Museum Exhibit of the Week
08.22.07
1. Stingel and the Summer of Love at the Whitney
3. The U.S. Open opens in Flushing Meadows
4. The New York Korean Film Festival expands
5. The West Indian American Day Carnival returns to Brooklyn
6. Subscriptions now available for BAM’s Next Wave and the Guggenheim’s Works & Process
Volume 7, Number 12
August 22 — September 5, 2007
Look for our new weekly column, now available at www.TimesSquare.com!
Send all comments, suggestions, reviews, and questions to Mark Rifkin
at admin@twi-ny.com.
If you forward any part of this guide to someone who has not subscribed, please be sure to attach the following line: To subscribe to this list,
which includes e-mail-only bonuses twice a month, please e-mail the administrator at admin@twi-ny.com with the word Subscribe in the Subject line. We at twi-ny thank you.
Site Design/Subway Photo:
Fred Gates Design, New York.
Sheldon C. Collins
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Ave. at 75th St.
Through October 14
Closed Monday & Tuesday; pay-what-you-wish Friday 6:00 — 9:00
Admission: $15
212-570-7715
Innovative Italian installation artist Rudolf Stingel has transformed an entire floor of the Whitney in this masterful midcareer retrospective that forces viewers to question the nature of art itself. As you enter the second floor, you’ll walk right into a huge, nearly empty space dominated by a hanging chandelier and aluminum-coated insulation panels covering the walls and ceiling. People are encouraged to add to the constantly evolving piece by drawing on it, making holes, placing an object in it, or any other way they can think of (other than ripping out chunks), contributing to what crowds have already done to it at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. In another room, Stingel has hung gold wallpaper paintings, made from stencils, over a mirrored floor that reflects both the works, which have a homey yet elegant feel, and visitors, reconfiguring the barriers between viewer and object. Farther along, Stingel has included a fake heating unit jutting out from a wall, looking like it’s rusting, creating a jarring experience since unregulated heat is such a powerful, destructive force, especially in a museum.
Courtesy Paula Cooper Gallery, New York
Rudolf Stingel, "Untitled (After Sam)," oil on canvas, 2005 - 2006
Destruction is a key element in Stingel’s white styrofoam panels, which he walked over before hanging them, placing the artist right in the middle of both creation and destruction, beginning and end. Start and finish is also evoked by the inclusion of the huge horizontal rug from Stingel’s studio, hung across a wall, becoming a piece of art itself, complete with footprints, paint drippings, and hair embedded in it. Finally, a large space features two black wallpaper paintings, with imperfections added, along with three giant oil portraits Stingel made of himself, based on photos of him taken by Sam Samore. The Stingel on canvas, deep in thought, looks exhausted and withdrawn; he hangs on the wall, a piece of art not unlike the nearby wallpaper works, imperfect, yet demanding of the viewer’s attention, the photorealistic quality blurring the line between art and artist, artist and viewer, and, perhaps, artist and artist.
twi-ny/mdr
James Whitney, "Lapis," 1963-66
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Ave. at 75th St.
Through September 16
Closed Monday & Tuesday; pay-what-you-wish Friday 6:00 — 9:00
Admission: $15
212-570-7715
The Whitney takes visitors back to the tumultuous Summer of Love in this psychedelic multimedia immersion into 1967. Covering two floors of the museum, the interactive exhibit features photographs, film, painting, sculpture, magazine articles, books, and walk-in installations rife with color and controversy. While some of the art is politically motivated, much of it is just about free love, cheap drugs, and great music; be sure to pick up the free audio guide, which pairs songs with pieces. (The soundtrack includes music by the Beatles, the Stones, the 13th Floor Elevators, Santana, the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, the Fugs, Moby Grape, Jefferson Airplane, and many more.) While the parade of album covers, concert posters, black-and-white photos, and mediocre art gets tiresome, the films and installations do not. Look inside Yayoi Kusama’s "Infinity Mirrored Room Love Forever" to see an unending series of lights and mirrors — and yourself. Stare deep into Peter Sedgley’s spinning Video Disques for a mind-blowing experience (especially if you blink repeatedly). Get dizzy turning around in USCO’s "Strobe Room" (blinking helps here too).
twi-ny/mdr
Janis Joplin’s Porsche 356c Cabriolet, 1965
Try twisting your body into one of the many funky chairs in Verner Panton’s "Phantasy Landscape Visiona II," but be prepared to take your shoes off first. You’ll also have to remove your shoes for La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela’s "Music and Light Box," in which electronic sounds surround a meditative light box with far-out imagery; we suggest sitting down, then slowly moving your head in all directions to pick up the different soundscapes. Joshua White’s Liquid Loops will make you ooze with delight. Oyvind Fahlstrom unites the corporate and drug cultures with "Esso-LSD," fashioning an LSD sign to match the familiar Esso logo. Peter Saul sums up the Vietnam War in his angry painting "Saigon." And don’t forget to go to the outdoor plaza on the lower level to check out Janis Joplin’s beautifully painted Porsche 356c Cabriolet. There are also surprising works and iconic images by Robert Rauschenberg, Adrian Piper, Lucas Samaras, Richard Avedon, Rick Griffin, Peter Max, Stanley Mouse, Andy Warhol, Cecil Beaton, Paul Sharits, and Elliot Landy. "Summer of Love" is far from comprehensive and debatable in some of its choices, but it’s a fun way to spend an afternoon, especially if psychedelia is your bag. (The show is supplemented with "Resistance Is…," a small collection of photographs and videos in the mezzanine gallery focusing on activism since the 1960s.)
twi-ny/mdr
Tom Friedman’s "Aluminum Foil Birth" seems ready to deliver
The Lever House Art Collection
390 Park Ave. at 54th St.
Through September 16
Admission: free
Commissioned by Aby Rosen, whose RFR Holdings acquired Lever House in 1998, "Aluminum Foil" is a site-specific installation by American artist Tom Friedman, using the building’s glass and aluminum as inspiration. Inside the lobby gallery, which is encased in glass on three sides, looking out onto Park Ave., Friedman has created a silver fantasy land constructed exclusively from Reynolds Wrap, including the box as well as the cardboard roll. The exhibit covers life and death and everything in between; in a corner by the north revolving doors, a wide-eyed alienlike figure spreads its legs, in the process of giving birth, while in a nearby case a bizarre autopsy is under way. In another case, twelve small figures dance around in a circle (the circle of life?). In the northeast corner, "Aluminum Foil Thing" encapsulates myriad objects dangling from the ceiling, resting on the floor, and seemingly suspended in air, including a pair of legs, dog poop, a Pacman character, arrows, Jiffy-pop, balls, stars, animals, and dozens of other odd objects. Closer to the elevators, "Aluminum Foil Buddha" meditates in a case. Meanwhile, at the center of it all, the crazed "Aluminum Foil King" watches over his domain, drooling over his flashy wealth, as behind him "Aluminum Foil Backdrop" casts a glittering reflection at his feet. Friedman, who staged a memorable show in 2001-2 at the New Museum of Contemporary Art (using such found objects as toothpicks, aspirin, pencil shavings, sugar cubes, and soap), has created at Lever House a fanciful display using one of the most basic of household materials.
twi-ny/mdr
Damien Hirst sculpture towers over Lever House lobby gallery
Lever House
390 Park Ave. at 53rd St.
Erected March 2005
Admission: free
As with so much of British artist Damien Hirst’s work, "The Virgin Mother," has been both highly praised and vilely vilified. With our penchant for the strange and the unusual — and the skeletal and the gory — we love it, but we can’t promise that you will. Nearly thirty-four-feet high and standing in the Lever House courtyard, the Virgin Mother looks up into the sky, the left side of her body intact, the right side exposed, with the skin peeling away, revealing muscles, sinews, skull, and a fully formed fetus in the womb (an interesting comparison with Tom Friedman’s alien birth taking place inside the lobby gallery). Constructed in 2005, the dark figure fits in well at Lever House, which was built in 1952 by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill as the first glass tower in the city; just as you can look inside the twenty-one-story office building, you can now look inside the Virgin Mother. Be sure to walk all around the sculpture to get the full effect.
twi-ny/mdr
Donna Dennis’s Tourist Cabins look inviting on Park Ave. median
Park Ave. median between 52nd & 53rd Sts.
Through October 27
Admission: free
Ohio-born artist Donna Dennis has been building little houses since she was a little girl, using whatever materials she could find. As an adult, she has continued to make structures, including hotels, subway stations, bridges, stairways, and tunnels, exhibiting at JFK Airport, City Hall Park, the Whitney Biennial, and dozens of galleries across the country. On the Park Ave. median, located between Lever House and the Seagram Building, two symbols of great wealth, she has installed a pair of tiny tourist cabins amid the grass and trees. An alternative to the nearby Waldorf=Astoria, the old-fashioned cabins also have a seemingly out-of-place satellite dish, keeping them connected to the modern world. At night, the cabins light up invitingly, although you cannot go inside, but they still offer a peaceful respite in the midst of the mayhem of Midtown Manhattan.
Courtesy Dinaburg Arts
Suzanne Opton, "Soldier: Pry, 210 Days in Afghanistan"
Gallery W 52
The Lobby Gallery at 31 West 52nd St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Through September 10
Admission: free
212-807-0832
In the small lobby gallery across the street from the Folk Art Museum and MoMA, nine artists put their own spin on classic portraiture in "Face Forward." Shaun Krupa makes an impression of his face on canvas, then drools over each part in a different color of paint, creating a ghostly cartoonish apparition. In Summer McCorkle’s video "Mothersmothersmothersmothersmothers," a young woman in Victorian-era clothing is sitting for a living portrait, hands crossed on her lap, not moving, for the exact amount of exposure time it took to make a daguerrotype. In "I Am U R Me," Tony Tasset subverts the family portrait — and the idea that a child contains the same DNA structure as his parents — by having a mother, father, and son morph into one another at the breakfast table. Jesse Alpern’s frantic "Changing Parts" is actually composed of individual stills, though it is alive with motion. And layers of meaning and emotion erupt when viewers find out that Suzanne Opton’s close-ups of men’s heads resting on a table are of soldiers back from war, one titled "120 Days in Afghanistan," signaling how long he was there.
Princeton University Art Museum / Bruce M. White
Jean-Léon Gérôme, "Napoleon in Egypt," ca. 1867-68
Dahesh Museum of Art
580 Madison Ave. at 57th St.
Closed Monday
Extended through the summer
Admission: free through the summer
212-759-0606
http://daheshmuseum.org/collection/exhibitions/index.html
Archaeology and art history come together in fascinating ways in this wide-ranging exhibit at the Dahesh, the most popular in the museum’s ten-year history. The exhibit has been extended several times, and admission is free all summer long. In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Egypt, bringing with him 167 scientists, translators, journalists, engineers, mathematicians, and more to detail what they found there. The three-year occupation resulted in what would become DESCRIPTION DE L’EGYPTE, a massive publication that created tremendous European interest in Orientalism and planted the seeds for modern Egyptology. The Dahesh has on display nearly ninety plates from the influential book, supplemented with paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures from the museum’s collection of nineteenth-century academic art as well as medals, decorative objects, letters, and documents. Among the highlights of the exhibition, both artistically and anthropologically, shedding light for the first time on this previously little-understood culture, are Nicolas-Jacques Conté’s "Results of the Engraving Machine," Charles-Louis Balzac’s "General View of Philae," Jean-Baptiste Lepere’s "Thebes, Memnonium: Interior View of the Temple of Hathor from the West," André Dutertre’s"Thebes: Painted Mummy Casings and Diverse Painted Wood, Stone, and Bronze Fragments," and Gaspard-Antoine Chabrol and Edmé Jomard’s "Antiniipolis: General Plan, View of the Ruins."
Charles-Louis-Fleury Panckoucke, "Monuments of Egypt," ca. 1821-24
Duterte also drew military costumes and various men and women, Jomard contributed engravings of necklaces, tools, and baskets, Francois-Charles Cécile, Balzac, Dutertre, and Conté detailed such objects as vases, baskets, lanterns, and pipes, Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire drew common crocodiles and star lizards, and Alire Raffeneau-Delile and Jules-César Savigny sketched native flora. Fifteen paintings put Egypt in artistic perspective, including Karl Wilhelm Gentz’s "A Snake Charmer in the Second Court of the Mortuary Temple of Rameses III, Medinat Habu, Thebes" and Jean-Léon Gérome’s "Napoleon in Egypt." Several works from caricaturist James Gillray add sarcastic humor to the exhibit, including "Buonaparte Hearing of Nelson’s Victory." Other items to be on the lookout for are a snuffbox featuring Napoleon at the pyramids, surrounded by his soldiers; a sixteen-inch-long mummy arm; an article from the Connecticut Courant from April 1800; and letters, orders of the day, and receipts signed by Napoleon during the three-year occupation of Egypt.
twi-ny/mdr
Be prepared for long lines if you don’t pick up your tickets in advance
USTA National Tennis Center
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
August 28 through September 11
Tickets: $45-$800
1-866-open-tix
Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova return to Queens to defend their titles in one of the great New York City events. If you’ve never been, you must go, even if you’re not a big tennis fan. The people watching is tremendous, especially all the folks who show up wearing tennis gear as if they’re about to play a match. Prices are outrageously high for food and drink, but you can’t complain about it until you indulge yourself in its ridiculousness. Don’t just concentrate on the big-time matches; be sure to walk around and check out the action on the smaller courts, where you can get much closer to the game. And here’s a little trick that we’ll continue to point out every year: If you get day tickets, you can stick around and watch all of the night events as well except for those in the main stadium. And let’s hope they handle rainouts better than they did last year, making it nearly impossible to get replacement tickets for that year’s Open; we had to wait till this year to get replacements.
Saturday, August 25 Arthur Ashe Kids Day, with performances by Kat DeLuna, Lil Mama, and the Jonas Brothers and special appearances by Tony Hawk, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Serena Williams, Daisy Fuentes, and more, $10-$35, 10:00 am
BLOODY TIES is one of fest highlights
August 21 — September 2
Cinema Village, 22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
212-924-3363, http://cinemavillage.com
IFC Center, 323 Sixth Ave. at Third St.
