Play it, Sam

WOW! That's the only word I can use to describe seeing Casablanca at the Alabama Theatre Friday night. First, Casablanca is one of my all-time favorite films. I know that's a cliche, but I truly do think it "holds up" -- unlike many of the "classics" from the past. Second, the Alabama Theatre is astounding! If you don't know:

The Alabama Theatre was built in 1927 by Paramount Studios as an Alabama showcase for Paramount films. It was used primarily as a movie palace for 55 years, with the exception of the annual Miss Alabama pageant and the weekly Mickey Mouse Club. In 1987, the owners of the facility declared bankruptcy and the theatre was purchased by Birmingham Landmarks Inc., a non-profit corporation.

The Alabama was restored in 1998 and while I don't know what it looked like in its prime, the current theatre looks like a fairy tale castle. The woodwork, the chandeliers, the gold leaf paint, the bathroom "lobbies", ... It looked just like you'd imagine a grand movie palace from the 20s would look. And, gosh, it only took me 8 years to go see a film there.

As for the film, ... As I said, Casablanca is one of my favorites, but I'd never seen it on anything other than a living room TV screen. While part of it may have been mental, it really did seem like a different movie in that setting. Plus, without distractions I ended up paying much closer attention and I found the movie to be very witty. There were lots of snippy little lines that I never caught when watching at home, but I laughed out loud Friday night. Oh, and there was a cartoon before the movie and the Alabama has an organ that rises up out of the floor and some guy played old tunes for 15 minutes or so before the show. Basically the whole experience kept the audience very engaged (I didn't hear a single cell phone ring). Though I'm sure most everyone there had seen the movie many times before, almost the entire audience (minus me) burst into spontaneous applause at the end -- something I've never seen outside of maybe Top Gun. In other words, it was a great experience and anyone within driving distance of Birmingham (AL, that is) needs to get his butt there this summer.

Oh, some members of my coffee shop crowd want to go back next week, but I don't know that I'm up for sitting through that one! Personally, I'm looking forward to the weekend of August 4th-6th when they're showing Raiders of the Lost Ark. That should be way cool.