May 2nd 2013. Pick Of The Day.

Roberto Rossellini's VOYAGE TO ITALY enters the second of its 9-day week at the Film Forum. The neo-realist auteur's examination of the strengths, weaknesses and, indeed, purpose of the modern marriage has risen sharply from its initial status as commercial pariah to critical darling. I've got some time to choose this, so I pass it up today in favor of a flop that landed with a louder thud.

Master anarchist Jean Vigo's seminal ZERO FOR CONDUCT screens at MOMA today as part of the museum's Ken Jacobs retrospective. Tempts, but a different wild man takes center stage tonight. Keep goin'.

The George Pal produced and Rudolph Mate directed adap of WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE, the popular 30's sci-fi novel about TWO count 'em TWO rogue planets that cause Planet Earth its biggest headache since the Big Bang, screens as part of MOMA's slowly winding down The Weimar Touch retrospective, dedicated to German expressionism's enduring influence on Hollywood filmmaking. A blast, and by all means catch it sometime. Just not today.

And the Clearview Chelsea Cinemas offers a screening of The Mahstah's prognostication on the future of mankind's relationship with nature, a far cry from, say, a Terrence Malick take on same said. THE BIRDS swoop in for the kill tongiht only at the magnificent multiplex on 23rd. Once more I decline in favor of a force of nature at once more feral, myopic, and relentless than any to be found in the natural world. No, only Hollywood could create something so beyond the parameters of civilized society. Ladies and gentlemen, I offer today's exhibit and my hero; William Friedkin.

There is a passage in the film LAWRENCE OF ARABIA where the title character's secret scheme to lead a small force of his Arab cohorts on a sure suicide mission is found out. When confronted by their leader, Prince Faisal, he is granted permission to go forth with this plot. Lawrence asks the Prince if they may claim to ride in Faisal's name. "Yes, you may claim it", is his response, "but in whose name DO you ride?"

I am always reminded of this portion of Robert Bolt's excellent script when considering the conversation William Friedkin had with legendary French director Henri-Georges Clouzot, where the brash American, flush with success and controversy, asked permission of the man he adressed as Maestro to remake his suspense masterpiece THE WAGES OF FEAR. "Yes", Clouzot is said to have replied, "but why would you want to?"

Why indeed?

Trying to figure out a mercurial talent like William Freidkin would take more space than this site's servers have to offer. This is a guy who was handed a suitcase with a million bucks in it and made THE FRENCH CONNECTION. This is a guy who was told a move into horror would kill his career and made THE EXORCIST. This is a guy with balls the size of Jupiter. The planet I mean. Imagine a guy with two Jupiters in his pants walking onto a movie set. That's William Friedkin.

William Friedkin adored French film, both the Hollywood inspired classics and the Nouvelle Vague of the 60's. At the height of his power he decided to walk in the footsteps of one of his heroes, not realizing that the very New Hollywood that he, Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdonavich had built would turn out to be the middle house in the Big Bad Wolf's rampage. He demanded autonomy, final cut, unlimited budget. To wit it marked the first time in the corporate takeover era that two studios co-financed a production. Nobody wanted to say no to the auteur. Sadly that action would become all too easy an exercise in the coming years.

Friedkin returned to the states with a film in the can that was every bit as gripping, taut and uncompromising as his last two box office gargantuans. The problem wasn't a director losing his touch, it was an audience in flux, with tastes leaning away from anti-heroes and American neo-realism and toward the movie that would decide the fate of Friedkin's higly anticipated flick; George Lucas' STAR WARS. Now, granted, in hindsight it can be said Lucas was the only one who even remotely foresaw the impact his patchwork mythology would have on the world, but there were those who saw changing tides, a Steven Spielberg for one, that might've predicted the demise of what Freidkin and company thought indestructible. Billy F's film opened a month after Lucas' opus, and sank without a trace. He would never enjoy the power he held in the early portion of that revered decade of filmmaking ever again, but he would be allowed to show off his twin Jupiters every so often, in works like TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. and more recently the Tracey Lett's adap KILLER JOE. Tonight, however, the Brooklyn Academy of Music kicks off a weekend trib to the wildman of 70's cinema with a 35mm screening of this now beloved classic, and the man himself will attend to intro and Q&A a film that will finally get some of the love it has always merited. Clouzot asked "why?'. Those of us who know this flick have always known the answer.

SORCERER screens tonight at BAM at 7:30pm as part of the academy's tribute to William Friedkin. Like I said, he'll be on hand for an intro and discussion. Cinegeeks! Do not pass up this opportunity! Twin Jupiters, I sez!

Follow me on Twitter @NitrateStock!

Like the page at Facebook.com/NitrateStock.net!

As always the folks at Occupy Sandy could still use your help. check the website to donate/volunteer.

Be safe and sound and make sure the next guy/gal is too! Back tomorrow with more classic s screenings and a new Pick!