Brian de Palma’s 1984 “Body Double”
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“Body Double is an exhilarating exercise in pure filmmaking, a thriller in the Hitchcock tradition in which there's no particular point except that the hero is flawed, weak, and in terrible danger -- and we identify with him completely.”
-Chicago Sun-Times
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Body Double is a neo-erotic thriller appropriate only for mature audiences. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Brian de Palma’s 1984 “Body Double”
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“Body Double is an exhilarating exercise in pure filmmaking, a thriller in the Hitchcock tradition in which there's no particular point except that the hero is flawed, weak, and in terrible danger -- and we identify with him completely.”
-Chicago Sun-Times
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Body Double is a neo-erotic thriller appropriate only for mature audiences. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
George Roy Hill’s 1969 "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“An all-time classic…A whimsical Western that superbly blends action, humor and the power of myth making.”
-Journal and Courier
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid is an exceptional entry into the Western genre, so integral to the American film canon. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
George Roy Hill’s 1969 "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“An all-time classic…A whimsical Western that superbly blends action, humor and the power of myth making.”
-Journal and Courier
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid is an exceptional entry into the Western genre, so integral to the American film canon. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
John Schlesinger’s 1976 "Marathon Man"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“...yet everything else here — the gritty supporting players, the conspiracy theories and the Central Park finale — marks the pinnacle of 1970s paranoia thrillers, as Hoffman’s Jewish graduate student is sucked into a shadowy world of postwar spooks.”
-Times (UK)
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Marathon Man boasts a brilliant script, with twists and turns all the way up to the end. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
John Schlesinger’s 1976 "Marathon Man"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“...yet everything else here — the gritty supporting players, the conspiracy theories and the Central Park finale — marks the pinnacle of 1970s paranoia thrillers, as Hoffman’s Jewish graduate student is sucked into a shadowy world of postwar spooks.”
-Times (UK)
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Marathon Man boasts a brilliant script, with twists and turns all the way up to the end. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Alan Parker’s 1978 "Midnight Express"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“Midnight Express is a sordid and ostensibly true story about a young American busted for smuggling hash in Turkey and his subsequent harsh imprisonment and later escape.”
-Variety
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Midnight Express is a terrifying rumination on imprisonment. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Alan Parker’s 1978 "Midnight Express"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“Midnight Express is a sordid and ostensibly true story about a young American busted for smuggling hash in Turkey and his subsequent harsh imprisonment and later escape.”
-Variety
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Midnight Express is a terrifying rumination on imprisonment. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Michael Mann’s 1992 "The Last of the Mohicans"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“Daniel Day-Lewis proves once again that he is one of those chameleons who can play absolutely anything with complete conviction.”
-Los Angeles Times
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, The Last of the Mohicans is a breathless romantic adventure, with breakneck action. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Michael Mann’s 1992 "The Last of the Mohicans"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“Daniel Day-Lewis proves once again that he is one of those chameleons who can play absolutely anything with complete conviction.”
-Los Angeles Times
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, The Last of the Mohicans is a breathless romantic adventure, with breakneck action. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Roman Polanski’s 1974’s "Chinatown"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“In its total recapturing of a past, in its plot, its vivid characterizations, its carefully calculated and accelerating pace, its whole demonstration of a medium mastered, Chinatown reminds you again that motion pictures are larger, not smaller than life.”
-Los Angeles Times
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Chinatown is a potent story based on the real history of California’s “water wars.” Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Roman Polanski’s 1974’s "Chinatown"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“In its total recapturing of a past, in its plot, its vivid characterizations, its carefully calculated and accelerating pace, its whole demonstration of a medium mastered, Chinatown reminds you again that motion pictures are larger, not smaller than life.”
-Los Angeles Times
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Chinatown is a potent story based on the real history of California’s “water wars.” Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Michael Cimino’s 1985 "Year of the Dragon"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“The bottom line: Year of the Dragon is a first-rate cops vs the mob melodrama that restores Michael Cimino's reputation as a gifted filmmaker.”
-Associated Press
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Year of the Dragon is a thrill ride all the way through. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Michael Cimino’s 1985 "Year of the Dragon"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“The bottom line: Year of the Dragon is a first-rate cops vs the mob melodrama that restores Michael Cimino's reputation as a gifted filmmaker.”
