June 2016! Genre is a Woman, Plundering the Universal Vaults, and Summer Outdoor Screenings Kickoff! Let's go!

Ballyhoo & Ballyhey, Stockahz! We have arrived at the magical month of June, the 30 day span that culminates in the Summer Solstice, that day that marks the halfway point in the Earth's journey round the precious yellow ball of fiery gas we lovingly refer to as the sun, provider of light and heat for our clime as third stone from its surface. As ever we have lots to look forward to over the next few months, including beach weather, backyard BBQ's, and baseball galore. For film lovers we have not merely the usual round of popcorn megaplex blockbusters, but outdoor screenings, the annual Criterion sale at B&N, and of course repertory film fests by the dozens, for which we, the aforementioned NYC Cinegeek, remain eternally thankful for. Yes, we have rats the size of Grumman buses. Yes, we boast subway platforms that could melt polar ice caps. And yes, we're all starting to feel a little like Wayne at the end of THE SEARCHERS when new civilzation takes root and makes little room for those who civilized it to begin with. That's the end of that comparison, we're not racists like Ethan Edwards, we just feel like we're standing in John Ford's doorway and it's about to close. But most importantly, we are the lucky recipients of one of the finest rep film circuits the world may offer. Which has recently been augmented by Bushwick's Syndicated and the LES's Metrograph. Later in the year we have the re-opening of the Quad to look forward to, as well as the ever=looming opening of Brooklyn's iteration of the Alamo Drafthouse. Til then. let's focus on the goods at hand, shall we? Once more into the breach!

Those of you familiar with this site know that I like to award what I refer to as Big Dawg Status to that screening or series I deem that month's most unmissable. Last month that most sought-after distinction went to the comprehensive, illuminative restrospective dedicated to the one-and-only Anna Magnani, she who helped define Italian Neorealism whence it was born and went on to inspire talents as diverse as Tennessee Williams, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Sidney Lumet. Entitled La Magnani, it left nothing by the wayside, covering the entirety of her career, from early efforts like Mario Mattoli's FULL SPEED to her farewell efort, Fellini's ROMA, and it did so by largely employing 35mm prints. Nothing came close. And thanks once more to the cats at the Film Sciety of Lincoln Center for ever providing essential series like this.

This month's Bow Wow Chew Toy goes to the folks at BAM, and their short but concentrated and potent series Around the World in Five Restorations. A microcosmic overview of world cinema through the purview of just 5 filmmakers, it nonetheless promises to offer a fairly broad exploration of disparate cultures and how their art forms connect and also veer off from each other. The majestic titles on display include Orson Welles' CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT, Jacques Rivette's OUT 1: SPECTRE, Bernardo Bertolucci's THE CONFORMIST, and what I deem the crown jewel of the lot, Akira Kurosawa's RAN. I can attest to the quality of the Welles, Bertolucci and Kurosawa restos, but I'm safe in sayin' all 5 entries will look magnificent on the big screen. The series runs from June 10th to the 14th.

Also at BAM this month is the currently unspooling run of Wolf Gremm's KAMIKAZE '89, an 80's New Wave pastiche that features the last perf by legendary filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It shares DNA with early MTV, the kicky irreverence of Jean-Jacques Bieniex, and both the glamour and surealism sought by Fassbinder himself. Very much worth the visit.

Once more this summer BAM sponsors several outdoor screenings at the nearby Putnam Triangle Plaza, beginning with a focus on 70's Blaxploitation cinema. Jack Starett's CLEOPATRA JONES, starring the majestic Tamra Dobbs, kicks off the shenanigans on the 9th, followed by John Berry's CLAUDINE on the 16th and Arthur Marks' FRIDAY FOSTER on the 23rd. The latter boasting the considerable talents of one Pam Grier, the face of the genre some would say. BAM is located at the Peter Jay Sharp building at 30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn.

