TCM TiVo Alert for September 23-30

TCM TiVo ALERT

For 

September 23–September 30

DAVID’S BEST BETS:

PICKPOCKET (September 25, 3:30 pm): A brilliant and truly original film from director Robert Bresson about Michel (Martin LaSalle in his debut role), an amateur pickpocket who learns the tricks of the trade from a group of professionals after nearly getting busted at a horse racetrack. Along the way, he is patiently pursued by a police inspector (Jean Pelegri). It's a great case study as Michel is a poor wanna-be writer who turns to a life of petty crime out of necessity and boredom. Once he's in the business, he is hooked and can't escape it. Bresson's ability to develop the characters in this 1959 film is fascinating. As he often did, Bresson cast nonactors though LaSalle went on to have a lengthy career in movies though never anything as good as Pickpocket. LaSalle is able to show the emotions of Michel through his eyes rather than his words. The movie is only 75 minutes long, which turns out to be an ideal amount of time for the film. It is well-paced, full of intrigue and tense-filled scenes.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (September 26, 10:15 pm): One of the most beautiful and touching films I've ever seen. Yeah, it's about a criminal who ends up in a mental institution to avoid hard labor, and how he impacts the tragic and sad lives of the mentally-unstable people in the psych ward. Jack Nicholson's portrayal of "Mac" McMurphy is his greatest performance. Louise Fletcher as Nurse Ratched is so memorable as his foil that even though the film was released in 1975, you can call someone Nurse Ratched today and people – even those who've never seen this movie – know what you're talking about. She gives the performance of her life playing the cold and calculating nurse. The subtle and not-so-subtle battle of wills between McMurphy and Ratched are the highlights of the film. McMurphy has a plan to escape and would succeed except he wants to treat the friends he made in the ward to a memorable night. The ending is tragic yet inspirational and has me in tears every time I see it. The supporting cast is solid, particularly Brad Dourif (who later was the voice of Chucky, the killer doll in all those horrible films) as Billy, and Will Sampson as the Chief.

ED’S BEST BETS:

HAUSU (September 26, 3:00 am): One of the most surreal films ever to come from Japan, Hausu can best be described as a teens-meet-demon-killers-in-a-haunted-house movie filmed as a surreal fairy tale and decked out in bright candy colors. The girls, who have names such as Gorgeous, Melody, Prof, Fantasy, Kung Fu, Sweet, and Mac, go with Gorgeous to meet her benign spinster aunt. But once they arrive, they discover that nothing is as it seems and the girls disappear one by one until the horrible secret is revealed. When I first saw this I had to see it again because I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. You may have the same experience. It’s part Mario Bava and part Looney Tunes. At any rate, it’s one helluva ride.

THE QUIET MAN (September 26, 1:30 pm): Director John Ford’s love letter to his native Ireland is a film for the ages. John Wayne is perfect as an American boxer who returns to his native soil, falls in love with a beautiful Irish lass (Maureen O’Hara), but is almost defeated by the local customs and the way the Irish view things. O’Hara gives a first-rate performance as Mary Kate, a woman who proves to be no shrinking violet, and Victor McLaglen is wonderful as her obstreperous brother, who bullies and bullies Wayne until the Duke has no choice but to fight. And don’t forget Barry Fitzgerald as the matchmaker. It’s wonderful slice of blarney, beautifully filmed in Technicolor by Winton C. Hoch with great music by Victor Young.

WE DISAGREE ON ... AU HASARD BALTHAZAR (September 25, 6:15 pm)

ED: A++. The literal translation is “At Random, Balthazar,” and is a perfect description of what plays out as the film progresses. What the late Roger Ebert described as director Robert Bresson’s “most heartbreaking tale” is a simple story of a donkey’s life, told with no Disney-like cutesy embellishments or false melodrama, as the donkey, named Balthazar, passes through a series of owners, some good, others cruel, but all of them, in Nietzsche’s phrase, “human, all too human.” Bresson, whose films reflect on the nature of grace and redemption, has chosen a donkey, seen as a sign of humility, as his centerpiece, and the world is seen through the sufferings of the animal, who was “baptized” by a group of young children and therefore has a soul. Especially interesting is the life of Marie, whose family is the first to adopt Balthazar. Her life plays out in eerie parallel to that of the donkey: She is unaccountably passive, unable to stand up for herself, later turning down a marriage proposal from a young man who loves her unconditionally to be with the thug Gerard, attracted by his leather jacket and moped. Gerard, for his part, resents the donkey and takes every opportunity to mistreat him. And yet Gerard is capable of redemption – witness the scene where he sings in church. This is an amazingly deep and gentle piece of work by a director whose interest in the phenomenological guides his films. In my opinion, not only is this his greatest film, it is one of the greatest films ever made.

DAVID: C+. As of late, when able, I'm revisiting films that are the subjects of our "We Disagree" segment. For the most part, I haven't seen the movies in question for at least a year, sometimes longer. For Au Hasard Balthazar, it had been about two years. So I watched it on Hulu from start to finish last week. After seeing it the first time, I remember thinking that the film had some interesting and compelling moments, but it was nothing special. To consider it a classic, which many film critics do, I thought was a ridiculous notion. After my recent viewing, my opinion hasn't changed. It's pretentious and lacks subtlety. Robert Bresson was an excellent director, and while I don't love every film he's made, I greatly respect his work. Diary of a Country Priest, A Man Escaped, and Pickpocket (see above as the latter is one of my Best Bets), which are also airing on TCM on September 25, are great Bresson movies. I understand the plot of Au Hasard Balthazar and the parallel horrific lives of its two leads: Balthazar, a donkey, and Marie, a poor girl who loves him. Both are used and abused throughout their lives. I get that there's a Christ-like characteristic to the donkey. What is hard to comprehend is the poor choices Marie makes in her life. It results in her being so unsympathetic that I really didn't care what happened to her. The film gets too bogged down in its symbolism, there is no motivation for most of the characters to behave as they do, and the acting is poor. Bresson liked to use nonactors or inexperienced ones for authenticity; sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. This isn't a movie that the viewer is supposed to enjoy, but it's supposed to say something about human nature. What it says isn't good, but Bresson fails to give us even an inkling as to why.

For the complete list of films on the TCM TiVo Alert, click here.

