June 10th 2016. Pick of the Day.
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Avast Ye Mateys! Here be the first daily post of June 2016! I promise to get back on the horse proper and make sure I script 3-4 of these a week like the old days! I don't know why I chose pirate-speak to make this pronouncement, perhaps it's because I felt a sense of lawless empowerment when I chose to write it. Or maybe it's the rum. History will write its own opinion.
New and ongoing series this day includes Classic IFC Center at, ahem, IFC Center, Genre is a Woman at Film Forum, Modern Matinees: Fifteen by Otto Preminger and Universal Pictures: Restorations and Rediscoveries. 1928-37 at MoMA, Around the World in Five Restorations at BAM Cinématek, and, well, the trib to über-hack Brian De Palma at the Metrograh. Don't let the poor quality of the series turn you off the the high caliber of NYC's newest art/rep house. The joint's a blast. The ensuing emulsified ebullience be thus;
IFC Center
LOVES OF A BLONDE (1965) Dir; Milos Forman
PET SEMATARY (1988) Dir; Mary Lambert
TAXI DRIVER (1976) Dir; Martin Scorsese
Film Forum
BLUE STEEL (1989) Dir; Katherine Bigelow
IMPULSE (1990) Dir; Sondra Locke
SUBURBIA (1983) Dir; Penelope Spheeris
POINT BREAK (1991) Dir; Katherine Bigelow
FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982) Dir; Amy Heckerling
MoMA
Modern Matinees: Fifteen by Otto Preminger
LAURA (1944) Dir; Otto Preminger
Universal Pictures: Restorations and Rediscoveries. 1928-37
THE ROAD BACK (Short Version) (1937) Dir; James Whale
THE ROAD BACK (Long Version) (1937) Dir; James Whale
BAM Cinématek
Around the World in Five Restorations
CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT (1965) Dir; Orson Welles
Syndicated
PURPLE RAIN (1984) Dir; Albert Magnoli
Metrograph
DRESSED TO KILL (1979) Dir; Brian De Palma
Washington Square Park
THE TALL BLONDE MAN WITH ONE BLACK SHOE (1972) Dir; Yves Robert
Today's Pick? Crowded field today. Robert's TALL BLONDE MAN is a winning French slapstick farce, and it screens in the newly christened summer climes of Washington Square Park. Still bummed about the loss of his Purple Highness, I feel drawn to the screening of his finest 2 hours on film. What is arguably Forman's first masterpiece tempts, yet the 11am screen time breaks my spirit. And I've recently made my pilgrimage to Welles' restored CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT, so while not a true double dip, I feel like a more worthy choice exists if only for this day. So it comes down to 2 essential series this day: Film Forum's excellent and incisive trib to the modern female filmmaker and their commandeering of genres normally set aside exclusivley for male directos, and MoMA's examination of Carl Laemmle Jr.'s tenure as head of his dad's greatest creation, the one and only Universal Pictures. It's a tight race, but I will call it with a photo finish. Appropriately enough.
The opportunity to catch both the trimmed, narratively truncated version of James Whale's THE ROAD BACK, and the director's original cut, screening side-by-side tonight as part of MoMA's wonderful series Universal Pictures: Restorations and Rediscoveries. 1928-37, is damn nigh unmissable. Whale's career is a fascinating one, as he continually teetered betwen auteur status and work-for-hire company man. I've never seen this film, but now we are affordd the opportunity to take in both his origianl vision and the studio's cut, an artist's vision and his finacer's revision. There aren't too many opportunities to compare and contrast on this level in one place, so buy yerself a membership and feast. One day, I hope to actually enter the museum attached to the screening space. I hear it's a pip.
For more info on these and all NYC's rep film screenings in June '16 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. Summer seems to have finally graced our fair metropolis, but milder weather aside 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!
