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I stood by the AMC Stubs A-List subscription for years. It’s a great deal: three free tickets a week, regardless of format and with very few blackouts, for only about $20 a month. But, when an Alamo Drafthouse location came to my Midwestern hometown, I soon found myself shifting loyalties.
What Is Alamo Drafthouse?
The Alamo Drafthouse is a theater chain with nearly 40 locations nationwide. Founded in Texas in the late 1990s, Alamo offers a dine-in movie-going experience complete with a full menu and waitstaff who take your order from your seat. (Given the name, it’s unsurprising to learn that Alamo also offers a sizable beer menu along with other alcoholic drinks.)
Unlike AMC or other popular American multiplexes, the Alamo Drafthouse provides a good mix of new releases, cult classics, retro favorites, and other selections from off the beaten path. Plenty of theater chains have found that contemporary audiences respond well to nostalgic repertory screenings, but no one does it quite like Alamo.
From series such as the Alamo Time Capsule, Queer Film Theory 101, Reel Late, Brunch Screenings, and even the occasional 35mm film projection, you won’t find this many throwback screenings at any other chain cinema. It’s what initially drew me to check out the location that opened near me in 2022. Then, I learned about the Alamo Season Pass.
What Is the Alamo Season Pass?
Depending on your location, the Alamo Season Pass could cost you as little as $16.99 monthly. The majority of Alamo Drafthouse venues charge $19.99 a month, with select locations in New York, Los Angeles, and other big cities charging $29.99 a month. Contrast that with AMC Stubs A-List, which starts at $19.95 and only goes up from there.
Considering the superior movie selection, the greater number of tickets per week, and the appeal of the fancier dine-in experience compared to AMC, the only real advantage that Stubs A-List has over the Season Pass is its waived convenience fees when booking online. Even so, Alamo is working on a version of the Season Pass that will do away with those.
Why AMC Stubs A-List Members Should Switch
After my very first visit to Alamo, I was immediately ready to make the switch. It’s not even that I’m paying less per month for Alamo Season Pass over AMC Stubs A-List. It’s about the actual movie-going experience, too. The projection and the sound are both exceptional, and its no-talking and no-phone policies cut distractions to a minimum.
Alamo also has more exciting selections in addition to whatever the week’s new releases are. In the last year alone, I was able to see 90s romantic comediesYou’ve Got MailandNotting Hill, ’80s classicsThe GooniesandWhen Harry Met Sally, and new personal favoritesFemale Prisoner Scorpion: Jailhouse 41andTo Live and Die in L.A.
That’s just a fraction of the dozens of unique, hand-picked titles you’ll find at the Alamo. Dropping Stubs A-List was a no-brainer: I still get access to plenty of new movies, plus all these other great screenings you won’t get at your local AMC. It’s enough to squash any fears thatcinema is dying.
Stubs A-Listers Should Give the Alamo Drafthouse a Shot
Everything that initially stopped me switching to Alamo from the outside looking in proved to be a non-issue. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about food and drink being served in a theater, but there’s absolutely zero pressure to order something if you don’t want to. The same goes for the strict no-distractions policies, which are handled with politeness and anonymity.
