BEAUX ARTS BEASTS. If artworks entered the Halloween Parade — and they really should — they might look like these sensational Monster ModRen 3 contest entries.
For the spatting spouses out there, here's an added Halloween treat!
Thanks to Gothamist (via Boing Boing) for clueing me in to the wonderful Worth1000.com website.
Monday, October 31, 2005
A HUG FOR MUG READERS. What an uplifting feeling to wake up and find that Blog About Town made the Manhattan User's Guide 400 List! If you're new here, feel free to make yourself comfortable and sample the offerings. As you can see by scrolling over recent entries, there's ongoing coverage of the New Yorker's Cartoon Caption Contest — including an open invitation to share your own captions! On October 28 you can find comments on the Village Voice's 50th Anniversary and some firings at Condé Nast and New York Press. The new movie The Weather Man got a favorable review on October 25. (There's no accounting for taste.) And coincidentally, Manhattan User's Guide got a link on October 21 in response to its critique of the Zagat dining guide.
If you aren't already tired of lists, here are some other entries that might be of special interest to MUG readers:
Al Duvall and Singing SadieAs we say in New York, "Y'all come back now, y'hear?"
Karaoke at Japas 55
Longhouse Reserve, Long Island
A Play About Smith Street
Brooklyn and New Orleans Accents
Mayor Bloomberg's Phone Campaign
Tuesday Night Trivia
Visiting Ocean Grove, New Jersey
Loser's Lounge
The Gumbo Crew
Idiotic Design
Bloomberg Attacks Bicyclists
Gotham Chamber Opera
Photo: David Marc Fischer
CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST CONTINUES! For this special Halloween report on the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest, let’s consider the nominees for Contest #24, the Gahan Wilson cartoon in which men in suits soar over Nutley, New Jersey.
My typically brilliant submission was “The best thing about the Rapture is traveling Business Class!” But somehow it wasn’t chosen! Of the three actual candidates (none of which did much with Nutley either), one hails from New York City, but Blog About Town’s money is on this submission by Eric J. Adams of Pengrove, California: “Hold my hand and we can use the car-pool lane.”
A victory for that caption would nudge California into first place in the state competition because the winner of Contest #22 (four women outvoting three men in a conference room) is none other than San Francisco’s Anne Whiteside with “Well, then, it’s unanimous.” Whiteside’s victory (my pick too) enabled the Golden State to tie Pennsylvania for the lead with three wins each. Second place is shared by Massachusetts, New Jersey, and North Carolina, with New York tied for third place with ten other states, including Mississippi.
Here’s the latest captionless cartoon.
What was your submission for Contest #24?
My typically brilliant submission was “The best thing about the Rapture is traveling Business Class!” But somehow it wasn’t chosen! Of the three actual candidates (none of which did much with Nutley either), one hails from New York City, but Blog About Town’s money is on this submission by Eric J. Adams of Pengrove, California: “Hold my hand and we can use the car-pool lane.”
A victory for that caption would nudge California into first place in the state competition because the winner of Contest #22 (four women outvoting three men in a conference room) is none other than San Francisco’s Anne Whiteside with “Well, then, it’s unanimous.” Whiteside’s victory (my pick too) enabled the Golden State to tie Pennsylvania for the lead with three wins each. Second place is shared by Massachusetts, New Jersey, and North Carolina, with New York tied for third place with ten other states, including Mississippi.
Here’s the latest captionless cartoon.
What was your submission for Contest #24?
GREAT PUMPKINS. Earlier this month, North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital in Plainview displayed entries in its Employee Pumpkin Painting Contest in its lobby. At this point, the place might reek of old pumpkin, but here at Blog About Town, two of the best pumpkins have been preserved, sans odor, via the usual camera-phone technology.
The winner was a Big Apple pumpkin decorated with a city skyline including the Twin Towers. Congrats to Admitting for its swank work!
As delighted as I am with with the Manhattan skyline pumpkin, I have a soft spot for this piggy pumpkin created by the Desi Lou Deli, the hospital’s TV-themed retro-deli.
Kosher or not, that's some pumpkin punim!
Photos: David Marc Fischer
The winner was a Big Apple pumpkin decorated with a city skyline including the Twin Towers. Congrats to Admitting for its swank work!
As delighted as I am with with the Manhattan skyline pumpkin, I have a soft spot for this piggy pumpkin created by the Desi Lou Deli, the hospital’s TV-themed retro-deli.
Kosher or not, that's some pumpkin punim!
Photos: David Marc Fischer
Sunday, October 30, 2005
NEWS ABOUT CHEWS. Do you remember Adams Sour Apple gum? For a time during the Seventies, it was the chewing gum of choice in Central School District #4 on Long Island. The gum was discontinued in the early 1980s, perhaps due to the ascendance of jellybeans during the Reagan revolution. Now it’s back for a limited time, along with Adams Sour Cherry, Black Jack, and Beeman’s. It’s all part of a plan by candymaker Cadbury Adams to celebrate the 135th Anniversary of chewing gum (which Cadbury Adams itself says is actually next year).
Wacky Packages are back, too. But this time around, there’s no gum in the packs. Someone at Topps must have something against chews.
Wacky Packages are back, too. But this time around, there’s no gum in the packs. Someone at Topps must have something against chews.
