Revivals: Thanksgiving/ early December edition

Hey all. Mike here with one of my best revival lists in a while. 4 AFI Top 100 films, an important film in the history of Independent Film, 2 films that would be closer to classic status if they were better known, in this country at least. When the weakest film on this list is one of the best concert films of the 1980s, that's pretty darn good. No time to waste, here we go:

DR. STRANGELOVE-Wed Nov 21- Fri Nov 23 at 12:15AM- IFC Center- DCP screening of the restored 4k "print". It plays throughout Thanksgiving weekend, but I'm putting a heavy emphasis on catching it on Friday Nov 23rd. I figure the 21st might interfere with getting up for Thanksgiving Day events, and the screening on the 22nd might interfere with one carrying 5 pounds of turkey inside themselves. 

Now as for Dr. Strangelove, if you ever bother to put your eyes on this list more than two or three times a year then you know what this film is, and you don't need me to describe this to you. Several of you have seen this in theaters with me before. Some of you have even seen it twice with me before. One of the few dark satires to get it exactly right. Just the everyday story of an insane general, who sends out his bomber unit to attack Russia. Considered one of the best anti-war films ever made. But for those who hate that term (seriously, are you that dumb to refuse to put this into historical context), then consider this an anti-rigidity and anti-stupidity film instead, OK? An excellent mixture of farce and action. And accurate enough in terms of military capability and military speak, that the Air Force demanded answers and questioned Stanley Kubrick.

If you've never seen it with an audience, make time for it. On as many AFI Top 100 lists that it could qualify for. One of the prime examples of Oscar screwing up, when it comes to not giving a film Best Picture. Strangelove is usually Exhibit A, while something like Goodfellas and Raging Bull would be considered Exhibits B and C, respectively. One of my top 5 favorite films ever, and my second favorite Kubrick film, after 2001. And as good a cast as this has, 3 top performances from Peter Sellers . . . , the range this man had is stunning. I dare any of you to find the seams where his performances don't work. Though some of you may prefer George C. Scott's performance; forced out of his comfort zone by Kubrick to get progressively more over-the-top, and is funny as hell.

http://www.ifccenter.com/films/dr-strangelove-or-how-i-stopped-worrying-and-learned-to-love-the-bomb/

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA- Mon Nov 26, Tues Nov 27 and Thurs Nov 29 at 7- Film Forum- DCP. Essentially a lost classic of Sergio Leone's, the last film he directed. Robert De Niro and James Woods play friends who we see grow up to be gangsters, grow apart, and grow old with regret, especially De Niro's character. WE go back and forth from Prohibition and Great Depression eras, as well as the late 1960s. And not only do we have a story of regret, but when you think about, you have a story of "What are you willing to do for a friend? And at what cost to yourself?". A strong supporting cast: Elizabeth McGovern, Joe Pesci, Tuesday Weld, Danny Aiello, Treat Williams, Burt Young, The Mob Doctor's William Forsythe, and a young Jennifer Connelly in her feature film debut.

Leone was contracted to turn in a cut no longer then 2hrs. 45min. After shooting 10 hrs. of film, Leone would only (could only?) submit a slightly under 4hrs. cut. The American distributor, Warner Bros., took the film away, and cut about 95 min. for it and reedited the picture into chronological order (!!!), and threw it into theaters in June 1984. No surprise, critics destroyed it, the film tanked big time, and a crushed Leone never made another film. It wasn't until the European version that was only slightly shorter than Leone's submitted cut was released, first in Europe and then briefly in the U.S. in the fall of 84 followed by a home video release in1985, did the film get respect. Each year, more praise seems to get heaped on it, and it gets closer to classic status (if it hasn't reached that status already) 

The Forum is showing theEuropean cut, in a digital restoration done in part by Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation. There will be a 20 minute intermission. Considering it starts at 7:15, expect a long night. Hope one of you is interested in this:

http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/sergio_leones_once_upon_a_time

CHUCK BERRY: HAIL! HAIL! ROCK AND ROLL- Mon Nov 26 at 7:30- MOMA- One  of the best concert films of the 1980s, from 1987. Taylor Hackford covers 2 concerts celebrating Berry's 60th birthday, with performers such as Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Julian Lennon, and Joe Walsh performing with Chuck. Interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Roy Orbison, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. You also spend time with Berry, when he wasn't trying to keep the cameras away from him every chance he could get. He comes off as angry, bitter (not without some justification) and not very happy. Except when he's onstage , yet even there, bitter life experiences seep through into his performance (in a good way). A good film

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/16635

CASABLANCA introduced by Sci-Fi writer Rachel Pollack- for a $7.00 bar minimum- Fri Nov 30 at 9:30- Rubin Museum of Art- 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. Normally I would say to show up between 6-6:30 (after you've eaten your dinner prior to this), check out the Rubin Museum itself for free until around 8:45, make your bar purchase (1 beer/ other kind of drink or 2 sodas will do the trick), get your ticket and then go down to the screening room. But since this is Casablanca, you may want to make your bar purchase far sooner, and thus get your ticket far sooner. I'd hate to say "don't check out the museum" because I've enjoyed every trip I've made to this place. But I'm afraid that might be necessary in order to see Casablanca. Writer Rachel Pollack will introduce the screening, with possible emphasis on the moments of bliss one must steal before life truly becomes difficult: 

