December 7th 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.
Overheard in a bar tonight:
#1: Santa's bulls*#t!
#2: No, SantaCON's bull*#t!
#1: Okay, either Santa's bulls*#t or SantaCON's bulls*#t, it can't be both.
I offer a third option. Speakers one and two, as well as the hipster Ho-Ho debauchery, are all equally bulls*#t. Santa's doin' just fine. Check with NORAD this Xmas Eve should you doubt me.
Continuing series today include the Robert Altman slap at MoMA, the Jean Grémillon tickle at Astoria's Moving Image, Screenwriters and the Blacklist: Before, During and After at Anthology Film Archives, and Sunshine Noir at BAM Cinématek. The wanton Cinegeek abandon be thus;
Nitehawk Cinema
LESS THAN ZERO (1987) Dir; Marek Kanievska
GREMLINS (1984) Dir; Joe Dante
Film Forum
THE PASSIONATE THIEF (1960) Dir; Mario Monicelli
MoMA
THE DELINQUENTS (1957) Dir; Robert Altman
THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK (1969) Dir; Robert Altman
Mid-Manhattan Library
DIAL M FOR MURDER (1954) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock
Museum of the Moving Image
L'ETRANGE MADAME X (1951) Dir; Jean Grémillon
L'ETRANGE MONSIEUR VICTOR (1938) Dir; Jean Grémillon
JUNE 6TH AT DAWN (1945) Dir; Jean Grémillon
Anthology Film Archives
Screenwriters and the Blacklist: Before, During and After
TERROR IN A TEXAS TOWN (1958) Dir; Joseph H. Lewis
TIME WITHOUT PITY (1957) Dir; Joseph Losey
THE KEY (1958) Dir; Carol Reed
BAM Cinématek
THE OUTSIDE MAN (1972) Dir; Jacques Deray
Today's Pick? The air has chilled, but the sun promises at the least a peek at our collective third stone this day, after a period of rain in our fair metropolis that would make Peter Weir blush. He directed THE LAST WAVE. Oh never mind.
There's nothing but wealth to be had from today's rep film display case. Even the Altman fest offers some interesting pre-fraud cinema from the master of lazy wall-stickery. COUNTDOWN, in particular, an interesting genre exercise, especially when paired with John Sturges' MAROONED, another speculative take on NASA's moon race released the following year. There really is no wrong way to turn, from MoMI's trib to an Old Wave master, to AFA's Blacklist examination, to BAM's incursion into the darkness of LA's sunlight (how is MEMENTO not a part of this nonsense?). So as is my wont, whenever things get too confounding for your humble typer, I go with Anna Magnani. What can I say, the woman owns me.
Mario Monicelli's THE PASSIONATE THIEF screens five times today at the Film Forum, and for a further four days barring a last-minute reprieve, which is likely I'd think. The enchanting Ben Gazzara shares the screen with the gruff Magnani, for a tale of moviemaking artifice, small-time crookery, and the magic of Rome after dark at the beginning of a new year. Yes, it all sounds magical, and hence it is. Further synopsis unnecessary. Magnani, kids.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in December '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!