A HEARTWARMING HALLOWEEN FILM FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY. Here, from P.S. 260, is the "Shining trailer"
that's been so popular on the Internet lately.
Yeah, I know there's a good chance you've already seen this short, which was a top finisher in the recent Trailer Park editing contests. This kind of stuff has become so hot that IFILM created a Remixed Trailers page grouping the Shining trailer with versions of Psycho and the gore film Cabin Fever. Also available are takes on Titanic, West Side Story, and some Star Wars stuff.
Another Trailer Park prizewinner was a twist on the original Parent Trap. You can view it by going to Moondog, clicking on "paul lacalandra," and then clicking on the "ordinary girls..." picture.
that's been so popular on the Internet lately.
Yeah, I know there's a good chance you've already seen this short, which was a top finisher in the recent Trailer Park editing contests. This kind of stuff has become so hot that IFILM created a Remixed Trailers page grouping the Shining trailer with versions of Psycho and the gore film Cabin Fever. Also available are takes on Titanic, West Side Story, and some Star Wars stuff.
Another Trailer Park prizewinner was a twist on the original Parent Trap. You can view it by going to Moondog, clicking on "paul lacalandra," and then clicking on the "ordinary girls..." picture.
TONIGHT ON DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. Ethel surfs the Web for hours. Faith takes an 11-hour bus ride to visit her husband in prison. Helen proudly presents her daughter Hannah with the Supergirl costume she made for her by hand but, after Hannah throws a tantrum, replaces it with a store-bought Princess costume. Gail’s internal clock is “off” all day after she forgets to reset her clocks and timers; as she does every year, she wonders why everyone can't just turn the clock back by 30 minutes and leave it at that.Photo: David Marc Fischer
Saturday, October 29, 2005
ABOUT TIME. So it’s finally time to turn the clocks back an hour. They say this gives you an extra hour of sleep, but I always recommend doing something even more fun than sleep (if you can imagine that), so you can double the pleasure when the hour repeats itself. Ya dig?
Whenever I spring forward I always suspect I missed out on something really cool, but there’s something about this time thing that bugs me even more than that: Why not set the clock back 30 minutes and then just keep it that way?
Whenever I spring forward I always suspect I missed out on something really cool, but there’s something about this time thing that bugs me even more than that: Why not set the clock back 30 minutes and then just keep it that way?
WHY? As recently as the Vietnam War, it was daring for a publisher to list combat fatalities during a war. Today, such lists have become journalistic clichés, considered patriotic and respectful of soldiers and their families. But every now and then a different take on such lists can spark controversy. That was the case when Garry Trudeau decided to run names in the Sunday Doonesbury. And now it’s very much the case with this editorial cartoon, published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Note the zillions of comments that follow.
Back to Doonesbury for a moment: here are strips that were scrapped along with the Harriet Miers nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
Back to Doonesbury for a moment: here are strips that were scrapped along with the Harriet Miers nomination to the United States Supreme Court.
INTO THE WOODS. You may recall that, upon the conclusion of the polo season, I hit the trails of Bethpage State Park. They're quite interesting.
In one pocket of the woods, I noticed a many birds chirping and rustling among the bushes. Then I noticed the berry plants.
Nearby, I spotted a furry vine snaking on a tree trunk.
Not far from that, I saw a crater...
...and some sort of combined shelter and bike ramp...
...and what must be the work of The Mysterious People of the Woods.
Photos: David Marc Fischer
In one pocket of the woods, I noticed a many birds chirping and rustling among the bushes. Then I noticed the berry plants.
Nearby, I spotted a furry vine snaking on a tree trunk.
Not far from that, I saw a crater...
...and some sort of combined shelter and bike ramp...
...and what must be the work of The Mysterious People of the Woods.
Photos: David Marc Fischer
Friday, October 28, 2005
THE VOICE, THE PRESS, AND CONDE NAST. I’ll start with the good tidings and wish the Village Voice a very Happy 50th Anniversary. For the occasion, the paper put together a retrospective issue that you can probably still find on the streets. I’m still plowing through it, but I’m already delighted by how it takes me back and reminds me of some of my favorite (and least favorite) Voice moments. They’d include a Doonesbury cover (favorite), a Donna Minkowitz report on a feminist convention (favorite), Alisa Solomon’s coverage of the mistreatment of child refugees in the United States (favorite), Geoffrey Stokes’s Press Clips (favorite), Michael Musto’s column (favorite), Dan Savage’s column (favorite), Rachel Kramer Bussel’s column (favorite), some of those weird articles from the 1980s in which the journalists seemed more concerned with their masturbation techniques than their purported subjects (least favorite), and that time at work when I was having lunch and I opened the paper to find a Mapplethorpe photo in which a whip is inserted up someone’s ass (in a class by itself). And then there are the times when the Voice published my own work (yee-hah!). Whatever happens to the Voice as it changes owners yet again, I hope that there will always be places that encourage freewheeling and progressive journalism.
Which brings me to New York Press, the troubled weekly that, despite changes in editorship, consistently seduces me with some good writing and freaks me out with its puerility and inadequate fact-checking. Lately the rag's become duller to me, but I still enjoyed the literate sex advice column written by Judy “Dategirl” McGuire…who was “let go” about two weeks ago. The circumstances seem to have been pretty lousy, which saddens me because, judging from the quality of McGuire’s column, I would think she deserved to be treated with more respect. Anyway, McGuire maintains a blog of her own…and I wish her success in whatever she does next. I’ll miss her.
