This is the funniest thing we've heard on the local news since Ernie Anastos told the Fox 5 weatherman to "keep fucking that chicken." Rosanna Scotto is our new hero.
Other local news highlights after the jump:
Kyle Petersen, a professional juggler and circus variety performer, is participating in this Sunday's Five Borough Bike Tour on a unicycle -- all 41 miles of it.
Kyle will be riding for Maggie Russo, a wonderful little 2-year-old girl who developed retinoblastoma, "a form of eye cancer that effects about 300 kids in the United States every year and only 5,000 kids worldwide," and had to have her left eye removed. She will soon be fitted for a prosthetic eye, and hopefully, one day, get surgery to give her a "more lifelike implant."
Kyle's original intention in all of this was to raise money for Maggie's family and research to combat the cancer. However, at this point Kyle would just like you to know Maggie's story, the evils of retinoblastoma, and any other of the cancers that affect children every year.
If you'd like to donate or learn more about Kyle, Maggie, or retinoblastoma, you can read more here, here, here, here, or here.
Kudos to you Kyle on the Unicycle. We wish you the best!
Today, a cop who slammed a bicyclist off of his bike, and was guilty in the court of public opinion because of a conclusive youtube video that sealed the deal, was found not guilty of assault in court. However, he was convicted of filing a false criminal complaint against Christopher Long, a charge which Gothamist notes "carries the biggest penalty, up to four years in prison."
Time's Up! Statement reads as follows:
This guilty verdict should send a message to Bloomberg that he needs to direct Raymond Kelly to start training his officers in sensible procedures to safely deal with the growing presence of bikes on NYC streets. This case highlighted an extreme, but not isolated case of police harassment toward cyclists.
The next Critical Mass ride is, oh how convenient, tomorrow.
by Dave Thomas
Scarlett Johansson, Iron Man II
Either I'm getting too old for this, or this is the least exciting launch to blockbuster season since, um, last year.
MAY 7
IRON MAN 2
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
He hates Iron Man, duh-de-duh-de-duh-duh, Mick-ey Rourke!
WILL IT SUCK?
Jon Favreau is back and is a known and welcome quantity as a director. Justin Theroux only has one other screenplay under his belt, but it's Tropic Thunder so I'm satisfied. Whole cast (minus Terence Howard) is back plus Mickey Rourke, Sam Rockwell, Don Cheadle, and John Slattery.
Early buzz is mildly disappointed, but still happy.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Summer may blow its load early. Be surprised if anything actually beats this (Toy Story 3 or Twilight: Eclipse stand a chance). $444mil.
------------------------------------------------------
BABIES
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Doc about four babies growing up in Namibia, Mongolia, Japan, and the US, respectively.
WILL IT SUCK?
Hard to get a read on this one since not much is known about the filmmakers. That having been said, if you like babies, you'll get your fill. Cute trailer.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I don't know about releasing it wide, but this is certainly good counter-programming for Iron Man. $1mil.
------------------------------------------------------
MOTHER AND CHILD
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Ensemble drama about several mothers/would-be mothers (Annette Bening, Naomi Watts, Kerry Washington).
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. Writer/director Rodrigo Garcia's (Nine Lives, Things You Can Tell Just By Looking At Her) best work, sez IMDb users. Also starring Samuel L. Jackson, David Morse, Tatyana Ali, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jimmy Smits, Cherry Jones, and Shareeka Epps.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Really? You're going to release a movie called Mother and Child the same day as a movie called Babies. Actually, probably won't matter. $1mil.
------------------------------------------------------
CASINO JACK AND THE UNITED STATES OF MONEY
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) takes on Jack Abramoff. And Congress.
WILL IT SUCK?
This stars Paul Rudd as the voice of Michael Scanlon and Stanley Tucci as the voice of Jack Abramoff. I'm not sure what that means, but I want to find out. Early buzz is good, and Gibney knows his stuff.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Gibney's good, but he's not box office. $2mil.
------------------------------------------------------
SOLITARY MAN
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Man (Michael Douglas) bangs his girlfriend's (Mary Louise Parker) daughter while taking her to visit a college. Pretty much goes downhill for him from there.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. High praise for Douglas, who's joined by Jesse Eisenberg, Danny Devito, Susan Sarandon, Jenna Fischer and Richard Schiff. Writer/Directors Brian Koppelman and David Levian wrote Rounders, Runaway Jury, and Ocean's Thirteen (and co-wrote and directed Knockaround Guys, but the buzz is better than that).
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Indie Michael Douglas has not been a big draw so far. But at least they didn't release last year, where they'd have to content with Single and Serious men as well. $2mil.
------------------------------------------------------
MAY 14
------------------------------------------------------
ROBIN HOOD
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe go all Gladiator on this shit.
WILL IT SUCK?
This is Ridley Scott we're talking here, son. He rarely sucks. He does disappoint occasionally. Tell ya what. It'll look great. Brian Helgeland as often as not is on targtet w/ his screenplays (Mystic River, LA Confidential). Although I have my doubts that there's anything new to say about Robin Hood. And at least one early preview attendee was unimpressed.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Sandwiched between Iron Man 2 and Shrek Forever After is not a good place for even Russell Crowe to be. $82mil.
------------------------------------------------------
LETTERS TO JULIET
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Amanda Seyfried tries to help Vanessa Redgrave find her long lost love.
WILL IT SUCK?
Director Gary Winick hasn't exactly gotten back to his Tadpole roots yet, and this probably won't help. Still, he's working with a solid cast (Gael Garcia Bernal and Franco Nero are also up in here), and one of the writers did a bunch of Eerie, Pennsylvania eps and the other was one of the 50 or so writers on Flushed Away, so that's something, right?
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Good blockbuster counterprogramming, but Just Wright had the same idea. $60mil.
------------------------------------------------------
JUST WRIGHT
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Physcial therapist (Queen Latifah) falls for the basketball player (Common) she's treating.
WILL IT SUCK?
From director Sanaa Hamri, whose Something New and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 are supposed to be halfway decent. From writer Michael Elliot, whose Brown Sugar is probably better than his Like Mike, but you can see his basketball pedigree.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
While targeting a slightly different demo than Juliet, still a lot of crossover. $38mil.
------------------------------------------------------
MAY 21
------------------------------------------------------
SHREK FOREVER AFTER
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
It's a Wonderful Shrek
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is split, with audiences more in love than critics. This is not surprising, as it comes from the director of Surviving Christmas and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (and, to be fair, Sky High) and co-writers that span Date Night, Lost, and Shrek the Third. Keep an ear out for Jon Hamm and Jane Lynch.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
While Shrek the Third saw diminished returns, this one's in 3D. $382mil.
------------------------------------------------------
MACGRUBER
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Clearly an SNL skit that works best in 30 second installments should be a feature-length film. Any child knows this.
WILL IT SUCK?
Here's the shocker. Early buzz is actually really good. Cast looks fun: Will Forte, Val Kilmer, Ryan Phillipe, Kristen Wiig, and Powers Boothe.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I think it's been long enough since we've had an SNL movie that this won't necessarily suffer from that curse. Plus it's a nice R-rated alternative to Shrek. $56mil.
------------------------------------------------------
HOLY ROLLERS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Jewish Orthodox drug dealers. True story.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed. Nice to see Jesse Eisenberg working with Justin Bartha, tho. Q-Tip doesn't hurt, either.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Fairly slim pickings in Inidieville. But not huge stars. $8mil.
------------------------------------------------------
MAY 28
------------------------------------------------------
PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Jake Gyllenhaal protects a time altering dagger from bad guys.
WILL IT SUCK?
Here's the good news: They got director Mike Newell (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Donnie Brasco) on the case. Here's where I lose wood: The writers penned The Uninvited and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. This might be an early bellweather for Sorcerer's Apprentice because a lot of the same writers show up there, too. At least the original writer of the video game has a "screen story" credit, but the curse of all video game movies sucking is unlikely to end here.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Coming off the second frame of Shrek doesn't help but nothing really facing it the following week. The bigger problem is that video game movies almost never make tentpole money. $86 mil. (which would make it the second most successful video game movie of all time, behind Lara Croft: Tomb Raider)
------------------------------------------------------
SEX AND THE CITY 2 (MAY 27)
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
The city, in this case, is Abu Dhabi.
WILL IT SUCK?
Same team as last time, so no reason to expect anything terribly different. Joining the cast this time are Miley Cyrus, Penelope Cruz, and Liza Minelli, and look out for the return of John Corbett.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Killers is going to be a little bit of a challenge next week, but not much. $190mil.
------------------------------------------------------
MICMACS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Guy gets revenge against the men who put a bullet in his brain. Quirky, endearing revenge.
WILL IT SUCK?
It's been five long years since Jean-Pierre Jeunet's last writer/directorial effort, the amazing A Very Long Engagement, his follow up to the classic Amelie, so, yeah, I've been waiting for this one. Early buzz is solid. At SXSW, I heard it described lovingly as Jeunet does Ocean's Eleven.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Jeunet's films never make as much as they deserve. $7mil.
------------------------------------------------------
GEORGE A. ROMERO'S SURVIVAL OF THE DEAD
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
In Romero's sixth installment in the undead saga, two families war over what should be done with all these damn zombies.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed. The worst yet from Romero according to IMDb users.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Unlikely to fare much better than Diary of the Dead. In fact, I won't be surprised if it makes far more in its month of VOD release in advance of theatrical. $1mil.
Next Month: Will Toy Story 3 help us forget about the DP violation of the 80's that is A-Team and Karate Kid coming out on the same day one week before?
You: Puking all over the bar at Legion, the "strands of puke-saliva" dripping softly from your pouty lips into your hand.
He: 25-year-old patron of Legion on Saturday night who has slipped in your grimy vomit and fallen deep in love. He would like to get a drink sometime, and maybe blow chunks of sweet nothings into your ears.
Realy hope this one works out! Nothing like young love in the spring time.
Another day, another injection of Bill Murray's Awesome Sauce into our lives. This time, it's a party reporter’s guide to having dinner with him. In it, we learn he remembers everyone's names, stands up as ladies take their seat, and he will beat his chest if the meal is roasted duck.
But most importantly, we learn the following bit about Williamsburg:
He might mention the Roebling Tea Room, where his son is a cook, and “they’re very proud of their kale.” He might then discuss how he likes to walk the nearby streets in Williamsburg late at night, and how he shot a movie on the south side when it was just Hasids and hookers, and the Hasids would stand outside late at night telling dirty jokes. (“They weren’t on the street reading the Word, I can tell you that.”)
Dinner With Bill Murray: A Party Reporter’s Guide; Photo: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images
Check out this mind-blowing album review from our local record store maven Diana Kinscherf. Disclaimer: she loves it but hey it's Oneida's side project so get down on it in the groovy spaced out way!
People Of The North are here! (No, not the Canadians!) Back in February 2009, half of Oneida decided to record Deep Tissue, a four track LP on Oneida's own Brah label. Graduating from an Oneida song title to band moniker, People Of The North bring you a delicious high without having to blow your hard earned money on copious amounts of drugs.
Begin the trip on the flip...
Deep Tissue opens with "Tunnels" like an awakening beast of synths met with a barrage of some intricate drumming drawing you near - but don't get too close or it will take your soul away. "The Vastest Island" carries you aloft, taking the listener to a place in the past you never thought you were permitted. Beautiful, albeit indecipherable vocals adorn this track like a distant lullaby. Chilling, haunting synths dream the way into a feeling of detached serenity - you can now hear your disembodied soul calling out to you!
Flip the record over and be led into "Summer Leaves", and excursion into the wooded forest before the throbbing fury that is "Over Me" takes hold. Nothing short of fourteen minutes, (like any epic song should be) pulsating rhythms throw you into a trance-inducing head spin, leaving the listener with no other choice but to flip the record and let it begin again! Give your soul to the People Of The North! They're calling you...
If you are the type of person who complains about the neighborhood -- be it the yuppies, a crowded train, condos, whatever -- it's time you familiarized yourself with what's going on at the Domino Sugar factory these days with the New Domino.
Benjamin Lozovsky, in the WG News, has a fantastic piece of reporting called Misinform & Conquer: The Developer, Domino, and the Latino Vote which was pointed out to us by Gothamist, in which we learn of some of the following points:
A local Catholic church, that gets money from the developer, is busing congregants in to community board meetings to "chant and demonstrate their support." That church's Father Beuther was seen handing "scripts or talking points to his bused-in congregants." Meanwhile, the Daily News is lifting direct phrases and quotes from the developer's non-profit money lender's marketing materials, and the "average amount of open space per person" will actually decline with the rise in population.
