this week in film and television

JOCK DOCS: ONCE IN A LIFETIME

Plenty of nasty rain falls on superstar Giorgio Chinaglia in Cosmos doc

ONCE IN A LIFETIME: THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE NEW YORK COSMOS (Paul Crowder & John Dower, 2006)
Maysles Cinema
343 Malcolm X Blvd. between 127th & 128th Sts.
Tuesday, June 15, $10, 7:30
212-582-6050
www.mayslesinstitute.org

The 1970s was a crazy time in New York City: President Ford told the Big Apple to drop dead, David “Son of Sam” Berkowitz went around shooting strangers, a blackout led to looting and rioting, and a powerful CEO fought to bring the foreign game of soccer to the New World. The vastly entertaining documentary ONCE IN A LIFETIME details the story of Warner Bros. chairman Steve Ross’s determined, desperate attempt to make soccer a major sport in America. And he did it the old-fashioned way: with a lot of cash. Backed by music moguls and big-time soccer fans Ahmet and Nehui Ertegun, Ross put together the New York Cosmos, one of the greatest teams to ever play the world’s most popular game. As the name says, he filled the Cosmos with international stars that would have made Carl Sagan proud: Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer, Carlos Alberto, Steve Hunt, and, of course, the magical Pelé, who was signed to a multimillion-dollar deal at a time when such numbers were unheard of even for baseball. When the Cosmopolitans started winning, the city adopted them, following their exploits from the green AstroTurf of Giants Stadium to the silver disco ball at Studio 54.

Directors John Crowder and John Dower talk to all the major players, both behind the scenes and on the field, except for Ross, who died of prostate cancer in 1992, and Pelé, who declined to participate (most likely because he wanted money to talk). Among the people telling tales out of school are such Cosmos stars as Beckenbauer, Alberto, Werner Roth, Shep Messing, and Chinaglia, who is painted as the villain responsible for eventually bringing down the franchise. (But Chinaglia doesn’t care; he sits self-assured behind a desk or in a chair, proud of what he accomplished.) Marv Albert, David Hirshey, Cosmos mascot Mario Marianni, Ross’s son Mark, superstar Rodney Marsh, Mia Hamm, Phil Mushnick, Ahmet Ertegun, and numerous executives put the fascinating tale in perspective, often seeing things very differently. Historical archival footage of the Me Decade is mixed in with terrific soccer moments, set to a 1970s soundtrack that includes songs by Kool and the Gang, Junior Walker, the Jam, Donna Summer, the Pretenders, Steely Dan, the Commodores, Parliament, Sparks, and the Main Ingredient. Cosmos fans must stay through the end of the credits for a sweet little coda that goes something like this: clap-clap / clap-clap-clap / clap-clap-clap-clap / Cosmos! (ONCE IN A LIFETIME is screening at the Maysles Cinema in Harlem as part of Jock Docs, a three-day series of soccer-related films in honor of the start of the World Cup that also includes RED CARD: SOCCER AND RACISM, SOCCER AS NEVER BEFORE about George Best, and ZIDANE: A 21st CENTURY PORTRAIT.)

THE LOTTERY

Christian Yoanson dreams of a better education in THE LOTTERY


THE LOTTERY (Madeleine Sackler, 2010)
Big Cinemas
239 East 59th St. at Second Ave.
Opens Friday, June 11
212-371-6682
www.tribecafilm.com
www.thelotteryfilm.com

The debate over charter schools reaches a fever pitch in Madeleine Sackler’s heart-wrenching documentary, THE LOTTERY. Sackler follows the hopes and dreams of four families who have entered their children in the annual lottery for placement in Harlem Success Academy, a free public elementary school founded by former city councilmember Eva Moskowitz. Some three thousand kids are vying for 475 coveted spots at the institution, which has an outstanding track record while doing things its own way, including not playing by the complex rules of the powerful teachers union. Sackler speaks with Moskowitz, Newark mayor Cory Booker, Harlem Children’s Zone president and CEO Geoffrey Canada, New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein, and several Harlem Success Academy parents, principals, and teachers, who have only glowing things to say about the charter school, especially as it fights to open another location inside PS 194, leading to an angry battle with the community that is simply mind-blowing. Also mind-blowing are many of the statistics Sackler shares about the sorry state of public education in New York City and across the country, specifically in regard to blacks and Latinos. The final scene, in which the families sit inside the Fort Washington Armory, praying that their child’s name will be called as if their entire future is dependent upon it, is not only heartbreaking but also beyond frustrating, revealing how difficult it can be for parents to find quality schooling in certain parts of the city and offer their children opportunities that they never had.

