Hudson Valley Crucial Viewing August 15-August 28

Hello cinephiles, long time no see huh? We took a bit of an unannounced hiatus this past month, but we’re back in action now. Hopefully you all survived without us for these long, hot peak Summer weeks. Even though the newsletter hasn’t been coming to your inbox we here at KFF have been hard at work putting together projects. If you haven’t heard the news yet, we’re proud to have announced our collaboration with Upstate Films at their forthcoming screening room in Kingston (Wow!) Honestly, I’ve been having a hard time keeping quiet about it at the bar these last few months, so I’m glad it’s out in the open now and I can’t wait. We also had a great screening with Millennium Film Workshop last weekend at Roundabouts Now! Gallery, so thanks to all who came out to support. There’s lots more coming up in the next few months, so keep your eyes and ears peeled. I’m going to let Brian hop in here to tell you all some more news, and then we’re on to the newsletter. Happy to be back in the swing of it! - Bel

Hey friends and well-wishers, Brian here with a little additional note to say that we fell behind a little bit behind, in part because of a couple of projects I/we’ve been working on. We think you’re going to like coming to the movies in Midtown Kingston, and Catskill, very soon. Come to Time Bandits and I’ll tell you all about it.

While I’m at it, a quick and shameless plug: the fine folks at Upstate Films have seen fit to accept one of my goofiest programming suggestions: Hot Spring Shark Attack. It has the makings of a future cult classic.

And now, behold…

James Cameron’s TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY and Phillip Kaufman’s INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS
Hi-Way Drive-In, Coxsackie – Saturday, August 16 & Sunday, August 17, Sunset

I feel like I’ve been slacking on my duty in telling you guys how fun the Sci-Way series has been this summer. I know some folks have been making the trek up to the Drive-In on the weekends for these films, as well as their other fantastic programming, but, like, really. If you haven’t been to one yet (and, if I’m being real, you’ve been missing out) make this your first one. We’ve only got a couple great weekends left of the summer, take advantage of them! And, anyhow, these are two consummate classics. The question of which Terminator movie is the best Terminator movie is hotly debated but, like, c’mon. Linda Hamilton in this movie is an archetypical sexual awakening character, right? T2 is really representative of fun, action sci-fi at its best. It’s schlocky, it’s serious, it’s got character, it's got life. On the flipside we have perhaps one of the most classic of the sci-fi films for this Summer, Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Often heralded as one of the greatest remakes of all time, the movie is rife with individual moments to point to for why it’s worth watching. The man-faced dog, Donald Sutherland’s whole performance (including the part that’s been immortalized as an internet reaction image, I know you know what I’m talking about). It’s unflinchingly political and brutally hopeless, and has inspired countless other filmmakers. This is the classics weekend y’all, we know you’ve seen em, we know you love em, and we hope to see you there. (1991, 137min; 1978, 115min)

Fritz Lang’s METROPOLIS 
Orpheum Theatre, Saugerties – Thursday, August 21, 7:30pm

Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (not to be confused with Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, confusing, I know) is perhaps one of the most important films of the advent of cinema, if not the whole of the 20th century. It’s not a mistake that Coppola’s flawed magnum opus invokes Metropolis in name and in spirit. The obsession with futurism and utopian critique are central to both films, though Lang’s vision is certainly more successful. Lang is one of the most influential filmmakers of all-time and Metropolis is probably his most ambitious work, blending biblical allegory, industrial politics, and class commentary with sumptuous, futuristic imagery. The film’s style is reminiscent of opera sets, embracing design elements familiar in futurism, art deco, and bauhaus style. This pastiche has created an indelible visual language that is immediately identifiable. The film was highly criticized upon its release, and its original 153-minute cut has been mostly lost to time, though there have been multiple restoration efforts to restore it to as near to the original as is possible. Upstate is presenting it with a soundtrack by the Smashing Pumpkins (music to my ears, literally). Like all of their silent film programming that features unique takes on soundtracks, this isn’t one to miss. Dreamlike and moving, I honestly can’t imagine a more fun way to experience this film for the first time than with this soundtrack. (1927, 153min)

Akira Kurosawa’s SEVEN SAMURAI
Story Screen, Hudson – Thursday, August 21, 7:00pm

We’re living in a brief window of time where, thanks to 4K remastering, Kurosawa films are being given some new life on the big screen. There’s a real soup of choices, and it’s hard to go wrong, but if you’re looking for an entry point into his filmography, this is a great place to start. Don’t be intimidated by that runtime. Kurosawa is an absolute master filmmaker and this is generally considered one of his best, if not his outright number one. Apparently, he edited this film at night DURING the shoot in order to bring it in on time. If you haven’t seen it, or you haven’t seen it on the big screen, you owe it to yourself. If cinema is church, this be Easter Sunday. (1954, 207min)

Jonathan Lynn’s CLUE
Olana State Historic Site, Hudson, presented by Upstate Films – Friday, August 22, 7:00pm

Is it just me or does it feel wrong that there is a “true” ending to Jonathan Lynn’s Clue? This cult classic is an adaptation of the board game Clue (or Cluedo, to our friends across the pond) originally released in the UK in 1943. We’re definitely in an era wherein “game” adaptations are more and more common, but Clue feels light-years away from something like the Minecraft movie or the Fallout Amazon series. This is a masterclass in camp, and a perfect example of very good very funny actors taking a pretty ridiculous premise and running as far as they can with it. The highlights of course are Tim Curry and Madeline Kahn as Wadsworth and Mrs. White respectively, but every time I rewatch this movie I find myself picking a new favorite. And, while I find it antithetical to the spirit of the film to watch the contemporary releases in which the three versions of the endings are stitched together, it does little to take away from the overall delight this film conjures. The fleshing out of a game that is ostensibly plotless outside of the necessity of a murder by playing with Hollywood tropes is done so deftly and, if you’re at all an aficionado of early Hollywood, the many winks and nods are better every time you notice them. I honestly can’t imagine a more fun way to watch this than at the tail end of the summer with a bunch of people on the property of a very, very historic home. (1985, 97min)