Hudson Valley Crucial Viewing: September 13-26

Hey there readers. Sorry to leave you high and dry two weeks ago, there were a few life things going on, the deadline came and went…you’ve heard it before. Nevertheless, we’re back, and with some great recommendations for repertory film in the Hudson Valley over the next two weeks! Bel’s here to fill you in on the details in…

Jim Jarmusch's MYSTERY TRAIN
Headstone Gallery, Kingston – Saturday, September 14, 7:30pm

It’s been a few weeks since I last wrote one of these for Kingston Film Foundation and I can’t tell you how glad I am to have Mystery Train as the first film for this week. I was just in NYC for a week and I was glad to be reminded what a treat it is to finally have organizations in the Hudson Valley doing comparable repertory programming to what you can get nearly every day in the city. I saw Paris, Texas again at the IFC my first day down and was, as I always am, reminded of how much I adore Robby Muller’s work as a cinematographer. I’ve written a bit about him here before (he was Wim Wenders’ frequent collaborator) and in Mystery Train we see another fantastic example of his camera work. The film is drenched in dingy blues and hazy neons, capturing the imaginary nightlife and dark corners of Memphis with painterly attention. Beyond its striking visuals, it’s also an exceptionally fun anthology film, deftly weaving its barely interconnected stories through the flop house location it centers on. I always love Jim Jarmusch most when his sense for comedy shines through his literati film-making and Mystery Train finds the perfect fusion of the two. Plus, if you’re a fan of music from south of the Mason-Dixon, it’s a remarkable treat to watch Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ performance here. A perfect end to our summer series, in my opinion. (1989, 113min)

Joel and Ethan Coen's MILLER’S CROSSING
w/ director Joel Coen and actor John Turturro!
Starr Cinema, Rhinebeck – Monday, September 16, 7:00pm

If you like American mob movies and you haven’t seen Miller’s Crossing you’re doing yourself a serious disservice. There’s a reason the Coen brothers are some of the most legendary American directors working today and you can feel it even here, in their first film. Its script is complicated and delicately executed, and its performances easily rank it among the best gangster movies of the 20th century. I could go on and on about the script, the sumptuous, lush cinematography from Barry Sonnenfeld (in his last collaboration with the Coens before launching his own directorial career), or the unimpeachable soundtrack by Carter Burwell. Everything in this film synthesizes into a perfect realization of the Coens vision, the mood, the setting, and the characters occupying an expertly crafted world. Amongst the exceptional cast we also get a fantastic performance from John Turturro, an actor who I love and is often relegated to the sidelines. His sniveling, conniving performance as Bernie sets in motion the conflict of the film and he’s always been the standout for me, not that the other performances aren't equally exceptional. I think it's easy to forget the earlier work in directors careers and this is a perfect reason to revisit one of the reasons the Coen brothers are so great. (1990, 115min)

John Hughes’ THE BREAKFAST CLUB
Story Screen, Hudson – Thursday, September 19, 7:00pm

It’s really hard to know what to say about The Breakfast Club. I don’t have any proof but I think it’s probably one of the most referenced films of all time, right? One of the lasting cultural artifacts from the 1980s, it’s probably the movie that gets the most right about teenagehood. And yet for all it’s ubiquitousness it’s still so easy to find people of all ages posting online about watching it for the first time. I almost wonder if it’s become one of those movies everyone knows so well that we’re starting to forget to bother watching it. If anything, that's a good enough reason to go see it again. Beyond that though, it really does manage to synthesize expertly all of the angst, hormones, and terror of being young. Its strongest moments are predicated on conversation, allowing you to watch a bunch of grumpy kids learn to see each other and empathize for the first time. Plus, in a moment where the ever maligned romcom genre is having a resurgence, why not rewatch something from the king of teen romcoms, instead of the disappointing box office fare we’ve been getting. (1985, 97min)

Francis Ford Coppola's THE CONVERSATION
Orpheum, Saugerties – opens Friday, September 20

