Film Forum

209 W. Houston Street,
New York, NY 10014

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Showing 101 - 125 of 205 comments

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on August 9, 2007 at 9:45 am

The Lafayette Theater in Suffern, New York does fantastic presentations of classic films, complete with curtains, footlights, overtures, and all the bells/whistles which make for the total Classic Movie Experience. Plus they have a great sound system and a truly big screen.

It’s not in New York City – but Ms. Verlotsky would truly showcase this important film in a grand movie palace if she secured a booking at this showplace!

/theaters/2897/

YMike
YMike on August 8, 2007 at 3:31 pm

Other than for the “Higher” membership levels Film Forum does not sell reserved seats.

Bill Huelbig
Bill Huelbig on August 8, 2007 at 3:21 pm

I guess we should just be glad it’s being shown in New York at all. But, contrary to what Bob said, too bad it ISN’T playing the Ziegfeld. Like it or not, that’s the only theater left in the city that can even come close to what the 1968 showings at the DeMille must have been like.

View link

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on August 8, 2007 at 2:57 pm

You mean they’re showing it in standard 35mm on a small screen?

Oh boy oh boy, that is a BIG disappointment.

Will this print be in color?

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on August 8, 2007 at 2:51 pm

Bob, you sound so happy, but…although this War and Peace was filmed in 70mm, I don’t think Film Forum has 70mm capabilities, at least not according to this list (and FF’s promos don’t mention it, either, AND, the screens ain’t so big!) http://www.redballoon.net/current70mmus.html

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on August 8, 2007 at 2:37 pm

No curtains at the Film Forum? That’s too bad.

Well, at least it will be a visual treat to see the film in 70mm on the big screen. That format doesn’t get revived often enough these days.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on August 8, 2007 at 2:27 pm

No curtains at Film Forum. What I call hi-tech/low tech.

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on August 8, 2007 at 2:25 pm

The ad on the website says the tickets are going on sale 10/12. I don’t think this theater has reserved (assigned) seats. The ad also says the two parts are being sold separately and that both have an intermission. You can see them both in one day, or on different days. Link posted above by IFA.

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on August 8, 2007 at 2:25 pm

“Enjoy and be overwhelmned.”

Amen to that!

Thank goodness they didn’t book this Roadshow presentation into the Ziegfeld. They’d probably get the curtain cues all wrong!

CinemaCentre
CinemaCentre on August 8, 2007 at 2:19 pm

I recall seeing Bernardo Bertolucci’s Uncut 5 hour 11 minute, 2-Part Epic “1900” (Novecento) at the Film Forum in February 1991 and had no problem with screen size or seat comfort. Considering the magnitude of “War and Peace”, having seen the 2-Part US edition several times during the 70mm-Stereo engagement at the former De Mille Theatre, 7th Ave and 47th St, NYC from April to October 1968, a hearty welcome for the original subtitled edition. In 1968, I was literally left emotionally exhausted by the powerful “Battle of Borodino” sequence from the section where Prince Bolkonsky faces death observing the swirling canon ball at his feet all the way through to the sweeping aerial photography of the battle leading the viewer being drawn further up into the tranquility of the clouds with the battle almost unnoticed below. The “Burning of Moscow” is another incredible sequence. The imagery and editing almost defies analysis as it has such a complex dynamic structure of editing, effects and that powerful music score by Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov. I tried to break down the “Borodino” sequence into shots and camera angles and was moderately successful. Sergei Bondarchuk had to be a “beyond” genius artist to pull all of the elements together in a film that is almost impossible to forget. The last New York showing of the Russian language subtitled version of “War and Peace” was at the Museum of Modern Art in a tribute to the late Sergei Bondarchuk given from January 12-14, 1995. If the screen at the Film Forum is not the largest and the seats not the most plush and comfortable, I am willing to endure such shortcomings to see cinematic artistry at its finest. Each of the 2-Parts does have an intermission, making each segment 90 to 120 mins. Enjoy and be overwhelmned.

PKoch
PKoch on August 8, 2007 at 2:09 pm

No, Bob Furmanek, I don’t know if advance tickets are being sold. I usually bought my tickets one show in advance when I went there. Sometimes that wasn’t soon enough, as for the 1931 “Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde” in spring 1988 or “Plan 9” in summer 1988.

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on August 8, 2007 at 2:05 pm

I certainly hope so, then it will be just like seeing it when it was first released!

