BROOKLYN'S 'FILM NOIR' VIDEO EXPANDS INTO A CINEMA

One thing this writer misses is the video store. Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu have been great to get stuff immediately, but it's given way to less choice for movies (and in many cases, titles that you watch 'just for the hell of it' or just pure garbage) and on the flipside, with so many instant choices, you'll stare at long lists, often 'curated' in the most meaningless random ways thanks to algorithms meaning that one never sees the entire catalog. Throw in the loss of so many movies that have never received digital streaming rights and you've got a hell of a lot of classics that will remain obscure. And to be honest, how sad is it to know many times things won't get watched because 'it's not on Netflix'. 

Sure, you can still get DVD's sent via Netflix (and we recommend it, as they have a library of almost 100,000 titles) that you can readily watch on a Playstation if you don't have a player but the social aspect is probably the biggest part that of ehat's missing. Wandering around aisles of movies, admiring some truly wonderful (and awful) cover art, flipping over to read the back to decide if that is the one to part with a few bucks to watch. And not to mention the way every video store had 'that guy' or 'that girl' who seemed to have an endless well of movie knowledge, could connect the dots to obscure titles and always put you onto something great.

Thankfully, in Brooklyn NY, there is still somewhere like that. Film Noir existed for over a decade at it's spot on Bedford Avenue near Greenpoint, and when video stores seem to be closing, Film Noir actually expanded. And not just into bigger digs, but also into a video store coupled with a cinema. 

Owner Will Malitek has an obvious passion for movies, and a core part of his rental business is derived from the many titles requested because 'they aren't on Netflix'. Record store style bins allow you to flip through an in depth assortment of every genre, but the gold is in the foreign, cult and sci fi sections as well as the obscure classics. Will is always buying movies to keep the stock maintained, and he listens to his customers to ensure that regularly requested films get added to the library.

Now however, with the move to a former funeral home in Greenpoint (the oldest in the area, in fact) Will is expanding his passion into a small repertory film house to present true cult and classics in a cinema setting. To complete the experience, fifty four genuine cinema seats were shipped from Hollywood, all 54 of them, salvaged from a movie theater that went bankrupt. Also, two of Will's long-time customers, Abby Lloyd and Chris Retsina also created a mural that has turned the bathrooms into a work of art, and they have also created the exterior marquee.

Make sure you visit Film Noir and support this life long dream for the owner. Click HERE for the ever changing calendar of films screened at the cinema, and keep a look out for special events like live music scores to classic films. Snacks are available in the video store, and you also grab some rare VHS and DVD's for purchase too. There's even some vinyl to browse through to.

NYC'S ROXY OPENS INTIMATE BASEMENT CINEMA

It's been a good few months for movie fans in NYC with the opening of the Alamo, and this little gem in Tribeca. The Roxy Hotel is the renamed, revamped Tribeca Grand where you've stayed (if you're an out of towner) or danced in a boozy frenzy in their basement (local who can talk past the bouncer).

We warmly welcome the Roxy's Cinema which is intimate and hosting a variety of screenings, plus the tickets are only $10. Sounds good to us. Here's the word from the Roxy crew;

Step inside our cinema, located within the Roxy Hotel, and you may recall the prestige of old New York theatre. This celebrated venue was built for moviegoers who want to experience every grain of the magic of motion pictures, and to see their celluloid heroes and heroines among intimacy and glamour. With just one screen and 99 seats, we project movies in both 35mm and digital, and offer gourmet concessions and craft cocktails.

Nowhere else in New York will you find our brand of varied programming. We specialize in first-run, independent films, foreign, documentaries, art house and genre films, as well as every classic movie that every film buff should know. Our friends, David Koh and Dan Braun of Submarine Films – the distribution company behind Wild Style, Downtown 81 and Sneakerheadz – curate and introduce special screenings. Your favorite director very well might be joining them for a Q and A session afterward.

During the rest of the week and on weekends, we host public screenings. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday are hosted by Little Italy’s venerable movie memorabilia shop, Posteritati (well worth a visit - NM). Just pop into the cinema by taking the stairs or elevator to the cellar—both are located in the back of the entrance level, on the right side.

See what's coming up HERE. You can get in touch with the Roxy folks via email at info@roxycinematribeca.com or if interested in joining any of the special screening series events, contact roxyhotelfilmseries@gmail.com