It's been a long wait for fans of Alamo Drafthouse and film in general, but movies finally return to downtown Dallas with the soft opening of Alamo's Cedars location on Friday, February 12. That date should prove successful for Alamo, as it will see the opening of two films — Deadpool and Zoolander 2 — that fit right in with the company ethos, as well as a third, How to Be Single, that is this year's designated Valentine's Day date movie.
The new theater, located at 1005 S. Lamar St., features seven auditoriums, all with 4K digital projection with 7.1 Dolby Surround Sound. Every seat at this location is a luxury recliner, and front-row seats feature larger chairs with a deeper recline and footrest.
Other amenities include a 30-foot outdoor screen, four private karaoke rooms, and an upstairs bar with two patios, each with amazing views of downtown Dallas.
You can actually get in to see the new movie theater sooner than February 12, as Alamo open its doors for "Role Play" dates earlier that week, February 8-11. Along with a chance to see some of the biggest movies of 2015 like Jurassic World and Mad Max: Fury Road again, you'll get in for just $1 and get 50 percent off your food and non-alcoholic beverages as the waitstaff learns the tricks of the trade.
The soft opening dates also bring some discounts: 30 percent off food and beverage February 12-14; 15 percent off food and beverage February 15-21; and a free order of cookies February 22-March 8. The theater officially opens on Wednesday, March 9.
The new location features an upstairs bar with to-die-for views of downtown Dallas.
Rendering courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse
The new location features an upstairs bar with to-die-for views of downtown Dallas.
Photo by Scott Garfield / courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures and Apple Original Films
Brad Pitt in F1: The Movie.
The sport of auto racing has been tackled in a variety of ways over the years by filmmakers, with the intoxicating ability of the cars to go super-fast often overriding whatever story they’re trying to tell. The Formula 1 circuit has been the subject of several films based on real drivers, and now it’s at the center of a fictional story in F1: The Movie.
Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is an aging driver who lives an itinerant lifestyle, traveling in a van to whatever kind of racing organization will give him a chance to show his skills. Ruben (Javier Bardem), an old competitor from Formula 1 who now owns his own team, comes calling when the lead driver of his team gets injured. Soon enough, Sonny has joined up with the team halfway through their season, with rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) as his teammate.
The bulk of the film finds Sonny trying to impose his old-school ways on the modern sport, with crew members like Kate (Kerry Condon) and Kasper (Kim Bodnia) alternately bristling and marveling at his methods. Sonny and Joshua also spar, sometimes off track, but typically on, where the stubbornness of each threatens not only the success of the team as a whole, but also their safety.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski and written by Ehren Kruger, the filmmaking team tries to bring the same you-are-there feel that they did successfully in Top Gun: Maverick. And there’s no doubt that the film is at its best when it puts multiple cameras in a Formula 1 car while it navigates tight turns and speeds down straightaways, especially because it seems like Pitt and Idris actually did some of the driving. Even non-racing fans should come away impressed with what the cars and drivers are capable of.
Now, if you’re looking for any kind of story, you’ve come to the wrong place. The Sonny-Joshua rivalry has a bit of juice to it, but not much. Unlike most sports movies, the film rarely goes outside of the team, so there’s no antagonist to be found in the film. In fact, were it not for the presence of other cars in the various races, you’d think that Sonny and Joshua were the only drivers, with an annoying commentator constantly talking about them alone, even when they’re far behind the leaders.
The film also struggles with making the sport accessible for non-fans. With the winding courses the circuit uses, there’s far more to it than a car’s (and driver’s) ability to go really fast. The characters use lots of technical jargon about how the design of the car allows the driver to shave tenths of seconds off their times, but the filmmakers are not able to deliver that information in a manner compelling enough to draw the viewer in.
Pitt, as he’s been for more than 30 years, is a magnetic presence who knows how to play to the camera. Sonny is not one of his most interesting characters, but he makes the role work overall. Idris, best known for starring in the FX series Snowfall, makes the case for being the film’s breakout star, giving his character plenty of charm and cockiness. Bardem, Condon, Tobias Menzies, and other members of the team are cast well, even if the story lets them down.
As a showcase (aka advertisement) for the sport it depicts, F1: The Movie works relatively well, giving viewers a taste of what it’s like to actually be in a rocket on wheels. As a film, though, there’s not much to recommend, to the point that it almost negates any of the positives that come from the racing scenes.