This is a very short summary, because WG has a very long (but quite interesting) story. So please, read the article and familiarize yourselves with the growing lightning rod that is New Domino.
Key dates in the future:
4/28 - City Planning Commission hearing
July - Final City Council vote
I'm not sure there was a big demand for this, but here it is: (Kinda NSFW) [via]
The tree trunk in McCarren Park that looks like a big ol' vagina got a sassy little clit piercing the other day. New York Shitty reader Alex sent this in earlier this week.
The ninjas. Who are they? I am trying to find out. Contact me if you saw them, or know them, or know a friend who knows a friend who.....
This Thursday, Cold Cave will be headlining a show at LPR with Light Asylum and DJ sets by WFMU’s Michael Goodstein and Mike Simonetti from Italians Do It Better-- and, of course, FREEwilly has a pair of tickets for one lucky reader!
Be sure to head over to Matador Records to pre-order Cold Cave's Life Magazine Remixes 12", including this Pantha Du Prince jam, which is out on June 8th.
As for those tickets... just head on over to our Facebook page and comment on the contest thread.
Organizers and residents of the Market Hotel put out a call for volunteers to come get involved in the ominously named "Market Hotel Project." This Project is a not-for-profit organization created with the aim of reopening the Market Hotel as a "non-commercial 'spiritual home' for independent rock music and indie art." The all-ages venue was shut down earlier this month after police officers raided a show and Todd P wrote it "got into some police trouble."
They write:
MARKET HOTEL PROJECT is a new not-for-profit organization dedicated to swiftly reopening and improving the Market Hotel space, by making the venue more viable, comfortable, safe, and better able to weather legal attention. Especially in these days of ever-encroaching commercialism and corporatism in “indie rock,” we envision a space that is a non-commercial “spiritual home” for independent rock music and indie art - but also is sustainable and sanctioned enough to expand indie horizons and open our doors to music and art from the rest of our diverse Bushwick community.
The first volunteer orientation meeting will be tomorrow night, Tuesday 4/27, at 8 pm at the Market Hotel (957 Broadway).
photo via eyebodega on flickr
We're still waiting for an announcement about the free Sunday Pool Parties at the Williamsburg Waterfront, but Band of Horses and Grizzly Bear have just announced that they'll be performing together on June 20th. Sadly this one is not free. (Tickets go on sale Friday). You can check out the full schedule (thus far) at www.freewilliamsburg.com/h2oshows.
Bill Murray, beloved Williamsburg party mascot & all around awesome guy, was spotted on the L train last night by my friend, Jon Anderson. He writes of the experience:
Just ran into Bill Murray on the L Train. He caught me staring and stuck his tongue out at me. I turned red and waved at him. When he got off at Bedford, he said, "Have a good night, man." I said, "See you later Bill," then proceeded to giggle like a school girl. After he got off the train, I say to everyone: "Bill Murray, ladies and gentlemen," and all the English speakers had a laugh.
So there you have it. Sticking your tongue out at people is in again. Also, Murray was reportedly with "a smoking hot babe" for what it's worth.
What better way to easy into a Monday morning. This thing is definitely NSFW:
Do you like food? Do you like bikes? (come on now, of course you do). Well the Brooklyn Bike Shop is teaming up with activist/artist/musical collective Band of Bicycles for an all-organic cookout and screening of the film No Impact Man as a fundraiser for the Bushwick Farmers Market/Ecostation: NY and the Bushwick Food Co-Op. Go stop by -- it's gorgeous outside, and you look like could use a little sunshine.
Bushwick Rocks The Bike Shop
When Sat, April 24,4:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Where Bushwick Bike Shop, 1342A Dekalb Avenue, Bushwick, Brooklyn (map)
Admission $10 suggested donation
What
Bushwich Rocks the Bike Shop is a benefit, cookout film screening, and concert. Proceeds benefit the Bushwick Farmers Market/Ecostation: NY and the Bushwick Food Co-Op. The organic cookout will be from 4:30 to 7, followed by a screening of "No Impact Man." Suggested donation is $10.
Lance Jaeger and t.b.d. brooklyn are throwing a huge backdoor BBQ today with 500 lbs of meat, 100 lbs of veggies, ribs by Mike DiPrima of Lamb and Jaffe, bands, $3 Goose Island Honkers pints & $4 Mimosas!
Bands start at noon in the Beer Garden LONG DISTANCE DARLINGS STUMBLEBUM BRASS BAND MORGAN O’KANE JASON BLUM AND FRIENDSMusic inside the Bar (starting at 6)
GREENPOINTS’ OWN
SOUTHSIDE BOOGIE BAND
THEN DJ EVAN JONES ON THE DECKS
Free to party, might be free to grub too? (Will update via the twitters) I'm headed there now, soooo thought it'd be worth throwing up on FW to give you people a fair chance at eating all my desired meat.
The Bubble Tea Ninja Partiers who wrecked up the neighborhood the other night and are making other anarchists look bad took some time away from their anarchy to send out an official press release to communicate their reasoning -- just like the man would want them to.
In the release sent with the subject line, "WE’LL SHOW YOU CRAZY BITCHES: TAKE BACK THE NIGHT," they write, "Dressed in matching black skirts and masks, dozens gathered on Saturday evening for an anti-capitalist Take Back the Night march, stopping traffic on Bedford Avenue, overturning trashcans, and breaking windows."
But why, crazy bitches, did you do such things to ordinary citizens' physical property? Surely, a quaint little bubble tea shop isn't objectifying you, right?
"We are not asking for a right to the streets, we are taking them; we are not asking for advertisements that do not objectify women, we’re destroying the commercial mechanisms that objectify women; we are not appealing to male power for an end to rape, but threatening: 'If you touch me, I will fucking kill you.'"
I get it. Y'all are angry. But maybe realign your targets? I don't think smashing car windows and independent shop owners' store fronts is the right way to get your message across. It just, I don't know, muddles things. As you know, my response read: "While I appreciate your message, I think your actions are misguided and distracting. You guys come off as amateurs, breaking car windows and the lady's tea shop? Fight corporations and 'the man' all u like, but dudes, normal people's property is kinda fucked."
For the rest of you, their full release is posted after the jump. But that's who we're dealing with. Pissed off femarchists in black skirts who I swear to god will fuck up your Subaru, capitalist. And yes, kill you.
Their release:
WE’LL SHOW YOU CRAZY BITCHES: TAKE BACK THE NIGHTBROOKLYN, NEW YORK – Dressed in matching black skirts and masks, dozens gathered on Saturday evening for an anti-capitalist Take Back the Night march, stopping traffic on Bedford Avenue, overturning trashcans, and breaking windows. Tired of tamely shouting slogans on campus sidewalks, we took the night back by taking it, refusing the structural mechanisms that create rapists and their victims.
Although in recent years Take Back the Night has been co-opted by liberal feminists, it has its roots in the widespread unrest of Italy in the late seventies. In 1976, a seventeen-year-old was gang-raped in Rome. A year later, when her case went to trial, she was gang-raped again by the same men: and this time, her whole body was slashed with razors in an attempt to keep her silent. Within hours, fifteen thousand women mobilized, uniformly dressed like the sex workers common to the district; “NO MORE MOTHERS, WIVES AND DAUGHTERS: LET’S DESTROY THE FAMILIES!” was the cry heard in the street. They came just short of burning the neighborhood to the ground.
Forty years later, we marched again, to refuse the violence that continues to force us to be housewives and fuck-toys and mothers and daddy’s girls, to refuse to understand women’s oppression in the private sphere as a simple cultural or ideological matter. We address capitalism and patriarchy as one intrinsically interconnected system. We are not asking for rights: we are demanding something else entirely.
A woman on the street stopped and attempted to begin an argument: “Why are you doing this?” A swift reply: “Because we have grown tired of rape and makeup.” The woman responds: “Just get drunk and get laid – deal with it.” But this is no longer enough for us. We are not asking for a right to the streets, we are taking them; we are not asking for advertisements that do not objectify women, we’re destroying the commercial mechanisms that objectify women; we are not appealing to male power for an end to rape, but threatening: “If you touch me, I will fucking kill you.”
For once, the mechanisms that create and maintain identities of womanhood were refused, and our desires were our own, our bodies were our own, and our violence was our own.
Also, next time, don't send out press releases at 6:00 pm on a Friday. Most bloggers are drunk and halfway to karaoke by that point.
After kicking off Teen Tech, his exhibition at Morrison Hotel Gallery on the Bowery last night, Adam Green will be playing two shows at Bowery Ballroom tonight and Saturday-- and we've got a pair of tickets for one lucky reader. Adam Green is a quintessential New Yorker, "eccentric, but perfect" according to legendary rock 'n roll photog Mick Rock (who I had the extreme honor of chatting up last night).... Also spotted at the event were Cory Kennedy, Becka Diamond, Macaulay Culkin, and Michael Grubbs of Wakey!Wakey!, as well as a slew of swanky downtowners.
For your chance to see Adam Green tomorrow night, head on over to our Facebook page and tell us why you're a great New Yorker too! Or just hit up @freedubya over on Twitter with this:
I love Adam Green, almost as much as I love @freedubya
GOOD LUCK!!
If you're into novelty shows, but can't be bothered by going into the city or the throngs of tourists, we now have a little show to call our own (until the end of May, anyway). I don't think Stomp has shit on these people.
According to the event details they use "basic items we take for granted: bowling balls, coke cans, cinder blocks to her own invented, fantastic Action Contraptions, like the huge Whizzing Gizmo machine (created by Ivan and Noe Espana) which is like a giant hamster wheel ridden by 8 dancers as its counterweight is propelled to eject them." GODDAMN.
Streb @ S.L.A.M. 51 North 1st Street.'
Schedule: Fridays at 7pm, Saturdays at 3 and 7pm (Dance Party afterward) Sundays at 3pm
20 bucks.
photo by Martha Cooper c/o Gothamist
Okay, so looks like the NYPD didn't sell your bike on ebay or give 'em away to kids. Gothamist has word that bike owners can pick them up between the wonderfully convenient hours of 4am and 12pm at the 7th Precinct. But don't think you can just walk in and claim that Huffy!
We were told that bike owners can appear as early as 4 a.m., and that there is "a special way" of determining that each bike is returned to its lawful owner. Cyclists will be asked to describe their bikes, but the cop who spoke with us said you should also bring a photo of you with the bike.
But here's the best part. When asked if there were any signs that told cyclists not to lock their bikes up on the President's route yesterday, a cop responded defensively, saying, "You're not supposed to lock you bike to signposts anyway, they have those new bike racks you're supposed to use."
Fantastic news! That sounds like the NYPD considers itself authorized to steal any bicycle not locked to a city-sanctioned bike rack and bury it fifteen deep on the back of a truck.
Think that rule applies to bikes loaded up on fences at the Waterfront shows? Let's hope not!
There's a Spring Handmade Cavalcade happening this Saturday at Berry Park, which is an Esty-friendly shopping event featuring 25 eco-friendly, sustainably-focused artists, designers, and crafters.
Spring is just around the corner so get ready to celebrate the sunshine with more than 25 of the area's amazing artists, designers, and crafters. This year’s Spring Cavalcade focuses on sustainably-made products and eco-friendly goods. Shopping local also helps sustain the local economy and reduce your carbon foot print!
There will also be a raffle, where you can win "unique creations" in lunch boxes. Everybody loves raffles and lunch boxes, amirite?
Berry Park (4 Berry Street, opposite McCarren) // 10am - 5pm
This Next Sunday, from 5:30 - 7:30 PM, Grand Ferry Park will be home to Comedy in the Park, the first of at least three free stand-up comedy shows on the Williamsburg waterfront this summer.
Host Paul Marino hopes the combination of a beautiful location, funny & diverse line-up, proximity to Bedford, and the fact that it's a free show, will lead to an awesome new outdoor comedy series. We hope it works out!
The Parks Department granted permits for the first three shows and are awaiting to see how things go before making a decision on continuing the series. If these three go well, we might have a summer-long stand-up series right there on the waterfront. Curious how things would work out with the Jelly Pool Parties, but we could imagine some kind of merging of the two at some point down the line.
All Marino needs now, he writes, "is a big crowd to cheer when I ask, 'Now how many of you want Comedy in the Park to do a comedy show like this every week?'"
