Museum of the Week
10.08.08
1. Getting MAD around Columbus Circle
2. Multimedia festival puts its ear to the earth
3. Last-chance Bowery art walk
Volume 8, Number 19
October 8-22, 2008
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Site Design/Subway Photo:
Fred Gates Design, New York.
twiny/mdr
New interior design has bus fanatics on the lookout
2 Columbus Circle
Wednesday through Sunday 11:00 am — 6:00 pm (9:00 pm on Thursdays)
Admission: $15 (pay-what-you-wish Thursday 6:00 — 9:00)
212-299-7777
In 1956, the Museum of Contemporary Craft opened at 29 West 40th St. Thirty years later, it moved to a much bigger building, 40 West 53rd St., and changed its name to the American Craft Museum. Known as the Museum of Arts & Design (MAD) since 2002, the institution has now taken over Edward Durell Stone’s old Lollipop Building in Columbus Circle, redesigned by Brad Cloepfil of Allied Works Architecture after a long, bitter fight in which many New Yorkers wanted to preserve, at the very least, the familiar facade of Stone’s structure. The new building, somewhat blasé from the outside, is rather pleasing inside, calm and easy to manage, with fourteen thousand square feet of gallery space.
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Museum of Arts & Design is latest addition to Columbus Circle
The museum has reached into its vast holdings for “Permanently MAD: Revealing the Collection,” a sort-of greatest hits exhibit, running through February 15, that features a wide range of works in numerous materials. Also on view through February 15 is “Forward Thinking: Building the MAD Collection,” comprising forty-five new gifts to the museum, with pieces by Robert Arneson, Judy Chicago, Dale Chihuly, and others. “Elegant Armor: The Art of Jewelry,” which runs through May 31, includes drawers that pull out to reveal even more items of related interest. Several touch screens allow visitors to find out more about the artists and the pieces in the collection. And every day from 12 noon to 2:00 and 3:00 to 5:00 (and 6:30 to 8:30 on Thursdays), the museum opens up its sixth-floor studios, where visitors can watch artists at work.
Kerry Ryan McFate, courtesy PaceWildenstein
Tara Donovan, "Bluffs," 2007, buttons and glue
Museum of Arts & Design
Through February 15
MAD’s inaugural exhibition is an engaging look at artistic recycling. On display across two floors are works by fifty-four artists from eighteen countries who reuse such materials as buttons, telephone books, rubber gloves, tires, dog tags, eyeglasses, shoes, chopsticks, pistol triggers, and dozens of other found objects, transforming them into sometimes fascinating, sometimes ho-hum pieces that can be seen both as unique works of art and, in some cases, personal comments on environmentalism, sustainability, and the social fabric of modern culture. In “My Back Pages,” Paul Villinski turns vinyl records into butterflies; interestingly, Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly” is on the turntable atop a stack of LPs, implying the death of the album, which is actually making a comeback these days. Sonya Clark pays tribute to Madam C. J. Walker, one of the first major female black entrepreneurs in America — she became a millionaire selling hair-care products — with a large portrait made out of combs. Nadine Robinson uses synthetic white hair in “Great White Me” and real black hair in “Self-Portrait #1 (China Shag).” During the course of the exhibit, the three thousand rubber bands holding together nine thousand plastic spoons in Jill Townsley’s “Spoons” will lose their elasticity, causing the mountain to slowly crumble, recycled objects again having to be recycled. Johnny Swing riffs on the art market in “Quarter Lounge,” an enticing chaise longue made out of quarters — but it’s too fragile to sit on. Yuken Teruya also tackles consumer culture with her dioramas of tiny trees carved out of shopping bags from haute couture designer stores. “Second Lives” is an appropriate opening act for MAD, for just as these artists have infused their reused objects with a new life, so has the museum been reborn on Columbus Circle, the building itself having been recycled in both fascinating and ho-hum ways.
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The daily Open Studios program allows visitors to watch MAD artists at work
Museum of Arts & Design
212-299-7780
Sunday, October 12 Studio Sundays: Visually Speaking, hands-on jewelry workshop, ages six and up, $10, 2:00
Thursday, October 16 Placemaking: Laurie Olin in conversation with Tom Finkelpearl, discussion and book signing, $10, 6:30
Sunday, October 19 Studio Sundays: re: Purpose, tour of "Second Lives" followed by hands-on workshop making mixed-media project, $10, 2:00
Tuesday, October 21 Formation, Innovation and Legacy: Thomas Hope and English Regency Design, $50, registration required, programs@bgc.bard.edu, 8:30 am
Thursday, October 23 Martha Colburn: Myth Labs, including film shorts, discussion, and live performance by the artist,$15, 7:30
Saturday, October 25 Open Studios with Long-Bin Chen, featuring a demonstration by the artist, free, 2:00 and 3:00
Sunday, October 26 Studio Sundays: Building on Nature, hands-on workshop, ages six and up, $10, 2:00
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Columbus towers over redesigned and renovated Columbus Circle plaza
Columbus Circle Rotary
Intersection of Broadway, Eighth Ave., & 59th St.
On October 12, 1892, in honor of the four hundredth anniversary of Christopher Columbus sailing into the New World, the newspaper Il Progresso Italo-Americano presented the city with a statue of the famed explorer. Designed by Sicilian sculptor Gaetano Russo and fabricated by Fonderia Nelli in Rome, the Columbus Monument was dedicated "in imperishable remembrance." Columbus, carved out of Carrara marble, stands atop a seventy-seven-foot-high column, his left hand on his hip, his right hand grasping the rudder behind his back, with his toes dangling perilously over the base, as he looks out upon his supposed discovery. The Bedford Column is adorned with bronze anchors, the ship prows of the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria, and the explorer’s Italian name, Cristoforo Colombo. The east side of the column includes the following quotes: "To Christopher Columbus . . . The Italians, resident in America, / scoffed at before, / during the voyage, menaced, / after it, chained, / as generous as oppressed, / to the world he gave a world." and "Joy and glory / never uttered a more thrilling call / than that which resounded / from the conquered ocean / in sight of the first American island / Land! Land!" Both quotes are translated in Italian on the opposite side.
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Kim Brandell’s globe stands behind Columbus, proving again that Earth is round
On the south side of the base, a winged angel, also in Carrara marble, places his left hand on a globe, representing the Genius of Discovery. On the north side is a bronze carving of an Alpine eagle holding a shield. The base also features a pair of bronze reliefs depicting dramatic scenes from Columbus’s arrival. Of course, in recent years Columbus has become more of a controversial figure, as there just happened to be people living on the island he has been given credit for discovering. The monument stands right in the middle of a rotary island that had been constructed in 1869 as a traffic circle for horse-drawn vehicles. It underwent a massive renovation in 2005 by Olin Partnership, making the monument more approachable than before. The original Delacorte Fountain that surrounded Columbus was replaced by a three-tiered Wet Design fountain that spits out streams of water of different sizes at timed intervals.
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Fernando Botero’s "Eve" beckons to shoppers in Columbus Circle mall
10 Columbus Circle at Broadway, Eighth Ave., & 59th St.
Admission: free
212-823-6300
http://theshopsatcolumbuscircle.com
Although we generally hate malls, we actually dig a lot of the art in this ritzy vertical shopping center. Guarding the escalators are two large-scale nude sculptures by Fernando Botero, "Adam" and "Eve," luring us in to partake of the (rather expensive) apple. Nearby is an untitled sculpture by Eric Fischl, while the second-floor lobby features works by Jamie Baldrige, Cicero Greathouse, Martin Spei, David Smyth, Rocky Bridges, April Wagner, and Craig Adam’s cool photomosaics of Bono and Brigitte Bardot, all brought to us by the folks at the misspelled Millenia Gallery.
Multiple locations
Admission: free
http://www.columbuscitizensfd.org
There are a number of special events surrounding Columbus Day, sponsored by the Columbus Citizens Foundation. Interestingly, with all the debate the past few years over Christopher Columbus and his legacy, the foundation currently declares that it is "committed to fostering an appreciation of Italian-American heritage and achievement . . . through a broad range of philanthropic and cultural activities," with no mention of the explorer at all.
Tuesday, October 7
through
Sunday, October 19 Exhibits in Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, 7:00 am — 10:00 pm
Friday, October 10 Live Italian band, Main Concourse, Grand Central Terminal, 9:00
Monday, October 13 Annual street fair, Broadway between Cedar St. & Battery Pl., free, 11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Monday, October 13 Columbus Day Parade, Fifth Ave. from 44th to 79th Sts., 11:30 am — 3:00 pm
Donald Dietz, courtesy John Cage Trust at Bard College
Lecture on the Weather, Bard College, September 28, 2007
Multiple venues
October 9-25
888-749-9998
A program of the nonprofit Electronic Music Foundation, the Ear to the Earth Festival seeks to change the way people think about what is going on today in the world. According to their mission statement, "Here is something we can do. We can focus our attention, We can become involved. We can exchange sounds and images to convey the places they describe, and with those sounds and images, we can exchange thoughts and ideas and feel emotional ties." The second annual event will feature multimedia performances and site-specific installations at such locations as the New York Friends Meeting House, Eyebeam, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Chelsea Art Museum, the New York Hall of Science, and Judson Church across from Washington Square Park.