http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/1892

TESS- Sat Dec 1 at 4:30 and 8 and Thurs Dec 6 at 8- Film Forum- A DCP restoration of one of the best films of 1980. Successful in its day, borderline forgotten now, at least in the states. Not on a Raging Bull or Empire Strikes Back level, but damn good. Roman Polanski's film was overshadowed not only by those two films, as well Ordinary People,The Elephant Man, and the massive financial disaster of Heaven's Gate, but also by being the first film after Polanski escaped Europe to avoid jail for statutory rape. Since this film, Roman has made other films, but Tess is the best film he's made since he became a fugitive. Yes, better than The Pianist. There have also been two good TV mini-series version of Tess, one from Australia and one from the BBC with Gemma Arterton. This film version is still the go-to adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel of a peasant girl who becomes the object of desire of two men; a love triangle that won't end well. Oscars for Art Direction, Costume Design and Cinematography for Ghislain Cloquet and Geoffrey Unsworth (2001, Cabaret and Superman, who died during shooting). Nominations for Picture, Director for Polanski and Score. This also introduced the globe to Nastassja Kinski, who played the title role. Kinski would become an international sex symbol, but only in Tess were her acting talents actually used to their fullest. A long film, a tragic-romantic film, a very good film:

http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/roman_polanskis_tess#nowplaying

RESERVOIR DOGS- Tues Dec 4 at 7- AMCs Village 7 and Kips Bay and Regal Union Square- Plus College Point Multiplex and both Regal and AMC theaters in Westbury- Plus theaters in Upstate New York, Florida, New Jersey and other states in the Union- One of his other films will be on the next list, but here's Quentin's first film, Reservoir Dogs. Usually I can only find this as a midnight screening, but here's a day (actually one night only), where it plays at a normal time of 7PM. Not only playing in NYC, but in other theaters in New York and 46 or so other states. In time for both it's 20th anniversary and the release of Quentin's Django Unchained, it will also include "trailers handpicked by Quentin Tarantino which influenced his career, and exclusive new interviews.".  Don't know what that means, but I hope it's better than the last Fathom events screening I attended: Halloween at AMC Empire. That was a bit of a disaster, and I'm not talking about how the film hasn't held up as well as I remembered. A crappy digital projection, no sound during most of Michael Myers first kill, and a loud buzz through the speakers for the other 80 or so minutes after that. This is why I'm NOT posting AMC Empire as a place to go to see Reservoir Dogs. Call it a case of fool me once, shame on you . . . 

Now as for the film itself, well, if you look at film sites like this, then you know what this film is, so I'll just move on. Not "The Greatest Independent Film Ever Made" (as it says on the link below); one better option for that title is the next film on this list. Still, one of the best debut films ever made, one of the best heist films ever made, and one of the best films of 1992. But as I said, moving on . . . 

http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/event/reservoirdogs.aspx?d=12/4/2012

PULP FICTION- Thurs Dec 6 at 7- AMCs Village 7 and Kips Bay and Regal Union Square- plus College Point Multiplex and both Regal and AMC theaters in Westbury- Plus theaters in Upstate New York, Florida, New Jersey and other states in the Union- Another one night only screening of a Tarantino film, timed near the release of Quentin's upcoming Django Unleashed. Also with "exclusive interviews" and "trailers handpicked by Quentin Tarantino which influenced his career" like with the Reservoir Dogs screening; hopefully not the same interviews and trailers.

Now here's a film that probably fits the title "The Greatest Independent Film Ever Made" Not quite sure if it is, but it fits the title a lot better than Reservoir Dogs, and if you pitch it right to me, I might buy your argument. A film that doesn't feel old, and while the ride might feel familiar, you'll quickly learn how great the ride is. An Oscar winner for the Screenplay, nominations including Best Picture, Director for Tarantino, Actor for John Travolta, Supporting Actor for Samuel L. Jackson and Supporting Actress for Uma Thurman. On both AFI Top 100 lists and in my own personal Top 40: 

http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/event/pulpfiction.aspx?d=12/6/2012

REAR WINDOW introduced by photographer Lena Herzog- Fri Dec 7 at 9:30 for a $7.00 bar minimum- My personal favorite Hitchcock, and in my top 25. Also the best film in Jimmy Stewart's career, with a knockout entrance from Grace Kelly that matches or tops anything done today. On both AFI Top 100 lists. This film, just like Casablanca, can be seen at the Rubin Museum for a minimum $7.00 bar tab. But as popular as this film is, I don't think this requires major planning like with Casablanca. Simply eat beforehand, check out the museum (it's free starting at 6), then go to the bar around 8:50 to make your drink purchases (1 beer or 2 sodas is the minimum that will work), and bring it down to the screening room. Simple and comfortable:

http://www.rmanyc.org/events/load/1894

Let me know if there's interest. Happy Thanksgiving, later all.

Pre-Thanksgiving revivals

Hey all. Mike here, with my first revival list in a while. Life and Mother Nature interfered in this regard, though I feel very lucky that a few down trees that surprisingly DIDN'T take down power lines was the worst thing to happen to me. Very lucky indeed. Best I can do at this precise moment is offer some relief in terms of some unique film choices. About as diverse a list as I can cough up at the moment.