This week's show is headlined by Dan St. Germain, and will feature Jeffrey Joseph, Freddy Sheffield, Jay Welsh, Mike Recine, Heather Fink, Stephen Mark, Edward Dominguez, and a possible appearance by Joel Runnels. Music's by DJ Sureshot.
Update: Marino writes to say the event has been canceled to due rain. It'll be on next sunday however, so save le date.
Presumably worried that of the many bicycles lining President Obama's path to Cooper Union on Houston Avenue this morning one may contain a pipe bomb, NYPD police officers removed "hundreds of bikes", piled them deep onto the back of a flatbed truck and shipped 'em far, far away.
One bystander posted a photo and tweeted, "This is a truck full of bikes that were sawed off every lampost and bike rack on houston street bc obama is coming."
Another wrote, "Running late to work watching nypd cut bike locks along obamas route on Houston St."
So where are these bikes now? Is every lucky little son and daughter of a police officer in the city getting a new bike for Earth Day? We'll update if we hear how and where you can find your lost stolen bike. Gothamist put a call in, because they are responsible bloggers, but yes, happy planet day from the NYPD!
h/t This Is FYF
Happy Earth Day from FREEWilliamsburg and 10 lb Pictures, a Brooklyn based production company. I make a cameo in this cute PSA filmed in Cooper Park. Though if you're thinking about disconnecting for real, don't forget to read the paper version of our blog.
From Crush:
We are giving away 2 tickets to this Thursday’s Crush party with Hussle Club, My Gold Mask, Rafter, C-mon & Kypski & Free Magic…all you have to do is Tweet at us who your band crush is on right now and we will notify our winners by Thursday at 4pm! Tweet @CRUSHANDDANCE to Win!
You still have a couple hours to win tix to tonight's event, so get on it-- this is gonna be one ass-shaker of a party! More info here.
The Atlantic takes a long, hard look at Traif (South 4th b/t Roebling & Havemeyer), "A Promised Land of Pork and Shellfish."
Sitting at the southern tip of trendy Williamsburg on South 4th Street between Roebling and Havemeyer, Traif faces the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, as well as the Broadway Avenue dividing line between hipster and Hasidic Williamsburg, where there have been recent tensions between the two communities. The restaurant's notable characteristics—its explicit irony, its lack of any discernable outdoor sign, the local artwork on the walls, its specialty dishes like strawberry-cinnamon baby back ribs, and its stunning outdoor garden—are assuredly in keeping with restaurants of its ilk in the northern section of Williamsburg, though there's a strong Jewishness that runs through the restaurant and its owners, which makes Traif a unique bridge between the dissonant worlds of North and South.
Read the rest at The Atlantic. Pic c/o Sophie Barbasch.
From LA-based Kitsune Noir:
I have never been to Brooklyn, but in my mind it possesses an almost mythic status and encapsulates everything that is holistically artistic, effortlessly cool and divergent from the mainstream. In his short film/documentary “Breukelen”, “Afropean” filmmaker Ofa brings to life the Brooklyn of my imagination.
One important question, though... Where are all the hipsters?
If you into masochism, trying drinking the night before going to class.
A Williamsboard user posted yesterday evening that a police officer grabbed him from behind while he was walking down Bedford Avenue & stuck his hands directly into the man's pockets in search of something far more sinister than what was found.
Im walking down bedford avenue today with a friend of mine, and all of a sudden I feel someone grab the hood of my hoodie and pull me back. initially I thought it would be a friend. middle of the day, bedford ave, etc. turns out its the man. I turn around and he immediately reaches into my front pocket and says "oh, thats just a pen. theres been some robberies around here lately". I dont say anything, we both turn and go our different ways.what the fuck?
What the fuck indeed, assuming "the man" is a reference to the NYPD and not this guy or this guy. We're pretty sure that's illegal search and seizure, but here's the full thread if you'd like to offer up your nonprofessional opinion.
This is a short story about a puppy named Walter.
He was found wandering the streets of Brooklyn Easter night of this year, scared and burned after having been "dipped in chemicals" and thrown from a car by someone who had presumably tried to cure the little guy of a case of the Mange.
Alex Darsey, resident on 15th Street and 3rd Avenue, found him and took him to the vet, where he was given antibiotics and medicated soap to treat his raw skin. Things were looking up. But then, his temperature and desire to eat went south. Walter had to go back to the vet, where, "his temperature was so low it didn't register on the thermometer" and he had to go get fluids from an IV & go in a heated incubator. Medical expenses for Darsey and his friends were getting expensive. So, they asked the internet for some help.
A little over a week later, thanks to the donations of many generous individuals via the internet, Walter is going to be just fine and "grow up a healthy, loved, and happy dog." They have enough money to pay for his care, and thanks to the staff at The Veterinary Emergency Referral Group, Walter is going to live happily ever after, the end.
Quotes via Help Save Walter; photo via the Facebook group.
Over on the anarchist forums, anonymous commenters are furiously debating the actions of the Williamsburg Bubble Tea Ninjas. One writes:
Looks like it [ed: Williamsburg] needed a little broken glass around the place, too clean and liberal smugville, the broken glass glitters beautifully at night in the headlights, or at sunrise as the slanting rays of the sun remind us that nothing is permanent.
Many over there do however believe it was a terrible move by the anarchist ninjas, as they're making real anarchists look like stupid, violent, nihilistic and irrational ninja anarchists. Which they totally aren't! One writes, you ninjas shouldn't be attacking quaint little boutiques, storefronts, and normal people cars, but the system.
Attack the rich, attack banks, attack the RULING CLASS not yuppies or hipsters. it might not be as easy, because they usually don't just park their cars on the street, and they usually have security guard stations and don't run boutiques but multinational corporations.
Quite the debate going on over there, where everyone is "anon" and forever temporarily unidentified in that damn system of Google Cache. Fight the power, anarchists, friends of the hipsters.
Mayor Bloomberg is "a very plugged-in mayor" and he "reads a lot of blogs."
After a few years of packed Sunday afternoons at McCarren Park, and endless e-threads between hopefuls on the rookie list, Brooklyn Kickball commissioner Kevin "K Fucking D" Dailey today announced the birth of Tuesday Night Kickball.
He writes, "To be short and clear, the league is expanding to Tuesday! We're gonna take another dead night and make it the best time of the week."
It's an expansion league of sorts which, Dailey notes, will have the same rules and be open to challenges from the big boys on Sundays, thereby allowing cross-league pollination. It won't be pre-scheduled like the majors on Sunday, but will have a Queue Board "just like back in the day."
Come September, Dailey will incorporate Tuesday night teams into the playoffs, setting the scene for a future cross-league rivalry of epic Williamsburg sporting proportions.
Players can sign up for the Tuesday night spots here at $700 a team or $100 as a free agent.
Last Saturday, Mr. Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion strayed from its home on the range to broadcast the 10th Annual Talent Tee-Off battle of the bands from the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. The grand prize was awarded to Williamsburg/Bushwick based April Smith and the Great Picture Show. (Thanks to my mom, actually, for bringing the show and April's regional relevance to my attention!) If you want to listen to the show, go ahead and click here.
The retro outfit's radio hoopla helped spark some contemporary success; their newest release, Songs for a Sinking Ship, had a commendable run on the iTunes charts. (Note: may make a good present for parents)
The Post has word the city is considering the Open Space Alliance's proposal to close Union Ave b/t Driggs and Bayard and turn the space into some sort of pedestrian plaza extension of McCarren Park.
City officials have not indicated their support for the project or whether the site would stay asphalt or become grass, though Thayer, also a Parks Department administrator, remains confident that the change will happen.
The street is currently the home of the Greenmarket, whose director Michale Hurwitz told the Post, “All I care about is that we have a home." We care about that too! Greenpoint traffic headed towards the BQE on Union would be diverted onto Lorimer or North 12th, meaning less cars passing by the dog park and more pedestrians in their place. Win.
Sez le commenter:
I'm broke, live off the grid, make art, and work in Williamsburg - and I HATE these losers. Go get a real education, you fucks.
Related: Are Williamsburg anarchist ninjas our very own tea partiers? Discuss.
Zach Galifianakis (whose last name movable type hilariously spell-checks to egalitarianism or galileans) shows up in this coming Sunday's episode of Tim and Eric, Awesome Show, Great Job! as "the greatest dancer of his generation" and now leotard-clad dance instructor who rules with an iron lip.
Clip via Pop Candy
Sure, beards are part of the required uniform now in Williamsburg. But we still have a fondness for the classic hipster stache. Thanks to Bryan of Paper Foldables for creating his latest masterpiece: The Hipster Stache Box:
DOWNLOAD THE HIPSTER STACHE BOX PDF HERE.
Previously:
The Hipster Nutcracker
Mr. Skinny Jeans
The Gutter Punk
The Hipster Grifter
Hip Kyp Malone
From the mailbag:
I wanted to see if you had heard anything about another vigilante attack on N 6th St last night (Sat 4/17) between Bedford and Berry. I live on the block, and my friends and roommate reported seeing a "Ninja looking" crew dressed in all black run down the street from Bedford to Berry along the road and smash the drivers side window of every car on the block. I confirmed when I returned home later that night, drunk and stumbling and saw patches of glass all the way down N 6th. Apparently they scrambled at the intersection of N 6th and Berry as cop cars came from every direction and were even reversing back up N 6th st towards the intersection. With the American Apparell attack on our street a month or two ago, I'm starting to wonder WTF is going onIf you have any information or pictures, let us know in comments. [image via]
UPDATE: Here's another version of events from Williamsburger Stephanie Palumbo:
I heard it from my apt and then my boyfriend called me from outside on the street. He saw it happen.. said the kids were stopping cars and harassing people in them. They turned over all of the garbage cans on the street and then one of the kids grabbed one of the garbage cans and smashed it into the window at the tea house on the corner of N 8th and Bedford. Then they smashed a car window and kept running down the street (toward N 7th). They were screaming, "Take back the night!" which makes no sense - it's an anti-rape slogan but those protests are nonviolent and totally different.A couple of pix [thanks Stephanie] after the jump.
We suspect it has something to do with the Anarchist Book Fair that was going on in the city and also the police raid a few days earlier on an anarchist art collective in Bushwick. My boyfriend said they were all young and white and looked like bored rich kids. They seemed to be just playing dress up or something and had absolutely no coherent message
Just in case you needed more convincing, here's the video for Future Islands "Tin Man" directed by one part Rude Dude, Jay Buim:
Future Islands - Tin Man from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.
Check out our favorite Rude Dudes at The Woods tonight! And if you haven't downloaded their mixtape yet, you're losing at life.
Flyer by Behold the Destroyer
Bent Festival, the annual DIY music & art fest taking place 4/22 - 4/24 here in Brooklyn, has a project page up on Kickstarter, and is currently a little over $1k short of their $2k goal. Donations, they write, "will go toward paying artists, travel expenses for out-of-towners, and materials for installations and workshops." Plus, you'll get some pretty rad stuff.
Here's what the various amounts of funding will get project backers:
$10 - Bent Festival .mp3 compilation
$25 - Bent Festival .mp3 compilation plus Bent Festival t-shirt
$50 - All above plus entrance to Bent Festival after party with Ken Rei, Computer at Sea, and open bar
$100 - All above plus Bent Festival 2009 DVD
$200+ - All above plus Andromeda Drum Machine designed by Bent Festival 2009 and 2010 artist Eric Archer (!!!)
$500+ - All above plus noise toy created by Bent Festival artist Tristan Perich
$1,000+ - All above plus Doorag Handmade Sound Generator by Bent Festival Artist LCDD and one of five handmade synths created by a 2010 Bent Festival artist.
Do it! You've got four days left.
I've got a new piece on a bizarro fetish over at The Awl:
In case you’re not familiar, pedal pumping is a car/foot fetish for men who enjoy watching women pump the gas, generally in vintage cars, until they strand themselves by flooding the engine or draining the battery. Um, what? Countless variations on this scenario exist—girls getting cars stuck in mud, Asians revving mopeds in the desert, stranded pedal pumpers with “stinky work shoes.” According to The Daily Beast, Michelle McGee even confesses to making a few pedal pump videos. So evidently there’s a market for painted hags who look like Skeletor pumping the gas with swastikas on their toes too. Most of the videos make up for their poor production values with sophisticated dialogue like “start, godammit,” “no, I don’t wanna be stuck here,” and “fuck this Mustang.”Videos and the rest of the article here.A search for the fetish yields over 200,000 Google returns and thousands of YouTube videos. There are hundreds of websites that cater to the fetish including pedaltube.com, asianpedalpumpers.com, pedalteens.com and carstuckgirls.com. [All sort of/not really/but kind of Not Safe For Work?]
