By Mike Burdge The Halloween season has officially begun, filled with pumpkin carving, pumpkin pies, and, of course, movies with pumpkins in them! No holiday is more associated with movie watching than the spooky season, with new releases in theaters and old favorites being screened for lovers and newcomers alike. The month of October also brings with it a small wave of indie releases from earlier film festivals that have acquired the proper buzz, allowing them limited and wide releases to spread evenly throughout autumn into the winter awards season. Whether it’s a spooky good time or a comfy night out at the movies, there’s no shortage of options. Here are six movie screenings to keep on your radar throughout the month of October at Hudson Valley indie theaters. The Rocky Horror Picture Show There are few films as rewatchable as…
Documentarian Ralph Arlyck and His Poignant Film I Like It Here Return to the Crandell on October 13 at 1 pm
(Chatham, NY—October 2, 2024)—Crandell LIVE! at the historic Crandell Theatre is pleased to welcome back documentary filmmaker Ralph Arlyck for an encore screening of his film I Like It Here, a poignant, poetic and deeply moving visual essay about the simple pleasures of being alive and the undeniability of aging as we pass through it. The screening on Sunday, October 13, is at 1 pm. Arlyck and Executive Director Brian Edward Leach will discuss the film and take audience questions following the screening. I Like It Here continues to screen on the festival circuit to much acclaim and recently opened in New York. Said The New York Times film critic Alissa Wilkinson in her review, “I Like It Here is loaded with gentle humor….[Arlyck] is doing precisely what great memoirists do: invite us into their stories as a way of…
Crandell LIVE! Presents New Norman Mailer Documentary and Discussion with Daughter Danielle Mailer on September 28
(Chatham, NY—September 19, 2024)—The historic Crandell Theatre in Chatham, N.Y. is pleased to announce the upcoming screening on September 28 at 7 pm of How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer, a new documentary from Zeitgeist Films about the life and work of America’s most controversial and bestselling author of the 20th Century. Following the screening, his daughter Danielle Mailer and Executive Director Brian Edward Leach will take to the stage for a lively discussion and take questions from the audience. Purchase Tickets Mailer had a life that was certainly stranger than fiction. Propelled by his tremendous ego and contrarian spirit, Mailer’s ceaseless visibility in the public eye lasted six decades, during which he had six tumultuous marriages, nine beloved children, 11 bestsellers, three arrests, and two Pulitzer Prizes. Prophet, hedonist, violent criminal, literary outlaw, and social provocateur, Mailer’s ideas…
Crandell Theatre Names Brian Edward Leach Executive Director
(Chatham, NY, August 29, 2024) — After an extensive search process, Brian Edward Leach has been named Executive Director of the Crandell Theatre in Chatham, New York. On Thursday, September 12, from 5 – 7 pm, Leach will be welcomed by the community at the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Business After Hours reception hosted by the Crandell. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees will enjoy light refreshments and learn more about the Crandell’s upcoming renovation. Reservations are recommended and can be made by visiting https://crandelltheatre.org/film/crandell-open-house-reception/ or calling 518-392-3445. Leach has extensive background in arts administration, programming, fundraising, and marketing for arts organizations. He was previously Managing Director of the Colonial Theatre in Westerly, Rhode Island, and Marketing Director of PICT Classic Theatre and Pittsburgh Festival Opera. Earlier, he served as Curator of the art…
Crandell Theatre to Screen Iconic Films in Hollywood Summer Nights Series
(Chatham, NY, June 25, 2024) — The historic single-screen Crandell Theatre on Main Street in Chatham will screen a series of iconic films that originally dazzled at the box office and went on to become treasured, perennial classics. Beginning on Friday, July 5, at 7 pm with Jaws — the summer blockbuster that started them all — Hollywood Summer Nights will run throughout July and August. The series will also include such fan favorites as Saturday Night Fever, The Big Lebowski, Dirty Dancing, Pulp Fiction, Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope (the updated Special Edition), The Godfather, Jurassic Park and Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. These films will screen in addition to our regular weekend programming of new releases. Another recent blockbuster, Minions, will screen at 10 am on July 13 for FREE during the annual Chatham…
Uncropped, One of the Year’s Best Docs, Screening and Filmmaker Q&A
