Eddie Vedder US Tour 2011 Night One: Providence, Rhode Island
June 16th, 2011 by chocko
Glen Hansard of The Frames and The Swell Season started last night’s show playing a thirty minute set of songs at the beautiful and majestic, Providence Performing Arts Center. Glen seemed very grateful to be playing for everyone and a told a touching story about how he received phone calls from Eddie Vedder following last year’s tragedy involving Hansard’s band, The Swell Season. The conversations they shared led to Glen being invited to sing on Vedder’s new album, “Ukulele Songs” and ultimately being asked to tour in support of the album. The heartbreaking rendition of “Leave” from the movie “Once” was definitely a highlight of Glen’s set.
Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder started playing around 8:30 p.m. and got right down to business with 6 songs from his new album which features him on the tiny Hawaiian instrument, the ukulele. The rest of the night featured Vedder mixing it up and also using guitars…playing Pearl Jam songs and material from the “Into The Wild” soundtrack. As soon as the chords of “Sometimes” were strummed, the crowd came to life, clapping, stomping and singing. Vedder dedicated “Better Man” to the E-Street Band’s saxophone player, Clarence Clemons who recently suffered a stroke. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Big Man. We wish you a speedy recovery.
Throughout the night, a member of the stage crew in a monster mask and lab coat held up a sign to update the crowd on the night’s big hockey game. It was the night of game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals and many in the crowd had the game and their beloved Bruins on their minds. Vedder was a good sport and dedicated “Rise” to the “Black and Gold.” The capacity crowd chanted “Let’s Go Bruins!” which quickly morphed into an “Eddie-Vedder!” chant. Eddie followed that up with a performance of “Arc” which features looped a capella chants and haunting harmonies.
The first encore included 3 covers: “Throw Your Arms Around Me” by Hunters & Collectors, “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” by The Beatles and “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan. Glen Hansard came back to join Eddie for “Sleepless Nights” and “Society.” For those keeping score, “Porch” was the one lone track performed from the Pearl Jam debut album, “Ten.”
The final encore featured Eddie, Glen and special guest singers in lab coats with a blue sky backdrop and smoke machines that created a tranquil beach-like atmosphere. The concert rivaled any Pearl Jam concert I’ve ever been to. It felt special to be in the audience that night. The songs brought many tears, happy and sad and some songs got me so pumped up I could’ve tore down a brick wall with my bare hands. The show lasted about 2 hours. It was a beautiful night of music and the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. I would have had some videos from the night of the show, but sadly, Pearl Jam’s Ten Club slammed my youtube account and yanked the footage off the internet. That wasn’t cool, Ten Club!
SET LIST
sleeping by myself
without you
broken heart
you’re true
light today
cant keep
sometimes
just breathe
i am mine
better man
no ceiling
far behind
guaranteed
rise
unthought known
the end
arc
ENCORE
you’ve got to hide your love away
throw your arms around me
elderly woman behind the counter in a small town
sleepless nights
society
forever young
porch
SECOND ENCORE
hard sun
Eddie Vedder and Ben Harper Berlin 2010
Tags: concert, eddie vedder, glen hasnard, june, live, pearl jam, ppac, review, show, solo show, the frames, the swell season
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Blood and Bone screening/Q&A at the Museum of the Moving Image
June 13th, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Ben Ramsey
Actor: Michael Jai White, Dante Basco, Julian Sands, and Eamonn Walker
Genre: Martial arts, action
Trailer of film courtesy of mmabigfan@youtube
The Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, Queens plays host to an ongoing martial arts movie program called Fist and Sword. Last week they screened BLOOD AND BONE with the director, Ben Ramsey & actor, Michael Jai White in attendance for a Q & A session with Warrington Hudlin acting as the moderator! If martial arts action is your thing then you MUST hit up this movie! No wirework, no sped up camera shots, nor any CGI special effects on this caboose of an action film! It’s just pure old school martial art throwdowns with a hint of mixed martial art lockdowns! Michael Jai White is the sole reason why this film works because of his prowess in martial arts & his charisma on the screen! This dude is built like a freight train and can even move faster than THE LAST DRAGON! Some of you might know Jai White as Black Dynamite from the 2009 movie paying homage to the Blaxploitation films of the past! White has been around the movie & TV scene for quite a while now. I think the 1st time I’ve seen him in a major role was in TYSON (1995) playing the character of Mike Tyson in the made for TV movie.
Blood and Bone was a pure adrenaline rush full of fight scenes starting right from the get go of the film when Kimbo Slice decides to test out Mr. Bone (Michael Jai White) in prison! The story will progress further onto the streets of L.A. as underground fight clubs, a local mob boss, deceit, & a woman get in the mix of things! Bone will go on a personal vendetta to take care of an old prison matter as the story will unfold to the viewer after a slight twist and turn in the plot! With the likes of real life mixed martial art fighters such as Kimbo slice, Bob Sapp, Maurice Smith, and martial art extraordinaire, Matt Mullins in the movie, you can see why no special effects were needed! White laughs and describes Bob Sapp as a computer generated, cock diesel type of big dude in real life! Oh, did I mention that Bob Wall who played the character of O’hara in Bruce Lee’s Enter the Dragon also makes a cameo in this film playing O’hara, a bodyguard for the villain! Michael Jai White will display some of his heavy handed techniques along with some cobra like kicks as his foes drop like sacks of sweet potatoes! Jai White also demonstrates some killer jujitsu & submission holds that would make Gene Lebell proud! The jive talking character of Pinball played by Dante Basco adds a bit of comedic relief in between bones breaking! Eamonn Walker who plays the villain is very convincing in his urban evil role! Blood and Bones is very entertaining from a martial arts perspective, but there are a few flaws in my opinion. There definitely could of been more character development & background story to the protagonist/antagonist. Could it be that they wanted to leave out the origins of the characters in lieu of a sequel to this movie? Who knows, Ben Ramsey & Michael Jai White left that avenue open for a sequel to the Bones character!
The Q&A portion of this event with Ben Ramsey, the director of the film and Michael Jai White was just as entertaining! Ramsey’s mission statement about the making of Blood and Bones was to focus less on video editing & fancy camera work & let the action speak for itself! This holds true especially when you have talented martial artists like Michael Jai White and his stunt team working on your side! There is no need to mess with technology when you have highly skilled technicians performing these fight sequences! This is exactly my sentiment with HK modern fight films of today! There’s too much messing with software & effects with less emphasis on the pure action itself! Ramsey & Jai White also stated that NO injuries besides bruises happened on the fight set during filming which is amazing if you saw the film! It took 21 days to shoot the film with 3-4 fight scenes per day! As a contrast, Jai White said that it took 1 day for 1 fight scene when he filmed Universal Soldier with Jean Cleade Van Damm and there was only 1 technique executed per day! Definitely, nothing as intricate as Blood and Bones! Ben Ramsey & Michael Jai White also stated that Blood and Bones was heavily bootlegged in the domestic & international market! They said that at an international screening of this movie the theatre used a bootleg version of the film for the viewing!
As for Michael Jai White, he states that he still loves the mechanics, the sparring, & the chess match in the fight game! White’s biggest problem in fight choreography is finding a big, muscular guy to do fight scenes with him because really large guys don’t have the technique & martial art skills to make things look good behind the camera! UFC & mixed martial artists are tough guys & might be able to withstand punches, but the bigger guys rarely have the proper technique. It is always problematic to find someone as big or bigger than him in size to fight him on the screen because he usually moves too gracefully for his opponent which is not good for filming! On many occasions, his adversary in the fight scenes is a member of his stunt team such as Matt Mullins in Blood and Bone!
