Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Revivals: Memorial Day to June 2nd edition.







Hey all, Mike here with a new revival list. It starts on Memorial Day weekend, but I cheat a little by extending the post into June 2nd. But once you see what I extended it for, then you'll understand why. Let's not waste time, here we go:



MIDNIGHT MOVIE CHOICES OF RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK and/or THE LAST WALTZ and/or THE WARRIORS- Fri May 25 and Sun May 27 at Midnight at Landmark Sunshine Cinema (Raiders and Waltz)- Fri and Sun at Midnight at IFC Center-  Since all three films play at Midnight this Memorial Day weekend, including Sunday the 27th, I'll just combine them as one listing. Sorry that I'm not including Saturday the 26th here because I can't make any of the films that night. But if you can do it, go ahead and enjoy. 

Your choice of three films: either Raiders of the Lost Ark (one of my all time favorites), The Last Waltz (Martin Scorsese's documentary of The Band's farewell concert), or The Warriors (Walter Hill's bat-crazy gang action film). Whichever film you want to do will be a good time. The Last Waltz will fit for music fans, and the closest thing I have to a Midnight movie (attempts were made in the late 70s/ early 80s to make a cult film in the NYC area). Raiders is kick-ass fun no matter what time. The Warriors is the shortest and admittedly the weakest; but its a fun NYC film and did I mention it was bat-shit nuts? The Warriors is in the easiest theater to get via mass transit and with the most comfortable environment, but the other 2 are a little cheaper, a little easier to park, and its not a bad theater at all. Whatever choice(s) you make will be good, so let's do it ok:



ALIEN (1979)- Mon May 28 at 3:45- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Yep, I'm posting Alien again, in part because there are still people who haven't experienced it on the big screen, in part because it's being screened at a decent afternoon time on Memorial Day, and in part because I need no excuse to catch this on the big screen. This time on the Walter Reade at Lincoln Center's large screen and quality sound system, as part of their Ridley Scott retrospective. Sorry that there won't be anymore posts from this particular retrospective by me; either I've seen them once and good bad or indifferent I'm not going again (American Gangster, Matchstick Men, 1492), or I've seen enough times that while I like it a lot, just not now (Blade Runner, Black Hawk Down). But the rest, no time. Disappointing in the cases of Thelma and Louise, The Duelists or the good but forgotten Someone To Watch Over Me. Actually I glance at their schedule and I'm shocked at how many I went to see in their original release, and yet have neither the time and/or inclination to re-watch at a full price screening. Oh well . . . 

A print of the original 1979 release, as opposed to the "director's cut" from about 8-9 years ago will be screened. It means we don't get more establishment shots of the soon-to-be claustrophobic ship interiors, more signs of dislike and/or disrespect of Ripley, and the final fates of a few characters. All worked when restored to the film, but not essential to its enjoyment. Especially the extra interiors. I've seen this with several of you before, but that doesn't stop me from posting this again. This film works, better than anything Ridley Scott as ever done. Excellent combo of look, pace and sound all of which should play well on the Walter Reade's near 70mm screen and quality sound system. In my personal top 100. C'mon, it's fun:   



ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT- Mon May 28 at 4:30 and 9:30, and Tues May 29 and Wed May 30 at 7 and 9:30- Film Forum- A new 35mm print of the classic 1930 anti-war film, right up there with Dr. Strangelove and Paths of Glory. Ok, it's seems to be more commonplace to refer to Strangelove more as anti-stupidity than anti-war. But there's no doubt about which way Western Front leans. Adapted from World War 1 veteran Erich Remarque's novel, we see a group of young German men practically excited about going to war, thanks to the oratory of their no-nothing teacher. We follow these young men, and one in particular played by Lew Ayres, through their journey. First, we see them being drilled by their despot of a drill Sargent, even though it's little more than marching in formation. None of which helps them once they get sent into the trenches. Thrown into the fight with little training. Where the rats eating their food and equipment and the disease all around them seem deadlier than the  actual warfare around them. Which is true, until the enemy start overtaking their trenches in large numbers. But if you manage to survive and not go insane, unlike some of your buddies, you get to go home on leave. And feel completely disconnected to the civilians, who are equally disconnected and ignorant about how poorly the war effort is going.

