April 8th 2016. Pick of the Day.
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April '16 is starting to feel less like April Margera and more like April Ludgate. At least T. S. Eliot will feel vindicated. So to those brave souls willing to brave the February weather, let's get to the rundown.
New and ongoing series this day include Classic IFC Center & Stephen King on Film at IFC Center, Modern Matinees: Six New York Independents & Germany 66 at MoMA, Chantal Akerman: Images Between the Images at BAM Cinématek, Barthes at the Movies: A Retrospective at AFA, Japan Sings! The Japanese Musical Film at the Japan Society, 6th Old School Kung Fu Film Fest at the Metrograph, and the eternally swank Cabaret Cinema at the Rubin Museum. The lenticular listings be thus;
IFC Center
MEAN STREETS (1973) Dir; Martin Scorsese
CAT'S EYE (1985) Dir; Lewis Teague
MoMA
Modern Matinees: Six New York Independents
THE PROJECTIONIST (1970) Dir; Harry Hurwitz
CARLA (1966) Dir; Herrmann Zschoche
YESTERDAY GIRL (1966) Dir; Alexander Kluge
BAM Cinématek
Chantal Akerman: Images Between the Images
HOTEL MONTEREY (1972) Dir; Chantal Akerman
Anthology Film Archives
Barthes at the Movies: A Retrospective
THE ANGELS OF SIN (1943) Dir; Robert Bresson
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935) Dir; Sam Wood
Japan Society
Japan Sings! The Japanese Musical Film
YOU CAN SUCCEED, TOO! (1964) Dir; Eizo Sugawa
Metrograph
6th Old School Kung Fu Film Fest
PEDICAB DRIVER (1989) Dir; Sammo Hung
Rubin Museum
KISS ME KATE (1953) Dir; George Sidney
Nitehawk Cinema
TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE (1986) Dir; Nelson Shin
Today's Pick? Well, Johnny Boy and Charlie are always exceedingly good company, but they'd never be awake at 11am in the actual Little Italy. So no to MEAN STREETS. The Chantal Akerman huggery, especially in the wake of her untimely passing, tempts. And yet I feel more tempting fare to come, so I will wait patiently. The Brothers Marx are defiling audience's sanctious notions of big screen propriety once more at AFA, in their comeback vehicle set at the OPERA. But really, today comes down to 2 works of Asian cinema, from historically adverse sensibilities. The newly baptized Metrograph has assumed the duties of presenting the 6th annual Old School Kung Fu Film Fest, and has chosen Sammo Hung's brilliant and batty PEDICAB DRIVER as its kickoff. But another sere form the East tempts. Mightily. So it is with no shame I make this series my Pick this day. The potential dangled by a film that features a normally-famous stoic society breaking out nto song and dance, I mean, I'm Irish-American after all. Bring it.
Eizo Sugawa's YOU CAN SUCCEED, TOO! unspools in glorous monochrome 35mm at the Japan Society as kickoff to their series Japan Sings! The Japanese Musical Film! If your knowledge of Japanese cinema stops at Kurosawa and Kaiju, this is the series for you. Let's let bygones be bygones, shall we? I mean, GODZILLA '14 wasn't even really their fault.
For more info on these and all NYC's rep film screenings in April '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!
