New York City Repertory Cinema

[Drucker]

Okay since you're all clamoring for it, here are my power rankings of NYC rep cinemas. Honestly none of these are even bad. But here's my list.

1. Lincoln Center-perfect mix of new and old, rare stuff, great speakers and great events. Great programming, and critically: an incredible screen.
2. MOMA-basically every bit as good as Lincoln? With recurring series every year that you can set your watch to. I have nothing bad to say.
3. Film Forum-only dinging it because the programming is less diverse and adventurous than it was before the pandemic (remember the entire series that was just films from 1933?!). This is however the one true indie, not backed by a major institution like Lincoln or MOMA. Everything Black Hat has said holds up.
4. Museum of Moving Image. Great programming, but has also gotten more samey post-pandemic. It's also in Queens.
5. Roxy Tribeca. Strictly based on programming, I love this the most. Really adventurous programming, mix of new and old, lots of stuff on 35. Of course that comes with risks, as the worst and reddest 35mm print I ever saw was here. But their annual Jerry Lewis screenings with Bob Furmanek are my favorite movie night of the year. Highest likelihood other people in the crowd will take a photo of the title card.
6. Anthology Film Archives. Points for consistency, but jeez it's cold and uncomfortable there.
7. Metrograph-Significant downward trajectory in quality of programming and vibes from when it opened. Yes I got 10 years older and the people who go here did not. Why do you ask?
8. BAM-feels closer to Alamo and NItehawk now than it used to, given what they play. Also your chances of seeing a blu-ray projected here are good.
9. IFC Center-yes they play good films, but I can't remember the last time I was motivated to go here. I don't even check the showtimes honestly. Awful screens.
10. The Quad-was good for a minute, but you forget it's there at this point. Also awful screen

[bearcuborg]

Solid ranking, but I’d put Anthology at 5. And yeah, MoMI is in queens but the food out in that area is first rate.

[Black Hat]

Okay since you're all clamoring for it, here are my power rankings of NYC rep cinemas. Honestly none of these are even bad. But here's my list.

1. Lincoln Center-perfect mix of new and old, rare stuff, great speakers and great events. Great programming, and critically: an incredible screen.
2. MOMA-basically every bit as good as Lincoln? With recurring series every year that you can set your watch to. I have nothing bad to say.
3. Film Forum-only dinging it because the programming is less diverse and adventurous than it was before the pandemic (remember the entire series that was just films from 1933?!). This is however the one true indie, not backed by a major institution like Lincoln or MOMA. Everything Black Hat has said holds up.
4. Museum of Moving Image. Great programming, but has also gotten more samey post-pandemic. It's also in Queens.
5. Roxy Tribeca. Strictly based on programming, I love this the most. Really adventurous programming, mix of new and old, lots of stuff on 35. Of course that comes with risks, as the worst and reddest 35mm print I ever saw was here. But their annual Jerry Lewis screenings with Bob Furmanek are my favorite movie night of the year. Highest likelihood other people in the crowd will take a photo of the title card.
6. Anthology Film Archives. Points for consistency, but jeez it's cold and uncomfortable there.
7. Metrograph-Significant downward trajectory in quality of programming and vibes from when it opened. Yes I got 10 years older and the people who go here did not. Why do you ask?
8. BAM-feels closer to Alamo and NItehawk now than it used to, given what they play. Also your chances of seeing a blu-ray projected here are good.
9. IFC Center-yes they play good films, but I can't remember the last time I was motivated to go here. I don't even check the showtimes honestly. Awful screens.
10. The Quad-was good for a minute, but you forget it's there at this point. Also awful screen

What's your criteria? You left out Japan Society, FIAF (whatever it's called now), Paris and Spectacle.

For me, a better way is to rank the theaters is by tiers.

Tier 1 - the John Ford I'm over all this
MoMA

Tier 2 - the Scorsese lecturers
Anthology, Lincoln Center, Film Forum

Tier 3 - the Day for Nights, we acknowledge your effort but no
FIAF, Japan Society, PARIS

Tier 4 - the Damien Chazelle NYU Houses of Overyhyped Mediocrity
Metrograph, ROXY

Tiers 4 - the Sam Peckinpahs, for lost souls only
Light Industry, Spectacle, Maysles

Tier 5 - the Paul Schraders, put out to pasture on facebook
MoMI, The Quad, BAM, IFC

[rrenault]

Hmmm, I wouldn’t have expected so much negativity towards Metrograph, the uncomfortable seats aside. The Commissary is also an inviting space to grab a drink before or after a film.