-Associated Press
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Year of the Dragon is a thrill ride all the way through. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Sam Peckinpah’s 1972 "The Getaway"
“An entertaining film that is only made better with some McQueen action”
- Newell Todd
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, The Getaway is a must-see entry in Steve McQueen’s filmography. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Sam Peckinpah’s 1972 "The Getaway"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“An entertaining film that is only made better with some McQueen action”
- Newell Todd
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, The Getaway is a must-see entry in Steve McQueen’s filmography. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Sidney Lumet’s 1976 "Network"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“This tale of a failing network that feeds on the mental breakdown of one of its anchors, cannibalising itself for ratings, feels as savagely relevant now as it did when it was released nearly 40 years ago.”
-Times (UK)
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Network is a mind-bending black comedy. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Sidney Lumet’s 1976 "Network"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“This tale of a failing network that feeds on the mental breakdown of one of its anchors, cannibalising itself for ratings, feels as savagely relevant now as it did when it was released nearly 40 years ago.”
-Times (UK)
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, Network is a mind-bending black comedy. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Robert Altman’s 1971 "McCabe and Mrs. Miller"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“One of the best of Altman's early movies, using classic themes -- the ill-fated love of gambler and whore, the gunman who dies by the gun, the contest between little man and big business -- to produce a non-heroic Western.”
-Time Out
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, this film is a must-see entry to the Western genre. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Robert Altman’s 1971 "McCabe and Mrs. Miller"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“One of the best of Altman's early movies, using classic themes -- the ill-fated love of gambler and whore, the gunman who dies by the gun, the contest between little man and big business -- to produce a non-heroic Western.”
-Time Out
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based on the American New Wave, this film is a must-see entry to the Western genre. Guest curator of film Marc Eliot has recorded pre- and post- talks for a deeper dive into the film.
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Jacques Deray’s 1969 "The Swimming Pool" (French, English Subtitles)
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“Pretty people behaving poorly in beautiful settings is something we don't see as much of in cinema as we used to. This is a master class in the subgenre, and one of unusual depth.”
- New York Times
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, this French language film is a visual stunner. This film is part of an in-person film festival, where guest curator of film Marc Eliot will give pre- and post- talks live and in person!
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
William Friedkin’s 1971 "The French Connection"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“The French Connection has the gritty authenticity of a first-rate documentary. When it looks cold outside, baby, you know it was.”
-Los Angeles Times
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based off of the American New Wave, The French Connection is a gritty chase that will thrill you the whole time. This film is part of an in-person film festival, where guest curator of film Marc Eliot will give pre- and post- talks live and in person!
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Peter Bogdanovich’s 1971 "The Last Picture Show"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“Bogdanovich, with this slice of American Gothic, [has] given us one of the best picture shows of the the year.”
-New York Daily News
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based off of the American New Wave, The Last Picture Show is a film you don’t want to miss. This film is part of an in-person film festival, where guest curator of film Marc Eliot will give pre- and post- talks live and in person!
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 "The Godfather Part II"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“One of the most ambitious and brilliantly executed American films, a landmark work from one of Hollywood's top cinema eras.”
-Chicago Tribune
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based off of the American New Wave, The Godfather Part II is a sequel that actually lives up to it’s predecessor. This film is part of an in-person film festival, where guest curator of film Marc Eliot will give pre- and post- talks live and in person!
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Martin Scorsese’s 1973 "Mean Streets"
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
“Scorsese is exceptionally good at guiding his largely unknown cast to near-flawless recreations of types. Outstanding in this regard is De Niro.”
-Variety
Part of a new cycle of Marc Eliot’s Art of Film, based off of the American New Wave, Mean Streets is the film that gave De Niro his career. This film is part of an in-person film festival, where guest curator of film Marc Eliot will give pre- and post- talks live and in person!
Sponsored by Kathy and Harry Puterbaugh, Drs. Darrel and Jane Gumm, Nancy Snowden, Film Society
Marc Allégret’s 1956 Plucking the Daisy.
