Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Not many, it would seem!

MovieNight stuff, Movies

woolf

As is usually the case, our Friday night, post-turkappocolypticâ„¢ screening was well attended (might one say “swamped”, as in “Hey Swampy?!”?) by a lovely crowd. Thanks to Julienne for reminding me how sharp and entertaining Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf  is (there are many updates pending on the Successful Suggesters page, when I get a chance, in case you’re wondering). I happened to stumble upon the Benny Hill spoof, Who’s Afraid of Virgin Wool, in the course of making the teaser for MovieNight this week and, of course, had to show it as the pre-movie short. FFS!

As is also usually the case of late, the ‘teen Acres Curried Apple Chutney partnered up with crackers and blue cheese for a late night feast.  Sadly/happily (take your pick), no leftover turkey made it to MovieNight this year. Thanks awfully to Sloan (he of the perfect beard) for making the olive dash. Much appreciated!

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Yella – Kiss and Tella

MovieNight stuff, Movies

Advertising Yella using the subject “Sex and Violence” certainly had the desired effect this week. It put bums on seats, as they say in the theater world. From my safe perch behind the bar, I was amused to see the “plot twist” slowly sinking into our audience. For those of you who weren’t here… it turns out that she was… (I’m kidding, of course. I know how to keep a secret!}

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Frances Ha – Hah!

Movies

Well, I never. I mean, I never expected this many people to come to our screening of Noah Baumbach’s beautifully realized Frances Ha. I figured that everyone in New York had already seen it, or that most would rather stream it on fucking Netflix*, in the relative safety of their homes, than venture out to MovieNight. I also thought all the macho guys who come here would probably think it a “chick flick”.

Whatever the reason(s), it was frustrating that so few (what I meant by “this many”) of you came this week. Is it something I said/did/didn’t say/didn’t do? I considered taking drastic measures; cutting people off the list, showing martial arts films, giving away free drinks**, even shaving. In the end, I decided that I love MovieNight the way it is. After all, the nine of us who were here for Frances Ha clapped at the end. Enough said.

*I say “fucking Netflix” because even though I love them dearly, I had cleared my entire DVD queue in order to get this Blu-ray on its release date, only to find that they started streaming it right away too. Welcome to the future, Richard.
**Wait a minute… doing that quite a bit already!

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Repo Man. Repo Can. Repo Could. Repo Would.

MovieNight stuff, Movies

OK. Notwithstanding this ostentatious post title… what a pleasure it was to see Alex Cox’s quirky masterpiece, Repo Man projected from a Blu-ray disc this week! I remembered its brilliance from umpteen enthralled viewings in London, back in the day, when there was often very little else to do after a night’s pubbing/clubbing than retire to whomever’s gaff and watch a VHS, with some vinegary fish and chips in hand. Ah… the olden days.

After the closing credits finished this week, some crazy dancing ensued, just like in the slightly less olden days. Then, a bit of red wine along and the now-famous combo of  ‘teen Acres Curried Apple Chutney and blue cheese… and then, goodnight. Perfect.

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Knife in the Water. Stays sharp for over fifty years!

Movies

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Roman Polanski’s first feature pulled in a sizable crowd this week… including a bunch of newbies who couldn’t believe their luck in discovering MovieNight. I love that, but frankly, I was a bit surprised. Why? Because often the mere mention that a film is Polish can turn people off. Even Poles react this way, perhaps out of a tormented self-loathing. Poles are strange and lovely. Yet, I digress…

Knife in the Water turned out to be a great MovieNight choice. On its surface (pun intended), the movie is very economical; two men (one older and wealthy, the other a young drifter, living rough) competing for the attention of a young woman on a sailboat. The dialogue is somewhat sparse (indeed, there are many lines that pass without subtitles), but the camera work and shot blocking are nothing short of genius. As the balance of power shifts back and forth between the two men, changes in the wind direction cause the boat’s boom to swing from side to side. Lots of symbolism here, and lots that I’ve managed to miss during past viewings. Also, some pretty innuendo-laced dialog: “Get down there. Get in the fo’c’s’le. You’ll find a box there. There’s a rag in the box.” A rag in the box? Pullease!

Our slightly smaller space is actually nicer as a screening room; more intimate, quieter. And howz about them apples [home-made ‘teen Acres apple chutney with Stilton cheese. Yumski!]?

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