FREE SUMMER MOVIES 2010

THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT will bring bright color, loads of style, and murder to Central Park on June 11

The free summer movie season kicks off June 11 in parks throughout the city as Films on the Green, sponsored by the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, goes musical on Cedar Hill in Central Park with Jacques Demy’s charming The YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT, starring Catherine Deneuve and Françoise Dorléac; later films in the eclectic series include François Ozon’s 8 WOMEN on June 18 in Washington Square Park and Jean-Luc Godard’s A WOMAN IS A WOMAN on July 2 in Tompkins Square Park. The big screen goes up in Bryant Park on June 21 for its annual summer filmfest, with GOLDFINGER lasering James Bond; on the horizon is such fine fare as THE FRENCH CONNECTION (July 5), MY MAN GODFREY (July 12), and ROSEMARY’S BABY (August 2). Movies with a View in Brooklyn Bridge Park starts its season off in style July 8 with Woody Allen’s ANNIE HALL; also on tap are THE BIG LEBOWSKI (July 22) and REAR WINDOW (July 29). Hudson River Park’s River Flicks screens movies for adults on Wednesdays (THE HANGOVER, PUBLIC ENEMIES) and kids movies on Fridays (THE WIZARD OF OZ, THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER). The River to River Festival’s Movies on the Elevated Acre will pair shorts with such films as BROADWAY DANNY ROSE, AUNTIE MAME, and THE COUNTRY GIRL. And Summer on the Hudson will present Tall Tales, comprising such works as Tarsem Singh’s THE FALL and Tim Burton’s BIG FISH. There will also be free films in Socrates Sculpture Park, Washington Park by the Old Stone House, and other locations; keep watching this space as more titles are announced. Most screenings begin at sundown sometime between eight and nine, but you’ll have to get there much earlier to grab a prime spot.

Friday, June 11 Films on the Green: THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (Jacques Demy, 1967), Cedar Hill, Central Park, 8:30

Saturday, June 12 CityParks Music & Film: The eighth annual Cine Fest Petrobras Brasil, with live music by Os Paralmas do Successo and Maria Gadu, followed by OSCAR NIEMEYER – LIFE IS A BREATH OF AIR (Fabiano Maciel, 2007), 7:00

Friday, June 18 Films on the Green: 8 WOMEN (François Ozon, 2002), Washington Square Park, 8:30

Monday, June 21 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: GOLDFINGER (Guy Hamilton, 1964), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00

Friday, June 25 Films on the Green: SAME OLD SONGS (Alain Resnais, 1997), Washington Square Park, 8:30

Saturday, June 26 Pajamas and a Movie! MADAGASCAR (Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath, 2005), Marcus Garvey Park, 8:30

Monday, June 28 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: CAROUSEL (Henry King, 1956), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00

Friday, July 2 Films on the Green: A WOMAN IS A WOMAN (Jean-Luc Godard, 1961), Tompkins Square Park, 8:30

Monday, July 5 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: THE FRENCH CONNECTION (William Friedkin, 1971), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00

Wednesday, July 7 Outdoor Cinema United States: FLOOD TIDE (Todd Chandler, 2010), featuring live musical score performed by Dark Dark Dark, Socrates Sculpture Park, film at sunset

Wednesday, July 7 Movies Under the Stars — Tall Tales: NEVERENDING STORY (Wolfgang Petersen, 1984), 8:30

Wednesday, July 7 Brooklyn Film Works: KISS ME KATE (George Sidney, 1953), Old Stone House, Washington Park, JJ Byrne Playground, 8:30

Wednesday, July 7 Postponed: Summerscreen: SAY ANYTHING (Cameron Crowe, 1989), McCarren Park ball fields, dusk

Wednesday, July 7 River Flicks — Wednesdays for Grown-Ups: THE HANGOVER (Todd Phillips, 2010), Pier 54, Hudson River at West 14th St., 8:30

Thursday, July 8 Summer Starz: kids hour with the French Embassy at 6:00, live music by Marie Martin at 7:00, AZUR & ASMUR (Michel Ocelot, 2006) at sunset, East River State Park

Thursday, July 8 Summer of Music: the Maysles Institute presents Afro-Haitian jazz with Buyu Ambroise, 7:00, and I BRING WHAT I LOVE (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, 2008), 8:30, Morningside Park lower lawn

