ads are aimed more at the people who just full-on talk, so loud you can hear them over the movie. That's disruptive, whereas an occasional whisper totally isn't.

[la-loony.livejournal.com]

Okay, than one day when I make it back to the states I definitly will go there to watch a movie =)

[pwincess.livejournal.com]

If the whispering is bothering the people around you, that's all that really matters! If someone raises a flag on you, the theater warns you and if there's another complaint they'll kick you out. It's way fair!

[mac-beth13.livejournal.com]

This is made if all sorts of win! Laughing so hard I have tears! :D

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

I was reading comments somewhere and people were actually DEFENDING this woman. Probably all texters, too. :P

[mac-beth13.livejournal.com]

There's nothing more annoying than paying money to go see a movie and seeing nothing but glowing phone screens. That and the loud talkers, bag rustlers, seat kickers...the list goes on. I think I'd love this place, and I LOVE the different themes. :)

[indigoviolet.livejournal.com]

Full menu of really fantastic food, alcohol, very cool special presentations (a sample: Shaun of the Dead with blow-up bats to smack your neighbors during the zombie fighting scenes; Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical sing-a-long; Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with all-you-can-eat pizza; all three Lord of the Rings movies lasting all day, served with a "hobbit feast" that is, like, eight separate meals

I love this place already :)

LMAO, was this actually on the TV? "But I'm a CUSTOMER! I gave you MONEY! You should be kissing my backside not throwing me out, me me me me me."

I was kind of expecting her to have a yee-haw King of the Hill accent, though. In future please post videos that live up to my ethnic stereotypes. :p

[indigoviolet.livejournal.com]

Anyway, I used to have this cinema at the end of the street when I was at uni, although it isn't quite that awesome:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyde_Park_Picture_House,_Leeds

But they've kept the decor pretty much unchanged since 1914, including the gas lighting, and the piano and organ from the silent films. It's really atmospheric <3

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

OOO I WANT TO GO TO THERE.

[indigoviolet.livejournal.com]

They let you take your own alcohol too

[kungfuwaynewho.livejournal.com]

I don't think I'd ever seen a Drafthouse commercial on TV. No, before each show they have a "don't talk during the movie" PSA, and this was their new one.

I actually didn't run into a lot of people when I was going to school down there with heavy Southern accents, though of course Austin as a city is a bit different (a lot different) from the state as a whole.

[indigoviolet.livejournal.com]

I actually didn't run into a lot of people when I was going to school down there with heavy Southern accents

I don't believe you as I have seen the 80s documentary Dallas, so I know that everyone in Texas is a rich oil baron with a huge cowboy hat and says 'y'all'.