Skidooing back into the borough of the bipedal we find ourselves at that most cherished temple dedicated to the cinema, West Houston Street's glorious Film Forum! Much goes on this month at that glorious site, first and foremost the currennty underway Genre is a Woman series, spotlighting the efforts of those female filmmakers who've tread into territory usually considered men-only territory, including noir, action and sci-fi. The entries include such gems as Barbara Loden's crime-couple melodrama WANDA, Kathryn Bigelow's action homage/send-ups BLUE STEEL and POINT BREAK, Doris Wishman's nudie classics BAD GIRLS GO TO HELL and NUDE ON THE MOON, Amy Heckerling's comedy classic FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH, and an afternoon devoted to one of filmdom's greatest pioneers, Alice Guy Blaché. The series is currently underway and finishes up on the 16th.

Following up on the 17th is the brand-spankin' new spitshine of what is arguably Ernst Lubitsch's last great film, 1943's HEAVEN CAN WAIT, starring the great Don Ameche in his finest, charm-spinning form and Gene Tierney as the luminous love of his life, who he can't seem to stop disappointing. It's ravishing Technicolor has been painstakingly renewed, and it's comedy of manners and tricky but eventually solid moral center, a staple of Lubitsch, remain solid. Screens til the 23rd.

The rep nuttiness at the Forum closes June out with a week of the restored THE KING OF COMEDY, Martin Scorsese's prescient take on our nation's media, what I refer to as the unique American fear of obscurity, and how its extremes might appear. One might argue that between this film and Sidney Lumet's equally prophetic NETWORK, you might explain the rise of Donald Trump. Trust me, though, watching this film will be a monumentally superior experience compared to what we're currently witnessing. #NeverPupkin.

And as always the excellent hook-em-while-they're-young series Film Forum Jr., screening solely on Sunday mornings at 11am, offers up Norman Jewison's FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Charlie Chaplin's THE KID (on Father's Day no less!), and Peter H. Hunt's 1776. Film Forum is located at 209 West Houston St. in Lower Manhattan.

Skedaddling over to the LES we find ourselves at the new hipster film haven Metrograph, which I finally got to pay a visit to last month and can fully attest to the following; folks, it's good! The theaters and screens are impeccable, the interaction between staff and customer wholly positive and warm, and the print I caught, Michael Mann's HEAT brilliant, in the truest sense of the term. Thismonth they've devoted their efforts to a career retrospective of a man I hold in low esteem, whom I consider a hack, one who finagled his way into the Director's Era of the 70's through association, and not vision, subsisting in a zone between doing and those that can't do teach. However, he has made several good films, mostly as a for-hire hangabout. 1987's THE UNTOUCHABLES. 1993's CARLITO'S WAY. Then there's 1977's CARRIE, which lies somewhere between inspired work and tired retread. No, his lone great achievement, a MIGHTY achievement in my opinion, the one example of his throwing caution to hell and branding his name on cult cinema, was 1974's PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE, which remains his finest 2 hours. In any event, the trib continues for the remainder of the month. So depending on your level of appreciation, or masochism, you have this series to look forward to. regardless, visit this venue. Let's support the emerging rep film scene! Metrograph is located at 7 Ludlow St., just north of Canal.

Ski-balling up to midtown we find ourselves at MoMA, which hosts two excellent holdovers form May '16. Universal Pictures: Restorations and Rediscoveries, 1928-37 re-spins a selection of films greenlit under the watch of the founder's son, Carl Laemmle Jr., during his breief but brave tenure as Head of Production. Among the gems produced during this decade include both the edited and complete cuts of James Whale's THE ROAD BACK, the experimentally-minded Paul Fejos' BROADWAY, and a final screening of the magnificent experiment in 2-strip Technicolor and the emergence of Big Band jazz, John Murray Anderson's KING OF JAZZ! The series sadly screens its last on the 15th.

Also running a second lunar cycle is Modern Matinees: Fifteen by Otto Preminger. Repeating and remaining films in this series include 1944's LAURA, 1953's THE MOON IS BLUE, 1955's THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM, and 1962's ADVISE AND CONSENT. The series wraps up on the last day of the month.

A tribute to legendary Taiwanese DP Mark Lee Ping-Bing, bearing the monicker Luminosity, kicks off at MoMA on the 16th, and while the bulk of the films in the series were released after my 25-yr cutoff criteria, I do shine the Kliegs on Wang Tung's STRAWMAN, and Hou Hsiao-Hsien's DUST IN THE WIND and THE FLOWERS OF SHANGHAI. The eries runs until the 30th. MoMA is located at 11 W53rd st in Midtown Manhattan.

