October 27th 2015. 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.
New, continuing, and concluding series this day include Aspects of Alice at the Library for the Performing Arts, CinéSalon at the French Institute, The Waking Dreams of Wojciech Has at BAM Cinématek, and Hitchcock/Truffaut at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The rickety reel unraveling be thus;
Film Forum
ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS (1960) Dir; Luchino Visconti
Library for the Performing Arts
Aspects of Alice
ALICE (1988) Dir; Jan Svankmajer
French Institute/Alliance Française
THE LAST METRO (1980) Dir; François Truffaut
BAM Cinématek
The Waking Dreams of Wojciech Has
THE FABULOUS JOURNEY OF BALTHAZAR KOBER (1988) Dir; Wojciech Has
Film Society of Lincoln Center
I CONFESS (1953) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock*
*Intro'd by film critic/historian Kent Jones
Today's Pick? I feel I've done the Wojciech Has series a disservice by only choosing it once during its run, and it would be an easy fix to select his final surrealist exercise, a period piece about an alchemist's sojourn through a plague-ridden 16th century Germany. However, another mind untwined from equally chilly European climes is granted a little big-screentime of his own today, and knowing that both men rarely grace our rep skeds, it's indeed a tough call.
But screw it, I'm goin' with Jan Svankmajer's ALICE, screening at the Library for the Performing Arts, which I consider perhaps the best and purest cinematic take on the tale. It's weird, it's dark, it's disturbing. However, on the downside, it's way too short. Step into the rabbit hole, whydont'chya?
For more info on these and all NYC's rep film screenings in October '15 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. 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 soon with new Picks 'n perks, til then safe, sound, make sure the next knucklehead is too!
P. S. The warmer, fiercer cuddle of the sun's sunnier disposition has begun its annual wane, but believe it or not some of our fellow NY'ers have still yet to be made whole in the wake of the 2012 storm. Should you be feeling charitable please visit the folks at OccupySandy.net, follow their hammer-in-hand efforts to restore people's lives, and donate/volunteer if you have the inclination and availability. Be a collective mensch, Stockahz!