It might be said that McGuire got off easy compared to Andrew Krucoff, the talented freelancer who was recently banished from Condé Nast for the unpardonable crime of including an innocuous and widely circulated in-house memo in an email he sent to Gawker, which posted it on its website. When this outrage was discovered by the CN honchos, Krucoff didn’t get a warning or a wrist-slap or two weeks notice — he apparently lost his job right there on the spot.
Here’s the memo that cost Krucoff his job. As you can see, it’s not exactly The Pentagon Papers — it’s about as sensational as the cafeteria menu.
Geez, people — have a heart!
Photos: David Marc Fischer
Which brings me to New York Press, the troubled weekly that, despite changes in editorship, consistently seduces me with some good writing and freaks me out with its puerility and inadequate fact-checking. Lately the rag's become duller to me, but I still enjoyed the literate sex advice column written by Judy “Dategirl” McGuire…who was “let go” about two weeks ago. The circumstances seem to have been pretty lousy, which saddens me because, judging from the quality of McGuire’s column, I would think she deserved to be treated with more respect. Anyway, McGuire maintains a blog of her own…and I wish her success in whatever she does next. I’ll miss her.
It might be said that McGuire got off easy compared to Andrew Krucoff, the talented freelancer who was recently banished from Condé Nast for the unpardonable crime of including an innocuous and widely circulated in-house memo in an email he sent to Gawker, which posted it on its website. When this outrage was discovered by the CN honchos, Krucoff didn’t get a warning or a wrist-slap or two weeks notice — he apparently lost his job right there on the spot.
Here’s the memo that cost Krucoff his job. As you can see, it’s not exactly The Pentagon Papers — it’s about as sensational as the cafeteria menu.
From: Brownell, GaryPerhaps I don’t know the whole story, but from what I’ve read, the punishment doled out to Krucoff was not only extreme but inhumane. And of course it has to be hypocritical, making an example of a little guy when the higher-ups surely get away with all kinds of misbehavior (including this instance of mistreating Krucoff). After all, this is the same place where Vanity Fair editor Grayson Carter was somehow able to hold onto his job after accepting $100,000 from a movie producer for merely suggesting a movie idea.
Sent: Thursday, October 20, 2005 1:57 PM
To: Conde Nast Publications-All; FP Fairchild; Parade - New York; Golf Digest Companies-All; Advance Magazine Group-All
Subject: Internet Access Unavailable
We are investigating the inability to access the Internet from several of our offices. We’ll keep you updated on the progress to restore it.
Gary
______________________________________
Gary J. Brownell
Executive Director - Information Systems & Technology
Condé Nast Publications
1440 Broadway
11th Floor
New York, NY 10018
P: 212.286.XXXX
F: 212.286.XXXX
Geez, people — have a heart!
Photos: David Marc Fischer
A CHILLING CHILDREN’S BOOK. Perhaps I’ve mentioned this before, but here I go again: One of the most captivating books I’ve read recently has been Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart, which examines what happens when fictional characters (including demonic villains) are brought into the world. The book is translated from the German in such a manner that it reads like a 200 year old tale translated perhaps a century ago — and somehow that’s just right for Funke’s sometimes charming, sometimes creepy bibliophilic story. And now Inkheart’s sequel, Inkspell, is out. It’s apparently the middle volume of a planned trilogy.
What books have chilled your spine?
What books have chilled your spine?
Thursday, October 27, 2005
DAVID'S DVDS. Halloween and The Wizard of Oz — they go together, right? I don't think any other movie has so successfully incorporated costumes that really look like costumes. (Just check out the Cowardly Lion's pajamas!) And isn't the whole journey just one big Trick or Treat romp? And anyway, didn't some network broadcast the movie around Halloween back in the day? I for one dimly recall munching on seasonally colored (orange-and-black) "half-moon cookies" while fearfully awaiting the tornado scene.
The Wizard of Oz has long been available on home video but yet another DVD package is now available...and Dalton Ross of Entertainment Weekly gave it an enthusiastic A. This three-CD set has all the great stuff that was in the previous two-CD set plus supposedly improved images of the movie and some rarely seen Oz motion pictures that came first. It sounds wonderful — especially if you haven't already blown big bucks on the previous versions.
Whether or not The Wizard of Oz used to air on every Halloween, there's no doubt that King Kong and other ape thrillers used to air on New York area television on every Thanksgiving. (Just read the Amazon reviews here.) The long-awaited return of the monster classic to home video is scheduled for November 22 — just two days before Thanksgiving — so if you plan well, you can recreate the experience yourself. Mighty Joe Young and Son of Kong are to be released at the same time.
If the suspense of waiting for Kong's release isn't enough for you, keep your pulse pounding with The Wages of Fear, Henri-Georges Clouzot's thriller about a really sucky job: trucking nitroglycerin on cruddy dirt roads. I don't think I've seen a better movie on the subject. I even admire the less intense opening scenes, in which the truckers all speak in their native tongues. We need more of that kind of realism!
