October 20th 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.
I warned you all. I saw the signs, beat the drum, but you all chose to ignore me. Oh don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. you know damn well what I'm talking about. It was crystal clear way back at the end of August, so I don't wanna hear any of your belly-aching now. Simply put? The NFL means winter. Get rid of the former and you'll chase away the latter. That's been my two cents for 4 decades now. You'll never listen.
Today's lone series is The Waking Dreams of Wojciech Has at BAM Cinématek. The full fibblededigit be thus;
Film Forum
ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS (1960) Dir; Luchino Visconti
Library for the Performing Arts
DREAMCHILD (1985) Dir; Gavin Millar
Symphony Space
MY FAIR LADY (1964) Dir; George Cukor
BAM Cinématek
The Waking Dreams of Wojciech Has
THE DOLL (1968) Dir; Wojciech Has
Today's Pick? Seen ROCCO mere weeks ago, and while the new 4K resto is crisp and warm and absolutley mesmeric, I don't like to do the double-dip so soon. Ditto the Wojceich Has series, which I believe has more worthwhile fruit to bear in the coming days anyway. MY FAIR LADY nah. Just nah. So I'm going with Gavin Milar's DREAMCHILD up at Lincoln Center's Library for the Performing Arts. I've only seen it once years ago, but I remember it as an engaging supposition regarding the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll's Alice, one Alice Liddell, reflecting from the vantage point of advanced age upon her fictional namesake, and rendered with loving melancholy by veteran actress Coral Browne, also known is some circles as Mrs. Vincent Price. The performances are a key selling point, boasting Ian Holm as Carroll and Peter Gallagher as a sympathetic reporter who becomes her agent. The real star of the proceedings, however, might be the creature effects work done by the Jim Henson shop. Far from the company's usual kid-friendly creature design, Henson & his team skewed closer to the original intent, which resulted in some perhaps unsavory renderings of the Mad Hatter, the Mock Turtle, and the rest of Wonderland's denizens. It may not be a classic in its own right, and then again maybe it is, I'd have to give it another spin. What it definitely is, however, is an intruiging slice of cult cinema from a decade some regard as having no cinematic value to the media's timeline whatsoever. And look, if you got a problem with my take on this flick, then Eat Me.
For more info on these and all NYC's rep film screenings in October '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 begun its annual wane, 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!