Thursday, October 9 Walter Branchi: Ecstatic Static, for electronics and solo cello, with Madeleine Shapiro, cello, New York Friends Meeting House, 15 Rutherford Pl., $10-$15, 8:00
Friday, October 10 Francisco López: Trilogy of the Americas, Judson Church, 55 Washington Square South, $10-$15 suggested donation, 8:00
Saturday, October 11 Opening reception, featuring the premiere of Charles Lindsay’s "The Village Catbird," Judson Church, 55 Washington Square South, $10-$15 suggested donation, 7:30
Saturday, October 11 New York Big Fritz, featuring NYU Music Technology faculty members Agnieszka Roginska, Paul Geluso, Joel Chadabe, and Robert Rowe and NYU students, $10-$15 suggested donation, 8:00
Wednesday, October 15 Walking Through Sound, Soundwalks guided by members of the New York Society for Acoustic Ecology, Judson Church, 55 Washington Square South, free, 6:00
Wednesday, October 15 Citizen Sound: A public forum on urban sound moderated by Andrea Polli, free, 7:00
Wednesday, October 15 NYSAE & Friends: An evening of New York Soundscape works curated by NYSAE, $10-$15 suggested donation, 9:00
© Andrea Polli
Andrea Polli, "Cloud Car"
Thursday, October 16 New York Soundscape works by LoVid and Richard Lainhart, Judson Church, 55 Washington Square South, $10-$15 suggested donation, 8:00
Friday, October 17 New York Soundscape works by Miya Masaoka, Marina Rosenfeld and Michael Schumacher, Judson Church, 55 Washington Square South, $10-$15 suggested donation, 8:00
Saturday, October 18 Andrea Polli: Cloud Car, an installation about the automobile, life, and air in New York City, Eyebeam, 540 West 21st St. near Eleventh Ave., free, 12 noon — 6:00
Saturday, October 18 Metropolis New York: A public forum on culture-driven city planning and architecture, with Charlie Morrow, Trevor Davies, Linda Lees, Bonnie Harken, Jill Fein Mainelli, and others, Judson Church, 55 Washington Square South, free, 3:00
Saturday, October 18 Alvin Curran: Brooklyn Bridge, $10-$15 suggested donation, 8:00
Sunday, October 19 Andrea Polli: Cloud Car, an installation about the automobile, life, and air in New York City, New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St., Queens, free, 10:00 am — 3:00 pm
Monday, October 20 George Crumb: Voice of the Whale (1971) for amplified flute, cello, and piano; Ezequiel Vinao: Conference of the Birds (1991) for piano and electronics; Helen Fisher: Te Tangi et te Matui (1986) for a singing flutist; Matthew Burtner: Snowprints (2001) for flute/picc, cello, piano, and electronics; and Madeleine Shapiro, cello, Jessica Schmitz, flute, and Stephen Gosling, piano, Chelsea Art Museum, 556 West 22nd St. at Eleventh Ave., $10-$15, 7:30
Tuesday, October 21 Charlie Morrow: New work for electronics; Music by Matthew Burtner for percussion and meta-saxophone; Mists (1996), for stones and computer noise; Windsketches (2005), for metasax, thunder sheet, and computer turbulence wind models; Denali Tactics (2008) for recorded sound and performer intervention; Shenandoa Tactics (2008) for recorded sound and performer intervention; Prismic Generations (2003) for struck and bowed pitched instruments, computer sound, and video; and Delta 3 (2006) for feedback saxophone, performed by MetasaxDrumthings, Chelsea Art Museum, 556 West 22nd St. at Eleventh Ave., $10-$15, 7:30
Wednesday, October 22 Environmentally themed percussion works of John Cage, including John Cage:Third Construction (1941), Inlets (1977), Child of Tree (1975), and Branches (1976), performed by So Percussion, and Olivier Messiaen; Catalogue d’oiseaux (1958), performed by Jenny Chai, pianist, Chelsea Art Museum, 556 West 22nd St. at Eleventh Ave., $10-$15, 7:30
Friday, October 24
and
Saturday, October 25 Festival closing event, featuring John Cage: Lecture on the Weather (1975), for twelve vocalists/instrumentalists, weather, and film, Chelsea Art Museum, 556 West 22nd St. at Eleventh Ave., $25-$35 (reservations required), 7:30
© Daniel Domig
Daniel Domig creates new way to display paintings
Jane Kim/ Thrust Projects
114 Bowery between Grand and Hester Sts., third floor
Through October 12
Wednesday through Sunday 12 noon — 6:00
Admission: free
212-431-4802
http://www.currentlynowhere.com
Vienna-based artist Daniel Domig’s second solo exhibition at Thrust Projects is a fascinating installation of paintings arranged within a circular wooden structure, examining both the way art and paintings are created and how they are viewed. In the tiny space down the hall from the offices of Happy Vacations, Domig has set up more than a dozen oil-on-canvas paintings on unpainted wooden slats, with none of the works attached to the wood; instead, they are freestanding, with as many as three paintings balanced on top of each other, leaning in and away from visitors. The slats form long X’s over the paintings, as if they are blocking complete access, keeping them at a distance, or even metaphorically deleting them. The pieces themselves are mysterious and frightening; "Within Tradition" is bathed in dripping bloodred colors, "Hostel" combines horizontal, vertical, and angled imagery, "The Best Show" evokes Francis Bacon; and various other paintings feature ghostly, sometimes demonic figures. Stand in the center to get the full effect, whirling around as the paintings seem to come alive, menacing you from behind. You can also walk behind part of the installation to understand more about how Domig set it all up.
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Brittany Beiersdorf, "Silent and Appearing (Virginia)," silver gelatin prints, Selenium-toned on charcoal paper, 2005
Collective Hardware / CVZ Contemporary
169 Bowery at Delancey St.
Through Monday, October 13
Admission: free
http://www.cvzcontemporary.com
New York City-based artist Brittany Beiersdorf, who was born in Dallas and raised in Texas and Virginia, takes beautiful, ethereal self-portraits, placing herself, often nude, in the midst of a mystical, mythical outdoor landscape. Using a pinhole camera and an approximate exposure time of six seconds, she makes large-scale black-and-white Polaroids, printed on charcoal paper, that produce ghostly images that seem to have a mysterious narrative lurking around them. Beiersdorf also includes imperfect splatters that occur in the developing and printing process, adding to the overall experience. Leading us around the gallery, Beiersdorf talked of her personal transformation that the work predicted for her, following a vision quest she went on. The photographs themselves are absolutely haunting; we’re particularly fond of "Chalice of a Mystery (New Mexico)," the triptych "Silent and Appearing (Virginia)," "Temple of the Spirits (Muskoka)," and "Find Me Forever Here (Virginia)." In "Spirit at My Side," there’s another face in the photo, right by Beiersdorf’s head; there’s no trickery or digital manipulation in any of the works, so in this case Beiersdorf seems to have captured something otherworldly, perhaps her guardian angel. It’s easy to walk right past this gallery, whose only signage on the front is the "Collective Hardware" tag above the window, so be careful not to miss it.
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Vhils smashed into the brick wall for fascinating basement portrait
Lazarides Gallery
282-284 Bowery at Houston St.
Through October 12
Open daily 12 noon — 8:00
Admission: free
The Lazarides Gallery, which has locations in London and Newcastle, has taken over the southwest corner of Bowery and Houston with a display of works by their large stable of street artists, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and site-specific installations by such well-regarded names as Faile, Bast, Blu, Invader, and Borf. The main floor features Jonathan Yeo’s portraits of Paris Hilton and Bush 43, Paul Insect’s "Not to Be Touched," David Choe’s "Dokobi," and Todd James’s "Damage Incorporated." Downstairs you’ll find Zevs’s "Visual Violations," mirrored portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Che Guevara, and Superman with their faces erased; Mark Jenkins’s "The Day After Oscar Died" tableaux depicting a homeless and hungry Oscar the Grouch; Polly Morgan’s glass-encased taxidermied animals; and Miranda Donovan’s beautiful "Every Where You Go" and "Our Space," paintings of street art in which she even re-creates the bricks. Be sure to walk around the area to see "Walls and Buildings," neighborhood murals by Lazarides artists including JR on Houston at Bowery and Twelfth St. between First & Second, Conor Harrington on Washington and West Thirteenth, and Mode2 on Canal and Greene.
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Broken Social Scene is one of the highlights of CMJ 2008
Multiple venues
October 21-25
Badges: $295-$495
The CMJ Music Marathon swings into town for its annual onslaught of indie bands spreading pop, punk, emo, blues, country, funk, rap, heavy metal, and everything else under the sun at venues all over the city. There’s nothing like heading into a dark, small, narrow space packed with people listening to multiple groups playing back-to-back-to-back night after night, or making your way across town, seeing one band here, then another there, and a third there. Don’t be scared off by the price of the badges; those are primarily for industry. Individual tickets are available for all shows, with the vast majority going for twenty bucks or less, but they go fast, because space is reserved for badge holders as well. Below are only some of our recommended shows; there will also be performances by such hot bands as the Cool Kids, Ambulance Ltd., Beach House, Coheed & Cambria, Department of Eagles, Gringo Star, Sebastian Grainger & the Mountains, Shout Out Out Out Out, at least six bands with the word "Bear" in their name, and at least nine with "Dead" or "Death" in theirs.
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Jonathan Lethem will perform as part of I’m Not Jim at Bloodshot Records Showcase
Many of the more than one thousand groups playing CMJ are already familiar to regular readers of This Week in New York; among this year’ cadre of up-and-coming and comebacking CMJ bands that have already been featured in twi-ny are a Place to Bury Strangers, Aa, Takka Takka, Ha Ha Tonka, Silent Years, I’m Not Jim, the Teenage Prayers, Thank You, Delta Spirit, the Howlies, the Rosebuds, James F*&^ing Friedman, Los Straitjackets, the Forms, DJ Rekha, and Die! Die! Die! This year’s nominees for best (or worst) band name include Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head, Check Out the Tits on Tutuba, the Dreadful Yawns, Five Finger Death Punch, the Poison Control Center, and Team Facelift. Keep checking this space for more recommendations as the festival draws near.