Thursday, July 8 Movies with a View: ANNIE HALL (Woody Allen, 1977), with DJ Ursula 1000, Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 8:00 – 9:00

Friday, July 9 Passport Fridays: South Africa (World Cup Edition), with dance by S.A.G.A., live music by Tuelo Minah, and screening of STREETBALL (Demetrius Wren, 2010), Queens Museum, 6:30

Friday, July 9 Films on the Green: LOVE SONGS (Christophe Honoré, 2007), Tompkins Square Park, 8:30

Friday, July 9 River Flicks — Fridays for Kids: THE WIZARD OF OZ (Victor Fleming, 1939), Pier 46, Hudson River at Charles St., 8:30

Saturday, July 10 Outdoor Summer Movie Series: ZOOLANDER (Ben Stiller, 2001), Firefighters’ Field, Roosevelt Island, 8:30

Monday, July 12 ImageNation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: Black Sheep, 7:30, and GOOD HAIR (Jeff Stilson, 2009), 8:30, St. Nicholas Park

Monday, July 12 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: MY MAN GODFREY (Gregory La Cava, 1936), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00

Tuesday, July 13 Red Hook Summer Movies: THE GOONIES (Richard Donner, 1985), Valentino Pier, 8:30

Wednesday, July 14 Outdoor Cinema Ireland: THE SECRET OF KELLS (Tom Moore & Nora Twomey, 2009), live music at 7:00, Socrates Sculpture Park, film at sunset

Wednesday, July 14 Summer of Music: the Maysles Institute presents the National Jazz Museum All-Stars, 7:00, and NINA SIMONE GREAT PERFORMANCES: COLLEGE CONCERTS AND INTERVIEWS (Andy Stroud, 2009), Marcus Garvey Park lawn

Wednesday, July 14 Movies Under the Stars — Tall Tales: PAN’S LABYRINTH (Guillermo del Toro, 2007), 8:30

Wednesday, July 14 Summerscreen: live music with Mirror Mirror and Light Asylum, 6:15, followed by LABYRINTH (Jim Henson, 1986), McCarren Park ball fields, dusk

Wednesday, July 14 Brooklyn Film Works: GIRL SHY (Fred C. Newmeyer & Sam Taylor, 1924), Old Stone House, Washington Park, JJ Byrne Playground, 8:30

Wednesday, July 14 River Flicks — Wednesdays for Grown-Ups: I LOVE YOU, MAN (John Hamburg, 2009), Pier 54, Hudson River at West 14th St., 8:30

Thursday, July 15 Summer Starz: kids hour with the Brooklyn Children’s Museum at 6:00, live music by the Click Clack Boom at 7:00, BOLT (Byron Howard & Chris Williams, 2008) at sunset, East River State Park

Thursday, July 15 ImageNation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: Jeremy Jones, 7:30, and STILL BILL (Damani Baker & Alex Vlack, 2009), 8:30, St. Nicholas Park

Thursday, July 15 Movies with a View: MONSTERS VS. ALIENS 3D (Rob Letterman & Conrad Vernon, 2009), with DJ Lupe Loop, Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 8:00 – 9:00

Friday, July 16 Passport Fridays: Colombia & Ecuador, with dance by Estampas Negras, live music by GeoPro and ACES and Diego Obregon & Grupo Chonta, and screenings of WE PAINT HOUSES, WITH PAINT! (Celectivo El Deposito & Juan Zabala, 2008), THE HOUSE OF THE STIFF CAT (Nancy Burneo Salazar, 2009), and FREKUENCIA KOLOMBIA (Vanessa Goksch, 2009), Queens Museum, 6:30

Friday, July 16 River Flicks — Fridays for Kids: CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF MEATBALLS (Phil Lord & Chris Miller, 2009), Pier 46, Hudson River at Charles St., 8:30

Friday, July 16 Films on the Green: TOSCA: THE MOVIE (Benoît Jacquot, 2001), Cedar Hill, Central Park, 8:30

Monday, July 19 ImageNation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: Nokie Henry, 7:30, and FREEDOM RIDERS (Stanley Nelson, 2009), 8:30, St. Nicholas Park

Monday, July 19 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: THE CHINA SYNDROME (James Bridges, 1979), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00)

Tuesday, July 20 Red Hook Summer Movies: DEEP BLUE SEA (Renny Harlin, 1999), Valentino Pier, 8:30

Wednesday, July 21 Outdoor Cinema Sweden: Swedish Short Films, live music at 7:00, Socrates Sculpture Park, film at sunset

