Free Summer Movie Festivals of the Week
06.20.07
2. Asian films are ready to go!
3. Kino celebrates its thirtieth anniversary at Lincoln Center
4. Afro Punk returns to Brooklyn
5. René Clair is feted at French Institute
6. Dietrich & Garbo face off at Symphony Space
7. The Staten Island Film Festival turns two
8. MOCCA Art Festival returns to the Puck Building
9. Special events in Coney Island
Volume 7, Number 3
June 20 — July 11, 2007
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Tom Friedman's "Aluminum Foil King" overlooks his silver kingdom at Lever House through September 16
Bryant Park
Sixth Ave. from 40th to 42nd Sts.
Monday nights through August 20
Lawn opens at 5:00 pm for blankets and picnicking
Films begin at dusk (between 8:00 & 9:00 pm)
Admission: free
212-512-5700/212-983-4142
twi-ny/mdr
Moviegoers settle in for a little outdoor ANNIE HALL in Bryant Park
One of the city’s best outdoor movie festivals is back, with a great lineup of quality flicks that kicked off June 18 with the Woodman’s ANNIE HALL. This year’s series consists of classic films made between 1949 and 1977, featuring such stars as Robert Redford and Paul Newman, Marilyn Monroe, Sidney Poitier, and Bogie and Bacall. We’re especially looking forward to seeing Audrey Hepburn in WAIT UNTIL DARK and Anthony Perkins in PSYCHO, both of which should be even scarier on a dark Manhattan night. The lawn fills up quickly, so you’d have to be psycho to wait until dark before you show up.
Monday, June 18 ANNIE HALL (Woody Allen, 1977)
Monday, June 25 THE THING — FROM ANOTHER WORLD (Christian Nyby, 1951)
Monday, July 2 PAPER MOON (Peter Bogdanovich, 1973)
Monday, July 9 WAIT UNTIL DARK (Terence Young, 1967)
Monday, July 16 TO SIR, WITH LOVE (James Clavell, 1967)
Monday, July 23 THE STING (George Roy Hill, 1973)
Monday, July 30 ALL THE KING’S MEN (Robert Rossen, 1949)
Monday, August 6 BUS STOP (Joshua Logan, 1956)
Monday, August 13 CASABLANCA (Michael Curtiz, 1942)
Monday, August 20 PSYCHO (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
twi-ny/mdr
Rockefeller Center is readied for annual free drive-in festival
Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center
June 19-22
Doors open at 6:00, films begin at 9:00
Admission: free
212-632-3975
For the fourth year, Rockefeller Center will present free "independent films under the stars," projecting them onto a screen set up in front of 30 Rock. This season’s quartet includes Lucy Liu and Cillian Murphy in WATCHING THE DETECTIVES, Queen Latifah narrating the environmental documentary ARCTIC TALE, the story of a teenager with Marfan Syndrome in MO, and the vampire comedy NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED, starring Darrell Hammond, Judd Nelson, and Dave Foley. In addition, the short films FOR ALL THE MARBLES (Kris Booth), HEART OF WHISTLER (Ken Hegan), PIECE BY PIECE (Sachi Schuricht), and SAND DANCER (Valerie Reid) will be screened at the Top of the Rock throughout the four days, from 8:30 am to 12 midnight. (A separate admission is required for Top of the Rock.)
Tuesday, June 19 WATCHING THE DETECTIVES (Paul Soter, 2007), preceded by SUPER POWERS (J. Anderson Mitchell & Jeremy Kipp Walker)
Wednesday, June 20 ARCTIC TALE (Sarah Robertson, 2007)
Thursday, June 21 MO (Brian Scott Lederman, 2007)
Friday, June 22 NETHERBEAST INCORPORATED (Dean Matthews Ronalds, 2007)
Pier A Park at First & Sinatra Dr.
Hoboken
June & July, around 9:00
August & September, around 8:15
Admission: free
Blankets & low lawn chairs encouraged
201-420-2207
Bring a low-back chair and a beach blanket and grab a good spot at Hoboken’s annual outdoor screening series, complete with a splendid view of the Hudson River. This year’s slate includes some good films from last year — primarily AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH and the overlooked HOLLYWOODLAND — as well a special party for GREASE as it approaches its thirtieth anniversary.
Wednesday, June 20 AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH (Davis Guggenheim, 2006)
Al Gore looks rather presidential in bringing us the truth about global warming
The self-described onetime "next president of the United States of America" has been fighting to save the earth for nearly forty years. Since not winning the presidency in 2000, Gore has been on the road, giving an illustrated lecture to more than one thousand groups, including schools all over the country, about the hot-button topic of global warming. Using colorful charts and graphs, stunning video of disappearing landscapes, and gorgeous shots of the earth, the surprisingly engaging and entertaining Gore elegantly discusses the melting of the glaciers, the heating of the oceans, the onset of devastating hurricanes and tornadoes, science fact versus science fiction, and the current administration’s refusal to acknowledge the seriousness of the problem. We also get an intimate look at Al Gore the person, seeing him at work on his iBook, sitting by his son’s side after a terrible accident, and talking about his father’s tobacco farm and his sister’s death from lung cancer. Gore and his traveling slide show have been compared to Paul Revere’s ride, warning the world of impending danger; we’re sure others will paint him as Chicken Little, screaming crazily that the sky is falling. Well, in this case, both sides are right, because the sky is indeed falling, as evidenced by the continuing destruction of the polar ice cap.
Wednesday, June 27 STRANGER THAN FICTION (Marc Foster, 2006)
Wednesday, July 11 GREASE (Randal Kleiser, 1978), with a look-a-like contest, sing-a-long, karoake, prizes and more
Wednesday, July 18 LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris, 2006)
http://www2.foxsearchlight.com/littlemisssunshine
When little Olive (Abigail Breslin) suddenly makes it to the finals of the Little Miss Sunshine contest, her entire family piles into their aging VW bus and heads out on a bizarre road trip, with positive-thinking dad Richard (Greg Kinnear) behind the wheel, exhausted mom Sheryl (Toni Collette) by his side, wannabe-pilot Dwayne (Paul Dano) refusing to speak, recent suicide attemptee Uncle Frank (Steve Carell) trying to get over a crazy love triangle, and dirty old grandpa (Alan Arkin) cursing away in the back. Just about everything that can go wrong does as they desperately try to let in the least bit of sunshine into their absurd little lives. LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is a charming little movie with an Eastern European indie sensibility, which might be why it has been so overhyped as something utterly fresh and original. While it might not be one of the best pictures of 2006 — despite its Oscar nomination — it still is a sweet, offbeat, fun flick.
Wednesday, July 25 SHUT UP & SING (Barbara Kopple & Cecilia Peck, 2006)
Wednesday, August 1 DREAMGIRLS (Bill Condon, 2006)
Wednesday, August 8 HOLLYWOODLAND (Allen Coulter, 2006)
Diane Lane is radiant as older woman in lurid Hollywood tale
http://www.hollywoodlandmovie.com
On June 16, 1959, George Reeves, the star of THE ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, was found dead in his room, victim of a gunshot to the head. (No, he did not jump out of a window thinking he was really the Man of Steel.) Though deemed a suicide, rumors have swirled ever since that Reeves might have been killed. Writer Paul Bernbaum and director Allen Coulter imagine what might have happened in HOLLYWOODLAND, a cool noir that delves into the unseen bowels of Tinseltown. Adrien Brody stars as Louis Simo, a two-bit private detective and divorced father who works out of his motel room. Given a tip that there’s more to the Reeves case than meets the eye, Simo gets hired by Reeves’s mother (Lois Smith) to get to the bottom of things, but the more dirt he turns up, the more trouble he gets into as he starts to upset some pretty powerful — and surprisingly dangerous — people. Coulter, who cut his teeth on episodes of THE SOPRANOS and SEX AND THE CITY, alternates between Simo’s search for the truth and the events leading up to Reeves’s death, following the troubled star, played (quite well, actually) by Ben Affleck. After storming into Hollywood in GONE WITH THE WIND, Reeves has dreams of being a serious actor. He starts up a relationship with Toni Mannix (a ravishing Diane Lane), an older woman who just happens to be married to the head of MGM (tough-talking Bob Hoskins). Thwarted by his inability to shake off the Superman tag and further his career, Reeves eventually falls for the young and beautiful Leonore Lemmon (note her initials, which recall Superman’s fictitious loves Lana Lang and Lois Lane), played by Robin Tunney. Meanwhile, Simo isn’t having much luck with his career (or personal life) either, but he’s determined to find out what really happened to Reeves. HOLLYWOODLAND is a steady-moving, entertaining crime thriller with intriguing characters, fine performances, and a mystery that some think still has not been solved today.
Wednesday, August 15 HAPPY FEET (George Miller & Warren Coleman, 2006)
Wednesday, August 22 FLUSHED AWAY (David Bowers & Sam Fell, 2006)
Wednesday, August 29 CHARLOTTE’S WEB (Gary Winick, 2006)
Gort gets carried away in sci-fi classic
Brooklyn Bridge Park at Empire-Fulton State Park
1 Main St. at Water St.
Thursday nights at sunset, preceded by music by live DJs at 6:00
Admission: free
718-802-0603
Beautiful Brooklyn Bridge Park will once again host a summer series of outdoor screenings, surrounded by the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition’s twenty-fifth annual sculpture show, titled "Still Flying." As you watch such great films as THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, and THE NATURAL, among others, you’ll have a wonderful view of Manhattan settling in for the night.
Thursday, July 5 THE PRINCESS BRIDE (Rob Reiner, 1987)
Thursday, July 12 THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (Robert Wise, 1951)
Thursday, July 19 THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (Frank Oz, 1984)
Thursday, July 26 BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (Spike Jonze, 1999)
Thursday, August 2 HAIR (Milos Forman, 1979)
Thursday, August 9 ALL ABOUT EVE (Joseph L. Makiewicz, 1950)
Thursday, August 16 THE NATURAL (Barry Levinson, 1984)
Thursday, August 23 WEST SIDE STORY (Robert Wise, 1961)
All Saints Parish Hall
707 Washington St.
Screenings begin at 6:30 pm
Discussion follows film
Admission: free, with free popcorn and seltzer
Every summer, classic films are screened inside All Saints Parish Hall in Hoboken, with free popcorn and seltzer and a discussion following each film.
Monday, July 9 SUMMERTIME (David Lean, 1955)
Monday, July 16 LILIES OF THE FIELD (Ralph Nelson, 1963)
Monday, July 23 HIGH SIERRA (Raoul Walsh, 1941)
Monday, August 6 A WOMAN’S FACE (George Cukor, 1941)
Monday, August 13 A FOREIGN AFFAIR (Billy Wilder, 1948)
Brookhaven Amphitheater
Arts & Cultural Center at Bald Hill, Farmingville, Long Island
Wednesday nights in July and August at approximately 7:45
Admission: $5 per carload
631-732-4011
http://brookhavenamphitheater.com
Long Islanders come by the carload to the Brookhaven Amphitheatre every summer to see films fit for the whole family. They start a little earlier than most outdoor screenings so the kids aren’t forced to stay up too late in order to see such kiddie fare as HAPPY FEET, MONSTER HOUSE, and CHARLOTTE’S WEB.
Wednesday, July 11 HAPPY FEET (George Miller & Warren Coleman, 2006)
Wednesday, July 18 BARNYARD (Steve Oedekerk, 2006)
Wednesday, July 25 CURIOUS GEORGE (Matthew O’Callaghan, 2006)
Wednesday, August 1 NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (Shawn Levy, 2006)
Wednesday, August 8 MONSTER HOUSE (Gil Kenan, 2006)
Wednesday, August 15 CHARLOTTE’S WEB (Gary Winick, 2006)
Fern is out to save Wilbur’s bacon in White classic
http://www.charlotteswebmovie.com
Gary Winick, the eclectic director of such offbeat fare as THE TIC CODE (1999) and TADPOLE (2002), does a fine job turning E.B. White’s eternal story of friendship into a sweet little film. The only previous attempt to make the book into a film was the animated 1973 hit, which featured the voices of Debbie Reynolds, Paul Lynde, Henry Gibson, Danny Bonaduce, Charles Nelson Reilly, and Agnes Moorehead. This time around the all-star cast — voicing digitally manipulated live-action animals, not animated characters — includes Oprah Winfrey (Gussy), Cedric the Entertainer (Golly), Robert Redford (Ike), André Benjamin (Elwyn), Thomas Haden Church (Brooks), John Cleese (Samuel), Steve Buscemi (Templeton), and Julia Roberts (Charlotte), with youngster Dominic Scott Kay handling Wilbur. Narrated in a warm, down-home style by Sam Shepard, the film follows the adventures of Wilbur as he tries to become the first spring pig on the farm to avoid the smokehouse and make it through to winter. The runt of the litter is taken in by Fern (Dakota Fanning), who will do whatever she can to keep her best friend from becoming bacon. This mostly faithful adaptation is a charming tale that will entertain both children and adults alike.
Wednesday, August 22 OPEN SEASON (Roger Allers & Jill Culton, 2006)
Wednesday, August 29 OVER THE HEDGE (Tim Johnson & Karey Kirkpatrick, 2006)
Pier 54, Hudson River at Fourteenth St.
Wednesdays around dusk July 11 — August 22
Admission: free
http://www.hudsonriverpark.org
The seven films screened this year on Wednesday nights at Pier 54 show men and women triumphing over insurmountable odds, from Sylvester Stallone fighting for the heavyweight title at sixty to John Candy battling beautiful blondes in the mud, from Superman making a welcome comeback to a couple of cool dudes drinking brew till it hurts. And don’t forget, of course — there is no spoon.
Wednesday, July 11 ROCKY BALBOA (Sylvester Stallone, 2006)
Wednesday, July 18 NACHO LIBRE (Jared Hess, 2006)
Wednesday, July 25 THE MATRIX (Andy Wachowski & Larry Wachowski, 1999)
Wednesday, August 1 STRIPES (Ivan Reitman, 1981)
Wednesday, August 8 GLADIATOR (Ridley Scott, 2000)
Wednesday, August 15 BEERFEST (Jay Chandrasekhar, 2006)
Wednesday, August 22 SUPERMAN RETURNS (Bryan Singer, 2006)
http://supermanreturns.warnerbros.com
It’s been five long years since Superman took to the skies, searching for the lost remnants of his home planet, Krypton. It’s also been more than a quarter century since the last decent Man of Steel movie, SUPERMAN II. (The less said about III and IV the better.) X-MEN guru Bryan Singer has taken over the bridge, recruiting his USUAL SUSPECTS star Kevin Spacey to play the villainous Lex Luthor, Kate Bosworth to be Lois Lane, and former ONE LIFE TO LIVE regular Brandon Routh to channel the role of Superman a la Christopher Reeve. After swindling an old lady out of her fortune (Noel Neill, the second Lois Lane from the 1950s SUPERMAN television series and Lane’s mother in the first film), Luthor travels to the Fortress of Solitude, absconding with some very powerful crystals — and some very evil plans. Meanwhile, Superman comes back to earth — as does Clark Kent, who gets his old job back at the Daily Planet from newspaper chief Perry White (Frank Langella) — and has to get used to Lois’s new love, Richard White (James Marsden), and their young son, Jason (Tristan Lake Leabu). Marlon Brando is back as Jor-El, Superman’s father, setting off a chain of events that involve fathers and sons, turning Kal-El into a Christlike figure. The appropriately named Eva Marie Saint plays Clark’s mother (look for a picture of Glenn Ford as Clark’s father on the piano), and Sam Huntington is photographer Jimmy Olsen (look for Huntington hugging bartender Jack Larson, who played Olsen in the original TV series). Routh makes for a solid Superman, and Spacey is an appropriately snarky Luthor, but Bosworth is a lightweight Lane, lacking the spark of Margot Kidder and Teri Hatcher before her. (And does she really say that Superman weighs about 125 pounds?) With the movie running more than two and a half hours, it is too long by at least twenty minutes, and there are plenty of unexplained plot holes, but Singer, with several nods to the early STAR TREK films, brings the Superman franchise back to life in a big way.
