What Makes Bard Bard: The Movie Spots
Calder Wysong ’27
With the school year finally starting, it’s easy to assume that Bard students won’t have any spare time. As a Year One, I won’t deny it– freshman year isn’t easy. It’s a big change, especially coming into an early college school like Bard. However, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the opportunity to enjoy yourself over the course of the year. For me, one of my greatest ways to unwind has been seeing movies. And, over the summer, I had plenty of opportunities to explore a number of theaters. However, as I’ve come to realize, there’s a number of them around the city which, in spite of being incredibly accessible, often get overlooked. I’ve come to love all of these places, and it helps that all of them are within thirty minutes from Bard. Who’s to say you won’t end up loving them too?
Film Forum (209 West Houston St.)
Founded in the seventies as a screening space for indie films, Film Forum initially was unable to match the quality of other large-scale theatres in the city. It had humble beginnings, scraping by on an annual revenue of $19,000. Under the leadership of director Karen Cooper, the theater eventually moved to Vandam Theater downtown in 1975. From this point onward, Film Forum hit the ground running, assembling its own theater in 1990. The space expanded in 2018, becoming a 500-seat theater, housing 60 employees and accommodating more than 6,000 members. Film Forum, recognized as a non-profit, has an operating budget of $7 million, spending the majority of said budget on the films it screens. These films target a number of modern-day societal issues, and the theater even does screenings revolving around specific directors. I had the opportunity to attend their month-long Kurosawa marathon, where I saw the director’s well-lauded films such as Seven Samurai (1954) and Ran (1985). As a theater, I would highly recommend giving it a visit. It’s an excellent theater, especially for those who are fans of older films.
Metrograph (7 Ludlow St.)
While it doesn’t have as rich of a history as Film Forum, Metrograph is distinct for, as its website describes, the theater’s focus on “rare archival screenings (35mm and digital).” Located near the Avenue of The Americas (about a ten-minute walk from the 2nd Avenue station), it’s a much more accessible theater to get to than Film Forum. Inspired by the New York theaters of the 1920s, Metrograph has an entire community centered around the preservation of an older style of films and filmmaking. I’ve had several incredible experiences there, seeing a large variety of archived and represented films. For instance, the theater had a screening of Blade Runner 2049, as tribute to concept artist Syd Mead, who was key in the franchise’s design. The Metrograph’s preservation of the old, in correlation with the new, incredibly demonstrates the theater’s dedication to preserving the legacy of the craft it embodies.
Roxy Cinema (2 6th Avenue Cellar Level)
The Roxy Theatre, located in the lower level of the Roxy hotel, would be best described as the embodiment of the old cinema experience. Inspired by the movie theaters of the 1920s, the Roxy is an homage to the French art-deco style of the 1920s and 1930s. Keeping in tradition with this old-fashioned aesthetic, the theater mostly focuses on the presentation of indie films and archival prints, as well as the re-screening of several cult classics. However, the Roxy also offers a number of special programs such as the screening of film series and director Q&As. While it’s undoubtedly a farther trip than either Film Forum or Metrograph, the Roxy is definitely a theater worth going to on a weekend or a vacation. It’s accessible, nostalgic, and I had an incredible experience during my first and (so far) only visit there. If you’re big on independent films, it’s definitely for you!
Village East by Angelika (181-189 Second Avenue)
Village East is a theater that’s always stuck with me for one reason, and one reason only–it’s steeped in history. Originally a part of the Yiddish Theatre District of the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, the building itself is inspired by the Moorish Revival style ofIslamic architecture. The building was originally completed in 1926 under the architect Louis Jaffe. Prior to being used as a theater for film, Village East served as a hosting space for off-Broadway performances, forms of burlesque (a form of parody musical) media, and a number of films as well. However, the space was finally bought by the Angelika Film Center in 1991. About a five-minute walk from the Union Square bus station, I’d absolutely describe it as a theater worth paying a visit to. Even if not for the sake of seeing a movie, but to be surrounded by a cultural center that’s been around for nearly a century.