The Wizard of Oz has long been available on home video but yet another DVD package is now available...and Dalton Ross of Entertainment Weekly gave it an enthusiastic A. This three-CD set has all the great stuff that was in the previous two-CD set plus supposedly improved images of the movie and some rarely seen Oz motion pictures that came first. It sounds wonderful — especially if you haven't already blown big bucks on the previous versions.
Whether or not The Wizard of Oz used to air on every Halloween, there's no doubt that King Kong and other ape thrillers used to air on New York area television on every Thanksgiving. (Just read the Amazon reviews here.) The long-awaited return of the monster classic to home video is scheduled for November 22 — just two days before Thanksgiving — so if you plan well, you can recreate the experience yourself. Mighty Joe Young and Son of Kong are to be released at the same time.
If the suspense of waiting for Kong's release isn't enough for you, keep your pulse pounding with The Wages of Fear, Henri-Georges Clouzot's thriller about a really sucky job: trucking nitroglycerin on cruddy dirt roads. I don't think I've seen a better movie on the subject. I even admire the less intense opening scenes, in which the truckers all speak in their native tongues. We need more of that kind of realism!
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
KILLER KLOWN KOINCIDENCE. The other day at Harmon Discount I heard a disembodied voice talking about a deadly alien clown menace. My heart skipped a beat when I realized that, just on the other side of the aisle, was a fellow fan of the 1988 film Killer Klowns from Outer Space. I quickly introduced myself to the guy and tried to help him persuade his son that this horror comedy was worth his time. Now it's your turn.
I first got a glimpse of Killer Klowns while watching hotel cable in the DC area. Memories of the scary-funny circus imagery stayed with me for years. Then an associate gave me the (bargain-priced!) DVD and I finally got to see the whole film, which is basically The Blob but with creepy clown types instead of a blob — genius! The DVD's commentary from the brothers who made the movie was full of the winning energy that powers their flick. (The same guys went on to do work for The Simpsons, Elf, and Team America: World Police.)
Consider Killer Klowns if you're in the mood for an freakishly funny Halloween flick. It contains some scary stuff (scarier than the average clown), so think twice before sharing it with little ones or other sensitive souls.
Killer Klowns fansites are here and here.
I first got a glimpse of Killer Klowns while watching hotel cable in the DC area. Memories of the scary-funny circus imagery stayed with me for years. Then an associate gave me the (bargain-priced!) DVD and I finally got to see the whole film, which is basically The Blob but with creepy clown types instead of a blob — genius! The DVD's commentary from the brothers who made the movie was full of the winning energy that powers their flick. (The same guys went on to do work for The Simpsons, Elf, and Team America: World Police.)
Consider Killer Klowns if you're in the mood for an freakishly funny Halloween flick. It contains some scary stuff (scarier than the average clown), so think twice before sharing it with little ones or other sensitive souls.
Killer Klowns fansites are here and here.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
THE WEATHER MAN. Courtesy of the New York Observer, I had free tickets to preview The Weather Man tonight. I wasn't sure whether I should go, but I'm glad I went ahead and saw it.
A seriocomic look at the life of a Chicago schlemiel, The Weather Man turned out to be unusually literate and "true." I don't want to ruin it by giving away details (except for a minor spoiler at the end of this paragraph), so I'll just say that it reminds me a lot of one of my very favorite American films, Chilly Scenes of Winter (a.k.a. Head Over Hells) and compares well with About Schmidt, Sideways, and the movies of Todd Solondz. And here's the spoiler: The movie depicts an archery range in Central Park. If only.
A seriocomic look at the life of a Chicago schlemiel, The Weather Man turned out to be unusually literate and "true." I don't want to ruin it by giving away details (except for a minor spoiler at the end of this paragraph), so I'll just say that it reminds me a lot of one of my very favorite American films, Chilly Scenes of Winter (a.k.a. Head Over Hells) and compares well with About Schmidt, Sideways, and the movies of Todd Solondz. And here's the spoiler: The movie depicts an archery range in Central Park. If only.
GOOD BRA HUNTING. Perhaps you or someone you know is searching for a bra in an unusual size, large or small. Or perhaps you're just looking for a bra that's unusual. I'm no expert on the subject, but I'd like to be helpful.
On the smaller end of the breast spectrum, I've heard good things about Ripplu. For the extra large, Time Out New York recently recommended Bra*Tenders, a Hell's Kitchen outfit that serves "wardrobe and costume professionals worldwide." According to its website, this outfit offers more than just bras: "We carry EVERYTHING that touches skin for Men, Women, and Kids." So that means "Bras for the large & lovely" as well as "Bras for the petite & sweet," though I imagine the business would also try to accommodate "the huge & homely" and "the itty-bitty & bitter."
Other bras and such are presented for your consideration at the British Knickers: a lingerie weblog. As with Bra*Tenders and Ripplu, this website encourages bra hunters to obtain good bra fittings. Some of the photos at this model-heavy site could make a desperate housewife blush, but Knickers thoughtfully offers a "Work-Safe Version" in case you're worried that someone important to you might disapprove. Whatever Knicker's true raison d'etre might be, it offers glimpses of many different fashions, including some men's wear and links to Little Women and photos of zany promotional bras offered by a company called Triumph. (Don't miss the Post Office Privatization bra!)
