So - I am walking to Woodstock Town Hall to see "Junior" and I try to take pictures of the Woodstock drum circle, which happens each Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m., I think?
But - my camera tells me that I have no more memory on my memory card. So, I delete a few pictures, then take a few pictures, then go see "Junior."
My next stop is the Bearsville Theater, to post on the blog and gear up for "Redlight," which is narrated by Lucy Liu, and which will be introduced by Lucy Liu.
So - I put the memory card into the card reader but nothing is uploading. I'm hosed, No pictures. Nuttin'. Error this. Or Error that. It's really no big deal, it's just hundreds of pictures I've taken since Wednesday, but which I haven't uploaded. Really, no big deal.
Thank GOD I have an iPhone. Let's hope it works for Lucy Liu. I'm off to the screening. Smell ya later.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Amazing (and bizarre) Women in Film
A very bizarre moment occurred at the panel discussion on women in film Saturday morning, the one chaired by Hyde Park's very own Thelma Adams, which also included Woodstock's very own Uma Thurman.
An animator, her name is Signe, I don't recall her last name, out of the blue, brought up a certain undergarment worn by one of the two sexes, that would be male or female, and then started to discuss why that sex wears that undergarment.
I can't tell you which sex she was talking about, or what undergarment, but I can tell you that the reason for the undergarment involved a human secretion, but because I'd like to keep my job, and my health coverage, I'm going to have to remain vague. If you were there, you know what I'm talking about.
An animator, her name is Signe, I don't recall her last name, out of the blue, brought up a certain undergarment worn by one of the two sexes, that would be male or female, and then started to discuss why that sex wears that undergarment.
I can't tell you which sex she was talking about, or what undergarment, but I can tell you that the reason for the undergarment involved a human secretion, but because I'd like to keep my job, and my health coverage, I'm going to have to remain vague. If you were there, you know what I'm talking about.
Gregg Bray from SUNY New Paltz
I first met Gregg Bray several years ago when I was asked to speak about my (ahem) illustrious career as a journalist.
Gregg's a good guy with a cool electronic business card on his e-mails:
GB
Gregory Bray
Program Coordinator, Media Major
Department of Communication and Media
Advisor, Communication and Media Society
SUNY New Paltz
www.newpaltz.edu/commmediasociety
Doctoral Student, Communication
European Graduate School Saas-Fee Switzerland
"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery." --Bob Marley
I met him again a few years later right here, at a recent Woodstock Film Festival. He was coordinating video coverage of the WFF.
And he sent me these two links:
www.youtube.com/woodstockfilmfestival
Yes, the letter "L" is missing at the end.
Check out last year's:
www.youtube.com/wffvideo
Check 'em out.
You'll be glad you did.
Gregg's a good guy with a cool electronic business card on his e-mails:
GB
Gregory Bray
Program Coordinator, Media Major
Department of Communication and Media
Advisor, Communication and Media Society
SUNY New Paltz
www.newpaltz.edu/commmediasociety
Doctoral Student, Communication
European Graduate School Saas-Fee Switzerland
"Emancipate yourself from mental slavery." --Bob Marley
I met him again a few years later right here, at a recent Woodstock Film Festival. He was coordinating video coverage of the WFF.
And he sent me these two links:
www.youtube.com/woodstockfilmfestival
Yes, the letter "L" is missing at the end.
Check out last year's:
www.youtube.com/wffvideo
Check 'em out.
You'll be glad you did.
Woody Allen and Roman Polanski
I heard on the radio today that Woody Allen signed a petition calling for Roman Polanski's release from a Swiss jai.
So - that would be, Woody Allen, who married his much younger adopted daughter, calling fo the release of Roman Polanski, who has been on the run for three decades after being charged with drugging, then having sex with a 13-year-old.
That's really sick.
So - that would be, Woody Allen, who married his much younger adopted daughter, calling fo the release of Roman Polanski, who has been on the run for three decades after being charged with drugging, then having sex with a 13-year-old.
That's really sick.
The Doors - Never heard of them
A few friends went to see "When You're Strange," the documentary about The Doors, Saturday night at the Rosendale Cafe.
The 13-year-old son of a couple I know said he had never heard any of the songs in the documentary. None of them.
"Moonlight Drive." "Light My Fire." "The End." "Touch Me."
Hmmm. Never heard them?
The 13-year-old son of a couple I know said he had never heard any of the songs in the documentary. None of them.
"Moonlight Drive." "Light My Fire." "The End." "Touch Me."
