Bored with what the theaters are showing these days? Had enough of sequel after sequel of each tried concept?

We’ve got the scoop on a couple under-the-radar cinemas that do away with blockbuster titles and opt instead for B-movies, pulp, and TV-movie classics—titles you won’t find anywhere else, right here in our borough. And adding to the movie-going experience are trivia, raffles and live music performances, depending on where you know to go.

Obsolete Cinema

“Screening the recycled, reused and reduced,” Obsolete Cinema gets its name from its focus on presenting outdated media such as VHS and Betamax to its audience. Here, you’ll find the retro gems and the under-appreciated: “We're children of the '70s and '80s, and we wear it on our sleeves,” said founders Josh Machlin and Tony Nigro. “Our sensibility is mostly inspired by cult films and Hollywood detritus of the VHS era, and fond memories of ‘USA Up All Night.’”

Obsolete Cinema is not really a theater, but rather a sort of film event floating through the borough, “a traveling road show that plays movies for free at bars and music venues around Brooklyn.” While there’s no set location to find Obsolete Cinema, you can most often catch them at Don Pedro in Bushwick (90 Manhattan Avenue), where the Cinema holds its monthly Big Screen Happy Hour - though those interested can easily stay in-the-know with where to catch the next showing by checking Obsolete’s Twitter or Facebook page. Obsolete Cinema also has a blog, The Obsolete Sheet, where B-movies are reviewed for the curious viewer.

So what exactly does Obsolete play? “It ranges from the word's real definition of what's been made useless to films and videos which are out of print or almost forgotten, or might give audiences a sting of nostalgia,” say the founders. “Our goal is to find the fun in someone else's garbage.”

Spectacle Theater

If you’re looking for a sit-down theater venue, you don’t have to look much further than Williamsburg: the Spectacle Theater (photo left, via Imperfect Films), located at 124 South 3rd Street, is a space for film lovers of all kind—those who make it, edit it or simply love to watch. The bevy of films found here include, but are absolutely not limited to, grindhouse, sci-fi, video art, erotica and more. A showing at Spectacle is only $5, and popcorn and drinks are available to enjoy with a film. The theater also plays host to live music—most recently Spirograph Agnew a quartet involving abstract visuals to be watched with red-and-blue 3D glasses—and the space, seating 27, is also available for rental. Spectacle’s website has full listings of current and upcoming programs.

These cinemas are great for keeping attention on little-known films that otherwise may be lost to time, to catch movies with little opportunity to see anywhere else. Chances are you haven’t seen even one of the films showing in the next month at either cinema, though taking a walk on the wild side of cinematic obscurity of the past can no doubt prove to be an enlightening experience.