Matthew Modine will be at Solar One on August 25 to present several of his short films, including the trailer for JESUS WAS A COMMIE (photo by Harry Borden)
Solar One
East 23rd St. & the FDR Dr.
Thursday, August 25, free, 8:00
www.greenedgenyc.org
www.solar1.org
The Solar-Powered Film Series continues on August 25 with a special evening with actor, activist, filmmaker, photographer, Bicycle for a Day founder, writer, and New York Knicks fan Matthew Modine. The star of such films as Birdy, Full Metal Jacket, and Memphis Belle will be at Solar One on Thursday night, presenting several of his short works, which he served in various configurations as writer, editor, director, cinematographer, and/or producer. Among the selections are When I Was a Boy, made with Todd Field; Smoking, a collaboration with David Sedaris; Ecce Pirate, which stars Chris Masterson; as well as To Kill an American, I Think I Thought, and the trailer for his next short, Jesus Was a Commie. Modine will participate in an audience Q&A and signing afterward. The series, organized by Solar One with Green Edge NYC, continues August 26 with Peter Bull’s Dirty Business, which looks at clean coal, and August 27 with Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s Home, narrated by Glenn Close.
Eating, drinking, and going to the movies — three great things that go great together. In 2007, Dieter Kosslick, the Culinary Cineaste and director of the Berlin International Film Festival, introduced the series “Eat, Drink, See Movies” to the Berlinale, pairing films with specific meals. The German Slow Foodie has now put together a similar program for the Museum of Modern Art, teaming up with Gabriel Kreuther, executive chef of the Modern, to offer special drinks and dishes to accompany screenings of food-related films from MoMA’s vast library. First up is Stanley Tucci’s Big Night, screening tonight at 7:00, with Sepia Risotto with Gold Leaf added to the Modern’s menu. For the merlot-intensive Sideways (August 24 & 26), the Modern will be serving “Three Expressions of Pinot Noir, Paired with Charcuterie,” including Domaine Cornu “Les Barigards” with Vella Dry Jack Cheese, Becker Pinot Noir Estate with Iberico Ham, and Copain Gouttes d’Art with Quail Terrine. Alexander Payne’s fourth film, following the underseen Citizen Ruth, the excellent Election, and the overrated About Schmidt, is fabulously entertaining from start to finish, a smart, inventive, very funny dark comedy about friendship and love set in California wine country. Paul Giamatti stars as Miles, a schlumpy wine connoisseur who is having trouble getting over his divorce and the failure of his massive novel to get published. His best friend, Jack (Thomas Haden Church), is getting married, so the two head off on a road trip, with Miles looking forward to sampling fine wine, and Jack anticipating sampling fine women. While Jack finds what he is looking for in Stephanie (Sandra Oh, who was married to Payne at the time), Miles seems hell-bent on not allowing himself to enjoy life, even as a beautiful woman with a deep appreciation of the grape (the excellent Virginia Madsen in what should have been a career-redefining performance) shows an interest in him. You definitely do not have to be a wine drinker to fall in love with this marvelous movie, one of the best of 2004; it was nominated for Best Director, Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress (Madsen), and Best Supporting Actor (Haden Church), and screenwriters Jim Taylor and Payne won for Best Adapted Screenplay.
One of the ultimate cult classics and the best bowling movie ever, the Coen brothers’ The Big Lebowski has built up such a following since its 1998 release that fans now gather every year for Lebowski Fest, where they honor all things Dude. This time around they’ll be partying even harder, celebrating the August 16 release of the limited-edition Blu-Ray at a pair of special events. On August 15, Achievers can go bowling at Chelsea Piers and take part in costume and trivia contests. The next night, the movie will be screened at the Hammerstein Ballroom, followed by a Q&A with stars Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, and Julianne Moore and music impresario T Bone Burnett, as well as other festivities. As far as the film itself goes, if you’ve never seen it, well, this would be a fine time to finally catch this intricately weaved gem. Bridges is awesome as the Dude, a laid-back cool cat who gets sucked into a noirish plot of jealousy, murder, money, mistaken identity, and messy carpets. Moore is excellent as free spirit Maude, Tara Reid struts her stuff as Bunny, and Peter Stormare, Flea, and Torsten Voges are a riot as a trio of nihilists. Also on hand are Philip Seymour Hoffman, David Huddleston, Aimee Mann, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, David Thewlis, Sam Elliott, Ben Gazzara, Jon Polito, and other crazy characters, but the film really belongs to the Dude and his fellow bowlers Jesus Quintana (John Turturro, who is so dirty he is completely cut out of the television version), Donny (Buscemi), and Walter (Goodman), who refuses to roll on Shabbos. And through it all, one thing always holds true: The Dude abides. (August 16 also marks the release of Bridges’s latest CD, which he will be signing August 18 at 6:30 at the B&N at 555 Fifth and 46th St.; please note that he will not be signing anything else, including Blu-Ray copies of The Big Lebowski.)