Don't Make a Scene: Manhattan

The Set-Up: I was thinking, seriously, of all the movie openings to start the new year. The list was extensive, but, ultimately, dispiriting. 

But, the glorious opening to Manhattan. Ah, now that's a much better idea. Yeah, yeah, much better..."especially for a man of my taste."

Also, for where I am right now.  Having undergone a change of address (both physical and ISP), I'm now ready to let the disruptions of life go by the way-side and actually become a little more disciplined about things. Having adjusted to a work schedule ("day-job"), the occasional freelance sound design gig ("night-work"), I can get a better handle on free-time and actually make time to look at a movie and even write about it. Time to start afresh, renew efforts, and make a stab at making Blogging by Cinemalight a regular (or...more regular) part of my life.  And, hopefully yours.

So, the opening to Manhattan is doubly appropriate.  The start of a new time, with emphases on the rough-draft stages.  I'm trying to let go of my perfectionist way of knocking out reviews ("Really?" I hear you say.  "I hadn't noticed.") and be a little more impressionistic...no...no...sounds like I'm being vague....a bit more disciplined about not being disciplined in making sure that I've covered absolutely everything I want to talk about, no matter how obscure and irrelevant it is to the subject at hand...which is whether to spend your hard-earned sheckles on the thing.  

The goal this year is to get all the "Draft" stage articles onto the screen, the piles of red envelopes opened and viewed, the library rentals digested and returned, that National Registry article written (done!), the comprehensive "Year in Review" article (yeah, I'll get to it) and those recommendations from my co-workers that I watched months ago out here on the center-stage...plus, there are still movies I haven't seen yet (fortunately, the list hasn't been exactly expanding over the last couple weeks).  The list of scenes for Sunday are less "theme"-oriented and are there because...heck, I just like them, they speak to me, or have an interesting back-story. 

But, that's all prologue.  Let's get started.  It's time to hit the keys.

"Chapter One..."

The Story:  There isn't one yet, mookie. Now, Sssshhh! the show's just startin'.

Yo, Action!

ISAAC (narrating): "Chapter One...."

ISAAC (narrating): "He adored New York City. He idolized..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...it all out of proportion." Uh, no. Make that "He...

ISAAC (narrating): "romanticized it all out of proportion. To him..."

ISAAC (narrating): ..."no matter what the season was, this was still a town that existed in black and white..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...and pulsated to the..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...great tunes of George Gershwin."

ISAAC: Uh... no. Let me start this one over.

ISAAC (narrating): "Chapter one. He was too romantic..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...about Manhattan, as he was about everything else. He thrived on the..."

ISAAC (narrating): "... hustle, bustle of the crowds and the traffic."

ISAAC (narrating): "To him, New York meant beautiful women and street-smart..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...guys who seemed to know all the angles." Ah...

ISAAC: Corny. Too corny for a man of my taste. Let me try to be...

ISAAC: ...more profound. (narrating): "Chapter One. He adored..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...New York City. To him, it was a metaphor..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...for the decay of contemporary culture."

ISAAC (narrating): "The same lack of individual...

ISAAC (narrating): "...integrity to cause so many people to take the easy way out..."

ISAAC (narrating): "... was rapidly turning the town of his dreams..."

ISAAC: No, it's gonna be too preachy. I mean, y'know...

ISAAC: ...let's face it, I wanna sell some books here.
(narrating) "Chapter One."

ISAAC (narrating): "He adored New York City..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...although to him it was a metaphor..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...for the decay of contemporary culture. How hard it was..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...to exist in a society desensitized by..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...drugs, loud music, television..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...crime, garbage..."

ISAAC: Too angry. I don't wanna be angry.

ISAAC (narrating): "Chapter One. He was as..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...tough and romantic as the city..."

ISAAC (narrating): "... he loved. Behind his black-rimmed..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat. "

ISAAC: I love this. (narrating) "New York..."

ISAAC (narrating): "...was his town..."

ISAAC (narrating): "... and it always would be."

Manhattan

Words by Marshall Brickman and Allen Konigsberg Woody Allen

Pictures by Gordon Willis and Woody Allen

Manhattan is available on M-G-M Home Entertainment.