SWEET DREAMS at DOC NYC – New York’s Documentary Festival
November 14th, 2012 by Mr. C
Directors: Lisa Fruchtman & Rob Fruchtman
From one emotional & inspiring documentary to the next, Sweet Dreams might have just taken the cake or more appropriately – ice cream – in my DOC NYC book! Sweet Dreams starts off the film with a history lesson on the horrific incident in 1994 in Central/East Africa – the Rwandan genocide that claimed one million lives. With the 40 years of Belgian rule in Rwanda, the ‘Tutsi’ social cast group were favored over the ‘Hutu’. With the subsequent Independence of Rwanda came Hutu power and oppression of the Tutsi. The government ordered all Hutus to do their country duty and kill all Tutsis which might have entailed murdering their neighbors, friends, & family which resulted in one million lives lost and a nation with lost souls, hopes, & dreams. 17 Years later the country is still mourning in conjunction with trying to mend broken hearts and trust between the groups.
The real sweet dream & reconciliation starts when an all woman drum team consisting of the Tutsi and Hutu come together as one and form as INGOMA NSHYA. They come from all different backgrounds – widows, orphans, and children of perpetrators/killers from the genocide. Rwanda’s first women Drum team brought back hope and unity for the country! The sounds emitted by the drum pounds by these ladies were powerful, rhythmic, & graceful!
Another sweet dream would be realized by the members of Ingoma Nshya as the prospects of the ladies learning a new skill and developing a new food palate with the possibility of starting up an ice cream shop in Butare is coming to fruition. The know how, love, and generosity would be fueled by Alexis Miesen, one of the founders of Blue Marble Ice Cream in Brooklyn. The film documented the enthusiasm of the ladies and even more so the hope in their eyes. The skills, equipment, and training in making ice cream provided to the drum team would be a known, a given. The hard part of this business ordeal would be for the ladies to create a cooperative, a shareholder of sorts that would need investments towards the establishment. All in all, decisions would be made, a leader would be elected and shareholders will be chosen which leaves a few in the dark. Their ice cream shop would be called INZOZI NZIZA (Sweet Dreams)!
I loved how the director framed the story choosing horrific images of the past while fast forwarding to the present day, showing tender & conflicted moments while still highlighting the innocence and hardships between the subjects. Some of my favorite moments of the film without giving out spoilers are when the President of Rwanda stops by the village for a Q&A with the residents, the drumming aspects of the team, and the scene when the ice cream machine is in desperate repair before the grand opening of the store. The marketing strategy devised by Inzozi Nziza was also a fun moment!
I definitely recommend SWEET DREAMS to all! After watching this film, I can safely take a step back and honestly say hey, we don’t have it that bad afterall. It’s tough for me to picture what the Rwandan’s went through with all the bloodshed and lives lost but still have a heart in them to reconcile the past. I guess it’s just the human process to move on, learn from our mistakes to not repeat it so the harmonious living can go on.
I was looking forward to seeing 3 members of the Ingoma Nshya Drum team from Rwanda perform at Washington Square Park in NYC last Sunday but I had to dash back into the theatres for another screening. I will be looking out for you – Ingoma Nshya and maybe have some ice cream at Inzozi Nziza someday!
Here’s a great article on Gothamist about Jennie and Alexis – the owners of Blue Marble Ice Cream in Brooklyn.
Tags: doc nyc, documentary
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Sunday afternoon in the park
November 13th, 2012 by Mr. C
I was roaming around Washington Square Park looking for the Rwandan drummers from the Sweet Dreams documentary but instead ran into Sneak Thievery – an orchestra dishing out some hot & smoky jazz & blues tunes! Sneak Thievery band members were armed with a trumpet, banjo, upright bass, & drums as they took us back to the times of Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Bessie Smith, & Louis Armstrong! They even encouraged me to pop out my quirky two-step! Their rendition of St. James Infirmary blew my toupe off!
I never did find the Rwandan drummer performance at the park because I had to dance back to IFC Center for the screening of DRIVERS WANTED.
After that I ran into Paul the Birdman of Washington Square park along with his friend Larry Reddick tending to their flightful friends of the park! No lie, they had a pigeon that they were identifying as Choco! Check out this gothamist article for more information on The Birdman and Choco?!
