January 22nd 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.
I know. I know. I KNOW, okay, I missed yestedray's post! Look, occasionally life takes over in the form of natural disaster, family emergency or unplanned drinking session. Thankfully, the latter was the case yesterday, as a buddy required some vent time and I happened to be the shoulder weighed on. And happily. So apologies, I left the article drift. Back today, let's just behave like it never happened, agreed?
Okay. I'll say it: there's nobody else but you, baby I swear. We good?
Good. Continuing series this day include the Orson Welles series at Film Forum, the Joan Bennett foot massage at MoMA, and the splendid Chelsea Classics series at the BowTie Chelsea Cinemas. The hugger mugger be thus;
Film Forum
THE IMMORTAL STORY (1968) Dir; Orson Welles
F FOR FAKE (1974) Dir; Orson Welles
MoMA
THE HOUSE ACROSS THE BAY (1940) Dir; Archie Mayo
THE BUBBLE (1964) Dir; Arch Oboler
BowTie Chelsea Cinemas
STRAIT-JACKET (1964) Dir; William Castle
Today's Pick? I'm planning on making at least two future screenings in the Welles series my selection upcoming, and I sorta feel I've been knee-jerk regarding the raven-haired siren feted at MoMA. So I'm taking a passs regarding those worthy and prestigious unspoolings. Which leaves two works of batshit cinema, my fave genre. Arch Oboler was a pioneer of 3D cinema, helming the first color feature shot and screened in the process, the legendary BWANA DEVIL from 1952. Fourteen years later he returned with an attempt at something called 4D Cinema, which basically reduced the earlier, less inconvenient two-camera 3D process to a single strip of film, reproducing the widescreen CinemaScope aspect ratio. The tale of a town whose residents are subjected to a massive, invisible force field that seals them in found success nearly 50 years later as Stephen King's UNDER THE DOME tv series, but alas failed to sell tiks as Oboler's earier, influential incarnation. It was given a DCP spitshine by the 3D Film Archive, and now promises to gleam with the same sparkle it offered back whence originally released. A gigantic invisible dome in 3D? Try and keep me OUT of that screening!
Arch Oboler's THE BUBBLE breaks the fourth wall this evening at MoMA, as a revival of their October/November '14 To Serve and Project series. I will be the one in attendance humming the Dr. TOunge 3D theme from SCTV. Yep. That guy.
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 soon with new Picks 'n perks, 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!
