July 25th 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.
Recidivist activities of the cinematic variety today include Original Gangsters at IFC Center, Femmes Noirs at Film Forum, An Auteurist History of Film and Lady in the Dark: Crime Films from Columbia Pictures 1932-57 at MoMA, the Elmore Leonard trib at Anthology Film Archives, and the elegant Cabaret Cinema at the Rubin Museum. The participants in the chain gang look thus;
IFC Center
HIGH SIERRA (1941) Dir; Raoul Walsh
BACK TO THE FUTURE PART 2 (1988) Dir; Robert Zemeckis
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) Dir; Steven Spielberg
Film Forum
MURDER MY SWEET (1944) Dir; Edward Dmytryk
THE MALTESE FALCON (1940) Dir; John Huston
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964) Dir; Richard Lester
MoMA
TAXI DRIVER (1976) Dir; Martin Scorsese
ESCAPE IN THE FOG (1945) Dir; Budd Boetticher
THE BURGLAR (1957) Dir; Paul Wendkos
Anthology Film Archives
52 PICK-UP (1986) Dir; John Frankenheimer
MR. MAJESTYK (1974) Dir; Richard Fleischer
Pier 46, Hudson River Park
GHOSTBUSTERS 2 (1989) Dir; Ivan Reitman
Transmitter Park
LE MAGNIFIQUE (1973) Dir; Philippe de Broca
Rubin Museum
THE HOSPITAL (1971) Dir; Arthur Hiller
Film Society of Lincoln Center
PUMPKINHEAD (1989) Dir; Stan Winston
Nitehawk Cinema
THE ROAD WARRIOR (1982) Dir; George Miller
Today's Pick? I'd almost consider waking at an ungodly hour to ride along with Bogie's Mad Dog as he blazes across the big screen. Almost. the two-fer of Boeticher's ESCAPE and Wendkos' BURGLAR also tempt, but I recently chose MoMA's awesome Columbia crate-rummage, and a DOOZY of a double-bill approacheth in that series. Ditto the Forum, which unpacks a pair of big guns today with two quintessential adaps of beta pulp gumshoes: Dick Powell's turn as Philip Marlowe, and Bogies's retiring of the jersey on Sam Spade. Outdoor hijinks inlcude Jean-Paul Belmondo's secret agent spoof, and the unfortunate second trip to the well by Messrs Reitman, Murray, Ramis et al. No, there can be only one choice tonight. A film that first found success on these shores as a midnight movie and screens at (or near) the witching hour once more this eve. A fable of the post-apocalypse as only the 80's could imagine; indeed, one of the template films for the subgenre that would follow it, and which had a big part in the look and theme of this summer's breakout action flick SNOWPIERCER. A film so violent, so pagan, so dangerous to the very men and women who banded together to make it, that it could only be a product of that most outlaw of societies that clung tenuously to existence in the Reagan era. NO, I don't mean Arizona, although anyone should be forgiven for the mistake. I am of course referring to Australia. And the perfect marriage of John Ford, Sergio Leone, and the automobile.
George Miller's THE ROAD WARRIOR screens tonight 12:15am at the Nitehawk Cinema. Reckon you got a bargain, eh?
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 next knucklehead is too. Excelsior, Stockhaz!
-Joe Walsh
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.
