Top

film

Stories

 

'Universal 100': Better Than the Studio Tour

The best of Universal's history hits Film Forum

Comments (0) By Michael Atkinson Wednesday, Jul 11 2012

This is what you get when you retro a major Hollywood studio's centennial—a Mall of America–size grab bag of indulgences, leaving you with two choices: Bask in a favorite or catch up with a neglected oddball. For the former, nobody should have to tell you that seeing Jaws (1975) in late July is an ace in movie golf, nor should screenings of hothouse staples like American Graffiti (1973), Two-Lane Blacktop (1971), The Birds (1963), or Touch of Evil (1958) be avoided for any reason besides overfamiliarity. I'd hate to see the retro zeitgeist swing away from Brazil (1985) and toward E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982), but it might be too late already. (If you must Spielberg, angle toward 1971's Duel, a film made by a kid for grown-ups, not the reverse.) On the other hand, existential odyssey The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) and the kitsch bomb of Robert Siodmak's Cobra Woman (1944) never go out of style.

Still the champ despite reboots
Film Forum/Photofest
Still the champ despite reboots

Details

'Universal 100'
July 13 through August 9
Film Forum

Related Content

More About

Of course, Universal gained its first burst of fame in the '30s with its monster cycle, beginning in 1931 with Dracula and Frankenstein (these two crusty, innocent old things, responsible for so much of the world we live in), and though I might prefer the cobwebby trials of Larry Talbot and Co. in the cooler days of fall, a late-July triple bill of The Mummy (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), and The Wolf Man (1941) is difficult to resist.

Most of the Hitchcocks and the noirs you should also have under your belt already. Amid the lesser-known left curves in the lineup, one shouldn't overlook a discovery of Jerry Schatzberg's dour, beautiful, Faye Dunaway–fueled Puzzle of a Downfall Child (1970), George Sherman's forgotten medical-noir The Sleeping City (1950), and Paul Fejös's Lonesome (1928), a silent romance triaged with inserted talkie scenes but still pearl-perfect and not revered nearly enough.

Related Content

Check out this week's featured ad for Restaurants
More Ads >>
 
My Voice Nation Help
1 comments
  Livefyre
Newest | Oldest
Cybornetics
Cybornetics

Add Cybornetics,a new scifi movie, to that list!

 
VOICE Daily Deals

Now Showing

Find capsule reviews, showtimes & tickets for all films in town.

Powered By VOICE Places

Slideshows

Join My Voice Nation for free stuff, film info & more!


Box Office

  1. Iron Man 3, 72.5 mil, 284.9 mil
  2. The Great Gatsby, 50.1 mil, 50.1 mil
  3. Pain & Gain, 5.0 mil, 41.6 mil
  4. Peeples, 4.6 mil, 4.6 mil
  5. 42, 4.6 mil, 84.7 mil
  6. Oblivion, 4.1 mil, 81.9 mil
  7. The Croods, 3.6 mil, 173.2 mil
  8. Mud, 2.5 mil, 8.6 mil
  9. The Big Wedding, 2.5 mil, 18.3 mil
  10. Oz The Great and Powerful, 1.1 mil, 230.3 mil
Movie Title, Weekly Earnings, Total Earnings

Movie Trailers

More News Stories >
©2013 Village Voice, LLC, All rights reserved.
Browse Voice Nation
  • Voice Places New York

    Voice Places

    Find everything you're looking for in your city

  • Happy Hour App

    Happy Hour App

    Find the best happy hour deals in your city

  • Daily Deals

    Daily Deals

    Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%

  • Best Of

    Best Of...

    Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city

Join
Log In