Same for Momi, its location notwithstanding.

[domino harvey]

Does Film Forum still do the lime popcorn?

[rrenault]

This is slightly off topic maybe, but barring IMAX/Dolby, what are people’s favorite first-run venues in NYC from an A/V standpoint?

[Drucker]

This is slightly off topic maybe, but barring IMAX/Dolby, what are people’s favorite first-run venues in NYC from an A/V standpoint?

AMC Lincoln Square and Regal at Union Square are both great. And BAM, Alamo, and Nitehawk all play more commercial fare well.

Black Hat--you're right I forgot about Paris. Definitely tier 3. It's a great place to see a film, but same-y programming and long lulls in interesting programming ding it for me. Also that time they got caught streaming a film from Amazon Prime.

Japan Society doesn't program regularly enough to be considered IMO. I really was just ranking my personal faves and considering the places I've had the best experiences.

[beamish14]

Okay since you're all clamoring for it, here are my power rankings of NYC rep cinemas. Honestly none of these are even bad. But here's my list.

1. Lincoln Center-perfect mix of new and old, rare stuff, great speakers and great events. Great programming, and critically: an incredible screen.
2. MOMA-basically every bit as good as Lincoln? With recurring series every year that you can set your watch to. I have nothing bad to say.
3. Film Forum-only dinging it because the programming is less diverse and adventurous than it was before the pandemic (remember the entire series that was just films from 1933?!). This is however the one true indie, not backed by a major institution like Lincoln or MOMA. Everything Black Hat has said holds up.
4. Museum of Moving Image. Great programming, but has also gotten more samey post-pandemic. It's also in Queens.
5. Roxy Tribeca. Strictly based on programming, I love this the most. Really adventurous programming, mix of new and old, lots of stuff on 35. Of course that comes with risks, as the worst and reddest 35mm print I ever saw was here. But their annual Jerry Lewis screenings with Bob Furmanek are my favorite movie night of the year. Highest likelihood other people in the crowd will take a photo of the title card.
6. Anthology Film Archives. Points for consistency, but jeez it's cold and uncomfortable there.
7. Metrograph-Significant downward trajectory in quality of programming and vibes from when it opened. Yes I got 10 years older and the people who go here did not. Why do you ask?
8. BAM-feels closer to Alamo and NItehawk now than it used to, given what they play. Also your chances of seeing a blu-ray projected here are good.
9. IFC Center-yes they play good films, but I can't remember the last time I was motivated to go here. I don't even check the showtimes honestly. Awful screens.
10. The Quad-was good for a minute, but you forget it's there at this point. Also awful screen

What's your criteria? You left out Japan Society, FIAF (whatever it's called now), Paris and Spectacle.

For me, a better way is to rank the theaters is by tiers.

Tier 1 - the John Ford I'm over all this
MoMA

Tier 2 - the Scorsese lecturers
Anthology, Lincoln Center, Film Forum

Tier 3 - the Day for Nights, we acknowledge your effort but no
FIAF, Japan Society, PARIS

Tier 4 - the Damien Chazelle NYU Houses of Overyhyped Mediocrity
Metrograph, ROXY

Tiers 4 - the Sam Peckinpahs, for lost souls only
Light Industry, Spectacle, Maysles

Tier 5 - the Paul Schraders, put out to pasture on facebook
MoMI, The Quad, BAM, IFC

The MOMI does sporadically show some stuff that seemingly only myself and a handful of other people really, really enjoy

I love some of the exhibits they’ve had over the years. The arcade games one in particular (and all of them were playable) was stellar. The Mad Men one, too

[rrenault]

So MOMI credits itself as "the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to exploring the art, history, and technology of the moving image". Does LA not have a comparable institution?

[beamish14]

So MOMI credits itself as "the only museum in the U.S. dedicated to exploring the art, history, and technology of the moving image". Does LA not have a comparable institution?

We have the Academy Museum and the Paley Center for Television archives (although their physical space has shuttered and everything was transferred to the Beverly Hills Public Library). The MOMI and Academy complement each other nicely in terms of some of the artifacts they possess and display

[rrenault]

To be fair, you can occasionally encounter projected blu-rays at otherwise reputable venues. Sometimes a cinema really wants to program a specific film at a specific moment and are unable to get their hands on anything better than a blu-ray.

