Angelika Film Center & Cafe
Categories: Cinema, Sandwiches, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/SoHo18 W Houston St
(between Broadway & Crosby St)
New York, NY 10012 (212) 995-2000
- Nearest Transit:
Prince St (R, W)
Downtown Bleecker St-Lafayette St (6, B, D, F, V)
Spring St-6th Ave (C, E)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
93 Reviews for Angelika Film Center & Cafe
What will I be saddest about leaving when I leave NYC? Besides Williamsburg, Angelika! This has got to be one of the coolest film houses in the country, complete with vegan bakery and cafe, damn good hot popcorn, and just straight up dopeness (a la wackness). The films are indie and awesome, the scene and crowd are totally respectable (i.e. no whispering dim wit next to you), and it's very homey. I feel good spending my $12 for a ticket...not sure why, but I just do. Go!
I keep returning to the Angelika because of the films they show there, which are usually hard to find elsewhere. However, the long, skinny theatres are not the best for viewing films, in my opinion. The fact that you can hear the NRQW (and probably the BDFV) lines rumbling underneath the floors several times every hour is incredibly distracting!
CRAZY on the weekends, it's so crowded I almost can't deal. That being said, on the weekdays it's lovely and quiet. They have a great selection of movies and I love the little cafe upstairs. It's nice to have the option of getting a Perrier instead of a 50 oz. soda.
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"I see the dopeness in everything and you see the wackness" -the wackness
There is a coffee shop when you walk in and typical movie fair downstairs. It is crowded on the weekends and you can hear/ feel the subway below but it plays stuff you can't see everywhere.
I think you can even bring food in without any hassle.
It's the least they can do when you pay 12 bucks for a ticket.
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This is a review about theater # 6. (I haven't been to every theater.)
Umm....after a lobby like that I get a theater like this?
The screen is really high, and the red, illuminated EXIT sign is below the screen. Feels like amature hour.....sorry to say that I've been lucky enough to watch a movie in a home theater that was actually better than this.
....side note...go see GONZO!
Super pretentious. Has a vegan menu at the cafe. Great selection of films.
It costs just as much as anywhere else in NY. Tickets purchased outside, and there is usually a line. Once inside you're forced to sit around in the cafe until they call you to line up for your movie. It made me feel like I was in first grade or something. The worst part of this is that it's located directly above a subway line. Every once in a while your movie will be subtly interrupted by a slight rumble. It's super distracting to some, not so much to others.
The selection this place offers makes up for all of that. I went there to see The Wackness, and was so happy!
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cool movies, baked goods, great location
definitely wouldn't go on a weekend, but as far as indie theaters go this is the go-to place. compared to other indie theaters like the IFC, this place is a hipster palace.
it's also a great place to go and just sip coffee-- you can just sit in the cafe forever and they don't ask you to leave. especially when its raining or cold out it just feels so... new york
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This place is ancient history. NO THIS PLACE IS NOT CLOSING DOWN.
On the contrary, I'm surprised this place is still doing what it does. Back in the 80s, I saw TMNT and Transformers the Freaking Movie here on these theaters and nothing has changed. Even the quality of the theater is still the same. It's kind of a good and bad thing: the seats barely fit my long legs, but there's always room, they believe in competitive pricing with their non-cafe items, even offering free refills (thank goodness), and I like that they do such a hard job keeping everything here nice and clean since I'm a slob.
Okay, the theater still has an 80s quality to it in that it is vintage in appearance and you will always feel like you're watching a movie through a viewfinder. Yes, you will also hear the rumble of a train once in awhile through your film too (I am not joking, this has happened to me several times in more subtle films that rely on little sound).
But come on... can you blame them for sticking it old school? I can't, but to me it's all like some reference only I get to snicker at anyway. So, uh, nyah nyah!
WARNING: **This is a Karaoke review, please open the below link prior to reading this review, and return to this page to sing along the below lyrics**
http://www.youtube.com...
