The 10 Most Dangerous Places in New York City
October 7, 2013 7:13 AM Subscribe
Wow, I kind of hate how they don't actually say what movies these are. I obviously recognize some, but not all. Why not give some context?
posted by Napierzaza at 7:27 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by Napierzaza at 7:27 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Due to Vigo’s repeated attempts at possessing children for his resurrection, the museum highly advises visitors not to bring babies under 18 months within a 10-foot radius of the painting (you should probably keep your distance too).
This is cool. They should have a rope barrier and a sign set up; or a red carpet.
posted by three blind mice at 7:29 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is cool. They should have a rope barrier and a sign set up; or a red carpet.
posted by three blind mice at 7:29 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Napierzaza, there's a key at the bottom of the post.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 7:29 AM on October 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 7:29 AM on October 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
“sat on a throne of blood” in a “castle of pain” atop a “mountain of skulls.
I like the image, but I feel like this would just aggravate my sciatica.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:31 AM on October 7, 2013 [10 favorites]
I like the image, but I feel like this would just aggravate my sciatica.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:31 AM on October 7, 2013 [10 favorites]
MetaFilter: Does not respect the Landmarks Preservation Commission
posted by Etrigan at 7:31 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Etrigan at 7:31 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
1970s thanks!
posted by Napierzaza at 7:35 AM on October 7, 2013
posted by Napierzaza at 7:35 AM on October 7, 2013
The bullshit meter pegged with the line:
"Tannis root, the cultivation of which is banned in the city, has been found growing in the building’s courtyard"
Not possible, since Tannis root was made up for the movie Rosemary's Baby and doesn't exist.
SocutingNY should leave this kind of stuff to Cracked, which does a better job.
posted by Old'n'Busted at 7:50 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
"Tannis root, the cultivation of which is banned in the city, has been found growing in the building’s courtyard"
Not possible, since Tannis root was made up for the movie Rosemary's Baby and doesn't exist.
SocutingNY should leave this kind of stuff to Cracked, which does a better job.
posted by Old'n'Busted at 7:50 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
The bullshit meter pegged with the line:
"Tannis root, the cultivation of which is banned in the city, has been found growing in the building’s courtyard"
Not possible, since Tannis root was made up for the movie Rosemary's Baby and doesn't exist.
I know, right? And even worse, they talk about a mutant virus that made 99% of us zombies and that clearly didn't happen. Tsk.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:58 AM on October 7, 2013 [31 favorites]
"Tannis root, the cultivation of which is banned in the city, has been found growing in the building’s courtyard"
Not possible, since Tannis root was made up for the movie Rosemary's Baby and doesn't exist.
I know, right? And even worse, they talk about a mutant virus that made 99% of us zombies and that clearly didn't happen. Tsk.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:58 AM on October 7, 2013 [31 favorites]
Speak for yourself; I'm 99% zombie before my morning coffee
posted by ook at 8:00 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by ook at 8:00 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
500 Main Street – Roosevelt Island
Roosevelt Island truly does exist in some kind of weird alternate reality.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 8:02 AM on October 7, 2013 [4 favorites]
Roosevelt Island truly does exist in some kind of weird alternate reality.
posted by ultraviolet catastrophe at 8:02 AM on October 7, 2013 [4 favorites]
Nicely done post. I was able to identify all of the movies even if I haven't seen them all.
posted by rmd1023 at 8:16 AM on October 7, 2013
posted by rmd1023 at 8:16 AM on October 7, 2013
Not possible, since Tannis root was made up for the movie Rosemary's Baby and doesn't exist.
But the ghosts and gremlins are legit, right?
SocutingNY should leave this kind of stuff to Cracked, which does a better job.
Except that it a) contains original content and b) fits on one page.
posted by zamboni at 8:16 AM on October 7, 2013 [15 favorites]
But the ghosts and gremlins are legit, right?
SocutingNY should leave this kind of stuff to Cracked, which does a better job.
Except that it a) contains original content and b) fits on one page.
posted by zamboni at 8:16 AM on October 7, 2013 [15 favorites]
Maybe this isn't a grump thread for grumps.
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:31 AM on October 7, 2013 [7 favorites]
posted by Pope Guilty at 8:31 AM on October 7, 2013 [7 favorites]
Roosevelt Island truly does exist in some kind of weird alternate reality.