As a finale to this event, Michael Jai White showed a clip of his new movie coming out in the fall called “The Beatdown”. As a joke or maybe not?, Jai White dubbed the scene he showed as “Rodney’s Revenge” (reference to Rodney King). This movie promises to be another action packed treat! White also mentioned that he is working on Black Dynamite, the animated series! I can’t wait for this to materialize on the cartoon network! In the meantime, you can check out a few minutes of the Q&A session to get a taste of the energy that these two exude!
“I am the punishment of God…If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” – GHENGHIS KHAN
Tags: ben ramsey, black dynamite, blood and bones, michael jai white, musuem moving image
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11th annual Egg Roll and Egg Cream Festival on the lower east side
June 13th, 2011 by Mr. C
The 11th annual egg roll and egg cream festival kicked off last sunday at the Eldridge Street Synagogue (Museum at Eldridge street) of lower manhattan! This is a special day set aside to celebrate Chinese & Jewish cultures as both ethnicities have lived, worked, & enjoyed each others company in this area where lower east side jews meet chinatown! A whole host of events including performances, folk art demos, food demos, arts & craft making, & language lessons in chinese and yiddish where on hand. Some of these events included performances from a Klezmer band, a Chinese folk orchestra, & a playact from a peking opera troupe. Some really neat folk art demos included jewish papercutting, yarmulke making, mah jong lessons and play, chinese brush painting, chinese paper folding & knot tying, & tzitzit tying. Food demos like challah making, dumpling making, & a chinese tea ceremony were on the schedule as well. The kids really looked liked they had fun making their own yarmulke, designing paper fans, & paper dragons! And don’t forget the egg rolls & egg creams that were on sale! I cheated and didn’t have the egg rolls but I could not pass up on the egg cream! If it wasn’t for me inhaling that lamb burger from Xian Famous foods just around the corner, I would of devoured me an egg roll or two in a chinatown new york minute! I couldn’t stay for the entire event but I did document a few festivities on hand underneath the tents on eldridge street! If you haven’t visited the Eldridge Street Synagogue (Museum at Eldridge Street) then you really should make your way down there whether you’re jewish or not! It’s a beautiful & historic religious structure built in 1887! It offers a slice of lower manhattan that you must see in order to understand the history of NYC! Here’s the Museum’s mission statement:
The mission of the Museum at Eldridge Street is to strengthen, support, protect and promote the 1887 landmark Eldridge Street Synagogue as a dynamic cultural and educational center that tells the story of Jewish immigrant life at the turn of the last century, explores architecture and historic preservation, inspires reflection and cultural continuity, and fosters inter-group exchange.
You should also visit the Museum of Chinese in America as well if you are in lower manhattan!
Making an egg cream (Chocolate Syrup, Milk, then seltzer water)
Yarmulke Making!
Jewish Papercutting!
Mahjong!
Chinatown Senior Center Folk orchestra!
making paper dragons!
Frank London’s All Star Brass Klezmer band!
Tags: egg roll egg cream festival, eldridge street museum, eldridge street synagogue
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Big Apple BBQ Block Party at Madison Square Park!
June 12th, 2011 by Mr. C
The BBQ fiend team at Planet Chocko descended on the 9th annual Big Apple BBQ block party this past weekend! Top pitmasters from 18 restaurants brought their smoke, spice, & everything nice including their respective OINK’s, MOO’s, & CLUCK’s! We tried 6 different bbq plates out of the 18 in the lineup which included Ed Mitchell’s (Whole Hog sandwich), Pappy’s (St. Louis style baby back ribs), Big Bob Gibson’s (pulled pork shoulder sandwich), Blue Smoke’s (Texas salt & pepper beef ribs), Jim ‘n Nicks (smoked sausage), & Salt Lick BBQ’s (Beef brisket & sausage)! We had Rack & Soul in our GPS line of sight, but the line was a tad bit longer than our patience!
The BBQ fiend team agreed that Ed Mitchell’s whole hog sandwich was one of our top two favorites of the day! The finely chopped whole hog meat was real tender, all lightly tossed in a vinegar based sauce! We only wished that pork skin/cracklings were part of the sandwich party! Our other top favorite was Big Bob Gibson’s pulled pork shoulder sandwich! The meat wasn’t as tender as Ed Mitchell’s, but we really liked the charred up, hand pulled shoulder meat which included some burnt ends mixed in! The slightly spicy sauce paired up real nice with the pulled shoulder meat! The layers of bliss with the tender, charred, & then crispy texture of Big Bob Gibson’s pulled pork meat when my tooth met sandwich was divine as a swine can get! I really dug the tangy-spicy slaw as well!
Big Bob Gibson’s pulled pork shoulder sandwich served with a tangy-spicy slaw!
Ed Mitchell’s whole hog sandwich served with slaw!
Ed Mitchell & his team getting ready for pork-topia!
Ed Mitchell smoked turkey, too! 
Our next victim was the deliciously smoked sausage from Jim ‘n Nicks! It was served with a rich & creamy pimento cheese tainted with some jalepenos! A Ménage à trois of crackers was served as a companion! The sausage had a snap, crackle, & pop effect when my fangs bit into it!
Pappy’s Smoke House provided us with some sweet & delicately smoked st. louis style ribs! I loved the fact that it wasn’t swimming in sauce so you can taste the superiorly smoked flavor! I loved that their assembly line included a rib master with a torch to creme brulee the rack of ribs to seal in the flavor!
Hi Pappy! Thank you for the tasty ribs!
Having too much fun with the torch! 
Salt Lick BBQ from Texas provided a nice snappy sausage with a sweet smokey flavor parked alongside a tender beef brisket sitting on top of a happy piece of white bread waiting to get sopped up by the juices! Is it too much to ask Yankee stadium to carry these Salt Lick sausage delights? Wishful thinking!
Last, but not least was Blue Smoke’s Texas style salt and peppered beef ribs! The beef rib was chopped up in three inch squared chunks & sort of reminded me of oxtail pieces. The meat was real tender, encrusted with a layer of pepper and salt which gave it an initial coating of crunch when my molars attacked it! Look at that smoke red! Attack mode, y’all!
More pics from the Big Apple BBQ festival below!
An emergency whole hog run to Martin’s BBQ joint!
The staff at Blackjack BBQ pulling shoulder meat to greet the 11am customers!
Pitmaster Mike Mills of 17th St. Bar & Grill mingling with a fan!
Dinosaur BBQ with their pork shoulder meat!
Baker’s Ribs with their St. Louis style Ribs!
All in all, it was a great weekend to be had at the Big Apple BBQ Block party! The organizers of this event should be thanked & thanked again for a job well done! And of course, the 18 pitmasters and their unsung BBQ team, local and from afar should be given a standing ovation especially with the lightweight bout with mother nature on saturday! Cheers, y’all to a blissful weekend of porky heaven at madison square park with many more future pork-topia BBQ Block parties to come!