For a completely different spin on bras, check out the Record Pop Tops created by Dara Holzman, a friend I often bump into when about town. Her work has also turned up in many places, including fundraising events for excellent causes.
What singles would you choose for a Record Pop Top?
On the smaller end of the breast spectrum, I've heard good things about Ripplu. For the extra large, Time Out New York recently recommended Bra*Tenders, a Hell's Kitchen outfit that serves "wardrobe and costume professionals worldwide." According to its website, this outfit offers more than just bras: "We carry EVERYTHING that touches skin for Men, Women, and Kids." So that means "Bras for the large & lovely" as well as "Bras for the petite & sweet," though I imagine the business would also try to accommodate "the huge & homely" and "the itty-bitty & bitter."
Other bras and such are presented for your consideration at the British Knickers: a lingerie weblog. As with Bra*Tenders and Ripplu, this website encourages bra hunters to obtain good bra fittings. Some of the photos at this model-heavy site could make a desperate housewife blush, but Knickers thoughtfully offers a "Work-Safe Version" in case you're worried that someone important to you might disapprove. Whatever Knicker's true raison d'etre might be, it offers glimpses of many different fashions, including some men's wear and links to Little Women and photos of zany promotional bras offered by a company called Triumph. (Don't miss the Post Office Privatization bra!)
For a completely different spin on bras, check out the Record Pop Tops created by Dara Holzman, a friend I often bump into when about town. Her work has also turned up in many places, including fundraising events for excellent causes.
What singles would you choose for a Record Pop Top?
Monday, October 24, 2005
CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST CONTINUES! I was pretty happy with my caption for Robert Leighton's cartoon of two branch-perching butterflies (one "normal," the other with Mondrian-style wings): "This is a nice place, but I still prefer the Guggenheim." Still, on hindsight, I think it might have been better as, "You've got a nice place here, but I still prefer the Guggenheim."
Anyway, considering the Contest #23 nominees, you can understand why I prefer the one submitted by Ivan McLean of Portland, Oregon: "You think this is weird? My sister looks like a soup can." Nice.
In other caption contest news, a winner has been chosen for Contest #21 (guy in hunter suit aiming at deer on television). Once again, it's Blog About Town's favorite: “This is why I always dress in bright colors.” Kudos to Simon Fraser of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...and Happy Hunting Season to your Nittany Valley neighbors!
Here's the latest pre-captioned cartoon.
Anyway, considering the Contest #23 nominees, you can understand why I prefer the one submitted by Ivan McLean of Portland, Oregon: "You think this is weird? My sister looks like a soup can." Nice.
In other caption contest news, a winner has been chosen for Contest #21 (guy in hunter suit aiming at deer on television). Once again, it's Blog About Town's favorite: “This is why I always dress in bright colors.” Kudos to Simon Fraser of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...and Happy Hunting Season to your Nittany Valley neighbors!
Here's the latest pre-captioned cartoon.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
TONIGHT ON DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES. An obnoxious cab driver makes a pass at Abby. Barbara spends an hour trying to figure out her new phone bill. Cheryl cuts short her annual day at the spa when her daughter comes down with a fever at school. Donna doesn’t understand why her husband insists on watching the World Series when he doesn’t care about either team.Photo: David Marc Fischer
MORE PANDA CUTE. The National Zoo has announced the winner of its perfunctory panda-naming contest. The name chosen for the panda is Blog About Town’s pick: Tai Shan, or Peaceful Mountain. The winning voter is Rod Sallee of Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. The rest of us losers can console ourselves by gazing bemusedly at the zoo’s Giant Panda Cub Photo Gallery.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
WHAT’S SO BORING ABOUT PEACE, LOVE, AND UNDERSTANDING? It’s been one month since the International Day of Peace, when not even the shimmering presence of Angelina Jolie and her first husband was enough to attract much publicity. I was joking that world peace would have been better served if Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston had been there, too…and then I saw that cartoonist Ward Sutton had a similar notion. Who do you have to fuck to get people (and world leaders) to care about world peace as much as they care about gossip? Your comments are welcome.
Friday, October 21, 2005
ZAGATOSAURUS WRECKED? Let’s give credit where it’s due: When Tim and Nina Zagat's dining survey appeared on the scene, it was “ahead of its time,” a very welcome addition of popular opinion to the vast library of New York City guides. But has the Zagat dining guide kept up with the times? Charles Suisman argues that it has not. In a recent editorial at his Manhattan User’s Guide, he cites a number of dining websites (including a blog) as being superior. He doesn’t even bolster his case by invoking dubious Zagat spinoffs such as its movie guide. IMDB and Amazon.com, anyone?
Thursday, October 20, 2005
DVD NEWS. The other day I attended a panel discussion about the golf movie The Greatest Game Ever Played. As I listened to writer Mark Frost talk about this family-friendly flick, I remembered his work on Twin Peaks and imagined raising my hand and asking him “Who was BOB?” in the most Pee-wee Hermanic voice I could muster.
After the talk I stood next to Frost and decided to "break the ice" by telling him about my fantasy. He smiled and informed me that he’s still asked that question a lot. And he mentioned that Season Two of Twin Peaks would be released on DVD soon. Yet if you check out the listing on Amazon, you’ll see that the street date is December 31, 1969. Can you wait that long? I know I can't!