I sit and wait
through an angel contemplate my film
and do you know
the movies that they show
from the great and old
cos Ive been told
that the mainstream lets the indies fold
so when I'm craving to be fed
thoughts running through my head
and my conscience to be kept
I go to Angelika instead
and through it all she offers me perfection
a lot of cult and dissention
whether from home or abroad
and when the indies roll
wherever they may take me
I learn that life's not empty
like the mainstream shows
themes won't forsake thee
Go to Angelika instead
when I'm feeling weak
and my brain just wants documentaries
I just behold
and I know ill always be blessed with more
Ma Vie becomes en Rose
Indigenes or Al Gore
or Electric Cars are killed
I go to Angelika instead
and through it all she offers me perfection
a lot of cult and dissention
whether from home or abroad
and when the indies roll
wherever they may take me
I learn that life's not empty
like the mainstream shows
themes won't forsake thee
Go to Angelika instead
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The programming here is top notch but the venue itself is horrid. The theaters are long and narrow. The screen is a little bit too high and worst of all, you can hear the rumble of the nearby subway throughout the film. I go often because they're always showing interesting stuff but I always find myself wishing the film in question were playing somewhere else.
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i'm not cheap, i'm thrifty. i don't mind spending $45 on take out thai delivered to my front door for one, but $10 on a movie ticket kills me. i don't mind spending it here though. they have movies you'd never get to see anywhere else. in 2003 i threw up while watching Irreversible here, and the bathroom stalls were lovely, too.
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Not much need to repeat what many others have said. Bottom line is that this has been one of, if not THE place for independent and international film in NYC for a long time and gets respect for just that.
The cafe helps a lot because you can come early and hang out there before your showing, making that issue a bit dampened.
The theater size and shape is the biggest issue, but what I tend to do is go during less prime time moments (i.e. weekend day), or after a film has been released for a week or so.
City Cinemas popcorn is a step above the worst (AMC Theaters) with its popcorn coming out white, instead of yellow, and its topping having a bit more flavor. Problem is their topping is a bit overwhelming and very greasy. After about half a bag of their popcorn you may find your stomach churning. One cool thing is you fill your own soda, which I don't think any other movie theater in the city allows (to my knowledge).
A NYC staple for indie/international film, especially for the somewhat more mainstream/wider released movies of this type.
Not my favorite theater. Gets by on attitude.
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Pros:
-Cafe that sells food other then greasy popcorn, soda and candy. AND you can bring it into the theatre. For me, this means no sneaking in green tea from Starbucks!
-Concession stand that sells above mentioned greasy popcorn, candy and soda to your friends that you drag to see indie films.
-Nice selection of foreign/indie/art house films with occasional talk backs or events surrounding screenings.
Cons:
-No stadium seating in the theatres. This is especially important to consider if you're going to see a film with subtitles on a crowded weekend night and you're short (like me) and you end up sitting in the back of the room. I seriously missed about 3/4 of what happened in the film "The Diving Bell and The Buttefly" becasue of this issue.
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Major kudos for showing Persepolis on opening day.
I really have a lot of respect for movie theatres that 'buck the trend', so to speak, and don't show just the action/romance/cartoon of the week. Theatres like Angelika show astute, interesting movies that may not deliver the big box office bucks, but deliver interesting crowds reminiscent of my own Berkeley (yes I'm referring to YOU couple with big wacky hair and restless leg syndrome sitting in front of me! :P )
Cheers to Angelika for promoting Iranian art! Just check out their website for an eclectic mix of contemporary films.
4 solid stars! :D
__________________
p.s. *shameless self-promotion alert* Angelika was the site of my New York on-screen debut! :P
http://www.yelp.com/to...
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(My rating is 4 stars for the theatre & 2 stars for the cafe)
Let's get serious here. Movies are expensive right? Bag of popcorn $5. We all know the deal and we put up with it because it's a treat, we love a good treat. Cafe's are expensive right? Cup of coffee $2.10? for tasty brown water. We all know the deal and we put up with it because it's a treat, we love a good treat.
Angelika, however, has mixed these two into a great theater and an incredibly expensive and mediocre cafe. Really mediocre! I had a tinsy slice of soggy crumble cake and a medium coffee (which they said was large) all for the insane price of $8!
