July revivals: first half

Howdy, Mike here with what to catch for the first half of July. Hope you haven't melted from the 98-100 degree temperatures we've been dealing with. I'm posting this later than I wanted to, so let's get to it:

GREASE SING-A-LONG- Now until whenever- AMC Lowes Village 7 at 7 and 9:45- There have been unofficial Grease sing-alongs off and on. I think I posted one of them when they played the Ziegfeld some time back. This, and the minor popularity (based on Universal's promotion, anyway) of the Mamma Mia! seems to have convinced Paramount/Viacom to take the bulk of the money now, and sell their own official Grease Sing-A-Long. Whether this makes this fun musical the fun film of this summer for you, or painful to the point of running into traffic, is entirely up to you. Me, I can take it, or I would never post this.

Right now, AMC Lowes Village is the only theater showing it, though only at night. No idea how long and if it will play elsewhere. But Paramount has links on their Grease website, imdb and elsewhere, for people to click to "demand" that it plays near you. Similar method they used to slowly push out Paranormal Activity. To me, it will play elsewhere, it's just a matter of when, though it may not play for long. We'll see.

HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER- Mon July 12 at 4:20 and 9- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- The first film of the Clint Eastwood retrospective that begins on July 9. Like I've said before with other retrospectives, if I can't make it in any way, I don't bother posting the film here. This Eastwood series is a unique case, where I've either paid to see the films first-run (Unforgiven plus everything from Space Cowboys through Invictus, except for Piano Blues), or I won't bother posting since it's inconvenient and I've caught it in another revival house (Unforgiven and A Fistful of Dollars). It should also be noted that you can either see these films either individually, or get a 5 film pass (worth it if you're a member, 50/50 if you're not). Prices are at filmlinc.com, where you can decide what works best for you.

This retro covers a few key films of Eastwood's career where a Leone or a Don Siegel (his main directorial influences), plus every film he's ever directed. Unless you're an Eastwood fan from his Rawhide/ film Westerns/ Dirty Harry days, or a fan during the first years of VHS or laser disc, there will be more than a few films you may not know. Like, for example, High Plains Drifter, Eastwood's first of 4 Westerns* that he directed. Unless you paid to see it back in 1973, or you watched it whenever it played on TBS' Saturday night Eastwood triple feature (his and the Duke's films alternated), or you watch everything that airs on TCM or Encore's Western channel, this is an Eastwood film you don't know.

High Plains Drifter is probably the darkest film Eastwood ever directed, and was only his second directorial effort. If you only go to chick flicks, or you heavily favor chick flicks, stay far away from this. Kind of a mixture of the classic Western Shane, with Camus' The Stranger. A mysterious gunslinger rides into a small but prosperous Arizona mining town. The townspeople, far from the cream of humanity and wondering why the stranger is kinda familiar, hires him to defend them from 3 evil men seeking revenge on them. The outlaws stole from the town and brutally killed the previous sheriff. So the gunslinger agrees, though the price is he gets anything he wants, and I do mean anything.

If you don't know the film, I won't go any further. But after while you wonder who's worse, the cruel outlaws or most of the slimy townspeople. And as far as Eastwood's Stranger is concerned, he plays out similar to Gary Oldman's line in The Dark Knight: is the Stranger the hero the town needs, or exactly what the town deserves?

Like I said, far from a chick flick, but recommended. Most though not all of the darkness here may seem tame, but it had to be shocking back in 73, especially if Dirty Harry/Man with No Name is doing some of it. But only Eastwood could get away with it, and he already feels self assured in his choices here. Filled with recognizable character actors, and great California Sierra mountains and Nevada visuals. I hope you're up to it.

LAURA for 7.50- Thurs July 15 at 9:30- Clearview Chelsea Cinema- A cheap screening of the classic film noir; one of my favorites of the genre. Detective Dana Andrews is obsessed with murder victim Laura, played by Gene Tierney. Among the suspects are outwardly suave Vincent Price and ultra prissy, ultra acidic critic Clifton Webb (Oscar nominated). We see flashbacks from Laura's life that fascinate the detective more. And then . . . . sorry, if you never saw it, I'm not spoiling it. Though do look for a young (ish, kinda) Judith Anderson.

Among the best of the noirs. Amazing how much sexual tension there were able to get past the Production Code. An Oscar for the Cinematography, additional nominations for director Otto Preminger (a replacement from Rouben Mamoulian; Otto chucked Rouben's old footage, reshot everything and changed the ending- WOW!), Art Direction and the Screenplay (3 writers were nominated, not Ring Lardner Jr., who did some script doctoring). What I'm surprised wasn't nominated was David Raskin's score, which includes "Laura's Theme", which is hard to forget if you like the film. I prefer to catch Laura without any jokes from Hedda Lettuce, which is why I'm only posting the 9:30 screening and not the 7. But if you prefer that one, go, as long as you treat yourself to Laura.

PALE RIDER- Fri July 16 at 6:30- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Part of the Eastwood retro. This is the third Western Eastwood directed. Came out in the summer of 85, around the time of another Western, Silverado. Pale Rider was successful at the box office, while Silverado, not so much. But over the years, Silverado became a well-liked Western, and Pale Rider was slowly being pushed to the shadows, so to speak. Then Eastwood came out with Unforgiven, making most old fashioned-ish Westerns seem obsolete, Silverado and Pale Rider included. At this point, Pale Rider seems to be sold only on some slapped together DVD, maybe with some other Eastwood film that didn't do well, like Blood Work or White Hunter, Black Heart. But if you like watching a regular Western done well, go for this.

