May 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.
One more Cinco de Quatro has come and gone. Micheladas were imbibed. Quesadillas were masticated. A-Rod was booed. All in all, a satisfying eve. Not that A-Rod has anything to do with the Mexican celebration of their victory over French aggression, I just wish him ill. And plenty of it. Vive Mejico!
Continuing series today include Acteurism: Joel McCrea and Japan Speaks Out! Early Japanese Talkies at MoMA. The sprocket scallywaggery be thus;
Film Forum
FORBIDDEN GAMES (1952) Dir; René Clément
MoMA
BUSINESS AND PLEASURE (1932) Dir; David Butler
Japan Speaks Out! Early Japanese Talkies
HOME TOWN (1930) Dir; Kenji Mizoguchi
OUR NEIGHBOR, MISS YAE (1934) Dir; Yasujiro Shimazu
MIKEY AND NICKY (1976) Dir; Elaine May
Today's Pick? Anyone who knows me knows my pantheon of exalted talents. Ford. Hawks. Lang. Carpenter. Mann. The ones I return to again and again. The ones I fight mighty battles over and win glorious victories for. Maybe not always, but I fight nonetheless. A very special pantheon member, one very dear to my heart, is the subject of a repertory revival today. Modern comedy may be unthinkable without her innovative breakthrough work. Postwar social satire would surely have been poorer denied her subtle wit and seemingly innocuous, yet wholly fierce bite. There are several careers that may not have happened without her, most assuredly that of ex-partner and now-celebrated filmmaker Mike Nichols, and by extent Dustin Hoffman. The directorial career of Warren Beatty may not have resulted in such luster without her efforts, from credited work on HEAVEN CAN WAIT to the uncredited fixes on everything from REDS to BULWORTH. "Mercurial" is a term that is often, and lazily, applied to a gifted individual who zigs and zags across our collective radar, moving from stage to screen, from the public eye to the off-view shot-caller. Unfortunately it is too often the opinion of a still-male dominated industry that any woman who can't be immediately figured out isn't worth the figuring, and is so summarily dismissed. The resulting fear and spite and ego-crush can serve, sadly, to mute a voice that is otherwise the definition of mellifluous. She may not be the go-to name drop for converstaions regarding comedy, filmmaking, screenwriting, but when her name does arise it amounts to a trump card, so mighty is her rep. She only got the chance to write and direct 4 times, the last being one of the truly shameful spite beatdowns in film history, and the status of ISHTAR is thankfully growing exponentially year by year. As people gradually, y'know, actually see the film. All of her films are deserving of watch and re-watch, and new generations of movie makers continually attempt to break down the formula of her work, to replicate it, to walk in her shoes. She made four films all worth your two hours per. But she also made one flat-out masterpiece.
Elaine May's MIKEY AND NICKY unspools its digital 1's and 0's tonight in a glorious new DCP transfer at MoMA. On a day that sees Mizoguchi and Clément fighting it out for the Kliegs, sorry. Everyting else is back seat material. Mz. May has the wheel.
For more info on these and all NYC's classic film screenings in May '15 click on the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. 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 seem to be entering, finally, the warm cuddle of the sun's friendlier disposition, but 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!