Wednesday, July 21 Summerscreen: ROMEO + JULIET (Baz Luhrmann, 1996), preceded by live music, McCarren Park ball fields, dusk

Wednesday, July 21 Movies Under the Stars — Tall Tales: INKHEART (Iain Softley, 2009), 8:30

Wednesday, July 21 Brooklyn Film Works: Asbury Films Short Film Concert, Old Stone House, Washington Park, JJ Byrne Playground, 8:30

Wednesday, July 21 River Flicks — Wednesdays for Grown-Ups: THE PROPOSAL (Anne Fletcher, 2009), Pier 54, Hudson River at West 14th St., 8:30

Thursday, July 22 Summer Starz: kids hour with the New York Road Runners at 6:00, live music by the Backroad at 7:00, NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM (Shawn Levy, 2006) at sunset, East River State Park

Thursday, July 22 Celebrate Brooklyn!: “The Chaplin Mutuals,” with Carl Davis conducting the Brooklyn Philharmonic through live accompaniment to Charlie Chaplin’s EASY STREET, 1:00 AM, and BEHIND THE SCREEN, with the Two Man Gentlemen Band opening the show, 7:30

There should be plenty of rolling at outdoor screening of Coen brothers classic in Brooklyn Bridge Park on July 22

Thursday, July 22 Movies with a View: THE BIG LEBOWSKI (Joel Coen, 1998), with DJ Cosmo Baker, Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 8:00 – 9:00

Friday, July 23 Passport Fridays: South Korea, with dance byVongKu’s Traditional Korean Drum & dance Troupe, live music by the Blue & White, and screening of CASTAWAY ON THE MOON (Lee Hae-jun, 2009), Queens Museum, 6:30

Friday, July 23 River Flicks — Fridays for Kids: THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER (Jim Henson, 1981), Pier 46, Hudson River at Charles St., 8:30

Saturday, July 24 Outdoor Summer Movie Series: TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (Steve Barron, 1990), Firefighters’ Field, Roosevelt Island, 8:30

Monday, July 26 ImageNation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: live music tba, 7:30, and EL ESPIRITU DE LA SALSA (Francisco Bello & Tim Sternberg, 2010), 8:30, St. Nicholas Park

Monday, July 26 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (Terry Jones, 1975), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00)

Tuesday, July 27 Red Hook Summer Movies: BIG WEDNESDAY (John Milius, 1978), Valentino Pier, 8:30

Wednesday, July 28 Outdoor Cinema Czech Republic: DAISIES (Vera Chytilová, 1966), live music at 7:00, Socrates Sculpture Park, film at sunset

Wednesday, July 28 ImageNation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: DJA-RARA, 7:30, and THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WATER (Jeremy Robins, 2008), 8:30, St. Nicholas Park

Wednesday, July 28 Movies Under the Stars — Tall Tales: THE FALL (Tarsem Singh, 2008), 8:30

Wednesday, July 28 Brooklyn Film Works: Piper Film Workshop, Old Stone House, Washington Park, JJ Byrne Playground, 8:30

Wednesday, July 28 Summerscreen: DEAD MAN (Jim Jarmusch, 1995), preceded by live music from Hymns, McCarren Park ball fields, dusk

Wednesday, July 28 River Flicks — Wednesdays for Grown-Ups: DISTRICT 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009), Pier 54, Hudson River at West 14th St., 8:30

Thursday, July 29 ImageNation Outdoor Film & Music Festival: DJ Cool Gee, 7:30, and THE PRINCESS & THE FROG (Ron Clements, 2009), 8:30, St. Nicholas Park

Thursday, July 29 River to River — Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: BROADWAY DANNY ROSE (Woody Allen, 1984), preceded by short films by Alex Kalman and Josh Safdie, 55 Water St. between Broad & William Sts., 8:00 (tickets available starting at 6:00)

Thursday, July 29 Summer Starz: kids hour with El Puente at 6:00, live music by New York’s Finest Jazz Ensemble at 7:00, FINDING NEMO (Andrew Stanton, 2003) at sunset, East River State Park

Thursday, July 29 Movies with a View: REAR WINDOW (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954), with DJ DRM, Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 8:00 – 9:00

Friday, July 30 Passport Fridays: Taiwan, with dance by Sun Son Theater, live music by the Formosa Chamber Music Society, and screening of ORZBOYZ! (Ya-che Yang, 2008), Queens Museum, 6:30

Friday, July 30 River Flicks — Fridays for Kids: MONSTERS VS. ALIENS (Rob Letterman & Conrad Vernon, 2009), Pier 46, Hudson River at Charles St., 8:30

