For various reasons I’m watching THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE tonight; there’s also a book. The 1974 Matthau flick reminds me vividly of the NYC of my childhood; which is to say, remarkably [expletive deleted] up*. And this is a personal recollection, too. My dad was on the Staten Island railroad for decades, and we moved out of Brooklyn when I was eight, so while I don’t remember the details about living in the City back then I still vividly remember the feel. This movie captures the feel.
*I know I’m supposed to be romanticizing the past and everything. But seriously, 1970s NYC < 1980s NYC < 1990s NYC > 2000s and later NYC. Forget ‘character.’ What I enjoyed was the ability to walk through Times Square without being solicited for various criminal activities.
In it’s way, “Fame” bridges the two NYCs, while showcasing a meritocratic drive that Millennial kids apparently never got.
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As NYC (and Chicago, fyi) seem determined to repeat the “Taking of Pelham 123” era – also the “Fort Apache The Bronx” era – I suppose some historical documentaries are appropriate.
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Mew