December 1st 2012. Pick Of The Day.

Sam Peckinpah reveals his inner trucker with this cash-in on the hit novelty tune that was a cash-in on the short-lived CB craze that took America by storm, and then receded back south where it remains their primary form of communication. Sorry, it was just waiting there. CONVOY screens this day at 11:30am at the Nitehawk Cinema as part of their monthly Country Brunchin' series, complete with live music by the Good Ol' Boy- I mean The Gentlemen Callers preceding the mudflap mayhem. Plus they sell booze.

Midnight at the Nitehawk brings a screening of TRON, one of my faves from the Magic Summer, accompanied by a live experimental score from Black Lodge. A 70mm screening awaits later this month at the Walter Reade on the Upper West, so I gotta pass, Mister high and mighty Master Control Program!

Museum of the Moving Image presents the ultimate paranoia exercise, Don Siegel's INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, in glorious 35mm black and white. It not only never gets old, it never gets less nerve-rattling. I know, I know, I'm next. Just not today.

Mike Hodges took a beating for FLASH GORDON back in 1980, and perhaps he deserved it then. It cost something like 30 mil on a return of a buck three fiddy. But time has been kind to this shroom-induced wry homage to early film genre, and it's now regarded by most as a masterpiece of modern fantasy filmmaking. So I was right and you all were wrong. Nyeh, bitchaz! Screening today at 6:50pm as part of the Max Von Sydow retrospective at BAM. HIGHLY recommended, but as I saw a pristine 35mm print just months ago at the 92YTribeca it's not my Pick today.

Also screening today as part of BAM's Von Sydow mani/pedi is an equally beloved Magic Summer classic, adapted for the screen from the Robert E. Howard books, by stunted adolescent John Milius, by way of Nietzsche. CONAN THE BARBARIAN was the first foray into full fledged leading man territory from star Arnold Schwarzenegger, but you'd never guess it by watching his method mastery of the title character's layered nuance. Among the firsts our star would indulge; the uttering of the line "da hehl vithyoo". A classic of sorts, and were it screening accompanied by the notorious Schwarzenegger/Milius commentary track it'd be second to none today. Just misses.

Lee Marvin begets the modern composite of corporate-mob ladder-climbing revenge-seeking killer in John Boorman's POINT BLANK. Okay, maybe it's a sub-sub-genre, but count GET CARTER, HIT MAN, PAYDAY, THE LIMEY and Jason Statham's upcoming PARKER among its progeny, minor differences aside. Singluar of purpose and direction, Marvin's double-crossed Walker is a force of nature, unstoppable and unconcerned with collateral damage, even lives lost, as he seeks his due. One of Marvin's defining roles, and John Boorman's mod-existentialism opened new doors for genre experimentation to come. Screening today at 2:45pm as part of Anthology Film Archives' From The Pen Of series. As does my Pick Of The Day.

Philip D'Antoni seems to have had a singular purpose in his time as feature film producer; car chases. He'd already produced the most memorable of the modern cinema and what many regarded as all-time best and nigh untoppable with Steve McQueen behind the wheel in Peter Yates' BULLITT. So he dared lovable loose screw Billy Friedkin to top it. The heart -stopping result helped bag little gold statues for just about everybody involved. THE FRENCH CONNECTION's subway car chase provoked shrieks upon initial release and helped, along with the faux-doc style and anti-hero extremes the producer would take with for future projects, to make the movie a box office champ and classic of then-modern genre revision. But Philly boy was still unsatisfied. So he assumed the director's chair for his follow-up project and sought out even seedier milieu in the urban crime genre. Then he borrowed two stars from his previous hit, Tony Lo Bianca and promoted-to-lead Roy Scheider. Then he attempted for a third time, sole credit finally his, to create the ultimate awesome final never to be topped greatest motherfucking car chase in the history of the goddam cinema!

And he failed! Whaddayaknow?!? But I employ the term fail loosely, like Obama failed to gain as many votes in 2012 as 2008. Both are still wins, y'know? The car chase D'Antoni personally directed was longer, more daring, and had the arguably better climax of the three films, yet as thrilling and memorable as it remains it just falls short. So instead you get the third or fourth or a top ten car chase of all time, which alone should warrant your attendance. And besides that the entirety of the grim 70's NYPD procedural succeeds on its own dire but gripping merits, Scheider stakes his first claim on leading man territory, and the 70's NYC location photography zings. Not a masterpiece, maybe not even a genre classic, but enough of a notable entry to the history of the movies to deserve my defense.

THE SEVEN-UPS screens today at 7pm at the Anthology Film Archives as part of their From the Pen Of series. Follow us on Twitter @NitrateStock! Like us at Facebook.com/NitrateStock! Welcome to December, Stockers! We have a brilliant month ahead!

-Joe Walsh