LUCY KAPLANSKY & RICHARD SHINDELL
February 22nd, 2010 by Planet Chocko
Lucy Kaplansky with her daughter, Molly
Richard Shindell
Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell, two-thirds of the former super folk group, Cry Cry Cry, came eclipsing along into the historic Paramount theatre in Peekskill, NY on February 20th, 2010 with a paralyzing performance! Kaplansky & Shindell were like 2 veteran boxers much like Larry Holmes with his traffic stopping stinging jab & George Foreman with his gut wrenching anchor type hooks to destroy the kidneys. The only differences between the pugilists of the hurt game of Holmes & Foreman, & the pugilists of the folk realm is that Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell age like fine wine as their performances seem to bloom exponentially with every bout! First at the plate was Lucy Kaplansky. She delivered an emotional 11 song set. You see, Lucy’s daughter, 6 year old Molly was in attendance along with her husband Rick. They rarely attend Lucy’s performances & she got emotional as a monkey when she talked about Molly who was adopted from China. Lucy had also turned 50 last week so she was glowing with glee that the anticipation of that big day was over with. She jokingly celebrated tonights performance by wearing a pair of sexy slacks instead of her usual jeans as well as sport some Sarah Palin like glasses in her second vortex of life. Now, onward to the show! Lucy was on fire with her performance! Her voice was on point & she radiated with pure energy! I’m sure her daughter & husband had something to do with this. Lucy’s set included Manhattan Moon, Mothers Day, Don’t mind me, Life threads, This is home, Hallelujah (a Leonard Cohen song) on the grand piano, and a fun cover song called “God will” by Lyle Lovett. Richard Shindell came out to help Lucy on the guitar with Scorpion, Ten Year Night, & a chilling performance of “Speaking with the Angel”, a Cry Cry Cry song. Richard Shindell provided awesome harmonies for Lucy & he truly is a master guitar player, both on the electric & acoustic! Lucy ended her set by dedicating “This is Home” to her daughter Molly which was very touching. At the end, Lucy owed Molly $60 dollars because they had a deal, everytime Lucy cried, it would cost her $20. She cried about 3 times!
Richard Shindell anchored the night with his spiritual & hypnotic self. He was accompanied by Lincoln on bass & Sara Milanovich on violin. Shindell played a 14 song set including cow blues, A juggle out in traffic, There goes Mavis, You stay here, Reunion Hill, Darkness Darkness, Are you Happy now, & the Ballad of Mary Magdalen . My favorites of the night included Before you go, Transit, Darkness Darkness, & Get up clara, a song about a mule in the Roman times. Shindell folked the house down with Cry Cry Cry’s, “By Way of Sorrow” & “Cold Missouri Waters” of course, accompanied by Lucy Kaplansky! I truly admire the lyrical madness of Richard Shindell. His songs are spiritual in nature often containing tid bits of self help & self realization. Theology & religion seem to be a common denominator for the basis of his lyrics which comes to no surprise since he went to a seminary, but the wit of writing songs from God’s other creations’ points of view such as cows, birds, & mule’s are hilarious & Noah’s Ark mindful! Shindell often writes from the persona of a soldier as well. He is a great storyteller, writer, & master of the guitar! Richard Shindell’s baritone voice is “10-4” & “over & out”, firm & clear! In my planet, & I hope I don’t give y’all a heart attack with my statement, Shindell’s storytelling gives me the same haunts as Blastmaster KRS One’s Emcee’ing! These 2 musical geniuses in my book are extreme polar opposites, but they both tell an interesting tale when words emit from their mouths! “Lucy Kaplansky is down with us….Richard Shindell is down with us….Blastmaster KRS is down with us….makin’ funky music is a must, I’m #1 ” ! Planet Chocko martians enjoy both folk & hip hop…word to the mutha!
–Mr. C
Tags: cry cry cry, folk, life threads, lucy kaplansky, new york, paramount theatere, peekskill, richard shindell
Posted in mr. c, music | Comments (0)
ottawa graffiti
February 21st, 2010 by planetchocko
The Tech Wall in Ottawa is located on Slater Street across from Bronson Avenue.