Hipsters got a Tip of Stephen Colbert's hat last night, "because as a demographic they are consistently not filling out Obama's census." Yep, he heard about it on NPR. As you know by now, it's not neccessarily the Hipsters fault. Still, well played by Sir Colbert, who noted the low return rates are part of a grand hipster scheme to get less representation, and therefore less neighborhood resources, which in turn will lead to a neighborhood in disrepair, lower rent, and a return to the gritty neighborhood of the 90's.
But yes, good old Nate Stark, he of Academy Records on North 6th and source in NPR's article saw his $5 quote replayed on Colbert, saying, "I guess it's laziness and like, what's the point? When it comes down to it, nobody wants to fill out like another form that's just like getting sent to your house that really relatively has nothing to do with your life. I mean people would do if they got like five bucks."
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Tip/Wag - Forbes & Hipsters | ||||
| ||||
If you feel like getting sweaty tonight, head out to Public Assembly tonight to celebrate the release of Cerebral Ballzy's EP.
These boys have been known to get kicked our of their own shows before, so you know it'll be a good time.
$5 / FREE Colt 45 / 9pm
Sound Fix Records has a new neighbor: The Counting Room-an upscale multilevel wine bar that has taken over part of the former seltzer factory at 44 Berry Street.
The Counting Room offers a selection of wines from The Old World. The wines are decently priced at $8-$11 dollars a glass, half bottles which range from $16-$25, and full bottles from $25-$45. Instead of 2 and 4-top tables, long picnic benches are scattered throughout the industrial, airy space. Several retractable garage doors line the upstairs and when opened it almost feels like you’re drinking outside.
Read more after the jump.
The Counting Room is named after an inscribed salvaged schoolhouse door the owners found in Upstate New York. See if you can spot the door on the lower level, which is our favorite part of the bar. Downstairs is dimly lit and more of a cocktail lounge than the street level, it’s the perfect place to throw a birthday party with ample space for large groups of people, and dancing if you’re so inclined.
Our favorite cocktails are the Reverend Horton Heat #2 which contains Smoked Lemon infused Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Maple Syrup and Seasonal Fruit ($11) and the Gourmet Popcorn which contains Corn infused Luksusowa Vodka, Salt and Butter infused Dry Vermouth and Combier Orange ($11). Spirits, beer, appertifs & digestives are also served.
Small plates of food are also offered to compliment the wine. Our favorites are the French Onion Soup ($10), Assorted Meat Board ($16), and Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($12). Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies with Milk Punch ($7) and White Trash Créme Brûlee ($7) are also served for those with a sweet tooth. On the opening weekend a full Brunch menu was offered, however moving forward only the regular menu will be available on the weekends with the addition of two to three featured Brunch items.
The Counting Room, 44 Berry Street, at North 11th Street, Williamsburg (718-599-1860 or thecountingroombk.com).
This is a pretty interesting story about a cover song duo who's actually found a way to make some scratch:
You can add the band Pomplamoose to the long and growing list of YouTube sensations, with its cover of Beyonce's "Single Ladies." Its members don't have a record deal or a publicist, but that song's video has been viewed almost 4 million times on YouTube alone....Here they are in action. We actually prefer their version of Lady Gaga's "Telephone:" [via]"There's no hidden sounds, there's no lip-synching, there's no overdubbing. What you see is what you hear," Conte says. "Sometimes, there might be two or three Natalys harmonizing with herself, and then you'll see those three videos juxtaposed together on the screen."
The group has made no hard copies of its albums; no CDs have been printed. Nevertheless, they make their living on sales, having sold about 100,000 songs last year.
Pomplamoose is one of the first bands to be invited into YouTube's Musicians Wanted program, which is an ad-revenue sharing program. YouTube places ads next to or on a video, and then shares the revenue for that ad, 50-50, with the artist. Income sources like this allow for bands to survive without the help of a major label
The Times caught up with Johnny Ludolph, one of the guys arrested this week at 13 Thames Art Space out in Bushwick for allegedly having an old unpaid beer on the sidewalk ticket. Turns out the cops' warrant-less entrance was due to reports of squatters in the building and an open door.
But when he arrived at the 90th Precinct station house, Mr. Ludolph said, the police seemed most interested in asking him about the fliers.The fliers were for the NYC Anarchist Film Festival. The address: 13 Thames Street. Some fliers included the formula “energy x mass + love =” next to an illustration of an explosion. One showed a stylized image of a helmeted police officer carrying a plastic shield and covered by flames.
“They asked me, ‘Who’s running this, who’s involved?’ ” Mr. Ludolph said Wednesday afternoon as he sat on a wooden table inside 13 Thames. Mr. Ludolph said he told the police he did not know.
The explosion, they forgot to note, is in the shape of a heart. Ah anarchists, killing the authorities with love one flyer at a time.
Last night, The Low Anthem played their first of two New York shows at Bowery Ballroom along with Timber Timbre and The Woes.
Strolling in on the middle of Timber Timbre's set felt more like an unwanted intrusion with the lights so dim and the crowd so quiet. The hushed setting was the perfect backdrop for Timber Timbre's eerie folk music and heavy bass drum. (It was however the worst backdrop for shooting any photos.) The changes from gentle violin and minimal guitar to the booming kick drum was genuinely startling but extremely engaging. The crowd was so absorbed I thought I heard the ice shifting in plastic cups and it felt inappropriate to be a little bit buzzed from dinner.
Low Anthem perpetuated this feeling of soothing and minimalist folk rock with their emotive group vocals and harmonies. The diverse instrumental sounds courtesy of Mat Davidson who moved from singing saw to drums and back round again enriched the entire romantic experience. Opting for newly written songs, The Low Anthem set did however include their fan favorite, "Charlie Darwin." The entire set was a beautiful collection of folk songs performed to showcase the genuine musicianship and band's cohesiveness.
Catch the Low Anthem's second show tomorrow night (April 16th) with Timber Timbre at the Bell House and more pictures after the jump!
Timber Timbre
At Union Hall last night, Plants and Animals treated the audience to a whole bunch of new tunes from their forthcoming album "La La Land," a worthy follow up for fans of their critically acclaimed, but perhaps under-appreciated, 2008 debut, Parc Avenue. Opening with the lead single, and album start-off, Tom Cruz (which you can stream, along with the rest of the album ), the band powered through 8 of the 11 new tracks, reaching into their back catalogue just once to pull out Faerie Dance. The tiny basement space was packed with a sold out crowd, and some of the most lush, dynamic guitar-rock I've ever heard from a 3 piece. I had my camera in tow to capture some pictures, and a video of one of my favorite new tracks, Undone Melody. Looking back, it seems the in-cam mic was almost as blown out as my ear drums, but hell, if you want to see and hear some new Plants and Animals, this is what I've got for ya.
More pictures and just a few more words after the jump...
La La Land translates incredibly well to the stage. Whereas some of Parc Avenue's intricacies were derived from layers of studio instruments and chorus singers, La La Land is built upon the three players. In most of the new songs, there were just two guitars and a drum chugging along. Lead singer Warren Spicer cried above it all with his trademark dips and lifts on select syllables as he stretched a single word into a phrase, imparting his full emotion in the ominous tones through which his melodies wander. As laid back and relaxing as La La can be, live, the songs are forceful and gripping.
Oh, and did I mentioned that Plants and Animals was just the opening act? At the close of their set, the band was drenched in sweat but posed to kick off another tune when the house music suddenly swelled, and with a few glances and shrugs, it was over. No chance of an encore here. Alas. I wasn't even going to stay for Ra Ra Riot, but one of their super-fans started chatting me up at the back of the bar and convinced me that they were something special. Before last night, I was underwhelmed by the few tracks I had heard, but I also haven't given them too many listens. There's just something about happy rock that makes me a bit dismissive of the act. But they were fun, attractive, young, smiling, and jumping in unison (well, the cello player wasn't), and the crowd really ate it up. Even I found myself bobbing my head more vigorously than anticipated. So you hear that Ra Ra Riot? You won me over. Their new songs especially (as identified by the aforementioned fan) were rock solid and their forthcoming album has been firmly placed in my "Listen To" column.
Here's s'more Plants and Animals:
Many of you may recognize Hisham Bharoocha as former Black Dice member and solo-artist as Soft Circle. However, he has been a keen collaborator and orchestrator of the Boredum's Boadrum project. Going it alone, Bharoocha will lead a 40 drummer Earth Day celebration today at Loomstate. Other noteworthy drummers include members of Oneida, Lichens, Pit Er Pat, Aa, and Jah Division among others.
Chris Taylor (of Grizzly Bear) will DJ.
Loomstate is located at:
GOOD UNITS AT HUDSON
356 West 58th St (Between 8th + 9th Ave)
More details can be found here.
Seems the NYPD raided the 13 Thames Art Space and arrested a couple residents, or "members of the collective." This comes just three days before the group's NYC Anarchist Film Festival, so yes, put on your conspiracy hats!
The organizers statement:
Today in Brooklyn NY, the NYPD entered without a warrant 13 Thames Art Space, a Bushwick based art and performance space where members of the Independent Anarchist Media (I AM) Collective have been organizing the Fourth Annual NYC Anarchist Film Festival in honor of Brad Will. Two plainclothes detectives entered first, followed quickly by a Lieutenant and vans full of blue shirt officers. After corralling everyone present in the back room, they searched the space and detained two members of the collective.The I AM collective was preparing for the NYC Anarchist Film Festival, a showcase of resistance movements and insurrectionary events from around the world presented from an anarchist and anti-authoritarian perspective.
Our response to the raid: regardless of these attacks, the film festival will happen as planned on Friday April 16, 2010 at Judson Memorial Church. The voice of decentralized creative communities will not be silenced by police repression. They cannot raid us, because we are everywhere.
Were you there!? Write us but I swear to god DO IT FROM A FREE WIFI ZONE WITH MASKED COMPUTER IPS SO THEY CANNOT TRACE YOU!!!111!!!!
I reviewed the new KFC Double Down for Tina Fey's internet blog site:
To call KFC's new Double Down Original Recipe® creation a sandwich is an insult to the wheat-centric tradition America holds so dear. This is no standard sandwich, but a two-bird prom dance packed tight around a strip of bacon smothered in Colonel Sanders' magical awesome sauce.It's a monster. It's like the Colonel is high-fiving your fat, juicy heart.
Check out the full review on NBC & click "furious" so we can pretend we're anarchists.
In honor of Brooklyn's own Sightings record release today, Diana Kinscherf caught up with guitarist/vocalist Mark Morgan on the how's and why's of a different kind of rock band and what it's like to have Andrew W.K. as a roommate...
What made you deviate from a regular rock sound into something noisier?
I remember when I was ten years old and hearing certain sounds and I was really excited by them. I wasn't inclined to punk rock or any other off-kilter music; I was really isolated in this suburban town of Detroit. There was this thing on MTV in 1983 or 1984 called "Closet Classics"; they played a lot of 60's acts like Jefferson Airplane, the Rolling Stones, and "Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer and I remember thinking, "This is really amazing!". I never really woke up one day and thought I was going to oppose everything that's going on.
What did you grow up listening to?
The first tape I ever bought was Van Halen's 1984 when I was nine years old; by all rights, it should have been Def Leppard. It didn't occur to me to buy a record, so my parents bought me a boombox. The second thing I bought was Crazy From The Heat by David Lee Roth. Then I lost touch with modern music, when I was eleven I decided I was going to listen to classical music. I don't know why I thought that; it was really ridiculous. I remember when I was twelve, some guy came up to me and said, "Do you like the Beastie Boys?" "No...I only listen to classical music". I was into a lot of pop-metal stuff like Dokken, the aforementioned Van Halen and Ratt. When I was thirteen, my next door neighbor played the Doors for me. I got really into the Doors, at fourteen, fifteen, that was how I got into the Stooges. It was hard to understand how earth-shattering it was to me.
The extended interview after the jump...
Gathering from what you listened to growing up, and hearing the music you make now, there seems to be a gap in between.
Well, we haven't gotten to college yet!
What did you do [instead of] college?
