MAY 2015! The Apu Trilogy, Japan Silent and Spoken, and Elaine May Blesses Us All.

Hallo Stockahz! Welcome to the May '15 overview of the NYC repertory film circuit! I hope what the great George Harrison once referred to as this "long cold lonely winter" hasn't so deepened the crevices in the harder parts of your hearts to the extent that the prospect of greener and warmer memories yet to be made affects you not in the slightest. We've got the best of the year in classic screenings to come, from deep-cut career retrospectives, to outdoor projections, to, and this is best of all, multi-borough travel from venue to venue that's so amazingly more tolerable compared to what these last few winters have offered. The year in NYC repertory film has, to a certain degree, just now begun. so let's get to it.

Those of you familiar with the site know that every month I like to award what I call Big Dawg status to the series or screening I deem impossible to miss. Last month that noble distinction went to Film Forum and their comprehensive career trib entitled Strictly Sturges, so named after the great screwball auteur befitted with the given name Preston, offering his complete output, spanning his early days a scribe-only to his ultimate glory behind both the typewriter and the cameras. This month I award the Daily Growl to the NYC Cinegeek's fave equivalent of the mausoleum from PHANTASM, the East Village's own Anthology Film Archives, and their series entitled "Written" By Philip Yordan.
The quotes are entirely apropos, as Yordan remains a very controversial figure in film history. Nominated for 3 Oscars and the winner of 1, Yordan's writing career spanned 5 decades and 69 IMDB credits, at one point during the blacklist he was churning out 3, 4, even 5 quality screenplays a year. And therein lies the controversy. Yordan has been pegged by many as one of thebiggest, if not the biggest "fronts" in Hollywood history, offering his name, or perhaps more accurately renting it out, to blacklisted screenwriters seeking no more than a cut of the sale for their own work, so desperate some were to simply work during that period. Problem is these are all allegations, no actual proof has ever been conclusively offered as to who wrote what. I mean damn, that's dificult enough to ascertain when all names are credited! In that spirit the detective work should be highly intriuing, attending each screening with the intent to not only enjoy the film, but to do some research, explore some gossip, in order to debate the true authorship of each script. Titles screening in the series include Anthony Mann's MEN IN WAR, Joseph H. Lewis' THE BIG COMBO, and the legendary Nicholas Ray's JOHNNY GUITAR. Of equal intrigue is a film that recently screened as part of BAM Cinématek's Black & White 'Scope: American Cinema series, Martin Ritt's NO DOWN PAYMENT, which reportedly features a standout early perf from the great Tony Randall as an alcoholic car salesman. The series screens from May 15th to the 24th.

Also at AFA this month is a short trib to filmmaker Christopher Kirkley, featuring his own works and some earlier celluloid that inspired them. Albert Magnoli's PURPLE RAIN and Perry Henzell's THE HARDER THEY COME screen over the course of the weekend of the 8th. And month's end sees the start of a great new program entitled This is Celluloid: 35mm, which will continue over the next few months exploring various perforated emulsifications, from 16mm to Super-8 to whathaveye. Inaugural titles include Roger Corman's THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH, John Ford's SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON, and Fritz Lang's MOONFLEET. Anthology Film Archives is located at 32 2nd Avenue in Manhattan.

Coming in at a close second is a major two-week revival of one of the most important works of world cinema. Or three of them, to be exact. Satyajit Ray, the neo-realist auteur who put Indian cinema on the world map, is the proud papa of a new and painstakingly crafted 4K DCP resto of PATHER PANCHALI, APARAJITO, and APUR SANSAR, otherwise collectively known as The Apu Trilogy. Film Forum offers various schedules convenient in order to experience Ray's masterworks, but on five occasions, the 10th, the 17th, the 24th, the 25th and the 28th, you may spend the day watching them back-to-back. Naan bread will not be served, but hey, sneak it in like everyone else does. This time it'll be appropriate! The series runs from the 8th to the 28th.

Also at the Forum this month is the final week of René Clément's FORBIDDEN GAMES, his masterful treatise on both childhood denied and war too often indulged. Also screening in a brand spankin' new DCP resto, this is one I plan on not missing.

Recently scratched from the lost film list, William Wellman's BEGGARS OF LIFE unspools in all its 35mm glory for one night only, Monday the 4th at 7:50pm. And the early sunday morn series Film Forum Jr. offers this month Spielberg's E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL, Richard Donner's THE GOONIES, and Joseph L. Mankiewicz's GUYS AND DOLLS. Film Forum is located at 209 W. Houston Street in Manhattan's West Village.

Jumping on the uptown F train to Midtown Manhattan, MoMA's film program is quite generous this month with rep film both domestic and foreign. The former is repped by adjunct curator Dave Kehr's excellent new-ish seris Acteurism, which posits the notion that authorship of a film may come from before the cameras as well as from behind them. this month is a continuation of last month's star focus; the great Joel McCrea, and titles screening this month include David Butler's BUSINESS AND PLEASURE, Gregory La Cava's BED OF ROSES, Archie Mayo's THEY SHALL HAVE MUSIC, and Lloyd Bacon's ESPIONAGE AGENT. Also happening later this month is the very promising series Japan Speaks Out! Early Japanese Talkies, which boasts of fascinating examples of a thriving pre-war cinema such as Kenji Mizoguchi's HOME TOWN, Mikio Naruse's WIFE BE LIFE A ROSE, and Yasujiro Ozu's THE ONLY SON. The series runs from the 6th to the 20th.

