Movies for Cheapskates: Duplicity

The New York Observer and Universal Pictures are offering NYC screening tickets to Duplicity.

Perhaps you've seen the trailer. Like, a million times? Duplicity is a caper movie starring Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, so it will be the closest thing most of us can get to being in a threesome (actually a mass orgy) with them. And Paul Giamatti and Kathleen Chalfant. How can you resist??

Go here to apply for the tix. And try to show up at least an hour early to ensure admission.

Date Thursday, March 19, 2009
Time 7pm
Location Uptown

Here's a clip—not the trailer!



Source (00:45)

Movies for Cheapskates: Valkyrie

The New York Observer and MGM and United Artists are offering passes to an NYC screening of Valkyrie.

Valkyrie stars Tom Cruise as a Nazi involved in a plot to knock off Hitler. You don't really need to know more than that, do you?

Date Thursday, December 18
Time 7pm
Place Midtown

To apply for the passes, click here.



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Movies for Cheapskates: Last Chance Harvey

The New York Observer and Overture Films are offering passes to an NYC screening of Last Chance Harvey.

Starring Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson and Kathy Baker and James Brolin and Eileen Atkins, Last Chance Harvey is the story of indie movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's attempt to find the golden ticket that will enable him to fulfill his dream of visiting Willy Wonka's famed chocolate factory.

Date Tuesday, December 16
Time 7pm
Place Uptown

To apply for the passes, click here.

I kinda like the trailer—a sign of age?



Source (2:30)

Movies for Cheapskates: The Reader

There might be a mistake here, but apparently The New York Observer is offering passes to the NYC premiere of The Reader...on Wednesday, December 3?

Directed by Stephen Daldry and written by David Hare from the novel by Bernhard Schlink, The Reader stars Kate Winslet, Bruno Ganz, and Ralph Fiennes in a tale revolving around eroticism and...Nazi war crimes?

The thing is, The Observer doesn't seem to be giving people much advance notice....

Date Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Time 7:30PM
Place Uptown

Register here for a chance at the passes.



Source (2:29)

Movies for Cheapskates: Frost/Nixon

What a coincidence: I had just returned from an American Theatre Wing screening of Frost/Nixon (thanks, Myra!) when I noticed that The New York Observer and Universal Pictures are offering NYC screening passes to the flick.

I recommend the movie Frost/Nixon. Sure, some of the production is cliched (it's a Ron Howard-Brian Grazer production), but in many respects it improved on the Broadway version. One helpful addition is a kind of preamble that outlines the scandal and contextualizes the drama. With makeup and cinematography that seems inspired by period photographs, Frank Langella comes across more as Nixon than he did on stage. And it's nice to see former Broadway and Hollywood child star Patty McCormack playing another Pat—Tricky Dick's wife.

It's not hard to find connections between Nixon's attitudes and those of his political descendants in the Bush administration—but you can also make connections between Nixon and Bill Clinton (who eulogized Nixon as a great American). Perhaps the story of Frost/Nixon could apply to any President or world leader or power broker.

Date Thursday, December 4, 2008
Time 7:00PM
Place Uptown

Register here for a chance at the passes.



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Movies for Cheapskates: Choke

The New York Observer is offering NYC screening passes to Choke.

Starring Brad William Henke, Anjelica Huston, Kelly Macdonald, and Sam Rockwell (with Joel Grey and Bijou Phillips), Choke looks at the sexy side of pretending to choke in restaurants.

Date Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Time 7:00PM
Place Midtown

Register here for a chance at the passes.



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Movies for Cheapskates: Burn After Reading and Righteous Kill

If you feel like standing in line to see a free New York City movie screening on the anniversary of 9/11, you might be interested in one or both of these two high-profile screenings, hosted by The New York Observer. If you get a pass, show up at least one hour early to have the best chance of getting in.

Burn After Reading
New Coen Brothers Movie!
Date: Thursday, September 11
Time: 7:30PM
Location: Uptown
Click here to apply

Righteous Kill
De Niro and Pacino—together again!
Date: Thursday, September 11
Time: 7PM
Location: Uptown
Click here to apply

Movies for Cheapskates: Bottle Shock

Freestyle Releasing and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Bottle Shock.

A sort of conceptual prequel to Sideways, Bottle Shock dramatizes the ascent of California wine-making in the 1970s. The cast includes Alan Rickman, Bill Pullman, Rachael Taylor, Dennis Farina, and Eliza Dushku.

Screening Details:

Date Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Place Down location TBA
Time 7:00 pm

Apply for the tickets here.



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MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: AMERICAN TEEN

Paramount Vantage and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to American Teen.

Nanette Burstein directed this documentary about senior high school students in Indiana. It's like a real-life John Hughes movie in the age of mumblecore and Juno!

Screening Details:

Date Thursday, July 24, 2008
Place Midtown location TBA
Time 7:30 pm

Apply for the tickets here.



Source (2:46)

MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: THE CHILDREN OF HUANG SHI

Sony Pictures Classics, The American Red Cross, and The New York Observer are offering RSVP-only New York City screening admission to The Children of Huang Shi.