Pale Rider is basically another remake of Shane. Not nearly as dark as High Plains Drifter, with enough realistic dialogue to distinguish between the not so educated prospectors trying to survive, the well educated Bad Guys trying to get them out, and the speak softly and carry a big stick and lots of gunfire Preacher, played by Eastwood. Michael Moriarty plays the leader of the miners, L.A. Law's Richard Dysart as the rich heavy, with Chris Penn and Richard Kiel among the goons.

Now if you're ambitious, you can do an unofficial double feature with a film that's playing down in the Forum, though it's playing for a week so Friday is not necessarily a priority . . .

THE CIRCUS with The Idle Class- Fri July 16- Tues July 20 at 3:20 (Sat only for me), 5:30 (Sat. only for me), 7:40 and 9:50- Film Forum- The start of a Charlie Chaplin retrospective. The only one to get a week long run, and the only one I'll post on this particular list. I'll post more on a late July list, as well as an early August list. This retrospective includes all his feature length pictures, including all his sound films, plus quite a number of Chaplin's shorts.

Simple film where the Lil Tramp joins a circus to elude the police. He becomes a clown and discovers a horrible truth: he can't get laughs on purpose, only when he's his normal, bumbling self. Chaplin won his first Oscar, an Honorary one encompassing his acting, writing and direction. He wouldn't win another one until another Honorary Oscar was given to him 43 years later. This was officially his last silent film. City Lights and Modern Times were both mostly silent, though each had its own nods and changes to accommodate the Sound Era, but I'm not breaking this down now. But also included in this print is music Chaplin added to the beginning (including his own singing!), for The Circus's 1969 re-release.

Also playing with The Circus is the 1921 short, The Idle Class, where the Tramp sneaks onto a ritzy golf resort, and a drunken woman mistakes him with her husband. Chaplin plays both the Tramp and her husband. Haven't seen either film, but I really want to.

Now on Saturday, you can use The Circus as part of an unofficial double feature with one of the three Eastwood films below. Whether you want to do The Circus first or second is up to you . . .

FIREFOX- Sat July 17 at 3:20- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- A simple action/espionage tale. A forgotten hit from the summer of 1982. During the time when E.T. and Poltergeist (ok, fine, Rocky III) dominated. Leading men like Harrison Ford (Blade Runner), Al PAcino (Author! Author!), Jeff Bridges (Tron), Kurt Russell (The Thing), Steve Martin (Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid) and Robin Williams (Garp) couldn't draw an audience, yet Clint did with Firefox. But if you don't know this film, don't feel bad. History kind of made Firefox's story obsolete or unnecessary or dated or whatever term(s) you think fits. Maybe it needed a hot chick spy with dyed red hair, now THAT'S relevant . . .

Clint plays a Vietnam vet fighter pilot, brought back by the government to get into the U.S.S.R. and steal the Commies new secret super weapon, the Firefox. A fighter jet faster than any other, where you only need to think to activate the weapons. I'm sure there's more, but who cares. Clint's never been a spy before, so he needs plenty of help from the inside people. And because he's a Vietnam vet in a movie, he must be suffering from some sort of trauma. He has flashbacks (depicted on screen), and said flashbacks always seem to happen at an inconvenient time for those trying to help Clint steal the plane.

Sorry about that, I'm just trying to get the weak or dated aspects out of the way. Director Clint runs a tight ship here. The plot moves at a respectable pace. Actor Clint, as a fish out of water, taking on them evil Ruskies, is always fun. And for a pre-Top Gun film, the aerial scenes and fight sequences work well, though they too might come off dated.

Not one of the great works of Clint's career. Just an adult spy/action film done well. With a decent supporting cast, filling the types of upbeat Americans, clueless Americans (how dare you doubt Clint?!?!?!), eccentric Brit, salt of the earth Russian, and Commie Bastard. A good film, but the weakest of the three I'm posting for Saturday. You can see this first, then go downtown to see The Circus. Unless you prefer . . .

BIRD- Sat July 17 at 6 and Mon July 19 at 1- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Might be considered the best Jazz film ever made. A definite change of pace in Clint's career, where he gets to share his love of jazz, depicting the short life of Charlie "Bird" Parker. A radical change of pace for American film goers, when it came to Eastwood directed pictures. For the few who saw it in this country that is. In Europe, Bird placed Eastwood among the leading directors in film, as Bird won at Cannes. It took Unforgiven for the U.S. to feel the same way about him.

Bird was going to be a tough sell. A two hour, forty-one minute film about one of the greatest jazz musicians, depicting his slide into alcohol and drug addiction, despite a wife who refused to leave his side no matter what, until his death at 35. This was before the Behind The Music style bio pics were in vogue, good luck selling this in 1988. Combined with the best known person involved with the film isn't on screen, and the lead wasn't box office, gulp. Clint made the film because he believed in the story, Warner Bros seems to have made the film to stay in the Clint Eastwood business. Maybe a few Oscar nominations might have helped, but only winning for Best Sound wasn't the plan I'm sure.

Speaking of sound, you get some lengthy scenes of Bird's music performed, restored back in 88 so they could sound great in Dolby Stereo. And years before Last King of Scotland earned him an Oscar, Forest Whitaker earned praise from critics for his performance in the title role. Pulling him up from a career of supporting roles (Good Morning Vietnam, Platoon, The Color of Money) to show he could carry a film in the lead, artistically at least. Forest even learned the proper breath control and finger playing to duplicate Parker's style, and the recordings did the rest. The love Bird had for his wife, family and friends are also shown , and how none of it was enough to stop him from sliding further into heroin addiction and an early grave.