But anyone who really knows me knows the cherry on top of MoMA's repertory sundae this month shares a name with this 31 day spring cycle. The great Elaine May is shown some always-deserved huggery with a weeklong booking of what may be her masterpiece, 1974's MIKEY AND NICKY, screening from the 3rd to the 9th, and this Sunday's inaugural 5pm unspooling will be presented by the auteur herself. This is a once in a lifetime experience, unless your name is Warren Beatty, so if it isn't completely sold-out already, do your damdest to attend. The legendary Mz. May has never been known as one who lets time get away from her, so be smart and spend yours with her. MoMA is located at 11 W. 53rd in Manhattan.

Across the pond at Astoria's crown jewel, the Museum of the Moving Image, a coupl'a film series tempt mightily this month. Horror Mother's Day (soon to be followed by its companion June series Horror Father's Day) this month offers up Big Al's PSYCHO, Roman Polanski's ROSEMARY'S BABY, and David Cronenberg's THE BROOD. The real blood 'n roses this month however belongs to the series Portraying the Human Condition: The Films of Masaki Kobayashi and Tatsua Nakadai, a collaboration on par in their native land with Kurosawa and Mifune, stateside perhaps with Scorsese and De Niro. Prominent titles in the short series include BLACK RIVER, HARAKIRI and KWAIDAN, but the main event is the back-to-backers of all three parts of THE HUMAN CONDITION, NO GREATER LOVE and ROAD TO ETERNITY on Saturday the 16th, concluding with the final chapter A SOLDIER'S PRAYER on Sunday the 17th. Essential cinema, no lie.

Also at Moving Image this month is a one-day only screening of Robert Wise's THE SOUND OF MUSIC in 70mm, today Saturday the 2nd! Yeah, I'm gonna stop it right there. Museum of the Moving Image is located at 36-01 35th avenue in Astoria, Queens.

Pennyfarthing south into Brooklyn to BAM Cinématek, the slate looks slim thus far, but some choice cuts are on display. As part of a speaker series Nicolas Roeg's THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH screens on the 7th and Federico Fellini's I VITELLONI screens on the 8th, intro'd by Soundcheck host John Schaefer and Micropolis creator Arun Venugopal, respectively. We'll check back here for further May shenanigans. BAM Cinématek is located at the Peter Jay Sharp building at 30 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn.

Segueing north into benificently barbed BillyBurg, the cats at my fave new theater, the Nitehawk Cinema, are honoring some old tricks and ginning up some new ones. Brunch and Midnight fare this month include Abrams-Zucker-Abrams TOP SECRET, John McTiernan's THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, and Kubrick's DR. STRANGELOVE for the Bellini-besotted, and Michael Winner's DEATH WISH, Philip Kaufman's INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, and David Cronenberg's THE FLY at the Witching Hour. Other notable screnings include Michael Wadleigh's WOLFEN as part of the Times Square grindhouse-era trib The Deuce, and David Lynch's DUNE as part of the series Booze 'N Books. Once more, becuase I never tire of waving this flag, best root beer 'n tater tots in he five boroughs. Try me. The Nitehawk is just a short skip 'n hop from the Bedford Ave L train at 136 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Back on the poly-syllabic side of the East River the IFC Center provides some gas for the burners to help thaw this burg, specifically with the series Deneuve x 8. Upcoming titles in the 11am weekend series include Roman Polanski's REPULSION, Truffaut's THE LAST METRO, and Tony Scott's THE HUNGER. And midnight screenings on the Avenue of the Americas include George Miller's MAD MAX, David Lynch's BLUE VELVET, Jodorowsky's EL TOPO, and Scorsese's AFTER HOURS. IFC Center is located at 323 6th Avenue at West third Stret in Manhattan.

Back into midtown the French Institute, or Alliance Française, continues the theme of their current CinéSalon series, Haute Couture on Film. Upcoming screenings include Jean Renoir's THE RULES OF THE GAME, Jean Negulesco's HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE, and Luis Buñuel's BELLE DE JOUR. This is an exceptional screening space offering quality prints of some of cinema's most worthwhile works. Do your damndest to attend. The French Institute's screening space is located directly around the block at 59th st. between Park ave and Madison.

The Rubin Museum continues its excellent Cabaret Cinema series, this month exploring the theme Movie Masks. Screenings in the series include Ingmar Brgman's THE SEVENTH SEAL and Max Ophüls LE PLAISIR. The policy has changed at the Rubin, but not drastically so. Instead of a $10 bar tab securing your ticket it's now a ten buk proposition in its own right. An dmight I add worth every penny. As always seating is limited, so get there early. The Rubin is located at 150 W. 17th st in Manhattan's Chelsea district.

Midnights at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema offer up Robert Zemeckis' BACK TO THE FUTURE, and Kubrick's THE SHINING.

The New York Historical Society continues its Justice in Film series with screenings of Vittorio de Sica's UMBERTO D. and Alan J. Pakula's ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN.

Sunday afternoons at the Mid-Manhattan Library bring a quartet of George Cukor; 1933's DINNER AT EIGHT, 1935's SYLVIA SCARLETT ,1936's CAMILLE, and 1940's THE PHILADELPHIA STORY.

And finally the Silent Clowns Film Series continues their Hal Roach love this month with a screening at the Library for the Performing Arts, Saturday the 9th at 2:30pm. 6 silent shorts unspool in glorious 35mm to the accompaniment of pianist extraordinaire Ben Model. Free to the public, popular as hell. get there early or risk dealing with the carraige drivers on the Upper West. And I don't mean the horse carriages.

So there it is, your rundown of the month in repertory cinema. Schedules are subject to change, and they do, so be sure to check back with this site to keep fully updated. And be sure to like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, observe me on Instagram, stalk me on Tumblr, measure me on Vine okay that's enough now. You know where to find me should ya wanna keep up with the rep film doings in NYC. So until next time, be safe and saound, Stockahz, and make sure the next knucklehead is too. Excelsior!

-Joe Walsh

JoeW@NitrateStock.net