Le Rêve Américain
8 years ago
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
A GLEANER'S DINNER
My big news to report on cheap eats is Vanessa's Cafe on 220 E 14th St. This no ambiance Chinese bubble tea joint serves up an in-house special Wednesday to Friday after 3PM. An order of pan fried pork dumplings (6-7 in an order) is only $1.40, tax included. The dumplings are fresh, juicy and tasty and I find myself gravitating to this corner of the city when I am in 'town' just to take advantage of this bargain. CHECK IT OUT!!
On a more local level I'd like to welcome the opening of Wine Life SI. On the bustling hip strip of Van Duzer (at Beach), this wine shop offers up a tasty and provocative collection. The inventory may be 'limited' due to the size of the space but the selection is thoughtful and well-balanced. All the wines are excellent for their price point. Most wines are priced under $20!
Vee and staff have pointed me in the direction of more than one new vineyard with which I've been delightfully impressed. A few new favorites include the La Martina Malbec, the Chateau Brun Labrie Bordeaux (oh so drinkable), and an organic Kimmeridgien Chardonnay from France which has replaced Chateau Montelina's Chard as my new favor; no oak, crisp, a nice mix of mineral and fruit. Don't overlook the Primaterra Pinot Grigio; in regular or economic size its delightfully refreshing for a PG, not too acidic with some lovely peachy after-notes. And under $10 for 750ml!!
On a more local level I'd like to welcome the opening of Wine Life SI. On the bustling hip strip of Van Duzer (at Beach), this wine shop offers up a tasty and provocative collection. The inventory may be 'limited' due to the size of the space but the selection is thoughtful and well-balanced. All the wines are excellent for their price point. Most wines are priced under $20!
Vee and staff have pointed me in the direction of more than one new vineyard with which I've been delightfully impressed. A few new favorites include the La Martina Malbec, the Chateau Brun Labrie Bordeaux (oh so drinkable), and an organic Kimmeridgien Chardonnay from France which has replaced Chateau Montelina's Chard as my new favor; no oak, crisp, a nice mix of mineral and fruit. Don't overlook the Primaterra Pinot Grigio; in regular or economic size its delightfully refreshing for a PG, not too acidic with some lovely peachy after-notes. And under $10 for 750ml!!
Friday, August 20, 2010
FILM FRIDAY
It s a big weekend for Film Forum this weekend, the home of the new the novel and the classic. A FILM UNFINISHED has been receiving rave reviews and THE RADIANT CHILD is still held over, but for me this weekend offers the chance to see Hitchcock's DIAL m FOR MURDER in 3-D. The master visual composer, you cannot truly appreciate this film unless its seen in its original 3-D release. Hitch shrewdly and expertly understood what the depth of field that 3-D could allowed him to add to his storytelling abilities and once you see the flawless Grace Kelly 'knife' her attacker in the back you'll understand what I mean. The courtroom scenes will make much more sense to the 2-D viewer as well. WORTH EVERY PENNY!!
Once again TCM's SUMMER UNDER THE STARS has boffled up its programming schedule; Katherine Hepburn is featured today but nothing of real substance and fun is scheduled until after midnight tonight: BRINGING UP BABY, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY & SUMMERTIME in a row. The last, David Lean's gorgeous ode to Venice and lost love is truly lost to most viewers at 4AM.
Paul Newman is featured on Saturday and they have a nice string of films at a reasonable hour; CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at 1:45 PM is a watered down version of Tennessee William's stage play but feature A+ performances by Liz Taylor, Burl Ives, Judith Anderson and the always oily Jack Carson. This is followed by HUD (in glorious Black & White by James Wong Howe), HARPER, and THE STING. Once again in the 4AM slot another gem SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH with Geraldine Page!
John Mills is featured Sunday with one of my all-time favorite films HOBSON'S CHOICE at 8AM. Another early David Lean under-appreciated classic features Charles Laughton in the title role of Henry Horatio Hobson. Mills is delightfully naive as his talented boot hand, William Mossop and Brenda DeBanzie as Hobson's eldest daughter Maggie, determined not to remain a spinster. It also features a young Prunella Scales (of Fawlty Towers fame) as the youngest of Hobon';s daughters, Vicky.
Not to put down John Mills but why isnt Elizabeth Taylor, featured on Monday with a great list of films, scheduled on a weekend when most people have time to enjoy them? Hmmmmmm?