I once went to a rep screening in Paris of Monteiro's Recollections of the Yellow House, and that wasn't even a blu-ray. It appeared to be a torrent!!

I did once watch Vivre Sa Vie at Le Champo(which is featured in Linklater's Nouvelle Vague), and it seemed to be a projected blu-ray.

[hearthesilence]

I don't want to rank the venues because there are enough fundamental differences that keep them from being comparable, at least to me - they're all very different experiences that skew their programming towards different areas. That was one of the great things about A Theater Near You which David Schwartz put together at MoMA - introducing nearly every screening, he made it clear these places (most of which are now gone) didn't have the same aims in programming, and I think some of that carries over to today's venues.

I will say Lincoln Center is the crown jewel for a lot of reasons - the NYFF is there, the major NY critics have always been involved (when I first moved here, it was startling to see so many of them at the screenings I attended, not just to introduce the film but to simply watch), pretty much every filmmaker has a relation with them (something helped by the NYFF)...their reputation allows them to book the best films, the best prints and the best guests. The Walter Reade is probably the best theater to see a film. The smaller theaters are fine but they're definitely a step down. Even then, I've had plenty of memorable times there. It's also a part of a great institution - I've never stepped foot inside Julliard's buildings but the school is right there, pretty much engulfing the Walter Reade, and right across the street is the Met Opera, Geffen Hall, the NYC Ballet, the Performing Arts Library....and I've gone to many, many concerts, shows, plays and visits to the library. In the summer you can just hang out in the open area which is wonderful. I probably have more great memories in around Lincoln Center than I do in the home I grew up in - it's likely my favorite block in all of NYC.

I'll add that Anthology Film Archives is essential for more avant-garde fare. It's an old courthouse, so it's not going to be Film Forum or Metrograph but that feels wholly appropriate - if I'm going to watch the most experimental, uncompromising and uncommercial work possible, I'm not expecting luxuries. But there's so much history here and I've seen so many things that would otherwise not screen anywhere else. The first film I saw there was a 35mm print of Andy Warhol's Vinyl which is fitting, and it was a movie I knew about but could never see projected when I was in the Midwest. When Michael Snow died, they screened all of his works, and those shows were almost all sell outs.

I should add, Light Industry is just as good in that regard - and even more esoteric, they do an amazing job finding the most obscure films possible - but it's a completely different experience. A very, very scrappy operation, I stopped going when they moved because it became too much of a hassle to travel to where they are now, not unless you have a car.

Metrograph is interesting because even though there's some consistency in the image they want to project, you can also see the influence of whoever's running or programming it very clearly. Jake Perlin programmed BAM when I first moved here, and it was a pretty spectacular venue for that reason. I think everything he brought to BAM basically moved over to Metrograph when he co-founded it. But I heard he had disagreements with other people involved in the place, and when he left you could see the changes. I wasn't a member last year and honestly I didn't miss it - there was much less of interest this past year, though they did finish the year strong with 35mm screenings of some great, rarely screened films (all of which I had already seen in the same format). I will say they have shifted a lot more attention to their curated streaming service, which may say a lot about the state of repertory cinema - in its defense, the service has included a lot of great stuff, mostly notably the Straub–Huillet library (which I posted about before the licenses expired). They also hold those ACE screenings which are mostly for those in the business, but it's great to see editors discuss the movies they worked on. The last one I caught had Kelly Reichardt discussing Meek's Cutoff and it was great. I'll add that I like how Chinatown is there, lots of great places to eat for that reason.

I rarely go to BAM anymore, partly because I live too far away now. I went there nearly every day when I first moved here because my office and home was in the same area - I just had to walk there and back. That was my first experience with repertory cinema, which I knew nothing about until I saw Thelma Schoonmaker was presenting Michael Powell's Age of Consent and I was like "oh wow, Thelma Schoonmaker IN PERSON!" (happy birthday to Thema btw) I still remember films I saw at BAM's festival that I've never ever encountered again. I used to see Glenn Kenny at virtually every screening which was a trip because I started following his blog the previous summer while I was still in school and now I was seeing him all the time. (Not the friendliest guy to strangers, but he's still a decent guy.) I've been back occasionally, the last time for The Annihilation of Fish which I just mentioned, and it still seems like a good place to go see a movie, but I doubt it'll ever be what in once was. As I mentioned, they used to show different repertory films every day when Perlin was there - not the case anymore. I'll add that the entire area is an amazing place to live - also Spike Lee's production company is actually nearby and a few blocks over is Barclays Center, where I've seen many shows. (NIN this past summer - awesome show.) BAM also does more than just films - some of the most famous theatrical productions and concerts have occurred there. (Saw Cate Blanchett in Liv Ullman's production of A Streetcar Named Desire, saw Jeff Mangum give a rare show which I appreciate even though I don't revere Neutral Milk Hotel nearly as much as its biggest fans, and I saw two amazing shows by John Cale back in 2017. Also Laurie Anderson, who was great, but man what I would've given to see her famous United States show which happened at BAM.)

