Legendary director Alfred Hitchcock once said, "In feature films the director is God; in documentary films God is the director." And considering all the stories about how the auteur treated star Tippi Hedren, it certainly seems like he had a bit of a God-complex himself. Now, a church in Astoria is exploring the world of "Hitchcock and the Catholic Conscious" with a free film series! more ›

We think it's pretty safe to say that most people agree that our collective indulgence of director M. Night Shyamalan has gone too far. Some may argue when the fall happened (post Sixth Sense? Exactly 2/3 of the way into Unbreakable?), but we have yet to meet anyone who has anything nice to say about The Last Airbender. Finally, someone has gotten so fed up with Shyamalan's twist-filled, narcissistic brand of hokey cinema, they're trying to raise enough money to send him back to film school. more ›

Williamsburg has one indie film arthouse already—make that two... actually three—but what do the neighborhood locals do when they want to see the new Justin Timberlake and Anna Faris comedy Yogi Bear? more ›

Movie theaters are jumping onto the World Cup bandwagon, hoping that soccer fans will drop their beer goggles for 3D glasses: Theatrical distributor Cinedigm will be screening the 2010 World Cup in "Live 3D" at 15 cinemas around the country. Two of the locations are in New York City, at the Chelsea Clearview and the Pavilion in Park Slope. Tickets are on sale for a Netherlands vs. Germany-or-Spain NOW NOW NOW! more ›

Last week a media analyst blamed theaters for the price hikes that boost some 3-D movie tickets just shy of $20, but they protest it’s not their fault. An AMC spokesman said moviegoers should blame James Cameron, and other deep-pocketed purveyors of new technology. "It is inevitable some of those costs will eventually appear at the box office," he said. Another expert used the “come on, it’s not that bad,” justification: "In New York, especially Manhattan, $20 for a couple of hours entertainment is relatively inexpensive," an NPD Group rep told the News. Be that as it may some cinema enthusiasts threatened they might not stand for it. "I probably wouldn't spend that much," said one, "The way the economy is right now, it's far too expensive." more ›

After the heady rush of opening presents—or not, depending on your faith, views on material gift giving, etc.—Americans are expected to go to the movies today and this weekend, thanks to Christmas Day releases like Sherlock Holmes and It's Complicated and recent releases Avatar and Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel. more ›

Sigh. The Post's Steve Cuozzo reveals that the former Metro Theater, on the Upper West Side at Broadway and 99th Street, will become a 15,000 square foot Urban Outfitters over three-and-a-half floors: "It will be the seventh Manhattan location for the teen-oriented clothing chain, which bucked prevailing trends and enjoyed a 31 percent earnings increase last year." The 20-year lease is "worth $1 million a year to start with 12 percent increases every five years." more ›

more ›

Yesterday Gawker posted about a little-known LES space that, if you know the secret handshake, will open its doors to you. Once inside you'll find a reception room, a capacious old theater space... even fishtanks. The night Gawker stumbled in they found a band playing, and in booze-induced wonderment, took a short video clip. The clip was included in the post yesterday but now both have disappeared, becoming as mysterious as this secret club itself! more ›

MOVIE: Tonight the Brooklyn Independent Cinema Series delivers two very different films. First up is The French Riviera, described as "a road documentary that follows a truck driver on a mission to earn enough money selling ice cream in the Icelandic countryside to go on a vacation on a French beach." more ›

MUSIC: Merkin Concert Hall is reopening, and to help celebrate some of the piano greats will be on hand for a free, six hour concert. Philip Glass and John Medeski will be amongst those who will perform. Get more details here. more ›

The reviews are in for the $180 million production of The Golden Compass, and they’re lackluster at best, which is a pity not just for fans of the novel from which it’s adapted but for New Line Cinema, which was banking on another Lord of the Rings cash cow. Times critic Manohla Dargis calls it flawed and cluttered, although her description of Nicole Kidman ought to sway any dudes reluctant to see a movie starring... more ›