Tags: birdman, blues, jazz, pigeons, washington square park
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2 Movie Reviews by Dreaming Bear
November 12th, 2012 by chocko
The following reviews are by a special guest writer, DREAMING BEAR. She came out of her Jersey cave to check out 2 films at the Teaneck International Film Festival (Nov 9-11, 2012). Take it away, D. Bear!
The Puffin Foundation of Teaneck, New Jersey, produced its 7th annual grassroots film festival this year. Focusing on activism, diversity and change, this year’s Teaneck International Film Festival’s theme was one of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Some of this year’s offerings included the French film, Free Men showing how Jews and Muslims worked together during World War II and a number of very interesting documentaries such the Israeli movie Four Hundred Miles To Freedom. In addition to the outstanding content and quality of the films, some showings included live music, snacks, and post-film discussions. The ticket price was very affordable and the small venues located throughout Teaneck made the whole experience very personal and enjoyable.
Special thanks to all the volunteers and to the organizations, businesses and individuals whose financial support makes the whole festival possible.
CLOUDBURST
DIRECTOR: Thom Fitzgerald
This film is both a laugh-out-loud and wipe-your-tears winner!
Olympia Dukakis plays Stella, a fiesty, foul-mouthed, Tequila drinking 80 year old with a dogged determination to keep her long-time partner, Dot, played by Brenda Friker, out of a nursing home and the clutches of her controlling granddaughter.
The two women running from the law, embark on a road trip to Canada where they could legally be married. They meet all kinds of adventures and characters along the way. Mostly, however, they are given the opportunity to explore their deep devotion to each other and to have it profoundly affect the people around them.
Cloudburst is a heart-lifting celebration of the resiliency of the human spirit and our will to achieve our greatest desires in life – to love and to be free to be who we truly are. I give it the highest recommendation.
DRESSING AMERICA: TALES FROM THE GARMENT CENTER
DIRECTOR: Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher
This inspiring and informative documentary opens with Charlie, an 86 year old textile salesman in NYC’s garment district, who has served many of the same families in the clothing manufacturing business for over 3 generations.
While Paris has generally been considered the birthplace of couture, the post World War II Jewish immigrants to NYC were the true pioneers of the fashion industry in the United States.
They came here with not only their superb skills and handmade tools, but a deep desire to better their lives in a new country filled with opportunity. And they did just that – elevating the humble “schmatte” trade to a high art form, filled with elegance. For these people the industry was more than a job. It was a personal dream, a family affair, a culture, a whole way of life. In many cases that is still true today.
All of this and more is explored in this thoroughly enjoyable and educational film. Plus, we get a lot of Jewish humor and a bit of kvetching. What’s not to love?
(TEXT BY DREAMING BEAR)
Tags: cloudburst, dreaming bear, dressing ameriica, movie, new jersey, nj, review, teaneck international film festival
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DRIVERS WANTED at DOC NYC : New York’s Documentary Festival
November 12th, 2012 by Mr. C
(Photo credit: Joshua Z Weinstein)
Director: Joshua Z Weinstein
Producer: Jean Tsien
Drivers Wanted was a fun & eye opening documentary about a NYC Taxi fleet company with its charming but no-nonsense owner Stan, & a few of their colorful characters that roam the big apple as their cab drivers. Stan’s company established in 1956 as – 55 Stan Operating Corporation is run out of Long Island City, Queens off of Vernon Blvd, not too far from where we usually romp around looking for new graffiti in LIC on Jackson Avenue at 5 Pointz.
The taxi garage at 55 Stan is a straight up timewarp. It seems like nothing has changed since they first opened up in 1956 unlike the vehicles, mechanics, & drivers that have probably pilfered through there since. The aged & bruised lockers that are scattered about in the breakroom, the Ms. Pacman arcade that chomps around and lightens up the grim space, the plexi or perhaps bulletproof glass that separates the dispatcher and the cash from the cabbies at checkin/checkout, and the high pitch echoing sounds of impact guns powered up by air compressors in the garage as bolts are being unhinged, all form a sense of day to day hustling at LIC in the NYC. The other constant of course is Stan – a man that runs his cab company with an iron-fist but has a heart of a lion that truly cares for his drivers – a lion king of sorts of his domain. Stan joked in the beginning of the movie that he was like the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz, that when you opened up the curtain or the window to reveal the Wiz – out would spill a short and spunky Jewish guy doling out words of wisdom! Stan remains active in his company as he dispatches, answers the phone, & assigns cabs to his drivers as well as recruiting for new cabbies at a nearby hack licensing center.
