January 9th -11th! Weekend Bulk-Buy Picks!
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.
2015 has started with omens both well and ill portending the year's path. One the one hand I naerly went into cardiac arrest in pursuit of emergency dental surgery on the first weekend of the new year, and then underwent the surgery, and the surgical removal of half-a-grand for the pleasure. To top it off a jury duty summons arrived in my mailbox shortly after. On the other hand, I not only got to attend a screening of CITIZEN KANE at Film Forum, in a brand-spankin' new DCP resto, I was also lucky enough to catch the screening that was into'd by none other than master filmmaker William Friedkin. And he complimented a photo I took of the occasion. And we're now Twitter buds. So I gotta say the scales are pretty even going into the new circling of the sun.
Add to the plus side a last minute bonus: my normal summertime getaway to my friend's upstate manse has delivered early! I'm about to head out for an overnight stay in the lap of luxury and catch up on some bucket-list films via Netflix & Hulu. so I'm utilizing my rare but effective bulk-push, covering the next three days in one post! Begrudge me this respite not, Stockahz, for I am never far from your hearts. From the city, yes, but always in your ventricles.
New and continuing series this weekend include Screwball Romance at IFC Center, the Orson Welles huggery at Film Forum, Acteurism: Joan Bennett at MoMA, Let There Be Light: The Films of John Huston at the Film Society, and Justice in Film at the New York Historical Society. The three-day tomfoolery be thus;
Friday January 9th
IFC Center
THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR (1942) Dir; Billy Wilder
Film Forum
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1942) Dir; Orson Welles
THE STRANGER (1946) Dir; Orson Welles
MoMA
THE WEDDING PRESENT (1936) Dir; Richard Wallace
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Let There Be Light: The Films of John Huston
UNDER THE VOLCANO (1984) Dir; John Huston
SINFUL DAVEY (1969) Dir; John Huston
REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE (1967) Dir; John Huston
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN (1972) Dir; John Huston
New York Historical Society
Justice in Film
SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) Dir; Billy Wilder
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
THE GRADUATE (1967) Dir; Mike Nichols
Today's Pick? I'd love to direct you to the midnight screening of the recently departed Mike Nichols' signature work, but I've simply never been a fan, so I honestly can't get behind it. For equal, perhaps superior sophistication, however, I will direct you to a DIY two-fer unspooling at different venues but bearing the same directorial monicker. Start your day on the rep film circuit with an unspooling of Billy Wilder's feature debut, 1942's THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR at IFC Center, then cap it off at the New York Historical Society with his masterful homage to the Screwball era, 1959's SOME LIKE IT HOT, intro'd by one-time MoMA film curator Laurence Kardish! In-between those two, have a danish. Live a little.
Saturday January 10th
IFC Center
THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR (1942) Dir; Billy Wilder
Film Forum
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS (1942) Dir; Orson Welles
THE STRANGER (1946) Dir; Orson Welles
MoMA
MASH (1970) Dir; Robert Altman
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Let There Be Light: The Films of John Huston
SINFUL DAVEY (1969) Dir; John Huston
UNDER THE VOLCANO (1984) Dir; John Huston
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
THE GRADUATE (1967) Dir; Mike Nichols
Today's Pick? Although I, personally, meself, am gonna wait until Hell freezes over and the original cut of this film is discovered in some Papau New Guinean insane asylum, I nevertheless make the studio-sanctioned butchery of Orson Welles' THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS, his KANE follow-up and what some consider the superior pic, my choice today, unspooling at Film Forum. Welles himself, undoubtedly, would also recommend danish at either end of your viewing day. Indulge!
Sunday January 11th
IFC Center
THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR (1942) Dir; Billy Wilder
Film Forum
THE MUPPET MOVIE (1979) Dir; James Frawley
THE STRANGER (1946) Dir; Orson Welles
JOURNEY INTO FEAR (1943) Dir; Orson Welles
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Let There Be Light: The Films of John Huston
PRIZZI'S HONOR (1985) Dir; John Huston
Anthology Film Archives
Beyond Cassavetes: Lost Legends of the New York film World - Richard Sarafian
ANDY (1965) Dir; Richard Sarafian
Today's Pick? Although the legendary actress has unfortunately cancelled her appearance at tonight's screening, made all the more regrettable for the fact that it bagged her her only acting Oscar, I'm still going with Angelica Huston's tour-de force supporting perf in her dad's late-career box office smash, 1985's PRIZZI'S HONOR, unspooling at the Walter Reade Theater as part of the month-long trib to her pops, Let There Be Light: The Films of John Huston. And why break a new 2015 weekend tradition? Bring danish!
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in January '15 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 2015's new Podcast and first missive, 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!