In the last two years I did a lot of pot smoking, and listening to records; those were very formative years, age eighteen to twenty two. I was a total trainspotter; I wanted to hear every band, I would endlessly read about music. Just going through the usual bullshit, like Gang Of Four, the Birthday Party, I was a really big Jesus Lizard fan, going to all their shows when they came to town.
I can see the influence drawing closer. What other art do you do?
None.
Just the music? It's all about the music.
I used to draw a lot when I was a kid, but after I started playing music, I lost interest.
What do you think of noise rock musicians?
I don't refer to it as noise rock, I just refer to it as rock; obviously it's noisy, as an adjective. As I see it, we're fans of rock and we just want to push it forward, if people want to foist upon us being noise, that's fine, but sometimes I get annoyed. Some people just slot us into being this kind of band.
I've heard a lot of comparisons between Sightings and Einstürzende Neubauten. What do you think of that?
I don't think of Einstürzende Neubauten as being a rock band; they're a great band, but terms like "noise rock" and "industrial" are meaningless ghettos and are not going to convey how that band sounds.
Who on the current music scene are you really into?
We played with this band Sword Heaven a few weeks ago, they're from Columbus, and we've played with them a few times before. It's just a guy with a bunch of shit on a table and a drummer. They're a fucking great band - I don't think there's anything quite like them that I've heard before. I don't think they sound much like us, if at all, but I think all three of us in Sightings feel a kinship with them, and I feel they think the same about us. this is a really great, phenomenal band. Truly amazing,
Where did the name Sightings come from?
It's actually kind of funny; I used to live with Andrew W.K. when he moved to New York, It was the summer of 97, and I met him through a friend of a friend, and he contacted me and asked if he could stay at my place for a while until he found an apartment. So he lived in my house, and a month ended up turning into five months. He did this homemade magazine, and it was called Wolf Slicer and he wrote fictional articles and he had all these collages; utterly bizarre, and truly amazing. He wrote fake letters to the magazine, and one of the letters was like "Hi, my name is George, and I have an act called Sightings, and I was wondering if you would review our cassette", and I was reading that and was like, "I gotta use that as a band name!"; so that's how we got the band name!
Are you happy with where you stand? Is there anything you would change?
No, I think this is the best we've been. We've been playing for eleven years this November. I'm pretty happy with it. The only thing I would change is that the song writing process is up and down, sometimes we'll be kickin' it and other times we'll go through these dry spells. But it always comes back where we'll get excited by new stuff. Most bands have their weaknesses, but you know, I just want to be consistently good. What would I change about the band? It's fine, I'm pretty happy with it!
Sightings' new record, City Of Straw is out now.
From the electronic mailbox:
Councilmen Steve Levin (your guy if you live in the "waterfront" section of the Southside, in most of the Northside or in Greenpoint) is hosting a town hall meeting tomorrow to discuss the Domino Development.
Meeting info: Wed. April 14, 2010 @ Pierogi Boiler 191 N14th (between Berry & Wythe) from 6-8pm.
Have no idea what i am talking about?
Well, the old Domino Sugar factory (@ Kent & S5th-S2nd) is in the midst of the rezoning process. There is a plan from the developers. There is community push back. In a nutshell, lots of $$, lots of L line drama, lots of towers, lots of local politics, lots of "lively discussion". The project will be coming before city council pretty soon and if you dont like what you see from the developers (or if you do) now is the time to get involved and speak up.....
Need more info. Lots more articles on Brooklyn 11211 about the rezoning process, etc. Also, can get the real estate perspective on Brownstoner.
Hey NPR, next time you run a piece entitled “New York’s Hipsters Too Cool for the Census,” you should maybe do more than talk to three people in a record store?
Sure, as Brian pointed out last week, Williamsburg’s response rates are super low. But check out the actual data available on the Census 2010 Map. The Census return rates for the “hip” parts of Williamsburg are about on par with those for the rest of the city. It’s the Hassidic areas that have a super low rate of return (see screenshot above). Which the NPR story mentioned, kind of, at the end of the piece, after focusing on those crazy kids with their "wacky bikes" and "ironic mustaches."
So yeah, some of us are lazy assholes who haven’t mailed their forms in yet (like, ok, I *might* have just mailed mine in this morning). But come on – we’re no more lazy than the rest of this city.
UPDATE: Aaron Short, over at A Short Story blog, points out that one reason the Hassidic return rate might be so low is because the forms were mailed out during... Passover.
So what we're saying is that it's nobody's fault, really.
And it's about time!
The Pulitzer Prize Board awarded a posthumous special award to Williams, who died in 1953 at 29, for his lifetime achievement as a musician, praising the country legend for "his craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life."The board, chaired by Miami Herald Executive Editor Anders Gyllenhaal, decided on the "special citation" after a confidential survey of experts in popular music.
"The citation, above all, recognizes the lasting impact of Williams as a creative force that influenced a wide range of other musicians and performers," said Sig Gissler, administrator of the Pulitzer Prizes, in a statement. "At the same time, the award highlights the board's desire to broaden its Music Prize and recognize the full range of musical excellence that might not have been considered in the past."
Glass Ghost might be the most reflective band name I've heard in a while. Their terribly fragile sound floats somewhat eerily over subtle keyboards and drum beats-- a moving falsetto that played repeatedly during my hazy winter, but which also translates to sunshine times and naps in the park with great fluidity.
If you haven't had a chance to see these guys live, today is your lucky day because FREEwilly has got you covered... well, one lucky reader anyway. If you want to win a pair of tickets to see Glass Ghost along with Brooklyn's venerable Kaki King at Music Hall on 4/15, all you've gotta do is RT this over on Twitter, or comment on the contest thread on our Facebook page. Easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, no?
Check out the video for Glass Ghost's "Like A Diamond" after the jump...
Great news for all Vietnamese food lovers-Bánh Mì has opened an expanded Williamsburg location in the former Curves Gym on Grand Street. The owners Vu Bui, Dung Trinh, and Thomas Bui are three Brooklyn-raised Vietnamese (“Brooklyn-mese”, as they called themselves) friends who met on a handball court as children. Now they’ve joined forces to open their third Vietnamese restaurant in Williamsburg (they also own the sit-down restaurant An Nhau on Bedford Avenue).
Read more after the jump.
The larger Bánh Mì location on Grand Street is airy and bright with a colorful mural painted by okMitch who has also done work for Tarif, Northern Spy Food Co., St. Anslem, and many other local eateries. okMitch received inspiration for the mural from photos the three owners took during their various trips to Vietnam. Owner Dung Trinh said they wanted to expand their menu from the Bedford Avenue take-out shop and offer more rice dishes, pho, additional appetizers, Vietnamese milk shakes, and bubble tea along with ample seating. The dark wood tables scattered around the restaurant all have Café Du Monde coffee canisters to hold the spoons, forks, and chopsticks. When asked about the containers, Vu Bui said, “we’re Vietnamese, that is what we do. We take everything and recycle it, even the canisters from our coffee”.
We tried the Chicken Pho ($8), which is served with rice noodles, shredded chicken, bean sprouts, lettuce, chives, and fresh mint. The pho wasn’t too oily and had the perfect balance of broth and noodles. We also sampled the Lemongrass Chicken Sandwich ($5.50), which came on a toasted baguette with cucumber, pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro, and French mayo. Often Bánh Mì shops go overboard with the mayo on the sandwiches, but the mayo to sandwich ratio was perfect. If ordering the sandwich, we’d suggest getting a side since they aren’t particularly large. If you’re looking for something more filling we would suggest the Grilled Pork Chop served over rice ($9) or the Grilled Salmon with Sweet Lemongrass sauce and sugar snap peas on the side ($12). There are also a few options for vegetarians: Spicy Lemongrass Vermicelli with Tofu and Mushroom ($11), Vegetarian Banh Mi with Tofu and Mushrooms ($6), and the Summer or Veggie Roll (($5).
Slow dripped Vietnamese coffee is served with condensed milk ($2), along with home brewed Iced Tea ($2.50), Iced Coffee ($3.50), and Limeade ($2.50), which is a homemade traditional fresh-squeezed lime juice drink. The owners are working on their Beer and Wine license, which should be finalized in a few weeks. There is no dessert offered yet, but except to see bubble tea, ice cream, sorbet, and chocolate lava cake in next month or so.
Delivery is coming soon. Bánh Mì is open Noon-10pm daily.
Bánh Mì, 580 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211; 718.599.5015
Via Gawker:
Several people report seeing this man around Williamsburg. He wears, says one tipster "a pair of child's pleather shorts as a headpiece to contain a giant jewfro to give the effect of twin chimneys." They call him chimneyhead.
Apparently, some of you folks out there have made out with him. Gross.
This video by the awesome Eric Wareheim may ruin your day:
HEALTH "We are Water" from Eric Wareheim on Vimeo.
DoTank:Brooklyn, a self-described "group of urban planners, architects, designers, and other urbanists," is setting up some kind of digitally-enabled graffiti billboard near Bedford tonight.
They write:
The community billboard is something that we call The Wall. It is a user submitted digital graffiti experiment. The purpose of The Wall is to provide the community with a tool for their own advertising. It allows anybody with email service to submit a photo, and that photo is instantly projected onto the "billboard."
It's projected via a 6-foot tall WiFi contraption the group created, consisting of a WiFi antenna soldered into an Airport Card on an older iBook.
To participate, email a photo to 390gaoxip@tumblr.com and keep an eye out around the southwest corner Bedford & No. 7th later tonight.
Assemblyman Joe Lentol, friend of the internet, is going to swim the length of Netwown Creek as a last-ditched mating attempt at getting us some of that Google fiber optic broadband love. So how's he feel about his pending trip down a seriously polluted waterway?
"Even if I grow a third arm I bet I still wont be faster on the computer than google's broadband and it will be worth it for all the good this project could bring for the businesses, families, artists, freelancers, students and everyone in between in my district."
The 90's sing-along is back at Legion tonight with what organizers promise will be some of the best, some of the worst (but "so bad they're awesome") music videos for people to sing their hearts out.
No microphones. No requests. It's like Communist Karaoke! Just sit back (or stand up and dance) and let your voices combine to relive some 90's hits and hidden treasures that You, You, You Oughta Know. Don't be a Loser, Baby come Jump Around and Vogue to some Good Vibrations or you'll be Tearin' Up My Heart but it's ok if you Linger because I Will Always Love You.
9pm // Legion (790 Metro) // FREE
Joe Carroll owner of Spuyten Duyvil and Fette Sau has something new and delicious up his sleeve- “a haute snack bar” named St. Anselm he’s planning to open next door to Spuyten Duyvil in late April. Originally Carroll planned to open a simple hot dog joint, but the menu has quickly expanded to include “Newark-style hot dogs” which are deep-fried, stuffed into split pizza bread, and crammed with crispy potatoes, onions, and peppers.
According to Grub Street:
Other fatty delights will include scrapple, goetta, and sausages, all made in-house; relics like humble pie and chicken à la king; a pork-neck-bone dish the Carrolls fell for in Las Vegas; and the ominous sounding Skin 3 Way. Regional sandwiches include Trenton pork roll (“Spam-ish and salty,” says Carroll) and beef on weck.
A larger selection of wine will be served than is offered at Spuyten Duyvil and Fette Sau, including Red Hook Winery’s Chardonnay and sparkling Brooklynbrusco which will be available on tap.
Grub Street got a peek at the full menu (re-posted after the jump).
[image via Grub Street]
BLUE PLATES
-Monday- Coddle
-Tuesday- Yankee Pot Roast
-Wednesday- Neck Bones a la Venetian
-Thursday- Oxtail Chili
-Friday- Fish Fry
-Saturday- Liver, Bacon & Onions
-Sunday- Chicken a la King
Beer Battered Brain
Smoked Sweet Breads
Tripe Marrow Croquettes
Fried Gizzard
Confit Foie Gras Pierogies
Devils On Horse Back
Fried Humble Pie Beef
Heart Steak
Head Cheese Butcher’s Faggots
Skin 3 Way: Cotina, Cracklin’ & Chicharrone
Hot Dogs
Newark Style
Two Deep Fried Dogs
Napoli Pizza Bread
Peppers, Onions and Fried Potatoes.