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The Whip will be getting down at the Fillmore during music fest
Tuesday, October 21 Brooklyn Vegan Showcase: Emmy the Great, the Sammies, Secret Guest, Ponytail, Passion Pit, singing DJ Jens Lekman, and midnight set by the Phenomenal Handclap Band, Music Hall of Williamsburg, $15, 7:00
Tuesday, October 21 Lykke Li, Friendly Fires, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, Micachu, Bowery Ballroom, $20, 7:00
Tuesday, October 21 Magnum PR Showcase: Freshkills, Gringo Star, the High Wire, Radio Luxembourg, the Delancey, 10:45
Tuesday, October 21 Deerhoof, Fat Worm of Error, Nymph, Spiegeltent, $16, 10:00
Wednesday, October 22 Fujiya & Miyagi, Tobacco, Who Made Who Mercury Lounge, $15, 7:00
Wednesday, October 22 Mirah, No Kids, Tara Jane O’Neil, Highline Ballroom, $15, 7:00
Wednesday, October 22 Deerhoof, Experimental Dental School, Flying, the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, $16.50, 7:00
Wednesday, October 22 Prototypes, the Shakeltons, Feral Children, the Terrodactyls, the Pomegranates, and Look Mexico, Crash Mansion, 7:00
Wednesday, October 22 Subbacultcha Showcase: The Moi Non Plus, Bonne Aparte, Adept, Women, and Skeletons (DJ set), Cake Shop, $8 (free beer), 7:00
Thursday, October 23 The Faunts, the Shondes, Mr. Gnome, Saxon Shore, James Jackson Toth, Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, the Vandelles, Alexandra Hope, Wet Secrets, Zs, Drug Rug, Gary Lucas, Lady Dottie and the Diamonds, Team Genius, Capstan Shafts, Boo and Boo Too, Brass Bed, the Pharmacy, and the Terrodactyls, Knitting Factory, free, 2:00
Thursday, October 23 The Dears, Eulogies Hiro Ballroom at the Maritime Hotel, $15-$17, 7:00
Thursday, October 23 Juliana Hatfield, Housing Works Used Book Café, $25, 7:30
Thursday, October 23 The Magnetic Fields, Landmark Loews Theatre, $35, 8:00
Thursday, October 23 Mission of Burma, King Khan & BBQ Show, the Dutchess & the Duke, and Jay Reatard, Music Hall of Williamsburg, $5-$7, 8:30
Thursday, October 23 Totally Michael, Best Fwends, and High Places, NYU E&L Auditorium, $6, 9:00
Friday, October 24 The Helio Sequence, Au, Tara Jane O'Neil, Al James the Unfazed, Tenlons Fort, and others, Knitting Factory, $10-$12, 12 noon
Friday, October 24 New York Noise five-year anniversary show: Vivian Girls, Woods, Takka Takka, Cut Off Your Hands, the Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and Picture Picture, Cake Shop, $10, 7:00
Friday, October 24 Jay Reatard, Longwave, White Lies, Violens, and Japanese Motors, Bowery Ballroom, $15, 7:00
Friday, October 24 The Killers, Hammerstein Ballroom, $45.50, 7:00
Friday, October 24 The Virgins, Eagle Seagull, Delta Spirit, Ambulance Ltd., Wild Light, Mother Mother, and Other Lives, Mercury Lounge, $12, 7:00
Friday, October 24 Soulwax, 2 Many DJs, Pete Tong, James Lavelle, Late of the Pier, the Whip, the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, $55, 7:00
Friday, October 24 Broken Social Scene, Brooklyn Masonic Temple, $25, 7:30
Friday, October 24 Gang Gang Dance, Growing, Psychic Ills, Sian Alice Group, Santos Party House, $15, 9:00
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Annuals will head indoors at Webster Hall for CMJ
Saturday, October 25 Thrill Jockey / No Quarter Showcase: Doug Paisley, 6:45; Thank You, 7:30; Pit Er Pat, 8:15; High Places, 9:00; Pontiak, 9:45; Arbouretum, 10:30; the Psychic Paramount, 11:15, the Annex, $8
Saturday, October 25 Oakley Hall, the Rosebuds, the Broken West, Portastatic, Wye Oak, the Music Tapes, Mercury Lounge, $15, 8:00
Saturday, October 25 The Toxic Avenger, NinjaSonik, Heartsrevolution, Team Robespierre, Totally Michael, Shout Out Out Out Out, Designer Drugs, Juiceboxxx, Franki Chan, Lauren Flax, Music Hall of Williamsburg, $12-$14, 8:00
Saturday, October 25 A Place to Bury Strangers, Crystal Antlers, All the Saints, Bowery Ballroom, $13
Saturday, October 25 Los Straitjackets, Laika & the Cosmonauts, and the Dexter Romweber Duo, Brooklyn Southpaw, $13-$15, 9:00
Saturday, October 25 Bloodshot Records Showcase: I’m Not Jim, Ben Weaver, Charlie Pickett, Cordero, Dexter Romweber Duo, Ha Ha Tonka, Justin Townes Earle, Union Pool
Saturday, October 25 Lee "Scratch" Perry, Restavrant, Iran, the Muslims, Vaz, and the Sundelles, Santos Party House, $20, 10:00
Saturday, October 25 Scars on Broadway, the Duke Spirit, the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza, $19.50, 8:00
Saturday, October 25 Minus the Bear, Sylvie, Annuals, Webster Hall, $23-$25, 6:00
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King Khan will bare his soul in DIY panel on October 24
CMJ Music Marathon
NYU Kimmel Center
Dozens of panels featuring hundreds of industry insiders are scheduled for this year's CMJ, primarily being held in NYU's Kimmel Center. Below are only some of our recommended discussions, geared for those who are looking to break into the music business as artists, engineers, publicists, executives, etc.
Tuesday, October 21 Thank God We Got Dropped? with Michael Caplan, Jeffrey Epstein, Lang Freeman, Michael Goldstone, Ed Harris, and Patti Rothberg, Eisner & Lubin Auditorium (Room 401), 2:00
Wednesday, October 22 Independent Success Stories, with Shira, Mike Butterworth, Peter Gordon, Del McCoury, and Stan Strickland, Room 405, 11:00 am
Wednesday, October 22 The Political Spin on the Music Industry, with Daryl P. Friedman, Jeffrey Gandel, Charles J. Sanders, moderated by Gary Adelman and Catherine M. Fitterman, Room 905/907, 12:30
Thursday, October 23 College Day 2008, featuring such panels and forum as WMP3: The Revolution Will Be Digitized, Radio Hostesses with the Mostesses, the College Radio Awards, live performances, and more, Eisner & Lubin Auditorium
Friday, October 24 Music and Philanthropy, with Annie Balliro, Rebecca Lichtenfeld, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Michael Solomon, Noreen Springstead, Eisner & Lubin Auditorium (Room 401), 11:00 am
Friday, October 24 Artist X The D.I.Y Route, with Alexia Erlichman, Lang Freeman, King Khan, Karen Sundell, Peter Wells, and Jon Wyman, Shorin Performance Studio (Room 802), 12:30
Friday, October 24 Breaking Through the Cluster of Beat Makers, Nerve, Sharkey, El-P, Jay Deasel, Room 406, 3:30
Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick St. at Laight St. unless otherwise noted
Badge: $100 film festival only
Tuesday, October 21 AMERICAN SWING (Jon Hart & Matthew Kaufman, 2008), Opening Night Reception 6:30, screening followed by a Q&A with Jon Hart and Matthew Kaufman, Tribeca Grand, 2 Sixth Ave., 7:00
Tuesday, October 21 WHAT ABOUT ME? (Duncan Bridgeman & Jamie Catto, 2008), Tribeca Grand, 2 Sixth Ave., 9:00
Wednesday, October 22 THE BROTHERS BLOOM (Rian Johnson, 2008), 6:30
Wednesday, October 22 Raspberry Brothers -- Bad Movies, Good Jokes, 9:00
Wednesday, October 22 AGILE, MOBILE, HOSTILE: A YEAR WITH ANDRE WILLIAMS (Tricia Todd & Eric Matthies, 2008), 11:00
Thursday, October 23 ZACK AND MIRI MAKE A PORNO (Kevin Smith, 2008), followed by a Q&A with Kevin Smith, Regal Cinemas Union Square, 850 Broadway, 7:00
Friday, October 24 JOHNNY CASH AT FOLSOM PRISON (Bestor Cram, 2008), NYU Cantor Film Center, 36 East Eighth St., 6:00
Friday, October 24 A WINK AND A SMILE (Deirdre Timmons, 2008), live burlesque performance 6:45, screening 7:15
Friday, October 24 100 FEET (Eric Red, 2008), 9:15
Friday, October 24 DONKEY PUNCH (Oliver Blackburn, 2008), 11:15
Saturday, October 25 PRESSURE COOKER (Jennifer Grausman & Mark Becker, 2008), followed by a Q&A with filmmakers and cast, 6:00
Saturday, October 25 FOR MY FATHER (Dror Zahavi, 2008), followed by a Q&A with Israeli producer Rami Damri, 7:00
Saturday, October 25 SUNSHINE CLEANING (Christine Jeffs, 2008), followed by a Q&A with producer Peter Saraf, 9:00
Saturday, October 25 WHO IS KK DOWNEY? (Darren Curtis & Pat Kiely, 2008), 9:15
Saturday, October 25 AC/DC — NO BULL: DIRECTOR'S CUT (David Mallet, 2008), 11:15
Saturday, October 25 MIRAGEMAN (Ernesto Díaz Espinoza, 2008), 11:30
John Houseman spreads the law in THE PAPER CHASE
Fordham Law School
James B.M. McNally Amphitheatre unless otherwise noted
140 West 62nd St.
October 17-31
Admission: free but reservations recommended
212-636-7295
http://www.fordhamfilmfestival.org
Fordham Law School’s Forum on Law, Culture & Society is hosting the third annual Fordham Law Film Festival, featuring six nights of free films and animated discussions on how film has depicted the law and its affect on popular culture. The series makes its opening statement on October 17 with a screening of HBO’s mediocre RECOUNT, the Emmy-nominated cable film that details the 2000 Bush-Gore election, which ended up being decided by the Supreme Court. The festival examines free speech with LENNY, Bob Fosse’s marvelous biopic of oft-incarcerated comedian Lenny Bruce; goes to school with James Bridges’s excellent THE PAPER CHASE; takes on the health-care system in David Jones’s THE CONFESSION; looks into equal rights in Jonathan Demme’s powerful PHILADELPHIA; before concluding with the hysterical battle of the sexes in George Cukor’s endlessly delightful ADAM’S RIB. And it’s all a lot cheaper than going to law school yourself.
