October first half revival update

THE GODFATHER PART 2- Sat Oct 4 at 1 and 8:30, Wed Oct 8 and Mon Oct 13 at 8:30- Film Forum- Here's a shock. The Godfather films are really popular at the Film Forum. People actually want to see them, especially with cleaned up look and sound. Whoda thunk it? Their run, playing together with separate admission, has been extended through Tuesday, Oct 14. I'm just listing the dates and times I can make Godfather 2, which I haven't caught in this restored condition. Wish this was announced 2 days ago, but here we are. Later all.

Oct. revivals: first half

Mike here, with what to catch in the first half of October. Life's a little easier now, so I don't have to spilt the month up into thirds, like September. It's also easier that I don't have to bother to post anything playing at IFC Film Center, since they refuse to update their calendar beyond either last weekend or August, depending on the page you hit. There is also a larger number of films I haven't seen, or haven't seen in so long I can't give a thumbs up or down. So this month can be more adventurous. Here we go:

THE SHINING- Thursday Oct 2 at 7 and 9:30 for 7.50- Chelsea Clearview Cinema- The start of a month long series of horror flicks at an affordable price. Do I really need to go into the film's story, people? You either know it, or you're a 20 year old who accidentally clicked on this, instead of one of the 1500 Project Runway blogs. Stephen King was not thrilled with the way Stanley Kubrick adapted his novel. And while I don't recall this film being wrecked by critics back in 1980, there was no outpour to proclaim this a classic then, as opposed to now. Nicholson's already mildly eccentric performance at the start before he goes into complete psychosis, was quite different from the book, and in most forms of reality. But I'll stop comparing the book with the film now. Especially when Stephen King got to make his own version of The Shining; that 1997 mini-series was borderline unwatchable. I saw most of it, scattered over 8 years, out of curiosity. Don't do the same. Watch this film instead.

The film has its own creepy build up that pays off well. Jack does psychosis better then most actors around. You may not believe Shelley Duvall could have ever been married to Jack, but you buy her as a mother isolated and at her wits end, only to find inner strength. The best performance in the film was pulled out of child actor Danny Lloyd, protected from knowing this was a scary movie until it was released. Not the best film of that year, or even among horror flicks, but still pretty good.

Will be screened at two different times on Oct 2, with 2 different pre-shows. The only way the 9:30 screening goes off on time, is if it's played in a different screening room. Which is possible, but if the 7pm can be done, great.

IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES- Fri Oct 3 at 10- The Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Part of the Nagisa Oshima retrospective. His films are being played as a sort of side venue of the New York Film Festival. While the main flicks are playing at the Ziegfeld, films from retrospectives such as these play at the smaller Walter Reade at Lincoln Center. These kinds of tickets need to purchased way in advance, or possibly bought one hour before the screening, when cancellations open up. That said, this is really the type of film that needs the tix to be bought ahead of time. I brought it up last time, and I'll bring it up again now.

Look back at the last post, where I cut and pasted the filmlinc.com description. Or go to imdb or Wiki and look it up further. It's not whether you know what happens, it's the journey, so to speak. Good luck finding this on DVD. It's not the type of film to be sold at Best Buy, or the type available at Blockbuster stores or online. Netflix may or may not be helpful either. This is as good a chance as you may ever have to seeing this. But for mature filmgoers only. The sexuality is quite frank, and the emotions are not child's play. If you don't think you can handle this once you've finished researching this, then move on to the next film option.

I VITELLONI and (maybe) THE WHITE SHEIK- Sat Oct 4 at 6:20 (Vitelloni), 8:20 (Sheik) and 10 (Vitelloni)- Film Forum- The start of the Alberto Sordi retrospective. For those who've told me that I should include more revivals I've never seen, well here we go. I wouldn't know Alberto Sordi to save my life. Never seen any of his films. So I'm relying on more then just memory to pitch here. Consider one of the best Italian film actors, equally adept at comedy and drama. I've pick the ones I have any interest in. I pick two early Fellini films, though I only have major interest in the first one.

I Vitelloni is considered the inspiration for films like American Graffiti, Diner and even Mean Streets. 5 male friends in Italy get together, but only one leaves their small town and start to live a real life. Sordi appears to play the comic relief friend. That this film was one of the all time favorites of Pauline Kael worries me. That's one of the all time favorites of both Scorsese and Kubrick lessens the worry. Oscar nominated for its screenplay.

The second film, The White Sheik, I can take or leave. An early Fellini comedy, where a young honeymooning couple experience early problems. When the wife already has trouble standing her husband, she goes off looking for her crush; the title character who's the star of her favorite soap opera. So she ends up tempted by her idol, while the husband is all distraught, surrounded by prostitutes. Sordi is in the title role, with questionable romantic skills and even questionable intelligence. Wouldn't mind seeing it, and it is only 86 minutes.

LA GRANDE GUERRA- Tues Oct 7 at 6:30 and 9:15- Film Forum- Part of the Alberto Sordi retrospective. A dark war comedy that seems to have been ripped off, in part, by the fourth edition of the BBC series, Black Adder. 2 young Italian men (Vittorio Gassman and Sordi) try to get out of serving in WW I, then try to stay as far from the front as possible. But the front easily can come to them . . . Mixture of comedy and war drama. Just as likely to do a comedic scene as it is to have a battle scene. Oscar nominated for Best Foreign Film. Never saw it, but would like to try it. If this is the only Sordi film I get to see, I would be fine with that.

THE EXORCIST- Thursday Oct 9 at 7 and 9:30 for 7.50- Chelsea Clearview Cinema- I've been looking forward to this film playing at non-Midnight screening time for quite a while now. And now it's at an affordable price as well. The director's cut from 2000, of one of the best modern horror films ever made. Thankfully not as graphic as the popular novel, where one got to imagine every orifice that stuff came out of little Regan. But in terms of atmosphere, it rivals Texas Chainsaw Massacre as among the creepiest films. And do note, these are just regular people, dealing with a horrifying problem the best way normal people, i.e. most of us, try. Helps give the film that little extra kick into our stomach when needed. One of the few horror films to pack a punch on the small screen, so you can only imagine on the big screen.

Oscars for Sound and for William Peter Blatty for adapting his own novel. Funny, Blatty wrote this in part because he could only get hired to write light comedies like A Shot In The Dark. After The Exorcist came out, studios were only interested in hiring Blatty for horror flicks. Oscar nominations for Picture, Director William Friedkin, Actor Jason Miller, Actress Ellen Burstyn (apparently she still suffers from back problems sustained while shooting this), Supporting Actress Linda Blair (though most of the credit for this performance is given to then-uncredited Mercedes McCambridge, as her possessed voice), Cinematography, Art Direction, and Editing. With Max Von Sydow and Lee J. Cobb.

I just noticed I used both the kick and the punch metaphor in the same paragraph (the first one). Wow, I need to find better writers for this . . .

ANIMAL CRACKERS- for free (subject to availability) Fri Oct 10 at 6:15- MOMA- This Marx Bros. film gets a screening. I posted it back in July. I could have gone to it then, but when it came to doing a triple feature along with Fantasia and Monkey Business, I preferred to substitute Wall-E over this. But now there's a second chance to catch this, one that I didn't think would come this soon. Caused more excitement back in 1974, when it screened for the first time since 1957.

Some complain this is only a filmed play, and it's probably a fair complaint. But 4 Marx Brothers with Margaret Dumont is good enough for me. Where the line "One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don't know." came from. Because this is being screened on a Friday night, admission is free, subject to availability. But if you don't get to MOMA by 5:15 to 5:45, or have someone get the tickets for you by then, then forget it.

THE DARK CRYSTAL- Fri Oct 10 at Midnight- Landmark Sunshine Cinema- This film gets a midnight screening every so often. I guess this will be the only time this year it will play. I succeeded last summer in getting a few people to go. I hope this time, I actually get to go. If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings kind of fantasy, or a fan of 80's films, here's this effort from Jim Henson. Jim and co-director Frank Oz's (with an uncredited assist from Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz) attempt to do a Lord of The Rings-style film with the latest in animatronics technology, received only minor acclaim and decent U.S. business in the Christmas of 1982, but became one of the biggest films to ever hit Japan and France up to that point. It still has a fervent cult here. Puppetry effects at their height, with the Muppet-esque cuteness cut down very low. A children's film that, despite some lulls, keeps the adults entertained, without being cheesy or insulting to the kids. Though if I see any kids at this screening, the temptation to call Child Protection Services will be high.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE- Sat Oct 11 at 9- The Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Part of the Nagisa Oshima retrospective. A new 35mm print. I would almost consider this 1983 picture a forgotten film, if most people in this country had ever heard of this to begin with. Sorry that back in Sept. 1983, it wasn't as cool as say, Jaws 3-D. See, that's a film Universal Pictures knew how to promote, not this.