So yeah, not a lot of hope going around here. But the film-making still packs a wallop. Dolly track shots that seem normal by Paths of Glory and feel modern today, yet were unusual in early sound movies. Also unafraid to use war sounds almost like a score on its own. One of the earliest war films and still among the best. Oscars for Picture and for Director Lewis Millstone. Nominations for the Cinematography and the Screenplay written by George Abbott, Maxwell Anderson and Del Andrews. Very good film:  



WALL-E for 6 dollars- Mon May 28 at 5:15- AMC Empire- This Memorial Day weekend, Disney/Pixar will re-release 4 of their big hits for one screening each day, at different times and at select AMC theaters throughout the country, and only for 6 dollars. The only one in the NYC/ Long Island area doing this, is the AMC Empire in Times Square. Each screening containing an extended preview of Pixar's upcoming film, Brave. I have neither the time nor the burning desire to re-do Ratatouille, Toy Story 3, or Up, regardless that each film was in my Top 10 list for the respective years they came out. But for Wall-E, my Best Film of 2008 as well as in my personal top 40, well if I can't get anyone interested in the other films, then this will do nicely. As for the rest about Wall-E, I'll repost a little of what in my Best of 2008 article:

Saying this is my favorite Pixar is redundant. Ranking it as the best of the dystopian genre (among my faves, Brazil, Children of Men, A Clockwork Orange, Blade Runner, and yes, Soylent Green), is also fairly redundant. One of the best films ever made, that sounds about right.

The first half hour plus is among the best silent film homages ever, especially with a nod toward Chaplin and action-wise, Keaton. A better use of Hello Dolly songs here then Gene Kelly did when he directed the film version, whose clips are seen in Wall-E! With a never uninteresting pessimism about our future, with just enough room for change via love that's believable. Yes, believable. The idea of two robots falling in love of course strains credibility. But the fact that this love is more believability depicted than in any studio romantic comedy is both a miracle and a damnation for recent films (go ahead, defend Bride Wars and the Sex In The City movie, morons.). All praise for the nominated screenplay from Jim Reardon, Pete Docter and the film's director, Andrew Stanton. This film will age quite well. Don't know if we need a Wall-E 2 like Toy Story 2 and the upcoming 3. This is sufficient.




BATTLE ROYALE- Mon May 28- Wed May 30 at 7 and 9:35- IFC Center- The controversial Japanese hit from 2000, that may seem A LOT like The Hunger Games even it takes more of a Lord of the Flies with violence approach, finally gets a North American theatrical release. This is the ultra violent film, set in a dystopian future, where society is kept in line by having a random 9th grade class is sent without notice to a deserted island, where they must fight to the death. If there isn't one survivor only after 3 days, all remaining survivors will be exterminated. Some students prefer suicide. Others are gung-ho to take part. And others try to fight the system from within the game itself. All watched by the actor best known as Zatoichi, which means he's damn good with a sword, and not afraid to use it against those breaking the rules.

This will be a HD video projection. IFC Center has claimed this will only play for 1 week, from May 25- May 31. But I'm thinking that if this is as successful for IFC Center as say, the 1977 cult Japanese horror cult film House, that Battle Royale will play for a longer engagement . But after awhile it would probably only play as a midnight movie, so we probably don't have a lot of time to catch this at a normal time. Never saw this, but supposedly not for the squeamish, and I'm willing to take a chance:

   

THE GODFATHER and/or THE GODFATHER PART 2- Sat June 2 at 2 (Godfather 1) and 6 (Godfather 2)- Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria- The Godfather and The Godfather Part 2 kick off the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria's Paramount Pictures of the 1970s retrospective. In time for the company's 100th year in existence, Paramount had a very good decade in the 1980s, and some of the others weren't shabby at all. But the combination of artistic success, cult films, and mega-hits that were released or at least shot by this company from 1970-79/80 is frankly staggering. Maybe United Artists come close in the 60s or 70s. I'll be posting more films from this retrospective over the next 2 lists. Now I feel they could have added films like Love Story, The Gambler, Pretty Baby, Star Trek The Motion Picture and Friday the 13th, to give an overall better history lesson to viewers. But still, with the selections made here, all I can say is DAAAAAMMMMMNNNNN!