I tried to do the math when I got back to my table and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't figure out the crazy pricing. In the end I think it's $3.50 for mediocre coffee and 4.50 for inedible cake.
Seriously Angelika, either fix your cafe or get rid of it. I will from now on drink my coffee across the street where it costs an absurd $2.50, but at least it's a treat worth the price tag.
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This is a nice theater to catch a flick. It's got the old fashioned standard movie theater set up. It's kinda easy to get spoiled by those newer stadium seating set-ups. Especially when you are short like me. I love the little cafe upstairs but it is a little pricey.
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Love it. The rumbling subway going by, the cute cafe, the selection, The Anjelika is the ultimate NY movie-going experience.
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I'm not sure why, but lately the indy movies the Angelika has been booking have left much to be desired. Which is unfortunate, because I so like the cause. The screens, though, are small, and in a couple of them, you can hear the subway train zooming by underneath you. What I do hate most, though, is the race to get to the front of the line for a movie that's supposed to be obscure. Wow. I mean, if I wanted to wait a half hour in line, I'd go to the Regal -- oh wait, I don't. Still, that's only for opening weekend, usually.
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I don't really like going to the movies very much. I always feel like I'm missing out on life if I'm sitting in a dark place for a couple hours.
My initial concern with this particular movie theater was that it would be crowded with NYU kids and I wouldn't have an enjoyable time but I think I got lucky. Me, Morgan, and Lunna were shopping and randomly came up with the idea to go to the movies. We wandered up here from Balthazar and checked the movie times. Margot at the Wedding sounded somewhat interesting so we bought our tix and ate our desserts on a back table.
When it is nearly time for the show an employee has all the ticket holders present form a line leading to the stairs that descend to the theater. We were in theater 2. There weren't too many people. It wasn't loud and obnoxious. It seemed actually rather sophisticated. Maybe it was the movie we chose. Or maybe I'm conditioned to believe that movie theaters are cestpools for pre-pubescent horny teenagers.
The restrooms are decent. The seats are comfy enough. The screen is not GIGANTIC. If I must go to the cinema the smaller theater with auditorium seating and a single aisle to split the seats is preferable. I was pleased with my experience overall. I had a pretty OK time. 3.5 Stars.
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I experienced, and you may also experience, some of the following:
1. good film programming.
2. Broken ticket machines
3. Over-salted popcorn
4. A fight between root beer, diet coke and cherry coke resulting in a taste that's just not quite right (if your girlfriend gets the soda and decides to experiment).
5. a man who walks by the concessions muttering the words, "say no to trans fat."
6. Awful sight lines if you are small and the person in front of you is tall.
7. weird cigarette burn looking spots along the right side of the film.
8. the subway. underneath you. rumbling.
9. long lines to the restrooms if you're a lady.
10. escalators!
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Yes - you can hear the subway in the theatres, they're a little small and old fashioned, but that's part of its charm. I love the ambiance of this place and the selection of movies is always excellent. I also love that they have a cafe inside that you can hang out and wait for your movie or your friends in... Yes - there may be a wait - but its Soho... which happens to be in New York... which is a little busier than Laramie, Wyoming or Newton, New Jersey... So suck it up and enjoy the damn indie film selection...
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Pros: Good selection of independent and foreign films. Cafe/snack bar with a different selection than most places.
Cons: Theaters are narrow and you can feel and hear the subway through out the movie.
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I love that I can take a latte into a film, plus they host an array of foreign and independent film. Student tuesdays. awesome.
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A trendy-ish theater in SoHo with a decent selection of Indie and 'east-coast-west-coast-only" shows.
I went to see Phillip Seymore Hoffman and Laura Linney in 'The Savages.' The movie was good -- if you like depressing movies and dry humor. The theater was a little awkward -- I like sitting in the exact middle of the room, and here, that's where the aisle was. Life goes on.
Also, I've gotten accustomed to the cheesy 'coca-cola trivia' crap they show at most theaters. The only pre-show entertainment was audio-only. I was kinda bored with it. Ah, the age of constant visual stimulation.
