October 2015! Modern Matinees, the NYFF53, and the 3rd Annual Nite To Dismember!

Hallo Stockahz! Welcome to the Pumpkin Spiced Latte Smoothie of the calendar year; October! And also to a genuinely pertinent question; HOW IN THE HELL DID IT GET TO BE OCTOBER '15 ALREADY?!?!?

Well, I will leave the bluster to the gale forces that have engulfed our burg since Hurricane Joaquim Peonix swooshed through our otherwise non-chilly climes. We've got lots to get to regarding rep film activity this month. So let's not so much mourn baseball's coming demise once more as embrace the dawn of another MLB post-season, one that sees my beloved Yanks back in the mix for the first time in DECADES okay it's only been three years. Instead of bracing for another character-testing winter in this concrete and steel city let's remember fondly the heavenly spring and summer just passed, and look forward to the next spring and summer. Suck it winter. And finally let us not remember with sad longing rep screenings and series bygone, events like Friedkin expounding on CITIZEN KANE during Film Forum's centennial celebration of Orson Welles, the 2-month celebration of all things Technicolor at MoMA, or the John Ford trib at Moving Image, wonderful 35mm prints all. Let us look ever forward to the return of these screenigns and to rep unsppolings taken in for the first time! In that spirit I offer this look forward into the soul of October, and should you need that Pumpkin Spiced Latte Smoothie in order to cope, oh hell, go with it. I promise to only mock you when I see you.

Dems of youse familiar with this site know that I like to bestow a little something I refer to as Big Dawg status to the series or screening I deem that month's most unmissable. Last month that most distingished honor was split betwixt MoMA and BAM Cinématek, for their collaborative tribute to the centennial f Ingrid Bergman's birth. They managed to squeeze in virtually every title in her CV, and the boune-back illuminata was priceless. Ingrid glows, and will do so forever.

This month, even though its first week is already in the books, I gotta go with the Revivals section of this year's 53rd annual New York Film Festival, a yearly spit & polish of some of the most important works of cinema, and a celebration of the efforts of those who preserve them. Unfortunately, such important screenings as Luchino Visconti's ROCCO AND HIS BROHERS, Ernst Lubitch's HEAVEN CAN WAIT and Akira Kurosawa's RAN, have already left with Elvis. Most fortunately you may still attend screenings of John Ford's THE LONG VOYAGE HOME, Hou Hsiao-hsien's THE BOYS FROM FENGKUEI, and tonight's presentation of King Hu's seminal wuxia flick A TOUCH OF ZEN. Rush tix are available, so look into this shindig, kid! The NYFF lasts until Sunday October 11th. The Film Society of Lincoln Center is located at 165 W65th street at the Walter Reade Theater, and 144 W 65th Street at the Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center.

Ziplining dowtown the Film Forum has quite the slate set for the month of yellowing leaves. Their celebration of the works of Italian actor/director Vittorio De Sica winds down this week with screenings of the Neil Simon-scripted farce AFTER THE FOX, the Sophia Loren hubba-fest YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND TOMORROW, and his last great film, 1970's THE GARDEN OF THE FINZI-CONTINIS. Each of these titles are must-see cinema in their own right, do you best to attend at least one.

Immediately following the De Sica mani-pedi, the aforementioned ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS, neorealist master Visconti's ode to the shadows that engulfed his beloved Italy in the wake of WW2, begins a three-count-'em-three week run at Film Forum. I always quote Lumet on this matter, that drama is where the plot drives the characters and melodrama is the opposite. This is one HELL of a melodrama, in that case. Strikingly shot by the legendary DP Guiseppe Rotunno, the man behind the camerawork on Visconti's THE LEOPARD, Fellini's SATYRICON, and Altman's POPEYE. Can't win 'em all. Don't miss this haunting lament for what Visconti believed to be the lost soul of his native Italy. It is absolutely unforgettable.

Also at the Forum is a one-nighter of John Waters' POLYESTER, presented in its original Smell-O-Vision format! Plus, star Tab Hunter, hawking his book and similarly-monickered new doc Tab Hunter Confidential, will be on hand to intro the 7:30pm screening on the 19th. Smell ya later.

The end of the month sees the kickoff to the exciting series Classic 3-D! Initial entries into this weeklong trib include George Sidney's KISS ME KATE, Andre de Toth's HOUSE OF WAX, and Big Al's DIAL M FOR MURDER. the series runs from the 30th thru November 5th.

Finally the fantastic hook-em-while-they're-young FIlm Forum Jr. brings the cinematically obsessed pre-teen set screenings of Clarence Brown's THE YEARLING, David Butler's CALAMITY JANE, and an incredibly rare screening of Ivan Reitman's GHOSTBUSTERS. Film Forum is located at 209 W Houston St. in Manhattan.

Subway-surfing back up to midtown, the celebrated institution acronymically known as MoMA has some wonderful stuff scheduled as lead-up to their annual To Save and Project series, coming once more in November. This month brings round two of their new Modern Matinees series, subtitled In the Beginning, focusing on those filmmakers deemed essential by founding curator Iris Barry and founding library director John Abbott. Upcoming titles include René Clair's THE GHOST GOES WEST, D. W. Griffith's BROKEN BLOSSOMS, and Ernst Lubitsch's THE MARRIAGE CIRCLE. This series is a rare opportunity to explore the institute's library through the people who built it. Take a look at the masterpieces that founded this great art form through new eyes.

Also at MoMA this month is the restored Lino Brocka's INSIANG, a searing exploration of the slum conditions in 70's-era Phillipines. A non-existant budget, a shooting sked that amounted to a fortnight, tortuous heat and humidity. Of such limitations are masterpieces made. Never sseen, can't wait to attend. MoMA is located at 11 W 53rd street in Midtown Manhattan.