Not sure if Godfather and Godfather 2 will be a print or digital. But either way, much like the restoration for Apocalypse Now Redux, these Francis Ford Coppola films received a major cleanup and improvement of sight and sound. This restoration is what we will get, and get for 1 admission price. Now for the rest of this post, I'm staying with The Godfather, the film I know I can make. 

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 . . . I can at least say that this was the fastest 3 hours or so I ever spent watching a film. No excess fat, no wasted shots, perfection.

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 49, you saw its brief re-release in 1997 or saw a crappy print when it's played at Midnight at Landmark Sunshine Cinema or caught this restored version at either the Film Forum or the Ziegfeld back in 2008, 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 on Saturday June 2nd, it will play again at the same time on Sunday June 3rd. Make time for this people:





Let me know if there's interest. Later all.
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Wednesday, May 09, 2012

Mid-May revivals





Hey all, Mike here with a revival list for Mid-May. Sorry I didn't have a list for the first ten days of May, but a combination of lack of time and mostly Midnight options made me put off posting a list until now. Here we have some interesting options, and all at reasonable times. I'll try to keep things as brief as possible. Here we go:



BONJOUR TRISTESSE- Thurs May 10 at 7:45 and 9:40- Film Forum- The David Niven-Jean Seberg- Deborah Kerr film is so popular at the Film Forum, it's engagement had been extended. Thursday, May 10 is its final night as of around May 6th. Since then, it's engagement was extended yet another week. Can't do it most of them, but I will post Saturday May 12 and Tuesday May 15. Never seen it and would like to try it. A restored Digital screening; the Riviera exteriors and the actresses should look great:



MARNIE and LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN- Sat May 12 at 2 (Marnie) and 7 (Heaven)- Museum of the Moving Image- Another double feature at the Museum from their Fashion in Film: If Looks Could Kill series. First, Marnie; not one of Hitchcock's classics, but an underrated film whose reputation has grown somewhat over the years. Tippi Hedren is a thief who steals from the wrong man, millionaire  Sean Connery. But instead of having her arrested, he marries her. It is then that he sees her psychological problems, and they are numerous. Not the least of which is a massive fear and distrust of men, to the point where she seemingly reverts to a child. 

With Diane Baker, Mariette Hartley and Bruce Dern in supporting roles. Not sure how much of the machismo of Connery's character will fly with modern audiences; the blackmail and the rape scene doesn't help. A flawed film but an interesting one. And as for the fashions on display, we have Hedren and Baker dressed in Edith Head designs. Actually I don't know if Head actually designed them or just bought them in Paris or elsewhere and took credit for them like with Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, but the clothes and make-up are on full display here. 

Next is Leave Her To Heaven. I tried to get people to see at the Forum sometime back, with no success. I'll try again as part of one admission with Marnie. For the rest, I'll just copy and paste what I wrote about a year or so ago, which admittedly isn't much:


Heard of the film, don't know much about it, but it looks interesting. A little over the top and melodramatic, but interesting. An Oscar for its early color Cinematography, nominations for Actress Gene Tierney, and Art Direction. After that, I don't know much else, so once again, I'll cut and paste from the Forum's website:


(1945) Always elegantly coiffed Gene Tierney (in Oscar-nominated role and fresh from her starring role in Preminger’s Laura) and best-selling author Cornel Wilde meet cute — she’s reading his latest book — in a super-luxurious railroad car lounge and, despite her engagement ring, it’s instant attraction. And next thing Wilde knows, he’s on horseback watching as she strews her father’s ashes on a New Mexico mountaintop — as Alfred Newman’s score thunders — and suddenly, he’s the new fiance of someone with a very possessive passion. Big Mistake? A drowning coldly watched from behind the screen’s most menacing pair of sunglasses, a miscarriage via intentional staircase fall, a death by poison, and a murder trial with a very surprising defendant getting hammered by relentless DA/spurned lover Vincent Price ensue, amid splendiferous settings, all viewed via sumptuous, Oscar-winning photography by Fox Technicolor specialist Leon Shamroy. Screenplay by Jo Swerling with a colorful cast including Jeanne Crain, Ray Collins (Citizen Kane, Perry Mason), and Darryl Hickman. 110 min.