In more ascertainable DVD news, a “Special Edition With Flair” of Mike Judge’s cult favorite Office Space is scheduled for November 1. Same goes for Millions, an intense family film by Danny Boyle, maker of Trainspotting. It’s about kids with funny accents who happen upon a large quantity of moolah.
Yet another November 1 release is Orchestra Wives, which features Glenn Miller. I’ve long been intrigued by the title alone, but now I see that the Nicholas Brothers dance in it, too. A very big plus. Cesar Romero, Carole Landis, Jackie Gleason, and Harry Morgan also appear.
Finally, on October 25 Woody Allen’s Melinda and Melinda hits the streets.
After the talk I stood next to Frost and decided to "break the ice" by telling him about my fantasy. He smiled and informed me that he’s still asked that question a lot. And he mentioned that Season Two of Twin Peaks would be released on DVD soon. Yet if you check out the listing on Amazon, you’ll see that the street date is December 31, 1969. Can you wait that long? I know I can't!
In more ascertainable DVD news, a “Special Edition With Flair” of Mike Judge’s cult favorite Office Space is scheduled for November 1. Same goes for Millions, an intense family film by Danny Boyle, maker of Trainspotting. It’s about kids with funny accents who happen upon a large quantity of moolah.
Yet another November 1 release is Orchestra Wives, which features Glenn Miller. I’ve long been intrigued by the title alone, but now I see that the Nicholas Brothers dance in it, too. A very big plus. Cesar Romero, Carole Landis, Jackie Gleason, and Harry Morgan also appear.
Finally, on October 25 Woody Allen’s Melinda and Melinda hits the streets.
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST CONTINUES! Blah blah blah New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest blah blah blah blah.
The winning caption for Contest #20 (woman talking over tiny man at party) was “We met at the minibar.” Congrats to Paul Cretien of Waco, Texas, America's Wackiest City.
Of the nominees for Contest #22 (four women outvoting three men at a conference table), I’m pulling for “Well, then, it's unanimous.” It’s by a woman: Anne Whiteside of San Francisco, California.
My submission was “Get used to it, Bill. I'm not a swing vote anymore.” Please note that it acknowledges the existence of the man in the middle, who’s looking at the woman at the end of the table.
The winning caption for Contest #20 (woman talking over tiny man at party) was “We met at the minibar.” Congrats to Paul Cretien of Waco, Texas, America's Wackiest City.
Of the nominees for Contest #22 (four women outvoting three men at a conference table), I’m pulling for “Well, then, it's unanimous.” It’s by a woman: Anne Whiteside of San Francisco, California.
My submission was “Get used to it, Bill. I'm not a swing vote anymore.” Please note that it acknowledges the existence of the man in the middle, who’s looking at the woman at the end of the table.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
MIDTOWN MASSAGE! Marketers tout massage as a way to feel good mentally and physically. Here's a way to get a massage that will leave you feeling good fiscally, too.
On Tuesdays through Saturdays until October 21, you can get an hour-long massage for $60 at the Self Center (461 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street). You'll get a gift bag, too. Plus, a portion of the fee for every spa appointment will go to the following organizations involved in the fight against breast cancer: breastcancer.org, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and Young Survival Coalition. Not only that, but you will get a free yearlong subscription to Self magazine. And that's not all: If you pay with a MasterCard, you'll get an aromatherapy face mask, too — just in time for Halloween! (Face mask offer valid while supply lasts.) Isn't that amazing?
The spa services are provided by Oasis Day Spa. Appointments are still available, especially in the noonish and afternoon time slots. Spread the word!
On Tuesdays through Saturdays until October 21, you can get an hour-long massage for $60 at the Self Center (461 Fifth Avenue at 40th Street). You'll get a gift bag, too. Plus, a portion of the fee for every spa appointment will go to the following organizations involved in the fight against breast cancer: breastcancer.org, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, and Young Survival Coalition. Not only that, but you will get a free yearlong subscription to Self magazine. And that's not all: If you pay with a MasterCard, you'll get an aromatherapy face mask, too — just in time for Halloween! (Face mask offer valid while supply lasts.) Isn't that amazing?
The spa services are provided by Oasis Day Spa. Appointments are still available, especially in the noonish and afternoon time slots. Spread the word!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD. Smith Street in Brooklyn is known today as a trendy Restaurant Row, but I recall what it was like just before a wave of gentrification made it so. The memories rushed back at me last night, when I saw a play called There Goes the Neighborhood.
Back in the Eighties, I lived off Smith Street on Baltic Street. Music was everywhere. Within listening range of the run-down, low-priced apartment I shared with a painter, a trombonist practiced salsa licks. The music also blared out of a bar as well as an abogado/accountant/driving lesson operation near the Warren Street exit of the Bergen Street subway stop.
Along the stretch south of Baltic were many dusty and deserted-looking storefronts with enigmatic window displays. They seemed to be home to social clubs — one had a paper-machier cow in its window; another boasted giant-sized versions of chewing gum wrappers.
Nearby on Court Street was a tongue-in-cheek display devoted to something called the Brooklyn Surfers, evidence of which lingers on the Internet in the posting "Hey, I lived in Cobble Hill (which is on the other side of the Gowanus canal from Park Slope) from '81 to '89. Court St. right across from the cinema (and next door to the Brooklyn Surfers- long gone)."
