Angelika Film Center - review

Angelika Film Center - 18 W Houston St., NY


The hip place to go to see indie films. You'll feel rather hip yourself, as you wait for others in your party to arrive, sitting at the tiny marble top cafe tables dotting the center of the wide lobby. The sandwich I had for my quickie dinner was fresh and tasty - a mozzarella and tomato and basil on sourdough bun, though that plus a cappuccino was $12 and some change. Wow! The guy at the counter was friendly and helpful, warning me that the adjacent atm machine charges $3 and offered that they do take credit cards at the cafe. The lobby is airy and spacious, very high ceilings and the remains of what was probably very cool art deco decor once upon a time. What is left is sanitized and functional, and one of the better ways to designs a movie lobby. I hung out there for just over and hour, hanging out quite undisturbed reading and writing and eating.

As for the movies playing, they usually have the latest indie releases. I've usually only heard of one of the six movies they've got playing at any given time, but you can pretty much just go there, watch anything they're showing, and feel confident it will be couple of quality hours spent. The latest film we watched there was the Dutch film After the Wedding, which garnered some awards or at least some award nominations.

As a shoutout to my husbands favorite snack, the popcorn at the Angelika was top rate. Maybe not the best (that's at the Kew Gardens cinema) but definitely top 5 rated popcorn.

Pros: your adult cinema place without the porn - always good films showing - food is excellent - fabulous lobby in that it offers added functions like a several cafe tables and a couple cushy leather sofas on which to recline while waiting for the movie to start - good organization and flow to the place

Cons: food is pricy! - decor is very slightly run down, but maintains that dark moody quality to it that keeps parents from bringing their kids here on a regular basis - a popular place to go and the more recently released movies are usually sold out if you come too late

Ziegfeld Theater - review

Ziegfeld Theather
141 W. 54th Street, NY NY 10019

My favorite movie theater. It's grand and plush, and makes you feel like you're attending a special event rather than a mere movie. Red velvet lining the walls, grand staircases, escalators that take you high into the splendor of entertainment. The seats still have their individual numbers on it, as if you were attending a live performance. The bathrooms are just awesome! A sink and mirror in each toilet stall - that's luxury!

For an old fashion cinematic experience, the Ziegfeld theater is the place to go.

Blockbuster - review

Blockbuster was okay when it began, and got downright creepy when it started taking over all the little video rental stores, then charging an outrageous $5 to rent a movie. And the late fees just sucked. I hated Blockbuster, boycotted Blockbuster, and swooned with love when Netflix emerged. However, it's amazing how time, innovative competition and lawsuits can change a person, or company....

Gotta hand it to Blockbuster - they were smart enough to turn themselves around, going from an overly expensive video rental conglomerate, got the bejeezus scared out of them by Netflix innovative DVD-by-mail service, and hopped on that bandwagon. Now they've combined both the DVD-by-mail as well as instore rentals available for a low monthly price, on top of the awesome overly extended late fee policy where it says "2 day rental" but in actuality you can hang on to the bugger and procrastinate returning the movie for up to a week before the give you a kind computer voice call to say "give me back the movie" - all without late fees. And if it's still late, you now own it, and never have to return it! Great. Awesome! PLUS - you can exchange your mailed DVD for one instore - even better! Why wait 24 whole hours for the next movie in queue?? I want my movie now - I get my movie now! I have no desire to rent movies anywhere else (sorry Netflix), let alone ever buy movies ever again, and this even gives your normal theater screening of movies a run for their money. New Blockbuster has spoiled me. Let's hope they keep it that way.