-chocko
Tags: canada, graffiti, ottawa, street art
Posted in music | Comments (0)
SHINJUKU INCIDENT
February 16th, 2010 by Planet Chocko
Shinjuku Incident is a 2009 Hong Kong style directed crime-drama film starring the venerable Jackie Chan under the direction of Derek Yee. The one oddball thing about this movie is that Jackie Chan is like an eagle without its wing based on the character that he plays in this film. Yes, you heard me right, Jackie Chan is basically grounded throughout the entire Shinjuku Incident! There are no flashes of Buster Keaton, Gene Kelly, or Fred Astaire. No slapstick humor or any comedic relief, whatsoever! There are no traces of the Drunken Master, Police Story, or Rush Hour. No scaling walls or stunts to make you say wow! This movie is flatline serious drama! The basic notion of this flick without giving too many details that would ruin the transaction of your viewing glory is a story about the abundance of illegal immigrants of Chinese descent ungraced onto the shores of Japan & some eventually wandered into the urban lifestyle of the Shinjuku area of Tokyo. Shinjuku is a section of Tokyo that is quite reminiscent of the old times square in New York City of the 70’s & 80’s. Hookers, drugs, drinking, scallywags, & gangbangers dominate the scene in this area. Jackie Chan & friends loathe onto the shores of Japan illegally in hopes to find a better way of life. The struggles of the illegal chinese are further compounded by Japan’s elite status & scoffing of non-japanese. Some manifestations from the journey on making a living in Japan include working in landfills, cleaning the underground sewer system, washing dishes, then elevating to hustling on the streets selling counterfeit phone cards, and stealing products to resell to southeast asian vendors. Pachinko machines are also rigged to provide extraordinary payouts. Shinjuku Incident takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotions running away from the police and into the arms of the underworld with no apparent winners at the end! It was very ironic that Jackie’s character saved the life of Eguchi, a gangster who so happens to be the husband of Jackie’s girlfriend from “Timbuktoo” China who escaped the farm & peasantry life for a more promising future in Japan! The plot thickens when Jackie is hired by Eguchi to assassinate a few of his mobster rivals. After the successful massacre, Jackie was elevated as one of the leaders to manage the chinese clan to replace a Taiwanese mobster who betrayed Eguchi.
Shinjuku Incident had many naysayers from the film critics, but I found the movie to be quite entertaining. I was on the edge of my seat in the beginning of the movie, waiting for Jackie Chan to explode with morsels of chop socky goodness & to open up a can of whoop ass on the Japanese, but after a few confrontations, I began to understand that the Drunken master & police story characters were not going to come out of the woodworks. After realizing this, I started to appreciate Jackie’s character for what he was, just the average “Joe”, or maybe “Chan” in this case with no superhuman feats of martial excellence! I’ve never seen Jackie act in this particular setting before, or at least I don’t remember him playing in any roles like this in the past. I’m sure one of you Planet Chocko martians can tell me different. One thing is for sure, this movie had lots of opportunites to display kung fu wizardry, eye popping stunts, & fighting that we are accustomed to seeing in a hong kong production. The feel of this movie kind of took me back to the “Fist of Legend” and “Chinese Connection” because of the dominance of the Japanese. But the classic action of Jackie Chan, Jet Li, nor Bruce Lee never did materialize. Instead, the plot & story of this movie were left to stand on it’s own, the story about the migration of illegal chinese immigrants to the shores of Japan in the 1990’s to find better opportunities. Part of me wanted the ‘everyone was kung fu fighting’ scenes of epical proportions , but I enjoyed the movie nonetheless. So, pickup a bowl of ramen, get some tempura to wet the appetite, & just chill’ax to Shinjuku Incident!
–Mr. C (6 out of 10 shots of Sake!)
Tags: derek yee, hong kong film, jackie chan, shinjuku incident
Posted in movies, mr. c | Comments (0)
toronto graffiti
February 8th, 2010 by planetchocko
Graffiti Alley in downtown Toronto, Canada is definitely a hot spot for graff and street art. Graffiti Alley is located in the back alleys of Queen Street West between Spadina and Portland behind tattoo parlors, cafes and record stores. The network of alleyways provides a nearly endless gallery of amazing street art by Canada’s finest.