Meet The Patels

Dinner and a Movie

Romance, the “I’s” Have It (India and Italy)

By Steve Herte

So ends another week of vacation. Betty and Maggie both loved the Museum of Natural History, the 3D movie “Secret Ocean,” the Butterfly Conservatory, the “Life at the Limits” exhibit, even “Spiders Alive!” (Betty wondered about seeing that one, but I assured her that none of the spiders could get at her.) Karaoke that evening was a great time. Some of the crowd from the Coney Island boardwalk came and sat at the table near us. Everyone had fun. Dan hosted and it was two-for-Tuesday night, so for me it was back-to-back David Bowie. I sang “Young Americans” and “Heroes.”

Big announcement: The workbench down the basement is now clear! One can actually work on it again. But there’s much more to do.

No blockbusters were opening so I got the chance to see a romantic comedy – and such a different one! The restaurant? Wow! Enjoy!

Meet the Patels (Alchemy, 2014) – Directors: Geeta Patel & Ravi Patel. Writers: Matthew Hamachek, Billy McMillin, Geeta Patel, & Ravi Patel. Stars: Champa V. Patel, Geeta Patel, Ravi Patel, & Vasant K. Patel. Color, PG, 88 minutes.

“I’m almost 30 and I’m still not married!” says Ravi Patel at the beginning of this home-movie style romantic comedy. He seems to forget through most of the picture that older sister Geeta, who is filming his every move, is also still not married. It’s not too big a deal to their father, Vasant, but mother Champa V. Patel is well known in the Gujarat state of India as the most successful matchmaker ever.

Vasant and Champa are “the happiest couple I know,” and the result of an arranged marriage which has lasted 35 years. Both see their son’s plight and want to help as much as possible. On an annual family trip to India, they meet the extended family (all Patels), and though all are interested in finding a bride for Ravi, it is to no avail.

Ravi tells his parents that he would prefer a girl from America and they arrange a series of 15 dates with Indian girls (again, all Patels) in 15 different United States cities including Denver, Boston, New York, Miami, Dallas, and Los Angeles, and this fails to make wedding bells ring. However, Champa is undaunted. She searches Internet dating sites, sends Ravi to a Matrimonial Convention, a speed dating session, and a grand Indian wedding. Over the period of a year, none of the beautiful girls he meets either interests him, or seems to want a second date.

It’s not that Ravi is lacking in the looks or intelligence departments. The audience knows his secret. In the beginning we meet Audrey, a redhead from Connecticut, who has been dating Ravi for two years before his wife-hunting odyssey. They broke up because of Ravi’s commitment issues (and his parents). He’s afraid to tell his parents because Audrey is as far from being Indian as she is from being “wheatish-brown” in complexion. But this secret does come to light until towards the end of the film when Ravi feels he must tell Vasant and Champa. Their astonishment is palpable. Vasant is easily swayed because he wants his son to be happy. Not so, Champa. “I will not give up my culture so easily!”

But after much cajoling and explaining, and promising not to lie to her again, she asks, “Do you still love her?” “I guess so.” “Then you must get her back!” And the whole process of wooing Audrey begins anew.

After The Blair Witch Project (1999), Cloverfield (2008), and Quarantine (2008), I swore I would avoid hand-held camera films ever after. But this one is different. It combines simple animation with remarkably steady home-movies (granted, some scenes are out of focus, but Ravi warns us of this) to tell a delightfully funny story of finding a bride for little brother. I didn’t mind the amateur photography. We don’t get to see Geeta too much because she’s usually behind the camera, only the animated character. The animation helps to explain what’s going on in the film and Ravi’s experiences, kind of like a narrator. It gave the whole movie a Seinfeld-ish twist.

The big surprise is that this really is a home-movie! No actors play other people. I’ve never enjoyed a film before where nobody is trying to be someone else. They all are exactly who they are and it works. No scriptwriter could come up with the hilarious lines a devoted family can spout extemporaneously. At one point, Champa says, “None of my children are interested in getting married!” Vasant claims, “After 35 years, I still don’t understand her … and she’s still trying to change me.”

It’s a charming, almost documentary, film about one man’s resolution of the inner battle between his personal needs and his love and respect for his parents. Although I believe I was the only man in the audience, guys, let your girls take you to see this one. You’ll gain brownie points and you might discover that you actually like it too. Parents, some kids will get it, most won’t. It depends on their sophistication.

Rating: 3½ out of 5 Martini glasses.

Bricco

304 W. 56^th St. (8^th/9^th Avenues), New York

www.bricconyc.com

On their website you will see “one of the most romantic restaurants” and “incomparable cuisine!” Both boasts are good enough to draw me to dine at Bricco, which is a full 14 blocks away from my movie theater. But when I saw one particular dish on the menu you couldn’t keep me away.

The entrance, under a bright red awning, is a graceful brick front with a single-arched door painted a rusty-red. It bespeaks an air of intimacy as well as permanence. Inside, there is a large bar with golden-orange walls and a ceiling covered with kisses (literally, there are lipstick kiss marks made by women customers). The lighting is sensual, but not dark. I announced my reservation at the Captain’s Station and a young girl led me to a table next to the wall defining the end of the bar and the beginning of the main dining area.

The wine list was already on the table and my server, Milton, presented me with the food menu when he took my water preference. I was happy that I could read both the bold and fine print on the menu by the available light. When Milton poured my water he asked if I desired a cocktail and soon my favorite martini was there as well. To save time, Milton recited the specials of the day and left me to decide. It helped that another server brought the breadbasket containing two large slices of crusty Italian bread, a piece of focaccia, and a ramekin of fresh butter.

As near as I can find, “Bricco” translates as “Jug” (as in wine jug), but it also has a translation as being the highest point in a vineyard, hence the sun-like logo of the restaurant. The menu categories are pretty standard Italian – Antipasti (appetizers), Insalate Salads, Zuppe (soups), Pesce (fish dishes), Primi Piatti (pastas), Carni (meat dishes), Pizza, and Dolci (desserts). I was surprised to see that there were no Contorni (side dishes). But I was just as glad because the meal was shaping up to be a four-course feast. I had chosen my appetizer online, the main course was easy and there was a soup I’ve never tried before. All that was left was the pasta, one of my favorite courses. Milton had mentioned two special pastas that intrigued me, and he helped with that decision.

Once the meal was decided, Milton checked it with me as to when each course should arrive and left me to choose a wine. No sooner did I page to the red wine section (it’s a very impressive book!) than I found an affordable 2008 Amarone della Valpolicella “La Formica.” Amarones and Barolos have been increasingly expensive since I first fell in love with them and it was heartening to know I would taste the full-bodied red once more. It was fabulous.

