Meg Hearts – MOMI

Image source: MOMI

MOMI, you are awesome. I’ve been spending more time at the Museum of the Moving Image lately and I just love it there. They have a wonderful permanent collection, intriguing temporary exhibits, and they regularly screen great movies in their beautiful theater. There are modern animated classics – Shrek showed last weekend – to classic horror films – I saw John Carpenter’s The Thing on Halloween night. There have been video and art installations – I could sit and zone out during American Falls over and over cuz it’s such a trip – to temporary exhibits – The Art of the Rise of the Guardians is beautiful and amazing. Case in point:

“Bunny Island,” a scene depicting Bunny dyeing eggs created by visual development artist Tim Lamb. Digital. On view in “The Art of Rise of the Guardians” at Museum of the Moving Image through March 3, 2013. Image courtesy of DreamWorks Animation.

There’s a lot going on at MOMI surrounding this movie, Rise of the Guardians, including a cool behind the scenes film, Creating an Epic (dir. Patrick Hanenberger, 70 mins), that really gives some insight into how the film was created. And of course, the exhibit of art that went into making the movie.

Then there’s Feral Front by Greg Barsamian, probably the most awesome thing in the Museum’s permanent collection. Definitely stick with the following video – the trippyest part happens about half way through.

I also love walking through the rest of the permanent collection. There are cameras through the ages, costumes and makeup, miniatures (a building from Blade Runner, for instance), and exhibits on sound and editing. I especially like watching the live editing exhibit that takes place during a Mets game. And let me tell you – it’s nice to watch it in the dead of winter, knowing baseball will come again.

Sneak previews are also a cool thing that the museum does. I have seen Rise of the Guardians, Men In Black III, and Source Code, among others. Usually there is a talk/q&a afterwards with a person who worked on the movie, like a director or special effects artist.

And there’s also a gift shop full of fun stuff, and a little cafe that serves some pretty dang good cupcakes (I think they are from Omonia) and coffee.

Membership with MOMI is also a serious steal – for $75/year you get an individual membership; Dual for $125; and Silver Screen for $225. Varying levels of membership get you certain perks when it comes to seeing films there, and of course free admission to the museum. All levels get unlimited free admission to regular screenings, too.

So give MOMI a chance if you haven’t already. You won’t regret it!

Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Astoria, NY 11106; (718) 777-6888; movingimage.us