March 21st 2014. 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.
Much for the NYC Cinegeek to get excited about this day on the rep circuit. New and continuing series include The Complete Hitchcock at Film Forum, An Auteurist History of Film at MoMA, The Music of Morricone at BAM, Richie's Electric Eight: The Bold and the Daring at the Japan Society, Auteurs Gone Wild at Anthology Film Archives, and the reliably swank Cabaret Cinema at the Rubin Museum. The shenanigans be thus;
Film Forum
SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock
JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK (1930) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock
BLACKMAIL (1929) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock
MoMA
THE HUSTLER (1961) Dir; Robert Rossen
BAM Cinematek
THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1964) Dir; Gillo Pontecorvo
THE THING (1982) Dir; John Carpenter
New York Historical Society
THE VERDICT (1982) Dir; Sidney Lumet
Japan Society
MUDDY RIVER (1981) Dir; Kohei Oguri
Anthology Film Archives
PETER IBBETSON (1935) Dir; Henry Hathaway
EDWARD, MY SON (1949) Dir; George Cukor
Rubin Museum
DELIVERANCE (1972) Dir; John Boorman
IFC Center
BLACK WIDOW (1987) Dir; Bob Rafelson
ERASERHEAD (1977) Dir; David Lynch
Nitehawk Cinema
THE WIZ (1979) Dir; Sidney Lumet
Today's Pick? I've long wanted to cross Hathaway's PETER IBBETSON off my Cinematic Bucket List, and I'd consider it quite the juxtaposition to view Boorman's morally and physically muddy DELIVERANCE in the relative luxury of the Rubin Museum's screening lounge. Hitchcock's DOUBT always tempts, as it resides safely in my Top 5 of Tha Mahstah's output. However I'm going with Sidney Lumet and one of his best courtroom potboilers, 1982's THE VERDICT, screening at the New York Historical Society. Paul Newman gives one of his defining perfs as a used-up, besotted ambulance chaser who's handed a career-saving case, if he'll just go along with the predetermined bargain. Unfortunately his sense of shameless opportunism collides with an inconvenient conscience. Bolstering my decision is the attendance of Oscar-winning actress/director Lee Grant, who's joined by producer/director John Erman (THE SCARLETT O'HARA WAR), who will discusss the movie as part of the Historical Society's Justice in Film series. Not too many filmmakers can brag of even one great courtroom drama on their CV; who exactly can go toe-to-toe with Mah Boy Sid?
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in March '14 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. And be sure to follow me on both Facebook, where I provide further info and esoterica on the rep film circuit and star birthdays, and Twitter, where I provide a daily feed for the day's screenings and other blathery. Back tomorrow with a brand new Pick, til then stay safe and sound and keep an eye on the next knucklehead too.
-Joe Walsh
P. S. Should you be feeling charitable during this harsh weather period please remember to check in with the good folks over at Occupy Sandy. Some of our NY neighbors are still feeling the effects of last year's hurricane. Be a mensch.