Hipstering back into the borough next door, a colony with which we are separated only by a common language, and, perhaps, something known as the East River, we find ourselves in follically festooned BillyBurg, at the doorstep of what remians my fave venue in the 5, the wonderful Nitehawk Cinema. Brunch screenings include Paul Schrader's BLUE COLLAR, Stanley Donen's THE LITTLE PRINCE and, well, Renny Harlin's THE ADVENTURES OF FORD FAIRLANE for the Bellini besotted. Additional hijinks include Thomas McGuane's 92 IN THE SHADE and J. Michael Mro's STREET TRASH as a rare double booking as part of The Deuce, Nitehawk's loving trib to Times Square's glory Grindhouse past, as well as Sergei Eisensten's BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN, accompanied by avant-garde silent film strummer/bangers Morricone Youth. The Nitehawk Cinema is a short stumble away from the L train's Bedford avenue stop, at 136 Metropolitan Avenue.

Now we get to the nitty, the gritty, and the itty. Bushwick's gleaming new rep space Syndicated offers up such gems as Richard Fleischer's SOYLENT GREEN, Jerry London's RENT-A-COP, and the continuing trib to Prince, Albert Magnoli's PURPLE RAIN. Syndicated is located, appropriately enough, at 40 Bogart st. in Brooklyn.

Availing ourselves of the Bifrost we return to Asgard, or Manhattan, and find ourselves at the munificent IFC Center on our Avenue of the Americas. Multiple series draw our focus, starting with the terrific ode to past greatness Classic IFC Center, which this month brings us Milos Forman's LOVES OF A BLONDE and Susan Seidelmen's DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN. Stephen King on Film offers up Mary Lambert's PET SEMATARY and Rob Reiner's MISERY. Midnight Madness includes Alejandro Jodorowsky's THE HOLY MOUNTIAN, Martin Scorsese's TAXI DRIVER, and Hayao Miyazaki's NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF THE WIND. And finally Queer/Art/Film brings us a screening of David Lynch's initial masterpiece, 1977's ERASERHEAD. IFC Center's pretty much got it all this month, and are located at 323 6th avenue at 4th st.

The Rubin Museum continues its eternally swank Cabaret Cinema series this month with titles like Akira Kurosawa's RASHOMON and Frank Capra's IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. The policy has changed, the purchase of a cocktail no longer grants you a ticket to the screening. But it's still pretty dirt cheap to attend and you get to drink the bejeezus outta yerself whilst there. Contention? I think not. The Rubin is located at 150 17th st. between 6th and 7th avenue in Manhattan.

The BowTie Chelsea Cinemas keep their Thursday Classics series chugging along with screenings of Joseph Pevney's FEMALE ON THE BEACH, Berry Gordy & Tony Richardson's MAHOGANY, Petey Bogz's WHAT'S UP DOC?, and Joe Mank's THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA. All showtimes 7pm. The theater is located at 260 W 23rd st. in Manhattan.

Finally outdoor screenings have returned! HALLELLOO. HALLELLOO! Towel-squatting fare this month includes Yves Robert's THE TALL BLONDE MAN WITH ONE BLACK SHOE at Washington Square Park, Blake Edwards' BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S at Carroll Park, John G. Avildsen's ROCKY at John Jay Park, Luc Besson's SUBWAY at Transmitter Park, and John Sturges' THE GREAT ESCAPE at Carl Schurz Park Hockey Rink. Outdoor screenings in NYC, a novelty mere years ago, seems poised to become a full blown cinematic epidemic. Here's hoping there's no cure.

So there it is, your rundown of the month in repertory cinema. Schedules are subject to change, and they do, so be sure to check back with this site to keep fully updated. And be sure to like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, observe me on Instagram, stalk me on Tumblr, measure me on Vine okay that's enough now. You know where to find me should ya wanna keep up with the rep film doings in NYC. So until next time, be safe and saound, Stockahz, and make sure the next knucklehead is too. Excelsior!

-Joe Walsh

JoeW@NitrateStock.net