September marks the change in seasons and sometimes, the beginning of the “slow season” in the movie theater world. Typically reserved for films that didn’t quite make the popular summer release cut or that don’t have the same buzz afforded to them as the typical award season fare, September can become a slog of second-run leftovers and studio embarrassments. With a slow summer of blockbusters, big movies like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Transformers One, and Wild Robot have an opportunity this Fall to pop up and dominate.
If those movies aren’t your typical vibe, there’s still plenty of good movie watching to be had in the Hudson Valley, with both new and old films being showcased across the region. Here are six movie events to check out this September at independent cinemas throughout the Hudson Valley.
Rushmore
Wes Anderson’s 1998 film, Rushmore, remains to this day one of the most revolutionary movies to ever grace our screens. An amazing encapsulation of what the director would soon come to be known for, as well career-best performances from newcomers and comedy legends alike, it’s one of the ’90s’ greatest products. It’s also nauseatingly funny, which is interesting, given that it’s ultimately a story about a sociopathic child. Anderson’s sophomoric film is a take on the haves and have-nots in the world of private schools. It’s one that lends itself to his filmography with insane credit. Many of the director’s works focus on class differences that are ingrained in our culture from a world long gone, and Rushmore amplifies this in regards to love, art, and rivalry. There are few better examples of on-screen vendetta than that between Jason Schwartzman’s Max Fischer and Bill Murray’s Herman J. Blume, and their attempts to win the heart of Olivia Williams’ Rosemary Cross. This film also sports an amazing soundtrack and some fantastic performances from Brian Cox, Luke Wilson, and Seymour Cassel, and is a must-see on the big screen for any self-credited cinephile.
Rushmore screens September 5 at The Crandell Theatre.
Sing Sing
Greg Kwedar wowed audiences with his fantastic script for 2021’s Jockey, a film that took the seemingly mundane profession of horse jockey and turned it into an exploration of identity and self-worth in a world that could care less. This year, Kwedar is not only writing but directing one of the most anticipated films of the year: Sing Sing. The film stars Colman Domingo in a role that is almost sure to win him the Best Actor award at the Oscars, along with newcomer Clarence Maclin, whose own life experience inspired the story. The film follows a group of incarcerated men who find unity, individuality, and artistic purpose by engaging in a theater group within the walls of the Sing Sing Correctional Facility, led by Domingo’s Divine G, who has been imprisoned for a crime he did not commit. The film waves with gut-wrenching intensity and meandering solace, perfectly capturing the experience of being incarcerated by body by bricks but enlightened and liberated in mind through art.
Sing Sing starts September 6 at Time & Space Ltd.
Revival House: Coen Bros. Abide!
Just as much as some single filmmakers out there, Joel and Ethan Coen have carved out an insane filmography over the course of their four-decade career with features ranging in genre from comedy classics to award winning dramas and just about everything in between. Revival House presents a unique selection of some of the Bros’ most highly regarded films, showcasing the series throughout the first half of September at both Upstate Films locations in Rhinebeck and Saugerties. Films include their comedic masterpieces, The Big Lebowski and Raising Arizona, as well as the undersung A Serious Man from 2009, and the Billy Bob Thornton-led, black-and-white noir, The Man Who Wasn’t There. This all leads up to a screening of Miller’s Crossing, arguably one of the pair’s most unique and captivating works, at the Orpheum Theater on September 16th followed by a Q&A with director Joel Coen and actor John Tuturro, who are both members of Upstate Films.
Revival House/Coen Bros. Abide! Screens September 7 through 16 at Upstate Films Orpheum Theater and Starr Cinema.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
The Bette Davis and Joan Crawford cult classic, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?, is without exaggeration, one of the funnest experiences one can have viewing a film with an audience in a movie theater. The movie is loaded with classic lines and uncanny moments, featuring performances that would become legendary, even within the scope of the careers of its two leads. A classic tale of sibling rivalry, the story follows two sisters, both actresses in their own right, but one of which has greatly surpassed the other in talent and fame, leading to jealousy and madness in the other. Featuring a brilliant, award nominated performance from Victor Buono, who is most known for his iconic role as King Tut in the Adam West Batman series, the film also took home the Academy Award for Best Costume Design, and also garnered nominations for Best Actress (Davis), Best Cinematography and Best Sound. It’s one of the greatest masterpieces in cinematic history, full stop.
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? screens September 12 and 15 at The Rosendale Theater.
The Breakfast Club w/ Sleepover Trading Co.
School is back in session and that means repertory screenings of classic school movies! From Rushmore to Never Been Kissed to Say Anything to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the list goes on and on with examples of teen-oriented comedy-classics that revolve around the high school experience. But arguably the first “school” movie that pops into everyone’s head, (rightfully) is John Hughes’ The Breakfast Club. Is this because it’s one of the funniest high school dramas out there? Because it accurately represents the specific confrontations that only those of that age and in that place could experience? Because it has a cast that is arguably one of the best ensembles in film history? The answers are definitively, yes. Experience it for the first time on the big screen, or just quote the entire movie with your friends, either way, you’re sure to have a great time. This special screening will be accompanied by a pre-show reel by the nostalgic minds over at Sleepover Trading Co., who have collected commercials, interviews, clips, and more from the era to perfectly get you in the mood for this 1985 classic flick.
The Breakfast Club screens September 19 at Story Screen Cinema.
Good One
One of the most anticipated independent films of the year, India Donaldson’s feature length debut started building steam after an amazing premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Presenting an earth-shaking performance by new talent, lead Lily Collias, the film has no shortage of quotable moments, containing several charming performances and an eye for framing landscapes that is sure to put Donaldson and cinematographer Wilson Cameron on the map. What makes the film so special is its highly intoxicating approach to what type of story it presents itself to be, starting out as a simple camping trip with two men and one of their daughters, but soon revealing itself to be a psychological journey into the mind of a young woman who may know less about life than she thinks.
Good One starts September 20 at The Moviehouse.
Mars Attacks! (1996)
This month, Tim Burton releases his first film in five years, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, the long-awaited sequel to his cult classic from the ’80s. Burton, one of his generation’s most iconic directors, has no shortage of masterpiece films, ranging from his Keaton-starring Batman films, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, Big Fish and Edward Scissorhands. But one of his most special movies from the ’90s is also one of his most overlooked. That might be because it’s a star-studded box office flop based on an obscure trading card series: Mars Attacks! The world may not have been ready initially for Burton’s take on a diabolical alien species with a cruel sense of humor taking over Earth, but the movie has only grown more charming and funnier as time has marched on. It’s a cutting satire on American militarism and human egotism, full of stars ranging from Pam Grier to Michael J. Fox to Pierce Brosnan (and so many more), and an absolute delight of a flick to watch with a crowd on a big screen.
Mars Attacks! Screens September 27 and 28 at Jacob Burns Film Center.
