Uptown Museum Summer Music/Film Series of the Week
06.24.09
1. Uptown summer music/film museum series
2. Free outdoor screenings all over town, all summer long
3. Midtown summer music/film museum series
4. Not-free summer movie series
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at admin@twi-ny.com.
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Site Design/Subway Photo:
Fred Gates Design, New York.
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Claes Oldenburg, "French Fries and Ketchup," vinyl and kapok fibers, 1963
Whitney Museum of American Art
745 Madison Ave. at 75th St.
Free with museum admission of $15
212-570-7715
In conjunction with the "Dan Graham: Beyond" exhibition, the Whitney will be hosting two special programs. The first, My Turn, has been programmed by Howie Chen and includes evenings with the Feelies and Japanther. The second, part of Whitney Live, takes place over four consecutive Friday nights in July and features performances by such hot indie bands as Titus Andronicus, Abe Vigoda, Vivian Girls, and These Are Powers. (In addition to being a sculptor, performance artist, and video filmmaker, Graham has worked with numerous bands and has written extensively about music.) Tickets are available for the Whitney Live series the day of the show, starting at 1:00, so pick up your tickets and take your time checking out the fun "Claes Oldenburg: Early Sculpture, Drawings, and Happenings Films and "Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Van Bruggen: The Music Room" as well as the cool Graham exhibit. (If tickets for the Friday night Whitney Live shows are still available after 6:00, you can pay what you wish for admittance.)
Friday, June 26 My Turn: Acoustic Evening with the Feelies, 7:00
Saturday, July 4 Although there is no special programming on July 4, the Whitney will be charging only $4 for admission all day in honor of the holiday, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Friday, July 10 Whitney Live: Titus Andronicus and Real Estate, 7:00
Saturday, July 11 My Turn: WhitneyKids Punk Rock! featuring Japanther, 1:00 - 4:00
Friday, July 17 Whitney Live: Abe Vigoda and Grooms, 7:00
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Abe Vigoda will be playing the Whitney as part of indie series
Friday, July 24 Whitney Live: Wood and YellowFever, 7:00
Friday, July 31 Whitney Live: Vivian Girls and These Are Powers, 7:00
Saturday, September 12 My Turn: Dan Graham in Conversation with Glenn Branca 7:00
Thursday, September 17 My Turn: Put Blood in the Music, a film screening introduced by Charles Atlas, 7:00
Thursday, October 1 My Turn: Beyond Dan Graham: Beyond, a roundtable discussion, 7:00
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Bryant Park summer film fest is one of the most popular
Multiple locations
Admission: free
It’s outdoor summer movie time in New York, as parks and public spaces throughout the five boroughs start showing films at night — for free. Among the places where you can settle in for a cozy few hours (although you often have to get there a few hours before sunset to a get a prime spot) is Central Park, Bryant Park, Hudson River Park, Socrates Sculpture Park, Washington Square Park, Tompkins Square Park, Riverside Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and McCarren Park. Some locations feature live music or DJ sets before the screenings. The films run the gamut from kids flicks to new foreign films, from Hollywood classics to recent box-office hits. Each park has its own set of rules, so be sure to check them out carefully before you head out to check out some great free movies.
Thursday, June 25 FIERCE screening: PARIS IS BURNING (Jennie Livingston, 1990), Pier 46, 8:30
Friday, June 26 Films on the Green: THE BIG BLUE (Luc Besson, 1988), Washington Square Park
Friday, June 26 MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath, 2008), followed by fireworks, sponsored by the Brooklyn Cyclones, KeySpan Park, 1904 Surf Ave. between 16th & 19th Sts.
Saturday, June 27 BAMcinemaFest Outdoor Screening: WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE? (Catherine Gund, 2009), Fort Greene Park, 9:00
Monday, June 29 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (Mervyn LeRoy, 1933), Sixth Ave. from 40th to 42nd Sts.
Monday, July 6 Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (Billy Wilder, 1955), preceded by short films by Jeanne Liotta, 55 Water St. at Old Slip
Monday, July 6 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: DOG DAY AFTERNOON (Sydney Lumet, 1975), Sixth Ave. from 40th to 42nd Sts.
Wednesday, July 8 Summerscreen: REALITY BITES (Ben Stiller, 1994), preceded by live music at 7:00, McCarren Park Ball Fields, Lorimer St. between Driggs & Bayard Aves.
Wednesday, July 8 Movies Under the Stars: THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (Martin Scorsese, 1993), Riverside Park South, Pier 1 at 70th St.
Wednesday, July 8 RiverFlicks for Grown-Ups: IRON MAN (Jon Favreau, 2008), Pier 54, Hudson River at Fourteenth St.
Wednesday, July 8 Brooklyn Film Works: Downturns and Destiny — DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (Stanley Kubrick, 1964), J. J. Byrne Park, Old Stone House, Fifth Ave. between Third & Fourth Sts.
Wednesday, July 8 The Mothership Connection: Summer of Music, Morningside Park, 113th ST. & Morningside Dr., Live Parliament Funkadelic-inspired DJ set, 7:30, and PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC: THE MOTHERSHIP CONNECTION (1976), 8:30
Thursday, July 9 Movies with a View: RAISING ARIZONA (Joel & Ethan Coen, 1987), preceded by AMI UNDERGROUND (D.W. Young), with DJ DRM at 6:00, Brooklyn Bridge Park at Empire-Fulton State Park, 1 Main St. at Water St.
Thursday, July 9 The Mothership Connection: Summer of Music, Morningside Park, 113th ST. & Morningside Dr., Live girl-group-inspired DJ set, 7:30, and GIRL GROUPS: THE STORY OF A SOUND (Steve Alpert, 1982), 8:30
Thursday, July 9 Outdoor Cinema Series — Cinema I: WAIT UNTIL DARK (Terence Young, 1967), Narrows Botanical Gardens, Bay Ridge
Friday, July 10 RiverFlicks for Kids: THE WIZARD OF OZ (Victor Fleming, 1939), Pier 46, Hudson River Park at Charles St.
Friday, July 10 Films on the Green: MA VIE EN L’AIR (LOVE IS IN THE AIR) (Rémi Bezançon, 2005), Tompkins Square Park
Saturday, July 11 Outdoor Movie Screening: E.T. THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL (Steven Spielberg), Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum, Pelham Bay Park, 895 Shore Rd., 718-885-1461, 8:00
Monday, July 13 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (John Ford, 1941), Sixth Ave. from 40th to 42nd Sts.
Monday, July 13 Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE (Joseph Sargent, 1974), preceded by videos by Seoungho Cho, 55 Water St. at Old Slip
Wednesday, July 15 Summerscreen: EVIL DEAD 2 (Sam Raimi, 1987), preceded by live music at 7:00, McCarren Park Ball Fields, Lorimer St. between Driggs & Bayard Aves.
Wednesday, July 15 Outdoor Cinema 2009: THE BETRAYAL (Ellen Kuras & Thavisouk Phrasavath, 2008), Socrates Sculpture Park, Broadway at Vernon Blvd., preceded by live performances at 7:00
Wednesday, July 15 Movies Under the Stars: WALL STREET (Oliver Stone, 1987), Riverside Park South, Pier 1 at 70th St.
Wednesday, July 15 The Mothership Connection: Summer of Music, Marcus Garvey Park, King of the Video Jukebox: A Tribute, 7:30, and MAKING MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER (John Landis & Jerry Kramer, 1983), 8:30
Wednesday, July 15 Brooklyn Film Works: Downturns and Destiny — WHAT A WAY TO GO (J. Lee Thompson, 1964), J. J. Byrne Park, Old Stone House, Fifth Ave. between Third & Fourth Sts.
Wednesday, July 15 RiverFlicks for Grown-Ups: VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA (Woody Allen, 2008), Pier 54, Hudson River at Fourteenth St.
Woody Allen brings Barcelona to the Hudson
Thursday, July 16 Movies with a View: THE MALTESE FALCON (John Huston, 1941), preceded by UNDER THE ROLLERCOASTER (Lila Place), with DJ MonkOne at 6:00, Brooklyn Bridge Park at Empire-Fulton State Park, 1 Main St. at Water St.
Thursday, July 16 SummerStarz: BABE (Chris Noonan, 1995), preceded by arts & crafts (6:00) and New York's Finest Jazz Ensemble (7:00), East River State Park, Williamsburg
Thursday, July 16 ’09 Imagenation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: WHITEWASH (Ted Woods, 2009), preceded by RUBBER SOLES (Christine Turner), Marcus Garvey Park, Mt. Morris Park West at 122nd St., live music at 7:30, film screenings at 8:30
Friday, July 17 RiverFlicks for Kids: KUNG FU PANDA (Mark Osborne & John Stevenson, 2008), Pier 46, Hudson River Park at Charles St.
Friday, July 17 Films on the Green: TRAVAUX, ON SAIT QUAND ÇA COMMENCE (WORKS) (Brigitte Roüan, 2005), Tompkins Square Park
Sunday, July 19 Outdoor Summer Movie Series, Firefighters Field, Roosevelt Island
Monday, July 20 Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: WEST SIDE STORY (Robert Wise, 1961), preceded by short films by Stephen Koplowitz, 55 Water St. at Old Slip
Monday, July 20 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: HAROLD AND MAUDE (Hal Ashby, 1971), Sixth Ave. from 40th to 42nd Sts.
Wednesday, July 22 Outdoor Cinema 2009: CONTEMPT (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963), Socrates Sculpture Park, Broadway at Vernon Blvd., preceded by live performances at 7:00
Wednesday, July 22 Summerscreen: 24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE (Michael Winterbottom, 2002), preceded by live music at 7:00, McCarren Park Ball Fields, Lorimer St. between Driggs & Bayard Aves.
Wednesday, July 22 Brooklyn Film Works: Downturns and Destiny — Piper Theatre Film Workshop / Original Student Film Festival, J. J. Byrne Park, Old Stone House, Fifth Ave. between Third & Fourth Sts.
Wednesday, July 22 Movies Under the Stars: DINNER AT EIGHT (George Cukor, 1933), Riverside Park South, Pier 1 at 70th St.
Wednesday, July 22 RiverFlicks for Grown-Ups: THE DARK KNIGHT (Christopher Nolan, 2008), Pier 54, Hudson River at Fourteenth St.
THE DARK KNIGHT will screen on a dark night in Hudson River Park
Thursday, July 23 Movies with a View: PAPER MOON (Peter Bogdanovich, 1973), preceded by THE COFFEE BIRD (Bryan Brinkman), with DJ Tim "Love" Lee at 6:00, Brooklyn Bridge Park at Empire-Fulton State Park, 1 Main St. at Water St.
Thursday, July 23 SummerStarz: NIM¹S ISLAND (Jennifer Flackett & Mark Levin, 2008), preceded by games and arts & crafts (6:00) and Co-Creative Music (7:00), East River State Park, Williamsburg
Thursday, July 23 Outdoor Cinema Series — Cinema I — Kids Night Out: TOY STORY (John Lasseter, 1995), Narrows Botanical Gardens, Bay Ridge
Friday, July 24 RiverFlicks for Kids: GHOSTBUSTERS (Ivan Reitman, 1984), Pier 46, Hudson River Park at Charles St.
Friday, July 24 Films on the Green: LE GENOU DE CLAIRE (CLAIRE’S KNEE) (Eric Rohmer, 1970), Tompkins Square Park
Monday, July 27 Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (Alexander Mackendrick, 1957), preceded by a short film by Peter Hutton, 55 Water St. at Old Slip
Monday, July 27 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: THE DEFIANT ONES (Stanley Kramer, 1958), Sixth Ave. from 40th to 42nd Sts.
Monday, July 27 Outdoor Summer Movie Series, Firefighters Field, Roosevelt Island
Monday, July 27 ’09 Imagenation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: FAME (Alan Parker, 1980), St. Nicholas Park, 135th St. & St. Nicholas Ave., live music at 7:30, film screenings at 8:30
Wednesday, July 29 Outdoor Cinema 2009: LOU REED'S BERLIN (Julian Schnabel, 2007), Socrates Sculpture Park, Broadway at Vernon Blvd., preceded by live performances at 7:00
Wednesday, July 29 Summerscreen: WILD AT HEART (David Lynch, 1990), preceded by live music at 7:00, McCarren Park Ball Fields, Lorimer St. between Driggs & Bayard Aves.
Wednesday, July 29 Movies Under the Stars: THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS (Arthur Hiller, 1970), Riverside Park South, Pier 1 at 70th St.
Wednesday, July 29 RiverFlicks for Grown-Ups: HANCOCK (Peter Berg, 2008), Pier 54, Hudson River at Fourteenth St.
Wednesday, July 29 Brooklyn Film Works: Downturns and Destiny — SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (Preston Sturges, 1941), J. J. Byrne Park, Old Stone House, Fifth Ave. between Third & Fourth Sts.
Wednesday, July 29 ’09 Imagenation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: ANTONIA (Tata Amaral, 2006), St. Nicholas Park, 135th St. & St. Nicholas Ave., live music at 7:30, film screenings at 8:30
Thursday, July 30 Movies with a View: TO CATCH A THIEF (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955), preceded by ICEBOX BLUES (Jesse Ash), with DJ Ayres at 6:00, Brooklyn Bridge Park at Empire-Fulton State Park, 1 Main St. at Water St.