Pier 46, Hudson River Park at Christopher St.
Fridays around dusk July 7 — August 25
Admission: free
http://www.hudsonriverpark.org
Hudson River Park again plays host to a summer of children’s films, including such recent hits as HAPPY FEET as well as the excellent BACK TO THE FUTURE, the classic THE WIZARD OF OZ, and the fourth annual screening of the original WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, one of our all-time faves.
Friday, July 13 CHARLOTTE’S WEB (Gary Winick, 2006)
Friday, July 20 OPEN SEASON (Roger Allers & Jill Culton, 2006)
Friday, July 27 BACK TO THE FUTURE (Robert Zemeckis, 1985)
Friday, August 3 BABE (Chris Noonan, 1995)
Friday, August 10 THE WIZARD OF OZ (Victor Fleming et al., 1939)
Friday, August 17 HAPPY FEET (George Miller & Warren Coleman, 2006)
Friday, August 24 WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Mel Stuart, 1971)
Anthony Wong leads his gang of tough guys through murder and mayhem in Johnnie To’s EXILED
IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave. at Third St.
Tickets: $11
212-924-7771
Subway Cinema has teamed up with Dragon Dynasty to present the annual New York Asian Film Festival, more than two weeks of fab new films from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea, and Pakistan, by such great directors as Zhang Yang, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Johnnie To, Patrick Tam, and the awesome Takashi Miike. Among the filmmakers making appearances at the festival, which begins at the IFC Center and continues at the Japan Society (see below), are E. J. Young, Shusuke Kaneko, Han Jae-rim, Sion Sono, Omar Khan, Lee San-geun, and Pete Tombs and Andy Starke. If you’re not up on Asian cinema — from cool gangster flicks to bizarre monster movies, from black comedies to sweet love stories — this is a great opportunity to see what you’ve been missing.
Friday, June 22 GETTING HOME (Zhang Yang, 2007), 6:10
Friday, June 22 THE BANQUET (Feng Xiaogang, 2006), 8:15
Friday, June 22 RETRIBUTION (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2006), 10:50
Saturday, June 23 EXILED (Johnnie To, 2006), 2:00
Saturday, June 23, 2:00
Hong Kong master Johnnie To (ELECTION, RUNNING OUT OF TIME) reunites many of the main actors from his 1999 crime drama, THE MISSION, for EXILED, a thinking man’s gangster thriller. Having failed to assassinate the leader of his syndicate, Wo (Nick Cheung) has been on the lam, but when he settles back in Macau with his wife (Josie Ho) and baby, he is suddenly visited by his former team, led by the always sunglassed Blaze (Anthony Wong). The syndicate leader, Boss Fay (Simon Yam), has ordered them to kill Wo for his treachery, but they are unable to pull the trigger on their friend. Instead, they hang out at his place for a while before sending him off on a suicide mission to whack Boss Keung (Lam Ka Tung), but things don’t quite go as planned, with double crosses galore, leaving everyone looking over their shoulder, not knowing from where — or from whose gun — that fatal bullet will come. To fills EXILED with fabulously tense set pieces — and some very funny bits as well — shot like a Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western as seen through the cross-hairs of Sam Peckinpah and John Woo. EXILED is one cool, calm action flick that is ready to explode at any moment — and look out when it finally does.
Saturday, June 23 DOG BITE DOG (Soi Cheang, 2006), 4:15
Saturday, June 23 MGFF&NYAFF short films program 1, followed by panel discussion with E. J-Yong, 6:30
Saturday, June 23 DASEPO NAUGHTY GIRLS (E. J-Yong, 2006), with director present, 8:20
Saturday, June 23 HARD BOILED (John Woo, 1992), 10:30
Sunday, June 24 AFTER THIS OUR EXILE (Patrick Tam, 2006), 1:30
Sunday, June 24 MGFF&NYAFF short films program 2, 4:40
Sunday, June 24 I’M A CYBORG BUT THAT’S OK (Park Chan-wook, 2006), 6:20
Sunday, June 24, 6:20
Saturday, June 30, 8:15
Fresh off his thrilling revenge trilogy (OLDBOY, SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE, SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE), Korean director Park Chan-wook changes gears for the captivating — and plenty bizarre — romantic comedy I’M A CYBORG BUT THAT’S OK. Im Soo-jung (A TALE OF TWO SISTERS) stars as Yeong-goon, a young woman who believes she is a cyborg, refuses to eat because food would screw up her inner workings, and is unusually attached to her grandmother’s dentures. Im Soo-jung — the singing sensation also known as Rain — is Il-soon, a Ping-Pong-playing kleptomaniac who hides behind a silly mask, blames himself for his mother’s departure, and has a thing about brushing his teeth. The two sort of fall for each other in an institution that features various crazies, both comic and serious. Yeong-goon is given to engaging flights of fancy — including turning into a robotic killing machine — as Park blurs the line behind fantasy and reality, sanity and insanity. Reminiscent of such eclectic recent films as PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2002) and THE SCIENCE OF SLEEP (Michel Gondry, 2006), I’M A CYBORG BUT THAT’S OK is an engaging look at what makes us all tick.
Sunday, June 24 HULA GIRLS (Lee Sang-il, 2006), 8:30
Monday, June 25 TRACES OF LOVE (Kim Dae-sung, 2006), 5:00
Monday, June 25 MIRACLE ON FIRST STREET (Yun Je-gyun, 2007), 7:20
Monday, June 25 CRUEL WINTER BLUES (Lee Jeong-beom, 2006), 9:35
Tuesday, June 26 CITY OF VIOLENCE (Ry Seung-wan, 2006), 7:00
Tuesday, June 26 FREESIA: BULLETS OVER TEARS (FURIJIA) (Kazuyoshi Kumarkiri, 2007), 9:00
Wednesday, June 27 MGFF&NYAFF short films program 3, 6:45
Wednesday, June 27 THE BANQUET (Feng Xiaogang, 2006), 8:45
Takashi Miike’s BIG BANG LOVE is sure to create a stir at festival
Thursday, June 28 BIG BANG LOVE, JUVENILE A (46 OKUNEN NO KOI) (Takashi Miike, 2006), 7:00
Thursday, June 28, IFC, 7:00
Thursday, July 5, Japan Society, 6:45
Japanese cult director Takashi Miike, the man behind such intense masterpieces as AUDITION and ICHI THE KILLER, gets downright existential in BIG BANG LOVE, JUVENILE A, a meditation on prison, murder, and homoeroticism that incorporates experimental dance, body art, animation, a rocket shooting into space, and a mystical pyramid. The story, told primarily in flashback, focuses on the fascinating relationship between soft-spoken Jun (Ryuhei Matsuda), who was sent to prison after going haywire with a knife, and the macho Shiro (Masanobu Ando), who has a thing about pummeling people in the face. Miike keeps the violence to a relative minimum in what might be his most ambitious film, featuring elaborate set pieces, magnificent lighting and color, and mind-blowing imagery and symbolism. We’d love to tell you more about what it all means, but we haven’t figured it out yet. Based on Masaki Ato’s gay manga ELEGY FOR BOY A, Miike’s BIG BANG LOVE explodes with inner tension and a mesmerizing magic power all its own.
Thursday, June 28 DYNAMITE WARRIOR (Chalerm Wongpim, 2006), 9:00
Friday, June 29 DASEPO NAUGHTY GIRLS (E. J-Yong, 2006), 6:50
Friday, June 29 THE SHOW MUST GO ON (Han Jae-rim, 2007), followed by Q&A, 9:00
Friday, June 29 NEVER BELONGS TO ME (Nam Ki-woong, 2006), 11:45
Saturday, June 30 ZEBRAMAN (Takashi Miike, 2004), 1:30
Saturday, June 30, IFC, 1:30
Wednesday, July 4, Japan Society, 3:15
Japanese director Takashi Miike, who has made more than seventy films in his sixteen-year career, may be most well known for such violent thrillers as AUDITION, ICHI THE KILLER, and the DEAD OR ALIVE series — he also made news when IMPRINT, his episode of Showtime’s Masters of Horror series, went unaired because of its graphic content — but he also has quite a soft side. After all, he’s a family man with kids of his own. And ZEBRAMAN is a film the whole family can enjoy, as well as adults just looking for a really fun, fabulously entertaining flick on a Friday night. Sho Aikawa, who has appeared in several of Miike’s films, stars as a wimpy schoolteacher with a cheating wife, a very promiscuous daughter, and a son who regularly gets beaten up at school. His only escape is the treasured (and pathetic) homemade Zebraman (a silly superhero from a short-lived 1970s kids show) costume he puts on every once in a while to pretend he has another, more exciting life. But soon the costume transforms him into the one and only Zebraman, protecting the world from Crabman and other evildoers. ZEBRAMAN is an absolute delight, a refreshing and charming comedy about releasing the inner child within us all.
Saturday, June 30 TROUBLEMAKERS (Cao Baoping, 2006), 4:00
Saturday, June 30 CITY OF VIOLENCE (Ry Seung-wan, 2006), 6:00
Saturday, June 30 I’M A CYBORG BUT THAT’S OK (Park Chan-wook, 2006), 8:15
Saturday, June 30 AACHI & SSIPAK (Jo Beom-jin, 2005), 10:30
Sunday, July 1 TRACES OF LOVE (Kim Dae-sung, 2006), 1:00
Sunday, July 1 AFTER THIS OUR EXILE (Patrick Tam, 2006), 3:30
Sunday, July 1 GETTING HOME (Zhang Yang, 2007), 6:30
Sunday, July 1 CRUEL WINTER BLUES (Lee Jeong-beom, 2006), 8:30
Lee Sang-il’s HULA GIRLS was named Best Film at the 2007 Japanese Academy Awards
Monday, July 2 HULA GIRLS (Lee Sang-il, 2006), 7:00
Monday, July 2 THE SHOW MUST GO ON (Han Jae-rim, 2007), followed by Q&A, 9:15
Tuesday, July 3 DOG BITE DOG (Soi Cheang, 2006), 6:15
Tuesday, July 3 RETRIBUTION (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2006), 8:30
Tuesday, July 3 HELL’S GROUND (Omar Khan, 2006), with a special introduction and a Pakistani exploitation reel, 10:30
Wednesday, July 4 YO-YO GIRL COP (Kenta Fukasuku, 2006), 1:00
Wednesday, July 4 ZEBRAMAN (Takashi Miike, 2004), 3:15
Wednesday, July 4 AACHI & SSIPAK (Jo Beom-jin, 2005), 5:30
Thursday, July 5 DYNAMITE WARRIOR (Chalerm Wongpim, 2006), 9:00
Thursday, July 5 surprise screening TBA, 7:00
Pop star Hitomi searches for clues in Shinya Tsukamoto’s NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE
Japan Society
333 E. 47th St. at First Ave.
July 5-15
Tickets: $10
212-715-1258
The Japan Society continues its centennial celebration with its biggest film festival yet, presented in conjunction with the New York Asian Film Festival. The eleven-day series consists of recent Japanese works, many of which are making their New York or U.S. debuts and several of which will be followed by discussions with the filmmakers. Among the highlights are ANTS, winner at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival; DEATH NOTE and DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME, winner at the Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film; DEAR PYONGYANG, which took home honors at the Sundance and Berlinale Film Festivals; FACES OF A FIG TREE, another Berlinale winner; Kinema Jumpo Award winner SWAY; and MEMORIES OF MATSUKO, starring Kinema Jumpo Award winner Miki Nakatani. There will also be a night of movies from the Immoral Film Festival, a puppet animation double bill, and more.
Thursday, July 5 BIG BANG LOVE, JUVENILE A (46 OKUNEN NO KOI) (Takashi Miike, 2006), 6:45
Thursday, July 5 EXTE: HARI EXTENSIONS (EKUSUTE) (Sion Sono, 2007), introduced by the director and followed by a Q&A, 8:30
Friday, July 6 DEATH NOTE (DESU NOTO) (Shusuke Kaneko, 2006), introduced by the director and followed by a Q&A, 8:30
Saturday, July 7 FREESIA: BULLETS OVER TEARS (FURIJIA) (Kazuyoshi Kumarkiri, 2007), 1:30
Sunday, July 7 EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS (EKUSUTE) (Sion Sono, 2007), introduced by the director and followed by a Q&A, 3:30
Saturday, July 7 DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME (Shusuke Kaneko, 2006), 5:45
Miki Nakatani won Japanese Academy Award for her starring role in Tetsuya Nakashima’s MEMORIES OF MATSUKO
Saturday, July 7 MEMORIES OF MATSUKO (Tetsuya Nakashima, 2006), 8:45
Saturday, July 7, 8:45
Sunday, July 8, 1:00
We called Tetsuya Nakashima’s 2005 hit, KAMIKAZE GIRLS, the “otaku version of Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s AMELIE,” referring to it as “fresh,” “frenetic,” “fast-paced,” and “very funny.” His latest, the stunningly gorgeous MEMORIES OF MATSUKO, also recalls AMELIE and all those other adjectives, albeit with much more sadness. Miki Nakatani stars as Matsuko, a sweet woman who spent her life just looking to be loved but instead found nothing but heartbreak, deception, and physical and emotional abuse. But MEMORIES OF MATSUKO is not a depressing melodrama, even if Nakashima incorporates touches of Douglas Sirk every now and again. The film is drenched in glorious Technicolor, often breaking out into bright and cheerful musical numbers straight out of a 1950s fantasy world. As the movie begins, Matsuko has been found murdered, and her long-estranged brother (Akira Emoto) has sent his son, Sho (Eita), who never knew she existed, to clean out her apartment. As Sho goes through the mess she left behind, the film flashes back to critical moments in Matsuko’s life — and he also meets some crazy characters in the present. It’s difficult rooting for the endearing Matsuko knowing what becomes of her, but Nakashima’s remarkable visual style will grab you and never let go. And like Audrey Tatou in AMELIE, Nakatani — who won a host of Japanese acting awards for her outstanding performance — is just a marvel to watch.