Friday, October 17 Opening Night: RECOUNT (Jay Roach, 2008), followed by a discussion with David Boies, Ron Klain, Benjamin L. Ginsberg, and Abner Greene, HBO Theater, 1100 Sixth Ave., fifteenth floor, cocktail reception at 6:00, screening 7:00
Saturday, October 18 LENNY (Bob Fosse, 1974), followed by a discussion with Floyd Abrams and Nadine Strossen, 7:00
Sunday, October 19 THE PAPER CHASE (James Bridges, 1973), followed by a discussion with John Jay Osborn, Jr., William Michael Treanor, and Professor Paul Bergman, 6:00
Tuesday, October 21 THE CONFESSION (David Jones, 1999), followed by a discussion with David Jones and David Black, 7:00
Wednesday, October 22 PHILADELPHIA (Jonathan Demme, 1993), followed by a discussion with Mark Harris and Alisa Solomon, 7:00
Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn are on opposite sides of the law in ADAM’S RIB
Thursday, October 23 ADAM’S RIB (George Cukor, 1949), followed by a discussion with Molly Haskell and Daniel Kimmel, 7:30
Courtesy of Ebb Pod Productions
A family researches its slave-owning history in TRACES OF THE TRADE
The New School, Theresa Lang Community and Student Center
Arnhold Hall, 55 West 13th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves., second floor
Thursday, October 9, free, 6:30
212-229-5488
http://www.tracesofthetrade.org
TRACES OF THE TRADE, which screened at the 2008 Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, is a fascinating look at institutional racism, selective memory, and reparation. After discovering the dirty little secret that her ancestors were the largest slave-trading family in American history, Katrina Browne sets out to gather as many relatives as she can to examine their past, present, and future – including traveling to Ghana and Cuba, where the DeWolfs made their fortune on the backs of black men and women bought in Africa. Nine of the two hundred members of the well-to-do Episcopal clan, who are not used to sharing their emotions – certainly not in such a public way – go on the journey and open up as they trace a path that forces them to look deep inside themselves and reconsider how they got to where they are today – and what, if anything, they should do about it. Narrated in a mournful monotone by Browne, TRACES OF THE TRADE is most successful in compelling viewers to question their own personal history and current feelings about racism in contemporary society, even as it walks a fine line between impartial documentary and self-serving emo-tourism. This special free screening at the New School will be followed by a Q&A and book signing with director of photography Liz Dory, executive producer Elizabeth Delude-Dix, and Jennifer Carr, moderated by Michelle Materre.
Lau Wai Keung and Chan Yuen Kai © 1994, 2008 Block 2 Pictures
Tony Leung Ka Fai loses his past in restored Wong Kar Wai period pic
Angelika Film Center
18 West Houston St. at Mercer St.
Opens Friday, October 10
212-995-2000
http://www.city-cinemas.com/angelika.html
Nearly fifteen years ago, writer-director Wong Kar Wai’s ASHES OF TIME was released, a thinking man’s martial arts epic inspired by Jin Yong’s THE EAGLE-SHOOTING HEROES novels. With numerous versions in circulation and the original negatives in disrepair, Wong (CHUNGKING EXPRESS, IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE) decided to painstakingly reedit and restore the film, renaming it ASHES OF TIME REDUX. The plot–which is still as confusing as ever — revolves around Ouyang Feng (Leslie Cheung), a loner who lives in the desert, where people come to him when they need someone taken care of. Every year he is visited by Huang Yaoshi (Tony Leung Ka Fai), who keeps him informed of the world outside jianghu — especially about his lost love (Maggie Cheung). Meanwhile, Murong Yang (Brigitte Lin) has demanded that Ouyang kill Huang for having jilted his sister, Murong Yin (also played by Lin), who in turn hires Ouyang to kill Yang. There’s also a blind swordsman (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), a peasant girl with a basket of eggs (Charlie Young), a poor, rogue swordsman (Jacky Cheung), and a bottle of magic wine that can erase memories. Or something like that. But what’s most impressive about ASHES OF TIME REDUX is Christopher Doyle’s thrilling, swirling cinematography, which sweeps the audience into the film, and Wu Tong’s rearranged score, based on the original music by Frankie Chan and Roel A. Garcia and featuring soaring cello solos by Yo-Yo Ma.
Simon Mein/ Courtesy of Miramax Films
Sally Hawkins is absolutely delightful in Mike Leigh’s latest
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
143 East Houston St. between First & Second Aves.
Opens Friday, October 10
212-330-8182
http://www.landmarktheatres.com
http://www.happygoluckythemovie.com
Writer-director Mike Leigh (SECRETS & LIES, NAKED, TOPSY-TURVY) has made the most charming film of his career with HAPPY-GO-LUCKY. Sally Hawkins gives a career-making performance as Poppy, the most delightful film character since Audrey Tatou’s Amélie (in Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s 2001 French comedy LE FABULEUX DESTIN D'AMÉLIE POULAIN). Poppy is a primary school teacher who has an endearing, seemingly limitless love of life; she talks playfully with strangers in bookstores, teases her sister (Kate O’Flynn) and best friend (Alexis Zegerman) with the sweetest of smirks, takes a flamenco lesson on a whim with a colleague, and, when her bicycle is stolen, simply starts taking driving lessons. However, her driving instructor, Scott (Eddie Marsan of the recently underappreciated SIXTY SIX), is a tense, angry man with numerous chips on his shoulder, trying to sour Poppy at every turn. But Poppy is no mere coquettish ingenue; when she senses a problem with one of her students, she is quick get to the bottom of the situation, with the appropriate serious demeanor. As with most Leigh films, much of the dialogue is improvised (following long rehearsal periods), adding to its freshness. But also as with most Leigh films, there are dramatic turning points, but even those can’t wipe away Poppy’s — or the audience’s — endless smile.
Joe Swanberg and Greta Gerwig get mighty close in mumblecore flick
IFC Center
323 Sixth Ave. at West Third St.
Opens Friday, October 10
212-924-7771
http://www.nightsandweekendsmovie.com
Generation DIY examines long-distance relationships in the mumblecore film NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, written, directed, starring, and produced by Greta Gerwig (BAGHEAD) and Joe Swanberg (KISSING ON THE MOUTH). Gerwig and Swanberg, who previously worked together on HANNAH TAKES THE STAIRS and LOL, play Mattie and James, respectively, a couple trying to make it work even though she’s in New York City and he’s in Chicago. The film opens with a graphic sex scene, but as the story continues, the two of them have more and more trouble communicating until, a year later, things are very different. The low-budget indie was mostly shot in small, claustrophobic indoor sets, emphasizing the pair’s closeness as well as growing distance, in a cinema verite style that makes the audience feel as if it is intruding into the characters’ lives, especially given the improvised dialogue and underwhelming acting. Despite Gerwig and Swanberg’s chemistry, which includes several very detailed sex scenes, they are not together in real life. NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS might be an acquired taste, but it is an engaging, very personal kind of romantic comedy.
Lol Crawley
Lawrence’s (Micheal J. Smith Sr.) small world gets turned upside down in BALLAST
Film Forum
209 West Houston St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves.
Extended through October 21
212-727-8110
Filmed on location in the Mississippi Delta with nonprofessional actors, BALLAST is a mesmerizing, unforgettable tale of family and survival. After his brother commits suicide, Lawrence (Micheal J. Smith Sr.) gives up on life, just sitting in front of the television, staring blankly at the screen, paying no attention to his dog or a neighbor (Johnny McPhail) offering help. Marlee (Tarra Riggs) is a single mother working a demeaning job while trying to keep her twelve-year-old son, James (Jimmyron Ross), out of trouble. But James has dropped out of school, instead spending his days smoking crack he thinks he is getting for free from a local dealer. But when the dealer ultimately starts asking for the money he’s owed, James gets his hand on a gun, desperate for cash. The interconnected lives of the three protagonists are slowly revealed in haunting scenes that linger in the mind. Masterfully directed by Lance Hammer, BALLAST is a powerful condemnation of modern-day poverty in America without being preachy or political. All but one member of the cast lives in the townships where the film was shot, most of the dialogue is improvised, and Hammer uses only natural light and sound to tell this tragic tale, adding to the film’s overwhelming sense of desperation and realism.
John Malkovich is a foul-mouthed riot in Coen brothers’ latest
http://www.burnafterreading.com
After delighting audiences with such outstanding indie fare as BLOOD SIMPLE (1984), FARGO (1996), and O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (2000), brothers Joel and Ethan Coen hit a midcareer slump with the mediocre THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE (2001), the much-maligned INTOLERABLE CRUELTY (2003), and the just plain awful remake of THE LADYKILLERS (2004). It was three years before they released their next film, the Oscar-winning monster hit NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. Now they have toned things down again with the slight but entertaining BURN AFTER READING. John Malkovich is hysterical as Osborne Cox, an angry, bitter, foul-mouthed CIA agent who loses his job and decides to write a tell-all memoir, which bizarrely ends up in the hands of a pair of bumbling idiots, Chad Feldheimer (an extremely funny Brad Pitt) and Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand). Linda really wants to get a whole bunch of plastic surgery done, so she plans on squeezing a lot of money out of old Mr. Cox, who has no patience for anyone other than himself. Throw in a cold-as-ice wife (Tilda Swinton), a philandering G-man (George Clooney), a Russian ambassador named after Severn Darden’s character in THE PRESIDENT’S ANALYST, and some shocking violence and — well, we’ve told you too much already. BURN AFTER READING might not be grade-A Coen brothers, but it’s still a worthwhile endeavor from two of America’s most ingenious filmmakers.
Heath Ledger is a scary scream in THE DARK KNIGHT
AMC Empire 25
234 West 42nd St. between Broadway & Eighth Ave.
212-398-3939
Quad Cinema
34 West 13th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
212-255-8800
http://www.thedarkknight.warnerbros.com
Christopher Nolan’s follow-up to his 2005 hit BATMAN BEGINS is one of the most brilliant superhero films ever made. Christian Bale is back as billionaire bachelor Bruce Wayne, who spends his evenings fighting crime in Gotham City, which is under siege, victim to a brutal crime spree led by the vicious Joker (Heath Ledger in a massive, spectacular performance). As the madman with the wild hair and evil clown face starts knocking off public officials, mob bosses, ordinary citizens, and even his own minions, Wayne is also beset by the blossoming relationship between Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhall), the woman he loves and who knows his secret, and the new DA, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart), who has come into his high-profile job with both arms swinging, determined to make Gotham City safe. The Bat-Man is joined once again by his faithful butler, Alfred (Michael Caine), Wayne Industries exec Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman), and police lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman); the film also features Anthony Michael Hall as a television talk-show host who finds himself in danger, Eric Roberts as a smooth-talking gangster, and Cillian Murphy as Scarecrow in a brief cameo. THE DARK KNIGHT is a carefully constructed tale of good and evil, love and death, and everything in between, working as both a thrilling action movie as well as a psychoanalytic examination of what lurks deep in the soul. Although there are special effects aplenty, it is primarily a very intimate, personal film about one man’s tortured existence. In the summer of the high-octane superhero flick (IRON MAN, THE INCREDIBLE HULK, HELLBOY II, HANCOCK), THE DARK KNIGHT towers above them all.
