September 10th 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.
Just re-watched Tim Burton's last great film, perhaps his best film, for the first time in over 10 years; 1994's ED WOOD, in advance of Anthology Film Archives' looming retrospective of the man's infamy. Which left me with two residual emotions: 1. It almost makes me love Oyster Boy all over again, the fact that he used this opportunity to tell his mad scientist tale, in the guise of a fellow misfit director no less, and in so doing granted both Bela Lugosi and Wood a mortality rewrite, as well as a mortal re-evaluation, and 2. I'm actually considering revisiting these beloved works of emulsified madness even though I've borne witness in communal darkness numerous times prior. Wood is just that potentially infectious, something Burton not only learned but communicated most eloquently 20 years ago. Those future events will affect you in the future, though, can your heart stand the shocking details of today's rep film sked?
Today's continuing series includes The Great War: A Cinematic Legacy at MoMA, and 50 Years of John Waters: How Much Can You Take? at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Shall we?
Film Forum
FEDORA (1978) Dir; Billy Wilder
AMC Loews Kips Bay 15, AMC Empire 25
SCARFACE (1983) Dir; Brian De Palma
MoMA
The Great War: A Cinematic Legacy
PATHS OF GLORY (1957) Dir; Stanley Kubrick
Film Society of Lincoln Center
50 Years of John Waters: How Much Can You Take?
OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN (1983) Dir; George P. Cosmatos
FEMALE TROUBLE (1974) Dir; John Waters
Today's Pick? My torn loyalties today are between MoMA's excellent, massive trib to WWI on film, and the Film Society's targeting of the Kliegs on awfteur John Waters. While the latter series boasts works not only signed by the author himself, but guilty pleasures he wishes he'd made, tonight focusing on what he proclaims "the greatest rat movie ever made", I find myself favoring a work from the former series. One that boasts perhaps the textbook iteration of the two-legged variety, essayed by no lesser authorities than George MacReady & Adolphe Menjou. I believe these strategists take the anthill today. I've completely lost myself in my own metaphor.
Stanley Kubrick's PATHS OF GLORY screens tonight at MoMA as part of their series The Great War: A Cinematic Legacy. France and Germany left some craters between themselves to be sure, but who claims repsonsibility for Kirk Douglas' chin? Them reparations must'a been somethin'!
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!
-Joe Walsh
