MAY 2013! Burt Lancaster, Delmer Daves and Big Screen Rock N' Roll Bebeh!

Sorry this overview comes a few days late but it's May, so pardon me for enjoying the warm weather whydonch'ya?

The cool stuff doesn't kick off til this week anyways, and there is plenty to keep the classic cinemagoer occupied and away from the botanical gardens, parks and rooftop bars that are simply cluttering this town, if ya ask me. The big dog this month has to be the Film Society's 13-film tribute to one of the all-time Hollywood greats, a fellow named Burt Lancaster, in celebration of the legendary actor/producer's 100th year. A wide variety of films off his outstanding CV are on display in this retrospective, including feature debut and breakout hit THE KILLERS, the Oscar-hoarding FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, and his own personal bagging of the little gold guy ELMER GANTRY. All four collaborations with Robert Aldrich are here as well, from APACHE and VERA CRUZ to ULZANA'S RAID and TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING. It's unfortunate that none of his work with director John Frankenhiemer has been included, and nearly unforgivable that NONE of his co-starring features with the mighty Kirk Doulgas are due to screen either. These are quibbles, though, judged against the sked Richard Pena and his minions have assembled to fete this giant of cinema. I plan on moving into the Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center for the week. That'll be me you smell.

Downtown at Anthology Film Archives two of their popular series resume. This month Overdue focuses on director Delmer Daves, with screenings of the John Garfield starring PRIDE OF THE MARINES, the creepy thriller THE RED HOUSE with Edward G. Robinson, and three westerns famous for their sympathetic portrayal of Native Americans, who were otherwise treated onscreen as "Injuns" at the time. James Stewart tells the story of Cochise in BROKEN ARROW, Glenn Ford makes a cattle man out of hotel clerk Jack Lemmon in COWBOY, and despised, Indian-friendly Richard Widmark must safely escort his Indian-hating captors through hostile Apache territory in THE LAST WAGON. Daves is a perfect choice for this series dedicated to rediscovery, and I'm sorta glad they resisted the y=urge to bookm his best known flick 3:10 TO YUMA. Although I'd go for a screening of that classic sometimeas well hint hint.

AFA also ressurects their Middle Ages on Film series, offering gems like Richard Lester's melancholic take on the legend of ROBIN AND MARIAN, Pier Paolo Pasolini's irreverent take on THE DECAMERON, and the twin horror classics from Kaneto Shindo, ONIBABA and KURONEKO. Oh, and Max Von Syodw does double duty this month as Ingmar Bergamn's THE VIRGIN SPRING screens as part of this fest as well as MOMA's Auteurist History of Film series. I don't wanna haveta mention Bergman until it starts snowing again.

Speaking of MOMA their Auteurist series also presents Michealangelo Antonioni's THE CRY, Claude Chabrol's THE COUSINS, and Budd Boetticher's THE RISE AND FALL OF LEGS DIAMOND. The museum's slowly and sadly winding down retrospective The Weimar Touch, deconstructing the influence German Expressionist cinema had on Hollywood filmmaking, closes out tonight with a screening of Charles Laughton's lone directorial effort and masterpiece THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER. I bet MOMA's 35mm print is pristine.

Later in the month MOMA's trib to Celeste Bartos, member of the museum's Board of Trustees, philanthropist and above all film lover, kicks off with a screening of the Michael Curtiz/William Keighly THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. The tribute gets seriously underway in June, but any chance I get to mention my dad's fave film all-time I treat with relish. I look forward to writing about this remarkable woman and the fest dedicated to her next month.

Over at Astoria's Museum of the Moving Image their rock n' roll film fest Play This Movie Loud! covers most of the important bases, including Franc Roddam's QUADROPHENIA, Bob Rafelson's HEAD, Perry Henzell's THE HARDER THEY COME, and the genre's most perfect iteration Richard Lester's A HARD DAY'S NIGHT. I haven't listed all the films scheduled to screen because they don't quite meet the site's criteria, so for a full listing head here.

Across the pond the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Cinematek unveils its tribute to the most hated movies to ever premiere at the world's most famous film fest. Booed at Cannes features such controversial works as Carl Theodore Dreyer's final film GERTRUD, Martin Scorsese's THE SEARCHERS as urban paranoia fable TAXI DRIVER, and John Frankenheimer's attempt and possible success at directing the bleakest film of all time SECONDS. The Alliance Francais offers a summer-long series dedicated to the warmly recieved entries the Cannes fest has enjoyed starting in June, so this will be interesting precursor programming should you have nothing better to do than watch movies all day long. You know who you are.

BAM aslo serves up a screening of Terry Gilliam's remarkable fantasy adventure THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN. There are times I regard this as the most romantic film ever made, but it has to contend with the aforementioned ROBIN HOOD and Powell and Pressburger's A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, amongst others. I saw this last on the big screen whence first released, so I'm due.

