If you can, get there early; last Monday by 7 p.m. there were only a few spaces left. Once I found somewhere to sit, I had to occupy myself for a few hours, and was ill-prepared (see list below). The crowd was a good mix of people who looked like they just came from work and people who looked like they didn’t work that day at all. Two hippie kids played tag, hopping from blanket to blanket - which looked fun, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you want to piss people off - and to my right, a more “civilized” couple ate cheese and crackers.
For future showings I’d suggest the five B’s:
1. Book
2. Box of pizza
3. Beer (or booze, pick your poison)
4. Bug spray
5. Blanket
The bug spray is imperative if you don’t want to scratch your skin from now until Labor Day.
The blanket is also key. I carried a small one. I approached a few people hogging huge expanses of grass without blankets and asked if they would mind if I sat in the corner. Two girls and one earphoned hipster guy said, yes, they did mind, it was their grass. I guess in New York, you’ll pay a thousand dollars for a small windowless room with a twin bed, but the grass is yours for absolutely free!!!
The screening started with a Looney Tunes cartoon, and followed by “Bullitt”. The ‘uncool’ boys in the crowd roared for the Road Runner. The ‘uncool’ chicks cheered for Steve McQueen.
If you have the chance I highly recommend experiencing New York City’s version of a drive-in. The lawn opens at 5 p.m. and movies begin at sundown. Check here for a complete listing.
Realize that this is coming from the perspective of a blue-blooded, board certified “geek”. I love comics. I would probably have sex with one if it were feasible (DAKOTA NORTH #4, if you are wondering). Granted I kind of burned out on X-Men around Uncanny #213, but I like hardcore mutant-on-mutant action as much as anybody. But I got to see it at the Marvel Comics employee screening last night, and it was…meh.
I don’t think it’s director Brett Ratner’s fault, either. A lot of fans complained when the man behind the RUSH HOUR franchise ended up subbing for Brian Singer, when the latter bolted to direct ultra-hunky Brandon Routh in SUPERMAN RETUNS. Like me, for example. But the man can put together a fight scene, and there were some nice little set pieces (including a great one with Jamie Madrox, aka Multiple Man). The problem was the script.
It is no secret the the production was rushed like crazy in order to beat the aforementioned SUPER-flick to the box office, partially as a screw-you to the departed Singer. And it shows. Hey, what happens when you try to cram the Marauders, the Morlocks, Sentinels, a mutant cure and the Dark Phoenix saga into one, supposedly last, story? A freaking mess, that’s what. Every element ends up getting compromised and we are left with a confusing muddle of a story and a dissatisfying finale. Not to mention the fact that witnessing the utter disregard for the comics’ continuity was like Chinese water torture for my inner nerd.* But hey, at least Chris Claremont was in it.
You like watching stuff get blown up and not have to think too much about it? Want to see Kelsey Grammer in a furry blue costume and physics-defying girdle? Then go see this movie. And stay after the credits, if you do. Myself, I will be downloading last night’s LOST season finale so I can watch it at work. Until then, the mezzanine is closed!
*Juggernaut is not a mutant. He got his powers from the mystic Crimson Ruby of Cyttorak. I mean, come on.
Is it really bad that every time I see a preview of United 93 I get really excited because I think it’s going to be a preview of Snakes on a Plane? And then I get really dissapointed when it’s not.
And this is just one chapter! There are 12 chapters (so far; the saga hasn’t ended yet.)
And as if that wasn’t funny enough, on Saturday night, at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, Ulysses S. Ferrero (Aziz Ansari) and Eliot Rosenblatt (Eric Appel) put together a group of experts to watch and comment on this great masterpiece as it was inducted into the Smithsonian. The panel consisted of a hip hop safety expert, the head of craft services from the filming of TITC(Nick Kroll), the token lesbian, the everyman (Todd Barry) and special guest star, The Closet (David Cross). Read the rest of this entry »
“The current generation of twenty and thirty something’s is the first generation to have grown up with easy to use video cameras and camcorders in their homes. Most of us experimented with these home video cameras when we were children. “The Movies I Made as a Kid,” will put these creative videos on display.”
I love this idea. Jon Friedman from Tremendous Rabbit Productions and The Rejection Show sent this out earlier today:
“”The Movies I Made as a Kid” is moving forward and picking up speed. Gather up your old hilarious kid movies when you go back home for the holidays. This project is being developed for the web, festival, and the TV! What is “The Movies I Made as a Kid” you ask?