-chocko
Tags: 2010, canada, graffiti, street art, toronto
Posted in art | Comments (0)
HUMAN LANTERNS
February 7th, 2010 by Planet Chocko
Human Lanterns is one of my favorite period piece kung fu-horror mashup movies that Charles Manson might even find appealing. This Shaw Brother studio film was released in 1982 directed by the great Sun Chung with the help of a legendary fight choreographer, Tang Chia. Human Lanterns mixes up great Chinese period piece costumes with awesome set design, off the meat rack kung fu display, & off the chain casting including Chen Kuan Tai (Bad ass Chinese version of Sonny Chiba), the great footwork of Lo Lieh, Sun Chien(played the scorpion in 5 deadly venoms), & a cameo appearance of Lo Meng (played the Toad in 5 deadly venoms). The premise of this movie is basically about two well to do kung fu scholars competing to see who can make the flyest Chinese Lantern for the annual Lantern Festival in ‘TimBuktoo’ China. The desperation to see who’s got the ‘biggest back’ has inspired one of the scholars to hire a passionate, underground Chinese Lantern maker played by Lo Lieh. Lo Lieh is the jekyl & Hyde character that posseses the spirit of Charles Manson. He plays the once burned, twice scarred role of a man that has been disrespected & deemed an outlaw in society, basically living in a souless body according to him. This apparition of a man finds his solitude in kidnapping, raping, & then skinning his beautiful female victims alive, before taking their ‘breath away’. What’s shocking is that Lo Lieh uses the freshly torn skin to make his unique creation, otherwise known as the Human Lantern. This Jekyl & Hyde figure looks similiar to Chewbacca from Star Wars that dons a skeleton mask. Chewy wreaks havoc on the village as he dispatches the young ladies while creating dissention between the 2 protaganists in the film. The action in the movie was bonkers as should be expected given the A+ cast & Tang Chia’s direction. Lo Meng’s character fought with a cool looking weapon that looked like dual tonfa’s, but with hooks on one end, & a secret latch that releases a blade on the other end! Lo Lieh played the psycho killer role to a tee as his martial skills shined through once again! I will spare you the details of the flick, but if you have the cajones, I recommend you martians to hang onto your skin, grab a bowl of freshly popped corn kernels, & go to town on this movie! The only thing that I would of loved to see or actually hear in ‘Human Lanterns’ would of been a score of music from the horror-punk genre! I think that would of added another off the wall element to an already off the wall movie. Hmmmmm, let me see…kung fu, horror, gore, & punk music! It’s a ten 10 ten 10 TEN!
–Mr. C (7 out of 10 skin grafts for Human Lanterns!)
Tags: chen kuan tai, horror, human lantern, human lanterns, kung fu, lo lieh, lo meng, shaw brother, sun chien, sun chung, tang chia
Posted in movies, mr. c | Comments (0)
montreal graffiti
February 4th, 2010 by planetchocko
photos by chocko
Tags: 2010, canada, graffiti, montreal, street art
Posted in art | Comments (1)
GENGHIS KHAN : To the Ends of the Earth and Sea (2008)
February 1st, 2010 by Planet Chocko
Genghis Khan, pic courtesy of www.lovehkfilm.com
Director Shinichiro Sawai & his supporting cast of Japanese artists re-created their birds eye view on the biographical epical tale of Genghis Khan when he was simply known as Temujin from child birth. This movie was most certainly epic in all aspects of the word. The costume design, acting, & the geographical landscape of Mongolia was stunning! In my opinion, the panned out shots showing the vastness of Mongolia’s land where the battles took place, alone are worth the price of admission. The scenery & cinematography in this film were absolutely amazing. The movie was most pleasing to the eye, & entertaining to the soul. However, being that I’m not a historian or expert of the man, the myth, & the legend of Genghis Khan, I obviously can’t tell you the accuracy of this tale told through the filmmakers eye. It’s important to remember that there are many sides to