March 23rd 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.
Our movie-mad metropolis' sole ongoing, slowly concluding series is once again the trib to wanton wimmen of the Roarin' 20's; IT Girls: Flappers, Jazz Babies & Vamps, flickering its penultimate at Film Forum. The naughty nitrate kneeslappery be thus;
Film Forum
IT Girls: Flappers, Jazz Babies & Vamps
WHY BE GOOD? (1929) Dir; William A. Seiter
CHICAGO (1927) Dirs; Frank Urson & Cecil B. DeMille
SADIE THOMPSON (1928) Dir; Raoul Walsh
CALL HER SAVAGE (1932) Dir; John Francis Dillon
Today's Pick? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnddd guess which way I'm leaning? All signs point to Film Forum, and their soon-to-lindy-hop-no-more IT Girls: Flappers, Jazz Babies & Vamps! Four flicks to choose from; Dillon's SAVAGE, a recently restored Clara Bow vehicle from the onetime megastar's waning days; Seiter's GOOD, a star vehicle from iconic flapper Colleen Moore, recently reunited with its Vitaphone soundtrack; and Urson & DeMille's CHICAGO, the original film iteration of the Windy City's famous Roxie Hart murder case. All worthy of your attendance. The tie-breaker? Gloria Swanson. Like anything on today's slate can boast of stronger feminine wiles?
Raouls Walsh's SADIE THOMPSON, the tale of a woman-gone-wrong attempting to go right, and encountering all the obstacles said journey would normally impose, even on the tiny island of Pago Pago, features the future Norma Desmond in one of her signature silent roles. The proceedings unspool in glorious 35mm, and the piano accompaniment comes courtesy of one Steven Sterner, the Forum's go-to guy for these soundtrack-bereft events. Ya can't go wrong. Unless ya fall for Gloria. The only thing you might love more is the Forum's popcorn. So arm yerself accordingly.
For more info on these and all NYC's rep film screenings in March '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 loosened on our fair metropolis, but milder weather aside 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!
