Poll of the Day > Unpopular opinion: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is terrible.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Their gimmick is that you can get a meal with your movie.

They're the only theater in my area with assigned seating so I use them but it's so fucking annoying to have twenty employees moving around the theater the whole movie to bring people food and drop off checks. They make a big deal about not using your phone or talking, and I don't understand why, when their employees are far more disruptive.

SkynyrdRocker posted...

Their gimmick is that you can get a meal with your movie.

They're the only theater in my area with assigned seating so I use them but it's so fucking annoying to have twenty employees moving around the theater the whole movie to bring people food and drop off checks. They make a big deal about not using your phone or talking, and I don't understand why, when their employees are far more disruptive.

Personally, I'd find the noise of that many people eating/drinking quite annoying as well.
---

I went to one once, it was fun
---

It's one of those things where you plan for it, you know what you're getting into before you even sit down. If you don't like it, that's alright and I respect that, I definitely see where you're coming from.

I talk to their staff a lot and I guess they actually have certain scenes to go in and do their stuff so as to not disrupt anyone during the more intense scenes.

dragon504 posted...

Personally, I'd find the noise of that many people eating/drinking quite annoying as well.

People make an amazingly small amount of noise when they eat and drink.
---

Blaqthourne posted...

dragon504 posted...

Personally, I'd find the noise of that many people eating/drinking quite annoying as well.

People make an amazingly small amount of noise when they eat and drink.

Get your ears checked lol
Either that, or you are much more accustomed to sound stimulus than other people are. Anytime someone eats around me, I'm instantly tuned into it.

The thing with Alamo is that everyone is eating at the same time, so it kinda doesn't matter. That and I just really don't give a fuck when I'm there. It's the culture of that theater chain, I'm going to make noise. If you don't like that, take your business to AMC or Marcus, both of which are theaters where I do keep as quiet as possible because not everyone is eating there.

But for real, people who go to Alamo and don't get food are weird. They only exist in populated areas that have a lot of other options for film. Although they sometimes do show selective movies from years past or modern indie films, so there's some room for understanding.

GanglyKhan posted...

But for real, people who go to Alamo and don't get food are weird. They only exist in populated areas that have a lot of other options for film

Try again. The only other theater in my area doesn't even have fucking reserved seating. That's why I have to go to Alamo shithouse.

SkynyrdRocker posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

But for real, people who go to Alamo and don't get food are weird. They only exist in populated areas that have a lot of other options for film

Try again. The only other theater in my area doesn't even have fucking reserved seating. That's why I have to go to Alamo shithouse.

That's still another option.

GanglyKhan posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

But for real, people who go to Alamo and don't get food are weird. They only exist in populated areas that have a lot of other options for film

Try again. The only other theater in my area doesn't even have fucking reserved seating. That's why I have to go to Alamo shithouse.

That's still another option.

An even shittier option, junior

SkynyrdRocker posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

But for real, people who go to Alamo and don't get food are weird. They only exist in populated areas that have a lot of other options for film

Try again. The only other theater in my area doesn't even have fucking reserved seating. That's why I have to go to Alamo shithouse.

That's still another option.

An even shittier option, junior

Lmao, did an employee pee in your drink or something? You are so irrationally upset about this.

Don't have one anywhere near me (guess the closest is NYC?) but it doesn't sound appealing. (And, if I was driving out to NYC to see something, I'd rather just catch something on Broadway.)
---

GanglyKhan posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

But for real, people who go to Alamo and don't get food are weird. They only exist in populated areas that have a lot of other options for film

Try again. The only other theater in my area doesn't even have fucking reserved seating. That's why I have to go to Alamo shithouse.

That's still another option.

An even shittier option, junior

Lmao, did an employee pee in your drink or something? You are so irrationally upset about this.

I'm fine, junior. I just want a decent movie-going experience. Once the other theater implements assigned seating I'll never go back to Alamo shithouse

SkynyrdRocker posted...