My first course, and the one that hooked me, was Trippa – tripe simmered in a fresh spicy tomato sauce. Tripe is an acquired taste and most people can’t get over what it actually is. Once you’re past the “lining of a cow’s stomach,” it still can be cooked wrong. This dish was perfect, however. The delicate strips were tender, but not mushy, spicily flavored by the sauce without the stringent after-taste some tripe dishes have. I loved it.

I checked with Milton on the pronunciation of the next course, we agreed on “Ah-lez.” The Ale’s Soup – diced breast of chicken, carrots, spaghettini, in a chicken broth was a wonderful departure from your standard minestrone or stracciatelle. The bright orange carrots elbowed for space with the pieces of chicken so much that the pasta only surfaced occasionally. A couple of teaspoons of grated Parmesan cheese and it was perfect.

Milton kept a close eye on my progress: Two dishes done and the plates wiped clean with the bread. Only when I was ready did he bring out the next course, the fettuccini with a rich veal ragout. Another server grated fresh pepper for me. The words “incomparable cuisine” echoed in my head as I twirled this al dente pasta mixed with crumbles of perfectly cooked veal, and went straight to Heaven. I looked up at the ceiling and thought of the Jimi Hendrix line from “Purple Haze,” “s’cuse me, while I kiss the sky!”

Again, keeping things in moderation I had a settling period before the main course. The Scaloppine Tutta Terra (all lands) was a plate of glistening, tender veal medallions with peppers, artichokes, mushrooms and white wine. Three excellent dishes had become four. The Mets wish they could have this batting average. (Come to think of it, so does Tony’s Di Napoli.) I didn’t need a side dish. Everything I could have asked for was already served. And, under the attentive service of Milton, my wine lasted until the last bite: Another clean plate. “Save room for dessert!” warned Milton as he cleared.

Among the familiar desserts on the list I saw the unusual one. The Fresh Grape Pie – with Italian pastry cream – is a signature dish for Bricco. It looked more like Nesselrode pie but there was no denying the grapy flavor. With the dark raspberry sauce drizzled over it, it was simply amazing. Milton brought over a double espresso to go with it. The owner, Nino Catuogno offered an after dinner drink. I chose Strega but they were out of it. He suggested cognac. “V.S.O.P.?” “Si!” Soon I had a snifter next to my wonderful dessert.

I commented to him that the tripe was the dish that got me to come to his restaurant. He told me a story. “When I opened this restaurant 19 years ago, my wife asked, 'Why I put tripe on the menu?' She said, ‘Who’s going to eat that?’ 'I eat that!'” So do I. I asked if the chef ever makes scungilli (conch). “Sure he does. You just let us know ahead of time and we’ll make it for you.”

I don’t know about being romantic at Bricco, but you can’t get more love from one restaurant. Now I have a really good reason to return.

For the Dinner and a Movie archive, click here.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Gallagher’s Forum

By Jon Gallagher

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (WB, 2015) – Director: Guy Ritchie. Writers: Guy Ritchie and Lionel Wigram (s/p). Jeff Kleeman, Guy Ritchie, David C. Wilson, & Lionel Wigram (story). Based on the Television Series by Sam Rolfe. Cast: Henry Cavill, Arnie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Luca Calvani, Sylvester Groth, Hugh Grant, Jared Harris, Christian Berkel, Misha Kuznetsov, Guy Williams, Marianna Di Martino, Julian Michael Deuster, Andrea Cagliesi, & Riccardo Calvanese. Color, PG-13, 116 minutes.

When I was in grade school, recess was often spent “playing” TV shows. We’d run out on the playground and announce the name of the show we were going to play, then we’d shout out the name of the character we were going to play like we were calling “shotgun” on a road trip.

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was a TV show at the time and everyone wanted to play Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) because his name was fun to say, and because he was cool (he was a Russian). Napoleon Solo (Robert Vaughn) was also pretty cool and he was the other main character. They worked together for the United Network Command of Law and Enforcement, which was pretty amazing in itself, since the United States was in the middle of the Cold War with Russia.

They were spies and spies were hot, mainly because of James Bond. We played James Bond, too, and we had a whole bunch of double-0 spies on the playground. The trouble was, we were all too young to understand what all this spy business was about. Our whole “Man from U.N.C.L.E.” play consisted of a couple of us running around introducing ourselves to “bad guys,” then either trying to beat them up or shooting them.

Yes, back in the early 60s, they let us bring play guns to school. School administrators and parents alike would absolutely lose their minds if that happened today. But back then, no one broke into schools and shot them up and there were no such thing as gangs in rural west-central Illinois. The only thing we had to worry about, according to my dad, were the “Damn Commies.” If a Damn Commie broke into our school, we’d be sure to recognize him because ... well, because he was a damn commie!!! I’m sure that he would have been accommodating enough to wear a t-shirt or something that said “Damn Commie” on it for our benefit.

Even in those innocent days, toy manufacturers recognized the value of TV and movie tie-ins. There was a boatload of Man From U.N.C.L.E. toys including cameras that turned into guns, pens with invisible or disappearing ink, and briefcases filled with guns and other weaponry that might be needed to fend off Damn Commies. My briefcase, which I begged Santa to bring, could actually fire white bullet-shaped projectiles without even opening the case. It was cool! No one in my family could figure out how to reload those projectiles to get them to fire again, but it was cool while it lasted. I’m sure that my Man From U.N.C.L.E. briefcase lies in repose next to many of my other childhood toys, including a small fortune in comic books and baseball cards, in a landfill somewhere around my hometown.

Enough. We’ve got a movie to get to. I was anxious to see the newest version of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. when I heard it was being made into a motion picture. Then I heard that Superman (Cavill) and the Lone Ranger (Hammer) would play Solo and Kuryakin respectively, and I rolled my eyes. This couldn’t be good.

The premise of the movie is that an American CIA operative (Cavill) is sent to extract a German woman (Vikander) from East Berlin during the middle of the Cold War. The CIA is interested in her estranged father who worked for Hitler and the Nazis, and they think they can use her to draw him out. The KGB wants to keep her on the Communist side of the Berlin Wall and enlist Ilya to keep Solo from taking her across. The first 20 minutes or so feature these two trying to kill each other and displaying some of their formidable skills.

Solo is successful, but then finds himself teamed with Kuryakin to find the missing scientist. It comes across as a cop-buddy plot with these two hating, yet respecting, each other. There’s only so far you can go with that formula before it’s been done before, and this movie is no exception.

The thing that sets this movie apart is the constant plot twists. Those who insist that a plot be tight and believable might as well stay home. Those of us who are willing to suspend our disbelief for a couple hours and will put up with minor inconsistencies will enjoy the movie. I’ll admit I didn’t understand everything that was going on, but I managed to follow along closely enough.

The movie, like the TV show, is done with the tongue planted in the cheek, but not so that it makes it a campy movie. Gadgets aren’t overdone, and the ironic parts will elicit a smile, if not a good chuckle from the audience.

Cavill does a decent job playing Robert Vaughn. He seems to have studied Vaughn’s portrayal of Solo in the original TV series, and he has it down pretty well. The character is one who cannot be flustered (at least outwardly) and comes across as a little cocky. I liked him a lot better in this role than I did as The Man of Steel.

Hammer is very good as Iyla. He maintains a decent Russian accent throughout and allows his facial expressions to convey a good deal of the story, which is always a plus for actors with that ability. He was much better – eons better – than his Lone Ranger character.

Everyone else is okay with no special mentions.

The movie ends and is prime for a sequel. They don’t even tell you what U.N.C.L.E. stands for until the closing credits.

I hope they do make a sequel. I’d go see it. I enjoyed this one enough to give it an A-.

Cinéma Inhabituel for September 16-30

A Guide to the Rare and Unusual on TCM

By Ed Garea

STAR OF THE MONTH: SUSAN HAYWARD

September 17: We begin with two epics: Demetrius and the Gladiators (Fox, 1954) at 8:00 pm, with Victor Mature, Michael Rennie and Jay Robinson (look for an early Anne Bancroft as Paula), and one of the all-time stinkers, The Conquerer (RKO, 1956) following at 10:00 pm. (For more, see below). At midnight, it’s Hayward as Lillian Roth in the biopic I’ll Cry Tomorrow (MGM, 1955), followed by I Want To Live! (UA, 1958), with Hayward as gassed criminal Barbara Graham. The film, based on fact, does a pretty good job of making a case of innocence for Graham, but read John Gilmore’s L.A. Despair (available at Amazon) for the real story on the Ice Blonde.

September 24: The Marriage-Go-Round (Fox, 1960) starts things off at 8:00 pm, followed by Fanny Hurst’s classic tearjerker, Back Street (Universal, 1961), at 9:45. At 11:45, it’s Valley of the Dolls (Fox, 1967), another all-time stinker, and at 2:00 am, it’s Stolen Hours (UA, 1963).

TCM SPOTLIGHT

September 22: William Wyler has the spotlight beginning at 8:00 pm with Mrs. Miniver (MGM, 1942). He also helms the documentaries Memphis Belle: The Story of a Flying Fortress (1943) at 10:30 pm and Thunderbolt (1947) at 11:30 pm before bowing out with The Best Years of Our Lives (RKO, 1946). Robert Taylor closes out the night at 3:30 am narrating The Fighting Lady (1944), the story of the U.S.S. Yorktown.

September 29: For the final installment, director George Stevens is featured. We begin, as usual, at 8:00 pm with his wonderful comedy about the wartime housing shortage in Washington D.C., The More the Merrier (Columbia, 1943) with Jean Arthur, Joel McCrea, and Charles Coburn, who steals the film. His short on those about to face justice at Nuremburg, That Justice Be Done (1945), airs at 10:00 pm, followed by his documentary, The Nazi Plan (1945) at 10:15 pm. Rounding things out at 12:30 am is his moving and touching The Diary of Anne Frank (Fox, 1959).

SNAFU!

September 22: The Snafu cartoons for the night are The Home Front (10:25 pm), Fighting Tools (11:25 pm), and Going Home (12:25 am).

September 29: There’s only one Snafu cartoon scheduled tonight, but it’s the hilarious Censored (1944) at 9:55 pm.

NOTABLE

September 25: An afternoon of Robert Bresson films begins at 11:45 with the classic Diary of a Country Priest (1951). Following in order are A Man Escaped (1956) at 1:45 pm., Pickpocket (1959), a phenomenological examination of the art of lifting wallets, at 3:30 pm., Le Proces de Jeanne d’Arc (1962) at 5:00 pm, and closing out the festival, the moving Au Hasard Balthazar (1966) at 6:15. There are few directors with Bresson’s talent for introspection and even less who know how to use that talent to its utmost. If you’ve never seen a Bresson film before, you’re in for a real treat. There’s not much in the way of overt action, but you’ll be thinking about these films long after you’ve seen them.

In the evening, it’s a festival of James Dean appearances in television dramas. Before his big break in movies Dean worked the small medium. These shows are almost never seen outside maybe of public television and are worth catching, especially for the James Dean fan.

September 27: A double feature of the great Lon Chaney in two of his best silent’s beginning with He Who Gets Slapped (MGM, 1924), which gave Norma Shearer her big break, at 12:15 am, and Laugh, Clown, Laugh with Loretta Young (MGM, 1928) at 1:30 am. As with all Chaney films, both are a must.

GODARD

September 16: An entire evening of films directed by Jean-Luc Godard begins at 8:00 pm with the incomparable Breathless (1960). At 9:45, it’s his acclaimed short, Charlotte et son Jules (Charlotte and Jules) from 1960. Pierrot le Fou (1965), a type of Bonnie and Clyde escapade with Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina, airs at 10:15, followed by Masculin-Feminin (1966) at 12:15 am. At 2:15 am, it’s Godard’s take on the Lemmy Caution mysteries, Alphaville, from 1965 and starring Eddie Constantine and Anna Karina. Wrapping up the night, Karina, Belmondo, and Jean-Claude Brialy in the 1961 romance (of sorts), A Woman is a Woman. Keep in mind that these films were made during the early period of Godard’s career, when his movies still made a modicum of sense, before he decided to deconstruct the meaning of film narrative, and so should prove somewhat entertaining.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO

September 18: It’s an entire night of Abbott and Costello, including two TCM premieres – Hold That Ghost at 8:00 pm, and In the Navy at 11:15. The catch of the night is Hold That Ghost (Universal, 1941), a hilarious comedy that sees the hapless duo inherit a haunted house and have to fight off gangsters looking for hidden loot. It’s followed at 9:45 by Buck Privates (Universal, 1941), the first and funniest of their service comedies. At 1:00 am, it’s their version of Rio Rita (MGM, 1942), with Lost in a Harem (MGM, 1944) airing at 2:45 am and Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (WB, 1952) rounding out the evening at 4:30 am.

