November 26th 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.
Today's pickin's be slim, but that sorta honors the whole notion of deprivation prior to feast, as this Wednesday before Thanksgiving traditionally & dietarily represents to some of us. Most of us. Okay me. I can never lie about film or roast turkey. I'm a glutton for both.
New and concluding series today include Sunshine Noir at BAM Cinématek, and Fassbinder: Romantic Anarchist (Part Two) at the Film Society. The Magick Lanternry be thus;
Film Forum
LE JOUR SE LEVE (1939) Dir; Marcel Carné
BAM Cinématek
TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. (1986) Dir; William Friedkin
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Fassbinder: Romantic Anarchist (Part Two)
QUERELLE (1982) Dir; Rainer Werner Fassbinder
Today's Pick? As with my last-chance selection of Andrei Tarkovsky's THE SACRIFICE yesterday, the last of its two-week booking, so do I now choose Marcel Carné's proto-noir on its closing eve at Film Forum. LE JOUR SE LEVE, or THE DAY BREAKS if Google Translate is to be taken seriously, unspools five final times today, and boasts one of the finest turns by that surly French harrumph known as Jean Gabin. More imortantly, as part of this restoration, the most comprehensive since its initial release and subsequent hackery at the hands of them pesky occupying forces in '39, the DP, the man who painted this miraculous display of light and shadow, whose name was removed from the credits due to his ethinc/religious status, has been re-enshrined to his rightful place. As sumptuous and seductive this film remains, moreso now thanks to this 4K spitshine, the sight of the name Curt Courant in the opening credits is surely its best eye candy.
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 fully entwined in winter's embrace, 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!
