L.A.'s Coolest New Movie Mecca, Alamo Drafthouse, Has Finally Arrived Downtown

Beer-loving film buffs have a new haven in Los Angeles. After long last, Alamo Drafthouse has officially debuted its first West Coast movie wonderland at The Bloc in Downtown. Soft-open as of mid-July, the Texas-born theater chain toasted its official L.A. arrival a few weeks back with a starry grand opening bash, complete with karaoke, scavenger hunts, deluxe balloon art, and even roaming horror characters.

High-fidelity-obsessed cinephiles will feel at home at the two-story movie mecca, which houses 12 auditoriums with 4K laser projectors, while analog enthusiasts will also dig the 35mm projector. Moviegoers can order food and drinks from their reclining leather seats, which all boast tables and cupholders (no more awkward popcorn and soda spills) — and you'll be happy to know that your experience won't be interrupted by pre-show advertisements nor last-minute seat-hunting as all seats are reserved in advance.

Downstairs, a full bar and kitchen serves up 45 craft brews on tap, Tex-Mex fare, and movie-inspired cocktails, and there are vintage video games to help pass the time, too. Guests can rent out DVDs and Blu-Rays for free from the Video Vortex, which houses a library of 40,000 titles and also stocks pop culture-inspired novelty gifts from Mondo, board games, and more.

The Video Vortex will also host a full schedule of events, including trivia nights, board game launch parties, tournaments, and more. To help preserve L.A.'s film community and archives, Alamo Drafthouse partnered with Vidiots for a year-long series that will bring together filmmakers, critics, and more friends of the nonprofit organization to share their favorite video store memories and discoveries. On top of that, proceeds from sales of Vidiots merch will help support its future brick-and-mortar plans.

As far as tickets, matinee pricing is $15 for weekdays and $16.50 for weekends, while general admission is $17.50 to $18 and 3D movies are $19 to $22. Students, seniors, and military with ID can enjoy discounted tickets for $14 to $18. The theatre offers a range of signature series to appease every movie lover, from the Alamo for All program for kids or movie fans with special needs to the horror-happy Terror Tuesday to the quirky Weird Wednesday, to name just a few.

The DTLA multiplex is also beta testing the new Alamo Season Pass, which offers a movie-a-day plan and will allow members to reserve tickets in advance. You'll have to join a waitlist to try it out, and each week a random number of people from the list will be invited to buy the pass.

Scroll through the gallery above to see more inside the cinematic playground, and see the full schedule of programs and what's showing now right here.

Alamo Drafthouse at The Bloc, 700 South Flower St., L.A., 90017