July 2016! European Tough Guys, Political Potboilers, and Outdoor Screenings Abound!

Whassap Stockahz?!? Your humble correspondent returns once more to give you the lowdown regarding NYC's rep film shenanigans, concerning the month of July 2016! We've just crossed the year's halfway mark, and it hasn't been the most pleasant 6 months for fans of the entertainment industry in general. We've lost quite a few luminaries who will undoubtedly continue to burn brightly, but the lack of them will continue to pang in unfavorable ways. However, we of artistic inclination have much to celebrate in the coming weeks, as tried and true institutions like BAM and Film Forum and MoMA find themelves joined by relatively new jonts like my beloved Nitehawk Cinema, and the ink's-not-dry venues monickered Synicated in Bushwick, and the Metrograph on Manhattan's LES. Our movie-mad burg's gone from too few options to too many. And I don't see a damn thing wrong with that! So let's get to the action, shallen't we?

Those of you familiar with this site, y'know, the good ones, know that I like to designate that series or screening I deem well nigh unmissable with the much-coveted and self-explanatory status known as the Big Dawg. Last month that rarified disticntion went to BAM Cinématek and their essential series dedicated to newly-scrubbed classics of World Cinema, Around the World in Five Restorations, which featured Bertolucci's THE CONFORMIST, Orson Welles' CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT, and the imortal Kurosawa's final masterpiece, RAN. It was kinda hard to argue against that Pick.

In a move even I find surprising, as I normally abhor the double-dip, I'm sticking with BAM this month, and awarding the Daily Growl to their exceptional program of political cinema, Four MoreYears: An Election Special! Pouncing on the opportunity to exploit the election cycle the wily programmers at the Cinématek have cobbled together a slate of films that explores the campaign/voting process from multiple angles. Michael Ritchie's THE CANDIDATE provides perhaps the most insightful and acerbic peek into the machinations of a political campaign. Haskell Wexler's groundbreaking MEDIUM COOL made use of legitimate footage of the chaos at the '68 Democratic Convention and expertly interwove it with a fictional narrative, forming a powerful statement in the end result. Pakula's ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN gave us not merely an ace procedual, but an expert example of the cinema of paranoia. And speaking of paranoia, there may be no better example that John Frankenheimer's adap of Richard Condon's THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, a political potboiler in which the plots laid are treacherous and convoluted, and no one is to be trusted. The series runs from the 15th to August 3rd, and some titles in the series don't quite meet this site's 25-year mark for inclusion, so be sure to check out the entire program at BAM's website. Ya might mis WAG THE DOG otherwise. And ya shouldn't. BAM Cinématek is located at the Peter Jay sharp building at 30 Lafayette Avenue, in Brooklyn.

Re-entering the civilized side of the East River we find ourselves at that most venerated temple to all things cinematic, West Houston's beloved Film Forum, and this month offers up quite the sked at the best-popcorned venure in he 5 boroughs! Currently underway is a 2-week booking of the debut feature from the fabulous Coen Brothers, 1984's BLOOD SIMPLE, shortened by the duo some ten years ago for their Director's Cut and now fully restroed in a sparklin' 4K spitshine by the good folks over at Janus Films. The shadows promise to be increasingly shadowy and the key lights even keyer. Or something like that. Runs til the 14th.

Bowing immediately on he heels of said Coen trib is the Forum's ambitious Les Durs, bearing the subtitle and context Three French Tough Guys! Specifically showcasing the work of Lino Ventura, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and my persoanl fave from amongst the pack, the malleable-mugged Jean Gabin, titles in this great series include Godard's BREATHLESS, Phillipe de Broca's THAT MAN FROM RIO and Truffaut's MISSISSIPPI MERMAID showcasing Belmondo, George Lautner's MONSIEUR GANGSTER, Terence Young's THE VALACHI PAPERS, and Claude Sautet's L'ARME A GAUCHE spotlighting Lino Ventura, and the absolute masterpieces, from Julien Duvivier PEPE LE MOKO, from Marcel Carné PORT OF SHADOWS, and from the brilliant and legendary Jean Renoir both LA BETE HUMAINE and GRAND ILLUSION, shining the Kliegs apropriately on the iconic Gabin. The series contains a multitude of worthy titles, and runs from the 15th thru August 2nd. Film Forum is located at 209 West Houston St., in lower Manhattan.