At a late date like this, I would probably have a list covering the entire month of November. But considering how crowded the last ten days of November will be in terms of revival options, and how some of that will overlap into early December, best for me to give a small list for the next week or so. Here we go:

 

COCKSUCKER BLUES with S-8 Footage from Exile From Main Street- Thurs Nov 15 at 7- MOMA- 11 W. 53rd Street- Part of the Rolling Stones onscreen retrospective at MOMA. I won't post many film from this series I'm afraid. I've done Gimme Shelter once before at MOMA, Performance isn't playing at a time I can do, and most of the other screenings are ones that I'm massively indifferent toward.

Cocksucker Blues: a rare screening of The Rolling Stones concert film, when they were touring in North America for the first time since the concert at Altamont (as depicted in Gimme Shelter). The film takes a no-holds barred look at what the Stones did on tour, on and off stage. Arguably, it captures the debauchery of the band at it's highest. It was the off stage antics that led to a clash between the Stones and director Robert Frank over whether the film can be screened or not. It lead to an unusual court ruling, where it was decided that the film can only be screened if the director is physically present. So I suppose director Frank will be at this screening on Thursday. As for more about the film itself, here's a description from the Anthology Film Archives's website when they screened this on November 9th, 2008:

1972, 35mm, b&w/color. With the Rolling Stones.
“With COCKSUCKER BLUES, Frank bids a final adieu to the utopia of the Beat generation. What did the Rolling Stones expect when they hired him to make a film about their 1972 North American tour? There are scenes of groupie sex in private jets, cocaine snorting, and even a masturbation scene in which Jagger reveals himself to be the cameraman in a reflected image. But ultimately Frank focuses on the lonely spaces that permeate the rock-and-roll machine. This is the ultimate direct cinema. The camera movement infects the images with an unbelievable filmic energy, and Frank ignores all orientation guidelines. Populated by the living dead, COCKSUCKER BLUES is a zombie film with no refuge.”

Preceding the film will be S-8 Stones Footage from Exile on Main Street, director Frank's Super 8 film on the process of his shooting the cover for the Stones' classic album. It's only 5 minutes long, I presume it's not under any court orders with regards to its distribution, but not many have seen this either. Overall, for the hardcore Stones fan, for documentary film fanatics, and for the very curious:

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/16616

THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT- Fri Nov 16- Wed Nov 21 at 6:15, 8 and 9:50- Film Forum- A DCP screening of one of the better Alec Guinness/Ealing Studios comedies. From 1951 (released in the U.S. in 1952), Guinness plays a Cambridge graduate, whose obsession to build an everlasting fabric gets him drummed out of textile jobs up and down Northern England, reducing him to washing dishes. But he never gives up his dreams and he soon succeeds in his creation: a white suit that doesn't crease, won't stink, keeps dirt from clinging on, and never needs to be washed dry-cleaned or even vacuumed. Guinness' character is celebrated, for a while. But business owners get nervous over the idea of the companies going bankrupt once demand is (permanently) satisfied. Meantime, labor unions and their brethren get very nervous about their fabric making/repairing/cleaning jobs disappearing if the fabric becomes a big seller. So like the Peter Lorre film M, where the Law and the Mob go through different methods to get rid of a common threat, Business and Labor do the same thing here. Therefore, if you don't see the political satire going on here, then you must be laughing too hard. Or enjoying Guinness' naive-yet-energetic performance. 

An Oscar nomination for its Screenplay, which somehow lost to The Bad and the Beautiful. SAY WHAT?!?!? I can understand losing to fellow nominee High Noon, but to the Kirk Douglas film that hasn't aged very well, EEK! Anyway, The Man in The White Suit might not on the same level of previous Guinness/Ealing films like say, Kind Hearts and Coronets or The Lavender Hill Mob. But it's still pretty darn good: 

http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/alexander_mackendricks_the_man#nowplaying

RED DAWN- Fri Nov 16 at Midnight- IFC Center- Part of IFC's "America, F*** YEAH!" Series. Films chosen for their particular attack of jingoistic, over-the-top support of America. Films that either did it well and found an audience (MASH, the original Manchurian Candidate), or films that did it well yet had trouble finding an audience (Election, Dr. Strangelove, Team America), or films that went bust but are not uninteresting (1941, Southland Tales) The original Red Dawn, from 1984, is a little of all three: successful at the box office, with a storytelling style that sometimes go way off the rails, but it's never dull. Chosen as a post election "special". Which for me, is kind of like going to see Plan 9 From Outer Space after the launching of a Space Shuttle, but anyway . . . .Some people had problems in Superman Returns when Frank Langella, as Perry White , said Truth Justice all that stuff, while ignoring The American Way. There was also a major complaint why not enough people weren't complaining about it. Here's one way out theory: maybe some of those people grew with the ridiculously awful Red Dawn and have rebelled against anyone pushing rah-rah stuff ever since.

Let me be clear, Red Dawn is FUCKING AWFUL, but GLORIOUSLY FUCKING AWFUL. Kind of gives a barometer as to what the feeling was in this country during the Cold War, that this was actually considered possible. It might have even been considered as believable, if Red Dawn wasn't over the top. From 1984, World War 3 begins, as Soviet paratroopers land in a small Colorado town. But they are held at bay as high schoolers Patrick Swayze, C. Thomas Howell and Charlie Sheen (in his screen debut; can't wait for the naked on coke jokes) do something about it. With the aid of Lea Thompson, Jennifer Grey (years before the nose job, Ferris Bueller and Dirty Dancing), plus help from veterans Ben Johnson and Powers Boothe (pre 24), they form the Wolverines, and go guerrilla warfare on them Commie bastards. WOLVERINES! Or as they tend to say it, WWOOOOOLLLLVERIIIIIINNES!

