Hudson Valley Crucial Viewing: March 15- March 28

Hello movie heads! Special welcome to the new followers who made their way here after last week’s Chronogram article about our endeavor. We truly appreciate all the excitement out there for our screenings. We’ve got a new Movie About Movies coming this Saturday at Headstone Gallery, as well as the grand opening of The Mark at The Orpheum and a couple of other great second-run offerings at The Starr in Rhinebeck. Let’s dive into…

Robert Altman's THE PLAYER
Headstone Gallery, Kingston – Saturday, March 16, 7:00pm

Yes, that’s right, it’s us, Kingston Film Foundation. We’re continuing our series of Movies About Movies with this late-career Robert Altman gem, full of mystery, thrills, hilarity, intrigue, and meta-commentary on Hollywood and the death of American filmmaking at the hands of capital. What more could you ask for? How about cameos by Bruce Willis, Cher, Lily Tomlin, Malcolm McDowell and a veritable who’s who of early 90s stars. Even Peter Falk! Anytime that Peter Falk plays himself, the movie is probably a good one. We think it’s worth your time (we’re biased). (1992, 124min)

SS Rajamouli's RRR
Orpheum, Saugerties – Sunday, March 17, 6:00pm

There are a number of interesting movies being shown as part of the Grand Opening of The Mark, but if I could only pick one, it would be this one. An absolutely gonzo over the top epic action film that takes the names of two Indian revolutionaries fighting against British colonial rule, and does away with any pretense of historical accuracy. Instead, you get superhuman feats of strength, big old school action sequences with a thousand extras running around, and the Naatu Naatu, a deserving winner of the Academy Award for Best Song. It’s going to give that great new Dolby Atmos sound system a real workout. (2022, 187min)

Ingmar Bergman's THE SEVENTH SEAL
Bardavon, Poughkeepsie – Thursday, March 21, 7:30pm

An arthouse classic that everyone deserves a chance to see on thie big screen. It’s been said that the film’s cinematography is so beautiful that you don’t even need the subtitles to enjoy it. The Seventh Seal’s cultural footprint is so wide that it’s the film that connected movies to the art world. essentially creating arthouse cinema, and it also inspired the second Bill and Ted movie and one of my favorite Muppets segments of all time. Another great FREE offering as part of the Bardavon’s Game Changers series. (1957, 96min)

Adrian Lyne's JACOB’S LADDER
with screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin
Starr Cinema, Rhinebeck – Saturday, March 23, 11:00am

I have to say, this is pretty early in the day for a psychological horror movie that filters The Tibetan Book of the Dead through Vietnam War-era PTSD. Don’t let that stop you from seeing Jacob’s Ladder on the big screen, where its disorienting visuals are maximally effective. A breakout dramatic role for Tim Robbins (he's everywhere this month.) An added draw is the post-show conversation between screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin and documentary filmmaker and author Paul Cronin. (1990, 113min)