As freaky as, well, everything about Roosevelt Island is -- the gondola, the Soviet-style architecture, the emptiness -- the weirdest part for me was the black squirrels.
posted by modernserf at 8:33 AM on October 7, 2013
As freaky as, well, everything about Roosevelt Island is -- the gondola, the Soviet-style architecture, the emptiness -- the weirdest part for me was the black squirrels.
posted by modernserf at 8:33 AM on October 7, 2013
I kind of hate how they don't actually say what movies these are.
At the very end:
At the very end:
PS – Confused? See: 1) Rosemary’s Baby 2) Ghostbusters 2 3) Ghost 4) Ghostbusters 5) 1408 6) The Sentinel 7) The Devil’s Advocate 8) Gremlins II 9) I Am Legend 10) Dark Water 11) American Psychoposted by mrbill at 8:33 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Maybe this isn't a grump thread for grumps.
Not possible, since grumps were only invented for the short-lived NBC cartoon Here Comes the Grump in '69.
posted by Think_Long at 8:33 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Not possible, since grumps were only invented for the short-lived NBC cartoon Here Comes the Grump in '69.
posted by Think_Long at 8:33 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is great, thanks. I was able to ID all of them easily except for Sentinel (which I've never even heard of). Interestingly, that building on Montague is in my neighborhood.
I liked the whimsical approach.
posted by staccato signals of constant information at 8:35 AM on October 7, 2013
I liked the whimsical approach.
posted by staccato signals of constant information at 8:35 AM on October 7, 2013
No one steps on a church in my town!!
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:37 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:37 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
this is bullshit everyone knows that to join satans minions you have to pass the REBNY exam.
posted by lalochezia at 8:45 AM on October 7, 2013
posted by lalochezia at 8:45 AM on October 7, 2013
The UWS really is the most occult neighborhood.
posted by The Whelk at 8:47 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 8:47 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
They left out a key film here. I can't be sure if I've got the title right... might it be... is it...
Ghostbusters 2?
posted by Mister_A at 9:05 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Ghostbusters 2?
posted by Mister_A at 9:05 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Think_Long: "Maybe this isn't a grump thread for grumps.
Not possible, since grumps were only invented for the short-lived NBC cartoon Here Comes the Grump in '69."
Don't forget the 1971 special The Grump saves Grumpsmas as well.
posted by boo_radley at 9:15 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Not possible, since grumps were only invented for the short-lived NBC cartoon Here Comes the Grump in '69."
Don't forget the 1971 special The Grump saves Grumpsmas as well.
posted by boo_radley at 9:15 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
OK - let you grumps in on a little secret - "scouting" is a term of art in the motion picture industry. Location scouting means "going to find places that look like they'll work for a given screenplay." So it's kind of fun for people in the business, as well as people who are fans of cinema, or who just like NYC, to have a look at the actual buildings used in a few notable 'scary' films.
The piece is written as a guidebook, as if the hideous events of the films that were shot in these locations ACTUALLY OCCURRED! But there are subtle cues throughout, such as the profusion of Mia Farrow pictures, that tip off the attentive reader.
One more note - the films in question are all either scary or have some kind of supernatural, ghosty theme. Some have the word 'ghost' right in the title! This is because we are approaching Halloween, and people like to see scary stuff and dress up in costume and so on. You will probably see more of this over the next few weeks, followed by a pretty sharp tailing off right around November 1.
posted by Mister_A at 9:16 AM on October 7, 2013 [11 favorites]
The piece is written as a guidebook, as if the hideous events of the films that were shot in these locations ACTUALLY OCCURRED! But there are subtle cues throughout, such as the profusion of Mia Farrow pictures, that tip off the attentive reader.
One more note - the films in question are all either scary or have some kind of supernatural, ghosty theme. Some have the word 'ghost' right in the title! This is because we are approaching Halloween, and people like to see scary stuff and dress up in costume and so on. You will probably see more of this over the next few weeks, followed by a pretty sharp tailing off right around November 1.
posted by Mister_A at 9:16 AM on October 7, 2013 [11 favorites]
Even though it's movie-centric, they really should have included the Tet Corporation tower at 2 Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza.
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:16 AM on October 7, 2013
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:16 AM on October 7, 2013
>“sat on a throne of blood” in a “castle of pain” atop a “mountain of skulls.