Directed and co-written by the very macho John Millus (Conan The Barbarian and Dillinger, the less artful, the less-full-of-shit version of Public Enemies). Over the top, from the start of the invasion, to Harry Dean Stanton's monologue (ending with AVENGE ME! AVEEEENNNGE ME!), to the final battle. As subtle as a brick, or the giant Soviet armored helicopter that goes after them. And though it was nice to see the late Ron O'Neal get a job, I can only think "Holy Shit! They got Superfly leading the Commies!". Millus actually does do a good job with the action scenes. So good, that you wish he hadn't approved/created some of the other bullshit that follows. If you want a cheesy example of Reagan era action movies/Rambo division, this is it. Hard to believe this was actually PG-13, the first PG-13 film ever. Before the remake comes out on Thanksgiving weekend (when the Chinese/North Koreans/whatever bullshit they came up with in post-production and re-shoots become the invaders), here 's the original:

http://www.ifccenter.com/films/red-dawn/

That's all for now. I promise a larger list, featuring a few classics, next time. Later all, stay safe.

October Revivals

Hey all. Mike here with a revival list for the month of October. Yep, the entire month. I have no time to do any splitting-the-month-in-half posts. Most Halloween-themed films and a few Midnight movies will go by the wayside, in favor of those films I think I can make. I'll try to make the descriptions as brief as possible. Here we go: 

DIAL M FOR MURDER in Digital 3-D- Now thru Thurs Oct 4 at 3:20, 5:30 and 7:40- Film Forum- Just before it's October 9th Blu-Ray release, Dial M For Murder returns to the Forum in digital 3-D. Not the the original 2 strip 2 projector version that the Forum has screened off and on for years, but a digital 3-D version (you know, like Avatar?). The blu-ray will be in 3-D for those TVs that can handle that, but you have a chance to see it yourself as it kinda was intended, on the big screen. I'm locked in for the afternoon of Tuesday, October 2nd, but I post the rest of the days/times for you to go on your own.

A Hitchcock classic, that may not have strayed all that successfully from its stage roots, but is still quite good. Ray Milland finds out his wife, Grace Kelly, is cheating on him and is getting ready to dump him. Seeing his wealthy lifestyle about to be taken away from him, he plots his wife's murder. Complications ensue, etc. . . .

Cool performances from Milland, Kelly, and character actor John Williams, reprising his Tony winning role as the dogged Chief Inspector. Talkier then usual from a Hitchcock film. I'd argue it's about as talky as Hitchcock and Kelly's other 1954 film together, Rear Window. Window had a better script, with sly insights and a somewhat better realized film. Dial M is a more straight forward, ably executed mystery, with a great scene involving Kelly and a large shiny pair of scissors.

Now at about this time, 3-D was enjoying about the same kind of popularity it's having at the moment. You had studio heads pushing to have films made in 3-D, but unlike now, where pressure can be applied to have films that were never shot in 3-D converted (Clash of the Titans, The Last Airbender), the pressure in the 50s had to be applied in pre-production. So while Hitch was forced to shoot it in 3-D he must have said something along the lines of "Screw them", and did as little as possible in terms of 3-D. Playing a little with perspective, a few low angles, some objects blocking some actors, not much. That's why I wrote in the first paragraph in terms of "as it was kinda intended". Hitch basically looked at 3-D as a fad, shot in 2-D and 3-D simultaneously, and just tried to make a good film, which he did. The 3-D version was released first but didn't play too long, followed by the 2-D classic version. It was re-released in 3-D in 1980 (I thought it was 81, but imdb disagrees), but in a flat version that wasn't popular, and different from how it was screened back in 1954.

For about 20 years off and on, the Forum has screened the original 3-D print, scratches hair and dirt off and on throughout the print, according to friends who attended the more recent screenings. But now we get the the original 3-D presentation, but in a cleaned up modern format:  

http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/dial_m_for_murder

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA- Thurs Oct 4 at 1 and 7- AMC Empire, AMC Kips Bay, AMC Village 7 and Regal Union Square in Manhattan, College Point Multiplex in Flushing, both theaters in Westbury, plus other theaters in Upstate New York and in the other U.S. states except Hawaii- 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.

http://www.fathomevents.com/classics/event/lawrenceofarabia.aspx

http://www.fathomevents.com/upcoming/alllocations.aspx?eventid=1134

INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION- Thurs Oct 4 at 5:20, 7:30 and 9:40- A new 4K digital restoration of the very good Italian film. Winner for Best Foreign Language Oscar in 1971, and nominated for its Screenplay in 1972. A famous detective from Rome (Gian Maria Volonte from the first two Eastwood-Leone Spaghetti Westerns), who specializes in cracking political dissidents, accidentally kills his mistress. He's put in charge of the murder investigation, but how much of his guilt and how much of his ego will come out? And will it interfere with his crackdown on radicals? Obviously not a whodunit but more of a whydunnit, with its heavy critique of police corruption. Volonte is terrific and the film has a great Ennio Morricone score. NOT available on DVD in this country and is rarely screened on American TV, so this might be your only chance to catch this. It plays for a week, though I'll only post the October dates if there's no interest for Saturday, September 29th:

http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/investigation_of_a_citizen_abo

