Film Anthology Archives raised me, cinematically speaking, in a way no other film screening house…read morehas. Jonas Mekas and Co. presented an incredible gift to the city and the world at large by presenting and preserving this important space. I met my friend Ken Jacobs and his wife Flo here during a New York-centric short film screening that featured the works of Warhol, Shirley Clarke, Jacobs, Marie Menken and the Kuchar brothers, among others. On another occasion, Clarke's incredible film The Cool World was presented in a rare screening with Hampton Clanton in attendance. I also had the great fortune of catching Jean Vigo's L'Atalante and Taris at the Anthology Film Archives. Such a great place!

Came here for the Asian American Film Festival's screening of "Go, Grandriders" (which is fantastic…read moreand everyone should watch it). We were upstairs on the third floor and the theater was really cozy. However, if you needed to go to the bathroom, it was on the second floor. The staff was very friendly. But, they need to get their shit together. There is a huge buildup at the lobby full of people getting tickets or picking up preordered tickets. And I had to make an effort to find where to go and such because of the rowdy chaos in the lobby. Also, I don't know if it's a frequent occurrence, or if there is any correlation between the AAFF and the subway station, but getting wolf-whistled at with a "Hey Oriental beauty, where you from?" is not okay.

Attended a 7pm Tuesday performance with pie tasting beforehand…read more I've seen many live performances, from big names on Broadway to small productions, but this experience will forever hold a special place in my heart! To start, the Barrow Theater is a small, intimate space. At a first glance, the performance area reminds you of an old fashioned cafeteria--heavy, wooden tables and benches situated in rows across the entire space. You get very close and personal with your neighbors, as the public is sat in a way that allows close interaction with performers during the show. There is a mezzanine with additional seats as well. That seating is somewhat uncomfortable. The wooden benches reminded me of church pews--very narrow seats that will ensure your posture is straight and rigid throughout the entire performance. Not the most comfortable of seats, so those with back issues, consider this when reserving seats. It's not a problem for younger audiences. For older folks or anyone with back/neck/leg problems, recommend reserving a seat in the main (orchestra?) seating area. The show lasts 2.5 hours with one 20 minute intermission, so prepare your behind for a lot of seating on rigid, wooden benches. Before seeing the performance, you have an option to try their famed pies. The website mentions that a former White House chef is responsible for those pies. After trying them, I became a believer! My expectations were pretty low [I'm not a fan of pies], but the vegetable pie blew my mind. Seriously spectacular! Better than meat ones. Do your taste buds a huge favor and order the vegetable pie. The dough was flaky and flavorful. Crispy shell (with shaved, golden parmesan baked on top), chewy texture on the inside. The vegetable medley was fantastic--sooooo much flavor, I couldn't believe cooked veggies could be that delicious! Rainbow carrots, marsala, shallots, artichokes, brussels, wild mushrooms, cheddar cauliflower and parmesan make up the pie filling. Every pie is served with potato mash with shaved truffles. I don't eat mash, but that one was delicious--shaved truffle was a perfect touch to add fragrance and that extra punch to creamy potatoes. The portion filled me up. Very hearty. Consider this for your dinner--you won't regret the experience! The show takes place on the first floor, where you were just eating your pies. The actors make perfect use of the limited space. Live band is playing in the corner. Actors get close and personal with the audience, dancing on tables and engaging you throughout the entire two and a half hours. Definitely didn't expect such intimate experience! Honestly preferred it to the big Broadway theater layout, because I got much more enjoyment out of being so close to (and almost in!) the performance. Nothing beats being in the same space as the performers--you feel engulfed in the atmosphere. Totally captivated. Like you are living through the story along with the actors. The performers were brilliant. Just spectacular--the sheer talent in that small space was overwhelming in the most magnificent way. I left without words--I was so impressed with what I've experienced that I couldn't even express my delight. Every performer was a true character. The songs, the live music, the acting, the masterful use of small space and décor--everything was top notch. Some scenes almost made me cry, some spooked me to the bone. Traveling back home around 11pm, I felt a chill running down my spine as I remembered some powerful and dark moments from the performance. Hours after the show I still felt its' after effect. Now, that's what an absolute success of a show feels like! A must for any and all live performance enthusiasts!!!

