EN
Notice to all movie-lovers: if, like us, you feel helpless witnessing the slow disappearance of independent movie theaters in New York, asphyxiated by the multiplexes and the distribution mastodons, we have some good news to share. A beautifully bespoke two-screen theater discreetly opened a few months ago in the Lower East Side: it’s called Metrograph.
Metrograph is a true ode to the Seventh Art. Vintage atmosphere and old school flair in this neighborhood cinema where you can see the projection booth from the screening room through a large window and where a real projectionist is hand-cranking 35mm films! The walls are made of black bricks, floors of terrazzo stones and seats from wood salvaged from the old Domino sugar factory in Brooklyn. To sum up, a movie theater with tons of charm and character.
Movie buffs will be thrilled with the program and Metrograph’s meticulously curated selection. Watch a 28-year-old Steve McQueen making his debut in the science fiction movie The Blob. Or daydream in a hotel room in Hong Kong with Wong Kar-wai. They showcase some classics of course: Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick or Martin Scorsese. But Metrograph is first and foremost a specialist of foreign and indie movies and showcases more confidential directors like Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Jean Eustache or Frederick Wiseman.
Metrograph is more than just a movie theater, it’s a real art house. There is a stylish bar, a restaurant, an ultra-chic candy kiosk and a specialized bookstore. From breakfast to cocktails post-projection, you can laze around the whole day. Keep an eye on the event calendar as they organize many rendez-vous with different actors and directors – last month, Isabelle Huppert and Paul Auster presented their films.
Metrograph is the new landmark for all enthusiastic spectators and nostalgic movie-lovers. It’s a little retro jewel box, a veritable time machine that will transport you to a long-gone New York.
Metrograph
7 Ludlow St, Lower East Side
212-660-0312