upcoming screenings of classic movies!

[drinkanddestroy]

This is awesome news!

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

Throughout June 2012, The Film Forum in New York City will be screening Spaghetti Westerns!!! All of Leone's Westerns will be shown, as well as many others!

All tickets are $12.50.
Maybe we can pick a day or two to go as a group to the screening(s).
I definitely want to go to as many movies as possible -- particularly the Leone ones -- and I'd love to go with anyone here who may be interested.

If you wanna going to one or more screening, reply here, and hopefully we can have some good times  


On Sunday June 10, they are showing FOD at 1:00 PM, FAFDM at 3:00 PM, and GBU at 5:40 PM. Anyone interested in doing a Dollars tripleheader?  

[cigar joe]

looks cool  

The only problem is its a pretty small screen, that is where I first saw the GBU extended English language edition.

[drinkanddestroy]

1) I am sure it'll be fine. It's definitely bigger than my 32" tv   The main things is that I hope the sound is good. A less-than-huge screen doesn't ruin a movie, but a less-than-booming sound does. (Remember the awful sound in Lincoln Center where we watched OUATIA? I couldn't hear a thing. That, combined with the terrible quality of the early reel(s) of film, made for a tough watch). As long as the picture and sound are good, I can live with a smaller screen. I don't imagine that I'll have many chances to see classic movies on The Big Screen, so I want to seize every chance I can get (even if it is actually more like a medium screen"   )

2) The screening of Once Upon a Time in the West is being done by Martin Scorcese's The Film Foundation http://www.film-foundation.org/common/11004/aboutscreenings.cfm?clientID=11004&sid=2&ssid=8 So I am sure they will show the "Scorcese version" of the movie  

--------------------------------------------

NOTE: Though they sound similar, The Film Foundation and Film Forum are separate nonprofit organizations that should not be confused with each other:

 I am sure y'all are familiar with Martin Scorcese's  The Film Foundation, a foundation dedicated to preserving and restoring old films, which they screen at various locations worldwide, including festivals, theaters, and museums, etc. http://www.film-foundation.org/common/11004/aboutMission.cfm?clientID=11004&sid=1&ssid=1

Film Forum is a theater in Manhattan that shows stuff like American independent films, foreign art films, classic films, etc. http://www.filmforum.org/

So Film Forum is the theater in which The Film Foundation has chosen to screen OUATITW (no doubt because Film Forum is having a Spaghetti Western blowout/festival/extravaganza that entire month)  

[Head Down]

I'm going to try to attend a few.  I live in NJ, so it takes a little effort, plus something always seems to come up more often than not.  Plus I've got all the films on DVD (except for "Yankee", which I've never seen), but there are some I'd really like to see if they're cleaned up.  And yes,  the screens can be a bit on the small side, but it's generally a great theater.   

[drinkanddestroy]

I'm going to try to attend a few.  I live in NJ, so it takes a little effort, plus something always seems to come up more often than not.  Plus I've got all the films on DVD (except for "Yankee", which I've never seen), but there are some I'd really like to see if they're cleaned up.  And yes,  the screens can be a bit on the small side, but it's generally a great theater.   

well maybe we can make a group trip. cigar joe may wanna go, and possibly some others will answer as well. if you are interested, we can be in touch as it gets closer to June

[Novecento]

Alex Cox article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/movies/a-spaghetti-western-roundup-at-film-forum.html

[dave jenkins]

The main things is that I hope the sound is good. A less-than-huge screen doesn't ruin a movie, but a less-than-booming sound does. (Remember the awful sound in Lincoln Center where we watched OUATIA? I couldn't hear a thing. That, combined with the terrible quality of the early reel(s) of film, made for a tough watch). As long as the picture and sound are good, I can live with a smaller screen.

If you didn't like the sound at the Walter Reid, you won't like the sound at Film Forum. And Joe's right, the screens are pretty small. What makes this worse is the way the seats are arranged; if you sit up close, you are below the screen and have to look up at it, putting a crick in your neck; if you want a little bit of elevation to your seat you have to sit way in the back, which makes the screen seem even smaller. And they want 12 bucks for each showing. The blu-ray of Bullet For the General is only 15.

Btw, has anyone seen any info about the conditions of the prints being exhibited? OK, they're 35mm; but when were they struck? How do we know they're not all beat to shit? Again, at 12 dollars a pop I'd hate to just go in and take my chances.

[drinkanddestroy]

The movies will be playing all month, so my opinion is, I can try it out once and see how I like it, and if it's terrible then I just won't go back there.

If anyone is interested in going to see one sometime, please respond here or PM me.

[cigar joe]

OK

[Novecento]

The one I would like to see is "Kill and Pray" (aka "Requiescant"). I've never seen it and have always been curious.

I actually wish this was happening a couple of months later. I'm moving to NYC permanently in mid August and will be just too late 

[drinkanddestroy]

The one I would like to see is "Kill and Pray" (aka "Requiescant"). I've never seen it and have always been curious.

I actually wish this was happening a couple of months later. I'm moving to NYC permanently in mid August and will be just too late 

so come and visit for a week in June and we can check out some Westerns! do you currently live far from New York?

[drinkanddestroy]

The only non-Leone Spags I have seen are Death Rides a Horse, The Big Gundown, The Mercenary, and Django.

So I'd love to see Leone's Westerns on the big medium screen, and I'd also like to  to see any other films besides those four I've mentioned above. I'd particularly like to see some movies with Gian Maria Volonte; I have heard that he was in many Spags (but then again, I've read that he was a big Commie and that many of his movies are very political, so who knows if I'll like 'em  )

[cigar joe]

For more Volonte see A Bullet For the General and Face To Face

[Novecento]

so come and visit for a week in June and we can check out some Westerns! do you currently live far from New York?

About 5000 miles - I'm not even in the country, let alone the city!

[drinkanddestroy]

For more Volonte see A Bullet For the General and Face To Face

is he (close to) as good in the other movies as he was in Leone's movies?

IMO Indio is the greatest villain in Western history. The other Leone villains are not far behind; but Indio is clearly #1. There are so many amazing things about Leone's movies, that certain aspects often get overlooked. And one of those amazing aspects that I find amazing-but-not-given-enough-credit are how great the antagonists are: It is extremely rare that a viewer will enjoy watching the villains at least as much as he/she enjoys watching the protagonist. All too often, AW's just took the most annoying pain in the ass they could find and made him a villain; they're successful in the sense that you despise him cuz he is so annoying, but you kind of groan every time he appears on screen cuz he is a pain in the ass to watch. The hard thing is having a guy who is utterly despicable and whom you hate passionately, but who is enjoyable to watch. There are some -- Charles McGraw in Saddle the Wind and Jack Palance in Shane come to mind -- but they are very few and far between.
 It is simply amazing how in all of Leone's Westerns, the scenes involving the villains are just as enjoyable as those involving the protagonists. I just wonder how much of it was Leone's direction and how much was Volonte; and therefore  if Volonte was anywhere near as good in non-Leone films as he was in FOD and FAFDM. (eg. Lee Van Cleef - in the limited roles in AW's that he had before FAFDM -- wasn't nearly as good as he was in Leone and post-Leone films... eg. in Ride Lonesome he speaks way to quickly. He is so much better when he speaks and walks and acts slowly. Hey, I just thought of this: maybe his terrible auto accident contributed cuz it forced him to walk slower and therefore be more menacing! [Though that wouldn't have to do with his talking more slowly])