Alamo Drafthouse and AGFA

Well Kiddies it has been a crazy couple of weeks here and I admit that I am still standing strong.

We have been hard at work on the upcoming HauntShooter project and in early preparations on this year's Texas Frightmare Weekend. There are also some other projects that I am Hard at work on but I choose to keep them on the down low for now at least.

What I really want to talk about here is The Alamo Drafthouse.

Founded by Tim League, The Alamo Drafthouse was one of the original Dine-In Theatres featuring a wide assortment of Beers of all types and Genre films. The Alamo is greatly respected by both fans and filmmakers.

 The Drafthouse has experienced Premieres and Festivals and sneak previews for upcoming releases and has attracted headlines for the enforcement of its No Talking rule as well as its Banning of Texting in theaters. 

The Drafthouse attracted the attention for this in 2011 when I young woman was ejected from the establishment after using her phone in the theatre and called the front office to complain leaving a voicemail.

As many of you will know when I was in Austin the Alamo was where I found my sanctuary. I enjoyed Terror Tuesday's, Weird Wednesdays, Master Pancakes, and Horror Remixes among other special events. 

 These along with Rolling Roadshows and Fantastic Fest.

When I returned to the Dallas area in 2013 it was not long until a Alamo Drafthouse was built and opened it's doors in Richardson Texas and naturally I became a regular at the establishment and James Wallace was the programmer bringing us events like Master Pancake and the Horror Remixes as well as introducing us to the monthly AGFA Secret Screenings and the Dismember the Alamo event in October.

While I am an advocate for the Angelica as well as it is a great place to view Arthouse and Indeflicks, The Alamo is the place for Genre film screenings.

The opening Night of Star Wars was a blast.

Now I know that I have in the past been quite critical of the cuisine of the Alamo but that was in fact in Austin where the places were far more of the Vegan friendly but the DFW locations don't fall for this because when you order a burger you actually get a decent burger and fries and I had the pleasure of attending some of the feasts there are some great items on the Menu.

Now we can't forget the Beer with the events and the utilization of local breweries The Alamo still lives up to it's name as the Drafthouse even utilizing events such as special screenings utilizing the beers and seasonal Ale.

Dallas has received the opening of its second Drafthouse in the Dallas area just off Lamar next to the Southside and Gilley's...Trust Me you can't miss it. Naturally I was going to be there for the Soft opening that they have had this Week to check the place out.

This theatre is awesome! They have 2 stories for movie lovers and social types alike. 

With the first floor being the cinema intended like many of the Drafthouses is from Genre fans where we are shown posters ranging from Dallas produced films like Robocop and the Phantom of the Paradise to more cult titles like Barbaraella and Dementia 13.

I personally like the fact that there is a poster of the Amicus classic Anthology flick Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors which is one of my favorites featuring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee.

The Auditoriums feature more personal seats for the moviegoers and is far friendlier for couples but the seats are far more comfortable and recline and I was able to watch both The Martian and Mad Max without pain in my back. The tables feature holes for your cup on the table thus preventing the table from getting wet from the sweat from the glass with the menus are placed under the tables for you to place your orders and still have the flags with pens to do such.

Above the Theatre is the Vetted Well pub where you can kill time before the flick in the bar or grab a bite with some of its own individual eats or just hang out in the Patio.  My friend Beth works there and can always recommend the best cocktails.

You can even sing Karaoke with your friends win individual rooms similar to the Highball in Austin.

Needless to say check it out.

James Wallace told me that the new place will feature many new events which we discussed potential ideas for screenings but don’t fret AGFA will stay at the Richardson location.

Last Week I headed out to Richardson for this Month’s AGFA and sadly Bri could not join me due to some issues where she worked and I met up with my Alamo gang Chris and Alan to check out the flick.

James Wallace soon took the stage and caused Alan to have a fit when he announced that the print was none other than 1985’s Demons.

This now considered Classic Italian Horror Film directed by Lamberto Bava and produced by Horror Master Dario Argento Demons is a flick about a group of people attending a free screening of a film about Demons who end up turning the moviegoers into Demons.

The Demons are malformed homicidal zombies that can in fact be killed with a shot to the head but anyone they attack will soon become a Demon themselves after being scratched in a Dawn of the Dead meets Evil Dead sort of Way.

Needless to say nice flick for AGFA with its 1980’s Gore and Effects as well as it’s soundtrack featuring Musicians like Billy Idol, Rick Springfield and Mötley Crüe.

Now this Flick spawned 9 Sequels but not all are canon I personally recommend Demons 2 and apparently Cemetery Man is considered canon to this flick.

23 Dead Bodies

1 Breast

19 Demons

Eyeball Gouging

Tongue Ripping

Brain Eating

Samuari Bikers  

Crashing Helicopter

  

At the Alamo: AGFA Screening of Beetlejuice

Well the Alamo in Richardson is kicking off well. I have recently began attending the screenings when I can and honestly it will take it some time for them to really get going and they are starting off.

Included in their lineups are both the Master Pancake stand up specials as well as the Horror remixes. 

One monthly event that they have added is be Free AGFA Secret Screenings 

The AGFA (American Genre Film Association) was founded in 2009  by an international band of genre enthusiasts. Featuring the worlds largest archive of Genre Films  with an emphasis on exploitation films from  the 1960s through the 1980s. With approximately 3,000 35mm prints. 

"AGFA exists to raise awareness of the importance of genre cinema through collection, conservation, and distribution."

To kick off these events myself and other genre enthusiasts headed over to the Drafthouse to find out what this special screening was. We all knew that this flick had to be a good one. 

When I sat down in the theater I had a $5.00 voucher since I reserved my seat online I was given a slip of paper advertising a special cocktail for the screening that was a hint as to what the film was  and we were all informed that if we could figure out what the screening was we would receive a free drink. The drink was called "Hydrated Chromium Oxide" and was mixed with Deep Eddy Vodka, Melon Liquer, Blue Curacao, with Lime and Grapefruit giving it a Blue Green Color and was garnished with a Gummy Worm which gave me the best hint of the film. 

The Film was Beetlejuice. 

There is a scene in the film where the character of Otho walks through the house deciding how to decorate the house and refers to a paint that he had created for one of he rooms that was Blue Green, Hydrated Chromium Oxide and the worm on the beverage could have been a reference to the Sandworms in the film.

Trust me when the Beetlejuice logo came on the screen the crowd went nuts.

Released in 1988 Beetlejuice was the second feature of director Tim Burton starring Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones, Catherine O'Hara, Winona Ryder, and Michael Keaton in the title role.

Telling the story of Barbara and Adam Maitland who after their deaths in a car accident are trapped in their home which is sold to the Deetzes who begin to annoy the couple and they bring in Bio-Exorcist Beetlejuice to haunt the house and to scare them away. However Beetlejuice has his own agenda and it involves the Deetzes young daughter Lydia.

Beetlejuice was a box office success and spawned Theme Park Attractions, a yet to be produced sequel, and was loosely the inspiration for a Saturday Morning Cartoon in the 1990s.

If this is only the beginning of the Screenings I look forward to seeing more at the Alamo Drafthouse as well as all of you in the future.