(Stan at the lobby of IFC after the screening)
Another charismatic character in the garage is Spider, a 90 year old cab driver who has roots in the south but has found a home in NYC driving a cab for 67 years now. With a cigar in tow and with his own feisty outlook in life, he drives a cab a few days a week as well as helping out at the garage. Spider even accompanies Stan while he looks for new recruits acting as a driver/lookout for traffic cops while Stan passes out flyers at the hack training center.
The main character that the camera follows around is Eric, a chinese immigrant who drives a tour bus that recently had his work schedule scaled back to just driving 1 day a week. He struggles to support his two kids and wife. We follow Eric as he obtains his cab license and captures the attention of Stan who is always on the prowl looking for a few good men/women to navigate his yellow cabs!
Eric and his family graciously opens up their lives so that we may get a peek at his trials and tribulations of working as a new cabbie for the best Taxi Fleet company in NYC as Stan describes it!
(Eric’s 2 kids, Joshua Z Weinstein(director),Stan, & Jean Tsien-producer)
Drivers Wanted is a documentary that is polar opposites of the well known “Taxicab Confessions” show on HBO. This film focuses on the person behind the wheel of a yellow cab, their lives, their families, and how they came about driving as a hack in the city that never sleeps. It will take us viewers on a fun filled glimpse of the outspoken Stan and his company – 55 Stan Operating Corporation along with a few chosen drivers including an experienced old lion (Spider) and a rookie (Eric). I can tell you after watching this documentary, I have a whole new found respect for cabbies and what they have to go through to survive. It really touched a nerve in me. From the amount of money the drivers have to pay ($160) to lease the taxi per shift to the fare jumpers to driving in haphazard weather conditions – all the way down to the everyday hustle.
Stan was in attendance at the screening and I asked him after the Q&A if he was a fan or have watched “TAXI” the 1970’s sitcom with Danny Devito, Tony Danza, & Judd Hirsch AND Stan said his company was the inspiration for that show! I wasn’t sure if he was serious or if he was Stan being Stan but I wasn’t about to argue with him!
If you get a chance to see DRIVERS WANTED – do it! It’s charming, it’s touching, it’s real, it’s New York! I believe the director Joshua Z Weinstein mentioned that it will have a week run at RERUN Theater starting November 30th in Brooklyn! Go for yours!
There was a brief Q&A after the screening of Drivers Wanted at IFC Theater – DOC NYC Festival. Joshua Weinstein (director), Jean Tsien (producer), Stan, and Eric’s wife and two kids were in attendance! Eric couldn’t be there because he was working! All hail the yellow cab!
(Q&A after the screening)
(photos and video by mr c)
Tags: doc nyc, documentary, ifc, movies
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DOC NYC: New York’s Documentary Festival November 8 – 15
November 9th, 2012 by chocko
DOC NYC is happening right now! Here are a couple movies that I’ve had the extreme pleasure to watch and I recommend that you check them all out on the big screen at the IFC Center and SVA Theatre in New York City during the DOC NYC Festival which runs from November 8-15. Chocko and Mr. C will have more reviews in the near future but also be sure to check out Unseen Films for excellent DOC NYC coverage.