Sunday, July 8 DEATH NOTE (DESU NOTO) (Shusuke Kaneko, 2006), 3:30
Sunday, July 8 DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME (Shusuke Kaneko, 2006), introduced by the director and followed by a Q&A, 6:00
Sunday, July 8 NIGHTMARE DETECTIVE (Shinya Tsukamoto, 2006), 9:00
Monday, July 9 THE BLOSSOMING OF ETSUKO KAMIYA (KAMIYA ETSUKO NO SEISHUN) (Kazuo Kuroki, 2006), 6:30
Monday, July 9 MATSUGANE POTSHOT AFFAIR (MATSUGANE RANSHA JIKEN) (Nobuhiro Yamashita, 2006), 8:45
Tuesday, July 10 DEAR PYONGYANG (Yonghi Yang, 2006), 6:30
Wednesday, July 11 MATSUGANE POTSHOT AFFAIR (MATSUGANE RANSHA JIKEN) (Nobuhiro Yamashita, 2006), 6:30
Wednesday, July 11 SWAY (YURERU) (Miwa Nishikawa, 2006), introduced by the director and followed by a Q&A, 8:45
Thursday, July 12 KAMOME DINER (KAMOME SHOKUDO) (Naoko Ogigami, 2005), 8:10
Friday, July 13 SWAY (YURERU) (Miwa Nishikawa, 2006), introduced by the director and followed by a Q&A, 6:30
Friday, July 13 FACES OF A FIG TREE (ICHIJIKU NO KAO) (Kaori Momoi, 2006), 9:00
Saturday, July 14 Puppet Animation Double Bill: KOMANEKO — THE CURIOUS CAT (Tsuneo Goda, 2006), 1:45, and MONSIEUR GREENPEAS (RYOKUTAMA SHINSHI) (Yasuo Kurita, 2004), 2:50, followed by a live puppet demonstration by director Yasuo Kurita
Saturday, July 14 INTO A DREAM (YUME NO NAKA E) (Shion Sono, 2005), 4:00
Saturday, July 14 KAMOME DINER (KAMOME SHOKUDO) (Naoko Ogigami, 2005), introduced by the director and followed by a Q&A, 8:15
Sunday, July 15 ANTS (ARI NO HEITAI) (Kaoru Ikeya, 2006), 1:30
Sunday, July 15 THE BLOSSOMING OF ETSUKO KAMIYA (KAMIYA ETSUKO NO SEISHUN) (Kazuo Kuroki, 2006), 3:30
Sunday, July 15 FACES OF A FIG TREE (ICHIJIKU NO KAO) (Kaori Momoi, 2006), 6:00
Tuesday, July 10 THE PRISONER (YUHEISHA — TERORISUTO) (Masao Adachi, 2006), 8:30
Saturday, July 15 THE PRISONER (YUHEISHA — TERORISUTO) (Masao Adachi, 2006), 6:00
Kino International
Fritz Lang’s SPIES offers unique perspective at Lincoln Center
Walter Reade Theater
165 West 65th St. between Eighth Ave. & Broadway
June 29 — July 12
Tickets: $11
212-875-5600
For thirty years, Kino has been presenting some of the best of world cinema, in theaters and on DVD, both new works and old classics. Twenty of the finest examples of its commitment to cinema as art will be screened at Lincoln Center, including films by Claude Chabrol, Wong Kar-wai, G.W. Pabst, Aki Kaurismäki, Michael Haneke — the list just goes on and on. This is a great chance to see some of the most remarkable films of the last eighty years on the big screen, including Fritz Lang’s M, Charlie Chaplin’s THE GREAT DICATOR, Akira Kurosawa’s DERSU UZALA, Luis Buñuel’s L’ÂGE D’OR, and Andrei Tarkovsky’s IVAN’S CHILDHOOD.
Friday, June 29 LES BONNES FEMMES (Claude Chabrol, 1960), 2:00
Friday, June 29 THE GREAT DICTATOR (Charles Chaplin, 1940), 4:00
Friday, June 29 SPIES (Fritz Lang, 1928), accompanied by Ben Model on the mighty Miditzer virtual theater organ, 7:00
Saturday, June 30 THE GREAT DICTATOR (Charles Chaplin, 1940), 1:30
Saturday, June 30 LES BONNES FEMMES (Claude Chabrol, 1960), 6:30
Saturday, June 30 FALLEN ANGELS (Wong Kar-wai, 1995), 8:30
Sunday, July 1 OLD JOY (Kelly Reichardt, 2006), 1:00
Sunday, July 1 THE HOMECOMING (Peter Hall, 1973), 2:45
Sunday, July 1 THE RETURN (Andrei Zvyagintsev, 2003), 5:00
Sunday, July 1 TIME REGAINED (Raul Ruiz, 1999), 7:10
Monday, July 2 TIME REGAINED (Raul Ruiz, 1999), 1:00
Raul Ruiz’s overly long dramatization of Marcel Proust on his deathbed, thinking back on his own life as well as the fictional life of his characters, has charm and wit and a whole lot of bizarrely entertaining set movements. Despite a cast that includes Catherine Deneuve and John Malkovich, the acting is only so-so, and it helps if you know a little Proust, but Ruiz is a director always worth watching, so give it a chance–if you have the time.
Monday, July 2 FALLEN ANGELS (Wong Kar-wai, 1995), 4:15
Kino International
Charlie Yeung stars in Wong Kar-wai’s stunning FALLEN ANGELS
Monday, July 2 OLD JOY (Kelly Reichardt, 2006), 6:15
Tuesday, July 3 THE HOMECOMING (Peter Hall, 1973), 1:30
Tuesday, July 3 THE GREAT DICTATOR (Charles Chaplin, 1940), 3:45
Tuesday, July 3 THE RETURN (Andrei Zvyagintsev, 2003), 6:10
Tuesday, July 3 PANDORA’S BOX (G.W. Pabst, 1929), accompanied by Ben Model on the mighty Miditzer virtual theater organ, 8:30*
Wednesday, July 4 THE PIANO TEACHER (Michael Haneke, 2001), 1:00
Wednesday, July 4 KIPPUR (Amos Gitai, 2000), 3:45
Wednesday, July 4 DERSU UZALA (Akira Kurosawa, 1975), 6:15
Wednesday, July 4 LA VIE DE BOHEME (Aki Kaurismäki, 1992), 9:00
Thursday, July 5 LA VIE DE BOHEME (Aki Kaurismäki, 1992), 1:30
Thursday, July 5 KIPPUR (Amos Gitai, 2000), 3:30 & 8:00
Thursday, July 5 IVAN’S CHILDHOOD (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1962), 6:15
IVAN’S CHILDHOOD is a magnificent work about a fearless young boy who spies for the Russians during World War II. But for all of his outward toughness — battling fearlessly with the other soldiers to prove his military value, dirt seemingly entrenched on his face — he is still a young boy who dreams of another, safer life, wrapped in his mother’s arms. This award-winning masterpiece, which marked Andrei Tarkovsky’s feature-film debut, is filled with unforgettable shots that will stay with you long after the film is over.
Friday, July 6 DERSU UZALA (Akira Kurosawa, 1975), 1:00
In this stunning film, director-cowriter Akira Kurosawa has fashioned one of cinema’s greatest characters, a worldly wise, deceptively simple, charming man who understands life, nature, responsibility, and helping others. Maksim Munzuk gives a marvelously understated performance as the title character, who is suddenly taken out of his quiet life of solitude when a Russian army troop comes to Siberia.
Friday, July 6 THE PIANO TEACHER (Michael Haneke, 2001), 3:45 & 8:30
Friday, July 6 M (Fritz Lang, 1931), 6:30
Saturday, July 7 LIFE AND NOTHING BUT (Bertrand Tavernier, 1989), 6:15
Saturday, July 7 THE SEVENTH CONTINENT (Michael Haneke, 1989), 9:00
Sunday, July 8 LA VIE DE BOHEME (Aki Kaurismäki, 1992), 2:00
Sunday, July 8 EVE (Joseph Losey, 1962), 4:00
Sunday, July 8 SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS (Sergei Paradjanov, 1964), 6:15
Sunday, July 8 L’ÂGE D’OR (Luis Buñuel, 1930), 8:15
Monday, July 9 THE SEVENTH CONTINENT (Michael Haneke, 1989), 2:00 & 6:15
Monday, July 9 IVAN’S CHILDHOOD (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1962), 4:15
Monday, July 9 EVE (Joseph Losey, 1962), 8:30
Tuesday, July 10 LIFE AND NOTHING BUT (Bertrand Tavernier, 1989), 1:00
Tuesday, July 10 YEELEN (Souleymane Cissé, 1987), 3:30
Kino International
Aoua Sangare stars as Attou in Souleymane Cissé’s compelling YEELEN
Wednesday, July 11 EVE (Joseph Losey, 1962), 1:45
Wednesday, July 11 SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS (Sergei Paradjanov, 1964), 4:00 & 8:30
Wednesday, July 11 YEELEN (Souleymane Cissé, 1987), 6:15
Thursday, July 12 L’ÂGE D’OR (Luis Buñuel, 1930), 2:00
Thursday, July 12 LIFE AND NOTHING BUT (Bertrand Tavernier, 1989), 3:30
James Spooner’s AFRO PUNK screens at fest
BAMcinematek
BAM Rose Cinemas
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
June 28 — July 7
Tickets: $10 unless otherwise noted
718-636-4100
This year, BAM’s annual Afro-Punk Weekend features a close examination of the Black Panthers, including movie screenings, a photography exhibit, and a discussion with one of the group’s most controversial members, Bobby Seale. Among the diverse collection of films that comment on the black experience in America are CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, GEORGE WASHINGTON, WHITE DOG, THE MAN, STILL A BROTHER, and fest regular AFRO-PUNK. There are also some remarkable music documentaries that feature amazing performances by such groundbreakers as Jimi Hendrix, Otis Redding, Charles Mingus, and Sun Ra. So in addition to celebrating freedom around the Fourth of July this summer, here’s a fascinating look at the ongoing struggle for another kind of freedom in America.
Thursday, June 28 Afro-Punk Opening Night: Discussion with Bobby Seale, followed by book signing and art reception, $15, 7:00
Friday, June 29 CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (J. Lee Thompson 1972), 2:00
Friday, June 29
through
Thursday, July 5 Afro-Punk Festival Art Lounge featuring selections from THE BLACK PANTHERS: MAKING SENSE OF HISTORY, photographs by Stephen Shames, and the Pratt art exhibition "Panthers, Punk, and Revolutionary Art," BAM Lobby and Natman Lounge, free
Sunday, July 1 Afro-Punk Block Party, with live music, an artist marketplace, DIY street vendors, children’s activities, and DJ Rich Medina, Clinton Ave. between Myrtle and Willoughby Aves., free, 12 noon — 5:00 pm
Sunday, July 1 CONQUEST OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (J. Lee Thompson 1972), 6:50
Friday, June 29 MINGUS (Thomas Reichman 1968), 4:30
Friday, June 29 AFRO-PUNK (James Spooner, 2003), Bad Brains Shorts (Nicola Lazenberg), and A CONVERSATION WITH BASQUIAT (Tamra Davis, 2006), followed by a Q&A with James Spooner, 7:00
Friday, June 29 BAMcafé Live: the Negro Problem featuring STEW, Cutlery, and the Last Waltz, no cover, no minimum
Friday, June 29 WHITE DOG (Samuel Fuller, 1982) and NOW! (Santiago Alvarez 1965), 9:45
Saturday, June 30 THE MAN (Joseph Sargent, 1972), 2:00
Saturday, June 30 GEORGE WASHINGTON (David Gordon Green, 2000), 4:30
Saturday, June 30 RIGHT ON! (Herbert Danska, 1969), followed by a Q&A with Herbert Danska and producer Woodie King Jr., 6:50
Saturday, June 30 MINGUS (Thomas Reichman 1968), 9:30
Saturday, June 30 BAMcafé Live: Mighty Fine, Tiombe Lockheart, and Swivel, no cover, no minimum
Sunday, July 1 THE FINAL COMEDOWN (Oscar Williams, 1972), 2:00
Sunday, July 1 STILL A BROTHER (William Greaves, 1968), 4:30
Sunday, July 1 WHITE LIES, BLACK SHEEP (James Spooner, work-in-progress), followed by a Q&A with James Spooner, 9:15
Monday, July 2 SPACE IS THE PLACE (John Coney, 1974), 4:30
Monday, July 2 SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM TAKE ONE (William Greaves, 1968), followed by a Q&A with William Greaves, 6:50
Monday, July 2 WHITE DOG (Samuel Fuller 1982) and NOW! (Santiago Alvarez 1965), 9:30
Tuesday July 3 AFRO-PUNK (James Spooner, 2003), Bad Brains Shorts (Nicola Lazenberg), and A CONVERSATION WITH BASQUIAT (Tamra Davis, 2006), 4:30
Tuesday, July 3 JIMI PLAYS MONTEREY (D.A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus, 1985), SHAKE: OTIS AT MONTEREY (D.A. Pennebaker & Chris Hegedus, 1986), and CHIEFS (Richard Leacock & Noel E. Permente, 1968), followed by a Q&A with D.A. Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus, 7:00
Tuesday, July 3 UR4 GIVEN (Cinqué Lee, 2004), followed by a Q&A with Cinqué Lee, 9:40
Wednesday, July 4 EYES OF THE RAINBOW (Gloria Rolando, 1997), and SUN UP TIL’ SUN DOWN: NO MORE PRISONS (Tania Cuevas-Martinez, 2003), followed by a Q&A with representatives from the Prison Moratorium Project and Hands off Assata campaigns, 2:00
Wednesday, July 4 What We Want, What We Believe, illustrated lecture by Black Panther Film Archives historian Roz Payne, 4:30
Wednesday, July 4 Black Panther Program: PASSIN’ IT ON (John Valadez, 1992), MAY DAY PANTHER, and BOBBY SEALE, 7:20
Wednesday, July 4 SPACE IS THE PLACE (John Coney, 1974), 9:30
Thursday, July 5 RIGHT ON! (Herbert Danska, 1969), 4:30
Thursday, July 5 LOVE STORY (Mike Kerry & Chris Hall, 2006), 6:50
Thursday, July 5 MINGUS (Thomas Reichman 1968), 9:15
Thursday, July 5 Game Rebellion, Whole Wheat Bread, the Objex, and others, Southpaw, 125 Fifth Ave.
Friday, July 6 Suffrajet, Apes, Jai alai Savant, and others, Southpaw, 125 Fifth Ave.
Saturday, July 7 First Saturdays: Live music by the Exit, Dragons of Zynth, Stephanie McKay, and the Smyrk, with DJ sets by CX Kidtronik and King Cole, Brooklyn Museum
Emilio Estevez discovers that the more you drive, the less intelligent you are
McCarren Park Pool
Lorimer St. between Driggs & Bayard Aves.
