Thursday, July 29, 2010

 

RUSSELLMANIA


RUSSELLMANIA
Featuring the Brit bad-boy himself, in person at all evening screenings
July 30-August 5, 2010

Ken Russell in 1975
Photo by Eric Roffman


Regarded as British cinema's greatest enfant terrible, Ken Russell is also an English national treasure. Russell created an intensely imaginative visual language to tell his stories-employing a style that is as poetic as it is ferocious.

(Note Aug 4: See the exclusive classic (1975) interview with Ken Russell on QPORIT, above.)

In the 1960s and 70s Russell trashed the staid conventions of cinematic good taste, forging a subversive cinema of outrageous excess and mischievous iconoclasm. At a time when the British film industry was all but moribund, this fearlessly controversial and flamboyant writer-director pulled off an unmatched nine-film winning streak, which we present for your delectation.

"The Film Society prides itself on bringing world class filmmakers to our audiences for live, in-depth conversations, so we are thrilled that Ken Russell will join us for every night of this series," says Mara Manus, Executive Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center.

No stranger to controversy, Russell often focused his work on scandalous portrayals of the lives of other great artists, including Mahler, Liszt, and Tchaikovsky. Russell's film adaptations of literature were no less outrageous; The Devils (adapted from Aldous Huxley's The Devils of Loudun) caused a sensation due to its violence, frank sexuality, and controversial religious imagery and was consequently banned in several countries and heavily edited in others.

"
Ken Russell is one of those rare artists whose work consistently bridged--and sometimes confounded--the gap between "art cinema" and "commercial cinema," says Richard Peña, Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center. "His works were both extremely personal and accessible to a wide range of international audiences, and this is a terrific opportunity to discover his very special vision of life, love, art and politics."

Join The Film Society of Lincoln Center (FilmLinc) for six personal audiences with the legendary Ken Russell, British Cinema's madcap visionary maverick, in person at all evening screenings.

Special thanks from FilmLinc to Shade Rupe.



Ticket Information:

Pricing:

Single Screening Tickets:
$12 General Public/
$8 Seniors & Students/
$7 Members
Three-Film Pass:
$30 General Public/
$21 Seniors & Students/
$18 Members
Weekday Matinee Screenings,
Mon-Fri before 6pm:
$9 General Public/
$6 Seniors & Students/
$5 Members


PURCHASE OPTIONS

Online: visit
http://www.filmlinc.com/

In Person:
Walter Reade Theater box office; Hours:
Mon-Fri opens at 12:30pm,
Sat/Sun opens 1/2 hr before first public screening;
closes 15 minutes after last public screening,
at 6pm when there are no public screenings.

For more information:
call 212 875 5601 - or visit
http://www.filmlinc.com/.

All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. All showings are subject to change. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management.

All films are screened at:
Walter Reade Theater at The Film Society of Lincoln Center
165 West 65th Street, upper level
(between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave.)
Subways: 1 train to 66th Street Lincoln Center
Buses: M5 M7 M104
More options available at nearby Columbus Circle

FILM DETAILS

The Boy Friend
Ken Russell, 1971, UK/USA; 110m
Twiggy and Glenda Jackson star in a behind-the-scenes Jazz Age backstage musical that alternates between humble homemade theater and lush Busby Berkeley-esque sequences.
Sat Jul 31: 1:00
Sun Aug 1: 8:15
Wed Aug 4: 4:30
Thu Aug 5: 2:00

The Devils
Ken Russell, 1971, UK/USA; 111m
Nuns Gone Wild! Power, corruption and lies in Russell's ultra-controversial, semi-sacreligious take on 17th-century Catholicism. Set design by Derek Jarman.
Fri Jul 30: 7:00
Sat Jul 31: 3:45
Sun Aug 1: 1:15
Thu Aug 5: 4:30

Lisztomania
Ken Russell, 1975, UK; 104m
Flamboyantly anachronistic, this riotous, gleefully bawdy portrait of Franz Liszt (Roger Daltrey) and Richard Wagner (Paul Nicholas) tears up the Great Artists biopic rulebook. Featuring Ringo Starr as the Pope.
Tue Aug 3: 3:30
Wed Aug 4: 7:00

Mahler
Ken Russell, 1974, UK; 115m
The ailing Mahler recalls his fabulous triumphs and crushing defeats in Russell's absorbing transition between his early biographies and later stylized fantasias.
Sun Aug 1: 3:30
Mon Aug 2: 7:00

The Music Lovers
Ken Russell, 1971, UK/USA; 122m
Richard Chamberlain stars as the sexually tormented Tchaikovsky opposite Glenda Jackson as his mad wife in Russell's first big-screen composerama.
Fri Jul 30: 4:30
Sat Jul 31: 6:00

Savage Messiah
Ken Russell, 1972, UK/USA; 99m
In this flashback to Bohemian Paris, modernist sculptor Henri Gaudier finds true union with older lover Sophia Brzeska. With Helen Mirren nude descending a staircase.
Sun Aug 1: 6:00
Mon Aug 2: 2:30

Tommy
Ken Russell, 1975, UK; 111m
The 35th anniversary of The Who's rock opera, starring Ann-Margret, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Oliver Reed, Tina Turner, and Jack Nicholson.
Thu Aug 5: 7:00

Valentino
Ken Russell, 1977, UK; 127m
Russell's extravagant homage to the idols of silent Hollywood, starring Rudolf Nureyev as the Latin Lover, is still the source of apocryphal stories about the movies' first superstar.
Mon Aug 2: 4:30

Women in Love
Ken Russell, 1969, UK; 130m
D.H. Lawrence meets his match in Russell's blazing adaptation, with Oliver Reed and Alan Bates wrestling nude and Glenda Jackson winning an Oscar.
Fri Jul 30: 2:00
Sat Jul 31: 8:15



SCHEDULE


JULY
Friday 30
2:00 Women in Love
4:30 The Music Lovers
7:00 The Devils + conversation

Saturday 31
1:00 The Boy Friend
3:45 The Devils
6:00 The Music Lovers
8:15 Women in Love + conversation

AUGUST
Sunday 1
1:15 The Devils
3:30 Mahler
6:00 Savage Messiah
8:15 The Boy Friend + conversation

Monday 2
2:30 Savage Messiah
4:30 Valentino
7:00 Mahler + conversation

Tuesday 3
3:30 Lisztomania

Wednesday 4
4:30 The Boy Friend
7:00 Lisztomania + conversation

Thursday 5
2:00 The Boy Friend
4:30 The Devils
7:00 Tommy + conversation

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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

 

THE EXTRA MAN


Kevin Kline
THE EXTRA MAN
A Magnolia Pictures release
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures


Kevin Kline is brilliant in The Extra Man. (He is also brilliant outside of The Extra Man -- see below.)

This film is very funny.

(Note: According to the NYT (Sunday Arts p 6 , July 25, 2010), as an online reviewer/interviewer/journalist, I need to add that the film is "quirky, eccentric, off-beat".)


An "Extra Man" is not a gigolo, he is the unpaid (apparently), sometimes compensated (perhaps with a free meal, free cultural event, or free vacation apartment), non-fornicating escort for (usually) old women who need a companion at events.

Kevin Kline (as Henry Harrison) is the quintessential Extra Man. Paul Dano (as Louis Ives) is a young man of confused sexual identity who takes (ie rents) a room (actually, basically, just a bed in a not very private room) in Henry's apartment. Louis lives with a voice narrating his life in the style of Nick in The Great Gatsby (much the way other boys live with a baseball announcer calling the life they are living).

