February 26th 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.
Ongoing series this day include the twin thesp tribs to Charlotte Rampling and Christopher Lee at IFC Center, Modern Matinees: A Pioneer Cowboy at MoMA, Manoel de Oliveira's Tetralogy of Frustrated Love at the Film Society, American International Pictures, Part Three at Anthology Film Archives, and the chilled stem-drink and legroom-friendly Cabaret Cinema at the Rubin Museum. The kino kaleidoscope be thus;
IFC Center
FAREWELL, MY LOVELY (1975) Dir; Dick Richards
THE MUMMY (1959) Dir; Terence Fisher
Film Forum
RAN (1987) Dir; Akira Kurosawa
MoMA
Modern Matinees: A Pioneer Cowboy
THE TAKING OF LUKE MCVANE (1915) Dir; William S. Hart
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Manoel de Oliveira's Tetralogy of Frustrated Love
DOOMED LOVE (1979) Dir; Manoel de Oliveira
Anthology Film Archives
American International Pictures, Part Three
CANNIBAL GIRLS (1973) Dir; Ivan Reitman
JOYRIDE (1977) Dir; Joseph Ruben
Rubin Museum
TOUCH OF EVIL (1958) Dir; Orson Welles
Nitehawk Cinema
THE SHINING (1980) Dir; Stanley Kubrick
Today's Pick? Kurosawa's RAN unspools in its brand new 4K spitshine for a week, so it tempts but I have time. The midnight creenings of Fisher's MUMMY doesn't convinve, but t would be a DAMN sight better choice than the eternally screening SHINING! Both offerings under the AIP pt 3 banner at AFA instill middling feelings at best. And while Welles' EVIL is always welcome, I feel the need to settle on a fresh Pick. So who better than a 70-year old vet actress to fit that bill?
Dick Richards' adap of Raymond Chandler's FAREWELL, MY LOVELY unspools as part of IFC Center's trib to the eternally luminous legendary actress Charlotte Rampling. The onetime model has proven her gravitas through four decades of film, and has finally landed an Oscar nom for Best Actress at this weekend's ceremony. She may not seem to have a hope in Hell to actually win the big prize, but who cares, she has a legacy that other up & coming ingenues would sign on for between rapid heartbeats. Kudos to IFC for recognizing her particular gifts. Now let's see if I can actually wake up in time for the screening. It is only 4 blocks away...
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 has 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!
