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New Philly Wine Bar – BIBA
POST UPDATE! It seems this Biba post gets a good number of hits, so I thought I’d update it now that I’ve actually gotten to patronize this new establishment. My brother-in-law, Philippe is French, lived in France his whole life until he married my sister and they moved to New York City (Tribeca). He knows and likes wine, so while they were here this weekend, I suggested we go for an after hours drink at Biba (His treat)! They really liked the vibe of the space. Biba is small and sparse, very understated chic, totally Lauren and Philippe’s style. Our server, Sean, was helpful and knowledgeable. My sister asked for…
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Commentary- Waste Land & Cafe (19th Philly Film Fest)
As promised, here’s a post on the two films screened during the festival that I never got a chance to write about: Waste Land (synopsis) Filmed over nearly three years, Waste Land follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world’s largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and…
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19th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival Coverage – M. Night Shyamalan
Q&A with M. Night Shyamalan for 10 Anniversary of UNBREAKABLE during #PFF19 The Prince was packed last night for the 10th Anniversary screening of Unbreakable (starring Bruce Willis, Samuel L Jackson & Robin Wright Penn). Yes, it’s a good movie, worth revisiting on the big screen, but the crowded theater of excited people were truly there to see and hear from the film’s director and master of all things eerie – M. Night Shyamalan! You could tell Shyamalan really wanted to be there to share his thoughts on Unbreakable and filmmaking in general. Too bad there was another film scheduled after his Q & A, otherwise I think he would…
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19th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival Coverage – 11/4/08 Participatory Doc
11/4/08 – Obama/McCain Presidential Election Day, a date declared historic well before it ever happened. Director Jeff Deutchman commissioned friends across the globe to contribute to this unique living document by asking them to film the chatter, the atmosphere, the last minute voting push, the skepticism, the hope, the celebration, the feelings and reactions of people around the world on this day. At Monday’s Penn Bookstore Cafe Cinema discussion they used this film as an example of Omnibus filmmaking. Deutchman didn’t set a shooting schedule, or location shots, I don’t believe he shot any of the footage, although that would have been a good question for the Q & A…
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A Little Celebrity Look-A-Like Interlude
First let’s have a little celebrity lookalike fun before we discuss Nuclear Proliferation. Does anyone else think these women could be two sets of triplets? January Jones Kristen Bell Kelly Menighan Hensley (Mad Men) (Forgetting Sarah Marshall & When in Rome) (As the World Turns) Katy Perry Zoey Deschanel Lily Allen (pop singer) (500 Days of Summer) (alternative music singer) Okay, now who wants to talk highly enriched plutonium and mass destruction!!! I discuss Lucy Walker’s documentary Countdown to Zero, on the Philadelphia Film Society Blog Click HERE to read it on PFS site.