Tuesdays through August 21
Live music at 7:00, screening at 9:00
Admission: free
718-596-3462
Last year, for the first time McCarren Park Pool hosted a summer series of free music and movies. This year’s films are another eclectic offering, from such scary fare as NIGHT OF THE HUNTER to suck slacker classics as DAZED AND CONFUSED, from the genre-defining BONNIE AND CLYDE to REPO MAN, one of the funniest films ever made, as well as a rare screening of the sadly underrecognized grrrl power punk progenitor LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS, cowritten by Jonathan Demme and starring Diane Lane as a young punk rocker and also featuring Fee Waybill, Paul Simonon, Steve Jones, and Paul Cook.
Tuesday, July 3 BRING IT ON (Peyton Reed, 2000)
Tuesday, July 10 THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (Charles Laughton, 1955)
Robert Mitchum stars in Charles Laughton’s lurid story of traveling preacher/con man/murderer Harry Powell, who has the word "love" tattooed on one set of knuckles and "hate" on the other. While in prison, Powell bunks with Ben Harper (Peter Graves), who got caught stealing $10,000 — but Ben’s young son, John (Billy Chapin), is the only person who knows where the money is. When Preacher is released from jail, he shows up on the Harpers’ doorstep, ready to woo the widow Willa (Shelley Winters) — and get his hands on the money any way he can, including torturing John and his sister, Ruby (Gloria Castillo). Laughton’s only directorial effort is seriously flawed — the scenes in the beginning and end with Lillian Gish are wholly unnecessary and detract from the overall mood. Stanley Cortez’s cinematography is outstanding, featuring his unique use of shadows, the battle between light and dark (which plays off of several themes: old versus young, rich versus poor, good versus evil, and men versus women), and some marvelous silhouettes.
Tuesday, July 17 DAZED AND CONFUSED (Richard Linklater, 1993)
Tuesday, July 24 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE FABULOUS STAINS (Lou Adler, 1981)
Tuesday, July 31 REPO MAN (Alex Cox, 1984)
Tuesday, August 7 THREE KINGS (David O. Russell, 1999)
Tuesday, August 14 BONNIE AND CLYDE (Arthur Penn, 1967)
Tuesday, August 21 PURPLE RAIN (Albert Magnoli, 1984)
René Clair’s LE MILLION is part of French Institute series
CinémaTuesdays:
French Institute Alliance Française
Florence Gould Hall
55 East 59th St. between Park & Madison Aves.
Through July 31
Tickets: $9
212-355-6160
One of French cinema’s early masters, René Clair crossed genres with innovative ease, making musical comedies, sci-fi flicks, and avant-garde wonders. The French Institute honors his influential career with a look back at some of his finest works as well as some little-seen gems. We especially recommend the fun and fanciful LE MILLION (THE MILLION).
Tuesday, June 19 À NOUS LA LIBERTÉ (FREEDOM FOR US) (René Clair, 1931), 12:30, 4:00 & 7:30
Tuesday, June 26 LE MILLION (THE MILLION) (René Clair, 1931), 12:30, 4:00 & 7:30
Tuesday, July 3 IT HAPPENED TOMORROW (René Clair, 1944), 12:30, 4:00 & 7:30
Tuesday, July 10 BREAK THE NEWS (René Clair, 1937), 12:30, 4:00 & 7:30
Tuesday, July 17 LES BELLES DE NUIT (BEAUTIES OF THE NIGHT) (René Clair, 1952), 12:30, 4:00 & 7:30
Tuesday, July 24 LES GRANDES MANŒUVRES (THE GRAND MANEUVER) (René Clair, 1955), 12:30, 4:00 & 7:30
Tuesday, July 31 LES PORTES DES LILAS (THE GATES OF PARIS) (René Clair, 1957), 12:30, 4:00 & 7:30
Greta Garbo captures the world’s heart in NINOTCHKA
Symphony Space, Leonard Nimoy Thalia
2537 Broadway at 95th St.
July 7 — September 2
Tickets: $11
212-864-5400
In the near corner, born in Germany in 1901, is femme fatale extraordinaire Marlene Dietrich. In the far corner, born in Sweden in 1905, is three-time Oscar nominee Greta Garbo. This summer, Symphony Space pits the great Garbo against the deceptive Dietrich in a series of fab double features of films by such masters as von Sternberg, Wilder, Cukor, and Lubitsch. Most inspired pairing: BLONDE VENUS vs. CAMILLE. May the best woman win!
Saturday, July 7
and
Sunday, July 8 SCARLET EMPRESS (Josef von Sternberg, 1934), 6:00, and QUEEN CHRISTINA (Rouben Mamoulian, 1934), 8:00
Saturday, July 14
and
Sunday, July 15 A FOREIGN AFFAIR (Billy Wilder, 1948), 6:00, and NINOTCHKA (Ernst Lubitsch, 1939), 8:15
Saturday, July 21
and
Sunday, July 22 BLONDE VENUS (Josef von Sternberg, 1932), 6:00, and CAMILLE (George Cukor, 1937), 7:45
Saturday, July 28
and
Sunday, July 29 SHANGHAI EXPRESS (Josef von Sternberg, 1932), 6:00, and ANNA KARENINA (Clarence Brown, 1935), 7:30
Saturday, August 4
and
Sunday, August 5 MOROCCO (Josef von Sternberg, 1930), 6:00, and A WOMAN OF AFFAIRS (Clarence Brown, 1928), 7:45
Saturday, August 11
and
Sunday, August 12 DISHONORED (Josef von Sternberg, 1931), 6:00, and MATA HARI (George Fitzmaurice, 1931), 7:45
Marlene Dietrich shows her mean side in THE BLUE ANGEL
Saturday, August 18
and
Sunday, August 19 THE BLUE ANGEL (Josef von Sternberg, 1930), 6:00, and FLESH AND THE DEVIL (Clarence Brown, 1926), 8:00
Saturday, August 25
Saturday, September 1
and
Sunday, September 2 THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (Josef von Sternberg, 1935), 6:00, and CONQUEST (Clarence Brown, 1937), 7:30
The first Staten Island Film Festival
ended with a bang last year
Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 1000 Richmond Terr.
Staten Island Academy, 715 Todt Hill Rd.
CSI Center for the Arts, 2800 Victory Blvd.
St. George Theatre, 35 Hyatt St.
Richmond County Savings Bank Ballpark, 75 Richmond Terr.
June 20-24
Individual tickets: $6; All-Day Pass $10
Screening Pass $25; Festival Pass $100; Super Pass $150
718-477-1400
This second annual event features four days of film screenings, panel discussions, parties, and more throughout Staten Island, including at Wagner College, Snug Harbor, the Staten Island Academy, the Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, St. Joseph-by-the-Sea High School, St. John’s University, the CSI Center for the Arts, and other locations, The films are a mix of shorts, features, and documentaries, with such stars as Roy Scheider, Daryl Hannah, Steve Guttenberg, Amber Benson, Ed Koch, Frank Vincent, Vincent Pastore, and others.
Wednesday, June 20 NORMAL PEOPLE SCARE ME (Taylor Cross, 2007), Wagner College, 7:00
Wednesday, June 20 FACING SUDAN (Bruce Janu, 2007), Wagner College, 9:00
Thursday, June 21 Opening Night VIP Reception, with David Blaine live and screening of THE POET (Damian Lee, 2007), Super Pass holders only, Snug Harbor, 7:00
Friday, June 22 Panel discussion on careers in New York City’s entertainment production industry, with Katherine Oliver, St. George Theatre, 3:00
Friday, June 22 MILLIONS (A LOTTERY STORY) (Paul La Blanc, 2007), St. Joseph-by-the-Sea High School, 7:00
Friday, June 22 GET THRASHED: THE STORY OF THRASH METAL (Rick Ernst, 2007), College of Staten Island Recital Hall, 9:00
Friday, June 22 MOJAVE PHONE BOOTH (John Putch, 2007), Snug Harbor, 9:00
Saturday, June 23 BROTHERLY JAZZ: THE HEATH BROTHERS (Jesse Block, 2007), St. John’s University, 12 noon
Saturday, June 23 SIMPLE THINGS (Andrew C. Erin, 2007), Staten Island Academy, 2:00
Saturday, June 23 DOUGH BOYS (Louis Lombardi, 2007), St. Joseph-by-the-Sea High School, 4:00
Saturday, June 23 DIVERGENCE (Patrick Donnelly, 2007), St. John’s University, 6:00
Saturday, June 23 REVOLUTION ’67 (Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno, 2007), Wagner College, 6:00
Saturday, June 23 SAINT OF 9/11 (Glenn Holsten, 2007), St. Joseph-by-the-Sea High School, 6:00
Saturday, June 23 TWO TICKETS TO PARADISE (D. B. Sweeney, 2007), Snug Harbor, 8:00
Saturday, June 23 Special screening of EVERYONE’S HERO (Christopher Reeve) following Staten Island Yankees game, Richmond County Savings Bank Ballpark
twi-ny/mdr
Stephanie McMillan, Neil Swaab, and Neil Kleid work NBM booth at MOCCA 2006
Puck Building
293 Lafayette St. at Houston St.
June 23-24, 11:00 am — 6:00 pm
Tickets: $8 per day, $10 per weekend, at the door
212-254-3511
The sixth annual festival sponsored by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art features another great lineup of exhibitors and guests; among our favorite exhibitors this year are Drawn & Quarterly, Fantagraphic Books, First Second Books, Friends of Lulu, Giant Robot, Meathaus, and NBM, as well as individuals Jessica Abel, Alison Bechdel, Brendan Burford, Liz Baillie, Jacob Chabot, Farel Dalrymple, Evan Dorkin, Denis Kitchen, Neil Kleid, Hope Larson, Anders Nilsen, Fay Ryu, and Bill Sienkiewicz, virtually all of whom we first discovered at previous MOCCA fests. Much, much smaller than such Javits Center events as BookExpo America and New York Comic Con, the MOCCA Art Festival is far more intimate; very often you’ll be buying indie comics and drawings from the artists and writers themselves, who work their booths all weekend long. From dollar comics to oversized hardcovers, there’s a wide range of merchandise and material for sale. Much of it is cash only, so be sure to hit a bank machine before you go in; otherwise, you might lose out on that last copy of something special.
Saturday, June 23 Paul Karasik on Fletcher Hanks, 10:15 am
Saturday, June 23 D+Q Cartoonists’ Showcase: Gabrielle Bell, Anders Nilsen, Kevin Huizenga, 11:00 am
Saturday, June 23 Applying for Grants and Scholarships, 12:20
Saturday, June 23 Festival Award: Alison Bechdel, 1:30
Saturday, June 23 Keith Knight, 2:45
Saturday, June 23 Jeffrey Brown, 4:00
Saturday, June 23 Lauren Weinstein, 5:05
Sunday, June 24 Minx: The Face of Modern Fiction, 10:30 am
Sunday, June 24 Austin Grossman (author of Soon I Will Be Invincible), 11:00 am
Sunday, June 24 Reportage, Memoir and Comics: David Axe, Brendan Burford, Greg Cook, and Ted Rall, 11:45 am
Sunday, June 24 AWP Roundtable: Gabrielle Bell, Alex Holden, Tom K., Jon Lewis, Aaron Renier, and Karen Sneider, 12:50
Sunday, June 24 Kim Deitch, 2:00
Sunday, June 24 Craig Yoe, 3:00
Sunday, June 24 Joe Matt, 4:00
Sunday, June 24 Nordic Animation Screening, 5:05
Slimy chills are abundant at this year’s Coney Island film series
Coney Island Museum
1208 Surf Ave. between Stillwell Ave. and West 12th St.
Saturday nights at 8:30 through September 8
Tickets $5, including free popcorn
718-372-5159
http://www.coneyisland.com/films
This year’s Coney Island film series is a sweet mix of sideshow curiosities, terrific trash, and classic cinema, from Russ Meyer’s SUPERVIXENS to Al Pacino in DOG DAY AFTERNOON, from such low-budget magic as THE BEACH GIRLS AND THE MONSTER and THE TERROR OF TINY TOWN to Spielberg’s JAWS and the sexy hot FRITZ THE CAT. Plus, screenings are only five bucks, and they come with free popcorn!
Saturday, June 30 SUPERVIXENS (Russ Meyer, 1975)
Saturday, July 7 JAWS (Steven Spielberg, 1975)
Saturday, July 14 DOG DAY AFTERNOON (Sidney Lumet, 1975)
Saturday, July 21 KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (Stephen Chiodo, 1988), preceded by FOOL (Lux Killmore)
Saturday, July 28 VIVA LAS VEGAS (George Sidney, 1964)
Saturday, August 4 AT THE CIRCUS (Edward Buzzell, 1939)
Saturday, August 11 THE BEACH GIRLS AND THE MONSTER (Jon Hall, 1965), preceded by ATTACK OF THE CONEY ISLAND KILLER CRAWFISH (Lux Killmore)
Saturday, August 18 THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT (Stephan Elliott , 1994)
Saturday, August 25 FRITZ THE CAT (Ralph Bakshi, 1972)
Saturday, September 1 BIG TOP PEE WEE (Randal Kleiser, 1988)
Saturday, September 8 THE TERROR OF TINY TOWN (Sam Newfield, 1938), preceded by LOST WEEKENDERS (Lux Killmore)
Mermaid Parade turns twenty-five this summer
Beginning at Surf Avenue between West Tenth & West Fifteenth Sts.
Admission: free
718-372-5159
http://www.coneyisland.com/mermaid
Saturday, June 23 Twenty-fifth annual parade, with antique cars, push/pull floats, motorized floats, and lots of strangeness, with celebrity King Neptune and Queen Mermaid to be announced, 2:00 pm (10:00 am to noon if you are marching and need to register)
Sideshows by the Seashore
Surf Ave. & West 12th St.
Coney Island, Brooklyn
Friday night burlesque & vaudeville shows at 10:00, followed by fireworks
Thursday night Bawdville at the Beach shows at 10:00
Through September 21
Admission: $10 at the door
http://www.coneyislandusa.com/burlesque
Things always get a little wild at the annual Burlesque at the Beach shows, featuring scantily clad men and women and double entendres up the wazoo. As with so much of Coney, you won’t believe your eyes.
Friday, June 29 The World Famous Pontani Sisters, with Murray Hill, Miss Cyclone 2007 Angie Pontani, Corn Mo, Helen Pontani, Peekaboo Pointe, and surprise guest
Friday. July 6 Le Scandal Rockin Country Blues Variety-Burlesque Show, with the NYC Blues Devils
Thursday, July 12 Sweet & Nasty Burlesque
Friday, July 13 Starshine Burlesque Presents: I *pastie* NY, a burlesque love/hate story, with Creamy Stevens, Little Brooklyn, Tigger!, Nasty Canasta, Darlinda Just Darlinda, and DJ Fresh Prince of Darkness
Thursday, July 19 Rose Wood Presents: Sister Frederique’s Home for Wayward Girls
Friday, July 20 Fisherman’s Love Luau, with Bunny Love, Harvest Moon, Pinky Special, Gal Friday, Heather Holiday, and Albert Cadabra.