The problem is, I'm used to the Chelsea Cinema at 23rd and 7th. The seats are really comfortable, there's 'middle seating.' and it's close to a bunch of bars. But then again -- it's Chelsea, and sometimes I don;t want to deal with the annoying queens. Every place has its flaws I guess :-(
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Liked the selection and overall feel of the theater. Must say the cafe did give it an edge coming in (can't help but influence my opinion!) but I like the type of movies they feature here. It is a little odd though that you can from time to time hear the subway go by...
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Great place to go and see whatever is playing next! It's the movies you have low or no expectations for that really sweep you off your feet. Thanks to Angelika there are 5 or 6 playing right now...
I spent Labor Day walking around the city - Almost 4 hours solid. Strolled by the Angelika. Walked in to get descriptions of the movies currently playing. Surprised by a great little cafe (Yes, it's been awhile since I've visited).
So much better than any concession stand at a "normal" movie theater.
Spacious enough for at least 50 patrons to sip, snack &/or wait without bumping man bags.
From the fridge, choose from Fiji water, Red Bull, Vitamin Water & various Ito En teas.
The freezer tempts with Sedutto ice cream. Go for the large size, it's only a $0.60 difference. $4.35 v. $4.95 (Start your diet TOMORROW)
Also available: Fresh looking desserts (Even at 6PM), fruits & humorously wrapped chocolate bars.
Behind the long counter, Damien & Ryan offer friendly & fun assistance.
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The Angelika shows great films, but I prefer the Sunshine. The Angelika can get REALLY crowded and I find the seating to be less comfortable than that of the Sunshine. The nice part is that it's a very old theatre and has a lot of history. The building really shows its age though, and the subway RIGHT below is so annoying. If there's a movie that's not showing anywhere else but the Angelika, I'll go. If it's playing somewhere else though, you know Angelika's not getting my money. Sorry!
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This past Friday was my second time going to this theatre, but my first time to take in every thing.
When entering the venue, onto your right, you have the "cafe" portion where they serve fancy baked goods, fancy tea and coffee and whatever your heart desires (including fruits). Their prices are a bit expensive, I got myself a Tazo tea (one tea bag) in a small cup (8ozs) which cost about $2.50. My bf got the classic Coca Cola which looked like it was 9oz for another $2.50sh.
When it was time for us to enter the theatre, it was rush hour. It is basically survival for the best seats, which are the aisle seats. So we got those and then I decided to get us some popcorn....
I didnt realize that 90% of the people had the same plan as well.
So i waited on line for like 15mins to get good tasting popcorn and then went to my seat. (FYI - dont use the butter dispenser, it dispenses full force which makes it splatter onto your clothes).
Saw the movie and realized afterwards that nobody said a word during the movie.. NOBODY!
So would i return here to see a movie.. yeah, why not.
Ohh reason for 4 stars, the seats are still eye level to each other, so if somebody who is tall is sittting in front of you, you aint getting the full view of the screen. And forget about reading subtitles.
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This place sucks. I can't be more eloquent than that.
The seats suck. The projection sucks. The audio sucks.
You can hear the subway go by. You can hear the movie that's playing in the next theater.
I only go when there is a film that I can't find anywhere else.
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Simply put: Angelika is great for those who seek out films & documentaries that are not in wide release. Much like IFC, directors frequently do Q & A sessions after screenings and I've sat through some great panel discussions here.
That being said....other than that....Angelika doesn't really deliver. Don't bother ordering a cappuccino - they're disgusting. And god help you should you make the mistake of ordering the spinach quiche....it was fucking gross. But then, who orders a quiche at a movie theater? (my idiot friend who thought it was some type of dessert pastry, it turns out).
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[The song "La Vie en Rose" still playing in my head....]
Yesterday, fate brought me and a fellow Yelper together to this rather "famous" NYC theater to catch a mid-afternoon showing of "La Vie en Rose," a biographical portrayal of a French singer Edith Piaf. (I'd go on raving about the movie, but I realize that this is a review of the theater... darn!)
