March 2nd 2013. Pick Of The Day.
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Noon at the Nitehawk Cinema brings the directorial debut of the man who would go on to bring the world the first two HOME ALONE films, MRS. DOUBTFIRE, BICENTENNIAL MAN, STEPMOM and the first two HARRY POTTER flicks. Yer welcome, he sez. But hey, he also made his first foray into the film world by writing a little spec sript called GREMLINS. So he's got that goin' for him. Which is nice. Anyway ADVENTURES IN BABYSITTING screens during the Nitehawk's brunch, the menu of which can be found here. Breakfast tacos, baby, breakfast tacos...
Midnight screenings offered tonight in our breezy burg include SHAFT at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema, two vastly different exercises in xenophobia, WAKE IN FRIGHT and ALIENS, at IFC Center, and HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER back across the river at our beloved Nitehawk. All attractive choices, but my Pick today is reserved for a very special event; a THREE-fer at the Film Forum, focusing on one of the brightest stars the medium ever produced.
This is the third time in two weeks I'm reserving my Pick for James Cagney, notorious screen tough guy and all-around swell mug! This is also one of the rare occasions I'm choosing a film I've yet to cross off my cinematic bucket list, in this case THREE films, but the opportunity to plunk down twelve bucks and catch a trio of features from Cagney's earliest days, when the ex-hoofer was drawing on his energetic and infectious charisma to explore various characters from the fringes of lawful society, is just too good to pass up! In PICTURE SNATCHER he plays a Weegee-style shutterbug that works his way up gotham's yellow ladder of journalism. Next he's a con-man bounding from scheme to scheme with ruthless aplomb in HARD TO HANDLE. Finally he's a hood turned matinee idol in THE LADYKILLER, which is the closest of the three to an autobio. Al three flicks run less than 80 minutes apiece, and all three come from the pre-code era, so odds are he'll be doubling down on his grapefruit antics from THE PUBLIC ENEMY. What better way to duck outta the grey March daylight than to munch down some of the Forum's quality popcorn and watch some rarely screening celluloid unspool while we still can, asks this guy? I await your counter-offer, ladies.
The James Cagney triple feature begins at 1:15pm with PICTURE SNATCHER and runs twice through the batting order til the same flick closes the day out at 10:35pm. This is a special opportunity indeed, and I hope to see you cats there!
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To donate or volunteer for the still suffering hurricane victims head to Occuy Sandy's website for details! Be safe and sound and make sure the next guy is too, knuckleheads! Full March 2013 overview coming Monday! Toppaddawoild, Ma!!!
-Joe Walsh
