April 10th 2014. Pick of the Day.

My apologies for the missed post yesterday, Stockahz! Modem snafus downed my access to the interwebs and bade a personal visitation from the TWC Oopma Loompas themselves, who not only performed a swift and gracious restoration of service but managed to save Augustus Gloomp from the furnaces just in the nick of time. Today's continuing series include Tout Truffaut at Film Forum, An Auteurist History of Film at MoMA, Blonde Venus: The Films of Dietrich and von Sternberg at BAM, and The Deuce at the Nitehawk Cinema. The tomfoolery be thus;

Film Forum

THE WILD CHILD (1970) Dir; Francois Truffaut

MoMA

BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) Dir; Arthur Penn

BAM Cinematek

THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934) Dir; Joseph von Sternberg

BowTie Chelsea Cinemas

XANADU (1980) Dir; Robert Greenwald

Nitehawk Cinema

VIGILANTE (1983) Dir; William Lustig

Today's Pick? I cannot side against the closing day of one of the rep circuit's more unmissable recent series, Blonde Venus: The Films of Dietrich and von Sternberg, unspooling its last today at BAM. THE SCARLET EMPRESS may rep the peak of their brilliant 7-film collaboration, if not then certainly the most feverish dream the team of filmmaker and muse ever conspired to bring to the screen. Von Sternberg's stylish exploration of decadence, debauchery and sexual politicking, transposed from his usual shadowy milieu of nightclub, shipping port and house of ill-repute, to 18th century Czarist Russia, served as the perfect vehicle for his ultimate screen confection; the great Marlene Dietrich, whose aloof, even dubious morality strode in perfect tandem with this somewhat bohemian and libertine imagining of Catherine the II, one of history's most famous female monarchs.

Von Sternberg remains one of the scant male filmmakers who dug the idea of female empowerment without neccessarily needing to martyr or demonize them. Aside from her practically vampiric Lola Lola from THE BLUE ANGEL (and to be fair, Emil Jannings' ball-less oaf is the other half of that tango), her characters in the von Sternberg cycle are resilient, followers of their own hearts, deciders of their own destinies. They are in control of the proceedings, if only seemingly, against all convention. It seems now only fitting that director and star would ultimately tackle the idea of Dietrich in charge of an entire nation, just as the Marx Brothers had graduated to that status a year prior. During the compass-addled years of the depression the actual world had chosen as its leaders some absurd characters indeed, and it would've seemed the release provided by both entries, humorous from the brothers Marx and sexual from Dietrich, would've resonated with ticket buyers disillusioned by their current circumstances. Not the case, as it turned out. Both imaginings of nations ruled by interests disparately neurotic only added to the glum, and escapist fare like the Astaire and Rogers flicks danced off (I couldn't!) with the reciepts. History has been more than kind to both, however, and tonight you can avail yourself of the excellent and rare opportunity to gaze at a pristine print of this magic celluloid the way it was meant to be experienced. Plus, Marlene was a hottie. It always bears saying.

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. For the monthly overview listen in to the inaugural podcast! 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 fraü Dietrich, farewell, adieu, to you and you and yeah I think I made my point.

JoeW@NitrateStock.net

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 the 2012 hurricane. Be a mensch.