Manhattan as a Character in Film

[Hemingway Jones]

"The famous places to visit are so many,
Or so the guidebooks say.
I promised Daddy I wouldn't miss on any.
And we have just one day.
Got to see the whole town
From Yonkers on down to the Bay.
In just one day!" - From "On the Town."

New York, New York, Manhattan, Gotham! New York City in film has transcended the function of setting and has risen to a character in itself. Think of "On the Town" or the first ten minutes of Woddy Allen's "Manhattan." Without giving too much away in the first post, I would like to turn it over to you to discuss New York, New York as a strong presence in film. -And don't forget the boroughs.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

New York New York, it's a wonderful town. The Bronx is up, and the Battery's down. The People ride through a whole in the ground, New York, New York, IT'S A WONDERFUL TOOOWWWNNNN!!! (Also from "On The Town")

I think New York is the perfect setting for a movie. It's so alive, and always active. Hey, it is the city that never sleeps. It is the backdrop for all different kinds of stories. It can be romantic, dangerous, all different things. I don't know what more to say. Just that "It's a heck of a town"!

 

[johnnydnh]

New York, New York its a wonderful town

Well that's alot better than "They had the time, the time of their life. I saw a man, he danced with your wife, in Chicago, Chicago my home town!"

 

[McPeppers]

Not to invoke the wrath of the New York City fans here but...I'm getting tired of seeing it on film.

Note: I still love going there in person

However, it is getting to the point where every bad film...is filmed in NYC to try to get a little of the magic rub from good films that are filmed there. (Oddly enough this is coming from a person who still likes Home Alone 2) That being said I love going there and will be going back for my annual tradition of seeing the "Snow Show" which is just so much fun

I'm liking the fact that Miami is becoming popular again, proves Deco isnt the only reason to draw ppl home lol. And even New Orleans is getting a bump (albeit from documentaries by Spike Lee and a new Jean-Claude Van Damme movie "Til Death")

I say hold off on NYC for two years then hit us with the old girl again...we'll have all been "Where'd she go?? I want her back!" by that time and there you go...blockbuster

 

[Tomasso]

The Out Of Towners

Jack Lemmon, Sandy Dennis, music by Quincy Jones.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066193/

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Jack Lemmon, Sandy Dennis, music by Quincy Jones.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066193/

Great choice, Tomasso. This film is one very funny inside joke on New Yorkers that everyone gets.

 

[Feraud]

The following are a mix of good and bad movies. They take place in and around Manhattan and the outer boroughs.

Taxi Driver
The Daytrippers
You've Got Mail
When Harry Met Sally
Elf
The Odd Couple
Almost any Spike Lee film is as quintessentially "New York" as any Woody Allen film. In fact, Lee shows a NYC more people can identify with than Woody Allen's films. Take "Do The Right Thing", "25th Hour", "Summer of Sam", or "Bamboozled" as prime examples.

A question that occurs to me is are films made on location on the streets of New York better because of the location or in spite of it?

Where else could Do The Right Thing or You've Got Mail succeed?

 

[Tomasso]

Where else could You've Got Mail succeed?

Seattle

Meg+Tom=$chickflick$

 

[Feraud]

Seattle

Meg+Tom=$chickflick$

lol true!!

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Woody Allen's New York seems to be The New York of classic Hollywood. Writers live in palatial Upper West Side apartments and eat in the finest establishments, everyone has nice clothes, and there is very little diversity, though that changed in his latter work.

Rob Reiner has a similar view of Manhattan. Do you remember "Harry Burns'" apartment? He was a sports journalist, not Donald Trump!

It would be ironic to call New York a microcosm, but in as far as it reflects the broader world, it is. New York represents the testing ground, a landscape of endless opportunity. Even films that are critical of the city or those possibilities, say, a film like "Wall Street" cannot help but be seduced by its chaotic beauty and the stone, steel and glass sentinels of the skyline.

 

[MrBern]

I've read that Youve Got Mail was not nearly as successful as anticipated. Funny , how its themes of our changing world, Mega franchises overtaking the littl businessman, & online dating are still so current.
I really like that movie as a snapshot of NYC pre 9/11.

