 "Photo: Callie Richmond")
On its last night, the Alamo screened two of its favorite films, "Big Night" and "Earthquake." While you may not be able to experience the Drafthouse feast for "Big Night" or the subwoofer effects for "Earthquake," you can still run by your local video store to re-create your own Drafthouse send-off.
Big Night, 1996
For those of you who love fine Italian cuisine and films that are raw and unforgiving, "Big Night" is sure to whet your appetite. "Big Night" is the story of two Italian brothers, Secondo (Stanley Tucci) and Primo (Tony Shalhoub) who have moved to the U.S. in an effort to make a living out of their breathtaking Italian cooking. They open a restaurant called Paradise, which is soon about to be bankrupt, and have one night to prove that their restaurant should stay open.
Primo is a legendary chef who truly respects the wholesomeness of Italian cuisine. His motto is, "To eat good food is to be close to God." The film revolves around Secondo's efforts to keep his restaurant in business while trying to ensure Primo that his genuine tradition in Italian cooking is not compromised. However, the Italian brothers learn that Americans are serious when it comes to eating what they like, and Primo's inability to cooperate in serving what the customers want quickly leads Paradise to the brink of bankruptcy.
In an effort to salvage the restaurant, brother Secondo confides in Pascal (Ian Holm), an elderly businessman who owns a thriving and flamboyant competing Italian restaurant. In an effort to help the brothers, Pascal books a gig for an amazing jazz musician to play at Paradise for one night, and in that night the brothers can please a large crowd in order to keep their business afloat.
After gaining much publicity in their promotion of the performance, Primo cooks the meal of his life and Secondo entertains and caters like never before. The restaurant is packed. Yet, as the night unwinds, the patrons are drawn more to the unbelievable cuisine and good fun, not realizing that the musician will never actually play. Pascal was only testing the boys, rather than helping them.
The movie never mentions what becomes of the brothers and their restaurant, leaving the audience with a raw and uncertain conclusion. After a night of bickering, the brothers forgive each other and move on with a very quaint breakfast. No fairy-tale ending. Nothing.
"Big Night" will not knock your socks off, but it's a movie that tells it like it is. The message is simple: Sometimes people try their best, and sometimes the best just isn't enough. It's a progressive representation of two Italian brothers struggling to make a living as immigrants in the U.S.
- Luis Ramirez
Earthquake, 1974
In 1974, "Earthquake" must have been a technical marvel. Its release was part of a larger trend in cinema: the emergence of blockbuster films in the '70s. The movie took on the daunting task of depicting the destruction of Los Angeles by way of - you guessed it - an earthquake. And a commendable job it did. The always-rugged Charlton Heston heads an all-star cast, including fellow Oscar winner George Kennedy (later known for his work in the "Naked Gun" series) and famed starlet Ava Gardner. Mark Robson ("Peyton Place") directed, while Mario Puzo ("The Godfather") took part in the writing.
Upon its release in theaters, an innovative Sensurround system was incorporated to provide an entertaining theatrical experience, thrilling moviegoers with tremor-like jolts throughout the theater. The film was celebrated for its efforts and subsequently won an Oscar for Best Sound.
Over the years, "Earthquake" has certainly lost its creative edge, with notable weaknesses in the plot, dialogue and performances surfacing from the rubble. The film fails to deliver a realistic depiction of the mayhem that ensues from the catastrophe. It attempts to depict the fault of human nature in times of crisis, but the characters are far too underdeveloped. And as serious as the subject matter is, I find myself laughing at some of the more ridiculous scenes. A shining beacon does emerge, however, in the role of Walter Matthau as a drunken pimp.
The Alamo Drafthouse brought in extra bass speakers for the final showing, and while the subwoofers rattled some light fixtures, the crowd wasn't blown away by anything on-screen.
- Joe Hildebrand
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