I like the image, but I feel like this would just aggravate my sciatica.
LUMBAR SUPPORT FOR THE BLOOD GOD! THERAPEUTIC CUSHIONS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!!!!
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:22 AM on October 7, 2013 [10 favorites]
I like the image, but I feel like this would just aggravate my sciatica.
LUMBAR SUPPORT FOR THE BLOOD GOD! THERAPEUTIC CUSHIONS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!!!!
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:22 AM on October 7, 2013 [10 favorites]
LUMBAR SUPPORT FOR THE BLOOD GOD! THERAPEUTIC CUSHIONS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!!!!
Glenn Danzig's lyrics really are maturing.
posted by mykescipark at 9:25 AM on October 7, 2013 [21 favorites]
Glenn Danzig's lyrics really are maturing.
posted by mykescipark at 9:25 AM on October 7, 2013 [21 favorites]
The piece is written as a guidebook, as if the hideous events of the films that were shot in these locations ACTUALLY OCCURRED! But there are subtle cues throughout, such as the profusion of Mia Farrow pictures, that tip off the attentive reader.
You say that like it's possible to take more than six pictures in New York City without getting at least one with Mia Farrow in it. Why, I once met Mia Farrow on the street and took a few pictures with her. When I developed the roll of film, not only was Mia Farrow in the background of several unrelated pictures in totally different parts of the city, she was in the background of one of the pictures I took with Mia Farrow.
posted by Etrigan at 9:26 AM on October 7, 2013 [10 favorites]
You say that like it's possible to take more than six pictures in New York City without getting at least one with Mia Farrow in it. Why, I once met Mia Farrow on the street and took a few pictures with her. When I developed the roll of film, not only was Mia Farrow in the background of several unrelated pictures in totally different parts of the city, she was in the background of one of the pictures I took with Mia Farrow.
posted by Etrigan at 9:26 AM on October 7, 2013 [10 favorites]
Well that explains why I didn't get the joke and stopped reading after the first one - I don't watch many movies.
posted by Old'n'Busted at 9:28 AM on October 7, 2013
posted by Old'n'Busted at 9:28 AM on October 7, 2013
WHAT NO Q THE WINGED SERPENT? The Chrysler building is pretty damned dangerous for window cleaners.
posted by Decani at 9:34 AM on October 7, 2013 [5 favorites]
posted by Decani at 9:34 AM on October 7, 2013 [5 favorites]
As freaky as, well, everything about Roosevelt Island is -- the gondola, the Soviet-style architecture, the emptiness -- the weirdest part for me was the black squirrels.
If it's anything like DC, you've got more black squirrels to look forward to. Apparently we released 18 into the city at the beginning of the 20th century and now they're everywhere.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:40 AM on October 7, 2013
If it's anything like DC, you've got more black squirrels to look forward to. Apparently we released 18 into the city at the beginning of the 20th century and now they're everywhere.
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 9:40 AM on October 7, 2013
Q was so hilariously bad, I just loved it. Really pretty Chrysler shots though, yeah Decani.
posted by Mister_A at 9:44 AM on October 7, 2013
posted by Mister_A at 9:44 AM on October 7, 2013
LUMBAR SUPPORT FOR THE BLOOD GOD! THERAPEUTIC CUSHIONS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!!!!
IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FUTURE THERE IS ONLY SOOTHING SHIATSU MASSAGE.
posted by zamboni at 9:52 AM on October 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FUTURE THERE IS ONLY SOOTHING SHIATSU MASSAGE.
posted by zamboni at 9:52 AM on October 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
What is best in life?
To vanquish your enemies, to drive them before you and to hear the soothing sounds of Enya while receiving a deep tissue massage!
posted by KingEdRa at 10:01 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
To vanquish your enemies, to drive them before you and to hear the soothing sounds of Enya while receiving a deep tissue massage!
posted by KingEdRa at 10:01 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Clever.