Based on the true story of a British journalist and an Australian nurse who saved the lives of Chinese orphans after the Japanese occupation, The Children of Huang Shi stars Yun-Fat Chow, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Radha Mitchell, and Michelle Yeoh.

Screening Details:

Date Sunday, May 18, 2008
Place DGA Theater (West 57th Street)
Time 6:30 pm
RSVP REQUIRED

Apply to attend by sending an email to rsvp at ddanielspr.net.



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MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: SMART PEOPLE

Miramax and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Smart People.

Irresistibly marketed with an image of Scrabble tiles, Smart People stars Thomas Haden Church, Christine Lahti, Ellen Page, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Dennis Quaid. It includes a reference to Model U.N.

Screening Details:

Date Thursday, April 10, 2008
Place Midtown East
Time 7:00 pm

Apply via gofobo (registration required) starting here. Those who get tickets should show up as early as reasonable (an hour in advance is usually safe) to heighten their chances of getting in.



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MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: SHINE A LIGHT

The New York Observer is offering New York City screening passes to Shine a Light.

The long-awaited sequel to Gimme Shelter, Shine a Light finds The Rolling Stones performing at a wealthy family's birthday party on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Screening Details:

Date Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Place Uptown
Time 7:00 pm

Apply here. Those who get tickets should show up as early as reasonable (an hour in advance is usually safe) to heighten their chances of getting in.




Source (2:44)

MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: SLEEPWALKING Overture Films and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Sleepwalking.

Starring Charlize Theron, Dennis Hopper, and Woody Harrelson, Sleepwalking is the long-awaited Hollywood remake of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Screening Details:

Date Thursday, March 13, 2008
Place Uptown
Time 7:00 pm

Apply here. Those who get tickets should show up as early as reasonable (an hour in advance is usually safe) to heighten their chances of getting in.



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MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: MISS PETTIGREW LIVES FOR A DAY Focus Features and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day.

Not a Harry Potter spin-off set in North Dakota with music by Menken and Schwartz, Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day stars Frances McDormand and Amy Adams in a seemingly lighthearted 1939 tale about a haggard English governess who goes to work for a glamorous American actress and singer.

Screening Details:

Date Thursday, March 6, 2008
Place Downtown
Time 7:00 pm

Apply here. Those who get tickets should show up as early as reasonable (an hour in advance is usually safe) to heighten their chances of getting in.



Source (2:29)

MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: ATONEMENT Focus Features and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Atonement.

Based on the novel by Ian McEwan, Atonement is about an Irish Catholic family that observes the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur ever year.

Screening Details:

Date Thursday, December 6, 2007
Place Uptown
Time 7:00 pm

Apply here. Those who get tickets should show up as early as reasonable (an hour in advance is usually safe) to heighten their chances of getting in.



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MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: MARGOT AT THE WEDDING. Paramount Vantage and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Margot at the Wedding.

Directed by Noah (Squid and the Whale) Baumbach and featuring Jack Black, Nicole Kidman, and Jennifer Jason Leigh, Margot at the Wedding follows sibling tensions at a wedding.

Screening Details:

Date Thursday, November 15, 2007
Place Downtown
Time 7:30 pm

Apply here. Those who get tickets should show up as early as reasonable (an hour in advance is usually safe) to heighten their chances of getting in.



Source (2:31)

MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: LUST, CAUTION. Focus Features and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Lust, Caution.

Directed by Ang Lee and based on a story by Eileen Chang about the dating habits of yours truly, Lust, Caution stars Tony Leung and Joan Chen as well as Tang Wei and Wang Leehom. Rated NC-17, this tale of espionage received a Golden Lion at the 2007 Venice International Film Festival.

Screening Details:

Date Thursday, September 27, 2007 (same time as Lucia di Lammermoor at the Met)
Place Uptown
Time 7:00 pm

Apply here. Those who get tickets should show up as early as reasonable (an hour in advance is usually safe) to heighten their chances of getting in.



Source (1:46)

MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: DEEP WATER. IFC Films and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Deep Water.

The documentary Deep Water is not about the New York City subway system. Rather, it recounts an even more dramatic round-the-world yacht race.

Screening Details:

Date Thursday, August 16, 2007
Place Downtown
Time 7:30 pm

Apply here.



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MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: BECOMING JANE. Miramax Films and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Becoming Jane. Other passes, for other locales, might still be available via the movie's official website.

Becoming Jane is about a man named Jon who is in "transition." The movie stars Anne Hathaway, whom I'd really like to see in musicals on Broadway (or at least Encores!). Another Anne, Newgarden, edited the tie-in book.

Screening Details:

Date Monday, July 30, 2007
Place Uptown
Time Yes

Register here.



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MOVIES FOR CHEAPSKATES: ARCTIC TALE. Paramount Classics and The New York Observer are offering New York City screening passes to Arctic Tale. Screening passes for other cities can be found here.

You know that penguin documentary? Arctic Tale is about polar bears. And walri...walrus...walruses...whatever.

Screening Details:

Date Saturday, July 21, 2007
Place Uptown
Time 10 am

Register here.



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