The Fleischer Doesn’t Fall Far from the Tree: New Film Forum Retrospective
Max Fleischer and Richard Fleischer in Film Forum series promo.
At first glance a vintage cartoon like Betty Boop and classic genre cinema might appear to have very little in common. However, NYC’s Film Forum might have something to say about that, with a brand-new retrospective that recently began its three-week run. So listen up, New York area cinephiles!
FLEISCHER père et fils represents a “side-by-side” retrospective of the great American film director and genre specialist Richard Fleischer and his father Max Fleischer, a true pioneer in early animation. The latter’s Fleischer Studios produced hundreds of cartoons between 1919 and 1942, becoming the first to animate Popeye and Superman characters while also inventing Betty Boop, now part of pop culture iconography.
Admittedly I am much more familiar with the work of Richard Fleischer, particularly his genre films, having directed what many (yours truly included) consider classics in science fiction and fantasy. While the full slate of features is available in the links below, we wanted to highlight a few titles that caught our eyes.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Three men find themselves in the aquatic realm of the legendary Captain Nemo while investigating the sinking of a series ships in the Pacific—high (seas) adventure ensues. The group sets out on their ocean-bound journey in style aboard the captain’s advanced underwater vessel, The Nautilus. Jules Verne’s revered 1870 novel gets the star treatment in this dazzling production with a cast that includes Kirk Douglas, Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas, and James Mason as the brilliant and eccentric misanthrope Captain Nemo, who is often at odds with humanity and “civilized” society. This is one of Disney’s early live-action productions, the most recognizable feature of which is the retro futuristic Victorian design of the Nautilus. Of course the giant monstrous squid may take exception to the claim.
Upcoming screenings-
Saturday, May 16th @4:20pm
Friday, May 22nd @2:45pm
Fantastic Voyage (1966)
The 1960s were full of colorful and effervescent science fiction and fantasy movies in which many filmmakers seemed to happily forgo plausibility or realism for wonder and adventure. That said one of the appeals of Fantastic Voyage is how earnest and straightforward the storytelling is despite the fantastical premise. What premise you ask? A renowned American scientist barely survives an assassination attempt but is rendered comatose with a bullet to his brain. His only chance of survival rests on a “small” team of shrunken specialists sent inside his body to repair the brain injury. This film boasts an ingenious and captivating array of practical effects, stylish production design, and a well-told story built around what is essentially a high-stakes anatomy lesson. There’s also the crackerjack cast that includes Stephen Boyd, Donald Pleasance, Rachel Welch, Edmond O’Brien, and Arthur Kennedy. Lastly, let’s not forget the Proteus, the iconic little submarine that takes our heroes on their fantastic voyage.
Upcoming screenings-
Saturday, May 16th @7:00pm
Saturday, May 23rd @3:15pm
Soylent Green (1973)
It is 2022 and New York City is suffering from the devastating effects of anthropogenic climate change, overpopulation, and overall ecological collapse. This dystopian sci-fi crime thriller stars Charlton Heston as an NYPD detective investigating a murder that appears linked to the Soylent Corporation, the company behind the mysterious wafer-like food that sustains most of New York’s citizenry. This is one in a series of genre film during this period that feature Heston, the others being the sci-fi Planet of the Apes (1968) and The Omega Man (1971), and the 1974 disaster epics Earthquake and Airport 1975. In the end, Soylent Green is a decidedly bleak film that benefits from Edward G. Robison’s poignant and soulful performance as a scholar old enough to remember a beautiful planet Earth where food could be grown and nature was revered.
Upcoming screenings-
Saturday, May 16th @9:10pm
Friday, May 22nd @9:15pm
Other films that might be of interest to genre film buffs include the mystery/thriller See No Evil (1971) with Mia Farrow, plus a couple of crime thrillers featuring our boy George C. Scott—The Last Run (1971) and The New Centurions (1972). Yes, we sure love the genre and non-genre work of Scott here at Concentric Cinema, including The Hustler (1961), Patton (1970), The Changeling (1980), A Christmas Carol (1984), and don’t even get Yassmeen started on the not perfect yet criminally underrated Exorcist III (1990). But we digress . . .
There is so much more to explore—we haven’t even touched on the cartoons in FLEISCHER père et fils, which is is running through Thursday, May 28th and is scheduled in such a way that nearly every film will be featured more than once in staggered screenings. Check out this two-page festival flyer in PDF or visit the series landing page or more information, including the full slate of movies and their screening dates and times.
Established in 1970, Film Forum is a beloved nonprofit theater that specializes in independent film premieres, international film screenings, and repertory programming. They are a cinematic institution here in NYC and one worth preserving. If you haven’t yet been we highly recommend you take a trip to the West Village and catch something on one of their four screens. To further sweeten (or savor in this case) the deal, they have great popcorn!
Learn more about the ways in which you can support Film Forum.
Exterior shot of Film Forum’s current location since 1990.
