The Projectionist

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1:28

The Projectionist

2020

1h 21m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

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13 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Abel Ferrara and a theater owner discuss the edgier, sleazier era of film that existed in the 1970s.

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Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

Nov 8, 2019

I was worried that The Projectionist would be another dirge about the end of an era, but it's Ferrara's light touch and likable subject that make it so much more.

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Amy Taubin

Film Comment Magazine

Aug 27, 2019

The Projectionist is not so much a hidden history of the movies as one that shines a light on an underground culture, fighting for survival, then and now.

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Robert Daniels

812filmreviews

May 7, 2019

3/4

Nicolaou and Ferrara arrive in The Projectionist to recount the New York, the cinematic experiences, and the movies of their childhoods. And we're all better off for it.

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Jason Adams

The Film Experience

Jul 6, 2021

By the last act it feels like we're watching a local sales video for a small multiplex -- come on by, the popcorn's fine enough, we guess?

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Daniel Gorman

In Review Online

Jun 5, 2021

The Projectionist is a small film in the best sense of the word, as it documents gentrification and the corporatization of the movie theater business.

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Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

Mar 30, 2021

6/10

[A] dividing line between generations is whether you remember the days when, outside of the potluck and frequently mangled versions played on television, the only way to see a movie was in the theatre.

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Henry D

@Henry_Domke Sep 28, 2026

Boring. We quit after 30-minutes.

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Jul 31, 2021

This film is interesting up to the point they start showing clips from the porno movies from the theaters he worked in. There's no mention of this on the sleeve or any kind of rating so the first clip of a man walking around on stage with his penis out was startling. We skipped thru the unsavory parts which left us with about 1/2 the documentary. There was no good reason to put those clips in. For shame!

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Abel Ferrara

Director

Michael M. Bilandic

Producer

Joshua Blum

Producer

Christos V. Konstantakopoulos

Producer

Katie Stern

Producer

Michael Weber

Producer

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The Projectionist: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Abel Ferrara and a theater owner discuss the edgier, sleazier era of film that existed in the 1970s.

Director: Abel Ferrara
Producer: Michael M. Bilandic, Joshua Blum, Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Katie Stern, Michael Weber
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Washington Square Films, Faliro House Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 2, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2021
Runtime: 1h 21m

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