The original Alamo Drafthouse closes for good after Wednesday night's triple feature.
Over the last 10 years, the "dinner and a movie" theater grew into a national fad and hosted some of the wild and craziest film events ever seen.
"They're posting an Alamo Blog-athon where people are posting their memories from the Alamo, and when I read those stories than I feel this wave of sentimentality," co-owner Tim League said.
Film fans should fear not. The downtown Drafthouse is moving into the old Ritz Theater on Sixth Street. Renovations are under way and the theater should re-open in September.
Fourth and Colorado Street just won't be the same with out the Drafthouse, a one-screen anomaly that grew into an icon of the Austin film scene.
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Last picture show
After 10 years, the original Alamo is moving from the Warehouse District to Sixth Street.
 
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"This process of closing this place down and itemizing the hundreds of events and the thousands of films looking back now after 10 years I see that it's a big thing," Tim said.
League and his wife Karrie moved from Bakersfield, California, and hand-built the theater in 1997 with great expectations for a very humble property.
"I remember walking in and thinking, 'What are we doing?'" Karrie said.
The Leagues built the Alamo Drafthouse empire on a foundation of food and film that now carries over to multiple locations, film festivals and nationwide events. They owe it all the obscure and crazy films that Austin couldn't get enough of.
"If things would have been different back in 1997 then none of
that stuff would have existed, so this place holds a very special
spot in my heart," Tim said.
In a few months the theater will be reborn as the Alamo at the Ritz on Sixth Street where the new and improved Alamo experience carries on.
"We have an obsession about these things and we program through our obsession and know that people are getting it an responding to what we do," Tim said.
It's an Austintatious style of show business that keeps film fans remembering the Alamo.
Fittingly, the Drafthouse's closing night is a "Weird
Wednesday" triple header beginning with Stanley Tucci's Big Night and a paired Italian menu. Tickets are sold out but a few standby seats for the other two films may become available later in the night. Earthquake and Night Warning standby tickets are $75. Night Warning standby tickets are $30.
For Earthquake, about when the big one hits Los Angeles, the theater will augment the sound system with 50,000 watts of subwoofer power for a thundering experience.
And star Susan Tyrell will be present for her 1983 cult classic Night Warning at midnight.