Thursday, July 26 Red Hots Burlesque’s Clowns of Coney Island, featuring Dottie Lux, Serpentina, Insectavora, Krazy Kanz, Donny V, Heather Holiday, Black Cat Burlesque, Remy Vicious, Scott Baker, and more
Friday, July 27 Christmas in July
Thursday, August 2 The Peach Tartes present "Alice in Coney ’Land"
Friday, August 3 Joe Boobs Follies Fromage Amateur Night
Thursday, August 9 Miss Saturn’s HulaPalooza!
Friday, August 10 Bambi’s Undersea Spectacular
Thursday, August 16 Ophelia Rottencrotch’s Funeral
Friday, August 17 America’s Favorite Burlesque Game Show — This or That! hosted by Fredini and Julie Atlas Muz with Fisherman, Bambi, and Bunny
Thursday, August 23 Tigger’s Boylesque
Friday, August 24 Insectavora’s Trailer Trash Birthday Bash! featuring Dotti Lux, Heather Holliday, Li’l Brooklyn, Remy Vicious, Serpentina, and others, party at 8:00, show at 10:00
Thursday, August 30 The Baby Daddy Show
Friday, August 31 Remy Vicious’ Lucha Muerte Atomicos — Dos! featuring Heather Holiday, Insectavora, Dottie Lux, Little Brooklyn, Viva Kneviel, and others
Friday, September 7 Pinchbottom Burlesque
Friday, September 14 The Miss Coney Island Burlesque Beauty Pageant
Friday, September 21 America’s Favorite Burlesque Game Show: This or That!
twi-ny/mdr
Landmarked Childs Restaurant Building is home to benefit ball
Childs Restaurant Building
Boardwalk and West 21st St.
Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at the door, $50 VIP package
http://www.mermaidparadeball.com
Saturday, June 23 Benefit for Coney Island USA, featuring Jill Cunniff, the Shapes, Mighty Fine, the Atomic Grind Show, Aa (Big A little a), DJ Jess and DJ Xerox, Bambi the Mermaid, Bunny Love, Jo Boobs, Little Brooklyn, Tigger, Dottie Lux, and Albert Cadabra, hosted by Todd Robbins and Adam Rinn, 6:00 pm — 12 midnight
twi-ny/mdr
Takeru Kobayashi looks for lucky number seven this year
Wednesday, July 4, 12 noon
Sweikert Alley, Nathan’s Famous, 1310 Surf Ave. at Stillwell Ave.
212-627-5766
Since 1916, Nathan’s has been sponsoring a hot dog eating contest in which men and women from all over the world compete to see who can devour the most hot dogs (and buns) in twelve minutes. Each contestant has his or her own method; some dunk the bread in water before swallowing, while others just stuff the slimy dogs down their throats. Japan placed one-two-three in the event in 2000, the biggest upset since Hirofumi "the Tokyo Terror" Nakajima kicked local Queens hero Ed Krachie’s butt in 1997. Don’t miss this year’s thrilling battle for the Coveted Mustard Yellow International Belt as the United States sets out to reassert good old Yankee pride on the Fourth of July, attempting to swipe the championship right out from under the hungry jaws of six-time champ Takeru Kobayashi, who set the record last year by downing 53.75 dogs in the allotted time, coming from behind to narrowly beat rookie Joey Chestnut, who swallowed 52 dogs. If you visit Nathan’s official site, there’s a buy one, get one free coupon good through the end of the year.
© Edward Burtynsky
Documentary about Edward Burtynsky is filled with unsettling beauty
Film Forum
209 West Houston St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves.
Opens June 20
212-727-8110
http://www.filmforum.org/films/manufactured.html
Burtynsky at the Brooklyn Museum
Photographer Edward Burtynsky has been traveling the world with his large-format viewfinder camera, taking remarkable photographs of environmental landscapes undergoing industrial change. Cinematographer Peter Mettler and director Jennifer Baichwal joined Burtynsky on his journey as he documented ships being broken down in Chittagong, Bangladesh; the controversial development of the Three Gorges Dam Project in China, which displaced more than a million people; the uniformity at a factory in Cankun that makes irons and the Deda Chicken Processing Plant in Dehui City; as well as various mines and quarries. Burtynsky’s photos, which were on view at the Brooklyn Museum in late 2005, are filled with gorgeous colors and a horrible sadness at the lack of humanity they portray. As in the exhibit, the audience is not hit over the head with facts and figures and environmental rhetoric; instead, the pictures pretty much speak for themselves, although Burtynsky does give some limited narration. Baichwal lets the camera linger on its subject, as in the remarkable opening shot, a long, slow pan across a seemingly endless factory. She is also able to get inside the photographs, making them appear to be three-dimensional as she slowly pulls away. The 8:10 screening at Film Forum on June 20 will be followed by a Q&A with Burtynsky and director Baichwal.
Gena Rowlands takes Parker Posey shopping for a good man in BROKEN ENGLISH
Opens Friday, June 22
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
143 East Houston St. between First & Second Aves.
212-330-8182
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
1886 Broadway between 62nd & 63rd Sts.
212-757-0359
http://lincolnplaza.moviefone.com
http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/NewYork/NewYork_frameset.htm
Parker Posey is simply delightful as Nora Wilder, the hard-pressed protagonist of BROKEN ENGLISH, the debut feature film by writer-director Zoe Cassavetes. Nora is the behind-the-scenes concierge of a ritzy Midtown hotel who, while pulling off miracles for the hotel’s VIPs, can’t get anything to work in her own life. Her mother (Gena Rowlands) and seemingly happily married best friend (Drea de Matteo) try their best to help, but she seems doomed to live life alone. After a series of ridiculously bad dates, she’s about to give up on ever falling in love when she bumps into Julien (Melvil Poupaud), a gorgeous but somewhat goofy French playboy-type who is everything she never wanted in a long-term relationship. Despite her misgivings, the two hit it off, but that is only the start of a whole new slew of problems. Cassavetes, the daughter of John Cassavetes and Rowlands, shows an astute sensibility in BROKEN ENGLISH, mixing in pathos and humor with a fine ear for dialogue and good character development. The film also includes some great New York locations, including Film Forum, the Central Park Zoo (where Cassavetes brutally steals a scene from Woody Allen), the Chambers Hotel, and more.
Ben Kingsley and Téa Leoni develop an offbeat relationship in YOU KILL ME
Opens Friday, June 22
http://www.youkillmethefilm.com
John Dahl’s YOU KILL ME opens with a fabulous scene in which a man (Ben Kingsley) walks out onto his stoop, swigs from a bottle of vodka, tosses it a bit ahead of him, then shovels some snow until he reaches the bottle again, then takes another swallow, tosses it again, shovels, etc. It immediately establishes the nature of the character, a hit man named Frank Falenczyk who toils for the Polish mob in Buffalo. (Who knew?) But when he blows a crucial assignment to kill incoming Irish boss O’Leary (Dennis Farina), the family insists he either go to rehab in San Francisco or else. Unfortunately, despite the good setup, the rest of the film is maddeningly uneven, as Frank begins attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, hangs out with his sponsor, a gay toll taker (Luke Wilson), gets pushed around by a slimy real estate dude (Bill Pullman), and falls for a beautiful but confused younger woman (Téa Leoni). Dahl, one of Hollywood’s best modern-noir directors, has done better, with such complex thrillers as RED ROCK WEST and THE LAST SEDUCTION. YOU KILL ME does feature fine performances by Kingsley and Leoni, but otherwise the plot is just too dried out.
Michael Moore heads to Paris to look for quality health care in SiCKO
Opens Friday, June 22
After taking on GM in ROGER & ME, the gun lobby in BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, and the Iraq war in FAHRENHEIT 9/11, Michael Moore goes after the health-care industry in SiCKO, another vastly entertaining and wildly informative documentary that will make you laugh till it hurts. Instead of focusing on the 50 million Americans who don't have health insurance, Moore zeroes in on the 250 million who do — and still can’t afford treatment when they become seriously ill. Collecting ridiculous stories culled from tens of thousands e-mailed to him via his Website, Moore shares remarkable tales of maddening insurance company denials, including one woman who was dragged unconscious from a car accident and taken to the hospital — and whose carrier refused to pay for the ambulance because she failed to get the emergency ride preapproved. And that’s only the tip of this melting iceberg. Moore goes inside the industry to reveal frightening details of how these for-profit institutions run and why it is always in their best interest to say no. He also travels to Canada, France, England, and even Cuba to show how the supposed evils of socialized medicine actually work for everyone. And just wait till you see how Nixon and Reagan are involved. SiCKO rips the million-dollar mask off the health-care industry; be prepared to leave the theater as mad as hell and not wanting to take it anymore.
Opens Friday, June 29
Village East
181 Second Ave. at 12th St.
212-777-3456
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
1886 Broadway between 62nd & 63rd Sts.
212-757-0359
http://lincolnplaza.moviefone.com
http://citycinemas.moviefone.com
http://www.sonyclassics.com/vitus
Six-year-old Vitus (Fabrizio Borsani) is a child prodigy, a genius who is a wunderkind at the piano. While his parents (Julika Jenkins and Urs Jucker) nurture his abilities and try to protect him as much as possible, his grandfather (Bruno Ganz) attempts to make sure he is a real boy, doing the kinds of things real boys do — including wanting to fly. Six years later, Vitus (piano virtuoso Teo Gheorghiu) is not quite as cute as he used to be, going from precocious to obnoxious as he shows up his teachers in class and has no friends — other than his grandfather. But one night he does something crazy that turns his life upside down, deeply affecting everyone around him. Both Borsani and Gheorghiu are excellent as Vitus, although the former is ridiculously cute and particularly memorable. Ganz is strong in a role that could have been melodramatic, and Jenkins and Jucker stand out as well. Directed and cowritten by Swiss filmmaker Fredi M. Murer, VITUS, a favorite at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, is an extraordinary film, a brilliant examination of childhood and the overwhelming power of music.
Opens Friday, July 6
Cinema Village
22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
212-924-3363
Chalerm Wongpim’s Eastern Western is a goofy romp through territory once trod upon by Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, and Toshiro Mifune, but with a wee bit of a Thai twist. Dan Chupong stars as Jone Bang Fai, a mysterious Robin Hood-like warrior who defends the rights of local buffalo herders and farmers by employing his impressive Muy Thai boxing skills and flying through the air on homemade missiles (reminiscent of Slim Pickens in DR. STRANGELOVE). He also seeks the nasty villain who brutally murdered his parents right before his eyes when he was a child. Meanwhile, modernization is arriving in the form of motorized tractors being sold by the effeminate Lord Waeng (Leo Putt), who has hired a bloodthirsty cannibal (Somdet Kaewleu) to steal (or kill and eat) all the water buffalo so the villagers will be forced to buy the new machines. But when the magic-laden Sing (Samart Payakarun) enters the picture, Jone Bang Fai finds an ally in the once-powerful Black Wizard (Panna Rittikrai), who tells him that only the menstrual blood of a virgin can stop Sing — and as luck would have it, the wizard’s beautiful daughter, E’Sao (Kanyaphak Suwankut), is up for the task. DYNAMITE WARRIOR is a fun, action-packed flick with plenty of plot holes that will leave you scratching your head, but only for a split second, ’cause you're not gonna wanna miss the next cool, ridiculous scene.
Things get a little dark for Maria Järvenhelmi and Janne Hyytiäinen in LIGHTS IN THE DUSK
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at Third St.
Through June 27
212-924-7771
The final installment in his self-described Loser Trilogy (following DRIFTING CLOUDS and THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST), LIGHTS IN THE DUSK is another existential masterpiece from Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki. Janne Hyytiäinen stars as Koistinen, a pathetic little security guard who has pipe dreams of starting his own company. A lonely man with no friends — except for Aila (Maria Heiskanen), who runs a late-night hot-dog van and whom he continually shuns — Koistinen is easily taken in by Mirja (Maria Järvenhelmi), a romantic interest who has ulterior motives. But no matter how bad things get for Koistinen — and they get pretty bad — he just wanders his way through it all, preferring to simply accept the consequences, no matter how undeserved, rather than take a more active role in his life. The character has a lot in common with Kati Outinen’s sad-sack, trampled-upon Iris from Kaurismäki’s THE MATCH FACTORY GIRL — in fact, Outinen makes a cameo in LIGHTS IN THE DUSK as a cashier at a grocery store.
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
1886 Broadway between 62nd & 63rd Sts.
212-757-0359
http://lincolnplaza.moviefone.com
http://www.sonyclassics.com/thelivesofothers
Winnter of the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, THE LIVES OF OTHERS is a tense political thriller set in 1980s East Berlin. Ulriche Mühe gives a mesmerizing performance as Capt. Gerd Wiesler, an expert interrogator for the Stasi, the German Democratic Republic’s secret police, who keep a close watch on all suspicious activity — and to them, everything is suspicious. When powerful culture minister Bruno Hempf (Thomas Thieme) tells Wiesler’s nervous yes-man boss, Lt. Col. Anton Grubitz (Ulrich Tukur), to spy on noted playwright Georg Dreyman (Sebastian Koch), Wiesler takes the case, setting up audio surveillance on Dreyman and his actress girlfriend, Christa-Maria Sieland (Martina Gedeck). But when the ever-loyal, humorless, always stalwart Wiesler discovers that Hempf ordered the surveillance primarily because he has a thing for Sieland, Wiesler begins to reconsider the case — and the ultimate responsibility of the Stasi itself. And the more he learns, the more he understands. THE LIVES OF OTHERS was written and directed by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, making an extremely impressive feature-film debut, capturing a precarious, paranoid part of recent German history in which the vast majority of the nation was either being spied on or were informers themselves.
Satoshi Kon’s animated fantasy is set in a dreamlike future
Village East
181 Second Ave. at 12th St.
212-777-3456
http://citycinemas.moviefone.com
http://www.sonyclassics.com/paprika
Based on the novel by Yasutaka Tsutsui, PAPRIKA is an animated, futuristic sci-fi thriller in which reality and dreams merge in clever and confusing ways. The title character is a superhero psychotherapist who can enter people’s dreams by using cutting-edge technology known as the DC MINI, which was invented by Dr. Tokita, a huge man with a baby face and a tremendous appetite. When one of the prototypes is stolen, Paprika, whose alter ego is Dr. Atsuko Chiba of the Foundation for Psychiatric Research, sets out to find the thief, who is using the invaluable — and not fully tested and approved — equipment for seemingly evil purposes. Other central characters include Torataro Shima, the adorable old chief of the lab; the ruthless, wheelchair-bound foundation chairman, Seijiro Inui; Detective Konakawa, who develops a liking for Paprika; Dr. Osanai, a hunky researcher; and lab assistant Himuro, who has gone missing but can be seen in dreams. Adapted by Satoshi Kon, the director of MILLENNIUM ACTRESS and TOKYO GODFATHERS, and featuring the voices of Megumi Hayashibara, Toru Emori, Katsunosuke Hori, Toru Furuya, and Akio Ohtsuka, PAPRIKA is an entertaining, if at times hard to follow, anime with lots of cute characters and some very beautiful scenes.
