December 23rd-29th: Medieval Intrigue, Deneuve's Tears, and an Angel Gets His Wings. That's Right. Attaboy.

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Once again the Yule looms. Or the Loom yules. I've never quite gotten that whole deal straight. In any event Xmas is uponst us once more, Stockahz. We're close to the finish line of a really, really, REALLY, NO I MEAN REALLY! BAD! YEAR! Ahem. Having noted that obvious fact I offer some optimism, Life is a series of both waves and particles, and we gotta face it as such. Sometimes those elements seem poised against us, against the march of history, against our better natures. Sometimes. Other times, eh, not so much. Which is Bronxese of saying things have a way of turning back to our collective best interests. So while things might look grim at the moment, what with this gloating bloated behemoth bearing down upon us, playing to the cheap seats with false patriotism and no other honest interest than separating us from our reason and money, y'know, Peter Berg's PATRIOT'S DAY, there are works of worth also in the offing. The great Pedro Almodovar has a new film, JULIETA. Scorsese's SILENCE resounds this week. And the brilliant actor Denzel Washington may have finally proven himself a brilliant director with his adap of August Wilson's Pulitzer-snag FENCES. Much to look forward to, and even more to obsess over on our beloved rep film circuit. Which is pretty much why you're here to begin with. So why don't we get to it?

 

New and ongoing series this week include Kurosawa/Mifune at IFC Center; Christmas at Metrograph at Metrograph; Dino Risi at MoMA; Goin' Steadi: 40 Years of Steadicam at the Film Society of Lincoln Center; Cabaret Cinema at the Rubin Museum; and Film Forum Jr. at, y'know, Film Forum. Duh. The rambunctious retrospect be thus;

 

Friday December 23rd

 

IFC Center

Kurosawa/Mifune

THE BAD SLEEP WELL (1960) Dir; Akira Kurosawa

 

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) Dir; Frank Capra

 

EL TOPO (1972) Dir; Alejandro Jodorowsky

 

Film Forum

THE LION IN WINTER (1968) Dir; Anthony Harvey

 

Metrograph

Christmas at Metrograph

MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS (1944) Dir; Vincente Minnelli

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) Dir; Jacques Demy

 

MoMA

Dino Risi

LOVE AND LARCENY (1960) Dir; Dino Risi

VENICE, THE MOON AND YOU (1958) Dino Risi

 

Anthology Film Archives

THERE WAS A FATHER (1942) Dir; Yasujiro Ozu

I WAS BORN, BUT... (1932) Dir; Yasujiro Ozu

 

Syndicated

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) Dir; Frank Capra

 

Film Society of Lincoln Center

Goin' Steadi: 40 Years of Steadicam

THE HUNGER (1983) Dir; Tony Scott

 

Rubin Museum

Cabaret Cinema

SHOW BOAT (1936) Dir; James Whale

 

Nitehawk Cinema

THE THING (1982) Dir; John Carpenter

 

Today's Pick? Man I'm tempted by a few items on the slate today. Whale's take on the musical that revolutionized Broadway, the Paul robeson-starring SHOWBOAT. the Ozu double at AFA, while not exactly Christmas-y, still beautiful. And of curse, MacReady keeping his fellow humans (?) in check is always welcome, and seasonably pertinent! But for sheer paranoia, infighting and outlashing I must champion Anthony Harvey's glorious adap of THE LION IN WINTER. It's presented by the great Rialto films in a brand spankin' new 4K spitshine! Lust, greed, avarice and revenge never looked so good! You'll wish you were British!