DR. NO for free (subject to ticket availability)- Fri Oct 5 at 8- MOMA- The start of MOMA's 50 years of James Bond series. All the official Bond films (for the very last time Bart, Never Say Never Again and the 1954 and 1967 versions of Casino Royale don't count!), all in new 35mm prints provided by the series' producers, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

A free screening of Dr. No, subject to ticket availability. Being screened on THE actual 50th Anniversary of Dr. No's first day of release in Britain. The first of the Bond films with Sean Connery. Featuring the Theme, and Ursula Andress, rising from the sea like a goddess. Everything you think about Bond that isn't Daniel Craig or gadget/Aston Martin related, comes into play here, and sets the template well. Hasn't aged well (the dialogue scenes on the beaches of Crab Key are cringing) and at times, Dr. No moves like molasses. Luckily, Connery's characterization, the theme, some action/fight scenes, and Ursula's looks makes this worth catching and hey it's free. If you can get your tickets on time that is: 

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/16319

THUNDERBALL with either FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE or GOLDFINGER- Sat Oct 6 at 2 (Russia), 5 (Goldfinger) and 8 (Thunderball)- MOMA- Part of the 50 years of James Bond retrospective at MOMA. 3 Sean Connery Bond films, all in new 35mm prints. Now for one admission, you can see all 3 Bond films on the 6th. If you want to join me however, I'll only be doing two film, and one of them will be Thunderball. Partially because I've done both Russia and Goldfinger on the big screen already, and partially because I don't want to commit to doing almost 9 hours straight with barely anytime in-between for coffee and/or junk food (outside because remember, MOMA is a museum and not a movie theater). I'm ok with either starting with Russia, walking away for a late lunch/early dinner, and then come back for Thunderball. I'm equally ok with showing up for Goldfinger, stepping outside for coffee or something very quick, and then come back for Thunderball. I'll let majority rule with regards to who wants to see which Bond the most.

First, Thunderball. When Bond mania was at it's highest, the highest grossing Bond film, when you take inflation into account. Bond must deal with SPECTRE's deadliest threat yet; holding the world ransom, by threatening it with its two stolen NATO nuclear weapons. No one knows where the bombs are. But because Bond kinda recognizes a face he's barely seen in a day or two earlier, and said face is someone's sister who resides in Nassau, off Bond goes for more than he bargained for. It's taken me awhile for me to warm up toward Thunderball, years actually. The remake, Never Say Never Again, is what I saw first, and that is fun. Lighter than the original, with better Bond girls. But the elements that make Bond Bond, from M Q and Moneypenny, to the villains, to the action sequences, are done far better in Thunderball. Ok, the idea that the one eyed villain with no depth perception is used to not only trigger and un-trigger nuclear devices underwater but to lead his henchmen in a massive underwater knife/harpoon fight . . . it's no wonder SPECTRE's plan failed. And the lyrics to the title song, just ignore them.

It takes a while for the film to get going; not badly, but merely ok when it's Bond, and good everywhere else. Once the film moves to Nassau, it picks up steam. Climaxes in a very good underwater action scene and an even better closing fight scene. All with minimum dialogue, and heavy emphasis on good editing and John Barry's score. An Oscar for its Visual Effects.

Next, From Russia With Love. In my opinion, the Best Connery Bond. Yes, even over Goldfinger. Has the best fight scene, between Connery and Robert Shaw. Has an effectively creepy villain in Lotte Lenya's Rosa Kleb. Plus good action scenes in a Gypsy camp, on a truck when chased by a helicopter, and involving a boat chase. If you know Bond, you know how good this is. Nuff said.

Finally, Goldfinger. Arguably one of the best Bonds, though that argument won't be made by me after seeing this and From Russia With Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service on the big screen. The cheese factor is notably higher then in the previous installments; as Sean Connery battles the title character, Odd Job, a castrating laser, and in his own way, Pussy Galore. But it's still a lot of fun. To me, it works best as a Gateway to the Bond series; if you're not a fan of this particular Bond, with high cheese, gadgets, and production values, you won't like most of the rest of the Bonds. An Oscar for its Visual Effects, but not even a nomination for the theme song. Actually I understand that: the music is good, but the lyrics are lousy, though better than Thunderball's. Much like Tom Jones with his rendition, Shirley Bassey is a miracle worker, making chicken salad out of chicken shit lyrics.

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/2012/10/06

THE SPY WHO LOVED ME- Wed Oct 10 at 8- MOMA-  Definitely the best of the 70s Bond films, though it admittedly doesn't have a lot of competition. One of the better stories, Moore's best Bond performance, great Egypt and Canada/Switzerland locations shots, a standout opening stunt, and one of the better Bond villains in Jaws (you know, the one with the metal teeth). Would have been the big hit of 1977, if that art house film Star Wars hadn't come out. It's a perfect popcorn movie/ summer blockbuster. I liked it on TV, but was blown away by how much fun it was on the Forum's screen. It should play even better on MOMA's larger screen. Oscar nominations for Marvin Hamlisch's score, song (Nobody Does It Better) and the opulent Art Direction/ Set Decoration. Much love for the late Hamlisch's music here, among the best of the series. But as for the film as a whole, if you're a Connery/Craig purist, you probably hate this film with a passion, so I'll move on:

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/16338

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE- Fri Oct 19 at 4 for free (subject to availability)- MOMA- If you can't do my favorite Connery Bond on Saturday the 6th, you can do it on Friday the 19th for free at MOMA. Tickets available on a first come, first served basis. Sorry about the 4pm timing, but I don't make up the schedule:

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/16323

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE- Sat Oct 20 at 8- MOMA- The last film from MOMA's James Bond retrospective that I will post, also in a new 35mm print. The simple story of Bond fighting Blofeld's latest plot to hold the world for ransom. And oh yeah, Bond falls in love with a woman that he wants to marry and Bond isn't played by Sean Connery in this film. SAYWHAT?!?!?!?!