Tags: 2011, big apple bbq, bob gibson, ed mitchell, jim nicks, pappy
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The Melvins were at Cotton Candy Machine
June 8th, 2011 by chocko
The Melvins were all present yesterday at Tara McPherson’s art boutique, Cotton Candy Machine. Located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn – Cotton Candy Machine quickly got packed with eager fans of the O.G.’s of Grunge looking to get stuff signed and to meet the band. The new Melvins poster designed by McPherson might have been another reason to show up but there was also free beer. There was a photobooth setup where fans were encouraged to pose with the band for photos and bring your own props but there were plenty light sabers, toy guitars and pom poms on hand if you forgot to bring something. The Melvins are a band that have been around since 1983…King Buzzo and Dale Crover are the original members and Jared Warren and Coady Willis have been in the band since 2006. I got Buzz and Dale to sign my “lysol” album from 1992…damn that album is so heavy and dense sounding. It rules. There’s 6 tracks on it but if you have it on CD…it plays like one continuous track. I recommend that album which they’ve retitled to “Melvins” for copyright reasons and every other album the band ever released. Their latest releases are the 2010 “The Bride Screamed Murder” album and the newly released live album titled “Sugar Daddy Live” which are both on Ipecac Recordings. Tara McPherson who was also in the building had a brand new Melvins shirt for sale too. She does amazing art work and you should check her out when you get a chance. A lot of Tara’s work can be seen online but if you happen to be in Brooklyn, definitely check out the store…super friendly people work there and there’s always something going on at Cotton Candy Machine!
Store hours are Tuesday through Sunday from Noon to 8pm.
235 South 1st Street (between Roebling and Havemeyer)
Brooklyn, NYC 11211
718.387.3844
They are just blocks off the Bedford & Lorimer L, Metropolitan G, and Marcy JMZ Subway stops.
the new melvins shirt by cotton candy machine
rock it to me! a group rock poster show…on display until july 3
tara was in da house!
Tags: art, band, dale crover, gallery, grunge, ipecac recordings, king buzzo, records, signing, tara mcpherson
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Dennis Coffey performed at the Bell House on 6/4!
June 6th, 2011 by Mr. C
The planet chocko martians had the privilege to stroll into the Bell House in brooklyn looking like Fred & Lamont Sanford from the show, Sanford & Son to witness guitarist, DENNIS COFFEY bring the funk just like he did in the 1970’s! He was one of the original members of the Funk Brothers studio band who recorded endless hits for Motown records! Dennis Coffey’s signature sound, his wah-wah guitar wail was distinctive as a mutherfrakker’! You would swear that Coffey’s guitar was talking back ‘atcha in some kind of funky soul brother language! And not for nothing, but his guitar was talking something dirty! This 70 year old american legend from Detroit still makes playing look so easy as he goes up & down the frets like nobodies business holding down some funk’ed up chords that made my fingers cramp up by just looking at it! Like Mr. Han Man said to Bruce Lee in ‘Enter the Dragon’, “Your/his skills are extraordinary!”. Speaking of Enter the Dragon, Coffey did a real funk’tified rendition of the theme song to that movie that was eons better than the original! The Temptations, The Isley Brothers, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, & George Clinton are just a few appetizing names that he has recorded with. Dennis Coffey’s old school guitar tunes have been sampled time and time again by many a hip hop artist! His “Scorpio” guitar riffs for example has surfaced in numerous hip hop tracks like The Score(Fugees), Jinglin’ Baby(LL Cool J), Renegades of Funk(Rage Against the machine), & Night of the Living Baseheads(Public Enemy) to just name a few.
The Stepkids from Stones Throw Records opened up the night at the Bell House with their experimental, soul-funk sound! The Stepkids consisted of 3 white dudes dressed in all white wear with matching white shoes(vans) to match! They had white cloths draped over all the speakers, amplifiers, & bass drum as they projected psychedelic images on their clothing & background while they played. At first glance, I was thinking who are these ‘Jamiroquai’ looking (not sounding) clones attempting the funk rhythm, but as the thumping sound waves of the 70’s like soul melodies erupted in my ear, I was like, dyno-mite!
Dennis Coffey with his bad ass magician self, equipped with a guitar as his wand and backed by the Dirtbombs from Detroit took the baton from the Stepkids and proceeded to lay down some super-fly funky instrumentals like he was still at that Soul Train performance from January 1972! The addition of the conga drums to the performance that night provided a nice rhythmic contrast to the heavy “Hell up in Harlem” baselines! Coffey was dressed like a blues brother from another mother and proceeded to drop down the hammer of funk!
Kendra Morris lent a helping hand to the set by providing some of her soulful vocals to a few songs on Coffey’s latest self entitled album which included ‘Don’t Knock my love’, ‘I bet you’, & ‘All your Goodies are gone’! She definitely added another raspy dimension to an already great cast that night! My favorite Dennis Coffey guitar shredding wah-wah tunes from his set included black belt jones, easin it, iceberg’s thang, it’s your thing, & Scorpio, of course! If you like funk, soul, blues, jazz, & hip hop, you should most definitely check out Dennis Coffey live! After listening to Coffey, you’ll begin to realize that funk was the inspiration to all those boombastic’ hip hop & b-boy break beats! I’m still trying to stop myself with that ‘J.J. Evans from Good Times’ inspired walk & swagger that I developed after leaving the Bell House that night from a Dennis Coffey high because it was all too, DYNO-MITE! We want the funk! Give up the funk! We need the funk! We gotta’ have that funk!
Set List
Miss Millie
Iceberg’s Thang
Ride Sally Ride
Don’t Knock my Love
I Bet You
All your Goodies are gone
Black Belt Jones theme
Getting it on
It’s your thing
Easin it (Edwin Starr) – “Hell up in Harlem”
the Sagittarian
Scorpio
Tags: bell house, black belt jones, dennis coffey, dirtbombs, funk, kendra morris, ride sally ride, scorpio, stepkids
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NAS performed at Gansevoort Plaza
June 3rd, 2011 by chocko
Queensbridge Hip Hop Artist, Nas performed a short set yesterday at Gansevoort Plaza in New York City. DJ Envy was on the turntables and hyped up the afternoon crowd in the fancy meatpacking district. Bacardi organized the “Like It Live, Like It Together” Kick-Off Event which included juggling bartenders behind makeshift bars on top of a stage in the shape of a giant skateboard. I’m not kidding. There was free pizza from Jiannetto’s Pizza truck which was delicious…not so much cheese and a crunchy crust! Playboy Playmates and a wise-cracking robot kept people entertained as the crowd waited for Nas. The Illmatic MC showed up a little bit before 1:00 pm and told the crowd he just got off a plane, lost his luggage and was ready to go shopping. Before bouncing to the nearby boutiques, Nasty Nas ripped through a short set that included the classic “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” off the 1994 ILLMATIC album, “Made You Look” from the 2002 album God’s Son and “One Mic” from Stillmatic. Damn…Illmatic came out 17 years ago? That album is a straight up and down hip hop classic. If you don’t have that album and you consider yourself a hip hop fan…you need to check yourself. Nas announced that a new album was in the works and the title will be “Life Is Good.”
Playboy Bunnies – Shannon James, Miss May 2007, Mei-Ling Lam, Miss June 2011; Alison Waite, Miss May 2006 and Kayla Collins, Miss August 2008
look at this robot!
the stage is really a giant skateboard!
Tags: bacardi, free show, hip hop, new york city, nyc, queens, queensbridge
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The Street Stops Here (2010 sports documentary)
June 3rd, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Kevin Shaw
Genre: sports documentary (high school basketball)
Long before New Jersey was being outfitted with a guinea tee & gold chain as prescribed by mainstream pop tv with some of those outrageous reality shows like the Jersey shore, Jerseylicious, Cake Boss, The Housewives of NJ, & other EYE-talian american mafioso digs such as the Sopranos(fuggetaboutit), and well before Kevin Smith’s low budget, indie sleeper CLERKS…New Jersey’s grit, grime, tough & resilient attitude can be better characterized by Jersey City’s own, Bobby Hurley Senior! This inspiring documentary called “The Street Stops Here” chronicles Bobby Hurley as the basketball coach of St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City, NJ since 1972! Hurley is a dying breed of an old school regime offering no nonsense sentiments encapsulated in a pit bull stance!