So in Bird, I'm recommending a good film. Not a happy film, but a good one. If Saturday isn't doable, it plays the following Monday as well, but only in the early afternoon. On the Saturday, you can start with The Circus and then go uptown for Bird. It can also be done the other way around, though that doesn't leave a lot of time for traffic or mass transit problems. Unless you prefer to catch a different Eastwood picture . . .

HEARTBREAK RIDGE- Sat July 17 at 9- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- From 1986, the last hit Clint would have until Unforgiven. Long enough to make some Hollywood types wonder if audiences were done with going to Eastwood films.

Set in 1983, Eastwood plays a Marine. A Gunnery Sergeant, Korean and Vietnam War survivor and Congressional Medal of Honor winner. He's burned many bridges with his hard drinking, take no lip from dumb superiors, ways. He's almost at retirement age, with no prospects on the horizons, and an ex-wife who doesn't want him back no matter how hard he tries. So Gunny will end his military career his way: by taking a recon platoon of the biggest screw-ups around, and mold them into hard core Marines. Now Gunny might seem a little too humane and therefore weak, when compared with Full Metal Jacket's Sgt. Hartman. But maybe that's why one character is alive in 1983 and one isn't.

Cliches are abound at times. It seems the platoon is only missing a guy named Brooklyn. The jerk of a Major has no combat experience, and wants Gunny out. His only friends seem to be his old war buddy on base, and the widow of another buddy. But Gunny has subtle shadings, and Eastwood mines them and plays them for all they're worth. The supporting cast (Marsha Mason as the ex, Mario Van Peebles, Everett McGill, Eileen Heckart) keeps things flowing, the film is quite funny at times, and the combat scenes in the film's later portion are done well. Yes, there was combat for U.S. troops back in 1983, look it up. Overall, the most fun of the 3 Eastwood films I've listed, playing on Saturday the 17th. You can do The Circus first, then go uptown for Heartbreak Ridge, unless you prefer to see The Circus on a different day altogether. It is playing for a week after all.

Let me know what you want to do, people. Later all.

* P.S., the other Western of the 4 Eastwood directed Westerns written above, The Outlaw Josey Wales, will not be on this list this month, because of bad timing for me. It kills me that I'll miss out on it, especially on the Walter Reade screen. Also, I don't consider Bronco Billy a Western. If you do, you're wrong. I was considering putting that one on the list as well, but it doesn't look likely. Go to filmlinc.com for yourself to see when they play and see if you can catch them on your own, if you like.

Revivals: Late June & July 4th weekend

Hey all. Mike here with a revival list. Normally, I would just post something for June, and save the July 4th weekend for another list. But thanks to the helpfulness of both IFC Center's (for once) and Clearview Cinemas' website, I can actually post something from the first couple of days of July as well. Here we go:

MOMMIE DEAREST- Thurs June 24 at 8 and Sat June 26 at 10- Chelsea Clearview Cinema- A special screening of the cult classic from 1981. This film has been given the MST3K treatment every so often, and June 26 will be the 9th anniversary (so it's being billed; I'm not about to start fact checking this now), so fun will be had I'm sure.

Adapted from the payback novel by Joan Crawford's adopted daughter, this is how Crawford will be thought of forever more. Even though the accuracy of the tale gets questioned more and more as the years pass. That doesn't make this a good film. But it also doesn't mean it's not fun to watch. I don't know if this was supposed to be serious or camp, and I'm not sure if everyone else involved knew what tone to take either. It seems Paramount advertised it as a serious film, though it was released in September so that it couldn't be confused as an Oscar contender (totally a guess on my part). But back in Sept-Oct 1981, when the wire hanger scene came up, a pop culture moment was born. And you can watch Faye Dunaway's A list film career end, though who thought it was a good idea to have Diana Scarwid start playing adult Christina Crawford at age 13?!?!? No wonder she went from an Oscar nominee to a Razzie award winner. If you want to enjoy yourself, catch this campy crappy fun film. And don't forget the wire hangers.

Now this is playing Thursday through Saturday night, but I've purposely left Friday night off the list, because I have a few films below that I have a lot more interest in catching . . .

THE NAKED SPUR and/or WINCHESTER '73- Fri June 25 at 6:15 (Winchester), 8 (Naked Spur), and 9:45 (Winchester) or Sat June 26 at 9:45 (Winchester)- Film Forum- The start of an Anthony Mann retrospective; a director best known for psychodramas that just happened to take place Out West, as well as the Charlton Heston epic El Cid. But I'm most interested in this double feature, both starring Jimmy Stewart.

First, The Naked Spur, from 1953. For those who only think of Stewart from say, Mr. Smith or Harvey, he entered dark territory here. As close to an anti-hero as he would ever come, Stewart plays a bounty hunter, hell bent on capturing his target, holed up in the Rockies. Only 5 characters in this film. Stewart's, Janet Leigh as a tomboy-type who insists on coming along, two unreliable men Stewart must rely on to capture his bounty, and Robert Ryan as the target; a psycho killer who won't be easy to take down. You could count Nature as a sixth character, since the 5 are outside for most of the film, and the elements promise to be as harsh or harsher than any of these men. An Oscar nomination for the Screenplay.

Next, Winchester '73, made 3 years earlier, and the only black and white film Mann and Stewart made together. It seems simple. Stewart wins the title gun in a contest. The runner-up steals the gun, and Stewart hunts him. But as it turns out, the runner-up being hunted is Stewart's brother, and said brother killed their father. Not so simple. Wait till during the hunt, and a stop in town leads to a meeting with a psycho gunslinger . . . Note the supporting cast. Mixed among Western stalwarts like Dan Dureya, Stephen McNally and Will Geer, we have Shelley Winters, young Rock Hudson (as an Indian chief, yeah I'm nervous about that), and a blink and you'll miss him Tony Curtis.

