Austin, Texas, is one of the few centers of movie geekdom in the known universe.
Forget Hollywood and its celestial glitterati - Austin is home to such true independents as Robert Rodriguez, Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson, Terrence Malick, the Alamo Drafthouse, and Ain't It Cool News. The latter has transcended its humble roots as a poorly designed outgrowth of an Internet newsgroup obsession (thanks to the irrepressible and gargantuan personality of founder Harry Knowles and his guerrilla tactics) to become the foremost online hub for movie gossip.
Knowles himself is a controversial figure loved and hated by many, but his clear passion for movies has led to a natural and mutually beneficial relationship with that other pre-eminent, homegrown institution of cinema, the aforementioned Alamo Drafthouse. This modest but growing chain of cinephile-oriented theaters started as a downtown mom-and-pop establishment trying to make an honest buck by looking fondly backward on movie history, rather than forward. The original downtown Drafthouse location is closing this week, only to reopen in a more upscale setting at the old Ritz theater only a few blocks away. Because it's a sad, exciting, and all-around emotional event for movie lovers all over town, you can count on Harry Knowles to share his thoughts on one of Austin's treasures.
Harry remembers the first time that he ever went to the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, shortly after it opened. The classic blaxploitation movie "Superfly" was playing there, with the enticing offer of free alcohol to everyone who attended. This virgin experience was so fresh and exhilarating that Harry immediately wrote about it for Ain't It Cool News upon returning home. Shortly afterward, he was contacted by Tim League, founder of the Drafthouse, who had read Harry's review and liked what he saw.
The two have been cohorts ever since. Harry currently volunteers on the Alamo Drafthouse chain's board of directors, helping with programming and sponsoring various events, as well as overseeing the Saturday Morning Kids Club. In his function as editor and reporter for Ain't It Cool News, Harry sometimes promotes Drafthouse events on his Web site and arranges special events for the downtown location, such as the recent sneak peeks of the fanboy nostalgia piece "5-25-77" and the highly anticipated "Ratatouille."
Not surprisingly, Harry's fondest memories of the Alamo Downtown are from the various events that he has helped arrange. Every year, he throws his ultimate movie geek birthday party there, a 24-hour, nonstop movie marathon called Butt-Numb-A-Thon that features often exclusive first looks at titles for the fanboy crowd, such as last year's centerpiece "300." People across the country annually vie for tickets to this event. Harry reminisces about the times he brought such esteemed filmmakers as William Friedkin, Mel Gibson, and Jon Favreau to the Alamo Downtown for special screenings of "The French Connection," "Apocalypto," and "Made," respectively, and he waxes rhapsodic when telling of how he surprised the audience for "Made" by bringing out Vince Vaughn.
But perhaps the most significant benefit for Harry is how the original Alamo Drafthouse establishment has allowed him to see things that otherwise would not be seen anywhere, obscure fare like exploitation movies and old silent flicks, which have influenced his tastes as a cinephile and his coverage as a reporter.
Thanks to the Alamo Downtown and Ain't It Cool News, this otherwise forgotten and marginalized part of cinema history is being rediscovered by a new generation of movie lovers.
Harry names founders Tim and Karrie League for giving the Alamo Drafthouse its soul. They literally built the Drafthouse from scratch (the slightly ramshackle, warehouse look of the downtown location's interior testifies to this) and parlayed their investment into a huge local success by paying attention to what the town and the patrons wanted, taking chances with unique, innovative and frequently exclusive programming, and always acting out of a true love for movies over simply making money. The Leagues' vision has developed into three more establishments in Austin, four more elsewhere in south Texas, and the "Rolling Roadshow" that stops anywhere. Now, that vision has even outgrown the original downtown location. And Harry could not be more optimistic. He expects a great experience to get even better: The welcoming and magical atmosphere of the original Drafthouse will be complemented by state-of-the-art picture and sound (which were previously not possible given the theater's humble beginnings), making the Alamo Ritz a true 21st-century movie palace.
Of his future relationship with the Drafthouse, Harry says, "As long as Tim and Karrie are alive, I will be their friend, their cohort."
And finally, for a man who has spent his entire life immersed in movies, a man who has become a minor Hollywood power player by chance, what does the humble little Alamo Drafthouse Downtown mean to Harry Knowles? "It's my personal bit of movie heaven." Here's to many more years at Austin's premiere cinema venue, a place truly vital for one's film education.
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