NYC celebrated on film

King Kong – You know the story. A rock’em sock’emshow business empresario takes off for a place unknown in order tobring back a beast of legend. Why? Because he wants to. Because heand his crew are going to be millionaires. In order to accomplishthis, he enlists a bunch of merchant seamen, disrupts the life andfragile fauna of a “more backward civilization” withthe assistance of these modern conquistadores, and captures thewildest thing known of in creation. He takes the Wild Thing back toNew York City, where it goes berserk, grabs blond woman, anddestroys everything in sight until it is brought down by the forcesof “civilization”. No excuses, it’s a legend.

Ghostbusters – Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and ErnieHudson star as a quartet of Manhattan based “paranormalinvestigators.” When their government grants run out, they gointo business as “Ghostbusters, Inc.” Armed withelectronic gadgets, the team is spectacularly successful, riddingThe Big Apple of ghouls and ghosts.

Godfather – Coined the greatest mobster movie of all tiim, TheGodfather is one of those classics that refuses to sit on the self.The story of Don Corleone and his family takes place in New YorkCity during a time when cops played runner up to gangsters andtheir hoodlums.

The Muppets Take Manhattan – In the third full-lengthMuppet film, the gang travels to NYC. What’s particularlynice about this adventure is that it’s an affectionate loveletter to Hollywood musicals of yore, without being overlyparodying. There are fun cameos, terrific songs, and, of course,great usage of NYC locations.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – This 1961 classic featuresthe essence of New York at its core – it’s shopping.Audrey Hepburn plays a high-priced escort always looking for thefiner things in life – like diamonds. Breakfast AtTiffany’s is an essential for any movie marathon.

25th Hour – Spike Lee gift as a filmmaker shinesat its brightest in this tale of redemption and choices. With theshadow of 9/11 looming ominously over the over the film, Leecreates an unusually good, solid drama. The opening credits areparticularly moving and powerful, as we see shots of the devastatedGround Zero and the two blue beams that shine where the World TradeCenter once stood.

Annie Hall – Annie Hall is more than just another romanticcomedy by Woody Allen – it’s a love story about New York.This four time Oscar winning film is a perfect movie to pay tributeto NYC.

West Side Story – This 10 time Oscar winning picturefeatures a side of New York you usually don’t see in films:the gangs. This powerful masterpiece has gone from stage to filmand back, taking New York’s unique community with it.

When Harry Met Sally – “When Harry MetSally” is one of those rare, one in a million motion picturesthat becomes a cultural icon. It’s been needlessly rippedoff, and endlessly spoofed since its release in 1989. Billy Crystaland Meg Ryan have unbelievable chemistry on-screen together thattruly adds to the experience of the film.

Dog Day Afternoon – At the time this movie was made, the takingof hostages for political and/or criminal reasons was a regularoccurrence in the USA as well as in Western Europe. In 1973hostages in a bank began to sympathize with their assailants. Ayear later, Patty Hearst was kidnapped by a group of self styledpolitical terrorists and somehow converted into a member of thatgang. Dog Day Afternoon was created in the light of suchevents.

Taxi Driver – Robert De Niro plays the Anti-hero Travis Bickle,the typical everyman, with skill and intensity. Jodie Foster showsher early acting chops as a prostitute that Travis fancies. Thecity of New York in the 70’s is practically a character inthe movie and is shown in all it’s gritty glory. Travis growstired of watching the human scum polluting the city get away witheverything and decides to take matters into his own hands. Theresult is a view of the transformation of the character that DeNiro handles with aplomb.

NYC celebrated on film

NYC celebrated on film