Thursday, July 30 SummerStarz: THE INCREDIBLES (Brad Bird, 2004), preceded by RockCity Theatrics (6:00) and Fenix Down (7:00), East River State Park, Williamsburg
Thursday, July 30 ’09 Imagenation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: RESPOND TO SOUND II (Adrian AJ Younge, 2007), St. Nicholas Park, 135th St. & St. Nicholas Ave., live music at 7:30, film screenings at 8:30
Friday, July 31 Plaza Theatrical Presents: WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Mel Stuart, 1971), Alley Pond Park, 76th Ave. off Springfield Blvd., 718-352-4793, 7:00
Friday, July 31 RiverFlicks for Kids: STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS (Dave Filoni, 2008), Pier 46, Hudson River Park at Charles St.
Monday, August 3 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: KRAMER VS. KRAMER (Robert Benton, 1979), Sixth Ave. from 40th to 42nd Sts.
Wednesday, August 5 Outdoor Cinema 2009: WALTZ WITH BASHIR (Ari Folman, 2008), Socrates Sculpture Park, Broadway at Vernon Blvd., preceded by live performances at 7:00
Wednesday, August 5 Summerscreen: FAME (Alan Parker, 1980), preceded by live music at 7:00, McCarren Park Ball Fields, Lorimer St. between Driggs & Bayard Aves.
Wednesday, August 5 Movies Under the Stars: DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK (John Ford, 1939), Riverside Park South, Pier 1 at 70th St.
Wednesday, August 5 RiverFlicks for Grown-Ups: TROPIC THUNDER (Ben Stiller, 2008), Pier 54, Hudson River at Fourteenth St.
Fans hope there's no real thunder at TROPIC screening
Thursday, August 6 Movies with a View: THE RETURN OF THE PINK PANTHER (Blake Edwards, 1975), preceded by IT’S GOOD TO BE GREEN (Michael Garvey), with DJ Soulstatic at 6:00, Brooklyn Bridge Park at Empire-Fulton State Park, 1 Main St. at Water St.
Thursday, August 6 SummerStarz: BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM (Gurinder Chadha, 2003), preceded by CenterStage song and movement (6:00) and CenterStage opera (7:00), East River State Park, Williamsburg
Thursday, August 6 Outdoor Cinema Series — Cinema III: THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE (Melvin Frank, 1974), Narrows Botanical Gardens, Bay Ridge
Friday, August 7 RiverFlicks for Kids: MUPPET MOVIE (James Frawley, 1979), Pier 46, Hudson River Park at Charles St.
Saturday, August 8 Outdoor Summer Movie Series, Firefighters Field, Roosevelt Island
Monday, August 10 ’09 Imagenation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: Rhymes, Rhythm & Ritual, short films, with live performances by Bill Saxton and Autumn Asante, St. Nicholas Park, 135th St. & St. Nicholas Ave., live music at 7:30, film screenings at 8:30
Monday, August 10 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (John Sturges, 1960), Sixth Ave. from 40th to 42nd Sts.
Wednesday, August 12 Outdoor Cinema 2009: TULPAN (Sergei Dvortsevoy., 2008), Socrates Sculpture Park, Broadway at Vernon Blvd., preceded by live performances at 7:00
Wednesday, August 12 Summerscreen: ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (Michel Gondry, 2004), preceded by live music at 7:00, McCarren Park Ball Fields, Lorimer St. between Driggs & Bayard Aves.
Wednesday, August 12 Movies Under the Stars: SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS (Alexander Mackendrick, 1957), Riverside Park South, Pier 1 at 70th St.
Wednesday, August 12 RiverFlicks for Grown-Ups: SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE (Michael Patrick King, 2008), Pier 54, Hudson River at Fourteenth St.
Thursday, August 13 Movies with a View: BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID (George Roy Hill, 1969), preceded by BIRDMAN OF BROOKLYN (JL Aronson), with DJ Nick Name at 6:00, Brooklyn Bridge Park at Empire-Fulton State Park, 1 Main St. at Water St.
Thursday, August 13 SummerStarz: FLY AWAY HOME (Carroll Ballard, 1996), preceded by arts & crafts (6:00) and Grand Street Community Band (7:00), East River State Park, Williamsburg
Friday, August 14 RiverFlicks for Kids: MADAGASCAR: ESCAPE 2 AFRICA (Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath, 2008), Pier 46, Hudson River Park at Charles St.
Saturday, August 15 ’09 Imagenation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: CADILLAC RECORDS (Darnell Martin, 2008), St. Nicholas Park, 135th St. & St. Nicholas Ave., live music at 7:30, film screenings at 8:30
Sunday, August 16 ’09 Imagenation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: I’M THROUGH WITH WHITE GIRLS (Jennifer Sharp, 2007), St. Nicholas Park, 135th St. & St. Nicholas Ave., live music at 7:30, film screenings at 8:30
Monday, August 17 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (Steven Spielberg, 1977), Sixth Ave. from 40th to 42nd Sts.
Tuesday, August 18 Central Park Film Festival: SHAFT (Gordon Parks, 1971), Rumsey Playfield, Fifth Ave. at 69th St.
Wednesday, August 19 Central Park Film Festival: OCEAN'S 11 (Steven Soderbergh, 2001), Rumsey Playfield, Fifth Ave. at 69th St.
Wednesday, August 19 Outdoor Cinema 2009: GOMORRAH (Matteo Garrone, 2008), Socrates Sculpture Park, Broadway at Vernon Blvd., preceded by live performances at 7:00
Wednesday, August 19 RiverFlicks for Grown-Ups: PINEAPPLE EXPRESS (David Gordon Green, 2008), Pier 54, Hudson River at Fourteenth St.
Thursday, August 20 Movies with a View: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (Steven Spielberg, 2002), preceded by 6 a.m. (Carmen Vidal), with DJ Emch at 6:00, Brooklyn Bridge Park at Empire-Fulton State Park, 1 Main St. at Water St.
Thursday, August 20 SummerStarz: WALL-E (Andrew Stanton, 2008), preceded by arts & crafts (6:00) and Kyle Morgan & the Backroad (7:00), East River State Park, Williamsburg
Thursday, August 20 Central Park Film Festival: SEX AND THE CITY: THE MOVIE (Michael Patrick King, 2008), Rumsey Playfield, Fifth Ave. at 69th St.
Friday, August 21 Central Park Film Festival: TWILIGHT (Catherine Hardwicke, 2008), Rumsey Playfield, Fifth Ave. at 69th St.
Friday, August 21 RiverFlicks for Kids: CURIOUS GEORGE (Matthew O’Callaghan, 2006), Pier 46, Hudson River Park at Charles St.
Saturday, August 22 Central Park Film Festival — Viewer’s Choice: MEN IN BLACK (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1997), GOLDFINGER (Guy Hamilton, 1965), or DESPERATELY SEEKING SUSAN (Susan Seidelman,1985), Rumsey Playfield, Fifth Ave. at 69th St.
Thursday, August 27 Movies with a View: EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (Tim Burton, 1990), preceded by I AM NOT OBSESSED (Imani Dean), with DJ Oneman at 6:00, Brooklyn Bridge Park at Empire-Fulton State Park, 1 Main St. at Water St.
twi-ny/mdr
MoMA Sculpture Garden will be home to new music series
The Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden
The Museum of Modern Art
Sunday evenings, July 5-26
Sculpture Garden opens at 7:00
Concerts begin at 8:00
Admission: free
For four Sundaynights in July, MoMA will present free live music in the beautiful Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, which has recently added three colorful "chairs" by Franz West and a bench by Jenny Holzer, joining such familiar objects as Pablo Picasso’s "She-Goat," the four splendid versions of Henri Matisse’s "The Back," Aristide Maillol’s "The Mediterranean," and others by David Smith, Alexander Calder, Alberto Giacometti, Ellwsworth Kelly, et al. There will be two nights of music from Juilliard, and two evenings of jazz, featuring new works played in a lovely setting.
Sunday, July 5 Juilliard Concert I: New Music for Ensembles Members of New Juilliard Ensemble: Nadia Kyne, flute; Sean Rice, clarinet; Sean Riley, violin; Alexander Tasopoulos, viola; Mimi Yu, cello; Paul Nemeth, double bass; David Stevens, percussion; Jennifer Chu, piano; Joel Sachs, conductor: Works by Tanguy, Vores, Chang, Heimir Sveinsson, and Xavier Rodríguez
Sunday, July 12 Jazz Concert I: Billy Harper Quintet, featuring Francesca Tanksley, piano; Freddie Hendrix, trumpet; Clarence Seay ,bass; Aaron Scott, drums; Billy Harper, saxophone
Sunday, July 19 Juilliard Concert II: New Music for String Quartet, featuring David Fulmer and Arthur Moeller, violins; Jen Herman, viola; Elizabeth Lara, cello: Works by Widmann, Flynn, and Schaeffer
Sunday, July 26 Jazz Concert II: Dafnis Prieto Si o Si Quartet, featuring Peter Apfelbaum, tenor and soprano saxophones, percussion; Manuel Valera, piano; Charles Flores, bass; Dafnis Prieto, drums
BAMAKO is part of Sissako retrospective at MoMA
Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters
11 West 53rd St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
June 22-28
Tickets: $10, in person only, may be applied to museum admission within thirty days, same-day screenings free with museum admission, available at Film and Media Desk
212-708-9400
The Museum of Modern Art has a fabulous film archive that is currently featuring such series as Flaherty at MoMA: The Films of Abderrahmane Sissako, Carte Blanche: Marcus Hu and Jon Gerrans, Nollywood Babylon, and Critical Favorites: The New York Film Critics Circle at 75, resulting in a diverse range of screenings every day. Each $10 ticket can be applied to admission to the museum, so it’s practically like seeing a movie for free. (Be sure to check out the great Aernout Mik and Song Dong shows inside, among others.) Below is just a small sampling of some of the best of what’s coming up in the next few weeks.
Monday, June 29 Flaherty at MoMA: The Films of Abderrahmane Sissako — BAMAKO (Abderrahmane Sissako, 2006), 8:00
Friday, July 3
and
Saturday, July 4 Carte Blanche: Marcus Hu and Jon Gerrans — TIME TO LEAVE (LE TEMPS QUI RESTE) (François Ozon, 2005), 8:00
Saturday, July 4 Critical Favorites: The New York Film Critics Circle at 75 — FAR FROM HEAVEN (Todd Haynes, 2002), 4:00
Saturday, July 4, 5:00
and
Monday, July 6, 4:30 Carte Blanche: Marcus Hu and Jon Gerrans — TROPICAL MALADY (SUR PRALAD) (Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2004)
Saturday, July 4 Critical Favorites: The New York Film Critics Circle at 75 — FARGO (Joel Coen, 1996), 7:30
Monday, July 6 Critical Favorites: The New York Film Critics Circle at 75 — SIDEWAYS (Alexander Payne, 2004), 4:00
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center / MoMA
22-25 Jackson Ave. at 46th Ave., Long Island City
Saturdays from 2:00 to 9:00, July 4 — September 5
Admission: $10, includes admission to art galleries 2:00 to 9:00
718-784-2084
One of the hottest parties of the summer takes place on Saturdays at P.S.1 in Queens, where sweaty minions pack the dance floor, shaking it up to live music and DJ sets next to the installation by the winner of the Young Architects Program, this year MOS’s "Afterparty." There’s also a barbecue and plenty of beer, and each admission ticket is good for entry to the museum itself, which is currently showing such exhibitions as Lutz Bacher’s "My Secret Life," Jonathan Horowitz’s "And/Or," and a collection of the film and video works of Kenneth Anger.
Saturday, July 4 Reagenz featuring Jonah Sharp, an extended live performance by Move D, and a DJ set by Dan Bell
Saturday, July 11 Arthur’s Landing plays the music of Arthur Russell, Danny Wang, MV Carbon & Aki Onda
Saturday, July 18 agnés b. presents... SPANK DJs SeanB and DJ Will, Cheveu, Xeno & Oaklander, and DJ Pieter
Saturday, July 25 Alexi Delano, Derek Plaslaiko, and Elliott Sharp’s Carbon (with Zeena Parkins, David Weinstein, and others)
Saturday, August 1 Chez Damier, live and DJ sets by House of House, Kai Alce, and Stars Like Fleas
Saturday, August 8 Music Committee of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company: Stephan Moore and John King, Eats Tapes, Lovefingers, and special guests
Saturday, August 15 DJ Pierre, Phuture 303, House of Stank, and Growing
Saturday, August 22 Brennan Green, John Selway, Tim Love Lee, and Talibam! with special guests
Saturday, August 29 Timmy Regisford and Duane Pitre
Saturday, September 5 Rong Music with Glenn Branca and special guests
James Spooner will once again screen AFRO-PUNK at BAM
BAMcinématek, BAM Rose Cinemas
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
July 3-8
Tickets: $11 unless otherwise noted
718-636-4100
It’s become an annual tradition for BAM to go Afro-Punk every July 4 weekend, screening films about the African diaspora, with many of the directors on hand for introductions and Q&As. This year’s selections looks to the past with FAVELA RISING, WHEN WE WERE KINGS, ATTICA, THE ANDERSON PLATOON, James Spooner’s AFRO-PUNK, and a day dedicated to the work of Spike Lee, while also playing such newer films as THE NIGHT JAMES BROWN SAVED BOSTON, FAUBOUG TREME: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BLACK NEW ORLEANS, and Stacy Peralta’s CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA. And from July 4 to 6, Afro-Punk Skate Park will feature cool demonstrations, workshops, and hot live music.