Not necessarily the best Bond in George Lazenby. Probably the weakest actor to play the role. But they found a successful way to have a Shakespearean actor (I, Claudius' George Baker) about a fourth of his lines successfully, and he pulls off the final scene well. But in my opinion I thought he was the best Bond physically and fight-wise until Daniel Craig came along. There's no shame coming second to Craig, but the gap is a lot smaller than you'd imagine. Compared to the last couple of Connery Bond flicks as well as the bulk of Roger Moore's Bond run, it's such a pleasure to see an actual athlete do as much as Lazenby did with such little stuntman usage.

Two other offbeat-ish casting choices (for a Bond picture) also work well. Diana Rigg may or may not compete with Ursula Andress rising from the sea in that bikini. But she makes us believe successfully that 007 would give up his life of spying for marriage to her, and Riggs comes off as probably the most capable Bond Girl of the entire series. And then we have Telly Savalas as Blofeld. Donald Pleasance's turn in the role in You Only Live Twice was so creepily iconic even then it would have been insane to try to duplicate it note for note, and luckily the filmmakers and Telly don't even try. This Blofeld suffered fools even less than the previous incarnations (though would develop a blind spot for the ladies), and combined with Telly's physicality, we have the most formidable version of the SPECTRE leader in the entire series. 

The big screen really helps the visuals, especially the scenes set in Switzerland. Combined with sharp editing (at times, a healthy use of jump-cutting) and cinematography, a good John Barry score and a good Bond song: We Have All The Time In The World. Recorded by Louis Armstrong shortly after receiving what would be his terminal cancer diagnosis: performing a song knowing that the lyrics he was singing were rapidly no longer applying to him. I always leave the film a bit wistful  Not just because of the song or the ending, but with a feeling of what could have been, if the film had been treated then like it is now: one of if not the best Bond film ever. Yes, the film was a hit, one of the biggest of 1969. But Lazenby quit, public and critical reaction was mixed, and the box office numbers so significantly lower than You Only Live Twice and Thunderball. United Artists' solution was to throw money at Connery to come back, and combined with too many other aspects to get into here, we end up with the mediocre Diamonds Are Forever. So I'm left with a feeling of "What if?". But at least we have On Her Majesty's Secret Service:

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/16330

SPEEDY- Sun Oct 21 at 3:10 and Mon Oct 22 at 7:30- Film Forum- Part of the Harold Lloyd retrospective. More of a NYC movie than you'd think, especially for 1928. Speedy is a Lloyd classic, where a former soda jerk turned cab driver has to race the actual Babe Ruth to the old Yankee Stadium, and the hi-jinks go from there. Preceded by a recently rediscovered Lloyd short, Look Pleasant Please from 1918. Played with live piano accompaniment:

http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/speedy

HALLOWEEN- Thurs Oct 25 at College Point Multiplex, Broadway Multiplex at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville, plus other theaters around the country- Time TBD- A one night only screening of the 1978 horror sleeper hit/ indie classic. It's playing around the country, but as of this writing, for some reason it's NOT playing in Manhattan. That's why I'm posting the only 2 theaters that are remotely easy for me to get to: the College Point Multiplex in Whitestone, and at the Broadway Mall in Hicksville. Times have not yet been scheduled, but if you're interested  I'll keep an eye out. But seriously, why is this so disorganized? I don't get it . . . 

Psycho may have been the first slasher film to hit it big in the U.S., but Halloween is what caused the slasher film to proliferate. Of course they're all carbon copies to this, one of the best horror films ever made. Interesting to look at, tightly edited, but it's director John Carpenter's iconic music that added the final touch. Not a hit in it's first weeks (months?) of release. It basically took word of mouth and a few key critical notices to make this one of the most successful independent films ever made. And as adorable as P.J. Soles is as one of the teenagers, you see a star in the making in Jamie Lee Curtis. Accept no substitutes or sequels or the Rob Zombie remake, go to the original:

http://www.screenvision.com/cinema-events/halloween/

Let me know if there's interest. I'll be back in November but when, is a damn good question. Later all.