Monday, August 2 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: ROSEMARY’S BABY (Roman Polanski, 1968), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00)

Monday, August 2 Waterside Movie Nights: SPIDER-MAN (Sam Raimi, 2002), Waterside Plaza, 23rd St. & FDR Dr., 8:30

Tuesday, August 3 Red Hook Summer Movies: JAWS (Steven Spielberg, 1975), Valentino Pier, 8:30

Wednesday, August 4 Outdoor Cinema India: SITA SINGS THE BLUES (Nina Paley, 2008), live music at 7:00, Socrates Sculpture Park, film at sunset

Wednesday, August 4 Movies Under the Stars — Tall Tales: BIG FISH (Tim Burton, 2004), 8:30

Wednesday, August 4 River Flicks — Wednesdays for Grown-Ups: JULIE & JULIA (Nora Ephron, 2009), Pier 54, Hudson River at West 14th St., 8:30

Wednesday, August 4 Summerscreen: STARSHIP TROOPERS (Paul Verhoeven, 1997), preceded by live music, McCarren Park ball fields, dusk

Thursday, August 5 Summer Starz: kids hour with Rock City Theatrics at 6:00, live music by Opus Ditty at 7:00, ALADDIN (Ron Clements & John Musker, 1992) at sunset, East River State Park

Thursday, August 5 River to River — Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: AUNTIE MAME (Morton DaCosta,1958), preceded by a short film by Cheryl Dunn, 55 Water St. between Broad & William Sts., 8:00 (tickets available starting at 6:00)

Thursday, August 5 Movies with a View: BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (Ang Lee, 2005), with DJ Soulstatic, Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 8:00 – 9:00

Friday, August 6 Passport Fridays: Middle East, with dance by Sramzi El-Edlibi Dabke Dance Group, live music by Salaam Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, and screening of AMREEKA (Cherien Debis), Queens Museum, 6:30

Friday, August 6 Celebrate Brooklyn!: House of Usher: Marco Benevento, White Magic, 7:30

Friday, August 6 Intrepid Summer Movie Series — Heroes of the Big Screen: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (Steven Spielberg, 1981), Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, dusk

Friday, August 6 River Flicks — Fridays for Kids: BIG (Penny Marshall, 1988, Pier 46, Hudson River at Charles St., 8:30

Saturday, August 7 Outdoor Summer Movie Series: CONSPIRACY THEORY (Richard Donner, 1997), Firefighters’ Field, Roosevelt Island, 8:30

Monday, August 9 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: THE GOODBYE GIRL (Herbert Ross, 1977), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00)

Monday, August 9 Waterside Movie Nights: SUPERMAN (Richard Donner, 1978), Waterside Plaza, 23rd St. & FDR Dr., 8:30

Tuesday, August 10 Red Hook Summer Movies: THE SECRET OF ROAN INISH (John Sayles, 1994), Valentino Pier, 8:30

Wednesday, August 11 Outdoor Cinema Italy: MID-AUGUST LUNCH (Gianni De Gregorio, 2010), live music at 7:00, Socrates Sculpture Park, film at sunset

Wednesday, August 11 River Flicks — Wednesdays for Grown-Ups: PUBLIC ENEMIES (Michael Mann, 2009), Pier 54, Hudson River at West 14th St., 8:30

Wednesday, August 11 Movies Under the Stars — Tall Tales: STRANGER THAN FICTION (Marc Forster, 2006), 8:30

Wednesday, August 11 Summerscreen: POINT BREAK (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991), preceded by live music, McCarren Park ball fields, dusk

Thursday, August 12 Summer Starz: kids hour with New York Creative Arts Therapists at 6:00, live music at 7:00, THE LION KING (Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff, 1994) at sunset, East River State Park

Thursday, August 12 River to River — Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: THE COUNTRY GIRL (George Seaton, 1954), preceded by short films by Alexandra Lerman, 55 Water St. between Broad & William Sts., 8:00 (tickets available starting at 6:00)

Thursday, August 12 Movies with a View: DREAMGIRLS (Bill Condon, 2006), with DJ Conquerrah, Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 8:00 – 9:00

Friday, August 13 Passport Fridays: Brazil, with dance by Carioca Capoeira, live music by Quenia Ribeiro, and screening of THE MAN WHO BOTTLED THE CLOUDS (Liro Ferreira, 2009), Queens Museum, 6:30