Friday, July 3 ADJUST YOUR COLOR: PETEY GREEN (Loren Mendell, 2008) and FAUBOUG TREME: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BLACK NEW ORLEANS (Dawn Logsdon, 2008), 2:00
Friday, July 3 A MAN NAMED PEARL (Scott Galloway & Brent Pierson, 2006), 4:45
Friday, July 3 EVENTUAL SALVATION (Dee Rees, 2008), followed by a Q&A with Dee Rees, producer Nekisa Cooper, and cinematographer Bradford Young, 6:50
Friday, July 3 FAVELA RISING (Matt Mochary & Jeff Zimbalist, 2005) and HOODS TO WOODS (Brian "Deka" Paupaw, 2009), introduced by Brian Paupaw, 9:30
Saturday, July 4 THE ANDERSON PLATOON (Pierre Schoendoerffer, 1967) and FRED HAMPTON: BLACK PANTHERS IN CHICAGO (Videofreex, 1969), 2:00
Saturday, July 4 CRIPS AND BLOODS: MADE IN AMERICA (Stacy Peralta, 2008), 4:30
Saturday, July 4 AFRO-SAXONS (Mark Currie & Rachel Wang, 2008), 6:50
Saturday, July 4 ATTICA (Cinda Firestone, 1974), 9:15
BAM series goes back to 1974 with Cinda Firestone’s ATTICA
Saturday, July 4
through
Monday, July 6 Afro-Punk Skate Park, featuring contests, live music (including Tamar Kali, the Objex, Apollo Heights, the London Souls, Saul Williams, American Fangs, and Shinobi Ninja), demonstrations, DJ sets, and more, 11:00 am — 10:00 pm
Sunday, July 5 JOE’S BED-STUY BARBERSHOP: WE CUT HEADS (Spike Lee, 1983) and MAKING OF DO THE RIGHT THING (St. Claire Bourne, 1989), 2:00
Sunday, July 5 A HUEY P. NEWTON STORY (Spike Lee, 2001), 4:30
Sunday, July 5 DO THE RIGHT THING (Spike Lee, 1989), 7:30
Monday, July 6 A MAN NAMED PEARL (Scott Galloway & Brent Pierson, 2006), 4:30
Monday, July 6 REVOLUTION ’67 (Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno, 2007). followed by a Q&A with filmmakers Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno and Jerome Bongiorno, 6:30
Monday, July 6 AFRO-PUNK (James Spooner, 2003) and WHITE LIES BLACK SHEEP (James Spooner, 2008), introduced by James Spooner, 9:15
Tuesday, July 7 WHEN WE WERE KINGS (Leon Gast, 1996), 4:30
Tuesday, July 7 WHAT’S ON YOUR PLATE? (Catherine Gund, 2009), followed by a Q&A with Catherine Gund and film subjects, 6:50
Tuesday, July 7 THE NIGHT JAMES BROWN SAVED BOSTON (David Leaf, 2008), 9:30
Wednesday, July 8 ADJUST YOUR COLOR: PETEY GREEN (Loren Mendell, 2008) and FAUBOUG TREME: THE UNTOLD STORY OF BLACK NEW ORLEANS (Dawn Logsdon, 2008), 4:30
Wednesday, July 8 THE TWO TOWNS OF JASPER (Whitney Dow & Marco Williams, 2002), followed by a Q&A with Whitney Dow and Marco Williams, 7:00
Wednesday, July 8 MEDICINE FOR MELANCHOLY (Barry Jenkins, 2008), 9:40
Sunday, July 12 Afro-Punk Block Party, featuring food, fashion, arts & crafs, live music, and more, Clinton Ave. between Myrtle & Willoughby, 12 noon — 8:00 pm
Robert Donat is wise beyond his years in MR. CHIPS
Academy Theater at Lighthouse International
111 East 59th St. between Park & Lexington Aves.
Tickets: $5
Through October 12
212-821-9251
The seventieth anniversary of this summer film series, sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, will be hosted by Robert Osborne, taking a look back at one of cinema’s greatest year’s, 1939. Each screening will be preceded by an animated short and a chapter from the Buck Rogers serial that originally ran in 1939. Oscar winner GONE WITH THE WIND kicked off the series on June 20; what follows are all the other Best Picture nominees.
Saturday, June 27 Saturday Afternoon Double Feature: DARK VICTORY (Edmund Goulding, 1939), 12 noon, and WUTHERING HEIGHTS (William Wyler, 1939), 3:00
Monday, July 20 Monday Nights with Oscar: NINOTCHKA (Ernst Lubitsch, 1939), 7:00
Saturday, July 25 Saturday Afternoon Double Feature: LOVE AFFAIR (Leo McCarey, 1939), 12 noon, and GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS (Sam Wood, 1939), 3:00
Monday, August 10 Monday Nights with Oscar: MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (Frank Capra, 1939), 7:00
Saturday, August 15 Saturday Afternoon Double Feature: STAGECOACH (John Ford, 1939), 12 noon, and OF MICE AND MEN (Lewis Milestone, 1939), 3:00
Japan Society
333 East 47th St. between First and Second Aves.
June 30 - July 12
212-715-1258
The third annual Japan Cuts film festival, an extension of the New York Asian Film Festival, concentrates on new Japanese cinema, from romantic comedies to gory thrillers, from robotic adventures to creepy horror, from intensely personal dramas to historical epics. The international premiere of Keralino Sandorovich’s CRIME OR PUNISHMENT?!? opens the festival on June 30, while the international premiere of Eriko Kitagawa’s HALFWAY closes things on July 12. In between is a wide range of films, several including Q&As with directors or stars, as well as a pair of happening after-parties. One of the most heavily anticipated films is Gen Takahashi’s three-hour epic CONFESSIONS OF A DOG, screening July 9 and 11, both followed by a Q&A with the director.
Upcoming execution is at center of compelling drama
Wednesday, July 1, 6:30
Friday, July 3, 4:00
Toru Hirai (Kaoru Kobayashi) is a simple man who says very little and demands even less out of life. A prison guard, he works on death row, where he watches after Shinichi Kaneda (Hidetoshi Nishijima), intrigued by the doomed man’s exquisite drawings. As Kaneda’s execution approaches, so does Hirai’s wedding to a young widow, Mika (Nene Otsuka), who has a small boy, Tatsuya (Shusei Uto), who also likes to draw. Lacking the time off to take his new family on a honeymoon trip, where he can get to know them both better, Hirai considers volunteering for a special job at the prison that would earn him a week off — but could also affect him very deeply. VACATION is an extremely delicate film, carefully balanced on the edge of a precipice. Director Hajime Kadoi keeps things slow but steady. The strong cast also includes Ren Osugi, Shuji Kashiwabara, Shun Sugata as a trio of prison guards who work with Hirai.
Bingo and Maruta look stylish in silly noir
Wednesday, July 1, 9:00
Sunday, July 5, 12 noon
An extremely slick production featuring an all-star cast of Japanese actors, THE MAGIC HOUR is a disappointing, silly experiment in slapstick noir. When hotel manager Bingo (Satoshi Tsumabaki) is caught messing around with the boss’s (Toshiyuki Nishida) babe (Eri Fukatsu), he is sentenced to a pair of cement shoes, but he claims that he is an acquaintance of Della Togashi’s, a mysterious hit man whom the boss, Teshio, is desperate to find, gaining himself a brief reprieve. The only problem is, Bingo has no idea who Della Togashi is, so instead he plans an elaborate ruse, hiring an unsuccessful, unsatisfied actor, Taiki Murata (Koichi Sato), to star as the killer in a low-budget movie Bingo says he is making. All kinds of sitcom-level high jinks ensue over the course of a very long and very tedious 136 minutes that are filled with way too many self-referential cinematic jokes. Although Billy Wilder is cited as an influence on the film, it feels more like a middling theatrical farce; in fact, writer-director Koki Mitani (THE UCHOTEN HOTEL) is a playwright as well. The cast, featuring cameos galore, also includes Haruka Ayase, Goro Ibuki, Fumiyo Kohinata, and the late, great Kon Ichikawa.
Takeshi Kitano drama looks at art and creativity
Monday, July 6, 6:30
Sunday, July 12, 1:45
http://www.office-kitano.co.jp
Takeshi Kitano completes his trilogy about art, following TAKESHIS’ and KANTOKU BANZAI! (GLORY TO THE FILMMAKER), with the fabulous absurdist comedy ACHILLES AND THE TORTOISE. The film acerbically details the travails of Machisu, who as a young boy (Reo Yoshioka) loves to paint. In fact, that’s about all he does; he doesn’t speak, doesn’t pay attention in class, and doesn’t really participate in life. When his father, a successful businessman who is a patron of a mediocre painter, kills himself after his company suddenly fails, a chain of events is set in motion in which friends and relatives continue to die around Machisu as he grows older (played as a young man by Yurei Yanagi, then in middle age by writer-director-editor Kitano), accompanied by his faithful wife, Sachiko (Kumiko Aso and Kanako Higuchi). All the while, Machisu searches for his muse, trying every kind of experimental art form possible, but there’s one big thing standing in his way: He’s a terrible artist with no sense of imagination or creativity and no understanding of the self. As life crumbles all around him, he keeps looking for that spark that will make him famous — perhaps still looking for his father’s love and admiration — but it’s becoming more and more unlikely, and more and more ridiculous. ACHILLES AND THE TORTOISE is an entertaining, insightful meditation on what it means to be an artist — and what it means to participate in one’s own life.
New Kim Ki-duk film is one of festival highlights
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at West Third St.
Through July 5
212-924-7771
The New York Asian Film Festival continues at the IFC Center through July 5, featuring cool flicks from all over Asia, including China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, and Vietnam. One of our favorite film festivals of the year, NYAFF, run by our friends at Subway Cinema, it always features an eclectic mix of gangster movies, horror, black comedy, love stories, and indescribable genres, ensuring that there’s something for everyone. And several of the directors and stars will be on hand to introduce their films and participate in postscreening Q&As. Tickets are going fast, so get yours now.
Yu Liqing becomes an explosives “expert” in Chinese drama
Thursday, June 25, 1:00
Former police officer Yu Liqing gives a splendidly understated performance as the title character in Gao Qunshu’s wonderful drama OLD FISH. Yu, making his acting debut, plays Ma Guowei, a low-level cop who enjoys ice fishing and is looking to help his son (Song Wenchao), who is about to get discharged from the army, get a job on the force, but he doesn’t have enough power or influence. He also seems to enjoy spending time away from his nagging wife (Gu Erli). Because of his military experience as an army engineer, Ma is called in to identify and safely dispose of American and Japanese landmines that are still being found in Harbin in Mainland China. But soon a series of homemade bombs are discovered in odd places, and the higher-ups turn to Ma to defuse them, even though he has no experience with such weapons. But Ma, unable to say no to his superiors, does his best, becoming fascinated with the devices, risking his life in the process. Director Gao (THE TOKYO TRIAL) often uses a shaky handheld camera to give the film a realistic, off-balance feel that counteracts the old-fashioned look. If there were no cell phones in the movie — they figure prominently in the plot — it would be easy to think that it was made decades ago, as it’s seen through Ma’s old-fashioned mind. OLD FISH is a small gem of a film, with an unforgettable lead character.
Nearly anything goes in Tak Sakagushi’s horror-comedy
Friday, June 19, 12 midnight
Friday, June 26, 9:45
YOROI: SAMURAI ZOMBIE is a goofy, violent Japanese horror film that somehow manages to be fun despite an inexplicable plot and ridiculously laugh-out-loud subtitles. After driving into a white-suited zombie in the middle of nowhere, a family of four is taken hostage by a pair of punky criminals. Soon they are in a dark, scary place where an evil samurai knight has emerged from below and is going around cutting off heads and posting them on sticks. Throw in a pot-smoking policeman, a gobbled testicle, and some missing bloody fingers and you’ve got one heckuva strange zombie flick. Director Tak Sakaguchi (CHARGE! MEN’S PRIVATE SCHOOL), who also appears in the film, will be on hand to introduce both screenings and participate in Q&As afterward.
Interrogations reveal possible conspiracy in EXODUS
Saturday, June 27, 11:00 am
Monday, June 29, 12:50
Doing a favor for a colleague, police officer Tsim Kin-Yip (Simon Yam) takes a statement from Kwan Ping-Man (Nick Cheung), a creepy guy who has been arrested for peeping with a video camera in a woman’s bathroom. However, Kwan claims that he was actually spying on women to reveal their secret plans to kill off men. Tsim believes that Kwan is just another nut job, but when the statement disappears from the evidence room and Tsim has to question Kwan again — with a shaky, nervous Kwan now saying that he is a peeping Tom and refusing to acknowledge any of his previous ramblings about a female conspiracy — Tsim starts becoming suspicious, especially after Kwan goes missing and fellow officer Madam Fong (Maggie Siu) lectures him to give up the case. As Tsim grows closer to Kwan’s ex-wife, Pun Siu-Yuen (Irene Wan), and further from his own wife, Ann (Annie Liu), he starts wondering whether Kwan was actually on to something. EXODUS is a gripping if strange, at times awkward police procedural that features a terrific piano score composed by Gabriele Roberto and played by Aiko Takai. And yes, you will eventually find out what the deal is with those bizarre, abusive frogmen.
Dmitry Trakovsky goes in search of Andrei Tarkovsky in new documentary
Walter Reade Theater
65th St. between Broadway & Amsterdam Aves.
July 8-14
Tickets: $11
212-875-5050
The Film Society of Lincoln Center celebrates Dmitry Trakovsky’s 2008 documentary, MEETING ANDREI TARKOVSKY, in which the director goes in search of Andrei Tarkovsky’s continuing influence on art, politics, religion, philosophy, and everyday life, by bringing back all seven of the Russian filmmaker’s feature-length narrative works, metaphysical investigations of the spirit and the spiritual, existential takes on relationships, and poetic declarations of love and loss. Tarkovsky, who died of lung cancer at the age of fifty-four in 1986, was an unconventional, controversial figure who made a lasting impact on the world of cinema.
