Forty years ago today, The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of Mario Puzo's bestselling novels opened in five NYC movie theaters. The NY Times' Clyde Haberman notes that fact plus many others about the ground-breaking film in his column today. For instance: "The Corleone family compound, supposedly on Long Island, was actually in the Emerson Hill section of Staten Island. Luca Brasi, he who winds up sleeping with the you-know-what, is stabbed in the Edison Hotel. Michael Corleone makes his bones as a hitman at a restaurant in the Bronx. He and Kay stay at the St. Regis Hotel. There are shots of East Harlem, Mott Street, Radio City Music Hall and the old Best & Co. store on Fifth Avenue." 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 ›

No news is bad news when it comes to the long-delayed opening of Radegast Hall & Biergarten, the new 2,000 square foot Williamsburg bar owned by the savvy Czechs who run Astoria’s Bohemian Hall. The establishment, designed to feel like a turn-of-the-century Austro-Hungarian beer hall, has been physically ready for business since Oktoberfest, but owners have been hung up on various permits and paperwork. The last hurdle was supposedly the certificate of occupancy, which... more ›

Crossover in the entertainment industry is as prevalent as Dunkin' Donuts built next to Weight Watchers. You have music stars breaking in movies, actors releasing albums, sports stars invading reality TV and you know they’ve all released a line of clothing and a perfume or two. That being said we’re still not sure if we should be shocked that apparently the next frontier for these enterprising celebrities is the world of wine. more ›

Unlike last week, New Yorkers are treated to just nine new releases including three big titles ( -- about the late Arthur Kane, a member of the seminal NYC glam-meets-punk rock group New York Dolls. Elsewhere … more ›

The Conversation is also the lesser-lauded but truly incredible Francis Ford Coppola film starring Gene Hackman. Gothamist will be watching the Golden Globes (and some pre-show as well - we're only human and we will be seething at both the Rivers sideshow and Star Jones Reynolds...as for the telecast, expect some tsunami shout-outs), and then blogging into the wee hours with a wrap-up post. [Gothamist on the nominations and our commentary from last year's telecast] more ›