For those of us that spent our college years in south Texas, The Alamo Drafthouse in Austin has been a staple for meeting up, having a cocktail or two in the cinephile-filled bar before entering the theater to have a great meal with waitstaff being beckoned by writing a little note and sitting it on your table, and voila, more napkins appear to tidy up after munching on your Royale with Cheese. After the film, we’d all file out and discuss the film at the bar. You made an evening of it.
Wes Anderson, having attended UT Austin, where he met his fellowman the Wilson brothers, was a part of that scene. And he still is! The crucial difference is that his film is on the silver screen. The Wes Anderson love from the Austin community is being commemorated this month as The cinema company’s Village location in Austin, TX, on Anderson Lane celebrates the venerated filmmaker and native Texan by renaming the street to “Wes Anderson Lane” for the month of November. Filmmaker Wes Anderson thanked Mayor Steve Adler and Alamo Drafthouse in a video.
They will hold a costume photo contest to find the ultimate Wes Anderson fan and send them to Alamo Drafthouse Manhattan to print an edition of The French Dispatch magazine with a surprise guest from the film.
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and the City of Austin hereby rechristen West Anderson Lane, home of Alamo Drafthouse Village, as ‘Wes Anderson Lane’ in honor of the celebrated filmmaker and native Texan. The renamed street is announced as Searchlight Pictures’ critically-acclaimed arthouse box office success The French Dispatch is now in theaters nationwide.
The cinema company is also excited to unveil an Instagram (@AlamoDrafthouse) photo sweepstakes to find the ultimate Wes Anderson fan. Entrants are encouraged to submit photos of their pets dressed as their favorite Wes Anderson character and tag #WesAndersonLane to enter to win a once-in-a-lifetime printing experience with a cast member from the film. The grand prize winner will be flown to New York to attend a screening of The French Dispatch and meet a special guest in The Press Room at the new Alamo Drafthouse Manhattan location. Together they will hand crank the theater’s 1938 Vandercook Letterpress to create an edition of The French Dispatch magazine from the film.
“Honoring the mighty who have been forged in and by Austin has always been an important role of our city’s leader,” said Alamo Drafthouse Founder and Executive Chairman Tim League. “We are proud that Mayor Steve Adler has bestowed this incredible honor on Wes Anderson, a true titan of cinema. The accolade is well deserved.”
If you haven’t taken in a flick at an Alamo Drafthouse theater, you should. It’s all of the little touches that have allowed the company to expand nationwide. TIm League , Founder/Chief Executive Officer, puts it best. “We love great movies, cold beer and delicious snacks and built Alamo Drafthouse Cinema to celebrate all three. Our dedication to exceptional film presentation and diverse programming has made us a second home for like-minded movie fans across the United States.
“This passion is why Entertainment Weekly called us the ‘#1 theater in America’ and Wired named us the ‘Coolest Movie Theater in the World.’ We have zero tolerance for talking or cell phone use of any kind during movies, and we aren’t afraid to eject people who break that rule. We also don’t allow on-screen advertisements before films we show. Instead of ads, we create custom preshows with videos themed to the feature you are about to see.”
This weekend, we took in The French Dispatch at the AD, as we call it. The featurette gave us a primer on the evolution in French cinema from Jean-Luc Godard, Fran&çois Truffaut, Agn&ès Varda and more. It sets the tone while giving you some of the inspirations the led Anderson in his current film.
League adds, “We also take the same care with all of our food and drinks. At every Alamo Drafthouse you can find a selection of fresh pizzas, salads, sandwiches and more. A wide selection of local craft beer along with delicious cocktails and a curated selection of wines round out the menu.We’re passionate about movies, food and beer. Join us, share in our passions and find your like-minded community at the Alamo Drafthouse.”
F&élicitations, Monsieur Anderson!
Source: movieweb.com