a story especially if it pertains to a fact in world history. Although, I can probably tell you the Mongolians probably agreed with the filmmakers version because I’m sure the brass in Mongolia have to approve of the story told that was filmed on location depicting their local hero before being released to the masses at large. If you ask the Chinese about the history of the Mongols, I’m sure they might tell you different. That being said, the film had a Japanese feel to it with no surprise because of Sawai’s background. I felt that the code of ethics for the samurai were inflicted in this story of the Mongolians & Temujin which I don’t necessarily agree with. The perception of the Mongolian warriors were tribal in nature which usually involved words like savagery, brutality, survival, & braveheart all come to mind. I’m not sure I would throw in Samurai code in that same sentence. Getting back to the story, the movie is about the tribulations of a young Temujin/Genghis who is the son of a respected tribal leader. Hoelun, the mother was originally from the Merkit Tribe. Hoelun was kidnapped by this honorable Tribe leader(future husband) which then forced Hoelun to be his wife whom eventually gave birth to Temujin. Temujin’s father eventually falls to the bowels of battle & a new leader awaits in the wing. Temujin & the mom, gets ousted from royalty because their blood is encrusted with that of the Merkit tribe. So hence, the new adventures of the young lad & his destiny of greatness begins. Mongolia is in a state of distress with constant warring between tribal fueds. Temujin grows up to be a righteous & respectable leader of his small tribe with the dreams of uniting the Mongolian nation as part of his horizons. He makes a pact with his childhood friend, Jumuqa to unite the strength of all Mongolians. Meanwhile, tribal disputes amongst the vast land runs rampant & the current Khan in leadership is playing one tribe over the other in order to rid the lesser of 2 evils. All is well with Temujin as his leadership within his clan is of the utmost honorable in nature & eventually weds with his lady, Borte. In the scenes to come, Borte gets kidnapped by a martyr. So, then goes the story with the pursuit of his wife, but upon eventual discovery, Borte is pregnant without Temujin’s DNA. Tochi is born & a 2nd chapter of Temujin’s tribal leadership has risen with a son in mind that is eerily similiar to his own background. Temujin crosses path with a woman soldier named Kulan that possesses enormous amounts of pride for her gender inspite of the usual Mongolian female destiny of being raped, & bearing children. Kulan has a deadly mix of fighting spirit & having the qualities of a lady with tremendous fortitude. Temujin admires Kulan & must have her in all senses of the word. So, goes the 3rd chapter of battle when Temujin faces the inevitable battle against his childhood friend, Jamuqa with the current Khan’s endorsements in order to rid of Temujin. Temujin reigned supreme at the end, killing his friend & the current Khan sire. The final conclusion to the movie is the beginning of Genghis Khan’s career of getting a stronghold in the asian nation & part of the European world by his first conquest across the Great Wall of China to battle the Jin! Unfortunately, his premonition of sending his son, Tochi to lead the charge over the Great Wall was never realized because Tochi was dying from consumption of a poisoned arrow from tribal battles up north. I’ll leave you with the ending dialogue between Genghis/Temujin & his woman warrior, Kulan :
“I will go on as far as I can, With every land I conquer, more borders between nations will vanish. People will travel freely and trade will flourish. Cultures and customs will be honored and all will live well.” – Genghis Khan
“But make war and there will be bloodshed,” – Kulan .
Replies Genghis Khan, “That is bloodshed that cannot be helped, to insure that no further blood need be spilled.”
Go get yourself a Mongolian BBQ, some hot pot, & embrace yourself in front of the screen for 3 hours or so for this epic tale told by an elitist!