Singles
Deep Fried on a Potato Roll
Top with Gravy, Sauerkraut, Sautéed Peppers & Onions, Beer Cheese
House Sausages
Newark Style or Plate (See Board for Today’s Sausages)
Griddle Burgers
2oz. Patties on Potato Rolls With Cheese and/or Onion
Fried Potatoes in a Cup Plain Salt & Vinegar Disco Fries
Eggs
Fried, Scrambled or Poached
Add Scrapple or Goetta with Greens
Pork Roll Sandwich with Egg and Cheese Sausage, Peppers, Potatoes & 2 Eggs
Bacon with L & T
Corned Lamb Hash with Fried Bread
Fried Meatballs (Newark Style or Plate)
Rillon with Pear Chutney
Beef on Weck
Soup a da Day
City Chicken
The Dagwood Sandwich: Tongue, Onion, Mustard, Sardines, Bean Spread & Horseradish
Pickled Sausage Pepper
Gardiniera
Citrus & Fennel Salad
Veal Heart Jerky
Pickled Eggs
-cold or fried-
House Made Sausages, Head Cheese, Bacon, Scrapple, Goetta Hot Dogs & Pork Roll
On Draft:
Beer-Hopfenstark Blonde McNeill’s Alt Bruery Saison Lente Jolly Pumpkin Bam
Wine- Red Hook Winery Brooklynbrusco (Sparkling Red) Red Hook Winery Chardonnay
Cider- Farnum Hill Summer Cider
Soda- Sprecher Root Beer
LCD Soundsystem photo by underwhelmer.
Video of the band playing "Drunk Girls," a song Rolling Stone notes could be "an early single-of-the-year contender," at the Music Hall of Williamsburg via Music for Perfect People after the jump.
Other recaps:
Sound of the City
Brooklyn Vegan
Rolling Stone
I hate these. But this...
Quoth the friend who shared this with me: "Hospitals need to give new parents crash courses on what you can put on the internet and what you can't." Indeed.
My day is basically ruined. Via The Downtown Diaries:
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I went to Ralph’s Italian Ice yesterday, located on Graham Ave and Conselyea St, to find out it was CLOSED and turning in to a DELI. Yes, that’s right, a DELI. Who’s bright idea was that? ... When I got home, I turned to Yelp for some answers – it looks like the transition from Ralph’s to All Star’s Deli went down last month. Booooooooo.
Again, the folks at The L Mag got it just right. Maybe from now on, I'll just copy and paste all of their opinions:
For the past few years, we had been of the opinion that Ted Leo and his Pharmacists had hit something of a low point in their career: Nothing had changed, exactly, and the songs they were writing weren't bad; it just seemed like something was missing. On the brand new album, The Brutalist Bricks, though, whatever it was that was missing is back. It's an immensely catchy record that you'll want to play pretty much every time you fire up the grill this summer.
We tested this theory on a rooftop last night, and it seems to be true. So if you wanna kick off the early summer weather with Mr. Leo, just head on over to our Facebook page for a chance to win a pair of tickets to tomorrow night's show at The Fillmore at Irving Plaza.
Need some more convincing? Here's a video of Ted Leo & the Pharmacists covering Tears for Fears (once you get past all the Starbucks product placement, it's pretty rad):
Apparently, Videogum's 2nd Birthday Party (tonight at Brooklyn Bowl) is going to be this much fun:
FREE entry between 7-9:30pm, after that there's a $7 fee for a ?uestlove DJ set... RSVP here.
Queens-based Freelance Whales debuted their new video for "Generator 2nd Floor" today. Check 'er out and DL the mp3 here.
A lab on Kent Street in Greenpoint was raided on Wednesday for allegedly serving as a "pivotal meeting point" in a $3.5-million Qualludes manufacturing and distribution network. Hello, 1976!
There's a kick-off meeting tonight for Vision 2020, a year-long initiative that plans to outline the future of New York City's waterfront properties. This is your best chance yet this year to show up and advocate for a permanent place on the water for concerts & events.
As Jelly wrote in their recent Jelly Roll, "This is a great opportunity to make some noise and demand the park we were promised in the 2005 Waterfront Rezoning agreement - and believe it or not, when people show up en mass it makes a big difference."
A source there noted the reason a skate park exists at the McCarren Park Pool is because skaters made some noise at a planning meeting for the pool. So, it works.
Tonight's meeting is at Murry Bergtraum High School (411 Pearl Street, Manhattan) from 6:00 to 8:30 pm.
If you can't make that, State Senator Dan Squadron is looking for community input "on legislative and community priorities" this Sunday, April 11th from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at the Borough of Manhattan Community College (199 Chambers Street, Manhattan). His district covers lower Manhattan, which is why the meeting is there, and parts of Brooklyn alongside the East River from Greenpoint to Carrol Gardens, give or take.
Learn all about NYC's waterfront initiatives at www.nyc.gov/waterfront.
Sure, the caption is technically grammatically correct, but still. In other news, the waterfront is now open for the season?
via the Lens Blog
Do you kinda feel, I dunno, strange inside after having watched that? More to Nike's point, do you feel bad, just a little bit, for Tiger, having to listen to his Dad's voice from behind the grave scolding him for his public wrongs? That'd be Nike's goal here, I believe. You feel bad. We all feel bad. The world sees him through the ever-glistening shot glass of humanity. And we all move on. There's golf to play, damnit. Go watch.
In case you haven't heard, our beloved Hipster Puppies got a book deal... after just a few short weeks of being a Tumblr. Umm, can I get a book deal too? Be sure to tell me how undeserving I am in the comments...
I guess I'll just focus my frustration on the best possible hipster puppy photo I can take for a photo credit in a part of our generation's obsession with ironic coffee table books... Here's how you and your furry best friend can make history too.
From The L Magazine:
Pitchfork destroyed the new Midlake record, The Courage of Others, with a shockingly low 3.6, and we find ourselves hoping, more than ever, that people don't take their word as gospel. It's a beautiful record, clearly inspired by British folk music, and as engrossing as any we've heard all year.
We couldn't have said it better ourselves! That's why we have two copies of Midlake's newest album for two lucky readers... one vinyl and one CD. Just head over to our Facebook page and comment on the contest thread, and The Courage of Others can be all yours. Don't forget to specify why records are awesome, or why you still own a CD player...
And be sure to check out Midlake tonight at the Bowery Ballroom with John Grant!
Congratulations, Williamsburg! You are in dead last in census return rates with an impressive 31.3%. Your neighbors to the north in Queens are the highest, with 62.9% returned. Nihilists!
For a little non-context, this rate of 31.3% is equal to the amount of U.S. troops killed from accidents or illness in Iraq (May 2004), White male students likely to have carried a weapon in school in the US, and Hispanics in the state of California in 2001.
Bloomberg said, “For each person who is not counted in the census, the city loses about $3,000 in federal aid every year.’’ So put it this way. We're not getting any new parks, waterfront concerts, McCarren Park updates, trees, bike lanes, bike racks, or anything else the city pays for with federal money until you send in your census.*
*I have no idea how federal monies are used and am not even close to an expert on the subject.
Full list of return rates here.
The Awl just posted a new piece by yours truly about WinterBand--aka the most important band of our time:
Just when I’d “discovered the magic” of Celtic Thunder and become certain that nothing could more effortlessly succeed at making my ears bleed, a friend sent me a link to North Carolina’s WinterBand--the most disturbing Christian rock band since, well, since ever. If you’re a geriatric, hobo-wizard, Jesus freak with a dirty mop-head hanging from your chin, it’s probably not the best idea to be too critical of others. But that doesn’t stop WinterBand’s namesake, Steve Winter, from attacking Catholics, Muslims, democrats, women and countless others for the intolerable sin of being outside his confusing comfort zone.Check out this important band's music over at The Awl.
Candice Waldron, owner of Jumelle (148 Bedford) wrote to set the record straight regarding the Brooklyn Paper story about Williamsburg Walks cutting back.
Her email (emphasis mine):
The comments and quotes from my staff that have appeared in recent articles about the reduced Williamsburg Walks schedule are inaccurate, misrepresented and false. We have contacted the staff writer asking for a correction.Williamsburg Walks did not have any negative impact on my business revenue; this aspect of the story was never discussed with the reporter. In fact that comment was made by another local shop owner. We remained open every weekend during the walks and welcomed new customers.
Furthermore, the caption, "She got her wish now that the pedestrian mall has been cut to just two days" that appears with a photo of one of my staff is entirely fabricated. We have not actively campaigned to cut Williamsburg Walks.
Jumelle has been an active participant in the community and we simply wish to set the record straight.
Photo via Hazel Kiesewetter c/o NY Mag
They are nimble little bastards, aren't they? Just wanted to let you all kno, we're working on a solution to combat these hustlers trying to sell us Air Jordans. In the meantime, keep your heads above water and try and ignore the spam.
In case you weren't paying attention to your Twitters at 9:01 am, a secret, last-minute LCD Soundsystem show went on sale and sold out mere seconds later (my guess, the ticketmaster page was gone by the time I got to it, now it's just plain sold out). They play T5 in May, so as Sound of the City says, "have faith little guy!"
Once a month the Bushwick Book Club meets at Goodbye Blue Monday to perform original songs about their latest assigned reading material. Tonight they'll not only be paying musical tribute to "My Life, and Other Unfinished Business," by Dolly Parton, but they'll be celebrating the release of their first CD -- a gigantic 58-song compilation of the best of the best from the club's first year of existence. Come on out to enjoy drink specials, great music, and a discount on the CD's sticker price. And yes, it's ok if you didn't read the book beforehand.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
8pm
GoodBye Blue Monday
1087 Broadway (JMZ to Myrtle of J to Kosciusco)
ph: 718 453 6343
Purchase the CD
I first sampled Traif's fare back at the Taco Experiment, and it was pretty darn delicious. At the time, the people serving the crispy little taco to my hungover face said something about a new place opening in Williamsburg in a few weeks. Looks like the time is come: Grub Street reports they're eying a Friday opening at 229 S. 4th St & Havemeyer. For some reason Thrillist has a JPG of the menu, which looks deliciously complicated. We're talking food items like: pancetta, cracklins', kecap, rilletes, albondigas, gastrique, pecorino, fideus, l'ancienne, and crab. Leave a comment if you get a chance to check it out!
A commenter reacts to the Williamsburg Walks news:
As a person in business it can say that the bitterness of these select business owners is due to the fact that they aren’t creative enough to capitalize on what should become the busiest day of the week for them. I also try to keep 100% or my money spent in Williamsburg, but I too agree that it is clear who doesn’t want our money.
We're long time fans of Tim and Eric, so needless to say we were psyched to stumble upon these on Videogum:
Two more after the jump:
I'm enjoying this Williamsburg Observer piece on the aggressive Duane Reed settlement across the street from King's Pharmacy that urges all Williamsburg residents, "Resist the Corporate Hive-Mind, say 'No!' to this invasive takeover attempt. Help us keep Williamsburg free of corporate creep."
"Last fall, Duane Reade opened one of its mega-mart drugstores on Kent Avenue, in the ground floor of the new Northside Piers. This spring, in the coming weeks, another Duane Reade store is slated to open on Bedford Avenue between North 3rd and 4th Streets, only five blocks from the first store and directly across from King’s Pharmacy, a locally-owned business that has been at this address for most of the last decade. This aggressive and menacing behavior suggests that a virulent infection may be taking hold—in fact, we hear rumors that Starbucks is also now eyeing Bedford Avenue, already home to a Subway outlet. Will McDonald’s and Burger King be next?"
It points to two Facebook groups: Boycott Duane Reade in Williamsburg and I'm Boycotting the Bedford Ave. Duane Reade/Walgreens as pages to start la resistance. Go get 'em, tigers.
After weeks of pressure from revenue-strapped business owners on Bedford Avenue who saw the Williiamsburg Walks street festival as a burden on profits, the event has officially been rescheduled from six Saturday afternoons to just one lonely weekend at the end of June.
Hope you enjoyed your street party while you had the time, people on feet!
A & G Merch's Jill Goldhand appears to be one of the leaders of the anti-street festival movement, after she last was quoted as saying there were a few Saturdays when she "had no revenue." Today she is quoted in the Brooklyn Paper as saying, “Thank God they’ve cut it." The paper notes she was one "who urged festival organizers to reduce the schedule."
Jumelle Boutique's Madeline Virbasius is also pictured posing, arms crossed, above a caption that reads "she got her wish now that the pedestrian mall has been cut to just two days." (update: this apparently was not her wish. read their statement here.)