The arrival of a British officer introduces us to a Japanese prison camp in Java, 1942. The man who runs the camp will seem very familiar to those who have seen Letters From Iwo Jima. Because these Allied prisoners have accepted surrender over suicide, they deserve more punishment for this, then for being the enemy. It tells more of a story of East/West differences, and how power and absolute belief can shift during war, then telling a straightforward war story. Expect more atrocities depicted then war action. Also expect a lot more character development as well.

The biggest issue Western critics had was the casting of David Bowie as a British commando. Too strange and spacey for his own good. But considering he was playing a burnout who couldn't function, his performance has aged well over the years. Only available in this country through the Criterion Collection. Take a chance and catch it.

Too many choices. Definitely yes to the horror films, and one of the Sordi flicks. Maybe Animal Crackers, because it's free. Anything else is a bonus. Later all.

Sept. revivals: the rest of them

Mike here with the remainder of the September revival list. I couldn't believe I had the chance to catch every film on the last list. That's never happened to me before. Not that I did, mind you. Oliver was so unexpectedly fantastic, it was best to leave after that, then sit through the decent, but as far as I'm concerned, lesser Dickens adaptation in Great Expectations. The Godfather I'll go into later. And then the double feature of Blithe Spirit and Brief Encounters was good. Blithe Spirit was better then I remembered, while Brief Encounter was a little too soap opera for my taste, but still good. While Trevor Howard did a respectable job, he came off a little too earnest. Not as natural as he would be in say, The Third Man, Von Ryan's Express or Father Goose. But at least better then his work in 1981's Windwalker, where he played an Indian chief (Yeah, when I think Indian chief I think TREVOR HOWARD?!?!?!).

Anyway, no trace of soap opera in Celia Johnson's performance. We would probably think of her in the same breath as Streep in this country, if she didn't hate making films and preferred the stage. But at least we have her performance in Brief Encounter. Anyway, here we go:

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA- Sat Sept 20 at 7- Film Forum- Part of the David Lean retrospective. I've seen this before on the Ziegfeld's screen, and the Forum obviously can't compare, screen-wise. But this is one of top 5 all time favorite films. That is TOP 5 all time. Whenever one of my top 5 is available to see, I must post it, no matter if I own it, or how many times I've seen it on screen. The best film on the list; maybe by a little, maybe by a lot, but noticeably better. The intimate moments are treated with as much care and respect as the epic scenes, the script deserves just as much respect as the visuals, and has there been a better leading debut for a star than Peter O'Toole in the title role? Ok, Chaplin and Brando, but I can't think of any better lead debuts in color films.

On both AFI Top 100 lists. 10 Nominations, including Actor for O'Toole, the Screenplay, and Supporting Actor for Omar Sharif (don't get me started on his entrance!). 7 Oscars, including Picture, Score (maybe the best film score ever; not sure, but if you have better choices, let me know), and Director for Lean. If you haven't seen it, the big screen is THE way, there isn't a TV screen big enough to pull this entirely off.

THE GODFATHER PART 2- Sat Sept 20, Sun Sept 21, Thurs Sept 24, and Sat Sept 27 at 8:35- Film Forum- I caught Godfather this past weekend, and the restoration looked, and especially sounded, great. Throw out or ignore the DVDs from early this decade, and go get the new ones that come out in Oct. If you go for this on Netflix, make sure you're renting the 2008 edition, otherwise you'll probably be a little disappointed. The same restoration process has been done to The Godfather Part 2. I remember seeing an old 3 strip Technicolor print at AMMI a few years back. A scratchy print, but the color hues in the Vito Corleone scenes from Ellis Island through Robert de Niro's shooting scene blew me away. Totally different from every other time I've seen it on video or cable. If the quality of that is captured in this restoration, it should rock. It will anyway, but still.

On both AFI Top 100 lists, and in my personal top 35. 11 Oscar nominations, including Actor for Pacino and Supporting Actress for Talia Shire. 6 Oscars, including Picture, Director and Screenplay for Coppola. A Supporting Actor Oscar for De Niro in a career making turn, beating fellow nominated co-stars Lee Strasberg and Michael V. Gazzo. If the above dates don't work, there will be more chances in early October.

THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI- Mon Sept 22 at 1:30 and 4:30- Film Forum- Part of the David Lean retro. The first of the Lean epics. A new 35mm print. Doesn't exactly jive with the real life history in World War 2, but more of a study of madness. The Japanese needs a bridge built. British colonel Nicholson is tortured to force him eventually to lead the prisoners into building the bridge. He agrees to, but is broken down to the point that building the bridge becomes a matter of British pride and strength. Refusing to surrender emotionally, while pushing his own men to the brink to finish construction. Meantime, a burned out American who escaped the POW camp is forced by the Allies into a suicide mission: to go back into the jungle and blow up the bridge.

William Holden was already a name around the world before he turned in a good performance, as a bitter man forced to fulfill his duty. But Alec Guinness became about as big a name, playing the epitome of obsession and madness. 8 Oscar nominations. 7 Oscars, including Picture, Screenplay, Guinness for Actor, Lean for Director, his first. I'm sorry I wasn't able to make it this summer, back when it played at the Holden retro at Lincoln Center. But better late than never.

RYAN'S DAUGHTER- Mon Sept 22 at 7:30- Film Forum- Part of the David Lean retro. A rare screening of a rare Lean flop. Its reputation differs from different people, assuming you know anyone other than me who's even heard of this. Set in World War 1, a bored married Irish woman has an affair with a young English officer. This type of adulterous affair with revolution about to begin, you know something bad will go down. With Sarah Miles in the title role, and actors like Trevor Howard and Leo McKern (Rumpole himself) also in the cast.

Released in 1970, this was not embraced in the era of MASH and Easy Rider. It seemed as though critics like Pauline Kael made it their mission in life to destroy the film and Lean as well. They succeeded in the former and might have succeeded in the later, since Lean worked on very little after that, only completing A Passage To India (which I like, but not enough to put on this list.). I tried to get into on TV, but like Dr. Zhivago, it was difficult to get through on the small screen. I didn't feel Robert Mitchum was miscast as the uptight, quiet husband. He was stretching himself and he did fine.

But I can't help you with the bigger question. Is this too damn slow and old-fashioned? Is this an undiscovered gem, unjustly attacked? A noble failure that is not as bad as 1970 critics said, but not deserving of higher praise? We will have to see for ourselves. A 1980 re-release didn't change matters. Miscasting of the young British officer doesn't help- he had to be dubbed. Recently it's received a reappraisal in Australia, playing in one of its larger houses for 2 years. But that's the only country where this film's fortunes have changed.

4 Oscar nominations, including Sarah Miles for Actress. I'm sorry we don't see much from her on these shores anymore. 2 Oscars, for Cinematography and Supporting Actor for John Mills, who played the village idiot. He's usually sighted as one of the first bits of proof, that the best way to at least get an Oscar nomination, is to play some of retardation. Not entirely accurate, but it's hard to fight a growing myth.

This is the only night and time this plays. Over three hours, plus an overture, intermission, and exit music, so plan ahead before you say yes.

SUMMERTIME- Tues Sept 23 at 7:30 and 9:30- Film Forum- Part of the David Lean retro, and his favorite to shoot. The first film David shot out side the auspices of some British film company, and outside of Britain as well. Adapted from an Arthur Laurents play, and starring the biggest name Lean would ever work with, Katharine Hepburn. She plays a spinster-ish American woman, who's given up on love and tries to have a good time in Venice. She unexpectedly discovers love and becomes a whole new woman, but it isn't to last . . .

Never mind the gorgeous Venice visuals. Lean gets us to feel the love and empathize the way it feels for the first time. And how it feels when it doesn't go right. Oscar nominations for Hepburn for Actress and Lean for Director. I can't believe it's considered a forgotten Lean classic. I mean seriously, most of his black and whites are better remembered than this one? Really? Make up for that and go.

IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES- Sat Sept 27 at Midnight- The Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Part of the Nagisha Oshima retrospective. A new 35mm print. The kind of film you need to build yourself up for. The kind that one might have to buy tickets for online to insure admittance. If this night and time isn't possible, it will play again in early October. Google and Wicki this for more info, but in the meanwhile, I'll cut and paste what's on the filmlinc website:

The only film invited to the New York Film Festival ever to have been censored (it was stopped by U.S. customs officials but later released and shown after the festival), In the Realm of the Senses has proved so controversial that it’s still effectively banned in Japan. Unhappily, the controversy has made it difficult for people to appreciate what an enormously powerful work of cinema it truly is.

Based on a real incident, the film is set in 1936, when militarism is increasingly taking over every aspect of Japanese life. A hotel maid, Sada Abe, carries on an affair with her employer, Kichizo Ishida. One day, the lovers lock themselves in one of the rooms and push their lovemaking to some new, unknown limit. Oshima captures the startling intensity of the physical contact between his actors, as, gradually, the rest of the world disappears and is replaced by an overwhelming sense of passion.

Oshima had always explored the revolutionary potential of sexuality. Here that theme receives its most sustained, and profound, treatment. Bold, challenging, unforgettable—In the Realm of the Senses is not for the faint-hearted, but not to be missed.

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

Sept revivals: second third

Hey all. Mike here with the next batch of September revivals. I noticed something recently. I've been recommending films at the Forum now to the point where I'm starting to come off as a paid spokesman. First of all, I'm not. Second, it's getting harder to find more places. MOMA and Walter Reade are the only reliable places to go at this point. Anthology Film Archives is either too inconvenient, and most of their films that I might be interested in conflicts too much with others. I'm in no mood for Bergman or psychedelic 60s flicks, so IFC Film Center has been out for a while. There's nothing at Landmark Sunshine Cinema I want to get to until November, if I'm lucky. Two Boots Pioneer seems to have stopped with revivals altogether. AMMI in Astoria has been closed since late February and it will be quite a while before it reopens. Symphony Space seems to only screen films on Sundays now. BAM is out of my jurisdiction, and out of the jurisdiction of anyone that might catch something with me.

So it's frustrating that the films I can put on this list are playing in the Forum. But with all this said, I'm real happy with what's playing. Here we go:

THE GODFATHER- Sat Sept 12- Thurs Sept 17 at 8- Both this and Godfather 2 are being released on blu-ray fairly soon (exact date unknown and since I don't own a blu-ray player, I don't care). Much like the restoration for Apocalypse Now Redux, these Francis Ford Coppola films received a major cleanup and improvement of sight and sound. If these restored discs, overseen by Coppola, cinematographer Gordon Willis and Robert A Harris, are as good as the restored DVDs of both versions of Apocalypse Now, then the home viewer should be in for a treat.

Like previous DVD releases, such as Scarface, Blade Runner and THX-1138, both films will get a brief theatrical re-release. And it will only play at the Forum. Due to self imposed calendar restrictions, only the first Godfather film will be listed here. Godfather 2 will be on the next September list.

Now that I've said all that, do I really need to pitch this? Brando comeback, blah blah blah, rise of Pacino, blah blah blah, great cast that I'm not in the mood to breakdown, blah blah blah, on all great films lists worth a damn and most that are not, blah blah blah . . .

10 Oscar nominations, 11 if you include the one for Nino Rota's score that was later ruled ineligible because he supposedly reused his score from the film Fortunella. Among the nominations it lost was Supporting Actor for Pacino, James Caan and Robert Duvall, Coppola for Director, Editing and Sound. It lost all those noms to Cabaret. If this shocks you, it's because you're not into musicals or you have no idea how good and how influential Cabaret director Bob Fosse was/is. What shocked the hell out of me was that The Godfather WASN'T nominated for Cinematography. No Art Direction nod, I could understand that; look it up and you'll know what I mean. But you mean to tell me 1776, Butterflies Are Free, Cabaret (the eventual winner), The Poseidon Adventure and Travels With My Aunt ALL deserved votes more than Godfather? I'm not saying it should have won. I had no problem if they thought Cabaret, the eventual winner, was better. But that's because I have a soft spot for the work of cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth (2001, Murder on the Orient Express, Becket, Superman: The Movie, among other credits). But Gordon Willis not even being nominated for his work is Bullshit.

But it did win 3 key Oscars: Picture, Screenplay Adaptation for Coppola and Mario Puzo and Brando for Actor. No need to mention the Oscar controversy in this list about Brando that night. No need to mention its high place on both AFI lists. No need to mention its place in my personal top 35 (pretty high, yet not as high as Godfather 2). Just need to say; unless you're over the age of 46, you saw its brief re-release in 1997 or saw a crappy print when it's played at Midnight at Landmark Sunshine Cinema, you're just like me. You've only seen this on tv. And you've never seen it look as great or as intended. Now is a great time to correct this.

If you can't make it in the days listed, it will play again later this month. It will be part of a separate admission double feature with Godfather 2, and I'll mention it again with the next list. Tix for The Godfather are already available online, so it might not be easy to get, especially within a half hour of its performance. A social backup plan might be in order. Here are two sets of possibilities . . .


GREAT EXPECTATIONS and/or OLIVER TWIST- Sat Sept 13 at 5:25 (Expectations), 7:40 (Twist), and 9:50 (Expectations)- Film Forum- The beginning of the David Lean retrospective. 35mm restorations for both. Not the biggest fan of Great Expectations, but it's one of the better versions of the Dickens story out there. A classic compared to say, the Gwyneth Paltrow version from the late 90s. Oh, you forgot that version? Lucky you . . .

Consider this a cliffs note version of the story, with as many story lines jammed in as possible. Try to ignore the very end of this if you can. But also the note the highly stylized attempts Lean made to make this cinematically interesting, though he would be involved in much better adaptations as his career went on. Very interesting cast, including John Mills as a young Pip, Jean Simmons as a very young Estella, and Martita Hunt as the quintessential Miss Havisham. Also notable for having Alec Guinness as Herbert Pocket. This was the first of his six collaborations with Lean.

Oscar nominated for Picture, Director and Screenplay. Won for its Black and White Cinematography and Art Direction. I wouldn't mind seeing this, but I can survive with just catching Oliver Twist.

A much better adaptation of a Dickens story done by Lean, than Great Expectations. Made in 1947-8, though not released here until 1951, for reasons I'll go into later. Doesn't go for more sunnier aspects that the musical Oliver! goes for, as poor orphaned Ollie runs away from a workhouse and is on the streets. Notable for Alec Guinness's performance as Fagin; he must have been very comfortable working with a lot of makeup on. In fact, it was controversial in it's day precisely because of Fagin. In Israel and in the U.S., Fagin's depiction was considered anti-Semitic, which caused it to be briefly banned in Israel, and delayed for years here. In Egypt, it was briefly banned for making Fagin appear too sympathetic. Decide for yourself. With Anthony Newley as Artful Dodger.


BRIEF ENCOUNTER and BLITHE SPIRIT- Sun Sept 14 and Mon Sept 15 at 6:20 (Encounter), 8 (Spirit), and 9:50 (Encounter)- Part of the David Lean retro. 35mm restorations for both. Lean's first international successes, both from 1945, and paired together. Both films are under 96 minutes, so consider them as mini masterpieces by Lean.

First, the original Brief Encounter. 2 married people meet by accident, fall in love, but the stars just aren't aligned for them to have a future. One of the better love stories made, in part because of the obviously short life their romance will have. Not for lack of love for each other, but they can't destroy their home lives for this. You know this story because in part, many films and tv shows have followed the setup or the pathos of this film, which is an expanded adaptation of Noel Coward's one act play. This came before most. If you know Lawrence and Dr. Zhivago as outwardly expansive, then consider this as Lean at his most intimate best. 3 Oscar noms; Celia Johnson for Actress, and Lean for both Director and Screenplay.

Next, Blithe Spirit, another adaptation of a Noel Coward play. Only this time, unlike Brief Encounter's alternating middle class and romantic black and white, Blithe Spirit was shot in an early form of Technicolor. Thanks to the wacko medium who performs a seance, the ghost of Rex Harrison's first wife returns and won't leave. The second wife, very much living, is not happy to say the least.

