But at least the movie usually plays: a tipster wrote us about an unfortunate experience seeing Martin Scorsese's Hugo at the Regal Union Square last night. "This occurred after the film broke twice during the screening and we had been sitting in the theater for 3.5 hours," he said. "It's quite the mashup. Considering the movie is a tribute to film and film preservation, it was especially hysterical and at the same time a total travesty." more ›

This month, we heard the good news that Matthew Viragh, owner of Williamsburg's Nitehawk Cinema, had been successful in his fight to overturn a state law barring alcohol in movie theaters. But now it seems you may be able to bring your booze into the movie theaters at large chain cinemas in the city sooner than you think! more ›

Drinking during the movies is a longstanding, widely beloved practice dating back to the advent of movie theaters. Sadly, the SLA makes it hard to legally indulge in a tipple theater-side, which has forced generations of moviegoers to smuggle booze in with vulgar plastic water bottles. Until now! more ›

Remember way back in May, when the owners of the Pavilion movie theater in Park Slope, a frontrunner for the title of Nastiest Theater in the city, claimed they would clean up the theater's act, after numerous reports of bedbugs? Well, it looks like that might not be an empty promise after all, if this picture is to be trusted. more ›

Last night Patton Oswalt Tweeted: "I love you, Alamo Drafthouse. Culling the morons," with a link to the below video. The movie theater explains that the video "is an actual voicemail from a woman that was kicked out of one of our Austin theaters" (for using her cell phone). They have a strict policy on cell phones, and warn their patrons via signage that cell phone use will not be tolerated. more ›

After years of disuse, the landmarked Upper West Side Metro movie theater at Broadway and 99th Street is getting close to landing a new tenant, the Times reports. And unlike the last time we talked about a potential tenant for the space—Urban Outfitters was planning to move in but legal troubles eventually meant the retailer settled in across the street—it appears that the arts will stay in the picture. So who's interested? A deal is reportedly close with the non-profit arts education group Wingspan Arts, but everyone from synagogues to AMC has been sniffing around. 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 ›

There's probably a perfectly reasonable, Puritanical explanation as to why we can't drink beer and wine in movie theaters, but whatever the reason, we're tired of sneaking in our own six pack and waiting for a big on-screen explosion every time we want to crack open another lukewarm one. But finally, a new screening room has opened to take away the shame of brown-bagging it in movie theaters: Jason Stevens, the owner of reBar—that big, handsome gastropub in DUMBO with the killer polenta—is opening a small, 60-seat movie theater with a bar inside his bar. It is called reRun. more ›

This isn't the first time there's been a bedbug scare at the Park Slope Pavilion, and considering the resilience of your average bedbug, it probably won't be the last. Earlier today Brownstoner noticed this post The Bedbug Registry: more ›

Marquee thinks the AMC cinema chain is going to tarnish their image—which allegedly didn't get tarnished during the whole abduction and rape thing? Or anytime before that just for being, you know, Marquee? Anyway, according to the NY Post, the nightclub isn't too keen on the chain using their name for their new Las Vegas restaurant, which will serve not-so-fabulous foods like hot dogs and breakfast. more ›

This neat city map blog, called NY City Map, just updated with some vintage aerial photos from 1951. Did you know New York had its share of drive-in movie theaters? There was The Whitestone Drive-In in the Bronx, The Fabian on Staten Island and The Bayshore Sunrise Drive-In (out on Long Island). 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 ›

The New York City Health Department received an anonymous report last week about bed bugs at the UA Sheepshead Bay 14 movie theater in Brooklyn. According to the Health Department, managers have hired a pest-control company to investigate. But a spokesperson for Regal Cinemas issued a statement saying, "At Regal, the welfare of our guests and staff is of utmost importance. We have taken all reasonable measures to assure their health and safety and been advised by the environmental professionals that there exists no current health or safety risk for our guests or staff." Feel reassured? more ›

The funky little Two Boots Pioneer Theater on Ave A—known for its eclectic indie programming and late night screenings—closed on Friday after a free night of movies that included Truffaut's The 400 Blows, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and the annoyingly overrated Donnie Darko, which was the first flick we saw there back in 2001, high five. Opened almost a decade ago, before the neighborhood devolved into the Meatpacking District East of today, the single screen, 99-seat theater finally succumbed to the obscene rents that also scuttled club Mo Pitkin's, which was owned by the same people. Jeremiah Moss has a sad report from the closing party Friday night, and he notes that the Two Boots pizza and the video store in the same building are also on the market. Keep on sucking, East Village! more ›

Another slice of Park Slope life from Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn. Upon leaving a showing of Definitely, Maybe at the Park Slope movie theater, the Pavilion, OTBKB and fellow moviegoers spied a white teenaged girl "sitting on a bench [in the second floor concession area] icing an injury on her face just below her right eye." more ›