The Quad is kind of there for the Cohen Film Collection, so it often promotes their library. It's not my favorite programming, but you'll notice the new films that get shown there rarely get shown anywhere else. For example, I saw the new Egoyan film there last year, which he attended - I think it was the ONLY place to screen it. I've had very memorable experiences there - saw Al Pacino appear in-person to talk about Sea of Love after a 35mm screening (back when he was in town making The Irishman), it's where I was last able to see Jean-Luc Godard's Nouvelle Vague (a great 35mm print, far, far better than the shitty DVD) as well as a great 35mm print of Bogdanovich's Texasville, and Paul Schrader put together a great program to promote First Reformed. Gavin Smith was involved back then, and I'm not sure if he still is - so at one point they had great repertory programming, but I'm not sure how much of that is still there. Will add that the Stone is at the New School across the street, and I can't emphasize enough how underappreciated they are - they do fine, but it's a small venue where you see the greatest musicians of the day doing avant-garde work without any need to pander to their audience. In the past year, I've seen Mary Halvorson, Patricia Brennan, James Brandon Lewis, Henry Threadgill....hell even 3/4 of Sonic Youth reunited there for the first time since they broke up. It's usually only $20 cash to get in, cheap for NYC.

IFC Center is similar to the Quad in that regard - you're likely there to see new films that are opening there. The new films tend to be better than those at the Quad...but they're often films that are also getting booked at Lincoln Center whereas Quad's new screenings tend to be exclusive, and honestly if I'm given the choice between Lincoln Center or IFC, I'm probably going to Lincoln Center. IFC's a great location though - some of the top jazz and comedy venues are within walking distance (my favorite is the legendary Village Vanguard, which is further out but very walkable), not to mention some amazing restaurants and shops (like Carmine Street Guitars). And IFC does get good guests - last time I saw the Dardennes visit NYC was there, and you get surprises like the one on David Lynch's first birthday after he died when Naomi Watts, Justin Theroux and Scott Coffey decided to surprise the audience and introduce Mulholland Drive with their memories of him. (Theroux's a local and he was literally walking by, saw the marquee, and decided to ask IFC if he could come back later and do this.) One time I was there for Monterey Pop and they had an amazing group of guests who worked on it: D A Pennebaker, Albert Maysles, James Desmond, Nick Proferes, Lana Jokel, Brice Marden...this seems like yesterday and many of them are now gone. In terms of the facilities, the main theater used to suck - there was a row of center seats that basically sat on the ground for some reason like the supports broke down. They've since renovated (but not redesigned) the place, so even though it still has the same aesthetic shortcomings, at least it's in good working order.

[hearthesilence]

I'll add a few things about MoMI:

It's great when they do things in conjunction with exhibits. They did something with Stan Brakhage and I saw a lot of great Brakhage films in the original 16mm prints and NOT on Criterion's box set.

They have a special relationship with the Jim Henson Company and do a lot of Muppet related things - a big part of the museum is dedicated to Henson's work. So if you have family who are big fans, you should really, really take them here.

Literally on the other side of the backyard wall is Kaufman Astoria Studios. They shoot a lot of famous stuff there - I remember when The Irishman was there and it was awesome to look past the gates and see rows of vintage cars lining the street. Sesame Street's sets are also there. I don't think they allow tours, but regardless, still pretty cool that they're there.

Long story short - if you grew up becoming a cinephile completely removed from the city, it's pretty fucking mind-blowing to move to a place like NYC. I told someone it's like growing up as an avid fiction reader, then one day you wake up and all the characters you read about are your living neighbors.

[FrauBlucher]

It's funny, the reason I asked is because I was planning to go see Del Toro's Frankenstein there this afternoon (and I diid). And I thought it never gets mentioned on the forum. I live in the neighborhood and I barely go. And I see it everyday as the subway entrance is right next door. And yes, Black Hat, Dolan does own the theater. Before it became the IFC Theater in 2005 it was the Waverly Theater for years.