I'm fine, junior. I just want a decent movie-going experience. Once the other theater implements assigned seating I'll never go back to Alamo s***house

Sounds good, senior!
Hope they update soon. Have you wrote to them about it yet?

GanglyKhan posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

I'm fine, junior. I just want a decent movie-going experience. Once the other theater implements assigned seating I'll never go back to Alamo s***house

Sounds good, senior!
Hope they update soon. Have you wrote to them about it yet?

Lol

Why do you have the mature language filter on

SkynyrdRocker posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

I'm fine, junior. I just want a decent movie-going experience. Once the other theater implements assigned seating I'll never go back to Alamo s***house

Sounds good, senior!
Hope they update soon. Have you wrote to them about it yet?

Lol

I wasn't being sarcastic. Don't expect change without interaction. They can't read your mind.

SkynyrdRocker posted...

Why do you have the mature language filter on

Default, never bothered to change it.

I think AMC does this weird thing where some of their theaters are assigned seats but not others for some reason. Plus Alamo shows cool stuff before the movie and 10 minutes of previews, while AMC shows ads before the movie and 30 minutes of previews.

I'm starting my own theater with blackjack and hookers.

I dislike reserved seating for movies
---

MrMelodramatic posted...

I dislike reserved seating for movies

Why? I love not having to get there early.

SkynyrdRocker posted...

I think AMC does this weird thing where some of their theaters are assigned seats but not others for some reason

This is true. Went to go see something recently and it was general admission, but the next week, it was reserved. I think the larger the room, the more likely it is to have reserved seating.

SkynyrdRocker posted...

I'm starting my own theater with blackjack and hookers.

Before, after, or during?

MrMelodramatic posted...

I dislike reserved seating for movies

Bizarre
---

GanglyKhan posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

I think AMC does this weird thing where some of their theaters are assigned seats but not others for some reason

This is true. Went to go see something recently and it was general admission, but the next week, it was reserved. I think the larger the room, the more likely it is to have reserved seating.

SkynyrdRocker posted...

I'm starting my own theater with blackjack and hookers.

Before, after, or during?

Before and after, and never during. It would be far too distracting

SkynyrdRocker posted...

MrMelodramatic posted...

I dislike reserved seating for movies

Why? I love not having to get there early.

95% of the time that I go to the movies, it's a last minute plan. Like, a "show up and ask what's showing in the next fifteen minutes and then watch that" kind of thing. I've been to maybe 5 or six movies where I planned to watch it in advance. Ever since the cinemas in town started reserving seats, there's never anything that's not booked in advance or where my friends and I can sit together. I've seen three movies in theaters (all Star Wars) since they started reserving seats. I'd love it if a place nearby didn't do that.
---

I've never been there, but I've been to a movie theater that serves meals. Is your ADD really so bad that you can't tune them out?

Grendel posted...

I've never been there, but I've been to a movie theater that serves meals. Is your ADD really so bad that you can't tune them out?

I can, it's still distracting.

I quite enjoy those kinds of theaters. From my experience, they stop 'waiting' on people once the movie has started. Or at least they stop bringing food, usually they're just bringing refills at that point. I can also tune them out pretty easily.

MrMelodramatic posted...

95% of the time that I go to the movies, it's a last minute plan. Like, a "show up and ask what's showing in the next fifteen minutes and then watch that" kind of thing. I've been to maybe 5 or six movies where I planned to watch it in advance. Ever since the cinemas in town started reserving seats, there's never anything that's not booked in advance or where my friends and I can sit together. I've seen three movies in theaters (all Star Wars) since they started reserving seats. I'd love it if a place nearby didn't do that.

How in the world do you think it's better to buy five movie tickets or w.e and then walk in hoping to find seats with each other? Reserved seating is objectively better. You can still go to 'random' showings and just select your seats when you get there.

There's literally no reason to not like reserved seating.
---

Blaqthourne posted...

dragon504 posted...

Personally, I'd find the noise of that many people eating/drinking quite annoying as well.

