Saturday, February 5, 2005

Reviews and Recommendations




MUST-SEES
Film/DVD Picks:
Days of Being Wild - Thank whatever imaginary friend you like for the creation of DVD's, since DOBW is also now one of a 5-DVD box set put out by Kino. Director Wong Kar-Wai's gorgeous and evocative exploration of love, lust, impulsiveness, and the forces in a character's past that drive him. A spectacular film whose unusual but strangely fitting soundtrack, along with some great looking stars, adds to the mood. This film was a hit at the New Directors' festival in NYC some years ago, but failed to have a feature run here until now. Don't miss it!

SCTV Network 90/Vol. 1 & SCTV Vol. 2 - Some of the funniest sketches and impersonations ever in the history of television, all within the context of a critique of network broadcasting's idiocy and shenanigans. Musical guests were woven into the stories. Vol 1 includes the dead-on Ingmar Bergman parody, the cheesy Sammy Maudlin Show with regular guests Bobby Bittman and Lola Heatherton, and the Polynesiatown debacle, for starters. Vol 2 starts off with a Perry Como sendup and even more. (DVD's released by Shout! Factory)

Curb Your Enthusiasm :The Complete Third Season (HBO DVD) - more hilarity and hijinks from my favorite pessimist. Includes classic episodes like "Krazee-Eyez Killa" and The Grand Opening."

The Battle of Algiers (Criterion DVD) - a must see for our times.

Wattstax (DVD)

Art:
Metropolitan Museum of Art (NYC): From Filippo Lippi to Piero della Francesca: Fra Carnevale and the Making of a Renaissance Master. Amazing, gorgeous. See it.

GOINGS-ON
Guest Events:
Thursday February 24, 7:30PM - KEN SMITH reads! LITTLE GRAY BOOK LECTURE NO. 30“How to Observe Presidents’ Day (Observed)” at Galapagos, 70 North Sixth Street, between Kent and Wythe in Williamsburg. (L Train to Bedford Avenue)(718) 782-5188. Other readers include JOSHUAH BEARMAN, JONATHAN COULTON, JON LANGFORD, and SARAH VOWELL. http://www.littlegraybooks.com/

Sunday February 27: Sam Lipsyte reading KGB with John Haskell 85 East 4th Street, NYC 7:00 pm

The best in jazz: go hear Jason Moran and the Bandwagon perform! His scheduled dates in NYC and elsewhere are listed on his site http://www.jasonmoran.com/shows.html

Other Events: