OCTOBER 2013! To Save and Project, the Complete Howard Hawks, and Halloween! Boogah boogah boogah.

It's with much enthusiasm that I can report the repertory screening circuit in NYC seems to be not merely healthy but thriving. The stalwart audience of film student and bored retiree seems to these eyes routinely augmented these last few years by a new wave of fervent film lover excited about seeing a long read and talked about movie in its intended venue. And the venues have responded in kind it seems, as more and more theaters, museums and other more unconventional spaces are reaching out to provide the communal film experience. It does my 44, er, 38, I mean 29-year old heart a lotta good to see this great artistic love of mine unspooling before new eyes, and reputations carried forth either intact or severely changed. This month we got a bevy of films once in physical disrepair made whole again, several tributes to some of the best talent ever to stand before and behind the camera, and, need it be said, Halloween. Let's get to it.

The two series sharing Big Dawg status this month surely must be MoMA's annual To Save and Project and the Film Society's Revivals, the latter a part of the 51st annual NYC Film Fest. Both feature films both known and obscure spruced up through new restorations. MoMA offers such gems as Richard Fleischer's serial killer thriller/capital punishment excoriation 10 RILLINGTON PLACE, Rowland V. Lee's Parisan puppeteer melodrama I AM SUZANNE, and Edmund Goulding's superb circus horror/noir potboiler NIGHTMARE ALLEY. Among the shorts series on hand are tribs to some of the early female pioneers of the cinema, including the largely forgotten action star Pearl White (WOMEN DAREDEVILS OF THE SILENT ERA) and the completely and unjustly obscure Gene Gaultier (GIRL SPIES AND IRISH COLEENS), both of whom wrote directed and performed the bulk of their own stunts. Michelle Yeoh would be proud.

Also at MoMA their trib to legendary Italian production designer Dante Ferretti is still underway, with greats like Terry Gilliam's THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN, and frequent collaborator Federico Fellini's CITY OF WOMEN and AND THE SHIP SAILS ON still to unspool. The museum's ongoing Auteurist History of Film also brings us Yasujiro Ozu's AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON, Bryan Forbes' WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, Pietro Germi's DIVORCE, ITALIAN STYLE and Roman Polanski's KNIFE IN THE WATER.

Back over at Lincoln Center the Film Society's Revivals series rolls out its own set of ressurections and restorations. The screenings include some film noir gems (Nick Ray's THEY DRIVE BY NIGHT, Arthur Ripley's THE CHASE), various works of world cinema like Lino Brocka's MANILA IN THE CLAWS OF LIGHT and Luchino Visconti's SANDRA, and controversial French auteur Leos Carax's freshman and sophomore efforts (BOY MEETS GIRL, MAUVAIS SANG). Unfortunaltely the controversial French auteur love doesn't stop there at Lincoln Center. The Film Society rolls out a massive retrospective to dubious filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard, a director of doubtless importance whom I find maddening and ultimately unworthy of even my bile, which is really what he seemed to be after the whole time. Notable works screening in this series include MASCULIN/FEMININ, TWO OR THREE THINGS I KNOW ABOUT HER, WEEKEND, CONTMEPT, MADE IN USA, SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL, and the only two films I can truly stand by him; BAND OF OUTSIDERS, which is losing steam as the years go on, and his debut BREATHLESS, which only shines brighter by comparison. Whatehvz. If Godard's your bag you get some alone time with him for a whole month. C'est whoopie.

What seems a much more appealing retrospective dedicated to a beloved French auteur unspools downtown at Film Forum as their trib to Jacques Demy eats up a three-week chunk of their calendar. Key works in the series include the BLUE ANGEL-inspired LOLA , the Jean Moreau vehicle BAY OF ANGELS, and his geographically-monickered musical classics THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT and THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG. Zut alors!

Jacques Becker's ANTOINE ET ANTOINETTE finishes up its two-week stay at the Forum, and Alain Resnais' influential LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD gets a one night screening later in the month. The Forum's Halloween flick this year is Werner Herzog's NOSFERATU, starring best fiend Klaus Kinski as the titluar vamp, largely because it saved the production a ton on makeup costs. October's offerings in the Film Forum Jr. series include Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in Mark Sandrich's SHALL WE DANCE, the Jets and the Sharks in Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins' WEST SIDE STORY and Frankie and wifey in James Whale's THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN. One of these is not a musical. I'll let the public decide.

Across the strait at Astoria's Museum of the Moving Image their two month retrospective The Complete Howard Hawks is just about at the halfway mark, and some choice work is still to unspool, and I mean unspool. All screenings are in glorious 35mm and widescreen celluloid, and that extra-mile effort by the museum would surely elicit the faintest grin from the taciturn auteur. Just slightly perceptible. Notable upcoming programming includes Hawks' first western RED RIVER, his contemporizing of the Snow White fairy tale BALL OF FIRE, his definitive screwball classic HIS GIRL FRIDAY, his first talkie THE DAWN PATROL, and his wobbly but entertaining widescreen epic LAND OF THE PHAROAHS. The price of admission gains you access to all these screenings, and the museum that's attached to the screening space is a friggin' trate as well. Where else can you view Marlon Brando's cheek implants from THE GODFATHER alongside Doug Trumbull's Tyrell tower from BLADE RUNNER? NOWHERE else, that's where! It was a trick question! Also at the museum Steven Spielberg's RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN, and Roman Polanski's REPULSION unspool in the See It Big! series, and Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 screens as part of a trib to Wes Anderson. Why? Don't ask. Just enjoy.