Sept revivals: second half

Hey, Mike here with a small list for the rest of September. Tight schedule, with a major conflict on Monday September 24. But on that date, I'll let majority rule. Now on with the list, here we go:

THE KID (1921) with an episode of The Muppet Show with Raquel Welch sneak preview of Hotel Transylvania in 3-D on Saturday- Sat Sept 22 at 1:30 and Sun Sept 23 at 11AM and 1:30 PM for The Kid, all morning and afternoon all day for The Muppet Show- Museum of the Moving Image- Part of a weekend outing for families. The age range they bring up is 4-10, though some portions of this are better suited for kids 7-10. On Saturday the 22nd, there is the Drop in Moving Image Studio for 7-10, where kids get to handle stuff as varied as making flipbooks, handle stop motion and/or video game consoles, as well as explore projectors, film strips, video tapes and the like. There will be a marionette performance by City Parks Foundation's PuppetMobile of Bessie's Big Shot where "a cow  . . . dreams of joining the circus". There will be the Museum's Behind the Screen, where the permanent collection will be on display. On Saturday the 22nd at 11:30AM, there will be a special preview of the new film Hotel Transylvania in 3-D at no extra charge, glasses provided. All under the banner of will go up on Sunday the 23rd, The Fall Mamas Expo. The Queens Zoo, Elite Kids, Long Island City YMCA, Jet Blue (?), and clickandimprove.com are among the vendors who will be present. To quote one of their press releases, "Open to all parents, expectant moms, and children, Pre-K to Pre-Teen, attendees will have unprecedented, insider access to some of the best local services, specialists and products currently available for families in Queens and throughout New York City. From finding new local classes and schools, to the best innovative products and retail stores, parents will receive an exclusive look at all of the new resources available to make sure they are in-the-know!" 

But what gets me posting any of this are the two other revival features that play both days of that weekend: an episode of The Muppet Show, and Charlie Chaplin's The Kid. I'll start with Charlie's film first. The longest film Chaplin had ever made prior to this, he was influenced by the combination of unhappy childhood, unhappy marriage, unhappy professional situation (he helped to form United Artists but still owed films under his contractual obligation to First National), strong desire to be a father, and major grief after his malformed son died three days after his birth. So with all of this, Chaplin wanted to mix comedy and drama. He wanted to, in a way, use the sugar of comedy to let the medicine of depicting poverty and child abandonment go down when he made The Kid. A young woman with no alternatives (as far as she's concerned), abandons her baby to a wealthy family. But thanks to some desperate criminals, the baby is alone on Skid Row, and is reluctantly saved by the Tramp. He serves as a father figure, and becomes the only person the Kid can trust. But once he turns 4-5, when it's harder for the Tramp to raise the Kid in poverty, and the mother goes around looking for her son . . . . .

A good mixture of comedy and pathos that was quite the mega hit by 1921 standards. Sentimental and tear-jerking, but Chaplin is someone I find natural when it comes to heavy sentiment. Most romantic films over  the past decade or two would kill for such honest attachment between the Tramp and the Kid. The chemistry between Chaplin and young Jackie Coogan makes this film work. And the kids don't necessarily need to know how to read the cue cards to pick up on the action. Make sure you spare a tissue or two for them too.

Next is The Muppet Show, with their very special guest star, Raquel Welch. A season 3 episode from 1978. Here, Fozzie is a changed bear, or so he thinks, after he comes back from group therapy, and Raquel and a jealous Miss Piggy bond over the struggles of being a sex symbol. They sing "I'm A Woman" together. The episode will run in a continuous loop, starting at 10AM until just before the museum closes at 7PM, and will play all weekend long. 

  

http://www.movingimage.us/visit/calendar/2012/09/23/detail/the-fall-mamas-expo

http://www.movingimage.us/visit/calendar/2012/09/22/detail/the-kid

http://www.movingimage.us/exhibitions/2012/07/07/detail/the-muppet-show/

QUADROPHENIA- Sat Sept 22 at Midnight- IFC Center- Here's a taste of of the kind of movie that played at Midnight, circa 1979 until around 1983 or 94. While this film is out in several DVD editions, not all are the same length and all have issues regarding image quality. So this screening may be the way to watch and hear it as it was intended. Or at least, better than any version in the U.S. that you can watch via Netflix.

From 1979, Quadrophenia isn't a musical with The Who's music, but a drama that's a throwback to Britain's Angry Young Man type of story. The kind of movie that might fit in well with a Mike Leigh drama, but which uses several songs from The Who's album of the same name, plus other music from the era to create a you-are-there kind of feeling. Set mostly in London back in 1965, we have a young man frustrated with his working class surroundings, disillusioned with his parents, stuck in a dead end job, addicted to amphetamines. He's walking around all angry, but is probably walking around with undiagnosed depression. He lives for the highs of the Mod life; partying at night, clashing with the Rockers, and trying to get lucky with the cute blonde. But all highs eventually come down, and this young man's disillusionment has just begun . . . . All scenes played for maximum realism, a more mature Midnight movie than you might expect. Featuring Who songs such as The Real Me, 5.15 and Love Reign O'er Me (all mixed differently from their original recordings), as well as period-ish songs such as James Brown's Night Train, The Chifons' He's So Fine, and The Ronnettes' Be My Baby:

http://www.ifccenter.com/films/quadrophenia/

REAR WINDOW- Mon Sept 24 at 7 for 10 dollars (proceeds to the Alzheimer's Association)- Midway Theater in Forest Hills- 108-22 Queens Blvd- A special, last-minute screening of my favorite Hitchcock film, Rear Window. To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Midway theater, I presume it will be a digital screening, but I don't know for sure. This theater made the conversion to digital and 3-D some years ago, so I suspect they won't pull out an old 35mm projector for this. Still, I probably wouldn't pay much attention to this, if this wasn't in my personal top 40, and that all proceeds go to benefit the Alzheimer's Association, a worthy cause whose link is below. This isn't the only revival playing this night that I would go see, but it's an option:

http://www.alz.org/

EL DORADO- Mon Sept 24 at 7- MOMA- Part of MOMA's An Auteurist History of Film series, and boy does Howard Hawks ever qualify. Here's a film he directed, with a screenplay from Leigh Brackett (Hawks' favorite screenwriter because she "wrote like a man"; wrote the first draft of Empire Strikes Back before passing away). Essentially a lighter-hearted remake of their earlier Rio Bravo. The MOMA description claims this is a view of aging from the then- 70 year old Hawks. At best, VERY SUBTLE interpretation; if you don't see it, I don't blame you.

