September 6th 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.
Continuing series today include 1939 - Hollywood's Golden Year at IFC Center, Country Brunchin' and Nitehawk Nasties at the Nitehawk Cinema, The Great War: A Cinematic Legacy at MoMA, 50 Years of John Waters: How Much Can You Take? at the Film Society, and Simenon Redux: Maigret on Film at Anthology Film Archives. The cinematic wim wam as follows;
IFC Center
1939 - Hollywood's Golden Year
THE WOMEN (1939) Dir; George Cukor
HAUSU (1977) Dir; Nobuhiko Obayashi
Nitehawk Cinema
BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967) Dir; Arthur Penn
FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN (1973) Dir; Paul Morissey
Film Forum
FEDORA (1978) Dir; Billy Wilder
MoMA
The Great War: A Cinematic Legacy
WOODEN CROSSES (1932) Dir; Raymond Bernard
GALLIPOLI (1981) Dir; Peter Weir
HAT CHECK GIRL (1932) Dir; Sidney Lanfield
Film Society of Lincoln Center
50 Years of John Waters: How Much Can You Take?
EARLY JOHN WATERS SHORTS (1964-68) Dir; Guess Who?
POLYESTER (1981) Dir; John Waters
NIGHT GAMES (1966) Dir; Mai Zetterling
Anthology Film Archives
Simenon Redux: Maigret on Film
NIGHT AT THE CROSSROADS (1932) Dir; Jean Renoir
A MAN' S NECK (1933) Dir; Julien Duvivier
Today's Pick? Sidney Lanfield's Pre-Code dose of Joe Breen agita, 1932's HAT CHECK GIRL, a tale of decadence and debauchery ceremonied beneath Prohibition's steely gaze, unveiled to even stronger scrutiny and outrage than the real-life decade itself was perhaps exposed to. It screens at MoMA for two final days as part of a specially-focused series, which is fair enough applesauce as the museum partially paid for the restoration. If for no other reason than star Sally Eilers finally commands the Kliegs in the eponymous role, after decades of obscurity, then how 'bout this; it's a pre-code film, and the ongoing and exponential love this newly-appreciated period commands, though seeming at times to belie a cynical commercial focus, a factory mindset, one that recognizes its most profitable product is the one it most ruthlessly condemns? Well, that love is not only justly-earned but honest, in a way that the most modern critical sensibility can't handle.
Oh, that was my shpeil. Questions?
Sidney Lanfield's HAT CHECK GIRL screens under a most individual spotlight as part of MoMA's grand celebration of all things not-Hayes Code. I'm in.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in September '14 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. For the monthly overview and other audio tomfoolery check out the podcast, and follow me on SoundCloud! For reviews of contemporary cinema and my streaming habits (keep it clean!) check out my Letterboxd 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 safe, sound, make sure the next knucklehead is too. And be sure to lemme know if you need any help with those holiday BBQ leftovers. Just offering.
-Joe Walsh
