August 19th 2016. Pick of the Day.

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Hello my fellow melted popsicles! And I refuse to follow up with a line about the stick and where it was stuck. We seem to be at that point in the Twilight Zone ep where the chick wakes up from her nightmare and discovers that the earth isn't slowly, steadily hurtling toward the sun. Which is relief to us all, viewers and actual physical temp sufferers equally. Saner, safer, much more livable degrees of heat are approaching, for which we can all give thanks. Of course, the twist in that TZ bad boy was that the earth was slowly hurtling away from the sun, and freezing slowly and steadily. So what that metaphor bodes going forward, I'm not sure. But I'm absolving myself of any blame for predicting it. Or demanding a cut of the royalties. Whichever benefits me best.

 

New and ongoing series this day include the self-explanatory Return of the Double Feature! at Film Forum, Joe Dante at the Movies at BAM Cinématek, Voyeurism, Surveillance and Identity in the Cinema at the brevity-obssessed Anthology Film Archives, and the legroom luxurious Cabaret Cinema at the Rubin Museum. The ubiquitous unspoolery be thus;

 

Film Forum

Return of the Double Feature!

VERTIGO (1958) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock

REAR WINDOW (1954) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock

 

BAM Cinématek

Joe Dante at the Movies

INNERSPACE (1987) Dir; Joe Dante

MICKEY ONE (1964) Dir; Arthur Penn

 

Hunts Point Recreation Center, The Bronx

LABYRINTH (1986) Dir; Jim Henson

 

Anthology Film Archives

Voyeurism, Surveillance and Identity in the Cinema

BLOW-UP (1966) Dir; Michelangelo Antonioni

BLOW OUT (1981) Dir; Brian De Palma

 

Syndicated

FRIDAY THE 13TH (1980) Dir; Steve Miner

 

Rubin Museum

Cabaret Cinema

BILLY LIAR (1964) Dir; John Schlesinger

 

IFC Center

PREDATOR (1987) Dir; John McTiernan

 

Nitehawk Cinema

ZOMBIE (1979) Dir; Lucio Fulci

 

Today's Pick? The Fulci temps mightily, and I haven't made ot out by my fave new theater, BillyBoig's Nitehawk Cinema, for quite a spell. Schlesinger's breakthrough is a triumph of both early 60's Brit Kitchen Sink cinema and the fabulisms of Federico Fellini. Really it comes down to a pair of twin bills this day, one an honest-to-goodness two-fer, the other spiritually paired yet admission separated. I'd love to recommend the double Hitch at Film Forum, but I truly, deeply believe only one of the titles begs your attendance, 1954's REAR WINDOW, which I also regard as the Fat Man's finest 2-plus. So I'm actually gonna recommend ponying up the separate tik tariffs to dig into a pairing far more intriguing, a masterwork joined by its inferior homage. The director of the latter was used to that assessment, but he fascinates still as a cult of one. You're almost sure to find brilliance in at least one of these films, which deal with modern tech and media and how our memories and, therefore, our personalities are defined, but you might actually find brilliance in both. If that's he case my e-mail address is at the lower right hand side of the page. Please plead your case and/or request my help in guiding you toward the proper mental health facilities.

 

Michelangelo Antonioni's BLOW-UP and Brian De Palma's BLOW OUT, admittedly a consummation devoutly to be wished, screen tonight back-to-back but with separate admission prices at Anthology Film Archives, as part of their new series Voyeurism, Surveillance and Identity in the Cinema. The original is sheer brilliance. The remake/rethink/ripoff is directed by Brian De Palma. Nonetheless, you can't pass up a compare/contrast like this one. Plus, you get the bonus of being able to ask the guy who brings his own mattress for his sharp analysis. For free you think you get this?

 

For more info on these and all NYC's rep film screenings in August '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!

 

JoeW@NitrateStock.net

 

P. S. Summer's canine dusk-til-dawn's have soundly parked themselves over our fair metropolis like the giant saucers from INDEPENDENCE DAY, but warmer weather notwithstanding 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!