October 8th 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.
Entering Day 8 of the Mankrospective. 9 films in the books, 5 films to go. I'm loving it, having never attended a full director's career overview before, much less a seldom discussed and under-explored onetime Goliath of the biz. It's fascinating stuff, and I'm looking forward to scribbling my closing piece. However, we still have some choice cuts in that series to get to before its close. So let's get to 'em.
Continuing series today include the Michael Roemer mini-trib at Film Forum, Acteurism: The Emergence of Ann Sheridan, 1937-43 at MoMA, Joseph L. Mankiewicz: The Essential Iconoclast at the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and New York Super Week at IFC Center. The tomfoolery as follows;
Film Forum
PILGRIM, FAREWELL (1982) Dir; Michael Roemer
NOTHING BUT A MAN (1964) Dir; Michael Roemer
MoMA
Acteurism: The Emergence of Ann Sheridan, 1937-43
EDGE OF DARKNESS (1941) Dir; William Keighley
AMC Loews Kips Bay 15, AMC Empire 25
M.A.S.H. (1970) Dir; Robert Altman
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Joseph L. Mankiewicz: The Essential Iconoclast
THE QUIET AMERICAN (1957) Dir; Joseph L. Mankiewicz
JULIUS CAESAR (1953) Dir; Joseph L. Mankiewicz
IFC Center
SHAOLIN VS. WU TANG (1983) Dir; Gordon Liu
THE INVINCIBLE ARMOUR (1977) Dir; Ng See-yuen
Today's Pick? I have come to Lincoln Center not to bury Joe Mankiewicz, but to find some connective thread within his vast CV, one that includes Freudian skimming, Cinemascope musicals, a wealth of Oscars and time served as captain of one of the most notorious catastrophes ever granted wide distribution. Toward this end I will be seeing, for the first time, his lone Shakespeare adap, produced by John Houseman, featuring Humbert Humbert as chief assassin of the one-time ambassador from Sylvania. Bet B-Shakes never saw that plot twist coming.
Joseph L.Mankieiwcz's JULIUS CAESAR unspools tonight at the Francesca Beale Theater as part of the NYFF's retrospective of the director's work. Beware the Ides of ticket sales, grab yours now!
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in October '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 friends, Manhattanites, New Yorkers, lend me your iPhone charger. Seriously, I'm blazing through the battery at this fest, a little juice would be a mitzvah. I'm just sayin'.
-Joe Walsh
P. S. We're swiftly returning to the winter climate, and believe it or not some of our fellow NY'ers have still yet to be made whole in the wake of the 2012 storm. Should you be feeling charitable please visit the folks at OccupySandy.net, follow their hammer-in-hand efforts to restore people's lives, and donate/volunteer if you have the inclination and availability. Be a collective mensch, Stockahz!