One of only 3 comedies directed by Lean, but he has a light touch that makes you wish he made more. Not at the expense of him not making Lawrence or Bridge Over The River Kwai for example, but still. Having superior material like Coward's play certainly helps. Also helping is having several actors (Margaret Rutherford as the wacky medium, Kay Hammond and Jacqueline Clarke as both wives) who played their respective roles on stage for years, so it became second nature on screen. An Oscar for the early visual effects. The Forum claims this was the only time Lean used special effects for one of his films. Whatever.

So that's it. I narrowed it down to what I really want to see, with not an ounce of junk among the options. Let me know, later all.

Sept revivals: first third.

Mike here. Sorry for the lateness and the soon-to-be-apparent laziness. But I've just completed my time attending the U.S. Open. Had my usual fun out there. But it kept me from going behind the computer to write up a list. And as I started to put the first half of this month together, I started getting nervous about tackling a lot of titles at once. My only solution: to split up this month into thirds. Not my first choice, but the best I can do. Which means a real small list. Here we go:

THE WAGES OF FEAR- Thurs Sept 4 at 7 and 9:40- Film Forum- Part of the French Crime Film retrospective. From the director of Diabolique. 4 desperate macho men will get the reward of a ticket out of the hellhole, piss-poor little South American village they're all stuck in. That is, if they're willing to drive trucks filled with nitroglycerin over mountain sides and through jungles, in order to put out a fire at an oil refinery. They also battle each other, with macho posturing just as threatening as the elements. Starring Yves Montand.

Perennially in imdb's annoying top 250. Winner of the Grand Prize at Cannes. Diabolique is director's Henri-Georges Clouzet's best known film, but this is considered his best. I've never seen it, but I've seen the American remake from 1977, Sorcerer, which is underrated (released the same weekend that Star Wars went into wide release, therefore forgotten). Would love to catch this. According to the Forum's website, the version being screened is about 9 minutes longer then the cut version released in 1955, but 8 minutes shorter than the director's cut.

SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER- Tues Sept 9 and Wed Sept 10 at 7:45 and 9:30- A new 35mm print of this, the last of the French Crime Film retrospective. Francois Truffaut's version of a gangster film, where thriller and comedy aspects are thrown into the genre in uneven amounts. A concert pianist, burned out and widowed, works in a dive. Has 2 hot chicks who want him, but he's closer to Spock then to an emotionally expressive person, except when he plays the piano. But now that his brothers are in trouble with (amateur) criminals, things can't stay good forever. Never seen this, but the mixture of comedy, drama, thriller aspects, homages to Warner Bros B crime flicks, and a passing resemblance to Vertigo (more than just passing?!?!?), it's sounds very interesting.

That's it. Yep, only 2, and both French. Hey, that's how the calender fell into place. Let me know if there's interest. Among the titles in the next batch are a bunch of early-ish David Lean, and the return of The Godfather. Later all.

Aug revivals: second half

Hey all. Mike here with what to catch for the rest of August. Plenty to chose from, but I had to leave some stuff out. Some of the French crime films didn't make the cut. The Lindsey Anderson retrospective at Lincoln Center, not making it here. Most of the Charlton Heston retrospective; well in this case, either I caught it already on the big screen (Ben-Hur, Touch of Evil), or it's inconvenient. Though I will bring it up again once or twice in September.

The U.S. Open, with its free practices and qualifiers, as well as the tourney itself is something I enjoy this time of year, and it makes a deep cut into what I can post. You go to the filmlinc website for more info on those above retros if you want to go on your own. In any case, there's stuff here now. Here we go:

BARTON FINK- Sat Aug 16 at 2- MOMA- Part of the Coen brothers retrospective. Most of their screenings have either sold out or come real close, so planning ahead will be needed for all of these that I mention. Written during a time period when the brothers were having a bout of writer's block during the creation of Miller's Crossing; it was produced after the gangster film. John Turturro plays the title role of a playwright going out to Hollywood in 1941 to write a wrestling picture. Writer's block sets in after the first sentence, as he has a room in the hotel from hell. Fink tries to get help from a drunken writer (John Mahoney, as a stand-in for William Faulkner), the writer's girlfriend (Judy Davis), and the salesman next door who seems to have both wrestling skills and the "common man's touch". To say things go wrong is a mild understatement.

Strong cast also includes Miller's Crossings Jon Polito and Steve Buscemi, Tony Shalhoub and Oscar nominated Michael Lerner, as the sleazy studio head. Oscar nominations also for Costume Design and Art Direction. Overall, a hit when compared to Miller's Crossing, even though this didn't make back its production budget either. You either like it, or admire but turned off by it. If you haven't seen it, decide for yourself.

LE CERCLE ROUGE- Sat Aug 16 at 6:40 and 9:30- Film Forum- Part of the French Crime Wave retrospective. Don't know much about this one. It got an art house re-release/re-discovery earlier this decade, thanks in part to John Woo. I remember the Forum playing the trailer for this ad nauseum. I remember making fun of this whenever with whoever I was with, whenever it played. Since then, I've caught up with some of this film's director, Jean-Pierre Melville, work (Army Of Shadows, Le Doulos). That means I REALLY want to go see this.

Highly stylized gangster film as usual, but this time in color. 3 major leads, Gian Maria Volontè, Yves Montand, and Alain Delon all meet with all the trappings you expect from a carefully planned jewel heist film. You know, sweating out the details, human behavior interfering with the perfection of it all, betrayals and the police around getting close. Like I said, haven't seen it but really want to.

BOB LA FLAMBEUR- Sun Aug 17 at 8 and Mon Aug 18 at 4:40- Film Forum- Part of the French Crime Wave retro. But if you're in the mood for a lighter version of Melville, try this; one of his earliest successes from 1955. Praised more for its coolness and style than depth. Alain Delon plays the title role, as an old burned-out gangster/gambler, who nevertheless, on a dare, decides to try to take down the 800 mil in a casino vault, by any means. I never saw it, but I did like the remake Neil Jordan did early this decade, The Good Thief with Nick Nolte. I liked that one, and I really like Melville now, so I'd like to try it.

SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE- for free at Bryant Park- Mon Aug 18 at dusk- Park opens at 5pm- The Bryant Pk film series comes to an end with something appropriate. In terms of popularity of comic book films, this was the first to get respectability, three decades before Dark Knight. For years, my favorite comic book film. Treats the story with respect and with cinematic flair. Everything at Krypton, Superman's first day at Metropolis, and the final attempt to save Earth should look great on the big screen. And with John Williams' score for the opening credits in the middle of the park, kick ass, baby. A little longer than the usual choice at the park, but a hell of a way to end the series. Park opens at 5.

RAISING ARIZONA and/or MILLER'S CROSSING- Fri Aug 22 for free (subject to availability) at 6:30 (Arizona) and 8:30 (Miller's)- MOMA- I mentioned this as a must see double feature on the last list. Someone was listening, because both films sold out. Now it plays again, only this time it's for free, subject to availability. Mucho planning will be needed to pull off even one of these films.

FARGO- Wed Aug 27 at 6- MOMA- Yet another Coen brothers film that might be difficult to get into without planning. Chances are, if you're even glancing at this list for any reason, you've heard of this crime dramedy; where a very pregnant and very persistent sheriff figures out most of the parts, to a stupidly planned and executed kidnapping.

The Coen brothers' best film. Oscar nominations for Picture, Supporting Actor for William H. Macy (forever known for more than just ER and his work with Mamet, thanks to this), Editing, Cinematography, and Director. Oscars for Frances McDormand for Actress, and the Coen brothers for Screenplay. Yes, this actually lost to The English Patient for Best Picture. I guess Oscar owed them one, which might explain the near clean sweep this year for No Country for Old Men. On both AFI Top 100 lists. A great film to catch, but promises not to be easy to get into. So you might prefer trying on that night . . .

DIABOLIQUE- Wed Aug 27 at 9:50- Film Forum- Part of the French Crime retro, and along with Breathless, the best known and one of the more imitated of the entire retrospective. Simple story of two women, the wife of an evil headmaster and her friend (Simone Signoret), who decide to kill him. They succeed, but the story is no longer simple when his body disappears.