Hmmm. Never heard them?
My name is Jimmy. That's the name they gimme.
I had an uncle Jim, my father's brother, who was really a piece of work. He was in the Navy during World War II, on an aircraft carrier I think. I also think he was a boxer, and had the scars to show for it.
He was a sweet guy, but just one of those uncles that everyone has had, including my cousins, who had my dad, as their uncle.
Anyway, good 'ol Uncle Jim, when we were kids, would shake your hand, then say, "are you afraid of me?" you would say, "no." And he would say, "then why are you shaking?"
So - I just saw a documentary called "Junior' about this guy Eddie Belasco, and his very sweet relationship with his 98-year-old mother. Well - Eddie Belasco was my late Uncle Jim. He looked like him. He talked like him. He had the same vibe.
After running late today and missing the two sets of short films I had planned to see, I looked to see what fit in the schedule. It was "Junior." And as I was scrambling to file my print story for Monday's Poughkeepsie Journal, I saw that "Junior" won the WFF award for best documentary.
Eddie is a pretty complex guy - he's very close to his mother, but it's not one of those weird, close relationships. He was a nightclub performer and when this movie was filmed, worked with young kids in a theater company.
He and his mother - he always said 'MA!' - would always shout back and forth at each other.
There came a point in the movie where Eddie's mother's health just declined, as Eddie's own eyesight was failing. And this really struck a nerve, as my own mother's health has been rapidly declining and she is currently in a physical therapy rehabilitation facility.
This was a great movie, and it was amazing to see Eddie in person at the q and a afterward.
I was very glad to see this film and highly recommend it.
He was a sweet guy, but just one of those uncles that everyone has had, including my cousins, who had my dad, as their uncle.
Anyway, good 'ol Uncle Jim, when we were kids, would shake your hand, then say, "are you afraid of me?" you would say, "no." And he would say, "then why are you shaking?"
So - I just saw a documentary called "Junior' about this guy Eddie Belasco, and his very sweet relationship with his 98-year-old mother. Well - Eddie Belasco was my late Uncle Jim. He looked like him. He talked like him. He had the same vibe.
After running late today and missing the two sets of short films I had planned to see, I looked to see what fit in the schedule. It was "Junior." And as I was scrambling to file my print story for Monday's Poughkeepsie Journal, I saw that "Junior" won the WFF award for best documentary.
Eddie is a pretty complex guy - he's very close to his mother, but it's not one of those weird, close relationships. He was a nightclub performer and when this movie was filmed, worked with young kids in a theater company.
He and his mother - he always said 'MA!' - would always shout back and forth at each other.
There came a point in the movie where Eddie's mother's health just declined, as Eddie's own eyesight was failing. And this really struck a nerve, as my own mother's health has been rapidly declining and she is currently in a physical therapy rehabilitation facility.
This was a great movie, and it was amazing to see Eddie in person at the q and a afterward.
I was very glad to see this film and highly recommend it.
John Barry? Never heard of him.
So I'm walking down Rock City Road, away from the Colony, and this guy is walking toward me with these really cool, crazy looking sunglasses. So because I have no qualms about walking up to people cold, I just approach this guy and say, "can I take your picture for the blog I am keeping for the Poughkeepsie Journal." This guys says sure, I take his picture, and as he's walking away, he says, "Say hello to John Barry for me."
Well - giddy up!!!
Turns out this guy is Mickey Cottrell, publicist for "Neil Young: Trunk Show," who I recently worked with to arrange an interview with director Jonathan Demme. I also worked with Mickey on Neil's movie from a few years ago, "Greendale." I talked with Mickey for a good little while and learned that he's working on two other movies at the film fest, "Big River Man" and "Easier With Practice."
Good to meet you Mickey. And I really do LOVE those glasses.
Egg salad and pasta on a tortilla chip. mmm.
They have some delicious food here at the Colony. But I am in such a rush that I am downing it all at once - egg salad, peanut noodles, bow tie pasta, washed down with hot tea.
i've got to slow down.
i've got to slow down.
Blues concert at the Colony
The Colony Cafe was packed last night for a blues concert featuring Hubert Sumlin and Pinetop Perkins, as well as Sugar Blue on harmonica and Bob Margolin on guitar. Margolin recalled the time he came to Woodstock in the mid-1970s to record with Muddy Waters, the famous "Woodstock Album," with Levon Helm from The Band.
Sugar Blue played harmonica on "Miss You" by the Rolling Stones and had the coolest pair of pants I've ever seen this side of Hurley.