Henry is a brilliant, but unproduced playwright, whose one copy of his first (and only) play disappeared because (he believes) it was stolen. He is old-fashioned, sexually blocked, sexually obsessed, strongly opinionated -- often to the point of rudeness, extremely cultured, something of a master at certain cons, and incredibly poor.

"Incredible," however, means not credible; ie unbelievable. (The film therefore does require some strong "suspension of disbelief".) I tried, but could not convince myself that Henry could be as poor as he is described (for example, he owns a car that is decrepit beyond disgrace, something Henry's taste, I suspect, could not tolerate.) He has a job -- teaching in Queens. He is excellent at manipulating people, and the old women he escorts are very wealthy. I could not convince myself that between his teaching job, his skill at cons, and his wealthy friends, he could not acquire a comfortable income (and drive a car -- however ancient -- that looked really good in its own way).

The film also ends with a too-quick/too-soft landing, which seemed to require too big and too sudden a shift to tolerance from the demandingly intolerant personality Henry had so far exhibited.

But these two issues are minor, compared with the film's strengths -- it's a very funny film with fascinating characters and rich, humorous characterizations through superlative acting by some of New York's best actors.


Shari Springer Berman
Director, THE EXTRA MAN
Photo by Eric Roffman

The film is based on a novel which, in turn, is said to be based on the real experience of the author, Jonathan Ames. The film is directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini (who by all accounts worked extremely efficiently as a team). They began as documentary filmmakers, and have made a career of fictional versions of real stories. Their (award winning) film, American Splendor, was based on the life and work of Harvey Pekar (who, sadly, just passed away). They are currently working on a film for HBO, "Cinema Verite," based on the story of the filming of the story of the Louds, who were themselves one of the first "reality TV" personalities.


John C. Reilly
THE EXTRA MAN
A Magnolia Pictures release
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Supporting roles are excellent. Katie Holmes has a small role (but is quite lovely) in the movie. John C. Reilly is hysterical. Marion Seldes and other classic actors contribute finely tuned performances.


Katie Holmes and Paul Dano
THE EXTRA MAN
A Magnolia Pictures release
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Paul Dano continues his portrtayal of extremely strong characters that speak softly and behave in a retiring manner. (He's like that in person , too.) His films include
Gigantic with Zooey Deschanel, There Will be Blood, with Daniel Day Lewis, and Tom Cruise's Knight and Day -- as Simon Feck, the inventor of the Zephyr battery.

He is currently in production (playing a cowboy) in Jon Favreau's Cowboys and Aliens.

Kevin Kline trained first in classical piano at Indiana, then switched to acting, joining the acting program at Juilliard. An actor with extraordinary range, from classical tragedy to modern comedy, he is a master of Chekhov: He has performed in The Seagull, under the direction of Mike Nichols, and played one of the rare productions of Ivanov, Chekhov's early and challenging masterpiece. He has performed many roles in many plays of Shakespeare, including a celebrated version of the "Seven Ages of Man" speech in Kenneth Branagh's film of As You Like It, and an iambic-pentameter-free Shakespeare duel with Steven Colbert
(see below).

He has done serious roles, musical roles, and comic roles in both theater and film, including the classic political comedy film, Dave.

He's a thoughtful, quick-witted, well-spoken, highly knowledgeable actor. He'd be a great teacher if he had the time, and I'd love to see work he directed.

He is one of the most versatile, terrific actors around. It is a pleasure to see him in this fine, funny, multi-dimensional, completely original role.


HERE'S THE CLIP FROM HIS APPEARANCE ON THE COLBERT REPORT:











The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Kevin Kline
http://www.colbertnation.com/






Colbert Report Full Episodes2010 ElectionFox News


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Sunday, July 25, 2010

 

LATINO CULTURAL FESTIVAL


Queens Theatre in the Park

Announces the

CHASE 2010 LATINO CULTURAL FESTIVAL

Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP)'s Chase 2010 Latino Cultural Festival, taking place from July 29 to August 8 at Queens Theatre in the Park, presents the opening night concert and celebration featuring Contra Tiempo, the Urban Latin Dance Theatre on Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 8pm.

The evening begins with Contra Tiempo's performance and continues with a post-show opening night party from 9:30pm to midnight, featuring a DJ, drinks, dancing and Latin food. The concert and post-show celebration will take place at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets are $35 the day of the performance, $30 in advance, and $28 dollars for multi-show purchases.

Tickets are available online at www.queenstheatre.org and by phone at 718-760-0064.

Susana Baca
Peruvian Singer
Closing Concert Artist
Photo Courtesy of Queens Theatre in the Park

This is the 14th year of the festival, which will feature 12 events including music, dance, comedy, spoken word, film, and family-friendly performances, such as a concerts by Leon Gieco, a pop-folk musician who has been called the Argentine Bob Dylan; Carlos Varela, one of Cuba's most talented and emblematic artists; Colombia folk musician Jorge Velosa, who will perform his creation, a new musical style called carranguero music; and singer Susana Baca, who has been instrumental in the international popularity of Afro-Peruvian music. This year's participants hail from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, the United States, and Venezuela.


The Los Angeles-based Contra Tiempo, Urban Latin Dance Theatre fuses Salsa, Afro-Cuban, West African and hip-hop styles to create an invigorating dance performance! Like the communities it reaches, the CONTRA-TIEMPO company is a tapestry; its professional dancers, artists and musicians are also immigrants, teachers and activists. These political and personal landscapes are brought to vividly life in their electrifying work! The San Francisco Bay Guardian describes the company's work as "an edgy examination of the struggle for Latinos in the United States, and a joyous celebration of community!"


Queens Theatre in the Park's Chase 2010 Latino Cultural Festival includes:

Contra-Tiempo
Photo Courtesy of Queens Theatre in the Park

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - Contra Tiempo, Urban Latin Dance Theatre

Friday, July 30, 2010 - YOMO TORO Y Los Latino Del Son, Special Guest "El Topo",Music

Saturday, July 31, 2010 - FREE - Pistolera - Moona Luna, Music

Sunday, August 1, 2010 - Tango y Vida, Music and Dance

Tuesday, August 3, 2010 - Alejandro Caceres Dance Company

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 - FREE - Film - Al otro lado

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 - FREE - Open Mic Night / Bonafide Rojas

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 - FREE - Milonga - Los Chantas Tango Quartet

Thursday, August 5, 2010 - Leon Gieco - opening act Claudia Acuña, Aquiles Baez and Lucia Pulido

Friday, August 6, 2010 - Carlos Varela, Music

Saturday, August 7, 2010 - Jorge Velosa and Los Carrangueros, Music

Sunday, August 8, 2010 - Susana Baca, Music



"The Chase Latino Festival is the Theatre's signature program. It represents everything our Theatre strives to be in terms of reflecting and celebrating the cultural legacies of the communities living in our Borough, and inviting international, national and local artists to showcase their work at our venue. Despite the severity of the economic situation, this Festival continues to flourish, due in large part to its many supporters and sponsors, and of course, the curatorial vision of the Festival's artistic director, Claudia Norman, who has brought over 200 companies and artists to perform at the Festival since its inception in 1997," said Jeffrey Rosenstock, Executive Director of Queens Theatre in the Park.


"As the only multidisciplinary Latino festival in New York, we always seek to represent - in 9 days- the diversity of Latino and Latin American culture. I think it's important to bring artists to the US from abroad as well as local artists and expose audiences to past, present and future through live performances. This year's schedule includes the contemporary voices (dance commission, young poets from the boroughs, film), the traditional and popular forms (tango, milonga, urban dance, comedy troup), the legends (Yomo Toro, Leon Gieco, Susana Baca, Jorge Velosa) , and the new generation of singers and songwriters (Carlos Varela, Pistolera, Lucia Pulido, Claudia Acuña, Aquiles Baez)," said Claudia Norman, Artistic Director of the festival.



Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 8pm

Contra tiempo, Urban Latin Dance Theatre / Dance (Los Angeles, California)

Los Angeles-based Contra tiempo fuses Salsa, Afro-Cuban, West African and hip-hop styles to create an invigorating dance performance! Like the communities it reaches, the CONTRA-TIEMPO company is a tapestry; its professional dancers, artists and musicians are also immigrants, teachers and activists. These political and personal landscapes are brought to vividly life in their electrifying work!

"An edgy examination of the struggle for Latinos in the United States, and a joyous celebration of community!" - San Francisco Bay Guardian

Tickets $35 day of, $30 advance, $28 multi-show

Appropriate for ages 8 and up.



Friday, July 30, 2010 at 8pm

YOMO TORO Y Los Latino Del Son, Special Guest "El Topo"/ Concert (New York/Puerto Rico)

Yomo Toro, musical maestro and cultural icon for over thirty years returns to Queens Theatre in the Park ! Known as the "Jimi Hendrix of salsa," TORO's spectacular, pioneering use of the "cuatro" (Puerto Rico's 10-stringed "guitar") has thrilled fans of all ages in concerts throughout the world. His dexterity and originality can be heard on his multiple recordings, his contributions to Willie Colon, Aresenio Rodriguez and Hector Lavoe's albums, as well as in films, including the opening theme to Woody Allen's "Bananas." YOMO TORO will be performing with special guests.

Tickets $25 day of, $20 advance, $18 multi-show

Appropriate for ages 8 and up.



Saturday, July 31, 2010 at 2pm

Pistolera (Moona Luna) / Family Performance (New York)

Fans of all ages have already enjoyed Pistolera's toe-tapping music. Now, Moona Luna continues the party with upbeat, inspirational songs for the whole family! Moona Luna, the first female-led, bilingual band of its kind, is the new musical project brought to you by the Latin-Alternative group Pistolera. Inspired by the birth of lead singer and songwriter Sandra Velasquez' first child. Moona Luna's tunes continue the Brooklyn band's tradition of peppy rhythms and joyous melodies. Perfect summertime fun! A bailar!

"This funky band blends ranchera, cumbia, banda and rock to make for a spectacular live performance."

- New York Post

Tickets FREE

Appropriate for ages 3and up.



Sunday, August 1, 2010 at 7pm

Tango y Vida / Dance (Argentina/New York)

Tickets $30 day of, $25 advance, $23 multi-show

Six dancers, seven musicians, a singer and an actor present the history of tango live on stage. In a seductive revue that is TANGO Y VIDA, (Tango and Life), these international artists embody the heat, the energy, the controlled abandon that is the Argentine Tango. Tango y Vidais truly multi-cultural experience!

Tickets $35 day of, $30 advance, $28 multi-show

Appropriate for ages 15 and up.



Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 7:30pm

Alejandro Caceres Dance Company / Dance (Chile)


Adventurous contemporary Chilean dancer and choreographer Alejandro Caceres premieres a bold new piece at Queens Theatre in the Park! Dilei (Delay) explores the perception of time - the drives, impulses, delays and habits that shape our social discourse. Using voice and sound used to create musical patterns in his work, Caceres continues to extend the evolving language of dance. This daring and audacious new work will be performed with a piece from his repertory. This year, Alejandro Caceres has been invited as an international guest in Movement Research, the prestigious New York-based international center for dance.

Tickets FREE

Appropriate for ages 15 and up.



Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 7pm

Bonafide Rojas / Open Mic (New York)

"Def Poetry Jam" star Bonafide Rojas emcees an open call to all poets and songwriters! Sign up for the opportunity to present your poetry and songs to audiences at Queens Theatre in the Park. Bonafide Rojas, who will host the event, is a television performer, a published poet ("Pelo Bueno: a day in the life of a Nuyorican poet"), and the 2002 Slam This! Champion.

Tickets FREE

Appropriate for ages 15 and up.



Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 7:30pm

Al otro lado / To the Other Side / Film (Mexico)

(Natalia Almada, US/Mexico, 2005, 66 min. In Spanish with English subtitles)

Like many young men in Sinaloa, the drug capital of Mexico, Magdiel faces two choices to better his life: trafficking drugs or illegally crossing the border into the United States. But Magdiel has a special talent that could be his ticket out: composing corridos - ballads about the narcotics underworld and illegal immigrant life. For over 200 years, corridos have been Mexico's musical "underground newspaper," and the voice of those rarely heard outside their communities. From Mexico to the streets L.A., AL OTRO LADO explores the world of drug smuggling and immigration through corrido music.

Tickets FREE

Appropriate for ages 15 and up.



Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 8pm

Los Chantas Tango Quartet / Milonga-Dance (New York)

LOS CHANTAS TANGO QUARTET hosts a tango dance-party at Queens Theatre in the Park! Collaborating with dancers Jennifer Wesnousky and Orlando Reyes, Los Chantas will present a night of Milonga, a lively form of social dance born in Buenos Aires and now delighting audiences around the world. Wesnosky and Raphael will be giving a "fast course" for audiences who are dancing tango for the first time. Los Chantas Tango Quartet is a New York-based multinational tango ensemble with a playful, improvised style, infusing classic tangos with invigorating new life!

Tickets FREE

Appropriate for ages 3 and up.



Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 8pm

Leon Gieco / Concert (Argentina) with opening act Claudia Acuña, Aquiles Baez y Lucia Pulido



CANTO A LATINOAMERICA: Claudia Acuña, Aquiles Baez, Lucia Pulido

For the first time 3 of the most talented Latin American musicians in NY working together in a special music program ranging from traditional to original songs. Chilean singer/songwriter/arranger Claudia Acuña possesses one of the most beautiful and compelling voices in jazz and creative music. While singing primarily in Spanish, her music crosses language barriers to communicate with power and deep feeling. A Guitarist, player of many Latin-American strings, and award winner arranger, composer and music producer, Aquiles Báez is the living history of music in Venezuela and Latin America, as well as an enthusiastic patron for countless musicians from emerging generations who have regarded him as a wise voice to follow. Lucia Pulido is a Colombian singer with one of the richest voices on the international Latin American musical scene today. She has mined the musical traditions of her native Colombia and other Latin American countries in an ongoing search for a distinct, experimental style, and has participated in various projects, ranging from traditional Colombian music to jazz and world music.

Leon Geico
Photo Courtesy of Queens Theatre in the Park

LEON GIECO

"The Voice of the Argentinian people," folk/rock performer LEON GIECO brings his socially conscious songs to QTP. Singer and songwriter LEON GIECO is considered a "folk legend" in Argentina, where he has challenged the authorities with his outspoken songs. Hs gruff voice, his poetic lyrics, and his unique blend of rock, folk -rock, pop and blues informed by his deep Latin American roots have earned him a huge international following. For almost forty years, GIECO's deep convictions have endured and prevailed. Today, he is rightfully regarded as one of the most influential and important figures in Argentine music.

Tickets $25 day of, $20 advance, $18 multi-show

Appropriate for ages 15 and up.



Friday, August 6, 2010 at 8pm

Carlos Varela / Concert (Cuba)

With his powerfully captivating voice and six-man electric band, Carlos Varela will rock your socks off one minute, and break your heart the next! Often compared to Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan, Varela is one of the most popular and provoking singer-songwriters in Cuba. His beautiful melodies combine traditional salsa and "cha cha cha" with international folk and pop music, and his poetic, socially-conscious lyrics have been hailed by The New York Times as "literary songwriting at its best!" A rocker and a troubadour, Carlos Valera is an artist of serious political vision and extraordinary musical gifts!