212-924-7771, http://www.ifccenter.com
BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
718-636-4100, http://bam.org
http://www.koreanfilmfestival.org
New York City’s love affair with Asian cinema continues with this year’s Korean Film Festival, with a wide array of films screening at three locations — Cinema Village, the IFC Center, and BAM Rose Cinemas. The films range from romantic comedies to family dramas to gangster thrillers to historical epics, along with a tribute to Im Kwon-taek and a special look at some of the best Korean horror of the last few years.
Tuesday, August 21 THE GENERAL’S SON (Im Kwon-taek, 1990), BAM, 6:00
Tuesday, August 21 CHUNHYANG (Im Kwon-taek, 2000), BAM, 9:30
Wednesday, August 22 COME COME COME UPWARD (Im Kwon-taek, 1989), BAM, 6:30
Wednesday, August 22 FESTIVAL (Im Kwon-taek, 1996), BAM, 9:30
Thursday, August 23 HERB (Huh In-moo, 2007), CV, 4:00
Thursday, August 23 PARADISE MURDERED (Kim Han-min, 2007), CV, 6:30
Thursday, August 23 Is the "Korean Wave" Dead? The Future of Korean Pop Culture, panel discussion with Kim Yong-hwa, Michael Huh, and Robert Cagle, moderated by Samuel Jamier, the Korea Society, 950 Third Ave, eighth floor, $15 ($10 with festival ticket), http://www.koreasociety.org, 6:30
Thursday, August 23 LIKE A VIRGIN (Lee Hae-joon & Lee Hae-young, 2006), CV, 8:50
Thursday, August 23 Opening Party at Club SOL, Club SOL, 9:00
Friday, August 24 BETWEEN (Lee Chang-jae, 2006), CV, 2:30
Friday, August 24 UNSTOPPABLE MARRIAGE (Kim Sung-wook, 2007), CV, 4:40
Friday, August 24 200 POUND BEAUTY (Kim Yong-hwa, 2006), followed by a Q&A with the director, CV, 7:10
Friday, August 24 A DIRTY CARNIVAL (Yoo Ha, 2006), CV, 9:50
Saturday, August 25 TAZZA (Choi Dong-hoon, 2006) CV, 1:40
Saturday, August 25 YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE (Park Jin-pyo, 2005), CV, 4:30
Saturday, August 25 KING AND THE CLOWN (Lee Jun-ik, 2005), CV, 7:00
Saturday, August 25 BLOODY TIES (Choi Ho, 2006), CV, 9:50
Sunday, August 26 OUR SCHOOL (Kim Myeong-joon, 2007), CV, 1:10
Sunday, August 26 RADIO STAR (Lee Jun-ik, 2006), CV, 4:00
Sunday, August 26 FAMILY TIES (Kim Tae-yong, 2006), CV, 6:30
Sunday, August 26 THE OLD GARDEN (Im Sang-soo, 2007), CV, 9:00
Monday, August 27 Horror Night: CELLO (Lee Woo-chul, 2005), CV,
Monday, August 27 Horror Night: RED SHOES (Kim Yong-gyun, 2005), CV, 5:30
Sun-jae (Kim Hye-soo) finds little comfort in Korean horror flick
While Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1948 classic, THE RED SHOES, was all about the dancing, Kim Yong-gyun’s 2005 horror update is all about the shoes. Kim Hye-soo gives a wonderfully eerie performance as Sun-jae, a young wife and mother whose life changes when she catches her husband in bed with another woman. A distraught Sun-jae moves into a dilapidated apartment with her weird daughter, Tae-soo (Park Yeon-ah), both coveting the beautiful pair of pink/red shoes Sun-jae found on the subway. But strange things happen to those who insist on wearing the shoes — often ending with lots of blood and loss of body parts. THE RED SHOES is a craftily made thriller about obsession and desire, featuring some truly scary scenes and an elegant, classically based soundtrack by Byeongwoo Lee. But it is also about perception and reality; Sun-jae is an eye doctor, and several characters have problems with one of their eyes, never both, as if they’re not able to see things in clear focus. "There is really nothing in the world that can be compared to red shoes!" Hans Christian Andersen wrote in his 1845 fairy tale THE RED SHOES (itself a rather creepy tale). You won’t be stepping into a pair of red pumps anytime soon after seeing this well-made, suspenseful flick.
Monday, August 27 200 POUND BEAUTY (Kim Yong-hwa, 2006), followed by a Q&A with the director, IFC, 6:30
Monday, August 27 Horror Night: THE GHOST (Kim Tae-kyung, 2004), CV, 7:30
Monday, August 27 A DIRTY CARNIVAL (Yoo Ha, 2006), IFC, 9:15
Monday, August 27 Horror Night: R-POINT (Kong Su-chang, 2004), CV, 9:30
Korean war thriller is filled with chills
http://www.asiaextremefilms.com
A huge hit in Korea, Kong Su-chang’s excellent Vietnam War horror film is filled with awesome thrills and chills. Gam Woo-sung stars as Lt. Choi, a shell-shocked soldier who is put in charge of a motley crew of men sent to a mysterious stretch of land to find troops who have been missing for six months. They make camp in a magnificent abandoned mansion (which was discovered by the location manager; it is not a constructed set), which just might house a few scary secrets of its own. As the guys start falling one by one in more and more gruesome ways, it doesn’t take them long to figure out that it’s not the VC they need to be looking out for. The DVD includes some cool featurettes and audio commentary in which the director, the propmaster, and the special effects guru all discuss how disappointed they are with many scenes because of various limitations imposed on them when they were not allowed to take certain equipment out of Korea and/or into Cambodia, where the film was shot. They might be unhappy with specific aspects of the film, but you won’t be. R-POINT is one of the best war-horror films you’re likely to see.
Tuesday, August 28 Horror Night: WHISPERING CORRIDORS (Park Ki-hyung, 1998), CV, 3:00
Tuesday, August 28 Horror Night: SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE (Park Chan-wook, 2002), CV, 5:00
Kidnapping plot goes awry in first of revenge trilogy
http://www.mrvengeancemovie.com
Park Chan-wook kicked off his revenge trilogy with SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE (even though the second film, OLDBOY, was the first one released in the States), a creepy, quirky tale that lays low for quite a while before busting loose with a massive splattering of the old ultra-violence. After deaf-mute Ryu (Ha-kyun Shin) fails miserably in a desperate, ridiculous attempt to get his dying sister (Ji-eun Lim) a kidney, the recently laid-off Ryu is convinced by his anarchist girlfriend, Youngmin (Doo-na Bae), to kidnap the four-year-old daughter (Bo-bae Han) of Park (Kang-ho Song), the man who owned the factory that recently laid him off. But when the plan goes awry, both Ryu and Park become obsessed with avenging their torn-apart lives. Although the first half of the film is too slow and heads off in too many directions, the second half brings everything together, chock full of the kind of violence promised by the title.
Tuesday, August 28 LIKE A VIRGIN (Lee Hae-joon & Lee Hae-young, 2006), IFC, 6:30
Tuesday, August 28 Horror Night: PHONE (Ahn Byung-gi, 2002), CV, 7:30
Tuesday, August 28 PARADISE MURDERED (Kim Han-min, 2007), IFC, 9:00
Tuesday, August 28 Horror Night: A TALE OF TWO SISTERS (Kim Jee-woon, 2003), CV, 9:30
http://films.tartanfilmsusa.com
Returning home after having been hospitalized for mental reasons, sisters Su-mi (Im Su-jeong) and Su-yeon (Moon Geun Young) find their house very different — in addition to their father (Kim Kap-su) and his second wife, Eun-joo (Yeom Jeong-ah), there appears to be an unexplained presence that seems particularly interested in the extremely vulnerable Su-yeon. As tensions mount between the girls and the wicked stepmother, more and more blood shows up, as well as far too many confusing twists and turns. Though there is a lot to admire in this gripping psychological thriller, you’ll be scratching your head at the end, wondering just what the heck you have just seen. This Asian mix of THE SIXTH SENSE (M. Night Shyamalan, 1999), SISTERS (Brian DePalma, 1973), and the Cinderella fairy tale, Kim Jee-woon’s film has plenty of creeps that unfortunately never come together. The film is currently being remade by Charles & Thomas Guard, starring David Strathairn and Elizabeth Banks.
Wednesday, August 29 BETWEEN (Lee Chang-jae, 2006), CV, 4:30
Wednesday, August 29 ONCE IN A SUMMER (Joh Geun-shik, 2006), CV, 6:30
Wednesday, August 29 UNSTOPPABLE MARRIAGE (Kim Sung-wook, 2007), CV, 9:00
Thursday, August 30 Short Film Program 1 (83 min), CV, 4:30
Thursday, August 30 Short Film Program 2 (71 min), CV, 6:45
Thursday, August 30 Short Film Program 3 (70 min), CV, 8:45
Friday, August 31 BLOODY TIES (Choi Ho, 2006), BAM, 6:50
KING AND THE CLOWN offers unique vision at festival
Friday, August 31 KING AND THE CLOWN (Lee Jun-ik, 2005), BAM, 9:30
Saturday, September 1 200 POUND BEAUTY (Kim Yong-hwa, 2006), followed by a Q&A with the director, BAM, 3:00
Saturday, September 1 A DIRTY CARNIVAL (Yoo Ha, 2006), BAM, 6:00
Saturday, September 1 YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE (Park Jin-pyo, 2005), BAM, 9:00
Sunday, September 2 THE OLD GARDEN (Im Sang-soo, 2007), BAM, 3:00
Sunday, September 2 TAZZA (Choi Dong-hoon, 2006), BAM, 6:00
Sunday, September 2 FAMILY TIES (Kim Tae-yong, 2006), BAM, 9:00
Korea Society Gallery
950 Third Ave. at 57th St., eighth floor
Tuesday — Friday, 10:00 am — 5:00 pm
Through November 20
Admission: free
212-759-7525
Collaborating with Seoul’s Ockrang Cultural Foundation, Gallery Korea is presenting six dozen kkoktu, wooden figures, dating back to the eighteenth century, that are placed on funeral biers, sending the departed off with colorful acrobats, clowns, and mystical animals meant to bring them joy as they venture to the next world.
Soon Im Kim, "Cotton Drawing,"
cotton, wool, cloth, thread, 2007
Gallery Korea / Korean Cultural Service
460 Park Ave. at 57th St., sixth floor
Open Monday through Friday, 10:00 am — 7:00 pm, and Saturday till 4:00
Through August 30
Admission: free
212-759-9550
This small gallery features works by artists chosen from last year’s Call for Artists, including Rosa Alfaro Carozzi, Soon Im Kim, Lucille Nurkse, SangBin Park, Shyun Song, Hee Seung Sung, Soonae Tark, and Leo Theinert, in a group show of painting and sculpture.
twi-ny/mdr
Enormous, bright costumes light up Labor Day carnival
Eastern Pkwy.
Monday, September 3
Admission: free
718-467-1797
Every year we look forward to this fabulous event. We’ve been going for more than fifteen years, and it never lets us down, although it continues to get more and more crowded every Labor Day. This year marks the parade’s fortieth anniversary and will include a tribute to Carlos Lezama, the founding president of the West Indian American Day Carnival Association who recently passed away. The 2007 grand marshals are Debra D. Carey, Joyce Quamina, Jeanne Sadik-Kahn, Raymond W. Kelly, Adrian Benepe, and John J, Doherty. Of course, plenty of politicians will be there; the invited honorary grand marshals are Eliot Spitzer, Mayor Bloomberg, Hillary Clinton, Charles Rangel, Barack Obama, and William Thompson. The festivities actually begin at 2:00 am, with the traditional J’Ouvert Morning, a precarnival procession featuring steel drums and percussion and fabulous masquerade costumes, from Grand Army Plaza to Flatbush Ave. and on to Empire Blvd., then to Nostrand Ave. and Rutland Rd.
twi-ny/mdr
Marchers show their colors at Brooklyn parade
The Parade of Bands begins around 11:00 am, as truckloads of blasting Caribbean music and groups of ornately dressed dancers march down Eastern Parkway to Grand Army Plaza, soon to be joined by glad-handing local politicians. Don’t eat before you go; the great homemade food includes ackee and codfish, oxtail stew, curried goat, jerk chicken, fishcakes, and lots of rice and peas. The farther east you venture, the more closed in it gets; by the time you get near Crown Heights, it could take you half an hour just to cross the street, so take it easy and settle in for a fun, colorful day where you need not hurry. And don’t miss the other related events, listed below.
Thursday, August 30 Divas Night, with FayAnn Lyons, Lima Roberts, Twiggy, Triad, Essence, and more, Brooklyn Museum grounds, 8:00
Friday, August 31 Stay in School — Stay off Drugs, with young musical performers and a fashion show, Brooklyn Museum grounds, 1:00 — 4:00
Friday, August 31 Brass Fest, with Machel Montano HD & Xtatic with Benjai, Patrice Roberts and Zan, Sherwin Winchester & Traffik, Mr. Vybe, and Lyrikal, Brooklyn Museum grounds, 8:00
Saturday, September 1 Junior Carnival, Kingston Ave. along St. John’s Pl. to Franklin Ave., President St. and Brooklyn Museum grounds at Washington Ave., 9:00 am — 3:00 pm
Saturday, September 1 Steel Panorama, competition between at least ten steel orchestras, including 2006 champion CASYM, 8:00
Sunday, September 2 Dimanche Gras, featuring live music and dance and amazing costumes, 7:00
Monday, September 3 Kings and Queens Go Forth, march of the costumes without bands, Brooklyn Museum grounds to Utica Ave., 9:30 am
LIN Ching-yuan
WILD CURSIVE trilogy concludes at BAM
Brooklyn Academy of Music
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House (HG)
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
BAM Harvey Theater (HT)
651 Fulton Street between Ashland Pl. & Rockwell Pl.
October 2 — December 16
Individual tickets: $20-$65, available starting September 4
718-636-4100
Our favorite New York City performance series, the Next Wave Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary with a fabulous collection of innovative dance, music, and theater from around the world. The Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan is back with WILD CURSIVE, concluding its "Cursive" trilogy; the Kronos Quartet return with the multimedia presentation MORE THAN FOUR; Charles Mee and Anne Bogart team up to tell the story of artist Joseph Cornell in HOTEL CASSIOPEIA; and John Jasperse and Zeena Parkins collaborate on MISUSE LIABLE TO PERSECUTION. One of the most surprising entries is a specially commissioned piece by emo star Sufjan Stevens, called THE BQE, about the roadway than links Brooklyn and Queens. We’re also looking forward to CAST NO SHADOW, with choreography by Russell Maliphant and video by Isaac Julien; Ohad Naharin’s THREE, set to the music of Glenn Gould, Brian Eno, and the Beach Boys; and Japanese dance theater troupe Pappa Tarahumara’s SHIP IN A VIEW, directed and choreographed by Hiroshi Koike. Tickets for all shows start out at only twenty bucks, so it’s worth taking a chance on a few shows even if you don’t know much about them. In addition, various season passes and special subscription packages can save you between twenty and forty percent.