THE GENERAL with a STEAMBOAT BILL JR. excerpt- Fri June 25 at 8 for free (subject to availability)- MOMA- A Buster Keaton comedy classic, though I would argue that it's more an action film classic. He plays a train engineer who is better at showing affection to his locomotive, The General, than to his girlfriend. But the Civil War breaks out, and all the men in her family enlist and are accepted as soldiers in the Confederacy. Keaton tries, but his engineer job makes him more valuable there than as a solider. But the girlfriend thinks he skipped out on enlisting and brands him a coward.

Some time later, they meet again. Somehow, she ends up on his train when it's hijacked by Union spies. Keaton must now to go to great lengths to save his train (and oh yeah, his ex) from the North, then get back to the nearest Confederate general with his train (and oh yeah, his ex) to warn him of a surprise Union attack. Rooting for the Confederates is not as hard as you might think, this isn't Birth of a Nation folks. It's an action comedy. And there are some good comedy set pieces, such as Keaton in the enlistment office. But it works best as an action film. Wonderful scenes shot in the Northwest; the only place where Civil War style trains and tracks were still in use. Wonderful stunt work from co-director/lead Keaton. Chaplin's films may be best remembered, but he couldn't do that kind of stunt work on a moving train. Deservedly a classic. Playing before it is a short segment of the film Steamboat Bill Jr., featuring Keaton. MOMA will be giving away free tickets for this, first come, first served. So we would need to plan this a bit if this is a go for us.

If you prefer this double feature over The General, fine. It plays for two days/nights. But if you wish to do Saturday, I can only catch the late evening screening of Winchester '73. Unless you prefer Mommie Dearest and it wasn't done on Thursday night. Plenty of potential conflicts, but I'll let you all sort them out for me.

HOW TO STEAL A MILLION for 7.50- Thurs July 1 at 9:30- Chelesa Clearview Cinema- A cheap screening of a fun romantic comedy/ caper flick from 1966. Directed by William Wyler (Ben-Hur, Funny Girl). Set in Paris, Audrey Hepburn's father is about to be revealed to be a forger, as his sculpture is about to be submitted for testing for insurance purposes. She turns to the only criminal she "knows", a roguish Peter O'Toole, to steal the sculpture from the museum it's located on display.

Originally conceived out of Wyler's love of art, and originally to have been made after Roman Holiday in a darker form with help from young Stanley Kubrick, this was made after some of Wyler's heavier films (The Collector, The Children's Hour). To give himself a break, the tone was changed and made a lot more fun. Hepburn might be getting a little long in the tooth for this kind of role (Daddy's little girl, borderline helpless while having all her senses unlike Wait Until Dark), but she and O'Toole have great chemistry together. The aspects of the attempted theft may not hold up, but it's fun enough that logic doesn't interfere with your enjoyment or give a sour aftertaste afterwards. The shtick with the museum guards, especially involving comedian Moustache (his actual stage name), is a bit much. But the rest of the supporting cast (Hugh Griffith, Eli Wallach, Charles Boyer), the snappy dialogue, and the fun jazz-like score from John Williams make this film a ball. Williams' score from Catch Me If You Can will sound even more familiar after you hear the Million score.

I'm only listing the second screening on Thursday July 1. I don't feel the film needs the MST3K treatment from Hedda Lettuce, but thanks to Hedda I guess (and those who program the Chelsea Classics series), a fun film that rarely gets a revival screening will be shown. Let's catch this.

WILD AT HEART- Fri July 2 at Midnight- IFC Center- Part of the Nicolas Cage retrospective IFC has been having for over a month now. And the only one I have both the time and desire to watch. I wanted to catch Raising Arizona and even The Rock, but had no time. And as for films I like (Leaving Las Vegas) or don't care about (Bringing Out The Dead), seriously IFC Center, you expected us to come in large numbers?

A road film/ romance with a few touches of Wizard of Oz, all through the filter of director David Lynch. Cage and Laura Dern are screw-ups hot and heavy in love, who go on the road, much to the anger of Dern's mother, played by Dern's real life mother, Diane Ladd. Mom is more like the Wicked Witch, unleashing a gangster to use his methods to bring back her little girl, and kill the bastard who took her (and ignored Mom's drunken gropes years before. Oh yeah, that).

An arthouse hit from 1990, but I feel it took unnecessary hits when it was compared to Lynch's TV series Twin Peaks (a brief cultural phenomenon that year), as well Lynch's previous picture, Blue Velvet. Yes, not a lot of things matched the quality of the first six episodes of Twin Peaks, but why should it. Blue Velvet is closer to Twin Peaks then Wild At Heart, but even there, the comparisons of heavies is unfair. Yes, Willem Dafoe's repulsive villain, with the slicked hair, pencil thin mustache and nearly black teeth, doesn't match with Dennis Hopper's fully committed and committable psycho. But it works in Wild At Heart, with Dafoe's attempted seduction scene with Dern a standout.

Since 1990, the film has received more respect, though why some people love Mulholland Dr. than this is beyond me. Yes, the film can feel excessive, but it works, mainly because you want to see this pairing of Cage (in gentlemanly Elvis mode a good deal of the time) and Dern (who just seems ready to quiver whenever Cage is ready to touch her and when he does . . . . ) work and stay together. If you don't care about them, forget it. But luckily, you do. Besides, you would be watching this as a midnight movie. It's ok to watch something a little strange at that point. A supporting cast including Harry Dean Stanton, Isabella Rossellini, and several Twin Peaks alumni help. Oscar noms for Dern and Ladd for Actress and Supporting Actress, respectively. It's playing throughout the July 4th weekend, including the Fourth itself, but the Friday night screening is the only one I can do.

