May 13th 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.
FIVE-count-'em-FIVE excellent screenings present yours truly with an extremely hard choice to be made. How to narrow it down to a singular selection? I sometimes wish this was a Sith apprenticeship and not a HIGHLANDER competition.
Yep. I just went there. Deal.
Continuing series today include French Cinema's Secret Trove at the French Institute/Alliance Française, and Cool Worlds: The Animation of Ralph Bakshi at BAM Cinématek. Hey. Ho. Let's Go.
French Institute/Alliance Française
LES MISERABLES (1934) Dir; Raymond Bernard
LE BONHEUR (1965) Dir; Anges Varda
BAM Cinématek
HEAVY TRAFFIC (1973) Dir; Ralph Bakshi
Film Forum
INTOLERANCE (1916) Dir; D. W. Griffith
IFC Center
GODZILLA (1954) Dir; Ishiro Honda
Today's Pick? A one night-only screening of D. W. Griffith's monumental work of the silent era, 1916's INTOLERANCE, presented in a spankin'-new DCP resto at Film Forum and accompanied by a new Carl Davis score! Produced partially as mea culpa to immediate antecedent BIRTH OF A NATION and all its abject racism, Griffith sought ultimate redemption from his audience through cinematic audacity, providing not merely visual spectacle unseen from American filmmakers of that time, but narrative bravado in the intertwining of four storylines that propel each other toward a singular conclusion. Subject matter as grand as The Crucifixion and humble as an impoverished couple's descent into crime are employed as the loose threads that slowly weave together Griffith's singular fabric, and its ambitious bravura continues to inspire new generations of filmmakers and filmgoers. It's not often afforded big screen unspoolery, even though that process is now strictly a 1's and 0's proposition, so take advantage of this opportunity to watch a game-changer in the venue intended.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in May '14 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. For the monthly overview listen in to the new podcast, and follow me on SoundCloud! For reviews of contemporary cinema and my streaming habits (keep it clean!) check out my Letterboxd 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 Gish was a babe. Y'know it.
-Joe Walsh
P. S. Should you be feeling charitable during this still 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.
