Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is putting a new soundscape on classic silent films. Drafthouse is partnering with GroundUp Music to present a new screening series that reimagines classic silent films like “Nosferatu” with all-new musical scores. The series is called “GroundUp Music x Alamo Drafthouse” and features new scores for “The Lost World,” “Waxworks,” “Nosferatu,” “Aelita Queen of Mars” and three silent shorts all by GroundUP music artists.
The series kicks off Sunday, Feb. 20, at Alamo Drafthouse locations across the country and will continue through mid-March. Following the New York events at the new Manhattan theater, Alamo Drafthouse locations in participating markets will screen the “GroundUP Music x Alamo Drafthouse” shows, and starting March 25, each title will be available individually and as a Six Pack bundle on Alamo On Demand worldwide. The Six Pack includes all five silent films plus Snarky Puppy’s music documentary of “We Like It Here,” which is only available on Alamo On Demand as part of the Six Pack.
The GroundUP Music artist and film pairings are as follows:
- House of Waters with three silent shorts – “Menilmontant” (1926), “Le Voyage Dans La Lune” (1902) and “Ballet Mecanique” (1923)
- Sirintip with “The Lost World” (1925)
- PRD Mais with “Waxworks” (1924)
- Snarky Puppy’s Bob Lanzetti with “Nosferatu” (1922) celebrating its 100-year anniversary
- Snarky Puppy’s Chris Bullock with “Aelita: Queen of Mars”
“This began a pandemic silver lining,” Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League said. “With theaters closed and artists unable to tour, we reached out to collaborate with our friends at GroundUP Music to put our collective bunker time to good use. The GroundUP roster is so strong and so diverse; the work we are unveiling is unique and truly extraordinary. I’m excited to share these wonderful reimagined classic silent films with a whole new audience!”
“We at GroundUP have always felt it would be a natural pairing for our artists to marry their musical talents with a visual medium such as film. It’s an honor for our team to be partnered with our friends at Alamo Drafthouse to bring this longstanding vision to reality” GroundUP Music COO Eric Lense said. “Each of the five composers have expressed how much light this project brought into their lives during some of the darkest days we’ve all experienced,” adds GroundUP Music Director of Label Operations, Jamie Margulies. “Tim League is literally family to us, as he and our founder Michael League are cousins, and we are so grateful to him and the Alamo team for providing our artists with this opportunity.”
Each NY “GroundUP Music x Alamo Drafthouse” show includes a live Q&A with that evening’s composer, and guests will receive a different limited-edition letterpress poster for each show, designed by NY-based artist Martin Mazorra, printed on-site on a vintage letterpress in the theater’s bar, The Press Room. Each show will also feature a screening of a different Snarky Puppy concert film. Following the New York shows, participating Alamo Drafthouse locations nationwide will screen the “GroundUP Music x Alamo Drafthouse” series with the pre-recorded Q&A’s, newly scored silent films and the Snarky Puppy concert films.
Tickets for the “GroundUP x Alamo Drafthouse” series are available here.
“GroundUP Music x Alamo Drafthouse” Lineup
Sunday, Feb. 20 – Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan (Live Q&A with composer)
Beginning Sunday, Feb. 20 – Participating Alamo Drafthouse locations
- Three Silent Shorts (MÉNILMONTANT, BALLET MÉCANIQUE, LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE) with new score by House of Waters
- groundUP by Snarky Puppy
Sunday, Feb. 27 – Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan (Live Q&A with composer)
Beginning Sunday, Feb. 27 – Participating Alamo Drafthouse locations
- THE LOST WORLD with new score by Sirintip
- We Like It Here by Snarky Puppy
Sunday, March 6 – Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan (Livestreamed Q&A with composer)
Beginning Sunday, March 6 – Participating Alamo Drafthouse locations
- WAXWORKS with new score by PRD Mais
- Family Dinner, Vol. 1 by Snarky Puppy
Sunday, March 13 – Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan (Live Q&A with composer)
Beginning Sunday, March 13 – Participating Alamo Drafthouse locations
- NOSFERATU with new score by Snarky Puppy’s Bob Lanzetti
- Sylva by Snarky Puppy
Sunday, March 20 – Alamo Drafthouse Lower Manhattan (Live Q&A with composer)
Beginning Sunday, March 20 – Participating Alamo Drafthouse locations
- AELITA: QUEEN OF MARS with new score by Snarky Puppy’s Chris Bullock
- Family Dinner, Vol. 2 by Snarky Puppy