The reliable fix for movie junkies on West Houston also never disappoints. Film Forum serves up a month of DCP restorations that include Terrence Malick's BADLANDS, Jerry Schatzburg's SCARECROW, Claude Autant-Lara's A PIG ACROSS PARIS, and Ted Kotcheff's THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ. Also this month veteran character actor James Karen pops by the rep house to intro and discuss Dan O'Bannon's RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. Great stuff, but Bruce Goldstein's prepping a massive summer 2013, trust me.

The Rubin Museum's civilized screening lounge begins a new series this month. The Flip Side looks at characters who are not what they seem, and hide consequently in plain sight. Selections in the series include John Huston's monumental THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, Orson Welles' last masterpiece TOUCH OF EVIL, and Jonathan Lynn's bafflingly beloved CLUE. Whatevz, the purchase of an alcoholic bev from the museum's bar gains you admittance to the movies. Only digital presentations, but I've had great experiences here, so I always recommend it. Apparently there's a museum attached to the lounge that I'm encouraged to explore. One day.

Back in the land of facial hair Billy-Burg's awesome Nitehawk Cinema offers its usually excellent selection of noon and midnight rep screenings. Brunch at the theater this month offers G. W. Pabst's PANDORA'S BOX, the filmmaker's monochromatic love letter to the sublime Louise Brooks. Eclectic composer/performer Mary Alouette provides a live soundtrack to the masterpiece. Midnight zaniness includes Mario Bava's brilliant comic adap DANGER: DIABOLIK, with live musical accompaniment from Morricone Youth, Hitchcock's swan song FAMILY PLOT, and Tobe Hooper's career swan song THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE PART 2. Best root beer and tater tots to be had in any NYC movie theater. What? Your theater doesn't serve tater tots. Please.

Midnight at IFC Center brings Terry Gilliam's TIME BANDITS, as well as his contribution as actor-only joining his famous troupe in MONTY PYTHON'S LIFE OF BRIAN. Other late-night shenanigans at the venue include Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, Steven Spielberg's JAWS and Alejandro Jodorowsky's EL TOPO. They seem to REALLY dig Jodorowsky over there. I'm just sayin'.

The wonderfully diverse 92YTribeca, the downtown incarnation of the Upper East Side mecca, brings lovers of subterranean cinema a few treats this month. Rip-Off Cinema: Italian Edition serves up the well-balanced Lucio Fulci's $20 Conan swipe CONQUEST, Enzo G. Castellari's poliziottesco, or cop thriller, HIGH CRIME, which owes more than a little debt to THE FRENCH CONNECTION, and Umberto Lenzi's THE MAN FROM DEEP RIVER, which sorta kicked off the whole Italian cannibal flick sub-genre. Thanks, Italy!

Folks who can't get enough of Burt Lancaster can watch him team up with Lee Marvin and take on Jack Palance at the 92YT in THE PROFESSIONALS. That's pretty much the sysnopsis, by the way.

On a silghtly somber note though the 92YTribeca hasn't long to go, as, for whatever reason, the venue is set to shutter its doors at some point this summer. Make it a point to attend one or all of thesee screenings as a wonderful piece of the rep film landscape in NYC is soon to be no more, Stockers.

Finally the reliably old school Clearview Chelsea Cinemas continue their Thursday night classic digital presentations with showings of recent birthday girl Audrey Hepburn's star turn in BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, director Frank Borzage's DESIRE, David Miller's musical re-telling of George Cukor's THE WOMEN entitled THE OPPOSITE SEX, and lastly Cukor himself is repped with a screening of his classic THE PHILADELPHIA STORY. Again, it ain't celluloid, but they put in an honest effort at the CCC and I wanna beat the drum for them. At least the screen's bigger than what you got at home. Unless you're Mayor Bloomberg. But do you really wanna watch a movie with Mayor Bloomberg? Ever have somebody count your calories for ya WHILE you're watching a movie?

Okay, I wanna apologize to Bloomy. It's been a rough week and I'm just venting at the man. I'm gonna grab a Big Gulp and chill.

So that's the month, and looming on the horizon is the summer season, when all the plots concoted by film programmers in the chilly dead of winter bloom magnificently in the bright sun. We have outdoor screenings, massive film retrospectives, and, if I may beat my own drum , the 1-year anniversary of this site to look forward to! By "beat my drum" I meant a metaphorical drum. I wasn't alluding to any illicit self-serving activity. Look think whatever ya want. In the meantime enjoy everything May 2013 has to offer; extra sunlight, warmer weather, and the best rep screenings in the world. Spread the word, Stockers! Help me make this site the best resource for classic film screenings it can be. Excelsior, Knuckleheads!

-Joe Walsh