Review: Clearview’s Clairidge Cinema
Indie Flicks Outside of Manhattan
Clairidge Cinema in Montclair is one of those gems that brings a little bit of the city out to the suburbs, saving you the trek across the Hudson when you really want to catch that new indie film release. Although it does show some slightly more mainstream movies, it definitely leans toward the independent end of the spectrum. It frequently offers festival favorites from Sundance, Cannes, etc., that you always hear about but never wind up seeing, because you just didn’t have the energy to find how to get to it. Last night, I went to see The Namesake, a film by an Indian director that has gotten a fair amount of buzz but isn’t playing in most theaters in the area.
Movie tickets will run you $9.50, but the good news is that they haven’t raised the prices following their recent renovations. You can now enjoy your high-brow foreign film in brand new, comfy reclining chairs that rival those of your local gigantic faceless gigaplex. The wallpaper, flooring, and carpeting have all been replaced, too. Hurry in while you can still put your bag on the floor without fear of it getting stuck there! Another interesting note about the theater – it shares a lobby with an antique shop, so there are random chests of drawers and iron gates and big ceramic vases strewn about outside of the ticket window; you can do some shopping on your way out of the movie, if you’re into that sort of thing.
The whole “antiques in the lobby” thing won’t surprise you if you’re familiar with the Clairidge’s neighborhood. The theater sits between Bloomfield Ave and Church St. in Montclair, with entrances on both streets. Church Street is a picturesque, tree-lined little one-way street with a bevy of antique stores, boutiques, and fancy-shmancy sandwich shops. Bloomfield Ave is more of a bustling main street, featuring larger restaurants and retail stores. Both streets make for an enjoyable stroll before or after the movie.
Another positive attribute of this neighborhood is the brand new parking garage behind Church Street. Prior to the construction of the garage, finding a parking space was a major hindrance when visiting this area; spots were not only hard to come by, but often required tiresome meter-feeding. But now, there are plenty of very affordable spots to be had (parking for my movie last night cost me a whole $2.50), and I can love going to the Clairidge even more.
And so I say to you, New York, we don’t need you! We have our own place to see movies no one’s heard of. And the theater’s cleaner.
Clearview’s Clairidge Cinema
486 Bloomfield Ave
Montclair
(973) 746-5564
www.ClearviewCinemas.com
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The Garden State Film Festival, which is run mostly by volunteers, celebrated its fifth year in 2007 and continues to make cinematic headway. The festival presented 126 movies from across the world showing at eight different venues (not all of which were play houses) including The Paramount Theater, Asbury Lanes and The Baronet. The festival organized a free shuttle bus plastered with Garden State movie posters to transport filmgoers to the various locations around Asbury. One of the coolest things about these events is the Q&A sessions with the filmmakers after the viewings. You are encouraged to sound off your opinion and ask all about the highs and lows of the film-making process. You won’t find that opportunity at the town multiplex.
Two particular pieces stood out in my mind. Come to think of it, they were both public service announcements and what can I say? I like that stuff! “Eternal High” was a story about a high school boy who survived a suicide attempt to share his homemade documentary with his entire educational institution. Imagine what it took for a seventeen-year-old kid to do that! I was impressed by his courage and will to help others who might be struggling with depression. “Park and Rec Room” was a claymation blip promoting the cessation of smoking. A portion of it showed a cat defecating on the living room floor in front of a couple sitting on the couch. For shock value, the boy walks over to the poop, puts it in his mouth and tries to kiss his girlfriend. After you see the look of horror on the little girl’s face, the words, “Kissing a Smoker is Gross!” flash on the screen. The concept was very clever and we can all attest to that statement, unless for some reason you enjoy foul flavors. The clip should, without a doubt, be bought by The Truth, as it would make for a successful ad campaign.