Tuesday, July 7
through
Wednesday, July 8 MEETING ANDREI TARKOVSKY (Dmitry Trakovsky, 2008), introduced by Dmitry Trakovsky
Tuesday, July 7, 4:15 and 8:30
and
Saturday, July 11, 4:00 IVAN'S CHILDHOOD (aka MY NAME IS IVAN) (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1962)
Wednesday, July 8, 2:15 and 8:00 ANDREI RUBLEV (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1966/69)
Thursday, July 9, 1:00
and
Friday, July 10, 3:15 and 8:30 SOLARIS (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972)
Thursday, July 9, 9:15
and
Friday, July 10, 1:00 and 6:20 THE MIRROR (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975)
THE MIRROR is part of Tarkovsky revisitation at Lincoln Center
Sunday, July 12, 6:00
and
Monday, July 13, 3:45 and 9:00 NOSTALGHIA (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1983)
Monday, July 13, 1:00 and 6:15
and
Tuesday, July 14, 3:15 THE SACRIFICE (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1986
Thursday, July 9, 6:15
Saturday, July 11, 1:00
and
Sunday, July 12, 8:30 STALKER (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979)
Catherine Deneuve sings in beautiful color in CHERBOURG
Museum of Arts and Design
2 Columbus Circle at 59th St. & Broadway
July 11 — August 30
Tickets: $11
212-299-7777
The Museum of Arts and Design has teamed up with the Museum of the Moving Image to present a fiftieth anniversary celebration of the French New Wave, or Nouvelle Vague, which turned film upside down and inside out, helping usher in a cultural and political revolution in France built on peace, freedom, sex, love, and an overwhelming sense of unconventionality. Influenced by the film magazine Cahiers du Cinema, directors, writers, editors, and cinematographers created controversial masterpieces and confusing digressions that shocked the world, laying the groundwork for the gritty, realistic American cinema of the 1970s. While there might not be any surprises in the series, curator David Schwartz has put together a fabulous primer of French New Wave cinema, featuring films by Melville, Godard, Truffaut, Rohmer, Varda, and others, getting right to the heart of the matter.
Saturday, July 11
and
Sunday, July 12 BOB LE FLAMBEUR (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956), 2:00
Saturday, July 11
and
Sunday, July 12 BREATHLESS (Jean-Luc Godard, 1959), 4:00
Saturday, July 18
and
Sunday, July 19 THE 400 BLOWS (François Truffaut, 1959), 2:00
Saturday, July 18
and
Sunday, July 19 AND GOD CREATED WOMAN (Roger Vadim, 1956), 4:00
Saturday, July 25
and
Sunday, July 26 LA COLLECTIONNEUSE (Éric Rohmer, 1967), 2:00
Saturday, July 25
and
Sunday, July 26 MY NIGHT AT MAUD’S (Éric Rohmer, 1969), 4:00
Saturday, August 1
and
Sunday, August 2 VIVRE SA VIE (Jean-Luc Godard, 1962), August 1 screening introduced by Richard Brody, author of EVERYTHING IS CINEMA: THE WORKING LIFE OF JEAN-LUC GODARD, 2:00
Saturday, August 1
and
Sunday, August 2 JULES AND JIM (François Truffaut, 1962), 4:00
Saturday, August 8
and
Sunday, August 9 CLEO FROM 5 TO 7 (Agnès Varda, 1962), 2:00
Varda classic is part of New Wave festival
Saturday, August 8
and
Sunday, August 9 THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (Jacques Demy, 1964), 4:00
Saturday, August 15
and
Sunday, August 16 ALPHAVILLE (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965), 2:00
Saturday, August 15
and
Sunday, August 16 LES BONNES FEMMES (Claude Chabrol, 1960), 4:00
Saturday, August 22
and
Sunday, August 23 LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD (Alain Resnais, 1961), 2:00
Saturday, August 22
and
Sunday, August 23 A WOMAN IS A WOMAN (Jean-Luc Godard, 1961), 4:00
Saturday, August 29
and
Sunday, August 30 LE BONHEUR (Agnès Varda, 1965), 2:00
Saturday, August 29
and
Sunday, August 30 PIERROT LE FOU (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965), 4:00
Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo) tries to save Soraya (Mozhan Marnò) in STONING
THE STONING OF SORAYA M. (Cyrus Nowrasteh, 2009)
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
143 East Houston St. between First & Second Aves.
212-330-8182
http://www.landmarktheatres.com
THE STONING OF SORAYA M. is more than just another movie role for Shohreh Aghdashloo, who was nominated for an Oscar for 2003’s HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG and a Satellite Award for her turn as an Iranian-American mother caught up in a terrorist plot in the 2005 season of 24. Aghdashloo was born in Tehran and escaped from the country right around the time of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, fearful of what was happening there. “It was indeed beyond my imagination,” Aghdashloo said of the abuses being perpetrated in Iran after the Shah went into exile and the Ayatollah Khomeini took control of the nation. “I was born and raised in Iran as a young girl in a somewhat open, supportive society. When the Shah departed, no one could have imagined that the whole country would be suppressed through violence and forced to live under such a religious dictatorship.” Many of those abuses, particularly the treatment of women, are on display in Aghdashloo’s latest film, THE STONING OF SORAYA M., the based-on-fact story of a young wife and mother (Mozhan Marnò) in 1988 who faces a tragic end after being falsely accused of infidelity. Aghdashloo plays Zahra, Soraya’s aunt and protector who is battling to save her niece’s life. The film, which opened at the Landmark Sunshine Cinema on June 26, is especially timely given the mass rioting going on right now in Iran.
Shohreh Aghdashloo gives a powerful performance in harrowing story based on real events
“In the past, when there was any threat to the establishment, the entire regime banned together and acted in unity,” Aghdashloo explained in an exclusive e-mail interview conducted the day before the recent Iranian election (in which incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed a controversial, improbable landslide victory over former prime minister Mir-Houssein Mousavi). “Now we are witnessing something different, which is causing a rift in that unity.” Aghdashloo is fearful that “the regime will change to a more religious and military dictatorship.” Having made a film so condemning of her country’s leadership, Aghdashloo, who still has family there, says she “would love to visit them. I am not sure how the response will be to this film in my homeland. I am hoping that it will have a positive effect and be supported by the people.” She would also like the independent film to be distributed around the world to spread the word of human rights abuses that still continue in Iran and elsewhere. “I hope that the [global] audience will realize the injustices towards women in rural Islamic societies and take a stand in support. One good way for the audience to make a change is by visiting the movie’s Web site and signing the petition in protest.”
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
143 East Houston St. between First & Second Aves.
212-330-8182
http://www.landmarktheatres.com
Based on the book by French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam, THE STONING OF SORAYA M. is a brutal, harrowing examination of the treatment of women in Iran. After his car breaks down in a small Iranian village, Sahebjam (Jim Caviezel) meets Zahra (Shohreh Aghdashloo), an Iranian woman who begins to tell him a story the local leaders, all men, are fearful of getting out. The film then flashes back to detail the failing relationship between a young mother, Soraya M. (Mozhan Marnò), and her cheating husband, Ali (Navid Negahban). When Soraya, Zahra’s niece, refuses to grant him a divorce, Ali suddenly claims that she has been unfaithful to him, which, according to sharia, is punishable by death by stoning. Zahra fights hard to protect Soraya, but they both face seemingly impossible obstacles every step of the way. Aghdashloo, who was nominated for an Oscar for HOUSE OF SAND AND FOG, gives a bravura performance as Zahra, a strong, determined, independent woman battling the old-fashioned and outdated laws that are still prevalent in much of Iran today. Aghdashloo makes quite a statement just by appearing in the film, which has been banned in Iran; she was born in Tehran but left around the time of the 1979 revolution. Based on a true story, THE STONING OF SORAYA M. is not easy viewing — and gets overly heavy-handed — but its importance is paramount, especially with the riots occurring in Iran right now.
Setara Hussainzada puts it all on the line to become singing star
Cinema Village
22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
Opens Friday, June 26
212-759-7525
http://www.afghanstardocumentary.com
AMERICAN IDOL contestants such as Kelly Clarkson, Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood, and Clay Aiken have become household names. But what about Rafi Nabzaada, Lema Sahar, Hameed Sakhizada, and Setara Hussainzada? In AFGHAN STAR, the centerpiece selection for the 2009 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, director Havana Marking (THE CRIPPENDALES) follows these four wannabe singers as they battle it out on the Afghani version of AMERICAN IDOL. Music and dance was banned by the Taliban from 1996 to 2001, and the Mujahiddeen still considers such forms of entertainment sacrilegious, but that didn’t stop some two thousand people — including three daring young women — from auditioning for the program, seeking the first-place prize of $5,000 and a recording contract, as well as instant fame. Marking visits the four contestants’ hometowns, speaking with their rabid supporters, in addition to the Khan family, who devotes their life to the popular show. But Marking also meets with plenty of detractors who find AFGHAN STAR to be perverse and offensive — and when Setara actually dances on the show, her life is suddenly in grave danger. In a country where freedom and democracy have been suppressed for so long — except for a short respite in the 1980s, when popular culture and modernization flourished ever so briefly — AFGHAN STAR has brought back hope and dreams to millions. "When I listen to music, I feel, I feel really happy," one young boy, smiling broadly, says in the beginning of the film. "If there was no singing," his friend adds, "then the world would be silent."
Iraq War drama puts viewers in the middle of the action
Opens Friday, June 26
http://thehurtlocker-movie.com
Based on embedded journalist Mark Boal’s experiences in Iraq, THE HURT LOCKER follows a three-member Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit as they are called in to defuse a series of dangerous situations involving various kinds of bombs, including IEDs and other life-threatening explosive devices. Team leader Will James (Jeremy Renner) is an expert bomb defuser and maverick who doesn’t follow protocol and likes to live on the edge. Spc. Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty) is a greenhorn who just wants to survive the last forty days of their rotation. And Sgt. J. T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie) likes to go by the book and take no unnecessary chances, which puts him in constant conflict with the unpredictable James. Recalling the second half of Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam drama FULL METAL JACKET (1987), THE HURT LOCKER unfolds in a series of harrowing set pieces in which the EOD unit is called in to either safely detonate or defuse explosive devices while under the eyes of local Iraqis, any of whom could potentially be the bomber or a sniper. Director Kathryn Bigelow (BLUE STEEL, POINT BREAK) masterfully builds suspense scene after scene, beginning with the edge-of-your-seat opener through to the gripping conclusion. The experiences of the EOD unit serve as a microcosm for modern warfare in general and the U.S. involvement in the Middle East specifically, placing viewers in the midst of a tense, bitter, psychologically and emotionally draining battle that can never be won. The outstanding cast also features Guy Pearce, Ralph Fiennes, David Morse, and Evangeline Lilly in small roles; many of the Iraqis were played by actual war refugees. Shot in Jordan not far from the Iraq border, THE HURT LOCKER is a remarkable story, one of the best war films of the decade.
Johnny Depp plays it cool as Dillinger in gangster flick
Opens Wednesday, July 1
In the early years of talkies, around the time of the Great Depression, Hollywood — and America — fell in love with gangsters and gangster pictures. Edward G. Robinson, Paul Muni, and James Cagney became stars in such films as LITTLE CAESAR, SCARFACE, and PUBLIC ENEMY. In 1967, right around the Summer of Love, the ultraviolent, highly stylized BONNIE AND CLYDE reinvigorated the genre, casting the notorious thieves as the can’t-miss glamorous duo of Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, followed two years later by the can’t-miss glamorous duo of Paul Newman and Robert Redford as the title characters in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID. Now, with the country deep into a recession and hot off the success of Ridley Scott’s AMERICAN GANGSTER, powerhouse writer-director-producer Michael Mann (THE INSIDER, MIAMI VICE) goes back to the 1930s for PUBLIC ENEMIES, a superb, exciting retelling of legendary bank robber and people’s hero John Dillinger.
Based on the book by Bryan Burrough, who recently praised Mann in the L.A. Times for getting so many — if not all, of course — of the facts, details, and even nuances right, PUBLIC ENEMIES begins with a prison break engineered by Dillinger in 1933, revealing him to be a sly, clever, and extremely smooth criminal, a violent villain impossible not to love, especially as played by Johnny Depp. (Dillinger has previously been portrayed by such actors as Warren Oates, Lawrence Tierney, and even Mark Harmon.) Dillinger puts together his crew, which includes John “Red” Hamilton (Jason Clarke), Harry Pierpont (David Wenham), and Homer Van Meter (Stephen Dorff), and falls in love with coat-check girl Billie Frechette (Marion Cotillard) as he proceeds on his well-publicized crime wave. A blustery J. Edgar Hoover (Billy Crudup) sics master G-man Melvin Purvis (Christian Bale) on Dillinger, and the two play a cat-and-mouse game through the Midwest, with appearances by such other notorious gangsters as Pretty Boy Floyd (Channing Tatum), Frank Nitti (Bill Camp), Baby Face Nelson (Stephen Graham), and Alvin Karpis (Giovanni Ribisi). The bullets keep flying as Dillinger grows bolder and bolder and Purvis gets closer and closer. PUBLIC ENEMIES is a classy, handsome gangster picture for the modern age, a fun trip back to a time before billion-dollar bank bailouts, when certain thieves were more like Robin Hood than Bernie Madoff.