I look forward to seeing some numbers of sales during Williamsburg Walks last summer compared with sales during the same weekends, sans walks, this year. Yes, we don't want local businesses losing out completely to the incoming Starbucks & Duane Reeds of the world, but shouldn't they be able to capitalize on an increased pedestrian presence on Saturdays in the summer?
Anyways, event organizers tried to strike a more positive note, saying, "“We are confident that the event will be fantastic and we will establish a sustainable model for the years to come."
Sure, this one weekend will be absolutely fantastic. But this is a big step backwards from six summer Saturdays of fun on Bedford Avenue to one weekend of entertainment on a street filled with business owners looking on, arms-crossed. Emboldened by their victory, will the Business Owners aim their sites on the Endless Summer Taco Truck and the Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Truck too?
UPDATE 4/7: Jumelle's owner responds, saying, the article's quote was "inaccurate, misrepresented and false," and that "We have not actively campaigned to cut Williamsburg Walks." See her full letter here.
photo by Bess Adler c/o The Brooklyn Paper
It's a bit lo-fi, but we've been enjoying this video by Bear in Heaven. Check them out April 9 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg where they will be performing with Cymbals Eat Guitars. [Thanks Christina]
Black Betty's crusty shell at 366 Metropolitan Ave is waking up, sez the Downtown Diaries, which reports the local designer who worked on Dressler and Saltie (name: Joseph Foglia) is on the pay roll. The new spot is owned by the Dow Young Group and has a new "blue-grey exterior."
They applied for a liquor license on Jan 13th and are still awaiting its approval.
I fell in love with Brooklyn boutique Scandinavian Grace long before I ever visited. I can’t quite remember where I first read about Icelandic designer Vík Prjónsdóttir's Twosome Blanket - think Snuggie for two - but I loved the idea of people laying side by side, keeping each other warm. By the time I arrived at the only Stockist I knew of in the US, the store had changed ownership and no longer carried in-store what I had by then deemed the Snuggie Wuggie. Fredrik Wide, the owner and operator of Scandinavian Grace, has put together an exquisite collection of contemporary products from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway. New York City is no stranger to modern design shops, but it’s likely you’ll come across things here you’ve only ever seen in the odd restaurant or hotel. The Rocking Glasses by Britt Bonnesen are everything I’ve wished I had when hosting a dinner party; similar in design to the classic tumbler, the bottoms are rounded, allowing them to rock without spilling. Fredrik confesses his love for modernism, and cites Arne Jacobsen, Alvar Alto and Kaj Franck as favorite designers. “Many of the pieces in the store are classics,” he admits, but “we do mix in some new things too, of which some probably will be considered classics tomorrow.” From Marimekko duvet covers to playful Swedish rugs, Scandinavian Grace is a must-stop shop in home outfitting. Yet, with apparel so apropos of it’s location - the 100% Icelandic wool Beard Cap and Stepp Two Ashtray are personal favorites - I can’t help but think this the perfect boutique for gifting. In the spirit of exchanging ideas and recommendations, I’d take a look at the Karl and Mona clogs, traditional hand-made shoes from Sweden. At $105, they’re affordable; perhaps if we all wear these, the starlets will kick off their Chanel’s and that Karl's trend will go the way of the dumpster. Speaking of rubbish, I plan on making a trip back to Scandinavian Grace when I can afford this hand-assembled Vipp trash can from Denmark. “It is not very difficult to pick the winners,” Fredrik say, “when you have a store that caters to your own type.” How about picking my first purchase?
Scandinavian Grace
167 N 9th St
Brooklyn, NY 11222
(718) 384-7886
The host of the hipster speed dating event, The Internet Killed Your Social Skills, is either hilariously self-aware or just plain mocking us.
After defending the event in a comment as "a fun night," she wrote, "you only need to know 2 indie bands really well, one dead novelist, and you actually have the length of a song to talk to each person. about 3 minutes, not 30 seconds."
Easy! Anyways, the next event is Thursday, May 6th at Macri Park should you be interested in mingling, and hey guess what, we're looking for a single hipster correspondent! Anyone want to attend and let us know how it goes? Write me.
pic via their fb group
A commenter on the Market Hotel bust:
wah, a hipster party go broken up--at the intersection of bushwick and bed-stuy, where there is plenty of violent and drug-related crime that should be keeping the nypd busy. the police often (but not always, i know) look the other way at lesser crimes like, say, open containers or noise complaints so they can attend to relatively more pressing concerns.with the nypd facing budget cuts and drastically reduced ranks, last night's raid at market hotel begs the question: why were valuable and limited police resources used to break up a harmless, docile party, instead of addressing the serious crime that persists in the area--the kind that most taxpayers want their money spent on?
I think A. It's easier for the police to target a large gathering of folks than drive around patrolling an area and B. there's money in them thar raids. But yes, this is nothing new. I'm sure anyone who's spent time in a town with a crime problem anywhere else in the country has seen the whole "cops unfairly targeting rich people drinking" headache persist for years.
I can't imagine what self-respecting single resident of the neighborhood could have sullied on down to Macri Park on Thursday for what must rank as a new low for hipster-themed bar nights: Hipster Speed Dating!
How does this work? We imagine you've got thirty seconds to express how much you don't give a f'k and name 3 indie bands in the process aaaaand go, make babies.
Did anyone attend?!
photo by Todd-Shaffer c/o Brooklyn365
One may have overlooked the glory of screaming "Livin' on a Prayer" to a wanking man on a computer screen without the heroes at Legion. In a flash of genius, they're now combining the noble Japanese-born pastime of karaoke with chatroulette -- and doling out free drinks for those who perform. The organizers write:
So the deal is anyone who performs a song gets a free shot. The karaoke is performed on stage, in chat roulette, and the chat roulette session is projected onto a screen behind the performer. It starts at 10 and goes all night.
Legion // 790 Metropolitan Ave // 10pm
UPDATED 1:18 PM - SEE AFTER THE JUMP
Last night approximately ten, mostly "undercover" police officers (wearing hoodies and jeans but still managing to look a lot like cops) raided a show at Market Hotel. The coppers were out to put an end to a sordid affair which begun with up and coming band Big Troubles, who were missing their drummer because he had a lot of homework and couldn't couldn't come home from college to play the show. When the men in blue (hoodies) arrived, Darlings had just finished a set of sugar sweet pop and the crowd was waiting on Golden Triangle who never got a chance to take the stage. Chicago's Smith Westerns were to headline, four menaces to society who have managed record an album and tour the U.S. before even turning twenty.
Some nights you're trying to tear down society and crush the system, other nights the authorities spend their time and effort orchestrating elaborate theater to bestow subversiveness upon you. For some of us it's just a matter that we wish we had the good time we set out for at the beginning of the evening (after the show the schedule called for an all night dance party DJed by Peggy from the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Shirley of NYC Noise). But poor promoter Todd P has to deal with this foolishness on the heels of putting together the first MtyMx festival which left him so exasperated that he, whose name we know for his prolific DIY-ness, was left threatening to sue a charter bus company. Give Todd a big hug the next time you see him.
The most official comment I could wrestle from one of the officers was "I'm not as stupid as I look," the poor guy sounds insecure about something. This came after I tried to snap a photo of the scene on my iPhone and he smacked my hands aside (photo of the brutality above). The officer was apparently also unhappy with my friend for joking about having the good fortune to forget to bring his bag of drugs and firearms to Market tonight.
"That's not a smart thing to say, this is serious," quoth the officer as he and his colleagues walked through the loft so thoroughly packed with illegal activity that they arrested no one. You know a cop is serious when he has to remind you of it while seething that there is really nothing going on that demands their attention. Median income for police officers in New York is around $60K a year. Which comes out to around $30 an hour. Let's say the cops spent five hours of work on this raid including planning and a trip to the Salvation Army to thrift their punk outfits, at ten cops that's $1,500 of city dollars spent on
I hope the reasons that last sentence was left unfinished are clear. What's not clear is what any New Yorker got for the investment.
UPDATE:
First of all, to clear up any possible confusion about the original post: last night the show at Market Hotel was shut down by police and there was no further information available. This sort of thing has happened to DIY venues in the past with few shows impacted. However, in this case it appears things could be more serious and upcoming shows are Market are being relocated. Earlier today Todd placed a brief statement on his website about last night:
so…. Market Hotel got into some police trouble. What does this mean? Hard to tell. Places have survived such things before, including Market Hotel, but every situation is different and we will have to wait and see. For the near future, Market Hotel will go dark, and scheduled events will be relocated. The longterm goal remains as it always has been: to make Market Hotel a licensed community space… but money is a challenge of course. We have consulted many times with architects / lawyers and it is attainable! If you want to help achieve that goal, please get in touch @ themarkethotel@gmail.com. Thanks for your support!Please remember, shows in other spots are not affected - including tonight’s Easter punk show at Monster Island Basement. Come out, it’ll be terrific, and triumphant!
Get out your hair gel, tube tops, and dolla billz. According to Gothamist last night giant spotlights were “rented to herald the arrival of a new lounge called Alma on Roebling and South 3rd.” If you’re curious about what Alma has to offer there are velvet ropes,red carpets, the ability to book VIP birthdays, and most importantly VALET PARKING for all those driving in from Long Island and New Jersey. Their website details the grand opening on “Thrusday” (their misspelling, not ours) where patrons were invited to dress to impress and was invitation only. We can hardly wait for Hookah Fridays and Classic Saturdays. Alma, what the hell were you thinking?
[photo via Alma Facebook Page]
Graffiti artists Rui Amaral, Onesto and Binho cover the streets of São Paulo, Brasil (a.k.a. Sampa) in a fight against urban gray monotony.
The MTA is eliminating the B39 Williamsburg Bridge express bus, the B13 north of Wyckoff/Dekalb & weekend service on the B24. Total monies saved is estimated at 2.6 million and only a few thousand elderly and disabled citizens have to find a new way to the hospital.
Also, expect 900 new weekday riders on the L train. Because there's lots of room there.
Williamsburg is a mecca of well-curated boutiques. Brook Farm General Store, adjacent to a couple of Brooklyn’s best eateries, Diner and Marlow & Sons, is certainly among the best. I had seen the store - on the ground floor of an apartment building, it’s got all the ingredients of a hidden gem - on a post-brunch walk in January, but didn’t make the journey back until I saw it written up in the latest issue of Monocle. Opened by Brooklyn-based couple Christopher Winterbourne and Philippa Content, this store oozes love-worn basics: Egyptian-cotton sheets and bath towels from California-based line Matteo are nestled into cubbies with Savon de Marseille soaps from France, specialty kitchen appliances sit alongside a gorgeous set of plates made in Vietnam, and the desk supplies seem made-to-order. My personal favorite? The Sempé Journal, complete with illustrations by the French artist of the same name, as well as envelopes and pockets to hold your keepsakes. From the price range to the products, there’s something for everyone at Brook Farm. “We spend a lot of time looking for new things,” Philippa says, but adds that their vision started with specifics, like Duralex glasses and “quality, well-made sorts of things like we grew up with.” Espadrille’s made in the South of France will arrive in a month’s time, as will the first items from their new line - no doubt an infusion of his English roots and her Maine upbringing - such as organic wool blankets. In a boutique that feels quite like a lifestyle brand, I wondered what each would take home with them, if they were customers of their own store. Surely, they’d each ask if their dog Nutmeg is for sale as all of us cooing customers do. For Chris, the Anglepoise lamps made in England would top the list, while Philippa fancies the Moroccan Basket Backpack. I’ll take the store.
Brook Farm General Store
75 South 6th Street
New York 11211
www.brookfarmgeneralstore.com
Photograph by Karen Mordechai via Sunday Suppers
A poster on Craigslist is seeking woman to wrestle, no not sex, but just good ol' "you beating/dominating me." He's willing to pay $100 for a good ol' beat down. Body slam! Somebody send him a photo, at which point he will send you his, and we can once and for all figure out who is wrestling our women.
His post:
Seeking woman to wrestle with. No sex just wrestling "you beating/dominating me" will compensate you one hundred dollars cash for an hour of wrestling. Send your photo and I will send you mine.
The underground "supperclub" Whisk & Ladle had its very own underground holiday as deemed by official certificate delivered by staffers of Marty Markowitz on February 19th. We didn't get that memo!
This came out in an Atlantic article about about a dinner there, in which the author wrote, "A couple of guys who worked for Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz dropped by and had earlier presented the crew with an official certificate declaring February 19, 2010 'Whisk & Ladle Day.'" We now set our sites on February 19th, 2011 for a proper Williamsburg celebration.