Tuesday, October 2
through
Sunday, October 7 WILD CURSIVE, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, HG, $20-$60
Wednesday, October 3
through
Sunday, October 7 KRONOS QUARTET: MORE THAN FOUR, with special guests Kimmo Pohjonen / Samuli Kosminen and Erik Sanko; UNIKO, composed by Kimmo Pohjonen and Samuli Kosminen; and DEAR MME., composed by Erik Sanko, HT, post-show BAMdialogue on October 5, $20-$45, 7:30
Tuesday, October 9
through
Saturday, October 13 HOTEL CASSIOPEIA, created and performed by SITI Company, written by Charles L. Mee, directed by Anne Bogart, HT, $20-$60, 7:30
Tuesday, October 16
through
Saturday, October 20 Compañía Nacional de Danza, choreography by Nacho Duato, HG, free post-show BAMdialogue with Nacho Duato on October 18, $20-$60, 7:30
Wednesday, October 17
through
Saturday, October 20 KRUM, by Hanoch Levin, performed by TR Warszawa, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski, HT, $20-$45, 7:30
Friday, October 26
and
Saturday, October 27 New Voices from Spain: Concha Buika and Macaco, HG, $20-$25, 8:00
Wednesday, October 31
through
Saturday, November 3 MISUSE LIABLE TO PROSECUTION, performed by the John Jasperse Company, choreography by John Jasperse, music by Zeena Parkins, HT, $20-$45, 7:30
Thursday, November 1
through
Saturday, November 3 THE BQE, composed and performed by Sufjan Stevens, HG, $20-$50, 8:00
Courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro Galler
Isaac Julien and Russell Maliphant collaborate for BAM presentation
Tuesday, November 6
through
Saturday, November 10 CAST NO SHADOW, by Isaac Julien and Russell Maliphant, featuring the Russell Maliphant Company, with music by Paul Schütze, HT, free post-show BAMdialogue with Julien and Maliphant on November 8, $20-$45, 7:30
Wednesday, November 7
through
Saturday, November 10 BORROWED LIGHT, choreography by Tero Saarinen, music directed by Joel Cohen, performed by Tero Saarinen Company and the Boston Camerata, HG, free post-show BAMdialogue with Saarinen and Cohen on November 8, $20-$45, 7:30
Tuesday, November 13
through
Saturday, November 17 THREE, by Ohad Naharin, performed by Batsheva Dance Company, free post-show BAMdialogue with Ohad Naharin on November 15, HG, $20-$55, 7:30
Wednesday, November 14
through
Saturday, November 17 ONE LOSS PLUS, conceived and composed by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), featuring Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), violin, and Wynne Bennett, piano, with video design by Janet Wong, HT, free post-show BAMdialogue with by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR), $20-$35, 7:30
TR Warszawa presents KRUM at Next Wave Festival
Tuesday, November 27
through
Saturday, December 1 LULU, by Frank Wedekind, performed by Thalia Theater, directed by Michael Thalheimer, HT, $20-$55, HT, 7:30
Wednesday, November 28
through
Saturday, December 1 SHIP IN A VIEW, performed by Pappa Tarahumara, directed and choreographed by Hiroshi Koike, with music by Masahiro Sugaya, HG, $20-$45, 7:30
Tuesday, December 4
through
Sunday, December 16 AU REVOIR PARAPLUIE, written and directed by James Thiérrée, HT, $20-$60
Wednesday, December 5
through
Saturday, December 8 THE GATE, composed and conceived by Tan Dun, performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic, conducted by Michael Christie, post-show BAMdialogue with Dun and Christie on December 7, HG, $20-$60
Ohad Naharin and Batsheva Dance will reveal GAGA at the Guggenheim
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1071 Fifth Ave. at 89th St.
Tickets: $25
212-423-3587
The Guggenheim’s wonderful Works & Process season returns with another eclectic lineup of events, in which the creators of upcoming productions show excerpts from the work and then discuss the process behind their creation. The new lineup includes a sneak peek at a collaboration between Japanese composer Jo Kondo and innovative theater director Robert Wilson; a celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s WEST SIDE STORY; a look at Ohad Naharin and Batsheva Dance, who are part of BAM’s Next Wave Festival; and performances by the Boston Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, the Signature Theater Company, Shen Wei Dance Arts, Paul Taylor Dance Company, the Wheeldon Company; and more. Each presentation is followed by a reception with the participants. All tickets are $25 and sell out quickly; you can save twenty percent if you become a Guggenheim member, and if you order four or more events, you will not have to pay the two-dollar-per-ticket handling fee.
Sunday, September 23
and
Monday, September 24 Boston Ballet, featuring excerpts from Helen Pickett’s "Etesian," Jorma Elo’s "Brake the Eyes," and Lev Ivanov’s "White Swan Pas de Deux," followed by a discussion with Elo, Pickett, and Mikko Nissinen, moderated by Nigel Redden, 7:30
Sunday, September 23
and
Monday, September 24 Signature Theatre Company–IPHIGENIA 2.0, followed by a discussion with Tina Landau, James Houghton, and Charles Mee, 7:30
Thursday, September 27
through
Sunday, September 30 New Ballet, choreographed by Alison Chase, Amanda Miller, and Luca Veggetti, with music performed by the Sirius String Quartet, electric guitar player Nick Didkovsky, and cellist Michael Nicolas, $35, tickets available only through the Miller Theatre box office, 212-854-7799, 116th St. & Broadway
Sunday, September 30
and
Monday, October 1 West Side Story at 50: The Mind and Music of Leonard Bernstein, performance and discussion with Dr. Richard Kogan, 7:30
Sunday, October 7
and
Monday, October 8 American Ballet Theatre–Season Preview, followed by a discussion with ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie, 7:30
Sunday, October 14
and
Monday, October 15 Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company–New Beginnings, followed by a discussion with Christopher Wheeldon and Lourdes Lopez, moderated by Lynn Garafola, 7:30
Monday, October 29 Vanessa–New Visions, featuring performances of Samuel Barber’s work by the New York City Opera, 7:30
New York City Opera will present VANESSA at the Guggenheim
Friday, November 9
through
Sunday, November 11 Paul Taylor Dance Company–In-depth, featuring dance excerpts and a panel discussion with Paul Taylor, 7:30
Monday, November 19 Batsheva Dance–GAGA Revealed, followed by a discussion moderated by Anna Kisselgoff, 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 18
and
Monday, November 19 Jo Kondo & Robert Wilson, followed by a discussion moderated by Charles Wuorinen, 7:30
Sunday, December 2
and
Monday, December 3 Shen Wei Dance Arts, the RE-triptych series, followed by a discussion moderated by Nigel Redden, 7:30
Sunday, December 9
and
Monday, December 10 Dada, Jazz, and the Avant-Garde, with pianist Sarah Rothenberg, violinist Joel Smirnoff, soprano Lucy Shelton, and others performings Erwin Schulhoff’s Jazz Etudes, Paul Hindemith’s Trio for piano, viola and saxophone, Stefan Wolpe’s Dadaist for Anna Blume by Kurt Schwitters, Kurt Weill’s Berlin Songs, Bartok’s Contrasts, and rarely heard works by Webern and Dessau, followed by a discussion moderated by Matt Witkovsky, 7:30
Sunday, December 16
and
Monday, December 17 Free Holiday Concert, with George Steel conducting the Voc Vocal Ensemble and the Graham Ashton Brass Ensemble, 6:00
Mirovision Inc.
WOMAN ON THE BEACH gets special free screening at Korean Cultural Service
A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: WOMAN ON THE BEACH (Hong Sang-soo, 2006)
Korean Cultural Service
460 Park Ave. at 57th St., sixth floor
Thursday, August 22, 6:30
Admission: free
212-759-9550
Director Joong-rae (Kim Seung-woo) is having trouble with the script for his next film, so he gets production designer Chang-wook (Ki Tae-woo) to drive him out to Shinduri Beach for some quiet relaxation, away from the hustle and bustle of Seoul. Chang-wook brings along his girlfriend, Moon-sook (Ko Hyun-joung), an aspiring composer and singer who is immediately attracted to Joong-rae. As Chang-wook’s jealousy grows and Moon-sook and Joong-rae wonder if they have a future together, the director meets Sun-hee (Song Sun-mi), a soon-to-be divorcée who also has eyes for Joong-rae. Writer-director Hong Sangsoo’s (TALE OF CINEMA) moving romantic comedy features beautiful locations shot by Kim Hyung-koo, a sweet score by Jeong Yong-jin, and unusual but believable characters. At 127 minutes, the film, which was selected for the 2006 New York Film Festival, is far too long, not quite knowing how to end, but stick with it nonetheless. The screening will be followed by a discussion moderated by Hyun-Ock Im.
Franc. Reyes’s ILLEGAL TENDER is better than it has any right to be
Opens Friday, August 24
http://www.illegaltendermovie.net
Clichéd characters, silly dialogue, predictable scenes, gaping plot holes, and ethnic stereotyping all combine to make the Latino gangster film ILLEGAL TENDER — enjoyable? You bet. Written and directed by Franc. Reyes (EMPIRE), ILLEGAL TENDER is anchored by a terrific performance from Wanda De Jesus as Millie De Leon, a single mother of two who has been on the run for more than twenty years, ever since her husband (Manny Perez) was gunned down in cold blood. Millie has tried to keep her sons from knowing about the past, but Wilson Jr. (Rick Gonzalez), now twenty-one, wants to find out the truth, thinking that nothing bad can possibly intrude on his pretty cool, supposedly safe life. But the more the 4.0 college student with a flashy car and a sweet, beautiful girlfriend (Dania Ramirez) learns, the further involved he gets in extremely dangerous territory, forcing him to reach deep inside himself to determine just how far he is willing to go to defend his family, which also includes endearingly cute younger brother Randy (Antonio Ortiz). But the revelation here is De Jesus, channeling Pam Grier. Look for Puerto Rican rap/Reggaetón star Tego Calderón, who also contributes to the soundtrack, as ’70s throwback Choco.
Village East
181 Second Ave. at 12th St.
Opens Friday, August 24
212-529-6998
http://citycinemas.moviefone.com
http://www.skidrowthemovie.com
For nine days, Pras Michel of the Fugees goes undercover on brutal Skid Row, living among the homeless, who have been “contained” within a fifty-square-block area in downtown Los Angeles. Armed with nine dollars and a hidden camera and followed by a tiny film crew in a van, Pras speaks with the broken men and women who live in horrific conditions, immersed in booze, drugs, prostitution, and little hope. At first, Pras can’t believe he’ll be without his cell phone, but soon he is far more concerned with where he’s going to get his next meal, where he will sleep, and even where he will go to the bathroom. Pras and the filmmakers speak with various local workers — all formerly homeless addicts — who are devoting their lives to helping those in trouble. Although the film often loses its focus, telling too many stories at once, it is far more than some publicity stunt; SKID ROW is an honest, revealing portrait of the dire circumstances that hover just around the corner for many Americans, whether they realize it or not.
Anthony Wong leads his gang of tough guys through murder and mayhem in Johnnie To’s EXILED
Opens Friday, August 31
Angelika Film Center
18 West Houston St. at Mercer St.
212-995-2000
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
1886 Broadway between 62nd & 63rd Sts.
212-757-0359
http://lincolnplaza.moviefone.com
http://www.city-cinemas.com/angelika
Hong Kong master Johnnie To (ELECTION, RUNNING OUT OF TIME) reunites many of the main actors from his 1999 crime drama, THE MISSION, for EXILED, a thinking man’s gangster thriller. Having failed to assassinate the leader of his syndicate, Wo (Nick Cheung) has been on the lam, but when he settles back in Macau with his wife (Josie Ho) and baby, he is suddenly visited by his former team, led by the always sunglassed Blaze (Anthony Wong). The syndicate leader, Boss Fay (Simon Yam), has ordered them to kill Wo for his treachery, but they are unable to pull the trigger on their friend. Instead, they hang out at his place for a while before sending him off on a suicide mission to whack Boss Keung (Lam Ka Tung), but things don’t quite go as planned, with double crosses galore, leaving everyone looking over their shoulder, not knowing from where — or from whose gun — that fatal bullet will come. To fills EXILED with fabulously tense set pieces — and some very funny bits as well — shot like a Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western as seen through the cross-hairs of Sam Peckinpah and John Woo. EXILED is one cool, calm action flick that is ready to explode at any moment — and look out when it finally does.
