March 17th -23rd: Unseeable Terror, the Big Apple in B&W, and Origin, Purpose and Mystery! Good to Be Back, Stockahz!
New York City's premiere resource for classic film screenings in the metropolitan area. Offering reviews, recommendations, venues and a host of links keeping classic film and the silver screens alive.
Believe it or not, honest to god and no lie, this site's been partially inactive for the last couple of weeks due to the same woes the whole country seems to be buzzing about currently: HACKERS! This is the emmes, not one, not two, but FIVE-COUNT-'EM-FIVE hackers cracked Nitrate Stock for Buddah knows what reason. It surely couldn't be the riches it secures me, I mean those not of the metaphysical variey. In other words I don't make a thin dime outta this here thang, although that was the once (and future?) intent of this whole shebang. No, the code crackers' intent is a mystery, but it prevented me from posting full articles and, worst of all, delayed me a full ten days before I could provide the usually reliable interactive monthly calendar of the NYC rep film circuit. That's all been fixed, and the calendar is up and running smoothly, and now I can get back to the weekely post, offering a capsule review of what's upcoming over the next few days and humbly offering my choices. So there may be a foreign power trying to interfere with my work, or a deep state working against me, or perhaps Putin himself just isn't a fan of wondrous works of art that enrich all mankind or just lukewarm on fun in general. Actaully I'm certain about that last part. Whatever the case, we're back, and now let's get to the goods.
New and ongoing series this week include Autocratic for the People: An Unpresidented Star-spangles Series of Film Satires! at IFC Center; Modern Matinees: Hollywood and the Great Depression, 1933 at MoMA; The Singularity, Universal in the 70's: Part Two and Buster Keaton at Metrograph; and Film Forum Jr. at Film Forum. Let's go to press!
Friday March 17th
IFC Center
Autocratic for the People: An Unpresidented Star-spangles Series of Film Satires!
THEY LIVE! (1988) Dir; John Carpenter
EL TOPO (1970) Dir; Alejandro Jodorwosky
Film Forum
MANHATTAN (1979) Dir; Woody Allen
MoMA
Modern Matinees: Hollywood and the Great Depression, 1933.
THE INVISIBLE MAN (1933) Dir; James Whale
BAM Cinématek
TAIPEI STORY (1985) Dir; Edward Yang
Metrograph
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) Dir; Stanley Kubrick
Universal in the 70's: Part Two
THE LAST MOVIE (1971) Dir; Dennis Hopper
New York Historical Story
THE SEARCHERS (1956) Dir; John Ford
Today's Pick? Jame Whale's ace adap of H. G. Wells' THE INVISIBLE MAN, unspooling as part of MoMA's exceptional but slowly winding down Hollywood and the Great Depression, 1933. I consider it not only an apt metaphor for the often sinister power weilded by the unseen, but perhaps director Whale's finest 2 hours. And who else ever made their film debut as a disembodied voice, let alone went on to as long and distingised a career as the venerable Claude Rains? Must see stuff.
Saturday March 18th
IFC Center
Autocratic for the People: An Unpresidented Star-spangles Series of Film Satires!
THEY LIVE! (1988) Dir; John Carpenter
EL TOPO (1970) Dir; Alejandro Jodorwosky
Metrograph
THE GENERAL (1926) Dir; Buster Keaton
Film Forum
MANHATTAN (1979) Dir; Woody Allen
BAM Cinématek
TAIPEI STORY (1985) Dir; Edward Yang
Today's Pick? Controversial personal life aside, there is little doubt that Woody Allen has been and continues to be one of the world's finest filmmakers, and his ultimate ode to his beloved NYC, 1979's MANHATTAN, is one of his best and amongst the greatest tone poems ever inspired by and dedicated to our fair metropolis. Screens at Film Forum in what promises to be an exceptional 4K resto til Tuesday the 21st.
Sunday March 19th
Film Forum
THE WITCHES (1990) Dir; Nicolas Roeg
MANHATTAN (1979) Dir; Woody Allen
IFC Center
Autocratic for the People: An Unpresidented Star-spangles Series of Film Satires!
THEY LIVE! (1988) Dir; John Carpenter
Metrograph
THE GENERAL (1926) Dir; Buster Keaton
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968) Dir; Stanley Kubrick
Universal in the 70's: Part Two
THE LAST MOVIE (1971) Dir; Dennis Hopper
Mid-Manhattan Library
PURSUED (1947) Dir; Raoul Walsh
Today's Pick? Another opportunity for moi to catch one of my top-tenners all-time, the S-Kube's masterpiece, 1968's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, unspooling at Metrograph as part of just another of their outta-tha-park series, The Singularity. It's screening in 35mm, and the MG doesn't skimp or leaves stones unturned when it comes to print quality. So this is a not-miss. Plus, I'll be there and posting my before and after on the fil to my new YouTube channel Nitrate Stock TV! It's what the kids are watching! Dig it!
Other notable screenings of interest this week include an unspooling of Stephen Frears' majestically caustic DANGEROUS LIASONS, Monday at the Library for the Performing Arts; Jacques Demy's LOLA at the French Institute/Alliance Française, this Tuesday as part of their wonderful CinéSalon series; Edward Yang's kickoff of the 80's Taiwan New Wave TAIPEI STORY, screening its last this day at BAM Cinématek; and the two-fer of Sidney J. Furie's THE LEATHER BOYS and Desmond Davis' THE GIRL WITH THE GREEN EYES, screening Thursday, the sophomore day of Film Forum's palpably-tensioned series Brit New Wave: From Angry Young Men to Swinging London.
Once again, there you have it, my picks and pontifications regarding your next 7 days' worth of rep filmgoing! We'll check in again a week from now, in the early days of a whole new spin 'round the sun, 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. Xenophobia has sadly always been present in our country, mostly dormant, but at times very awoken and tangible. Sadly, the latter is the present case, and the subject of Syrian 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.