Q&A with Director D.W. Young and Composer David Ullmann to follow the screening (Chatham, NY, May 15, 2024)—On Friday, June 7, the historic Crandell Theatre will screen the acclaimed new documentary Uncropped, about the work of legendary Village Voice photographer and photojournalist James Hamilton. Praised by critics as a rich and absorbing must-see and one of the best documentaries of the year, the film is a visual feast of Hamilton’s indelible images and the eras they represent. Following Friday night’s show, Director D.W. Young and locally-based composer David Ullmann will take the stage for a Crandell Live! Q&A, moderated by Filmmaker and Crandell Board Member Mirissa Neff. James Hamilton is one of the great chroniclers of the cultural history of America. For over four decades working as a staff photographer at publications such as Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Observer…
Three New Directors Elected to the Crandell Theatre Board
The Crandell Theatre Board of Directors approved three new members to the Crandell board at its January annual meeting: John T. Lillis, a retired tax attorney; Mirissa Neff, a documentary filmmaker; and Carol Sadlon, the former owner of Cinerom cinemas and Millerton’s The Moviehouse. According to Crandell Board President Lydia Kukoff, “This is such an exciting moment for the Crandell. As we get closer to the full renovation of our beloved theater, we are delighted to welcome John, Mirissa, and Carol to our extraordinary board. They bring with them a wealth of talent and expertise that will further enrich our thinking and planning for the future.” John T. Lillis John T. Lillis retired as partner of White & Case LLP, a New York City law firm, in 2019. During his 39-year tenure at the firm, he focused on the tax…
A Message from the Executive Director
Dear Crandell Community, I am writing to let you know that I have made the difficult decision to step down as Executive Director of the Crandell Theatre to pursue personal interests (i.e., retirement!). March 29th will be my last official day. A search by the Crandell’s board for the next person to assume the position is already underway. As the Crandell enters these final months of fundraising to complete the renovation and restoration of our beloved, nearly 100-year-old historic theater, it is the ideal time for a new era of leadership to steer us into our next iteration of the independent, community-based nonprofit cinema you know and love. It’s an understatement to say that it has been a true honor to have played a role in growing the Crandell’s nonprofit organization over the last twelve years. When I started, ticket…
“High Noon’s Hidden Backstory” to Shed Light on Blacklisted Screenwriter Carl Foreman
Benefit screening on December 9 at 7 pm and post-show Q+A with Dr. Amanda Foreman in conversation with Peter Biskind (Chatham, NY—November 21, 2023) — The historic Crandell Theatre on Chatham’s Main Street is pleased to present “High Noon’s Hidden Backstory,” about blacklisted screenwriter Carl Foreman, on December 9 at 7 pm. The documentary short High Noon on the Waterfront (2022) and a special screening of the 1952 film High Noon, starring Gary Cooper, will be introduced by acclaimed historian and Kinderhook resident Dr. Amanda Foreman, FRSA. Following the screenings, Dr. Foreman will discuss her father’s time during the McCarthy era with author Peter Biskind, a Crandell board member. Tickets are $20 and will benefit the theater’s upcoming restoration and renovation. High Noon, written by Carl Foreman, is an untraditional Western starring Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly and Katy Jurado. The…
Leonard Bernstein’s Life and Legacy Celebrated in Maestro
Benefit screening on December 16 at 7 pm and post-show Q+A with Nina Bernstein Simmons in conversation with Christopher Rothko Nina Bernstein Simmons and Christopher Rothko Purchase Tickets (Chatham, NY—December 4, 2023) — This December, the historic Crandell Theatre on Chatham’s Main Street is pleased to present Maestro, Bradley Cooper’s brilliant biopic of legendary conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. Following a special screening of the film on Saturday, December 16, at 7 pm, Bernstein’s youngest daughter, Nina Bernstein Simmons, will take to the stage for a discussion of her father’s legacy and her family’s involvement in the genesis of the movie. Christopher Rothko, son of abstract painter Mark Rothko and a classical music critic, will join Bernstein Simmons to discuss the intersecting creative influences and achievements of two of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Directed by and…
National Cinema Day
This Sunday: 8/27/23
If you haven’t seen Oppenheimer yet and crave a bargain, come to the Crandell on Sunday at a ticket price not seen since the late 1980s. That’s right, a mere $4 gets you in to see a mighty big film on our historic single screen. National Cinema Day was a huge success when it debuted last year and the Crandell is thrilled to participate again this summer! 12:30 PM and 4 PM SHOWS ONLY $4