November 12th 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 Acteurism: The Emergence of Ann Sheridan, 1937-43 and To Save and Project: The 12th MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation at MoMA, and Celluloid Dreams at IFC Center. To the shenanigans!
Film Forum
ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1939) Dir; Howard Hawks
VERTIGO (1958) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock
MoMA
Acteurism: The Emergence of Ann Sheridan, 1937-43
ALCATRAZ ISLAND (1937) Dir; William M Gann
To Save and Project: The 12th MoMA International Festival of Film Preservation
REPEAT PERFORMANCE (1947) Dir; Alfred L. Werker
HER SISTER'S SECRET (1946) Dir; Edgar G. Ulmer
BAM Cinématek
THE SACRIFICE (1986) Dir; Andrei Tarkovsky
IFC Center
CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER (1979) Dir; Joan Micklin Silver
Today's Pick? I've long lamented the oversight minorities are subject to in the commercial film industry. In particular the hard time women have had of it, especially considering the huge role they played in cinema's earliest crawl, before it reached its fully upright bipedal stance and cemented its still-current status as an Old Boys Club. Alice Guy Blanche was experimenting with pre-recorded film soundtracks in the aughts. The older aughts. Pearl White and Gene Gauntier exemplified the dardevil serial adventuress lauded for both her screen presence and heart-stopping stuntwork. Indeed, women wielded a considerably greater power in the early film industry than they did at the ballot box, a right to which they could not lay claim until 1919. That's right, women could exert powerful influence over what has become the world's most widespread and inclusive art form, but they couldn't actively weigh in on our political system until 20+ years post the first Lumiere projection. Think about that.
Whether that newly-minted right had any connection or not, the industry existed as a co-ed enterprise roughly til the 19th amendment passed, and came to an absolute end once Wall Street consummated its long engagement with Hollywood just shy of the 1927 crash. Afterwards women were prevalent in prominent behind-the-camera departments such as editing and costume design, somewhat less so as writers and producers, almost unseen calling the shots from the director's chair. Dorothy Arzner carried the ball through the 30's, Ida Lupino picked it up in the late 40's and ran with it through the 50's. Beyond those names, good luck.
The cigar lounge door was pryed open slightly again in the 70's, the anything-goes New Hollywood era, most famously perhaps by the legendary Elaine May, one-time improv innovator, who went on to master all aspects of filmmaking; screenwriting, script-doctoring, acting, and, of course, directing, committing to celluloid no less than four noteworthy to brilliant efforts (ISHTAR rules, punk!). One other female director was boldly and independently carving out a niche during the Me Decade, also writing and directing, also firmly imprinting her unique signature on the cinema. She was celebrated critically, and also proved commercially viable, but once more because fundraising skews away from minorities both ethinic and gender in persuasion, her CV is limited. She began with a quiet roar, 1975's HESTER STREET, which snagged no less an honor than an Oscar nod for star Carol Kane. She effectively finished with the poetic charm of the still-underrated CROSSING DELANCEY. In between the two gems, she may have made her masterpiece. You can decide tonight.
Joan Micklin Silver's CHILLY SCENES OF WINTER unspools tonight in glorious 35mm at IFC Center as part of their brilliant Celluloid Dreams series, celebrating the long-tenured but currently threatened film format. Silver was greatly aided in her venture by master DP Bobby Byrne, who had helmed Paul Schrader's BLUE COLLAR and would go on to John Hughes' SIXTEEN CANDLES, and this print promises to do justice to his brilliant cinematography.
Silver herself, as well as producer/co-star Griffin Dunne, will be on hand tonight to intro and discuss the film. Unmissable.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in November '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.
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!
