The New York Film Viewing Experience

by William Speruzzi on 09/21/2007

One thing that I and many other’s who attended the IFP Conference1 [ending today] got slapped in the face with constantly was how the film watching experience has changed and will continue to change. With new platforms for exhibition and distribution [my head is still spinning] the future is surely up for grabs. I don’t think theaters are going anywhere but a change in New York would definitely be welcome. Thing is, I live next a great theater, technically speaking. Audio is up to par, video projection is available. Films that play there, well, that’s another issue.

I’ve been hearing about the wonders of the Alamo Drafthouse for a couple of years now even though I haven’t been there and have myself had fantasies of building the ultimate film experience for discernible tastes. Feeding the masses has been catered to by the multiplexes but this corner of the market isn’t really getting served properly. I have been enjoying what the IFC Center has been doing. I’ve always been a big supporter of the Film Forum and even the Angelica whose been kind of slacking off lately. But, this is New York City! Cinephile capital of the world!

Just days after I was asserting this opinion [bitching] to a couple of collaborators of mine at the Conference about the shitty state of movie going it looks like Texas has come to save the day for New York.2 The Alamo is looking to open up a theater in New York by 2008.

  1. At some point next week I will post an entry on all my notes and musings on what I got from the IFP Conference this time around.[↩]
  2. I’m not even going to touch that one.[↩]

There are 2 comments in this article:

  1. 09/22/2007David Hudson says:

    The Alamo experience is great fun and their espresso milk shake is top notch, but it’s not the ideal venue for every type of film. It’s perfect for the films they program – cult faves or the sort of thing lined up in the currently ongoing Fantastic Fest. But I don’t think you’d want to watch, say, Reygadas’s Silent Light while half the theater munches away on burgers, salads, popcorn, what have you. I’m sure it’ll be a great addition to the NYC scene and I certainly wish them all the best. I love going when I’m in Austin for SXSW – but they alone can’t make up for what all is missing in movie-going these days.

  2. 09/26/2007William Speruzzi says:

    What I find kind of disheartening is that all the little one or two screen theaters that were located all over Manhattan are gone or hanging on for dear life. Personally, I would love to see theaters like the IFC Center scattered all over the city, starting below Canal.

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