5 Movies to See Before Going to New York
As one of the brightest, fastest and coolest cities in the world, New York is often considered the capital of global culture. The city has been splattered all over the silver screen in legendary films, but there are plenty of flicks that rely on the cityscape to detract from a shitty script (cough, Maid In Manhattan, cough). OTP’s got your non-crappy, New York movie cravings covered. Empty your Netflix queue and check out our list of movies that kick as much ass as the city they’re set in.
This controversial indie, written and directed by Larry Clark, gives a raw take on lower-class Manhattan teenage life. These aren’t Gossip Girls, by any means. Spend a hot summer day smoking blunts and sippin’ 40s with Telly and his sidekick, Casper, as they roam the streets searching for sex. Telly is hooked on deflowering girls, after a series of successful virgin sexcapades left him wanting more. As we follow him scouring the island for his next target, it’s revealed that Jenny has contracted HIV. The problem is that Jenny has only given it up only once… to Telly. If this was still the early 1990s—when this film takes place—you’d walk away from it knowing how to rob grocery stores, skate busy streets, ride subways like the cool kids, buy weed in Washington Square Park (even how to roll it up) and where to rave. Both fun and gritty, KIDS does a scarily good job widening eyes to the corruption of urban youth. It also, especially in its time, raised awareness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Woody Allen’s infamous love of Manhattan is brought to life in this 1979 black and white flick. The opening montage gives you an immediate taste of New York flavor, but it’s the heartbreaking narrative that digs deep into the city’s desperate soul. Allen plays Isaac, a 42-year old writer lost in love with 17-year-old Tracy. Isaac is slowly being swallowed by the overwhelming city—until he meets and falls for Mary, played by a very young and super hot Diane Keaton. As luck would have it, Isaac’s best friend, Yale (ridiculous name alert), is already involved with her. As usual, Allen’s character is comically confused, but this time his quirky love antics are highlighted in a confessional book written by Jill (Meryl Streep)—Isaac’s ex-wife. Forget an overpriced bus tour—this crazy love triangle will take you from the Guggenheim to the MoMA to Central Park. You’ll vicariously shop at Bloomingdale’s, watch dawn break from under the Queensboro Bridge, get coffee at Dean & Deluca, and grab a brick-oven slice at John’s Pizza. All this, paired with a George Gershwin soundtrack smoother than marrying your stepdaughter, creates a cinematic New York masterpiece.
Ever wanted to tag along with the gangs of New York for a night? The Warriors invites you for a summer night prowl on the streets with one of NYC’s most notorious 1970s gangs—can you dig it? The story starts with a peaceful gang meeting, despite heavy tensions, in the Bronx. Cyrus, leader of the most powerful and reputable gang, called the meeting in an attempt to unite everyone against the toughest organization on the streets: the NYPD. Shit hits the fan, Cyrus is killed, and The Warriors are framed for the assassination. You’ll be right behind the leather-clad tough guys as they try to get back to Coney Island. It just so happens that their home turf is on the opposite side of the New York universe than the Bronx, and a lot can happen in a night. Tag across enemy lines, ride the subways like you own them, pick up chicks and beat the shit out of other gangs (whose outfits manage to be as intimidating as they are funny) along the way. You know, just a typical NYC night.
This 1976 film teams director Martin Scorsese with Robert De Niro in arguably their best collaboration, (no disrespect, Goodfellas), and De Niro’s most gripping performance. De Niro is Travis Bickle, a Vietnam veteran who deals with insomnia by lurking through lonely night streets in his taxi. He spends his days wandering aimlessly in and out of porno theaters and criticizing all things “society” until he meets Betsy (Cybill Shepherd). Betsy quickly becomes a flickering light of hope in Travis’s otherwise dark life. Travis then finds Iris—a young Jodie Foster forced into prostitution. Unsettling themes of urban decay, violence, obsession and alienation show a side of New York City that isn’t glorified but nonetheless exists, even 35 years after the movie was made. Best yet, this film is the birthplace of the infamous “you talkin’ to me?” soliloquy.
Produced, written, and directed by Spike Lee, the acclaimed filmmaker also shines as an actor in this 1989 flick. It’s a stifling hot summer day in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Heat-induced tensions rise when a character nicknamed “Buggin’ Out” (Giancarlo Esposito) complains that there are no “brothas” on the wall of fame at Sal’s neighborhood pizzeria. Sal and his son Pino (John Turturro) are Italian-Americans (think West Side Story, not Snooki) who cover the walls of the pizzeria with heritage pride, despite being minorities in the hood. Buggin’ Out protests the wall, and with the help of Radio Raheem, a small-scale racial war breaks out. The film highlights the racial tensions of New York, as Lee attempts to raise awareness of the many cultures sharing tight spaces in Brooklyn. Distinct characters stay cool (literally and metaphorically) by sitting on stoops, licking ice cubes and blasting shoulder-carried boomboxes. Melt into the old school feel of summer’s high heat on a random Brooklyn block.
We know, we know: Godfather. It will always be a classic and deserves recognition. You have all seen it (this is where you pretend you did because you will be beaten otherwise) so we gave the five spots to the smaller giants.
Whether you’re looking to chill on the streets, heat things up with a fight, or find romance in the big city, these movies are sure to fine-tune your NYC swagger. Any trip to New York is film-set worthy, so plan your plot with these bangin’ flicks.
A mind and body traveller who thrives on recollection and anticipation, all the while decorating the crossroads.
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What about Gangs of New York?