Gianna brings Saya to life while spilling lots of blood
Opens Friday, July 10
Chris Nahon’s live-action version of Hiroyuki Kitakubo’s award-winning 2000 anime film, which was also turned into a novel by Mamoru Oshii (GHOST IN THE SHELL) and both a manga and anime series, features a handful of cool action sequences with plenty of stylized blood splatters, but the story and much of the acting falls flat. Korean actress Gianna stars as Saya, a four-hundred-year-old vampire slayer — and vampire herself — who works as an operative for a secret organization that sends her to an American military base in Tokyo, where she is to pose as a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl and take care of some rogue elements. All the while, though, her primary goal is to continue her centuries-old hunt for the greatest evil of all, Onigen (Koyuki), no matter the consequences. Gianna knows how to wield a sword, performing most of the stunts herself, under the guidance of master action choreographer Corey Yuen (ROMEO MUST DIE, X-MEN), but BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE plays more like a minor-league remake of a mediocre BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER episode (yes, there were a few) than an original film in its own right. Nahon (KISS OF THE DRAGON) seems to give up on a real narrative early on, with substandard acting certainly not helping matters.
Sacha Baron Cohen is up to new tricks in BRÜNO
Opens Friday, July 10
Sacha Baron Cohen’s follow-up to the brilliant BORAT (Larry Charles, 2006) and the crazy ALI G INDAHOUSE (Mark Mylod, 2002) is the chaotic gayfest BRÜNO, a muddled mess that overcomes its lack of a much-needed narrative with some of the funniest scenes seen on-screen since, well, BORAT. Baron Cohen’s Brüno character is a nineteen-year-old flaming homosexual fashion journalist who wants to take America by storm — after being kicked out of Milan for causing trouble on the catwalk in an all-Velcro suit. But America doesn’t seem quite ready to embrace the rather absurd, way-over-the-top Austrian (who is seeking to be as famous as Hitler or Schwarzenegger), especially at a focus group that is judging a TV show he has created — which features one of the most hysterical moments ever put on film (and one that will never be able to be shown on television). The structure of the film, directed by Charles, follows the general format of BORAT as Brüno and his right-hand man, the much-maligned Lutz (Gustaf Hammarsten), travel the world getting involved in raunchy, bizarre stunts that often put his physical well-being in jeopardy, whether running from angry Hasidim, insulting Osama bin Laden to a terrorist’s face, trying to seduce Ron Paul, or flaunting his black child on a Dallas talk show. It’s more a series of vignettes than an actual movie — in some ways it has more in common with the JACKASS flicks than with BORAT — and not all of the set pieces work, but the ones that do, including the grand finale in a wrestling cage, are an absolute riot. But Baron Cohen’s investigation of the superficiality of celebrity and haute-couture culture often gets lost in the mix. We’re already looking forward to the DVD release, hoping it has some of the deleted scenes mentioned in the film’s press notes as well as a behind-the-scenes documentary that shows just how out of his mind social critic / daringly risqué comedian Baron Cohen is as he risks life and limb to reveal the dark underbelly of contemporary American society.
Yojiro Takita’s DEPARTURES examines man with very unusual job
Quad Cinema
34 West 13th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
212-255-8800
http://departures-themovie.com
After the orchestra in which he plays cello is dissolved, Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) and his wife, Mika (Ryoko Hirosue) leave Tokyo and head back to his hometown in Yamagata. Seeing a classified ad in the local paper listing a job in “departures,” Daigo schedules an interview, thinking it is a travel agent position. But as it turns out, the boss, Sasaki (Tsutomu Yamazaki), claims it was a typo — it should have read “the departed” — and immediately hires Daigo as his assistant encoffinor. Daigo quickly learns that he and Sasaki attend to the newly dead, picking them up for funeral directors and then preparing the bodies, in front of grieving friends and family, for the coffins and cremation through an elaborate, detailed ceremony. Daigo takes the job out of financial desperation — Sasaki throws money at him to come on board — but doesn’t tell anyone, including Mika, what he is doing, since people who work in businesses involving corpses are shunned in Japan, considered dirty. But as Daigo grows to appreciate the importance of what Sasaki does, everything he has built threatens to fall apart when his secret starts getting out.
Winner of the 2008 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film (As well as ten Japan Academy Prizes), DEPARTURES is a moving portrait of life and death, told beautifully by director Yojiro Takita (WHENT THE LAST SWORD IS DRAWN, ONMYOJI) and screenwriter Kundo Koyama. Motoki, who had the original idea for the film, gives a wonderfully subtle performance as a Daigo, while Yamazaki is a riot as the stern boss with a sly sense of humor. Despite an embarrassingly unnecessary montage scene and sappy music by Joe Hisaishi (who’s never met an emotion he couldn’t overexploit), DEPARTURES is a moving portrait of a man searching for his place in the world — and meeting personal and professional obstacles when he thinks he might have found it.
Sam Raimi returns to horror with DRAG ME TO HELL
Michigan-born writer/director/producer Sam Raimi makes a welcome return to the horror genre with DRAG ME TO HELL, his first thriller since 2000’s THE GIFT and only his second legitimate scarefest since 1987’s EVIL DEAD II. (In the interim, he has made such films as A SIMPLE PLAN, THE QUICK AND THE DEAD, FOR LOVE OF THE GAME, ARMY OF DARKNESS, DARKMAN, and the SPIDER-MAN trilogy.) Battling for a promotion, loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) decides not to give old, decrepit Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) a third extension on her mortgage. But the vile-looking woman won’t give up that easy, getting into a frightening physical fight with Christine that ends when the craggy old bat casts a wicked spell on her. Christine tries to return to her safe, conventional life with her boyfriend, Clay Dalton (Justin “I’m a Mac” Long), but she is haunted by an evil creature that just might drag her to hell in three days if she can’t find a way to stop it. Written by Raimi and his brother Ivan, DRAG ME TO HELL is a potent mix of horror and humor, ire and irony, always ready with a funny joke or two, its tongue firmly imbedded in its cheek — when it’s not rolling out of Mrs. Ganush’s absolutely disgusting mouth.
Spock and Kirk go back to the beginning in newest STAR TREK flick
Just as Kirk has his Khan, Spock gets his Nero in J. J. Abrams’s immensely entertaining time-traveling STAR TREK movie. Abrams (LOST) goes back to the very beginning, with the tumultuous birth of one James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine), whose father was a legendary member of Star Fleet. Soon he winds up aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise, surrounded by a crew that includes a logical Vulcan named Spock (Zachary Quinto); Uhura (Zoe Saldana), a hot language specialist; Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban), a goofy doctor; seventeen-year-old helmsman Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin); engineer extraordinaire Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg); and rookie pilot and swordsman Hikaru Sulu (John Cho). In this sort-of Star Trek Babies tale, the young cadets are suddenly thrust into action with Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), on a mission that involves evil villain Nero (Eric Bana), a rogue Romulan with an ax to grind. STAR TREK fans will love all the little homages to the series and the previous films, with both obvious and obscure references every step of the way as we learn how this famous crew first met one another and developed their extremely familiar relationships.
Juliette Binoche stars in Olivier Assayas’s latest
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at West Third St.
212-924-7771
At their annual family gathering, Frédéric (Charles Berling), Adrienne (Juliette Binoche), and Jérémie (Jérémie Renier) are celebrating their mother’s seventy-fifth birthday. But Hélène (Edith Scob) does not care about the present; instead, she is more concerned with preserving the past and preparing for the future. She pulls aside her oldest, Frédéric (Assayas’s on-screen alter ego), to tell him what to do with her belongings after she’s gone, but he is not ready to think about that. Her house is more like a museum, filled with valuable works of art and furniture that were collected by her uncle, a famous painter who died thirty years before. Frédéric would prefer to keep the house intact, donating a few items to the Musee d’Orsay and saving the rest for the next generation, but Adrienne and Jérémie don’t necessarily feel the same way, and Frédéric’s and Jérémie’s kids fail to see any value in the pieces, including two oil paintings by Camille Corot, begrudgingly noting that they’re from a different era. While Frédéric, a professor who has written a controversial book about the state of the economy, attaches personal memories to each object, Adrienne, a successful designer in New York, is more interested in the functionality of things, and Jérémie, who manages a company that profits from cheap labor in China, sees only monetary value. As the three siblings discuss what to do with their mother’s estate, relationships come into focus, and a long-held secret emerges.
Written and directed by Olivier Assayas (LES DESTINÉES SENTIMENTALES, DEMONLOVER, IRMA VEP), SUMMER HOURS, which was selected for the 2008 New York Film Festival, is a thoughtful, intelligent slice-of-life story that avoids overbearing cliches and melodramatic moments; there are no blow-ups or overemotional scenes. Instead, the family deals with its situation directly and matter-of-factly, a sort of French CHERRY ORCHARD for the twenty-first century. However, Assayas does include far too many red herrings, little flourishes of cinematic language that seem to set something up that never comes full circle. The project was initiated by the Musee d’Orsay, which had commissioned a group of international directors to make short films related to the institution’s holdings. Assayas’s friend and colleague Hou Hsiao Hsien ended up making the full-length FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON, which also starred Binoche. Although the project later fell apart, Assayas combined the idea with the worsening condition of his mother, resulting in a bittersweet and very personal work.
twi-ny/mdr
Local faves Sway Machinery will play free downtown festival
Spring St. between Varick & Hudson Sts.
Tuesdays at 5:00 from June 23 through August 11
Admission: free
http://www.citywinery.com/hudsonbbq
Sponsored by City Winery, the first annual Hudson Square Music & Wine Festival will take place at a rather odd time, Tuesday afternoons at 5:00, so do your best to get out of work early and head downtown to catch some cool shows. The series is organized by impresario Michael Dorf, the founder and CEO of City Winery, which will be selling drinks at the outdoor event, while Great Performances will be providing the food. (A farmer’s market will be on hand as well.) We love Dorf’s taste in music, and you will too.
Tuesday, June 23 John Hammond
Tuesday, June 30 City Grass
Tuesday, July 7 Sway Machinery
Tuesday, July 14 William Elliot Whitmore
Tuesday, July 21 Marc Ribot & La Cumbiamba
Tuesday, July 28 Ballin’ the Jack
Tuesday, August 4 Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit
Tuesday, August 11 Budos Band
twi-ny/mdr
Ian Hunter rocked Rockefeller Park on June 24
River to River Festival
Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City
Wednesday, June 24, free, 7:00
212-945-0505
ian hunter in rockefeller park slideshow
Despite bad weather, a huge, devoted crowd showed up in a wet and muggy Rockefeller Park on June 24 to pay tribute to glam rock superstar Ian Hunter, who treated them to a ninety-minute free show of old classics and new songs. Backed by the always impressive Rant Band — Mark Bosch and James Mastro on guitars, Paul Page on bass, Andy Burton on keyboards, and Steve Holley on drums — Hunter, wearing his signature shades the whole night, opened with his familiar “Hallo hallo hallo hallo” to kick off “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” followed by what he called David Letterman’s favorite, “Central Park n’ West,” immediately showing he still has his chops even as he heads toward seventy. (He dropped in several age jokes throughout the set.) The concert concentrated on Hunter’s newer material, from 2001’s RANT, 2007’s SHRUNKEN HEADS, and the forthcoming MAN OVERBOARD, which comes out July 27, three excellent records that deserve more notice. Although the band rocked out on such tunes as “Twisted Steel,” “Up and Running,” and the Hoople classic “Roll Away the Stone” — and battled some sound problems that clearly annoyed Ian — Hunter saved his strongest performances of the evening for a pair of gorgeous ballads, RANT’s “Dead Man Walkin’ (EastEnders)” and the title track from the new disc. He turned back the clock for the set closer, a stellar “All the Way from Memphis,” followed by the joyous encores of the Mott break-up song, “Saturday Gigs,” and one of the all-time great crowd pleasers, “All the Young Dudes,” during which he was joined onstage by his son Jesse and Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott. Hunter will be back again on July 23, playing the intimate City Winery, a show not to be missed. And believe it or not, Mott the Hoople is getting back together for a week of shows in London with original members Hunter, Verden Allen, Dale Griffin, Mick Ralphs, and Overend Watts. See you at the Hammersmith!
Eagle and Talon’s THRACIAN is free through July 1
Wednesday, June 24, Santos Party House, 96 Lafayette St., $10, 9:00
Thursday, June 25, Union Pool, 484 Union Ave., $7, 8:00
http://www.myspace.com/unionpool
California-based Eagle and Talon, which consists primarily of lyricist/guitarist Kim and drummer/Casio composer Alice, have made their latest album, the superb THRACIAN, available as a free download via their MySpace site, through July 1, which is Canada Day up north. (Kim is from Winnipeg, while Alice hails from Cleveland.) The recording features thirteen genre-twisting tunes that mix sweet melodies with electronic noise (courtesy of guitarist Andrew Jeffords), pulsating rhythms with postpunk bravado, and sonic dissonance with occasional blasts of raw power and energy. You might have missed them on June 21 at Public Assembly in Brooklyn, but you can still catch them at Santos Party House on June 24 with Blacklist, the Legends, and We Are Country Mice and June 25 at Union Pool with Big Tree and And the Money Notes.
All aboard to see Hubert Sumlin at
Chicago legends show with Pinetop Perkins
Pier 83, West 82nd St. & Twelfth Ave.
Tickets: $37.50-$55
212-563-3200
One of the problems with seeing live music on a boat is that once you get on board, you can’t get off until the shows and cruise are over. That shouldn’t be a problem with most of the concerts in this year’s annual Rockin’ the River Cruises, formerly known as the New York City Blues Cruise, put together by Music Without Borders and the Circle Line. While we can do without tributes to the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Billy Joel, we are supremely excited about evenings with Bettye Lavette, Los Lobos, and Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes. There is also a big-time Zydeco night, a New Orleans party, and a Legends of Chicago show with the great Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, and the Nighthawks. And, of course, you get to see some marvelous views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, and other city landmarks. Tickets are generally in the $40-$50 range, which might be a bit much but, as the promoters like to point out, it’s only ten or twenty bucks more than a ride on tourist-heavy regular sightseeing cruise ships without the live music.