RADIOMAN
DIRECTOR: MARY KERR
A film that follows around a quirky, magnetic character who hangs around movie sets and movie premieres in New York City all day and night. He rides a bicycle everywhere he goes, wears a radio around his neck (hence the nickname) and everybody in the movie making business knows him. Once an alcoholic and homeless, Radioman (still looking a bit dusty and musty) is now a fixture on every movie set in NYC, hustling for autographs and food from crafts service tents. He even manages to get cameo parts in feature films. The film focuses on the weird character that is Radioman and his love affair with the movie industry, at home (a fortress of clutter and collectibles) and at work. There are plenty of interviews and kind words from big time celebrities such as Tom Hanks and George Clooney. I ran into Radioman on plenty of occasions in my early days of collecting autographs. He knew all the actors and directors and always had insider info-where all the the movies were going to be filmed and who was going to be there (this was before smart phones existed). Don’t miss this film about a true legend of the streets and movie sets of New York City. I enjoyed this documentary a lot!
RADIOMAN sceens 7:45 PM, Fri. Nov. 9, 2012 and 11:00 AM, Thu. Nov. 15, 2012 at the IFC Center.
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FAR OUT ISN’T FAR ENOUGH: THE TOMI UNGERER STORY
DIRECTOR: BRAD BERNSTEIN
Tomi Ungerer was a child who lived in Europe during World War II which to this day affects his daily struggles of living in paranoia and dealing with trauma and constant nightmares. After discovering America through the Sears Roebuck & Co. Catalogues, Esquire and New Yorker magazines, Tomi left Europe for America in 1956 with $60 in his pocket and an incredible talent for drawing. He would soon be signed to HarperCollins where he became famous for illustrating children’s books. Tomi’s peers Maurice Sendak and Jules Feiffer describe him as “drowning in talent” and as a “wonderfully brilliant and innovative mad man.” Tomi’s career came to a screeching halt and was blacklisted in American publishing after creating Fornicon, a self published book which featured highly erotic art. The movie is a wild ride and features Tomi’s amazing illustrations come to life through animation. Tom Ungerer is a pure genius and it is awesome that he is getting more recognition. If you see one movie during DOC NYC make sure it’s this one. Don’t miss out. Highly recommended!
FAR OUT ISN’T FAR ENOUGH: THE TOMI UNGERER STORY screens 1:45 PM, Sat. Nov. 10, 2012 at SVA and 11:30 AM, Tue. Nov. 13, 2012 at IFC Center
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SHEPARD & DARK
DIRECTOR: Treva Wurmfeld
The film follows the complex and unlikely friendship between Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright/actor Sam Shepard and close friend for nearly 50 years, Johnny Dark, a present day homebody, amateur archivist who works odd jobs and has a penchant for writing and getting stoned. The two kindred spirits met in the 1960’s in Greenwich Village in NYC, married into the same family and when Shepard abandoned his wife and son, Shepard and Dark still remained friends and corresponded faithfully through letters and photographs. The friendship gets put to the test after they decide to publish their letters and are presented the daunting task of sorting through endless pages of letters and photos while reliving and confronting the past. The film is fun to watch because the director Wurmfeld has great subject matter to work with. Shepard speaks with a charming midwestern twang and despite his fame, lives like a cowboy and struggles with the balance between solitude and companionship. Dark is a likeable character because he is genuine. He enjoys the writings of Kerouac and The Beat Generation, the companionship of his dogs and getting high on marijuana. Go see this film about a truly odd couple! It is a film that sheds light on the imperfections of humanity and friendship.
SHEPARD & DARK screens Saturday Nov. 10 at 9:30 PM and Monday Nov. 12 at 2:00 PM at the IFC Center
Tags: doc nyc, far out isn't far enough, movie, radioman, review, shepard & dark, tomi ungerer, unseen films
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Men At Lunch – DOC NYC – New York’s Documentary Festival
November 8th, 2012 by Mr. C
Director: Seán Ó Cualáin
Men At Lunch was a very touching documentary ode to NYC & the blue collar workers that helped build the city vertically with the rise of steel and concrete. It told the tale of a rapidly changing New York City in the early twentieth century amongst the Wall Street crisis, high unemployment rates, and with the city banks collapsing. One of the most recognizable images of all time in NYC circa 1932 is a photo with 11 ironworkers sitting on top of a steel beam suspended 57 stories high with a Canyon of Manhattan underneath them, Central Park behind them, and the hudson river in the distance while the workers were casually having lunch! This simple yet audacious image represented the celebration of the legend of the working man. The ironworker earned $1.50 an hour which was a pretty decent living at the time with one major or should we say fatal drawback – death – 2% of the workforce annually would die working on the skyscapers. These 11 nameless iron immigrant workers symbolized the fabric of the poor and working class of NYC while simultaneously elevating the common man as a superhero while they perched in the sky!. In the 1920’s, the biggest Jewish, Italian, & Irish populations in the Americas were found in the big apple and they all had something in common – growing up in the school of hard knocks! The Irish, Mohawk Indians, Germans, and the Scandinavians were known to brave the dangerous work of balancing on steel beams to build the skyscapers of Manhattan.