Parasailing over the East River to the venerable BAM Cinématek a pair of series bursting with promise loom large. Interesting Women, Interesting Lives comes at a timely, uh, time, as the question of women's role in the cinema, and whether it's waxing or waning, is framed by the larger national controverises over gender equality. Me, I'm pro-dame. And I don't care what kinda heat that brings me. Upcoming screenings include Susan Seidelman's DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN and George Cukor's IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO YOU. Show some strength & get behind the women of this country okay wait that didn't sound right look I'm not equipped of the appropriate tact just check these gems out. Yeah I'm done now.

Also at BAM Cinématek a unique voice from out of Polish cinema, one developed under the weight of the USSR's heft, is hoisted up in a cinegeek crowd surf. Wojciech Has explored realms deemed inappropriate under the Soviets, realms of imagination, of surreal alternate existence. not all his work fell under this banner, but even the more so-called trad narrative sojourns were laden with controversy. Amongst the more colorful titles on the dock include THE SARAGASSO MANUSCRIPT, THE HOURGLASS SANATORIUM and THE FABULOUS JOURNEY OF BALTHAZAR KOBER, number such austere titles as THE CODES, THE NOOSE, and THE DOLL. The series runs from the 15th thru the 27th. BAM Cinématek is located at the Peter Jay Sharp building at 30 Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn.

Pickin's get a litle trim after this my Droogies. Hulaboarding north into Astoria the Museum of the Moving Image hosts John Turturro for a screening of his first great notice-grabbing role in Tony Bill's FIVE CORNERS, scripted by John Patrick Shanley, who will also be about to give his two cents. Screening occurs on the 9th. MoMI is located at 36-01 35th avenue in Astoria, Queens.

Boomeranging back into Brooklyn the Nitehawk Cinema, located in follically festooned BillyBurg, promises its usual brunch and midnight madness, offering up James Whale's THE INVISIBLE MAN, Rouben Mamoulian's DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE, and George A. Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD for the Bellini-besotted, and Jeff Lieberman's BLUE SUNSHINE, Stuart Gordon's RE-ANIMATOR and John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN at the witching hour. Other shenanigans include screenings of Woody Allen's STARDUST MEMORIES and SLEEPER, Ferdinando Baldi's whacko SpagWest GET MEAN, and, of course, the shrine to celluloid, root beer 'n tater tots' annual ode to all things sleep-denouncing; the all-night-thru-morn Halloween celebration A NITE TO DISMEMBER! Trivia, prizes, hot coffee and scrambled come dawn: what else says Halloween more? The Nitehawk Cinema is just a short stumble from the Bedford Avenue L train stop at 136 Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn.

Polevaulting back to the opposable thumb section of the city IFC Center has some goodies stored up for our filmgoing pleasure. Queer/Art/Film unspools Angès Varda's masterpiece VAGABOND. Film School 101: Canon Fodder brings us John Ford's THE SEARCHERS, Martin Scorsese's TAXI DRIVER, and Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A SPACE ODDYSEY. And their trib to recently departed horror film-meister Wes Craven brings this month THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW and THE HILLS HAVE EYES. IFC Center is located at 323 6th avenue at West 4th st.

In quick succesion, the concluding bill of fare;

City Cinemas Village East has programmed a second annual Hitchcocktober, with upcoming screenings including 1943's SHADOW OF A DOUBT, 1959's NORTH BY NORTHWEST, 1964's MARNIE, and 1954's REAR WINDOW. City Cinemas Village East is located at the corner of 2nd avenue and 12th street in Manhattan.

The Rubin Museum offers upTerrence Malick's BADLANDS, Jean-Luc Godard's ALPHAVILLE, Chris Marker's LA JETEE, and George A. Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, as part of this month's section of the ongoing Cabaret Cinema series. The museum is located at 150 W 17th street in Manhattan.

The Japan Society presents a Kon Ichikawa weekend: 1958's CONFLAGRATION, 1960's HER BROTHER, and 1963's AN ACTOR'S REVENGE. The JS is located at 333 W 47th street in Manhattan.

The Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center hosts Ben Model, Steve Massa and Bruce Lawton, colectively known as The Silent Clowns, as they screen Fred Niblo's THE MARK OF ZORRO , Saturday the 10th. The Library is located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza.

Thursdays at the BowTie Chelsea Cinema bring us George Miller's THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, Tobe Hooper's POLTERGEIST, and Frank Yablans' MOMMIE DEAREST. The BowTie is located at 260 W 23rd st.

The Tarrytown Music Hall is getting into the Jack-O-Lantern spirit with a new tradition of a Halloween-themed midnight screening of Jim Sharman's THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, Friday night the 23rd. The Hall is located at 13 Main Street Tarrytown NY. Brave the MetroNorth and enjoy!

The New York Historical Society resumes their Justice in Film series with screenings of Niblo's Fairbanks-making THE MARK OF ZORRO and Michael Curtiz's MILDRED PIERCE. Located at 170 Central Park West.

And finally the Landmark Sunshine Cinemas midnight series this month offers up Scorsese's TAXI DRIVER, George P. Cosmatos' RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II, and Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. The theater is located at 143 W. Houston St.

So there you have it, your October 2015 repertory film calendar. Skeds are subject to change, and they do, so be sure to check back with the interactive calendar on the upper right hand side of the page. Don't be shy about feedback, either. Be sure to let me know what ya think of the job I'm doing. And be sure to like me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, observe me on Instagram, stalk me on Tumblr, measure me on Vine okay that's enough now. You know where to find me should ya wanna keep up with the rep film doings in NYC. So until next time, be safe and sound, Stockahz, and make sure the next knucklehead is too. Excelsior!

-Joe Walsh

JoeW@NitrateStock.net