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
143 East Houston St. between First & Second Aves.
212-330-8182
http://www.landmarktheatres.com
http://www.firstlookstudios.com/pjt
The City of Light is celebrated in eighteen short tales about love and loss in PARIS JE T’AIME, each set in a different Paris neighborhood. Each director was assigned a location and given only a few days to shoot a work of no more than five minutes. Joel & Ethan Coen set "Tuilieries" in the Metro, where an American tourist (Steve Buscemi) pays the price for making eye contact with a couple making out across the tracks. In Isabel Coixet’s "Bastille," a cheating husband (Sergio Castellito) decides to dump his girlfriend (Leonor Watling) and help his wife (Miranda Richardson) fight cancer. In Nouhiro Suwa’s "Place des Victoires," a grieving mother (Juliette Binoche) wants one last chance to say goodbye to her dead son, with assistance from a mysterious cowboy on a horse (Willem Dafoe). The producers cleverly put Vincenzo Natali’s vampire story, "Quartier de la Madeleine," after Wes Craven’s surprisingly poignant "Pere-Lachaise," which is set in the famous cemetery (and with Alexander Payne, who directed the bittersweet "14eme Arrondissement," playing Oscar Wilde).
While there are no blockbusters, the majority of the films are successful in their own way, and because they’re only five minutes long, the dull ones are over rather quickly. Other highlights include Gus Van Sant’s "Le Marais," Alfonso Cuaron’s "Parc Monceau" (with Nick Nolte, Ludivine Sagnier, and a cool plot twist), Oliver Schmitz’s evocative "Place des Fetes," and Frédéric Auburtin and Gérard Depardieu’s "Quartier Latin," with Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands preparing to make their divorce final. Interestingly, Olivier Assayas’s "Quartier des Enfants Rouges" features Maggie Gyllenhaal as an actress with a drug problem; last year, Gyllenhaal starred in Laurie Collyer’s SHERRYBABY, which was essentially an uncredited remake of Assayas’s 2004 film CLEAN, with Maggie Cheung in the drug-addict role.
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
1886 Broadway between 62nd & 63rd Sts.
212-757-0359
http://lincolnplaza.moviefone.com
http://www.sonyclassics.com/thevalet
An absolutely delightful, thoroughly charming farce, THE VALET is the best French episode of THREE’S COMPANY never filmed. (And we mean that in a completely complimentary way.) Written and directed by Francis Veber (LE CHEVRE, LE JAGUAR), THE VALET has a ridiculously silly plot stolen right out of a 1970s sitcom: Accidentally photographed with married billionaire CEO Pierre Levasseur (Daniel Auteuil) and his supermodel girlfriend (Alice Taglioni), hapless valet François (Gad Elmaleh) is paid by Pierre to pretend that he is Elena’s real boyfriend in an attempt to dupe the executive’s determined, suspicious wife, Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas). But Christine is not easily convinced, putting poor François in the middle of a major power play when all he wants is the simple love of his childhood friend, bookstore owner Emilie (Virginie Ledoyen). Got that? Auteuil is appropriately over the top, Scott Thomas is wonderfully ice cold, and Taglioni shows she is more than just a stunning beauty, but the film belongs to Elmaleh, who has the eyes and the demeanor of a young Buster Keaton. THE VALET is as sweetly silly as it is riotously funny.
twi-ny/ees
Peaches gets down and dirty at the Highline Ballroom
Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th St. between Ninth & Tenth Aves.
Wednesday, June 20
212-414-5994
http://www.highlineballroom.com
The young, the beautiful, and the faintly arty were out in force on June 20 at the Highline Ballroom, wearing sky-high stiletto stripper shoes, gold lamé minis, and all manner of strings and loops masquerading as shirts, primed for fun, fun, fun — with mild raunch-style dressing on the side. They were there for Peaches, creator of the immortal “Impeach My Bush,” electroclash’s noisiest, cheesiest, and possibly most endearing provocateur. Female empowerment? Female debasement? Post-structural subverter of gender roles? Aging paunchy chick playing drag queen? Does it even matter, as long as a good time was had by all? Carried through the crowd on her handlers’ shoulders, Peaches took the stage with no band, no backup, and a black plastic bag of costumes, performing a sort of karaoke burlesque send-up, strutting and posing, changing costumes in full view of the audience, pulling lamé and glittery things from the bag on a bare, bare stage. A rousing “Two Guys for Every Girl,” “Downtown,” and several unprintable song titles followed. She played a little guitar, chugged a beer in one gulp, drank whiskey supplied by the audience, and poured water over her head and shook her hair like a dog, camping it up all the way. At one point she exclaimed, “I’m ridiculous! I love it.” We loved it too.
http://richardthompson-music.com
Only Richard Thompson (and maybe Van Morrison) could get away with naming an album after a phrase in an obscure sonnet by Edmund Spenser. One of music’s finest songwriters and most exciting guitarists, Thompson has been putting out great albums since the 1960s, with Fairport Convention, his wife Linda, and solo, and he has struck gold again with his latest, SWEET WARRIOR (Shout Factory, May 2007). In the opener, "Needle and Thread," a straight-ahead rocker, Thompson sings about his problems with women, announcing with confidence, "I’ll thread up my needle and then / I’m gonna sew my soul back together again," but we know it’s not quite that easy. Danny Thompson’s (no relation) acoustic bass anchors "I’ll Never Give It Up," which also features some fine jangling guitars. Thompson takes on war and killing in two brutally honest tunes, "Dad’s Gonna Kill Me" (a message to Bush 43) and "Guns Are the Tongues," fitting counterparts to such lovely ballads as "Take Care the Road You Choose," "She Sang Angels to Rest," and "Sunset Song." And just try getting the irresistible chorus of "Poppy-Red" out of your mind. Thompson also shows he hasn’t lost his trademark wicked sense of humor, employing it to fine use in such songs as "Mr. Stupid" ("When your friends point out you’re stuck with / A Neanderthal for an ex / Don’t fret about it, darling / I still sign my name on cheques"), and "Bad Monkey" ("Where’s the joy in a boy who dribbles / When he drinks his tea / I’ve seen better manners from a baby chimpanzee"). Thompson will be bringing his band to Prospect Park for a free show as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn! festival in what is sure to be one of the best shows of the summer, as Thompson is a marvel onstage. Don’t miss it.
twi-ny/mdr
Richard Thompson leads his band through the Brooklyn rain
Celebrate Brooklyn! 2007
Prospect Park Bandshell
Thursday, June 21
http://www.brooklynx.org/celebrate
http://richardthompson-music.com
Richard Thompson Band slideshow
A torrential downpour and awesome lightning strikes were not going to stop Richard Thompson from completing his appointed rounds in Prospect Park on June 21. One of music’s greatest guitarists and songwriters was there to play yet another of his killer shows, storm or no storm. Relying heavily on his strong new album, SWEET WARRIOR, Thompson and his band — Michael Jerome on drums, Taras Prodaniuk on bass, and Pete Zorn on just about anything he could get his hands on, including electric and acoustic guitar, tenor and baritone sax, flute, and tin whistle — delighted the dedicated, drenched audience with a generous sampling of intelligent pop, tender folk ballads, and plenty of acerbic wit. After opening with two songs from SWEET WARRIOR, “Needle and Thread” and “Bad Monkey,” which featured one of many trademark extended guitar solos Thompson would play throughout the evening, the band was forced to leave the stage because of the rain, but they were soon back with such treats as the mournful “Al Bowlly’s in Heaven,” the stirring “A Man in Need,” old-time fave “I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight,” and the jaunty roller-coaster ride “Wall of Death.” Having so much fun he didn’t want to leave, Thompson came out for two sets of encores — including a beautiful version of “Persuasion” with his son Teddy — finishing up with a rollicking “Tear Stained Letter,” proving once again that he is one of the best performers in music today.
Living legend and genuine rock star Ian Hunter has been making some of the best music of his five-decade career this century, beginning with 2001’s RANT and 2003’s STRINGS ATTACHED concert DVD. The former leader of Mott the Hoople is back with his first album of all-new material in six years, SHRUNKEN HEADS (Yep Roc, May 2007), on which the senior citizen shows that he’s still got his unique lyrical sense and keen ear for an infectious beat. On the very first song, in fact, "Words (Big Mouth)," Hunter refers to words as "little beads of poison letting out the venom," "cruel little clusters maiming the vernacular," and "nasty little lizards . . . grammatical bacteria." He also says he has a big mouth, and on SHRUNKEN HEADS he uses it to apologize for romantic mistakes and to take on consumerism run amok, poverty, politics, and the sad shape of the world. He also takes a shot at himself in "I Am What I Hated When I Was Young," singing, "I’m slowing down, I’m getting old ‘n’ my back is getting bad / I just sit ‘n’ moan all day." The rock-and-roll survivor does more than just moan on such rockers as "Brainwashed" and "Fuss About Nothin’" and such classic Hunter ballads as "Guiding Light" and the beautiful "Read ’em ‘n’ Weep." The longtime East Coast resident also pulls no punches on the current administration, attacking the handling of Hurricane Katrina in "How’s Your House," the power of the rich in "Shrunken Heads," and the state of the nation in "Soul of America," in which he sings, "And them good old boys in their three piece suits / Feathering their nests while they’re rallying the troops / They cut off the flowers, don’t worry ’bout the roots / Eroding the soul of America." Hunter, who is a great live entertainer, will be playing the Highline Ballroom with his crack band on June 23; don’t be surprised to find yourself just as engaged with the newer material as with "All the Young Dudes," "All the Way from Memphis," and "I Wish I Was Your Mother." The Silos are the opening act.
twi-ny/ees
Ian Hunter rocks all the old dudes at the Highline Ballroom
The Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th St. between Ninth & Tenth Aves.
Saturday, June 23
http://www.highlineballroom.com
Ian Hunter’s rock-and-roll circus came to town on June 23, in support of his fine new record, SHRUNKEN HEADS. His trademark opening, “Hallo hallo hallo hallo,” kicked off “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” starting a series of songs Hunter played sitting on a stool, resting his bad back. Recent such as SHRUNKEN HEADS’ “Words (Big Mouth),” the 9/11 lament “Twisted Steel,” the gorgeous “Wash Us Away,” and the acerbic “Soul of America” shared the stage with such old-timers as “Seeing Double,” a snippet of “I Wish I Was Your Mother,” a tender “The Ballad of Mott the Hoople,” and a rockin’ double shot of “Angeline” and “23A Swan Hill” that got Hunter off the stool and interacting with his excellent band, featuring the legendary Steve Holley on drums, newcomer Paul Page on bass, reliable Andy Burton on keyboards, steadfast James Mastro on guitar and mandolin, and the phenomenal MC Bosch taking soaring solos all night long. For the five-song encore, Hunter brought out his former lead guitarist and current coproducer, Andy York, getting things going with two mellower tunes, the new “When the World Was Round” and the Hunter classic “Irene Wilde,” before exploding with the Mott the Hoople trilogy of “Roll Away the Stone,” “Saturday Gigs,” and “All the Young Dudes,” the four guitars practically tearing down the walls of Chelsea’s Highline Ballroom, making these old nuggets sound as fresh as the day they were born. Hunter may be a senior citizen, but this was no mere greatest-hits retro show but an exhilarating night of great rock and roll.
Piano’s Upstairs Lounge
158 Ludlow St. at Stanton St.
Sunday, June 24, 9:00
Admission: free
212-505-3733
http://www.myspace.com/juniorleaguetunes
The sounds of DC’s the Junior League will be on display once again Sunday night as they finish up a June residency at the upstairs lounge at Piano’s on the Lower East Side. With a nod to Appalachian roots and a focus on songwriting and strong melodies, the Junior League presents a contemporary take on a traditional sound, sonically shuffling the deck from week to week. The group’s magical shape-shifting powers (driven by a sparkling collective ingenuity . . . or perhaps logistics) promise an element of mystery as to what form the lineup will present itself as. They’ve been known to feature a fierce fiddle at folk festivals, busk drumless and acoustic on street corners, and even serve up a touch of tasteful accordion on their brand-new CD, OH DEAR. Always, though, the band’s rural-tinged Americana is driven by banjo, guitar, and mandolin and highlighted by the sweet vocals of the delectable Lissy Rosemont (formerly of the Rosemont Family Reunion), while more often than not featuring a solid backbeat and a dose of blues-drenched harmonica for good measure. The Younger Sister Band gets things going at 8:00.
Hammerstein Ballroom
Monday, June 25
311 West 34th St. between Eighth & Ninth Aves.
It had been nearly two and a half years since Wilco last played New York City — at the Garden on New Year’s Eve, 2004 — so it was somewhat of a reunion between the band and its rabid local fans on June 25 at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Wilco is touring behind SKY BLUE SKY (May 2007, Nonesuch), its first record of new material since chief songwriter and lead singer Jeff Tweedy got out of rehab, where he fought an addiction to painkillers he was taking for migraine headaches while also battling longtime depression and severe panic attacks. But that hasn’t taken the edge off his poetic, bittersweet lyrics — which mostly deal with love and loneliness — or the band’s unique Americana sound, which was on full display at the Hammerstein, featuring trippy guitar solos, spacey jams, bluesy bridges, elements of protopunk, country, rootsy folk, and Britpop, and plenty of groovy chooglin’. In fact, Wilco could be the modern-day alternative version of CCR, just without the killer hooks and infectious choruses that have kept them off the singles charts and from greater mainstream success (despite recently licensing songs for a VW campaign). The always changing setlist included such fab numbers as “A Shot in the Arm,” “Handshake Drugs,” “Via Chicago” (with thundering drum breaks enhanced by strobing white lights), “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” “I’m a Wheel,” “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” (with a monster jam), and the sweet “California Stars,” from their MERMAID AVENUE album of unearthed Woody Guthrie lyrics. But at heart Tweedy, a married father of two who will turn forty in August, is just a simple guy; “I miss the innocence I’ve known / Playing Kiss covers beautiful and stoned,” he sang in “Heavy Metal Drummer.” And in “I’m the Man Who Loves You” he opines, “But if I could you know I would / Just hold your hand and you’d understand / I’m the man who loves you.” Once again, New York City loves Wilco.
