January 16th 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.
So, they announced the nominees for something called The Oscars yesterday. And apparently a lotta people got angry about that. Not because of who was included but because of who wasn't. And this became something of a national, no, an international brouhaha. Because the parsing out of little gold statues of bald naked men with swords are life or death. Or something. Seems to me anyway. Lemme know when the pools get started.
Continuing series this day include Screwball Romance at IFC Center, the Orson Welles trib at Film Forum, and the Joan Bennett and Robert Altman smoochery at MoMA. The rigmarole looks thus;
IFC Center
HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) Dir; Howard Hawks
Film Forum
MACBETH (1948)
MoMA
I MET MY LOVE AGAIN (1938) Dir; Joshua Logan
NASHVILLE (1975) Dir; Robert Altman
Nitehawk Cinema
RAGING BULL (1980) Dir; Martin Scorsese
Today's Pick? You gotta ask? Didn't you see the lineup? HOWARD WINCHESTER HAWKS himself is part of the day's doing's, and the specific feature in question contains what was and remains my favorite performance by an actress in a leading role all-time! I know, I know, that's a bold claim, and a mighty minefield to wade through. But I stand steadfastly by my choice, and for this reason alone; no other actress consistently renders me aswoon on each succesive viewing like the lady of the early hour does. She was Hawks' fourth or fifth choice for the part, and she never let the Grey Fox forget it, but the man ultimately knew that unless audiences fell head over heels for Hildy Johnson, the film would never work. Let me just say, for myself anyway, the film works. Boy does it ever.
Rosalind Russell stars in Howard Hawks' HIS GIRL FRIDAY, as perhaps the epitome of the Hawksian Woamn, screening today at IFC Center as part of their series Screwball Romance. All I gotta say is the last man who turned down a screening of this classic was Archibald Leach a week before he hung himself. you either get it or you don't.
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!
