Film in NYC

One of my favorite things about NYC is its prominent film scene. There’s a certain passion for film here that I haven’t experienced anywhere else (outside of The Reel Deal, of course), which is why it’s the perfect place for movie buffs. In addition to the premieres and shoots that happen on any given day, there are plenty of screenings and conversations going on all over the city. Here are some I've attended: 

Screenings

While there are plenty of theaters that play new releases (for a hefty price of $13-$15 if you go after 12 pm, no thank you), but there also are numerous opportunities to see classic, art-house, documentary, and foreign films at places like MoMA, the New York Public Library, the Film Forum, Museum of the Moving Image, Lincoln Center, and more. Going to film screenings may appear to be a financial setback for a broke college student, but this is where my student I.D. comes in handy. Most of these places offer student tickets at a discounted price, and sometimes for free.

TCM's free Casablanca screening

I absolutely adore classic films (the old soul that I am) and so far I’ve been to a free showing of Casablanca presented by Turner Classic Movies at Lincoln Plaza, screenings of An American in Paris and Modern Times at MOMI, and a series of four Charlie Chaplin short films with live piano accompaniment at the NYPL for the Performing Arts. This was the first time I’ve seen each of these movies on the big screen and watching them as part of a larger audience made the experience all the more enjoyable. Watching these films in a theater setting and hearing others' reactions made me feel as though I had stepped back in time and imagine what it must have been like to see these movies when they were first released.

Chaplin's gear

The most surreal of these experiences occurred after yesterday's screening of a few Charlie Chaplin short films, part of the Silent Clowns Film Series at the NYPL for the Performing Arts. The films were presented with live piano accompaniment, and afterwards there was a Q&A with historians who work with the Chaplin Estate to restore them. I was glad I stayed until the entire program concluded because they gave the remaining audience members the chance to hold a cog that was part of the set from Modern Times and--I still can't believe this--a genuine hat, cane, and pair of shoes Chaplin wore as the Little Tramp. Surprisingly, they let us wear the hat, which I was overcome to find out fit my head perfectly; even his name was still on the tag. The cane was as light as a feather and the shoes were rather small--about the same size as the boots I was wearing at the time. I'm still overwhelmed at the whole thing; it's definitely something I'll tell my grandchildren about. 

Stephen Frears (L) and Steve Coogan (R)

Conversations 

There are also opportunities to attend conversations with filmmakers. In mid-February at Lincoln Center, I went to a free discussion sponsored by the Film Society at Lincoln Center where director Stephen Frears and actor/writer Steve Coogan discussed their Oscar-nominated film Philomena. I had seen the movie over winter break and absolutely loved it, so it was fascinating to hear them talk about the screenplay and how they made the film in general. A lot of what they discussed reminded me of things I learned in the scriptwriting class I took freshman year. 

Last week, my friend Christian and I went to a Lincoln Center screening at of Jim Jarmusch's 2005 film Broken Flowers (starring Bill Murray), which was followed by a discussion with its director of photography Fred Elmes. Neither of us had seen Broken Flowers before; it has a sort of episodic plot with an ambiguous ending, but we enjoyed it nevertheless. I also found the discussion with Elmes quite interesting, despite the fact that I know nothing about cinematography techniques. Elmes has had a long career in his field, serving as director of photography for films like Blue Velvet and Eraserhead, so it was wonderful to hear someone with his experience discuss his career. 


 
Until next time...