Tagged: Alamo Drafthouse

The Alamo Drafthouse has a new menu. And critics are not abiding by the theater’s “no talking” rule. 

Good morning. The National Weather Service says we can expect cloudy and cool weather today before a storm system moves in tonight bringing  chances for rain and, yes, even snow.

Swearing-in day: U.S. Senator Ted Cruz will be sworn into office today. Tea Party favorite Cruz won decisively over well-funded and politically connected Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst last year. Other congressional freshman being sworn in today include former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams and former Texas House member Pete Gallego.

Google has released its Zeitgeist 2012, cataloging what the world was searching for online this year.

And sure, while Austin has its share of Whitney Houston and Gangnam Style fans (Houston and the song from Korean rapper PSY being the world’s top two search terms), Austin residents made plenty of queries closer to home.

Without further ado, here’s the top 10 most searched terms in Austin in 2012:

The Alamo Drafthouse has taken yet another step to craft their image as a place for cinephiles, where politeness and respect for movie purists is of upmost importance. Their “Don’t Talk/Don’t Text” ethos has adopted another degree of enforced manners -- punctuality. 

On its blog, the Drafthouse writes:

“Quite simply, no one will be seated once the film has begun. If you show up after the feature starts, you have missed it. The plane has left the terminal.”

House lights dim, theater doors shut. And this includes pre-show trailers. Caught behind some congestion on the way to the Drafthouse to catch a flick? Might as well turn around. In a traffic-riddled town, public feedback on this major decision has been mixed. 

Today marks the start of the largest genre film festival in the United States – Fantastic Fest.

The festival is known for being a little out there, but Fantastic Fest and Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League says that’s what makes it special.

“In the last five years or so it seems like it’s been the rise of the nerd,” League tells KUT News. In light of the comic book-based blockbusters filling theaters, League says the nerd demographic represents “a pretty significant arm of the spending economy and a lot of the movies coming out from Hollywood are geared towards us."

Many films set to premiere at this year’s festival many are highly anticipated by nerds and non-nerds alike. For example, writer/director Rian Johnson’s time-traveling  Looper is sure to get genre crowds excited. Also making a debut at the festival is a remake of the 1984 ‘the Soviets are invading’ flick Red Dawn. 

Changes are coming to the South Lamar Plaza Shopping Center and to the Alamo South Lamar theatre.

A deal to tear down the strip mall and build a mixed-use development is moving forward. Many of the stores that have been at that location for decades will have to move elsewhere.

The Alamo Drafthouse and its karaoke bar, The Highball, will remain. But only after closing for much of 2013 to undergo extensive renovations – including adding three screens to the theatre and expanding the lobby area.