Friday, August 13 River Flicks — Fridays for Kids: ICE AGE: DAWN OF THE DINOSAURS (Carlos Saldanha, 2009), Pier 46, Hudson River at Charles St., 8:30

Friday, August 13 The Vault of Horror Flicks: INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS (Don Siegel, 1956), Tony Dapolito Recreation Center rooftop, 3 Clarkson St., 8:30

Monday, August 16 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: 12 ANGRY MEN (Sidney Lumet, 1957), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00)

Monday, August 16 Waterside Movie Nights: SPY KIDS (Robert Rodriguez, 2001), Waterside Plaza, 23rd St. & FDR Dr., 8:30

Tuesday, August 17 Red Hook Summer Movies: SPLASH (Ron Howard, 1984), Valentino Pier, 8:30

Wednesday, August 18 Outdoor Cinema Colombia: THE WIND’S JOURNEY (Ciro Guerra, 2009), live music at 7:00, Socrates Sculpture Park, film at sunset

Wednesday, August 18 Summerscreen: SAY ANYTHING (Cameron Crowe, 1989), preceded by live music, McCarren Park ball fields, dusk

Wednesday, August 18 River Flicks — Wednesdays for Grown-Ups: STAR TREK (J. J. Abrams, 2009), Pier 54, Hudson River at West 14th St., 8:30

Thursday, August 19 River to River — Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: THE MUPPETS TAKE MANHATTAN (Frank Oz, 1984), preceded by a short film by Jay Hufford, 55 Water St. between Broad & William Sts., 8:00 (tickets available starting at 6:00)

Thursday, August 19 Movies with a View: THE BLUES BROTHERS (John Landis, 1980), with DJ Soulstatic, Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 8:00 – 9:00

Friday, August 20 Intrepid Summer Movie Series — Heroes of the Big Screen: ROCKY (John G. Avildsen, 1976), Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, dusk

Friday, August 20 River Flicks — Fridays for Kids: ANNIE (John Huston, 1982), Pier 46, Hudson River at Charles St., 8:30

Friday, August 20 The Vault of Horror Flicks: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (George A. Romero, 1968), Tony Dapolito Recreation Center rooftop, 3 Clarkson St., 8:30

Saturday, August 21 Outdoor Summer Movie Series: NIGHTHAWKS (Bruce Malmuth, 1981), Firefighters’ Field, Roosevelt Island, 8:30

Monday, August 23 Bryant Park Summer Film Festival: BONNIE AND CLYDE (Arthur Penn, 1967), Bryant Park Lawn, 8:00-9:00 (lawn opens at 5:00)

Monday, August 23 Waterside Movie Nights: THE INCREDIBLES (Brad Bird, 2004), Waterside Plaza, 23rd St. & FDR Dr., 8:30

Tuesday, August 24 Central Park Conservancy Film Festival — Iconic New York: FAME (Alan Parker, 1980), Central Park, north of Sheep Meadow, behind Mineral Springs, 8:00

Tuesday, August 24 Red Hook Summer Movies: CABIN BOY (Adam Resnick, 1994), Valentino Pier, 8:30

Wednesday, August 25 Central Park Conservancy Film Festival — Iconic New York: THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 (Tony Scott, 2009), Central Park, north of Sheep Meadow, behind Mineral Springs, 8:00

Thursday, August 26 Central Park Conservancy Film Festival — Iconic New York: SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (John Badham, 1977), Central Park, north of Sheep Meadow, behind Mineral Springs, 8:00

Thursday, August 26 Movies with a View: INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (Steven Spielberg, 1989), Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 8:00 – 9:00

Friday, August 27 Lawn Chair Theater: SHARK TALE (Bibo Bergeron, Vicky Jenson, and Rob Letterman, 2004), Salt Marsh Nature Center, Marine Park, 8:00

Friday, August 27 Central Park Conservancy Film Festival — Iconic New York: KING KONG (Merian C. Cooper & Ernest B. Schoedsack, 1933), Central Park, north of Sheep Meadow, behind Mineral Springs, 8:00

Friday, August 27 The Vault of Horror Flicks: ROSEMARY’S BABY (Roman Polanski, 1968), Tony Dapolito Recreation Center rooftop, 3 Clarkson St., 8:30

Saturday, August 28 Central Park Conservancy Film Festival — Iconic New York: SERENDIPITY (Peter Chelsom, 2001) or MANHATTAN (Woody Allen, 1979), Central Park, north of Sheep Meadow, behind Mineral Springs, 8:00

Tuesday, August 31 Red Hook Summer Movies: THE PRINCESS & THE FROG (Ron Clements & John Musker, 2009), Valentino Pier, 8:30