Classic film. Perhaps it shouldn't be considered in the horror genre. Thriller yes, but not horror. Unless one considers Psycho a horror film, so fine. Ignore the lousy remake, no matter how hot and good Isabelle Adjani is, and watch this one. Actually, there was a decent TV movie remake of this from 1974, with Tuesday Weld, Joan Hackett and Sam Waterson, but see the original.

ELEVATORS TO THE GALLOWS- Sat Aug 30 at 1- Film Forum- Part of the French Crime retro. Louis Malle's first film. A man and a woman plot the murder of her husband, succeed, and then things begin to fall apart. An almost real time escape attempt from the police before they discover the body. Made stars out of director Malle and Jeanne Moreau as the descendant to Barbara Stanwyck's character in Double Indemnity, and the ancestor to Kathleen Turner's character in Body Heat. Due to the U.S. Open, that weekend, it's 1pm or nothing as far as I'm concerned.

SOYLENT GREEN- Sun Aug 31 at 9:10- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Part of the Walter Reade retrospective of Charlton Heston. Surprisingly, this is the only one I have time for this month. If you're over thirty and you know this film, and you know what Heston screams at the end, then you've never seen it on the big screen and we should. If you don't know what Heston screams (and you never saw Phil Hartman's parody on SNL), then you're either useless, or under thirty, which makes you sperm for the following paragraphs.

I will admit it has its cheesy 70s elements. Any time Heston fights Chuck Connors, there's more than a bit of cheese there. And the way Leigh Taylor-Young's character is treated is a little cringing, though partly intentional. In this film's world, if you're a hot chick, your best way to survive is to be "furniture". To be semi-literate at best. To be in some white man's apartment and be used for anything this male would need (not necessarily as dirty as you might imagine).

But I rank this film among the best dystopian pictures ever made, along with Brazil, Children of Men, Blade Runner and Wall-E. Yes, Wall-E qualifies. This isn't better, but deserves mention for this type of picture. And for a sci-fi film, it goes for the realistic then the 2001 futurism style every chance the filmmakers had.

Set in a New York of the future (11 years away!), where the greenhouse effect and overpopulation has gone into overdrive. No vegetation and no cows, turkeys or chicken. Where the main source of food are cracker-like wafers from the Soylent company. Everyone would be vegans in this world if the Soylent crackers weren't in such short supply, causing mass starvation and riots. When Joseph Cotten, a high ranking executive from the company is murdered, it's up to Chuck Heston, NYPD detective to find out the killer. Considering this is one of those evil corporation films as well (according to a recent list of those kinds of films on IFC.com), things get considerably more complicated.

The films' best scenes are always between Heston and Edward G. Robinson. Despite the nagging and the back and forth, the love and friendship between the actors/characters shine through. According to imdb, the dinner scene between them was completely improvised. Also according to imdb, Heston was the only one on the film to know Robinson was dying of cancer. Both actors use their knowledge, feeling and love to the fullest effect in Robinson's last scene. Mixed in with what the film is trying to get across at that point, and it devastates. Robinson died 9 days later.

I know the timing, a Sunday night on the Labor Day weekend, is lousy. But unless you're away, what else do you have to do that night? This and Elevator to The Gallows will not be easy, and Raising Arizona, Miller's Crossing and Fargo might be even harder to get into. But Le Circle Rouge should be doable, and anything else is a bonus. Let me know.

P.S. The following is off topic, but is being written upon request. I enjoyed watching Seussical at St. Gregory’s in Bellerose. A surprise to me, considering how resistant I was to it when it was done on Broadway. Special props to Cas Marino as the Cat in the Hat, as well as to the actors who played Horton and Gertrude respectively. Not problem free; couldn't go from lights to sound without distraction, there were still problems with actors finding their lights (because sometimes, the lights weren't there), and one young actor isn't quite ready yet. But after reading a bad review, I had low expectations. I was surprised with how much fun I had. There, obligation fulfilled, later all.

August revivals: first half

Hey all. Mike here with what to catch for the first half of Aug. I could have done a longer list, but what would I really prefer catching? I narrowed that down. A lot easier to do with the first half of this month, as opposed to the second half. I do not look forward to having to cut that list down. In the meanwhile, here we go:


RASHOMON- Fri Aug 1 at 7:15- the Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Back to Kurosawa-Mifune territory with the first of their films to make a worldwide cultural impact. Set in feudal Japan, a rape and murder occurs in the woods. The story of the crime is told from the perspective of four different characters; a bandit (Mifune), a woman, her husband, and a woodcutter. The only two things about the incident are clear, that the woman was raped and her husband is now dead. However, the other elements radically differ as the four participants and/or witnesses relate their own stories (with the dead man, eerily speaking through a medium). As each account is revealed, the only thing that's black and white is the film's photography.

Put Kurosawa on the international film map, with a plot device and/or story-telling style that has been copied ever since. The idea of something happening, and being looked at differently through flashbacks that are rarely the same, was radical back in the early 1950s. Now with other films and tv doing variations, it seems common, even cliched. But this was the best. Memento, most Tarentino films, and Catch-22 are only the most famous variations (note I said variations, so I don't want to hear from nit-pickers). An Oscar nomination for the Art Direction. An honorary Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, apparently the only time there was basically a unanimous choice in this category.

THE ROAD WARRIOR- Fri Aug 1 and Sat Aug 2 at Midnight- Landmark Sunshine Cinema- The first successful Mad Max film in the U.S. I mentioned a few months back how much of a mega hit the first Mad Max was in every country except this one. And Warner Bros must have figured this out when they changed the film's title from Mad Max 2 to this. This wasn't breaking box office records like E.T. was doing that same summer, but it found a big enough audience in theaters (and blew up big time on home video), that a third Mad Max film was eventually made.

Not only the best Mad Max film, but for me, one of the best action films ever made. Mel Gibson is in full anti-hero, as Max is in no mood to help one group that's low on brute strength, but high in both brain power and precious gas reserves. But another brutal group, full of men in masks and punk looks, is looking to pillage and do far worse, forcing Max to help. Some good action scenes, but the greatness comes in the final car chase lasting quite a while. Swarms of unrelenting evil, attacking Max in his tanker, at speeds that seemed at least 80mph.

A triumph of editing, cinematography and script writing. No, seriously. The stakes are raised by the time we get to this car chase, with an ending that we were not expecting. Yeah, you say that 25 yrs later, but when you first experience the scene? I don't think so. Have never seen this on the big screen and would really like to.

RAISING ARIZONA and MILLER'S CROSSING- Sat Aug 2 at 5 (Arizona) and 7 (Crossing)- MOMA- A Coen Brothers double feature. There could be a triple feature, but I've caught Blood Simple enough times that I have no burning desire to catch it again. But it's been awhile with these two, so on the list they go.

First, Raising Arizona. Narrated by Nicolas Cage, playing a dumb ass early variation of The Dude, as an ex-con who wants to start a family with ex-cop wife Holly Hunter. No conception success, so they get the bright idea to steal a newborn quintuplet from a millionaire. They take Nathan Jr., they think. Problems arise when they have to explain how they suddenly got a baby, the arrival of his ex-con buddies (John Goodman and William Forsythe), and the bounty hunter willing to do anything to get Nathan Jr. back. Very broad comedy, but unlike Intolerable Cruelty and Hudsucker Proxy, this Coen Brothers film is actually fun and funny.

Followed by Miller's Crossing. Released among the glut of gangster films back in the fall/winter of 1990. Goodfellas is the only one better than this from that time, and is among the best films from that year. That it barely found more of a U.S. audience than The Krays or State of Grace means less then you think. So I'm guessing most of you reading this have either never seen this, or haven't seen this since the 90s on video.

A stylized gangster film set during the Prohibition era. Albert Finney's Boss character refuses to bow to pressure from a rising upstart who refuses to take "the high hat" any longer. Gabriel Byrne, playing his best friend and right hand man, begins a complicated scheme to save his boss. Even it costs him their friendship and possibly his life. Because Byrne's character is something of a cold fish for whom most of the fireworks going on with him are internal, you might have trouble going for this film.

For me, the style is substance here. A bit intellectual, but then I didn't say it was the best film of that year, just one of. Good cast helps. Among them is Homicide's Jon Polito, Marcia Gay Harden in her first major film role, and early screen appearances by Steve Buscemi and Michael Jeter. Cinematography by future director Barry Sonnenfeld, who come to think of it, did the same thing for Raising Arizona as well.