If you like this kind of reminiscence and share a fascination with the perennial transformations of New York's neighborhoods, you'll be interested in There Goes the Neighborhood, in which Deanna Pacelli plays ten characters involved in the gentrification of the area of Brooklyn around Carroll Gardens. Synapse Productions is running this 55-minute play by Mari Brown on Monday nights through November 7. Emphasizing the impact on the Italian-American community, the low-budget production (based on interviews conducted by Brown and Pacelli) is a little rough-around-the-edges but still worthwhile, especially if you've got an attachment to the area, which has also been depicted (more or less) in the movie Moonstruck and the books Motherless Brooklyn and My Old Man.
In November, Synapse will briefly revive its puppet musical Animal Farm for three nights at The Connelly Theater. Ed Park of The Village Voice reviewed it here.
Back in the Eighties, I lived off Smith Street on Baltic Street. Music was everywhere. Within listening range of the run-down, low-priced apartment I shared with a painter, a trombonist practiced salsa licks. The music also blared out of a bar as well as an abogado/accountant/driving lesson operation near the Warren Street exit of the Bergen Street subway stop.
Along the stretch south of Baltic were many dusty and deserted-looking storefronts with enigmatic window displays. They seemed to be home to social clubs — one had a paper-machier cow in its window; another boasted giant-sized versions of chewing gum wrappers.
Nearby on Court Street was a tongue-in-cheek display devoted to something called the Brooklyn Surfers, evidence of which lingers on the Internet in the posting "Hey, I lived in Cobble Hill (which is on the other side of the Gowanus canal from Park Slope) from '81 to '89. Court St. right across from the cinema (and next door to the Brooklyn Surfers- long gone)."
If you like this kind of reminiscence and share a fascination with the perennial transformations of New York's neighborhoods, you'll be interested in There Goes the Neighborhood, in which Deanna Pacelli plays ten characters involved in the gentrification of the area of Brooklyn around Carroll Gardens. Synapse Productions is running this 55-minute play by Mari Brown on Monday nights through November 7. Emphasizing the impact on the Italian-American community, the low-budget production (based on interviews conducted by Brown and Pacelli) is a little rough-around-the-edges but still worthwhile, especially if you've got an attachment to the area, which has also been depicted (more or less) in the movie Moonstruck and the books Motherless Brooklyn and My Old Man.
In November, Synapse will briefly revive its puppet musical Animal Farm for three nights at The Connelly Theater. Ed Park of The Village Voice reviewed it here.
Monday, October 10, 2005
CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST CONTINUES! Admirers of the talented Robert Leighton will be pleased to see that one of his cartoons is the latest objet d'art featured in the New Yorker's cavalcade of caption-deprived cartoons. In addition to drawing New Yorker cartoons, Leighton has made a name for himself as a guest on To Tell the Truth, creator of Northwestern University's legendary Banderooge comic strip, founder of Puzzability, and illustrator of the saucy children's book Que Pasa por alla Abajo? as well as editor-in-chief of the Plainview Kennedy Class of 1978 yearbook Voyager and its parody — Voyeur? The last time I checked, his murals still graced the high school walls.
As for the results of Contest #19 (man and woman and talking dog reading in a sitting room), the winner turns out to be BAT's pick: "'See Spot run.' 'See Spot run'? Who wrote this crap?" Congrats, Larry Martell of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was spot-on with that one.
Regarding the crap shoot that is Contest #21 (woman commenting on hunter who is taking aim at deer on television screen), I'd submitted, "This makes me miss Grand Theft Auto." Among the submissions that were actually selected, BAT grudgingly gives the edge to Philadelphia's Simon Fraser, author of “This is why I always dress in bright colors.”
In other contest news, the next Nobel Prizewinner for Literature is expected to be announced this week, after a mysterious delay.
As for the results of Contest #19 (man and woman and talking dog reading in a sitting room), the winner turns out to be BAT's pick: "'See Spot run.' 'See Spot run'? Who wrote this crap?" Congrats, Larry Martell of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was spot-on with that one.
Regarding the crap shoot that is Contest #21 (woman commenting on hunter who is taking aim at deer on television screen), I'd submitted, "This makes me miss Grand Theft Auto." Among the submissions that were actually selected, BAT grudgingly gives the edge to Philadelphia's Simon Fraser, author of “This is why I always dress in bright colors.”
In other contest news, the next Nobel Prizewinner for Literature is expected to be announced this week, after a mysterious delay.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Saturday, October 08, 2005
MOMA ART...OR NOT. One of the most interesting items on display at MOMA is this sign, near the restrooms by the large movie theater.
It looks like a normal restroom sign, yet it is much more than that. You see, in "reality" the men's room is on the left and the women's room is on the right. It's all a great triumph in the Dada mode, if not the commode.
Photo: David Marc Fischer
It looks like a normal restroom sign, yet it is much more than that. You see, in "reality" the men's room is on the left and the women's room is on the right. It's all a great triumph in the Dada mode, if not the commode.