Along with those brave enough to work on the steel beams suspended in the canyons of NYC were the crazy anonymous photographers doing similiar circus balancing acts while documenting the ironmen! Much thanks & credit have to be given to these photographers, for they gave the workers a grandiose aura about them in a still photo that otherwise they would have not possessed while on the ground mingling with stockbrokers, athletes, artists, & women in speakeasy’s.
The director of the film – Seán Ó Cualáin attempts to demystify the anonymous 11 ironworkers in the famous photo known as – Lunch atop a Skyscraper and perhaps provide a few answers that might lead us a little bit closer in identifying 2 of the workers in the photo which leads us to a pub in Shanaglish, Ireland. Other evidence stored at the Rockefeller Center Archives and the Iron Mountain Storage facility in PA will provide further proof of authenticity in the image.
The director does a great job in celebrating the tradition of the ironworkers and their importance in creating the foundation of the skyline of NYC as we know it today. Lunch Atop a Skyscraper is a true symbol of courage and resilience of NYC and the people that call it home.
Men At Lunch screens at the DOC NYC Festival on Saturday November 10th & Wednesday November 14. Check the DOC NYC schedule for more info here.
Tags: docnyc 2012, documentary, film
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Crucial Fiction + Young Puns 2
November 8th, 2012 by chocko
This Ron English mural featuring his character The Temper Tot recently went up on Mulberry Street between Canal and Hester in Little Italy, New York City. It’s English’s first Manhattan mural in more than two decades so be sure to check it out. The “Art Of Comedy” mural was completed to coincide with the New York Comedy Festival. Street artists Hanksy and Gilf! are also taking part in the project between Canal and Broome Streets. Keep your eyes peeled for some pop culture mashups.
Also, be sure to save the day for Ron’s show Crucial Fiction: Solo Exhibition at Opera Gallery NYC
Date: Thursday, November 8, 2012 to Thursday, November 29, 2012
Location: Opera Gallery NYC: 115 Spring St
Here’s another piece, done by NYC’s Hanksy who also has a show, Young Puns 2-Now with More Pun. It’s his second no holds barred solo exhibition which lampoons Tom Hanks and other celebrities such as Danny DeVito and Al Pacino. Stop by the Krause Gallery in the Lower East Side for some clever wordplay and cheesy, tongue-in-cheek art.
Date: Thursday, November 8, 2012 to Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Location: Krause Gallery: 149 Orchard St at Rivington
(photos by chocko)
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Tags: crucial fiction, graffiti, hanksy, ron english, street art, young puns 2
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Girl In A Coma played Lincoln Center
November 2nd, 2012 by chocko
Girl In A Coma (Nina Diaz-guitars + vocals, Phanie Diaz-drums and Jenn Alva-bass) rocked the David Rubenstein Atrium at Lincoln Center in New York City last Thursday, October 25, 2012. It was a free show and if you came, expecting some jazz guitar or the soothing sounds of a violin concerto…you came to the wrong place. With Halloween looming, the “Ghouls In A Coma” came to rattle your skull and do the monster mash!
I first saw the band at a couple of shows in Los Angeles opening for Tegan And Sara. They had me hooked with their intense punk attitude on their versions of “Ven Cerca” by Los Spitfires and “Do You Wanna Dance” made popular by The Beach Boys and The Ramones. Maybe it was the way Nina bounced around with her guitar and intense vampire-like stare and wailing vocals or the way the thundering rhythm section made me want to stomp around like Godzilla. I don’t know, but I have been a fan ever since and seen them play more shows than I can remember.