Once again TCM's SUMMER UNDER THE STARS has boffled up its programming schedule; Katherine Hepburn is featured today but nothing of real substance and fun is scheduled until after midnight tonight: BRINGING UP BABY, THE PHILADELPHIA STORY & SUMMERTIME in a row. The last, David Lean's gorgeous ode to Venice and lost love is truly lost to most viewers at 4AM.
Paul Newman is featured on Saturday and they have a nice string of films at a reasonable hour; CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF at 1:45 PM is a watered down version of Tennessee William's stage play but feature A+ performances by Liz Taylor, Burl Ives, Judith Anderson and the always oily Jack Carson. This is followed by HUD (in glorious Black & White by James Wong Howe), HARPER, and THE STING. Once again in the 4AM slot another gem SWEET BIRD OF YOUTH with Geraldine Page!
John Mills is featured Sunday with one of my all-time favorite films HOBSON'S CHOICE at 8AM. Another early David Lean under-appreciated classic features Charles Laughton in the title role of Henry Horatio Hobson. Mills is delightfully naive as his talented boot hand, William Mossop and Brenda DeBanzie as Hobson's eldest daughter Maggie, determined not to remain a spinster. It also features a young Prunella Scales (of Fawlty Towers fame) as the youngest of Hobon';s daughters, Vicky.
Not to put down John Mills but why isnt Elizabeth Taylor, featured on Monday with a great list of films, scheduled on a weekend when most people have time to enjoy them? Hmmmmmm?
Friday, August 13, 2010
FILM FRIDAY
Since I don't get out to see first run films as much as I once did and I want to keep this blog active and alive, so I've decided I'll share some screening info and thoughts on some interesting films of note this weekend:
Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999) Errol Morris' fascinating study of American Hubris is available on demand from Cinemax. Morris' distance and restraint allow us to follow this "high speed car crash" of a life. You can see it happening and you can't quite take your eyes off of it. Morris is clever enough to blink for us occasionally with quick flashes of black screen. Leuchter displays a classic case of American "naiveté" gone horribly horribly wrong. A beautifully photographed moral lesson I can watch over and over.
Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999) Errol Morris' fascinating study of American Hubris is available on demand from Cinemax. Morris' distance and restraint allow us to follow this "high speed car crash" of a life. You can see it happening and you can't quite take your eyes off of it. Morris is clever enough to blink for us occasionally with quick flashes of black screen. Leuchter displays a classic case of American "naiveté" gone horribly horribly wrong. A beautifully photographed moral lesson I can watch over and over.
9 (2009) This post-apocalyptic animated film written (with Pamela Pettler) and directed by Shane Acker is ruuning in the current airing schedule of Cinemax (also on-demand). Grizzly but not grotesque, the struggle of nine fabric-beings surviving in a world devoid of humans and menaced by techno-nature that becomes more and more horrific certainly provides us with all the usual spills and chills of a fantasy-adventure. I felt the film has some "issues" with its conclusion, but the beauty of this creepy dark parable keeps you watching.Beautifully render.
Summer Under the Stars on TCM will be featuring the films of Gene Tierney and Margaret O'Brien this weekend. I've never considered myself a huge fan of either lady but at 1PM on Tierney Saturday they are airing "The Shanghai Gesture" (1941) a Von Sternberg kitsch potboiler too silly for words. If you can make it up until 3:30AM (shouldn't that be Margaret's day already?) they will air "Advise and Consent" (1962) Otto Preminger's all-star DC intrigue feature Charles Laughton's final screen appearance as an oily Southern Senator. It is also renown for having one of the first cinematic scenes in a gay bar!
Regarding Ms. O'Brien Sunday, TCM has scheduled an nice stretch of films from 12:30PM until 8PM, including her first film "Journey for Margaret" (1942), followed by "The Canterville Ghost" (1944) with Charles Laughton (did I miss Laughton Day?) at 2PM, "Meet Me in St. Louis"(1944) with Judy Garland and a wonderfully taciturn Margaret at 3:45. "Little Women" and "The Secret Garden" (both from 1949) follow but after Judy well......