Photo: David Marc Fischer
Friday, October 07, 2005
THE GUGG GETS YEVTUSHENKO. Way back on December 5, 2002, I recalled how Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko's "dramatic, incantatory readings made me realize just how powerful a poetry recital could be, integrating poetics with singing and dramatics. Suddenly I had a much better idea of how classical poets had worked their magic."
Soon there'll be another chance to hear Yevtushenko work his magic in New York. He'll be at the Guggenheim Museum on Tuesday, October 25, at 6:30 pm. Admission is $10 for non-members. I have no idea how he is reading these days, but I'd guess that this is still a great opportunity to hear one of the great readers do his thing — in Russian and in English.
Here's a recent Yevtushenko poem, written after this summer's subway bombings in London.
Soon there'll be another chance to hear Yevtushenko work his magic in New York. He'll be at the Guggenheim Museum on Tuesday, October 25, at 6:30 pm. Admission is $10 for non-members. I have no idea how he is reading these days, but I'd guess that this is still a great opportunity to hear one of the great readers do his thing — in Russian and in English.
Here's a recent Yevtushenko poem, written after this summer's subway bombings in London.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST COACHING. Perhaps you're stumped by New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #22 (women outvoting men 4-3 at a conference table). Here's a burst of inspiration from mediabistro's FishBowlNY.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
LAST LAUGHS.When journalist Judith Miller was behind bars, the Laugh Factory on Eighth Avenue got serious and put this message on its marquee. Then, after comedian and Wiz survivor Nipsey Russell passed away, this went up:
I can't argue with the sentiment, but where's the funny? Don't you think a place called the Laugh Factory ought to be manufacturing better material, even when confronting the death of the man credited (by AP) with the following verse?
Photo: David Marc Fischer
I can't argue with the sentiment, but where's the funny? Don't you think a place called the Laugh Factory ought to be manufacturing better material, even when confronting the death of the man credited (by AP) with the following verse?
The opposite of pro is conSo feel free to take a shot at memorializing Nipsey in verse. ("Roses are red" poems are acceptable!) Here's a try:
That fact is clearly seen
If progress means move forward
Then what does Congress mean?
Roses are red,Need inspiration? Watch this video to see how the Monty Python gang jeers the Reaper.
Violets are blue.
Nipsey's not dead,
So the joke is on you.
Photo: David Marc Fischer
Monday, October 03, 2005
CARTOON CAPTION CONTEST CONTINUES! Like the New York Yankees, The New Yorker's Cartoon Caption Contest continues to operate through the month of October.
The winner for Contest #18 (businessman talking to a phone that, like everything else in his office, is up in the air), is the topical, "FEMA here. No, we haven't had any substantiated reports of earthquakes." It wasn’t my favorite, but I concede that it gets better with age. Congratulations to Neal Eckel of Tucson, Arizona! (Hm. Maybe I should have submitted, "I'd like to give you an answer, George, but everything's still up in the air.")
I'm sorry to note that I haven’t been bowled over by any of the nominees for Contest #20 (woman talking over a very tiny man’s head at party). Maybe my judgment is impaired because none of my captions have ever made it to the Final Three. I guess I’d go for “Whatever you do, don’t agree to play hide-and-seek with him.” It’s by Jeffrey Hutchins of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
My submission was "I raised him in a fishbowl, and I haven't tired of him yet!" (To “get” this one, look back at the winner of Contest #8, by Jan Richardson of Ridgeland, Mississippi.) I realize it was a longshot, but I wrote it thinking that you, dear readers, might appreciate that type of joke. As always, I'd like to know what captions you conceived too.
The winner for Contest #18 (businessman talking to a phone that, like everything else in his office, is up in the air), is the topical, "FEMA here. No, we haven't had any substantiated reports of earthquakes." It wasn’t my favorite, but I concede that it gets better with age. Congratulations to Neal Eckel of Tucson, Arizona! (Hm. Maybe I should have submitted, "I'd like to give you an answer, George, but everything's still up in the air.")
I'm sorry to note that I haven’t been bowled over by any of the nominees for Contest #20 (woman talking over a very tiny man’s head at party). Maybe my judgment is impaired because none of my captions have ever made it to the Final Three. I guess I’d go for “Whatever you do, don’t agree to play hide-and-seek with him.” It’s by Jeffrey Hutchins of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
My submission was "I raised him in a fishbowl, and I haven't tired of him yet!" (To “get” this one, look back at the winner of Contest #8, by Jan Richardson of Ridgeland, Mississippi.) I realize it was a longshot, but I wrote it thinking that you, dear readers, might appreciate that type of joke. As always, I'd like to know what captions you conceived too.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Saturday, October 01, 2005
THE INTERNET IS FOR PORN! It looks like Avenue Q's Trekkie Monster was right: "In volatile market, only stable investment is porn!" Consider chaotic Iraq. Recent reports claim that some U.S. soldiers have been bartering photos of prisoner abuse in order to gain access to a porn website.More than a year ago, military historian Joanna Bourke equated the abuse photographs with pornography in a Guardian article: "Many people have questioned the motives and conduct of the war in Iraq, but these pornographic images have stripped bare what little force remained in the humanitarian rhetoric concerning the war. In the Arab world, the damage has been done, and is irrevocable." I don't necessarily agree with all of her points, but they're worth contemplation.
Photo (of promotional photo): David Marc Fischer
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