By David Poland poland@moviecitynews.com
Screening Gotham: May 26-29, 2006
A few of this holiday weekend’s worthwile cinematic happenings around New York:
–Film Forum is about two-thirds of the way through its B-Noir series, in which the theater is screening double features of seemingly every fast, cheap and dirty noir film made between 1944 and 1957. As his Memorial Day gift to you, however, programmer Bruce Goldstein arranged a triple feature of films by the late Richard Fleischer for Sunday and Monday; the package includes the 1949 tandem Follow Me Quietly and The Clay Pigeon and the 1950 heist flick Armored Car Robbery. Or, if you’d rather spend your holiday with director Anthony Mann, restored prints of his films T-Men and Raw Deal (above) will screen together Monday only. Think about it: Five features for $20. There’s not a better moviegoing deal in town.
–Since you should already be at Cinema Village tonight checking out Cavite, what harm can you do staying late for String Theatre’s Midnight Shorts Program? Odds are not great that you will know the filmmakers (Bengt Anderson? Amina El Etreby? Roey Shmool?), but that is a selling point as far as I am concerned. And it is a fundraiser, so have a fucking heart and just go, for Christ’s sake.
–Speaking of shorts, word just hit Reeler HQ that the New York Minute Short Film Festival is accepting submissions. The online “event” is exactly what it sounds like, featuring an international selection of films running 60 seconds or less. And face it: With so many drunk sailors and their conquests running around town doing stupid shit during Fleet Week, a thousand all-too-brief comedies, dramas and horror stories are right outside your door. Unclip that lenscap and get shooting!