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March 2, 2006

On Sundays, Rudy's turns on the movies

By LIZ GLAGOWSKI

Who would’ve guessed New Haven to be a hotbed of cinema? Far from the bright lights of the Big Apple and the glitz of Hollywood, the city is home to many different venues for many types of movies.

Last week’s column was devoted to New Haven’s newest movie theater, Criterion Cinemas. The bottom line is that if you love movies, you’ll love Criterion. In addition to showing the latest arthouse features, it offers special weekend showings of older classics, complete with accompanying mimosas, wine, and the latest herbal teas. And since it’s a new venue, the theater is very shiny and clean — no sticky movie theater floors here. It’s a relaxed yet sophisticated way to spend a Sunday.

Then there’s Rudy’s (370 Elm St., New Haven; 865-1242). The neighborhood bar is only a few blocks away from Criterion, yet couldn’t be further away in terms of atmosphere. Nestled between the hustle of Chapel Street and the bustle of York Square, the scene at Rudy’s can only be described as your standard dive. A dark wooden bar is surrounded by dark wooden furniture, engraved with the names of past patrons. Its ambience matches the Schaefer beer that’s on tap. The floor’s sticky, the seats are hard and there’s not a mimosa in sight.

During the rest of the week, Rudy’s is famous for hosting original music. On Sunday nights, the bar turns into a makeshift movie house. But you won’t find it in competition with Criterion. Bartender Craig Gilbert brings in a cult classic from his collection every Sunday night at 10 to share with customers. The movie plays on a flat screen TV right above the center of the bar. The sound gets pumped throughout the place, so you can listen from anywhere in the room, and still have a conversation with friends during the slow parts.

Last week’s movie was “The Warriors.� If you're not familiar with it, the 1979 film is set in New York City and tracks gang members as they try to make their way home to Coney Island from the Bronx. They were framed for murder, and every other New York gang is hunting them. The movie was just made into a video game, and there are rumors it will be remade on the big screen this year.

On this night, like all others since Rudy’s began showing movies, the place was packed. College students, musicians, insomniacs and couples were all looking for something to do on a Sunday night. The beer was flowing, and the bar’s famous Belgian frites (French fries) were being consumed everywhere. I must admit, there’s nothing like greasy fries and a cold glass of beer to get you ready for the work week ahead.

During the movie, people yelled at the screen, said lines along with the actors and drank when the gang defeated its enemies. I imagine that the worse the movie is, the more fun the show. Past movies have included other underground hits like 1936’s “Reefer Madness,� Wes Craven’s “The Hills Have Eyes,� and even a Patrick Swayze movie or two. You never know what you’re going to get, but you do know that it beats sitting home, waiting for Monday to come. And if the movie stinks, all the better.

Posted by getout on March 2, 2006 8:11 AM