NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — The Alamo Drafthouse theater in Downtown Brooklyn is now a Spike Lee joint. And that’s the truth, Ruth.
The iconic Brooklyn-born director celebrated the naming of the Spike Lee Cinema at the theater on Albee Square during a Thursday evening ceremony, which featured a screening of his semi-autobiographical 1994 film “Crooklyn.”
“Right next to Junior’s. I grew up on Junior’s cheesecake! I mean, I’ve never had nothing named after me ever. It’s a blessing,” Lee told 1010 WINS, referring to Junior’s Restaurant & Bakery, located around the corner on Flatbush Avenue.
The theater, which was newly renovated in 2024, boasts 12 auditoriums, Sony 4K digital projection, RealD 3D, archival 35mm capabilities and luxury recliners.
“Just come to the movie theaters! Come to the theaters, come out and see movies. Also, like the food, I mean, they got it hooked up,” Lee said.
The Spike Lee Cinema also features an attached lounge dubbed “House of Wax,” and a full food and drink menu.
“We could not think of a better person to bestow with this honor, nor a more fitting film than CROOKLYN. Thank you Spike Lee—for joining us on such a special day!” Alamo Drafthouse wrote on social media when news of the naming ceremony broke.
“Crooklyn,” “Do The Right Thing,” and “She’s Gotta Have It” are only some of the Brooklyn-based films directed by the Academy Award winner, who spent Thursday reveling in the new-age availability of movies in his home borough.
“You don’t have to go to Manhattan. Stay right here. Come down Downtown Brooklyn. Back in the day, you know, we’d go to 42nd Street, 40 Duo,” Lee told 1010 WINS.
He also thanked the Alamo Drafthouse on social media “for The Acknowledgement of My Body of Work,” noting that “Now BROOKLYN Has The Great Movie House to See GREAT MOVIES.”
A new plaque placed in the Alamo Drafthouse theater asserts that the theater will “hereby and forevermore” be known as the Spike Lee Cinema, while also outlining the filmmaker’s impact on the Brooklyn film scene.
“Like many of the greatest films over the past 40 years, this theater is a Spike Lee Joint. From his nuanced portrayals of Brooklyn life in DO THE RIGHT THING and CROOKLYN to his towering portrait of MALCOLM X, his vision has shaped our culture and left an indelible mark on this city,” the plaque reads.
