New York City Repertory Cinema

[pistolwink]

I'd be curious if it was a consensus that Metrograph has gone downhill. I've been there dozens of times since they opened, but only as a visitor to NYC, not a local, so I'm probably missing things that locals would notice. They definitely seem to be programming less 35mm, but that's true of almost everybody, and it's partly out of venues' hands since there just aren't as many prints in distribution.
I've always had a lot of goodwill toward Metrograph, in part because, at least when Aliza Ma was programming, they had a real dedication to showcasing Chinese films, particulary from Hong Kong, and often in 35mm—partly in tribute to the neighborhood they reside in.


Edit: moved the rest of this to the Hong Kong films thread

[malachi_lui]

Visited NYC for the first time (ok, maybe second time?) this year, but went to the Metrograph for the first time since COVID. Good to see it so bustling, but it really is a shame how little they seem to actually care about the film exhibitions. The Warriors was on a decent enough looking 35mm print but the entire top 20% or so of the frame was cut off, often you'd just see noses and mouths of characters who were taking up the entire vertical space. Add that to the miserly use (or lack thereof) of air conditioning and those chairs that are reminiscent of something a naughty schoolchild would've been placed in to improve their posture a couple centuries ago (why do they tilt forward? why do they have no give? awful), and I don't know why anyone tolerates it with so many nicer rep theaters in the city. Maybe the rumors of it closing at the end of its 10-year lease are true, but still no real excuse for letting the wheels fall off.

I'm at Metrograph very often, in fact I'm typing this just after I've gotten home from seeing Orpheus on a very old 35mm print there. The seats are what they are, not the best but spend enough time there and your back re-moulds itself to fit more comfortably in those seats. That said, I can confirm that the air conditioning was much better a year ago, not sure what's been going on this summer. Odd that projection quality at your screening was problematic, as I've found Metrograph to have some of the most consistently unproblematic projection quality in the city. Not the best (that's Lincoln Center and Japan Society, and the Roxy has gotten better since they took time off to upgrade last year), but generally pretty reliable. I've seen worse at most other places, and I've been to Metrograph for about 80 screenings in the past two years. It seems that business is doing pretty well there (at least I hope), and I don't really see what would be around to replace it since it's the only repertory-centric theatre here running all day (almost) every day, and screening everything in a wide variety of time slots. All the other repertory programming here, aside from newly released restorations, are a couple special screenings for each film, rather than running it regularly for 3-5 weeks like Metrograph does. And their streaming service is good, and while I haven't gotten the magazine yet, that seems pretty great too.

[hearthesilence]

I'm probably not the best person to evaluate the facility because I'm not particular about ambience - as long as a venue operates well with a clean, functioning bathroom, I rarely give anything else much thought.

The two big negatives when they opened was terrible sound (painting over cinder block walls ain't gonna cut it) and overpriced and underwhelming food, even by movie theater standards, but they eventually put up sound panels and the cuisine did get better (though I only eat there when company insists). I don't think the seats have ever changed, but I also realize I do far better with chairs than most people, so while I wouldn't call them comfortable, they've never been uncomfortable for me either - one of the first movies I saw at Metrograph was Chelsea Girls and not once did I ever think about my seat's comfort level.

It's been a while since I've gone back, but I usually had a good time at Metrograph - there were a few times when the higher ups working there would get on my nerves for being shitty and snooty to a customer who wasn't doing anything wrong, but the employees in uniform were always nice and helpful.

[mfunk9786]

I certainly don't want to see any rep theater go by the wayside, especially one where the talent really seems to be in programming and doing interesting series of movies taking angles that you don't see every day (doing a Winona Ryder retrospective series, for example, seems like money in the bank). They're always digging for those deeper dives into older NYC indies and the catalogs of foreign filmmakers that aren't constantly programmed at rep theaters, too. But the in-theater experience is not great.

BTW... Glad the bathroom is clean-ish, but why do they let paper towels pile up in the trash all day until they're encroaching up the wall? Just empty the trash when you go in to clean it!

[Drucker]

BTW... Glad the bathroom is clean-ish, but why do they let paper towels pile up in the trash all day until they're encroaching up the wall? Just empty the trash when you go in to clean it!

This has been the case since day 1 at that place.

I've opined about Metrograph many times in this thread. My feelings remain the same. The programming itself is lacking and repetitive for an NYC resident. Especially compared to how much better it used to be. It's the place to be at the moment though, so if you're that age and looking to socialize it must be great.

[hearthesilence]

I kind of wish they'd install a paper towel dispenser. I guess the standard metal ones would clash with the aesthetic but leaving a stack of paper towels they way they do translates into a lot more paper towel waste - it's not unusual for me to see them knocked over or scattered, and not surprisingly once in a while I'll see them soaked for some reason.

Other bathroom notes:

Who designed the soap dispensers at Film Forum? It's such a weird design where you're sliding your hand into the inch-high gap between the faucet and the counter surrounding the sink basin.

The bathroom at the Walter Reade theater makes an odd but smart choice by placing one of the soap dispensers on a wall that isn't constantly blocked by people who are about to do their business, grabbing a paper towel or using the sink - you can actually wash your hands while standing at the side of the sink, which helps thin out congestion in an otherwise crowded bathroom.

Also, I'm pretty sure MoMA has the most disgusting floors inside the toilet stalls of any venue I've been to - I would advise avoiding the toilet altogether, or if you must use them, don't walk into your home with those shoes on. In fairness, the museum cleans their floors constantly, but it's a losing battle when it's one of the most popular museums in the world and, well, people en masse can be disgusting. Since most of their programming is towards the end of the day near or after closing time, it's basically an entire day's worth of tourists that have already cycled through.

[Drucker]

All that and you didn't mention the bottom part of the urinals at BAM stick out 10 feet from the wall, come on HTS.

[hearthesilence]

Finally, a urinal I can sit on!

[Lowry_Sam]

You New Yorkers are spoiled. The Metrograph toilets & seats are a luxury in comparison to The Roxie here in SF (the only option for newer foreign/indie, the few other independent theaters program mostly classic popular titles on blu-ray) where it's a challenge to even get into one of the 2 closet-sized single toilet bathrooms (after waiting in a line of a dozen people). Then of course you can hear the music of the bar next door that shares a wall with the theater. If you miss the aesthetic of a 70s Times Square porn theater, then come out to SF & relive it at The Roxie.

The programming is also better overall. I got to see an Angelopolous when I was there 2 months ago and Ulysses' Gaze screens in 35mm in a week. I don't think a single Angelopolous has screened in any theater in the SF Bay Area in the past decade.