February 17th 2016. 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.
Reminder; we'e just under two weeks away from the this site's sophmore in-person meetup event, the 2nd Annual Nitrate Stock Oscar Bash! For those of you unfamilair with the foofaraw, you can check this page's announcement here, or head to the Facebook event page here. We'll be awarding prizes to the winning ballots, the Grand Megillah being the Quentin Tarantino BluRay box set, everything the man's directed from RESERVOIR DOGS through INGLORIOUS BASTERDS, and as a bonus his scripted-only TRUE ROMANCE! 2nd & 3rd prizes will be BluRay copies of Ridley Scott's THE MARTIAN and George Miller's MAD MAX FURY ROAD! We'll have specialty cocktails, excellent grub, and a movie-mad mob fully invested in the proceedings! If it turns out to e anything like last year, it'll be quite the whatfor, so feel free to contact me to reserve table and/or bar space and arrive early to secure your seat! The purchase of a boozy bev or delectible comestible grants you entry into the competition. and remeber; boo Afleck the minute you get the chance!
And now, onto the site's true focus: NYC's rep film scene.
New and continuing series this day include Modern Matinees: A Pioneer Cowboy at MoMA, A Body in Places: Eiko at Anthology Film Archives at, well, y'know, and the coven-coveting Witches' Brew at BAM. The spindle's unspoolery be thus;
Film Forum
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1946) Dir; Jean Cocteau
MoMA
Modern Matinees: A Pioneer Cowboy
THE COLD DECK (1917) Dir; William S. Hart
Anthology Film Archives
A Body in Places: Eiko at Anthology Film Archives
THE BURMESE HARP (1956) Dir; Kon Ichikawa
BAM Cinématek
BLACK SUNDAY (1960) Dir; Mario Bava
THE CITY OF THE DEAD (1960) Dir; John Llewellyn Moxey
Tarrytown Music Hall
SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) Dir; Billy Wilder
Today's Pick? The femme frightfest kicking off at BAM today tempts mightily, and Ichikawa's HARP is never a waste of a true Cinegeek's two hours. But I must choose a venue whose film program is never quite in full swing, yet never completely ceases. The former is unfortunate, thus far anyway; the latter a blessing, because it means we still may partake of classic film in an antiquated venue that will, trust me, fully transport you back to the age when human being-type persons were fully a foot shorter than we tend to be now, and the bathroom ceilings absolutely reflect this evolutionary shift. Beyond headroom, you'll be treated to the close approximation of the theater's original state whence it opened lo these 130 years ago. The seats are narrow, so are the stairwells. But the experience is nothing short of time travel, and the surrounding environs of nearby upstate NY will only enhance the journey. Granted, cross-dressing might still seem a scandal in such a culture, one that seems preserved in an amber concoted by norman Rockwell, but hey, nobody's perfect.
Billy Wilder's SOME LIKE IT HOT screens tonight at the Tarrytown Music Hall. You can grab a Metro-North express train that'll get you there in just around 30 minutes, or you could spend the earlier part of the day enjoying the local culture, the antique shops and restaurants and artisinal groceries. In either case it's incredibly convenient to get there and back, and you'll remember the evening forever. Here's hoping, one day, this joint gets too big for its SPATS!
For more info on these and all NYC's rep film screenings in February '16 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. Winter's icy grip seems to have finally taken hold of our fair city, and 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!