Make no qualms about it, Hurley is a rough & tumble, motherload’ of a coach who pushes his kids to the limit bordering on verbal abuse sometimes. He enforces discipline with a militiary state of mind and rules with a mental ironbound’ hand to make sure his students are going in the right direction. Hurley states that in these dangerous streets of Jersey City amongst the drugs, crime, guns, unemployment, gangs, & other temptations, his tough love method of discipline for his kids & his community are much needed. He provides basketball as a tool for his students to rise out of the ashes of jersey city to meet their next quest of higher learning. If his kids can get out of JC and make it to college, he has done his job. Where does Hurley get his savviness for dealing with these kids you ask? Answer: he has been a probation officer for 21 years in Jersey City. Since 1972, Hurley has 900 wins, 22 state championships, 2 national titles, & nursed 150+ division 1 players in his stint as coach for the St. Anthony Friars! The Friars are recognized as having the most dominant high school basketball program in the nation! His 2 sons Bobby and Danny have gone through St. Anthony’s as well. Bobby Hurley jr. went on to a great career at Duke capturing 2 national titles with Duke University under the helm of Mike Krzyzewski. Besides coaching at St. Anthony’s, Hurley Sr. also is the director of recreation for Jersey City. He helps reform convicts even though 4/5 repeat offenders will still end up being incarcerated in the end. If he can help 1 out of 5 people change their lives, he feels it’s worth it.
This documentary tells the tale of his 2008 team at St. Anthony’s and their quest to regain their state title with an all senior team. No all senior team under Hurley has ever NOT won a state championship! Talk about pressure! This film would also reveal the struggles of St. Anthony’s as a school trying to stay afloat. Tuition at St. Anthony’s is $4000 per student and every year they struggle financially to raise 1.5 million to keep their doors open. For those that think St. Anthony’s operate under posh conditions just because they are a private catholic school then think again. The school has 3 classes conducted in a trailer, 12 regular classrooms, and the weight room, cafeteria, locker room, & auditorium double as classrooms. They don’t even have a gymnasium of their own to practice in. The Friars rented an old bingo hall for 28 years called the white eagle, but now they rent court time in a local recreation center. St. Anthony’s has students from all over the tri-state area including brooklyn & queens. Some kids even have an hour or more commute to school one way. The 2008 senior class that this documentary followed were: Jio Fontan, Mike Rosario, Alberto Eastwick(Brooklyn),AJ Rogers(Queens),Travon Woodhall, & Tyshawn Taylor. It’s also a Hurley family affair as his wife Chris has been the scorekeeper for the past 22 years and the daughter is still in the stands rooting for the friars just like she did when she was a cheerleader. I’m not going to rehash the whole story of THE STREET STOPS HERE but a few key points of the film include a tribute to Sister Mary Alan, one of the schools saviors; St. Anthony’s harrowing financial troubles; & some important games with St. Patrick’s from Elizabeth, Lincoln from Brooklyn, & Trenton State. In March 2008 during a practice session, Hurley preached what he called the “fear of the lord” to his players which was a psychological ploy to keep his kids operating as one unit in preparation for the playoff/championship run. You’ll have to watch the film to see if the senior class of 2008 for St. Anthony’s would gain a 23rd state championship or not! The seniors would go on to bigger & better things on the horizon! Travon Woodall would attend the University of Pittsburgh, Jio Fontan – University of Southern california, AJ Rogers – St Joseph’s University, Alberto Estwick – Fordham University, Tyshawn Taylor – University of Kansas, Dominic Cheek – Villanova University, & Mike Rosario – Rutgers University.
Bobby Hurley still continues to coach at St. Anthony’s despite getting numerous offers from the NBA, College, & player scouts to work his magic at their respective organization. Hurley has since retired from his day job of Director of Recreation in Jersey City. Coach Hurley really cares about the kids at St. Anthony’s. His only mission is to educate & arm his students with discipline so that they can depart the inner city for better & safer pastures. Some legendary basketball coaches like Roy Williams, Morgan Wootten, & Mike Krzyzewski had nothing but great praise for Bobby Hurley & his passion for his community. Some players that he coached includes :
David Rivers – Notre Dame 1988) & NBA, John Valentin(Seton Hall) mlb veteran, Terry Dehere(Seton Hall 1993) & NBA, (Son) Bobby Hurley(Duke University 1993) & NBA, (Son) Danny Hurley (Seton Hall 1996)HS teacher/basketball coach, Rashon Burno (Depaul University 2002) financial advisor/teacher, Jerry Walker (Seton Hall 1993) community organizer, Roshown Mcleod – (Duke University 1998) & NBA, Anthony Perry (Georgetown University 2001) social worker, Rodrick Rhodes (USC 1997) & NBA, Willie Banks (MLB veteran).
I’ll leave you with a few quotes from the documentary:
“no one is bigger than the program.”
“sports is like life. If you have obstacles, you have to find your away around them to make yourself stronger.”
“To stay in the belly of the beast says a lot about the man.” – quote from one of his players.
Tags: basketball documentary, bobby hurley, friars, jersey city, kevin shaw, st anthonys, the street stops here
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Tragedy played Europa w/ Citizens Arrest, Teargas and Night Birds
June 1st, 2011 by chocko
TRAGEDY
CITIZENS ARREST
TEARGAS
NIGHT BIRDS
Starting off last night’s punk rock invasion of Greenpoint, Brooklyn was Night Birds…a band that features former members of the Ergs! and Hunchback and sounds like they’re inspired by surfer music and old school Cali punk bands like Dead Kennedys and Black Flag. These guys were full of energy and never stood still for more than a second. Guitarist, Mike Hunchback leapt into the crowd and spent most of the time off the stage. He was a good sport and welcomed the heckling after breaking 2 guitar strings which slowed down the set just a tad. The catchy “Midnight Movies” was definitely a highlight which was also the title of their 7″ single at the merch table which features art by Mike Diana…dirty stuff with a whole lotta dick in the artwork. What’s up wit dat? They also have a new CD called “Fresh Kills Vol. 1” which features a lot of previously released stuff from their records and demo cassette. Definitely check them out!
Teargas brought the heavy artillery from Brisbane, Australia, but played to a crowd that looked like they would rather have been at a poetry reading…too much standing with the arms folded and not enough moving for a hardcore show. They played a quick half hour set complete with microphone problems…actually the lead singer accidentally unplugged his mic and sang unplugged for half a song then sang on a crappier mic for the rest of the set. They still brought the crust thunder from down under and sounded awesome. Their set included songs such as “The Mirror Stared Also” and “The Sound of Hammers Must Never Stop” from their first and super limited demo and first release on vinyl. They had a record for sale titled “The Way Of All Flesh” on Narm Discos. Recommended stuff!
Citizens Arrest bumrushed the stage looking a bit leaner and meaner from their last NYC appearance six months ago. Fresh from their Maryland Death Fest show and with Ted Leo in the mix on second guitar…I can’t imagine them ever sounding better. The crowd moshed and growled along to the choruses including Todd of Tragedy who watched from the side of the stage. These hardcore dudes from the 80’s and CBGB and ABC NO RIO alumni were no joke…class was in session. Lead singer, Daryl still got some high-flying hops left in him and the band played a set list that covered a lot of ground including new stuff they just recorded on Coextinction Recordings. Ted Leo definitely gets props for attempting the “Rhinestone Cowboy” request and for busting his ass on the slippery stage on the last song of the set and playing it off like a pro. There were lots of goodies at the merch table including the double album from 1991 “Colossus” on vinyl and a limited edition poster by Artist, and Inflatable Children frontman, Derek Stukuls.