For a second I actually thought these were real places (there are a lot of exclusive old apartment buildings on the Upper West Side), until I got to Vigo.
posted by Sara C. at 10:03 AM on October 7, 2013
For a second I actually thought these were real places (there are a lot of exclusive old apartment buildings on the Upper West Side), until I got to Vigo.
posted by Sara C. at 10:03 AM on October 7, 2013
To vanquish your enemies, to drive them before you and to hear the soothing sounds of Enya while receiving a deep tissue massage!
is disappointed to find there isn't an Immigrant Song/Orinoco Flow mashup
posted by zamboni at 10:06 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
is disappointed to find there isn't an Immigrant Song/Orinoco Flow mashup
posted by zamboni at 10:06 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Be the change you wish to see in the world, zamboni.
posted by Navelgazer at 10:24 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Navelgazer at 10:24 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
I once met an accountant who lived pretty high up in that 55 Central Park West building. He was kind of an oddball, but he had interesting stories:
"Gozer the Traveler. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!."
posted by mcstayinskool at 10:44 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
"Gozer the Traveler. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms. During the rectification of the Vuldrini, the traveler came as a large and moving Torg! Then, during the third reconciliation of the last of the McKetrick supplicants, they chose a new form for him: that of a giant Slor! Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!."
posted by mcstayinskool at 10:44 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's based off a Stephen King story. Haunted hotel room. I don't remember much about it except it being a decent enough diversion on the road to the grave.
posted by entropicamericana at 10:50 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by entropicamericana at 10:50 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also, to be a little bit Inside Baseball for a sec, I'm fascinated by the idea that the museum that is now the Smithsonian Museum Of The American Indian (which I've always wondered how that even came to be in NYC, in the first place) was the Met stand-in in Ghostbusters.
Which begs the question what the building was being used for at the time, since I think the SMOTAI is a recent addition to lower Manhattan.
posted by Sara C. at 11:00 AM on October 7, 2013
Which begs the question what the building was being used for at the time, since I think the SMOTAI is a recent addition to lower Manhattan.
posted by Sara C. at 11:00 AM on October 7, 2013
Sara C. - Two answer two of your questions, the main Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian is in DC with the others, and the one at Bowling Green used to be the Alexander Hamilton Customs House.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:06 AM on October 7, 2013
posted by Navelgazer at 11:06 AM on October 7, 2013
Wait, that's even weirder? Why is there a separate location in New York? I mean, if they put an outpost in New Mexico or on the Pine Ridge reservation or something, that would make sense. But New York is not really known for its Native American culture and is already pretty close to DC for people who might be interested in that sort of thing.
Sorry to go so off topic so fast. No need to actually answer that. OOOohhhh, scary New York!
posted by Sara C. at 11:12 AM on October 7, 2013
Sorry to go so off topic so fast. No need to actually answer that. OOOohhhh, scary New York!
posted by Sara C. at 11:12 AM on October 7, 2013
What the hell is 1408? Anyone see it?
A decent ghost story movie. It had some scary scenes if you are scared by ghost movies, which I am. Nothing terribly original or memorable, but a good diversion.
What is it with so many horror movies being about writers, anyway?
posted by Hoopo at 11:16 AM on October 7, 2013
A decent ghost story movie. It had some scary scenes if you are scared by ghost movies, which I am. Nothing terribly original or memorable, but a good diversion.
What is it with so many horror movies being about writers, anyway?
posted by Hoopo at 11:16 AM on October 7, 2013
What the hell is 1408? Anyone see it?
It was based on a Stephen King short story, wasn't it?
posted by elizardbits at 11:18 AM on October 7, 2013
It was based on a Stephen King short story, wasn't it?
posted by elizardbits at 11:18 AM on October 7, 2013
Yep, it's a short story in the collection Everything's Eventual, and is a neat atmospheric story. I haven't seen the movie but it looks like they too a lot of liberties with it.
posted by Navelgazer at 11:20 AM on October 7, 2013
posted by Navelgazer at 11:20 AM on October 7, 2013
Gremlins 2 is the greatest sequel ever, one of the few sequels to best the original, and one of Joe Dante's best movies which makes it one of the funniest movies of all time. Yes.
posted by ThatFuzzyBastard at 12:00 PM on October 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by ThatFuzzyBastard at 12:00 PM on October 7, 2013 [3 favorites]
Gremlins 2 is that guy at the party who got the PCP-laced joint. Everyone else is all, "Yeah, but what about if they, like, cross into a new time zone," but he's all, "WHAT IF THEY WERE GENETICALLY ENGINEERED WITH LIKE WINGS AND SHIT DUDE NO SERIOUSLY FUCKING WINGS--" And then he jumps out the window without opening it, and there's only one or two people who aren't too fucked up to call an ambulance but that guy is lying there yelling about how the winged gremlin would have totally been able to fly away after jumping out the window, so they can't figure out whether to actually call the ambulance and then Leonard Maltin comes out of the TV and starts talking about how this is at best a two-star party, but then that guy comes back inside and throws Leonard Maltin out the window he just jumped out of and now everything's okay, but man, it's getting really late and everyone sort of heads home except for a couple of people who crash on the couch.