Thursday June 25 An Evening of Soul with Bettye Lavette & Ryan Shaw, $45-$50, 7:00
Thursday July 9 Dave Mason, $47.50-$50, 7:00 & 9:30
Friday July 10 Satisfaction: Tribute to the Rolling Stones, $37.50-$40, 8:00
Friday July 17 Bruce in the USA: Tribute to Bruce Springsteen, $37.50-$40, 8:00
Wednesday July 22 Zydeco Explosion: Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas + CJ Chenier, $37.50-$40, 7:00
Thursday July 23 Joan Osborne with Chris Barron, $50-$55, 7:00 & 9:30
Friday July 24 Los Lobos, $50-$55, 7:00 & 9:30
Wednesday July 29 Steve Forbert and the Windfall Prophets & Chris Smither, $45-$50, 7:00
Thursday July 30 Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes, $48.50-$52, 7:00 & 9:30
Friday July 31
and
Friday August 21 The Nerds, $37.50-$40, 8:00
Thursday August 6 Donna the Buffalo, $45-$50, 8:00
Friday August 7 Bigshot: Tribute to Billy Joel, $37.50-$40, 8:00
Thurday August 13 New Orleans Party Night: Anders Osborne Band & PBS (Porter, Batiste, Stoltz), $42.50-$45, 7:00 & 9:30
Friday August 14 Legends of Chicago Blues: Pinetop Perkins, Hubert Sumlin, and the Nighthawks, $45-$50, 8:00
Wednesday August 19 Roomful of Blues: 40th Anniversary Tour, $37.50-$40, 7:00
Thursday August 20 The Radiators, $42.50-$45, 7:00 & 9:30
Thursday, August 27 The ’FUV Boat 09: A Floating Dance Party to Benefit WFUV Radio, $50, 7:00
Friday, August 28 Bayou to Bourbon Street: Marcia Ball & Beausoleil avec Michel Doucet, $45-$50, 7:00 & 9:30
Au Revoir Simone will say hello at the Bowery Ballroom
Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey St. at Bowery
Saturday, June 27, $15, 8:00
212-533-2111
http://www.myspace.com/aurevoirsimone
We sincerely apologize for the cliché — honestly, we do — but it really is about time that you say hello to Brooklyn’s own Au Revoir Simone. In 2007, Heather D’Angelo, Erika Foster, and Annie Hart delighted us with THE BIRD OF MUSIC, but their follow-up, the brand-new, stripped-down STILL NIGHT, STILL LIGHT (Our Secret Record Company, May 2009), takes them to the next level. Through twelve intimate songs, the three keyboardists sing about love and loss, backed primarily by a drum machine (and some live drumming by Ben McConnell and Otto Hauser on a few songs). "I’m moving on / I hope you’re coming with me / ’cause I’m not strong / without you," they sing on the gently pulsating "Shadows," which beats like an aching heart. On the stark "The Last One," they declare, "I’m the one to forget / the one you won’t regret / So let me go." And as clear as "Take Me as I Am" and the mostly instrumental "Only You Can Make You Happy" are, "Trace a Line" is more mysterious in sound and lyrics as they sing, "We’re making room for alibis / when something tells me telling lies / is only ever trying to be true." STILL NIGHT, STILL LIGHT is a gorgeous, infectious record, another beautiful collection of heartfelt songs by one of Brooklyn’s best minimalist groups. Au Revoir Simone will be playing the Bowery Ballroom on June 27, with Findlay Brown and Lights.
Celebrate Brooklyn! benefit show
Prospect Park Bandshell
718-855-7882
http://www.celebratebrooklyn.org
A large yet somewhat discouraging crowd showed up on July 1 in Prospect Park to see the hot Brooklyn-based band MGMT. Among them were preppy teenagers who obviously knew only the singles, college students who reeked of illegal substances, and one lone girl clad in zebra print. But even the hipster scene and the mostly forgettable warm-up bands, Kuroma and the aptly named Suckers, could put a damper on MGMT, who burst into the night and put on an absolutely memorable show. Lights in psychedelic patterns flashed across the stage as dominant electronic beats, electric guitars, Ben Goldwasser’s keyboards, and lead singer Andrew VanWyngarden’s falsetto voice combined to belt out tracks from 2007’s ORACULAR SPECTACULAR, including the soothing “Of Moons, Birds & Monsters,” the popular single “Electric Feel,” and “Kids,” the recent subject of video controversy, as well as songs from the duo’s upcoming release, CONGRATULATIONS, due in early 2010. Enhanced by a drummer and guitarist for the live performance, a sold-out benefit for Celebrate Brooklyn!, MGMT displayed a calm stage presence, closing with an acoustic version of the title track from the forthcoming record. MGMT will be back in the area on August 2, playing the All Points West Festival on Liberty Island with Coldplay, Echo & the Bunnymen, the Black Keys, and many others, followed by their hotly anticipated opening slot for Paul McCartney at Fenway Park on August 5-6.
Kiss Kiss offers free download to twi-ny readers
Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston St. at Ave. A
217 East Houston St. at Ave. A
Wednesday, July 1, $10
212-260-4700
http://www.myspace.com/kisskiss
http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com
Kiss Kiss is bringing its unique brand of creative chaos to the Mercury Lounge on July 1 in support of its latest disc, THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT WHAT’S LEFT (Eyeball, July 7, 2009). The new album ranges from the 35-second “Haunted by the Beauty of an Imperfection” to the 15:56 “Virus” and includes the fabulously titled “Innocent I (The Corruption of Self Through the Introduction of Naturally Existing Self Producing Chemicals),” which has been made available as a free download for twi-ny readers above. Josh, Rebecca, Mike, Patrick, and Jared will be taking the stage at 9:30, preceded by Alone at 3am (7:30) and TV Smith (8:30) and followed by Fake Problems (10:30).
Charles Lloyd will be blowing beautiful sax at the Highline Ballroom
Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th St. between Ninth & Tenth Aves.
Friday, July 3, $35, 8:00
212-414-5994
http://www.highlineballroom.com
http://www.myspace.com/thecharleslloyd
With his regular working quartet in tow, Charles Lloyd comes to the Highline Ballroom on July 3 to lay down his own uncategorizable brand of cutting-edge jazz. This is the kind of music that makes you throw out all the labels — trad vs. modern, cool vs. hot, be-bop vs. hard bop, et al. — and be constantly reminded of Duke Ellington’s statement that there are only two kinds of music — good and bad. Lloyd has the unique ability of picking the most talented and simpatico of pianists to play with, starting with Keith Jarrett and continuing with Michel Petrucianni, Geri Allen, and Brad Mehldau. His selection of Jason Moran was arguably his most inspired choice yet. With his serious melodic chops, Moran spurs Lloyd on to ever greater heights while at the same time reining in Lloyd’s more new-agey weirdo indulgences, receiving plenty of help, of course, from bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland as well. Miss these shows at your peril.
Brian Reguera
You can plan on Drink Up Buttercup getting pretty wild at Mercury
Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston St. at Ave. A
217 East Houston St. at Ave. A
Friday, July 3, $10, 9:00
212-260-4700
http://www.mercuryloungenyc.com
http://www.myspace.com/drinkupbuttercupband
Drink Up Buttercup knows how to have a good time. At their live shows — including a highly anticipated appearance at this year’s SXSW festival — they play with a reckless, infectious abandon that is sure to get your mojo working. The fearless Philly foursome features Farzad Houshiarnejad on bass and keyboards (as well as vocals, wolf howls, and melodica), Ben Money on bass, keyboards, and percussion (in addition to melodica, vocals, and mannequin head), James Harvey on guitar and vocals (along with sawed-off seagull, walki, opera sounds, and baby head), and Mike Cammarata on drums (with water, lemon, and sugar packets). Onstage they are reminiscent of such bands as the Black Lips, Islands, the Shaky Hands, and Gringo Star, as they switch instruments, goof around, and bang on an aluminum trash can. All of that is fine and dandy, but the key to the group is that their songs are fucking awesome. Often sounding more British than Pennsylvanian, they deliver the goods on such stellar tunes as “Gods and Gentlemen,” “Seasickness Pills,” and “Farewell Captain.” "Mr. Pie Eyes" is threatening to become one of our favorite strange songs ever — an “Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey” for the iPod generation? — with “Sosey and Dosey” not far behind. They also bandy about on such numbers as “Pink Sunshine,” “Young Ladies,” the somewhat calm “Lovers Play Dead” and the heavy “Heavy Hand.” If you haven’t seen these guys yet, you have no excuse, as they’ve played Pianos, Southpaw, Bruar Falls, and the streets of Brooklyn in just the last month or so. They’ll be at the Mercury Lounge on July 3, with Middle Distance Runner and Fan-Tan. Don’t miss them.
Mountains will bring their electronic soundscapes to the WFC
World Financial Center Winter Garden
225 Vesey St.
Tuesday, July 7, free, 9:00
212-417-7050
http://artsworldfinancialcenter.com
Friends since middle school, Brendon Anderegg and Koen Holtkamp founded the music label Apestaartje in 1999 and shortly after that formed the group Mountains. Working and living in Brooklyn, the duo will be playing a special free show on July 7 at the World Financial Center, along with England’s Scanner. Mountains’ latest disc, CHORAL (Thrill Jockey, February 2009), once again features monumentally minimalist electronic soundscapes mixing guitar, binaural field recordings, live sampling, and other subtle instrumentation primarily recorded live in their Brooklyn studio, with few overdubs. The six beautiful, hypnotic compositions take listeners on intriguing musical journeys that range from about two minutes to more than twelve, welcoming all comers into a mesmerizing, meditative, masterfully melodic experience. (A limited-edition double LP includes two bonus tracks not on the CD.) Scanner, aka electronic experimentalist Robin Rimbaud, makes ambient sound using cell phones and scanners when he’s not playing with Githead or in the midst of some complex piece of performance art.
twi-ny/mdr
Matt & Kim will team up with Flosstradamus at Hudson River Park
Pier 54
Hudson River Park at West 14th St.
Thursday, July 9, free, 6:00
http://www.hudsonriverpark.org
http://www.myspace.com/mattandkim
As we’ve said before, if there’s a more cheerful band out there than Matt & Kim, well, we’ve yet to find them. Last summer singer/keyboardist Matt Johnson and drummer Kim Schifino, Pratt graduates and current Brooklynites, turned McCarren Park Pool into an intimate gathering, with lots of friends and fans feeling the joy. They’ve followed up their delightful debut CD, which featured such catchy tunes as "Yeah Yeah," "Ready OK," and "5K," with the grander GRAND (Fader, January 2009). On the new disc, Johnson continues to show off his keyboard chops with soaring sounds on "Daylight" and playful tickling on "Good Ol Fashion Nightmare," while Schifino pounds away a steady beat on "Cutdown" and "I Wanna," her effervescent smile ever evident. Matt’s songwriting and production is overly ambitious, so GRAND is not quite as refreshing as its predecessor, but it’s still an entertaining collection of songs from one of indie rock’s most engaging duos. And we’re still dancing to the instrumental "Cinders." At their live shows, you never know what’s going to happen, especially at this performance with Chicago duo Flosstradamus — Robot and J2K — who describe themselves as "2 DJs, 4 turntables, and lots of people getting buck on the dancefloor." (Flosstradamus will also be playing July 10 at Studio B.) Brooklyn’s own Team Robespierre will open the show.
twi-ny/mdr
Matisyahu will rock Central Park on July 9
Park Summerstage Benefit Concerts
Rumsey Playfield
Central Park (enter at Fifth Ave. & 69th St.)
Thursday, July 9, $35, 6:30
212-360-2756
Hasidic reggae rapper Matisyahu will be headlining a SummerStage benefit on July 9, displaying his unique mix of music and lyrics that marries the classic sounds of Bob Marley to the themes of the Old Testament. Not your ordinary rock star, Matisyahu usually performs wearing his tallit under traditional Orthodox clothing (we’ll see if he changes for this outdoor July show), sings about the messiah leading the Jewish people back to the Holy Land, and no longer stage-dives because a woman might come in physical contact with him, but he still dances around to propulsive, infectious beats that should get a devoted crowd moving and sweating to such standard-bearers as “Youth,” “King Without a Crown,” and “Jerusalem” as well as new songs from the forthcoming LIGHT (Epic, August 25, 2009). The solid new disc kicks off with “Smash Lies,” a tasty bit of electronica that highlights his positive outlook as he sings, “Dream away / make no mistake / strive to be alive most every day.” No mere preacher, the former Matthew Paul Miller declares on “We Will Walk” that “you are the only one thing that I have ever loved / We will walk until my blood runs out / Until my heart is burned / You are not alone.” And on the album’s first single, the just-released “One Day,” Matisyahu prays for peace, pronouncing, “Sometimes in my tears I drown / But I never let it get me down / So when negativity surrounds / I know someday it will all turn around.” And we really dig that U2-like background that drives “For You” and the extended guitar solo that closes out “Motivate.” Also on the Central Park bill is Chicago prog-jam band Umphrey’s McGee, on the road in support of their latest CD, MANTIS (Sci Fidelity, January 2009).
twi-ny/mdr
Pains of Being Pure at Heart play pleasing indie pop at Seaport
River to River Festival
Pier 17, South Street Seaport
Friday, July 10, free, 6:00
http://www.rivertorivernyc.com
http://www.myspace.com/thepainsofbeingpureatheart
It’s not often that you find a mixture of indie rock, energetic pop, and experimental ambient music all in one night. The South Street Seaport’s River to River Festival executed just that on July 10, with three bands based in the city. The show opened with Ribbons, an indie rock duo that shocked many with their unique guitar and drum instrumentals, featuring fast-paced beats, deep vocals, and twangy guitar solos. However, guitarist Jenny Logan and drummer Sam Roudman failed to offer enough variety; song after song sounded exactly the same. ZAZA offered something much different. Lacerating drums, ambient electronic sounds, and echoing singing may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but ZAZA created a complete, satisfying experience with their shoegazing performance of the dreamy “Sooner or Later” and other songs from their forthcoming EP, CAMEO (due August 18). ZAZA will be back in October, playing a series of showcases as part of the CMJ festival. Ending the night was the band everyone was excited about, local heroes the Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The group, after returning from a tour in Europe, put on a pop performance filled with life. Songs like the summery, much-hyped “Young Adult Friction” and the slower “Stay Alive” kept the audience mesmerized with upbeat guitars and soft yet powerful vocals, shared by guitarist Kip Berman and keyboardist Peggy Wang-East, who seemed a little too excited about playing in the shadows of a large pizza chain. Following their U.S. tour, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart will be back in New York on October 3 at Webster Hall.