Tragedy was the reason the club was packed from wall to wall on a Tuesday night at 11:30 pm. As soon as the lights got dim and the band took to the stage, fists were raised and the crowd got increasingly crazier after every song. In case you don’t know…Tragedy are legendary in the hardcore punk scene with very little to no online presence. They sound inspired by bands like Discharge, Japanese hardcore bands and even d-beat and crust. Very heavy stuff indeed. Despite the microphone problems, their apocalyptic songs got the crowd moving, moshing, slipping, sliding and tumbling. My favorite song of the night had to be “The Ending Fight.” A real banger! Killer vocals by Todd Burdette. Lots of people of all shapes and sizes jumped into the pit…one fat dude looked like a jumbo jet as he leapt into the crowd. I’m pretty sure there were no survivors after the crash landing. The Tragedy album from 2006 “Nerve Damage” is the ish…See you at the next show!
Tags: brooklyn, hardcore punk, new york city, punk, show
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The 2011 NY Asian Film Festival lineup!
June 1st, 2011 by Mr. C
Folks, it’s almost that time of the year where the BEST film festival in NYC is about to blast off from July 1st-July 14th! Check out the programming below courtesy of the wonderful organizers of this event, SUBWAY CINEMA! Looks like this martian might go broke! From the retro films of Tsui Hark like ‘the Blade’ & Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain to Ching Siu Tung’s ‘Duel to the Death’ to Dragon Inn, Reign of Assassins, Detective Dee, the filipino exploit films, Bangkok Knockout, & midnight movie madness with my cult fave ‘Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky’ are must sees for me! I didn’t even get to the Japanese & Korean films yet! Oy Vey! My freakin’ wallet!
Via Subway Cinema
NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
July 1 – 14 at Lincoln Center (July 1 – 14)
Japan Society (July 7 – 10)
The New York Asian Film Festival is ten years old! And we have presents for you! A Takashi Miike World Premiere! The long-awaited animated epic based on Osamu Tezuka’s life of Buddha! The International Premiere of the new movie from Johnnie To! Rare Filipino exploitation! An avalanche of retro screenings to celebrate our tenth birthday! And special guests Tsui Hark, Ryoo Seung-Wan, Su Chao-pin, Takayuki Yamada, Tak Sakaguchi and many more!
The New York Asian Film Festival is presented in association with the Film Society of Lincoln Center and Japan Society’s Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film.
We’re deeply grateful for the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office New York, the Korean Cultural Service New York and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York.
The Line-Up!!!!
Official Opening Night Film
MILOCRORZE: A LOVE STORY (Japan, 2011, North American Premiere, 90 minutes) Truly trippy, this bizarro musical/variety/samurai/love story from Japan is one solid slab of psychedelia from Yoshimasa Ishibashi, the mad genius behind the Fuccon Family.
***The movie’s director, Yoshimasa Ishibashi, and star, Takayuki Yamada, will be at the screenings
Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema
Centerpiece Presentation
SHAOLIN (Hong Kong, 2011, North American Premiere, 131 minutes)
It doesn’t get any bigger than this. Superstar Andy Lau, Nic Tse and Jackie Chan all star in this swank, blockbuster retelling of the primal martial arts story: the destruction of Shaolin Temple, which is the birthplace of martial arts. It’s a movie that’s been made many times (hence the alternate title NEW SHAOLIN TEMPLE) but never before has it been this massive, this lavish and this chock full o’action.
***The movie’s director, Benny Chan, will be at the screening
Centerpiece Presentation
NINJA KIDS!!! (Japan, 2011, World Premiere, 100 minutes) – Takashi Miike has been impressing critics with 13 ASSASSINS and his 3D remake of HARA KIRI that just played Cannes. Whatever. We’ve got the World Premiere of his insane new kid’s flick about feuding ninja schools. People wonder where all the craziness went from Miike’s two new films? He put it all in here. Your jaw will drop like an elevator with a snapped cable. We love you, Takashi Miike!!!
Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema
Official Closing Night Film
THE YELLOW SEA (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 156 minutes) – from the director of THE CHASER, and fresh out of Cannes, this is the Korean action movie in excelsis. A North Korean immigrant is sent to Seoul to perform a hit. Soon the Chinese mafia, the Korean mafia and the cops, are after him and hatchets are deployed, trucks are flipped and all hell breaks loose.
***The movie’s director, Na Hong-Jin will be at the screening
The 2011 Star Asia Awards will go to:
Star Asia Rising Star Award
Takayuki Yamada – Japan’s most versatile young actor has gone from being a TV heartthrob to a TRAIN MAN (his breakthrough role) to one of Takashi Miike’s 13 ASSASSINS. And in this year’s Opening Night selection, MILOCRORZE: A LOVE STORY, he plays every single male part.
Star Asia Lifetime Achievement Award
Tsui Hark – One of our first events was a retrospective of Hong Kong’s veteran filmmaker and award-winning director, Tsui Hark, way back in 2001. We figured it was time to bring him to the festival and recognize his extraordinary, lifelong contributions to Hong Kong cinema, especially after his latest film, DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME, was a huge box office hit and won “Best Director” at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2011.
We’ve also got three special focuses:
WU XIA: HONG KONG’S FLYING SWORDSMEN
Presented with the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office New York of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, this special focus is on Hong Kong’s wu xia (literally “martial arts”) films. It’s a genre that’s unique to Hong Kong and while it’s all about showcasing the Chinese martial arts tradition it’s come to refer specifically to that brain-expanding genre of Hong Kong movies that use the cutting edge of cinematography and the best special effects of the time to paint a world full of flying swordsmen, deadly female warriors, legendary blades and more than a touch of fantasy.
This line-up will include:
DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME (Hong Kong, 2010, 122 minutes) – Tsui Hark’s return to greatness is a Holmes-ian fantasia about spontaneous combustion and kung fu deer. An exiled detective is returned to favor in the Imperial court to solve a series of mysterious deaths that delay the inauguration of the Empress Wu, played by Carina Lau, who won “Best Actress” at the Hong Kong Film Awards 2011 for her performance. The movie also won top prizes in Art Direction, Costume and Make-up Design as well as in Sound Design and Visual Effects.
***The movie’s director, Tsui Hark, will be at the screening
THE BLADE (Hong Kong, 1995, 100 minutes) – a rare screening of Tsui Hark’s martial masterpiece, this is one of the towering achievements of Chinese cinema. In a rare 35mm print.
***The movie’s director, Tsui Hark, will be at the screening
DUEL TO THE DEATH (Hong Kong, 1983, 83 minutes) – Ching Siu-tung’s directorial debut deploys ninjas, poisoned blades and some of the world’s most innovative choreography to create a movie that’s one part martial arts film, one part exploitation shocker and one part ballet. Screening on a rare 35mm print!
DRAGON INN (Hong Kong, 1992, 109 minutes) – two of Hong Kong’s greatest actresses, Maggie Cheung and Brigitte Lin, take on Donnie Yen’s bloodless eunuch in this TsuiHark-produced swordplay romance. Directed by Raymond Lee, it’s a remake of King Hu’s 1967 masterpiece. A brand new print of this classic film, struck specially for the New York Asian Film Festival.
