Movie/TV recommendations

[syntheticgerbil]

I was super happy when an Alamo Drafthouse came to Kansas City awhile back, even though it's close to an hour drive for us to go there, it's still worth it.  The Drafthouse chain has no advertising, reasonable prices, and a hardcore enforced behavior policy (no phones, texting, etc).  For every single film they show, they make a custom intro reel with movie clips, vintage ads and vintage trailers from movies that are thematically linked in some way.  The first time I went to a Drafthouse in Austin, Tex., it reminded me why going to the movies ought to be an amazing experience. 

 

The Kansas City theater is also in a nearly century old theater that's one of my favorite buildings in town. 

I hate Drafthouse, I will go out of my way to another corporate theatre and eat food somewhere else now. They have a lot of advertising, but just for themselves. Every other theatre chain has a strict no talking policy as well and they have people who will check. Drafthouse is an incredibly expensive endeavor where you get an $11 burger that is just ash between bread. It was good maybe before the assigned seating and everyone moving to Austin, but now it's just a monopoly on choice theatre locations. They also fail to show anything good or original anymore (foreign, small releases) unless it's intentionally terrible movies on special nights in the downtown location. Parking downtown is a whole extra thing too where you get charged $3 or $7 depending on your luck parking. Last time I parked for the downtown Alamo I got out of the car and saw a pile of human shit on the ground. Keep Austin weeeeird man.

 

I tried to go see what I thought was the U.S. theatrical cut of Brazil back in February, because that is the best cut and is not usually the one seen, it's what they had listed on their website and I asked them both by e-mail and Facebook to make sure that was the one. Sure enough, I get there and it's the European cut. The fuckers hardly even know what they are playing unless it's some kitschy ironic VHS movie that is funny for about 10 minutes and then you just sit there for another 80 eating subpar food.

 

Oh and let's talk about their rules. Sometime in 2011 or 2012 they got rid of the reserved seating for fanatics and made it required reserved seating everywhere. Since Austin is well past capacity now, I guess that was the solution because actually showing up to an Alamo on a whim to watch a movie was not possible. So they carry over the extra fee for reserved seating and if you want a chance of seeing a movie, you'd better do it online and hope there are two seats next to eachother should you have a date. Then you pay the online "service fee" which is a $1 complete bullshit because you have no other choice but to use it. So now Alamo is fucking Ticketmaster I guess, because apparently to run a website with transactions you need $60 per movie (or however many it seats to capacity) for locations all over multiple cities. If you are even about to see a popular movie on a weekend, you'd better plan that shit by Wednesday, because you will not be able to see a movie until next weekend at Alamo. God forbid you mess up and miss the movie because something comes up, there are no refunds and you cannot cancel before the showing. Oh yeah, they have a no late person policy, should you get stuck in traffic in the city with the worst congestion in Texas, you will not be allowed to enter and they keep your money. It's the most expensive theatre in Austin for so many reasons.

 

And they also treat their employees like shit. Tim League, the owner, had an AMA on reddit and only answered the easy questions, completely ignoring multiple employees asking why they were always put an hour short under full time so that they could not have benefits. Should you want to work part time because you are getting fuck all for working right under 30 hours, then they will apparently just start cutting your hours ridiculously low. You are not good to them until you are nearly full time. I guess they have to save that money so they can charge $6 dollars for a beer.

 

Then there's Harry Knowles, the Ain't it Cool News movie critic who is Tim League's friend. He doesn't tip and he's an asshole. Apparently there's a notorious story where the fucking asshole couldn't get up and so he just sat in the chair and pissed himself while the urine ran down the floor of the theatre. Then he of course didn't tip or acknowledge he did that and Tim League had an employee clean that up. There's more gross stories I hear about Tim League from my friend in the Austin Film Society, but they don't really pertain to the theatre.

 

There was a time when Alamo did show fringe stuff that was good as well as foreign films, but they are done with that phase. Most locations are just showing Spiderman or Avengers. Unless I have free passes, a friend really wants me to go with them, or there's something I want to see that I can't see anywhere else I go somewhere else and pay a couple of dollars less per ticket.

 

Ugh, that felt good. Fuck that theatre.

 

Also I should say in general at corporate movie theatres, I can't recall any terrible experience except for an AMC my wife and I regularly went to when we lived in a sleazier part of Houston. Sometimes there'd be people talking or looking at their phones, but even in 2006-2007 people would still walk up the aisles and shush them and stare at them until they stopped. Corporate movie theatres don't want talking just as much because it means you are going to get a refund if you complain. This illusion that Alamo is some amazing movie oasis is just false. Also we loved AMC because they had an automatic ticket kiosk outside where we could buy children's movie tickets and pay $6 (at the time) and no one ever checked, even if you were seeing a rated R movie. The workers don't get paid well enough to care or argue. That was pretty sweet, I miss those times

 

Oh yeah, the Fargo ending maybe could have went out with more of a bang, but I'm really glad the miniseries exists. I certainly had a good time with it and wanted to know what happened every next episode.