HOPALONG CASSIDY (WELL, SORT OF)

Before he hit fame and fortune in 1935 by taking the role of Hopalong Cassidy and making it into a fixture of pop culture, William Boyd labored as a stuntman until given a chance to star in a few low-budget oaters, in which he gave such a compelling performance that the role of Cassidy was offered to him a few years later. Boyd, though, was no newcomer to film. He started as an extra for Cecil DeMille in Why Change Your Wife? (1920). DeMille saw something in him and in 1926 he was the romantic lead in the director’s The Volga Boatman. He became a matinee idol, earning in excess of $100,000 a year. But by the end of silent movies Boyd was without a contract and hopes of employment. By mistake his picture was run in a newspaper story about the arrest of another actor with a similar name (William “Stage” Boyd) on gambling, liquor and morals charges. Rather than quit and run, Boyd stick around, doing extra work, stunt work, whatever it took to earn a few bucks. David O. Selznick looked beyond the headlines and put Boyd back into films as a star in B-Westerns, working as “Bill Boyd” to eliminate confusion. His break came when he took the role of Hopalong Cassidy. He changed the original pulp-fiction character to its opposite: Hoppy didn’t use tobacco, drink, or swear. He rarely kissed the girl and the bad guy always drew first. The film and the 65 others that followed made Saturday matinees a paying prospect for theaters due to the huge youth audience he drew.

On September 21 TCM is airing two of his pre-Hoppy Westerns. Up first at 11:30 am is Lucky Devils (RKO, 1933) starring Boyd and William Gargan as two stuntmen competing for the same woman (Dorothy Wilson). Look for Creighton Chaney (later Lon Chaney, Jr.) in a small role as “Frankie.” Following at 12:45 pm, Boyd stars in Men of America (RKO, 1932) as a rancher framed when gangsters on the lam murder a farmer. To avoid being lynched, Boyd must round up the baddies.

PSYCHOTRONICA

September 19: In the morning, start off with the latest chapter of the Batman and Robin serial at 10:00 am. Then settle in for Bulldog Drummond Comes Back (Paramount, 1937) with John Howard as Drummond and John Barrymore as Colonel Nielson at 10:30. Then, in the wee hours of the morning, it’s a blaxploitation double feature beginning at 2:00 am with Max Julien in The Mack (Cinerama Releasing, 1973), and at 4:00 am, it’s Three the Hard Way (Allied Artists, 1974).

September 20: It’s a B-detective double feature double-header beginning at 8 pm. First up, from Monogram, Sidney Toler as Charlie Chan in 1946’s Dark Alibi, followed by Dangerous Money (also 1946) at 9:15. Stay tuned for the Falcon, George Sanders, in The Gay Falcon (RKO, 1941), the first in the series, at 10:30, and A Date With The Falcon (RKO, 1941) at 11:45 pm.

September 21: At 1:45 pm, it’s that great old dark house mystery, The Phantom of Crestwood (RKO, 1932), starring Ricardo Cortez and Karen Morley. What can you say about a movie where the leading lady gets knocked off early? It’s a lot of fun and should hold your interest.

September 22: It’s a morning and afternoon of robots beginning at 9:00 am when Patricia Neal must utter the magic words to stop the robot Gort from incinerating the Earth in The Day the Earth Stood Still (Fox, 1951). At 10:45 am, it’s Robby the Robot in Forbidden Planet (MGM, 1956). Robby returns at 12:30 pm in The Invisible Boy (MGM, 1957). Following at 2:15 is one of the great terrible Mexican horrors, The Robot Vs. The Aztec Mummy (Cinematogrfica Caldern, 1958), a picture that can only be described as “different.” At 3:30 pm, it’s Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey (MGM, 1968), and at 6:15 pm the day ends with Yul Brenner, Richard Benjamin and James Brolin in Westworld (MGM, 1973).

September 23: The night belongs to Kerwin Matthews starting at 8:00 pm with the classic Ray Harryhausen animated The 7^th Voyage of Sinbad (Columbia, 1958), The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (Columbia, 1960), also animated by Harryhausen, at 9:45, Jack the Giant Killer (UA, 1962) at 11:30, The Pirates of Blood River (Hammer/Columbia) with Christopher Lee at 1:15 am, and The Warrior Empress (Columbia, 1961) with Tina Louise at 3:00 am. Finally, at 4:45, it’s Matthews with Lee J. Cobb in the drama, The Garment Jungle (Columbia, 1957).

September 26: After a morning of the Batman and Robin serial at 10:00 am, stay tuned for Bulldog Drummond’s Revenge (Paramount, 1937) at 10:30. Then you’ll have to wait for late night and the Japanese gonzo haunted house feature, Hausu (Toho, 1977) at 3:00 am, followed by the last appearance of the gorgeous Faith Domergue in the disappointing The House of the Seven Corpses (International Amusements Corp., 1974) at 4:30 am.

TCM TiVo Alert for September 15-22

TCM TiVo ALERT

For

September 15–September 22

DAVID’S BEST BETS:

LARCENY INC. (September 18, 10:15 am): No one played Edward G. Robinson's mobster character for laughs better than Eddie G. himself. In this 1942 film, his character, J. Chalmers "Pressure" Maxwell gets out of prison with plans to go straight. His dream of opening a dog racing track in Florida is thwarted when he's unable to get the financing because of his gangster background. But Pressure has enough money to buy a failing luggage store next to the bank that rejected his loan request. With the help of a couple of dim-witted buddies, Jug Martin (Broderick Crawford) and Weepy Davis (Edward Brophy) – great criminal flunky names! – they start digging underground to get to the bank's safe. One of the funniest scenes has them breaking a utility line and oil comes pouring out of the hole with Jug and Weepy, covered in the stuff, thinking they struck a gusher. While the luggage store is just a cover for their criminal plans, it becomes very successful. Eddie G.'s charisma and comedic skills shine in this funny and endearing movie.

METROPOLIS (September 22, 6:00 am): This 1926 silent film, directed by Fritz Lang, is one of the most important and best ever made. The storyline is as current today as it was 89 years ago, perhaps even more relevant now. This is the restored 2010 version which includes still photos and additional live film that was discovered in a museum in Argentina. Set in a dystopian society in the future, the rich live in high-rises that reach into the heavens while the workers, who supply the power through grueling physical labor, are literally underground. The repressed workers stage an uprising in scenes that feature thousands of extras. That Lang is able to capture it on film is a testament to his brilliance as a director. The film also features special effects that are as good or better than any seen until about the mid-1970s. Others have made remakes or films inspired by Metropolis, but even with the advancements in technology, including something as basic as sound so you can hear actors speak, none can touch the original. It's often on TCM giving viewers many chances to see it. Sometimes that means people skip it. But if you've never seen this movie, have viewed earlier versions without the restoration or haven't seen it in a couple of years, I urge you to see it. It is a cinematic masterpiece.  

