Austin, Texas, is one of the few centers of movie geekdom in the known universe.

Forget Hollywood and its celestial glitterati - Austin is home to such true independents as Robert Rodriguez, Richard Linklater, Wes Anderson, Terrence Malick, the Alamo Drafthouse, and Ain't It Cool News. The latter has transcended its humble roots as a poorly designed outgrowth of an Internet newsgroup obsession (thanks to the irrepressible and gargantuan personality of founder Harry Knowles and his guerrilla tactics) to become the foremost online hub for movie gossip.

Knowles himself is a controversial figure loved and hated by many, but his clear passion for movies has led to a natural and mutually beneficial relationship with that other pre-eminent, homegrown institution of cinema, the aforementioned Alamo Drafthouse. This modest but growing chain of cinephile-oriented theaters started as a downtown mom-and-pop establishment trying to make an honest buck by looking fondly backward on movie history, rather than forward. The original downtown Drafthouse location is closing this week, only to reopen in a more upscale setting at the old Ritz theater only a few blocks away. Because it's a sad, exciting, and all-around emotional event for movie lovers all over town, you can count on Harry Knowles to share his thoughts on one of Austin's treasures.

Harry remembers the first time that he ever went to the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, shortly after it opened. The classic blaxploitation movie "Superfly" was playing there, with the enticing offer of free alcohol to everyone who attended. This virgin experience was so fresh and exhilarating that Harry immediately wrote about it for Ain't It Cool News upon returning home. Shortly afterward, he was contacted by Tim League, founder of the Drafthouse, who had read Harry's review and liked what he saw.

The two have been cohorts ever since. Harry currently volunteers on the Alamo Drafthouse chain's board of directors, helping with programming and sponsoring various events, as well as overseeing the Saturday Morning Kids Club. In his function as editor and reporter for Ain't It Cool News, Harry sometimes promotes Drafthouse events on his Web site and arranges special events for the downtown location, such as the recent sneak peeks of the fanboy nostalgia piece "5-25-77" and the highly anticipated "Ratatouille."

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