Cinephile Society draws new viewers to old movies on Mondays at Spaghetti Warehouse:
Last fall we posed this question: Is the iPod generation open-minded enough to embrace the best entertainment of the 20th century? Judging from the turnout so far at the Syracuse Cinephile Society’s Monday night screenings at the Spaghetti Warehouse, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”
Younger moviegoers are thoroughly immersing themselves in the world of vintage films. And many of them savor the flicks after first enjoying a meal of pasta and sauce, soups and salads, drinks and desserts served by the restaurant at, 689 N. Clinton St., near the Inner Harbor.
Increased interest
“We’re noticing that there’s an increased interest in vintage films among younger people,” said Cinephile spokesman Gerry Orlando. At last month’s 28th annual four-day Cinefest, which draws critics, fans and film historians from all over the world, the attendees included more people in their teens, 20s and 30s than ever before.
“And they weren’t all film students,” Orlando said. “We’ve also noticed an increase in the number of younger people who attended last fall’s Monday night films. I’m not sure what’s causing this, but it’s certainly nice to see.”
The trend could be partly economic.
Compared to a night at the cineplex, where a ticket costs $8.50, the Spaghetti Warehouse movies are a real bargain. Admission to each screening costs $3 for the public, or $2.50 for Cinephile members. For information, call the Spaghetti Warehouse at 475-1807. Except for Memorial Day, the films run at 7:30 p.m. Mondays through June 16.
Mysteries and musicals
And younger filmgoers may crave a more authentic entertainment experience that modern, digitally augmented movies seem to lack. In any case, whether they’re watching a mystery or a musical, Cinephile moviegoers see 16mm films projected on a theater-quality screen.
“This season we have a new, larger, wall-mounted screen for our Monday night shows at the Spaghetti Warehouse,” Orlando said. “This larger screen is really enhancing the patrons’ viewing experience.
The Cinephiles’ 2008 Spring Film Series opened April 7 with “Show Business” a musical comedy about vaudeville starring an old vaudevillian himself, Ol’ Banjo Eyes, Eddie Cantor. The following week, Basil Rathbone reprised his role as London’s master detective in 1939’s “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.”
Hepcats and hoodlums
Naval adventures fill the silver screen April 21, with 1953’s “The Cruel Sea,” followed April 28 by a comedy and music double feature 1931’s send-up of quickie divorces, “Peach-O-Reno,” and 1942’s “Strictly in the Groove,” in which a gaggle of college hepcats invade a Western resort Ranch.
Edward G. Robinson stars as “Little Caesar” on May 5, before the suspense grows nearly unbearable in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 thriller “The 39 Steps.”
A Cinephile Society member introduces each film providing background about its production, its actors and its place in film history.