Jonathan Lethem Selects
BAM Cinématek
Starting next Monday and running through the middle of November, Brooklyn author and Friends of BAM chairperson Jonathan Lethem will be programming the cinématek with some of his favorite movies.
Fans of his writing know that Lethem loves pop culture but this series doesn't really have more of an over arching theme than that it features some of the author's most beloved films and plain ol' good movies. There are selections by such master storytellers as Eric Rohmer, John Cassavetes, Lindsay Anderson and Leo McCarey. In particular think about checking out the Monday movie, Akira Kurosawa's kidnapping thriller High and Low which could be seen as Lethem-esque with its subtle characterization and strong sense of locale. Lethem will do a Q&A with director Ulu Grosbard after his movie Straight Time on Nov. 12, but fyi, tickets are only available to Friends of BAM. You can read more about Lethem's thoughts on his selections in an interview with Matthew Buchholtz on BAM's site.
Other movie events happening around town in the coming week include a movie arm of the popular music marathon CMJ Film Festival starting on Tuesday and including a screening of Todd Haynes' I'm Not There, a series devoted to avant-garde film coming out of New Zealand at Anthology Film Archives and Barbet Schroeder's newest film about controversial French attorney Jacques Verges called Terror's Advocate that is playing now at the IFC Center. Online viewing tip: the Angelika Film Center has a newly relaunched website and blog.