While we can't deny this is hilarious, well, ew. We hope they sprayed some disinfectant where their areas were before exiting. From Improv Everywhere:
For our latest mission, over 1,000 people rode the subway without underwear or pants in New York City. Our annual No Pants Subway Ride has been a tradition for years, and we decided it was time to up the ante. Riders spread out over four different subway lines to surprise and delight everyday New Yorkers riding the train.Here's the video, which is semi NSFW:
UPDATE: it is April Fool's day and we haven't had coffee yet. Well played!
by Dave Thomas
Kick-Ass
Think of April's line-up as the opening acts for the summer blockbusters.
APRIL 2
Wide
CLASH OF THE TITANS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Wow, Harry Hamlin really pulled it together and...oh, no, wait, this is a new guy.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. I'm surprised because for every The Thing, there's twenty any remake you can think of off the top of your head that sucks. That having been said, Louis Leterrier is a solid action director. He won't make you think, but he will keep you entertained. Good cast, too: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Jason Flemyng, Mads Mikkelsen, Nicholas Hoult, Pete Postlethwaite, and Danny Huston.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Originally this was supposed to come out March 26th, but then they decided to make it 3D which, apparently, takes a week to add. So now it has to vie for space on 3D screens with the second frame of How to Train Your Dragon. This, however, is a rich person's problem. $157mil.
THE LAST SONG
(3/31)
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Man, that Notebook guy sure wrote a lot of books.
WILL IT SUCK?
This is the first time that Nicholas Sparks has had a hand in the screenplay adaptation of one of his novels. No idea what impact that will have. Director has done some good TV (Pushing Daisies, Grey's Anatomy, Weeds). Greg Kinnear is, you know, Greg Kinnear. Yeah, I'm not that psyched.
However, this is called Not Without My Daughter 2 in the Philippines, so it has that going for it.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Combining the Miley Cyrus crowd with the Sparks crowd with an inexplicable two-day head start should be successful counterprogramming to a bunch of CG scorpions. $70mil.
TYLER PERRY'S WHY DID I GET MARRIED TOO?
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Finally someone brings back the use of the word "too" in a sequel title.
WILL IT SUCK?
You know by now whether or not you like the Tyler Perry.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The audiences have already decided that they like the Tyler Perry. $58mil.
Limited
THE GREATEST
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Boy meets girl (Carey Mulligan). Boy dies in car crash. Boy's family tries to cope with the fact that the girl is now preggers.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good but not great. Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan play the parents.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Mulligan is a hot indie property, and with Leaves of Grass suddenly pushed from this weekend to the summer, the field is suddenly wide open. $8mil.
THE WARLORDS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Here's a history lesson. Jet Li, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro were there for the Tapei Rebellion of the 1860s.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is mixed, but the reuniting of Lau and Kaneshiro for the first time since House of Flying Daggers is enough to get me interested even before you throw Li into the mix. Not for nothing, but the flick won Best Actor (Jet Li) Best Director, Best Film and five other awards (nominated for a total of 13) at the Hong Kong Film Awards.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Funnily enough, House of Flying Daggers is the last time the arthouse crowd really seemed to care about kung fu. $1mil.
APRIL 9
Wide
DATE NIGHT
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Steve Carrell and Tina Fey's romcom date night goes all action comedy when they get mistaken for somebody else.
WILL IT SUCK?
Love the leads. Love the supporting cast (including Mark Wahlberg, Taraji P. Henson, Common, William Fichtner, Kristen Wiig, James Franco, Mila Kunis, and Nick Kroll). But no confidence in director Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum 1 & 2, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, Just Married) to bring the funny and even though the writer only has an "additional screenplay material" credit on Shrek the Third, that's still enough to make me nervous.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Look how well Tina Fey did with Amy Poehler. Now replace Amy Poehler with Steve Carrell. $90mil.
LETTERS TO GOD
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Mailman gets inspired by cancer-stricken kid's letters to God.
WILL IT SUCK?
As the trailer proudly touts, from one of the producers of Facing the Giants and Fireproof, if that gives you some of the flavor. Most of the cast and crew are relative newbies, tho.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It's certainly not going to have to compete with Kick-Ass. $14mil.
Limited
THE SQUARE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Just like The Box, but in 2D. Actually, Aussie noir about a guy cheating on his wife with a criminal's spouse. But that part about being in 2D is true.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. Got a ton of nods at the AFI (that's Australian Film Institute) awards.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Not exactly the most high profile kid on the block, but comparisons to early Coen Bros. should at least get them some early Coen Bros. money. $3mil.
WHO DO YOU LOVE?
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
The true story of Chess Records (launched Bo Diddley & Muddy Waters, among others).
WILL IT SUCK?
First off, it's Whom Do You Love?, but nobody listen to the grammar nerd! Early buzz is kind of meh, but the thought of Chi McBride as Willie Dixon and Alessandro Nivola as Leonard Chess is pretty intriguing.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Those who have heard of Chess Records are not necessarily the same as those who frequent the art house. $1mil.
APRIL 16
Wide
DEATH AT A FUNERAL
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Remake of the 2007 British comedy of the same name with many more black people and exactly as many dwarves.
WILL IT SUCK?
I'm not sure if I'd feel differently if I hadn't already seen and enjoyed the original. And even though Neil LaButte is at the helm, I haven't been interested in his work since The Shape of Things (and haven't been floored since Your Friends and Neighbors).
On the other hand, exact same writer. On yet another hand, completely different comedic style, given the cast: Chris Rock, Martin Lawrence, and Tracy Morgan - so that could be an interesting experiment (or a total disaster).
Rest of the cast ain't half bad: Danny Glover, Zoe Saldana, Keith David, James Marsden, Luke Wilson, Regina Hall, and Ron Glass (those of you who are Firefly fans will appreciate that casting given that Alan Tudyk was in the original). And, the aforementioned repeat casting, Peter Dinklage playing the exact same role which, in context, might be even funnier.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Rock has never been a reliable box office draw, Lawrence only occasionally fares better (usually in drag), and it's too early to tell about Morgan. $39mil.
KICK-ASS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Mystery Kids. Really vulgar, bloody ones.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is sick good. Matthew Vaughan is a solid director, and co-writes with his Stardust partner Jane Goldman adapting the Mark Millar comic.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
I don't think it's going to be a huge breakout hit, but it will take home some coin. $72mil.
Limited
THE JONESES
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
You know how there are people whose job it is to go into a bar a smoke a certain cigarette in front of you in order to sell that cigarette's brand? Imagine if an entire family did that.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is pretty good. Starring David Duchovny, Demi Moore, Gary Cole, and Glenne Headly.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Marketing critique could have special punch for indie-loving crowd. $8mil.
THE PERFECT GAME
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Based on a true story, a little league team from Mexico tries to make it into the 1957 Little League World Series
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good, which is a good thing given that the director's claim to fame here is Harry and the Hendersons. Also, Clifton Collins Jr.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
A strong push in Latino communities should make for a nice turnout. Don't know if that push will happen. $2mil.
THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Retired criminal court employee writes a novel about a 30-year-old unsolved murder/rape case in which he was involved.
WILL IT SUCK?
Just won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film so, probably not.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The Oscar win will pretty much be all it has to go on which, judging by previous winners that weren't already well-known, ain't much. $2mil.
APRIL 23
Wide
THE LOSERS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
An ousted black ops team tries to get revenge on those that done 'em wrong.
WILL IT SUCK?
I wouldn't be that interested in this but for Peter Berg (Friday Night Lights) co-writing the screenplay with James Vanderbilt (Zodiac).
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Second frame of Kick-Ass won't help, and Elm Street will steal most of the thunder the following week. $34mil.
THE BACK-UP PLAN
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Couple meets cute on the day the woman (Jennifer Lopez) gets artificially inseminated. Pregnancy romcom hilarity ensues.
WILL IT SUCK?
Director has done some Rome and Six Feet Under. Writer has done some Bernie Mac Show and Will & Grace. Not a huge Jennifer Lopez fan (except for Out of Sight, that was the bomb), but I'm a couple of degrees of separation from the production company so I'm just going to assume it's awesome.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Lopez does well when she sticks to her romcom wheelhouse. $48mil.
OCEANS
(APRIL 22)
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
This year's Disney celebration of Earth Day.
WILL IT SUCK?
Directors did Winged Migration. Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Last year's Earth, also released on Earth Day by the then newly formed Disneynature label, made some serious bank for a nature doc. Don't know if this will be quite as successful, but it won't disappear. $23mil.
Limited
BEST WORST MOVIE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Ever see a movie that was so bad you had to watch it over and over and tell everyone so they'd watch it with you? This is a documentary about that film. It is called Troll 2.
WILL IT SUCK?
Ironically, the movie about a film with a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes currently has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes (as of this writing). Seriously, though, I've been hearing great buzz about this flick going back to last year's SXSW. And it doesn't hurt that my homeboy Scott Weinberg is in the trailer (he's the "by every conceivable measure" guy).
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Far as I can tell the release pattern is more like isolated screenings rather than a straight-up limited release. Will probably pack houses on a given night, but don't know how much revenue that will generate in the long run. $500,000.
APRIL 30
Wide
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Michael Bay just doesn't like anyone, does he?
WILL IT SUCK?
Given Bay's company's track record with horror remakes, absolutely. Trailer seems humorless, where a lot of the appeal of the original was Kruger's wry wit. And while I understand the appeal of hiring a video director to helm a film with a ton of dream sequences, does that mean he understands story? Of the two screenwriters, the one with a clear track record has as much Final Analysis, Wolf, The Saint, and Doom on his resume as Cape Fear and True Believer.
That having been said, am I the only one who loves the idea of Jackie Earl Haley slipping on that glove? He automatically improves anything he touches (witness Human Target - like the show, love him).
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
It's very suspicious that this is the final salvo before Iron Man 2 leads the brigade of summer movies to obliterate everything else off the map. With almost no other horror this month, seems an earlier release would have been wiser. $65mil.
FURRY VENGEANCE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Forest creatures fight Brendan Fraser as he tries to wipe out their homes to build a mall.
WILL IT SUCK?
From the director of College Road Trip and The Sweetest Thing (and Cruel Intentions, to be fair - and Cruel Intention 2, to continue to be fair). And from the guys who wrote Mr. Woodcock.
It's worth it to watch The Quiet American every now and then to remind yourself how good Brendan Fraser is.
Oh, and Ken Jeong, Rob Riggle, and Samantha Bee have gone all family friendly here.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Think any kids are going to want to see Iron Man 2 next week? $15mil.
Limited
PLEASE GIVE
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Man (Oliver Platt) struggles with his wife's (Catherine Keener) philanthropic tendencies.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. From writer/director Nicole Holofcener, so get ready to get your well-written female characters on.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Babies is going to take some of the female demo next week, but I doubt it will get as much press. $10mil.
I LOVE YOU, PHILLIP MORRIS
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Boy (Jim Carrey) meets boy (Ewan MacGregor). In prison.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. The directorial debut of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who wrote both Bad Santa and Cats and Dogs (still trying to wrap my head around that). This, which they also wrote, looks to be more Bad Santa.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Easily the biggest indie release of the month, probably one of the biggest of the year. $20mil.
THE GOOD HEART
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Bar owner (Brian Cox) grooms homeless teen (Paul Dano) to take over for him when he dies.
WILL IT SUCK?
It's Paul Dano and Brian Cox, what more do you need to know? Early buzz is good.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
This is a pretty crowded time to be releasing your character-driven bar movie. $1mil.
HARRY BROWN
WHAT'S THE PITCH?
Michael Caine goes all Gran Torino on some British punks.
WILL IT SUCK?
Early buzz is good. The comparison point tends to be more Get Carter than Torino since this is a British flick, but critics are impressed. Also, Emily Mortimer.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
Could you have picked a more crowded weekend? $5mil.
Next Month: Honestly, the thing to get psyched for next month is the return of Jean-Pierre Jeunet (Amelie). That, and Iron Man 2, of course.
Zip112 owner Young Yang is shutting down his underground hostel over his landlord's fears that the city inspectors will be back. He initially survived the raids last week by proving a fire escape did exist -- in the form of a ladder hung off the 5th floor wooden deck. Still, the encounter's left everyone jittery and freaked out, as Yang called it “the scariest moment I ever had.”
 |
 |
 |
 |
| |
| |