Diane Venora and Monty Lapica struggle to overcome a death in the family
Quad Cinema
34 West 13th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Opens August 31
212-255-8800
Twenty-four-year-old first-time filmmaker Monty Lapica wrote, directed, produced (with Tommy Bell), and stars in SELF-MEDICATED, the harrowing tale of a deeply troubled teen who is acting out in dangerous ways, unable to deal with the loss of his beloved father. Lapica plays Andrew, an extremely bright seventeen-year-old who skips school in favor of partying all night, doing drugs, drinking and driving, and terrorizing his Las Vegas neighborhood. His mother, Louise (Diane Venora), spends her days shut in her house, stuffing herself full of prescription drugs she obtained illegally from Mexico. In a desperate attempt to save Andrew, Louise hires a rehab center to come and take Andrew away, but once at the center — which has highly questionable, brutal methods — he is able to fool everyone and plan his escape, all the while his world spinning more and more out of control. Based on incidents from Lapica’s own life, SELF-MEDICATED is an involving, believable film until its penultimate scene, turning it from a compelling drama into a sappy movie-of-the-week melodrama. The cast includes Tarantino veteran Michael Bowen as a hard-nosed counselor, William Stanford Davis as a lovable old bum, and Kristina Anapau as Andrew’s way-too-sweet-and-innocent best friend.
Matt Damon is looking for answers in THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
In theaters now
http://www.thebourneultimatum.com
Still struggling to find out who he really is — and who was behind the top-secret program that turned him into a killing machine for the government — Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) is on the run again, spurred by a reporter (Paddy Considine) who has uncovered some classified information about the operation that might just lead Bourne to the answers he’s been searching for. But Noah Vosen (David Strathairn), the head of a special government organization, is desperate to make sure Bourne doesn’t find out anything — and that he ends up dead in the process. THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, the last of three films based on the trilogy by Robert Ludlum, actually surpasses its predecessors, THE BOURNE IDENTITY (Doug Liman, 2002) and THE BOURNE SUPREMACY (Paul Greengrass, 2004), both of which were good. Greengrass (UNITED 93) ups the action quotient with breathless chases, well-choreographed fights, and nonstop suspense, including sensational scenes set in Tangiers, Paris, and New York City. Although it helps to have seen the first two films, it is not absolutely necessary. Joan Allen and Julia Stiles are back, with new additions Albert Finney and Scott Glenn. Moby contributes the song over the closing credits.
James Joseph Dresnok sees the light of the Great Leader in North Korea
Cinema Village
22 East 12th St. between University Pl. & Fifth Ave.
August 10-23
212-924-3363
http://www.crossingthelinefilm.com
While in North Korea filming THE GAME OF THEIR LIVES (2002) and, later, A STATE OF MIND (2004), documentarian Daniel Gordon learned that four American soldiers had defected there between 1962 and 1965, two of whom were still alive. CROSSING THE LINE focuses on one of them, James Joseph Dresnok, the last surviving member of the group to still be in North Korea. Through archival footage, family photographs, news reports, and new interviews, Gordon examines Dresnok’s life, from his unhappy childhood in foster homes and orphanages to his sudden decision to cross the border he was charged with protecting. In North Korea, Dresnok, Larry Allen Abshier, Jerry Wayne Parrish, and Charles Robert Jenkins became celebrities, held up as prime examples of communism’s superiority over Western democracy and even appearing in propaganda films, including the twenty-part series NAMELESS HEROES, made by Kim Il-jong. It is fascinating to watch Dresnok — who is undereducated, isn’t a particularly deep thinker, and has teeth so bad you can’t take your eyes off of them — speak openly of his faith in the Great Leader and his desire to remain in North Korea, although not surprising, given his personal history and lifelong search for a father figure. In communism he found the family he never had — and even his size, which is rather large, set him apart from most of his fellow travelers, instantly making him a big man in his new home. The story really takes off when Jenkins tries to leave North Korea and go to Japan, with the U.S. lying in wait to arrest him for desertion. Gordon allows the remarkable story — denied by the U.S. government until 1996 — to tell itself, resulting in a compelling look at a little-known part of the Cold War.
Honoré’s DANS PARIS is more Nouvelle Vague retread than worthwhile homage
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at Third St.
212-924-7771
http://www.dansparis-lefilm.com
Christophe Honoré’s homage to the French New Wave comes off more like Truffaut/Godard/Sautet hero worship than a worthwhile film of its own. The talky drama revolves around the hopeless Paul (Romain Duris), a wholly unlikable character suffering from an extremely annoying case of depression over the end of his relationship with Anna (Joana Preiss). He leaves the countryside and returns to Paris, moving back in with his lonely, divorced father, Mirko (Guy Marchand), and oversexed brother, Jonathan (an utterly charming Louis Garrel, who saves the movie from complete failure). Most of the action takes place in one day as Jonathan bets Paul that he can make it to Bon Marche in a certain amount of time — but as he is waylaid by woman after woman, Paul gets to wallow in self-pity with his wacky mother (Marie-France Pisier) and others. Despite a promising beginning in which Jonathan directly addresses the camera, DAN PARIS quickly falls apart.
In theaters now
http://theinvasionmovie.warnerbros.com
Perhaps it’s finally time for Hollywood to put Jack Finney’s classic sci-fi novel to bed, where it can enjoy a peaceful sleep (uninterrupted by alien spores and giant pea pods). In 1956, Don Siegel’s groundbreaking INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS frightened a public already terrified of the Soviet Union. In 1978, Philip Kaufman’s interpretation was an involving reaction to the Vietnam War and Watergate. In 1993, Abel Ferrara’s BODY SNATCHERS turned the story into a militaristic nightmare. And now comes THE INVASION, which is about as cold and boring as any one of its changed characters. Set in Washington, DC, the film stars Nicole Kidman as Dr. Carol Bennell, a divorced mother who starts noticing something weird going on with her ex-husband, friends, and patients, as people no longer seem to be themselves. With the help of her best friend, Ben Driscoll (an utterly uninspiring Daniel Craig), and his colleague Stephen Galeano (a misused Jeffrey Wright), she is determined to stop the alien infestation while protecting her son, Oliver (Jackson Bond). German director Oliver Hirschbiegel (DOWNFALL), making his English-language debut, and first-time screenwriter David Kajganich comment on the Iraq war, government secrecy, Darfur, and Americans’ dependence on mood-altering prescription drugs, but the filmmakers end up all over the place, losing their focus, especially as Bennell becomes more like Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in ALIENS (James Cameron, 1986), fighting to save a child. (Rumors of production problems and reshoots are not difficult to understand.) However, here’s our favorite touch: In the 1978 remake, Kevin McCarthy, who played Dr. Miles Bennell in the original 1956 film, has a cameo as a man stumbling through traffic, trying desperately to tell people what is happening, as if he has been running for twenty-two years; in this 2007 version, Veronica Cartwright, one of the stars of the 1978 version, plays a patient of Carol Bennell’s who is scared because her husband seems to no longer be himself.
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
1886 Broadway between 62nd & 63rd Sts.
212-757-0359
http://lincolnplaza.moviefone.com
http://www.monmeilleurami-lefilm.com
The great and suddenly ubiquitous Daniel Autieul is a goofy delight in Patrice Leconte’s lightweight but fun MY BEST FRIEND. Auteuil stars as François, a successful antique dealer who is surprised to suddenly discover that no one likes him. His business partner, Catherine (Julie Gayet), bets him that he won’t be able to prove that he has a best friend. Given ten days, François sets out to find someone he can call his best friend, with pathetically funny results. Desperate, he hires Bruno, a gregarious cabdriver (Dany Boon, who also stars in THE VALET), to show him how to be nice to people and make friends. Leconte, the director of such acerbic comedies as THE HAIRDRESSER’S HUSBAND and RIDICULE as well as such powerful dramas as INTIMATE STRANGERS and THE WIDOW OF ST. PIERRE, aims low but hits high with this charming, if silly, little film. Add half a star if you can’t get enough of Autieul.
Film Forum
209 West Houston St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves.
212-727-8110
Be prepared to get very angry. First-time filmmaker Charles Ferguson looks at the past, present, and future of America’s occupation of Iraq in the mind-blowing documentary NO END IN SIGHT. Examining specific policies and their effects — permitting the looting of Baghdad, disbanding the Iraqi army, and more — Ferguson presents such experts as Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage; Ambassador Barbara Bodine; Gen. Jay Garner, administrator for the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance; Robert Hutchings, chairman of the National Intelligence Council; Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell; Col. Paul Hughes, director of Strategic Policy for the U.S. Occupation; and other former and current military personnel, journalists, UN advisers, and others with direct involvement in what is happening in Iraq. Ferguson lets them speak for themselves, and their insights and experiences reveal what went wrong — and continues to go wrong — there, and the answer is not too surprising. Despite myriad warnings, the Bush administration shut its eyes and ears and proceeded with a poorly thought out plan doomed to fail, including providing a scarcity of needed resources for the troops, de-Baathifying the country, and allowing partisan groups access to munitions dumps, all of which fueled the violence and disorder that engulfs Iraq today.
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart are hungry for love in NO RESERVATIONS
AMC Loews 84th St.
2310 Broadway at 84th St.
800-326-3264 #773
http://noreservationsmovie.warnerbros.com
Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is a workaholic executive chef who has no life outside the fancy kitchen she runs on Bleecker St. She has no time for friends, family, or even love because she’s too worried about her saffron sauce. She even cooks for her therapist (Bob Balaban), bringing him gourmet meals instead of talking about her inner demons. But when her sister dies in a car accident, Kate suddenly has to take care of her young niece, Zoe (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE’s Abigail Breslin), while also dealing with Nick (Aaron Eckhart), an accomplished chef who was called in to help out at the restaurant while she took some time off. Nick is everything she’s not — charming, playful, and demonstrative — forcing her to take stock of her life. Directed by Scott Hicks (SHINE, SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS) and based on Sandra Nettelbeck’s award-winning 2002 German comedy MOSTLY MARTHA, NO RESERVATIONS’ eyes are bigger than its stomach. It tries to squeeze two movies into one; while the potential romance between Kate and Nick has its charms — despite following the obvious recipe — the plotline involving Kate and Zoe is as flat as a pancake, as is Philip Glass’s score, which sounds like it was adapted from the SOUTH PARK episode that made fun of him.
Through August 23
Writer-director Jeffrey Blitz follows up his Oscar-nominated documentary, SPELLBOUND, set in the world of spelling bees, with ROCKET SCIENCE, a bittersweet tale of a teen geek trying to find his way in the cruel, cruel world of high school debating. Reece Daniel Thompson stars as Hal Hefner, a nerdy student with a terrible stutter who travels everywhere dragging along wheeled luggage. After master debater Ben Wekselbaum (Nicholas D’Agosto) suffers a devastating public meltdown, rich kid Ginny Reyerson (Anna Kendrick) sets out to recruit Hal to be her new debate partner. Hal is at first dubious, but the more involved he gets, the more he thinks that just maybe he’ll be able to get over his stuttering problem and show everyone what he’s truly made of. But this being high school, things are more complicated than they initially appear. Blitz, himself a childhood stutterer who found great success on his New Jersey high school debate team, shows a deft comic touch and taste for the unusual reminiscent of such outstanding and eclectic teen tales as NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (Jared Hess, 2004), ELECTION (Alexander Payne, 1999), and WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE (Todd Solondz, 1995). ROCKET SCIENCE, which features tender narration by Dan Cashman and great music by Eef Barzelay (from the band Clem Snide) and the Violent Femmes, gets it right nearly every step of the way.
Michael Moore heads to Paris to look for quality health care in SiCKO
Regal Union Square Stadium
850 Broadway at Thirteenth St.
212-253-6266
After taking on GM in ROGER & ME, the gun lobby in BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE, and the Iraq war in FAHRENHEIT 9/11, Michael Moore goes after the health-care industry in SiCKO, another vastly entertaining and wildly informative documentary that will make you laugh till it hurts. Instead of focusing on the 50 million Americans who don't have health insurance, Moore zeroes in on the 250 million who do — and still can’t afford treatment when they become seriously ill. Collecting ridiculous stories culled from tens of thousands e-mailed to him via his Website, Moore shares remarkable tales of maddening insurance company denials, including one woman who was dragged unconscious from a car accident and taken to the hospital — and whose carrier refused to pay for the ambulance because she failed to get the emergency ride preapproved. And that’s only the tip of this melting iceberg. Moore goes inside the industry to reveal frightening details of how these for-profit institutions run and why it is always in their best interest to say no. He also travels to Canada, France, England, and even Cuba to show how the supposed evils of socialized medicine actually work for everyone. And just wait till you see how Nixon and Reagan are involved. SiCKO rips the million-dollar mask off the health-care industry; be prepared to leave the theater as mad as hell and not wanting to take it anymore.
Homer finally meets his match in big-screen SIMPSONS movie
In theaters now
In 1999, Comedy Central’s SOUTH PARK hit the big screen, announcing it was "Bigger Longer & Uncut." After eighteen years, perennial Fox favorite THE SIMPSONS has finally gone bigger and longer as well, although not nearly as uncut. (However, it does include the hysterical appearance of Bart’s little willie in addition to a few hints of bestiality and other family-friendly no-nos.) After Grandpa Abe has an apocalyptic vision at church, Homer adopts a pig (don’t ask) and eventually creates an environmental disaster that devastates Springfield, leading President Arnold Schwarzenegger (voiced by Harry Shearer) and EPA head Russ Cargill (Albert Brooks) to place the town in a dome, cutting it off from the rest of the world. Forced to flee in a FRANKENSTEIN-like manner, the Simpsons make a run for it, but can they leave their beloved Springfield behind? Directed by longtime SIMPSONS team member David Silverman and written by nearly a dozen regulars (including co-executive producer James L. Brooks and creator Matt Groening), the movie starts out impressively, much like the TV series did, then gets confused along the way, much like the TV series did, and then devolves into some ridiculous scenarios, much like the TV series does now. THE SIMPSONS always worked better the more realistic it was, so things do get out of hand here. Although not a blockbuster, THE SIMPSONS MOVIE is still an entertaining hour and a half that is more than just a very long episode; it has bigger ideas, a grander look, Green Day playing the theme song, and numerous self-referential jokes to ensure that you don’t feel like you’re sitting on your couch on Sunday night. Nearly all the regulars make at least a cameo appearance, and maybe, just maybe, Maggie speaks. The jokes continue through the closing credits.
