IN CINEMA
Thursday, June 5th at 7PM
Co-presented with Uptown Flicks as part of the Upper West Side Cinema Center 2025 Spring/Summer Series "For the Love of Cinema"
VARIETY
Bette Gordon, 1983, 100 min.
A young woman, Christine (Sandy McLeod), lands a job as a cashier at a downtown porno theater, and soon finds herself inexorably drawn towards what’s happening on the screen—as well as other troubling fantasies. Writes director Gordon: “Hitchcock has used the cool blonde before, always as the object of the male gaze and fantasy. But in this case the traditional male role is reversed; Christine becomes obsessed with watching and following a male client. She is the sleuth in a thriller whose terrain is the language of desire.” One of the great independent films of the 1980s, featuring a who’s who of the New York vanguard, including Nan Goldin, Luis Guzmán, Spalding Gray and, of course, Cookie, appearing as a magnificently tousled barfly. Shot with grubby flair by Tom DiCillo, with an aptly sleazy-sultry theme from John Lurie, and a screenplay courtesy of writer Kathy Acker.
"A feminist Vertigo." – LA Weekly
"A daring departure into the dark, irrational and obsessional world of personal female fantasy" – Linda Gross, The Los Angeles Times
"Sandy McLeod's deliriously obsessive performance as Christine is the perfect blend of blond beauty and intelligent watchfulness" – Newsday
About Upper West Side Cinema Center
The Upper West Side Cinema Center (UWSCC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the historic Metro Theater into a five-screen cinema arts and education center with a community bistro. Led by film industry veterans Ira Deutchman and Adeline Monzier, and supported by Steven Spielberg, NY State, and an advisory committee including Martin Scorsese, Frances McDormand, and other luminaries, the UWS Cinema Center represents a community-driven effort to revitalize a cultural landmark and enrich the neighborhood through the power of film.
+ Post-screening discussion in-person with Director Bette Gordon and cocktail reception for all attendees!
Tickets: $15 General Admission / $7 Reduced Price