Can I take the temperature real quick on how we’re all feeling about Megalopolis? Francis Ford Coppola’s upcoming film is already mired in, well, let’s generously call it skepticism. I for one am extremely excited to see it and think it makes this month a perfect time to revisit some of his other work. Much of Coppola’s work ruminates on themes of power, control, and dynasty and The Conversation synthesizes these themes, set against the increased surveillance state and political powerhouse of the US in the latter half of the 20th Century. Conceptualized in the mid-1960s Coppola’s film eerily resonates with the Watergate scandal, which helped catapult its acclaim upon its release. It focuses heavily on paranoia and bureaucracy, and the downfall of Gene Hackman’s Harry Caul is the tragic result of his own participation in political surveillance. I particularly love Orpheum’s blurb about the film— describing Hackman’s performance as “clammy, [and] subtle.” It’s a claustrophobic film that captures paranoia so well and I think it is worth watching now, considering the ubiquitousness of surveillance in the present day. I won’t get conspiratorial about it, I promise, but just give it a watch and a think, okay? (1974, 113min)

Roviros Manthoulis' THE BLUES UNDER THE SKIN
TSL, Hudson – Sunday, September 22, 5:15pm

Did you go to the Les Blank screening at Tubby’s earlier this summer? If you did, and loved it (which I know you did, you have great taste) then you shouldn’t miss this film at TSL in Hudson at the end of this month. If you missed the Les Blank screenings and wish you’d been there, you should also go see this movie to make up for it. The Blues Under the Skin is a French television documentary released in 1973 and rarely shown in the US until recently. Greek documentarian Roviros Manthoulis traveled throughout the Mississippi Delta to capture American blues music and attempt to understand where the music comes from and how it came to represent a particular facet of American music. Amidst the documentarian lens there is also a love story between a young couple, but what strikes me most about the film is, much like Les Blank’s work, the incredible detail and candidness of the footage. Featuring performances and interviews from B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Mance Lipscomb (to name just a few), it’s a can’t miss rarity that offers a look into a genre of music and a piece of American history that was almost lost to time. If not for films like this, the Smithsonian archives, or the folklore movement in Baltimore in the 1970s, this music might have been completely lost to us. (1973, 88min)

Brian here with one last film announcement that doesn’t fit into our normal repertory listing but is definitely worth your time. On Sunday, September 22, at Hi-Way Drive-In in Coxsackie, we’re presenting the Hudson Valley debut of Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in Four Parts. Ben and Suzanne is the directorial debut of Shaun Seneviratne, a good old friend, who will be joining us a Hi-Way for a Q&A before the screening. Here’s some more info for the curious:

“There was once a movie called BEN AND SUZANNE, A REUNION IN 4 PARTS. It was the first narrative feature film by a Sri Lankan director to premiere in the US. It premiered at the South by Southwest film festival in 2024. The movie is a romantic comedy about a couple on vacation. It was shot on location in Sri Lanka. It was independently financed by the director, close friends, and family. It was made following a 10-year partnership with its lead actors where they made three short films exploring the relationship of Ben Santhanaraj and Suzanne Hopper, two characters that experience the different stages of a long-distance relationship (separating, separation, isolation, and reunion).

The project began production on July 11, 2023 and halted production two days later as the 2023 SAG-AFTRA Strike began. A week later, on the verge of pulling the plug on the entire production, the production received an Interim Agreement, which allowed for independent productions like theirs to continue shooting. The film was shot in 17 days across Sri Lanka. They shot on digital and film. The film was made with local Sri Lankan crew and features nonprofessional actors and the director’s family in key roles. The director has been developing this project for 14 years. The film was a feature debut for its actress, writer/director, producer, cinematographer, editor, and composer.

The movie is remembered for its charming performances, nuanced and frank dialogue, debatable and relatable perspectives, raunchy scenarios, film history references, on-location shooting, observational cinematography, elliptical editing, and genre-hopping soundtrack. The movie comments on modern relationships, distance, travel, desire, and duty.

See Also: Annie Hall, When Harry Met Sally, The Green Ray, The Shop Around the Corner, (500) Days of Summer, Y tu mamá también”

We’re very excited for this special screening, and we hope to see you there!