Historic Coliseum Cinemas Movie Theatre Hosts Film Club, Shows Art Films

Thanks to merging interests of a Washington Heights resident and Coliseum Cinemas business owners, Northern Manhattanites get to view first-run, non-commercial art, documentary, and independent films close to home these days.

Together, Michael Kassin and the owners of the historic Coliseum Cinemas on 181st Street launched, against industry odds, the successful Coliseum Cinemas Movie Club on a cold January night in 2005 and will screen as their first club film of 2006, the Oscar-hopeful Johnny Cash story, “Walk the Line,” Thursday, January 26 at 8 p.m.

Kassin, husband and father of three-year-old twins, part-time screenwriter and full-time public relations partner, courts a full schedule and was looking for a way to streamline commitments when he approached Coliseum owners in late 2004 asking what it would take to get some of the movies he’s required to vote on for awards as a member of the Screenwriter’s Guild.

Co-owner Mark Burgios explained that he and his business partners Jesus Nova and Nick Guadagno who had recently purchased and renovated the theatre had already been considering the idea of devoting one of their screens to art movies when Kassin approached them, so it was a no-brainer to give a green light as long as he could attract enough interest to make it financially feasible.

Kassin proved the neighborhood was eager for this type of venue by bringing in 180 people for a screening of “Ray,” and the film club was off to an illustrious, red carpet start: They had to use two theatres that first night to accommodate everyone.

Since “Ray” the film club has screened at least one movie per month, often more. Burgio elaborates, “We don’t just show movies. We try to get one of the writers, directors, or one of the main actors to come speak.” When the club viewed “Mad, Hot, Ballroom,” the acclaimed 2005 documentary featuring Washington Heights school kids, the film’s director Marilyn Agrelo spoke and fielded questions from club members.

The club strives to make the film events social and community-oriented, often serving wine and cheese beforehand. Kassin remembers one of the couples who joined last year said the movie was their first night out since having a baby three months earlier and that they were excited that they could walk just a few blocks to get away for a date in their neighborhood.

The club creates a win-win situation for everyone. Burgio notes, “It exposes the theatre to people who wouldn’t necessarily be interested in Hollywood flicks.”

Kassin emphatically details the irony of the club’s success, “This club is everything Hollywood says you can’t do. Here you have people over twenty-five making advanced reservations to come to art films on a week night.”

And it is pretty remarkable considering also that movie theatres today usually show either commercial hits or art films, rarely daring to mix competing audiences as the Coliseum does.

Viewed in historical context it seems apt that Coliseum Cinemas should be experiencing stellar heights with their movie club. The once grand theatre opened in 1920 was then the second largest movie theatre seating-wise in New York City, second only to Madison Square Gardens. Though now the theatre is split into four theatres sporting stadium seating for 125-177, back then it sat nearly 4,000 and took up all the current adjacent ground floor business spaces. Today it is the only movie theatre in the city north of 125th Street and the only theatre showing art movies on the West side north of 66th Street.

The club’s future is bright. January and February the club will devote to their Oscar series. After January’s “Walk The Line” they will feature two or three club nights in February. March is slated for short documentaries and beyond that they are discussing a classics series. In the future Kassin hopes to have a whole year’s worth of club films scheduled, and a club website is currently in testing. Kassin excitedly reported that New Line Cinema approached the club and expressed interest in working with them.

You can join the Coliseum Cinemas Film Club for an annual fee of $25 per individual or $35 for couples and families. As a club member you receive discounted rates ($6 per person, $4 per senior) on films the club screenings. For more information or to join the club contact Michael Kassin at mkassin@stantoncrenshaw.com or call the Coliseum Cinemas at 212-740-1541.

A Brief History of the Sundance Film Festival

Every January droves of people and Hollywood stars descend upon Park City, Utah to attend the Sundance Film Festival. As odd as it seems to have such a well-respected affair in out-of-the-way Utah, the Sundance Film Festival is one of the world's top five film festivals. It shares company with Cannes, Toronto, Venice, and Berlin. But its origins may surprise you.

Everyone knows that Robert Redford founded the festival, right? Wrong. Despite the myth that makes Redford the instigator of the festival, it was actually started by a film graduate from BYU, Sterling Van Wagenen, and Utah's Film Commissioner, John Earle. Van Wagenen and Earle created the festival for three reasons:

1.to entice more film makers to Utah
2.to provide a showcase for American films (although the festival has since developed international categories)
3.to recognize films not made in Hollywood.

