Beginning Friday, January 5th, each of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema’s forty locations from coast to coast will begin unearthing the first set of Alamo Time Capsules, a yearlong trek back through time that revisits both beloved blockbusters and forgotten favorites spanning six landmark cinema years – 1999, 1994, 1989, 1984, 1979, and 1974.
The retrospective – the largest and most comprehensive in the company’s history – runs throughout 2024 and will include nearly 150 different selections.
The new series begins in 1999, and this week’s films include Being John Malkovich, The Iron Giant, and Run Lola Run. Time Capsule 1999 runs through the end of February, and tickets are available now.
Title collections will span six to eight weeks and, rather than act as a “top ten list” of films, instead will tell their part of the story of that year in cinema, culture, and history. Upcoming Alamo Time Capsule collections will include special merchandise, custom Alamo Drafthouse menus, and special events.
“My first job was making popcorn and tearing tickets at a second-run movie theater in 1999, and I was lucky enough to get to see everything from that wild year of cinema, from Blair Witch to Magnolia to She’s All That again and again and again,” said John Smith, Senior Film Programmer.
“Twenty-five years later, I’m proud that the Alamo Drafthouse team is able to bring these films back to the big screen to share with new generations all over the country.”
Distribution partners for Alamo Time Capsules include the American Genre Film Archive, Janus Films, Kino Lorber, Lionsgate, Paramount, Park Circus, Rialto Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, Sony Pictures Repertory, and Warner Bros. Classics.
“With all of the tireless work put into restoring and unearthing all types of cinema, it’s vital for us, and to film culture as a whole, to exhibit them,” says Alamo Drafthouse programmer Jake Isgar.
Alamo Time Capsules was developed by programmers John Smith, Jake Isgar, and Jenny Nulf from the company’s Alternative Content department. Alternative Content represented approximately 12% of Alamo Drafthouse’s box office revenue in Q4 2023.
Though it will last the full year, Alamo Time Capsules is only a portion of the company’s repertory programming plans for the year. January and February’s lineup includes the company’s annual “XOXO, Alamo” Valentine’s Day programming block, as well as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, interactive Movie Party screenings of Clueless and The Goonies, and four essential films by one of cinema’s greatest performers, Denzel Washington.
TIME CAPSULE 1999
This January and February. Tickets are available now at Drafthouse.com/1999.
It was a landmark year that saw a new generation of filmmakers challenge conventional storytelling and remind audiences and Hollywood that artistically ambitious films could also be commercially successful.
Narratively rich and structurally innovative filmmaker-driven visions…
● Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman’s mind-melter BEING JOHN MALKOVICH
● Tom Tykwer’s relentless fever dream RUN LOLA RUN
● Brad Bird’s directorial debut, the eternal animated classic THE IRON GIANT
● Jim Jarmusch’s unique fusion of urban drama and samurai philosophy, GHOST DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI
● Paul Thomas Anderson’s Los Angeles-based tale of fathers and frogs, MAGNOLIA, screening exclusively in 35mm at select locations
Genre-shattering blockbusters that changed filmmaking forever…
● Lana and Lily Wachowski’s epic THE MATRIX, with all three follow-ups screening at select locations
● Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick’s found footage innovator THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT
● Takashi Miike unflinching portrayal of psychological terror, AUDITION
Heartfelt rom-coms that powered endless sleepovers…
● Malcolm D. Lee’s THE BEST MAN, the compelling ensemble film that offers a nuanced look at relationships, loyalty, and life’s unexpected turns
● NOTTING HILL, the timeless exploration of love, vulnerability, and chance encounters that continue to resonate with audiences worldwide
● Garry Marshall, Julia Roberts, and Richard Gere’s humorous and heartfelt PRETTY WOMAN reunion RUNAWAY BRIDE, capturing the complexities of relationships and fear of commitment
The absolute height of teen films…
● The deliriously funny and impossibly raunchy sex comedy AMERICAN PIE
● The apex of teen rom-coms (thanks to a script polished by M. Night Shyamalan), SHE’S ALL THAT
● Reese Witherspoon’s one-two punch of star-making turns in Alexander Payne’s droll satire ELECTION and the delightfully evil remix of “Les Liaisons dangereuses”, CRUEL INTENTIONS
● A cult classic that reimagines the teen dramedy with a dark, queer-centric twist, JAWBREAKER
TIME CAPSULE 1994
March and April. Titles are to be announced, and tickets are on sale in early February.
The culturally redefining cine-blasts of PULP FICTION and CLERKS anchor a year of subversion and spectacle. This package explores indie breakthroughs, sublime Hollywood hits, and wild genre adventures that hit at the crest of the Gen X wave.
Watch for a special menu themed after the films of 1999 and a collectible pint glass available only at Alamo Drafthouse locations.
TIME CAPSULE 1989
May and June. Titles are to be announced this April.
Led by Spike Lee’s epochal DO THE RIGHT THING and the towering pop achievement of BATMAN, 1989 marks an incendiary year in international cinema.
Expect landmark works by Steven Soderbergh, Gus Van Sant, Pedro Almodóvar, and Shinya Tsukamoto mixed with the throat-ripping good time of ROAD HOUSE, UHF, and TEEN WITCH.
TIME CAPSULE 1984
July and August. Titles are to be announced this June.
At the cultural height of the go-go ‘80s, we have a hyperreal mix of pop confections, headlined by Prince’s PURPLE RAIN and the high fantasy adventure of THE NEVERENDING STORY.
As our friend Buckaroo Banzai once said, “Wherever you go, there you are.”
TIME CAPSULE 1979
September through November. Titles are to be announced this August.
A year of jerks, muppets, and warriors. Come out and play with epics like Francis Coppola’s APOCALYPSE NOW, Michael Cimino’s THE DEER HUNTER, and Andrei Tarkovsky’s STALKER.
There will also be early transmissions from David Cronenberg, Werner Herzog, and Hayao Miyazaki.
TIME CAPSULE 1974
October through December. Titles are to be announced this September.
The Alamo Time Capsules program for 2024 is closed out with the peak of the ‘70s New Hollywood, featuring the one-two punch of Francis Coppola’s THE GODFATHER PART II and THE CONVERSATION, John Waters’ trashterpiece FEMALE TROUBLE, and Tobe Hooper’s THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE.
Along with early works by Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Alamo Drafthouse will highlight triumphs from Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Lina Wertmüller, and John Cassavetes.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.