June 12th 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.
I betch'ya thought it was June 2014, right? Betch'ya thought that absolutely Elysian weather we enjoyed over the weekend served as proof positive that summer had finally arrived for well and good. That all going forward was fireworks, hot dogs and bikinis. Right? Ya did, right? Well joke's on us pal! Take a look outside! It's still March! AND WE'RE IN SEATTLE!
Okay, okay, maybe I'm letting this chilled humidity get to me a little too much, but I believe I speak for the lot of us New Yorkers when I say we need to see the carcass of winter '14 roasting over a spit, in the form of a pig or some other such pork-related animal. And we need it now. As it turns out, Mother Nature has no HR dept. to complain to, and therefore my vent is lost on the big ears and relegated to this blog post. So we can either collectively whine about the meteorilogical dreariness this Thursday offers, or follow in the great footsteps of our forebears and just go to the movies.
Today's continuing series include An Auteurist History of Film at MoMA, and The Deuce at the Nitehawk Cinema. The shenanigans as follows;
Film Forum
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) Dir; William Wyler
MoMA
DEATH IN VENICE (1971) Dir; Luchino Visconti
BowTie Chelsea Cinemas
POLYESTER (1981) Dir; John Waters
Nitehawk Cinema
SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE (1982) Dir; Amy Jones
Today's Pick? A seminal effort from the Tycoon of Tawdry, Baltimore's favorite son; John Waters' POLYESTER, the first film ever to be unspooled in that William Castle-inspired format known as Odorama. Most of the auteur's champions and detractors alike would've agreed that smell was a sense already fully accounted for in his prior efforts, where the aroma of not merely the proceedings but the very character of the characters was in full evidence. Walk away from a screening of PINK FLAMINGOS or FEMALE TROUBLE and tell me you have no olfactory opinion about the films. I dare ya.
The BowTie Chelsea will most likely not offer the original scratch-n-sniff sheets that accompanied the film's original theatrical run, but as I've pointed out, you probably won't need any additional aid in employing said proboscinal sense. Perennial Waters alter-ego Divine once more stars in another Sirk-inspired homage to the overwrought Hollywood melodramas of the 50's, here portraying the matriarch of a dysfunctional middle class household beset by problems that range from glue-sniffing to ownership of a porn theater. Y'know, so we can relate.
Sadly the shock value is tame by today's standards, as even the most mundane reality show has bested it's jawdrop. What remains is what astute observers of his work championed upon its release; its artistry. Waters was a true auteur, with a concrete mise en scéne. Do yourself a favor and experience said on a big screen with an appreciative crowd. Or stand in the rain. Those are your choices. I'm waiting.
John Waters' POLYESTER screens tonight at 7pm at the BowTie Chelsea Cinemas. Trust me, it puts A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST to shame.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in June '14 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. For the monthly overview and other audio tomfoolery check out the 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 safe, sound, keep an eye out for the next knucklehead too.
-Joe Walsh
P. S. Even though we're coming into the summer months and therefore not often as mindful of the displaced, some of our fellow NY'ers are yet to be made whole since Hurricane Sandy hit nearly two years ago. Check in with the good folks at Occupy Sandy to see if you can't still volunteer/donate to our neighbors in need. Be a mensch.
