August 29th 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 the Ozu and Wenders director tribs at IFC Center, Scorsese Screens and Ingrid Bergman: A Centennial Celebration at MoMA, and the last days of the celebration of what might be the most important independent production house in American film history, American International Pictures at Anthology Film Archives. The Kino Caballerial be thus;
IFC Center
EQUINOX FLOWER (1958) Dir; Yasujiro Ozu
Wim Wenders: Portraits Along the Road
THE GOALIE'S ANXIETY AT THE PENALTY KICK (1971) Dir; Wim Wenders
WINGS OF DESIRE (1987) Dir; Wim Wenders
ALICE IN THE CITIES (1974) Dir; Wim Wenders
FLASH GORDON (1980) Dir; Mike Hodges
ALIENS (1986) Dir; James Cameron
Film Forum
ARMY OF SHADOWS (1969) Dir; Jean-Pierre Melville
MoMA
REGENERATION (1915) Dir; Raoul Walsh
SCARFACE (1932) Dir; Howard Hawks
THE KILLERS (1964) Dir; Don Siegel
Ingrid Bergman: A Centennial Celebration
CASABLANCA (1942) Dir; Michael Curtiz
AUTUMN SONATA (1978) Dir; Ingmar Bergman
Anthology Film Archives
American International Pictures
THE SHE-CREATURE (1956) Dir; Edward L. Cahn
I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF (1957) Dir; Gene Fowler Jr.
I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN (1957) Dir; Herbert L. Strock
A BUCKET OF BLOOD (1959) Dir; Roger Corman
Nitehawk Cinema
COME DRINK WITH ME (1966) Dir; King Hu
Today's Pick? A film that re-invented the genre of Hong Kong cinema known as the wuxia, or martial arts, film, specifically dealing with swordplay. Its director introduced the now-common practice of casting performers from the worlds of dance and athletics, specifically the Peking Opera, rather than actual fighters. He envisioned a type of action choreography that went beyond honest physics, that strove for an aesthetic rather than a grounding in the natural world. In the process he chose to make his action hero a female, something not routine then nor now, creating a template that all future women warriors in film would follow to some degree, from Pam Grier to Sigourney Weaver, all the way up to Charlize Theron in this year's FURY ROAD. It remains a brisk, bright entertainment, as well as a cinematic ground zero for its genre. And it screens with a menu that includes the finest root beer 'n tater tot combo this burg's yet seen. So yeah, Bergman, Wenders, Ozu, beat it. We're goin' dynasty over legacy tonight.
Cheng Pei-pei stars in King Hu's COME DRINK WITH ME, unspooling in spectacular 35mm tonight at what remains my fave new movie theater in NYC, follically-festooned BillyBurg's fabulous Nitehawk Cinema. You don't have to grow one to attend, but if you have a beard, you must perfect the whooshing noise when you stroke it at the theater. This is non-negotiable.
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!