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
1886 Broadway between 62nd & 63rd Sts.
212-757-0359
http://lincolnplaza.moviefone.com
Zhang Yang’s SUNFLOWER is a mini-epic in the style of Zhang Yimou’s TO LIVE (1994), following the trials and tribulations of one small family through four decades of change in China, from Mao Zedong to the Cultural Revolution to the end of the twentieth century, with the country poised to dominate the next one. The story of Xiangyang (Zhang Fan at nine, Gao Ge at nineteen, Wang Haidi at thirty-two) focuses on the years 1967, 1976, 1987, and 1999, as the troublesome child grows into a troubled adult, at odds with his father, Gengnian (Sun Haiying), nearly every step of the way while his mother, Xiuqing (the wonderful Joan Chen), tries desperately to keep the family together. Having spent six years in a labor camp, Gengnian wants Xiangyang to become a painter, like he could have been, but imposing his will on Xiangyang, refusing to allow him to live his own life and make his own decisions, drives his son away, leading to volatile, powerful scenes. Although set amid forty years of social transformation in mainland China, SUNFLOWER is, at its heart, a compelling family drama — it is Zhang’s third consecutive film to feature a complex father-son dynamic, after SHOWER (1999) and QUITTING (2001); perhaps not coincidentally, Zhang’s own father, Huaxun, is a filmmaker as well, having made his mark in Hong Kong martial arts movies in the 1970s.
© Focus Features
Don Cheadle talks up a storm in Lemmons’s docudrama
In theaters now
http://www.focusfeatures.com/talktome
Not afraid to speak his mind, Petey Greene revolutionized talk radio in Washington, DC, in the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, influencing the next generation of shock jocks (including an impressionable DC newbie named Howard Stern). Kasi Lemmons’s TALK TO ME details Greene’s (Don Cheadle) transformation from incarcerated armed robber to controversial media celebrity by concentrating on his friendship with young radio executive Dewey Hughes (Chiwetel Ejiofor), two black men with very different personalities. While Greene preferred a wild, flamboyant lifestyle, Hughes chose to walk the straight and narrow, quietly working within the system, personified by Martin Sheen as conservative station owner E. G. Sonderling. But Greene’s unwillingness to play the game has a profound effect on Hughes as well as on the people of DC. As major cultural events unfold, Lemmons (EVE’S BAYOU, THE CAVEMAN’S VALENTINE) lets the audience experience them through Greene, offering a unique perspective on familiar happenings. Cheadle and Ojiofor make a great team, but Taraji P. Henson nearly steals the show as Vernell Watson, Greene’s far-out lover. TALK TO ME skips around a bit too much and teeters too often on the edge of preachiness, especially when Terence Blanchard’s sappy score overheats the melodrama, but the central story — the screenplay was cowritten by Hughes’s son, Michael Genet, with Hughes serving as a consultant — helps the film rise above its maudlin tendencies. The awesome, if obvious, soundtrack includes songs by Sam Cooke, James Brown, the Supremes, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Booker T & the MGs, Sam and Dave, Archie Bell and the Drells, Al Green, Sly & the Family Stone, and the Chambers Brothers.
Thomas "Tommo" Turgoose gives a powerhouse performance in THIS IS ENGLAND
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at Third St.
212-924-7771
http://www.ifcfilms.com/thisisengland
http://www.thisisenglandmovie.co.uk
Based on elements from his own childhood, Shane Meadows’s THIS IS ENGLAND is a powerful drama set in the tempestuous 1980s in the UK during the controversial Falklands War. Thirteen-year-old Thomas "Tommo" Turgoose makes a stunning debut as Shane, a twelve-year-old boy whose father recently died in the war and who gets picked on because he is short — and never backs away from the chance to defend himself and his dad. Shane is "adopted" by a goofy group of skinheads led by Woody (Joe Gilgun) who like to hang out at a local coffee shop and occasionally perform minor forms of anarchy. Shane also gets a small taste of romance from Smell (Rosamund Hanson), a sweetly innocent teen who dresses like a Boy George groupie. But when Combo (Stephen Graham) shows up, just released from prison, he causes a split among the friends, asking them to join him in his crazed nationalistic fervor fueled by hatred and racism. At that point, the film turns from a charming coming-of-age drama to an angry, politically charged story. Turgoose, a street-savvy underprivileged kid himself, is unforgettable as Shane, who learns fast about the hard, cold world. Graham (SNATCH) is frightening as Combo, a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any moment. The excellent soundtrack features Culture Club, Percy Sledge, Soft Cell, the Specials, Dexy’s Midnight Runners, UK Subs, and several songs by Toots & the Maytals. Be sure not to show up late — the opening montage, beautifully summarizing Thatcher’s England, is simply awesome.
Delpy and Goldberg play lovers having a rough two days in Paris
Angelika Film Center
18 West Houston St. at Mercer St.
212-995-2000
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
1886 Broadway between 62nd & 63rd Sts.
212-757-0359
http://lincolnplaza.moviefone.com
http://www.city-cinemas.com/angelika
http://www.2daysinparisthefilm.com
Julie Delpy’s delightful debut, 2 DAYS IN PARIS, is a true DIY indie, with Delpy serving as writer, director, editor, star, composer, soundtrack performer, and one of the producers. Delpy plays Marion, a flitty Frenchwoman who decides to bring her boyfriend of two years, Jack (a heavily tattooed Adam Goldberg), to spend two days with in her hometown in Paris as a stopover on their way from Venice to their apartment in New York City. But spending forty-eight hours with Marion’s family (Delpy’s real-life parents, Albert Delpy and Marie Pillet, and sister, Alexia Landeau) and bumping into a seemingly endless stream of Marion’s former boyfriends while not understanding a word anyone is saying might be a bit much for Jack, an interior designer whose own insides are rife with stomach problems and migraines. 2 DAYS IN PARIS is Delpy’s ANNIE HALL (Woody Allen, 1977), an engaging film filled with slapstick humor, inventive characters, and underlying truths about love and life.
Sho Aikawa becomes an unlikely superhero in Miike’s delightful ZEBRAMAN
The Two Boots Pioneer Theater
155 East Third St. at Ave. A
Through August 23
212-254-3300
http://www.twoboots.com/pioneer
Japanese director Takashi Miike, who has made more than seventy films in his sixteen-year career, may be most well known for such violent thrillers as AUDITION, ICHI THE KILLER, and the DEAD OR ALIVE series — he also made news when IMPRINT, his episode of Showtime’s Masters of Horror series, went unaired because of its graphic content — but he also has quite a soft side. After all, he’s a family man with kids of his own. And ZEBRAMAN is a film the whole family can enjoy, as well as adults just looking for a really fun, fabulously entertaining flick on a Friday night. Sho Aikawa, who has appeared in several of Miike’s films, stars as a wimpy schoolteacher with a cheating wife, a promiscuous daughter, and a son who regularly gets beaten up at school. His only escape is the treasured (and pathetic) homemade Zebraman (a silly superhero from a short-lived 1970s kids show) costume he puts on every once in a while to pretend he has another, more exciting life. But soon the costume transforms him into the one and only Zebraman, protecting the world from Crabman and other evildoers. ZEBRAMAN is an absolute delight, a refreshing and charming comedy about releasing the inner child within us all.
The Woodman is back with his fourth collection of short stories, MERE ANARCHY, consisting of ten pieces that have appeared in the New Yorker and eight that have never before been published. Most of the tales take place in New York City, featuring wealthy Manhattanites, struggling writers, and suspect salesmen with such subtle names as E. Coli Biggs, Monroe B. Varnishke, Harvey Afflatus, Flanders Mealworm, Moe Bottomfeeder, Noah Untermensch, and Binky Peplum. The very short stories (none longer than twelve pages) include such bizarre strangeness as a poor Austrian who loses all the vowels in his name in a boating accident, a shyster writing a musical comedy about fin de siecle Vienna, a company called Bandersnatch and Bushelman that makes aromatic menswear, a philosophical Nietzsche diet book, and investors fighting over a multimillion-dollar truffle. Along the way, Allen throws in such familiar themes and references as Wagner, Kafka, Alfred Hitchcock, the Hamptons, Dostoevsky, religion, the Three Stooges, Zabar’s, the Met, and the expanding of the universe. Although not quite as laugh-out-loud hysterical as his previous books, these are still clever, inventive, extremely funny stories from a master of the genre.
In addition, Random House has collected the short stories from those previous books, the classics GETTING EVEN, WITHOUT FEATHERS, and SIDE EFFECTS, into the trade paperback THE INSANITY DEFENSE (June 2007, $15.95), which features such hilarious tales as "The Metterling Lists," Mr. Big," "The Whore of Mensa," "No Kaddish for Weinstein," and "The Kugelmass Episode." (Sadly, Woody’s plays are not included.)
Former comedian and tap dancer Takeshi Kitano has made some of the most brutal gangster pictures of the last twenty years, including VIOLENT COP (1989), BOILING POINT (1990), SONATINE (1993), and BROTHER (2000). He also has a softer side, as evidenced by the heartfelt family dramas A SCENE AT THE SEA (1991) and KIKUJIRO (1999). Kitano, who also goes by the name Beat Takeshi, displays this softer side in BOY, a collection of three stories, almost mini-novellas, he wrote in 1987 but thankfully have now been translated into English. All three follow young boys growing up before our eyes. In "The Champion in a Padded Kimono," two brothers have very different attitudes about the upcoming sports day at school. In "Nest of Stars," two brothers struggle to deal with the death of their father and their move to Osaka by looking up at the stars in the sky. And in "Okamesan," a teen sneaks away from home in search of romantic adventure in the big city. Kitano tells the tales simply and directly, avoiding flowery descriptions and clichéd melodrama, instead creating captivating stories that are subtle yet strongly visual. The book also features a fabulous cover design by Vertical art director Chip Kidd, boasting a die-cut jacket over a preprinted case that includes wonderful full-color art. Much like the boys grow up in the book, these tales will grow on you.
twi-ny/mdr
Terrence Adams leads the Teenage Prayers on August 9 in Prospect Park
After the Jump Festival
Studio B, 259 Banker St., Brooklyn, free, 718-389-1880, 2:00
Magnetic Field, 97 Atlantic Ave., $8, 718-834-0060, 8:00
Saturday, August 25
http://www.myspace.com/theteenageprayers
Opening an inspired triple bill in Prospect Park featuring the Big Sleep and the Hold Steady, the Teenage Prayers offered a compelling set of retro pop and indie rock that would have made for a great soundtrack to a 1950s prom — and we mean that in a good way. They also throw in bits of 1960s soul and Brit pop, as well as the occasional sweet backing vocals of the Dancettes. Centered by rhythm guitarist Tim Adams on vocals, the Brooklyn-based band also includes brother Terrence Adams on lead guitar and cousin Kyle Chrise on bass. Playing their first outdoor show ever, they featured songs from their 2005 album, TEN SONGS ("Brown Bottle," "Teenage Dreams") as well as promising tunes from their forthcoming disc ("I Like It," "No Sex"). On August 25, the Teenage Prayers will be doing double duty, kicking off the After the Jump Festival at Studio B at 2:00 (see below for full schedule), followed by an 8:00 gig at Magnetic Field with Hazel Motes.
Studio B
259 Banker St., Brooklyn
718-389-1880
http://www.afterthejumpfest.com
Saturday, August 25 The Teenage Prayers, 2:00; Jukebox the Ghost, 2:30; Locksley, 3:00; Bling Kong, 3:30; Golem, 4:00; Goes Cube, 4:30; Ra Ra Riot, 5:00; Apache Beat, 5:30; and Spectrum, 6:00, free
Saturday, August 25 The Virgins, 10:00; Soulico, 11:00; Free Blook, 12 midnight; Riot in Belgium, 1:00, with DJs Finger on the Pulse & Slap You in Public, $12, benefiting music education in New York
Nokia Theatre
1515 Broadway at 44th St.
Saturday, August 26, 7:00
Tickets: $30-$35
212-930-1940
http://www.nokiatheatrenyc.com
Founded in the late 1970s, spurred on by the assassinations of Jonathan Jackson and George Jackson and the fall of others related to the prison system, Black August seeks to educate, inspire, and raise awareness about the legacy of freedom fighters struggling for liberation. One of the organization’s goals is to "link and address issues facing Afrikan people globally, such as AIDS, poverty, incarceration, and police brutality." Its tenth annual concert will be held in Times Square, featuring a remarkable lineup: Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Dead Prez, Saigon, DJ Evil Dee, DJ D-Nice, and others. As the show’s motto declares: "Free Your Hood!"
Battles join the Dear Hunter at the seaport for free show
River to River Festival
South Street Seaport, Pier 17
Friday, August 31, 7:00
Admission: free
212-528-2733
http://www.rivertorivernyc.org
http://www.myspace.com/battlestheband
http://www.myspace.com/deerhunter
The South Street Seaport has been home to some of the best free shows this summer, including the National and Suicide with the Death Set. Battles brings their unique brand of techo-pop to the Seaport stage on August 31, with buzz band Deerhunter opening the show.
The Waterfront at Gantry Plaza State Park, LIC
Seating and access to interactive photo booth: 6:45
Performance: 8:00
Admission: free
Performing on a moored barge visible from the Gantry Plaza State Park pier in Long Island City, Mabou Mines will be combining music, dance, spoken word, and art in five special shows celebrating each of New York City’s boroughs. The text was written by Migdalia Cruz, Maggie Dubris, Patricia Spears Jones, Karen Kandel, and Imelda O’Reilly, with music composed by Lisa Gutkin and design by Julie Archer. There will also be an on-site photo booth where people can take pinhole images of themselves (which they can keep) as well as share their own thoughts about the city. And yes, there will be knitting needles involved.