Accessible via the 1 train to Christopher St. or A/C/E/B/D/F/M to W 4th St…read more Barrow Street Theatre, which is located inside the Greenwich House, is small in size but big on heart. The same building also houses a nursery school, among other things. The front desk in the center of the lobby has a check-in clipboard for visitors as well as some publications. The right wall has glass cases of memorabilia on display and for sale and a corner office that serves as the box office. The opposite wall has a staircase to the upper mezzanine, as well as another corner room that serves as both bar and coat check. After I picked up my ticket, I was able to use the men's room upstairs (two sinks, two toilets, and two urinals). The lobby employees dressed as pie-shop workers are pretty friendly: not sure if they were in character or just being cordial. The Sweeney Todd seating arrangement consists of five (six?) wooden tables & benches (seating 12 each) positioned perpendicular to the stage, and 3-4 rows of tiered upper and lower mezzanine seats in the back of the room. I was fortunate enough to score a seat at one of the benches, and my neighbors and I were instructed to keep the tabletops clear at all times because "anything could happen". As you have probably heard, the actors move all around the room during the course of the show, even appearing in the balcony a few times. Regardless of where your seat is, you'll need to turn your head to see all of the action. Despite being closer to the action, I confess that I found the table seating extremely awkward: I spent the entire show with my torso twisted 45 - 90 degrees and trying to avoid direct eye contact with the girl sitting across the table from me. People sitting at the tables closest to the front will be the primary and most obvious targets of audience participation, e.g. when I saw the show, Mr. Todd screamed at an audience member in the front to move so that he could sit the beggar woman down and properly fake-murder her. This and two other instances were the only I observed where a direct response from an audience member was required. If you get serenaded by the beggar woman or Mr. Todd himself, you can for the most part just enjoy the eye contact without having to do much else. To give you an idea of how close the actors get to the audience: I got to see Anthony's boots up close and feel the fabric of Johanna's dress (not by choice) while they were at my table. The pit is a 3-man group of clarinetist, violinist, and pianist (who also blows the tin whistle when a character is murdered). The lobby is just barely large enough to contain the entire audience during the 15-minute intermission, so I recommend walking around the block (away from the smokers and construction) instead of slowly suffocating inside. I didn't have to pee during intermission, so I can only guess how horrible the lines for the restrooms must have been. Interestingly, programs (non-Playbills) are placed on tables the lobby at the end of the performance, rather than given out before the performance. I was fortunate enough to see most of the original company (minus Brad Oscar). Most of the principals in the current cast will be departing the show later this month, starting with Norm Lewis on 8/14, so if you still want a chance to be within spitting distance of any of them while they're still together you have about 2 weeks before the cast gets reshuffled.

Amazing theater to see quality artistic style movies! Like a Cinema Paradiso vibe…read more We saw Boogie Nights and it was a great experience!!!

Really fun experience. Got to see Boogie Nights in 70mm. Packed house. Workers were very helpful in…read moreservice and locating our seats. If you're looking to see older movies on the big screen, this is a nice little spot in a big city.

We had the opportunity to attend a Prescreening in one of the Dolby Screening Rooms yesterday…read moreafternoon. While I'm not at liberty to discuss the film, (legalities and all) the Screening Rooms are not off limits and up for review. There are 2 Dolby Screening Rooms located in the lobby of an office building. Under normal circumstances you would not know it was there. The room that hosted our screening seats approximately 88 people, while still maintaining a intimate feel. The black leather seating is extremely comfortable with reclining options available. The Dolby rooms are of course equipped with Dolby sound all around. Outside of the screening room you will find a small waiting area and private restrooms tucked away. Overall a very nice option to host a private screening or to enjoy one, if you happen to get an invite. Just A Note: There is an additional screening room with less capacity for a much smaller crowd. Enjoy!

BOTTOM LINE: loud TIP/S: try to set away from the speaker…read more...WHO: party of 2 WHY: screening WHAT: (Deets) My Cuzzo and i attended a screening here. I'm not sure if the production (Mannequin by Night) was extra loud, or if the facility made it that way. Either way, it was difficult to concentrate and feel comfy with the experience, and there was no such thing as switching seats in a theater that was at capacity. To be fair, I would return to see if the sound quality was the same on a different production. WHEN: 10/29/19 WHERE: ground level HOW: public transportation B train BATHROOM: multiple stall, separate gender WIFI: free DRESS CODE: as you like SERVICE: staff were very concerned with safety, repeating that our presence as a party (75 people total, i believe) in the halls was a fire hazard. Not much interaction outside of that.

The opening day of every season is the craziest day of that summer. People wait in line for 5pm for…read morethe "gates to be opened" and run, trampling each other to claim a spot. A dangerous situation. Looks hilarious when filmed from the bird's eye view. If you want a good seat, come at 5, right when people are allowed on the lawn. Grab a blanket and occupy an area. Then you have three hours till sunset to chill or walk around. No one touches others' blankets, so don't worry about leaving your stuff unattended (obviously take all your valuables with you). The movies typically last till 10ish. A refreshing outdoor experience to get yourself out of the office and enjoy some "fresh air" in the center of the city. A lot of people bring enticing spreads and even alcohol to spend the whole lazy evening picnicing in anticipation of the movie.