GRAND ILLUSION- Tues May 15 and Mon May 20- Wed May 23 at 7:45 and 10- Film Forum- One of the classics, of French and world cinema, gets a 2 week run at the Forum; sorry that I'm only posting the days and times I think I can catch this. The other famous film from writer/ director Jean Renoir; the other being The Rules of the Game, a favorite of mine.

During World War 1, 2 French officers are moved about different German POW camps. But there are 2 constants: first, the two officers are from different social classes, and second, the more aristocratic French officer is considerably more comfortable with the aristocratic German officer (Erich von Stroheim) in charge than with his fellow countrymen/ prisoners. But this is war, and will this soldier stick with his fellow countrymen/prisoners or with his class?

More than just the typical prison escape movie. Less The Great Escape, more like The Rules of the Game with Great Escape elements, plus a scene that the makers of Casablanca ripped off and moved from a POW camp to Rick's. Also, there's a sequence where the 2 aristocrats speak English so that the others don't understand what they're saying; a scene that I swear Tarantino ripped off and re-tooled for the start of Inglorious Basterds.

Never seen this, but have wanted to for a quite a while. The first foreign film to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination. The Forum is showing a new 35mm print of this in time for the film's 75th anniversary. But this print, from a 4k restoration took an interesting journey. A few years after its release, the Nazis rolled into France. Goebbels declared the film, with its positive Jewish depictions and anti-war stance, "cinema enemy number 1", and confiscated the silver nitrate negative and had it sent to the Reich's film archive. There it stayed until 1945 when the Russians rolled into Berlin. The Red Army confiscated the negative and shipped it to the Soviet Union. It stayed for decades, while new prints where made from decaying dupes. An agreement made in the mid60s between France and the Soviets respective state film archives, finally brought the film back to France. But the negative again sat in a vault, until British money funded a 1999 restoration. A British/French restoration last year digitized it and payed closer attention to the sound quality. A 35mm negative was made from the digital, and a print of this is what we will see. I really want to go:
    


Let me know if there's interest. Later all.
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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

April revivals: second half








Hey, Mike here with a revival list for the rest of April. Let's not waste time, here we go:


9 To 5 for 7.50- Thurs April 19 at 7 and 9:30- Chelsea Clearview Cinemas- A cheap screening of the hit film that unexpectedly hit the cultural zeitgeist back in late 1980/ early 1981. A revenge comedy about three female office workers (the terrific trio of Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton) in a giant corporation who are subjected to a lot of crap by a chauvinist boss (played marvelously by Dabney Coleman). They entertain wild fantasies to get even and they seek to make their revenge a reality. But revenge alone doesn't make change, and when reality (and the vindictive boss) strike back, can they take it?

When the film came to theaters in time for Christmas 1980, it was one of that year's biggest hits. Not Empire Strikes Back high, but big enough to leave heavier advertised films like Popeye, Flash Gordon and First Family in its dust. And it was a hit not just because of the quality of the film, but because of the subject matter of women being treated fairly in the workplace struck a major chord while making the audience laugh as well. Yes, it begins to peter out at the end, but at that point we're at the story's home stretch, and we want to know how it ends. With Dolly's Oscar nominated title song. All for a cheap price. It's your choice if you want to see it either at 7 (with a pre-film opening by Hedda Lettuce), or at 9:30 (without Hedda):


WILD AT HEART- Fri April 20 and Sat April 21 at 11:55pm- IFC Center- An almost Midnight screening of David Lynch's picture. A road film/ romance with a few touches of Wizard of Oz, all through the filter of director 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:



F/X- Sat April 21 at 7- 92ndY Tribeca- 200 Hudson Street- I've yet to catch a revival at the 92nd Y Tribeca. I've posted on a few occasions a few revivals from there, with no success. But now comes a personnel favorite of mine. And in this case, I mean a film that I've seen a bunch of times over the years, from start to finish or somewhere in the middle. Doesn't matter, I have fun with it always.

