July 16th 2014. Pick of the Day.

World Cup's on another 4-year intermission, MLB's on break, NBA Hot Stove completely cooled. The winners? Germany, the American League and Carmelo Anthony, respectively. The losers? Excuses to avoid NYC's rep film circuit. I'm here all week.

Ongoing series today include An Auteurist History of Film and Lady in the Dark: Crime Films from Columbia Films 1932-57 at MoMA, and the Elmore Leonard trib at Anthology Film Archives. The tomfoolery as follows;

Film Forum

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964) Dir; Richard Lester

MoMA

BARRY LYNDON (1975) Dir; Stanley Kubrick

MYSTERIOUS INTRUDER (1946) Dir; William Castle

I LOVE TROUBLE (1947) Dir; S. Sylvan Simon

Anthology Film Archives

HOMBRE (1967) Dir; Martin Ritt

STICK (1985) Dir; Burt Reynolds

Pier One, Riverside Park South

BACK TO THE FUTURE (1985) Dir; Robert Zemeckis

Today's Pick? How exactly does one confidently assess the career of a man equally iconic in the upper eschelon of Hollywood folklore and the centerfolds of Cosmopolitan? Burt Reynolds is, and has unfortunately been for quite some time, the receiving end of pop culture snark. He began as what some deemed a second-rate Brando lookalike, and third-rate Brando impersonator. However, through hard work and determination, those two throwback Hollywood tropes, he began to establish an identity for himself, albeit one that saw him vacillate between roles as NAVAJO JOE and Dan August. He made a major breakthrough with his still-potent performance in John Boorman's DELIVERANCE, essaying über macho and ultimate impotence within the same character. Thus began in earnest a career that would see him eventually crowned Male Star of the Year by the National Association of Theater Owners in both 1978 and '80.

I know, statements like that don't make it any easier to take him seriously, even lo these many years later, and that's a shame. For a moment in the 70's Reynolds seemed ready to mirror the career of another Burt, one who also got his start as pure beefacke until he pounced on his first opportunity to display the brains that would outshine the brawn; a guy by the surname of Lancaster. 70's Burt followed up his breakout turn in the Boorman flick with a few light action turns in FUZZ and SHAMUS, as well as the grittier revenge-driven WHITE LIGHTNING. He next struck gold as the pro quarterback turned convict in Robert Aldrich's classic THE LONGEST YARD. He took his first turn behind the camera in WHITE LIGHTNING's follow-up, 1976's GATOR, and proved a capable director. He closed out the decade by stepping into the role he's still most associated with, as the latter half of SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT, while also helming a pitch-black suicide comedy (THE END) and portraying a recent divorcee with a quieter depth and sensitivity than his fans had been accustomed to (CHAPTER TWO). It seemed that there was no limit to what Burt Reynolds was to achieve as the new decade dawned.

Except, sadly, that seemed to be the limit. Reynolds would go on to produce some superior work in the 80's, though it appeared at increasingly sporadic intervals, as he took role after role chasing the elusive box office gold that had come so seemingly easy in the prior decade. Films like PATERNITY, THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS and CITY HEAT did nothing to enhance his rep at the ticket counter or with the critics who had once appeared ready to come over to his side. However, lost amidst these follies were genuine treasures, labors of love that were too easily dismissed by critics and were at least five years removed from their proper zeitgeist, films like SHARKEY'S MACHINE, the wildly uneven but still compeling HEAT, and today's Pick, which is also the last quality time he spent yelling "action". Reynolds brings the slow burn to Elmore Leonard's tale of an ex-con who gets embroiled in yeah it's an Elmore Leonard story, fill in the rest. The proceedings are greatly helped by the fact that source novelist Leonard also served as sceenwriter; who better to capture the quirky, jazzy dialogue and characteriztions? It's 80's brand rainswept macadam neon noir to be sure, but it ranks among the finest examples of such. Crockett and Tubbs took notes. I'm sure of it.

Burt Reynolds' STICK screens tonight as part of the Elmore Leonard tribute at Anthology Film Archives. I won't tell Loni if you won't.

For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in July '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, make sure the net knucklehead is too. Excelsior!

-Joe Walsh

JoeW@NitrateStock.net

P. S. Even though we've fully entered 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.