Let me know if there's interest. July will be very interesting, with a Charlie Chaplin retrospective, an Eastwood retro, the Marx Brothers in Animal Crackers, an official Grease Sing-A-Long, some interesting films in the Chelsea Classics series (including Laura), and that's just what's been posted. Later all.

Hey, Mike here with a list of revivals for the first half of June. Short list, and I'm trying to keep the descriptions as brief as possible. Here we go:

BREATHLESS (1960)- Now thru Thurs June 10 at 4:40, 6:30, 8:20 and 10- Film Forum- A restored print of Jean-Luc Goddard's classic 1960 film (released in 61 in America). A restoration supervised by the film's cinematographer Raoul Cotard, since Goddard himself has apparently disowned this picture. Something about being a better director, an amateur then, silly film, I don't know and I don't care. The next time I care about a Goddard film not named Breathless will be the first, especially after sitting through Contempt. I wasn't even planning on posting this, since I caught it for free two summers ago at MOMA (free Friday screenings). But since someone told me they wanted to catch this, and it is a restored print with supposedly more accurate subtitles (so it is different than any other version out there on home video), post this film I will.

Wonderfully decadent film about two selfish lovers; Jean-Paul Belmondo as a thief/ killer with a Bogie fixation, and Jean Seberg as an American willing to go along for the ride. Some cool shots, a jump cut style of editing used not really from scene to scene but inside the scenes themselves, really keeps it going at a good clip. Until we get to a long scene where Belmondo is in Seberg's apartment, trying to re-seduce her. Doesn't work at first (maybe?), but the banal conversation that seems to an elaborate (mutual?) seduction pays off nicely.

I didn't pick any particular day or days to see this. I just posted how long it's scheduled to run, and I'll work from there. Based on previous films at the Forum has lasted longer then it's previous published engagement dates (Metropolis, Downfall, Valentino:The Last Emperor among others), so we'll see which path Breathless will follow. Too soon to tell which.

PRIVATE BENJAMIN- Thurs June 3 at 9:30 for 7.50- Chelsea Clearview Cinema- A cheap screening of the 1980 hit. Important in both comedy and hitting the zeitgeist, along with 9 to 5, around the time of the ERA movement. Though Goldie Hawn's performance elevates this picture quite a bit. Hawn's character, a sheltered JAP in mourning after her nebbishy husband dies on their wedding night, signs up for the Army and immediately regrets it. Until she slowly discovers her own self worth and becomes a stronger person, rising above the sexism in and out of the military. Oscar nominations for Hawn for Best Actress, Eileen Brennan for Supporting Actress as Hawn's punishing Captain, and Nancy Meyers Charles Shyer and Harvey Miller for Original Screenplay. So yes, there is proof that there are good films out there made by Meyers. This is probably because she didn't direct it. Yes, Baby Boom is good too, but I give even more credit there to Diane Keaton. Moving on . . .

ADAM'S RIB and/or KEY LARGO for free (subject to availability)- Fri June 4 at 4:30 (Adam's) and 8 (Largo)- MOMA- . Both for one admission. First, Adam's Rib, my favorite of the two. Hepburn plays a defense attorney, who turns her loser of a case (a wife shoots her husband when he catches him cheating) into a rallying cause for women's rights and anything else she can think of. Much to the chagrin of her husband Tracy, the prosecuting attorney. The marriage takes a beating, but will it hold up? Gee, what do you think?

My favorite of all the Hepburn Tracy team ups. Some hilarious set pieces, some involving David Wayne as the comic relief neighbor with a longing for Hepburn. Judy Holliday steals scenes as the wife on trial. An Oscar nomination for screenwriters Ruth Gordon and Garrison Kanin.

Next, Key Largo, from director John Huston. Bogie's engaged in a battle of wills with gangster Edward G. Robinson inside an old friend's hotel, while Lauren Bacall, Lionel Barrymore and Claire Trevor (who won an Oscar for her role) look on, with a hurricane that threatens them all. An adaptation of Maxwell Anderson's play, written by Huston and future director Richard Brooks (In Cold Blood).

XANADU- Thurs June 10 at 7 and 9:30 for 7.50- Chelsea Clearview Cinema- The Broadway version was a hit, but this one, the 1980 summer flop, is a fun bad movie. There's a plot in Xanadu, but since the filmakers and Universal Studios didn't seem to give a crap about it back then, I won't pretend I do now. Olivia Newton John is probably at her most beautiful, and I suppose she turned in a performance of some kind, and this was Gene Kelly's last dancing role. But his reputation couldn't be damaged, especially when he turns in the only credible acting performance. However, all the momentum Michael Beck's career had after appearing in The Warriors, grounded to a halt from which he never truly recovered. Mostly the same story with director Robert Greenwald, forced to do mostly TV (The only notable standout- "The Burning Bed"), and documentaries such as "Outfoxed" and "Walmart: The High Cost of Living".

Not a great film, not a good film. But a craptastic film. One that is crap and fantastic to watch in that respect. Now throw in the visual stimulus of Olivia Newton John, what is there to lose? A choice of two screenings. One at 7, hosted by Hedda Lettuce, who'll give Xanadu the old MST3K treatment. And one at 9:30, where it's just the film, and I suppose it's up to you/us to provide the MST3K comments to the screen.