ED’S BEST BETS:

HOLD THAT GHOST (September 18 8:00 pm): This just edges Ride ‘Em Cowboy as the best and funniest film Abbott and Costello ever made. Unlike their service comedies, which were also quite funny, but have aged terribly. Hold That Ghost retains its freshness and shows the duo at their best. They play gas station attendants who have inherited the estate of the late Sidney “Moose” Matson by virtue of having been in the car with him (as hostages) when he was killed by the police. The only thing to inherit is a run-down roadhouse, which is said to be the place where he stashed his loot. Along with a group of other passengers, they are stranded at the roadhouse for the night. Of course, other gangsters are also looking for the money in the tavern, and that’s where the fun starts. Several of the duo’s classic routines are on display here, such as “the moving candle” routine, the changing room, and several verbal routines. One reason this stands head and shoulders above their others is the inclusion of Joan Davis as a foil for Costello. The two are hilarious together, especially during the “moving candle” routine and an impromptu dance on a rain-soaked floor. Ted Lewis and the Andrews Sisters are along to supply the music. Eve those who don’t normally care for their antics will like the boys in this one.

THE PHANTOM OF CRESTWOOD (Sept. 21, 1:45 pm): I love Old Dark House mysteries and this is one of the best. Blackmailer Karen Morely invites some previous victims to a party in order to extort even more money. But things go wrong when one of them murders her. So who done it? Gangster Ricardo Cortez turns detective in order to prove to the cops that it wasn’t him

WE DISAGREE ON ... JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (September 19, 1:15 pm)

ED: A. This is the perfect popcorn movie; perfect for a Saturday matinee at the movies or home with the family and a big-screen television. It stars Todd Armstrong as Jason and Nancy Kovack as Medea, but who cares? The real stars are the stop-motion animated creatures of Ray Harryhausen. From the bronze statue of Talos come to life to the Harpies badgering the blind Phineas (Patrick Troughton) to Poseidon rising from the sea to hold apart the clashing rocks to the skeleton army to the multi-headed hydra, it never lets up for action and could well by Harryhausen’s greatest film. (It took him four months alone to animate the skeleton army.) Also look for veteran actors Niall McGuiness and the beautiful Honor Blackman as Zeus and Hera. It’s Hera who aids Jason in his quest for the Golden Fleece by giving him a hand at certain times. Also look for Nigel Green as Hercules, one of Jason’s crew of Argonauts whose greed brings Talos to life. It’s in color, so the kids should like it, and, in short, it’s the perfect family movie.

DAVID: C+. It's almost like we're repeating our Tom Thumb disagreement from last week. Our definitions of "family movies" are completely different. Jason and the Argonauts could be filmed in the most beautiful color imaginable and still I'd never get anyone in my family to sit down for more than a few minutes to watch it. The same could be said for many other families. At times, it's a fun film, but it's sometimes difficult to follow. The stop-motion animation is pretty cool for its day. Like Tom Thumb, this movie shows its age. It's from 1963 and looks it. The acting is absolutely terrible and combined with a somewhat confusing plot, there are some spots where quite honestly I'm lost. On the positive side, there are some good action scenes, and while Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion work is prehistoric compared to what can be done today, I still get a kick out of it. 

For the complete list of films on the TCM TiVo Alert, click here.

The Lone Ranger

Gallagher’s Forum

By Jon Gallagher

The Lone Ranger (Disney, 2013) – Director: Gore Verbinski. Cast: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, Helena Bonham Carter, James Badge Dale, Bryant Prince, Barry Pepper, Saginaw Grant, & Mason Elston Cook. Color, 149 minutes.

Let me be clear about something right up front: I don’t like reboots. It flat out pisses me off that some idiot thinks that he’s got a better idea of how a story should be told, so he changes what the original author or screenwriter created to mold characters and situations to better fit the rebooter’s vision of a better story.

If the original author or screenwriter had wanted it that way, that’s the way he (or she) would have written it!

Over the last several years, we’ve sat through and endless parade of Batmen, Supermen, Spidermen, Fantastic Fours (Would that be Fantastic Eight? Elite Eight?), and even the Lone Ranger.

Speaking of the Lone Ranger…

I realize the movie came out a couple of years ago, but after reading one horrible review after another, I decided my money would be better spent on other frivolous things rather than a ticket or even a rental. I waited for the film to appear on Encore (which my cable company thinks I should have) and watched it On Demand instead.

I’m glad I saved my money.

The movie is little more than a vehicle for Johnny Depp to display his versatility as an actor. Evidently he was so concerned that he might be recognized in his role as Tonto that he spent most of the movie hiding behind face paint that made him look more like “the Crow” version of professional wrestler Sting than it did an Indian.

The plot, along with the origin of the Lone Ranger, is absolutely horrid. Depp had to be “the star” of the film, so they centered the movie more around the Indian sidekick than they did on the masked man. Armie Hammer dons the mask to hide his identity of John Reid.

We begin the movie with a little kid dressed like the Lone Ranger entering a carnival sideshow that depicts the old West. When he gets to the display of an Indian in his “natural habitat,” he discovers that the wax figure is actually a human being: Depp under several pounds of prosthetics, which was no doubt modeled after Billy Crystal’s Miracle Max in The Princess Bride. After the curious little kid asks a bunch of questions, Tonto reveals the origin of this incarnation of the Lone Ranger.

Of course, since Depp is the star, we have to have Tonto looking good, so he comes off as the brains of the duo, reprising his Captain Jack Sparrow character at times, teaching his protégé, a bumbling nerdish attorney how to be a man in the Wild Wild West. The attorney is John Reid (Hammer), who is the brother of Texas Ranger Dan Reid.

The evil, cannibalistic Butch Cavendish is being taken to his hanging when he escapes with the help of his gang and kills everyone who is trying to transport him. John survives having been deputized by his brother, and shocks Tonto as the Indian is trying to bury Cavendish’s massacre.

