Reviews of Harvard Film Archive (Movie Theater)

Amy McClellan

We went for a birthday party. It was so fun!

Anthony Chase

The first time I saw a film directed by Jean-Luc Godard was at the Carpenter Center in 1967 or 1968. It was about a member of the PCF, his girlfriend and the Italian film industry. Fritz Lang, cast as a famous director, says of the movie's financing, "the Nazis took out a gun, the Americans take out a checkbook." I had a hard time coping with the film's style but I loved the color. Somehow, 2 years later, I interviewed Godard on public television in Madison, Wisconsin. Later still, I saw the film without subtitles in a small theater near the Sorbonne. By then I understood it. All thanks to the Carpenter Center!

Janet Benn

Harvard Film Archive is an essential part of the Harvard Art Museums as it conserves and exhibits films as works of art. HFA is one of the few places in the world that does this consistently. The filmmakers themselves are often part of the show, and they are from all over the world.

Hypnovista .

Excellent venue for eclectic films. Visiting film makers often open films. Become a member and get on the guest-list for showings that may sell out and reduced admission. Located in Harvard Square where parking can be hard to come by. 10 minute walk from Harvard station.

eddie gutierrez

Film at its finest

Maximilian Halus

A wonderful place to see rare and classic films. It has a simple, but well laid out theatre, in a beautiful Le Corbusier designed building.

Nic Schweitzer

To limit my review to the basics... +Good programming. Sometimes great! +For a Harvard facility, the theater itself is small, cramped and not very technologically advanced or impressive. It is a theater, nothing more, nothing less. As bare bones as you can get. Personally, I am okay with this, because the focus is on the films themselves, but this isn't a Harvard-worthy theater. +/- A so so staff, ranging from meek and incompetent to normal person to aggressive and incompetent. Expect little interaction with staff if just going to see a movie, and expect a coin flip between normality or the kind of Harvard stuffiness people complain about if you dain to bother them with your commoner problems, you worm. -I caution you, reconsider attending events here. These people are so used to being aggressive during speakers or guest visits that they never seem to stop and think why they resort to such tactics. There is no nice and polite option. There is only "Everyone is a threat. Everyone is trying to attack us. Everyone is an assassin going after the guest. Everyone here is trying to mob us." Yes, at Harvard University, home of the mosh pit, this little known college that is only on the map for its famous anger problems. That is why we have professors and moderators being jerks to students for daring to get a photo, or get an autograph, or how dare they even try to ask a question, before a screening, during Q & A, or afterwards. This is incompetence, pure and simple, because people who were not incompetent would not be so easily overwhelmed so very, very quickly. It goes from 0 to 60 with them. Attached is the photo I took from the midpoint of a line trying to see a guest speaker. Those who reserved ahead, presumably HFA members, got first dibs. Out of 100+ people who showed up, 20-40 got in. Why there wasn't a sign on the front door letting people know in advance the event was booked so we all didn't waste our time waiting for nothing, incompetence. No standing room, either, for a show with clear and obvious . Anyone who reserved a seat kept it, even if they didn't show, supposedly, so there were people who wanted to see the guest and couldn't go in, despite people leaving early or reservations never taking their seats. That's incompetence: 100 people want to see your show, and you turn 80-90% of them away instead of having a second event or telling some they can stay and if someone leaves, they can take their place. Moreover, no warning posted saying the theater was booked. Truly an experience worthy of Harvard's name. -The George Kuchar Christmas show was wonderful, and you should be happy I'm not giving you 1/5 for removing it, you monsters.

Katherine Meng

Must go institution for cinephiles in Cambridge AND the building is the only one LeCorbusier designed in North America.

James Doyle

This movie theater serves both Harvard University's visual arts program and the erudite public. Classic films as well as newer, more experimental ones. Housed in the only Le Corbusier building in the U.S.

Zach Suto

Excellent place to see films you would never see otherwise

AL-Hadi Afnan

I choose this place.

Paul

The best place to see art-house cinema in the Boston area.