Let me know if there's interest. Later all.

May revivals: Memorial Day weekend edition

Hey all, Mike here with what to catch revival-wise, for the Memorial Day weekend. Options beyond Sex and The City 2 (the first was a major disappointment to a fan like me, and this doesn't look like an upgrade) and Prince of Persia (the trailer/commercials make this look like shit). When I wrote last time that I didn't have any reason to post more than a few films for May, I should have looked at this upcoming weekend a lot closer, because WOW, look at the choices.

Mostly comedies, with two exceptions, that are playing at the Walter Reade at Lincoln Center. Comedies from across the ages, or something like that. Now none of them are available to see like a double feature for one price. The Walter Reade does offer a pass to see as many pictures as you like this weekend, but it's only cost effective if you go for at least 5 films. I've posted 9 comedies, to give you an idea that it's worth it, even if you/we/ different we(s) only catch one. In fact, the first one is the comedy I want to see most on this list:

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE- Fri May 28 at 5:15- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- This is one of my favorite comedies. Not the best in this weekend series, but my favorite. Thanks to that late unlamented form of home video known as CED Disc from RCA, this was my introduction to both Cary Grant and Frank Capra. I almost wore that disc down, along with other films, but that's for another time.

Despite the play having been done to death in community theater, this Capra comedy is still gold to me. Grant plays a man who comes home to find his beloved aunts are serial killers, who thoughtfully kill lonely old men, and then bury them in the basement with the aid of the uncle who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt. It's a good thing his serial killer brother returns home on the same night; looking like Boris Karloff and accompanied by his "doctor" who looks like Peter Lorre and is played by Lorre.

Grant thought it was his weakest, most over the top performance. History has been quite kind, disagreeing with Cary. Pitch perfect cast and production. If I had to see only one comedy in this weekend, this would be the one, and not just for sentimental reasons. It is available on DVD, but only in a no-frills version put out by Warner Bros over 8 years ago, give or take. So Netflix may not necessarily come through for you right away. Catch this.

THE PARTY- Fri May 28 at 7:45- Walter Reade- A Peter Sellers/ Blake Edwards team-up that was not a Pink Panther film. The only one that wasn't a Pink Panther as a matter of fact. Also not a big hit, but should have more love for it than it gets. Sellers plays an Indian actor, who completely ruins a Hollywood film to the point that the producer fires him. But said producer forgets to dis-invite the actor to his splashy party in his mansion. Hilarity ensues.

Actually, it has quite a number of funny set pieces, especially around the dinner table. Shot without a script, but with a 56 page outline instead, allowing for a mostly improvised picture. Shot in sequenced to try to heighten the mayhem. Culture clash comedy abound. But the clashes come mainly from the facts that Sellers' character is not only an obvious outsider, but that he goes out of his way to be polite. No matter whether he's ignored, insulted or looked down upon. HE will not be rude. Be a klutz however . . . . Since this was released in 1968, you have hippies and drug humor as well. A little too much sappiness at the end (with hippies and an elephant!), but the set pieces and Sellers' performance carry the day.

Sellers' character helped to inspire Mike Meyers create the universally planned The Love Guru. Just mentioning fact here. Also of note, the female lead is Claudine Longet. If she's remembered at all, it's probably not for any of her acting work, but for shooting and killing her skier boyfriend during a heated argument in 1976. Her murder trial had similar notoriety as O.J.'s first trial. She claimed the gun went off by accident, and the jury only found her guilty of criminal negligence. She was also remembered around that time for a popular SNL skit with Chevy Chase and Jane Curtain. They played broadcasters of a ski tournament. Every one of the skiers were be doing well until WHOOPS, they were accidentally shot by Claudine Longet. Anyway, almost ten years before all of that, she was the ingenue of The Party.

THE JERK- Fri May 28 at 9:45- Walter Reade- The Steve Martin- Carl Reiner comedy, where Martin plays a man who grew up a poor black sharecropper's son, gets a rare revival screening. A big hit in theaters, despite a lot of critics hating it. I don't care what the Rotten Tomatoes website might say, I think David Ansen of Newsweek, and Janet Maslin of the NY Times where the only big reviewers supporting The Jerk, while Roger Ebert and Rex Reed led the opposition. Reed in particular, has been brutal to Martin's films, at least through the mid 80s anyway. But times have changed, the film keeps getting deserved new fans, and the critics by and large, have moved in lockstep with fans, proclaiming The Jerk a comedy classic of the late 70s. Moving on.

THE SHINING- Fri May 28 through Sun May 30 at Midnight- IFC Center- The Stanley Kubrick- Jack Nicholson horror classic is back at IFC Center, playing all Memorial Day weekend at Midnight. I've brought it up before, and will do so again until it is seen. Yes, some of you did it with me before, but that was 2001, so give me a break.

HEAVENLY CREATURES- Sat May 29 at 7:30 and 10- 92nd Y Tribeca- 200 Hudson St. @ the corner of Canal St.- Part of their Obsessed with the 1990s series. As in films from the 1990s where obsession leads people to do nasty things series. Not Peter Jackson's first film, but the one that drew major international attention and a Screenplay Oscar nomination for him and wife/partner Fran Walsh. Based on the true story of two teenage girls, Juliet Hume and Pauline Parker, who savagely beat Pauline's mother to death, when their parents become concerned with the girls' obsessive relationship to each other. With a mixture of tones-fantasy to reality and vice versa, from humorous to dark- that marked Jackson as a major talent and made us comfortable with the possibility that he might be able to handle Lord of the Rings. Not saying that I knew it would be great, but I wasn't frightened by the combo of Tolkien and Jackson.