Keiko Matsui comes to Iridium for five shows
Iridium Jazz Club
1650 Broadway at 51st St.
June 27 — July 1
Tickets: $30-$35
212-582-21212
http://www.iridiumjazzclub.com
Japanese-born pianist and composer Keiko Matsui will be playing five shows at the Iridium Jazz Club in support of her latest disc, MOYO (HEART AND SOUL) (Shout Factory, April 2007). MOYO (which means "heart and soul" in Swahili) is a collection of twelve tunes that incorporates Matsui’s new age fusion into a jazzy mix on such songs as "Moyo (Heart and Soul), "Caricias," and "Marula." Recorded in South Africa, Japan, and the United States, the album is the first produced by Matsui herself and features guest performances by Hugh Masekela ("An Evening in Gibraltar" and "Old Potch Road"), Gerald Albright ("Into the Night" and "Allure"), Paul Taylor ("After the Rain" and "Black River"), vocalist Waldemar Bastos ("Un Novo Dia"), and others.
twi-ny/mdr
The New Pornographers fought off the rain for solid set on July 4
River to River Festival
Historic Battery Park Lawn
Wednesday, July 4,
Admission: free
212-528-2733
http://thenewpornographers.com
As lucky ticket holders started congregating for Battery Park’s annual July 4 concert — which in the past has featured such acts as Emmylou Harris, Yo La Tengo, Dr. John with Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, and Belle & Sebastian — Downtown Kitchen handed out free sandwiches and everyone hoped that the threatening rain would never come. Shortly after a sleepy, overly long set by Denton, TX’s Midlake that found us nearly napping, the New Pornographers hit the stage, with Neko Case in tow. The Canadian group marveled at being able to see Lady Liberty from their vantage point — "Ain’t she a grand ol’ dame?" asked chief singer-songwriter Carl Newman, who is now a resident of Brooklyn — while previewing songs from their upcoming album, CHALLENGERS (Matador, August 21, 2007). Relying on infectious three-part harmonies from Newman, Case, and pianist Kathryn Calder, the NPs featured such new tunes as "My Rights Versus Yours," "Go Places," and "This Spirit of Giving" in addition to such groovy old-time favorites as "Twin Cinema," "The Bleeding Heart Show," "Sing Me Spanish Techno," and "From Blown Speakers,"with plenty of playful banter in between (sometimes a little too much, detracting from any flow). When the rain did finally arrive, someone had to hold an umbrella over John Collins’s laptop to keep it dry. The band finished up their eighty-plus-minute set with "Testament to Youth in Verse" and "Slow Descent into Alcoholism," as Newman promised they’d be playing indoors in the city soon. In the meantime, Case fans can catch her free solo gig with Eric Bachmann at SummerStage on July 20.
The Boredoms celebrate their twentieth anniversary with special outdoor show in Brooklyn
Empire Fulton-Ferry State Park / Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday, July 7, 4:00
Admission: free
718-802-0603
http://www.viceland.com/77boadrum
http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org
In honor of their twentieth anniversary and the magical date of 7/7/07, Japanese experimental masters Boredoms will be presenting a one-time-only special performance of 77BOADRUM, featuring seventy seven drummers (from such groups as Gang Gang Dance, No Neck Blues Band, Sunburned Hand of the Man, Excepter, Sightings, and Onieda) in a live musical sculpture overlooking the East River. Admission is free, but you must RSVP in advance.
Spiegelworld
Fulton Fish Market, Pier 17, South Street Seaport
Saturday, July 7, 11:00
Tickets: $30
212-279-4200
The Spiegeltent is a circular performance space with colored glass, comfy booths, a bar, and mirrors galore. It was broken down into 87,000 pieces in order to get it into America, where Customs inspected every single one. For the second summer in a row, Spiegeltent will be hosting a music series, this time kicking things off with one of our favorites, Lady Sovereign. The rest of the season includes such performers as the Shout Out Louds, Ute Lemper, Badly Drawn Boy, Penny Arcade, and Dan Zanes and Friends.
Central Park SummerStage
Saturday, June 16, 3:00
http://www.marquee.demon.co.uk
One of SummerStage’s most anticipated lineups hit Rumsey Playfield on June 16, a triple bill featuring Dragons of Zynth, Apples in Stereo, and Television. The assembled throngs were on hand primarily to see the long-standing CBGB-pedigreed New York legends, who released their classic first album, MARQUEE MOON, back in 1977 and ADVENTURE the following year before disbanding and reassembling periodically since 1991 for various recordings and live performances. The show carried an omen of gravitas, as it was billed as co-lead-guitarist and founding member Richard Lloyd’s farewell show with the band; he’s leaving to concentrate his energies on what his Web site describes as “one of the greatest records ever made in the history of rock ’n roll.” Unfortunately, that lost opportunity to see the mesmerizing interplay between Tom Verlaine and Lloyd’s inventive front-line guitar odysseys, backed by the stellar rhythm section of Fred Smith (bass) and Billy Ficca (drums), one last time was not to be, as Lloyd was in the hospital with pneumonia and was replaced by longtime Verlaine sideman Jimmy Ripp. But following sets by Black Rock Coalition members Dragons of Zynth and ELO-ish indie darlings Apples in Stereo, Verlaine took the stage, sporting the same hairstyle he did thirty years ago, and showed that the band was still in peak form despite the guitar change. Verlaine led the group through long, intertwined jamming explorations and typically trippy terrain, complete with desperate vocals, sounding big and loud as they played “Venus de Milo,” “Prove It,” and “Glory.” They also threw in some R&B-influenced garage rock, added some Miles Davis-esque Eastern/Spanish chorded journeys, and attacked the limits of melodic noise during such jamfests as “Little Johnny Jewel” and the expected finale, “Marquee Moon.” Even without Lloyd, Television pulled off a gutsy, noisy triumph.
Haruki Murakami’s AFTER DARK is an existential lamentation on the night, taking place during one late evening, from 11:56 pm to 6:52 am. Murakami’s alternate universe is narrated by an omniscient voyeur who watches over it all, never making judgments but instead describing what he sees — and what we see — in beautiful language. The story begins at a Denny’s, where shy young student Mari is reading by herself, only to be interrupted by gregarious musician Takashi, who knows Mari’s gorgeous sister, Eri. Kaoru, who runs a love hotel, beckons Mari to help them translate the words of a beaten and battered prostitute who speaks only Chinese. Meanwhile, Eri is in her bedroom, where she has been sleeping nonstop for days on end and is being pulled into another world that exists inside her television set. And Shirakawa returns to his office in the middle of the night, virtually nonplussed by his brutal beating of the Chinese hooker. But the details don’t really matter in Murakami’s dark night; it’s the subtle nuances he gives the characters, the way they talk and think and move, and how they react — or don’t — to their situations that are so brilliant. Throughout his career, Murakami has alternated his writing between short stories, long, complex novels (THE WIND-UP BIRD CHRONICLES, KAFKA ON THE SHORE), and slim books that tend to be easier to read but no less compelling (NORWEGIAN WOOD, SOUTH OF THE BORDER, WEST OF THE SUN); although DARK NIGHT falls into the third category by nature of its 191 pages, it is no mere trifle.
All contents copyright 2007 by Mark Rifkin and twi-ny. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission. Please note that events, dates, and prices are subject to change.
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Central Park
Delacorte Theater
Midpark at 80th St.
Admission: free (two tickets per person available day of show)
Through Sunday, July 8 Shakespeare classic directed by Michael Greif and starring Oscar Isaac, Lauren Ambrose, and Camryn Mannheim, 8:00
Lincoln Center, Josie Robertson Plaza
June 19 — July 21
Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm unless otherwise noted
Preshow dance lessons at 6:30 pm
Single tickets: $15
Six-night pass: $78
Season pass: $225
212-721-6500/212-875-5766
Tuesday, June 19 Big Band Tuesday: Swing — THE COUNT MEETS THE DUKE with George Gee & His Make-Believe Ballroom Orchestra and David Berger & the Sultans of Swing,
Wednesday, June 20 Charanga Soleil (Cuban salsa, rumba-soukous, compas)
Thursday, June 21 Lincoln Center Salutes Gay Pride, with DJ Brenda Black, hosted by Jai Rodriguez
Tuesday, June 26 Swingtime Big Band
Wednesday, June 27 Pride of New York Ceili Band featuring Joanie Madden, Billy McComiskey, Brian Conway & Brendan Dolan
Thursday, June 28 David Ostwald’s Gully Low Jazz Band
Friday, June 29 Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys
Saturday, June 30 Kid’s Day! Ballroom, Tango and Swing for Kids, 11:00 am
Saturday, June 30 Ray Rodriguez y Swing Sabroso
Tuesday, July 3 Todd Londigan Big Band
Wednesday, July 4 “Un Tributo a Los Soneros”: ¬A Tribute to Legendary Salsa Vocalists with the Chino Nuñez Orchestra
Thursday, July 5 Two-Step Night with Big Apple Ranch and Miss Babs & the Kickin’ Boogie Band
Friday, July 6 Duke Heitger & His Swing Band
Saturday, July 7 Orquesta Tabaco y Ron
Tuesday, July 10 Billy Strayhorn Orchestra directed by Michael Hashim
Wednesday, July 11 Bill Haley’s Original Comets
Multiple venues
Admission: free
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera
The forty-first season of Met Opera in the Parks features Hei-Kyung Hong, Mary Dunleavy, Roberto Aronica, Dwayne Croft, Jeff Mattsey, and Andrew Gangestad in LA BOHÈME, conducted by Gareth Morrell, and Katie van Kooten, Kate Lindsey, David Pomeroy, Hung Yun, and James Morris in FAUST, conducted by Maurizio Benini.
Tuesday, June 19 Gounod’s FAUST, Prospect Park, 8:00
Wednesday, June 20 Puccini’s LA BOHÈME, Cunningham Park, 8:00
Friday, June 22 Gounod’s FAUST, Brookdale Park, 8:00
Saturday, June 23 Puccini’s LA BOHEME, Buccleuch Park, 8:00
Blue Note
131 West Third St.
Tickets: $55 table, $30 bar
212-475-8592
Tuesday, June 19
through
Sunday, June 24 Pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Eric Kamau Gravatt team up with harmonica legend Toots Thielemans for twelve special shows, 8:00 & 10:30
Rockefeller Plaza
49th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Outside TODAY studio 1A
Fridays from 7:00 to 9:00 am
Tuesday, June 19 Bon Jovi
Friday, June 22 Chicago and America
Friday, June 29 Hilary Duff
Friday, July 6 Fall Out Boy
Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City (RP) / World Financial Center Plaza (WFC)
Wagner Park in Battery Park City (WP)/ Historic Battery Park Lawn (BPL)
Music at Castle Clinton, in Battery Park (CC) / South Street Seaport, Pier 17 (SSS)
Zuccotti Park (ZP) / Governors Island (GI)
Michael Schimmel Center for the Arts, Pace University (MSC)
Admission: free
212-528-2733
http://www.rivertorivernyc.org
Tuesday, June 19 John Sayles presents the Honeydripper Allstar Band, WFC, 7:00
Tuesday, June 26 The Living Room, WFC, 7:00
Wednesday, June 27 John Pizzarelli and Paula West, RP, 7:00
Friday, June 29 Seaport Music: Snowden with Ra Ra Riot, SSS, 7:00
Wednesday, July 4 The New Pornographers, BPL, 3:30
Thursday, July 5 Shearwater, CC, 7:00
Friday, July 6 Seaport Music: Fujiya & Miyagi, SSS, 7:00
Monday, July 9 Summer Stars: People’s Chorus of New York City, MSC, 7:30
Tuesday, July 10 SambaSunda, WFC, 7:00
Wednesday, July 11 Music Under New York, 12 noon
Wednesday, July 11 Spoon, RP, 7:00
Bryant Park Reading Room
42nd St. side of Bryant Park between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Wednesdays at 12:30 through September 11
Admission: free
212-768-4242
Wednesday, June 20 Jane Green, SECOND CHANCE, hosted by Molly Jong, FAST, GIRL [MALADJUSTED]: TRUE STORIES FROM A SEMI-CELEBRITY CHILDHOOD
Wednesday, June 27 Floyd Landis, POSITIVELY FALSE: THE REAL STORY OF HOW I WON THE TOUR DE FRANCE, hosted by: John Eustice
Wednesday, July 11 Pamela Des Barres and special guest readers, LET’S SPEND THE NIGHT TOGETHER: BACKSTAGE SECRETS OF ROCK MUSES AND SUPERGROUPIES
Socrates Sculpture Park
Broadway at Vernon Blvd.
Admission: free
718-956-1819
http://www.socratessculpturepark.org
Thursday, June 21 Sixth annual event, featuring art workshops, live salsa music by JoJo and the Latin All Stars, traditional music of indigenous Andes tribes by Yarina, transformational face painting, special solstice ritual by Urban Shaman Mama Donna, food from local restaurants, and a DJ set by Jonny Fego, 5:00 pm - sunset
The Great Hall at the Cooper Union
7 East Seventh St. at Third Ave.
Admission: free
212-353-4195
Thursday, June 21 Discussion with John Edwards and Mario Cuomo, hosted by George Campbell Jr., 6:00
Pier 84
West 44th St. & Hudson River
Admission: free
http://www.hudsonriverpark.org
Thursday, June 21 Outdoor Boxing on the Waterfront, 7:00
Niagara
112 Ave. A at Seventh St.
Admission: free
212-420-9517
Thursday, June 21, 28 Ming Dynasty celebrates the release of its latest CD, SPY PEOPLE, with a Thursday-night residency on the Lower East Side, 9:00
El Museo del Barrio Teatro Heckscher
1230 Fifth Ave. at 104th St.
Thursday nights at 6:30 through August 23
Admission: free
212-831-7272
Thursday, June 21 Johnny Pacheco y Su Tumbao
Thursday, June 28 Women Who Rock: Pistolera and Julissa
Thursday, July 5 Tito Puente Jr.
Empire Fulton-Ferry State Park / Brooklyn Bridge Park
Tobacco Warehouse
Admission: free but must be a member of Brooklyn Bodega
718-802-0603
http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org
Friday, June 22 WILD STYLE THE SAMPLER book release celebration and film screening of Charlie Ahearn’s 1982 film, powerHouse Arena and lawn, 6:00 — 10:30
Saturday, June 23 Performance Day, with Consequence, Skillz, Tanya Morgan, and more to be announced, 12 noon — 8:00 pm
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
237 West 42nd St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
Tickets: $35
212-997-4144
Friday, June 22
and
Saturday, June 23 Bluesman Southside Johnny and his band headline a pair of shows, with opening act John Eddie, 8:00
Multiple venues
Live music: 8:00
Film screening: 9:00
Tickets: $8 at the door, $5 online
718-417-7362
Friday, June 22 ETERNAL LOVE, Open Road Rooftop Project, 350 Grand St. at Essex St., Lower East Side
Saturday, June 23 LOSERS AND WINNERS (Ulrike Franke & Michael Loeken),
the Old American Can Factory, 232 Third St. at Third Ave., Gowanus
Friday, June 29 Trapped Inside the Machine, short films, Automotive High School, 50 Bedford Ave. between North 12th St. & Lorimer, Williamsburg
Saturday, June 30 PERPETUAL MOVEMENTS — A TRIBUTE TO CARLOS PAREDES (Edgar Pera), the Old American Can Factory, 232 Third St. at Third Ave., Gowanus
Rumsey Playfield
Central Park (enter at Fifth Ave. & 69th St.)