The festival's first year was 1978. Redford was there from the beginning, but as a member of the board of directors. Redford has lived in Utah since the 1960s, and it was only natural that he should be invited to participate. Part of the reason that Sundance has garnered so much attention is doubtless due to its association with Redford. And because he was (and is) such a big name, the story that he founded the festival has never been strenuously denied.

Rather than being held in Park City, the first two festivals were held 45 minutes to the west in Salt Lake City. And not during the winter. The change came for the third festival. Sydney Pollack (yes, THAT Sydney Pollack), who was also on the board of directors, insightfully suggested that holding the festival at a ski resort during the winter would set it apart. However, back then the festival was known as the Utah/US Film Festival. The name didn't change until 1991, when the name was changed to reflect the fact that Redford's Sundance Institute has sponsored the event since 1985.

The combination of famous patrons, a unique setting, and a growing reputation for high quality independent films has made Sundance a major event. It lasts for ten days, has expanded to include 10 individual sections, and has spawned a variety of activities around it. People even come to screen movies out of the backs of their cars on the streets of Park City, hoping to get noticed - or to just have a good time.

Some of the most revered independent filmmakers of our time have received their big breaks while showing movies at Sundance. Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, James Wan, Jim Jarmusch, and Kevin Smith all got their entrance into mainstream culture at Sundance. Additionally, movies like Clerks, The Blair Witch Project, and Napoleon Dynamite were all propelled into the mainstream and pop culture by their exposure at Sundance.

The Must See British Independent Film <i>Sixteen Years of Alcohol</i>

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Sixteen Years of Alcohol is a British Film depicting an alcoholic's struggle to come to terms with the two conflicting sides of himself:  the violent addict and the passionate idealist.  It’s shot in Edinburgh, Scottland with absolutely beautiful cinematography and begins with the middle Aged Frankie Mac (Kevin McKidd) being beaten and kicked in an alley.  The rest of the movie takes places in a dream like state with Frankie looking back on his life.  The Director/Writer Richard Jobson based this movie off him and his brother’s real lives.  This gives the poetry and story a really personal realism that I think is it’s richest attraction.

Kevin McKidd ,who plays Frankie Mac, does an outstanding job and the movie as a whole is not very predictable, which is very refreshing.  The non-chronological unfolding of the story in the retrospective (looking back) point of view helps increase this effect.  The beginning is a little slow, but will keep you interested as you will instantly be able to empathize with the young childhood Frankie. There are three main stages of the film which consist of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. 

I don’t want to spoil the plot line for those of you who haven’t seen it yet, but in short an idealistic boy is exposed to the hard reality of his father’s true character.  This disillusionment continues into adolescent where Frankie becomes a violent gang leading alcoholic.  He finds love and tries to come out of his past, but his self destructive tendencies keep pulling him back. 

Frankie’s narration is bit simply and repetitive, but the shear charisma and dualism of the main character as he struggles with the two different sides of himself make him an extremely interesting multi-dimensional character.  The main attraction to this piece is the strong character driven development of the relationships Frankie Mac has and how they change throughout the different parts of his life. 

It’s extremely microscopic, or concerning the inner struggles of the main character.  Although, he is physically beaten up a few times, the real conflict is within himself and the POV never leaves Frankie.  I love movies in this perspective.  Most Hollywood films involve a third person point of view and mainly macroscopic or outward plots.

A few critics have said that it plays into the standard self destruction drug addict loathing formula, but I would highly disagree.  The concepts have been played out before and it’s true that some of the violence seems invented and lacks realism, but the movie pulls it off beautiful in a more poetic and thought provoking way then other films of this nature.  The alcoholism is a little too much on the tame side.  In the portrayal of a self destructive violent alcoholic, I expected to see him wake up and take a drink, or black out and wake up in his own vomit or some other signs of extreme drinking.  Instead you are simply given a few stumbling home scenes, but nothing very shocking

A couple of scenes are purposefully remnant of A Clockwork Orange, which is externalized referenced in the movie itself by Frankie’s bedroom poster of A Clockwork Orange.  Unfortunately some of the violent A Clockwork Orange flash backs lack direction, so they come off a bit confusing.  The transitions and the overload of symbols and metaphors were a little too much at times and made you ask yourself is this a dream sequence or really happening or what?  This created some confusion and took away a little from the films effect. 

This movie has been released on DVD and you can currently find it at any major video store or rental chain.  I definitely recommended this film to anyone who enjoys a serious non-predictable movie with beautiful cinematography, strong acting, and a rich poetic unfolding of a personal story.

It was nominated for in the 2003 British Independent Film Awards for Best Independent Film and Susan Lynch won the Best Supporting Actress category.  In the USA the reviews have been mixed, but on the positive side.  This is definitively a must see and may possibly become a cult classic.