–Mr. C (Rating of Genghis Khan – 6 out of 10 Concubines)
Tags: borte, genghis khan, genghis khan to the ends of the earth and sea, ghengis khan, hoelun, jamuqa, khan, kulan, lovehkfilm, lovehkfilm.com, mongolia, mongols, shinichiro sawai, temujin, to the ends of the earth and sea, www.lovehkfilm.com
Posted in movies, mr. c | Comments (1)
NORAH JONES at ST. ANN’S Warehouse – PBS Soundstage
January 28th, 2010 by Planet Chocko
Planet Chocko invaded the Norah Jones taping of the PBS show, Soundstage recorded live at St. Ann’s warehouse in Brooklyn on January 27, 2010. Unfortunately, I only have 1 measly photo (a blurry one at that) taken from my crappy cell phone camera to show for it because I was so excited to attend the event that I forgot my bazooka camera at home. It’s a tremendously rare occurance when Mr. C leaves his media induced equipment in the shadows, but I can truly say that I really enjoyed Norah’s performance without any distractions fornicated from behind one eye of the viewfinder! First off, Norah looked amazingly stunning dressed in her silky turquoise ensemble while sporting her classy hairdo reminiscent of the soul divas of the 60’s like Connie Francis, Aretha Franklin, & Bette Lavette. Norah’s voice to me is one of the most divine & pure haunts offered to an ear! NJ’s voice sets a tone in her storytelling soliloquy that wrenches up a punch to the gut with some soul. Now, onto the performance of the night! Norah was backed by her 5 piece band including a noticeable kick ass sidekick named Sasha. Sasha played the Robin role from Batman & Robin by providing Norah with excellent backup vocals, percussions, acoustic guitar, & banjo playing. You can even say, Sasha’s physical presence dominated the stage quite a bit with her shiny red dress & attractive stature, her playing of various instruments, & the noticeable tribal tattoo on her arm. However, when the ‘game puck went onto the green side’ & Norah’s gentle, but powerful voice resonated on the microphone with her lively piano & guitar playing , the attention was quickly turned back to the Jedi! The set started out with Chasing pirates, a tune from her new album, ‘The Fall’. NJ mostly played songs from The Fall including Waiting, Even Though, It’s gonna be, You’ve ruined me, Back to Manhattan, Youngblood, & a very funny performance of “Man of the hour” which generated some audience chuckles with lyrics like:
“It’s him or me
That’s what he said
But I can’t choose
Between a vegan and a pot head
So I chose you, because you’re sweet and you give me lots of lovin’ and you eat meat
And that’s how you became
My only man of the hour “…..
Norah also played cover songs from Wilco “Jesus Etc.”, a Kink’s song “Strangers”, & Tom Wait’s “The Long Way Home”. NJ sang 2 of her most popular songs known to earthlings, “Come Away with Me” & ended the night with an encore performance of the beautiful tune “Don’t know why” in a slower, jazzier-blues tempo with the help of some harmonies with bad to the bone, Sasha. I’ve been a fan of Norah since her 1st & most well known album “Come Away with Me” & her voice on all her records are sultry, dynamic, & full of soul, but now that I’ve seen her live, I truly have a greater appreciation for her! Norah really is the real deal! She is definitely not just another studio created apparition. I wish I could of had the privilege to see Norah Jones perform at the old ‘Living Room’ in downtown Manhattan on Stanton & Allen Streets when she first blew up on the NYC scene! That must have been some kind of combustible performance in such tightly packed quarters! What was really refreshing to me was that Norah Jones seemed kind of shy & nervous onstage at St. Ann’s warehouse. She confessed that she was a bit set aback playing in front of family & friends who dominated the first 4 or 5 rows in the audience who she can see very clearly. It’s very touching to see that NJ is still so grounded & down to earth as opposed to being jaded as some successful musicians are. Off topic, but NJ mentions that she is a big fan of the show “Babycakes”. She engaged the audience quite a bit when the camera men were changing video tapes. She even recited some dialogue from the show.
Thanks, Norah for the excellent performance even with the jetlag from the Japan trip & we hope the rest of the Planet Chocko martians can remember to check out Norah’s performance on Soundstage on PBS when it aires sometime in the near future!
Oh, also of note, I listened to Norah’s new EP on vinyl which has remixes of ‘Chasing Pirates’ & ‘That’s What I said’ & it’s CAPITAL D-O-P-E! The EP remix of “Chasing Pirates” was produced by Santigold & Snotty while “That’s what I said” were remixed by Adrock & Mike D of the Beastie Boys!! This EP is a 12 inch worth cuttin’ up one time for your mind! Check out Norah’s new album “The Fall” in whatever format or Planet you desire! You won’t be sorry!
