January 15th 2015. 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.
15th of the month, let me count the ways I hate thee; you arrive absolutely unannounced, with the rest of the teens and the entirety of the 20's in tow, just expecting a free stay without asking. You wile away the days seemingly unnoticed, up to the moment I have my Zoinks! snap-to when I see half the month's blown past. Just who do you think you are, day of the month, that you an simply barge into my passage of time and abscond with a sizable chunk of it?
Oh, I can't stay mad at you. You're bringing me closer to baseball, after all. Hugs.
And in other, more pertinent news, continuing series this day include
the Orson Welles trib at Film Forum, the Joan Bennett huggery at MoMA, and the Chelsea Classics series at the BowTie Chelsea Cinemas. The still before battle looks thus;
Film Forum
MACBETH ("Scottish Verison") (1948) Dir; Orson Welles
MoMA
I MET MY LOVE AGAIN (1938) Dir; Joshua Logan
BowTie Chelsea Cinema
THE BAD SEED (1956) Dir; Mervyn LeRoy
Today's Pick? I've recently seen Welles' tragic Grand Poobah, and Patty McCormick's mischevious lil' scamp. Both are surely worthy expenditures of your two hours this day, yet I feel like I haven't shown enough love to one of my fave cult actresses. Joan Bennett arrived on the film scene along with two sisters, Constance and Barbara, and while Constance made something of a career in Tinseltown, most notably as afterlife partner to Cary Grant in TOPPER, Joan proved the true stalwart, the most screen-charismatic of the trio. Among her indelible perfs/films count George Cukor's LITTLE WOMEN, Jean Renoir's THE WOMAN ON THE BEACH, Michael Curtiz's WE'RE NO ANGELS, and Vincent Minnelli's FATHER OF THE BRIDE and FATHER'S LITTLE DIVIDEND. Her shining hours, however, remain her roles in 4 Fritz Lang masterworks; 1941's MANHUNT, 1944's MINISTRY OF FEAR, that same year's WOMAN IN THE WINDOW, and the capper, 1945's SCARLET STREET, a film so gleefully pessimistic it makes David Fincher blush to this day. When film work started to evaporate, as it did and does for female actors beyond a certain age, Our Dear Joan simply involved herself in a TV series that would prove wildly popular and historic; Dan Curtis' DARK SHADOWS, as matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Her final contribution to cinematic immortality was alongside fellow and future cult faves Udo Kier and Jessica Harper in Dario Argento's SUSPIRIA. Short story; the woman had a major impact on the culture, regardless of the fact that she lost the Scarlett O'Hara role to a sprightly young talent named Vivien Leigh.
So today, I choose Joan Bennett over Orson Welles and the most evil child in film history, Damien notwithstanding. The film that's screening as trib today is one I've never seen; full disclosure - it's one I've never heard of until adjunct curator Dave Kehr, in his wisdom, programmed this worthy series. I bega this site as half-assed scholar, full-time enthusiast, with the intention to not only hip the hippable to the repertory shenanigans unspooling in our five boroughs, but also as a sort of film school for meself, an opportunity for further education, a filling in of the blanks. I can think of no better example to rep this site's purpose than today's Pick.
Joshua Logan's I MET MY LOVE AGAIN unspools as part of MoMA's trib to the actress, Acteurism: Joan Bennett. If for no other reason, come see the temptress blonde for the last. Raven hair was her destiny, unquestionably.
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!
