DOC NYC 2019 “Narrowsburg” (Seth Shire)

November 11, 2019.  French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard said “Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world.” Thus begins the story of Narrowsburg, a small town in upstate New York, where, we are told, it is tough to make a living. “Narrowsburg,”which is also the title of the new documentary from director Martha Shane, had its New York premiere at DOC NYC on November 10. It is a story that is simultaneously bizarre, funny and tragic.

A tragedy is defined as a story in which the main character (or characters) have success, then failure and learn nothing. The characters in “Narrowsburg” have, at least the promise of success. Things, however, do gradually go awry. Since the townsfolk do actually learn something, it may not be a complete tragedy. Be that as it may, “Narrowsburg” is also about the nature of truth, and where it may, or may not, lie or is truth just a matter of perspective?

“Godfather” Reunion at Tribeca 2017

 

From left to right, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Francis Ford Coppola, James Caan, Al Pacino and Talia Shire at the “Godfather Reunion” at Radio City Music Hall, as part of the Tribeca Film Festival, 2017

April 30, 2017.  On Saturday, April 29, the Tribeca Film Festival presented an incredible historical event at Radio City Music Hall. “The Godfather” (1972) and “The Godfather: Part II” (1974) were screened, followed by a reunion Q & A with the films’ director Francis Ford Coppola, actors Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton and Talia Shire (no relation, but I was thrilled to see my tickets next to hers at the “will call” window). The talk was moderated by movie director Taylor Hackford. The event began at 1:00 and went until about 9:30.

“Scarecrow” (’73) at Film Forum, May 17-23

Gene Hackman and Al Pacino in “Scarecrow.”

“Scarecrow,” the 1973 road movie directed by Jerry Schatzberg, will be having a run at Film Forum from May 17 – 23.  The film stars Al Pacino (fresh off “The Godfather”) and Gene Hackman, both in their primes.

“Scarecrow” will be shown in a clean, beautiful, anamorphic (really wide screen) print which, for me, was a revelation.  I first saw “Scarecrow” many years ago when I taped it off of channel 5 at 2:00 am using the EP (lowest picture quality, but more time on a VHS tape) setting on my VCR.   The film’s original wide screen dimensions were blown up to fill the space of square shaped TVs.  In other words I was losing 50% of the picture.  Now that home video users are used to the concept of letterboxing this problem has become less and less frequent. Commercial breaks were thrown in for good measure but, despite all of this, I liked the film.  Now, seeing “Scarecrow” in its correct, widescreen aspect ratio, I can properly appreciate Schatzberg’s use of long takes as the characters amble about aimlessly toward objectives that they are probably not going to achieve, dwarfed by the wide open spaces through which they travel.