The fine trio from San Antonio, Texas recently won an Independent Music Award (IMA) for the Indie/Alt. Rock Album category and flew to NYC from Atlanta for one show in the middle of a tour with Cursive and Minus The Bear. They seem to keep getting better with every performance and record they put out. Their recent album Exits & All The Rest is out now on Joan Jett’s label, Blackheart Records and it is a perfect mix of post-punk with a dash of rockabilly, some Morrissey (after all, their name was inspired by a Smiths lyric!) with a heap of Tejano and indie rock.
Girl In A Coma performed a full set which featured songs from all four of their albums including a brand new tune “Invisible”, a captivating version of “Walkin’ After Midnight” the sultry and swoon-inducing “Monte” and a Spanish version of their newest single “Smart.” Check out some footage below of “Cemetery Baby” a Chocko favorite from the new album.
Here’s a video for “Smart” off their most recent album Exits & All The Rest…watch GIAC narrowly escape the danger of oncoming trains. Follow the girls as they explore creepy, abandoned buildings and then rock out!
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Tags: blackheart records, giac, girl in a coma, jenn alva, lincoln center, new york city, nina diaz, phanie diaz
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Treehouse of HORROR #18
October 31st, 2012 by chocko
It’s that time of year again for Bongo Comics issue of twisted terror featuring The Simpsons! The first story of this “48-page chill-tacular” is titled “Eerie Beery” and features everybody’s favorite animated family going on a vacation, taking a wrong turn and ending up in a dark cabin where Homer awakens evil spirits that turn the rest of the family into hungry zombies. There’s a twist ending and a chainsaw wielding Homer Simpson that will leave you gasping in horror. Awesome story and art courtesy of brothers Shane and Chris Houghton (Reed Gunther).
“Margemary’s Baby” is a supernatural homage to the classic horror movie Rosemary’s Baby. The art is by Phil Noto (Danger Girl) and the story was written by Gerry Duggan of Attack of the Show! The story starts with a young couple (Marge and Homer) looking to move into a Downtown Springfield apartment. They get introduced to their creepy neighbors, Monty Burns and Smitherina and the hellish nightmare begins. Will Marge hit it off with “Ol’ Long Horns” and spawn the son of Satan? Check it out!
“One Bart And Stormy Knight” is my favorite of the bunch! In Bartman’s latest adventure he battles Drunkzilla, Mr. Squishee, Kitten Delight and his evil nemesis, The Giggler a.k.a. Lisa. It looks like Bartman has finally met his match. Marge and Homer, looking like Frankenstein monsters join in on the battle royale and look ready to do some damage with the help of a large kitchen knife and a power drill. This is a fun read with a surprise ending. The art by Tone Rodriguez and Andrew Pepoy is spooktacular!
“The Bride!” is another homage to another classic horror movie classic, The Bride of Frankenstein. Jim Valentino (ShadowHawk) and Shannon Wheeler (Too Much Coffee Man) join forces to tell the story of some of Springfield’s regulars gathering at the local bar Moe’s and recalling the classic horror masterpiece. The latest Treehouse book is awesome and features a classic cover by Hilary Barta! His blog LimerWrecks is super fun and features limericks which mostly focus on film, but beware of spoilers!
Tags: 18, bongo comics, book, comic book, review, the simpsons, treehouse of horror
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CHILLER THEATRE EXPO – an appetizer ode to Halloween!
October 29th, 2012 by Mr. C
(All photos by Mr. C except for Sheraton Hotel & “It’s Chiller Time!”.)
(Chiller Theatre Expo was moved to the Sheraton Parsippany this year. We loved the medieval architecture of the hotel!)
(We thought the event was a pretty big success even though the NY Jets lost again that weekend!)
But before we begin this photo blog of undead and trashy proportions, I would like to summarize the event with a few words of un-poetic like grace. Here we go…may you R.I.P.
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Twas the weekend before Halloween when all through Chiller Theatre. Not a single human was stirring, not even their spouse;
Vampires, goblins, predators, & a zombie Ronald Mcdonald hung putrified body parts with care,
In hopes that Zacherly the Cool Ghoul would notice them there;We saw Hulk Hogan, the Mummy, Grim Reaper, & Nosferatu all snug in their creepy pose. They all looked like they had no pulse, hey – they could of been dead!
