The East Village’s underground cinema scene of the 1980s is back on the big screen. Philip Hartman’s No Picnic, a cult neo-noir comedy that earned Sundance recognition in 1987, has been restored in 4K and heads to Film Forum for a limited run in mid-April.
The film follows a restless former frontman from the downtown music circuit as he tours a world of punk poets and nightlife in New York’s Lower East Side. Hartman, who also co-owned Two Boots Pizza, drew from his circle of downtown icons to tell a time-worn story of a neighborhood in flux. The movie’s cast includes David Brisbin, with appearances by Steve Buscemi, Richard Hell, and Luis Guzmán.
According to Hartman, the project captured a moment when the East Village felt charged with change. “We moved fast with a nimble crew, using an old VW bus to grab scenes—from Adam’s Purple Garden to the St. Mark’s Cinema,” he recalled in a note shared by Film Forum. Now, four decades later, the area has transformed, yet No Picnic endures as a document of a city and a culture that has vanished from view.
The restoration was led by The Film Desk, and Wim Wenders’ editor Peter Pryzgodda helped complete the cut, with Christine Vachon contributing as assistant sound editor. Hartman’s Two Boots era helped underwrite the post-production, enabling the film to reach audiences again.
Film Forum will host No Picnic from April 17 through 23, offering a chance to see a portrait of downtown life that’s rarely on the big screen. IndieWire is excited to share the exclusive trailer for the restored version below.
Source: Original article