Landmark Sunshine Cinema
143 East Houston St. between First & Second Aves.
212-330-8182
http://www.landmarktheatres.com
Winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance, Edinburgh, and Los Angeles Film Festivals, MAN ON WIRE is a thrilling examination of Philippe Petit’s attempt to walk on a wire connecting the two towers of the World Trade Center. Using archival footage, home movies, still photos, black-and-white re-creations, and new interviews with all the primary characters, director James Marsh (THE KING, WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP) sets up MAN ON WIRE like a heist film as Petit and his cohorts discuss the detailed planning that went into the remarkable event, including getting the wires and cable to the top of the South Tower and hiding under a tarp as a security guard has a smoke right next to them. Petit, who had previously — and illegally — traversed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia, had become immediately obsessed with the Twin Towers as soon as he learned they were being built; Marsh intercuts scenes of the construction of the WTC as Petit puts together the seemingly impossible caper, leading to his August 7, 1974, walk between the two towers, more than a quarter mile above the ground. Petit has a relationship with the World Trade Center unlike anyone else’s; interestingly, Marsh and Petit do not so much as even hint at the destruction of the towers on September 11, 2001, a questionable decision that leaves a gap in the film. (They could have at least mentioned it in the end captions.) Still, MAN ON WIRE is an exhilarating documentary; even though you know that Petit survives, you’ll be breathless as he balances high above Lower Manhattan, one tiny step from death.
Bill Maher takes on organized religion and faith in comedy doc
Lincoln Plaza Cinemas
1886 Broadway between 62nd & 63rd Sts.
212-757-0359
Angelika Film Center
18 West Houston St. at Mercer St.
212-995-2000
http://www.lionsgate.com/religulous
http://lincolnplaza.moviefone.com
Bill Maher, who regularly shares his views on religion in his stand-up act, on his HBO show, and in books, takes on Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and other faiths in the very sharp, very funny documentary RELIGULOUS (a combination of “religious” and “ridiculous”). Taking a page out of Michael Moore’s guerrilla filmmaking style, Maher and director Larry Charles (SEINFELD, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, BORAT) go on the road, speaking with priests, rabbis, scientists, activists, doctors, ministers, politicians, and everyday plainfolk in Italy, Israel, England, the Netherlands, and across America, meeting some very strange characters with a wide array of religious beliefs, all of which Maher, who doesn’t believe in God and considers the Bible a fairy tale, thinks are idiotic. Among the most outrageous segments are Maher’s visit to the Holy Land Experience theme park in Orlando, a bizarre battle with Jewish activist Yehuda Etzion, and Maher and his crew getting thrown out of the Vatican. Although RELIGULOUS primarily preaches to the choir and is unlikely to make many converts, Maher does bring up some cogent points about the history of religion and its eventual transcription, raising questions that will make you think about your own personal faith.
Ben Stiller and Robert Downey Jr. get down and dirty in TROPIC THUNDER
AMC Empire 25
234 West 42nd St. between Broadway & Eighth Ave.
212-398-3939
Director and star Ben Stiller takes on Oliver Stone (PLATOON), Francis Ford Coppola (APOCALYPSE NOW), Michael Cimino (THE DEER HUNTER), Stanley Kubrick (FULL METAL JACKET), Sylvester Stallone (FIRST BLOOD), and just about everyone else who has ever made a movie about the Vietnam war in the hysterical spoof TROPIC THUNDER. Stiller, who also is one of the writers and producers, plays Tugg Speedman, a onetime huge action star whose career is in the toilet, especially after his disastrous attempt to win an Oscar by going "full retard" in SIMPLE JACK. His castmates on the film within a film include Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), who has made a fortune making flatulence flicks and wants to be respected as a real actor; Oscar-winning Method actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), who has undergone a controversial procedure to darken his skin so he can play a black soldier; hip-hop star Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson), who never misses a chance to hype his bootylicious thirst quencher; and Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel), a young actor who is just happy to be in the movie, which is based on a book written by gruff and grizzled Vietnam vet John "Four Leaf" Tayback (Nick Nolte). When troubles on the set threaten to end production, director Damien Cockburn (Steve Coogan) takes the four leads into the jungle, where he hopes for a more realistic feel. But soon the troops, with their prop rifles and hand grenades, are battling a very real drug cartel with very real weapons.
TROPIC THUNDER is a multilayered farce that is fresh and funny from start to finish. In fact, it begins with a riotous series of pseudo-commercials and previews that introduce the main characters. TROPIC THUNDER is a smart send-up of all aspects of the entertainment industry — featuring a surprise appearance by one of Hollywood’s top stars giving what might be his most memorable performance ever as an insanely powerful foul-mouthed studio head with no morals.
http://www.vickycristina-movie.com
After a trio of films made in England (the justly celebrated MATCH POINT, the disappointing SCOOP, and the underappreciated CASSANDRA’S DREAM), Woody Allen heads to Spain, setting his latest adult romantic comedy in the gorgeous city of Barcelona. The very serious Vicky (Rebecca Hall, channeling Mia Farrow) and the flirtatious free spirit Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) are best friends spending the summer at a villa owned by Judy (Patricia Clarkson) and Mark (Kevin Dunn). Vicky is about to get married to the very responsible and successful Doug (Chris Messina), while Cristina is just looking to have a wild time. When hot artist Juan Antonio (a gentle Javier Bardem) invites Vicky and Cristina to join him for wine and sex in Oviedo, Vicky thinks he is a pig, while Cristina wants to take him up on his offer. Further complicating the situation is Juan Antonio’s homicidal, suicidal ex-wife, Maria Elena (an inspired Penelope Cruz), who forces herself back into his life. VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA features one of Allen’s best scripts in years. Hall, a young British actress who primarily works on stage and television, is captivating as Vicky; cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe’s camera falls in love with her charming face the moment it first lays eyes on her. Bardem and Cruz inject fire and ice into this complex relationship drama, which examines the nature of love in intelligent and intriguing ways. In addition to filming at such sites as Antoni Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, Parc Guell, and La Pedrera, Allen infuses the proceedings with a soundtrack of delightful Spanish music, structured around Gulia y Los Tellanini’s "Barcelona."
twi-ny/mdr
Ted Leo got hot and sweaty this summer at Castle Clinton
Webster Hall
125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves.
Saturday, October 11, $23, 6:00
This past July, Ted Leo brought his Pharmacists to Castle Clinton as part of the free River to River Festival, playing a blistering set of garage punk to a devoted crowd of worshipers. Based in Bloomfield, NJ, Leo, who has been around the local scene for more than a decade now, reached deep into his back catalog while also previewing tunes from his upcoming record. At the free outdoor summer show, Leo sweated more than we’ve seen anyone else do so onstage, darkening his purple shirt as he blasted through such fierce numbers as "Counting Down the Hours," " A Bottle of Buckie," "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb," and the new track "The World Is in the Turlet" before finishing up with an abbreviated solo version of the Waterboys classic "Fisherman’s Blues." Leo is also an outspoken activist, regularly writing about politics on his blog. He and the band recently recorded a four-song EP to benefit Democracy Now! and Minneapolis Food Not Bombs, and he has also been closely watching the potential execution of death-row inmate Troy Anthony Davis. Leo and the Pharmacists, which include guitarist James Canty and drummer Chris Wilson, will be playing Webster Hall on October 11, sandwiched between Against Me! and Future of the Left.
Joyce Theater
175 Eighth Ave. at 19th St.
Tickets: $19-$49
212-691-9740
Tuesday, October 7
through
Sunday, October 12 Ballet Hispanico presents "Stages," the world premiere of "Destino Incierto," and "Tito on Timbales," with live music
Tuesday, October 14
through
Sunday, October 19 Ballet Hispanico presents "Group Portrait of a Lady," the world premiere of "Tres Bailes," "Tito on Timbales," and "Ritmo y Ruido," with live music
twi-ny/mdr
Tim Harrington lets it all hang out at summer festival
Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 North 6th St. between Wythe & Kent
Sunday, October 12, $18-$20, 8:00
http://www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
Brooklyn boys Les Savy Fav know how to put on a show. When we first saw them a couple summer back at an outdoor festival on Randall’s Island that also featured LCD Soundsystem, Blonde Redhead, and headliners Arcade Fire, they dazzled the huge crowd with an infectious fun emanating from their pores, led by crazed lead singer Tim Harrington, who has a thing for exposing his big, hairy belly in the audience. LSF’s latest is the digital download AFTER THE BALLS DROP (Frenchkiss Records, April 2008), a recording of their 2007 New Year’s Eve concert at the Bowery Ballroom. Harrington, guitarist Seth Jabour, drummer Harrison Haynes, and bassist Syd Butler will be bringing their act to the Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 12, with Bear Hands and Phil and the Osophers.
twi-ny/mdr
Abe Vigoda’s back in town for a pair of shows
Monday, October 13, Maxwell’s, 1039 Washington St., Hoboken , $12, 9:30
Thursday, October 16, Webster Hall, 125 East Eleventh St. between Third & Fourth Aves., $20, 7:00
http://www.myspace.com/abevigoda
Tropical punk practitioners Abe Vigoda – one of our favorite band names ever– had an auspicious beginning to their July 12 free show at the South Street Seaport this past summer, as guitarist Juan Velazquez broke some strings on the first song and had to go backstage and borrow a guitar from No Age, friends of theirs from the downtown L.A. Smell scene. Battling nerves, the band, which also features Michael Vidal on guitar and lead vocals, Reggie Guerrero on drums, and David Reichart, wearing a No Age T-shirt, on bass, played a short set highlighting songs from their new disc, the excellent SKELETON, which had been released earlier that week. (By the way, for those of you old enough to remember BARNEY MILLER, Abe Vigoda himself is still alive, at the ripe old age of eighty-seven.) They’ll be playing on October 13 at Maxwell’s with Love Is All and Titus Andronicus and on October 16 at Webster Hall with local group Telepathe (which failed to impress at that same seaport show) and South London dance band Boy 8 Bit. Titus Andronicus has been building quite a loyal following themselves; in addition to playing with Abe Vigoda at Webster Hall, they’ll be opening for Philly’s Man Man on October 10, also at Webster Hall.
