October 6th 2013. Pick Of The Day.
New York City's premiere resource for classic film screenings in the metropolitan area. Offering reviews, recommendations, venues and a host of links keeping classic film and the silver screens alive.
Cinematic repertory wacky tabbacky today includes the definitive screen iteration of the Jets/Sharks gang war, Ridley Scott's sumptuous take on the 80's D&D craze (sez this guy!), and Gena Rowlands' persona-shredding, Oscar-nommed tour de force before her hubby/director's cameras. Ongoing series include Film Forum's trib to Jacques Demy, Moving Image's Complete Howard Hawks, and BAM's Cassavetes Redux. The delectable bill of fare as follows;
Film Forum
WEST SIDE STORY (1961) Dirs; Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins
THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1967) Dir; Jacques Demy
UNE CHAMBRE EN VILLE (1982) Dir; Jacques Demy
Nitehawk Cinema
DELIVERANCE (1972) Dir; John Boorman
LEGEND (1985) Dir; Ridley Scott
Museu of the Moving Image
TIGER SHARK (1932) Dir; Howard Hawks
TODAY WE LIVE (1933) Dir: Howard Hawks
BAM Cinematek
A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE (1974) Dir; John Cassavetes
MoMA
THE NAME OF THE ROSE (1986) Dir; Jean-Jacques Annaud
Anthology Film Archives
IVAN THE TERRIBLE parts 1&2 (1944) Dir; Sergei Eisenstein
Today's Pick? As great the chore may seem to rouse oneself from the particular Sunday morn repose routinely had within NYC's five boroughs, particularly whence considering the Saturday night debauchery that preceded thus, I'm choosing the brunch menu at the Nitehawk Cinema and the awesome accompanying feature presentation; Ridley Scott's LEGEND. The Geordie Michelangelo had enjoyed a fruitful career as a director of TV commercials before diving into feature film production with 1977's THE DUELLISTS, which kicks BARRY LYNDON's ass any day of the week and twice on Sunday should ya want my two cents. Sophomore effort ALIEN yielded big box office and its resulting clout, which he then spent on the Philip K. Dick adap BLADE RUNNER, a resounding flop both commercially and critically in its day that has since come to be regarded as one of the most prominent works of the cinema (coincindence that source inspiration METROPOLIS was handed the same fate?).
While in production on BLADE RUNNER Scott collaborated with author William Hjortsberg (ANGEL HEART) on an idea for a blockbuster-budget medieval-era fairy tale, concerning a wood sprite's love for a beautiful princess and his ensuing battle to save her from Darkness himself, as ultimately personified by Rob Bottin's unmatched makeup FX work and actor Tim Curry's devilishly blithe countenance. Producer Arnon Milchan came on board, and the production found a home at Universal Studios. The resulting film, which coincidentally was labelled a salvage job at the same time Terry Gilliam was battling Universal's Forces of Darkness over his vision of BRAZIL, endured recuts and re-recuts and the commissioning of a new score, until the final product, while still entertaining, bore little spiritual resemblance to Scott's initial vision. To be fair his own cut bore little resemblance to that vision, if only because, as he readily admitted, he forgot to include any action in the proceedings. While not a snoozefest by a long shot, it remains a work more breathtaking for its painstaking visual beauty than enthralling for the dramatic stakes at risk. Hey, the fact that he made Tom Cruise palatable to this film lover for one of the few two hour slices I can stand to see him in sez a helluvalot about this flawed but fascinating cult classic. In summation; I pair this film with the Nitehawk's Fried Green Tomatoes, if only to celebrate the primary color most prominent in the film's palette. Also, they're the bomb.
For more info on these and all October's classic film screenings in NYC click the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. And be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. As always be safe and sound and make sure the next guy/gal is too, and back tomorrow with a brand new Pick! Enjoy, knucks!
-Joe Walsh