IFC Center is owned by AMC Networks (known until July 1, 2011, as Rainbow Media), the entertainment company that owns the cable channels AMC, BBC America, IFC, We TV and Sundance TV and the offshoot film company IFC Films.

AMC networks are owned by Dolan. Initially the whole company was called Cablevision before it was broken up. And clearly he doesn't put any money into it. It could use a little TLC.

I love that you guys are rating the NY rep houses. Unfortunately, I don't frequent as many as I used too. So, I won't rate them. I do love Lincoln Center, but I haven't been there in quite a while. A Bela Tarr retro was the last time I was there. It's been years since I've been to MOMA or the Metrograph. Being that I live blocks from the Film Forum I am spoiled by the closeness, so I am there mostly.

Domino, I don't buy popcorn so not sure about Lime Popcorn, but my guess is no. But I'll find out this week when I go see Sorcerer

[rrenault]

Is MOMI really any more out of the way than BAM? It’s about as deep into Queens as the latter is into Brooklyn, so barring people who live in Brooklyn itself and perhaps the extreme southern end of Manhattan I don’t think one is harder to get to than the other.

And MOMI probably has better food options in its vicinity than BAM does in its neck of the woods.

[FrauBlucher]

BAM is closer to Manhattan than MOMI is. It's just a few train stops into Brooklyn. I guess it also depends on where you are coming from, especially if Manhattan

[hearthesilence]

Yeah, it's really about where you're coming from, but to be fair, BAM is near a lot of train lines. Atlantic Center is close by and that's the biggest hub in Brooklyn. (1,2,3,4,5,6,B,D,Q,N and R all run through there.) The LIRR also runs to Atlantic Center. Even closer is the G and C train with the G literally steps away. So from that perspective, BAM is likely to be much easier to get to because you have more options.

There are two train stations (one below ground, one above ground) near MoMI that I usually take and they're on different sides of MoMI. You still need like 5, maybe even 10 minutes to get to the theater from each one.

Forgot to mention, Roulette is another great venue near BAM. Saw Anthony Braxton, William Parker, Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Amina Claudine Myers, Bill Frisell, Patricia Brennan, Mary Halvorson, John Zorn and Laurie Anderson there all in the past year. They livestream their shows (I think for free) but they still get good crowds.

[Drucker]

Totally fair point about the different niches all the cinemas serve, HTS. I do feel like if you show up to any cinema on my list, 1-7 at least, on any given night you can see a great film, either via rep or first run. On a personal level, though, my movie-going is nothing close to what it used to be, since I had a kid. I went from seeing 3-4 films a month in theaters, to 3-4 a year, even though I work in midtown and live in Brooklyn so proximity is not the issue. (I saw more films when I lived in NJ!) There's no way I'm making it to MOMI on a weekend. And the risk of buying a ticket at Metrograph and having the crowd be a bummer or the format being wrong is enough to usually keep me away, hence my rankings.

[AxeYou]

Tier 5 - the Paul Schraders, put out to pasture on facebook
MoMI, The Quad, BAM, IFC

Funnily enough, I saw Paul Schrader earlier this year at IFC. It was probably a screening of Once Upon a Time, Cinema (1992), during the Iranian Film Festival they held in Feb.

(On a tangent: that DCP was so laden with visible compression artifacts and frame pacing issues, I spoke to a manager about it afterwards. She said sometimes they'd receive one from the distributor this way.)

When it comes to Metrograph, my strategy has been to attend only those more "niche" screenings that I can't find on discs. These tend to draw a different crowd than their usual clientele. They still put on a few of those now and then. Highlights for me this year would be the Ukrainian poetic cinema series.

And I agree with many here that Lincoln Center has the best programming hands-down. Plus, as hearthesilence mentioned, isn't the plaza lovely too on a nice day! Too bad their retrospective series are often poorly attended. Many of the Frederick Wiseman and Kira Muratova screenings I went to this year were almost empty houses. The latest Kōzaburō Yoshimura retrospective, on the other hand, drew surprisingly large audiences, even for (IMO) obscure and decidedly mediocre melodramas. There seems to be an outsized fascination with Japanese culture among cinephiles in the West broadly speaking, which is also evident in boutique labels' endless outputs of samurai and yakuza deep cuts. I don't really relate to that, but perhaps it's because I didn't grow up here.