Brooklyn Masonic Temple
317 Clermont Ave. at Lafayette Ave.
October 14-16
Tickets: $25
Touring behind their highly praised brand-new disc, DEAR SCIENCE, Brooklyn band TV on the Radio will play a trio of shows in the Masonic Temple, with the Dirtbombs on October 14, Telepath on October 15, and Dragons of Zynth on October 16. Fans of the Dirtbombs can also catch the Detroit group at Maxwell’s on October 13 with special guests and with the Nouvellas, the Mighty Fine, and DJ Ben Carlin at Brooklyn Southpaw on October 16, highlighting songs from their recent release, WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED.
Steven Schreiber
Soomi Kim goes inside the mind of Bruce Lee in cutting-edge show
HERE Arts Center
145 Sixth Ave. between Spring & Broome Sts.
Tuesdays through Thursdays at 7:30
Tickets: $20
212-352-3101
Tuesday, October 14
through
Thursday, October 30 Created and performed by Soomi Kim, directed by Suzi Takhashi, with music by Jen Shyu, lighting design by Lucrecia Briceno, and featuring Shing Ka, Walker Lewis, Constance Parng, Ariel Shepley, and Pai Sen Wang
Eddi
Gisli Orn Gardarsson reimagines WOYZECK at BAM Next Wave Festival
Brooklyn Academy of Music Next Wave Festival
BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
October 15-18
Tickets: $20-$60
718-636-4100
In November 2002, BAM presented a marvelous retelling of George Büchner’s unfinished 1837 tragedy, WOYZECK, featuring music by Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan and staging by Robert Wilson. Nearly six years later, BAM has brought back WOYZECK, this time in an ambitious but ultimately erratic version directed by Gisli Orn Gardarsson and performed by Iceland’s Vesturport and the City Theatre. Borker Jonsson’s stage design is clever and inventive, a mass of industrial piping set on a platform that eventually uncovers a series of water tanks that become a swimming pool in which characters seek to both indulge their vices and cleanse their souls. The story is a basic morality play: Woyzeck (Ingvar E. Sigurdsson), a factory grunt, is regularly described by his wife, Marie (Nina Dogg Filippusdottir), and boss, the Captain (Vikingur Kristjansson), as a good but haunted man who thinks too much. When the wealthy, devilish factory owner, known as the Drum Major (Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson), comes to town, he instantly woos Marie, right in front of a hapless Woyzeck and the whole town, eventually leading to a fateful conclusion. A former gymnast, Gardarsson, who earned raves for his muscular staging of ROMEO & JULIET, has turned Woyzeck’s woeful descent into madness into an acrobatic, athletic mess, as characters climb ropes, swing over the audience, and splash across the watery stage. The score, by Nick Cave and Bad Seed Warren Ellis, gets lost in the shuffle; it does have its funny, ironic moments — such as when an entertainer (Olafur Darri Olafsson) suddenly channels Liberace and Elvis — but they seem out of place in Gardarsson’s kitchen-sink approach, which is just too silly in the end.
twi-ny/mdr
Ra Ra Riot will headline three area shows this month
Thursday, October 16, Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. at Bowery, $15, 8:00
Friday, October 17, Music Hall of Williamsburg, $15, 8:00
Sunday, October 19, Sound Fix Records, free, 6:00
http://www.myspace.com/rarariot
Ra Ra Riot was one of the stand-out acts at this summer’s Siren Festival on Coney Island, playing a rousing show in support of their debut full-length, THE RHUMB LINE (Barsuk, August 2008). The previous summer, drummer and songwriter John Ryan Pike drowned, but the group decided to stay together, dealing with their pain on such songs as "Ghost Under the Rocks," "St. Peter’s Day Festival," "Dying Is Fine," and "Too Too Too Fast." Formed two years ago at Syracuse University, Ra Ra Riot, which includes enigmatic lead singer Wes Miles, guitarist Milo Bonacci, bassist Mathieu Santos, cellist Alexandra Lawn, and violinist Rebecca Zeller, quickly made an impact on the indie music scene at such festivals as CMJ and South by Southwest and with their debut EP. The band is coming back to town for three hotly anticipated shows; they’ll be at the Bowery Ballroom on October 16 and the Music Hall of Williamsburg on October 17 with Walter Meego and Morning Benders, followed by a free performance at Sound Fix Records on October 19
twi-ny/mdr
Mr. Scruff whips up Montreal Jazz Fest crowd in 2007
LOVE
179 Macdougal St. at Eighth St.
Wednesday, October 22, $15-$20, 10:00
212-477-5683
http://www.myspace.com/mrscruffofficial
Presented by Turntables on the Hudson and Giant Step, Mr. Scruff will be bringing his immense DJ skills to LOVE on October 22, with Nickodemus & Mariano. The self-described "DJ, Producer, Cartoonist & Tea Drinker" has just released the digital-download-only NINJA TUNA (Ninja Tune, October 2000), his first full-length album in six years, featuring such tunes as "Test the Sound," "Hairy Bumpercress," and "Give Up to Get" and special guests Alice Russell, Roots Manuva, Danny Breaks, Andrea Triana, and Pete Simpson. (Some of the songs will be available as twelve-inch vinyl singles.) We last caught Mr. Scruff at Club Soda during the 2007 Montreal Jazz Festival, where he rocked the house with his pulsating beats and playful video projections; this is a rare chance to see this Manchester lad in New York City, so we urge you not to miss it.
Comix, 353 West 14th St. at Ninth Ave. (Mainstage and Ochi’s Lounge)
Tribeca Film Center, 375 Greenwich St.
Bleecker Street Theater, 45 Bleecker St. at Lafayette St.
Zipper Factory, 337 West 37th St. between Eighth & Ninth Aves.
October 15-18
http://www.hystericalfestival.com
Promising to be fierce, funny, and female, the inaugural Hysterical Festival will feature more than fifty women comedians in nineteen shows at four venues. Laughing it up at the Tribeca Film Center, Comix, the Bleecker St. Theater, and the Zipper Theater will be the likes of festival headliner Maria Bamford. Below are only some of the many highlights; also on the bill are the Hysterical Kickoff Show!, Stripped Stories, Laughing Liberally, Sister Solo, Haterz Ball, Hysterical Femmes, Family Hour with Auntie Sara, Nice Jewish Girls Gone Hysterical, and Geeks and Freaks.
Wednesday, October 15 Fierce, Funny, and Gainfully Employed, panel discussion with Linda Kaplan Thaler, Tracy Granstaff, and Dana Offenbach, moderated by Catie Lazarus, Tribeca, $20, 6:30
Wednesday, October 15 Word! with Rachel Shukert, Kambri Crews, Allison Kilkenny, Christen Clifford, Catie Lazurus, and Michele Carlo, Ochi’s Lounge, $5 plus one-item minimum, 9:00
Thursday, October 16 Ambiguously Brown Comedy Hour, with Jiwon Lee, Diana Saez, Aparna Nancherla, Erin Jackson, and Retta, hosted by Desiree Burch, Comix Mainstage, $15-$20 plus two-item minimum, 7:30
Thursday, October 16 Baby Mamas of Comedy, with Laurie Kilmartin, Corey Kahaney, Pat Candaras, Kim "Boney" DeShields, and Andrea Henry, hosted by Carolyn Castiglia, Comix Mainstage, $15-$20 plus two-item minimum, 9:30
Friday, October 17 The Kissing Booth, with Katina Corrao, Jenny Rubin, Emily Epstein, Jamie Lee, and Shayna Ferm, hosted by Brandy Barber and Sara Jo Allocco, Ochi’s Lounge, $5 plus one-item minimum, 9:00
Friday, October 17 Girls Gone Gay, with Cara Kilduff, Lisa Kaplan, Kate McKinnon, and the Lesbian Overtones, hosted by Mama Spell, Ochi’s Lounge, $5 plus one-item minimum, 11:00
Saturday, October 18 Funny Bones Burlesque, with Bunny Love, Clams Casino, Fem Appeal, Jo Boobs, and Pookie Patootie, hosted by the World Famous *BOB*, Zipper Factory, 7:00
Saturday, October 18 Maria Bamford, hosted by Joe DeVito, Comix Mainstage, $25-$30 plus two-item minimum, 8:30 & 10:45
Thursday, October 9, the Slipper Room, 167 Orchard St., 7:00
Monday, October 20, with Art Spiegelman, Barnes & Noble, 97 Warren St., 7:00
http://www.drawger.com/heatley/?
Borrowing its title from a line in the Ramones’ "Bonzo Goes to Bitburg," MY BRAIN IS HANGING UPSIDE DOWN is a stirring graphic memoir by Queens-based artist and singer-songwriter David Heatley. Dividing his life into five chapters — "Sex History," "Black History," "Portrait of My Mom," "Portrait of My Dad," and "Family History," Heatley seems to leave nothing out, including every thrill, chill, and spill, every success and failure, every joy and embarrassment, of which there are many. Although the people around him might change as he experiments with other boys as a child, goes off to Oberlin College and can’t keep it in his pants, tries to adopt black culture both through making friends and listening to rap and hip hop, and has his troubles with his extremely dysfunctional family, physically he remains the same throughout, nearly always shown as a youngster, never really growing up. Each section begins with full-color illustrated dreams relating to that chapter’s subject, drawn bigger than the rest of the panels, which are sometimes so small that the text is painfully difficult to read. But once you start MY BRAIN IS HANGING UPSIDE DOWN, you won’t be able to put it down (especially if you are fans of Chris Ware, Alison Bechdel, Charles Burns, and Daniel Clowes); the strain is worth it, even though it did give us headaches.
