Celebrate 50 Years of the Village With Alamo Drafthouse

The Alamo Drafthouse is celebrating 50 years of movies at the Village cinema off Anderson Lane, including 100 classic movies and events happening only at the North-Central Austin location (Photo by John Anderson)

The Alamo South Lamar may be known as Alamo Drafthouse's mothership, but the Village on Anderson Lane is the chain's oldest location. Yet there have been movies there since before the Drafthouse dimmed its first lights, and the company is celebrating the theatre's complete history this year as it marks Village's 50 years as a working cinema.

The four-screen theatre originally opened in February, 1974, as the Village Cinema Four, a neighborhood first-run cinema, then became an arthouse venue. When it closed in 2001, Drafthouse founders Tim and Karrie League decided to build on the success of their original one-screen repertory Alamo Drafthouse on Colorado by taking on the North-Central Austin location. The rest, as they say, is history, as it was really Village that proved the “dinner and a movie” business model that the Drafthouse has taken nationwide, and is now repeating in cinemas globally.

But starting this week the Drafthouse is celebrating the entire 50 years of movies under the recently refurbished metal roof with a swathe of signature programming and the return of some homegrown favorites.

Owen Wilson in Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket

Of course, this being the Anderson Lane, make that Wes Anderson Lane location, the Drafthouse is hosting a special retrospective of the works of UT alum Wes Anderson, with screenings of The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore, and his debut feature, Texas classic Bottle Rocket.

Speaking of blasts from the past, longtime Drafthouse devotees will be ecstatic at the return of some of the most beloved signature events, including The Greatest Showman Sing-A-Long, and movie parties for Office Space, Moulin Rouge, and The Princess Bride.

A Bug's Life (Image courtesy of Disney/Pixar)

However, part of what Village proved was that the Drafthouse is for the children and not just for grown-up movie fans who wanted deep dives in their 35mm archives. Yet both will be overjoyed to know that Disney and Pixar are opening their archives to Village, continuing the retrospective screenings the House of Mouse has held as part of the studio's 100th anniversary. Upcoming will be screenings of classics such as Oscar-nominated wonder Beauty and the Beast, diamond in the rough Aladdin, the ever-brilliant The Lion King, the epic and hilarious Mulan, voodoo delight The Princess and the Frog, Pixar's six-legged wonder A Bug's Life, and the first two Toy Story movies.

This is just the first wave of titles, with more to be added to reach that magical century mark. Plus (and the Drafthouse is being suitably enigmatic about this) there's a big announcement yet to come about something wonderful coming to Village that will secure its legacy as a haven for cinema history ...

“As a resident 78757ian, I can’t wait for everyone to experience this awesome lineup with us,” Alamo Drafthouse Senior Film Programmer John Smith said. “In fact, our Office Space Movie Party will be locally sourced, because I plan to acquire three old printers from the Goodwill on Anderson Lane for smashing purposes.”

Find out more, and get tickets, at drafthouse.com.

Beauty and the Beast (Image courtesy of Disney Animation Studios)

ONLY AT VILLAGE

Beginning Jan. 12

• All About Eve
• Toy Story
• Bottle Rocket

Beginning Jan. 19

• A Bug's Life
• The Greatest Showman Sing-A-Long
• Jennifer's Body

Beginning Jan. 26

• Office Space Movie Party
• Rushmore
• Beauty and the Beast

Beginning Feb. 2

• 10 Things I Hate About You
• Remember the Titans
• Toy Story 2

Beginning Feb. 9

• The Princess Bride Movie Party
• Romeo + Juliet
• Mulan
• The Princess and the Frog

Beginning Feb. 16

• Moulin Rouge Movie Party
• The Lion King

Beginning Feb. 23

• Finding Nemo
• The Royal Tenenbaums

Beginning March 1

• Speed
• Aladdin