[Merus]

 tried to go see what I thought was the U.S. theatrical cut of Brazil back in February, because that is the best cut and is not usually the one seen, it's what they had listed on their website and I asked them both by e-mail and Facebook to make sure that was the one. Sure enough, I get there and it's the European cut. 

 

I was all 'oh, here is a guy with a different experience' until you said this, and now I can't take the entire post seriously. The US theatrical cut ruins the film. I mean, if they advertise that it's the US cut that's what they should show but it is by no means the best version of Brazil.

[syntheticgerbil]

But it has a much more light hearted intro that ties in with the end of the film, cuts out the boring 10 minutes between the capture and the torture room and it has the clouds at the end! It also adds some jokes in that were written by Tom Stoppard because as Gilliam admits, he didn't exactly get the punchline at the time but later changed his mind.

 

The European cut, which is what they had, is the worst. At least on the Criterion Director's cut it has the added jokes and the better intro. It just does not have the clouds at the end and has that droning 10 minutes of talking before the torture chamber. If there's one thing most Gilliam films tend to need besides better writing, it's good editing, and when the guy is pushed to make cuts for the sake of pacing I think he makes stronger films.

 

What can I say, it's the cut I loved when I watched it long long ago on a VHS from Blockbuster and I really wanted to see it in a theatre, because I've already seen the Criterion one in a theatre and many times at home.

[Merus]

Oh, I'm sorry, I went digging and discovered the US theatrical release isn't the Love Conquers All version after all. I take back my criticisms!

[BigJKO]

Oh, dear me.. Yeah, I thought syntheticgerbil was talking about the Love Conquers All version. Thank god!

[syntheticgerbil]

Oh come on guys, give me some credit!

[Nachimir]

The Harry Knowles pissing himself story is an excellent crescendo to that post synth

[syntheticgerbil]

Oh yeah, on a brighter note, the same friend filled me in on a similar Alamo story where Quentin Tarantino was there and I guess didn't understand how the transactions worked and failed to tip his waiter. I guess at some point he realized his mistake and came back the next day and gave the guy a hundred dollar bill.

[Roderick]

That cinema sounds just awful. No wonder you all don't like going there, I wouldn't.

[Bjorn]

@synthetic

 

Yeah, if I had those experiences, I wouldn't go to that theater either.  But mine has been completely the opposite (once in Austin and a bunch of times in Kansas City).  The food isn't spectacular, but we spend a comparable amount to buying snacks as we do at the AMC, and it's better than anything at the AMC.  I haven't bought tickets in person at a cinema in years.  Even if we just decide to go, I buy online or on my phone just to have it done. 

 

Biggest thing I like about the Alamo is the lack of kids and teens.  We quit going to the AMC on the weekends because the place is just chock full of herds of unsupervised 12 year olds running around all night on the weekends. 

 

Which, speaking of AMC, the one we used to go to now has this cattle chute line where you fill up your own soda, pick up your own box of popcorn, ect.  It bugs the shit out of me for some reason.  It's unquestionably faster than a traditional snack bar, but it feels very impersonal.  It also makes it a massive hassle to get my popcorn properly buttered, since I usually ask for it to be buttered in the middle and on the top, and the new setup at AMC minimizes all chances to interact with an employee. 

[JonCole]

I felt a personal victory when I decided not to get my popcorn buttered anymore, because that top and middle thing used to bother the shit out of me but now I'm just satisfied with what I get. I always see movies midweek in the early afternoon or first thing Sunday morning to minimize child/teen interactions (also churchgoers which often include families, incidentally). Doesn't work as well in the summers, but it still works.

[agorman]

There is a theatre in Boston called the Brattle Theatre right near Harvard and when I was interning in the area over the summer, I frequently went to showings there. They always had a fantastic selection of older movies playing, and the audience was so much fun to watch the movies with. Watching The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly for the first time  there is one of my most cherished cinema memories I've had to date. I'm sure to people living in big cities, this sort of thing is not amazing to hear about, but growing up in the midwest I never really had that growing up.

[syntheticgerbil]

@synthetic

 

Yeah, if I had those experiences, I wouldn't go to that theater either.  But mine has been completely the opposite (once in Austin and a bunch of times in Kansas City).  The food isn't spectacular, but we spend a comparable amount to buying snacks as we do at the AMC, and it's better than anything at the AMC.  I haven't bought tickets in person at a cinema in years.  Even if we just decide to go, I buy online or on my phone just to have it done.

I should probably be a little bit more fair. For whatever reason, the two Alamos in Houston seem to actually do well in showing movies I want to see that are not big blockbusters, as I usually see them come up on the schedule. Alamo in Austin seems to only do the scheduling I spoke of earlier. Also Houston was way more choice in terms of independent cinema than Austin because they also have the Angelika and River Oaks theatres. I don't know what it is, but it's like the Alamo in the city it was born in is the worst. I don't even know if any Alamos except the Austin one force reserved seating online in advance.

 

It's funny because it's almost like the Regal, Tinseltowns, and AMC theatres in Austin are better because almost no one goes to them at most times of the day. I've had so many experiences with being one of six people in front of a huge screen on a Friday night.

 

Also you've gotta smuggle in those snacks!

