July 14th 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.
Gay marriage legalized? Confederate flag being run down the nation's flagpoles? A nuclear deal potentially reached with Iran? The real story is being buried here, people! Berke Breathed has revived BLOOM COUNTY after 25 years! And now he's got no more material to work with!!! Curse you, progress!!!
New and continuing series this day include True Crime! at Film Forum, CinéSalon - Jean Claude Carrière: Writing the Impossible at the French Institute, month two of Glorious Technicolor: From George Eastman House and Beyond at MoMA, and the willies-inducing It's a Conspiracy! at the Nitehawk Cinema. Let us go then, you and I;
Film Forum
THE WRONG MAN (1956) Dir; Alfred Hitchcock
BOOMERANG! (1947) Dir; Elia Kazan
THE THIRD MAN (1949) Dir; Carol Reed
French Institute/Alliance Française
CinéSalon - Jean Claude Carrière: Writing the Impossible
DANTON (1983) Dir; Andrzej Wajda
MoMA
Glorious Technicolor: From George Eastman House and Beyond
BEND OF THE RIVER (1952) Dir; Anthony Mann
THE NAKED SPUR (1953) Dir; Anthony Mann
IFC Center
THIEF (1981) Dir; Michael Mann
Nitehawk Cinema
THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) Dir; John Frankenheimer
Tony Dapolito Recreation Center
FORBIDDEN PLANET (1956) Dir; Fred M. Wilcox
Today's Pick? Reed's THIRD MAN always tempts, but I'm careful to separate that selection by a good deal of months. Except I'm probably choosing it again next month as part of MoMA's Scorsese Selects series. Sue me.
So much else on the circuit tempts; the Mann two-fer at MoMA, the Crime series at Film Forum, and the French Institute's CinéSalon series is never not worth attendane. Today though, it comes down to a scant minority of prospects, at venues I love as dearly as mine own couch, which is of course the greatest compliment I can offer. Hey, I got one fabulous couch. Trust me. The choices are thus; Michael Mann's THIEF in a spectacular DCP iteration, and Frankenheimer's seminal MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE in an equally stunning 2K transfer. The winner?
In a twist worthy of Spassky v Kasparov I choose NEITHER, and instead directs ya feets to the Tony Dapolito Recreation Center off Varick & Clarkson Streets, for their quaint rooftop summer screening series, which tonight shines the sparklers on Fred M. Wilcox's essential SciFi classic FORBIDDEN PLANET! Yes, you sit on folding chairs. Yes, you aim yer blinkers at a BluRay projection. And yes, those two are reason enough to not even mention this event. However, they are also exactly the reason to not merely mention but advocate for this event/series. It is the epitome of the communal viewing experience; a NYC rooftop in summer, with whatever food and bev you've chosen to bring, seated amongst your city brethren, your movie brethren. Watching a classic. this remains one of the best-kept secrets in the city as regards outdoor summer movies. Here's hoping I help make it the worst-kept secret.
For more info on these and all NYC's rep film screenings in July '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. The warm cuddle of the sun's friendlier disposition seems finally to have arrived, 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!
