Located at 209 West Houston Street, the small, yet very cozy theatre, Film Forum attracts many New Yorkers across the five boroughs and others throughout the world seeking a truly unique cinema experience. Film Forum organizes its productions by creating an array of movies ranging from international films to historic documentaries. Their wide selection invites a broad audience looking to enjoy and appreciate something other than commercialized Hollywood movies.

This was my first experience at a small-scale independent theatre, and I was not disappointed. I would have never imagined being able to get an almost personal up-close tour of the screening room that projects the film into each theatre.

We attended a viewing of Strange Powers, a documentary focused on the Magnetic Fields band. I watched the trailer to get a feel of the movie and my expectations were met. Being open-minded allowed me to just appreciate the documentary by learning about new music. One word to describe the movie and Stephin Merritt, the head of the Magnetic Fields, would be quirky. The documentary allowed the audience to delve into the life of a somewhat introverted person who produces good music. Several songs like Papa Was A Rodeo stuck with me and I continued to explore the band on my own. I was pleased to discover a new type of music, which I enjoyed because of Stephin Merritt’s lyrical talent and innovative approach of using almost anything to create music.

I was surprised to learn that The Magnetic Fields are a New York City based group, which only made them more interesting to learn about. This wouldn’t be a movie I would recommend someone to go watch on their free time simply because it might solely appeal to a small audience consisting of fans or music enthusiasts. However, it was a good watch overall.