February 6th 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.
New and continuing series this day include Screwball Romance atv IFC Center, the Charles Laughton hot stone massage at Film Forum, Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968-86 at the Film Society, Acteurism: Ginger Rogers and Carte Blanche: Women Writing the Language of Cinema at MoMA, John Carpenter: Master of Fear at BAM Cinématek, the newly revived Cabaret Cinema at the Rubin Museum, and the sophisticated smut entitled Nitehawk Naughties at my fave destination for porn, root beer 'n tater tots, Billyburg's Nitehawk Cinema. The hooliganism be thus;
IFC Center
THE PALM BEACH STORY (1943) Dir; Preston Sturges
JAWS (1975) Dir; Steven Spielberg
Film Forum
JAMAICA INN (1939) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968-86
LOSING GROUND (1982) Dir; Kathleen Collins
THE CRUZ BROTHERS AND MISS MALLOY (1980) Dir; Kathleen Collins
MoMA
TOP HAT (1935) Dir; Mark Sandrich
Carte Blanche: Women Writing the Language of Cinema
BEHIND THE SCENES (1914) Dir; James Kirkwood
THE WIND (1927) Dir; Victor Sjöström
BAM Cinématek
John Carpenter: Master of Fear
HALLOWEEN (1978) Dir; John Carpenter
Rubin Museum
OBSSESSION (1976) Dir; Brian De Palma
Nitehawk Cinema
LANGUAGE OF LOVE (1969) Dir; Torgny Wickman
Today's Pick? Much beckons this day. I've just recently shone the Kliegs on Sandrich's TOP HAT, what must surely be the singularly immaculate pairing of hoofing thesps Astaire & Rogers. In the trash bin today are a pair of misguides from originator to ripoff artist, Hitch's JAMAICA INN and De Palma's OBSSESSION, equally awful, yet somehow deserving of preservation. In the plus column we've got contribs from Sturges, Spielberg, and Sjöström, and how how wonderful their co-operative alliteration this day. Chief focus today would normally, assuredly be most focused on one of my filmmaking heroes, one John Carpenter. Maybe you heard of the guy responsible for HALLOWEEN, ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and THE THING? ???? Yet, strong as the gravitational pull he may still, and perhaps forever boast, a voice once strong, once attempting to find itself, once in pursuit of avenues offering access to a career in cinema, a voice cut far too short, is feted, hoisted this day, finally granted her due one might hope. I hadn't heard of this burgeoning auteur before this series, which is why I pay mind to these things. I know her name now. And I'll not forget it.
Kathleen Collins' LOSING GROUND unspools tonight at the Walter Reade Theater as part of the series Tell It Like It Is: Black Independents in New York, 1968-86. I look forward to weighing the work on its singular merits or failings, regardless of the minority status of its creator. I regret that an African American filmmaker didn't live and work longer so that we could fully appreciate a new voice. In either regard, let's all attend to appreciate something unique.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in February '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!
