Hudson Valley Crucial Viewing: July 19- August 1

Hey everyone! Boy, it’s hot. Real dog days. It was great to see those of you who braved the heat to enjoy KFF’s presentation of M. Hulot’s Holiday at Headstone Gallery this past Saturday. We’ll be back at Headstone on August 10 with La Cienaga, a unique and adventurous film by Argentinian director Lucretia Martel which you can learn more about here. In the meantime, the second half of July has some excellent offerings throughout the Hudson Valley. Let’s turn things over to Bel with…

Akira Kurosawa's SEVEN SAMURAI
New 4K Restoration!
Orpheum, Saugerties – Opens Friday, July 19

It’s hard to say anything new about Akira Kurosawa’s magnum opus, Seven Samurai. For a lot of people I knew in film school it was one of those movies everyone wanted to cite as the thing that first got them into “cinema.” When you’re 18 and trying to flex on all the kids in your freshman seminar, it looks good to say that your favorite movie is one of the most influential films of all time, you know? I, on the other hand, didn’t watch Seven Samurai for the first time until probably my sophomore year of college. I knew about it, I had seen other Kurosawa films by that point, I’d even watched segments of it in lectures and on my own, but I just didn’t really know why I had to see it. Believe me though, you really do need to watch it. It’s almost impossible to quantify how many directors and writers have been inspired by this movie. If you like westerns of the late 20th century or any ensemble action blockbusters of today, they probably owe a great deal to Seven Samurai. For all that Kurosawa revolutionized action narratives and their style, he also achieved a feat of humanistic storytelling. Just watch this delightfully edited highlight video from the Criterion Collection and commit to going. It’s probably one of the better ways to spend 3 hours. If you sat through Dune you can sit through this, okay? (1954, 207min)

Vittorio de Seca's BICYCLE THIEVES
Time and Space Ltd, Hudson – Saturday, July 20, 3:00pm; Tuesday, July 23, 5:15pm

Both Seven Samurai and Bicycle Thieves are two films that shaped me when I was but a wee little baby in film school. I’ve talked a bit in the past about neo-realism, which is one of my favorite 20th century film movements (if you couldn’t tell.) I nearly focused my film studies on Italian cinema, specifically because of this movement (and only gave up because of my absolute lack of language skills…) Bicycle Thieves and Rome, Open City (dir. Roberto Rossellini) are probably the two films most commonly cited when getting a primer on the style. Where Rossellini’s film is more intense and intimately related to the culture of post-war Italy, Bicycle Thieves couches its politics in an emotional story about a struggling father and his son. It straddles the line by remaining lighthearted and comedic while still ruminating on tragedy and poverty. It has an incredible performance from Lamberto Maggiorani, who was not a trained actor and whose life after the success of the film eerily resonates with his character. It also has one of the most memorable child characters of all time. I think about this scene regularly. This movie is a perfect synthesis of class politics, familial bonds, and documentarian landscape photography. It’s a beautiful example of an very influential movement in cinema. (1948, 89min)

Jim Henson's THE DARK CRYSTAL
Tinker Street Cinema, Woodstock – Saturday, July 27, 7:00pm; Sunday, July 28, 7:00pm

Have you ever played the Muppet game when you’re hanging out with a group of people? If you haven’t, let me tell you about it. Basically, pick any movie you love and recast it with the Muppets. You can go mainline, you can get obscure, you can keep one human actor (or multiple). Basically there are no rules except “what if [insert movie], but Muppets?” It is one of my favorite games of all time. All of this to say, I’m kind of a freak for Jim Henson. Dark Crystal is sort of a hard one to recommend to people. I’d argue it’s Henson’s weirdest project, and the least easy to get your teeth into if you go in with expectations about his more commercial work. Its uncannily realistic puppets and dark fantasy elements put it in a league with the Henson work you’ve seen in Labyrinth or The Neverending Story. While it wasn’t a bust commercially and has garnered a cultish following in the decades since its release, its initial reception was controversial due to its dark, heady tone. I have fuzzy memories of seeing it when I was very young, and it scared the sh*t out of me. I think it’s good for kids to get a little scared by things and this was definitely on my list. It has a rich tapestry of history and lore to keep you engaged, and if you’re a practical effects buff the animatronics and puppets will blow your mind. It’s probably my favorite Henson work on technical standards alone. (1982, 93min)

Griffin Dunne's PRACTICAL MAGIC
Story Screen, Hudson – Sunday, July 28, 4:00pm

It’s been so hard to keep all of these write ups succinct this week because I love all four of these movies. Brian wrote to me a few times last week to see what films I would be interested in writing about for you all and when he told me Practical Magic was an option I couldn’t have been happier. This movie has such a special place in my heart. When I was around 12 my mom started showing me a slew of movies that were her favorites when she was younger. Amongst the Meg Ryan flicks and the Jane Austen adaptations was Practical Magic. What a perfect movie. Like Desperately Seeking Susan from last week it’s a great example of a film about female relationships that doesn’t revolve around jealousy or resentment. Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman are both (pardon me) SO HOT and have such iconic performances. I feel like you can trace the modern interest in “witchy” everything to the aesthetics of this movie. Also it has the most enviable house in all of cinematic history, if I’m being totally real with you. Don’t lie, we’d all kill to live in that damn house. It was devastating to find out that it was a set that they tore down after filming was over. This is another movie for me where it’s hard to know how to tell you to watch it. It’s kind of an “if you know you know” situation. So I guess if you don’t, why not find out? It’s got romance, it's got magic, it’s set in a seaside town, the soundtrack is straight bangers all the way through. What more could you ask for? (1998, 104min)

Ashley Sabin & David Redmon's KIM’S VIDEO
plus post-show Q&A with directors Ashley Sabin and David Redmon
Starr, Rhinebeck – Thursday, August 1, 7:00pm

Hey, it’s Brian again. I know this is a first run movie and violates the normal rules of our newsletter, but Kim’s Video was a special place for me. As a kid growing up in New Jersey, I spent a good amount of my high school and early college life taking the train into the city for some culture. This almost always included a stop at Kim’s location on St. Mark’s Place, to me the greatest record/movie store that ever existed. Their selection of everything was unparalleled, and there was always a chance you’d see Parker Posey or Ethan Hawke flipping through the stacks with you. Here’s an oral history if you want to know more. The closing of the store is shrouded in mystery; this documentary aims to solve that mystery, and track down its legendary film archive. (2023, 85min)