Hudson Valley Crucial Viewing June 6-June 19

What’s up moviegoers! We’re starting off the summer with a bang. If you didn’t get Brian’s email last week you might not know that this is our biggest month of programming ever. We’re presenting or co-presenting 8 (if I got my count right) films in the next four weeks, and we’ve got even more coming your way in July. If you want a sneak preview of what’s coming up, you can check out our swanky calendar, but you know we’re also gonna keep you updated here. Today’s newsletter is only covering KFF events, so I encourage you all to pop over the websites of your other favorite theaters to make sure you’re not missing out on anything. I’m personally really excited about the films for Upstate’s “Witching Hour” series this month. As always, we appreciate your continued support and we encourage you to reach out if you have any interest in helping out! Now, our feature presentations:

James Ivory’s MAURICE
Rough Draft, Kingston – Monday, June 9, 8:00pm

Have we talked about how obsessed I am with Merchant Ivory Productions? If I haven’t, well, that’s crazy, because I probably talk about it at least once a week in my day-to-day life. For the uninitiated – you know all those long, lush, boring period adaptations your mom probably loved in the 90s? That’s my boys. The geniuses behind Howard’s End, A Room with a View, and, (more contemporarily) Call Me By Your Name. Like A Room with a View and Howard’s End, Maurice is an adaptation of an E.M. Forster novel of the same name. Forster was a successful author in the Edwardian era and Maurice, his final work, was published posthumously due to its homosexual content. I absolutely adore this movie, and it was received extremely positively upon its release. Maurice has always been considered one of Forster’s lesser works, but the timing of the film’s release, and in particular its happy ending (still uncommon in Western films with queer content) made it stand out. The New Yorker called it “revelatory: a first glimpse, onscreen or anywhere, of what love between men could look like.” It also features a very young Hugh Grant in his second ever cinematic role. This one might be a slow mover, but it’s extremely tender-hearted, beautiful, and elegant. Merchant Ivory Productions are the masterclass in adaptation, and this one is particularly special (at least to me). (1987, 140min)

Yann Gonzalez’s KNIFE+HEART
Rosendale Theatre, Rosendale – Wednesday, June 11, 10:00pm 

When Rob asked us to collaborate on this special Pride month edition of the WTF Wednesdays series I was over the moon. I tend to be extremely sceptical and cautious about Pride celebrations and programming because we tend to overwrite or undersell the experiences of queer people. What makes me so excited about this series is how much it pushes at the borders and opens up queerness in all its valances. We’re kicking it off with Yann Gonzalez’s exploitative queer slasher, Knife+Heart. If you’re prone to squeamishness and can’t handle on screen violence, I’m gonna go right out and say this one is definitely not the one for you. If you’re a horror fan and you like your onscreen gore neon drenched and over the top, you’re in the right place. Gonzalez’s film follows a porn producer whose starlets keep getting murdered. The film artfully tows the line of exploitation, investigating the history of the porn industry as well as common queer horror tropes. The result is a thought-provoking ride that doesn’t sacrifice the fun for what’s going on under the surface. It’s like an orgy between Dario Argento, Kenneth Anger, and Tobe Hooper. What more could you ask for? (2018, 102min)

Alex Ross Perry’s PAVEMENTS w/ Director Q&A
Hi-Way Drive-In, Coxsackie – Thursday, June 12, 8:00pm

I am so unbelievably stoked for this movie. Here’s two facts about me: 1) I hate, hate, in fact, I abhor biopics, especially of the musical variety; 2) I love Pavement. With that in mind, you would think I would be predisposed to absolutely not be excited about this film, but! There are always exceptions. Alex Ross Perry’s film is a mish mash of genres, a tour de force of artistic vision that culminates in the least biopic-y biopic you can imagine. Dare I call it a spiritual, stylistic successor to Todd Hayne’s genius Dylan retrospective I’m Not There? Perhaps. I’ll let you decide. Part-biopic, part documentary, part musical, part… some other fourth thing I can’t quite put my finger on, this film oscillates between style and content and synthesizes a portrait not just of the legendary indie band, but also of Alex Ross Perry himself, his vision, his dedication, and his passion for the subject matter. This is one of those special things that can only be produced in this medium. It’s mimetic, it’s visual, it’s adaptive, and there is no format it could exist in but film. Plus, we’re presenting it at one of my favorite places in the world, and Greg and Brian will be conducting a Q&A with Perry. We couldn’t be more excited. (2024, 128min)

Jamie Babbit’s BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER
UPAC, Kingston – Friday, June 13, 7:30pm 

Look, if you’re even a little queer, you’ve probably seen But I’m a Cheerleader. It’s on probably every “best of” list for queer cinema. It’s an institution. It’s hyper-stylized, it’s lush, it’s fun, it’s satirical. It’s got Natasha Lyonne, it’s got RuPaul. Like, why wouldn’t you want to see this movie? The attention to detail is also incredible. Babbit was precise in all of her decision making, from attempting to cast as many people of color in roles as she could to combat the “racism at every level of making movies”, to the set dressings. She cited Edward Scissorhands, Barbie, and John Waters as influences in the art direction for True Directions (the conversion camp Lyonne is sent to). When I watch this movie now I do get this feeling of how did they get this made? The satire is turned up to 11 and it's not exactly subtle. The film is challenging not just our ideas about sexuality and gender, but also of our relationship to religion, to modern castes of popularity and status. Babbit manages to synthesize all of it and turn out a film that truly does deserve its cult classic status. In fact, really, it shouldn’t be cult at all. This one deserves a spot in the big leagues. (1999, 85min)

Gregg Araki’s NOWHERE
Rosendale Theatre, Rosendale – Wednesday, June 18, 7:30pm

Our second film for the QWEIRD series is a personal favorite of mine, Gregg Araki’s Nowhere. The last film in Araki’s “Teenage Apocalypse” trilogy, Nowhere is also not for the faint of heart. This was KFF’s pick for the series and we were weighing our options when it came to selecting a film. We knew pretty immediately that Araki would be a good fit, and there’s a lot to choose from when it comes to his work. We initially floated the idea of Mysterious Skin, but decided maybe we should pick one a little less heavy. “Less heavy” meaning, exploding boyfriends, alien abductions, televangelist-assisted suicide, etc etc. You kind of can’t show Araki without showing something that really digs into the wounds of youth, particularly the darkest edges of it. But I think that’s why he’s had such a lasting impact as a director, and why his films, though not always loved upon release, have garnered so much respect in subsequent years. Araki, I think, understands the psyche of the modern teenager in a way many writers and directors never manage to capture. Nowhere is pop-art, drug-fueled, and sex-addled but it has so much empathy spilling out at the corners that balance out its absurdity and its violence. Araki called it “Beverly Hills 90210 on acid” and I think that’s accurate, maybe and most especially because of its soap opera dramatics and emotionality. You might not leave this film feeling like “the kids are alright” but you will leave with an intense sense of catharsis, so long as you can hang on for the ride. (1997, 78min)