–Mr. C
St. Ann’s Warehouse
www.stannswarehouse.org
38 Water Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Tags: adrock, beastie boys, brooklyn, chasing pirates, come away with me, jazz, john snotty, long way home, man of the hour, mike d, norah jones, pbs, planet chocko, pop, pop jazz soul, santigold, snotty, soul, soundstage, st anns warehouse
Posted in mr. c, music | Comments (1)
Motorcycle Show in NYC
January 25th, 2010 by Planet Chocko
The annual motorcycle show in NYC’s Jacob Javitz Convention Center on 1/23/10 hosted by Cycle World had a great turnout this year! There was an awesome display of crotch rockets, cruisers, custom choppers, & vintage harleys. The graphics, artwork, & paint jobs on some of these beasts were off the chain! My favorites include the bikes designed by New York’s own, the great Indian Larry(RIP) from Gasoline Alley in BK especially the bike with the twisted chain frame! Indian Larry’s vision of bike fabricating always incorporated the 1960’s style in mind with the smaller gas tanks, high handlebars, no front fenders, no front brakes, & high rake is always a classy look in my opinion. My 2nd favorite were the bikes that were designed by Confederate Motorcycles! The Confederate bikes looked like modern style streetfighters with a badass stance designed from another galaxy far…far away! Hey, that sounds like a description of Planet Chocko!! hehehehe!
–Mr. C
-
- B120 Wraith by Confederate Motorcycles!
-
- P120 Fighter by Confederate Motorcycles
-
- twisted downtube frame by Indian Larry
-
- twisted chain frame by Indian Larry
Tags: confederate, confederate motorcycles, indian larry, motorcycle, motorcycle show new york 2010
Posted in mr. c, photos, sports | Comments (0)
Steamed Pastry!? Golden Steamer in Chinatown-NYC
January 24th, 2010 by Planet Chocko
-
- steamed pumpkin puree bun @ Golden Steamer!
-
- jumbo steamed bun(pork,egg,greens) AKA Dai Bao AKA the special one @ Golden Steamer!
-
- steamed pork & vegetable bun @ Golden Steamer
Steamed pastry…? OK, pastry seems like a term that esteemed cuisines like the french & italian usually specializes in, but the chinese also have an arsenal of goodies that the mere mortal can enjoy! What is the definition of pastry anyway? Does it have to be baked or does it just insinuate that the base of the product has to be eggs,flour,water, & be kneaded or have at least some form of these ingredients? Who cares! What’s in a name anyways?
Golden Steamer is a food destination-slash, hole in the wall in Chinatown-New York City that specializes in steamed buns/”pastry”. They have been opened for 3-4 months now & I’ve been thoroughly enjoying their morsals of goodness. My favorites have been the steamed buns of the pork & vegetable – chicken & vegetable variety, the Dai Bao aka the “special” bun as Filipinos know it or simply translated in chinese as the “Big Bun” (Dai Bao), & the steamed pumpkin bun. Golden Steamer also sells dim sum items that everyone recognizes like turnip cakes, egg custards, fried dumplings, & steamed rice noodles as well as baked items like the bun with the hot dog & the roast pork bun(don’t like)! Golden Steamer is a great option for those martians who crave for the sweet & savory breakfast item on the lower east…Chinese…side of manhattan formerly known as the Italian side of Canal Street. Do your city ups & stuff yer face!
–Mr. C
Golden Steamer
143 Mott Street (between grand & hester)
New York, NY 10013
Tags: chinatown, chinese steamed buns, dai bao, dim sum, golden steamer, mott street bakery, new york, pork vegetable bun
Posted in food, mr. c | Comments (0)
CHINATOWN!
January 18th, 2010 by Planet Chocko
Ladies of C-Town with an early Sunday morning workout at Columbus Park
Recent closings of two well established businesses in Chinatown-NYC most notably Jan Lee’s, Sinotique on 19 Mott Street & Mr. Tang’s, a restaurant on the corner of Mott & Bayard Street has once again reminded us about the day in the life of a small business owner in NYC especially in the lower manhattan area. Probably, a more accurate coined phrase would be a “day in the death of a small business owner”. It does not help that the 9-11 trials for the accused masterminds of the World Trade Center plot will be taking place across the street from Columbus Park in Chinatown with the locals fearing street closures, added armed security presence, & protestors will drive out foot traffic in C-Town. We’ve seen what the closing of Park Row has done to the community.
