June 17th 2014. Pick of the Day.
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Apparently our fair metropolis has been overrun by a sporting subculture that doesn't understand that you dunk a ball into the basket, and a goalie doesn't protect a net bigger than twice his size. Pikers. Thankfully today we have films from France, Hong Kong and Japan to immerse ourselves in so that we may ignore these other cultures. Or something. Waitaminnit.
Today's continuing series include The Fearless Roman Polanski at IFC Center, Alec Guinness 100 at Film Forum, and the final day of All Hail the King: The Films of King Hu at BAM Cinématek.
IFC Center
ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968) Dir; Roman Polanski
MACBETH (1971) Dir; Roman Polanski
KNIFE IN THE WATER (1962) Dir; Roman Polanski
Film Forum
THE MUDLARK (1950) Dir; Jean Negulesco
THE CARD (1952) Dir; Ronald Neame
BAM Cinématek
RAINING IN THE MOUNTAIN (1979) Dir; King Hu
Today's Pick? I've been criminally neglectful toward a most valuable series that's graced our rep circuit these last two weeks, one celebrating a filmmaker who elevated the Chinese swordplay, or wuxia, cinematic genre to a legit art form. King Hu found his cinematic vocation after vacating his home of Bejing, following its postwar occupation by the People's Liberation Army. Knocking about in Hong Kong he found crew work in set design on various film productions, mostly low budget "chop-socky" fare. Hard and persistent labor led him to the Shaw Brothers studios, where he first began as onscreen talent, then came to apprentice under fellow aesthete, director Lee Han-Hsaing (The Enchanting Shadow). This led to his first gig in the big chair, COME DRINK WITH ME, and from here forward his love of Peking Opera forever infused the genre with bold melodrama writ large in glorious Shawscope and Sirkian color. Sadly the last entry in this series screens tonight, sad because I've not availed myself of this wonderful opportunity to examine the roots of Hong Kong cinema's greatness, but hey, like Flyboy said to Fran, we've got tonight.
King Hu's RAINING IN THE MOUNTAIN (1979) screens tonight at BAM Cinématek as the closing entry in the All Hail the King: The Films of King Hu series. Failing to attend this screening will bring great dishonor upon your house.
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 you are no match for my hybrid Bear/Lizard/Anglepoise Lamp style! HWAAH!
-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.