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Marc Allégret’s 1956 Plucking the Daisy
This French comedy stars Brigitte Bardot (what more can anyone ask for?) in her final film before she appeared later that year in husband Roger Vadim’s myth-making Et Dieu…creaté la femme - And God Created Woman, one of the films that inspired Godard and anticipated the French New Wave. In Daisy, all the Bardot magic and sex-kitten appeal are on full display. This little-seen-in-America film is a gem of ‘50s family-friendly French sex comedies The Los Angeles Times called it "a most delightful, naughty and very funny comedy...Bardot strikes pure gold…it’s strictly a fun show that doesn't try to prove a thing.” See it and you will go home smiling, with an insatiable appetite for a glass of French champagne. Viva la cinema Français, et Viva La Bardot!
Alexander Hall’s 1947 Down to Earth
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Alexander Hall’s 1947 Down to Earth
The sequel to Hall’s Here Comes Mr. Jordan, with several cast members from the original reappearing, including Edward Everett Horton and James Gleason. The film stars Rita Hayworth at her most glamorous and Larry Parks, best-known for his portrayal of Al Jolson in two biographical films that made Parks one of the biggest stars of the ‘40s. His career was cut short a few years later by the “blacklisting” hearings conducted by HUAC in the late ‘40s and early ‘50s, one of the major tragedies of the studio era. Highly entertaining, this is a perfect Sunday brunch of a movie. Come see it!
Michael Powell’s and Emeric Pressburger’s 1946 A Matter of Life and Death
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Michael Powell’s and Emeric Pressburger’s 1946 A Matter of Life and Death
Powell and Pressburger’s ‘40s partnership (their best-known work is 1948’s classic The Red Shoes) represents the finest product of British Cinema produced in the immediate post-war years that preceded the arrival of that country's era of neo-realistic urban “kitchen sink” '50s films, spearheaded by the stage and screen work of John Osborne [no boldface anywhere in this email; something screwy in email-ed note]. Among the shamefully critical under-examination of London’s studio output of the ‘40s, A Matter of Life and Death stands out as one of the best films of its generation. A highly stylized, stiff-upper-lip treatment of a familiar Hollywood trope. The film stars David Niven, one of the so-called “Brit-Pack” of British ex-pats who found fame and fortune in American film, was also among of the few who returned to the homeland to enlist and serve in World War Two. He became a highly decorated English Army hero, a fan favorite and a future Academy Award winner for Best Actor (Delbert Mann’s 1958 Separate Tables). A Matter of Life and Death “borrows” heavily from both Victor Fleming’s 1939 The Wizard of Oz, and Hall’s 1941 Here Comes Mr. Jordan. If you’ve never seen it, this one is mandatory viewing (and incredibly entertaining). And if you have, see it again, if only for the escalator to heaven built at great expense for this production (the American release title was Stairway to Heaven, and served as the inspiration for the Led Zeppelin classic. There has simply never been a magical effect like it! Only marginally profitable, the film may have been too stylized for it’s time, but is, today, considered a classic of British Cinema.
Warren Beatty’s 1978 Heaven Can Wait
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Warren Beatty’s 1978 Heaven Can Wait
The hugely successful remake of Here Comes Mr. Jordan, released through Paramount Pictures. This is a great opportunity to compare the two versions. Beatty, at the height of his career, following his leap to superstardom after his appearance in Arthur Penn’s 1967 Bonnie and Clyde and in Hal Ashby’s 1975 Shampoo, produced, directed (with Buck Henry), wrote (with the legendary Elaine May), and cast his then-girlfriend, Julie Christie as his romantic interest in the role played by Evelyn Keyes in the original, the great character actor Jack Warden as “Max,” and Art of Film favorite James Mason as Mr. Jordan, played by Claude Rains in 1941. Nominated for nine Academy Awards, it won for Art Direction (Paul Sylbert, Edwin O’Donovan and George Gaines). From a $6 million budget, Heaven grossed a phenomenal $99 million in its initial release. A must-see chance to experience late ‘70s independent movie-making at its most expansive.
