March 9th 2014. 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.
We got ourselves a pretty impressive haul on the rep film circuit today. Continuing series include Film Forum's The Complete Hitchcock, Moving Image's Hotels on Film, MoMA's Vienna Unveiled, and Anthology Film Archives' Overdue: Richard Fleischer. The plunder be thus;
Film Forum
DUCK SOUP (1933) Dir; Leo McCarey
THE 39 STEPS (1935) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock
THE LADY VANISHES (1938) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock
NOSTALGHIA (1983) Dir; Andrei Tarkovsky
Nitehawk Cinema
SPLASH (1984) Dir; Ron Howard
Museum of the Moving Image
GRAND HOTEL (1933) Dir; Edmund Goulding
THE SHINING (1980) Dir; Stanley Kubrick
BAM Cinematek
WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) Dir; Mel Stuart
MoMA
THE WEDDING MARCH (1926-28) Dir; Erich Von Stroheim
THE MARRIAGE CIRCLE (1924) Dir; Ernst Lubitsch
Anthology Film Archives
BARABBAS (1961) Dir; Richard Fleischer
SEE NO EVIL (1971) Dir; Richard Fleischer
THE NEW CENTURIONS (1972) Dir; Richard Fleischer
Today's Pick? MGM's initiating of the All-Star vehicle, 1932's GRAND HOTEL, unspooling in scenic Astoria's Museum of the Moving Image. It's a transitional work of celulloid melodrama, as the talkies were still finding their footing, but it holds up remarkably well, and serves as perfect primer for the uninitiated to the careers of Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, and the mostly, sadly, squandered talents of theater legend John Barrymore, who here famously refuses to leave Garbo alone. It's a classic example of what's commonly referred to as movie magic, presented in glorious 35mm, and the same admission price grants you access to the evening's screening of Kubrick's SHINING, as well as the absolutely AWESOME museum attached to the screening space. As I often enjoy remarking, this joint is Cinegeek heroin. The weather's also just pleasant enough to make the journey to the Steinway St. stop while not quite sunny enough to patronize your fave outdoor cafe, so consider this a worthy alternative. You're welcome.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in March '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 be safe and sound and make sure the next knucklehead is too! Mwah ya bastidz!
-Joe Walsh