Sinotique is an asian inspired furniture-home accessories-jewelry dealer & importer that has been in the Chinatown family for decades. The Lee family has been a great supporter & advocate of the lower east chinese side of manhattan for years. Fortunately, the Lee’s have re-invented themselves by moving their base to Brooklyn.
Mr. Tang’s is a restaurant on the busy corner of Mott & Bayard which will be heavily missed. Some notables such as Russell Wong & Jackie Chan have been sighted as customers. Mr. Tang’s has also been a host for photo & movie shoots. The most recent movie that I can remember being filmed there was “Year of the Fish”. Then again , “Year of the Fish” was a cinderella tale based in New York’s Chinatown so they were filming everywhere in C-Town!
Go support your local Chinatown! Chinese New year should be extraordinarily festive this season because it’s the Year of the Tiger in 2010! Mark February 14, 2010 & the following weekend of Feb. 20 & 21st on the calendar to visit Chinatown-NYC! It’s going to be a blast with the Chinese New Year Parade march through Mott Street & the impromptu Lion Dancing throughout the streets by the “organizations” & local Kung Fu Schools in the NYC area! Have some dim sum while you are there! See some dim sum suggestions below…
–Mr. C
Golden Bridge Restaurant
50 Bowery, New York, NY
Jing Fong
18 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY
Golden Unicorn
18 East Broadway
Manhattan, New York, NY
Dim Sum Go Go
5 East Broadway
(between Chatham Sq & St James Pl)
New York, NY
Tags: chinatown, chinese new year, Mr Tang, new york city, parade, sinotique, year of the tiger, year of the tiger 2010
Posted in community, mr. c, thoughts | Comments (0)
KING OF BEGGARS
January 16th, 2010 by Planet Chocko
Stephen Chow on display with Sleeping Kung Fu
Stephen Chow in ‘King of Beggars’ earns a 5 out of 10 “steamed roast pork buns” in this 1992 film directed by Gordon Chan. Chow displays his signature slapstick, comedic, kung fu play in this period piece movie. Chow plays a legendary character in China called “Beggar So”. Beggar So in the movie doesn’t start off with much Beggar qualities, more like a rich & spoiled wanna be scholar, who is illiterate! ‘So’ is very talented in Kung Fu, but lacks substance in other areas of life including honesty & integrity. Due to So’s mischief & deception to the public, he & his father gets sentenced from the higher court to be beggars for life with no traces
of material renderings to fall back on. Beggar So then meets up with an evil court general that dislocates his four limbs for just being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Beggar So & father find themselves struggling to survive. They join the Beggar Clan society & try to gain strength with Beggars of similiar fates. The leading lady of the film conspires with the Beggar Clan to try & rid of this evil court general. This general fatally injures the leader of the Beggars Clan which forces Stephen Chow to take the reign of the leader of the Beggar Clan. With the help of a Master in his dreams, he regains his confidence by learning “Sleeping Kung Fu” to rid of the evil empire. Overall, this film is a good template for a classic Stephen Chow movie. Chow incorporates comedy,good acting, & above average kung fu skills to the screen. Chow always displays a message or two for paying homage to these Chinese heros of the past that he portrays in the film with a Stephen Chow signature. In all his movies, Chow always does a pose or two, a facial expression or three, and a grunt or 4, to pay respects to the great Bruce Lee! His other movies of note include ‘Shaolin Soccer, Fists of Fury, Legend of the Dragon, Kung Fu Hustle, & Kung Fu Hustle 2 is currently in production mode. If you chopsocky fans can get a hold of “King of Beggars” for a monetary equivalent of half a dozen pork buns, then I definitely would recommend you spend an afternoon to watch it!
–Mr. C (5 out of 10 steamed pork & vegetable buns)
Golden Steamer
143A Mott St. (at Grand St.)
New York, NY 10013
DVD Funhouse
655 6th avenue(Between 20th & 21st)
New York, NY
DVD Blowout
813 Broadway(Bet. 11th & 12th St)
New York, NY 10003
Tags: beggar clan, beggar so, gordan chan, king of beggars, kung fu comedy, sleeping kung fu, stephen chow
Posted in movies, mr. c | Comments (0)
