By now, many of us have lost count of the number of boring, mainstream movies we’ve watched during the pandemic, so much so that we may lose our desire to head back to theaters when they eventually re-open. But before you lose your movie mojo, you need to learn about New Plaza Cinema, an online treasure of first-run as well as classic independent and foreign films that also sponsors lectures and conversations for film lovers of all types. Recently, agebuzz Managing Editor Connie Zuckerman had a chance to discover everything you’ll want to know about New Plaza through a conversation with New Plaza founding member Norma Levy. (Make sure to read to the end of the interview to find out about a special discount for agebuzz readers for an upcoming program at New Plaza!)

Hi Norma! Thanks for speaking to agebuzz readers! Can you give us a little background about yourself and how you got involved with New Plaza Cinema? 

I have lived on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for decades. Part of my rich cultural experience living there included viewing independent and art films at Lincoln Plaza Cinemas with friends and family.  Our viewings would often be followed by a meal or beverage and heated discussion about the virtues (or lack there-of) of whichever film we had just seen. Lincoln Plaza Cinemas was a significant force in cultivating my life. 

Lincoln Plaza Cinemas was opened in 1981 by Dan and Toby Talbot. They are credited with helping start the art-house-revival movement in the 1960s with their bold programming at The New Yorker Theater on 89th Street and Broadway.  Lincoln Plaza Cinemas was the fourth and last theater the Talbots operated, and the first film to play there was Federico Fellini’s “City of Women.” During its 37-year existence, Lincoln Plaza Cinemas premiered a number of landmark contemporary films: Errol Morris’s The Thin Blue Line (1988), Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry (1997), Luc and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Rosetta (1999), Claire Denis’s Beau Travail (1999), Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000), David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive (2001), Alexander Sokurov’s Russian Ark (2002), Michaell Haneke’s Caché (2005), among many others.

Can you briefly describe the origins of New Plaza Cinema: Why was it created, what is its purpose, who is the target audience? 

The Upper West Side of New York City was, for decades, a center for independent and foreign art films run by for-profit exhibitors. More than a dozen cinemas lined its streets (New Yorker, Cinema Studio, and The Metro, to name a few ). Then, one by one, economic and social factors, including high rental costs and competition for limited space, drove these theaters from the market. 

In January 2018, that decline became a torrent when the property owner of the premier and highest-grossing for-profit art cinema in the U.S. — the six-screen Lincoln Plaza Cinemas — refused to renew the lease. Despite telling the press and others that he intended to lease the space to another movie theater – today, some 36 months later, that prime 25,000 square foot space remains an empty monument to a storied past. 

At that point, we knew we had to create New Plaza Cinema to keep the tradition going! 

Our mission is to be a cultural destination to keep art cinema alive in Upper Manhattan and now, wherever we reach our patrons. We provide thought-provoking entertainment, education, and conversation through curated cultural film experiences. 

At this time, most surviving art film venues in Manhattan are south of 14th Street and are not able to satisfy the cultural and entertainment needs of the large customer base from Upper Manhattan that previously filled the six Lincoln Plaza screens, day after day, month after month, year after year. Our original focus was to serve the cinephiles within the 750,000 residents of Upper Manhattan. With the onset of the pandemic, we now have attracted audiences from around the United States and the world. 

Given the limitations that the pandemic has imposed on movie theaters, how have your activities changed? What do you now offer your audiences?

The old adage “necessity is the mother of invention” has certainly been true for New Plaza Cinema during the pandemic. Prior to March of 2020, our films and discussions were all on-site at theaters in Upper Manhattan.  

With the onset of the pandemic, we needed to innovate and re-imagine our offerings. Knowing that so many of our patrons would be isolated at home, we decided to start offering free “Talk Backs” on Zoom discussing classic films chosen by our curator, Gary Palmucci. Noted film historian Max Alvarez jumped on board to join Gary as co-host of these events. The New Plaza Cinema Classic Talk Back events are recorded and can be found at our website newplazacinema.org under the section Talks and Lectures. 

Gary also started working with our film distributors to create a virtual offering of first-run film releases. We were able to offer over 125 films in 2020, satiating the need of our film buff patrons for new releases of independent, foreign, and art films. These films are available on our website, newplazacinema.org for a modest fee.

We also created the New Plaza Cinema Lecture Series, offering discussions on a variety of film-related topics for a small fee. We have had lectures on the work of Alfred Hitchcock, Movies Filmed in New York, the films of Burt Lancaster, Black and White on the Silver Screen, and many more. 

These programs have been very successful and have reached viewers beyond New York to other states and even abroad.  During one of our recent programs, we had individuals attending from 30 states and 14 countries.  

Specifically, can you describe what is available for people to stream from your website or to participate in via Zoom? Is it difficult to do? Do you have to become a member or subscribe in some way? Is there a fee involved? 

We encourage film buffs to check out our programs on our website at newplazacinema.org. 

