BRAVO Woodstock Film Festival!

Bravo!
I saw "In Search of A Midnight Kiss" Friday afternoon at the Bearsville Theater and OH MY GOODNESS. I walked out not knowing whether I should cry uncontrollably or roll on the floor laughing. This movie had it all. It was better than great. I could have watched it over again, start to finish, as soon as it ended.

"Midnight Kiss" will be screened again at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at Upstate Films I in Rhinbeck. I just might go again.

The characters were what made this story, which I thought was headed for a train wreck because it started out with two cliches.....the loser, video store clerk who hasn't had a date in six years and the New Year's Eve quest to find someone to lock lips with at midnight.

But the characters were DEEEEEEEP: The flirtatious fiancee-to-be who never crosses the line of infidelity; the Judge Reinhold-look alike who was a goofy romantic; the loser video guy; the aggressive blonde with the psycho boyfriend; AND it had the voice of Nic Harcourt, the former Woodstock resident and morning DJ on WDST who is now a nationally-syndicated DJ out of Santa Monica, Calif. Nic got some nice cheers as the credits were rolling and Ike Phillips, one of the movers and shakers over there at WDST, was in attendance.

Actually, my colleague at the Journal, arts writer Kathleen Murray, tipped me off to Nic's role in the movie. I don't know that I would have selected it otherwise, as it looked like a real date movie. THANKS KATHLEEN!


So thank you, Woodstock Film Festival. Thank you for my "Star Wars"/"It's a Wonderful Life moment."

As if the beautiful late afternoon light wasn't enough on my drive from downtown Woodstock to the Bearsville Theater. mmmmmmm. Good stuff.

Did I mention I liked the movie?

First major celebrity sighting of the festival

I was having a late lunch at the lovely Garden Cafe on the Green, and who should walk in but none other than "30 Rock" actresss/comedienne Jane Krakowski.

I introduced myself to Ms. K and asked her what movies she was planning on seeing.

Her reply: "Actually, we're just in town visiting some friends. We didn't even know the festival was going on. But now I think we'll go to a movie!"

Ricochet speaks!

Yesterday, John I had the pleasure of holding up traffic and speaking with Woodstock resident, Ricochet. He brought up an interesting point about the festival, "as it's growing, it should be inclusive and not exclusive."

Share your own experiences from the festival and let us know if you share Ricochet's sentiments.

-Chrissie

Live music part two

The Felice Brothers will perform Saturday night at the Colony Cafe, at 9:30 p.m., as part of the film fest. These guys can pack a house and deliver a down-home hootenanny with an edge, a real slice of Hudson Valley heritage, with The Band, Bob Dylan and your favorite cousin, the one who can play the accordion, all for the price of admission.

Acoustic roots music you can dance too, sing along, or just soak up like the sun.

More on the Felice Brothers a little later. My computer's battery is dying....

Live music at the film fest

Music has been a major component of the Woodstock Film Festival all of the five years I have been covering it for the Poughkeepsie Journal. I will NEVER forget a party in 2002 at Allaire Studios in Shokan at which Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon of Phish played a surprise set. Unreal.

Tonight, Friday, two bands will take over the Colony Cafe in a show that is booked by Wacbiz, a company that sets up filmmakers with independent musicians. The company is run by Suzanne Hilleary of Kerhonkson, whose experience in the recording industry covers Tony Bennett, Carlos Santana, Danny Aiello, Steve Ferrone of Tom Petty's band and many, many more. Suzanne is in a class of her own. Spend five minutes talking to her and you will be pretty inspired to tackle some project of your own, that you have been putting off. Suzanne really has a way of lighting a spark under anything...a conversation, a project, an evening of live music.

Suzanne's partner in Wacbiz is Mike Visceglia, who plays bass for Suzanne Vega, can be seen in the new Dar Williams DVD, "Live from the Bearsville Theater," set for release Tuesday and was seen by many when Suzanne, Vega that is, played Waryas Park in Poughkeepsie last month.

So Suzanne, Hilleary that is, manages an Ithaca-based band called Revision - that's their picture. I saw them at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village earlier this year and was impressed. You can read about them by clicking here.

Revision is set to go on at 9:30 p.m. tonight at the Colony, followed by Mechanical Bull at 10:45 p.m. Mechanical Bull was recently signed to a new record label, Wooodstock Musicworks.

You can check back to this blog either late tonight, or first thing Saturday morning, depending on how tired I am, for a review of both bands.

WKZE and the Woodstock Film Fest: On the air

Will Baylies, Rick Schneider and Paul Higgins are making it happen for WKZE listeners. The three staffers from the Red Hook-based radio station - heard on 98.1 FM and at www.wkze.com, just conducted a touching interview with a woman connected to "Steal A Pencil for Me," a film being shown at the fest that is centered around forbidden love and the Nazi occupation of Holland in 1943.

Hour two of the broadcast just got under way.

Sunshine, crisp air and passes

The sun is blazing in Woodstock, the air is crisp and the masses are moving through town and beyond, Woodstock Film Festival passes hanging from around their necks. Now THIS is a film festival.

Lili Taylor to present Maverick Award

Actress Lili Taylor, a Woodstock Film Festival regular, will present the Maverick Award to Christine Vachon at festivities Saturday night.

I can't tell you how excited I am about the prospect of meeting Ms. Taylor. I looovvveee her. I know, that doesn't sound very objective, but what can I say? She had me at "Mystic Pizza."

Aidan Quinn to appear at screening today

Ulster County-based actor Aidan Quinn will appear for a Q&A after today's 2 p.m. screening of "Dark Matter" at the Rosendale Theatre.

If you are a member of the audience, please post what you saw and heard here. Thanks!

WKZE at the film fest

Red Hook-based WKZE, heard at 98.1 FM and www.wkze.com, is setting up right now for a live broadcast from film fest HQ, the Colony Cafe, from 2-4 p.m. Morning guy Rick Schneider and afternoon guy Will Baylies will be manning the mikes. Stay tuned for updates and photos.

Here is a photo of WKZE sales guru and DJ Paul Higgins, on the right, host of the program, "Nightshade" each Sunday from 7-10 p.m, and Rick, who also hosts the program, "Evolution" each Wednesday, from 10 p.m. -midnight.

Shrinks

This is a real live one.



Gregg Brown lives in LA, but spent time in Woodstock as a kid, where his Dad owned a weekend house, about 10 minutes from the village green. He is 33 now, and was about 12-13 during his Woodstock days.

Anyway, Brown has made a movie called "Shrinks" - and the story behind the story is priceless. The plot of "Shrinks" revolves around a "depressed guy who goes shopping for psychotherapists."

Brown got the idea for the movie when, well, he was feeling depressed and he called a bunch of psychotherapists, looking for the right one.
This film has picked up a bunch of awards around the country and while talking to Brown about his movie, you can just see him conducting his little telephone interviews with potential candidates.

"Shrinks" will be shown as part of "Shorts Program 4" at the Woodstock Community Center, today, Friday, at 3:15 p.m. and Saturday at 7:30pm.

The Filmmakers Stone

Tonight, first-time director Tony Stone and veteran documentary filmmaker Robert Stone (no relation) will both screen their movies at Upstate Films in Rhinebeck.

Learn more about the younger Stone's "Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America" in today's Poughkeepsie Journal.