Heatley will be giving a special free multimedia book-release performance at the Slipper Room on October 9, reading from MY BRAIN IS HANGING UPSIDE DOWN as well as showing slides and playing songs from his related five-song mini-EP. He’ll also be at the Tribeca Barnes & Noble on October 20, in conversation with Art Spiegelman. If we were one of his friends or family members depicted in the book, we’re not sure we’d want to show up and be identified, so we’re glad we don’t have to make that decision.
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"Iridescent Sun" is made of products that are part of Japan exhibition
Felissimo Design House
10 West 56th St. between Fifth & Sixth Aves.
Monday through Saturday 11:00 am — 6:00 pm through November 1
Admission: free
212-966-4438
Felissimo Design House has turned itself over to Japan© in New York, filling its floors with "cool," "cute," "clever," and "creative" home, office, school, fashion, and beauty products from more than seventy Japanese companies, including Sunayama, Kakukei, Nishimura, Shuwa, Otake Sangyo, and Hachiman-Kasei. Everything except what’s on the first floor is available only to the wholesale market, so if you don’t have your own store, you won’t be able to bring home any of the colorful bags, toothbrushes, rice cookers, coffeemakers, chairs, storage units, towels, tools, brushes, sandals, stickers, toys, etc., but it’s still a fun visit. Every week there’s a new theme as the products roll in and out; through October 13, it’s the Smart Japanese Kitchen, followed by Taste of Japan (October 20) and the Cherry Tree Auction (October 27). Be sure to check out the "Iridescent Sun" sculpture in the back of the first floor, a hanging ball made from products that are in the exhibition.
NYU Cantor Center, 36 East Eighth St.
Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick St. at Laight St.
Anthology Archives. 32 Second St. at Second Ave.
Tickets: $10
For several years, New York-Tokyo has been bringing the best of Japanese cinema and gaming to the city, holding special events that fill up quickly. They have now expanded into their first full-fledged film festival, consisting of an exciting slate of flicks voted on by the public. The result is a wide-ranging group of works, from romantic comedies to dark drama, from anime to horror, that show off the best of what is coming out of Japan, many having their North American premiere. We are particularly excited about Jun Kawaguchi’s 77BOADRUM, a documentary about the Boredoms’ free outdoor performance in Brooklyn Bridge Park consisting of seventy-seven drummers playing for seventy-seven minutes on July 7, 2007; we were on the Williamsburg waterfront this summer for the follow-up, eighty-eight drummers playing for eighty-eight minutes on August 8, 2008, and it was simply amazing. Several of the screenings will have the directors present — and superstar actor-model Shogen will be at Anthology Film Archives for BLOODY SNAKE UNDER THE SUN.
Tuesday, October 7 ASYL — PARK AND LOVE HOTEL (Izuru Kumasaka), with an appearance by Kumasaka, Tribeca, 7:00
Wednesday, October 8 THE CHASING WORLD (Issey Shibata), Tribeca, 7:00
Thursday, October 9 DEATH OF DOMOMATA (Shutaro Oku), Tribeca, 7:00
Sunday, October 12 GENIUS PARTY (multiple directors), Anthology, 2:00
Monday, October 13 77BOADRUM (Jun Kawaguchi), Anthology, 7:00 & 9:15 (director present at 9:15 screening)
Tuesday, October 14 BLOODY SNAKE UNDER THE SUN (Yu Nakai), with an appearance by actor Shogen, Anthology, 7:00
Thursday, October 16 KAMACHOP (Anji Matsumoto), with an appearance by Matsumoto, Tribeca, 7:00
Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Ave. at Second St.
Through October 11
http://www.newyorkturkishfilmfestival.com
Wednesday, October 8 Contemporary Turkish Cinema: ULAK (THE MESSENGER) (Çagan Irmak, 2008) and BURGER RÜYALARI (BURGER DREAMS) (Muhittin Bilginer, 2007), 7:30
Friday, October 9 Without Borders: AKAMAS (Panicos Chrysanthou, 2006) and YOKUS (THE SLOPE) (Mehmet Can Mertoglu, 2008), 7:30
Friday, October 10 Contemporary Turkish Cinema: ARA (Ümit Ünal, 2007), 7:00
Friday, October 10 Contemporary Turkish Cinema: RIZA (Tayfun Pirselimoglu, 2007), 9:00
Saturday, October 11 Contemporary Turkish Cinema: CENNETI BEKLERKEN (WAITING FOR HEAVEN) (Dervis Zaim, 2006) and SAAT KAÇ? (WHAT TIME IT IS?) (Faysal Soysal, 2008), 5:00
Saturday, October 11 Contemporary Turkish Cinema: YUMURTA (EGG) (Semih Kaplanoglu, 2007) and GÜVERCIN TAKLASI (PIGEON TUMBLE) (Seyfettin Tokmak, 2008), 7:30
Maysles Institute, 127th St. & Malcolm X Blvd.
Medgar Evers College, 1650 Bedford Ave.
Magic/AMC Theatres, 124th St. & Frederick Douglass Blvd.
October 8-13
http://www.harlemthennowandforever.org
Wednesday, October 8 I REMEMBER HARLEM Parts 1-2 (William Miles, 1980), Maysles Institute, free, 7:30
Thursday, October 9 CLASSIFIED X (Mark Daniels, 1998), 110 MORNINGSIDE (Nicholle LaVann, 2005), DOUBLE DUTCH DIVAS (Nicole Franklin, 2000), and MARCUS GARVEY — LOOK FOR ME IN THE WHIRLWIND (Stanley Nelson, 2001), Maysles Institute, free, 6:00
Thursday, October 9 I REMEMBER HARLEM Parts 3-4 (William Miles, 1980), Maysles Institute, free, 7:30
Friday, October 10 New Generation Filmmakers, featuring shorts by Chloe Walters Wallace, Margaret Seescape, Joyia D. Bradley, Raymond Dorante, Al Santana, Charles Martin, Booker T. Madison, Woodie King Jr., Pete Chatmon, Joel Zito Araujo, and Thomas Allan Harris, Maysles Institute, 5:30
Saturday, October 11 Reclaiming: Our Bodies, Our Lands, Our Voices, Our Righs, short films by Faith Pennick, U-Savior, Eric V. Tait Jr., and St. Clair Bourne, panel discussion with Michelle Materre and Pearl Browser, BUCK AND THE PREACHER (Sidney Poitier, 1972), panel discussion with Ruby Dee and Woodie King Jr., moderated by Gil Noble, Medgar Evers College, 11:00 am — 9:00 pm
Sunday, October 12 "A Saint, He Is," video tribute to St. Clair Bourne by Sam Pollard, and "The Impact of St. Clair Bourne’s Life and Work," panel discussion with Pearl Bowser, William Greaves, Jacquie Jones, and Bobby Shepard, 12 noon
Sunday, October 12 Excerpt from HARLEM RENAISSANCE (William Greaves, 2008) and Spotlight: St. Clair Bourne Works -- "Black Journal Excerpts," 1:40 — 8:00
Monday, October 13 "Pioneers Who Changed Hollywood" and "Stereotypes: The New York-Hollywood Connection," panel discussions with Woodie King Jr., Douglas Turner Ward, and Clyde Taylor, moderated by Gil Noble, Magic/AMC Theatres, 12 noon
Monday, October 13 THE LONG NIGHTS (Woodie King Jr., 1975) and UPTIGHT (Jules Dassin, 1968), Magic/AMC Theatres, 1:40
Ziegfeld Theatre unless otherwise noted
141 West 54th St. between Sixth & Seventh Aves.
Tickets: $16-$40 ($16 unless otherwise noted)
Through October 12
212-875-5050
Wednesday, October 8 THE HEADLESS WOMAN (LA MUJER SIN CABEZA) (Lucrecia Martel, 2008 preceded by I HEAR YOUR SCREAM (AHENDU NDE SAPUKAI) (Pablo Lamar, 2008), 6:00
Thursday, October 9 TOKYO SONATA (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2008) preceded by LOVE IS DEAD (Eric Capitaine, 2007), 6:00
Thursday, October 9 In the Realm of Oshima: BOY (SHONEN) (Nagisa Oshima, 1969), Walter Reade Theater, 6:30
Friday, October 10 In the Realm of Oshima: THREE RESURRECTED DRUNKARDS (SINNER IN PARADISE) (KAETTE KITA YOPPARAI) (Nagisa Oshima, 1968), Walter Reade Theater, 2:00
Friday, October 10 A CHRISTMAS TALE (UN CONTE DE NOËL) (Arnaud Desplechin, 2008), 6:00
Friday, October 10 PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN (Albert Lewin, 1951), restored version, introduced by Martin Scorsese, 6:15
Friday, October 10 LET IT RAIN (PARLEZ-MOI DE LA PLUIE) (Agnès Jaoui, 2008) preceded by UNPREDICTABLE BEHAVIOUR (Ernst Weber and Pasha Shapiro, 2007), 9:45
Saturday, October 11 HBO Films Dialogues: Darren Aronofsky with Richard Peña, Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, 1:30
Saturday, October 11 In the Realm of Oshima: DEATH BY HANGING (KOSHIKEI) (Nagisa Oshima, 1968), Walter Reade Theater, 4:00
Saturday, October 11 HBO Films Dialogues: Arnaud Desplechin with Kent Jones, Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse, 4:30
Saturday, October 11 TULPAN (Sergey Dvortsevoy, 2008) preceded by DEWENETI (Dyana Gaye, 2007), 6:00
Sunday, October 12 IT’S HARD BEING LOVED BY JERKS (C’EST DUR D’ETRE AIMÉ PAR DES CONS) (Daniel Leconte, 2008), followed by a panel discussion with Daniel Leconte; Carol Becker, Marshall Cohen, and others, 1:00
Sunday, October 12 BULLET IN THE HEAD (TIRO EN LA CABEZA) (Jaime Rosales, 2008), 2:30
Sunday, October 12 Closing Night: THE WRESTLER (Darren Aronofsky, 2008) preceded by SECURITY (Lars Henning, 2007), Avery Fisher Hall, $20-$40 reserved, 8:30
Monday, October 13 In the Realm of Oshima: TABOO (GOHATTO) (Nagisa Oshima, 1999), Walter Reade Theater, 2:00 & 8:45
The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza
17 Irving Pl. between 14th & 15th Sts.
Admission: free (advance tickets available at Other Music, 15 East Fourth St.