A little film from 1986. Bryan Brown plays a top special effects man, hired by Government agents to help fake a hit on a turncoat mobster (Jerry Orbach), so that he testify at a later date. But something goes wrong, and everyone is out to either arrest or kill Brown's character. He must rely on his FX and makeup gifts to survive and find out what's really going on his way, while NYPD detective Brian Dennehy must investigate his way. Not a hit at the box office outside NYC limits. But it did pretty well in New York, and became a sleeper hit thru VHS sales and rentals. At times funny with some good action scenes (a cool car chase that takes place not far from the site of 92Y Tribeca itself), good lead perfs from Brown and Dennehy and a talented supporting cast made up of character actors and NY theater people (Orbach, Diane Verona, Mason Adams, Gordon from Sesame Street, plus Angela Bassett in her film debut). For me, one of the best films of 1986, but that's mainly because I find there to be a lack of quality films from that year. Anyway, this film seemed to drop in terms of popularity after the mid 1990s, and you may not know it. Now's a good time to know it:  



CASABLANCA- Thurs April 26 at 7- AMC Empire 25, AMC Kips Bay, College Multiplex plus theaters in S.F., Denver, Miami, Columbus, parts of New Jersey, upstate NY and elsewhere- The 70th anniversary screening of Casablanca, sponsored by TCM, was so popular last month, it's being brought back again. In at least most of the theaters it played in last March, including AMC Empire in Times Square and AMC Kips Bay, plus elsewhere around the country. I believe it's a digital screening, but will definitely be shown in its original aspect ratio.

No point in breaking down the Bogart classic. On both AFI lists, (top 5 on both), Multiple Oscars including Best Picture, in my personal Top 15, and if it isn't in yours, what the hell is wrong with you. Preceding the film will be a special about the making and I believe history of Casablanca, hosted by Robert Osbourne and featuring some talking heads. So expect about 2 hr- 2hr 15 minute night:




BONJOUR TRISTESSE- Sat April 28, Mon April 30 and Wed May 2 at 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30- Film Forum- A new 35mm print An Otto Preminger film I've never seen. David Niven and Jean Seberg play play self-interested father and daughter who vacation on the French Riviera with his girlfriend. An Oedipus attachment develops between parent and daughter, but things get worse when old girlfriend Deborah Kerr comes to visit. Very curious and wouldn't mind trying it:




Let me know if there's interest. Later all.
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Tuesday, April 03, 2012

April revivals: first half







Hey, Mike here with a small-ish of revivals for the first half of April. It would have been a little bigger, but I'm not posting Titanic in 3-D. I've caught this mediocre film once in theaters. Never again. Ok, I'm sure the sinking ship will look good in 3-D; if there's only 1 director out there who will take tender loving care with regards to the 3-D process, it's James Cameron. But the script itself, no thanks. I realized when it came out this wasn't for me, more for 12-18 year old girls (and the emotional equivalent) for whom this was their Star Wars back in 1997-98. Have fun, but I won't push this onto others, as opposed to these flicks. Here we go:


RUGGLES OF RED GAP- Wed Apr 4, and Tues April 10 at 7:30 and 9:30- Film Forum- Interesting timing for myself that this film comes along for a week-long run at the Film Forum. I've just come off from watching a production of The Man Who Came To Dinner. Watching it with an audience that not only gets a reference to actress ZaSu Pitts made in the classic play, but laughed long and loud at said reference. Unlike most people under 40 who didn't work in this production, I knew Pitts, if only from her appearances in It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and Life With Father, the later as Elizabeth Taylor's mother. Now I have the chance to add a third film, a comedy, starting April 4th, and so can you.

Ruggles of Red Gap, not that different from say, Mr. Belvedere or Jeeves from Jeeves and Wooster, is based on a popular book from the mid 1910s. Charles Laughton plays Ruggles, a "gentlemen's gentleman". A butler whose master lost him in a poker game. No, that's not the worst part. Ruggles is now under the employment of an uncouth American (is there any other kind?). No, that's not the worst part either. Ruggles must move to Red Gap, Washington! Hardly the epicenter of society, especially back in 1908. But by having himself referred to as Colonel and making goo-goo eyes at wacky widow Pitts, things could change . . . 

