June 16th -22nd: Villkommen, Kayo, and Ouch! Welcome to Trump's America! Read on, True Believers!
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.
Well, I got a haircut this week. Any other news?
New and continuing series this week inlcude Modern Matinees: Becoming Jennifer Jones at MoMA; Quadrophilia: Queer Edition at the Quad Cinema; Welcome to Metrograph: A to Z at Metrograph; Cross Dressing and Drag on Screen and Simian Vérité at Anthology Film Archives; and See it Big: Spielberg Summer! at Museum of the Moving Image! The 4-perf foofaraw be thus;
Friday June 16th
Film Forum
IL BOOM (1963) Dir; Vittorio de Sica
MoMA
Modern Matinees: Becoming Jennifer Jones
PORTRAIT OF JENNIE (1948) Dir; William Dieterle
Quad Cinema
DEATH IN VENICE (1971) Dir; Luchino Visconti
CABARET (1971) Dir; Bob Fosse
Metrograph
STRIPES (1981) Dir; Ivan Reitman
Anthology Film Archives
Cross Dressing and Drag on Screen
YENTL (1983) Dir; Barbara Streisand
MAX MON AMOUR (1986) Dir; Nagisha Oshima
MONKEY SHINES (1988) Dir; George A. Romero
Washington Square Park
LA TRAVERSEE (1956) Dir; Claude Autant-Lara
IFC Center
TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA (1986) Dir; William Friedkin
TAXI DRIVER (1976) Dir; Martin Scorsese
Nitehawk Cinema
ZARDOZ (1974) Dir; John Boorman
THE OMEN (1976) Dir; Richard Donner
Today's Pick? Once more I villkommen the opportinity to catch Bob Fosse's 1st masterpiece, the bold adap of Kander & Ebb's celebrated CABARET, a deep but subtle dive into Weimar era Germany and a knowing, frightening observation of Nazi creep. Unspools in glorious 35mm at that newest rep trophy to Manhattan's film scene the Quad Cinema! Liza deservedly took the litle gold guy for her fearless ressurection of American ex-pat Sally Bowles, but save some appreciation for the always underrated michael york, who also walks effortlessly between boundaries without reserve. Did I miss anyone?
Saturday June 17th
Nitehawk Cinema
CLOAK AND DAGGER (1983) Dir; Richard Franklin
ZARDOZ (1974) Dir; John Boorman
THE OMEN (1976) Dir; Richard Donner
Film Forum
IL BOOM (1963) Dir; Vittorio de Sica
Quad Cinema
DEATH IN VENICE (1971) Dir; Luchino Visconti
Metrograph
THE SET-UP (1949) Dir; Robert Wise
THE LONG LONG TRAILER (1953) Dir; Vincente Minnelli
Mid-Manhattan Library
UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT (1974) Dir; Sidney Poitier
Museum of the Moving Image
RADIERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) Dir; Steven Spielberg
PRIDE OF THE YANKEES (1942) Dir; Sam Wood
Anthology Film Archives
MONKEY BUSINESS (1952) Dir; HAWKS!!!
BYE BYE MONKEY (1978) Dir; Marco Ferreri
KING KONG ESCAPES (1967) Dir; Inoshiro Honda
Cross Dressing and Drag on Screen
I DON'T WANT TO BE A MAN (1918) Dir; Ernst Lubitsch
Franklin D. Roosevelt Park
JAWS (1975) Dir; Steven Spielberg
IFC Center
TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA (1986) Dir; William Friedkin
TAXI DRIVER (1976) Dir; Martin Scorsese
Nitehawk Cinema
ZARDOZ (1974) Dir; John Boorman
THE OMEN (1976) Dir; Richard Donner
Today's Pick? Robert Wise is among a handful of auteurs that seemingly never get their due, like Richard Fleischer or Sydney Pollack, directors who worked across the genres but never had the sexiness of a Hitchcock or a Hawks or a Scorsese. Yet he made a masterpiece in every genre, noir horror, science fiction, musicals, you tell me where Robert Wise faltered? Many, however, forget that he initially cut his teeth with budgets low and topics lurid; his directorial debut under mentor Val Lewton's tutelage, THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE, even more a psychological study that its forbear. It's folow-up, 1945's THE BODY SNATCHER, about, well, I guess you know, boasting one of the greatest perfs from icon Boris Karloff. In 1949 he took on a simple B-feature, the tale of a boxer perpetually betrayed by his manager and cast noir faves Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter as his leads, and goddam if he didn't concoct one of the leanest, shadiest looks into corners that 73 minutes will afford. THE SET-UP screens in glorious 35mm today as part of Metrograph's esentila and hopefully never-ending Welcome to Metrograph: A to Z.
Sunday June 18th
Film Forum
GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1946) Dir; David Lean
IL BOOM (1963) Dir; Vittorio de Sica
HIGH NOON (1952) Dir; Fred Zinnemann
Nitehawk Cinema
CLOAK AND DAGGER (1983) Dir; Richard Franklin
Metrograph
HOLD THAT GHOST (1941) Dir; Arthur Lubin
Museum of the Moving Image
E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982) Dir; Steven Spielberg
RADIERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) Dir; Steven Spielberg
Anthology Film Archives
Cross Dressing and Drag on Screen
AN ACTOR'S REVENGE () Dir; Kon Ichikawa
YENTL (1983) Dir; Barbara Streisand
MONKEY BUSINESS (1952) Dir; HAWKS!!!
EVERY WHICH WAY BUT LOOSE (1980) Dir; Hal Needham
KING KONG (1976) Dir; John Guillerman
Quad Cinema
DEATH IN VENICE (1971) Dir; Luchino Visconti
Today's Pick? C'mon, it's mere days away from summer. What else am I gonna choose but Spielberg's E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, screening at Museum of the Moving Image as part of their series entitled, what else, See it Big: Spielberg Summer! Look, I'm no fan of the film, but I acknowledge its importance to its fanbase, and it did define the summer of '82 (deservedly or otherwise), and there is this really phenomenal museum dedicated to the history of all images moving that is a MUST for film fans in particular. So I'll give Tha Shpielz a pass and recommend his ouch. Hey, I'm a big-hearted guy. Wait'll you see it glow.
Other notable screenings this week include the kickoff of yet another glorious season of summer films at Bryant Park, with one of the greatest NYC films all-time, Cooper and Shoedsack's original 8th Wonder of the World, 1933's KING KONG, once more rampaging through Manhattan's streets and into our hearts, this Monday at sunset; Howard Hawks' first go-round with the actress who went from Marylin Monroe to Marylin Mon-roe pretty much under his watch, 1952's MONKEY BUSINESS, which also stars oh a coupl'a thesps by the name of Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers, unspooling Tuesday in 35mm at Anthology Film Archives as part of their Cross Dressing and Drag on Screen series; a rare screening of an Archers classic, the team comprised of writers/directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, 1950's GONE TO EARTH, this Wednesday as part of the Modern Matinees: Becoming Jennifer Jones program at MoMA; and the 1st ever American presentation of Vittorio de Sica's IL BOOM, a "lost" 1963 comic masterwork finally getting its proper unveiling on our shores at the Film Forum, ending this Thursday.
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, the outreach and safe haven offered by the International Rescue Committee, and the decades-old and ongoing good works from the folks at UNICEF. Collectively they're proving that the greatest investment we can make as a human race is in each other, and that helping to save someone else in troubled circumstances is indeed nothing more than saving ourselves. It's a small something to be sure in this maelstrom of madness, but it is just that: something.