The main problem I had with the film (other than a really horrific scene in which Cavendish becomes cannibalistic – that should NEVER have made the final cut of a DISNEY movie) is that director Gore Verbinski couldn’t figure out if he wanted to offer up a straight Western drama or a comedy or a parody of the old West. There are times when he attempts to do all three, and it just doesn’t work. Combine that with the frustration of those of us who grew up seeing the Lone Ranger as a hero, and you can get a better idea of why movie-goers stayed away in droves; word of mouth gets around fast.

The last 40 minutes of the movie aren’t bad at all. There’s a sequence where the bad guys are battling the good guys on a pair of trains that are, for the most part, chasing each other along a newly laid set of tracks. Most of it is CGI, but done well enough to be exciting and only a little distracting (when something unbelievable happens like Silver galloping along atop one of the trains). The thing is this whole scene could have been done just as effectively without the Lone Ranger and Tonto. With the Lone Ranger in the cast, HE needs to be the focus, not the special effects.

One other thing that bothered me a lot was the use of the “William Tell Overture.” Ever since the days of radio, the Lone Ranger theme has been used for every single incarnation of the character. It was used here during the “chase” scene with the trains, but it didn’t work well. I think it was mainly because the action on the screen didn’t match the rhythm of the music, and that might have been too difficult to do. However, the swells and crescendos didn’t match what was going on movie-wise either, and that made it somewhat distracting. Had I been the director, I would have hired the orchestra AFTER the fact and let the conductor watch the movie as he was arranging the score. That obviously wasn’t done and the end result came across as Verbinski saying, “Oh yeah! We gotta include that music thing! I’ll just stick it in here.”

I won’t be as harsh as some have been. The chase scene saved it from getting a failing grade, but it only pulled the grade up to a D. My advice, had this been an assignment of mine when I was a teacher, would have been, “Pick out what theme you’re going to use (comedy, parody, whatever) and stick with it throughout.”

The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Dinner and a Movie

International Intrigue and Riparian Entertainment

By Steve Herte

While on vacation, my mission, unless I try to get out of it, is to continue what I only started last month: explore and straighten up the workroom. Good thing it’s in the basement because the weather person says it’s going to be hot again. No big deal. I’m a summer person. I’m taking two of my karaoke friends to the Museum of Natural History. One hasn’t been there in a long time. I can’t wait to see her amazement.

Dinner and a Movie night was an adventure as well. I joined the last of the New York crowd in seeing a movie I’ve put off seeing because I had trouble not associating it with the TV series it was based on. But you’ll see if I accomplished that or not soon. The restaurant was also a discovery and a pleasant one. Enjoy!

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (WB, 2015) – Director: Guy Ritchie. Writers: Guy Ritchie  and Lionel Wigram (s/p). Jeff Kleeman, Guy Ritchie, David C. Wilson, & Lionel Wigram (story). Based on the Television Series by Sam Rolfe. Cast: Henry Cavill, Arnie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Luca Calvani, Sylvester Groth, Hugh Grant, Jared Harris, Christian Berkel, Misha Kuznetsov, Guy Williams, Marianna Di Martino, Julian Michael Deuster, Andrea Cagliesi, & Riccardo Calvanese. Color, PG-13, 116 minutes.

“We are at war with Russia!” If the opening slides showing maps of Europe with a divided Germany, and an equally divided Berlin do not convince you that it’s the 1960s, this line (spoken soon after) does. The focus is on Checkpoint Charlie as Napoleon Solo (Cavill) calmly walks up to the guard and gains admission to East Berlin. His mission is to extract defector Gaby Teller (Vikander) and bring her back to CIA headquarters. He manages to get her out and past all the Russian guards except for the “giant” known as Illya Kuryakin (Hammer), who pursues them relentlessly with the speed and strength of a Terminator. (He tries to stop their car by holding onto the trunk handle and dragging his feet.)

Safely zip-lining into West Berlin and dropping Illya neatly on the other side of the wall, Napoleon returns with Gaby to headquarters and his superior, Saunders (Harris). Solo thinks his job is done when he learns the true complexity of his ultimate assignment. Gaby’s father Udo Teller (Berkel), a scientist allegedly working for the Nazis, has been kidnapped by a private organization and is being forced to assemble a nuclear warhead for them. But first, he needs to take Gaby to Rome and learn of Udo’s whereabouts from her Uncle Rudi (Groth).

The organization is run by Alexander Vinciguerra (Calvani) and his wife Victoria (Debicki) – an interesting and appropriate surname meaning “victor in war” – who have a small army in their employ and are extremely difficult to contact, much less visit. Speaking of difficult, M16 agent Alexander Waverly (Grant) tells him that the CIA and KGB have a tenuous agreement in working together on this mission and Solo must work with Illya Kuryakin to accomplish their goals. Unbeknownst to both top operatives, both CIA and KGB want to obtain Udo and the nuclear warhead for their own purposes and both instruct their respective agents that the other is totally expendable upon completion.

Neither Solo nor Kuryakin are likeable characters; they hate and mistrust each other, and each points out the other’s dubious backgrounds on their first (non-fighting) encounter. Solo is a self-involved, over-confident thief and pickpocket who thinks he’s too suave to be caught – and yet he falls for the oldest trick in the book, “Will you have a drink?” says Victoria (she’s drugged every bottle in her private bar). Illya is a stolid Communist stereotype with severe anger management issues and deadly skills who is never “wrong.” But the gods of prequels demand that they work together with Gaby.

But all is not serious in this film. There is a sort of running gag starting at the foot of the Spanish Steps in Rome when a test is performed on Illya and Gaby. His cover occupation is architect and he must allow himself and Gaby to be mugged by two street thieves, who steal his father’s watch. Every time Illya thinks he sees that watch he goes after it. There’s a Bugs Bunny-like scene where Illya is being fired on and chased back and forth in a motorboat, even to the point of it exploding, while Solo swims ashore and hides in the cab of a truck, sipping wine and eating a sandwich from a convenient picnic basket left on the front seat. Later, after electro-torturing Solo, Uncle Rudy winds up in the hot seat (thanks to Illya), but it malfunctions. When Solo and Illya go into an adjacent room to discuss what they should do with him, he struggles and the power comes back on. We see Solo and Illya facing us and debating while, in the background Rudi is being barbequed.