Features Laughton performing his version of the Gettysburg Address, something Laughton would perform on TV, stage and radio for the rest of his career. Directed by Leo McCarey (Duck Soup, The Bells of St. Mary), and Oscar nominated for Best Picture. It plays from April 4 through April 10, the only nights I can make:   



ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 (1976)- Fri April 6 at Midnight- IFC Center- From IFC Center's retrospective of John Carpenter films at Midnight. Carpenter's second film, a mean and lean little B movie from 1976. A father kills a gang member who shoots his little daughter to death, a shooting that seems tame today but back in 1976 almost earned the picture an X rating for violence. The rest of the gang pursues the father. The dad hides in the nearest building, an old police precinct building scheduled to permanently close in a few hours. Inside the building is a newly promoted young Lieutenant, a veteran desk Sargent, two civilian workers, and a prison official guarding three prisoners, one of whom is a violent murderer on his way to Death Row. But they must all band together when the gang, with their silencers and automatic weapons, cut their power and lay an all night siege on the nearly empty precinct.

Wasn't warmly accepted when released in the States. A cheap ($100,000 budget) overly violent film with an unknown director and cast, who cares. But European audiences embraced the film, and as Carpenter's career grew, Assault on Precinct 13 received a critical re-evaluation and a cult following in America. Basically a re-working of the Howard Hawks film Rio Bravo, with a touch of the inside setup of Night of the Living Dead. Not a perfect film, mind you. The attempt at romantic sparks doesn't work. But as a straight up action film? It's a nice gritty little number, perfect for a Midnight screening:


BIRD- Mon Apr 9 at 8:30- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- Part of Lincoln Center's series of films that made an impact at the New York Film Festival. 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, though I get the change began when Bird played at the New York Film Festival.

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.



THE GRADUATE- Wed April 11, Sat April 14 and Mon April 16 at 7:30 and 9:30- Film Forum- A new 35mm print of the classic Dustin Hoffman-Mike Nichols film. On both AFI Top 100 lists and in my own personal top 40. An Oscar for Nichols for Director; nominations for Picture, Hoffman for Actor, Anne Brancoft for Actress, Katharine Ross for Supporting Actress, Buck Henry and Calder Willingham for Screenplay Adaptation and Robert Surtees for Cinematography. I could go on about the story, but if you look at revival lists like these, you probably know the story just as well as I do. So instead I'll take a different tack. I stumbled upon an online article a few weeks ago on the Flavorwire website: 12 Great Movies The Critics Got Dead Wrong by Jason Bailey. It featured mostly classic films like Wizard of Oz, All About Eve and Annie Hall, with a small piece from a contemporary critic, tearing the film a new one. I'll post a brief piece of what Pauline Kael wrote about The Graduate. I quoted her before when she got right regarding Purple Rain, I'll quote her again as she whiffed regarding her attack of The Graduate:

“The Graduate only wants to succeed and that’s fundamentally what’s the matter with it. There is a pause for a laugh after the mention of ‘Berkeley’ that is an unmistakable sign of hunger for success; this kind of movie-making shifts values, shifts focus, shifts emphasis, shifts everything for a sure-fire response. Mike Nichols’ ‘gift’ is that be lets the audience direct him; this is demagoguery in the arts.” – Pauline Kael, Harper’s


Nobody's perfect but oy vey Pauline, oy vey. Alongside the link to the Film Forum regarding The Graduate, I'll also post a link to Jason Bailey's article. The link leads you directly to The Graduate, but it's easy to navigate yourself to the rest of the article.




Now as for The Graduate, it plays for 9 days at the Forum. I'm 99% sure I can make, but two of those days kinda conflict with another revival posted below. . . 


THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING introduced by director Philip Kaufman and author Annette Insdorf of "Philip Kaufman" on Wed April 11 at 7:30- or Sat April 14 at 3:30 with no intro- MOMA- The only film from the Philip Kaufman retrospective that I will have time for. I wish I had time for The Right Stuff; for me it's the best film of 1983 over stuff like A Christmas Story and Terms of Endearment. But no, I'll have to settle for The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which actually isn't a bad thing to settle for at all.

From 1988, though set in the 1960s. Young Daniel Day-Lewis' first starring role of note, and yes I'm not counting My Beautiful Laundrette so nobody give me any grief. Anyway, Day-Lewis is a doctor, with a beautiful girlfriend (Lena Olin), and an eye for the women. He leaves the big city for a spell, but comes back with a new girlfriend; a small town girl (Juliette Binoche) with whom he's equally passionate about. The potential difficult arrangement is pushed aside, because the big city I was talking about is Prague. It's 1968 Czechoslovakia, the three of them are together during the Prague Spring. Once the Soviet tanks begin rolling in however, nothing can ever be the same . . . 