Tickets $30 day of, $25 advance, $23 multi-show

Appropriate for ages 15 and up.



Saturday, August 7, 2010 at 8pm

Jorge Velosa and Los Carrangueros / Concert (Colombia)

After a Madison Square Garden performance which was televised in more than 20 countries for over 150 thousand people, Jorge Velosa returns to New York City for the first time in fifteen year to bring his spirited live show to Queens! Jorge Velosa is one of the great international representatives of Columbian popular music , having invented an entire musical genre known as "carranga." For over 30 years, Velosa has devoted to life to cultivating Colombian regional music - investing it with a spirit of brotherhood and a sense of fun. Reflecting the soul, the hopes and dreams of the Colombian people, Jorge Velosa's music makes all borders evaporate. Exclusive NYC performance!

Tickets $30 day of, $25 advance, $23 multi-show

Appropriate for ages 3 and up.



Sunday, August 8, 2010 at 7:30pm

Susana Baca / Concert (Peru)

Continuing its tradition of bringing the best Peruvian artist to Queens, QTP is proud to present Grammy Award-winning singer Susana Baca performing selections from her intimate and deeply personal new CD, "Seis Poemas." With a voice that has been called, "the quiet storm," Baca pays tribute to Chabuca Granda, one of the great figures of Latin American song, and Federico Garcia Lorca, one of Spain's most influential writers. A key figure in the revival of Afro-Peruvian music, Baca also explores the rich sounds of her African heritage. Baca's earlier interpretations of Granda's songs, which reflect the simple beauties of Peruvian life and culture, catapulted her to international acclaim. "Susana Baca is one of the great voices of modern Peru!"

- NPR Morning Edition

Tickets $30 day of, $25 advance, $23 multi-show

Appropriate for ages 15 and up.



In 1997, Queens Theatre in the Park founded the Latino Cultural Festival with the Latin America Cultural Center of Queens to celebrate the contributions of Latin American artists to New York's cultural life. Queens Theatre saw that a rising number of Latinos were calling Queens home and adopted an artistic vision that was at once local and global. Through the Festival's performing arts programs, Queens Theatre could better serve the changing community with artistic programs that were relevant and could resonate throughout the community.



Under the leadership of Claudia Norman, Festival Artistic Director since 1999, QTP highlights Spanish, African and Caribbean influences, presents rich folk traditions, and spotlights a range of popular and cutting edge artists. By amplifying new voices and showcasing classic heritage, she has transformed a modest cabaret series into the nation's largest and most important Latino multi-disciplinary cultural festival, featuring music, theatre, dance, film and family productions, as well as visual art exhibitions. Many of the participating Central and South American artists now make the Festival their exclusive NYC engagement. This once local effort to better serve Latino audiences has become a major cultural attraction in the northeast.



The Festival is sponsored by JP Morgan Chase, Time Warner Cable, Con Edison and DELTA.



Tickets are available:

* Online at www.queenstheatre.org.

* By phone at 718-760-0064, Tue-Sat, 12-6pm.

* In person at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.



Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.

By Subway: Take the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point stop. Exit and turn left after passing through turnstile, walk downstairs on the parking lot side and follow the theatre shuttle signs. Take free trolley to the Theatre. Trolley runs for one hour before and after all performances.

By Car: Take the Grand Central Parkway to exit 9E (from Manhattan) or 9P (from Long Island) and follow the signs for the Theatre. Free parking in adjacent lot.


For more information, visit
www.queenstheatre.org.

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Saturday, July 17, 2010

 

STONY BROOK FILM FESTIVAL 2010


15th Annual
STONY BROOK FILM FESTIVAL

July 22-July 31

International and American Premieres

The 15th Annual Stony Brook Film Festival begins with a unique opening night double bill on Thursday, July 22:

Two outstanding dramas from The Netherlands, The Storm, a U.S. Premiere, and Bride Flight, an East Coast Premiere, have been chosen to start the festival.



The Stony Brook Film Festival is one of the best venues for festival screenings in the New York area. The films are presented one at a time (no simultaneous screenings) on a big beautiful screen in a comfortable auditorium for a large, intelligent, appreciative audience. I've been there the last two years, and enjoyed the screenings (and parties) I attended.

Seven world premieres, five U.S. premieres, eight East Coast premieres and six New York premieres will be among the 32 feature and short films presented during the Stony Brook Film Festival from July 22 through July 31 on the large Main Stage screen at Staller Center for the Arts at Stony Brook University.


Prices and Schedules

Film passes are $75 for ten days of films.
Single tickets are $9 general admission; $7 for students and seniors. (A ticket includes a short film followed by a feature through most of the Festival.)

Visit http://www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com/
or call (631) 632-ARTS to order.

Opening Night
The Storm, on Thursday, July 22 at 7:00 pm, stars Sylvia Hoeks and Barry Atsma, Followed by a 9:15 pm screening of Bride Flight, which includes a strong ensemble cast including Karina Smulders, Waldemar Torenstra, Anna Drijver and Elise Schaap.

Sylvia Hoeks, the Dutch actress and central character of The Storm, will attend Opening Night, as will its main producer, Alain De Levita, whose company in The Netherlands has been instrumental in bringing films to the Stony Brook Film Festival before.

The Storm and Bride Flight, are both the work of director Ben Sombogaart, and the stories are driven by one of the most critical post World War II events, the devastating North Sea Flood of 1953.

Stony Brook Film Festival Director Alan Inkles notes, “Our Opening Night is unique in film fest circles: two Dutch films in a double billing by the same director. The producer, Alain De Levita produced Alice in Glamourland (Ellis in Glamourland), which shared a Jury Award for Best Feature at Stony Brook in 2005. We are honored to screen The Storm this year as well as Bride Flight.

“It seems the support for The Storm was unprecedented—filming took place in an area where permission was given to open floodgates and 90 landowners allowed their farmlands to be submerged specially for the film. Digital technology also played a major part in creating realism in the film. Our Festival will follow the historical chronology and open with The Storm, since the story of Bride Flight is about the emigration of young Dutch women to New Zealand after the North Sea Flood,”
said Mr. Inkles.


World Premieres

The Pardon
Returning filmmaker Tom Anton, (At Last), brings the World Premiere of The Pardon to the Stony Brook Film Festival this year. The Pardon is based on the true story of Toni Jo Henry, the only woman to be sentenced to the electric chair in the State of Louisiana for a 1940 robbery and murder. Playing the 26-year-old Toni Jo is Jaime King (The Spirit, My Bloody Valentine) who will attend the screening along with Tom Anton and Sandi Russell (writer/producer) on Friday, July 23 at 9:30 pm.

Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story
This World Premiere documentary,celebrates the contributions of Jewish major leaguers and the special meaning that baseball has had in the lives of American Jews. Interviews with Al Rosen, Hank Greenberg and Sandy Koufax as well as baseball managers and fans, including Larry King and Ron Howard, complement archival materials.

Peter Miller is the Director/Producer of Jews and Baseball. His award-winning documentaries include the film Sacco and Vanzetti; the American Experience PBS series “A Class Apart”; and The Internationale, shown on PBS and the winning documentary at the Woodstock Film Festival. He has produced numerous documentaries by Ken Burns, including The War and Jazz. He teaches documentary filmmaking at Columbia University’s MFA program in film. Mr. Miller will attend the World Premiere at Stony Brook on Sunday, July 25 at 5:00 pm.

Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story is written by Ira Berkow, sports columnist and feature writer for The New York Times for 26 years. He shared the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting in 2001 and is the author of 18 books, including Minority Quarterback and Other Lives in Sports.


