August 11th 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.
Continuing and concluding series this day includes Richard Lester: The Running Jumping Pop Cinema Iconoclast at the Film Society, the Brando trib at Film Forum, Scorsese Screens at MoMA, It's a Conspiracy! at Nitehawk Cinema, and Indie 80's at BAM Cinématek. The 4-perf foofaraw be thus;
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Richard Lester: The Running Jumping Pop Cinema Iconoclast
THE THREE MUSKETEERS (1973) Dir; Richard Lester
THE FOUR MUSKETEERS (1974) Dir; Richard Lester
BUTCH AND SUNDANCE: THE EARLY DAYS (1979) Dir; Richard Lester
METROPOLITAN (1990) Dir; Whit Stillman
Film Forum
BURN (1969) Dir; Gillo Pontecorvo
JULIUS CAESAR (1953) Dir; Joseph L. Mankieiwcz
VIVA ZAPATA! (1952) Dir; Elia Kazan
APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) Dir; Francis Ford Coppola
MoMA
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1943) Dir; Arthur Lubin
49TH PARALLEL (1941) Dirs; Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger
Nitehawk Cinema
THE PARALLAX VIEW (1973) Dir; Alan J. Pakula
BAM Cinématek
EL NORTE (1983) Dir; Gregory Nava
Tony Dapolito Recreation Center
GREASE (1978) Dir; Randal Kleiser
103rd Street Community Garden
FLIGHT OF THE NAVIGATOR (1985) Dir; Randal Kleiser
Today's Pick? As hard it maight be to choose against BOTH Randal Kleiser films this day, and on a more serious note the Lester and Brando programs, sadly ending this day, as well as the magnificent Scorsese series at MoMa, which still has some way to go, I got a clear choice this day. Part of alan Pakula's great paranoia trilogy from the 70's, which began with his excellent murder mystery/character study KLUTE and concluded with his newspaper procedural/political exposé ALL THE PRESIDENT's MEN. What connects these films, aside from their clinical, cynical view of modern relationships, the fear of the encroach of modern tech, and the suggestion that any form of privacy might well be an antiquated notion, is the man who provided the look of these classic films, and hence the feel. He was christened by his peers The Prince of Darkness, because he dared take color film stock back into the shadows, to play with the absence of light in ways interesting, even imperative to the narrative. Back in the ninteen-ninteens folks like Fritz Lang suggested that the shadows were not merely interesting because they held fascinating, perhaps taboo, perhaps ultimately unknowable secrets, they may also be characters in and of themselves. From such terrible, wonderful intrigues did Gordon Willis spring.
Alan J. Pakula's THE PARALLAX VIEW unspools in what promises to be a glorious 35mm print, highlighting the DP of Darkness' innovative modern machinations, as part of the Nitehawk Cinema's wonderfully subversive, perhaps enlightening series It's a Conspiracy! Be sure to call ahead to see if there are seats left for this performance. Wait one minute to make sure they're not recording and if you hear any clicks hang up immediately. Wait, what was that noise?
For more info on these and all NYC's rep film screenings in August '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 warmer, fiercer cuddle of the sun's sunnier disposition has reached its zenith, 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!
