It has finally arrived! The Alamo Drafthouse Wrigleyville, a.k.a. John Hughes Cinema, is open at 3519 N. Clark Street (above the UFC gym - enter near the parking entrance and take the elevator to the third floor.)
The unique movie experience has been worth the wait. There are six theaters presenting, not only new releases, but also fun events like "Graveyard Shift", where they put old horror films back on the big screen, "Brunch Screenings", "Movie Parties" (with interactive props and themed food/drinks), "Costume Screenings", and more.
Food and drink are both ordered, and stealthily delivered, at your seat. We went to see Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, for which tiny menus, (with a couple of movie-themed specialty items on them), and little microscopes so you can read them, were waiting at each seat.
The custom preshow shown prior to the standard previews were great. For Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, for instance, they curated clips from old movies with the same theme of miniaturized characters. For example, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Innerspace were among them. They also showed clips of other Paul Rudd films with funny captions in pop-up bubbles on the screen. It made for a more holistic theater experience. Also to note, your pre-reserved seats recline and the screen and sound is of the highest quality.
Go early, or linger after, and enjoy cocktails at the Video Vortex, an 80's theme bar with a lot of seating.
Your kids may think it is a museum exhibit of ancient artifacts, but in fact there is a display of 11,000 DVDs and Blu-rays that may be rented for free.They also have 200 VHS tapes. Don't worry, if your DVD player or VCR went the way of your old rotary telephone and answering machine, they have equipment available for rent for a small fee.
Important to know, they take the movie experience very seriously and therefore, do not admit infants and small children for fear of distractions. However, your older children are welcome and they do offer Kid Friendly screenings with relaxed talking rules to accommodate families with younger movie fans. They also offer Sensory Friendly screenings open to all ages with raised lights, lower sound, and the most relaxed talking policy.
Overall, The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema makes going to the movie theater once again a special event. You may even want to switch out of your yoga pants for this one!
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The author was hosted to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are their own.