We’ve made a beta preview test pilot trailer featuring my own kid video. You can find out more about the project and see me as my awkward glorious 14 year old self here.”
Contact Jon Friedman at jon AT rejectionshow.com for full submission details. It is free to submit.
“AL GORE AND TOMMY LEE JONES IN PERSON
‘THE THREE BURIALS OF MELQUIADES ESTRADA’
NEW YORK PREMIERE
At the Paris Theatre, 4 West 58th Street, Manhattan
Monday, December 12
6:30 p.m.
2005, 121 mins. Sony Pictures Classics. Directed by Tommy Lee Jones. With Jones, Melissa Leo, Barry Pepper, Dwight Yoakam.
The Museum is pleased to announce that Former Vice President Al Gore will co-host the New York premiere of Tommy Lee Jones’s The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada. Gore was the Harvard roommate of Tommy Lee Jones, the film’s star and director. After the premiere screening, Jones will participate in a Pinewood Dialogue moderated by Chief Curator David Schwartz. The film will be released by Sony Pictures Classics on December 14th.
Jones’s critically acclaimed directorial debut, written by his longtime friend, screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (Amores Perros, 21 Grams), won awards for Best Actor and Best Screenplay at Cannes. “Start learning to pronounce Mel-key-odd-ess right now, because eventually you may want to tell people you just saw the best movie of the year,” writes film critic Richard T. Jameson. Tickets are $18 public/$12 Museum members. Call 718-784-4520.”
“Be part of a live taping of Game Time, hosted by hysterical comic Christian Finnegan. Special guest: David Cassiday.
Audience members will be invited on stage, to participate in a series of Jeopardy styled questions focusing on classic TV trivia, shows like I LOVE LUCY, BEWITCHED, THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, THE MUNSTERS, I DREAM OF JEANNIE, LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, THE BRADY BUNCH and ALL IN THE FAMILY. Participation is optional - Guests must be 21 years of age and older.
Wednesday, November 30
The Supper Club
240 West 47th Street
3:00pm or 6:00pm
The day is broken down into two shoots. Snacks and drinks provided.
Email your reservation request to kambri@ballyhoopromotions.net.
Provide the full name of all guests and the preferred time of attendance.”
DAVID CRONENBERG DIRECTOR’S DIALOGUE
Tuesday, November 29, 8pm
“We know that many of you missed out on our first David Cronenberg event, so we’ve invited him back, this time to speak one-on-one with a special guest interviewer (TBA) about the themes and ideas that have shaped his career and his unique cinematic vision, from THEY CAME FROM WITHIN to A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.”
Tickets: $20 general public ($17 students, $15 Film Society members)
There’s no doubt that people love Harry Potter. Similarly, people love their iPods. So why was I so surprised at the size of the crowd when I went to Barnes and Noble, Union Square for a live joint taping of PotterCast/MuggleCast on Saturday night?
Five hundred fans were there, and almost all of them were teenage girls. One of them had been given the choice of going to Disneyland or the taping, and she chose the taping. One girl came from Kentucky, another from California, still another from South Africa. They all lined up to watch Emerson, Andrew, Ben, Kevin, John, Melissa and Sue - the new heroes of Hogwarts. The seven of them had been given something every fan dreams of, a chance to see the New York premiere of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and they were there to tell us what they saw.
From L to R: Sue, Emerson, Kevin, Ben, John, Melissa and Andrew
Symphony Space offers some of the best entertainment in the city; movies, lectures, dance, live music and theatre. But because of my financial situation(or lack thereof), often I’m torn between my desire to be well cultured and my desire to eat.
That’s where the Symphony Space Card comes in handy. For $30 you can get “The Card“, and then whenever you buy tickets, you get a discount:
selected readings - from $25 to $15
movies - from $10 to $6 (plus four free passes with free popcorn)
selected music events - $21 to $16
and all other events are available to you at member prices, which are usually about $5-10 cheaper than regular price. Even if all you do is use the free movie passes it’s completely worth it.
Buy one now, cause I just got an email saying it’s a special introductory offer, so who knows how long it’ll last.
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And as if that wasn’t funny enough, on Saturday night, at the 
“We know that many of you missed out on our first David Cronenberg event, so we’ve invited him back, this time to speak one-on-one with a special guest interviewer (TBA) about the themes and ideas that have shaped his career and his unique cinematic vision, from THEY CAME FROM WITHIN to A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE.”