Autobiographical, Biographical and Historically-Driven Films

Many of the films in the 2010 Festival are based on true stories, including The Pardon.
Along with the Dutch films that revolve around the North Sea Flood of 1953,
(The Storm,
Bride Flight
) there are numerous films this year that reflect the director’s own story or are historically based.

Berlin 36 - A German film directed by Kaspar Heidelbach is a fictionalized version of Jewish high jumper Gretel Bergmann’s experience competing in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. Karoline Herfurth and Sebastian Urzendowsky star in the film. Screening Sunday, July 25 at 7:15 pm.

Kaifeck Murder – East Coast Premiere
Based on the biggest unresolved murder case in Germany, a slaying on a remote Bavarian farm, Kaifeck Murder is directed by Esther Gronenborn. Benno Fürmann (North Face) and Alexandra Maria Lara (Downfall) star. Screening Monday, July 26 at 9:15 pm.

The Big Dream (Il Grande Sogno)- East Coast Premiere
An autobiographical film by director Michele Placido, a policeman during the student protests in 1968 who eventually became an actor. “The 1968 that I relate here is that of my ‘conversion’: that of a young man of twenty from southern Italy, a policeman who, after beating up university students, understood their protests and crossed to the other side of the barricades,” writes Mr. Placido. The film stars Riccardo Scamarcio, Jasmine Trinca and Luca Argentero. Screening Tuesday, July 27 at 9:30 pm.

The Army of Crime – Based on the story of actual Resistance fighters in Paris led by a poet of Armenian descent, Missak Manouchian. The story of the group that fought against Nazi occupation is a powerful World War II Holocaust drama. Directed by Robert Guédiguian. Screening Thursday, July 29 at 7:00 pm.

Howl- East Coast Premiere
In an ode to Allen Ginsberg, the biographical film stars James Franco, performing “Howl” in a smoky bar and recreating the early Ginsberg years. In black and white and color, with animation accompanying the reading of the poem. Written and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Screening Thursday, July 29 at 9:40 pm.

Last Train Home
A documentary by Lixin Fan is about the mass movement of Chinese workers leaving the cities to return to their rural villages at Chinese New Year, focusing on one family.
Screening Friday, July 30 at 7:00 pm.

The Sicilian Girl - N.Y. Premiere
The true story based on the life of Rita Atria, a 17-year-old daughter of a Mafioso. When her father and brother were murdered she was the first to break the code of silence and go to the police. Writer/director Marco Amenta made a documentary from the same material in 2002. Screening Friday, July 30 at 9:00 pm.

Closing Night

Mao’s Last Dancer – East Coast Premiere –Based on a true story, the autobiography of Li Cunxin, a Chinese peasant boy chosen to study ballet. A film about his journey to America and his quest for freedom. Directed by Bruce Beresford (Driving Miss Daisy, Tender Mercies). Li Cunxin is played by Birmingham Royal Ballet dancer-turned-actor, Chi Cao.
Screening Saturday, July 31 at 8:30 pm.


U.S. Premieres

New features shown for the first time in the U. S. include:
Love and Savagery – U.S. Premiere – Directed by John N. Smith. Filmed in The Burren in Ireland. A Canadian geologist meets a woman who is about to dedicate her life to the Church. Starring Allan Hawco and Sarah Greene.
Screening Sunday, July 25 at 9:30 pm.

Ayla - U.S. Premiere - Directed by Su Turhan. An independent Turkish woman in Germany deals with family, traditions and temptations.
Screening Monday, July 26 at 7:00 pm.

Bon Appetit – U.S. Premiere –– Directed by David Pinillos. Set inside the kitchen of a Zurich gourmet restaurant.
Screening Wednesday, July 28 at 9:15 pm.

Beloved Berlin Wall – U.S. Premiere – Directed by Peter Timm. A romantic comedy about the last days of the GDR (East Germany). Starring Felicitas Woll and Maxim Mehmet.
Screening Tuesday, July 27 at 7:00 pm.


American Independent Films

A select showing of American indie films rounds out the Stony Brook Film Festival:

The East Coast Premiere of Five Star Day directed by Danny Buday with Cam Gigandet (Twilight), Jena Malone (Book of Stars, 2001 Stony Brook Film Festival; Donnie Darko, Into the Wild), Brooklyn Sudance and Max Hartman.

Lovely, Still – East Coast Premiere of a film by director Nicholas Fackler, starring Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn, which unfolds to provide a poignant look at the effects of aging.
Screening Saturday, July 24 at 7:00 pm.

The Extra Man – N.Y. Premiere. Directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini.
Starring Kevin Kline, Paul Dano, Katie Holmes, John C. Reilly, Cathy Moriarity and Alicia Gornanson. A quirky comedy about a male escort who serves as a social companion for wealthy widows.
Screening Saturday, July 24 at 9:30 pm.

Howl- East Coast Premiere- with James Franco playing the beat poet Allen Ginsberg. Also with Mary-Louise Parker, Jon Hamm, Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn, Alessandro Nivola, Treat Williams, Aaron Tveit, Bob Balaban, John Prescott, Todd Rotondi and Andrew Rogers.
Screening Thursday, July 29 at 9:40 pm.


Short Films

Twelve short films have been selected for the Stony Brook Film Festival out of hundreds
of entries. Five are World Premieres being shown for the first time at Stony Brook. Short films screen before features at the Festival: before films on Friday, July 23 through Wednesday, July 28.


About the Festival

The Stony Brook Film Festival has a reputation for being one of the best on the circuit, and was dubbed “super selective” by Moviemaker Magazine. Formats accepted for projection at the Festival are 35 mm and beta formats. The Festival is produced by Staller Center for the Arts, Long Island’s most comprehensive arts center.

Filmmakers attend screenings to represent their films and winning filmmakers are brought back for the closing night awards, which will be hosted by film critic John Anderson once again this year. The reception is held on the Main Stage of Staller Center directly after the closing night film screening.

For more information about past festivals and a complete schedule of this summer’s
films, go to

http://www.stonybrookfilmfestival.com/.



Here are some links for more information about the opening night films and the filmmakers:

Ben Sombogaart
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0813786/


The Storm
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1230194/


Sylvia Hoeks
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1679778/


Profile (in Dutch, but it's pretty clear)
http://www.cinema.nl/nff-2009/media/5368141/nieuwe-generatie-actrices-sylvia-hoeks

Short film with Sylvia Hoeks (in English)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1-2Yfq4xv0


Sylvia Hoeks in Wikipedia Dutch
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Hoeks


(translated)
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvia_Hoeks&ei=d4AeTJnnD4H6lweYzYS-Dg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=13&ved=0CFIQ7gEwDA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsylvia%2Bhoeks%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26rlz%3D1I7GGLL_en%26prmd%3Div

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

 

FCC VS FREE SPEECH


During the Bush administration, the FCC, when Powell was Chairman, adopted very severe penalties for "bad" words or private flesh that popped out on broadcast television. TV stations including, notably, FOX, as well as advocates of free speech objected.

The policy came before a 3 judge panel of the 2nd Circuit of the Court of Appeals (after going -- by the way -- to the Supreme Court on a more technical issue and then coming back for a new ruling).

Now it would seem from news accounts of legal issues that whether or not the FCC policy would be approved or struck down would depend simply on how many of the 3 judges assigned to this panel happened to believe that "bad words" and certain parts of the body on TV were an unacceptable outrage and how many thought it was not a big deal.

But the legal system works differently, and instead of simply checking one or the other of:

--- Outrage
--- No big deal


on their computers, the judges issued a long, legal ruling striking down the FCC policy. Here's what they said:

http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/e324584c-b565-4896-b8b3-610715bc0e54/1/doc/06-1760-ag_opn2.pdf#xml=http://www.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/e324584c-b565-4896-b8b3-610715bc0e54/1/hilite/


It's not actually clear to me why the FCC under new management and with new members did not change its policy of severe punishment for "indecency" and render this case moot, unless

a) they still believe in the severe penalties
b) they did change the policy but the legal case proceeds anyway
c) they did not change the policy in order to get a final court ruling
d) none of the above.

