Retro Metro: BAM is Hosting A Film Series About NYC Subway History

Stepping into a train car in New York City can do more than just get you to your destination, it can serve as a way for you to see how the identity of the city is transforming before your very eyes. We all know that NYC has been the inspiration for many great works of cinema and through these snapshots in time, we are able to see how the city has evolved. From street cars to graffiti canvases, the NYC subway has a long history, one that has been captured on film for many decades.

From September 26th to October 5th, you can personally see how the NYC subway system has evolved by checking out the newest film series by BAM titled Retro Metro. 16 films, each showcasing a different era of the NYC subway will be shown. The line up includes cult films from the 70’s like The Warriors and the The Taking of Pelham 123. As well as films like Style Wars, Wild Style and Beat Street; tributes to the graffiti and street art culture that began in the 80s. 

For those who wish to see NYC classics on the big screen, this film series give you plenty of options. Along with the cult classic genre films and documentaries, BAM will also be screening classics such as the Bubsy Berkley musical Dames and  Vincente Minnelli’s The Clock. The screening  series will also show Midnight Cowboy and Saturday Night Fever, films that made superstars out of Jon Voight and John Travolta. The one film we are most excited to see as part of this film series is William Friedkin’s masterpiece The French Connection, which in 1972 cleaned up the Oscars winning all five major Academy Awards.

Retro Metro takes place Friday September 25th and runs until Sunday, October 5th. For more information, please head over to the BAM official website.

To learn about the many secrets hidden inside the NYC subway system, you can check out a list of 10 secrets we uncovered.

To reenact any train scene from any movie, contact the author @TatteredFedora