"The Natural," "Buffalo '66" and "Hide in Plain Sight" are just three of the movies filmed in Buffalo over the past 35 years. The April issue of Buffalo Spree explores film in Western New York.
"The Natural" starred Robert Redford, Glenn Close, Robert Duval and many others. But some consider the real star of the movie was the old War Memorial Stadium. Also, hear how WNED-FM Music Director Stratton Rawson scouted locations here in Buffalo where many scenes were filmed.
Writer Jordan Smith retraces "Buffalo '66" -- one location at a time. Buffalo Spree is sponsoring a screening of the film this Thursday, April 2 at the North Park Theater on Hertel Avenue.
The April issue also rates the cinemas where we see our movies. The AMC Maple Ridge has installed luxury seating and Regal has the popular stadium seating. But many moviegoers still prefer the old houses -- the North Park, Aurora and Hamburg Palace.
A sidebar to this story reminds us of the cinemas that are gone but not forgotten -- from the old Century and Teck downtown to the region's first multiplexes like the Holiday 6.
Elizabeth talks about her article on the history of UB's iconic Center for Media Study, which pioneered experimental films in the late 1970s and early '80s. (Mark Scott shares the WBFO connection to the Media Studies Program.)
There are also articles profiling film critics and Buffalo's biggest link to the film industry -- movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.