
The early short films were usually combined with live acts. It all began with Greek immigrant Louis Santikos saving enough money to buy the Rex Theatre nickelodeon in downtown Waco in 1911, when the concept of moving pictures on film was only about 16 years into development. We pride ourselves in providing the best in cinematic presentation and being the first exhibitor in San Antonio to bring the best in technology to our moviegoers is essential.” “It’s important to get each advance into the theatres as soon as possible. “Things have certainly changed from presenting vaudeville shows to now this awe-inspiring presentation of digital film, IMAX, Xpand 3-D and D-BOX motion coded seats, which are a truly immersive affair,” Santikos says. If the future of the leadership at the company is unknown, its future in movies seems a sure thing. At 84, he has no successor to keep the theaters a family-run business but also no plans to retire.

John Santikos, like his father before him, never tires of reinventing the way customers experience movies. There are also gourmet burgers and pizza, craft beer ordered at your seat, dining rooms and even a gelato cafe. Some theaters have reserved seating, seats that move in conjunction with select films, 3-D that keeps getting better, and audio techniques that further transport the audience into the movie. Look a little closer though and patrons will find cutting edge concepts, technology and a glimpse of the future at what will soon be eight San Antonio theaters and two in Houston.

And the smell of popcorn wafts across the lobby like a salty, buttery promise of a two-hour escape. Details of the lobby mimic classic theater styles usually found in the rare, restored historic theaters. Ticket sellers and takers, concession staff and the clean up crew all sport red bowties and white shirts. Movies at Santikos Theaters aren’t quite like they were when the first opened 101 years ago, and yet they are. Once in front of the silver screen, customers might don 3-D glasses, order up a burger and fries or catch their seat rumbling with the film’s action. Sign up for our Weekly Headlines Newsletter.Walking into one of Santikos Theaters seven San Antonio locations, it’s not uncommon to see a crowd with beers in hand cheering at a televised Spurs games or to find a group shooting pool. Stay on top of San Antonio news and views. Other films included in the Bijou Collection this year are God’s Country, Silent Twins, Pearl, See How They Run, Don’t Worry Darling, God’s Creatures and Moonage Daydream, a documentary about David Bowie. The Bijou Collection is critical for preserving and honoring film from new arthouse releases, hidden gems and forgotten classics.” That includes everything from major blockbusters to small, independent and foreign releases. “Santikos is serious about providing a wide variety of experiences to our community.
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“San Antonio has a diverse and passionate film community,” Santikos "in-house movie guru" Rene Villanueva said in a written statement. The film is the directorial debut of actor Owen Kline, best known for his role in the 2005 dark-comedy masterpiece The Squid and the Whale.ĭirected by Australian filmmaker George Miller ( Mad Max: Fury Road), the fantasy film Three Thousand Years of Longing tells the story of a lonely scholar (Tilda Swinton) in Istanbul who's offered three wishes by a djinn (Idris Elba) - a genie in Islamic mythology - in exchange for his freedom. The Bijou Collection will launch this week with the release of A24’s Funny Pages, playing exclusively at Santikos Embassy, and Three Thousand Years of Longing, playing at Santikos Embassy, Casa Blanca, Silverado, Northwest and Palladium.įunny Pages is a dark, coming-of-age comedy about a teenage illustrator who quits college to pursue a career as a comics artist. “San Antonio film fans can expect to see the kinds of diverse and challenging films that were such a big part of the Bijou experience.”

“With many competitors struggling in this post-pandemic, streaming dominated market, it seems harder than ever to find a company dedicated to these types of smaller releases,” according to the press statement. The collection will “ the importance and power of arthouse films," officials said.
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In a Thursday press statement, Alamo City-based Santikos unveiled its Bijou Collection, a series of indie, foreign and specialty films that will premiere at its other theaters. The Bijou may be gone after spending 35 years as the city's primary arthouse cinema, but theater chain Santikos is promising that independent, foreign and documentary films still have a home in San Antonio after it closed the property in April. George Miller's fantasy film Three Thousand Years of Longing is among the arthouse productions theater chain Santikos will show as part of its Bijou Collection.