In the neighboring borough of Brooklyn BAM revives their summer retrospective to maverick auteur John Cassavetes with screenings of five of his most popular films. Ben Gazzara is charged with a sordid task in THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE, Gena Rowlands' theater diva faces obsolesence in OPENING NIGHT, Rowlands tears up the celluloid as A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, Seymour Cassell and Gena find middle aged romance as MINNIE AND MOSKOWITZ, and husband and wife Cassavetes and Rowlands portray a dysfunctional brother and sister in LOVE STREAMS. All well worth a second and third and hundreth look.

BAM also honors the recently deceased and much beloved actress Karen Black with a short tribute to some of her best perfs. Bob Rafelson's FIVE EASY PIECES, Robert Altman's NASHVILLE, and Dan Curtis' BURNT OFFERINGS are among the choice screenings on hand, and remind bittersweetly what a fine talent and delightful screen presence the movie world's lost.

Also on display at BAM is their Puppets on Film program, which pairs up feature creatures like Audrey 2 in Frank Oz's THE LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, Ishiro Honda's GODZILLA, and Walter Murch's RETURN TO OZ. And the Halloween offering is the BFI's restored print of Alfred Hitchcock's THE LODGER accompanied by experimental music outfit Morricone Youth.

Back on the civilized side of the pond Anthology Film Archives, which features just as many beards as the entirety of Brooklyn, serves up their ongoing Middle Ages on Film series, this time focusing on the Vikings! Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS (what were the odds?), Jack Cardiff's THE TALL SHIPS and Terry Jones' ERIK THE VIKING are among the rapey and pillagey fare on hand. Also at the Archives Sergei Eisenstein gets dug outta the institution's mothballs once more, and everything on his CV from STRIKE! to IVAN THE TERRIBLE Pts. 1&2 flickers once more on AFA's screens. And Dario Argento's classic SUSPIRIA gets a one-night only showing. Just because.

The Nitehawk Cinema in follically festooned Wiliamsburg brings their usual brunch and midnight movie madness, offering John Boorman's DELIVERANCE, Ridley Scott's LEGEND, and Paul Leni's THE CAT AND THE CANARY during the crepe and Bellini laze, and Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL, Mario Bava's BLACK SUNDAY, and William Friedkin's THE EXORCIST at the witching hour. Special screenings this month include Abel Ferrara's DRILLER KILLER, which will feature the director for a post film Q&A, and Stanely Donen's TWO FOR THE ROAD, part of the cinema's Film Foundation series sponsored by VICE magazine. The Nitehawk closes out the month with the overnight Halloween marathon A NIGHT TO DISMEMBER; 5 classic horror films beginning at 10pm with John Landis' AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON and unspooling through the early am, concluding with George A. Romero's DAWN OF THE DEAD. Late bar and self serve breakfast included. Blanket to cover yer eyes not included.

The Landmark Jersey Loews in Journal Square also dedicates a weekend to Halloween spookery. James Whale's BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN screens once again, and is joined by Lon Chaney's classic 1925 version of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, which will be accompanied by the movie palace's magesterial pipe organ. Boogah.

The 1925 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA also screens up at the Library for the Performing Arts as part of The Silent Clowns Film Series. Piano accompaniment by the great Ben Model.

The Rubin Museum's fabulous Cabaret Cinema series continues this month with the theme I Don't Know. No that's the name of the series. No I don't mean I don't know, I mean it's I Don't Know! Look just keep reading the damn thing, willya?!? Films this month include Bob Fosse's CABARET, Sidney Lumet's NETWORK, Joel and Etahn Coen's BLOOD SIMPLE, and Otto Preminger's LAURA. The price of a cocktail gains you a ticket to the museum's swank screening lounge. Highly recommended.

Midnight fare about our film obsessed burg includes Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam's MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL and Tobe Hooper's POLTERGEIST at the Landmark Sunshine Cinemas, and Ridley Scott's ALIEN and James Cameron's ALIENS, as well as Sam Peckinpah's THE GETAWAY, at IFC Center. The IFC also showcases some Texas themed early weekend classics with Peter Bogdonavich's THE LAST PICTURE SHOW and Robert Mulligan's BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL.

The New York Historical Society presents a series dedicated to WWI and its Legacy, with screnings of Lewis Milestone's ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT and Jean Renoir's GRAND ILLUSION, both hosted by David Denby and Kati Marton.

The eerie Museum of Arts and Design offers Georges Franju's EYES WITHOUT A FACE and Luc Besson's debut feature LE DERNIER COMBAT. This joint scares me.

And I believe that is that, for the moment anyway. Skeds at the various venues change routinely as screenings are added and (gasp!) subtracted from the bill of fare. So check back with me and I'll let you know what'shappening in the world of rep cinema, either through articles liek these, the daily update or the fully interactiv monthly calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. Serious fans, which means all of ya, should also follow me on Facebook and Twitter for my daily tips, wit and wisdom. Plus my humility. I got bags of that. I hope you enjoy as many of the month's classic screenings as possible and see yaz tomorrow with a new daily Pick! Excelsior, knuckleheads!

-Joe Walsh

joew@nitratestock.net