Wayne reprises his role of a gunman helping his drunken sheriff friend get sober, and get the bad guy. Instead of Dean Martin, we get a tougher Robert Mitchum, who handles the humor quite well. Instead of Ricky Nelson, we get a major upgrade in James Caan, who can actually act. He handles the young rookie type well, though a scene where he "plays Chinese" will certainly be cringe inducing now. And we get good villains from moneyman Ed Asner and gunman Christopher George. No brain surgery here folks, just a fun solid Western.

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film_screenings/16151

THE TIN DRUM- Mon Sept 24 at 9 and Wed Sept 26 at 7:20- Film Forum- A digital presentation of the director's cut of The Tin Drum, from 1979 (released in the U.S. in 1980). One of the biggest films to ever come out of Germany, and a relatively rare example of a movie that matches the quality of the book it's adapted from, even though the film only covers about half the book. A little boy, Oskar, celebrates his third birthday. He sees the lower middle-class adults who surround him in the free city of Danzig, with their fears, jealousies and overall ugliness, and decides to never grow up. As he gets older, he mentally matures, but stays trapped in the physical form of a three year old, with the tendency to pound on his drum. Pound it long enough, he can get over many things, including how disappointing his parents become. Try to take the drum away, he screams loud enough to shatter glass. He falls in love, but he still looks 3. Things only get uglier and more brutal when first the Nazis invade, and then the Soviets, while his family dies out.

So yeah, it's a happy film. Ha! It might be an ugly looking film at times, but a fascinating one. You'll either really like it or absolutely hate it, but you're not likely to forget it. And what the drum actually symbolizes; well, the viewer is  left on their own on that one. Thought impossible to film, because who could they find to play the lead? Director Volker Schlondorff got lucky, and gained a tremendous performance from 11 year old David Bennett. A child actor appearing in every scene, usually very intense scenes. He was so good, he was actually believable. So believable, the film ran into controversy with his sex scene with an actress, even though no intercourse actually happened.

Won the Palm D'or, tied with Apocalypse Now. Over twenty minutes were cut before it was submitted for Oscar consideration. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film and became an art house smash, but it still generated controversy here in the states. Enough controversy that The Tin Drum was banned in parts of Canada, and the pulling of VHS tapes in Oklahoma resulted in the case going all the way up to the U.S. Court of Appeals, in a story too convoluted to go through here.

Those twenty minutes have been restored. Actually it had been restored when this digital version of The Tin Drum was screened at MOMA back in November 2010. Apparently the programmers at the Forum are trying to pretend this version has never screened in New York before. Oh please. Granted The Forum's screen is better suited for digital presentation than MOMA's was back then, but it is a little smaller. But if one can still enjoy 2001, Gone with the Wind and The Good The Bad and The Ugly on their screens The Tin Drum won't suffer.

I believe this digital screening will be the only way you'll be likely to watch The Tin Drum anytime soon. According to Schlondorff when he did a Q and A at MOMA in November 2010, the original negative was damaged and the sound was destroyed in a fire. Restoring the image was problematic, but restoring the dialogue was difficult. Some actors died, others had their voices messed up from decades of smoking and drinking that sounding like 20 or 30 somethings were near impossible, requiring new actors for looping purposes. Luckily, the technology was good enough that the adult David Bennett could loop his own dialogue and have his voice tweaked to the point that he sounds believably pre-pubescent again. I don't remember if Maurice Jarre's score was re-recorded, but it plays again in all it's glory. But this film is hardly anyone's  top choice on Netflix, and I'm guessing you won't find this unrated cut in Blockbuster. So this is it, in terms of seeing a film you've never quite seen before:

http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/the_tin_drum

INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION- Sat Sept 29 at 5:20, 7:30 and 9:40- A new 4K digital restoration of the very good Italian film. Winner for Best Foreign Language Oscar in 1971, and nominated for its Screenplay in 1972. A famous detective from Rome (Gian Maria Volonte from the first two Eastwood-Leone Spaghetti Westerns), who specializes in cracking political dissidents, accidentally kills his mistress. He's put in charge of the murder investigation, but how much of his guilt and how much of his ego will come out? And will it interfere with his crackdown on radicals? Obviously not a whodunit but more of a whydunnit, with its heavy critique of police corruption. Volonte is terrific and the film has a great Ennio Morricone score. NOT available on DVD in this country and is rarely screened on American TV, so this might be your only chance to catch this. It plays for a week, though I'll only post the October dates if there's no interest for Saturday, September 29th:

http://www.filmforum.org/movies/more/investigation_of_a_citizen_abo

That's all for now. The next list for October may or may not be a small one, but due to timing issues, I may not post anything past Saturday October 20th.  After that, I may not post another list until after November 3rd or 4th. We'll see how things look then for me. Later all.