It certainly wasn't the Loews or the AMC that I'm used to. It's got the cozy, unique feel of a small, independent cinema. Smaller auditoriums, smaller (not as humongous) screens, and a crowd that appreciates quality motion pictures as you do (read: no silly, hormone-overloaded teenagers that add unnecessary sound effects to the movie).
I was impressed by their selection of chocolates at the food "court" - I'm a chocoholic and I'd never seen many of them! We split one called "Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner" and it was smooooth...
I'd give it 5 stars whole-heartedly... but (insert raised eyebrows) the fact that I was literally shaken by the trains running underground every 5 minutes throughout a 2-hour movie compels me to drop a star. Nevertheless, thank goodness for Angelika - I don't know where else I would've seen this not-highly-publicized movie. (OK, the Paris theater would've been the other choice, but downtown is way cooler than midtown!)
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Call me crazy, but the train rumbles, screen blips, and stale air all contribute to an ambiance I'm quite fond of. I don't need to see a movie in a vacuum. I like knowing real life is breathing outside while I huddle down in the dark and watch a movie that is always laced with the real- time sounds of New York. Just another reminder of the futility of escapism in such a rude and insistent town. I like it.
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I really want to support them, as I love the whole independent movie theater experience. The staff is really nice, and the cafe upstairs has a great selection. I just wish the seats were more modern - with higher backs. You can hear the subway below, but it didn't bother me at all. The great neighborhood also provides fun before and after shopping and eating options.
I typically only go to the Angelika if the movie is only showing there and I just can't wait for it on DVD.
From the size to the way it is operated, the Angelika just rubs me the wrong way.
It thinks more highly of itself than it should.
On a plus, it is so easy to watch multiple movies here. There is usually such disorder on weekend nights, you can slip past the usher quite effortlessly.
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I'm annoyed. This over-hyped movie theater is always over-crowded and sold out. BUT they are one of the theaters that show cool, indie movies. Argh!!! Though, I've got to admit, the screens are probably tiny and the theaters, I'm sure are cramped, so I guess I haven't missed out.
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I'm torn about the Angelika.
Of course the Angelika is like a national institution (it has its own tv show for chrissakes) and it helped pioneer and foster independent film when there were few other outlets for it in the city. It usually has a good selection of such films today, the theater is cute, the cafe is nice, the people who work there are cool, and the food at the concession stands is of a higher quality than most movie theaters.
But the Angelika seems to have taken its audience for granted. It suffers from a certain pretension and arrogance. The movies it shows are often times not just films limited to the Angelika--and so the "special" aspect of seeing a film there is lacking. The movies it shows are also often not that good and only chosen for their Sundance cred or whatever, although it's clear that certain Sundance films are more trendy or self-consciously quirky than quality these days. I find my interests drifting to the Landmark or Film Forum lately, and only think of the Angelika when in the area.
I still like the Angelika. I don't even mind the subway thing--I mean that's a factor almost anywhere you go in NY. But it's just not a destination theater for me anymore.
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"I'm bored... want to go to Angelika?" Always guaranteed a Yes.
This is the only place where I trust to always have at least two films I can battle out with myself to choose to watch.
They don;t mind long run on sentences either.
Angelika is my dearest best friend and long distance date that I truly miss... in NYC daytime. Good to skip work or extend lunch hours for. The night lines aren;t so bad as long as you grab the tickets beforehand.. lines inside move quickly. You can also just sit around their front cafe area reading up on upcoming features... newspapers always laying around..drink some coffee... use their public bathroom... go outside and roam broadway or prince while you wait.
Good memories of almost walking out during Irreversible, being confused as to where I should leave my popcorn while I go to the bathroom when I went to watch Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring by myself, being creeped the hell out by Capturing the Friedmans.... etc...
Which celebrity did we see grab/molest her boyfriend;s ass on the escalator then screech all throughout the movie?
Kristen Johnston... 3rd Rock From the Sun's lady man.
Movie was Open Water.
Website has great archive with pictures.. that's only in case you don;t have a movie stub collection book.
I miss you! Don;'t you dare turn hollywood glam on me........
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Not bad if you're in the area. They have a good selection that rotates fairly frequently. Dean and Deluca is just 2 blocks away so high quality "snackage" is available.
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