#Support New York’s indie theaters with these drive-ins and rentals

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“#Support New York’s indie theaters with these drive-ins and rentals”

July 2, 2020 | 2:08am | Updated July 2, 2020 | 1:21pm

New Yorkers may not have the usual summer movie offerings ahead of them, but drive-ins and indie theaters are rising to the socially distant occasion with a slate of safe screenings. Theaters aren’t open quite yet, but anyone with a car or couch can enjoy these parked pictures and online offerings. They feature not only a more curated selection than the endless scroll of streaming services, but also a way to give back to local theaters this 4th of July weekend and beyond.

Virtual screenings

Syndicated

Unable to safely pack patrons into its backroom for screenings, Bushwick bar and kitchen Syndicated is now offering rentals through its Virtual Screening Room. The local watering hole has partnered with several indie distributors to offer a curated selection of flicks for rent, including the Italian drama “Tommaso,” starring Willem Dafoe; the Sundance award-winning “Shirley”; and psychological thriller “Clementine.”

$12 per rental at SyndicatedBK.com/virtual-screening-room/

Alamo Drafthouse

While Downtown Brooklyn’s Alamo Drafthouse location can’t serve up its themed movie menus at the moment, it has found a way to continue offering fans its signature film selection with bonus clips while in quarantine. Through Alamo On Demand, the indie chain’s streaming platform, movie buffs can enjoy the new documentary “Spaceship Earth,” with a follow-up Q&A with several original Biospherians; a bingeable bundle of 1970s Australian exploitation films; and more than a dozen restored titles from the American Genre Film Archive.

$1.99 and up per rental at OnDemand.Drafthouse.com

Film Forum

Downtown’s beloved alternative cinema is currently unable to host movie lovers, but it’s reaching Film Forum fans in lockdown with its new Virtual Cinema streaming service. On it, you can rent both new releases — including a “Quarantine Cat Film Festival” and the documentary “Capital in the Twenty-First Century” — as well as time-tested classics including Jean-Pierre Melville’s ”When You Read This Letter” (1953) and Bill Duke’s “The Killing Floor” from 1984.

$15 per rental ($9 for members) at FilmForum.org

Re-opening Continues Across Densely Populated New York And New Jersey Areas

A view outside Film Forum movie theater as New York City moves into Phase 2 of reopening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic on June 26, 2020.

Getty Images

A view outside Film Forum movie theater as New York City moves into Phase 2 of reopening following restrictions imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic on June 26, 2020. Phase 2 permits the reopening of offices, in-store retail, outdoor dining, barbers and beauty parlors and numerous other businesses. Phase 2 is the second of four stages designated by the state.

Getty Images

Pete Davidson appears in a scene from “The King of Staten Island,” directed by Judd Apatow.

Texas Begins To Reopen Businesses In Phases As Stay At Home Restrictions Expire

An Alamo Drafthouse dine-in move theater remains temporarily closed in Dallas, Texas, on Friday, May 1, 2020. Texas on May 4 joined a handful of other states taking significant steps toward reopening businesses, including restaurants, theaters and malls.

Bloomberg via Getty Images

Willem Dafoe in “Tommaso.”

©Kino International/Courtesy Ev

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Drive-ins

The Bel Aire Diner

The Bel Aire Diner has been taking full advantage of its adjacent parking lot since the spring, hosting live stand-up and drive-in screenings for stir-crazy New Yorkers. The family-owned joint is kicking off the holiday weekend with an early evening all-request singalong followed by live comedy on Friday, and screenings of “The Peanuts Movie” and “Edward Scissorhands” on Saturday.

$15-$32 per vehicle. 31-91 21st St., Astoria; BelAireDiner.nyc

Skyline

In Greenpoint, the Skyline bills itself as “the only drive-in with a Manhattan view.” The north Brooklyn venue, a popular filming location pre-corona, has been transformed into an open-air movie theater, with food trucks on site. And not just cars but cyclists and bipedal viewers are also allowed to park and enjoy. This weekend, “Jaws” and “Jurassic Park” are playing.

$34.99 to $99.99 per vehicle. 1 Oak St., Brooklyn; SkylineDriveInNYC.com

Tribeca Drive-in

The Tribeca Film Festival organizers are bringing the big screen to backyards this summer with four temporary drive-in theaters, two of which are in New York. At the Bronx’s Orchard Beach location, there are free tickets remaining to a few select shows, including “Superbad” on July 17. At Nickerson Beach on Long Island, upcoming screenings of blockbuster hits “Back to the Future,” “Spy Kids” and “Black Panther” all still have tickets available.

$26-$35 per vehicle, with some screenings free, at TribecaFilm.com/drive-in/

Four Brothers Drive-In

This Amenia, NY, drive-in has been in operation since before the coronavirus, but it’s become essential entertainment during the pandemic, recently hosting a drive-in graduation. As for Four Brothers’ movie offerings, “Jurassic Park” and “Ghostbusters” are set to screen from now through Thursday, with “Jaws” also playing for one-night only on July 9. From July 10 through July 16, “Black Panther” and “E.T.” will take turns on the big screen. The drive-in also has camping options.

$11 per adult, $6 per child. 4957 Rt. 22, Amenia; PlayEatDrink.com

Warwick Drive-In

Drive-ins weren’t retro when the Warwick opened in 1950. This three-screen venue is a true slice of Americana. Now through Thursday, the Warwick is screening all double features — patrons can pick from “Minions” and “My Spy”; “Relic” and “The Invisible Man”; and “Ghostbusters” and “The Jungle Book.”

$11 per adult, $8 per child. 5 Warwick Turnpike, Warwick; WarwickDriveIn.com

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