Solo rescues Illya from drowning. Illya rescues Solo from electrocution and in the end they receive the team title U.N.C.L.E. (per the TV series, the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement). The private organization is not named; ergo there is no T.H.R.U.S.H. (Technical Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity) – yet. But neither character is endearing still. The soundtrack was spectacular in this film. There were many songs I’m not familiar with that I enjoyed and their placement in the movie was perfect. The cinematography was exceptional when the screen wasn’t being divided into thirds, quarters and smaller fractions to show several views at once – which became dizzying at best. The costumes were good attempts at copying 60s-era styles but without the hairdos to go with them (strange). The acting and dialogue was acceptable, though there were no standouts.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is a good action film; clean enough for the whole family (no vulgarity) and no gore. If you go to see it and can empty your mind of any memory of the TV series, you’ll enjoy it.

Rating: 3 out of 5 Martini glasses.

Riverpark

450 East 29^th St. (1^st Avenue), New York

www.riverparknyc.com

Any time I begin to think I’ve dined at all the best restaurants in New York City, a new one pops up. Restaurateur Tom Colicchio has had eight successful restaurants in New York previous to Riverpark (not surprisingly, I’ve already dined at six of them, not knowing he was in charge), and for six months his Executive Chef, Bryan Hunt, has been preparing Sisha Ortúzar’s recipes at the east end of 29^th Street. Ensconced in an unassuming glass and steel building with a lovely garden outdoor café, Riverpark overlooks the East River with sweeping views to match.

The sign for the restaurant is posted outside, but it doesn’t indicate which door is the entrance, and the restaurant proper cannot be seen immediately. A gentleman outside kindly directed me to choose a door, continue down the hall past the reception desk, and turn right at the end, where a graceful spiral staircase led to who-knows-where. I didn’t need the staircase. There was a black door with the name of the restaurant in lights on its side.

Inside, a large squarish bar dominates the room with a galaxy of mini-spot lights in military formation above it. All around are tables, some occupied. The Captain’s Station was to my left and I announced my reservation. “Outside or in?” “Inside, please. It’s still too humid to dine outside.” A young lady led me to a table by one of the floor to ceiling windows facing the river.

The wine list arrived before the menu and Alan, my server, took my water preference. I noted his Australian accent and filed it away in memory. When he returned with the water he asked if I desired a cocktail. Upon learning that they did indeed stock my favorite gin I asked for my signature martini. He returned with a chilled glass and a small carafe from which he poured one of the rare perfect martinis in Manhattan.

The food menu is right to the point and lists dishes as First Course, Pasta, Main Course and Sides. However, the selection was such that it was difficult to choose. When I expressed my indecision to Alan he called over a second server who helped with my order. There were dilemmas in every course but he solved each one expertly.

For instance, the fluke crudo – with pickled strawberries, nasturtiums (an edible flower), hazelnuts, jalapeños, and lime sounded equally good to me as the grilled quail – with corn, charred tomatoes, okra, black-eyed peas, and thyme. The young man advised me to have the quail (one of his favorite dishes) and, he was right, it was wonderful. The juicy quail was cut in sections for easy eating and it rested on a bed formed by the other vegetables. The okra was halved and charred but tasted better than any I’ve had before.

I asked him about wines because the wine list was quite extensive. Once we narrowed it down to reds and he said the magic word “zinfandel” I told him to stop there. But, which zinfandel? They have 14 on the list. He recommended the 2012 “Old Vines” and offered to give me a taste. It was delightful but I didn’t think it would stand up to all the dishes I would be having. I needed something with more tannins. We settled on the Turley Farms “Kirshenmann Vineyard” Zinfandel 2013, Lodi, California. It was delicious with the quail – intense but a little sweet and fruity.

Three of the four pastas interested me. It was between the zucca pasta (shaped like the end of a zucchini) – with (appropriately) summer squash, basil, squash blossoms, and ricotta salata, the saffron spaccatelli (thin, curved straws) – with mussels, jamòn mangalica (a Spanish ham), dill, and fresno chilies, and the cavatelli, which came with smoked lamb, shishito peppers (a green sweet chili), corn, and merken (merquén, a red spicy Chilean pepper, usually ground).

The cavatelli won hands down and when it arrived, the tiny purple flowers decorating it added to its appeal. When I first tasted the tender pasta, the lamb flavor mixed with the sweet and spicy chilies for an absolutely transporting experience. A sip of the wine later and I was in Heaven. The dish made the flavor of the wine literally explode! It was eye opening and I told my server when he came back to check on my progress. He agreed on the effect.

Why do I keep forgetting to mention the bread? Another server kept me in mini-baguettes and ramekins of sweet butter, which I used in each course to get all the sauces.

Another three dishes had to be chosen from for the main event. Online, the grilled cobia – with manila clams, bok choy, onions, miso, and in a lemongrass broth sounded excellent, but then there was the fazio farm rabbit – with plums, daikon radish, honshimeji mushrooms (a small capped, long stemmed mushroom that usually grows in clusters, like the Hen-o-the-Woods), and togarashi (a Japanese red chili blend) – was just as attractive. Then there was the pekin duck breast – with French breakfast radishes, chanterelle mushrooms, blueberries, and nasturtiums.

Again, with help, I chose the rabbit. Again, the wine tasted different but still a perfect match. The rabbit meat was served in small tender cylinders among the rich brown mushrooms and sprinkled with the togarashi, wonderful. And who could turn down a side dish called fairy tale eggplant – in oregano balsamic? The little eggplants were served halved, grilled and slightly vinegary – the right accompaniment for the rabbit.

After my second server checked up on me again, Alan came back and I told him how great everything was. He explained that he handed me off to the other man because he was a better “Somahlyer”. “He’s from Somalia?” I said. “Oh, no. He’s good with wines.” “Oh, a sommelier! Yes he is.” We both got a laugh out of that.

Dessert I didn’t need help with. There was only one unusual confection and I ordered it. The olive oil cake – with strawberries, vanilla crèmeux (a dense, soft pudding), and a ball of pistachio ice cream – was nothing like I anticipated. It was not salty and had only a slight flavor of olives coming through the sweet cake, vanilla and pistachio flavors. Lovely. A cup of hot Earl Grey tea finished the meal nicely.

Through my window I could see picnic tables, which I thought were unusual for a classy restaurant. But, this restaurant is proud of its “fresh-from-the-farm-to-the-table” reputation and they feature a farm dinner menu, – for parties of 4 up to 10 or 16, seated at picnic tables outside (weather permitting) – a three-course family-style feast at $85 per person. A new idea for sure.

Needless to say, there are several dishes I would come running back to try at Riverpark and who knows? I might even try outdoor dining.

For the Dinner and a Movie archive, click here.