Subway surfing up to midtown we find ourselves at MoMA, who contribute not one but TWO series to the rep film circuit this month. Beginning on the 8th their Modern Matinees series hoists the great Judy Holliday into the spotlight, and features nearly all of her film appearances, from her most memorable work in titles like THE MARRYING KIND, IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU, and her Oscar-winning reprisal of her Broadway success in BORN YESTERDAY, to lesser-seen fare like Richard Quine's FULL OF LIFE, Mark Robson's PHFFFT!, and Vincente Minelli's BELLS ARE RINGING1 The luminous Ms. Holliday graces the museum's screens thru August 31st.

Also at MoMA this month is an ace trib to one of the studio era's most important and somewhat overlooked filmmakers. Leo McCarey studied law, but eventually drifted into the film industry because he just found it more exciting. He began as a gag writer for Hal Roach. He'd eventually graduate to a status that, while some might argue not quite auteur-level, certainly boasted the power to choose projects and provide defiitive examples of particular genres. Here's a guy who directed what many consider the quintessential Marx Brothers flm, 1933's DUCK SOUP, who successfully navigated a complete 180 with the social melodrama/Kleenex weepie MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW, crafted a Screwball comedy template to rival Capra and Hawks with 1937's THE AWFUL TRUTH, gave audiences one of the great romantic heartbreakers not once, with 1939's LOVE AFFAIR, but twice with his own remake, 1957's AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER. And lest we underestimate his record I offer this reminder: he steered Der Bingle to his lone Oscar win in 1944's GOING MY WAY. McCarey is justly feted by Dave Kehr, Adjuct Curator and Steve Massa, he of the brilliant Silent Clowns Film Series. Mensches both. The series runs from July 15th to the 31st. MoMA is located at 11 W53rd St. in Midtown Manhattan.

Parasailing into Astoria we land at that most beloved institution dedicated to all images moving from the advent of Eadweard Muybridge, the miraculous Museum of the Moving Image. In adition to their comprehensive coverage of the history of television, video games and the internet, MoMI is devoted to film is grand and glorious ways. This month theydevote several weekends to the Greek autuer Theo Angelopoulos, in a series entitled Eternity and History. Titles include opening entry LANDSCAPE IN THE MIST, true-crime classic RECONSTRUCTION, the Marcello Mastroianni-led THE BEEEKEEPER, the inspirational refugee classic VOYAGE TO CYTHERA, and the pivotal culture-study THE TRAVELING PLAYERS. The series runs from the 8th to the 24th. Moving Image is located at 36-01 35th avenue in Astoria, Queens, a short simple subway ride from the city on the R train.

Back on the bipedal side of the tidal estuary we come to he NYC film fanatic's fave haunted house, Anthology Film Archives. This month the rep film circuit of the collapsing house from the climax of POLTERGEIST kicks off a two-month series entitled Voyeurism, Surveillance, and Identity in the Cinema, taking baby steps wih a weekend booking of Michael Powell's PEEPING TOM and Big Al's REAR WINDOW. The latter of which you will find no dearth of this lunar cycle. Later in the month AFA kicks off a trib to the folks behind the MONDO CANE docs, a format I don't usually cover with this site, but two notable narrative fake docs, Gualtiero Jacopetti & Franco Prosperi's FAREWELL UNCLE TOM and the even more notorious Ruggero Deodato's CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST, compel my inclusion within an otherwise respectable list. omewhat respectable anyway. The faux docs come at month's end. Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 2nd Avenue in Manhattan.