Also notable for the casting of two relatively unknown actresses in the two leads: Melanie Lynskey (from Two and a Half Men and a lot of indie film character work) as Pauline, and Kate Winslet (who you might have heard of) as Juliet. Unless of course, you rather see something funny that night. Therefore, you can catch instead . . .

UP IN SMOKE- Sat May 29 at 9:45- Walter Reade- A sleeper hit from the fall of 1978. Of all the successful films Paramount had at that point in 78, including Grease Foul Play and Heaven Can Wait, I'm sure the studio heads didn't expect this much success. Cheech and Chong honed their act for over ten years before making the first of 7 films together, but this as good as it gets, and I'm not being sarcastic here.

Simple story of two stoners, who just want to keep getting stoned, but always have to deal with The Man. Sometimes the Man is on their side, in the form of Tom Skerritt, but usually it's in the form of incompetent Lt. Stacey Keach. Fun film. It means a lot more to the West Coast than East Coast, but Up In Smoke is liked all around. And it's late on a Saturday night. If you don't have anything better to do and prefer comedy over Heavenly Creatures and Sex and the City 2 . . .

WHAT'S UP DOC?- Sun May 30 at 4- Walter Reade- The names Barbara Striesand and Ryan O'Neal may annoy the hell out of you, but they are a terrific couple in this 1972 film. Peter Bogdanovich's homage to the screwball comedies of the 30s and 40s fits right along with the other films in this retrospective. Most of you under the age of 34 don't know this film, but this is a good time to start. There's a plot here, but it's both a little too elaborate to bring up, and not that important in the long run. Let's just say, complications upon complications upon misunderstandings upon strange accents upon a car chase upon a hysterical courtroom scene all build up. Screenplay by Buck Henry, Robert Benton and David Newman. Great supporting cast includes Madeline Kahn, Austin Pendelton, Kenneth Mars, Michael Murphy, John Hillerman and Randy Quaid.

DUCK SOUP- Sun May 30 at 6- A Marx Brothers film, among others, whose double entendre and subtle political commentary help push for the Production Code. An AFI Top 100 film, in my personal top 100, and one of the best comedies ever made. "I can't call off the war. I've paid a month's rent on the battlefield.?" When the Sylvanian ambassador insults Groucho?s Rufus T. Firefly, president of Freedonia, the country's going to war, and so do Harpo, Chico, Zeppo, and Margaret Dumont. A big enough flop in its day that it cost the Marx Brothers their contract with Paramount, but a classic now, thanks to tv screenings and college students discovering this back in the 50s and 60s.

FEMALE TROUBLE- Sun May 30 at 9:45- For those who like John Waters films, here's a Midnight cult-classic doozy from his 70's days. When the parents of Dawn Davenport (Divine) neglect to get the deviant high schooler the one Yuletide gift she longs for- a pair of cha-cha heels- she throws the tree over on her mother and leaves, only to have a sexual encounter with a slob (also Divine) who picks her up hitchhiking. Nine months later, she has a daughter, Taffy (Mink Stole). Dawn's life turns around when she marries Gator (Michael Potter), a hairdresser. Gator's employers the Dashers have a philosophy that "crime equals beauty," and they turn Dawn into their own private superstar, photographing her committing outrageous acts. Rated X for a reason.

BALL OF FIRE- Mon May 31 at 1:45- Walter Reade- Screwball comedy from director Howard Hawkes. Barbara Stanwyck, in arguably her sexiest and funniest performance, plays a singer trying not to get killed by the Mob. She accidentally runs into straight laced English professor Gary Cooper, who's out and about trying to learn how "real people" speak. And things get screwier from there. Oscar nominations for Stanwyck for Best Actress, Screenwriters Billy Wilder and Thomas Monroe for the Story, the Score and the Sound recording.

SLEEPER- Mon May 31 at 4- Walter Reade- Sleeper, is technically sci-fi, but one of Woody's best slapstick comedy. Waking up 2000 years later to a world run by a police state, consider this one part The Fugitive, one part Woody slapstick. With Diane Keaton. If you're the type who prefers Woody's funny films as opposed to his serious ones, Sleeper is Exhibit A.

Sorry that I was brief with a few of them, but I had to keep this list smaller than War and Peace. I left off Metropolis at the Forum because I saw it and enjoyed it. It's not clear if it will play until at least June 1 or June 3, but it looks probable. Go see this further restored film. Feels more like action/romance with a dash or two of sci-fi. More cross cutting and heightened editing, plus sub-plots that make supporting characters and the film as a whole make actually sense! I also left off the restored version of the original Breathless, opening at the Forum this weekend. But since Breathless is playing for two weeks, I'm saving it for the first half of June list.

So let me know if there's interest. Later all.

May revivals

Hey all. Mike here with a few revivals to catch in May. Normally, I break up the month in half, but a busy schedule means I'm only posting a few films this month. If IFC Center decided to have a true midnight film schedule, I could include them too. But they don't, so I won't. So I'll just post the following three films. All restored prints. In the case of the first two, major restorations that ten years ago, I could easily find film buffs who thought these extensively restored pictures might never happen. Here we go:

METROPOLIS- Now thru Thurs May 20 at 1:30, 2:30, 4:30, 5:30, 7:30 and 8:30- Film Forum- In a world where one group of people are in charge of doing all the "thinking" and another group actually has to do the manual labor, not everyone is happy in this city full of skyscrapers. So let's keep the masses happy through the temptations of a beautiful woman, who's actually a robot. Throw in a young man who's not only in love, but also sees for the first time that not everyone is equal.

