The Alamo Drafthouse Village Theater, a cherished part of Austin’s history, is turning 50 this year and is celebrating in grand style. Originally opened in 1974 by the now-defunct Presidio Theatres and known as “Village 4,” it is not only Austin’s oldest continually operating first-run cinema but also the second-ever Alamo Drafthouse location after the cinema eatery purchased it in 2001. The theater, steeped in history, has been heavily upgraded just in time for the summer movie season, which includes a Star Wars Celebration Only at Village.
Alamo Drafthouse Village is offering a unique cinematic experience this summer with their Star Wars Celebration Only at Village. They will be screening all nine films of the Skywalker Saga, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Solo: A Star Wars Story. In three marathon screenings, dedicated fans can even experience the original, prequel, and sequel trilogies. This is a celebration not to be missed. Tickets for the entire Star Wars Celebration can be found at drafthouse.com/starwars. “In December 1977, the original Star Wars opened at the Village 4 in glorious Dolby Stereo,” says John Smith, Senior Film Programmer for Alamo Drafthouse. “Forty-seven years later, we’re finishing the story and sharing the complete saga with Austin audiences.”
The theater has undergone a transformation for its 50th anniversary, now boasting premium recliners, 4K laser projection, and the Vulcan Video Collection. The lobby of the Alamo Drafthouse Village theater has been reimagined as the premier destination for fans of physical media in Austin (and visitors to the city) – Video Vortex: Powered by Vulcan Video. Guests can now enjoy the ultimate comfort while browsing thousands upon thousands of DVDs and Blu-rays, all available to rent for free, from the legendary collection. DVD and Blu-ray players are also available for rent. The collection features obscure titles from visionary directors, underseen gems never released on streaming, and unique genres rarely featured anywhere else.
“When we first opened the Alamo in 1997, Karrie and I used to walk to the Elizabeth Street location on our days off. Their depth and breadth were astonishing. Vulcan was a community hub that every movie lover in the neighborhood cherished,” says Alamo founder Tim League. “We are honored to be the next stewards of Dian Donnell’s incredible archive.”
The upgrades come at the onset of the summer movie season, with films like The Fall Guy, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and Deadpool & Wolverine playing in the newly enhanced auditoriums.
About Alamo Drafthouse: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was founded in 1997 as a single-screen mom-and-pop repertory theater in Austin, TX. Twenty-seven years later, with 41 locations and counting, Alamo Drafthouse has been called “the best theater in America” by Entertainment Weekly and “the best theater in the world” by Wired. Alamo Drafthouse has built a reputation as a movie lover’s oasis by combining best-in-class food and drink service with the movie-going experience and by introducing unique programming and high-profile, star-studded special events. Alamo Drafthouse created Fantastic Fest, a world-renowned genre film festival dubbed “The Geek Telluride” by Variety, featuring independents, international filmmakers, and major Hollywood studios. Alamo Drafthouse continues to expand its brand in new and exciting ways, including the American Genre Film Archive, a non-profit film archive dedicated to preserving, restoring, and sharing film, and with eight new theaters announced for this year and beyond. Website: drafthouse.com
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Photo credit: Roger Ho
Source: Alamo Drafthouse