But if you know the film at all, then your first thought would be to John Turturro as weasel extraordinaire Bernie Bernbaum. Specifically, the scene in the woods where he goes to great lengths begging for his life. The desperation, the loss of self confidence in the face of one's demise, the knowledge that you have nothing to give that could change your killer's mind so you just beg and cry and beg some more. If John wasn't locked in to at least character film work forever with his work on Spike Lee films, then this cemented it.

Both films are worth catching separately, but I much prefer catching them together. Let's do this please.

RIFIFI- Fri Aug 8 and Sat Aug 9 at 5:30, 7:45 and 10- Film Forum- The start of the French Crime Wave film Retrospective. One of the great film-noirs ever made, and it's French, but directed by an American. Jules Dassin, forced to work outside the U.S. after being named by others to the House Un-American Activities Committee, then eventually blacklisted after refusing to name names.

This was his first film after all that, shot on a very low budget. Very simple heist story, where an ex-con plots the perfect robbery, gets others to help, they pull it off, things go wrong from within and from outside afterwards, and revenge is sought after. The story is simple. The execution of it is spectacular. Famous for its long robbery sequence (about a fourth of the entire film!), done with no music, no dialogue, and no sound effects unless absolutely necessary. A scene that's been copied most famously by Brian De Palma in Mission: Impossible.

I've seen this only once, as a re-release back in 2000. I tried to talk someone into seeing a cheap screening of American Psycho, but he talked me into this instead. American Psycho was one of the best films of 2000, Rififi is one of the best films ever. Haven't seen this since that night, but would like to do this again.

THE THIEF OF PARIS- Tues Aug 12 at 7- Film Forum- I've never seen this one, but the combo of director Louis Malle and one of my all-time actress crushes, Genevive Bujold. Set in turn of the century Paris, filled with gentlemen thieves. The focus is on one thief played by Jean-Paul Belmondo (Le Doulos), who steals his family's jewelery when he's cheated out of the woman he loves. What happens from there, I have no idea. But I'd like to catch it.

This is followed by Borsalino. But apparently, this is the English language version. That to me means poorly dubbed, so I have no interest in staying.

LA PISCINE and PURPLE NOON- Wed Aug 13 at 7:35 (Piscine) and 9:50 (Purple)- Film Forum- Part of the French Crime Wave retrospective. Interesting double feature that I've never seen, but I'd like to give a chance. First, La Piscine, or The Swiming Pool or The Sinners, depending on where it was released. Alain Delon and Romy Schnieder are vacationing in St. Tropez, when her ex-lover and his daughter (the ex, not Delon) come along. There sex, murder and betrayal.

Honestly, there's nothing about this story that screams I Must See This. An excuse to see two hot European actresses in a film that's supposedly slow, possibly dated, but decent is all the excuse I need. The two I'm referring to are Schnieder and Jane Birkin, as the daughter.

If anything, I'm more interested in the second film, Purple Noon. An early adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Basically, if you're allergic to Matt Damon or Gwyneth, this is the version you can at least sit through. Alain Delon (again) became a French star forever playing Thomas Ripley. Like I said, never saw it, and would really like to. And since we can see both films for one admission, let's do it.

Definitely want to do the Coen brothers flicks, followed by The Road Warrior (if you can stay up). Rififi and at least the Malle film as well. Anything else is a bonus. Later all.

July revivals: second half

Mike here with what to catch for the rest of August. Not everything mind you. Just what I want to see, and would like others to see as well.

Interesting revivals last weekend. Caught double feature at the William Holden retrospective. I still liked S.O.B. But audience reaction was mixed. While waiting in the lobby to get it, those at the Walter Reade were nice enough to play for us the I Love Lucy episode when Bill Holden visits the Ricardos. Complete with Lucy's disguise (after she embarrassed herself meeting him earlier), and long fake nose that catches fire. While I liked the film, it wasn't quite as funny as I remembered. And definitely not as funny as the Lucy episode. Having a portion of the film burn up, causing a 2 minute delay, and having some loon behind who thought EVERYTHING WAS HYSTERICAL didn't exactly help.

Followed up by The Wild Bunch. Despite one audience who sounded like he was let out of his "special" home for the weekend, I thought it was a terrific film. I liked it on TV, but on the big screen, it blew me away. I can see why it almost got an X rating for its violence. It doesn't matter if you blow away a hundred men at a time. It's when you start blowing away women, armed or otherwise is when you get into trouble. But all the violence has artistic relevance as far as I'm concerned, and the editing gives the film a modern feel today. Don't know if I'd put it in my top 100, but it's close.

Also caught Ran at the Forum. Difficult to sit through on TV, a must-see treasure on the big screen. Nuff said, now let's get on with the list:

XANADU SING-ALONG- Fri July 18 and Sat July 19 at Midnight- IFC Film Center- 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 new element of a sing along, and this can only get better. Hey, it's cheaper than renting a box of a room in Koreantown, watching someone drink while others attempt karaoke. Plus the visual stimulus of Olivia Newton John, what is there to lose?


FAME- Mon July 21 at 7pm for 5 dollars, 3 with student I.D.- doors open at 6:30- DGA Theatre- 110 W. 57th St.- An archival print from the Academy. A cheap screening of the 1980 musical. I wrote about All That Jazz back in December, stating basically that there were no great live action musicals between the Fosse film and fill in the blank from this century (Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Once). But I didn't say there wasn't anything good or successful in-between. Fame is one of them. Not the blockbuster like Empire Strikes Back, or the big hit like The Blue Lagoon. But it held it's own, playing, like Airplane, for months until it could be considered successful.

Depicting several students studying to become actors, singers musicians etc., at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts. It seems like an Andy Hardy-like musical (especially the end), but it doesn't shy away from the idea that failure and/or emotional collapse are around the corner, and none of them are immune. Must be the working class influence of director Alan Parker. Some good musical numbers, especially the one pictured here, that takes place on W. 46th St.

It covers a New York that is essentially gone now, but the feelings of struggle by students and teachers alike are timeless. Great cast but it's telling to me, that for a story where the promise of a career may not last beyond school, some of the actors in the best roles or give the best performances, disappeared fairly quickly after the film's release. But the more recognizable people include Irene Cara, Broadway actor Boyd Gaines, Paul McCrane (Robocop, ER, 24), the late Gene Anthony Ray, Debbie Allen, Issac Mizrahi, Meg Tilly, Holland Taylor and Anne Meara.

6 Oscar nominations in total. I was definitely surprised by that number when I looked it up. Nominated for Original Screenplay, Editing, Sound, and for the song "Out Here on my Own". 2 Oscars, for Original Score and for the title song that gave Cara a career for a few years.

Michael Gore (who took home the Oscars) and costume designer Kristi Zea (who has moved on to become a production designer on flicks such as Goodfellas, Silence of the Lambs, Red Dragon and The Departed), will be at the screening. I don't know if they introducing the film or if they'll do a post film Q and A (my guess, it's the later), but they'll be there. Call 1-888-778-7575 for reservations. Get there before 6:45, otherwise the reservation may not be held.

But if you don't want to spend money to see a film that night, there's always . . .

ARSENIC AND OLD LACE- Mon July 21 for free at Bryant Pk.- Park opens at 5pm- Another strange, talky choice to show at Bryant Park. But this is one of my favorite comedies. Despite the play having been done to death in community theater, this Frank Capra comedy is still gold to me. I really hope the speakers at the park are cranked extra high. Cary Grant plays a man who comes home to find his beloved aunts are serial killers, who get 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 this was playing inside, I'd push this to the hilt, and be obnoxious to many in trying to catch this. But in Bryant Park? I'll leave this to you.


MONKEY BUSINESS and A DAY AT THE RACES- Thurs July 24 at 6 (Monkey) and 8 (Races)- MOMA- Explaining the plot of a Marx Bros. film is pointless. I know from experience when I was with a girl at the Forum for one of their flicks. Now granted, her wanting to know what the film The Marx Brothers was about should have been a sign, but I persisted. I gave the loosest description possible for one of the films, before some c-blocking twerp started going on about his philosophy of how there's no real structure to the plot and other crap I've long since scraped out of my mind. After he finished using oxygen, we looked at him, then turned around like he didn't exist. Not much happened with the girl by the way. Last time I heard from her, she complained about film shoots being moved to Connecticut for tax reasons and to benefit actors living there. She said somebody should write the mayor of Connecticut and tell him he's destroying actors' lives in New York. Re-read that sentence from time to time, and feel the IQ points drip away.