Do you know if they are selling advance tickets on a reserved seat basis? I want to be sure to get the “sweet spot” for this one.

IFA; please thank Ms. Verlotsky and Seagull Films for bringing this Roadshow Epic back to New York.

PKoch
PKoch on August 8, 2007 at 1:58 pm

Will there be intermissions ?

Mike (saps)
Mike (saps) on August 8, 2007 at 11:34 am

Bob, I don’t know if you’re trying to be funny about War and Peace looking spectacular at the Film Forum, but…while the image will be crisp and bright and the sound will be clear, the screens are so small, the seats a bit uncomfortable (one must suffer for art!)and the sightlines less than ideal, I would dread seeing a seven hour movie (in Russian!) at this house.

BobFurmanek
BobFurmanek on August 8, 2007 at 10:22 am

Wow – that will look really spectacular on their screen!

PKoch
PKoch on January 25, 2007 at 12:00 pm

Thanks, Lost Memory. What a good little theater to “trip” over, “shockproofed” or not !

PKoch
PKoch on October 11, 2006 at 12:55 pm

Thanks, Lost Memory !

YMike
YMike on October 3, 2006 at 11:15 am

Film Forum is presenting a 21 day Pre-Code Fox movie program this December. Expect big crowds to attend.

irajoel
irajoel on July 23, 2006 at 5:31 pm

The forums have terrific programming, but I really don’t like the theatres. Those columns, and terrible seats, sightlines etc. If someone tall sits in front of me I’m sunk.

I’m putting up nice movie material that relate to movie theatres including souvenir programs. check it out

http://s110.photobucket.com/albums/n94/irajoel/

you can also visit my own website
www.cinemagebooks.com
to view more material.

VincentParisi
VincentParisi on July 18, 2006 at 9:42 am

The upcoming swashbuckling and Tashlin series look great. These are the kinds of films I always look for in the Loew’s Jersey programming and always in vain. Gorgeous b and w classics and glossy 50’s and 60’s comedies and musicals.
To see Scarlet Pimpernel and Zenda in a movie palace!
If you were around in New York on their first release you got to see them at the Music Hall.

YMike
YMike on May 30, 2006 at 12:25 pm

About 10 years ago the FF screened a pre-code musical festival and almost every show was sold out. Silents do well also. I would guess the reason being these are films that are not available on home video or aired on cable.

hardbop
hardbop on May 30, 2006 at 9:04 am

I regularly attend the Film Forum and agree that the massive current series “B Noirs” (70 films) has been very well attended, but I don’t think the tickets have been as tough to get as the Film Noir series they ran back in ‘92 that encompassed about 40 films.

I caught “Army of Shadows” when MoMA ran a Melville retro back in ‘96, but that is also doing real well at the Film Forum. I have seen the “sell out” sign for this film several times, including the 1 o'clock show yesterday when I was down there for a couple of the noir films.

What seems to really be a tough ticket is when FF runs films from the 1930s. All the cineastes come running. Last year’s Paramount Pre-code series was even more packed than the current noir series.

YMike
YMike on May 22, 2006 at 12:01 pm

When FF screens older American films the attendance is always high. All the shows on the current Film Noir program have been well attended. Last year FF screened about 3 classic Hollywood films between July and December and I really think that was the reason for the drop in attendance last year.

frankie
frankie on May 22, 2006 at 11:33 am

Film Forum needs to show some of the Paramount, Columbia, and United Artists product that TMC never seems to show. I think we’d all pay money for goodies not on TV or video. Too much repeating, TMC !!! And how about Dottie Lamour for star-of-the-month ??? Any Dottie fans out there ???

hardbop
hardbop on April 6, 2006 at 8:29 am

I wonder if the Film Forum is having money troubles. As a member I received a fundraising letter this week where the FF folks were lamenting the fact that many of the films they screen are not well attended.

I was down there the other night to see the only film in the Don Siegel retro I wanted to see and they are running a promotion where if you renew your membership in April or buy a membership you get a free soda and popcorn.

And one way I judge crowds at the FF is the number of “Village Voice” copies that remain. When the FF is well attended, you can’t find a “Voice.” But late Tuesday afternoon, the day the “Voice” comes out, it looked like no one took a Voice from the previous week so many remained.

I wonder how the Seigel retro drew? I caught all the films in a MoMA Siegel retro back in the 1990s' so I skipped it.