April 15th 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.
Today's rain-soaked continuing series include Tout Truffaut at Film Forum, and The Aesthetics of Shadow Part Two; Europe and America at MoMA. The soggy proceedings are as follows;
Film Forum
SMALL CHANGE (1976) Dir; Francois Truffaut
BAM Cinematek
THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1968) Dir; Jacques Demy
MoMA
THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940) Dir; John Ford
OUT OF THE PAST (1947) Dir; Jacques Tourneur
Today's Pick? I've waited for this rainy day both literal and metaphoric to choose my follow-up excursion into the world of Jacques Demy, having finally broached his extensive CV with a screening of THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG at last year's comprehensive trib at Film Forum. Today I'll be making a long-procrastinated return flight to BAM Cinematek for the director's sophmore collaboration with Catherine Deneuve, the luminous French actress he'd helped make an international star of in UMBRELLAS, doubling down on the Gallic hubba by teaming her with real-life twin sister Françoise Dorléac. They portray screen sibling dance instructors, who pine for an escape from their sleepy, perhaps dreary seaside town. Gene Kelly makes an appearance and the hijinks ensue! Sadly this was Dorléac's final film appearance; we were robbed of her gifts in a tragic car accident on her way to Nice airport shortly after completing this film, and I only know her from her classing up of the joint in BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN, and her exceptional, complex work in Roman Polanski's CUL DE SAC, what I regard as that filmmaker's finest two hours. So it is with great anticipation that I hurl myself into the void that is the 4 train Atlantic Avenue subway stop to take in the combined contributions of these exceptional talents. Rain be damned, as well as any bad UMBRELLAS puns, Brooklyn here I come!
Jacques Demy's THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (1967) screens tonight for the 5th of its 7-day run at BAM, in a brand-spankin' new DCP restoration. In all honesty? French twin sisters, man, French twin sisters. Dear Penthouse Forum...
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in April '14 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. For the monthly overview listen in to the inaugural podcast! 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 safe, sound, make sure the next knucklehead is too.
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 the 2012 hurricane. Be a mensch.