People make an amazingly small amount of noise when they eat and drink.

They most definitely do not, maybe you should hear my brother sometime, he doesn't even close his mouth and it's the most disgusting noises ever.
---

Ok, MOST people make an amazingly small amount of noise. I went to dinner tonight and actually tried to listen to people eating (because of this topic), and the only non-speaking sounds I heard were the person right next to me rustling his food wrapper once or twice.
---

SkynyrdRocker posted...

Their gimmick is that you can get a meal with your movie.

They're the only theater in my area with assigned seating so I use them but it's so fucking annoying to have twenty employees moving around the theater the whole movie to bring people food and drop off checks. They make a big deal about not using your phone or talking, and I don't understand why, when their employees are far more disruptive.

Your theater must suck then. My Drafthouse is amazing. They have the best customer service, they show movies that other theaters won't show, those superb preshows, and the food they serve is great. Would you rather have to get up to get your popcorn or drink refilled, missing part of the movie, or would you rather have someone do it for you? A sound of someone walking is hardly a distraction as you should be focused on the movie, not what is going on around you.
---

MrMelodramatic posted...

95% of the time that I go to the movies, it's a last minute plan. Like, a "show up and ask what's showing in the next fifteen minutes and then watch that" kind of thing. I've been to maybe 5 or six movies where I planned to watch it in advance. Ever since the cinemas in town started reserving seats, there's never anything that's not booked in advance or where my friends and I can sit together. I've seen three movies in theaters (all Star Wars) since they started reserving seats. I'd love it if a place nearby didn't do that.

Sounds like you need to start actually planning things then, especially if you want to go opening weekend. It's not rocket science. This sounds more like you're inconvenienced because you don't know how to make plans ahead of time and want everyone else to be inconvenienced for your own entitlement. First world problems, yo.
---

Zeus posted...

Don't have one anywhere near me (guess the closest is NYC?) but it doesn't sound appealing. (And, if I was driving out to NYC to see something, I'd rather just catch something on Broadway.)

Once you go to the Drafthouse, you will never want to go anywhere else. Being able to get your popcorn and drinks refilled without having to miss part of the movie is the greatest thing ever. Not to mention not having to try and plan out a time to go to dinner before your movie as you can have your meal as you watch the movie. You want dessert? You've got until 40 minutes until the movie ends to order that too. It's great.
---

I have been to one of their theaters a few times and the staff goes way out of their way to try to not block the view of anyone. They also have a lot of things implemented to try to limit any actual talking when someone is ordering. I was blown away at the lengths they were going at to not be disruptive. Sure, you could make a claim that anything is a disruption but even at a normal theater you are dealing with the following potentially.

People talking
Kids being annoying
Adults being annoying
Someone constantly getting up to use the bathroom or get more snacks.
Someone sleeping during the film and making noise with that.
Morons on their cell phone for large chunks of the film.

I mean any god damn theater experience can have problematic stuff going on.
---

They do try to not be disruptive. Doesn't change the fact that 20 people moving around the theater in your field of view is distracting, no matter how focused you are on the movie. Plus when they bring something to the person next to you they block a portion of the screen.

Dr_Kain posted...

Being able to get your popcorn and drinks refilled without having to miss part of the movie is the greatest thing ever.

How much are you fucking eating that you need a popcorn refill? Those things are huge there. When I saw Infinity War, all the popcorn buckets in my row were 80% full when we walked out.

MrMelodramatic posted...

I dislike reserved seating for movies

Same.



MrMelodramatic posted...

95% of the time that I go to the movies, it's a last minute plan. Like, a "show up and ask what's showing in the next fifteen minutes and then watch that" kind of thing. I've been to maybe 5 or six movies where I planned to watch it in advance. Ever since the cinemas in town started reserving seats, there's never anything that's not booked in advance or where my friends and I can sit together. I've seen three movies in theaters (all Star Wars) since they started reserving seats. I'd love it if a place nearby didn't do that.