And then, the next day, no one remembers how the window got broken, and someone has a picture on their phone of this guy who looks like Leonard Maltin, and years later, everyone sort of spontaneously remembers that one party where that guy jumped out the window and a bunch of people get drawn into a Facebook discussion about it but no one remembers who jumped out the window because it's totally a thing that one guy would do but that guy says he wasn't even at that party. And one person finds a photo of that guy with these old faded scars on his forearms that look like-- But that person just closes the photo and goes back to working on his fantasy football lineup and smiles quietly to himself.
posted by Etrigan at 12:17 PM on October 7, 2013 [5 favorites]
And then, the next day, no one remembers how the window got broken, and someone has a picture on their phone of this guy who looks like Leonard Maltin, and years later, everyone sort of spontaneously remembers that one party where that guy jumped out the window and a bunch of people get drawn into a Facebook discussion about it but no one remembers who jumped out the window because it's totally a thing that one guy would do but that guy says he wasn't even at that party. And one person finds a photo of that guy with these old faded scars on his forearms that look like-- But that person just closes the photo and goes back to working on his fantasy football lineup and smiles quietly to himself.
posted by Etrigan at 12:17 PM on October 7, 2013 [5 favorites]
As has been stated; 1408 was indeed a movie based on a Stephen King short story about a haunted hotel room. They did indeed pad it out some - the main character only stays in the room about an hour, but when I read it it felt like it was only about ten minutes before he was all "fuck this, I'm out" and that would have made for an awfully quick movie, so they padded it out some.
Me, I didn't mind, because that way it also became "An Chance For EC to Stare At John Cusack Dreamily For 90 Minutes." :-) (For any John Cusack Haterz - it's also a chance to see him flip his shit and get into a fistfight with a hotel minifridge - and lose.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:41 PM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Me, I didn't mind, because that way it also became "An Chance For EC to Stare At John Cusack Dreamily For 90 Minutes." :-) (For any John Cusack Haterz - it's also a chance to see him flip his shit and get into a fistfight with a hotel minifridge - and lose.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:41 PM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Gremlins 2 is the greatest sequel ever, one of the few sequels to best the original, and one of Joe Dante's best movies which makes it one of the funniest movies of all time. Yes.
AND it has Dick Miller! I mean, any movie with Dick Miller almost has an unfair advantage over those that don't.
posted by entropicamericana at 12:51 PM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
AND it has Dick Miller! I mean, any movie with Dick Miller almost has an unfair advantage over those that don't.
posted by entropicamericana at 12:51 PM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
For what it's worth, Everything's Eventual is a pretty damn good collection of short stories, actually, almost all of which are pretty resistant to cinematic interpretation.
posted by Navelgazer at 7:02 AM on October 8, 2013
posted by Navelgazer at 7:02 AM on October 8, 2013
Actually, the really fun thing about 1408-the-short-story is that King started it while writing On Writing, partly as a sort of "let me show you how I write my first draft and then revise it" exercise. He just picked it as one of the ideas he had kicking around and sort of went through his work process for the first couple pages of the story, showing where and how and why he made his edits and changes. But it all started out as just a sort of exercise, a "here's how I work with an idea - maybe I'll finish this, maybe I won't." And then he did.
Cusack recently tweeted something about the film adaptation of Cell, so apparently that's still a thing too. He's becoming like the Frank Darabont of the acting world.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:16 AM on October 8, 2013
Cusack recently tweeted something about the film adaptation of Cell, so apparently that's still a thing too. He's becoming like the Frank Darabont of the acting world.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:16 AM on October 8, 2013
Damn! It was the ESB! Oh, Dame Memory, you feckless tart!
posted by Decani at 10:56 AM on October 8, 2013
posted by Decani at 10:56 AM on October 8, 2013
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posted by Pope Guilty at 7:26 AM on October 7, 2013