While visions of blood and Elvira danced in their head, hell we all knew all they wanted to do was to take her to bed!
And Jessica the Rabbit with her killer cleavage, and I in my aroused state,
Had just settled down, but wait that’s Mary Antoinette with her piece of cake?When out at the ballroom there arose such a tatter,
I sprang like Jackie Chan to see what was the matter.
Oh, we saw Tom Wopat, Joan Collins, & Bai Ling with her cute little accent thing.
Wow, my teenage crush on Samantha Fox blew me out of my socks as she singed?!
Away to the other rooms, I fled like Flash Gordon;
I saw the dude from The Warriors, the lady from Suspiria, and then I started to dream of Virginia Madsen;Chiller Theatre has always been a mixed bag filled with horror goodies, pop culture, & hollywood has beens.
The attendees all looked like they came straight out of a comic book and have committed lots of sins!
But the night was young and the obituary list was full,
so we were treated with a serenade of monster mash by Zacherly the cool ghoul!
Next came the Dead Elvi with surprise guest – killer keyboardist – Keith Emerson,
Following that was a tremendous performance on the vocals by Bebe Buell coupled with the possessed demonic guitar play of Cheetah Chrome from the Dead Boys – damn, he brought the noise!
For that was the highlight but the lowlight would appear,
Bai Ling came out to sing and she didn’t really care.
Up on deck was Taryn Manning from Sons of Anarchy as she took the mic,
she attempted to sing Beast of Burden which put a burden in our hearts for the rest of our life.
It was only a start as Smells like Teen spirit would arise from the dead,
She actually had a great stage presence and a killer bod is what I said!But all fun nights must come to an end. Chiller Theatre was a blast and the spring time version of the undead expo is just around the bend!
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(The VHS Preservation Society vendor always gets us. I bought a copy of China O’Brien, No Retreat No Surrender, Destroyer (Lyle Alzado), Raw Force aka Kung Fu Cannibals, & Tanya’s Island. Chocko had his own list of trashy titles that I’m sure he will share later!)
(Zacherly the cool ghoul– the host of the original Chiller Theatre on TV)
(Stephania Cassini starred in Dario Argento’s Suspiria)
(Bai Ling in the lobby of the hotel)
(Virginia Madsen)
(Joan Collins)
(Bebe Buell signing my copy of her Hard Love album – go get it!)
(Mary Antoinette and her cake was one of the winners of the costume contest!)
(The CyberAngels was one of the winners of the costume contest as well.)
(Go Ape Billy with their collection of movie props)
(Popetine and Darth Maul Ghoul was also one of the costume winners of the night!)
Tags: chiller theatre, costumes, horror, music, toy film expo
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Regressives + Cigarette Crossfire + Zoobombs played ABC No Rio
October 26th, 2012 by chocko
Regressives (featuring Joe, Brendan and Aron formerly of Stockyard Stoics and Early Gates of The Ray Gradys on drums), headlined a last minute show at ABC No Rio last Friday night. The band teased the small, intimate crowd with a snippet of a Stockyard Stoics (“City Lights”) song during soundcheck, but the set was dedicated to new songs. Lead singer, Joe took the time to introduce himself and shake everybody’s hand in the audience early in the high energy set which didn’t stray too far from the Stockyard punk sound and songs of revolution. There was even one about animals titled “Wildlife in America.” These guys are an awesome band to check out live. I hope they’re planning to put out some records!
Rising from the ashes of punk bands Life Giving Waters and Buried At Last, comes Cigarette Crossfire from Helsinki, Finland! They were also on the bill banging out some melodic punk tunes including an untitled track off their new limited edition tour 7″ which had no labeling or artwork. Their angry political songs with lead singer Jere’s gravelly vocals will get you pumped up and moving in the pit in no time. This show in the Lower East Side of NYC marked Cigarette Crossfire’s first show in a string of East Coast dates which conclude at the end of October in Florida for The Fest. I picked up their latest album, In Between The Cure And The Disease which features 10 songs recorded in 5 days back in 2011. I also picked up their purple tour 7″ and a single from 2010 which features 3 heavy tracks and killer art work by Maarten De With based out of Antwerp.