Even that above couldn't take enjoyment of the Marx Bros. away from me. Here's a double feature; we don't have to catch both, but one admission takes care of both film. And to tell the 2 films apart, Monkey Business is where the four brothers play stowaways on a cruise ship, with a funny scene where Groucho Harpo and Chico all have Maurice Chevalier as a passport photo, plus a hysterical finale in a barn. With A Day at the Races, we're down to 3 brothers. But we do get Margret Dumont and scenes at a sanitarium and a race track.

DICK TRACY- Fri July 25 and Sat July 26 at Midnight- Landmark Sunshine Cinema- An interesting choice for a midnight movie. Warren Beatty directed and stars as in the title role. Do your best to ignore Madonna whenever she stops singing Sondheim, no matter how much cleavage is on display.

An entertaining film, though this film is more into story than the typical summer blockbuster. Therefore it's pace might feel a little too drawn out, pun not intended but readily embraced. It moves fine for me.

The real star of this film is the makeup and art direction, both Oscar winning. The eye candy here is a ten, you feel like you're in the comic strip. The amazing bright colors and horrific look of the criminals goes a long long way. When you have characters like Pruneface, Flattop, Itchy, and Little Face, you get the look and you get the creep.

While not the star, Al Pacino steals the film chews the scenery as the Al Capone-esque main villain, with half baked artistic ideals and intellectual pretension, with a long cruel streak. Oscar nominated, the scenery is sufficiently chewed by Al. His comeback, started the previous year with Sea of Love, is complete here. And a little love for the rest of the cast that includes Glenne Headly, Charles Durning, Mandy Patikin, William Forsythe, Paul Sorvino, Estelle Parsons, Dick Van Dyke, James Cann, Catherine O'Hara, Michael J. Pollard, a pre-Misery Kathy Bates, a boatload of character actors, and Dustin Hoffman who hilariously strives to become the living embodiment of the name Mumbles.


FANTASIA with SKELETON DANCE and/or ANIMAL CRACKERS and/or MONKEY BUSINESS- Sat July 26 at 2 (Fantasia), 4:30 (Animal) and 6:30 (Monkey)- MOMA- On the first AFI Top 100 film. 2 Honorary Oscars for its then revolutionary combination of music and animation. A flop in its day, a hit and a classic since then. I really want to see this. I saw it on Radio City Music Hall's former 70mm screen and it blew me away. Now I know that MOMA has no 70mm screens, but their sound system is pretty darn good. I hate it when I take grief from people, just because I've said that if you give me great visuals and interesting music, I can overlook quite a number of a flim's flaws. But a film like this? Bring the kids. Bring the kids-at-heart. Now for the rest, I'll quote from the Walter Reade website back in 2006 I believe:


"Go and see it, if you're in the business. You can learn more from seeing 'The Dance of the Hours' by Walt Disney than from spending a year glumly staring at the television screen," wrote director Michael Powell in his autobiography. "Oh that the rest of Hollywood were only like Walt!" For generations now, kids and adults have plunked down their hard-earned dollars to see Fantasia, and emerged a little over two hours later with their minds blown. Vulgar? For sure, and proudly so. This kind of myth-making always is.

You could throw almost any adjective at the film and it would be absorbed into its vast mythic territory. One little addendum to Powell's assessment. It's Walt, assisted by a small army of animators. Here are a few names: Bill Tytla, Norman Ferguson, Ollie Johnston, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Joshua Meador, Fred Moore, Art Babbitt and Wolfgang Reitherman. Not to mention a few composers: Bach, Dukas, Tchaikovsky, Ponichelli, Stravinsky, Beethoven, Mussorgsky, and Schubert.

Preceding Fantasia, is a Disney short, Skeleton Dance form 1929. One of the Silly Symphonies shorts. I know nothing else about it.

Now for the same admission, you can also see one or two Marx Brothers films on the same day. Monkey Business I mentioned above. Animal Crackers is definitely weaker than say, Duck Soup or Monkey Business, but still fun. It's basically a filmed play, but fun it is. Groucho is a famous explorer, returning home to a party held by Margaret Dumont. The 3 other brothers come in tow, hilarity ensues.

Fantasia is the highest priority, followed by Fame, then anything with the Marx Brothers. Anything else is a bonus. Let me know, especially with Fame, which probably requires a reservation. Later all.

July revivals: first half

Mike here with what to catch for the first half of July. One retrospective I really want to attend is the William Holden retro at the Walter Reade at Lincoln Center. I can't catch most of them, especially I'm afraid The Bridge on The River Kwai. Too many plans for me this 4th of July weekend, so I'm afraid I'm missing that one. In the meantime, here's some good choices here. Now let's go:

THE GENERAL with SALVADOR DALI: HOME MOVIE- Mon July 7 at 6 and Wed July 9 at 8- MOMA- W. 53rd and 5th- A Buster Keaton comedy classic, though I would argue that it's more successful as an action film classic. He plays a train engineer who has a better time showing affection to his locomotive, The General, than with 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. He sulks away.

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 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 very short film about Salvador Dali. MOMA is doing a retrospective of his work. It includes this. You now know as much as I do.

ADAM'S RIB and PAT AND MIKE- Tues July 8 at 7 (Adam's) and 8:45 (Pat)- The Leonard Nimoy Thalia at Symphony Space- W. 95th and Bway- A double feature of two Hepburn/Tracy comedies directed by George Cukor. 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.

Gordon and Kanin were also nominated for their Screenplay for Pat and Mike. Another pretty good Hepburn/Tracy team up. Kate plays an athlete who's great at golf and tennis, but cracks when whenever her annoying fiance watches. Enter her new manager Tracy, whose tough ways eventually melt in the face of too much Kate. The script was conceived in part to take advantage of Hepburn's physical skills. She believable plays tennis and golf with the likes of Babe Didrikson.
But two set pieces stand out. One where Tracy imposes the first limits of diet and training on Hepburn, which she hates but has no choice. The second involves a very young Charles Bronson. Hepburn saves Tracy from getting beat on by thugs, one played by Bronson. First you have the thugs beating Tracy, then they get beaten by Hepburn, then they're flabbergasted by the feeling of lost manhood by being beaten by a woman, then you have them trying to explain to Sheriff Chuck Connors why Hepburn should be arrested, then the thugs try to keep from going to jail, then Tracy and Hepburn try to keep the thugs from facing worse criminal charges or perhaps more thugs would come down after them. Got all that? No? See the movie, they do it better then I can explain.

JEAN DE FLORETTE- Tues July 8 at 7:30- Florence Gould Hall- 55 E. 59th St.- Part of the Yves Montand retrospective. A novice farmer battles another farmer for control over a natural spring. Part one of a two part French epic. Starring Montand, Gerard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil. Sorry I'm not describing it well. But it's very good.

S.O.B. and THE WILD BUNCH- Fri July 11 at 1 (S.O.B), 3:30 (Bunch), 6:15 (S.O.B.) and 8:45 (Bunch) - Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Part of the William Holden retrospective. According to V.A. Musetto's NY Post article, all films shown in the retrospective are one admission for each day. 2 films, one admission is what I meant to say. I hope that's true, especially for this pair.

First, S.O.B.: Holden's final film. This rarely gets a revival screening, and I'm glad this is will play now. A forgotten Blake Edwards comedy from 1981. His previous films from 1975 up to that point were all Pink Panther sequels. But this was different, this was more in the vein of acidic Hollywood films like Sunset Blvd. and The Player. Oh, and don't think the initials in the title stand for the obvious.

He based it on his previous experience directing his wife Julie Andrews in the film Darling Lili. Big budget, big promotion, big expectations, big bomb. It was re-edited and re-released, to no avail. In this film, Richard Mulligan plays an Edwards-like director who directed his Julie Andrews-like wife, played by Andrews herself, in a big budget musical disaster. After several days of suicidal depression, he comes out of it (though not necessarily sane) with an idea to save the picture. By remaking it as an X-rated film, with his wholesome wife showing her breasts. And the film goes from there. Cynical to be sure, and it does get silly in the last 20 minutes or so, but I like this film a lot. Great cast. While Holden (as a liked but somewhat burned out veteran producer) and Andrews got top billing, it's more of an ensemble cast. Along with Mulligan, you had Robert Vaughn, Shelley Winters, Loretta Swit, Larry Hagman, Edwards veteran Robert Webber, Larry Storch, Marisa Berensen and Rosanna Arquette in her film debut. But the standout among the supporting players is Robert Preston, as a quack of a doctor, with as many punch lines as drugs in his medical bag. In other words, plenty.

