Earlier this week, writer and filmmaker Paul Auster passed away after battling lung cancer. Most famous for his Brooklyn-centric novels, Auster was also the creative force behind two of my favorite “time capsule” New York films, Smoke and Blue in the Face. Released in 1995 and occupying the same Park Slope world, both movies capture a time in New York for which I have much nostalgia and affection. I believe I’ve written about this before, but I have a mental subcategory of New York films that depict the summer heat especially well (Do the Right Thing being up there on this list, naturally, as well as 12 Angry Men, but also some more random ones like For a Good Time, Call . . . and Quiz Show), and Smoke, in particular, really nails it. However, if all this New York talk doesn’t float your boat, the casts of both films are full of surprises and youthful versions of now-familiar faces, and that alone is a reason to watch. You should be able to find both on multiple streaming services. -DW
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