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Beating
High Prices at the Movies
Love going to the movies? So
do we. But as much as we like a good
movie, we dislike paying the high prices
that most movie theaters now command.
Movie tickets at most NYC theaters cost
$10, plus a surcharge of $3 per ticket if
you reserve your tickets in advance
(which is a "must" on weekend
evenings and when a movie has just been
released).
The solution? Well,
actually, there are several great
ways to eat your cake and have it too.
The following are proven ways to save
money while escaping to the movies.
Film In vOID
16 Mercer Street (between
Canal and Grand Streets)
212-941-6492
http://www.voidltd.com
Privately owned bar turned independent
film/cult classic screening room; 21 and
over admitted, price $0. Yes, you read
the price correctly: zero. On Wednesday
nights, the swanky downtown lounge vOID,
becomes Film In vOID. Booths line the
walls, and red vinyl stools surround
Pac-Manlike tables with screens that
display film clips before the main event.
At most bar/movie screenings you can
barely hear the dialogue, but here,
people are generally respectful. Although
this viewing area is a big plus for
smokers, we have never found it overly
smoky for the nonsmokers among us. The
major drawback to vOID: there's not a
great seat in the house. The benches are
thinly cushioned, red stools are a
nightmare for backs, and the plastic
seating is, well, plastic. Also, the
screen projection is from a videotape and
not a reel-to-reel system so the screen
is grainy. But despite these complaints,
the mood is hip, the drinks are firm, the
films are solid, and the price is right.
See Second-Run
Movies
Unless you are dying to see
the latest Hollywood release, try saving
some cash by going to second-run movies.
Cineplex Odeon Worldwide (340 West 50th
Street between 8th and 9th Avenues)
offers viewings on 7 full screens for
only $3. The experience is everything you
get from first-run houses except that the
movie has been out for several months.
Call (212) 505- 2463 (code #610) to find
out what is currently playing.
Visit a Library
The New York Public Libraries offer
frequent movie screenings of
documentaries, classics, and last year's
Hollywood hits. Pick up a free events
calendar at any New York Public Library
branch or call (212) 869-8089 for
details.
Check out a Museum
Both the Metropolitan
Museum of Art
and the Museum
of Modern Art (MoMA)
also show movies on a regular basis.
These screenings are free with the price
of museum admission. To learn more about
the Metropolitan's offerings of
art-related, classic and foreign films,
call (212) 570-3930. For details about
MoMA's movie schedule, phone (212)
708-9480.
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