Have you seen Sex and the City filming around town? Seems like some people are watching the cast of the 'ol show film the new movie every step of the way. The Times chronicled the madness and, OMG, talked to Carrie Bradshaw herself (who was hiding away in the basement of the Bryant Park Hotel). She had this to say of her on-the-job craziness: “I basically just look down between every take because it’s... more ›

As noted earlier today, a number of consumer activists, sweatshop protesters and anti-capitalist agitators have for years been working to turn Black Friday into Buy Nothing Day. Spearheaded by the anti-advertising gadflies at Adbusters, the event calls on individuals to suspend purchases for 24 hours and engage in creative activism to highlight the unsustainable patterns of mass consumer culture. Naturally, New York’s anti-corporate performance icon Reverend Billy is all over this. We spoke with... more ›

The holiday-time movie releases are starting to pile up with their usual feverish frequency. Some have Christmas themes, like the widely reviled Vince Vaughn vehicle Fred Claus that’s already roadkill on the lost highway of cinema history; others, like Ridley Scott’s American Gangster, are timed to make an impression as close to Academy Award-voting season as possible. Here are some of the biggest gorillas set to dominate New York’s screens in the next six... more ›

HEADS UP!: We love Daniel Kitson, it's been documented, so we wanted to give you a heads up that our favorite British comedian is coming back to the States! He has three shows in December at Union Hall (the 2nd, 3rd and 4th), and tickets are ON SALE NOW for two of those dates. It'll be the best $8+fees that you ever spent. ART: The Brothers Grimm fairytale Hansel and Gretel has taken over the... more ›

FAIR: Attention vinyl junkies! WFMU is hosting their Record Fair starting this eve and running throughout the weekend. "Hundreds of dealers specializing in the out sounds that WFMU is adored for delivering year round will gather for three days of merciless hawking o' the wax, and thousands of area music geeks are already trembling with nervous anticipation!" There will also be live performances this year, check out more details here. more ›

FAIR: The International vintage poster fair has arrived. It's time to take that ironic velvet Elvis off the wall and class up your joint. The fair will include "over 25 international dealers with more than 10,000 original vintage posters." More info here. more ›

Museum of the Moving Image more ›

EVENTS: Both Open House NY and The New Yorker Festival are upon us. You can check out more of OHNY's event here, and The New Yorker Festival here. Some picks: more ›

is the project that really encouraged his brilliant madness. It's one of the greatest potential disaster stories in film making and it won Herzog a best director prize at Cannes. more ›

MUSIC: Last week Craig Finn made a solo appearance amongst the books at Barnes & Noble, tonight he's with his rock band, The Hold Steady, playing another free show. Joining them are the Old 97’s, and newer band, Illinois. A triple-threat lineup with a can't-be-beat pricetag. more ›

September 3: West Indian–American Day Carnival more ›

THEATER: With his zany imagination and distinctive bass-baritone voice, Joseph Keckler (myspace) has been generating buzz throughout the gooey honeycomb of the downtown performance art cabaret scene. Tonight he sprinkles his particular blend of whimsical catnip at Dixon Place with Cat Lady, in which a man re-enacts an ordinary day with his mother, who runs a community theater with cat actors out of her home. “Past lives are recalled, songs are sung, and finally a trip to the vet's is made in this comedic and dark exploration of the relationship between art and trauma.” Part of the HOT! Festival. – John Del Signore more ›

Spiderman, Mortal Kombat, Sonic Underground. No, it's not FOX's Saturday morning line up, it's Terence Taylor's resume. Before jumping into horror, the Brooklyn born author spent over a decade writing and producing children's programming . From his days as one of the few black students at St. John's University, to his years writing Gulah Gulah's Island and Arthur, Taylor's story reveals the seemingly random events that often lead to a career in television and writing, the things he learned along the way, as well as the current nature of Kid's TV. more ›

With the mid-week Fourth of July holiday, an abbreviated work week practically demands an afternoon at the movies complete with giant tub o' fatty snacks and subzero air conditioning. New York is a real haven for movie theater aficionados, and we all have our favorites. Here's a brief breakdown of what to see, and where, this holiday. In the comments feel free to weigh in on the best and/or worst places to see giant alien vehicles attack earth or betrothed couples acting goofy. more ›