As March arrives, the movie-going experience slowly begins to crank up for big spring releases, while also finishing up runs on quieter and more underseen films. There's typically one monstrous release every year around this time, bouncing the box office back into hyperdrive. Simultaneously, you'll also always have one or two indie releases leftover from the previous year, due to a full awards season schedule. And, of course, there's always catching an old classic at one of the many repertory theaters in the Hudson Valley.
Whether it's a big popcorn epic or an insightful vision into modern life, local cinemas of the Hudson Valley have got you covered. Here are five movies and film events that you can catch in March.
Perfect Days
Director Wim Wenders is no slouch when it comes to atmospheric, vibe movies. His past works, including, Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire are trancelike experiences through the worlds of our protagonists, and his latest film, Perfect Days, is no different. Nominated for Best International Feature Film at this year's Academy Awards, it tells the story of an older man named Hirayama, who works as a public washroom janitor in Tokyo, Japan, spending his days in a peaceful almost rhythmic pattern of work, reading, eating, relaxing, working, and so on. His tranquil life hits a snag when his estranged niece shows up at his door unannounced. The film is yet another notch in Wenders's fantastic run of beautiful stories, showcasing the type of lived-in experience that is hard to describe but also undeniable.
Perfect Days is currently playing through March 7 at Upstate Starr Cinema.
Dune: Part Two
The latest big budget, sci-fi epic from French-Canadian director Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two, finally arrives this month after being pushed from the winter schedule last year due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes. The 2021 first installment was a global sensation, a movie that seemingly everybody saw and, more surprisingly, everybody loved. Villeneuve's distinctive talent for combining other world visuals with truly human experiences has made his filmography one of the most interesting and exciting to watch, with intense thrillers like Prisoners, dreamlike dramas like Arrival, and thoughtful yet action-packed blockbusters like Blade Runner 2049. Bringing the cast back from Part One, plus adding a handful of new faces, including Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Christopher Walken, Dune: Part Two is set to be the first big movie release of 2024, kicking off a roaring year of sequels, reboots, and remakes. See it in the loudest theater you can.
Dune: Part Two starts March 1 at Showtime Cinemas.
Sunday Silents Presents: A Salute to Film Pioneer Helen Holmes
Sunday Silents Presents is one of the most special and exciting film series to take place in the Hudson Valley. This month they have a smashing, dashing, and crashing event lined up: A Salute to Film Pioneer Helen Holmes. Holmes is what many would consider one of the most groundbreaking and influential talents of early Hollywood, a producer, director, screenwriter, and actress who did all of her own stunts in a way that would even give Tom Cruise a run for his money. The event will showcase Holmes's 1925 full-length feature film, Webs of Steel, and select episodes from her best-known series, The Hazards of Helen, all of which have been digitally remastered by the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum. They'll also be screening Matthew Bate's 2011 documentary, Stunt Love, which covers the story of Holmes and her husband, JP McGowan, another breathtaking stuntman and successful actor. The series will be presented by Shirley Freitas, the great-granddaughter of Helen Holmes herself.A Salute to Film Pioneer Helen Holmes screens March 3 at The Rosendale Theatre.
The Taste of Things
One of the surprising aspects of this awards season was France choosing Anh Hung Tran's phenomenal The Taste of Things as its official submission to the Academy Awards over the powerhouse film that is Anatomy of a Fall (read my previous write-up on that here). Sadly, in a year of fantastic film offerings from around the world, Things didn’t make the cut. Nevertheless, the Juliette Binoche-led drama is an immensely captivating film all about the joy of cooking, the delight of food, and the controlling nature of passion. Binoche plays Eugenie, a woman who has been creating delicious dishes for 20 years alongside her boss, Dodin, and how their relationship grows as they cook for one another. Filled to the brim with dazzling performances and scintillating dishes, it's a movie that warms your heart just as much as it makes your mouth water.
The Taste of Things starts March 8 at The Moviehouse.
Paddington
One of the best movies of the past decade, and an instant classic for people of all ages, Paul King's fantastic children's movie Paddington hits the big screen this month for a limited run. The 2014 film follows the titular Paddington, a young Peruvian bear who travels to London in search of a home, only to be taken in by the Brown Family, with whom he strikes an instant connection. All seems delightful until a local museum taxidermist, played by a locked-in Nicole Kidman, discovers Paddington's existence and aims to capture him for her collection. The movie has laughs and shocks all around, with amazing performances throughout, most notably from Ben Whishaw, who plays the marmalade-loving mammal.
Paddington screens March 9 at the Upstate Orpheum Theatre and March 10 at Upstate Starr Cinema.
