Screening Gotham: All-Positive Friday!

Some of the more positively spun movie news of note from around New York:

--In her ongoing, annual Oscar-season correspondence with New York Magazine's estimable David Edelstein, producer Lynda Obst confirms the Academy is still crazy about diamonds and real people. In turn, real people everywhere celebrate their renewed relevance on this holiest of celebrity weekends.

--The Post's Lou Lumenick loves him some James Cromwell and classic RKO. And somewhat stunningly, Nerve.com's Bilge Ebiri loves him some Lou Lumenick.

--indieWIRE's Charlie Olsky contributes this "Dispatch From New York," passing along word that a Musuem of the Moving Image crowd absolutely adored Tony Kaye's unflinching abortion documentary Lake of Fire, which previewed last weekend in Astoria. "Audience members hissed and incredulously laughed throughout the film," Olsky notes. " 'Wasn't this film anti-Christian?' one furious viewer asked."

--Maybe I shouldn't even be publicizing this, lest such assiduous word-of-mouth lead to its withdrawal, but the entirety of Todd Haynes' scandalized classic Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story is currently online at Google Video. Unless you're reading this after, say, 11 a.m., by which time all bets are off. (Hat tip: Movie City Indie)

Posted at February 23, 2007 8:54 AM