It’s been a while since a classic movie about, or even with scenes in, the New York City subway hit theaters. The 2009 version of The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 is something everyone would rather ignore, and 1995’s Money Train drew headlines more for alleged copycats than for the quality of the film. Still, the classics remain the classics with the 1970s a particularly iconic decade for subway movies, and in a few weeks, you’ll be able to catch the big names on the silver screen.
As part of an early fall retrospective, BAMcinématek will be hosting Retro Metro, what they’re calling a 16-film ride through the history of the New York City subway. The Big 3 — The French Connection, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and opening night’s The Warriors — get top billing, and joining them will be a rare showing of The Incident as well as a dozen other films inspired by or filmed on the subways. There will be no Ghost, but you can catch Saturday Night Fever, Midnight Cowboy, and Just Another Girl on the I.R.T. along with Vincente Minnelli’s The Clock and the Gene Kelly classic On The Town.
The films run from Friday, September 26 through Sunday, October 5, and the full schedule is available in BAM’s press release. I’m aiming to catch The Incident on October 3, The Warriors on September 26, and perhaps The French Connection on October 5. If there’s interest, I may arrange a quasi-official Second Ave. Sagas outing to see the original Taking of Pelham One Two Three at 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 28. If you haven’t seen any of these movies, or even if you have, check them out. This will be a great festival.
Meanwhile, we have more pressing matters to attend to. I’m out of town for the Labor Day weekend, but the work doesn’t stop. Your service advisories after the jump, and remember to pay attention to travel patterns on Sunday as the West Indian-American Day Parade always causes some localized changes.
From 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Monday, September 1, the Eastern Pkwy station is closed due to the West Indian-American Day Parade. 2, 3 and 4 trains skip this station in both directions.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 30 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, 2 trains run local in both directions between 96 St and Times Sq-42 St due to CPM cable work at 72 St.
From 11:00 p.m. Sunday, August 31, to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, 2 trains skip Church Av in both directions due to the West Indian J’Ouvert Parade.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 30 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, 3 trains run local in both directions between 96 St and Times Sq-42 St due to CPM cable work at 72 St.
From 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, August, 30 and 31, and from 12:01 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, 3 service is extended to 34 St-Penn Station due to CPM cable work at 72 St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, August 29 to 6:00 a.m. Sunday, August 31, and from 11:45 p.m. Sunday, August 31 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, New Lots Av-bound 4 trains run express from 14 St-Union Sq to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall due to MOW track tie and concrete work at Spring St.
From 11:00 p.m. Saturday, August 30 to 6:00 a.m. Sunday, August 31, and from 11:00 p.m. Sunday, August 31 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, New Lots Av-bound 4 trains run local from 125 St to Grand Cantral-42 St due to CPM cable work south of 125 St.
From 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday, September 1, 4 trains run local in Brooklyn due to the West Indian-American Day Parade.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, August 29 to 5:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 2, 5 trains are suspended between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St due to CPM signal modernization on the Dyre Avenue Line. Free shuttle buses operate all weekend between Eastchester-Dyre Av and E 180 St, stopping at Baychester Av, Gun Hill Rd, Pelham Pkwy, and Morris Park.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, August 29 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, Brooklyn Bridge-bound 6 trains run express from 14 St-Union Sq to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall due to MOW track tie and concrete work at Spring St.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, August 29 to 4:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 2, Pelham Bay Park-bound 6 trains run express from Hunts Point Av to Parkchester due to MOW track tie block renewal south of Whitlock Av and track panel installation north of Elder Av.
From 7:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, August 30 and from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday, August 31, and Monday, September 1, 6 trains run every 16 minutes between 3 Av-138 St and Pelham Bay Park due to MOW track tie block renewal south of Whitlock Av and track panel installation north of Elder Av. The last stop for some 6 trains headed toward Pelham Bay Park is 3 Av-138 St.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 30 to 5:00 a.m. Sunday, Monday, September 1, Queens-bound A trains run local from 168 St to 59 St-Columbus Circle due to MOW track maintenance and rail repairs north of 59 St-Columbus Circle.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 30 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, Coney Island- Stillwell Av-bound D trains run local from 145 St to 59 St-Columbus Circle due to MOW track maintenance and rail repairs north of 59 St-Columbus Circle.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 30, to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, E trains operate in two sections due to MOW rail and plate repairs north of Sutphin Blvd-Archer Av JFK Airport.
- Between World Trade Center and Kew Gardens-Union Tpke, and via the F line to/from Jamaica-179 St.
- Between Kew Gardens-Union Tpke and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer every 16-20 minutes.
From 11:15 p.m. Friday, August 29 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, Coney Island-Stillwell Av bound F trains are rerouted on the M line from Roosevelt Av to 47-50 Sts-Rock Ctr due to CPM Second Avenue Subway related work.
From 11:45 p.m. Friday, August 29 to 5:00 a.m. Monday, September 1, Coney Island-bound Q trains run express from Kings Hwy to Sheepshead Bay due to MOW track work at Sheepshead Bay.
9 comments
As much as it pains me to even mention this film, any chance BAM could show the tv-movie re-make of Pelham? It was so bad no one who saw it talks about the video in mixed company, but it shouldn’t be forgotten…
They finally released that horrendous remake on DVD about a year ago.
Here’s a subway-related theatrical release that actually was nominated for an Oscar, but it’s animated — a 1938 Betty Boop cartoon called “Riding the Rails“. While there’s no underground subway junction like the one shown near the climax, the artists really do a good job in drawing the subway cars to look like an actual IRT Low-V train, probably because unlike most theatrical animated cartoons made in California, the Betty Boop shorts were made at 1600 Broadway, at the north end of Times Square, which means some of the artists for the Fleischer Studio who worked on the cartoon were probably riding Low-Vs to their jobs every day.
The Warriors is a good anecdote for anyone who believes the 1960s and 1970s were the good old days. Take a look at the Upper West Side. Some believed it would go the way of the South Bronx.
Yes, it has a LOT of subway footage and really gives a feel for the times.
“Pelham” is still the best NYC movie ever made, hands-down.
Yes, and take SI with it, PLEASE.
I just looked at the pdf file and saw no pricing. I checked their website and could not find any pricing. I emailed them via their contact-us page to see if they could tell us the pricing.
Granted, with all the corporate sponsors and other naming rights, the movies should be free. But I know that’s not going to happen. I just hope (and asked them) that there are no obscene ticketmaster/livenation/telecharge fees.
Movie tickets at BAM are $14 for adults, standard New York pricing.