Viewers can find information about our current film offerings on our Virtual Cinema page. Films are easy to rent and access. Prices typically vary from $10-12 per rental/household and are usually available for 3-5 days post rental. They can be watched on a computer or “cast” to a TV. 

We also provide information and access to our upcoming Classic Film Talk Backs and Lectures on the Talks and Lectures page of our website as well as recordings of our previous Classic Film Talk Backs, all of which are offered free-of-charge. 

The Talk Backs provide a fun venue for film lovers to get together to learn more about a particular movie and discuss it with the hosts. Our patrons watch the movie on their own and then join Gary and Max for the discussion during the Talk Back scheduled time. We use the Zoom platform for the Talk Backs and have even provided Zoom training so that anyone is able to join in! 

Our Lectures are very similar. The patrons join via Zoom to listen to a presentation, followed by a brief Q&A period where they can ask questions or provide insights. There is a nominal fee for each of our Lectures. 

Anyone can join in. There is no membership or annual fee. 

Do you have any sense of when your doors might re-open for in-person events? And for those agebuzz readers not from the metropolitan New York area, will you continue to host virtual events on the web even after the pandemic is over? 

Like everyone, we are eagerly awaiting the time when we can enjoy events together, in person.  We anticipate that we will be able to safely gather again sometime toward the end of 2021.  

We plan to continue to provide our virtual offerings in the post-pandemic future so that we can share our programs with patrons both near and far.  

Your Advisory Board has some very well-known and respected actors and public figures involved, including Mandy Patinkin, Harry Belafonte, Francis McDormand, and Bill Moyers! What kind of advice has the Board given you about your mission and activities? 

Toby Talbot, one of the founders of the original Lincoln Plaza Cinemas, has been instrumental in helping New Plaza Cinema gain the support of our Advisory Board members. We have been very fortunate to have an advisory board that has been so generous in lending their names to support our mission. They are a group of individuals who know that the way to success is through the combination of tenacity, hard work, talent, and a bit of luck.  

Advisory board member Nicole Flender (Timothée Chalamet’s mother), joined us for our Talk Back about the 1961 film “Paris Blues,” sharing stories about her father, Harold Flender, the author of the book on which the film is based. The recording of the Paris Blues Talk Back is one with many highlights including insights from Melissa Newman (daughter of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward), Wayne Winborne (executive director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University), and Suzanne Kaye, daughter of Diahann Carroll. 

Earlier press about New Plaza seemed to imply that the founding of New Plaza was “amazing,” given that most of the founders are adults in their later years. But this implies a type of “ageism” that older adults cannot be active, energetic, or engaged in culture. In fact, you are quoted as saying, “It might be time as a society to look at older people differently in terms of what they’re capable of and can create for society.” Talk about the value of the contributions that older adults have played in developing and promoting the mission and activities of New Plaza Cinema. 

We have found that the experience and wisdom of our management team and volunteers have been absolutely instrumental in our ability to develop innovative solutions and flourish in spite of Covid. Plus, we have our patrons, who have a wealth of knowledge and inspire us every day. 

With age comes the ability to focus and plan rather than react, as well as the understanding that perfection does not exist, and that the clock is ticking. So, we have taken on a philosophy of test and then move forward rather than an approach of over-analysis and waiting for perfection. We have an abundance of energy and experience. We have the gift of time and great hindsight.  We developed the sense to know when to ask for help and have cultivated strong networks to lean on. Plus, we are all curious and life-long learners; we value and know that growth is possible, even after the age of 60. 

Does anything like New Plaza exist in any other parts of the country? 

We have not seen anything quite like New Plaza Cinema anywhere else. There are certainly other theaters with discussion sessions and film experts. But, we haven’t seen other programs that are as consistent as ours, or ones that have the same level of audience engagement. The audience engagement gives a special energy that is absolutely palpable, even virtually. 

Is there anything else you want to make sure agebuzz readers know about New Plaza Cinema? 

New Plaza Cinema is in it for the long haul. We are absolutely mission-driven and firmly believe that engaging with the art of film is an important component of developing critical thinking skills and the ability to work through social, political, and other issues for the greater good of the community. Our doors (virtual and otherwise) are open to all who want to continue to appreciate quality independent and art films and learn and grow through these experiences. 

Any upcoming programs you want to promote? 

March is an exciting month for us. We are highlighting the great film director and actor Ida Lupino at the beginning of the month and focusing on the musical genius of Max Steiner during the last half of the month. 

New Plaza’s Virtual Cinema programs are spotlighting several films from countries around the world –France, Romania, Denmark, and China –that qualified for the Oscar ‘short lists’: an elite group of international features and documentaries selected to compete for the official Academy Award nominations that will be announced on March 15. 

Check out our website, newplazacinema.org, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Eventbrite for more details. 

Norma, thank you for giving us this great introduction to New Plaza Cinema! We look forward to participating in upcoming events!

AND A SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR AGEBUZZ READERS!! Register by noon on March 1, 2021, and use this special link to receive a 25% discount to the New Plaza Lecture Event:  The Films of Ida Lupino