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SOME INTERESTING OOB THEATER, INDIE FILM & MUSIC


Some extremely talented people have some very interesting projects in the works, that are worth chasing down and checking out.

Jonathan Blitstein -- a producer of
Manigma, now has his own full-length play "Keep Your Baggage With You (at all times) about relationships in the digital age, coming to the Dream Up Festival at the Theater For The New City from Aug 8-14. https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/758485


Julia Wolfermann -- a fine actress, will be appearing in the HB Playwrights production of A Stretcar Named Desire, directed by Austin Pendleton & Brian Lady at the Cherry Pit from July 22 to August 7.

Austin Pendleton (a legendary actor/director/teacher/producer/writer...), by the way, is a busy guy right now, because he is also directing
Etty at the Midtown International Theater Festival.

Rachael Richman -- a very special actress with unique training and experience is currently in Are We Here Yet at the undergroundzero festival (no caps allowed for "undergroundzero festival") at PS 122, through Sunday July 18.
http://www.ps122.org/performances/undergroundzero_2010.html (WEEK TWO!)

Mikal Evans -- has a wonderful voice and will be performing Friday July 30 11 PM at
Rockwood Music Hall (on Allen Street near Houston). Mikal is also in a new film called Kissing Chloe with

Robin Singer -- a beautiful and talented actress who, in addition to being kissed in Kissing Chloe is in a new comedy web series called Public Relations. And... she'll be appearing in
Jessica Hinds' Why They Came on August 14 9 PM at Theater at St. Clements, part of the Strawberry Theater Festival. Follow Robin @
twitter.com/robin_singer

Eric Roffman -- And then there's Me -- Andrew Serban's short film
West Side Girl (with Me in a small part) will have its world premiere at Anthology Film Archives (as part of the Short Film Program at the NewFilmmakers Film Festival) at 7:15 PM on August 18, 2010:

http://newfilmmakers.com/


Andrew Serban -- is a terrific new filmmaker, cinematographer and photographer:
http://www.andrewserban.com/

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Friday, July 09, 2010

 

CUSTOMER SERVICE FEEDBACK SURVEYS


I am often asked, after I contact customer service on some issue, for feedback. It is usually a survey form.

I would love to answer the survey, but usually the form is so badly designed it is impossible to answer fairly, accurately, or correctly. (After starting to answer, it is sad to have to suddenly close the survey form without filing it.)

1- The first problem is that multiple choice questions often do not cover the correct answer, and even the closest choice is not accurate or fair. There should always be an option to answer "other" or "N/A" (not applicable) or, simply "no comment".

2- The second problem is that the issue is often not resolved during the phone call. The agent promises to do something, but whether or not that has resolved the issue is not yet determined when the survey is presented.

The questions should always allow for a distinction between the response of the agent, and the resolution of the issue.

Indeed, the survey would be a good place to allow the original issue -- and the proposed resolution -- to be re-stated, so that the company can double check the issue has in fact been resolved. A follow-up survey: "Has the issue been resolved" would actually be valuable (to both the company and the customer).

3- In addition, the survey often takes a step beyond what they need to know to ask intrusive questions (age, salary, purchasing habits, location, etc.) That's a simple no-no!

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Thursday, July 08, 2010

 

CLINT EASTWOOD FESTIVAL AT LINCOLN CENTER


In another stroke of brilliant programming the Film Society of Lincoln Center has gathered together a large collection of Clint Eastwood's films and is presenting them through the month of July.

(At Lincoln Center, it's like a year-round film festival of the highest quality!)

Clint Eastwood
at a NYFF press conference
at Lincoln Center 2008
Photo by Eric Roffman

Just looking at the (vast and excellent) list of films that Eastwood has variously produced, directed and acted in, makes it clear what a powerful force in modern cinema he has been!

Watching some of those films again, or for the first time, makes it even more clear.

Though many films may be available on TV, VCR or DVD, the beautiful, high quality projection on the large screen (and just the experience of watching with an audience!) at Walter Reade, makes them worth seeing in the Theater.

Clint Eastwood will be live on Skype on Saturday, July 10. There will be a screening of Richard Shickel's "The Eastwood Factor" to begin the festival, on July 9.

Here's a short bio of Eastwood from the Film Society, along with information about the screenings:



Clint Eastwood Retrospective: July 9-27, 2010

A Retrospective of works directed by and starring the Hollywood icon
including THE EASTWOOD FACTOR, a documentary by Richard Schickel,
and a one-time only Skype appearance by the man himself, Clint Eastwood, on July 10th!


The Film Society of Lincoln Center pays homage to American screen icon, Clint Eastwood, with a retrospective of his work July 9-27, 2010. From the sun-drenched plains of the mythical West to the merciless streets of San Francisco; from seductive disc jockeys to battle-scarred war veterans; through thrillers, war movies and biopics, with a few comedies thrown in for good measure-Clint Eastwood has done it all. In his 40 years as a director, Eastwood has ranged farther and deeper into American history and experience than anyone in American cinema except perhaps John Ford. Indeed, he is one of the very few contemporary directors whose work can in fact be honestly compared to that of the great auteurs of Hollywood's golden age.

"Clint Eastwood's expansive body of work has been delighting audiences for decades, and we are thrilled to be presenting this career-spanning retrospective in his honor," says Mara Manus, Executive Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Eastwood came up through the acting ranks, working in dozens of bit parts throughout the Fifties until finally landing a major role in Rawhide; the TV series was a hit and Eastwood was on his way. A few years later a friend recommended him to an Italian director about to embark on a western to be shot in southern Spain. That film was A Fistful of Dollars,and together with its director Sergio Leone, Eastwood would create one of the iconic images of the era: The Man with No Name-tall, taciturn, slow to action but always threatening. The reserve, that sense of diffidence about which some earlier casting directors had complained, had now been forged into his acting persona, and Eastwood would continue to explore and analyze that image both as actor and director.

The money earned on the Italian films enabled Eastwood to finally start his own production company, Malpaso, and soon after to start directing his own films, in which he often starred as well. His filmography reads like a roll call of the glories of American cinema in the past four decades: The Outlaw Josey Wales, Pale Rider, Bird, Unforgiven, A Perfect World, The Bridges of Madison County, Mystic River. Moreover, many of our best actors have given their greatest performances in Eastwood's films: Meryl Streep, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Costner, Forest Whitaker, Angelina Jolie-to name but a few.

Yet what's perhaps most impressive about Eastwood's films is how much, taken together, they truly feel like a body of work. Even when working in wildly differing genres or historical periods, there's an extraordinary coherence to his work, a sense in which one can follow his development of themes, ideas and character across his films. Jean Renoir famously commented that directors really only make one film, in which each individual work is but a single scene or episode, and this seems an amazingly apt description of Eastwood's cinema. At the core of many of Eastwood's films is a meditation on violence; repeatedly his films examine not only the effects on violence on others, but even more the impact on those who use violence.

"Few American artists have ranged as far and wide across American life and history as has Clint Eastwood," says Richard Peña, Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center. "With each passing year, his stature as one of the vital voices in our cinema becomes more affirmed, and we are delighted to offer New Yorkers the chance to savor his great achievement by offering this complete retrospective of his work as a director, along with a few key performances by Mr. Eastwood in films by his 'mentors,' Sergio Leone and Don Siegel."