***The movie’s producer, Tsui Hark, will be at the screening
ZU: WARRIORS FROM THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN (Hong Kong, 1983, 94 minutes) – the movie that launched a thousand wu xia, Tsui Hark’s surreal phantasmagoria will blow your mind. Recruiting Hollywood special effects technicians just off Star Wars and Star Trek the Motion Picture, Tsui Hark’s film reinvented a genre and kickstarted Hong Kong’s entire special effects industry. This is a rare chance to see a 35mm print of this movie in all its big screen glory.
***The movie’s director, Tsui Hark, will be at the screening
Special focus:
SEA OF REVENGE: NEW KOREAN THRILLERS
In 2008, when the Korean film industry was at its lowest point, Na Hong-Jin released the word-of-mouth hit, THE CHASER, launching a wave of twisty thrillers focused on intense action and ace performances. In this special focus, presented in association with the Korean Cultural Service New York, we show you the best of what THE CHASER has wrought.
This line-up will include:
THE YELLOW SEA (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 156 minutes) – Na Hong-Jin reunites with his stars from THE CHASER to make this big, relentless follow-up. We’ve got it fresh from its Cannes screening as part of Un Certain Regard
***The movie’s director, Na Hong-Jin, will be at the screening
THE UNJUST (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 119 minutes) – longtime festival favorite, action director Ryoo Seung-Wan, turns in this epic, sprawling corruption saga that recalls Sidney Lumet back in his PRINCE OF THE CITY days.
***The movie’s director, Ryoo Seung-Wan, will be at the screening
BEDEVILLED (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 115 minutes) – this time, the ladies are doing it. An all-female version of DELIVERANCE, where a city slicker goes to an insular rural community where she’s not wanted. Possibly the greatest women vs. men movie ever made, lead actress Seo Young-Hee took home six “Best Actress” awards for her performance here.
THE CHASER (Korea, 2008, 125 minutes) – the thriller that saved the Korean film industry, this mega-hit is what you’d get if you cross-bred Alfred Hitchcock with a pit bull.
***The movie’s director, Na Hong-Jin, will be at the screening
HAUNTERS (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 114 minutes) – 50% superhero movie, 50% horror movie and 100% Korean thriller, this bigtime commercial
hit is about a troubled kid who can control minds and the simple guy, immune to his ability, who’s out to stop him.
THE MAN FROM NOWHERE (Korea, 2010, 119 minutes) – one part Batman, one part Bourne, Korean mega-star, Won Bin, revamped his image as a hard man of action with this movie about a spy coming out of retirement to take on a ring of organ harvesters. The number one movie at the Korean box office in 2010 (beating INCEPTION and IRON MAN 2), it took home SIXTEEN film awards!
TROUBLESHOOTER (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 99 minutes) – produced by Ryoo Seung-Wan, this is a classic “wrong man” movie, only this time the wrong man is a hardcore ex-cop (Sol Kyung-Gu from the highly successful PUBLIC ENEMY series) and it’s got the black, bleak sense of absurdist humor most thrillers lack.
***The movie’s producer, Ryoo Seung-Wan, and director, Kwok Hyeok-Jae, will be at the screening
Special focus:
SU CHAO-PIN: TAIWAN’S KING OF ENTERTAINMENT
In the US, we think of Taiwanese movies as an endless stream of art films. But with the support of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, we are proud to bring to New York one of the few Taiwanese directors who makes blockbuster hits that actual real live people go to see: Su Chao-pin!
This line-up will include:
REIGN OF ASSASSINS (Hong Kong/Taiwan/China, 2010, 117 minutes, New York Premiere) – co-directed with John Woo, starring Michelle Yeoh and Korean star Jung Woo-Sung, this massive martial arts hit gives the genre a beating, bleeding, romantic heart.
***The movie’s director and writer, Su Chao-pin, will be at the screening
THE CABBIE (Taiwan, 2000, 94 minutes) – Su’s first movie set new trends in Taiwan for actually being entertaining. He wrote this flick based on his experiences driving a cab, and it’s a fast-paced black comedy about a cabbie in love with a traffic cop.
***The movie’s writer, Su Chao-pin, will be at the screening
BTS: BETTER THAN SEX (Taiwan, 2002, 92 minutes) – one of the most hyperactive, funniest movies about sex you’ll ever see. Pity this poor teenage porn-addict who just wants to find a real girl. Way ahead of its time, this movie manages to be all about sex without feeling pervy.
***The movie’s director and writer, Su Chao-pin, will be at the screening
And now the full line-up!
CHINA
BUDDHA MOUNTAIN (China, 2010, North American Premiere, 105 minutes) – gobbling up festival awards around the world, Sylvia Chang stars as a suicidal landlady who rents an apartment to three irritating young hipsters in this transcendent drama from Li Yu (LOST IN BEIJING) one of the only female directors working in China. Popular actress, Fan Bingbing (SHAOLIN), stars as one of the hipsters, but it’s Sylvia Chang, the most important woman in Chinese show business in the 70’s and 80’s, who owns this movie.
OCEAN HEAVEN (China/Hong Kong, 2010, New York Premiere, 96 minutes) – directed by another female director, this movie sees Jet Li team up with cinematographer Christopher Doyle and composer Joe Hisaishi to make a restrained, heartbreaking movie about a dad (Jet Li) trying to teach his autistic son how to live on his own. Beautifully shot, scored, acted and observed, it’s got no action, all heartbreak.
HONG KONG
THE BLADE (Hong Kong, 1995, 100 minutes) – part of Wu Xia focus.
***The movie’s director, Tsui Hark, will be at the screening
DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME (Hong Kong, 2010, 122 minutes) – part of Wu Xia focus.
***The movie’s director, Tsui Hark, will be at the screening
DRAGON INN (Hong Kong, 1992, 109 minutes) – part of Wu Xia focus. Brand new print!
***The movie’s producer, Tsui Hark, will be at the screening
DUEL TO THE DEATH (Hong Kong, 1983, 83 minutes) – part of Wu Xia focus.
PUNISHED (Hong Kong, 2011, International Premiere, 94 minutes) – the latest movie produced by Johnnie To, this is a hardcore revenge drama featuring a powerhouse turn by Anthony Wong as a real estate billonaire whose wild child daughter has been kidnapped. Bullet-to-the-head action the way Hong Kong used to do it.
SHAOLIN (Hong Kong/China, 2011, North American Premiere, 131 minutes) – Centerpiece Presentation
***The movie’s director, Benny Chan, will be at the screening
RIKI-OH: THE STORY OF RICKY (Hong Kong, 1991, 91 minutes) – the classic Hong Kong midnight action movie about prison privatization and monsters who strangle you with their guts. Rarely seen on the big screen, this is a full-on, ridiculously crazy mind-melter full of crucifixion, flaying, classic kung fu combat and prison wardens who keep breath mints in their glass eyeballs.
ZU: WARRIORS FROM THE MAGIC MOUNTAIN (Hong Kong, 1983 94 minutes) – part of Wu Xia focus.
***The movie’s director, Tsui Hark, will be at the screening
JAPAN
13 ASSASSINS: DIRECTOR’S CUT (Japan, 2010, 141 minutes, New York Premiere) – the complete UNCUT version of Takashi Miike’s samurai masterpiece. With 17 minutes of original footage restored.
***One of the movie’s stars, Takayuki Yamada, will be at the screening
ABRAXAS (Japan, 2010, New York Premiere, 113 minutes) – straight outta Sundance comes this movie about a punk rocker turned Buddhist monk who still yearns to rock out.
