Manlius Art Cinema
135 East Seneca Street Manlius, New York 315.682.9817
“Hidden gems.” That’s what many of SU students call a hipster coffee shop (cough, Recess Coffee, cough) or a totally rad art park (Stone Quarry Hill Art Park) in Syracuse. I’m tired of that phrase.
Syracuse is no big-city glamour, but it’s not Saratoga Springs, either—the only good thing about the Springs are the horse races. People, people, when are you going to learn that Syracuse is a city full of adventures and good stuff? Thankfully, it’s my job as a columnist to show you all the “hidden gems” of Syracuse city (as in not just the university). Syracuse can be the next New York City for all you know. For my final post, I highly recommend going to Manlius Art Cinema.
Manlius Art Cinema is a tiny historical movie theatre built in the 1920s. It screens foreign films, independent films, and a lot of limited release films. Best part? It’s owned by a super nice old couple, Nat Tobin and Eileen Lowell. They personally hand-pick all the films scheduled to screen.
I drove to Manlius for my double date this past Saturday and parked along Wesley Street. Most of the cluttered shops on the snowy streets seemed to have very few customers. While I wouldn’t say it’s a ghost town, the theater is clearly a major attraction for Manlius residents.
I’m not kidding when I say that this is a tiny, old, historical movie theater. As soon as I entered, I felt like I was walking into a trailer. There’s only one screen. Ghetto-fabulous. But here’s the thing: without the tight space, the low seats, the old-fashion persona of the place, there would be no sense of history or old-school cinema feel. From the moment I stepped into the cinema, I felt like I walked into another time zone. It was all very Twilight Zone except without all the science fiction and horror sequence.
This past weekend, I watched “Inside Job,” a documentary based on the global financial crisis of 2008—I minor in economics, so watching the worst recession since the Great Depression unfold before my eyes was the cherry top to a stressful semester. Regardless, I recommend this film; it will make you both love and hate Wall Street.
This Saturday, Dec. 11, Manlius Art Cinema is screening "Black Swan" featuring Natalie Portman. From the director of badass and the ultimate mind-fuck movie, Requiem for a Dream, is another badass movie. Besides, don’t you want to watch Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis make out? You definitely do not want to miss this. The Manlius (and another theater on Wescott) are the only theaters in Syracuse that show independent films you won’t find in Carousel or Shoppingtown Mall. More drama for your mama.