Rosemary (Mia Farrow) doesn’t know who she can trust in Roman Polanski’s horror classic
CABARET CINEMA: ROSEMARY’S BABY (Roman Polanski, 1968)
Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th St. at Seventh Ave.
Friday, March 8, free with $7 bar minimum, 9:30
212-620-5000
www.rmanyc.org
Based on the frightening novel by Ira Levin, Rosemary’s Baby is one of the greatest psychological horror films ever made — and one of the best ever about the hell that apartment life in New York City can be. When Rosemary (Mia Farrow) and Guy Woodhouse (John Cassavetes) move into the fancy Upper West Side apartment complex the Bramford (the Dakota), ready to start a family, Rosemary slowly grows suspicious of Guy’s new friends, particularly the sweet old couple next door (Oscar winner Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer), with good reason. Written and directed by Roman Polanski, Rosemary’s Baby works primarily because it is so believable, with recognizable characters and situations that never go over the top. It’s not just about a satanic underworld gathering in New York City; it delves headfirst into urban paranoia and the fear of adulthood and responsibility, focusing on career success and parenting, with the baby-faced Farrow expertly cast as the mom-to-be. The frightening thriller, which is filled with truly scary scenes, has held up well over the years, so beware if you’re afraid of the dark. In any case, be prepared to have the bejesus scared out of you. Rosemary’s Baby is screening March 8 at 9:30 as part of the Rubin Museum Cabaret Cinema series “Illusions Revealed,” consisting of films that address misperception, and will be introduced by neuroscientist Ioana Carcea. The series continues with such films as Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso, Louis Malle’s Black Moon, and Sam Peckinpah’s Cross of Iron through April 26.