After decades where this film bounced around, was chopped, and at one point, colorized and had music from Queen and Bonnie Tyler as part of the new soundtrack, a major restoration took place. Not everything could be found, either due to age, no ideas about preserving film history, the flimsiness of the material or the bombings in World War 2. But the original score was found and recorded in stereo. All seven versions were combined and restored, with title cards filling in the story blanks. This 2002 restoration, now returns to Film Forum, and this 2 hour, 19 minute version is as close as we'll probably ever get to definitive.

Fritz Lang was inspired by the Manhattan skyline when he created Metropolis's look. Huge sets that held thousands of extras. Live action and miniatures shot together for the first time. A robot who's initial look influenced C-3PO, and whose existence influenced HAL 9000, the Blade Runner androids and who knows what else. And as influential as the city looks of films like Blade Runner, Brazil, and Dark City have been, they had a source material to work from here. I've caught this before, and may not get to go again this time around. But by all means, go yourselves.

Yeah, that's what I wrote back in mid July 2007. I could have added how the robot in female human form enticing the men seems like it influenced Madonna, and now it appears to have influenced Lady Gaga. Anyway, since then, 23 additional minutes, found in a beaten-up 16mm print down in Argentina, was restored (as much as possible), and edited into the 2002 restoration. This version is being advertised as "Presented in High Definition". Don't know quite what that means, but this means that only about 5 minutes are missing from Lang's original cut. This will probably be as close as we'll ever get to what was screened in Berlin back in '27. It is being screened on two of the Forum's screens, which explains the multiple times. If you're ambitious, here you go.

A STAR IS BORN (1953)- Sun May 16 at 3 and 7- A restored 35mm print in its original 3 hr, 1 min running time. Now that number is according to both Lincoln Center's filmlinc website and imdb, though Wikipedia puts up different running time. For the purposes of my convenience, I'll stick to the 3hr 1 min time. Warner Bros. executives cut out 30 minutes after the film's premiere, before it was released. Director George Cukor fought it, to no avail. Not only was a lot of A Star Is Born cut, but a musical number, Born in a Trunk was added. In 1983, a version that restored all but 5 minutes was released, but the shortened cut seemed to be what was usually screened on some stations and revival screenings. Now, before the film is released on Blu-ray in mid June, the full 1954 version will be screened for one day only, twice. May or may not be the best version of this story, but one that holds up.

Cukor's fist musical and first color film, where Judy Garland plays the unknown who becomes a star, and James Mason plays the leading man who discovers her, marries her, and falls apart due to depression and alcoholism. Bogie, Gary Cooper, Brando, Montgomery Clift and Cary Grant all turned down the role; they all apparently didn't want to be perceived as loser has-beens, though Grant was supposedly afraid of working with a probably unreliable drug addict like Garland.

Grant seemed to be right regarding the difficulties it would take to work with the actress. Illnesses both real and imaginary (or made up?), fluctuating weight and difficulties from alcoholism and drug addiction made it a problematic shoot. And that was before Warner Bros. decided that A Star is Born had to be their first CinemaScope picture, forcing Cukor to scrap everything that had been shot and do it all over again. Oh joy.

Garland (singing mostly Ira Gershwin tunes) and Mason were both Oscar nominated, as was the Art Direction, Costume Design, Music and the Gershwin- Harold Arlen song "The Man That Got Away". That song might just be the highlight of the film. This is rather a unique revival opportunity, and one I hope you take advantage of.

BAD DAY AT BLACK ROCK- Fri May 21- Thurs May 27 at 4:40, 6:30, 8:20 and 10:10- Film Forum- A new 35mm scope print of a hit 1955 film that doesn't get a lot of play on revival screens, and only occasional play on TCM. A modern day Western for its time, set in the small town of Black Rock. A town controlled by criminal Robert Ryan; who has cronies like Ernest Borgnine and Lee Marvin, and who has the rest of the population under his thumb. But getting off the train on a 24 hour layover is black suited Spencer Tracy. Nobody knows who he is, but being a stranger is enough to be shunned. When it's discovered why he's in Black Rock, Tracy sees how the townspeople appear to be trying to kill him, or refuse to help. And after being pushed around and provoked all day, Tracy will take it no more.

Not a subtle film. A McCarthyism attack from blacklisted screenwriter Millard Kaufman, which is a bit obvious with Borgnine made up at times, to look like a cartoon version of McCarthy. And I mean that literally. I believe the cartoon strip was Pogo, but I need to do more research and I have no time. Also with the only anti Japanese-American discrimination aspects up to that point on any film, Hollywood or otherwise. And in case you weren't sure, there's all-American Tracy, years of knowledge of the actor and his past roles serving him/us well, in (a) black and white (suit), with a no nonsense approach to justice. And boy, does he have his problems against soon-to-be legendary film tough guys Ryan, Borgnine and Marvin.

But it doesn't forget to be a Western. With shots of large lonely vistas and increasing isolation, our one armed hero must go it alone against the bad guys. He doesn't want to fight, he did too much of it in World War 2, but he will be the only shining light in the corrupt town, even if it's out of self-preservation. Very High Noon-esque. And it's only 81 minutes, so if you have any problems, it's quick. But you shouldn't, I'm preachier here than the actual film is.

3 Oscar nominations, Tracy for Actor (he lost to Borgnine for Marty), John Sturges for Director and Kaufman for Screenplay. Kaufman's son, Frederick, will introduce the 8:20 screening on Friday, May 21.

I stand by all three enthusiastically and would love to catch them all. Let me know. See you next month, where the list should go more or less back to normal. Later all.