February 15th 2014. Pick of the Day.
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Once more we emerge today on the other side of a great citywide trauma, bloodied but unbowed, weathered some but no worse for the wear. Our nightlife industry still open for biz, our taxi and limo services having proved their mettle through harsh terrain, and all evidence of the damage that befell us shovelled to the curb and now scurried past in blissful ignorance. I'm referring of course to Valentine's Day 2014 yep I'm that guy ba dum dum.
To those of you who survived yesterday's War of the Roses and need a dose of classic cinema to ensure a full recovery, onging series today include the Film Society's nearly concluded Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema, BAM's bloody delightful (I told you I'm that guy!) Vengeance is Hers, and Anthology Film Archives' Valentine's Day Massacre 2014. The tomfoolery as follows;
Nitehawk Cinema
SEVEN CHANCES (1925) Dir; Buster Keaton
Film Forum
JE T'AIME, JE T'AIME (1968) Dir; Alain Resnais
Film Society of Lincoln Center
THE PROMISED LAND (1974) Dir; Andrzej Wadja
THE WEDDING (1972) Dir; Andrzej Wadja
TO KILL THIS LOVE (1972) Dir; Janusz Morgenstern
THE CONSTANT FACTOR (1980) Dir; Krzysztof Zanussi
BAM Cinematek
CARRIE (1976) Dir; Brian de Palma
BLACK SUNDAY (1960) Dir; Mario Bava
Anthology Film Archives
WE WON'T GROW OLD TOGETHER (1972) Dir; Maurice Pialat
MODERN ROMANCE (1981) Dir; Albert Brooks
POSSESSION (1981) Dir; Andrzej Zulawski
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S (1961) Dir; Blake Edwards
Today's Pick? Although the annual celebration of romance itself has passed, I'm going with a film whose very subject is the extremes said romance will drive us to. And who better, I ask, better than Garbo, than Valentino, than Ernie Borgnine in MARTY himself, to so perfectly encapsulate this mad desire onscreen than one Buster Keaton. There are numerous cinematic examples of the degrees a lovesick human being will go to to reach their heart's deisre, and the various pitfalls both emotional and very physical involved, but there may be none better than Keaton's SEVEN CHANCES, screening today at the Nitehawk Cinema as part of their Live + Sound + Cinema series. Keaton, a junior partner in a brokerage firm, discovers he stands to inherit millions if he marries by a certian date and hour. When he informs his fiancee of this she spurns his intentions as strictly mercenary. When his partner in the firm begs him to marry any girl to save their biz from ruin, the Great Stoneface embarks on a a loveless pursuit of a wife, until...yeah ya gotta just go see it. Trust me, it's one of the all-time gems of silent cinema, and the perfect screen mataphor for l'amour fou.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in February '14 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. And be sure to follow me on both Facebook, where I provide further info and esoterica on the rep film circuit and star birthdays, and Twitter, where I provide a daily feed for the day's screenings and other blathery. Back tomorrow with a brand new Pick, til then all inscribed candy hearts 1/2 off at Duane Reade! Not really! But probably!
-Joe Walsh
P. S. Should you be feeling charitable during this harsh weather period please remember to check in with the good folks over at Occupy Sandy. Some of our NY neighbors are still feeling the effects of last year's hurricane. Be a mensch.
