Film Forum
209 W. Houston Street,
New York,
NY
10014
209 W. Houston Street,
New York,
NY
10014
35 people
favorited this theater
The Film Forum was formed in 1970 and has been at its current location since 1989.
One of New York City’s BEST theaters. Shows independent and revival films. Has many film festivals. Highlights have included an Ealing film retrospective, Varda retrospective. Looks retro in the front.
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Gena
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Recent comments (view all 165 comments)
Nice shot Chuck.
I’ll post up a few pictures shortly once I update my flickr.
However, I need to publically salute the staff and also the attending audiences for the matinee of the 8/28 Homicidal and then 8.29 House on Haunted Hill/Mr Sardonicus double bill as part of the “William Castle festival”
The Coward’s Corner, Emergo and Punishment Poll were very well represented.
Somewhere William Castle was looking down and smiling upon the showmanship and care that the staff gave in carrying out Bill’s gimmicks. For the “matinees” that I attended the theatre was packed. The audience made of the “hipster doofus (doofi)” and older crowd. It was an awesome mix of people and they all really enjoyed the spirit of the movies.
Thank you again to everyone at the Film Forum!
Bruce and crew did it again with ‘the Tingler"
The respect and care they gave to William Castle’s movies and the gimmicks contained there in was just amazing.
Even though it is small in stature, it is a true “Cinema Treasure”
Registering.
hdtv, I was there for the first showing of “Sardonicus” and “Haunted Hill” on Sunday. I originally saw these films when they played in my neighborhood theaters in Brooklyn when I was a kid. I haven’t had a better time all summer. I enjoyed the fact that the older audiences (like myself) were laughing and chuckling at some of the scenes that scared us silly as kids. I also enjoyed the fact that some people brought their own young children to see Castle’s films. I’m sure that they were a lot more entertaining than most of the garbage that passes as horror films today.
I went last Sunday to see “The Tingler” and missed sitting in the wired seats for the second time in 50 years. Oh well, wait til next time. I’m not sure if you were there but it was hilarious to see the skeleton from “Haunted Hill” make a re-appearance during the LSD sequence in “The Tingler.” I had such a great time that I’m only sorry that this Castle tribute didn’t last another week.
Does anyone have any idea how the Castle festival performed at the b.o., taking into account the fact that double bills in shoebox auditoriums limit the turnover? By chance the featival included all of my favorites – three in the “Whistler” series, “Homicidal” (Is it even possible to be fooled by that one?) and “The Night Walker,” especially for Vic Mizzy’s spooky and imperishable score.
Gimmicks notwithstanding, Castle’s mysteries and thrillers are hopelessly contrived and often plain terrible (“13 Ghosts”), but he was such a consummate ham that he kept me returning as a kid. Anyway, I hope “Night Walker” did well and that Film Forum is encouraged to book more of such Americana festivals.
Vic Mizzy
and of course we can’t forget Frank DeVol’s score for “The Busy Body”
Sorry Gary that you didn’t get to sit in the wired seats. My being seated in them made it worth waiting in line for about an hour to get in!
The showings of “The Tingler” were in fact sold out. I can’t speak for the other shows.
One of the strangest things that came from the festival was it seems to have brought William Castle back from the grave.
There’s a blog up now on “WilliamCastle.com” and William Castle is adding friends on Facebook and he’s even on the Twitter.
hdtv, the showing I went to of “House on Haunted Hill” 2 Sundays ago was jammed also. (It was the first showing of that film since they only showed Haunted Hill/Sardonicus for one day.) Everyone was so enthused and friendly. It was great just talking to total strangers there about Castle and the films being shown. I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to see “Macabre,” “Homicidal” and “Night Walker there as well. I can still remember seeing all of these films, (with the exception of "Homicidal,” which I somehow missed, in the movies as a child.)
I read Castle’s autobiography about 20 years ago and if you have not read it, I highly recommend it.
And thanks to this Castle retro, I take back anything I’ve ever said negative about this theater. (See my previous post some months back.) I now look forward to seeing the remastered “Psycho” there at the end of October.
I finally broke down and bought a membership to Film Forum. I don’t know why I didn’t do it years ago. But with the upcoming Spaghetti Western series, I know I’ll be hitting this place up at least ten times so why not join and get the tickets for less. And honestly, it’s great to support a robust independent theater. Even if their three screens are small and cramped.
I’ve had many wonderful experiences at Film Forum over the years: meeting Werner Herzog at a screening of White Diamond was a particular favorite but I also really enjoyed seeing Battle Of Algiers, Days of Heaven, Aguirre: Wrath Of God, and Fat City in 35mm revivals.
In light of so many theater closures and the push to DCP, it’s great to see Film Forum do well. I know they are incorporating DCP and I don’t really have an issue with that so long as they continue showing other formats as well.
I enjoy reading newspaper ads and reading what movies the Forum plays is interesting. Glad that this place is still in business in the big apple.