Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2007 > November > 02 > Entry
Alamo at the Ritz opens — barely
The carpet unfolds in places, and the moulding is missing in spots, but on Thursday night a pair of Davy Crockett statues welcomed first-nighters to the Alamo at the Ritz, the new East Sixth Street location for the local meal-and-a-movie chain. Wednesday’s preview was canceled but health and occupancy certificates came to the rescue.
Alamo fan Quentin Tarantino and movie theater co-owner Tim League discuss the new venue at the Ritz
“We’ve been wandering around in a daze,” Alamo programmer Henri Mazza said. “There are some rough edges, but we’ll be working on them while people are watching movies.”
“What’s not to like?” said Jay Knowles, father to Internet movie pundit Harry and a longtime Austin cultural figure, about the former movie theater that most recently served as a pool hall. “The ceilings are higher, the look is more luxurious and the trenches are deeper for the servers.”
Munching on a special mushroom feast, the audience, which including Alamo fan and cult director Quentin Tarantino took in the weirdness of “Matango: Attack of the Killer Mushrooms.”
“Tim’s always want to show it,” co-owner Karrie League joked about her husband and co-owner. “But probably nobody would come, so he forced them to by showing it on opening night.”
In other local movie news, please welcome Agnes Varnum to Austin. Formerly of the Brooklyn documenatry distribution company First Run, Varnum has taken the position of communications manager for the vital Austin Film Society. She formerly worked for the Center for Social Media in D.C. and serves at a columnist for Indie. She blogs about new media and other issues. Docs to look for in the coming months, says Varnum, include “Mondo Bala” and “Taxi to the Dark Side.” By the way, expect the society’s renovated studios at the Mueller site to open in January 2008.
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By John Metcalf
November 2, 2007 9:36 PM | Link to this
which bar? puck rock or lame frat bar.
i'll take the alamo over both.
By anon
November 2, 2007 5:51 PM | Link to this
bring back the real ritz. i want my bar back.