June 18th 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.
90 degrees, 90 degrees, thank gawd amighty it's gonna be damn close to 90 degrees today.
Really? Have you all forgotten the icy grip winter '14 still clasped our weary hearts within mere weeks ago? And this constitutes another discomfort?
Look, it's this simple; winter drove you toward the nearest fireplace, in some cases the nearest lit garbage pail, but summer drives you to your nearest movie theater. I'll take that swap 6 days a week and twice on Sunday.
Today's continuing series include The Fearless Roman Polanski at IFC Center, Alec Guinness100 at Film Forum, and An Auteurist History of Film at MoMA. The tomfoolery looks thus;
IFC Center
THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (1967) Dir; Roman Polanski
ROSEMARY'S BABY (1968) Dir; Roman Polanski
FRANTIC (1988) Dir; Roman Polanski
THE TENANT (1976) Dir; Roman Polanski
Film Forum
OLIVER TWIST (1948) Dir; David Lean
MoMA
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (1971) Dir; Peter Bogdanovich
AMC Loews Kips Bay 15, AMC Empire 25
DIRTY DANCING (1987) Dir; Emile Ardolino
Today's Pick? I can't very well in good conscience let a Roman Polanski retro slip past without shining a spotlight on it! And as much as I'd like to make the entire day's sked my quadruple bill this day, the IFC offers no discounts for multiple screenings. So my economically responsible side forces me to narrow my love of the diminutive Pole to a single screening. And that screening is...
1966's CUL-DE-SAC!
Which is sort of a shame as it isn't being offered today, so instead I'm picking 1976's THE TENANT, one of the more perverse and subversive entries in a career prided upon such. Polanski casts himself as the eponymous transient, haunted by the spectre of his flat's former occupant and, especially, her suicide. Isabelle Adjani shows up to ensure you don't get too uncomfortably aroused by the sight of Polanski in a wig. Oh hell, get uncomfortably aroused, it's a Polanski flick for f**k's sake! Justify the auteur's existence, whydont'chya?
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 yeah I'm not making any Polanski jokes. I mean, which tasteless side do you take?
-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.
