November 2nd 2103. 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.
Only one conspicuous partier wearing an Iron Man costume, the Joe Lohta for Mayor ads are making their final televised surge, and the Knicks are 1-1. What gives?
Oh Christ. It's November 2nd, isn't it? It was standing right behind me the whole time.
Amongst the delights offered by the city's rep cinema circuit number Burt Reynolds getting in touch with his Native American side in a Corbucci Spag Western, maniac thesp Klaus Kinski getting all rodenty for pal Werner Herzog, and Linda Blair's head-turning perf in Billy Friedkin's supernatural masterpiece yeah I went there. New and continuing series include the Film Society's Scary Movies 7, the Museum of the Moving Image's Complete Howard Hawks, and Anthology Film Archives' Golden Age of Spanish Horror. The rundown be thus;
Nitehawk Cinema
NAVAJO JOE (1966) Dir; Sergio Corbucci
SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977) Dir; John Badham
Film Forum
NOSFERATU (1979) Dir; Werner Herzog
Film Society of Lincoln Center
RITUALS (1977) Dir; Peter Carter
LET'S SCARE JESSICA TO DEATH (1971) Dir; John D. Hancock
Museum of the Moving Image
CEILING ZERO ( 1936) Dir; Howard Hawks
COME AND GET IT (1936) Dir; Howard Hawks
Anthology Film Archives
LORELEY'S GRASP (1976) Dir; Armando De Ossorio
NIGHT OF THE SEAGULLS (1975) Dir; Armando De Ossorio
VAMPYRES (1974) Dir; Jose Ramon Larraz
IFC Center
THE EXORCIST (1973) Dir; William Freidkin
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
THE THING (1982) Dir; John Carpenter
Today's Pick? On a so-so day on the rep circuit I'm picking the two-fer at Astoria's Museum of the Moving Image, CEILING ZERO and COME AND GET IT, screening as part of their series The Complete Howard Hawks. The former is one of the filmmaker's fun and fast aviation flicks, a subject close to engineer/pilot Hawks' heart, and the only time he was lucky enough to pair real-life pals Jimmy Cagney and Pat O'Brien for one of his productions. The latter is among the first breakout films of the gifted Frances Farmer's brief career, and won for Walter Brennan the inaugural Best Supporting Actor Oscar. It's also one of the few films, like GUNGA DIN and THE OUTLAW, which Hawks began but didn't complete, as William Wyler came onto the Sam Goldwyn production for extensive reshoots after the first cut was deemed a disaster. That fact is why I don't formally include it in the director's CV, and why he kinda disowned it even after its succes at the box office. Plus it was never one of my faves amongst his esteemed body of work anyway. However, it's enjoyable enough and essential for completists, ZERO is quite the pisser, repleye with Hawks' favorite themes, and you get both films plus the museum they're screening in for $12! On an autumn Saturday where the temp's gonna hover in the high 60's you could do worse than stroll over to green & sunny Astoria and indulge your fave pastime/addiction. Hawks forevah.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic screenings in November '13 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. And be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. Back tomorrow with more of what ya love, til then don't take any wooden nickels and don't hand any out. Excelsior, knuckleheads!
-Joe Walsh