Paramount distributed this film. For weeks during the summer of 81, they had sneak previews with nothing in the ads but a time, night, location and a hot chick. Played out in the media, just like in the film, was Andrews throwing out her Mary Poppins image, to show the world her tits on screen. Then the film came out. The reviews were mixed, though the overall ones are better now. The business was non-existent. It's become a footnote, both for Andrews' nudity and for being Holden's last film (he died about 3-4 months). You probably never saw this comedy, especially if you're under 34.

Next, The Wild Bunch, the film that John Wayne complained destroyed the myth of the Old West. Follows a group of older outlaws, still robbing and shooting to make a living. The times have changed, they've gotten a lot older and their foes are seemingly younger and stronger. They want to rob to retire, but that only gets a group of bounty hunters after them, led by a former member of the group. They escape to Mexico for one last go. But dealing with the corrupt forces there and the bounty hunters on their tail, the old group of outlaws basically to go out on their own terms. Violent, bloody, and taking hundreds of the enemy with them. Holden is the leader of the Bunch, Ernest Borgnine is his best friend, and Robert Ryan is their former friend. Plus Western stalwarts like Edmond O'Brien, Warren Oates, Ben Johnson, Strother Martin and future director Alfonso Arau (A Walk In The Clouds) in the cast as well.

Sam Peckinpah's film was approved mainly to compete with what they thought was the similar Buthch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Similar, Warner Bros.? Oops. He wanted to show a certain macho code that was not holding up in the start of the 20th Century. But no matter what code you live by, betrayal is unacceptable. From others and especially from yourself. Another thing Peckinpah wanted to show was the violent world of this time. Not sanitized like in most Westerns, but closer to what was shown on the news in Vietnam. He wanted to horrify his audience with its brutality. The climatic shootout was supposed to convey this. With 6 different cameras all shooting at different speeds, its an amazing combination of choreography, cinematography and editing. Despite about 20 minutes cut before its release to avoid an X rating, the violence was still considered controversial. But what shocked Peckinpah was how much of his audience was thrilled by the violence as opposed to being repulsed by it. Oops for Sam. When Warner Bros tried to re-release the film back in 1994 with 10 extra minutes, the MPAA gave it an NC-17 rating, complaining about the violence! It took a year of resubmission before an R rating was finally granted.

I'm sorry to say, it appears Lincoln Center will only be showing the original theatrically released cut, as opposed to the longer, more accepted version. A version still good enough to get 2 Oscar nominations, including Screenplay. On BOTH AFI Top 100 lists. Seeing either film separately is ok I guess. But I REALLY prefer seeing S.O.B. and The Wild Bunch together. There is an alternate day and time regarding Wild Bunch, but that's later in this post.

RAN- Sat July 12 at 4:30 and 7:30- Film Forum- Part of the Tatsuya Nakadai retrospective. Considered Kurosawa's last standout film. Basically King Lear set in Japan with sumptuous visuals, with Nakadai as the old king. Oscar nominations for Cinematography, Art Direction, and Kurosawa's direction. An Oscar for the costumes. A visual spectacle worth catching, even on the Forum's smallish screen.

SABRINA (1954) with or without STALAG 17- Mon July 14 at 6:15 (Sabrina) and 8:30 (Stalag)- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Part of the William Holden retrospective. Another double feature, though this time, I want to catch the former, and wouldn't mind seeing the later. But only if it's convenient.

One of the better romantic comedies. Young servant's girl falls for the youngest of 2 rich brothers. Gets a little older and goes off to Paris. Comes back full of life and self confidence. The younger brother is now attracted to her, but things get complicated when the older brother gets involved. There, that's the Cliff Notes version. Audrey Hepburn plays the girl, Holden is the younger brother, Humphrey Bogart is the older brother. MUCH older brother; you're gonna have to let some stuff slide to enjoy.

It's a miracle this got made at all. Director/Co-Writer Billy Wilder had to settle for Bogie when Cary Grant wasn't available. Bogie didn't get along with Wilder, especially when Billy refused to cast Lauren Bacall in the title role. Bogie didn't respect Audrey, and he and Holden hated each other with a passion. Speaking of passion, Holden and Hepburn started a heated affair on this film. It supposedly ended shortly after the film ended, but I thought it picked up later on; I could be wrong on this. Anyway, Oscars nominations for Wilder for both Director and Screenplay (along with Ernest Lehman and Samuel A. Taylor), Hepburn for Actress, Art Direction and Cinematography. An Oscar for Edith Head's Costume design, though most of Hepburn's costume were designed by someone else who DIDN'T win.

The other film in this double feature is Stalag 17. I'm not dying to catch this, but I wouldn't mind. It's pretty good and doesn't feel like the typical stagy adaptations. Especially if the alternative is to walk around on a potentially hot sticky night away from the Walter Reade's air conditioning.

One of Billy Wilder's biggest hits, about a group of American P.O.W.s living in the title German camp. One part dramedy/slice of life during WW 2, one part mystery as the prisoners try to figure out who informing to the German guards.

An Oscar nomination for Wilder for Director, an Oscar for Holden for Best Actor. Won in part probably making up for losing the award for his performance in Sunset Blvd. three years earlier. Also won in part for his twenty minute scene where he reveals who the rat is. Holden plays this with two themes in mind. One, as though he was the detective in an Agatha Christie murder mystery, delighting as he shows off his smarts. And two, as a giant F.U. to all the guys who thought HE was the traitor and beat him for it.

Like I said, I'd really like to catch Sabrina, and wouldn't mind staying for Stalag 17. Unless you prefer to catch the following after Sabrina . . .

FAIL-SAFE- Mon July 14 for free- at Bryant Pk- park opens at 5pm- Part of the free film series at Bryant Park. An unusual choice as far as I'm concerned. So talky for a park film. From the same year and studio as Dr. Strangelove, with the same brutally dark black Cold War atmosphere as well. But while Strangelove treated it's material as black comedy, Fail-Safe treated its material as dark suspense thriller. A thriller where our technology is stronger than our ability to fix it. A thousand to one electronic glitch causes a bomber group to go past its fail-safe marks, and proceed to bomb the Soviet Union. A nervous general tries to help the Soviets shoot them down, civilian expert Walter Matthau advises to let the planes hit their targets to force a showdown once and for all; and President Henry Fonda must talk to the emotional Russian premier (with the help of nervous translator Larry Hagman), and eventually must make an offer of atonement that's should make every New York viewer very uncomfortable.

In fact, even if I don't do the film at all from start to finish, I might want to race down there for the last 10-15 minutes and see the viewers in the park squirm.Sidney Lumet's film is well acted and well crafted. Because of Strangelove, a flop in its day, despite great reviews. But I'm guessing most of you reading this aren't very familiar with this film, so it's time to play catch up.

SABRINA (1954) and THE WILD BUNCH- Tues July 15 at 1 (Bunch) and 3:35 (Sabrina)- The Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- The end of the William Holden retrospective. If The Wild Bunch isn't doable on Fri the 11th, then it can be done in the afternoon with Sabrina. A more out of whack double feature then S.O.B. and Wild Bunch, but these are two good films, so I'm ok with that.

MANON OF THE SPRING- Tues July 15 at 7:30- Florence Gould Hall- Part of the Yves Montand retrospective. The sequel to Jean De Florette. I prefer this one to the first. Don't get me wrong, they both get thumbs up from me. But I suppose since this film puts the story to a satisfying end, I prefer Manon. That and having Emmanuelle Beart in all her nubile glory helps. What can I say, I'm a pig. Sue me. She plays the title role, seeking revenge on Montand and Daniel Auteuil what they did in the first film. Both French classics were released in the US in 1987, and both won Best Foreign Language film by the National Board of Review.

Like I said, the Holden films have top priority for me. Anything else is a bonus. Later all.