User reviews

Everyday street life becomes a kaleidoscope of surreal images in this wonderful masterpiece of experimental filmmaking by Francis Thompson. Visually stunning, whimsical, and truly engaging from start to finish, this film has long been one of my very favourite short films.

It has been rumoured that it took Thompson over 20 years to both film and manufacture the special lenses used to create the fantastic and fractured images that dominate this film. He has refused to reveal his secrets to the present date. What is evident though is a mastery of visual tone and composition. Distorted objects and scenes, some recognizable and others not, blend and flow in a loosely based time line chronicling a typical New York City day, from sun-up to sundown. No narration or story to speak of, N.Y., N.Y. tells its tale through the bustling pace, the familiar city sounds, and the well-married musical score that accompanies it. Phantasmagoric, geometric, ultra-dimensional, and sometimes just plain weird, New York City has never told so many tales in so little time.

Some of the standout images that come to mind are cars folding in on themselves as they drive by; bodiless, rubbery legs appearing to walk on their own; and entire buildings, twisted and deformed, just seeming to hang about in mid-air. Every frame is a complete picture, and each rendered with an eye to pristine and endearing fullness. I can't recall how many times I've seen this amazing little gem of a film now, but with each successive time I see something new, and I do so with the same sense of excitement that I did when I first viewed it. It is such a fully realized piece of work I must laud both the film, and it's maker, whole- heartedly. It must be seen to be believed! 10/10. N.Y., N.Y. will not disappoint!

N.Y., N.Y. (1957)

**** (out of 4)

I've read a lot of different things about this film but the main thing appears to be that director Thompson spent over twenty-years making the perfect camera to put his strange and unique vision on film. The kaleidoscope lenses used here were Thompson's creation and the secrets he took to the grave with him. There's not really any story being told but instead we just see all sorts of visuals from the morning time through the evening up into the night. All of the images coming from New York City but we're seeing them unlike anything before or after. I'm really not sure how to explain this form of cinema except by calling it very original and unique. Needless to say I haven't seen a movie like this one before and I'm sure you'd see or feel something different with each new viewing because there's just so much going on here. I think the best stuff was the night scenes just because of how the beautiful colors leaped off the screen. The kaleidoscope lense certain made a true treasure in terms of visuals.

On a recent blog on the Cartoon Brew site, there was an article about this unique short film from an artist named Francis Thompson. As you can probably figure out from the title, it's mainly images of perhaps the greatest city of our country (if not the world). And what images you see! Accompanied by a very compellingly jazzy/symphonic score by Gene Forrell, there's a kaleidescope of split-screen images going every which way with some unique ones like that of a typewriter printing symbols instead of words. You also hear some sound effects like that of an alarm clock. And how about the way some images-like a car or buildings-just simply fold into each other. I think I've said enough so if you want to know what I'm writing about, go to the UbuWeb site where this short is available. So yes, I'm definitely recommending N.Y., N.Y., A Day in New York.

So the footage for this sat under a bed for 30 years... well it should have stayed there. What was the point of this farce? I'm thinking, wow I'll get to see New York in the late 40's. Amazing. Movie starts and the picture is scrambled up into segments. Picture unwatchable. Awesome. This is another persons view of art. Well excrement on glass slapped up onto a wall is also considered art.

Those in the New York City area should know that a 16mm. print of this amazing film is in the reference collection of the Donnell Media center, a unit of the NY public Library. Anyone with a library card can sign up a week in advance to screen the film at the 53rd. Street location. It's well worth a visit for any of the hundreds of rare experimental titles from this era.

And if anyone knows of any other sources for N.Y.,N.Y., do comment here!