The Texas Theatre: The Cathedral of the Weird<\/p>\n
Nowhere is this philosophy more palpable than at the Texas Theatre. It stands as the jagged crown jewel of Oak Cliff, a place that long ago transcended its historical infamy to become a laboratory for the avant-garde<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jason Reimer, co-owner and creative director of the Texas Theatre, views the venue less as a cinema and more as a cultural organism.<\/p>\n \u201cThe future of cinema and theaters in general in 2026 and beyond is not as bleak as many would have you believe, but it\u2019s very challenging depending on your particular channel of entertainment,\u201d Reimer tells the Observer. \u201cFrom the beginning, I never approached the Texas Theatre just as a \u2018movie\u2019 theater only, and more so a \u2018theater\u2019 in the broadest terms. This multi-pronged approach made our survival through turbulent times in movies, streaming wars, TikTok \u2014 whatever \u2014 a little easier.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, the theater is doubling down on that hybrid model. The calendar is a fever dream of multimedia experiences that refuse to be categorized. It is one thing to stream Twin Peaks on a laptop; it is entirely another to sit in the velvet darkness of the Texas Theatre, surrounded by hundreds of others, watching the Log Lady dispense wisdom on the big screen. The theater began screening the TV series in January<\/a>, with the run lasting through March, turning the solitary act of binge-watching into a communal ritual.<\/p>\n But the programming goes beyond the screen. Reimer and his team understand that in an age of artificial intelligence, the \u201clive\u201d element is the premium currency.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can\u2019t reliably predict what people will come out of the house for all the time, but people will always want to leave the house to be together and experience something,\u201d Reimer notes. \u201cThat\u2019s a human instinct and A.I. is not going to \u2018replace\u2019 that. In my opinion, the idea of A.I. makes these human experience businesses more valuable.\u201d<\/p>\n To that end, 2026 sees the arrival of filmmaker John Cameron Mitchell, bringing the raw, glitter-bombed energy of Hedwig and the Angry Inch live to the stage. Comedian Dan Soder is set to perform, bridging stand-up and cinematic storytelling. There is even a planned tribute to Rob Reiner<\/a> \u2014 dubbed by the theater as \u201cThe American Goat.\u201d Additionally, Japanese ambient artist Ichiko Aoba will bring her singular sound to the Texas Theatre in a special event this May. It\u2019s this kind of alchemical programming that makes the Texas Theatre feel less like a business and more like an art project that got out of hand in the best possible way.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most exciting development for cinephiles is the \u201cVault Access\u201d series. The theater recently gained access to the SMU 35mm print archive, a treasure trove of physical media that will be curated by Ben Jousan, longtime programmer of Tuesday Night Trash at the Texas Theatre. In a digital world, the scratch and wobble of 35mm film feels like vinyl for the eyes \u2014 warm, imperfect and deeply human.<\/p>\n The ambition of the Texas Theatre crew isn\u2019t contained by the Dallas city limits, either. Reimer has his eyes trained north.<\/p>\n \u201cThis summer, a project I\u2019ve been working on even before the Texas Theatre, the Fine Arts Theatre in Denton<\/a>, will open, we hope, in July,\u201d he reveals. \u201cBarak [Epstein, operator at the Texas Theatre] and I recently found a way to install 70mm projection in the space, so it will have many of the same capabilities that Texas Theatre already has while adding a larger format.\u201d<\/p>\n The plan? To christen the new Denton space with a bang. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re hoping to open the theater with Christopher Nolan\u2019s Odyssey on 70mm,\u201d Reimer says. \u201cBut I\u2019ll also be putting together a team in Denton to host regular 70mm screenings as well.\u201d<\/p>\n For Denton, this is a resurrection. \u201cI think the new theater will be a big deal for the Denton community,\u201d Reimer adds.<\/p>\n Alamo Drafthouse: The Pop Culture Playground<\/p>\n If the Texas Theatre is the cool, slightly dangerous art school kid, the Alamo Drafthouse is the valedictorian with a sleeve of tattoos. With locations in the Cedars, Lake Highlands and Las Colinas, Alamo has mastered the art of \u201ceventizing\u201d the movies. They don\u2019t just show a film; they build a shrine to it.<\/p>\n For 2026, Alamo is leaning hard into the tangible totems of fandom<\/a>. In a digital era, we crave things we can hold, and Alamo is delivering with the \u201cMonsterVerse\u201d collection. The 12-inch-tall Godzilla Popcorn Bucket, based on the 1954 original design, has already become a coveted artifact. But the Kaiju invasion is just beginning.<\/p>\n According to an Alamo Drafthouse representative, March will see the launch of a Mechagodzilla Popcorn Bucket, along with a hooded blanket and a pint glass. This merchandising blitz supports a massive programming series running from March through November, featuring Japanese giants like Terror of Mechagodzilla alongside Studio Ghibli masterpieces Princess Mononoke and Rashomon.<\/p>\n Courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema<\/p>\n But Alamo\u2019s 2026 strategy isn\u2019t just about monsters; it\u2019s about tastemakers. The brand has tapped into the zeitgeist with a new \u201cGuest Selects\u201d series<\/a>, kicking off with none other than pop icon Charli XCX.<\/p>\n The selection is a fascinating window into the pop star\u2019s psyche, running now through Feb. 10. It includes the satire of This is Spinal Tap, the raw nerves of Opening Night, the neon-soaked consumerism of Josie and the Pussycats and the tragic glamour of Ciao, Manhattan! It\u2019s a lineup that screams \u201ccult classic,\u201d proving that Alamo knows exactly how to speak the language of the modern, irony-poisoned, yet deeply sentimental moviegoer.<\/p>\n However, evolution is not without its growing pains. This year marks a significant operational shift for the chain: the retirement of the pen-and-paper ordering system<\/a>. For years, the silent ritual of writing a milkshake order on a slip of paper was sacred \u2014 a way to get fed without breaking the spell of the movie. The move to mobile ordering has sparked a debate among purists.<\/p>\n While the company insists this move is to streamline service and \u201cprotect the moviegoing experience\u201d by reducing server interruptions, it represents a friction point between tradition and efficiency. Whether this gamble pays off or alienates the die-hards remains the year\u2019s subplot.<\/p>\n Angelika Film Center: The Keeper of the Flame<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/GodzillaDay_AlamoMart_ProductImages_Godzilla_PopcornBucket_ProductImages_HERO_1024x1024_691c9694-309.jpeg\")
The King of Monsters is now the King of Snacks. Check out this epic Showa-era Godzilla popcorn bucket, exclusively at Alamo Drafthouse.<\/p>\n
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With its elegant design and retro posters, the Angelika is the perfect backdrop for 35mm Casablanca and Rocky Horror Picture Show screenings.<\/p>\n