I"m late, I'm late, I'm late
Is today Sunday? Or Saturday? I don't know. Day five of the Woodstock Film Festival and it all just kind of melts together. I keep saying "good morning" to people but wonder if it's after noon. As the kids would say...OMG!
I'm two hours behind schedule today, missed two movies I had wanted to see and still have to file a story for tomorro's print edition of the Poughkeepsie Journal.
And post photos from last night.
wish me luck.
I'm two hours behind schedule today, missed two movies I had wanted to see and still have to file a story for tomorro's print edition of the Poughkeepsie Journal.
And post photos from last night.
wish me luck.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Move over soccer moms
When I was a kid, I played soccer, and I'll never forget this one parent being told to leave the field because they were screaming at everyone - their kid, the referee, the coach, other people's kids.
I couldn't help but think of this parent as I watched "Racing Dreams" Friday night at the Rosendale Theater.
This movie was about these three kids who raced in this go-kart league, that was kind of set up like NASCAR. Their parents spent tens of thousands of dollars and they all drove all over the place. It was pretty intense.
The movie followed three kids - Annabeth, Brandon and Josh. They drove these really low-to-the ground go karts, and EVERYONE took things pretty seriously.
The movie was good, but at 90 minutes, could have been an hour, and could have focused more on racing and what went on at the track. They went WAY too deep into Brandon's father, an ex-con who was a no good drug binger.
And this whole back and forth between Annabeth and Brandon liking each other was really silly and distracting. But Brandon was a bad boy, getting disqualified on the track, shaving his head, you know the type.
Overall, a good movie, but just Ok.
So - back to the parents. Annabeth's dad and mom, and Josh's dad, were all a little ridiculous in how seriously they took this whole thing. But Brandon's grandfather was the one in charge of his whole racing scene, and that was a nice dimension to the story.
But I still couldn't help thinking about that parent thrown off the field when I was a kid.
I couldn't help but think of this parent as I watched "Racing Dreams" Friday night at the Rosendale Theater.
This movie was about these three kids who raced in this go-kart league, that was kind of set up like NASCAR. Their parents spent tens of thousands of dollars and they all drove all over the place. It was pretty intense.
The movie followed three kids - Annabeth, Brandon and Josh. They drove these really low-to-the ground go karts, and EVERYONE took things pretty seriously.
The movie was good, but at 90 minutes, could have been an hour, and could have focused more on racing and what went on at the track. They went WAY too deep into Brandon's father, an ex-con who was a no good drug binger.
And this whole back and forth between Annabeth and Brandon liking each other was really silly and distracting. But Brandon was a bad boy, getting disqualified on the track, shaving his head, you know the type.
Overall, a good movie, but just Ok.
So - back to the parents. Annabeth's dad and mom, and Josh's dad, were all a little ridiculous in how seriously they took this whole thing. But Brandon's grandfather was the one in charge of his whole racing scene, and that was a nice dimension to the story.
But I still couldn't help thinking about that parent thrown off the field when I was a kid.
Some wisdom from Uma Thurman and Hyde Park's very own Thelma Adams
Thelma Adams is a part-time Hyde Park resident, film reviewer for US Weekly and someone I have interviewed more than once...
She moderated a panel on Saturday at the Woodstock Film Festival, on women in film.
Here are some of Thelma's thoughts...on the question, "what would you tell your 21-year-old self?"
"I would tell my 21-year-old self...if you want to be a writer, if you think you're a writer, don't go asking other people for validation. Parallel, if you're a filmmaker, if you're an actor or you want to be an actor, if you have that drive, just do it and do it and get better."
From Uma Thurman, a panel participant, in the same discussion:
"In hindsight, just be in the moment. I think if one tries to manufacture knowledge or get ahead of it - at 21 I had already been making movies for five years. I thought I was really old and really, really experienced."
She moderated a panel on Saturday at the Woodstock Film Festival, on women in film.
Here are some of Thelma's thoughts...on the question, "what would you tell your 21-year-old self?"
"I would tell my 21-year-old self...if you want to be a writer, if you think you're a writer, don't go asking other people for validation. Parallel, if you're a filmmaker, if you're an actor or you want to be an actor, if you have that drive, just do it and do it and get better."
From Uma Thurman, a panel participant, in the same discussion:
"In hindsight, just be in the moment. I think if one tries to manufacture knowledge or get ahead of it - at 21 I had already been making movies for five years. I thought I was really old and really, really experienced."
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