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xxxxxOne of the best parts of seeing a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse isnt always the feature film, its the strange array of videos that the projectionists play as the audience filters in and take their seats. The owner has amassed an impressive collection of old TV shows, classic TV commercials, vintage trailers and bizarre foreign videos. Sometimes the video directly relates to the feature presentation, other times it's whatever the projectionist had handy to slap in the VCR. I dont think the videos were ever meant to be much more than "visual ambience," in fact the sound is usually turned off, but they can be such a surprising treat in and of themselves.
xxxxxWhere else can you see (in wide screen glory) the Brady Bunch musical variety hour, sadistic japanese game shows, and the sort of old 60's and 70s toy commercials that send a wave of nostalgia shivering up your spine. Its a wonderful alternate dimension where Rheinhold beer cans dance in a parade, Mego (remember them?) 8 inch Marvel Comics heroes fraternize with their DC cousins, The Henson Bros variety show lives again, and a sexy model gives a frosty bottle of beer nothing short of a handjob.
xxxxxAlthough I sometimes get sick of seeing the same clips over and over again, I'm hardly the typical case. I obviously put more thought into these videos than the folks showing them. A night of just these videos would probably be a big hit, I can remember several nights when the crowd boo-ed when the pre show video stopped and the movie they came to see started.
xxxxxDuring SXSW 2002, Fred B. and I went to see "Citizen Toxie" as part of the Alamos' Lloyd Kaufmann/Troma Retrospective (now isnt THAT a marvellous crock of s**t?!?). Fred got bored and disgusted and insisted on leaving. Even I admit that most Troma fare makes for a rocking trailer but an excrutiating 90 min film. As much as Fred and I agreed that we didnt like the film, we both loved the pre-movie video, an episode of "Pink Lady and Jeff" (picture above right.)
xxxxxWhat? You never heard of it? I was so happy when they played this, the all time so indescribably godawful inept yet so wondrously "trainwreck entertaining" musical TV variety of the late 70s / early 80 's. The star of this show was Jeff Altman, who ironically starred in my other favorite Alamo video, "Legends of the Super Heroes." He did unspeakably stupid skits while two mouthwateringly georgous Japanese teen agers mangled disco tunes. I can remember even as naive little kids, my brothers and I would watch this piece of crap just to laugh AT it. But then again, it is SO bad its hysterical, its the Henny Youngman/Liberace of TV shows, you think its awful- but you love it. And it moves at a fast pace, so its never boring, AND the big bow ties and guest stars like Sid Ceaser, Florence (Mrs Brady!) Henderson, and yes Jerry Lewis(!) are all just past their prime but not quite yet over the hill. And I could have sworn I saw Jim ("Know whuttamean Vern?") Varney in the background. I felt vindicated! This show really existed and wasnt just a figment of my imagination. Now am I just imagining "Supertrain" and "The Uncle Floyd Show" ?!?
(Read more about this and other joyously bad TV shows of yesteryear at my fave guilty pleasure site: TV Party dot com!)

( http://www.filethirteen.com/events/buttnumb.htm )
Sometimes, between the movies, "short subject" entertainment featurettes were shown. They included a Buzby Berekley Highlight Reel, some 70's film trailers, a look at old horror movie stars, "Lonnie Goons" (classic horror film clips set to "Strangers in the Night") and a program called "Monsters You Know and Love."

Here now, off the top of my head in no particular order, are lists of my favorite pre show videos and Trailers...
Pre Show Videos:
1) The Mego Superhero Toy Commercials.
2) Sadistic Japanese Game show.
3) Suburban teenage white trash wrestling/bicycle stunts.
4) Rednecks beating and humiliating their drunken companion.
5) Brady Bunch Musical Variety Show.
6) Best of Donnie and Marie (almost indistinguishable from the "Brady" show).
7) Sexist/ Cartoonish Beer commercials.
8) French Stop Motion Dog cartoon.
9) "Legends of the Superheroes"!!!!!!!!
10) japanese puppet action movie
11) Japanese karate sex ("e--- jac--- tu-- laaa -- tion!")

Trailers:
1) Dolemite! ("Dolemite is my name, and f**kin up motherf**ers is my game!")
2) Anything TROMA makes for a great trailer, and a Lousy movie!
3) Brotherhood of Satan.
4) "I'm lookin for a n**ger named John SHAFT! " ( "You found him, WOP! ")
5) Stunt Rock!
6) Faster PussyCat Kill Kill!