Hipstering over to the LES we find ourselves at NYC's newest four-walled valentine to all things cinematic, the Metrograph. Continuing & upcoming series this month include the ongoing Welcome to Metrograph: A to Z, which includes Alain Resnais' JE T'AIME JE T'AIME, Ernest b. Shoedsack's KING KONG, and Morris Engel's THE LITTLE FUGITIVE. The wonderful Cassavetes/Rowlands brings us such gems as A WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE, the perhaps defining role of GLORIA, and the emotionally-stark OPENING NIGHT, which, most gratefully, will be attended by Rowlands herself. And movie royalty doen't rank much higher that this legendary artist. The series runs from the 15th to the 24th. And the month's last day sees a 35mm unspooling of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, SEVEN SAMURAI. So, you know where to find me that day. The Metrograph is located at #7 Ludlow Street, just North of Canal St., in Manhattan.

Double-hipstering into the follically festooned BillyBurg we arrive at wha remains my fave movie theater in the 5 boroughs, the Nitehawk Cinema! Shenanigans and hijinks this month include Bertolucci's LAST TANGO IN PARIS, Michael Schultz's CAR WASH, and Gilliam's THE FISHER KING at the Witching Hour, as well as screenings of John G. Avildsen's THE KARATE KID & George Roy Hill's THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP. Best root beer n' tater tots combo to be had in the boroughs 5. The Nitehawk Cinema is just a short stumble away from the Bedford Avenue L train stop, at 136 Metropolitan Avenue.

Venturing West into the now tamed frontier known as Bushwick we arrive at the second-newest rep film venue in the city, the similarly booze & food focused Syndicated. William Friedkin's horror masterpiece THE EXORCIST gets a screening. and good luck keeping your food down during that film. Polanski's ROSEMARY'S BABY gets born again. And Argento's SUSPIRIA, one of the gaudiest, tackiest and still most effective horror yarns from that genre's golden era, gets to glow red once more. Syndicated is located at 40 Bogart St. in Brooklyn, NY.

IFC Center, on the humbly monickered Avenue of the Americas, has some nifty offerings this month. The early daytime classic film series is devoted for the next three months to the legendary Federico Fellini, featuring the recently-wrapping LA DOLCE VITA, and continuing with LA STRADA, AMARCORD, and the unassailable masterpiece 8 1/2! Midnights offer up the usual tomfoolery, with titles like Scott's ALIEN and Cameron's ALIENS, Carpenter's THE THING, and Philip Kaufman's remake of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS. IFC Center is located at 323 6th avenue, off 4th St., in Manahattan.

A venue I continually root for, the Tarrytown Music Hall, continues to sputter along with its attempts to fully implement a film program, thanks largely due to the efforts of David Schwartz, Chief Programmer at Astoria's Moving Image. this month they deliver an ace gansgetr film series entitles Mobsters on Main Street! Screenings include Coppola's THE GODFATHER, Arthur Penn's BONNIE AND CLYDE, and the great Michael Curtiz's ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES. The venue is located at 13 Main St. in Tarrytown NY, and is accessible by Metro-north in just over 35 minutes. Well worth your time and travel.

And it's July! Which not only means sweltering weather and panics over reservoir levels, but outdoor screenings aplenty! The 2 Big Boys, Manhattan's Bryant Park Festival and Brooklyn's Brooklyn Bridge Park Fest, continue to lead the field in both programming and quality of screening. The former offers up Preston Sturges' THE PALM BEACH STORY, Richard Donner's THE OMEN, and Sydney Pollack's THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, while the latter tempts with Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen's SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, Albert Magnoli's PURPLE RAIN, and Frank Capra's IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT. Other notable screenings include Michael Curtiz's THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD at Athens Square, Hutch's NORTH BY NORTHWEST in Stuyvesant Square, Agnès Varda's CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 at Tompkins Square Park, and Fred Wilcox's FORBIDDEN PLANET at Bellvue South Park. We got a whole summer full of these screenings unbounded by walls, so be sure to keep up with the interactive calendar to stay in the know!

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