Friday, August 31 New work conceived and directed by Ruth Maleczech, celebrating Brooklyn
Tuesday, September 4 New work conceived and directed by Ruth Maleczech, celebrating Staten Island
Thursday, September 6 New work conceived and directed by Ruth Maleczech, celebrating the Bronx
Friday, September 7 New work conceived and directed by Ruth Maleczech, celebrating Queens
Sunday, September 9 New work conceived and directed by Ruth Maleczech, celebrating Manhattan
twi-ny/ees
Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter play from inside pyramid at KeySpan Park
KeySpan Park
Thursday, August 9
The spectacle that is Daft Punk (Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter) came to Brooklyn on August 9, bringing their stupendous stage and light show to KeySpan Park in Coney Island. Daft Punk, the ne plus ultra French electro house disco duo, puts on mind-blowing shows. Basically, they wear spaceman/robot costumes and sit in the middle of a giant light-up pyramid in front of a whole phalanx of lights, between two huge grids of struts, flanked by two giant video screens. The pyramid turns blue and green and red while the crowd freaks out and dances. Sound silly? Yeah. Is it fun? Hell yeah. DP tends their synths and digital turntables like benevolent insects, controlling the pulse of the crowd as if they were so many happy ants, or bees, or a bunch of really, really happy people throwing glow sticks at the stage like crazy. Starting off with "Technologic," with its invocations to Buy It, Touch It, Hit It, etc., with a little Busta Rhymes sampled in, they segued into the monster dance-floor anthem "Around the World" from their first album, HOMEWORK, then to "Harder Faster Stronger" and some kind of massive "One More Time" edit that just pretty much blew up KeySpan Park. And onto "Da Funk," and "Human After All," with actual photo images of the insides of people, faces, eyes, etc. Sampling themselves like mad throughout, they mashed it up into the encore, in which their robo/insect suits lit up in outline and the crowd basically went mad. There is almost no way to appreciate the whole effect of Daft Punk’s kind of music on the tiny circuit between the two plugs of your iPod. Maybe one head is too small. A stadium full of pulsing, breathing bodies synched to a big-ass eye-candy show and ear-candy beat extravaganza is the only way it makes sense. At least, it made sense to us.
twi-ny/mdr
Craig Finn shines at Hold Steady show in Prospect Park
Celebrate Brooklyn
Prospect Park Bandshell
Thursday, August 9
Keep It Great: Give $3 at the Gate
718-855-7882
http://www.brooklynx.org/celebrate
The Hold Steady returned triumphantly to their Brooklyn home on August 9, playing before a delirious crowd of worshipers who broke down the VIP barrier to rush the stage as the best American rock-and-roll band in the land got ready to kick off their Celebrate Brooklyn! set. Frontman and lead singer Craig Finn looked positively touched by the tremendous outpouring of support as the group, originally from Minneapolis, tore through a blistering set of tunes primarily from its latest CD, BOYS AND GIRLS IN AMERICA, as well as a few from SEPARATION SUNDAY and THE HOLD STEADY ALMOST KILLED ME, the audience singing along furiously. The five-piece band opened with "Stuck Between Stations," which includes the hauntingly prophetic lines "These twin cities / sound like clicks and hisses / And we all come down and drown in the Mississippi River," and continued with such great tunes as "Hot Soft Light," "Same Kooks," "Your Little Hoodrat Friend," "First Night," "Stevie Nix," and "Chips Ahoy!" Finn, sweat pouring down, rambled across the stage, mike stand in hand, shuffling between guitarist Tad Kubler, bass player Galen Polivka, drummer Bobby Drake, and keyboardist Franz Nicolay, screaming out at the audience, jumping up and down, and spreading his arms out wide, welcoming the adoration with a shy smile. Finn came out for the encores in a Kent Hrbek Minnesota Twins jersey, claiming that Hrbek had recently given it to him during a fishing outing. The band closed this killer party with "Killer Parties," in which Finn sings, "If she says we partied / then I’m pretty sure we partied / I really don’t remember / I remember we departed from our bodies." The Hold Steady will be back September 17 to put on another killer party, playing a free show at 7 World Trade Center plaza with Old 97’s and Illinois; don’t miss it.
twi-ny/mdr
Matt Berninger gets deep at the South Street Seaport
River to River Festival
South Street Seaport, Pier 17
Friday, August 17
Admission: free
212-528-2733
http://www.myspace.com/thenational
For those who weren’t able to get into the National’s recent five-night sold-out stand at the Bowery Ballroom, this free show at the South Street Seaport on August 17 was a special bonus. Despite downpours that shortened the opening sets by fellow Brooklyn bands Takka Takka and the Forms to only twenty minutes each, the National squeezed in more than an hour of very tasty indie pop under drier skies. Originally from Cincinnati, the National are in the midst of a world tour in support of their latest album, the well-received BOXER (Beggars Banquet, May 2007). Live, brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner on guitars (and occasional keyboards), Davendorf brothers Scott on bass and Bryan on drums, and Padma Newsome on keyboards and fiddles display fine craftsmanship, strong melodies, and cool hooks not laden down with standard bridges and choruses. Lead singer Matt Berninger, gripping the mic to his face like he never wants to let go, warbles heartfelt if obtuse lyrics about love gone wrong, gone missing, filled with mistakes, his eyes shut tight as if he can’t bear to look. The way he holds the mic is reminiscent of the Psychedelic Furs’ Richard Butler, adding a casual elegance and intelligence to the music. Starting things off with a triple shot of “Start a War,” “Mistaken for Strangers,” and “Secret Meeting,” the National pulled the huge crowd right in; as the set continued (with such songs as “Abel,” “Squalor Victoria,” and “Apartment Story”), band members switched instruments, a pair of horns were added, and Berninger balanced dangerously on top of the monitors. “I don’t have any questions / I don’t think it’s gonna rain / You were right about the end / It didn’t make a difference,” Berninger sings on “Daughters of the SoHo Riots,” from 2005’s ALLIGATOR; as the crowd walked out into the darkening summer night, there were no questions left, nor rain, and everything was right.
B.B. King Blues Club & Grill
237 West 42nd St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
Wednesday, August 22
http://www.sierraleonesrefugeeallstars.com
sierra leone’s refugee all stars / dry-yai slideshow
Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars formed in Sembakounya Refugee Camp in Guinea, having escaped from their native country during the devastating civil war of the 1990s. Their debut album, LIVING LIKE A REFUGEE (Anti-, September 2006), was recorded between 2002 and 2005, in the refugee camp with whatever instruments they could get their hands on as well as in a studio in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and was documented by filmmakers Banker White and Zach Niles in THE REFUGEE ALL STARS (2007). On August 22, they brought their remarkable story to Times Square, where they took the stage at B.B. King’s, rocking the house for two hours of politically tinged music about peace and love, war and poverty, violence and freedom. The All Stars are led by songwriter and lead vocalist Reuben M. Koroma, who introduces many of the songs with tales of the refugee camps and his home country, Sierra Leone; at one point he also urged the audience to help those suffering in Darfur. On several numbers Koroma switched places with Black Nature; while Black Nature rapped to the crowd, Koroma hit the congas.
The set featured about half of LIVING LIKE A REFUGEE, including “Weapon Conflict,” “Big Lesson,” “Soda Soap,” and the title track, with dreadlocked Ashade Pearce playing sweet guitar, Efua Grace shaking her maracas and adding background vocals, and Idrissa “Malam” Bangura, wearing a huge smile the entire night, at times playing his bass on top of his head, his sheer joy infectious. Near the end of the set, they were joined for two songs by Dry-Yai’s Pupa Bajah and the Baw-Waw Society, who had opened the show with such tunes as “I Love This Lady” and the new “Ease Di Tension,” which deals with this month’s elections in Guinea. Together they really got their groove on jamming on Dry-Yai’s “Angel.” The All Stars’ music combines a West African beat with reggae-like melodies that make you want to get up and dance, and that’s exactly what happened as they closed out the night, with people shaking their stuff all over B.B. King’s. Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars will next be appearing at the September 6 Save the Children 75th Anniversary concert at Lincoln Center; Dry-Yai will be playing Joe’s Pub on Wednesday night, August 29, along with DJ Spooky and DJ Reborn, in a benefit for African Refuge.
twi-ny/mdr
DJ Rekha brings basement bhangra to battle Trojan Records on Governors Island
Governors Island
Saturday, August 25
Admission: free
http://www.myspace.com/djrekha
Okay, the posters for this show, announcing “bhangra vs. reggae inna soundclash,” got us drooling. We visualized a bit of summer-lawn postcolonial ananda — DJ Rekha’s Basement Bhangra selections vs. James F!@$%^ Friedman mining forty years of Trojan Records’ ska, reggae, and dub vaults. Not quite so. A light crowd turned out on Governors Island for the last of the free In the Pocket presentations put on by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, to hear selector Friedman and the Subatomic Sound System deliver a surprisingly weak one-hour opening set, including a particularly painful beat-juggling passage from the classic “Police and Thieves” into one of Trojan’s thousands of obscure echoey dubs. Ouch. With lackluster rhymes on the mic, DJ Treasure Don and Daddy Lion failed to move the sparse attendees. DJ Rekha, however, did get things moving during her hour-long set, with the admirable Dave Sharma on the dhol and other percussion, making sure the growing crowd got off their butts. Dropping a bit of the James Bond theme for laughs, some of M.I.A.’s infectious “Galang” for energy, and some classic bhangra for bounce, she even brought a few dancers onstage, including yet another contestant for the Tony Manero of Bollywood crown — although even DJ Rekha rolled her eyes at some of his fanciful moves. It all worked the soon-sweaty audience into a booty-shaking, head-wiggling, hand-waving frenzy. The finale was a half-hour friendly soundclash — for which Friedman and Subatomic suddenly pulled out some serious skills, and DJ Rekha pulled out some new stuff from her upcoming BASEMENT BHANGRA album. Right in the middle of a hot exchange, just as DJ Rekha had grabbed the killer “Jogi” beat to kick some ass with, the plug was pulled, as time was up. Fortunately, DJ Rekha will be back at SOB’s on September 6, then again on October 4 & 9, celebrating the October 9 release of her new disc.
twi-ny/mdr
Furnaces play hot show in Queens
Socrates Sculpture Park
Broadway at Vernon Blvd.
Sunday, August 26, 4:00
Admission: free
http://www.thefieryfurnaces.com
In a touching moment of sibling love, a few songs into the Fiery Furnaces’ thrilling set at Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens, Matt Friedberger got up from his organ and brought his monitor over to his sister, lead singer Eleanor, who was unhappy that her monitor wasn’t working. All the while, the Furnaces continued playing their unique sonic collage to a hot and happy crowd late on a warm Sunday afternoon, the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance behind them. Originally from Chicago but now living in Williamsburg, Eleanor and Matt were joined by drummer Bob D’Amico, guitarist Jason Loewenstein of Sebadoh, and remarkable percussionist Michael Goodman, who banged away on snares, cowbells, and a host of other objects, standing and sweating through the entire fast-paced show. Initially meant to preview songs from the band’s forthcoming album, October’s WIDOW CITY, the performance instead concentrated on older numbers, opening with a killer suite from last spring’s BITTER TEA, ripping through such controlled mayhem as “In My Little Thatched Hut,” “Black-Hearted Boy,” “The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry,” and “Benton Harbor Blues.”
twi-ny/mdr
Eleanor Friedberger leads killer set
Stitching together a few bars of surf music and straight-on rock here, pop psychedelia and new wave there, and plenty of goth punk and whatever else they could think of (did we hear some medieval minstrel music?), often within the same song, appearing, disappearing, and then resurfacing, the Furnaces rarely stopped between numbers, with one song flowing seamlessly into the next as Eleanor’s outpouring of poetic musings recalled Patti Smith while Matt’s alternately grooving and dooming organ wove in and out and back again. Singing in front of a colorful vinyl curtain of snippets of their lyrics, Eleanor did manage to squeeze one new tune in, “Wicker Whatnots,” shortly before finishing the show with a frantic string of “Blueberry Boat,” “Tropical-Iceland,” “Spaniolated,” “Name Game,” “Birdie Brain,” and “1917.” After the gig, band members hung around the park — which featured a handful of sculptures and a whole bunch of tents — relaxing with friends, family, and fans and, in Eleanor’s case, even signing autographs on a few young men’s arms.
All contents copyright 2007 by Mark Rifkin and twi-ny. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission. Please note that events, dates, and prices are subject to change.
Send all comments, suggestions, reviews, and questions to mark.rifkin@twi-ny.com.
Please note that some e-mail clients may wrap links, so be sure to enter them fully into your browser.
To subscribe to this list, please e-mail the administrator at admin@twi-ny.com with the word Subscribe in the Subject line; be sure to ask for back issues, which are free as well. To unsubscribe from this list, please think it over twice before e-mailing the same address. Please let us know what you didn't like about this forum and we'll do our best to correct it in the future -- if we agree with you. If you would like to see something covered in a future issue, please let us know. Without you, there is no need for us to exist.
Chase Plaza, Nassau St. between Liberty & Pine Sts. 12 noon — 1:30 (CP)
The Lawn at Battery Park, State & Pearl Sts., 1:00 — 4:00 (BPL)
Admission: free
The Downtown Dance Festival returns for its twenty-sixth season. At the end of each afternoon, kids of all ages will be invited onstage to participate in a dance exercise.
