From Gangs to Ghostbusters: The Wild Wild West Side on Film

Thursday, October 26th, 6:30-8:00pm
From Gangs to Ghostbusters: The Wild Wild West Side on Film
The second in a series featuring clips from iconic films and filmmakers that use the equally iconic locations of the Upper West Side to tell their stories. In this cinematic stroll, we will explore the ways in which the beloved and identifiable locations of Manhattan’s Upper West Side have given it a starring role in so many films. Both timeless and reflective of dynamic cultural change, the UWS has been a major player in such quintessential New York movies as West Side Story, Panic in Needle Park, Rosemary’s Baby, Hair, You’ve Got Mail, When Harry Met Sally, and the Ghostbusters franchise. We will look at how its own unique identity shapes the structure and stories of films where characters come together, fight their demons, fall in love, fall to pieces, and even live happily ever after. Paula Uruburu, Professor of English and Film Studies at Hofstra University, guides us on a cinefantastic tour of New York’s Upper West Side, as seen through the eyes of such talented native New Yorkers (and transplants) as Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins, Nora and Delia Ephron, and Ira Levin.