A Tour of the New Godzilla-themed Alamo Drafthouse

A few months ago, the Bay Area of California opened up an Alamo Drafthouse theater at the Westfield Valley Fair Mall located in the San Jose area. Alamo Drafthouse is a theater chain that specializes in providing the best theater experiences for audiences, and serves alcoholic beverages for adult viewers. But this is not just any standard Alamo theater; it is the Bay Area’s very own Godzilla-themed cinema! From the entrance to the hallways, the whole theater has the King of the Monsters everywhere!

For this year’s Godzilla Day, I made a visit on behalf of Kaiju United to take some photos and videos of this establishment with the theater manager’s permission. In addition, I also got the chance to watch Godzilla (1984) for the Big G’s 71st anniversary. But I wanted to see what Valley Fair Alamo Drafthouse has to offer for Godzilla fans and regular movie goers. Why should everyone visit this theater? What is there to do aside from watching films? What makes this establishment unique compared to other theater brands?

When I first arrived at the theater on the second floor, there were two things that immediately caught my attention. First, there is a mural featuring Godzilla and various other Kaiju from across Toho’s library. A welcoming sign for any G-Fans coming in to visit. Second, the right side of the entrance had a laser projection that showed an animated cycle of Godzilla stomping in and blasting his atomic breath at the viewer. Fun fact: the animation was done by Lost Utopia Films, the same YouTube channel that is known for their found footage fan films such as Living with Monsters and Shelter 54.

Entering the theater, you can see a few areas within. The ticket stand and register has a space next to it that has various Alamo Drafthouse merchandise, including the new Godzilla-themed ones. I managed to preorder a Godzilla T-Shirt from Alamo and picked it up after showing my ticket. The shirt had the 1964 Godzilla surrounded by flames along with the theater’s logo. Next to the ticket stand was also an arcade area that had various games, such as the Jurassic Park arcade game and a skill crane filled with Godzilla plushies.

Next to the exit is a staircase with a sign above titled “Odo Bar,” a clever nod to Odo Island from the original 1954 Gojira film. Going up the stairs, I saw walls decorated with various Godzilla movie posters, and foreign versions of those posters too. Some of these were the German versions of the classic 1960s and 1970s Showa films. It just shows that Godzilla is beloved no matter where you are in the world.

The second floor of the theater houses the Odo Bar. It provides a nice amount of lounging booths and tables for having a nice drink before a movie, and when you want a quick bite. The atmosphere not only is friendly, but it gives Godzilla fans a great sense of familiarity, with even more Godzilla posters being displayed. From a casual bar visitor, it is a comfortable place to be at, especially with the amount of space provided. I felt at home at this bar due to the Godzilla decor.

One of the drinks that the bar offers is the Godzilla Punch. It is a cocktail beverage containing rum and fruit such as pineapple and passion fruit. I tried it out myself and the sweet flavor combined with the rum packs a punch straight from Jet Jaguar. The Godzilla punch is the most popular choice of alcoholic beverages and I can see why. The bar also provides food if you’re hungry. I recommend both the Godzilla Punch and the fried chicken sandwich for first time customers. I will say that the prices are a bit on the higher end, but that’s to be expected in movie theaters today. 

After a good drink and meal, it was time to watch Godzilla (1984). When walking through the auditorium hallway, I was greeted with more posters of Godzilla movies such as Invasion of Astro Monster, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs Hedorah, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla Minus One. It is very refreshing as a Godzilla fan to walk in a movie theater and see nothing but Godzilla movie posters along the walls. The auditorium that showed the first Heisei film had a nice, large art piece of Godzilla standing next to the entrance of the room that said “Happy Birthday Godzilla” along with balloons spelling his name. A wonderful way to celebrate Godzilla’s birthday.

Entering the theater, I was surprised by a lot of things. First off, each seat had a small rotating tray for you to place food and drinks for your viewing. Second, you can actually order not just snacks, but also meals and even alcoholic beverages straight to your seat. During the previews, a waiter or staff member will go around to take your order for 15 minutes. Or, you scan a QR code and order online through there. After 15 minutes, you can only order by writing your order, displaying it on your tray, and pressing a button to have someone get it. They even keep a tab for you until the last 10 minutes where they close it automatically.

Plus, the orders come quickly before and during the movie. This level of service is unique among theater franchises. Sure, certain brands like Cinemark and AMC have apps for this. However, I’ve never been in a theater where faculty take orders in front of me while I’m seated. It prompted me to order popcorn and soda even if I already had a bite to eat.

Another thing I noticed about movie screenings at Alamo Drafthouse is that they have a strict no talking rule. Yes, that is a standard rule and should be enforced no matter what. But, Alamo has a special condition for this rule. If you talk once during the movie, you get a warning. After another instance, you will be escorted out of the theater with no refund. A bit harsh, but I find it an excellent way of enforcement. It helped me enjoy watching Godzilla (1984) to the fullest extent.

Speaking of which, watching the first Heisei Godzilla movie on the big screen was a great experience. The sound quality was pretty good. It wasn’t like watching in IMAX or Dolby Cinema, but the screen was large and the audio sounded just right. It wasn’t too loud or soft. As a neurodivergent person, I felt comfortable watching Godzilla at this Kaiju-themed theater. Seeing this particular Godzilla movie on the big screen is special to me because this movie was only released theatrically with heavy American edits back in 1985. Watching the original Japanese version was fitting to see for Godzilla’s 70th Anniversary, and for the film’s belated 40th Anniversary.

The Westfield Valley Fair Alamo Drafthouse is the best Godzilla-themed theater and one of the best theaters in the Bay Area. The decor, atmosphere, bar, food, and service helps give anyone a wonderful movie experience. I highly recommend it to not just Godzilla and Kaiju fans, but to casual movie watchers too. If you don’t want to watch a Godzilla movie but still want the good service, that’s fine too! The Alamo Drafthouse also provides screenings for a variety of other movies, both old and new. For Godzilla fans in the Bay Area, try this place out and see if they are showing a Godzilla movie. For anyone who wants a good theater to go to, this is one you shouldn’t skip out on.