This documentary is essentially a paean to New York City rather than an attempt at a comprehensive overview of films based there, and is restricted to a rather limited grouping of movies and performers who appear repeatedly, thereby neglecting a raft of major works from both the silent era and modern cinema, resulting in a curiously inbred feeling amid the Gothamite encomia. After a brief introduction by Meryl Streep, we are in store for a formulaic series of talking trunks interspersed with filmic samples, moving and elsewise, Peter Bogdanovich offering the most interesting and informed comments relating to historical makers of cinema, while Sidney Lumet also contributes something of value, whereas such as Tim Robbins, Liza Minelli and starry eyed Nora Ephron are primarily steeped in urbanite proselytism. The initial portion of this visual anthology is the most impressive and the film should be seen by cineastes because of it, although Hollywood's sets are ironically more striking than is the intent, and an ongoing litany regarding the value of New York locations is, as a result, unconvincing, while the editing, although skillful, provides a tiresome glut of repetitious and unidentified stills where short and more variegated clips from a vast reservoir would have been more useful and stimulating.
3 Reviews
It's a wonderful town
jotix10023 November 2010
Warning: Spoilers
As television documentaries go, "New York at the Movies" answers the question about why are filmmakers fascinated with the idea of shooting their movies in New York. Well, surprise, surprise, everything really started right there. In spite of the industry moving to the West coast, the mostly Jewish executives in charge of the pioneering studios in Hollywood, did not forget their New York roots. In fact, all the big studios had a New York street in their lots, where the fake image of the city could be filmed in an almost perfect weather.
Distinguished commentators of the stature of Martin Scorsese, Nora Ephron, Paul Mazurski, Ed Burns, Tim Robbins, Lauren Bacall, Spike Lee, James Sanders, Sidney Lumet, and Richard Brown, explain why shooting a movie in New York is a satisfying experience. Meryl Streep is the narrator of this interesting compilation of why New York seems to have it all as a perfect backdrop for any movie shot there.
The documentary is divided in sections citing how different genres play perfectly in the way creators set their movies in the city. From the beginning, it was clear audiences identified New York as a recognizable icon where many of its attractions are prominently featured. The Empire State building, the subway, the lights of Times Square, the fabulous night clubs, and a lot of other points the city offers, are a plus for many of the films that are made in New York.
Two films are mentioned as key to understand the appeal of movie makers to set the action of their features in New York. Jules Dassin's " The Naked City", and Alexander MacKendrick's "Sweet Smell of Success" embody the essential flavor of the New York prior to 1960, while Martin Scorsese's "Mean Street", and "Taxi Driver", Woody Allen's "Manhattan", and Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" are of a more recent vintage.
Nick Davis, the director, and Rose Ganguzza, the writer of "New York at the Movies" did a splendid job in documenting what is a known fact: New York is a wonderful town!
Distinguished commentators of the stature of Martin Scorsese, Nora Ephron, Paul Mazurski, Ed Burns, Tim Robbins, Lauren Bacall, Spike Lee, James Sanders, Sidney Lumet, and Richard Brown, explain why shooting a movie in New York is a satisfying experience. Meryl Streep is the narrator of this interesting compilation of why New York seems to have it all as a perfect backdrop for any movie shot there.
The documentary is divided in sections citing how different genres play perfectly in the way creators set their movies in the city. From the beginning, it was clear audiences identified New York as a recognizable icon where many of its attractions are prominently featured. The Empire State building, the subway, the lights of Times Square, the fabulous night clubs, and a lot of other points the city offers, are a plus for many of the films that are made in New York.
Two films are mentioned as key to understand the appeal of movie makers to set the action of their features in New York. Jules Dassin's " The Naked City", and Alexander MacKendrick's "Sweet Smell of Success" embody the essential flavor of the New York prior to 1960, while Martin Scorsese's "Mean Street", and "Taxi Driver", Woody Allen's "Manhattan", and Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" are of a more recent vintage.
Nick Davis, the director, and Rose Ganguzza, the writer of "New York at the Movies" did a splendid job in documenting what is a known fact: New York is a wonderful town!
it had too many films mentioned
taouim4 September 2004
it was to hard to follow as it had to many films mentioned...it was also very repetitive and Meryl Streep was emotionless and dull through out the duration of the documentary. there should have been more mention of 9/11 and its effect...it would have been much better if it had more focus on recent movies that explored the vertical and horizontal NY. such movies as "Down with love" and "Inderpendance Day" were not mentioned however they both show NY in the movies... there were a lot of movies being presented but it seemed like it was an effort to try waste time as many of them did not have any meaning. it should have been re thought and presented in a more entertaining way
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