Monday, August 20 Battery Dance Company, Naganuma Dance, Vissi Dance Theater, CP
Tuesday, August 21 Christopher Caines Dance Company, Isabel Gotzkowsky and Friends, Janis Brenner & Dancers, CP
Wednesday, August 22 Ashley Browne / Kinetic Project, Gallim Dance Group, Parijat Desai Dance Company, TAKE Dance Company, CP
Thursday, August 23 Jamal Jackson Dance Company, Quorum Ballet, CP
Friday, August 24 Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, HUNTERDance Theater, Spinnin Ronin Martial Arts Dance Theatre, SuriCo. , CP
Saturday, August 25 Ashley Browne / Kinetic Project, Battery Dance Company, the Figures in Flight Dance Company, Gallim Dance Group, HUNTERDance Theater, Isabel Gotzkowsky and Friends, Quorum Ballet, TAKE Dance Company, Vissi Dance Theater, BPL
Sunday, August 26 Alpha Omega Theatrical Dance Company, Angahara Dance Ensemble (Swetha & Ramaa Bharadvaj), Christopher Caines Dance Company, Darshana Jhaveri Manipuri Dance, Jamal Jackson Dance Company, Janis Brenner & Dancers, Naganuma Dance, Parijat Desai Dance Company, Spinnin Ronin Martial Arts Dance Theatre, SuriCo., BPL
Rumsey Playfield in Central Park
Enter at 72nd St. & Fifth Ave.
August 21-25, gates at 6:00, films at 8:00
Admission: free
Tuesday, August 21 STAYING ALIVE (Sylvester Stallone, 1983)
Wednesday, August 22 THE OUT-OF-TOWNERS (Arthur Hiller, 1970)
Thursday, August 23 KRAMER VS. KRAMER (Robert Benton, 1979)
Friday, August 24 MADAGASCAR (Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath, 2005)
Saturday, August 25 Viewer’s Choice Night: Vote for BAREFOOT IN THE PARK (Gene Saks, 1967), THE WAY WE WERE (Sydney Pollack, 1973), or HITCH (Andy Tennant, 2005)
Lincoln Center Out of Doors
Broadway at 66th St.
Josie Robertson Plaza, Damrosch Park Bandshell, North Plaza, South Plaza
August 2-27
Admission: free
212-875-5108
Tuesday, August 21 Music and Dance on the Plaza: Solar One, Catey Ott Dance Collective, company javedani, Tanya Calamoneri/Company SoGoNo, Hettie Barnhill, RedShift Dance, and Stefanie Nelson Dance Group, Josie Robertson Plaza, 5:45—6:30
Tuesday, August 21 Great Music: Pauline Oliveros/Deep Listening, World Wide Tuning Meditation, EHRES (Extreme High Risk Entertainment System), South Plaza, 7:00
Wednesday, August 22 Music and Dance on the Plaza: The New York Baroque Dance Company, Josie Robertson Plaza, 6:00
Wednesday, August 22 Great Music: Henry Brant’s Dormant Craters, conducted by Neely Bruce, featuring the Manhattan School of Music Percussion Ensemble, Gamelan Song of Lion, South Plaza, 7:00
Friday, August 24 Great Music: Trance Music Ensemble presents a Celebration of Tea Musicians, featuring calligraphy, flowers, poetry and music, South Plaza, 7:00
Saturday, August 25 La Casita, with Pedrito Martinez, Felice Rosser, Julian Kulesty, Falu, Anthony Morales, Shobana Raghavan Carnactic, Pistolera, Juan Antonio Meza-Compean, Kelly Zan-Yie Tsai, Amiri Baraka, Folklore Urbano, and Alma Moyo, South Plaza, 1:00 - 5:30
Saturday, August 25 Great Music — Absolute Ensemble: Arabian Nights, conducted by Kristjan Järvi, featuring guest artist Marcel Khalifé, Damrosch Park Bandshell, 8:00
Sunday, August 26 La Casita, with Will Calhoun & Friends, Joy Harjo, Kahlil Almustafa, Rana Santacruz, Luca Mundaca, Grupo Yolotecuani, Angelo Moore Fishbone’s Dr. Madd Vibe, Michael Heraldas, Terrance Hayes, Pamyua Yupaik, John Trudell, Yusef Komunyakaa, Amiri Baraka, Yarina, and Grupo Eleguá, South Plaza, 1:00 - 5:30
Sunday, August 26 Great Music: Happy Birthday Mingus — Celebrating Eighty-Five, with the Mingus Big Band and Mingus Orchestra, conducted by Gunther Schuller, Damrosch Park Bandshell, 8:00
Monday, August 27 Great Music: La India "Princess of Salsa," Damrosch Park Bandshell, 8:00
55 Water St. between Coenties and Old Slip
Tuesday nights in August at 8:00
Admission: free
http://www.rivertorivernyc.com
Tuesday, August 21 ON THE WATERFRONT (Elia Kazan, 1954)
Tuesday, August 28 THE APARTMENT (Billy Wilder, 1960)
Pier 54, Hudson River at Fourteenth St.
Wednesdays around dusk through August 22
Admission: free
http://www.hudsonriverpark.org
Wednesday, August 22 SUPERMAN RETURNS (Bryan Singer, 2006)
Solar One at Stuyvesant Cove Park
2420 FDR Dr. at 22nd St. and Ave. C
Screenings begin at 9:00
Admission: free
212-505-6050
Wednesday, August 22 THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (Robert Wise, 1951)
Thursday, August 23 WHAT’S HAPPENING! THE BEATLES IN THE U.S.A. (Albert and David Maysles, 1964), followed by a Q&A with Albert Maysles
Friday, August 24 YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Mel Brooks, 1974)
Bryant Park Reading Room
42nd St. side of Bryant Park between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Wednesdays at 12:30 through September 11
Admission: free
212-768-4242
Wednesday, August 22 We Love Chick-Lit: Jennifer Belle, LITTLE STALKER, Caprice Crane, FORGET ABOUT IT, Megan Crane, FRENEMIES, and Carrie Karasyov, THE INFIDELITY PACT, hosted by Ned Vizzini, IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY
Wagner Park in Battery Park City (WP)
South Street Seaport, Pier 17 (SSS)
Admission: free
212-528-2733
http://www.rivertorivernyc.org
Wednesday, August 22
through
Saturday, August 25 LMCC Sitelines: Accounting for Customs, by Reggie Wilson and Andreya Ouamba, U.S. Custom House steps, National Museum of the American Indian, Bowling Green, 12:30 & 1:30
Thursday, August 23 Summer Soul Nights: Chrisette Michelle with Abby Dobson, SSS, 7:00
Thursday, August 23 The Jimmy Bosch Band, WP, 7:00
Friday, August 24 Seaport Music: Camera Obscura, SSS, 7:00
Monday August 27, 7:00
Tuesday, August 28, 7:00
and
Wednesday, August 29, 12:30 LMCC Sitelines: States & Resemblance, by Dean Moss and Ryotaro Mishima, Elevated Acre at 55 Water St., up the escalator
Thursday, August 30 Charansalsa, WP, 7:00
Friday, August 31 Battles, with the Dear Hunter, SSS, 7:00
Film Forum
209 West Houston St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves.
Through August 30
212-727-8110
Wednesday, August 22
and
Thursday, August 23 KILLER’S KISS (1955, Stanley Kubrick), 3:05, 6:30, 9:55, and SOMETHING WILD (1961, Jack Garfein), 1:00, 4:25, 7:50
Friday, August 24
and
Saturday, August 25 REAR WINDOW (1954, Alfred Hitchcock), 2:35, 6:15, 9:55, and ROPE (1948, Alfred Hitchcock), 1:00, 4:40, 8:20
Sunday, August 26 REAR WINDOW (1954, Alfred Hitchcock), 1:10, 5:15, 9:30, and THE WRONG MAN (1957, Alfred Hitchcock), 3:15, 7:30
Monday, August 27 REAR WINDOW (1954, Alfred Hitchcock), 1:00, 5:05, and THE WRONG MAN (1957, Alfred Hitchcock), 3:05
Monday, August 27 The Silent City: New York in the Movies, 1898-1928:
NYC Treasures from the Library of Congress, 7:30*, and LONESOME (1929, Paul Fejos), 8:50
Tuesday, August 28 KLUTE (1971, Alan J. Pakula), 3:45, 7:40, and BORN TO WIN (1971, Ivan Passer), 2:00, 5:55, 9:50
Wednesday, August 29 MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969, John Schlesinger), 3:15, 7:30, and THE PANIC IN NEEDLE PARK (1971, Jerry Schatzberg), 1:10, 5:25, 9:40
Thursday, August 30 WAIT UNTIL DARK (1967, Terence Young), 3:20, 7:15, and CRY, TERROR! (1958, Andrew L. Stone), 1:30, 5:25, 9:20
Friday, August 31
through
Thursday, September 6 THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971, William Friedkin), 1:10, 3:20, 5:30, 7:40, 9:50
Brookhaven Amphitheater
Arts & Cultural Center at Bald Hill, Farmingville, Long Island
Wednesday nights in August at approximately 7:45
Admission: $5 per carload
631-732-4011
http://brookhavenamphitheater.com
Wednesday, August 22 OPEN SEASON (Roger Allers & Jill Culton, 2006)
Wednesday, August 29 OVER THE HEDGE (Tim Johnson & Karey Kirkpatrick, 2006)
El Museo del Barrio Teatro Heckscher
1230 Fifth Ave. at 104th St.
Thursday nights at 6:30 through August 23
Admission: free
212-831-7272
Thursday, August 23 Los Amigos Invisibles
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
Requested donation: $5
Thursday nights at 7:30 pm
718-469-1912/718-222-0600
http://www.brooklynconcerts.com/seaside
Thursday, August 23 Salsa by the Sea: Gilberto Santa Rosa and Xtreme
Sinatra Park
Frank Sinatra Dr. between Fourth & Fifth Sts.
Thursday nights at 7:00 through August 31
Admission: free
201-420-2207
Thursday, August 23 Julio Fernandez & Friends
City Hall Park
Across from J&R at Park Row
Admission: free
212-383-9000
Thursday, August 23 Israel & the New Breed, 5:00; Lyfe Jennings, 6:00; Chaka Khan, 7:00
Friday, August 24 J. Holiday, 5:00; TBD, 6:00; Suzanne Vega, 7:00
Saturday, August 25 Deemi, 1:00; Eldar, 2:00; Deborah Cox, 3:00; Carl Allen and Rodney Whitaker, 4:00; Bruce Hornsby with Jack DeJohnette and Chrisian McBride, 5:00
Riverside Park
Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument
89th St at Riverside Dr.
Admission: free
212-560-6579
http://www.riversideparkfund.org
Thursday, August 23
through
Sunday, August 26 The Hudson Warehouse presents Shakespeare’s MACBETH outdoors in Riverside Park, 6:30
BAMcinematek
BAM Rose Cinemas
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
August 16-26
Tickets: $11
718-636-4100
Thursday, August 23 EXILED (FONG JUK) (Johnnie To, 2006), 7:00
Friday, August 24 HOUSE OF FURY (JING MO GAA TING) (Stephen Fung, 2005), 2:00, 4:30, 6:50, 9:15
Saturday, August 25 CRAZY N’ THE CITY (SUN GAING HUP NUI) (James Yuen & Lanbo Cheuk, 2005), 2:00, 4:30, 6:50, 9:15
Sunday, August 26 ELECTION (HAK SE WUI) (Johnnie To, 2005) and TRIAD ELECTION (ELECTION 2) (HAK SE WUI YI WO WAI KWAI) (Johnnie To, 2006), 3:00, 7:00
The uncles decide between Lok and Big D in Johnnie To’s ELECTION
Johnnie To’s ELECTION is the thinking man’s gangster picture, a psychological thriller that does not depend on blood and violence to get its message across. Cool-headed Lok (Simon Yam) and wild-eyed Big D (Tony Leung Ka Fai) both want to be elected the next chairman of the Wo Sing Society, but when the uncles vote for Lok, Big D refuses to accept their decision. Instead, he goes after the Dragon’s Head Baton, the antique symbol of leadership that would transfer power to him. As members of the society (including Lam Suet as the endearing Big Head, Louis Koo as the slick Jimmy, and Nick Cheung as tough-guy Jet) choose which side they want to be on, resulting in chaos, treachery, and betrayal, the cops are hovering around, seeking to put an end to all triad activities. ELECTION features more dialogue and less violence than most films of its kind, but that doesn’t make it any less effective. ELECTION was a big winner at the twenty-fifth Hong Kong Film Awards; its sequel, TRIAD ELECTION (Johnnie To, 2006), which screened at the 2006 New York Film Festival, will also be shown as part of this great double feature.
110 Bedford Ave. at North Eleventh St.
Admission: free
718-388-8090
http://www.soundfixrecords.com
Thursday, August 23 Camera Obscura, Tiny Vipers, 7:00
Friday, August 24 White Rabbits, 10:00
Saturday, August 25 Papercuts, 6:00
Saturday, August 25 Shock Cinema, 9:00
Friday, August 31 And They Fell, Captain Ahab
Sideshows by the Seashore
Surf Ave. & West 12th St.
Coney Island, Brooklyn
Friday night burlesque & vaudeville shows at 10:00, followed by fireworks
Thursday night Bawdville at the Beach shows at 10:00
Through September 21
Admission: $10 at the door
http://www.coneyislandusa.com/burlesque
Thursday, August 23 Tigger’s Boylesque
Friday, August 24 Insectavora’s Trailer Trash Birthday Bash! featuring Dotti Lux, Heather Holliday, Li'l Brooklyn, Remy Vicious, Serpentina, and others, party at 8:00, show at 10:00
Thursday, August 30 The Baby Daddy Show
Friday, August 31 Remy Vicious’ Lucha Muerte Atomicos -- Dos! featuring Heather Holiday, Insectavora, Dottie Lux, Little Brooklyn, Viva Kneviel, and others
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building
163 West 125th St. at Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd.
Admission: free
http://www.imagenationfilmfestival.org
http://harlemweek.harlemdiscover.com
Thursday, August 23 Gospel: Judah Camp, Anointed Entertainment Ministry featuring New Season Dance Ministry, Trinitee 5:7, and Hezekiah Walker & the Love Fellowship, 5:00 — 7:30
Tuesday, August 28 Jazz & R&B: Lillias White, Oshy, Jeff Redd, and Urban Pulse, 5:00 — 7:30
The Charles A. Dana Discovery Center
Inside the park at 110th St. between Fifth & Lenox Aves.
