Name: Max Cea
Location: Brooklyn
Occupation: Writer and producer
Links: Max’s Substack
1. What’s your favorite day & time to go to the movies?
I think 4pm any day is pretty ideal. But 8pm with a big group of friends is also nice.
2. What’s your favorite movie theater?
My favorite local, everyday kind of theater is BAM because I like the smell and gestalt.
My favorite special occasion theater is Alice Tully during NYFF or the IMAX screen at AMC Lincoln Center.
Metrograph and Film Forum have great programming and I love those places too.
3. What’s your go-to movie theater snack & drink combo?
I almost never eat during movies. But I did once sneak a meatball hero from G Esposito (RIP) into Cobble Hill Cinema, and that was a profound experience — to this day I have positive associations towards Ocean’s 8.
4. What’s your dream movie theater snack & drink combo (if noise and sound weren’t an issue)?
I think a theater could make a killing doing dumplings. All types of dumplings — pierogies, ravioli, shumai, momos, empanadas, manti, etc.
5. First movie you remember seeing in a theater?
My mom went into labor the night she saw Basic Instinct.
6. Last movie you saw in a theater?
I’m in the midst of press & industry screenings for NYFF so this answer will be different in a few hours, but as of now the last movie I saw was Kahlil Joseph’s BLKNWS. I’ve been a fan of his work for a long time, so that was a treat.
7. Is there a movie you wish you could have seen in a theater?
I have not seen Jeanne Dielman, and I’m excited to catch it at MoMA as part of its “Chantal Akerman: The Long View” series.
8. Please describe your ideal movie theater seat.
Close but not too close, with aisle access.
9. One thing you would change to make movie theaters better?
Make low budget indies half price. Also, all theaters should have bike racks outside.
10. Tell me about an especially memorable moviegoing experience that stands out in your mind.
Short Cuts is one of my favorite movies, and rewatching that with a big group of friends at BAM a few years ago was a lot of fun. I wish it would screen more often since it’s virtually impossible to watch at home.
11. Is there a trailer you’ve seen before a movie recently that stuck with you?
I try not to watch trailers but the Marty Supreme trailer is pretty good.
12. What’s a movie you’re looking forward to seeing?
I am dying to see One Battle After Another.
13. What’s your dream combination of director and lead(s)?
I would like to see a movie directed by Stephen Musumeci that stars Tom Cruise and Eric Rahill.
14. If you could live in a movie, which one would it be?
How could it not be The Taste of Things?
15. Why do you think people should continue seeing movies at the movie theater?
The sound, the inability to look at your phone, the communal aspect… ultimately you’re just much more likely to have a profound experience.
Me with no bike: “ahh yes bike racks ✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼✍🏼”
Can confirm the smell of BAM. It is an acquired scent.