So for this salute, we decided to give audiences a rare treat: all the films directed by Clint Eastwood, along with key works by Sergio Leone and Don Siegel, two of his greatest influences. Following the July 9th screening of The Eastwood Factor, director Richard Schickel will be signing copies of his book CLINT: A RETROSPECTIVE at the Walter Reade Theater's Frieda and Roy Furman Gallery. On July 10th, Eastwood joins us, live via Skype, to partake in the celebration with a Q&A following a screening of A Fistful of Dollars. Don't miss this unique opportunity to see and savor the on screen evolution of one the true film greats, Clint Eastwood!



TICKET INFORMATION:

Single Screening Tickets:
$12 General Public/ $8 Seniors & Students/ $7 Members [$10 Affiliate]

Weekday Matinee Screenings,
Mon-Fri before 6pm: $9 General Public/ $6 Seniors & Students/ $5 Members

Five Film Pass:
$50 General Public/ $35 Seniors & Students/ $30 Members

All Access Pass:
$129 General Public/ $109 Seniors & Students/ $99 Members


Purchase Options:

Online:
visit http://www.filmlinc.com/

In Person: Walter Reade Theater box office;
Hours: Mon-Fri opens at 12:30pm, Sat/Sun opens 1/2 hr before first public screening; closes 15 minutes after last public screening, at 6pm when there are no public screenings.

For more information visit http://www.filmlinc.com/ or call 212 875 5601.

All sales are final. No refunds or exchanges. All showings are subject to change. Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the management.


All films are screened at:
Walter Reade Theater at The Film Society of Lincoln Center
165 West 65th Street, upper level
(between Broadway and Amsterdam Ave.)

Subways: 1 train to 66th Street Lincoln Center
Buses: M5 M7 M104
More options available at nearby Columbus Circle


FILM DETAILS

Absolute Power
Clint Eastwood, 1997, USA; 120m
In this shadowy White House thriller, a burglar (Eastwood) sees something he shouldn't. Philandering President Gene Hackman is not amused.
Tue Jul 20: 3:40
Sat Jul 24: 3:30

Bird
Clint Eastwood, 1988, USA; 161m
Forest Whitaker's indelible turn as Eastwood jazz idol Charlie "Bird" Parker is heroic and heartbreaking-an essential performance of the 80s or any decade. NYFF '88.
Sat Jul 17: 6:00
Mon Jul 19: 1:00

Blood Work
Clint Eastwood, 2002, USA; 111m
Post heart transplant, a detective (Eastwood) tackles one last murder. "So much more than just a thriller."-Amy Taubin, Film Comment
Fri Jul 23: 1:30

Breezy
Clint Eastwood, 1973, USA; 108m
One of the era's most undervalued films, this May-December romance links a divorcé (superb William Holden) and a hippie (Kay Lenz).
Tue Jul 13: 1:15

The Bridges of Madison County
Clint Eastwood, 1995, USA; 135m
This "love story for adults" follows the passionate four-day affair between a housewife (Meryl Streep) and a photographer (Eastwood) in 1960s Iowa.
Wed Jul 21: 1:00 & 6:15

Bronco Billy
Clint Eastwood, 1980, USA; 116m
A gentle screwball comedy in which a fugitive heiress (Sondra Locke) crashes a New Jersey shoe salesman's Wild West big top.
Fri Jul 16: 1:30 & 8:45

Changeling
Clint Eastwood, 2008, USA; 141m
The majestic, fact-based period drama about a missing child stars Oscar nominee Angelina Jolie (and was the Centerpiece of NYFF '08).
Sun Jul 25: 3:30

Dirty Harry
Don Siegel, 1971, USA; 102m
Eastwood compatriot Don Siegel galvanizes the vigilante-cop classic with clean, hard filmmaking, with Clint's gunplay and growls in high form.
Sat Jul 10: 9:00
Thu Jul 15: 4:10

The Eastwood Factor
Richard Schickel, 2010, USA; 90m
Schickel's warm documentary joins Eastwood on an extraordinary trip down memory lane, with visits to the Warner Brothers lot and his hometown. Following the screening, Schickel will be signing copies of his book, CLINT: A RETROSPECTIVE.
Fri Jul 9: 7:00

The Eiger Sanction
Clint Eastwood, 1975, USA; 125m
Paranoia on an Alpine peak! Eastwood does his own mountaineer stunts as an art-collecting ex-assassin called back for one last kill.
Mon Jul 12: 6:30
Tue Jul 13: 3:30

Escape from Alcatraz
Don Siegel, 1979, USA; 112m
The classic nail-biter about a 1962 prison break from "The Rock" was the climactic Siegel-Eastwood pair-up-and a doozy.
Thu Jul 22: 4:00 & 9:35

Firefox
Clint Eastwood, 1982, USA; 136m
Eastwood steals a secret Soviet warplane! "A level of personal expressiveness all but banished from popular American movies." -Dave Kehr
Fri Jul 16: 3:50
Sat Jul 17: 3:20

A Fistful of Dollars
Sergio Leone, 1964, Italy; 96m
The dazzling spaghetti Western trilogy begins: The Man with No Name (Eastwood) pays a small Mexican town a very special visit. Followed by a live conversation and Q&A with Eastwood via Skype!
Sat Jul 10: 2:30

Flags of Our Fathers
Clint Eastwood, 2006, USA; 131m
Guts and glory get a reality check through the cracked prism of Iwo Jima's flag-raising. With Ryan Philippe and Adam Beach.
Sat Jul 24: 6:00
Mon Jul 26: 6:00

For a Few Dollars More
Sergio Leone, 1965, Italy; 130m
The spaghetti Western feast continues: Eastwood's bounty hunter and Lee Van Cleef zero in on a bank bandit.
Thu Jul 15: 1:30

The Gauntlet
Clint Eastwood, 1977, USA; 114m
Under an action-packed onslaught, a drunken cop (Eastwood) and a mob-witness hooker (Sondra Locke) try to escape Vegas, or anywhere, alive.
Wed Jul 14: 4:10 & 8:45

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
Sergio Leone, 1966, Italy; 161m
The One and Only! If you've never seen this tour-de-force Western on the big screen, then you haven't seen it.
Thu Jul 22: 12:30 & 6:15

Gran Torino
Clint Eastwood, 2008, USA; 116m
A tough-as-nails Detroit retiree (Eastwood) grudgingly makes nice with Vietnamese neighbors and shows no-good hoods the meaning of honor.
Tue Jul 27: 4:00

Heartbreak Ridge
Clint Eastwood, 1986, USA; 128m
A hard-drinking old-school Marine sergeant whips his rowdy grunts into shape in this colorful tribute to military life.
Sat Jul 17: 9:00

High Plains Drifter
Clint Eastwood, 1975, USA; 105m
A stranger (Eastwood) dispenses his own justice in a corrupt Western town in this unsettling study of the archetypical gunslinger.
Mon Jul 12: 4:20 & 9:00

Honky Tonk Man
Clint Eastwood, 1982, USA; 123m
In this "male tear-jerker," a broke-down country singer (Eastwood) aims for the Grand Ole Opry during the Depression.
Fri Jul 9: 4:30
Wed Jul 14: 6:20

Invictus
Clint Eastwood, 2009, USA; 134m
Morgan Freeman becomes Nelson Mandela in this uplifting story of rugby triumph (team captain: Matt Damon) in the ashes of apartheid.
Tue Jul 27: 8:40

Letters from Iwo Jima
Clint Eastwood, 2006, USA; 141m
The notorious island battle gets a harrowing and deeply moving retelling, elegantly structured and told through Japanese eyes.
Sat Jul 24: 8:40
Mon Jul 26: 8:40