Thursday, September 2 Movies with a View: public vote for film, with DJ to be announced, Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, 8:00 – 9:00

Tuesday, September 7 Red Hook Summer Movies: THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (Wes Anderson, 2004), Valentino Pier, 8:30

Friday, September 10 Lawn Chair Theater: WINGED MIGRATION (Jacques Perrin, 2001), Salt Marsh Nature Center, Marine Park, 8:00

Tuesday, September 14 Red Hook Summer Movies: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN (Gore Verbinski, 2003), Valentino Pier, 8:30

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FILM FESTIVAL

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s 12th & DELAWARE opens the 2010 Human Rights Watch Film Festival

Film Society of Lincoln Center
Walter Reade Theater, 165 West 65th St. at Amsterdam Ave.
June 10-24
Tickets: $12, five-film pass $50
212-875-5601
www.hrw.org
www.filmlinc.com

When it comes right down to it, most film festivals are really unnecessary. Sure, it’s fun for a bunch of cineastes, us included, to catch the latest indie flick or foreign epic, but it’s also often an excuse for the glitterati to look fabulous and attend ultrahip after-parties. But there’s at least one film festival that is not only necessary but also essential: the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, which begins June 10 at Lincoln Center with a benefit screening of Robert Connolly’s THE BALIBO CONSPIRACY, set in 1975 East Timor, and continues through June 24, showing seventeen features and several shorts. Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s 12th & DELAWARE, about the battle between an abortion clinic and a pro-life center across the street from each other, opens the festival on June 10, while Roberto Hernández and Geoffrey Smith’s PRESUMED GUILTY, a harrowing tale of wrongful imprisonment in Mexico, closes things out on June 24. Raoul Peck’s MOLOCH TROPICAL, a political drama about his native Haiti, is the centerpiece selection. Other works examine the Angola 3, the murder of women in Ciudad Juárez, same-sex marriage, disappearances during the Khmer Rouge siege of Cambodia, immigration reform, the farmer suicide epidemic in India, and other conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, and the halls of Congress. For more than two decades, the HRWFF has been presenting fiction and nonfiction films that, together, form a kind of shocking world news report, sharing unbelievable stories that we should be reading about in newspapers and on the Internet and watching on the news instead of waiting for these films each year. Many of the screenings are followed by panel discussions or Q&As with the filmmakers and participants. (Keep watching twi-ny for upcoming reviews of several festival films.)

EAT THIS FILM! FAST FOOD NATION

FAST FOOD NATION (Richard Linklater, 2006)
92YTribeca
200 Hudson St.
Wednesday, June 9, $12, 7:30
Series runs monthly through September 15
212-601-1000
www.foxsearchlight.com/fastfoodnation
www.92y.org

Back in 1998, we read an amazing two-part article in Rolling Stone that has kept us out of fast-food burger joints for years, with no intention of ever going back. In 2001, National Magazine Award winner Eric Schlosser turned his investigative series into the bestselling book FAST FOOD NATION: THE DARK SIDE OF THE ALL-AMERICAN MEAL. Schlosser then teamed up with writer-director Richard Linklater — whose diverse credits include SLACKER, DAZED AND CONFUSED, BEFORE SUNSET, SCHOOL OF ROCK, and A SCANNER DARKLY — for a fictionalized version of Schlosser’s reporting. Weaving together a series of interrelated stories, Linklater, who cowrote the screenplay with Schlosser, tackles such controversial themes as corporate greed, illegal border crossings, occupational safety, animal abuse, and marketing to children in a surprisingly lifeless way, despite the toxic subject matter. Greg Kinnear stars as Don Anderson, a marketing chief at Mickey’s who is sent to the company’s meatpacking plant in Cody, Colorado, to find out why feces has been found in the fast-food chain’s Big One burger. Wilmer Valderrama plays Raul, a Mexican with a dream of making a new life in America; he has crossed the border illegally with his wife, Sylvia (Catalina Sandino Moreno), Sylvia’s sister, Coco (Ana Claudia Talancon), and others. Raul gets a disgusting job at the plant, while Coco falls prey to the sexual advances of racist plant boss Mike (Bobby Cannavale). Meanwhile, Amber (Ashley Johnson) is a dedicated Mickey’s employee, serving burgers to earn money for college — until she meets Paco (Lou Taylor Pucci) and a group of environmentalist college students planning an act of protest against the chain. The all-star cast — which also includes Luis Guzman, Kris Kristofferson, Ethan Hawke, Dana Wheeler-Nicholson, Patricia Arquette, Esai Morales, Avril Lavigne, and Bruce Willis — turns in fine work, but the movie never quite becomes as compelling as such cinematic predecessors as TRAFFIC and SILKWOOD. Although the filmmakers claim otherwise, the film is too black and white, with obvious good guys and bad guys — but there are likely to be a lot more vegetarians in America after the relentlessly bloody ending.