BATTLE ROYALE (Japan, 2000, 114 minutes) – a celebratory screening of Kinji Fukasaku’s masterpiece now that it finally – after 10 years!!!! – has a new distributor who wants people to actually see it. Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema
A BOY AND HIS SAMURAI (Japan, 2010, North American Premiere, 109 minutes) – the director of FISH STORY and GOLDEN SLUMBER returns to the festival with this family film about a samurai who winds up in the modern era. Surprisingly, it then becomes an exceptional food movie! This is the father-son movie you’ve been looking for.
DARK ON DARK (Japan, 2011, International Premiere, 17 minutes) – this short film is the directorial debut from Makoto Ohtake, a well-known Japanese comedian and actor since the 80’s (he’s worked extensively with Takeshi Kitano and the popular City Boys troupe). It’s all about a two-bit talent manager and his outrageously endowed adult video talent bringing peace into the world via their various “gifts.” Screens with HORNY HOUSE OF HORROR.
GANTZ and GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER (Japan, 2011, 130 minutes & 150 minutes) – presented back-to-back it’s the uncut, subtitled, live action movies based on Japan’s existential sci fi action manga. It’s the New York Premiere of the subtitled GANTZ and the North American Premiere of the subtitled GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER. Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema
HEAVENS STORY (Japan, 2010, North American Premiere, 278 minutes) – “King of Pink Films” Takahisa Zeze spent almost two years shooting this 4 hour movie about two random murders and the heartbreak, trauma and healing that spills out from them over the next two decades. Monumental and strange, passionate and philosophical, this is an epic in every sense of the word and a towering achievement in film. Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema
HORNY HOUSE OF HORROR (Japan, 2010, North American Premiere, 75 minutes) ¬ Japan does the violent porno horror thing better than anyone else and this oddity features butt-walls, wiener-eating and demon hookers. This is the directorial debut from the writer of MUTANT GIRLS SQUAD, and it’s firmly in the vein of that film and ROBO GEISHA. Only, you know, set in a horny house that’s full of horror. Preceded by: DARK ON DARK (see above, 17 minutes)
KARATE-ROBO ZABORGAR (Japan, 2011, New York Premiere, 106 minutes) ¬ Noboru Iguchi (Robo Geisha) makes his best film yet. Not just that, but this is the best-looking flick from label, Sushi Typhoon, yet. Slick, big budget and almost family friendly, it’s based on an obscure TV show from the 70’s about a young, bright-eyed police officer and his karate robot (who transforms into a motorcycle) fighting crime. But in Iguchi’s version, the two split up and have to reunite years later after middle-age has taken its toll.
THE LAST DAYS OF THE WORLD (Japan, 2011, World Premiere, 96 minutes) – a return to the trippy, socially-engaged, blackly comic, ridiculously violent revolutionary movies of Japan’s 60’s. A high school student has a vision that the world is ending and so, faced with no consequences, he abducts a fellow student and goes on a crime spree.
LOVE AND LOATHING AND LULU AND AYANO (Japan, 2010, North American Premiere, 105 minutes) – based on a book of interviews with porn film dayworkers, this exuberant, anime-influenced movie about life on the bottom rungs of the adult film business treats life in the porno business as a chance for some actors to escape theirhumdrum, everyday existences. Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema
MILOCRORZE: A LOVE STORY (Japan, 2011, North American Premiere, 90 minutes)
Opening Night Movie ***The movie’s director, Yoshimasa Ishibashi, and star, Takayuki Yamada, will be at the screenings Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary
Japanese Cinema
NINJA KIDS!!! (Japan, 2011, World Premiere, 100 minutes) – Centerpiece Presentation Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema
OSAMU TEZUKA’S BUDDHA: THE GREAT DEPARTURE (Japan, 2011, North American Premiere, 111 minutes) – the much-anticipated animated epic based on Osamu Tezuka’s landmark life of the Buddha. Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film
RINGING IN THEIR EARS (Japan, 2011, International Premiere, 89 minutes) – Yu Irie (8000 MILES 1 & 2) returns with this ambitious flick about an upcoming concert by a reclusive rock group and the managers, obsessed fans, shut-ins, single moms and kindergarten teachers who are affected by it. A true tribute to the healing power of rock and roll.
Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema
VERSUS (Japan, 2000, 120 minutes) – a tenth-anniversary celebration of the Japanese zombie action film that launched a thousand horror/splatter/action flicks. ***Star and action choreographer, Tak Sakaguchi, and writer, Yudai Yamaguchi, will be at the screening.
YAKUZA WEAPON (Japan, 2011, New York Premiere, 105 minutes) – stuntman-turned-director, Tak Sakaguchi, turns in a high calibre, action-heavy riff on Robocop all about a robot yakuza out to put his fist through the skulls of the bad guys. From Sushi Typhoon, purveyor of movies like Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl.
***The movie’s director and star, Tak Sakaguchi, and co-director and writer, Yudai Yamaguchi, will be at the screening Presented with Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema
KOREA
BATTLEFIELD HEROES (Korea, 2011, New York Premiere, 118 minutes) – an absurdist satire about war, this movie from Lee Joon-Ik (director of KING AND CLOWN, the highest-grossing Korean film of all time) is like a Terry Gilliam movie gone Korean as a farmer too poor to even have a name gets drafted into one of medieval Korea’s eternal wars.
***The movie’s director, Lee Joon-Ik, will be at the screening.
BEDEVILLED (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 115 minutes) – part of Sea of Revenge focus.
THE CHASER (Korean, 2008, 125 minutes) – part of Sea of Revenge focus.
CITY OF VIOLENCE (Korea, 2006, 92 minutes) – an encore presentation of the best all-out action film from Ryoo Seung-Wan (THE UNJUST). Like a less ironic version of KILL BILL.
***The movie’s director, Ryoo Seung-Wan, will be at the screening
FOXY FESTIVAL (Korea, 2010, North American Premiere, 110 minutes) ¬ a “Making Our Neighborhoods Safe & Happy” festival has the vice cops working overtime in this multi-character comedy that’s like a Robert Altman flick about fetishes. Love – and handcuffs, and nipple clamps – all conspire to save the day from the forces of conformity.
HAUNTERS (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 114 minutes) – part of Sea of Revenge focus.
THE MAN FROM NOWHERE (Korea, 2010, 119 minutes) – part of Sea of Revenge focus.
MSFF SHORTS (Korea, 2010) – Korea’s best directors assemble two selections of that country’s best short horror, action and comedy movies just for you.
THE RECIPE (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 107 minutes) – a serial killer escapes from prison but is recaptured when he stops to eat a bowl of stew that’s so good he loses track of time. What is the secret behind the stew? Korea finally delivers its best food film with this kitchen romance.
TROUBLESHOOTER (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 99 minutes) – part of Sea of Revenge focus. ***The movie’s producer, Ryoo Seung-Wan, and director, Kwok Hyeok-Jae, will be at the screening
THE UNJUST (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 119 minutes) – part of Sea of Vengeance focus. ***The movie’s director, Ryoo Seung-Wan, will be at the screening
THE YELLOW SEA (Korea, 2010, New York Premiere, 156 minutes) – Closing Night Movie Part of Sea of Revenge focus.
***The movie’s director, Na Hong-Jin, will be at the screening
MALAYSIA
SELL OUT (Malaysia, 2008, New York Premiere, 110 minutes) – one of the best, smartest and funniest movies ever made in Malaysia finally escapes from the clutches of its evil distributor and it was worth the wait. A musical about money, creativity and a reality show focusing on those who are about to die, this is like nothing else in our line-up except (maybe) MILOCRORZE.
PHILIPPINES
MACHETE MAIDENS UNLEASHED (Australia, 2010, New York Premiere, 84 minutes) – from the people who made Not Quite Hollywood, comes this definitive documentary about the Filipino exploitation film bonanza that erupted in the 70’s and 80’s.
