November 29th 2013. Pick Of The Day.
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.
Fighting. Tryptophan. Coma.
Today's list;
IFC Center
BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969) Dir; George Roy Hill
TAXI DRIVER (1976) Dir; Martin Scorsese
Film Forum
MAUVAIS SANG (1986) Dir; Leos Carax
Anthology Film Archives
HENRY V (1944) Dir; Laurence Olivier
KING LEAR (1971) Dir; Peter Brook
Nitehawk Cinema
AN AMERICAN HIPPIE IN ISRAEL (1972) Dir; Amos Sefer
SERPICO (1973) Dir; Sidney Lumet
Today's Pick? Sidney Lumet's SERPICO at the Nitehawk Cinema. Because something's really wrong here man yeah that's the wrong Pacino flick.
The inaugural project from star Al Pacino and his manager Marty Bregman as a production team was this adap of the true-life tale of the NYPD's still most famous whistle-blower; a free-spirited, morally grounded Brooklynite whose dreams of a career with his hometown police force were dashed once he graduated the academy and experienced first hand the rot caused by corruption and disregard for law. Pacino delivered his second powerhouse perf of the 70's, in-between the first two ages of Michael Corleone that he would commit to film in GODFATHER I &II, delving into all sides, noble and otherwise, of this compromised hero. After the initial disastrous prep failed with original director John G. Avildsen, fresh off the success of his breakout hit JOE, Bregman suggested Lumet, who was then every actor's dream collaborator, spotty CV regardless. The result was that magic, indelible meeting of filmmaker and performer, brokered by the genius of vet screenwriters Waldo Salt and Norman Wexler. It still resides in that special glass case where we also routinely visit the actor's tragic Corleone scion, as well as his Sonny Wortzik from 1975's DOG DAY AFTERNOON, also helmed by Lumet. A finer 4-for-4 may not exist in the American cinema, and the opportunity to catch any of these monster perfs on the big screen is cause for prying yourself from yer couch and hopping on the L indeed. Even the day after Thanksgiving.
For more info on these and all NYC's remaining classic film screenings in November '13 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. And be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter! Back tomorrow with the final Pick of the month. Til then zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
-Joe Walsh