212-777-6800
Thursday, October 9 As part of WFMU’s fiftieth anniversary, 1970s British punk legends Wire, who kicked ass this summer at the River to River Festival, headlines at Irving Plaza, with Ohio’s Times New Viking, who played an admirable set at the 2008 Siren Festival in Coney Island
Multiple locations
Admission: free
718-497-4282
Thursday, October 9
and
Friday, October 10 Danny Hoch presents his new show, directed by Tony Taccone, as part of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, La Guardia Performing Arts Center, 31-10 Thomson Ave., Long Island City, 9:30
Saturday, October 11 Danny Hoch presents his new show, directed by Tony Taccone, as part of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, Grand Street Campus Auditorium, 850 Grand St., Brooklyn, 8:00
The Players Theatre
115 MacDougal St. at Minetta Ln.
Thursdays through Saturdays 11:00 pm and Saturdays at 12:30 am
Tickets: $30
212-352-3101
http://zombiejoes.homestead.com
Opens Friday, October 10 New R-rated production by Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group
Music Hall of Williamsburg
66 North Sixth St. between Wythe & Kent
Tickets: $15
http://www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
Friday, October 10 Touring behind their just-released eponymously titled album, the New Year, featuring Bedhead veterans Matt and Bubba Kadane, play Brooklyn with local band Dirty on Purpose and Texas trio Tre Orsi, 8:00
BAMcinematek, BAM Rose Cinemas
30 Lafayette Ave. between Ashland Pl. & St. Felix St.
Through October 21
718-636-4100
Friday, October 10 TERROR’S ADVOCATE (Barbet Schroeder, 2007), 6:15, 9:00
Saturday, October 11 BARFLY (Barbet Schroeder, 1987), 4:30, 6:50, 9:15
Tuesday, October 14 REVERSAL OF FORTUNE (Barbet Schroeder, 1990), introduced by producer Ed Pressman, 6:50
Wednesday, October 15 THE VALLEY (LA VALLÉE) (Barbet Schroeder, 1972), 4:30, 6:50, 9:15
Thursday, October 16 CHINESE ROULETTE (R.W. Fassbinder, 1976), 4:30, 6:50, 9:15
Friday, October 17 INJU, THE BEAST IN THE SHADOW (Barbet Schroeder, 2008), followed by a Q&A with Barbet Schroeder, 7:30
Saturday, October 18 GENERAL IDI AMIN DADA (Barbet Schroeder, 1974), 2:00, 4:30, 6:50, 9:15
Tuesday, October 21 SINGLE WHITE FEMALE (Barbet Schroeder, 1992), 6:50
The Yard
388-400 Carroll St. between Bond & Nevin Sts.
Admission: $5
718-797-1707
Saturday, October 11 Celebrate the coming of fall with a pumpkin-carving contest, specialty vendors, organic food and drink from Saxelby Cheesemongers, Red Jacket Orchards, Treats Truck, McClure’s Pickles, and Brooklyn Kitchen, pony rides, a composting demo, and live music by Two Man Gentleman Band, Hot Time Harv’s Rollercoaster of Kicks, Casa de Chihuahua, and BJs, followed by an Oktoberfest beergarden after-party, 11:00 am — 9:00 pm
Multiple venues
Saturday, October 11 The Late Night Sound, 7:30; El Medio, 8:30; So Li’l, 9:15; and Aarktica, 10:15, the Annex
Saturday, October 18 Philip Eno, 8:30; Her Vanished Grace, 9:30; a Brief Smile, 10:30; Autodrone, 11:30; after-party with DJ Stephan C, 12:30, Piano’s
Joe’s Pub
425 Lafayette St. between East Fourth St. & Astor Pl.
Admission: free but advance reservations required
212-539-8778
Sunday, October 12 Allen Toussaint, 11:00 am; Roy Nathanson & Friends with Debbie Harry, 2:30; Reggie Watts with Kristen Schaal, 6:00; the Stew Songbook, featuring Penny Arcade, John Cameron Mitchell, and more, 9:30; and Be-In: Cast of HAIR, 11:59
Wave Hill
West 249th St. at Independence Ave., the Bronx
Tickets: $24
718-549-3200 ext385
Sunday, October 12 Blue Notes: Ignacio Berroa Quartet, 2:00
Sunday, October 18 Variations: Bradley Brookshire performs the Goldberg Variations, 2:00
Fifth Ave. between 44th & 72nd Sts.
Admission: free
212-242-2360
Sunday, October 12 Forty-fourth annual celebration, featuring floats, marchers, dancers, and live performances by Toby Love, Zon del Barrio, Charlie Cajares, and others, 12 noon — 5:00
Noguchi Museum
9-01 33rd Rd. at Vernon Blvd.
Free with museum admission of $10
718-204-7088 ext209
Sunday, October 12 (re)Generation: Three Artists, Three Cities, panel discussion with Mitch Cope, Ingo Vetter, Paul Villinski, and Annie Murdock, moderated by Lilly Wei, 3:00
The Frick Collection
1 East 70th St. at Fifth Ave.
Tickets: $25
212-547-0715
Sunday, October 12 Fall Concert Series, featuring works by Haydn, Webern, and Schumann, 5:00
Two Boots Pioneer Theater
155 East Third St. at Ave. A
212-254-3300
http://www.twoboots.com/pioneer
Sunday, October 12 THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN (William Sachs, 1977) and ZAAT! (BLOOD WATERS OF DR. Z) (Don Barton, 1975), 7:00
Tuesday, October 14 THE BLOODY APE (Keith Crocker, 1997) and ZAAT! (BLOOD WATERS OF DR. Z) (Don Barton, 1975), 7:00
twi-ny/mdr
Honesty is the best policy in Columbus Circle
The Kitchen
512 West 19th St. between Tenth & Eleventh Aves.
Tickets: $7 (includes latest issue of Opium magazine)
212-255-5793
Tuesday, October 14 Featuring readings by Katherine Taylor, Thomas Hopkins, Dennis DiClaudio, and Thaddeus Rutkowski, with judges Ben Greenman, Gabriel Delahaye, and Jodi Bullock, 7:00
Corner Bookstore
1313 Madison Ave. at 93rd St.
Admission: free
212-831-3554
Wednesday, October 15 Authors Caitlin Leffel and Jacob Lehman will be reading from, discussing, and signing copies of NYC: AN OWNER’S MANUAL — ARRIVING, SURVIVING, THRIVING IN THE GREATEST CITY IN THE WORLD (Universe, October 2008, $18.95), 6:00
Carnegie Hall
Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage
881 Seventh Ave. at 57th St.
Tickets: $25-$125
212-247-7800
Wednesday, October 15 The Opera Orchestra of New York opens its thirty-eighth season with Rimsky-Korsavov’s rarely performed opera, with mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina, baritone Alexey Markov, soprano Olga Makarina, the West Point Cadet Glee Club, and the Alumni of the Yale Russian Chorus, under the musical direction of Eve Queler, 7:30
Symphony Space, Peter Jay Sharpe Theatre
2537 Broadway at 95th St.
Tickets: $27
212-349-0330
Wednesday, October 15 Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story, with Stephen Colbert, David Rakoff, and Aasif Mandvi reading from the works of Joshua Ferris, Lydia Davis, and T. C. Boyle, 7:00
Dance Theater Workshop
219 West 19th St. between Seventh & Eighth Aves.
Tickets: $20
212-924-0077
http://www.dancetheaterworkshop.org
Wednesday, October 15
through
Saturday, October 18 World premiere of QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME, 7:30
Saturday, October 18 TICKLE THE SLEEPING GIANT, free to ticket holders, 2:00
Macy’s Herald Square Cellar Kitchen
151 East 34th St. at Broadway
Admission: free
212-494-3827
Thursday, October 16 Hispanic Heritage Month: Meet the owners of the street favorite Coco Deliciosos Helado, 1:00
92nd St. Y Buttenwieser Hall
1395 Lexington Ave. at 92nd St.
Admission: free
212-415-5500
Friday, October 17 Astrid von Ussar, Paul Singh, Megan Sprenger, and Deganit Shemy, 12 noon
Rubin Museum of Art
150 West 17th St. at Seventh Ave.
Free admission to galleries from 7:00 to 10:00
212-620-5000 ext 344
Friday, October 17 Harlem in the Himalayas: The Jonathan Batiste Trio, $18-$20, 7:00
Friday, October 17 CabaretCinema -- The Proverbial Pictureshow: THE STORY OF QIU JU (Zhang Yimou, 1992), introduced by Tinling Choong, free with $7 bar minimum, 9:30
Japan Society
333 East 47th St. between First and Second Aves.
Tickets: $11
212-715-1258
Friday, October 17 TORA-SAN, OUR LOVABLE TRAMP (episode one, OTOKO WA TSURAIYO) (Yoji Yamada, 1969), followed by a Q&A with Yoji Yamada live from Japan, 7:30
The Zipper Factory
336 West 37th St. between Eighth & Ninth Aves.
Tickets: $20
212-695-4600
Friday, October 17 Eleven-piece ensemble plays mix of R&B, gospel, roots rock, and New Orleans soul, 8:00
Times Square
Seventh Ave. at Broadway between 46th & 47th Sts.
Admission: free
Sunday, October 19 Seventh annual canine costume contest raising awareness for Animal Haven’s Adopt-a-Pet program, with dogs evoking Times Square, 1:00 — 3:00
Multiple locations
Sunday, October 19
through
Saturday, October 25 Second annual Vegetarian Restaurant Week in Brooklyn, raising awareness about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet, with specials at such restaurants as Bushbaby Coffee & Tea, Food 4 Thought Café, Jill’s Café, Mighty Diamond, Papacitos, Food & Beer Garden, Ft. Greene Supper Club, and Red Bamboo
Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd St.
Admission: $9
Reservations required: 212-534-1672, programs@mcny.org
Wednesday , October 22 Kerry Kennedy discusses her new book, BEING CATHOLIC NOW: PROMINENT AMERICANS TALK ABOUT CHANGE IN THE CHURCH AND THE QUEST FOR MEANING, in conjunction with the exhibition "Catholics in New York, 1808-1946," followed by a book signing, 6:30