Nitrate Stock @ #NYFF53, Day One: Ernst Lubitsch's HEAVEN CAN WAIT!

Hallo Stockahz! Back from my first day up at The Film Society's annual celebration of the best of cinema new and old. The latter, of course, being my preoccupation.

Last night I was lucky enough to attend an unspooling, a genuine unspooling mind ya, of a restored 35mm print of what might be the great Ernst Lubitsch's final great film; 1943's HEAVEN CAN WAIT. I'd initially and mistakenly thought this was a 4K DCP resto, and was delighted to find at film's intro that we were gonna be treated to good old tried & true celluloid! Now, I've long made it my position that were the so-called Pepsi challenge be given me, I'd probably not be of quite the educated eye to be able to tell the diff twixt a really good DCP resto and a pristine 35mm print.
Still, and this is probably only the power of suggestion, I adore watching the medium in its native media. The Technicolor popped, the music swooned, the perfs from leads Don Ameche and Gene Tierney, as well as the perfect supporting cast of Eugene Pallette, Charles Coburn, Louis Calhern, Marjorie Main, and Laird Cregar, made and makes this essential viewing. This Cinegeek is most appreciative of all the work that went into the preservation of this classic, from the people at 20th Century Fox and the Film Foundation. It's a gem, if you haven't seen it please seek it out.

As a bonus we were treated to an appearance from none other than Martin Scorsese, the man chiefly responsible for the creation of the aforementioned Film Foundation. He sat with the NYFF's chief programmer and all-around film guy Kent Jones to discuss the Foundation, celebrating its 25th year. Ya might be able to see them in the article's pic. They're the two dots in the center. I'll do better next time.

Scorsese talked about its inception, its continuing mission, and about the need not only for the preservation of celluloid but the need for its continued manufacture. The debate has been raging for a coupl'a decades now over film's future, over which media supports its future, over whether it even has a future. Scorsese remains steadfast in his committment to 35mm, actually to celluloid-based film of any size. It was a fabtastic opportunity to hear him speak exclusively about his role in helping create awarenes of the need to preserve the legacy of the cinema. And yes, I saw that I just mis-typed the word fabtastic. I've since decided the term is perfect.

So I'm back at the Walter Reade tonight to catch a brand-new restoration of one of my favorite films from one of my favorite filmmakers; Akira Kurosawa's RAN. Anybody who knows me knows this is something I'm looking forward to with great anticipation. I'll be text and video-posting, so be sure to check in with me on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram and Vine and my parole officer and whatever else access I might be able to provide. And should you wanna check my video posts from last night's brouhaha you can watch them here;

https://www.facebook.com/joseph.walsh.370/videos/10153210308075922/?l=28...

and here;

https://www.facebook.com/joseph.walsh.370/videos/10153210570695922/?l=29...

My thanks once more to the folks at the Film Scoiety for all their hard work and for accomodating my requests, particluarly the work of Austin Kennedy, publicist extraordinaire, and George Nicholis and Stephanie Friedman from the publicity house of PMK-BNC. Follow me, Stockahz! The 53rd annual NYFF is just getting underway!

- Joe Walsh