Angelika Film Center
18 W. Houston Street,
New York,
NY
10012
18 W. Houston Street,
New York,
NY
10012
16 people
favorited this theater
Originally built in 1894 as a cable power building for the New York Cable Car Company, it was designed in a Beaux Arts style by noted architects McKim, Mead & White.
The Angelika Film Center opened in 1989, this New York theater is famous for helping to make independent films the vibrant part of the film industry they have become in recent years. Many of the best independent films of the past decade debuted at the Angelika during one of the many film festivals held at the theater.
As sometimes happens in the pricey real estate environment of New York City, the Angelika’s screens are located underground. Audiences enter on the ground level to a large and welcoming cafe, and then take escalators down to the theater level. Occupying the entire first floor, the cafe, a unique feature of the Angelika, is perhaps the most critical part of what has made the Angelika a success. Between festivals, it serves as an impromtu salon for tomorrow’s filmmakers. During festivals, it hosts scores of film industry types.
Architecturally, however, the theater is unremarkable and its screens draw constant complaints about their tiny size, poor sound, uncomfortable seats, and lack of sound proofing. It’s quite possible to hear the rumble of a subway train during a screening, as the Angelika is not far from a major subway station.
But as long as it serves up the very best of independent and foreign films, the Angelika’s audience will continue to embrace the theater.
Contributed by
Belinda
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Recent comments (view all 90 comments)
Renewing link.
Approx. 1140 seats total
Hey, it looks like that the August 18th, 1989 “false” opening did occur. After having been delayed from July 21st (a July 28th showing of Turner and Hooch was listed but played at the Cinema 3rd Avenue instead), the theatre opened as a United Artists theatre for one weekend. The films shown were Shell Shock, Emma’s Shadow, Cheetah and Let It Ride. After that week ended, the Criterion Center got Let It Ride and I don’t know who got Cheetah in the moveover). Wired was scheduled to open on August 25th there but instead played at the 8th Street Playhouse.
KingBiscuits,
New theatres often have screening before opening but the Angelika did not officially open until September 29 and was a UA run house for several years, not one week.
By the way, all those films you mention were wide runs all over New York, not move-overs from the Angelika. The Angelika was intentionally opened with only specilised films.
This is what I found in the New York Times. The ad apparently ran on August 18th to August 20th, 1989.
Those would be ads for openings that never occurred, not an odd situation in New York.
Once the right officials were properly bribed, the opening could then proceed.
Gotcha. Sounds like typical UA.
Here and here are 2009 shots of the Angelika Film Centre
Photo of the Angelika Film Center courtesy Nick’s Classic American Theatres.
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