[Ben X]

Cineworld just introduced assigned seating. I haven't experienced it yet, but I get the feeling it will cause me to cancel my Unlimited membership after ten years.

[Merus]

Am I the only one that likes assigned seating? I like never having to find a seat, particularly if the theatre is dark: my ticket tells me where there is a free seat, and if it is not free, where the person who is going to find a free seat for me is sitting.

[Brannigan]

I tend to go early morning so seating is never an issue.  I purposely avoid a crowded theater when I can help it

[BigJKO]

Nah, I'm also for assigned seating.. Especially if I'm going in to watch a premiere of something, I like to just order a ticket a week or two in advance and select some good seats for myself and my friends. Otherwise, I'd have to arrive early just to get some ok to maybe shit seats..

[Patrick R]

I feel like I must be #blessed because I almost never encounter these problems in theaters. Then again, I have a couple of rules to help:
 

• Don't go to multiplexes if you can help it.
• Never go opening night.
• Try not to go opening weekend.
• If you go opening weekend, do a matinee.
• Don't see animated movies (Ghibli excluded) in the theater.
• If there are only seats up front, just return your ticket and see it another time.

In Chicago it's easy to avoid most these problems because there are so many art and revival theaters, whose patrons are usually extremely polite (the odd drunken yelling asshole at a midnight showing of Purple Rain not withstanding). I guess that's not necessarily the case everywhere.

[Ucantalas]

My rules for watching movies were usually pretty simple...

1) Go as early in the day as possible. A few theatres I've gone to had shows starting at noon, those were perfect.

2) Go in the middle of the week.

3)...but never the first week after the movie has been released.

These three tips have prevented pretty much all problems.

[tegan]

• Don't see animated movies (Ghibli excluded) in the theater.

 

This this this this. While my experiences with animated films in cinemas has generally been okay, one annoying kid is all it takes to ruin it. I mae the mistake of seeing Monster House around the very end of its run. The only people there were the kids whose parents don't take them to the earlier showings because they don't know to shut up.

[syntheticgerbil]

In theory forced assigned seating seems like good idea, but it's when fees are added on and when it's impossible to see movies the evening of when you decide to. It creates this tension with all civilians of the city that they must get their tickets well in advance, especially if everyone only goes to one chain ever.

 

So then you're shit out of luck if the theatre also has a no refund policy on fucking everything because if you felt you had to get your assigned seating in advance because securing somewhere to sit is a headache, it ultimately always leaves empty seats where people couldn't make it and leaves open seats that could have gone to people who just showed up on the time of without a plan. Like I said, it's even worse if you run late, you're almost there, but there's also a no late policy and your also out of your $11 even though your seat will go empty and the damn place is distracting no matter what because of servers and bathroom breaks.

 

I don't know, like I said this probably works well in cities where people are less insane about seeing movies, because Alamo used to do general admission and assigned seating if you really wanted online ahead of time. I guess showings got so packed that they felt they had to force it, but with all this headache, I feel it's just smarter to just go to the theatres on the outer city limits that all other Austinites are too hip for.

 

Also animated movies in theatres are the worst only because the stuff produced in California must be family friendly garbage. Not sure why you guys even waste your time supporting all that Disney/Dreamworks/Sony owned stuff. How many times do you have to see a movie where you are told to believe in yourself and every stock Calarts expression in the book is used?

[Erkki]

I don't think we ever had non-assigned seating in Tallinn's cinemas. It's definitely not as big problem as you make it out to be -- or if it is from your experience then there must be other contributing factors than the assigned seating itself.

[TheLastBaron]

I'm glad I saw Wall-E, Up, and Toy Story 3 in theaters. All were enjoyable experiences.

[BigJKO]

Huh, ok.. If you're required to purchase your advance ticket immediately then I can see the problem.

Over here we just reserve tickets, and If you're not there to pick them up before the deadline (an hour before the show) the tickets are put up for regular sale to late comers.

[syntheticgerbil]

I don't think we ever had non-assigned seating in Tallinn's cinemas. It's definitely not as big problem as you make it out to be -- or if it is from your experience then there must be other contributing factors than the assigned seating itself.

I suppose the main part of it is just the capacity and population problem, which I think is the motivator for making it mandatory, because like I said I don't know if the Alamos in other cities require the reserved seating in advance. You could potentially show up to one and get a reserved seat if it's open or drive to a theatre in advance to the ticket booth, pick out your seat, and avoid the online fee. But almost everything is sold out a couple of days in advance at Alamo especially if it's a big release, anything on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, and harder to see films with limited showings. If you want to see a movie that has a limited release and has one day available (as the usual Alamo schedule goes, when they find time in their heart to not have another superhero movie), then you almost need 2-3 weeks heads up sometimes.

 

I think it worked fine before when it was both general seating and reserved seating at any theatre, should you fear it would sell out. I think just about every theatre works like that, you just have to pay through the nose at Fandango. That was about 4-5 years ago and earlier, which was a very different Alamo back then when all of the locations were small affairs and it was more for seeing fringe movies and discussions with directors. It all flip flopped though.