Admission: free unless otherwise noted
212-360-2756
Friday, June 22 Comedy Central Park, with Dave Attell, John Mulaney, Joe DeRosa, Amy Schumer, Kurt Metzger, and Ted Alexandro, 7:30
Sunday, June 24 Canada Day! with Sloan, Apostle of Hustle, Duhks, 3:00
Saturday, June 30 Ozomatli, Babylon Circus, DJ Joro Boro, 3:00
Sunday, July 1 Rodrigo y Gabriela, Vietnam, JDH and DAVE P, 3:00
Friday, July 6 Ronald K. Brown / Evidence, Full Circle Soul Productions, 8:00
Saturday, July 7 Cinematic Orchestra, RAMP, El Michels Affair, Kevin Michael, and DJ Spinna, 3:00
Sunday, July 8 Junior Reid, Djakout Mizik, Diams, Black Alex & Mecca aka "GRIMMO," Wyclef Jean & Papa Jube, 3:00
Tuesday, July 10 Nortec Collective, Fedrico Aubele, and screening of SO WHAT'S YOUR PRICE? (Olallo Rubio, 2007), 7:00
Wednesday, July 11 Femi Kuti & the Positive Force, DJ Rich Medina, and screening of MUSIC IS THE WEAPON (Jean-Jacques Flori & Stéphane Tchalgadjieff, 1982), 7:00
Bryant Park Upper Terrace
42nd St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Fridays through August 24 at 7:00 am
Admission: free
Friday, June 22 Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana
Friday, June 29 Patti LaBelle
Friday, July 6 Norah Jones
Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th St. at Seventh Ave.
Food/drink minimum: $7
212-620-5000 ext 344
Friday, June 22 Artists’ Choice: CACHE (Michael Haneke, 2005), 9:30
Friday, June 29 Artists’ Choice: YOJIMBO (Akira Kurosawa, 1961), 9:30
Friday, July 6 Artists’ Choice: THE SHOES OF THE FISHERMAN (Michael Anderson, 1968), 9:30
Central Park
Hans Christian Andersen Statue
72nd St. & Fifth Ave.
Admission: free
Saturday, June 23 Artistic director and longtime Central Park storyteller Diane Wolkstein hosts a day of storytelling and music at the Hans Christian Andersen Statue in Central Park,
Various venues
Through June 25
Admission: free unless otherwise noted
212-807-7433
http://www.mothersmarchnyc.org
Saturday, June 23 Rapture: A Women’s Dance, with Ultra, Sylvia Tosun, and DJ Kris Kono, Hudson River Park, Pier 54, Thirteenth St. at the Hudson River, $25, 6:00 — 11:00 pm
Sunday, June 24 The annual PrideFest street fair has been canceled, based on "an ultimatum by the Mayor’s Office"
Sunday, June 24 The March, with grand marshals Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum and the Reverend Dr. Troy Perry, Fifth Ave. & 52nd St. to Christopher & Greenwich Sts., 12 noon, moment of silence at 2:00
Sunday, June 24 Dance on the Pier: twenty-first annual party, with DJ Lawrence Needham and DJ Jonathan Porter, Pier 54, Thirteenth St. at the Hudson River, $55 until June 23, $75 day of show at Universal Gear only (237 West 20th St.), no tickets sold at the Pier, 4:00 — 10:30 pm
Penn Plaza Pavilion
401 Seventh Ave. a 33rd St.
Tickets: $11
201-861-1414
Saturday, June 23
and
Sunday, June 24 Featuring such guests as Rowdy Roddy Piper, David Faustino, Butch Patrick, Larry Storch, Paul Le Mat, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, Captain Lou Albano, Tank Abbott, Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas, Iran Barkley, Lauren Marie Taylor, Karen Lynn Gorney, Carmel Macklin, Cathy St. George, Jasmine St. Claire, Suzi Lorraine, Kenny Kramer, Brian Joseph Harris, Warrington Gillette, David Harris, David Zen Mansley, Gary Lewis, Juliet Mills, Mally Lewis, as well as panel discussions, demonstrations, the Big Apple Game Room, Captain Zorikh’s Costume Contest, and other special events, 10:00 am — 7:00 pm
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
2 East 92nd St. at Fifth Ave.
Friday nights through September 8 from 6:00 to 9:00
Free with museum admission of $12
212-849-8380
http://ndm.si.edu/summer_sessions
Friday, June 23 Deadbeat
Friday, June 30 Derek Plaslaiko
Friday, July 7 Ulysses
Fulton Park
Fulton St. & Stuyvesant Ave.
Admission: free
718-707-1457
Sunday, June 24
Saturday, June 30
Sunday, July 1
and
Wednesday, July 4 Forty-ninth annual art fair, featuring work from more than seventy members of one of the oldest black artist collectives in the world, 12 noon - 6:00
Charles A. Dana Discovery Center
Inside Central Park at 110th St. & Lenox Ave.
Through September 30
Sundays at 4:00
Admission: free
212-860-1370
Sunday, June 24 Harlem Blues & Jazz Band
Sunday, July 1 James Carter Quartet
Sunday, July 8 McCollough’s Sons of Thunder
The New School
Tishman Auditorium
66 West 12th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Tickets: $25
888-NYT-1870
Monday, June 25 New York Times Talks, with Celia Dugger, Bob Herbert, Rachel Mayanja, LaShawn Jefferson, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, 7:30
92nd St. Y
1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd St.
Tickets: $25
212-415-5500
Tuesday, June 26 Panel discussion with Zita Allen, Ronnie Aul, Julie Belafonte, Gaynell Sherod, and Dr. Glory Van Scott, hosted by Judith Jamison and moderated by Gil Noble, $258:00
The Ailey Studios at the Joan Weill Center for Dance
405 West 55th St. at Ninth Ave.
Tickets: $18
212-405-9500
Wednesday, June 27 Master class in the Dunham Technique, taught by Dunham Certified Master Teacher Joan Peters, with live drumming, 4:30
New York Irish Center
1040 Jackson Avenue, Long Island City
Admission: free
RSVP: 718-482-0909
http://www.newyorkirishcenter.org
Thursday, June 28 Maura Mulligan reads from her memoir in progress, STONEWALLS, sharing childhood stories of County Mayo, with flute interludes by Linda Hickman, 7:00
Humanities and Social Sciences Library
Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III Gallery, first floor
Fifth Ave. at 42nd St.
Closed Sundays and Mondays
Admission: free
212-869-8089
Friday, June 29
through
Saturday, August 4 NYPL’s fair copy of the Declaration of Independence in Thomas Jefferson’s hand is on display Tuesday & Wednesday from 11:00 am to 7:30 pm, Thursday through Saturday from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sorrento Cheese Summer in Little Italy
In front of Sal Anthony’s SPQR
133 Mulberry St. between Hester & Grand Sts.
Admission: free
212-302-0551
http://www.littleitalynyconline.com
Saturday, June 30 Fifth annual competition between waiters from local restaurants, 4:00
P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center / MoMA
22-25 Jackson Ave. at 46th Ave.
Long Island City
Saturdays from 3:00 — 9:00 pm through September 1
Admission: $10, includes admission to art galleries, free from 12 noon to 2:00
718-784-2084
Saturday, June 30 Invisible Conga People, Tim & Tim, DJ set by the Juan Maclean, Sh*t Robot aka Marcus Lambkin, and BLARVUSTER, hosted by DFA
Saturday, July 7 DJ set by a Touch of Class, Lee Douglas, Services, Kudu, Preacher and the Knife, and Bubblyfish/Tristan Perich, hosted by a Touch of Class
Water Taxi Beach
Second St. & Borden Ave., Long Island City
Saturdays from 8:00 pm to 3:00 am
Cover charge: $3 (twenty-one and over only)
One-way Water Taxi trip from the Seaport: $10
New York Water Taxi shuttles commuters and tourists between such locations as East 34th St., Wall St., Schaefer Landing in Williamsburg, Battery Park, the Intrepid, the World Financial Center, DUMBO, Chelsea Piers, and Greenwich Village. Last year they created a small beach in Long Island City, which can be reached via Water Taxi from the South Street Seaport. (You can also get there by car or via the 7 train to Jackson Ave.) In five quick minutes aboard this black-and-yellow water taxi, you’ll find yourself at a fenced-in section of Hunters Point, complete with volleyball net, picnic tables, music, and sand. Take off your shoes, pick up a few brews or a summery cocktail, and eat, drink, dance, and sunbathe while checking out the spectacular view of Manhattan — which gets even better at night. On Saturday nights, you can get down with some great music, featuring resident DJs Justin Carter, Probus, and the Brothers’ Brothers in addition to the below special guests.
Saturday, June 30 Prins Thomas (Full Pupp)
Saturday, July 7 In Flagranti (Codek, Gomma)
Scandinavia House
58 Park Ave. at 38th St.
Tickets: $15
http://www.scandinaviahouse.org
Monday, July 2 Award-winning Romanian violinist Eugen Tichindeleanu: Works by Franck, Paganini, Suk, Kreisler, and Saint-Saens, 7:30
Southpoint Park, Roosevelt Island
Tickets: $18, with guaranteed seats
No large backpacks, big coolers, chairs, bicycles, boomboxes, camera tripods, beach umbrellas, or alcohol
212-832-4540
Wednesday, July 4 View the Macy’s fireworks, with food, music, and special events, gates open at 5:00 pm
Solar One
Stuyvesant Cove Park
2420 FDR Dr. at 22nd St. and Ave. C
212-505-6050
Wednesday, July 4 Live music and film screenings followed by the Macy’s fireworks, in conjunction with Rooftop Films, prices and further details to come
Approximate starting time: 9:20 pm
Televised live on NBC-TV
Broadcast live on WINS 1010
Admission: free
212-494-4495
http://www.macys.com/campaign/fireworks
Wednesday, July 4 Thirty-first annual event, featuring more than 120,000 bursts from 30,000 shells — including brand-new "nautical fireworks" — paying tribute to Stephen Foster, with the New York Pops, Anika Noni Rose, Lea Salonga, and John Lloyd Young, hosted by Natalie Morales and Tiki Barber. The FDR will be closed from 14th to 42nd St. for prime viewing and between Houston and 63rd Sts. from 7:00 pm until cleanup for Macy’s annual extravaganza. There will be pedestrian-only access to the FDR Drive at 23rd, 38th, and 42nd Sts. Other good viewing areas include Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and portions of the Queens East River front. Also, NYFD fire boats will shoot red, clear, and blue water 300 feet over the East River at around 7:30.
Commodore Barry Park
Navy St. between Park & Flushing Aves., Brooklyn
Admission: free
718-638-6700
http://www.internationalafricanartsfestival.com
Wednesday, July 4
through
Sunday, July 8 Thirty-sixth annual International African Arts Festival, celebrating the Haitian tradition of communal achievement, featuring an African Marketplace, kids events, live street theater, a Children’s Village, music and dance, a talent show, spoken word performances, and special dedications, 10:00 am — 9:00 pm
JCC in Manhattan
334 Amsterdam Ave. at 76th St.
Thursday nights in July at 8:00
646-505-5708
Thursday, July 5 Fourth of July Day-After Party with Andy Biskin Quartet, $10
Trinity Church virtual pipe organ
Broadway at Wall St.
Thursdays at 1:00 from July 5 to August 9
Admission: free
http://www.trinitywallstreet.org
Thursday, July 5 Cameron Carpenter: works by Bach, Chopin, Liszt, Vladimir Horowitz, Dupré, Grainger, Karg-Elert, Richard Rodgers, Bill Conti, Burt Bacharach, and the world premiere of an original work by Carpenter, plus improvisations on themes by Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and Cyndi Lauper, 1:00
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Ave. at 75th St.
Robert J. Hurst Family Gallery
Free with pay-what-you-wish admission after 6:00
212-570-7715
Friday, July 6 Revolution as a Work in Progress, featuring the Black Rock Coalition
Ferry leaves from Battery Maritime Building, Slip 7, at 10 South St.
Saturdays at 1:30 from July 7 to July 28
Admission and ferry service: free
212-602-0768
http://www.folksontheisland.com
Saturday, July 7 American Folk Music Festival on Governors Island: Odetta, 1:30
Brooklyn Museum of Art
200 Eastern Parkway
Admission: free after 5:00 pm
718-638-5000
Saturday, July 7 A free night of film screenings, live music, workshops, curator talks, DJ sets, a dance party, and more
Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette St. between East Fourth St. & Astor Pl.
Tickets: $18
212-967-7555
Saturday, July 7
and
Sunday, July 8 Always entertaining New York City singer-songwriter plays two nights at Joe’s Pub, 7:00
Brookhaven National Laboratory
U.S. Department of Energy
William Floyd Pkwy. (County Road 46)
Sundays through August 19, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Whiz Bang Science Show: 10:30 am, 12 noon, 1:30 & 3:00 pm
Admission: free
631-344-2651
Sunday, July 8 Investigate Our Living World: Explore the fascinating world of biological and biomedical research, followed by a cultural celebration with music and dance
Museum of Modern Art
11 West 53rd St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden
July 8 - August 26
Gates open at 7:00, concerts begin at 8:00
Admission: free
Sunday, July 8 New Music for New York: Juilliard Concert I: Music for Violin, Cello, and Piano
Wingate Field
Winthrop St. between Brooklyn & Kingston Aves., across the street from Kings County Hospital
Monday nights at 7:30
Admission: free, chairs recommended
718-469-1912
http://www.brooklynconcerts.com/mlk
Monday, July 9 Old School Night, with MC Hammer, Doug E Fresh, Slick Rick, and MC Lyte
Washington Square Park
Fifth Ave. below Eighth St. by Garibaldi statue
Rain space: NYU’s Frederick Loewe Theater, 35 West Fourth St.
Tuesday nights through August 1 at 8:00
Admission: free
212-252-3621
http://washingtonsquaremusicfestival.org
Tuesday, July 10 Classical Series: 3 x 4 — music for four horns, four trombones, four cellos, works by Klengel, Villa-Lobos, and Mahler
Socrates Sculpture Park
Broadway at Vernon Blvd.
Wednesdays at sundown through August 29
Live performances at 7:00, films begin at sunset
Admission: free
718-956-1819
http://www.socratessculpturepark.org
Wednesday, July 11 CROSSING THE BRIDGE: THE SOUND OF ISTANBUL (Fatih Akin, 2005)
Central Park Great Lawn
Midpark from 79th to 85th Sts.
Admission: free
212-484-1222
Wednesday, July 11 The New York Philarmonic, conducted by Ludovic Morlot: Berlioz’s Le Corsaire Overture, Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto featuring soloist Stefan Jackiw, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6, "Pathéthique," followed by fireworks, 8:00