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
Clint Eastwood, 1997, USA; 135m
Eastwood's adaptation of the Georgia-set best-seller stars John Cusack as the Gotham reporter covering local color and maybe murder. With primo Kevin Spacey.
Wed Jul 21: 9:00

Million Dollar Baby
Clint Eastwood, 2005, USA; 132m
Reviving the boxing picture, Eastwood's heartbreaking father-daughter-bond story between coach (Eastwood) and scrapper (Hilary Swank) reaped Oscar gold.
Sun Jul 25: 1:00

Mystic River
Clint Eastwood, 2003, USA; 137m
Crimes past and present corrode the bonds between childhood Boston friends in this devastating Lehane adaptation starring Oscar-winner Sean Penn. Opening Night NYFF '03.
Fri Jul 23: 6:15

The Outlaw Josey Wales
Clint Eastwood, 1976, USA; 135m
A Missouri farmer (Eastwood) journeys to avenge his murdered wife in this nuanced consideration of community and payback.
Sun Jul 11: 3:45
Wed Jul 14: 1:30

Pale Rider
Clint Eastwood, 1985, USA; 115m
Before Unforgiven, Eastwood rode to the rescue of the Western with this stark tale of a mining monopolist laid low by guess-who.
Fri Jul 9: 2:00
Fri Jul 16: 6:30

A Perfect World
Clint Eastwood, 1993, USA; 130m
This soulful fugitive drama examines the bonds between an enigmatic go-it-aloner (Kevin Costner) and the boy he kidnaps.
Sun Jul 11: 1:00
Tue Jul 20: 1:00

"Piano Blues"
Clint Eastwood, 2003, USA; 85m
Part of PBS's The Blues series, this chronicle of masters from Tatum to Brubeck testifies to Eastwood passions as composer/pianist.
Tue Jul 27: 6:15

Play Misty for Me
Clint Eastwood, USA, 1971; 102m
For his directorial debut, Eastwood went for cracked obsession: a swinging deejay gets stalked by his number-one lady-fan. Featuring a Roberta Flack hit.
WITH
The Beguiled: The Storyteller
Clint Eastwood, USA, 1971; 12m
A rare documentary shot during the making of Don Siegel's The Beguiled.
Sat Jul 10: 6:30
Mon Jul 12: 2:00

The Rookie
Clint Eastwood, 1990, USA; 121m
Charlie Sheen plays the stone-faced protégé to a grizzled cop (Eastwood) determined to stop some German auto thieves and their fast, fast cars.
Mon Jul 19: 4:00 & 8:50

Space Cowboys
Clint Eastwood, 2000, USA; 129m
Four silverback pilots (Eastwood, James Garner, Donald Sutherland, and Tommy Lee Jones) blast into space to save a satellite in this high-spirited adventure.
Fri Jul 23: 3:45
Sat Jul 24: 1:00

Sudden Impact
Clint Eastwood, 1983, USA, 117m
Dirty Harry directs himself for the first time in a no-holds-barred pursuit of an enraged and complex serial killer (Sondra Locke).
Sat Jul 17: 1:00

True Crime
Clint Eastwood, 1999, USA; 127m
A womanizing journalist (Eastwood) sets out to exonerate a death-row inmate (Isaiah Washington). With James Woods and Denis Leary as news editors.
Wed Jul 21: 3:40
Fri Jul 23: 9:00

Unforgiven
Clint Eastwood, 1992, USA; 130m
Eastwood finally won the Best Director Oscar for this devastating dissection of the mythology of violence and retribution so prominent in his films.
Sun Jul 18: 3:15
Mon Jul 19: 6:20

White Hunter, Black Heart
Clint Eastwood, 1990, USA; 114m
In a fictionalized take on the making of The African Queen, a proudly self-destructive filmmaker (Eastwood) almost derails his latest project with his brawling and big-game hunting.
Sun Jul 18: 1:00


SCHEDULE

Friday 9
2:00 Pale Rider
4:30 Honky Tonk Man
7:00 The Eastwood Factor

Saturday 10
2:30 A Fistful of Dollars
6:30 Play Misty for Me + The Beguiled: The Storyteller
9:00 Dirty Harry

Sunday 11
1:00 A Perfect World
3:45 The Outlaw Josey Wales

Monday 12
2:00 Play Misty for Me + The Beguiled: The Storyteller
4:20 High Plains Drifter
6:30 The Eiger Sanction
9:00 High Plains Drifter

Tuesday 13
1:15 Breezy
3:30 The Eiger Sanction

Wednesday 14
1:30 The Outlaw Josey Wales
4:10 The Gauntlet
6:20 Honky Tonk Man
8:45 The Gauntlet

Thursday 15
1:30 For a Few Dollars More
4:10 Dirty Harry

Friday 16
1:30 Bronco Billy
3:50 Firefox
6:30 Pale Rider
8:45 Bronco Billy

Saturday 17
1:00 Sudden Impact
3:20 Firefox
6:00 Bird
9:00 Heartbreak Ridge

Sunday 18
1:00 White Hunter, Black Heart
3:15 Unforgiven

Monday 19
1:00 Bird
4:00 The Rookie
6:20 Unforgiven
8:50 The Rookie

Tuesday 20
1:00 A Perfect World
3:40 Absolute Power

Wednesday 21
1:00 The Bridges of Madison County
3:40 True Crime
6:15 The Bridges of Madison County
9:00 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Thursday 22
12:30 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
4:00 Escape From Alcatraz
6:15 The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
9:35 Escape From Alcatraz

Friday 23
1:30 Blood Work
3:45 Space Cowboys
6:15 Mystic River
9:00 True Crime

Saturday 24
1:00 Space Cowboys
3:30 Absolute Power
6:00 Flags of Our Fathers
8:40 Letters From Iwo Jima

Sunday 25
1:00 Million Dollar Baby
3:30 Changeling

Monday 26
6:00 Flags of Our Fathers
8:40 Letter From Iwo Jima

Tuesday 27
4:00 Gran Torino
6:15 "Piano Blues"
8:40 Invictus




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Tuesday, July 06, 2010

 

OCEANA MAKES A SPLASH


OCEANA, an organization devoted to protecting, well... the Ocean,

is having a posh splash party in the Hamptons this Saturday. Tickets are pricey, but the guest list (and cause) is priceless (see below).

Certainly, the ocean is a fragile thing, and the danger to its (and our!) survival is now at a critical watchpoint with (among other things!) toxic chemicals still burbling up from the hole in the bottom of the sea. Mobilizing support for protection of the ocean and its denizens is a supremely valuable cause.

For more about the work they are doing, see
http://na.oceana.org/en/about-us/what-we-do

For information about the benefit party see...
http://oceanasplashparty.org/


OCEANA'S HAMPTONS 'SPLASH' PARTY


WHAT:
Oceana’s debut into the Hamptons community for an annual celebration of ocean conservation. The event, which will overlook Scott Cameron Beach on Mecox Bay, will feature a cocktail reception and buffet dinner. The night will also include a live auction with the proceeds going to Oceana, as well as a presentation on Oceana and its mission. Special guest Jackson Browne will be putting on an exclusive solo acoustic performance


WHO:
Hosts: Lois Robbins & Sue Cohn Rockefeller,
Ted Danson, Sam Waterston, Jackson Browne,
Artists and Co- Founder of Plastic Pollution Coalition Dianna Cohen,
an exclusive group of prominent figures in the Hamptons,
including Vera Wang and Arthur Becker, Ellen and Dan Crown,
Sandi and Andrew Farkas Tom and Lori Florio,
Senator Frank Lautenberg and Bonnie Lautenberg, Tami and Fred Mack,
Julie and William Macklowe, and Lizzie and John Tisch.

WHEN:
SATURDAY, JULY 10TH, 2010

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