Cinemas in the Time of Coronavirus: Alamo Drafthouse Will Rent Out Theaters For Small Private Screenings

Alamo Drafthouse branches in Colorado and Texas will allow you to reserve private screenings for up to 30 people

While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is keeping U.S. theater chains shut down on the whole, Alamo Drafthouse has come up with a socially-distanced workaround.

The Austin, Texas-based theater chain will be renting out screens at two of its theaters for private showings over the coming weeks, in a program dubbed “Your Own Private Alamo”. The participating locations will be the Slaughter Lane branch in Austin and the Sloans Lake branch in Denver, Colorado.

How it Works

A non-refundable fee of $150 will be required before you can select a day and time for your private screening. Once selected, Alamo will generate a private ordering page in which up to 30 people can purchase their tickets to the event and select their own seats (tickets will still be box-office rate, about $10-13 depending on location). There is an additional $150 minimum food purchase that your entire party must reach in pre-orders.

Masks will be required of all patrons in the theaters’ public areas, such as lobbies, restrooms, and hallways. However, according to Alamo’s website, mask-wearing inside the individual theaters is optional as long as there isn’t a local or state mandate superseding that decision.

Each private screening will also include a curated pre-show. Patrons who wish to further personalize their screenings (either with decorations, outside food and drink, or movies that aren’t included on Alamo’s list) are encouraged to contact the theaters in advance to request alterations.

“Official Selection”

The Alamo Drafthouse lists about 40 movies available to screen, which is a mix of classics and relatively new releases. Most of them seem to be from the Universal Pictures and Warner Bros.’ libraries.

• Abominable
• Despicable Me
• Despicable Me 3
• Dolittle
• Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch (2018)
• E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Kung Fu Panda
• Minions
• The Secret Life of Pets
• Shrek
• Sing
• Spirit: Stallion of Cimarron
• The House with a Clock in Its Walls
• The Iron Giant
• The Lego Batman Movie
• The Muppet Movie
• Trolls
• 1941
• Always
• Casablanca
• Duel
• Prince of Darkness
• Sixteen Candles
• The Goonies
• The Lost World: Jurassic Park
• The Sugarland Express
• Uncle Buck
• Village Of The Damned (1995)
• Weird Science
• A Nightmare on Elm Street
• Aquaman
• Batman (1989)
• The Breakfast Club
• Gremlins
• Jaws
• Jurassic Park
• Mad Max: Fury Road
• Superman (1978)
• The Lost Boys
• The Matrix
• The Thing (1982)
• They Live
• Wonder Woman

What say you, Austin- and Denver-based cinephiles? Is “Your Own Private Alamo” a good enough deal to get you and your friends back to the movies? Or are you more comfortable hunkering down at home and doing Zoom watch parties until this pandemic is more determinedly over?

Leave your thoughts on Alamo Drafthouse’s “Your Own Private Alamo” theater rental plan (via The Wrap) and this article below and in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more movie news can visit our Movie News Page and our Movie News Twitter Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Flipboard.