Thursday nights in August at 6:00
Admission: free
212-860-1370
Thursday, August 23 R&B Night with Soul Express
Thursday, August 30 Disco Night with DJ Bobby Morales
Museum of Modern Art
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden
Enter on 54th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Thursday nights through August 30
Sets at 5:30 and 7:00 (museum galleries open until 9:00)
Free with museum admission of 20
212-708-9400
Thursday, August 23 Marta Topferova
Thursday, August 30 New World String Ensemble
Queens Museum of Art
Flushing Meadows Corona Park
Friday nights at 6:30 through August 24
Admission: free for outdoor events; $5 suggested donation for museum, which is open until 8:00
718-592-9700
Friday, August 24 Dance: Christopher J. Giarmo presents I [heart] bobby p; Music: Korean Traditional Cultural Center drumming and fan dancing; Film: JOINT SECURITY AREA (Park Chan-wook, 2000)
Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette St. between East Fourth St. & Astor Pl.
Tickets: $15
212-967-7555
Friday, August 24 Actress and singer Minnie Driver features songs from her second album, SEASTORIES, and more, 7:30 & 11:30
Pier 46, Hudson River Park at Christopher St.
Fridays around dusk through August 24
Admission: free
http://www.hudsonriverpark.org
Friday, August 24 WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Mel Stuart, 1971)
Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer St. between Richardson & Frost Sts.
Williamsburg
No cover charge
718-302-3770
http://www.petescandystore.com
Friday, August 24 Kind Monitor continues its August residency with a 10:00 show, preceded at 9:00 by a band to be announced and followed at 10:00 by Double Fantasy
Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
2 East 92nd St. at Fifth Ave.
Friday nights through September 7 from 6:00 to 9:00
Free with museum admission of $12
212-849-8380
http://ndm.si.edu/summer_sessions
Friday, August 24 Victor Simonelli
Friday, August 31 Cosmo
River to River Festival
Governors Island
Ferries leave from the Battery Maritime Building, 10 South St., Slip 7
Saturdays at 1:00
Admission: free
Saturday, August 25 Bhangra vs. Reggae Inna Soundclash, featuring DJ Rekha and Dave Sharma vs. DJ James F!@#$%^Friedman and Trojan Records, Governors Island, free, 1:00
Saturday, August 25 After-party: Samba Soul featuring Sugar Loaf and DJ Rekha, $20 or free with LMCC pass available at afternoon show on Governors Island, doors at 7:00 pm and 12 midnight
Highline Ballroom
431 West 16th St. between Ninth & Tenth Aves.
Tickets: $12
212-414-5994
http://www.highlineballroom.com
Saturday, August 25 Scary Kids Scaring Kids headlines show with Boys Night Out, the Dear Hunter, and Pierce the Veil, 7:00
Multiple venues
August 4 - September 16
Admission: free
212-254-1109
http://www.theaterforthenewcity.net
The Theater for the New City’s Street Theater Company presents a new musical, with book, lyrics, and direction by Crystal Field and music by Joseph Vernon Banks.
Saturday, August 25 Prospect Park Concert Grove, 2:00
Sunday, August 26 Travers Park, 34th Ave. between 77th & 78th Sts., 2:00
145 Nassau St. between Spruce & Beekman Sts.
Dance performances and films Saturdays at 6:00
Installation viewing: Thursdays and Saturdays 12 noon — 7:00, Fridays 6:00 — 8:00 pm
Admission: free
Saturday, August 25
through
Saturday, September 15 A site specific installation with performances, exploring the intersection of architecture, dance, and moving image
P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center / MoMA
22-25 Jackson Ave. at 46th Ave.
Long Island City
Saturdays from 2:00 — 9:00 pm through September 1
Admission: $10, includes admission to art galleries, free from 12 noon to 2:00
718-784-2084
Saturday, August 25 Escort, Felix Dickinson, LoVid, and David Linton
Saturday, September 1 Oneida 10 Year Anniversary, with Oneida, Sightings, Ex-Models, Dirty Faces, DJ Fitz (twisted ones), and Mighty Robot AV Squad
Coney Island Museum
1208 Surf Ave. between Stillwell Ave. and West 12th St.
Saturday nights at 8:30 through September 8
Tickets $5, including free popcorn
718-372-5159
http://www.coneyisland.com/films
Saturday, August 25 FRITZ THE CAT (Ralph Bakshi, 1972)
Saturday, September 1 BIG TOP PEE WEE (Randal Kleiser, 1988)
Water Taxi Beach
Second St. & Borden Ave., Long Island City
Saturdays from 8:00 pm to 3:00 am
Cover charge: $3 (twenty-one and over only)
All shows will feature residents Justin Carter, Probus, and the Brothers’ Brothers in addition to the below special guests.
Saturday, August 25 Zombie Nation
Saturday, September 1 Innervisions: Dixon and Alex from Tokyo
Museum of the Moving Image
35th Ave. at 36th St., Astoria
Through September 2
Tickets: $10 (includes museum admission)
718-784-4520
Saturday, August 25 STRAW DOGS (Sam Peckinpah, 1971), 5:30
Saturday, September 1 KLUTE (Alan J. Pakula, 1971), 3:00
Sunday, September 2 THE LAST MOVIE (Dennis Hopper, 1971), 5:30
Green Fairy Garden and Spiegel Tent
South Street Seaport under the Brooklyn Bridge
Admission: $5 before 7:00, $10 after 7:00 unless otherwise noted
Saturday, August 25 DJ Kamala, free, 3:00 — 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 25 DJs Sid ’LVaga & Wiseacre, 9:00 pm — 4:00 am
Sunday, August 26 Benny Soto presents Here Comes the Sun, with Danny Krivit, $20, 3:00 — 12 midnight
Thursday, August 30 Rich Medina, 9:00 pm — 4:00 am
Saturday, September 1 DJs Miller Cruz & Sid ’Lvaga, 3:00 — 9:00 pm
Saturday, September 1 All Good Funk Alliance with DJ Sid ’Lvaga, 9:00 pm — 4:00 am
Sunday, September 2 Wave Records Tenth Anniversary Party, $20, 5:00 pm — 12 midnight
Symphony Space, Leonard Nimoy Thalia
2537 Broadway at 95th St.
Through September 2
Tickets: $11
212-864-5400
Saturday, August 25
Saturday, September 1
and
Sunday, September 2 THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (Josef von Sternberg, 1935), 6:00, and CONQUEST (Clarence Brown, 1937), 7:30
Green-Wood Cemetery
Fifth Ave. at 25th St.
Admission: free
718-768-7300
Sunday, August 26 Annual parade to Battle Hill, where the Battle of Brooklyn was fought in August 1776, followed by commemorative ceremony at Cemetery Ridge, with the Regimental Band of the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Brooklyn Irish American Parade Committee march at 9:30 am, cemetery walking tour at 10:00, reenactment inside the main gate at 12:30, parade at 1:30, memorial ceremony at 2:00
Socrates Sculpture Park
Broadway at Vernon Blvd.
Admission: free
718-956-1819
http://www.socratessculpturepark.org
Sunday, August 26 A Series of Temporary Artworks and Live Performances, featuring the Fiery Furnaces, 4:00
Europa
98-104 Meserole Ave. at Manhattan Ave.
Admission: $20
718-383-5723
Sunday, August 26 Early Man at War, Merciless Death, Toxic Holocaust, Gravewurm, Avenger of Blood, Devastator, BludWulf, and Atakke, 4:00
Museum of Modern Art
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden
Enter on 54th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Sunday nights through August 26
Gates open at 7:00, concerts begin at 8:00
Admission: free
212-708-9400
Amid Richard Serra’s "Intersection II" and "Torqued Ellipse IV," performers from the Juilliard School and Jazz at Lincoln Center will present free concerts in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden on Sunday nights. Get there early, because space is limited.
Sunday, August 26 Jazz Concert IV: Cyro Baptista’s Anthropo-Fagia
Spiegelworld
Fulton Fish Market, Pier 17, South Street Seaport
212-279-4200
http://www.spiegelworld.com/music/music.html
Sunday, August 26 Paul Capsis: Capsis Through the Red Door, $20, 5:30
Tuesday, August 28 Weimar NY: The Spiegel Sessions, $35, 10:00
Wednesday, August 29 O’Death, $20-$25, 11:30
Sunday, September 2 Paul Capsis: Capsis Through the Red Door, $20, 5:30
Wednesday, September 5 An Albatross, $25, 11:30
Orchard Beach
Pelham Bay Park, the Bronx
Sundays from 12 noon — 5:00 pm
Admission: free
Sunday, August 26 Jetro Day
Sunday. September 2 La Kalle Summer Finale
Monday September 3 The Conclusion of Summer 2007: MEGA Tribute To Celia Cruz, with original cast members from the new off Broadway play CELIA CRUZ, and Aymee Nuviola desde Miami (Salsa), Guaguanco Callejero Gloria Osiris (Salsa), and Hector Montalvo y Elegante
Charles A. Dana Discovery Center
Inside Central Park at 110th St. & Lenox Ave.
Through September 30
Sundays at 4:00
Admission: free
212-860-1370
Sunday, August 26 New Amsterdam Musical Association
Sunday, September 2 Jimmy Delgado’s Salsa con Dulzura Orchestra
Barnes & Nobles Greenwich Village
296 Sixth Ave. at Eighth St.
Admission: free
212-674-8780
http://storelocator.barnesandnoble.com
Tuesday, August 28 Brad Warner, SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP: PUNK ROCK COMMENTARIES ON BUDDHA, GOD, TRUTH, SEX, DEATH, AND DOGEN’S TREASURY OF THE RIGHT DHARMA EYE, 7:30
Blue Note
131 West Third St.
August 7-12
Tickets: $30 table, $20 bar
212-475-8592
Tuesday, August 28
through
Saturday, September 1 Dbl. Feature: Don Byron Ivey-Divey Quartet + Eldar, featuring Don Byron, Jason Moran, Lonnie Plaxico, and Rodney Holmes + Eldar, Earl Travis, and Terreon Gully, 8:00 & 10:30
Pier A Park at First & Sinatra Dr.
Hoboken
August & September, around 8:15
Admission: free
Blankets & low lawn chairs encouraged
201-420-2207
Wednesday, August 29 CHARLOTTE’S WEB (Gary Winick, 2006)
Barbès
376 Ninth St. at Sixth Ave.
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Wednesday nights at 8:00 & 10:00
(Very strongly) suggested donation: $10
718-965-9177
Wednesday, August 29 Sean Conly’s Reaction, with Tony Malaby, Michael Attias, Pheeroan AkLaff, and Sean Conly, 8:00
Wednesday, August 29 Jen Shyu’s Jade Tongue, with Shane Endsley, Dan Weiss, Thomas Morgan, David Bryant, and Jen Shyu, 10:00
Wednesday, September 5 Lisa Parrott, with Lisa Parrott, Chris Lightcap, and Gerald Cleaver, 8:00
Wednesday, September 5 Keefe Jackson’s Fast Citizens, with Josh Berman, Aram Shelton, Keefe Jackson, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Anton Hatwich, and Frank Rosaly, 10:00
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St
Reservations: 212-459-1854
Thursday, August 30 A Sound Portrait of Harlem: 1976-2000, composed by Craig S. Harris, featuring Chuck Jackson, Gloria Lynne, Ed Babb, and Nation of Imagination, 7:00
Tavern on the Green
Central Park West at 67th St.
Cover charge: $20
212-873-3200 ext241
http://www.tavernonthegreen.com
Thursday, August 30 Eddi Palmieri with the Brian Lynch Quartet, 7:00
Roy Wilkins Park
Merrick Blvd. & Baisley Blvd.
Tickets: $59.99 - $99.99
888-474-3692
Sunday, September 2 All-day reggae festival featuring Beenie Man, Tony Matterhorn, Mr. Vegas, Da’Ville, Lady Saw, Assasin, Jovi Rockwell, Mr. Easy, Stephen "Raggamuffin" Marley, Luciano, Morgan Heritage, Anthony B, Etana, Pressure, Munga, and vendor booths, 1:00
The Yard
400 Carroll St. between Bonds and Nevins Sts.
Admission: $6 in advance, $10 at the gate (twenty-one and over only)
http://www.newreleasenewyork.net/hellonurse
Sunday, September 2 Hello, Nurse!, a waterside disco barbecue social with Prins Thomas, My Cousin Roy, and Justin Carter and DJ Probus, featuring organic barbecue, sangria and other drinks, boats, and a kiddie pool; swimsuits strongly encouraged, 2:00 – 9:00
Galapagos Art Space back room
70 North Sixth St. between Wythe and Kent
Admission: free (including popcorn)
718-384-4586
http://www.galapagosartspace.com
http://www.myspace.com/reellifemoviehouse
Sunday, September 2 MEAN STREETS (Martin Scorsese, 1973), with short films SLOTH (Peter D’Addeo) and JUNE WEDDINGS (Barbara Hammond), 8:00
Europa
98-104 Meserole Ave. at Manhattan Ave.
Admission: $20
718-383-5723
Sunday, September 2 Featuring Eric Gaffney, Lou Barlow, Jason Loewenstein, and Die! Die! Die!, 7:00
Barnes & Nobles Union Square
33 East 17th St.
Admission: free
212-253-0810
http://storelocator.barnesandnoble.com
Tuesday, September 4 Michael Palin, DIARIES 1969-1979: THE PYTHON YEARS, 7:00
Webster Hall
125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves.
Tickets: $20
Wednesday, September 5 Dinosaur Jr. returns, touring behind its reunion album, BEYOND, with Dr. Dog, 8:00
Cipriani Wall Street
Tickets: $100 and up
Tables of ten: $3,000-$100,000
212-947-2577
Wednesday, September 5 Six boxing matches, including Michael Grant, Dmitriy Salita, Jorge Terron, Israel Garcia, Mike Jones, Ronny Vargas, and others, with VIP tables getting a personal masseuse and commentary by boxing legends Tommy Hearns, Larry Holmes, and Joe Frazier, with proceeds going to several boxing-related charities