Also this. With the additional issue of it being much harder to make plans in advance when you're dealing with multiple adults who all have lives, making "Well, this showing is sold out, we'll just get tickets to the next showing" a less viable option. Plus, I can't stand ordering tickets online/via smart phone.

Nearly every theater near me has switched to pre-order assigned seating. I have stopped going to all of those theaters.

The only time I use them at all is in situations where I wind up waiting like a month after a movie comes out, where the theater is going to be so empty that I can basically just walk in and get whatever seat I want for whatever the next showing is without having to worry about it being sold out or only shit seats being left. Which also has the added advantages of making sure the cinema gets the maximum return on my ticket price (because of how Hollywood studio deals work), as well as making the movie-watching experience far more pleasant because the theater isn't filled with other people making noises or generating odd smells.


---

The movie theater experience would be so much better if everyone watched and followed this video's advice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BDi3rkBV7s" data-time="
---

Monopoman posted...

I have been to one of their theaters a few times and the staff goes way out of their way to try to not block the view of anyone. They also have a lot of things implemented to try to limit any actual talking when someone is ordering. I was blown away at the lengths they were going at to not be disruptive. Sure, you could make a claim that anything is a disruption but even at a normal theater you are dealing with the following potentially.

People talking
Kids being annoying
Adults being annoying
Someone constantly getting up to use the bathroom or get more snacks.
Someone sleeping during the film and making noise with that.
Morons on their cell phone for large chunks of the film.

I mean any god damn theater experience can have problematic stuff going on.

I was gonna say I never notice the staff at Alamo (now Star Cinema here) once the movie starts. Maybe at the one the TC goes to they arent trained in the stealth ninja ways. We love these places, always get a pitcher of beer and a pizza or nachos w/chili con queso. And the reserved seating is fantastic. Plus reclining leather seats!

Ours also doesn't have recliners

SkynyrdRocker posted...

How much are you fucking eating that you need a popcorn refill? Those things are huge there. When I saw Infinity War, all the popcorn buckets in my row were 80% full when we walked out.

How little are you fucking eating that you're basically wasting your money? When I go to the movies with my husband, the popcorn we share is usually half gone before the movie even starts. Get smaller sizes, learn to share, or do without.

HillChange posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

How much are you fucking eating that you need a popcorn refill? Those things are huge there. When I saw Infinity War, all the popcorn buckets in my row were 80% full when we walked out.

How little are you fucking eating that you're basically wasting your money? When I go to the movies with my husband, the popcorn we share is usually half gone before the movie even starts. Get smaller sizes, learn to share, or do without.

I didn't order anything. I said all the ones in my row. I'm sorry you're bad at reading comprehension.

lihlih posted...

The movie theater experience would be so much better if everyone watched and followed this video's advice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BDi3rkBV7s" data-time="

He was a lot better before he started showing his face and it became clear he was just an angry little dweeb. I mean we all knew he was before, but it was easy to pretend.

I don't like spiderman that much
---

SkynyrdRocker posted...

HillChange posted...

SkynyrdRocker posted...

How much are you fucking eating that you need a popcorn refill? Those things are huge there. When I saw Infinity War, all the popcorn buckets in my row were 80% full when we walked out.

How little are you fucking eating that you're basically wasting your money? When I go to the movies with my husband, the popcorn we share is usually half gone before the movie even starts. Get smaller sizes, learn to share, or do without.

I didn't order anything. I said all the ones in my row. I'm sorry you're bad at reading comprehension.

My reading comprehension is just fine, thank you. Nothing you wrote comes even close to implying that you didn't at least have popcorn. And since my "you" was obviously aimed at everyone in your row due to my borrowing of your own phrasing, you're so bad at communication that you can't even comprehend your own writing.

MrMelodramatic posted...

I dislike reserved seating for movies

Same. I went to go see Isle of Dogs last night. Theater had reserved seating. The theater was at maybe 10% capacity and it assigned all the seats in one cluster. I did not stick to the assigned seat

It's ok for big titles near release day but that's not my moviegoing preference
---