Kristeen Young will lead KRISTEENYOUNG
into Webster Hall on July 15
The Studio at Webster Hall
125 East Eleventh St. between Second & Third Aves.
Wednesday, July 15, $5-$7, 8:00
http://www.myspace.com/kristeenyoung
KRISTEENYOUNG — consisting of the eclectic duo of Baby Jef White on drums and percussion and Kristeen Young on vocals and keyboards — are coming to town in support of their forthcoming fifth full-length, the awesomely titled MUSIC FOR STRIPPERS, HOOKERS, AND THE ODD-ONLOOKER (Test Tube Baby, September 2009). On the record, Young croons such ditties as “Son of Man,” “That’s What It Takes, Dear,” and “He’s Sickened by Crude Emotion” as if she’s a burlesque punk Kate Bush on X, with the music soaring inside out and upside down around her while her lyrics get right to the point: “My pain is more abstract,” she explains on “The Depression Contest,” continuing, “Ha, ha, ha, ha and greater than yours. My tears are more nuanced…Ha, ha, ha, ha and deeper than yours.” And on “I Won’t Be Home for Christmas” she sings, “I won’t be home for Christmas / I’ve got better things to do with my time.” Everything comes together for the smashing rave-up “Comfort Is Never a Goal,” which grabs you by the neck and never lets go. The band reveals some of its many influences on the CD package, which includes photos of H.R. Pufnstuf and Dorothy Parker. Plus, the whole deal was produced by the one and only Tony Visconti and features guest spots by Fall Out Boy Patrick Vaughn Stump and head Pharmacist Ted Leo, so what’s not to love? KRISTEENYOUNG will be at the Studio at Webster Hall on July 15, on a bill with New Haven’s the Queen Killing Kings and Purchase’s Planeside.
Meet at 39-31 29th St. unless otherwise noted
Select dates from July 11 through September 5
Admission: free
718-707-3362
Flux Factory might have closed its space in Long Island City last year, but that hasn’t stopped them from taking their art on the road. Throughout the summer, for the second season in a row, they will be offering free bus tours on which a licensed driver and an artist-guide will decide where you will be going and for how long, from a few hours to maybe a few days. Although you won’t know in advance where your trip will be taking you, they will tell you the length (and what to bring) so you don’t feel suddenly kidnapped for a surprise long weekend. Space is limited, so sign up quickly and take a chance on what could be one of the coolest art projects of the season. This year’s participating artists include Yoni Brook and Liz Barry, Jason Eppink and Matt Green, Moses Gates, Siobhan Rigg and Carolyn Lambert, Douglas Paulson, Justin Rancourt and Chuck Yatsuk, Jeff Stark, and David Felix Sutcliffe.
Brooklyn Lyceum
227 Fourth Ave., Park Slope
Admission: free
718-857-4816
Saturday, June 27
and
Sunday, June 28 NYC Zine Fest continues its mission to "circulate and promote independent, homemade, self-published, and small publications," featuring artists, writers, and collectors, tabling, workshops, presentations, and parties, 12 noon — 7:00
Grand Hyatt New York
109 East 42nd St. at Grand Central Terminal
Registration: $395
Wednesday, July 8
through
Saturday, July 11 Join ThrillerFest Master David Morrell, Spotlight Guests Robin Cook and Katherine Neville, Silver Bullet Award recipient Brad Meltzer, and such authors as Sandra Brown, David Baldacci, Clive Cussler, Heather Graham, Steve Martini, James Rollins, R.L. Stine, Lee Child, Jeffrey Deaver, William Bernhardt, and many more for four days of panels, seminars, classes, parties, signings, and more, along with CraftFest ($380) and AgentFest ($175)
Somewhat eclectic author Chuck Palahniuk takes on nothing less than America in his latest novel, the brilliant, difficult PYGMY. Palahniuk, who has held nothing back in such novels as HAUNTED, FIGHT CLUB, SNUFF, CHOKE, and DIARY, is a master of going where no writer has gone before. Scene after scene, readers think, "Oh no he won’t," but he usually does. In PYGMY, he examines terrorism and the human condition through the eyes of a thirteen-year-old operative from an unnamed communist country who has been sent to a small town as a foreign exchange student. There he lives with his host family, including cat sister, pig dog brother, cow father, and a mother with a thing for battery-operated pleasure. The story is told through a series of dispatches by the operative, whom the community starts calling Pygmy because of his size. Pygmy, who regularly spouts sayings by Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Idi Amin, Malcolm X, Joseph Stalin, Evita Peron, Richard Nixon, and other world leaders, is one of a group of agents in this unidentified town preparing to implement Operation Havoc. Despite being a genius, Pygmy speaks in severely fractured English that is extremely difficult to untangle at the beginning but eventually flows beautifully, if still not exactly effortlessly, requiring more than usual from readers, who should not give up on it. Pygmy’s inside-out descriptions of churches, malls, sex, violence, education, and other American institutions are remarkably perceptive and extremely funny.
For example: "Face of ancient mummify bound in dying skin, clouded eye only, no blink. Smile of operative me say, ‘Revered soon dying mother, distribute you ammunitions correct for Croatia-made forty-five-caliber, long-piston-stroke APS assault rifle?’ Smile of operative me, breathing, await. Sag windpipe of ancient parrot, sag skin jump with swallow. Edge smear of red wax slice open as mouth, wax smile melt flat, straight. . . . Parrot face of dying skin fill with blood glow, red wax of mouth bunch until volcano pucker, tight until skin of pucker mouth pinched white of no blood. Cloud eyes flash electric bolts. Volcano blow open, old parrot voice say, loud shout, saliva erupt to fly, ‘You’ll find our sporting goods on aisle sixteen, young man.’" That’s Palahniuk’s way of uniquely describing Pygmy asking an elderly Wal-Mart employee where he can find a specific assault rifle. It definitely gets some getting used to, but once you figure it out, it’s like learning any other language — while also realizing how absurdly complicated and silly English can be. And PYGMY itself shows how absurdly complicated and silly America itself can be.
All contents copyright 2009 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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Tuesday, June 23, with the Drums and Care Bears on Fire, the Bell House, $10, 8:00
Wednesday, June 24, with Eagle and Talon, Blacklist, and We Are Country Mice, Santos Party House, $10, 8:00
Thursday, June 25, with the Lemonheads and Varsity Drag, Bowery Ballroom, $25, 8:00
Friday, June 26, with Band of Skulls, the Studio at Webster Hall, $10, 9:00
http://www.myspace.com/heknowsthesun
Swedish electronica band the Legends, led by Johan Angergård, the head of Labrador Records, comes to town for four shows in four nights in support of their latest album, OVER AND OVER (Labrador, June 16, 2009)
Through June 28
212-807-7433
Wednesday, June 24 Spirit of Pride: A Service of Thanksgiving & Celebration, featuring speakers, the Gay Men’s Chorus, and more, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, free, 7:30
Thursday, June 25 Fortieth anniversary reunion of the Gay Liberation Front, panel discussion and reception, LGBT Community Center, 208 West Thirteenth St., free, 6:00
Saturday, June 27 Rapture on the River: The Dance on the Pier for Women, Pier 54 in Hudson River Park (Thirteenth St. at the Hudson River), with DJ Susan Levine, $25-$45, 6:00 — 11:00
Saturday, June 27 Love Ball, featuring Alyson Calagna and Chris Cox, DJ Vjuan Allure, Jack Mizrahi, and more, official opening-night party of Pride Week presented by the Saint at Large, Nokia Theatre, 1515 Broadway, $70-$125, 10:00
Sunday, June 28 The March, with grand marshals Dustin Lance Black, Cleve Jones, Anne Kronenberg, and Governor David Paterson, Fifth Ave & 52nd St. to Christopher & Greenwich Sts., 12 noon, moment of silence at 2:00 pm
Sunday, June 28 Seventeenth annual PrideFest street festival, Hudson St. between Abingdon Sq. & West Fourteenth St., with StageFest, KidSpace, ArtSpace, and more, 646-230-0489, 11:00 am — 7:00 pm
Sunday, June 28 Dance on the Pier 23, Pier 54 in Hudson River Park (Thirteenth St. at the Hudson River), with DJ Jack Reina vs. DJ Phillip Kimball, the legendary DJ Corey Craig, and fireworks, $70-$85, 4:00 — 10:30
Tribeca Grand Hotel
2 Sixth Ave. between White, Walker, and Church Sts.
Admission: free with RSVP to three@ladieslotto.com
http://ladieslotto.blogspot.com
Thursday, June 25 Third anniversary party for Ladies Lotto — “the international women’s lifestyle network that cultivates an empowered community by providing its members with the support, inspiration and tools for professional and personal success” — featuring an open bar, photo booths, sets by DJ Benzi, DJ Jaclyn, and 24 Court, a secret live performance, and more, 10:00 pm
Prospect Park Bandshell
Through August 8
Keep It Great: Give $3 at the Gate
718-855-7882
http://www.celebratebrooklyn.org
Thursday, June 25 Femi Kuti and the Positive Force and Melvin Gibbs’ Elevated Entity, 7:00
Friday, June 26 Blonde Redhead, 7:30
Saturday, June 27 Dr. Dog, Phosphorescent, and These United States, 7:00
Thursday, July 2 Obie Juan Bermudez, Cucu Diamantes, and Rebel Diaz, 7:00
Thursday, July 9 STREB: Invisible Forces, 8:00
Friday, July 10 Los Amigos Invisibles and Aterciopelados, 7:30
Saturday, July 11 A Very Special Family Show with They Might Be Giants, 4:00
David Redfern
"The Lumberjack Song" is one of many pleasures in film fest
Walter Reade Theater
65th St. between Broadway & Amsterdam Aves.
June 26 — July 1
Tickets: $11 (series pass $40 for any five films)
212-875-5050
In 1979, Monty Python’s John Cleese helped organize the first Secret Policeman’s Ball, a live event combining music and comedy to raise awareness of the important work being done by Amnesty International. The Film Society of Lincoln Center will be celebrating the thirtieth anniversary by screening all of the balls, as well as other special star-studded events related to Amnesty International. HUMAN RIGHTS NOW! documents the world tour led by Bruce Springsteen, Youssou N’Dour, Tracy Chapman, Peter Gabriel, and Sting, with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Radiohead, and others coming on board for the Paris Concert. Pleasure at Her Majesty’s and the various Balls include such comedians and troupes as Monty Python, Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, Rowan Atkinson, Stephen Fry, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, Billy Connolly, Lenny Henry, Robbie Coltrane, Hugh Laurie, and others. Several of these films have never been released theatrically, so this is a great opportunity to see them on the big screen. British host and producer Martin Lewis will be on hand to present some of the works. On June 28, there will be an eleven-hour marathon screening of the 1986 Conspiracy of Hope concert, which featured performances by Joan Armatrading, Jackson Browne, Ruben Blades, Miles Davis with Carlos Santana and Fela Kuti, Joan Baez, Lou Reed, Peter Gabriel, U2, the Police, and others. In addition, the Furman Gallery will be playing THE SECRET POLICEMAN’S RARE NUGGETS, fifteen minutes of highlights and rarities from the series of shows.
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at West Third St.
Weekends at midnight through July 4
212-924-7771
Friday, June 26
and
Saturday, June 27 THE KILLING (Stanley Kubrick, 1956)
Thursday, July 2
through
Saturday, July 4 A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (Stanley Kubrick, 1956)
Multiple locations in Brooklyn and Manhattan
Doors at 8:00, live music at 8:30, films at 9:00
Tickets: $9
718-417-7362
Rooftop Films continues its exciting series of indie films, live music, and free-beer after-parties all summer long.
Friday, June 26 HUMPDAY (Lynn Shelton, 2009), Road Rooftop above New Design High, 350 Grand St. at Essex St., , live music by the Antlers, followed by after-party (free beer) at Fontana’s
Saturday, June 27 VOICES FROM EL SAYED (Oded Adomi Leshem, 2008), Old American Can Factory roof, 232 Third St. at Third Ave., Brooklyn, courtyard after-party
Saturday, July 4 Americana, featuring short films, live music, view of the fireworks, ninety-minute open bar, and more, Chelsea Art Museum roof, 556 West 22nd St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves., $40, 6:00
Friday, July 10 THE WAY WE GET BY (Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly), live music, filmmaker Q&A, Automotive High School lawn, 50 Bedford Ave. at North Thirteenth St., after-party at Matchless
Saturday, July 11 45365 (Bill Ross IV & Turner Ross), live music, filmmaker Q&A, Old American Can Factory roof, 232 Third St. at Third Ave., Brooklyn, after-party TBA
CabaretCinema
Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th St. at Seventh Ave.
