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Read the press release here.

See What New York's Film Scene Was Like in the '70s and '80s at Screening

 A scene from the 1976 film
A scene from the 1976 film "Unmade Beds," by Amos Poe, which features a cameo by Debbie Harry.
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Courtesy Museum of the Moving Image

ASTORIA — Take a look back at New York's gritty punk rock days this weekend, on the big screen.

Museum of the Moving Image will spotlight the downtown New York film scene of the 1970s and '80s during a series of screenings Saturday and Sunday, which will include in-person appearances from several filmmakers.

"Downtown New York Film: The 1970s and 1980s" will feature films, shorts and music videos from the era that "captured the spirit of punk music and crossed the lines between the worlds of visual art and avant-garde film," according to a press release for the series.

"The new films from the 1970s and 1980s reflected a New York moment, the city itself, deserted streets, music at night and rebellion in the air," guest curator Vera Dika said in a statement.

The lineup includes Amos Poe's 1976 "Unmade Beds," a reinterpretation of a Jean-Luc Godard film that includes a cameo by singer Debbie Harry of Blondie. Poe and filmmaker Erica Beckman will both attend the screening.

Another of Poe's works, "Empire II" —  a take on Andy Warhol's "Empire" — will be shown continuously on the museum's second floor. The film is a year's worth of footage of the Empire State Building, which Poe captured from the window of his West Village apartment using time-lapse photography.

Other films in the series include Vivienne Dick's "Beauty Becomes the Beast," which features punk musician Lydia Lunch, as well as a 1981 film by "The Hurt Locker" director Kathryn Bigelow called "The Loveless" that stars Willem Dafoe.

The museum will also show music videos by Robert Longo for R.E.M.'s "The One I Love," and "Peace Sells" by Megadeth.

The series will run March 28th and 29th at the Museum of the Moving Image at 36-01 35th Ave. in Astoria. Screenings will cost $12 or $9 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased online here.