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Repertory Cinema: What Do You Think?

As much as I like classic cinema, the idea of watching an old movie on the big screen never really appealed to me for some reason. That was until I saw a re-mastered print of Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo when I was in college. Up until that time, I suppose I took for granted that at one time these were the films that drew audiences to movie houses, and not the CGI-special effects laden fare which we are currently accustomed to.

Here in New York City, many theaters and centers of film study have repertory film programs, such as the nonprofit Film Forum in Lower Manhattan.  These outlets provide audiences the opportunity to re-watch some of their favorite films in the way they were originally produced; in addition, this format has the potential to introduce a whole new audience to films they might not even have heard of.

This week I was informed of another film (a staple in our household growing up) that will get such a treatment – Monty Python and the Holy Grail is coming to the Landmark Sunshine Cinema. Like many films that get re-released for theatrical distribution, this is a re-mastered print, formatted for the latest hi-definition standards. In addition, patrons will be treated to a featurette, Terry Gilliam’s Lost Animations.

What are your feelings about seeing classic/restored prints of films on the big screen? Or are you content watching them at home?

Please share your comments below.

 

* Monty Python and the Holy Grail will be playing at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema (143 East Houston Street, NYC) from Friday, March 30th through Thursday, April 5th 2012.

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A Sunday Afternoon Chat with Carey Mulligan

Today I had the privilege of attending The New York Times Arts & Leisure Weekend talk with award-winning actress Carey Mulligan.

For over an hour, New York Times journalist Charles McGrath spoke to the young star about a career, which has included a string of highly, regarded roles on both stage and screen.

Hers is a journey of a girl who had a theater in her blood and despite no formal theatrical training, found herself making her film debut as a supporting player in Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice.

From there, she went on to co-star in well-received The Seagull first at the Royal Court Theatre (UK) then on Broadway. McGrath and Mulligan then went on to discuss at great length some of her most popular roles to date – her breakthrough performance in An Education; the largely under-appreciated Never Let Me Go; and two critically acclaimed films of 2011 – Drive and Shame; each discussion was accompanied by a clip from the film being discussed.

At the tender age of 26, Carey Mulligan finds herself in an enviable position that many other actors could only dream of. Clearly she is a fan of the medium because, as she says, partly what attracts her to the roles she seeks is the opportunity to work with people whose work she greatly admires. This was the case with Drive (director Nicholas Winding Refn) and Shame (director Steve McQueen and actor Michael Fassbender). 

Ms. Mulligan came across as an affable person who is passionate about her craft and seeks to challenge herself at every possible opportunity. During the audience question and answer period, she was very open and engaging.

She mentioned a couple of her upcoming projects as well: finishing touches on Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated The Great Gatsby and preproduction on the Coen Brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis.

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Film Shorts and Sweet Shiraz

Some time ago, I had the pleasure of attending a film screening event in Harlem at the Nectar Wine Bar. I was invited by Tyson Hall, founder of the SOL Film Festival (who will feature in a follow up piece here at i luv cinema).

For those in attendance, the evening featured a series of short films including – Repercussions (directed by Dallas Alexis) and Whatever Happened to Black Love? (directed by John Smooth). Anita Bryant, Marketing and Promotional Director of the Sol Film Festival presented each film.

The first short of the evening, Repercussions is a narrative piece with a very interesting plot twist. Based on the positive audience reaction, I am sure the filmmaker feels encouraged and will continue to create intriguing and audience-accessible stories. You can view the trailer here:


The second feature was an unfinished documentary entitled Whatever Happened to Black Love?  The filmmaker, John Smooth, conducted a series of interviews in which the respondents spoke openly about love, relationships and the like. Based on the portion of the documentary that we watched, Whatever Happened to Black Love? has the making of a fascinating look at real people and their experiences, hopes and fears. During the Q&A session that followed, this seemed to be the prevailing view of many in the audience, to which the director was very receptive. You can catch that trailer here.

I encourage anyone interested in film to seek out opportunities like this in their own areas. Not only is it great to see what people are out there creating, it also gets you closer to the whole filmmaking process.

* Stayed tuned to this space for a similar posting on an event I will be attending in NYC as part of the Sundance Institute’s ‘First Look’ Screening Series.

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