An example of the kind of taste Philip Kaufman has in material (Unbearable Lightness is usually cited as one of the more successful book-to-screen adaptations), the kind of young actors he was willing to put into major roles, and the kind of film Orion Pictures liked to bankroll. If this was maybe 5 years later, Day-Lewis and Binoche would have been big enough names to maybe help this film's box-office chances. But this was 1988, and despite critical acclaim and Oscar nominations for Screenplay Adaptation and Cinematography, there was little audience for this ambitious picture. The respect for this film I feel has only grown, but not enough for consistent TV or revival screenings. It's age, lack of success, adult subject matter and nearly three hour length make screenings rare, so you should take advantage if you can.   

Your choice of two screenings. The first is on Wednesday April 11th, with an intro from Kaufman and Annette Insdorf, author of the new biography "Philip Kaufman". The second is on Saturday April 14th, without introduction. You tell me which one works best:





Let me know if there's interest. Happy Easter and Happy Passover, later all.

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

March revivals: second half









Hey all. Mike here with a revival list for the rest of March. Small list, so I have a little time for some writing. Specifically, about the recent free screening of To Kill A Mockingbird at the Ziegfeld theater on Thursday March 1, organized by TCM. For me, I loved it. This was the first time I'd ever seen it on the big screen, and maybe the second time I'd ever seen it without commercials. No Lawrence of Arabia, which came out the same, but still excellent. It wasn't as big a draw at the Ziegfeld compared to the TCM's screening of All About Eve in 2010; that film took up practically every seat there. Even New York screenings of The Birds and The Manchurian Candidate filled up higher percentages of their respective auditoriums than Mockingbird did. This Ziegfeld screening wasn't empty for sure; almost the entire center was filled with some side seating filled in the middle. Not sure why exactly beyond less comfortable weather and earlier in the year than the other screenings I just mentioned, but I won't take time here.

The screening was hosted by Robert Osbourne and Spike Lee; the only TCM free screening that doesn't have someone involved in the actual film being screened serve as a guest/ co-host. Osbourne offered tidbits about Mockingbird, but nothing you couldn't learn on IMDB beforehand. Spike had even less to offer about Mockingbird, aside from it being one of his favorite films. But Spike had stuff to say. Among the notable stuff:

His mom is the one who took the family out, to movies, to museums, whether they/he wanted to go through it or not. She's the one who turned Spike into a Cinephille.

He had a bit of fun with a junior high prep school boy, when the kid asked for the meaning behind 40 Acres in a Mule. A professor at NYU, Lee played teacher, having the kid give his interpretation. The nervous kid started ok, but then when off the rails and Lee had a little fun with him. Something tells me that as a teacher, Lee is the kind worth being taught by, though it may take years to get over the scar tissue from the process.

When Lee was asked who he imagined could do a remake of Mockingbird, Lee was apoplectic. To do one well? Through the studio system the way it is today (my paraphrasing)? Impossible, said Lee. Because if the best Hollywood can do in terms of race relations was The Help . . . At that point, Lee stood up and did a silent impersonation. I couldn't tell if Spike was doing Bojangles or doing Stepin Fetchit. Either way, his contempt for the film The Help was clear.

Lee was asked what he thought was the single best element of Mockingbird, whether it was in front of or behind the camera. Lee seemed to have a hard time with the question, so Osbourne jumped in and answered. Robert didn't and wouldn't single out one aspect. All aspects: source material, screenplay, writing, direction, casting, costuming, score, editing, all of these aspects are at their peak and if one element faltered . . . Osbourne then gave The Iron Lady as an example where there was one excellent element (Meryl Streep's performance), but with a screenplay that was "very unsatisfactory". Now on with the list. Here we go:



THE LADY VANISHES (1938)- Fri March 16 at 9:30 for a $7.00 bar minimum- introduced by author Brandon Morrow- Rubin Museum of Art- A showing of the 1938 film in the Rubin Museum of Art's screenings room. The 39 Steps may have gotten America's attention about Alfred Hitchcock, but The Lady Vanishes is what got Hollywood's attention. Or at least got David O'Selznick's attention and that's good enough. This also made a big star out of Michael Redgrave, as the only man a young flighty woman can trust in the disappearance of an elderly governess on a speeding train. A "governess" who happened to have her attention captured when a folk singer hummed a particular tune, and was soon found dead. The governess and the young woman get acquainted on the train, until a flower pot intended for the governess hits the young woman instead. When the young woman wakes up, the governess disappeared and all the passengers act like the old lady was never on the train to begin with. The young woman can only rely on Redgrave's character to find the governess, why so many people may be lying, and . . . wait . . . . why is this train going into hostile territory? Light, fun, Hitchcock. The film will be introduced by author Brandon Morrow. Don't know why he's doing an introduction, but he's doing an introduction nevertheless.

Now, how can you see all this? You can go to the Rubin Museum as early as 6pm, when admission is free. You can check the Museum out, which I highly recommend. You can get a bite to eat on the ground floor area to your left when you enter the Museum, but you can find cheaper food and/or more filling food elsewhere in Union Square. But make sure you get to the bar, order your drink or drinks, and find the person giving the tickets. If you can't find the person, just ask the bartender, he'll know. You get your free ticket, and you can bring your drink(s) to the screening room. It worked out well with a dark film like Dogtooth, it should work even better with a concert film like this:



CASABLANCA- Wed Mar 21 at 7- AMC Empire, College Point Multiplex, and AMC Kips Bay on E. 32nd St, plus elsewhere in S.F., Denver, Miami, Columbus, parts of New Jersey, upstate NY and elsewhere- No point in breaking down the Bogart classic. On both AFI lists, (top 5 on both), Multiple Oscars including Best Picture, in my personal Top 15, and if it isn't in yours, what the hell is wrong with you. Preceding the film will be a special about the making and I believe history of Casablanca, hosted by Robert Osbourne and featuring some talking heads. So expect about 2 hr- 2hr 15 minute night:




ARMY OF SHADOWS- Mon Mar 26 at 3:30- Walter Reade at Lincoln Center- I'll will make time for one of my favorites, especially if you've never seen it. Which is most of you. Basically, a war film about members of the French Resistance battling the Nazis and traitors within. But it was shot thru the filter and style of a film noir. Some Resistance members come off more as ordinary people or gangsters, as opposed to downtrodden soldiers.

Apparently, art house distributors had little interest in Melville as a director, the thought was there would be no American audience for this during the heights of Vietnam. The initial lack of positive reaction in France didn't help. Never released in the US until April 2006. It's found somewhat of an art house/cult audience, every critic who's seen it seems to have put it in their top 5 of 2006, and it was the surprise winner of Best Foreign Film by the New York Film Critics (a funny story how the critics managed to unintentionally pull that off, but you can find some other film bloggers to tell you if you look hard enough.). The kind of film that stays with you days after it ends. I have no problem making plans to catch this again:



SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER- Thurs Mar 29 at 7 and 9:30 for 7 and Sat Mar 31 at 10 for 10- Chelsea Clearview Cinema- 3 total screenings of the 1977 classic starring John Travolta in his star-making, Oscar nominated performance. Yes, I have the poster of the PG rated version poster here, but it's the original R rated cut so no worries.

Watch John go from TV sitcom guy, to Disco icon, then Movie icon, as the king of Brooklyn disco, who wants more out of life, and out of Brooklyn. The film is specifically structured where if Tony doesn't see it happen, the audience doesn't experience it. At least three quarters of it is basically Tony slowly growing up, which is why the film survived the "Disco Sucks" backlash. The rest is at the disco, where director John Badham's visuals, Travolta's dancing, and The Bee Gees' music is what's remembered and loved the most. One of the first films to ever use the Steadicam.

Your choice of a 7.50 screening with Hedda Lettuce at 7pm on Thursday the 29th, a 7.50 9:30 screening on the 29th without Hedda, or a 10pm screening on Saturday the 31st for 10 dollars. Yes the Saturday screening is more expensive than the Thursday screenings, but it is cheaper than current, mostly mediocre films playing now, so there's still value:




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