The psychedelic samurai rock and funk volcanic eruption that is Zoobombs opened up the night with an energetic set. This Tokyo band has opened up for The Flaming Lips and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and have been kicking out the jams and blowing minds and eardrums since 1994. They describe their music as “Psychedelicdonutsrock or Punkfloyd.” As soon as the band plugged in and cranked up the amps, Zoobombs played like a band possessed with the charismatic DON Matsuo on vocals and guitar leading the fray. The rest of the lineup features Pitt on drums, Moostop on bass and Matta on keyboards who also handles the band’s art work including the Zoobomb’s mascot Kumaku a cartoon bear and president of Zbon-Sya. After their set I picked up their 10th album The Sweet Passion. Good stuff! Be sure to check out Zoobombs music and follow their wacky touring adventures on their various blogs.
REGRESSIVES + CIGARETTE CROSSFIRE + ZOOBOMBS at ABC NO RIO
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Tags: abc no rio, cigarette crossfire, regressives, zoobombs
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The Zen of Bennett
October 25th, 2012 by Mr. C
(Tony Bennett at IFC Theater on 10/24/12 to introduce the film – photo by mr c)
The documentary, The Zen of Bennett takes us on a behind the scenes look at Tony Bennett and what makes this legend tick even up to his gingerly age of 85 years young. From the onset of the film, Bennett preaches what he practices – that everything about yourself – your aura, your looks, your every move, your work should be about quality. No time should be wasted or vacated by anything less than being your best. So there begins the pace that the legendary singer sets as we follow him to various studios (NJ,London,Italy) for a recording session with some well known and talented musicians/vocalist in their own right including Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse, Natalie Cole, John Mayer, Lady Gaga, Michael Buble, Carrie Underwood, and legends like Willie Nelson, Andrea Boccelli, and Aretha Franklin. We get to see the amazing interaction between Bennett and the current artists of today – how he nurtures, compliments, and basically passes the torch from a lion like himself to the young pride! You would imagine Bennett and Aretha Franklin’s duet performance would of been the most explosive in terms of energy but it seemed like the Bennett – Lady Gaga combination was pretty darn earth shattering! It was also great to see Tony work his gentle demeanor and playfulness with Michael Buble and Amy Winehouse to ease the anxiety pains in the studio. It was very touching to see how Bennett was truly concerned for Winehouse and her battle with the demons. You can catch Tony’s Zen like magic (not in a religious way) as he coddles Amy Winehouse to make her feel more comfortable with her fidgety self in the recording session. Winehouse and Bennett teamed up for a smoky, down and dirty version of “Body and Soul”. Unfortunately thereafter, the tragic death of Amy would cause a ripple of sadness within Bennett.
Not everything is all peaches and cream & Zen like with Tony as we see some examples of being stubborn and cranky at times but hell – who’s perfect? Michael Buble’s interview with the media causes concern for Bennett as he misinterprets the message as being old. Another incident in Italy at Andrea Boccelli’s home/studio will question someones work ethic. Don’t even talk about rearranging the tempo and flow of the songs!
We also had the privilege to see the singing legend’s other passion – drawing and painting! It was fun watching Tony do a quick sketch of Willie Nelson in the studio. The Zen of Bennett, not to be confused with the religious aspects of Buddhism portrayed a quiet, compassionate, and tender side of our subject as he kept all things classy! I can easily see how this man remains young at heart, humble, & successful. It’s all because of family dynamics and the tight bond between them.
Tony Bennett fan or not, The Zen of Bennett will give you a different perspective with living/appreciating life to the fullest and will perhaps touch your tender button. At the very least it will bring the sexy back to wearing ties and with making sure that those shoes get polished correctly!
The Zen of Bennett continues to screen at IFC Theaters in NYC until 10/30!
Those that are fiending for Tony Bennett and the above mentioned artists & others collaborate, do yourself some justice and buy the DUETS II album!
(Tony Bennett and son – Danny Bennett)
Tags: documentary, ifc, tony bennett
Posted in movies, mr. c, photos | Comments (0)
