Weekend Viewing - Top 5 NY Movies
Posted by Vito Delsante on Sunday, February 11 2007 at 7:08 am
Hey cats and kittens, Vito from STUCK here. As you know by now, STUCK is the story of a train that is stuck on the Manhattan Bridge…specifically, a car at the back of the train…during a terrorist attack. If you haven’t read STUCK yet, by all means, check out Chapter One, Two and Three (which is on a short break as we try to catch up on art and scripts). As a small distraction, I was asked by site guru, Chris Arrant, to list my favorite movies that take place in NY. Seems he wanted me to make sure that you all know that I love this city. It’s where I keep my stuff, as the Tick once said. And I do love this city; there’s plenty to love. And these movies also love NY. So, get your NetFlix queue cued up and watch these movies (in no order):
1. 
Annie Hall - There are only two directors in the entire world of filmmaking that truly love New York, and one of them is Woody Allen. There are a bunch of movies I could have picked, but Annie Hall captures the zeitgeist of NY in the 70’s so perfectly, that there are no other choices. Bonus - I have a huge crush on Diane Keaton.
2. 
The 25th Hour - Spike Lee is another director that loves NY (but he’s not the other director alluded to above). I was half tempted to say Do The Right Thing, but that’s an ode to Brooklyn. The 25th Hour is an ode to post 9-11 NY, which is right up STUCK’s alley.
3. 
The Warriors - There is no better movie to show the true span of NY than this one. We start in NYC and have a long night ahead of us as we, with the Warriors, have to make it back to Coney Island (in Brooklyn) to prove our innocence. Walter Hill, who directed, also did The Getaway, which is a classic Steve McQueen movie…but it doesn’t take place in NYC.
4. 
A Bronx Tale - For all the recent attention that this movie has received, mostly negative, do not, DO NOT, underestimate this movie. Directed by New Yorker, Robert De Niro, based on actor Chazz Palminteri’s childhood, this is an amazing snapshot of NY in the 60’s…particularly, in the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx. It’s the subtle details that make this movie a favorite.
5. 
GoodFellas - And here’s the other NY Director, alluded to in #1. Martin Scorcese is New York. And while GoodFellas takes place in Queens, the spectre of the big city is always in the background. Paired with A Bronx Tale, you have a great snapshot of the neighborhoods and outer boroughs that make NY what it is and made NY what it was. If you don’t already own this movie, then put this at the top of your list.
Other Favorites - Hair (hippies in Viet Nam era NY); Party Girl (Parker Posey is exactly every girl I knew at that time); Gangs of New York (Bill the Butcher rules); The Godfather (it’s so easy to forget that this is a NY movie because you become so engrossed in the Corleone’s lives); The Professional (Gary Oldman is the greatest actor of our time…quote me); Die Hard With A Vengeance (another movie that spans the entire city and shows the true size of NY); Taxi Driver (De Niro and Scorcese…’nuff said).
What about you? What are your favorite NY based films? Post ‘em here and let’s get to talkin’ ’bout ‘em.
That’s all from me. Check out THE SYSTEM by STUCK co-creator, Tom Williams, and writer, Tony Goins, this Monday!
-Vito
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Comment by Steven
Posted Sunday, February 11, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Here’s a few more to add to the list…
Dog Day Afternoon: Sidney Lumet’s heist flick has so many classic New York touches, like the news crews, the hot dog vendors, the rubberneckers everywhere cheering for people they barely know.
Quick Change: While it’s not a genius comedy — I suspect the book’s a more satisfying read — Bill Murray, Randy Quaid and Geena Davis get ensnared in a huge kaleidoscope of stereotypical mid-80s NYC characters and situations. It’s candy, but good candy.
Ghostbusters & Ghostbusters 2: ’nuff said.
Moscow on the Hudson
I also have a soft spot in my heart for Cradle Will Rock … while it’s pretty wildly inaccurate in its portrayal of historical events — a few of the actor-characters were invented by changing names and blending together several people’s events…the Italian immigrant actor, Aldo Silvano for example, didn’t exist — Tim Robbins really brought to life New Deal-era NY in a way few filmmakers have, both its poverty and its glamour.
Comment by Vito
Posted Monday, February 12, 2007 at 12:36 am
Dog Day Afternoon almost made the cut!
Comment by Tom W.
Posted Monday, February 12, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Annie Hall & Good Fellas would have been my picks. Even though he was born in Ohio, I associate Jim Jarmusch alot with New York. Night on Earth (not wholy in NYC), and Coffee & Cigarettes. Blue in the Face is another good one.