[beamish14]

Japan Center has truly pulled off some miraculous stuff. I’ve emailed them to see if they could have more of their retrospectives tour, and they said they would love to, but that cinematheques need to reach out to them. The quality of the prints they use is incredible. Those Seijun Suzukis-wow!

[hearthesilence]

I'm always wary of DCP's when the film in question isn't known to be available in a good digital restoration or format (like if there's a good Blu-ray circulating), but it can be tough getting a print. Jafar Panahi's The Circle has screened in 35mm at Metrograph (advertised as "35mm print courtesy of Yale Film Archive") but alas IFC's upcoming screenings are both listed as DCP's, and the only digital release I'm aware of is a poor-looking DVD.

I still see amazing 35mm screenings at Metrograph though - the Academy's print of The Heartbreak Kid stands out, which I posted about. Also an excellent print of Tropical Malady. AFAIK, neither has had a good 4K or at least an HD transfer done, though that may have changed recently for Tropical Malady.

Forgot, I also saw the King Crimson doc at Metrograph and Tony Levin was there, even breaking the news that yes, Peter Gabriel was going to tour the U.S. because Levin was already contacted about playing in it. (I sadly had to skip it because ticket prices were insane.) Nothing special about the format or the way it was shot, but it's still the type of fun event that places like Metrograph or even Quad Cinema and IFC books once in a while that appeals to music fans.

[AxeYou]

I'm always wary of DCP's when the film in question isn't known to be available in a good digital restoration or format (like if there's a good Blu-ray circulating)

IIRC with Once Upon a Time, Cinema (1992), IFC advertised it as a new 2K restoration, which made it even more maddening that the DCP was poorly encoded. At times you could tell there was a decent master underneath.

Jafar Panahi's The Circle has screened in 35mm at Metrograph (advertised as "35mm print courtesy of Yale Film Archive")

If that was the same print I saw at Metrograph in 2023, it was pretty beat up. Not unwatchable, but noticeably bad.

[hearthesilence]

Jafar Panahi's The Circle has screened in 35mm at Metrograph (advertised as "35mm print courtesy of Yale Film Archive")

If that was the same print I saw at Metrograph in 2023, it was pretty beat up. Not unwatchable, but noticeably bad.

I actually didn't see it and didn't realize that. Very disappointing to hear, hopefully somebody does a restoration soon just so it can be seen everywhere in proper quality.

Re: Wiseman, he's had three major career retrospectives in Manhattan since 2009: once at MoMA, then at Film Forum, and then the Lincoln Center one premiered his new 4K restorations whereas previous programs were all 16mm and even 35mm (blow-up) prints. The ones I attended at Film Forum had decent crowds, but along with the fact that his films have been available on DVD from the NYPL and on Kanopy, it's possible a Wiseman retrospective no longer has the allure of something "rare." The other tough part is prosaic - so many of his films are several hours long, including IMHO his best films - but if it wasn't an issue before, I'm not sure if it's a substantial reason for lower turnout now.

[Grand Wazoo]

I do love Lincoln Center, but I haven't been there in quite a while. A Bela Tarr retro was the last time I was there.

Were you by any chance at the screening of The Outsider, which was touted as being from one of the only prints in existence, where it burned up in the projector? I'm not sure I've ever heard an audience gasp that loudly before.

I need to emphasize that Spectacle Theater in Brooklyn is my favorite micro cinema in the country and often has the most adventurous programming in NYC. I know many other newer micro cinemas in the States take inspiration from Spectacle's outre-curation. It may have made the Lost Souls tier in Black Hat's list, which isn't necessarily wrong, but I recommend everyone in the city check it out even if just to experience its fully volunteer-run no frills setup. My favorite thing they did lately was a double feature of 13 Tzameti followed by the American remake, each with a post-screening Q&A with director Gela Babluani discussing his experiences and why the latter was a nightmare. If I remember correctly it's the first time he went on record about the remake in any substantial form, and he was incredibly open and gracious with the audiences.

[FrauBlucher]

I do love Lincoln Center, but I haven't been there in quite a while. A Bela Tarr retro was the last time I was there.

Were you by any chance at the screening of The Outsider, which was touted as being from one of the only prints in existence, where it burned up in the projector? I'm not sure I've ever heard an audience gasp that loudly before.

No, I was not. I was there for Damnation and Werckmeister Harmonies. That sounds like a disappointing viewing experience. Perhaps there should've been a warning posted by LC