Hudson Valley Crucial Viewing: October 25- November 7

Spooky season is fully upon us, cinephiles, and the week leading up to Halloween is full of opportunities to see scary movies on the big screen. We’ve picked some excellent options for your viewing pleasure, as well as a couple of post-Halloween less scary fare. Bel’s going to tell you about most of them, and I’m going to hop back in the editorial chair for one or two as well.

Before we get into the list, some Kingston Film Foundation news. We just announced our next screening, which is Le Cercle Rouge at World’s End Comics in Uptown Kingston on November 10. Le Cercle Rouge is one of the first “arthouse” movies I ever saw in a theater, and for anyone who’s a fan of the heist genre, it’s among the very best ever made. It also serves as a great introduction to director Jean Pierre Melville, if you haven’t seen his work (and you should!)

Also, for those who haven’t heard already, we are working on the next phase of our mission, which is to bring a permanent theater space to Kingston. Meetings have been taken, progress has been made. We can’t get into the details yet, but we’re excited for when we can. In the meantime, you can help us out by getting involved or by donating!

Okay, let’s get into…

Barry Sonnenfeld's THE ADDAMS FAMILY
w/ Pumpkin Carving!
Story Screen Cinema, Hudson – Sunday, October 27, 4:00pm (Pumpkin Carving at 2:00pm)

Halloween movies are not always family friendly, but we’ve got one here that’s fun for almost everyone (PG-13, but that feels like a stretch.) The Addams Family was everywhere in 1991, which is kinda wild considering it was a first time director, and the production was notoriously past deadline and over budget. A blood vessel burst in Raul Julia’s eye at one point which halted filming for weeks. Although this was Barry Sonnenfeld’s directorial debut, but he had previously been a cinematographer on some heavy hitters. Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, and When Harry Met Sally, to name a few. He managed to overcome those production challenges and deliver a fun-as-hell reboot to the sixties TV show. Anjelica Huston supposedly based her performance of Morticia on Jerry Hall. Plus Christopher Lloyd as Fester and 10-year-old Christina Ricci making her big screen breakout as Wednesday. Bring the family, carve a pumpkin, and enjoy a fun Halloween classic. (1991, 99min)

Stanley Kubrick's THE SHINING
Orpheum, Saugerties – Wednesday, October 30 and Thursday, October 31, 7:00pm

I don’t trust people who say that The Shining is their favorite Stanley Kubrick movie. It’s a great flick, don’t get me wrong, but his catalog has so much more to offer. I do, however, totally trust people who say it's their favorite horror movie. The competition is steep, but it’s hard to overstate how unbelievably influential this film is, and how perfect the execution remains. I actually can’t count how many times I’ve watched this film and it still gets to me. I’m not a Stephen King purist, and I know he famously disliked the film (enough to write and produce his own version) but I can’t imagine a Shining that isn’t this Shining, you know? Kubrick indelibly impacted the horror lexicon both visually and tonally. The slow burn, the winding, labyrinthian hotel, the numerous, legendary sequences. We’ll parody and steal from this film forever. I’m wondering, too, are we all still obsessed with the conspiracy theories? The subliminal messaging? I never really got down with them, but it’s certainly part of why this film has made such an indelible mark. Have you seen it recently? I always feel like it’s been too soon but as soon as I watch it again I can’t remember why I waited so long. That’s as good a reason as I can think to recommend you go, don’t you think? (1980, 146min)

Joel Schumacher's THE LOST BOYS
Tinker Street Cinema, Woodstock – Thursday, October 31, 8:00pm

If you’ve got a finger on the pulse of Kingston bar gossip you may have heard that Kiefer Sutherland has love for the Stockade district’s bar scene. Just a few weeks ago I saw him sitting alone at a high top at Stockade Tavern, happily drinking scotch and scrolling on his phone. I’m not much of a celebrity sightings kind of guy but, when I realized he and I were nearly the only patrons in the bar, I was tempted to go over and express my admiration. What stopped me was that the only thing I could think to say to him was “wow you were in Lost Boys!” The thing is, though, I really do love Lost Boys. Loosely based around the stoner-esque idea of “what if Peter Pan was actually a vampire” the film takes Anne Rice’s sexy, grown-up vampires that ruled the 90s and fits them squarely into youth subculture without falling into the trap of parody or misunderstanding. This film, though at times goofy, campy, and of-its-time, still manages to be wholeheartedly cool. Kiefer Sutherland as David was what I wished I looked like when I was a teenager – self-consciously punk but endlessly enviable. The style and cast are probably the best part of the movie, but I can’t help but be charmed by the heart of the film: the earnest, contentious sweetness of the two brothers. As someone who was both the annoying younger sibling and the annoyed older sibling, this movie really understands the complicated, fraught love between siblings. Also! Great movie house. Add it to the list. It’s a perfect way to cap off the Halloween season. [Ed. note: Bel, the next time you’re alone in a bar with Kiefer Sutherland, you are fully authorized to tell him about Kingston Film Foundation. No pressure.] (1987, 97min)

Merchant Ivory's HOWARDS END
TSL, Hudson – opens Friday, November 1, 5:00pm

To those who know me well, it’s probably no surprise to learn that I was a freak for Merchant Ivory films as a kid. If you don’t know me, well, there you have it. I was a little nerd, okay? I love period pieces, and I love long, slow movies that are mostly about conversations and feature beautiful houses. I think you all know that by now. Merchant Ivory productions scratch all of the itches in my soul. Howard’s End is an adaptation of an E.M. Forster novel by the same name. Ivory previously produced two other adaptations of his work, A Room With a View and Maurice (ah Maurice, someday I’ll get to talk to you all about how much I love that movie. A seminal film for me…) Howard’s End is a class play, navigating the complicated societal demands of status, wealth, and position. One of my favorite things about period pieces is that class is always at the forefront of narratives, whether you realize it or not. These days we have a discomfort with those overt conversations, and while it might be easy to write off these kinds of dramas as irrelevant because of their focus on the upper echelons of Victorian society, they often have a lot to say beyond that sphere of wealth and status. There’s so much to say about why this movie works so well, and why it’s such a shining example of what Merchant Ivory did as a production company, but I can only demand your attention for so long. It’s an excellent performance from Anthony Hopkins’ and a fantastic showing from Emma Thompson (her performance here is what made her into a household name.) Ultimately, though, I want to leave you with this thought: if you were unfortunate enough to see Saltburn this year and thought, “wow, I wish this movie had had more to say about class and society” just go see Howard’s End. You won’t regret it. (1992, 142min)

Alfred Hitchcock’s THE LODGER
Rosendale Theatre, Rosendale – Sunday, November 3, 2:00pm

A unique opportunity to see a very early entry in Hitchcock’s oeuvre. Not unlike Yasujiro Ozu, Hitchcock got his start in the silent era, and his mastery of visual storytelling started out of necessity. Without giving too much away, you’ll see a number of hallmarks of Hitchcock’s later career on display in The Lodger. The ominous camera angles and clever lighting techniques really add to the suspense. So many great films of the silent era are lost forever, and we should all take the opportunity to see them on the big screen when we can. Plus live piano accompaniment, for just six bucks a ticket. A fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon! (1927, 120min)