I'd like to point out WestSide Story.
And Saturday Night Fever.

Searching For Bobby Fisher.
A movie faithful to the book. Captures NYC. And indicates some of the dilemma of kids growing up in NYC.

 

[MrBern]

I'd like to thumb my nose at FRIENDS for never really trying to capture the spirit of NYC.
At Sex &theCity, for encouraging a generation of women to act rediculously under the guise of chic NYC.
And Seinfeld, for loving NYC so much, but never filmed an episode here.

 

[Strider]

Where else could Do The Right Thing or You've Got Mail succeed?

San Diego!

New York's where it's at. I lived there for the better part of a year, and I fell in love with it while I was there. Anyplace that hates New York is just upset that they can't BE New York. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere, baby. Personally, I like NY as a backdrop, because I love the city. I happened to know someone from the Bronx, who I was palling around with one day, when we rolled into this one neighborhood that I felt a little uneasy in. I know if I'd been there by myself, I wouldn't be sitting here now, but my friend (who was black) said he knew me, said I was cool, and before you knew it, I was everyone's best friend. Craziest thing ever.

 

[Tomasso]

when we rolled into this one neighborhood that I felt a little uneasy in.

What neighborhood?

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Let's stay on topic.

 

[MrBern]

NY in sci-fi, jersey in horror...

In Futurama, they live in NewNew York. And theyre still makign jokes about jersey.

In planet of the Apes & the sequels, we realize that this weird place populated by apes & mutants is really New York.
But probably the Apes live in Jersey.

Cult classic, The Warriors. Future gangs. Title gang framed for assasination run the gauntlet tryign to take th subway back to Coney Island.
Cuz any gangbanger would rather die on the subway than escape to jersey.

Escape from NY. Snake Pliskin, I thought you wuz dead.....
Sad to see the Towers in this future landscape. NYC as a walled prison. Cuz we're tired of letting Jersey in on the weekends.

 

[Hemingway Jones]

"Arsenic and Old Lace" has a quote near the beginning somewhere along the lines of "in one of the more charming neighborhoods of Brooklyn."

And let's not forget "Highlander:" the fight scene atop Silvercup Studios; they didn't have to go too far to film that one, and the meeting of the two immortals in Central Park. Also, there is an interesting rendition of "New York, New York" by the Kurgan and Brenda takes great offense.

"Manhattan Murder Mystery" has some fun uptown locations, though, once again, everyone has too much apartment for their professions.

 

[MrBern]

"Arsenic and Old Lace" has a quote near the beginning somewhere along the lines of "in one of the more charming neighborhoods of Brooklyn."

And let's not forget "Highlander:" the fight scene atop Silvercup Studios; they didn't have to go too far to film that one, and the meeting of the two immortals in Central Park. Also, there is an interesting rendition of "New York, New York" by the Kurgan and Brenda takes great offense.

"Manhattan Murder Mystery" has some fun uptown locations, though, once again, everyone has too much apartment for their professions.

Yes, Highlander was a lot of fun.
ManhattanMurder Mystery is Woody, so its hard not to use NYC for his settings. In fact, I like how he has updated himself in SCOOP. He seems to have seamlessly substituted London for NYC.

That reminds me of EyesWideShut. Again, set in NYC, but filmed in the UK.

 

[Feraud]

I just remembered... The Odd Couple (movie and t.v. series) and The Honeymooners both give me a definite NYC vibe! There is a lot of city flavor among the cast. Ralph brives a dus , Norton works in the sewers, etc. The Honeymooners would not work in the suburbs. It would be like every other "family" program out there. Most of them are indistinguishable from each other.
As for The Odd Couple, I wonder if many other cities would have let two fellas share an apartment.

 

[Feraud]

In fact, I like how he has updated himself in SCOOP. He seems to have seamlessly substituted London for NYC.

Woody Allen also based Matchpoint in London.
Which makes me wonder if our fair city is as characteristic as we think it is?