 

Saturday December 24th

 

IFC Center

Kurosawa/Mifune

THE BAD SLEEP WELL (1960) Dir; Akira Kurosawa

 

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) Dir; Frank Capra

 

EL TOPO (1972) Dir; Alejandro Jodorowsky

 

Film Forum

THE LION IN WINTER (1968) Dir; Anthony Harvey

 

Metrograph

Christmas at Metrograph

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) Dir; Jacques Demy

 

Nitehawk Cinema

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) Dir; Frank Capra

 

THE THING (1982) Dir; John Carpenter

 

MoMA

Dino Risi

THE WIDOWER (1959) Dir; Dino Risi

 

Today's Pick? Tempted again by MacReady and the warmth of his flamethrower. And yes, I'm talking about his actual flamethrower, Freud! But I feel like the closing sequence of Demy's UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG is so simpatico with the moment, I have to choose it. Full disclosure: Damien Chazelle's LA LA LAND, a Demy-inspired modern musical, is my current fave of 2016. So I have an increasingly buoyed interest in revisitng the original model. But not neccesarily in revisiting Catherine Deneuve's genuine heartbreak. Xmas involves tears as well as joy. No film better sums this sentiment up.

 

Sunday December 25th Holy Cow Christmas Day it is who saw that comin'?!?!?!?

 

IFC Center

Kurosawa/Mifune

THE BAD SLEEP WELL (1960) Dir; Akira Kurosawa

 

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946) Dir; Frank Capra

 

Film Forum

Film Forum Jr.

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952) Dirs; Gene Kelly & Stanley Donen

 

THE LION IN WINTER (1968) Dir; Anthony Harvey

 

Metrograph

Christmas at Metrograph

ALL THAT HEAVEN ALLOWS (1955) Dir; Douglas Sirk

THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (1964) Dir; Jacques Demy

 

Film Society of Lincoln Center

Goin' Steadi: 40 Years of Steadicam

GOODFELLAS (1990) Dir; Martin Scorsese

AFTER HOURS (1985) Dir; Martin Scorsese

 

Today's Pick? You're joking, right? Frank Capra's IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, if there are any tickets left to be had. Let's hear it for George and Mary. Let's hear it for brotherhood and kindness. Let's hear it for Bedford Falls and its Building & Loan, and decry Pottersville and everything it reps. It's Xmastime once again. Let's hope an angel gets his wings. Attaboy, Clarence.

 

Other notable screenings this week include Akira Kurosawa's THE BAD SLEEP WELL, Monday at IFC Center, part of the Kurosawa/Mifune series; the twin Dino Risi bill this Tuesday the 27th, 1962's MARCH ON ROME and 1963's omnibus flick I MOSTRI, which means but one thing: renew your MoMA membership or acquire one for the first, knucks; John G. Avildsen's introduction of a little Sly Stallone to the world, 1976's ROCKY, screening in a new DCP rejiggering as part of the Film Society's currently underway Goin' Steadi: 40 Years of Steadicam this Wednesday the 28th; and Rick and Ilsa fall in and out and in love once again in Michael Curtiz's CASABLANCA, unspooling at Film Forum in glorious 35mm, this Thursday the 29th and running through January 3rd. We'll always have West Houston Street.

 

So there ya have it, my advice for your next 7 days' best time expenditure. We'll check in again a week from now for the purposes of once more rummaging through the reels and making the tough yet wonderful choices regarding our chosen love. Til then be sure to follow me on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram, and be SURE to catch my new YouTube channel, Nitrate Stock TV, where I'll be checking in at screenings all over the city and giving my 2 cents on the film, the venue, the audience, any damn thing that comes to my mind. Which, as some of ya know, can be quite entertaining. Til next time Stockahz, remember: be safe, be sound, and make sure the next guy and gal are too. Excelsior!

 

- Joe Walsh

 

P. S. As you know I like to beat the drum for what I consider worthwhile causes. Lately the strain of xenophobia which, sadly has always been present in our countyr, mostly dormant, but at times very awoken and tangible. Sadly, the latter is the present case, and the subject of Syrain refugees has become a veritable powderkeg. To those of you who believe we can aid these people, our fellow human beings who are desperate for our help, I suggest the heroic efforts of the good men and women at DoctorsWithoutBorders. They're providing boots-on-the-ground relief, everything from surgery and medicine to clean water. It's a small something to be sure in this maelstrom of madness, but it is just that: something.