Friday, May 8, 9:30
Free with $7 bar minimum (includes admission to galleries)
212-620-5000 ext 344
Friday, June 26 GASLIGHT (George Cukor, 1944), introduced by Lesley Dill
Friday, July 3 THE MAGIC FLUTE (Ingmar Bergman, 1975)
Friday, July 10 SANS SOLEIL (Chris Marker, 1983), introduced by Ian Buruma
Friday, July 17 THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (Albert Lewin, 1944)
Friday, July 24 THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS (Lech Majewski, 2004), introduced by Martha Clarke
Fashion Institute of Technology
27th St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves., Building C
Admission: $3
212-769-5635
Saturday, June 27
and
Sunday, June 28 Exhibition featuring the work of international paper artists, 10:30 am — 4:30 pm
Water Taxi Beach
Second St. & Borden Ave., Long Island City
Saturdays from 8:00 pm to 3:00 am
Cover charge: $5 (twenty-one and over only)
The Beach Party returns to Water Taxi Beach in Queens, featuring hot DJs getting people hot and sweaty in view of the Midtown skyline. All shows will feature residents Justin Carter, Probus, and Eamon Harkin in addition to the below special guests.
Saturday, June 27 Claude VonStroke
Saturday, July 4 Robert Hood
Saturday, July 11 Demon Days with Carl Craig & Gamall
Saturday, July 18 Lopazz Live
Saturday, July 25 Andres & Kai Alice
Saturday, August 1 Abe Duque
Saturday, August 8 Dublex Inc.
Saturday, August 15 Bobbito Garcia (aka Kool Bob Love)
Saturday, August 22 Soundstream Live
Saturday, August 29 Raoul K & Jerome Derradji
Baryshnikov Arts Center and other venues
450 West 37th St.
Tickets: $10
212-279-4200
Monday, June 29 Screening of SHOT BACKSTAGE (Trisha Brown, 1998), detailing her production of FOR M.G.: THE MOVIE, followed by a Q&A with Trisha Brown and a reception, 7:00
Bryant Park Upper Terrace
42nd St. side of Bryant Park between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Admission: free
212-768-4242
Monday, June 29
through
Friday, July 3 Junior Mance, 12 noon — 1:45
DIA at the Hispanic Society Audubon Terrace
Broadway between 155th & 156th Sts.
Admission: free with RSVP: 212-293-5582 or Tuesdays@diaart.org
Tuesday, June 30 The Collection of Silence, a project by Eileen Myles, 7:00
Tuesday, July 14 Sonic Episodes: An Evening of Audio Works, 7:30
Museum of Chinese in America
215 Centre St. between Grand & Howard Sts.
Admission: $20
212-619-4785
Wednesday, July 1 Original short films about Chinatown by Miguel Arteta, Patty Chang, Jem Cohen, Cary Fukunaga, So Yong Kim & Bradley Rust Gray, Amir Naderi, Sam Pollard, Shelly Silver, Rose Troche, and Wayne Wang & Richard Wong, followed by a Q&A and a reception
Dixon Place
161 Chrystie St. between Rivington & Delancey Sts.
Tickets: $15
212-219-0736
Wednesday, July 1
through
Saturday, August 1 Eighteenth annual celebration of queer performance and culture, organized by Earl Dax
Stuyvesant Town Oval
Enter at First Ave. at 16th St.
Wednesday nights at 7:00 through July 15
Admission: free
Wednesday, July 1 Jay Reatard, with DJs Doug Mosurock and Mr. Vacation
Wednesday, July 8 Forro in the Dark, with DJ Probus
Wednesday, July 15 Kaki King, with DJs Justin Carter and Raspberry Jones
Sternberg Park, North Brooklyn
Lorimer St. at Montrose Ave.
Admission: free
http://www.openspacealliancenb.org
Wednesday, July 1, 15, 29
and
Wednesday, August 12, 26 CinemaParque on the Handball Courts in Sternberg, featuring Latino shorts, 7:00
Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse unless otherwise noted
Rose Building, tenth floor, 65th St. & Amsterdam Ave.
Tickets: $20-$30
Wednesday, July 1 East Meets West on the Upper West Side: Shen Wei and Cai Guoqiang in conversation with Geoffrey Fowler, $20, 7:00
Wednesday, July 15 Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? Terence Blanchard and other Big Easy musicians, Tammy Lynn, and Ira Padnos in conversation with Larry Blumenfeld, $30, 7:00
Tuesday, July 21 Movie Night with the Lumets: Sidney Lumet and Jenny Lumet in conversation with Joe Morgenstern, Walter Reade Theater, $25, 7:00
Tuesday, August 4 Planet Hip-Hop: Ahmir "?estlove" Thompson, Bajah, and other musicians in conversation with Christopher John Farley, $20, 7:30
Monday, August 10 Mossberg, Moby, Music and More: Moby in conversations with Walt Mossberg, $25, 7:30
Tuesday, August 18 pARTners: Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Bill T. Jones, and his collaborators in conversations with Wendy Bounds, Walter Reade Theater, $25, 7:00
The Jewish Museum
1109 Fifth Ave. at 92nd St.
ThursdayNights at 7:30, $15
212-423-3337
http://www.thejewishmuseum.org
Thursday, July 2 Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys
Thursday, July 9 Musette Explosion
Thursday, July 16 Slavic Soul Party
Thursday, July 23 Ljova and the Kontraband
Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom
311 West 34th St. between Eighth & Ninth Aves.
Tickets: $35+
917-589-8578
Friday, July 3 Victor Calderone, Steve Lawler, DJ set by Hercules and Love Affair, Tiefschwarz, Damian Lazarus, and Audiofly, 9:00
Multiple venues
212-945-0505
http://www.rivertorivernyc.com
Friday, July 3 Seaport Music: Here We Go Magic with Bachelorette and guest DJ, South Street Seaport, Pier 17, 6:00
Saturday, July 4 Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band with Jenny Lewis, Battery Park, 3:30
Wednesday, July 8 Stepping Off "The Corner," with Badal Roy (tablas), Michael Henderson (bass), Kenny Wessell (guitar), Mike Clark (drums), Steven Gorn (woodwinds), Graham Haynes (trumpet), Daniel Moreno (percussion), Rudresh Mahanthappa (saxophone), and Michael Wolff (keyboards), Rockefeller Park, 7:00
Friday, July 10 Seaport Music: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart with Zaza and Ribbons, South Street Seaport, Pier 17, 6:00
Sweikert Alley, Nathan's Famous
1310 Surf Ave. at Stillwell Ave.
Admission: free
212-627-5766
Thursday, July 4 Last year, Joey Chestnut captured the title, beating former champion Takeru Kobayashi in overtime; this year, they’ll be at it again in the ninety-third annual Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, 12 noon
Approximate starting time: 9:20 pm
Televised live on NBC-TV
Broadcast live on WINS 1010
Admission: free
212-494-4495
Saturday, July 4 The big news is that the thirty-third annual Macy’s fireworks display is celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River by heading west, with six barges stretched out from 23rd to 50th Sts., ready to release some forty thousand shells over twenty-six minutes, higher in the air than ever. There will be several access points along Eleventh Ave. between 24th & 57th Sts., but the Hudson River piers, the promenade, and the bike path will be closed. Among the special guests for the televised portion of the festivities are the New York Pops, Audra McDonald, Rob Thomas, Idina Menzel, and the Choir Academy of Harlem.
Rumsey Playfield
Central Park (enter at Fifth Ave. & 69th St.)
Admission: free
212-360-2756
Sunday, July 5 Oumou Sangare, Les Nubians, and Asa, Rumsey Playfield, 3:00
Saturday, July 11 Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Eric Bobo, Rumsey Playfield, 3:00
Washington St. between Spring & Canal Sts.
Admission: free but RSVP required
347-446-1363
http://www.nightlightsplay.com
Monday, July 6
through
Wednesday, July 8 Free outdoor play by Dario D’Ambrosi, presented by the Pathological Theater Company, with audience members watching the production from inside parked cars with headsets, 9:00
Dance Theater Workshop, Bessie Schonberg Theater
219 West 19th St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
Tickets: $25
212-924-0077
http://www.dancetheaterworkshop.org
Monday, July 6
through
Saturday, July 18 Twelve nights of special performances by Koresh Dance Company (Theater of Public Secrets), Nicholas Andre Dance (Shades of Life), PARADIGM (Wit and Wisdom), CorbinDances (Expressions of Beauty), ColleenThomasDance (The Christopher Lancaster Period: Circumstances of a Fall), and emerging artists (On the Rise), 7:30
The Studio at Webster Hall
125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves.
Admission: free
http://www.myspace.com/yourvegas
http://www.websterhall.com/thestudio
Monday, July 6 Your Vegas with U.S. Royalty, 8:00
Monday, July 13 Your Vegas with Casper Bangs, 8:00
P.S. 122
150 First Ave. at East Ninth St.
Tickets: $15-$20
212-352-3101
Tuesday, July 7
through
Sunday, July 26 East River Commedia and Collective: Unconscious team up for this third annual festival of experimental theater, curated by Paul Bargetto
Bryant Park Lawn
42nd St. side of Bryant Park between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Thursdays at 12:30
Admission: free
212-768-4242
Thursday, July 9 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA | STOMP | AVENUE Q | IN THE HEIGHTS
Thursday, July 16 THE LITTLE MERMAID | 9 TO 5 | PURE COUNTRY | THE TOXIC AVENGER
Thursday, July 23 MARY POPPINS | ROCK OF AGES | VANITIES | NEXT TO NORMAL
Thursday, July 30 CHICAGO | NAKED BOYS SINGING! | JERSEY BOYS | SHREK
Thursday, August 6 WICKED | BURN THE FLOOR | THE LION KING | THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES
Thursday, August 13 BILLY ELLIOT | SOUTH PACIFIC | MAMMA MIA! | ALTAR BOYZ
Queens Museum of Art
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Friday nights at 6:30
Admission: free for outdoor events; $5 suggested donation for museum, which is open until 8:00
718-592-9700
Friday, July 10 Colombia: Grupo Latino Son, MY GRANDFATHER, MY FATHER, AND I (MI ABUELO, MI PAPA Y YO) (Dago García & Juan Carlos Vasquez, 2005)
Webster Hall
125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves.
Tickets: $15-$25 ($1 entry and $1 drinks with below link)
webster hall dollar daze: $1 admission before 12 midnight
Friday, July 10 Release party with Kitsune, the Cobrasnake, Classixx, Acid Girls, DJs Alex English, Gavin Royce, Kids with Snakes, and Rekles, and more, hosted by the Cobrasnake, 10:00
Kingsbourough Community College
Lawn chairs, blankets, and picnics welcome
Admission: free
718-368-5596
Saturday, July 11 Occidental Brothers, 7:30
Sunday, July 19 The Red Stick Ramblers, 7:30
Saturday, July 25 Gadji Gadjo, 7:30
60th St. from Fifth to Lexington Aves.
Admission: free
212-355-6100
Sunday, July 12 Called "A Three Block Festival in Celebration of French and American Friendship," this annual event turns 60th St. between Fifth & Madison into a French Restaurant Row, filled with booths of fine French fare. 60th between Madison & Park becomes a Bal Musette, with dancing in the street to live French music by Josephine, Bruno LeBerre and Samuel LeHenanff, Elodie O, Pascalito, Christine Capdeville, and DJ Indaloh. And 60th between Park & Lexington becomes a family-friendly block with boutiques, educational booths, and more, 12 noon — 6:00
The Noguchi Museum
9-01 33rd Rd. at Vernon Blvd.
Free with museum admission
718-204-7088
Sunday, July 12 Gamelan Son of Lion, 3:00
The Town Hall
123 West 43rd St. between Sixth Ave. & Broadway
Entire series: $95-$115, single tickets $40-$50
212-840-2824
http://www.the-townhall-nyc.org
Monday, July 13 Broadway Winners: The Award-Winning Music of Broadway, 8:00
Monday, July 20 Broadway’s Rising Stars, 8:00
Monday, July 27 All Singin’ All Dancin’, 8:00
Wingate Field
Winthrop St. between Brooklyn & Kingston Aves., across the street from Kings County Hospital
Monday nights at 7:30
Admission: free, chairs recommended
718-222-0600
http://www.brooklynconcerts.com
Monday, July 13 Keyshia Cole and Lyfe Jennings
Monday, July 20 The O’Jays, Russell Thompkins Jr. & the New Stylistics, Jerry Butler, and Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes
Monday, July 27 Anita Baker and Charlie Wilson
Monday, August 3 Robin Thicke and Jazmine Sullivan
Monday, August 10 Teena Marie, Jeffrey Osborne, and Ruben Studdard
Monday, August 24 Gospel Night: Yolanda Adams and Israel Houghton
Asser Levy Seaside Park
Sea Breeze Ave. & Ocean Pkwy.
Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
Limited seating: $5 per chair ($10 for special shows), but you can bring your own for free
Admission: free
Thursday nights at 7:30 pm
718-222-0600
http://www.brooklynconcerts.com
Thursday, July 16 Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Mountain, and John Sebastian
Thursday, July 23 Gladys Knight and the O’Jays
Thursday, August 6 Daryl Hall & John Oates Up Close & Personal Tour
Thursday, August 13 Blondie, Pat Benatar, and the Donnas
Thursday, August 27 Donna Summer