You know that scene in The Hunger Games where the tributes are counting down the clock and all of…read morethem are waiting with bated breath to leap down and race to the Cornucopia to grab life saving supplies?... That's basically what happened last night in Bryant Park for the outdoor screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Granted, I was one of "those" people in front who sprinted like a mad woman to nab a highly coveted blanket spot in the middle of the field next to that brown leaf but this was just pure, epic ridiculousness. I honestly wish I could have stood in the middle of the park and done a panorama video as the people came rushing towards me. It would have made a great opening scene in an apocalyptic film. (FYI the staff takes takes this event very seriously so don't annoy them by stepping over the tiny rope boundary between cement and field. The way they were acting, you think you'd set off a mine if you set foot on the grass before we were given clearance. Sounds familiar, no?) Once the mad dash has happened, you can sprawl out and enjoy chatting with friends and checking out the hot guys... specifically those dressed up like Indiana Jones. After perusing the field, you could tell which people were the regulars. Obviously we were amateurs because we did not even think to bring any of the stuff that our fellow neighbors for the evening had brought. We were surrounded by wicker picnic baskets, bottles of wine, champagne, champagne and wine glasses, decks of cards, pizza boxes, cheese and fruit platters, and anything else picnic worthy. Hell, someone was even smoking pot towards the end of the film. This isn't San Francisco people! Now get this, people are lining up around the field around 4 pm. They don't let you swarm it till 5 pm... and the movie doesn't start till sundown which is 8:30 pm roughly. Plus there's like 10 minutes of previews and a cartoon (weeeee!!!) before the film actually starts so you're looking at a 8:45 start time. Doing the math, I was there for over six hours! Holy moly. No wonder I was tired at the end. I think my favorites of the evening (besides the movie viewing itself) was the mini-dance party we had before the start of the film featuring the old school HBO introduction from the 80s. I wonder if my brother was even conceived yet when this was created but everyone just stood up and started dancing like crazy to this awful 80s tune. Oh how silly we all act together. My other favorite of the evening was the cartoon played after the previews (because in the old days a cartoon was always played before the feature). They played "One Froggy Evening" which if you know Chuck Jones cartoons is the famous dancing frog cartoon. I LOVEEEE this frog!! I was singing and dancing to "Hello ma baby!" with the rest of the crowd and then laughing hysterically at the poor, greedy man who got screwed over. Michigan J. Frog for the win! My only qualm about the evening was the organization of it (or lack there of I should say). If you need to use the restroom, do yourself a HUGE favor and do NOT bring your purse or bag out with you. Otherwise, you will have pulled a "me" and will have to stand in the ridiculously long line to get back in. Had I been warned by any of the event staff, I would have entrusted my purse with my friends and gone out sans bag. Ahhhh!! Other than that, what an exceptional Monday night. Yes, I only got five hours of sleep and yes, I dashed off like Batman into the darkness once the movie ended to catch the train but it was totally worth it. If you live in NYC or visit during the summer, do yourself a favor. Grab some of your friends, a few blankets, an adequately stocked picnic basket and make it over to Bryant Park to make a marvelous memory.

I was here for a private screening a couple of weeks ago. I was excited since it's…read moreDe Niro's place place and all. It's a cozy theater with seating for about 70 people. The screen is not huge, but it doesn't have to be. It's a tad dated, but the seating is comfy. It's just too bad that there is a room right next door that can have it's own event, this causes a good amount of traffic in the hallway when you are coming, going or using the restroom. Other than that, it's pretty cool.

The Maysles Documentary Center is a Harlem-based non-profit that not only screens films at its…read moreMaysles Cinema here, but also provides awesome programs for the community. Founded by Albert Maysles, the late extraordinary filmmaker (e.g., Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter, Salemen, Iris, films of Christo and Jeane-Claude's art projects) the Center is a rare gem uptown providing both a great venue to see an incredible selection of films uptown and resources for underrepresented voices. First, Maysles Cinema's eclectic film calendar includes U.S. and international documentaries and select narratives, recent and from the last century, that sharply contrast with mainstream fare and provide thought-provoking Points of View. You'll also find there screenings for different film festivals. As matter of fact, I just watched a fantastic doc part of the ReelAbilities Film Festival. If you're a cinephile or just interested in a change of pace, Maysles Cinema is worth checking out and, if you don't live in the neighborhood, making the trip uptown! Second, Maysles Documentary Center presently organizes several free programs that provide training, resources, and experience to teen and young adult aspiring filmmakers. What an amazing mission! Kudos, MDC!

Tribeca Film Festival used to be a spirited time of independent films for low cost that revitalized…read moredowntown Manhattan. As it has become more commercial and expensive in the past few years, Acefest has emerged to take its place. Using Tribeca Cinemas on Varick as a main stage, the film festival offers the best of what you don't see in cinema today. Well organized. Reasonably priced. Easy to find locations. Good clean fun. (Okay, sometimes it's dirty, but the good kind).