Once more to CineMax, to Women's CineMax Channel who will be showing Hitchcock's "Shadow of a Doubt" early Monday at 1:15AM. This portrait of evil festering in the bosom of his naive family, features a wonderfully unctuous Joseph Cotten as visiting Uncle Charlie, the Merry Widow Killer, a wonderful cast of character actors and a screenplay by Thorton Wilder. But it's Teresa Wright's performance as Young Charlie, her uncle's namesake, who delivers a wonderfully realized portrait of a girl becoming a woman, dragged into adulthood with the realization of her uncle's heinous crimes. Take a nap, have some coffee and enjoy.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
AN OPEN LETTER TO CARRIE BRADSHAW
dear ms parker,
I hope you have a moment from your busy schedule as actress, arbiter of taste, purveyor of style, mother, wife and putzfrau to read my plea.
STOP THE MADNESS!!
Ms. Parker I am sure as a proud New Yorker you are thoroughly aware of this city's exuberant cultural life. In particular, New York City has, for over half a century, been a center of contemporary art. Although I am not familiar with your personal collection and your particular tastes and preferences, I must tell you that your time, money and efforts would be better spent in the simple supportive act of purchasing artworks you like and providing a lively for a genuine “next great artist".
if the title of your show weren't repulsive enough, the idea of imposing a reality show competitiveness to a field that is so ruthlessly competitive and cut-throat has totally backfired.
Whereas chefs, fashion designers and hair stylists MUST continue to work and produce to survive, such a small percentage of visual artists make their livelihood through their work that the artist has the ability to not work.
Isn't it better to wait two weeks, two months, two years even in order to produce a work that is genuine in its inception and completion? I admit having a deadline has been able to help complete tasks and work I'm doing in a timely manner, but many the deadline has come and gone before because it was "just not right".
issues of performing under time restraints aside, the idea of throwing a group of artists into a studio together and giving them specific projects or challenges is merely a high-end version of grad school. all reality shows are simulacrums of high school. you have broken this cardinal rule, intently I'm sure. not everyone has gone to grad school, let alone experienced the petty insincerity of the candidates for an MFA.
and what will be come of this new "great artist"? well from eight seasons of Project Runway has anyone become the next Mark Jacobs? Where does the winner of Top Chef season 5 work now?
I wish the finalists all the best in their final show. they are all interesting talent artists. And after you have publicly embarrassed, shamed and hurt two of the three of them, I kneel hope and pray we will not be made to see you drag the fine arts into the ring for mud wrestling.
thank you
Reuben Sandwich
Minnie Van Driver
Jonathan Leiter
I hope you have a moment from your busy schedule as actress, arbiter of taste, purveyor of style, mother, wife and putzfrau to read my plea.
STOP THE MADNESS!!
Ms. Parker I am sure as a proud New Yorker you are thoroughly aware of this city's exuberant cultural life. In particular, New York City has, for over half a century, been a center of contemporary art. Although I am not familiar with your personal collection and your particular tastes and preferences, I must tell you that your time, money and efforts would be better spent in the simple supportive act of purchasing artworks you like and providing a lively for a genuine “next great artist".
if the title of your show weren't repulsive enough, the idea of imposing a reality show competitiveness to a field that is so ruthlessly competitive and cut-throat has totally backfired.
Whereas chefs, fashion designers and hair stylists MUST continue to work and produce to survive, such a small percentage of visual artists make their livelihood through their work that the artist has the ability to not work.
Isn't it better to wait two weeks, two months, two years even in order to produce a work that is genuine in its inception and completion? I admit having a deadline has been able to help complete tasks and work I'm doing in a timely manner, but many the deadline has come and gone before because it was "just not right".
issues of performing under time restraints aside, the idea of throwing a group of artists into a studio together and giving them specific projects or challenges is merely a high-end version of grad school. all reality shows are simulacrums of high school. you have broken this cardinal rule, intently I'm sure. not everyone has gone to grad school, let alone experienced the petty insincerity of the candidates for an MFA.
and what will be come of this new "great artist"? well from eight seasons of Project Runway has anyone become the next Mark Jacobs? Where does the winner of Top Chef season 5 work now?
I wish the finalists all the best in their final show. they are all interesting talent artists. And after you have publicly embarrassed, shamed and hurt two of the three of them, I kneel hope and pray we will not be made to see you drag the fine arts into the ring for mud wrestling.
thank you
Reuben Sandwich
Minnie Van Driver
Jonathan Leiter
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