Alexander Hall’s 1941 Here Comes Mr. Jordan
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Alexander Hall’s 1941 Here Comes Mr. Jordan
One of the most popular films of 1941, nominated for seven Academy Awards and winner of two, this clever satire won universal rave reviews, including from the New York Times: "Columbia has assembled its brightest people for a delightful and totally disarming joke at heaven's expense…a gay, witty, tender and not a little wise. It is also one of the choicest comic fantasies of the year.”
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
A comedic send-up of the grim circumstances of the Middle Ages as told through the story of King Arthur and framed by a modern-day murder investigation. When the mythical king of the Britons leads his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail, they face a wide array of horrors, including a persistent Black Knight, a three-headed giant, a cadre of shrubbery-challenged knights, the perilous Castle Anthrax, a killer rabbit, a house of virgins, and a handful of rude Frenchmen. Rated PG
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
A comedic send-up of the grim circumstances of the Middle Ages as told through the story of King Arthur and framed by a modern-day murder investigation. When the mythical king of the Britons leads his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail, they face a wide array of horrors, including a persistent Black Knight, a three-headed giant, a cadre of shrubbery-challenged knights, the perilous Castle Anthrax, a killer rabbit, a house of virgins, and a handful of rude Frenchmen. Rated PG
Gavin O’Conner’s 2011 Warrior
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Gavin O’Conner’s 2011 Warrior
The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.
“The movie is so skillfully made, and the performances are so convincingly real (Hardy is sensational), that, as it reaches its cathartic, winning finish, it achieves a surprising compassion and honesty.”
- New Yorker
Gavin O’Conner’s 2011 Warrior
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Gavin O’Conner’s 2011 Warrior
The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.
“The movie is so skillfully made, and the performances are so convincingly real (Hardy is sensational), that, as it reaches its cathartic, winning finish, it achieves a surprising compassion and honesty.”
- New Yorker
Jonathan Demme’s 1993 Philadelphia
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Jonathan Demme’s 1993 Philadelphia
When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
“[An] extremely well-made message picture about tolerance, justice and discrimination is pitched at mainstream audiences, befitting its position as the first major Hollywood film to directly tackle the disease.”
- Variety
Jonathan Demme’s 1993 Philadelphia
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Jonathan Demme’s 1993 Philadelphia
When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
“[An] extremely well-made message picture about tolerance, justice and discrimination is pitched at mainstream audiences, befitting its position as the first major Hollywood film to directly tackle the disease.”
- Variety
Richard Lester’s 1965 Help!
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Richard Lester’s 1965 Help!
Sir Ringo Starr finds himself the human sacrifice target of a cult, and his fellow members of The Beatles must try to protect him from it.
”The boys themselves are exuberant and uninhibited in their own genial way.”
- New York Times
Richard Lester’s 1965 Help!
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Richard Lester’s 1965 Help!
Sir Ringo Starr finds himself the human sacrifice target of a cult, and his fellow members of The Beatles must try to protect him from it.
”The boys themselves are exuberant and uninhibited in their own genial way.”
- New York Times
Hal Kanter’s 1957 Loving You
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Hal Kanter’s 1957 Loving You
A musician and a publicist help a delivery man achieve stardom.
“Presley is enthusiastic, not a bit self-conscious and shows potential acting ability”
- New York Reader
Hal Kanter’s 1957 Loving You
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Hal Kanter’s 1957 Loving You
A musician and a publicist help a delivery man achieve stardom.
“Presley is enthusiastic, not a bit self-conscious and shows potential acting ability”
- New York Reader
Bob Fosse’s 1972 Cabaret
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Bob Fosse’s 1972 Cabaret
A female girlie club entertainer in Weimar Republic era Berlin romances two men while the Nazi Party rises to power around them.
“Everybody in Cabaret is very fine, and meticulously chosen for type, down to the last weary transvestite and to the least of the bland, blond open-faced Nazis in the background”
- New York Times
Bob Fosse’s 1972 Cabaret
Marc Eliot’s Art of Film
Bob Fosse’s 1972 Cabaret
A female girlie club entertainer in Weimar Republic era Berlin romances two men while the Nazi Party rises to power around them.
“Everybody in Cabaret is very fine, and meticulously chosen for type, down to the last weary transvestite and to the least of the bland, blond open-faced Nazis in the background”
- New York Times