RAW FORCE (Philippines/USA, 1982, 86 minutes) – one of the strangest Filipino/US co-productions from the 80’s, this rarely-screened exploitation fever dream is better known by its other title Kung Fu Cannibals. With zombies, ninjas, samurai, kung fu, and evil monks, this is the entire 1980’s exploitation industry fired into your eyes via firehose.
TAIWAN
BETTER THAN SEX (Taiwan, 2002, 92 minutes) ¬ part of Su Chao-pin focus.
***The movie’s director, Su Chao-pin, will be at the screening
THE CABBIE (Taiwan, 2000, 94 minutes) – part of Su Chao-pin focus
***The movie’s writer, Su Chao-pin, will be at the screening
REIGN OF ASSASSINS (Hong Kong/Taiwan/China, 2010, 117 minutes) ¬ part of Su Chao-pin focus.
***The movie’s co-director and writer, Su Chao-pin, will be at the screening
THAILAND
BKO: BANGKOK KNOCKOUT (Thailand, 2010, New York Premiere, 105 minutes) – Tony Jaa’s mentor, Panna Rittikrai, will school you now. This exploitation stunt-tacular features all his best stuntmen and women unleashing muay thai, capoeira, dirt bike fu, shovel beatdowns, fights on fire, fights in the water, fights under trucks, fights in mid-air, and two back-to-back climactic smackdowns that have to be seen to be believed.
Prepare yourselves for the best New York Asian Film Festival yet!!!
ABOUT THE FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
Under the leadership of Rose Kuo, Executive Director, and Richard Peña, Program Director, The Film Society of Lincoln Center offers the best in international, classic and cutting-edge independent cinema. The Film Society presents two film festivals that attract global attention: the New York Film Festival, currently planning its 49th edition, and New Directors/New Films which, since its founding in 1972, has been produced in collaboration with MoMA. The Film Society also publishes the award-winning Film Comment Magazine, and for over three decades has given an annual award (now named “The Chaplin Award”) to a major figure in world cinema. Past recipients of this award include Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, and Tom Hanks. The Film Society presents a year-round calendar of programming, panels, lectures, educational programs and specialty film releases at its Walter Reade Theater and the new state-of-the-art Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, opening June 2011. The Film Society receives generous, year-round support from 42BELOW, American Airlines, The New York Times, Stella Artois, the National Endowment for the Arts, WNET New York Public Media, Royal Bank of Canada and the New York State Council on the Arts. For more information, visit their website here
ABOUT NYAFF
Subway Cinema is a New York-based film programming, exhibition, and marketing collective, committed to increasing exposure and appreciation for Asia’s popular cinema with year-round events and screenings. Its flagship event is the New York Asian Film Festival (July 1 – 14) which the New York Times has called “…one of the city’s most valuable events…” Launched in 2002, the NYAFF is America’s leading and most influential showcase for popular Asian cinema. Each year, the Festival selects over 40 feature films, and only the best, the strangest, and the most entertaining make the cut. The NYAFF was the first North American film festival to put a spotlight on Johnnie To, Bong Joon-Ho and Park Chan-Wook and it also held the largest retrospective of Tsui Hark’s work outside of Hong Kong. It is widely considered invincible.
The NYAFF is made possible through the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office New York, the Korean Cultural Service New York, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York, Japan Foundation and the Kitano Hotel.
ABOUT JAPAN SOCIETY
The Japan Society Film Program has offered a diverse selection of Japanese films, from classics to contemporary independent productions. The Program has included retrospectives of seminal directors, thematic series and special screenings of international, U.S. and NY premieres. Several original film series curated by Japan Society have traveled to other U.S. venues in tours organized by the Film Program. The Film Program has provided English subtitles for films which have never been screened outside of Japan. Accompanying lectures help place the films in their aesthetic and social contexts, and filmmakers often introduce and discuss their work. This year, Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema (July 7 – 22, 2011) becomes the world’s largest showcase of contemporary Japanese cinema with 32 films in its line-up.
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bk street art
May 28th, 2011 by chocko
williamsburg, brooklyn nyc
Tags: art, brooklyn, graffiti, new york city, nyc, street art
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Mismatched Couples (1985) directed by Yuen Wo Ping
May 28th, 2011 by Mr. C
Director: Yuen Wo Ping
Actors: Donnie Yen, Dick Wei, Kenny Perez, May Lo mei mei, Brandy Yuen
Donnie Yen busted out some ‘boombastic’ b-boy grooves coupled with some ‘shagadelic’ kung fu moves in this fun, hong kong comedy from 1985! I guess you can call it, breakdancing fu! I haven’t watched this joint since the days of my flock of seagulls hairdo from the late 1980’s! Donnie Yen has a special place in my piggy heart since his DRUNKEN TAI CHI was one of the 1st kung fu movies that I had ever watched on the big screen in NYC’s chinatown! Mismatched Couples featured a very young & mobile Donnie Yen which still proved to be entertaining 25+ years later!
The story teeters between the misadventures of eddie played by Donnie Yen and the relationship between his conservative sister and an older gentleman looking to make ends meet who Eddie befriends. Old man rivers’ only intention was to just secure a job at the sisters restaurant but a mismatched benny hill love story between Eddie’s sister & the geezer would lurk in the horizon!
The old man is goofy & as alert as Mr. Magoo but possesses some fine ass kung fu chops on occassion when he isn’t chasing his own tail!
Donnie Yen would display some furious breakdance moves which included some up rock, down rock, freezing, & freestyle techniques with some pop & lock variations all with a kung fu flavor of course! There were quite a few b-boy battle scenes that would have you on the edge of your seat in amazement & laughter at the same time! They include: The airport scene with the old man with the boom box vs kenny the punk in the jumpsuit with speakers built into his outfit; The crouching tiger hidden dragon tennis match between the punks vs Donnie Yen on a BMX bike; Donnie teaching a young lady how to pop & lock with a nice demonstration of the campbell lock techniques similiar to Rerun in What’s Happening!; The weightlifting scene between Donnie, the iron man, & the lady bodybuilder; And the B-Boy battle between Kenny vs Donnie Yen with the 2 demonstrating some real funky up-rock techniques as a prelude before switching over to some dynamic aerial moves with some down-rock b-boy swagger which included some baby freezes in the mix!
All would not be good in Mr. Rogers’ hood when the iron man from the weightlifting gym looks for revenge against Donnie Yen for upstaging him in a prior battle! This scene would bring back memories of the Last Dragon when Sho-nuff met up with Bruce Leroy but with a 80’s chinese comedic flare! This finale will showcase some fine kung fu action tempered with some slapstick that Jackie Chan would understand & appreciate!
All in all, Mismatched Couples was a fun, lighthearted comedy that is worth watching especially if you’re a Donnie Yen & Yuen Wo Ping fan! The mashup of breakdancing & kung fu was insane and it definitely showcased Yen’s athletic ability to the fullest! Seek & destroy, folks!
Stuntman & actor Michael Woods who was a student of Donnie Yen’s mother, Master Bow Sim Mark of Boston mentioned at a HK film retrospective event at the museum of the moving image that Donnie had asked him & his friends to show him a few breakdance moves in anticipation for filming Mismatched Couples! Breakdance & kung fu do share a lot of similiar fluid movements that require flexibility & attitude!
Tags: brandy yuen, breakdancing, breakdancing fu, dick wei, donnie yen, kenny perez, kung fu comedy, may lo, mismatched couples, yuen wo ping
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