But you don’t have to take our word for it. On June 9, Linklater and Schlosser will be at 92YTribeca for a special screening, followed by a Q&A. The film kicks off the Y’s summer series Eat This Film!, which continues July 14 with Péter Kerekes’s COOKING HISTORY (2009), August 11 with Ermanno Olmi’s TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS (1978), and September 15 with Ilisa Barbash and Lucien Castaing-Taylor’s SWEETGRASS (2009), all of which will include pre- and/or postscreening discussions with a variety of experts. Happy eating!

PLEASE GIVE

Catherine Keener and Oliver Platt star in Nicole Holofcener’s latest

PLEASE GIVE (Nicole Holofcener, 2010)
www.sonyclassics.com/pleasegive

Writer-director Nicole Holofcener’s PLEASE GIVE is a nearly flawless portrait of a couple of quirky New York City families who come together in strange, awkward ways. Kate (Catherine Keener) and Alex (Oliver Platt) resell furniture they buy from the relatives of the recently deceased; they are particularly eager for the old lady next door, Andra (Ann Guilbert, Millie Helper from THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW), to pass on so they can knock down the walls and expand their own apartment. Sweet and innocent Rebecca (Rebecca Hall), a mammogram technician, has sacrificed any personal life she might have by taking care of her grandmother despite Andra’s nasty, mean-spirited nature. Rebecca’s sister, Mary (Amanda Peet), who gives facials at a beauty salon, doesn’t seem to care that Andra’s about to kick the bucket and isn’t afraid to say that to her face. And Abby (Sarah Steele), Kate and Alex’s teen daughter, is furious that her mother won’t buy her expensive jeans yet constantly hands out plenty of money to neighborhood bums and a local transvestite. Holofcener (WALKING AND TALKING, LOVELY & AMAZING) has a great ear for dialogue and an innate sense of creating realistic, believable situations, nailing each character’s dilemmas as their stories all converge. The central focus is on Kate, who desperately wants to make the world a better place but is having difficulty figuring just how she might be able to do that, continually seeking volunteer opportunities that end up being just too painful for her. PLEASE GIVE is a wonderful, engaging film that will be especially endearing for New York City audiences.

WHIZ KIDS

Kelydra Welcker is one of three high school scientists profiled in WHIZ KIDS (courtesy Sandbar Pictures)

WHIZ KIDS (Tom Shepard, 2010)
Cinema Village
22 East 12th St.
Opens Friday, June 4
212-924-3363
www.whizkidsmovie.com
www.cinemavillage.com

In case you’re worried about the next generation of Americans, WHIZ KIDS shows that there are plenty of intelligent, ambitious teenagers around the country looking to better themselves and, more importantly, the planet. Working with Tina DiFeliciantonio (LIVING WITH AIDS) and Jane C. Wagner, Tom Shepard (SCOUT’S HONOR) spent a year following three high school students as they prepared for the annual Intel Science Talent Search: Long Island botanist Ana Cisneros, West Virginia environmental scientist Kelydra Welcker, and Staten Island paleontologist Harmain Khan. Through school and regional competitions up through the grand finale in Washington, DC, Shepard, himself a 1987 finalist, gets the protagonists to share their hopes and dreams, their fears and failures. As much as each teenager wants to win the prestigious talent search, which was famously previously sponsored by Westinghouse, they also need to win, as the $100,000 prize would help them afford to go to an Ivy League institution. Welcker’s story is particularly fascinating and frustrating, as an important regional science fair, partly sponsored by DuPont, is curiously canceled immediately after news of her project, which involves a new way of cleaning water possibly contaminated by a DuPont Teflon factory, becomes public. One of the most exciting parts of the documentary, which has nothing to do with Kelydra, Ana, and Harmain, depicts the wild and woolly final minutes leading up to the Intel application deadline, when procrastinating students must get their papers in no later than 11:59, no exceptions of any kind allowed. Treading carefully to avoid becoming yet another reality-show movie, WHIZ KIDS winds up being a rather smart, enlightening film that opens, appropriately enough, while the World Science Festival is in New York.