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July 22, 2005
Jesus Lives Outsite My Window
And the Lord said "Let there be cable! There shall be praise and salutations!" Tempted by the promise of more bandwidth and customer service representatives who don't count English as a second language, I made the jump from Verizon to RCN today. My cable guy Richie just finished the inside work, and I'm typing this offline while I wait for the guy with the 30 foot ladder to come back and finish the outside hookup.
Interestingly enough while he was installing the cable I found this crucifix on the roof outside my bedroom window, covered in dirt and dust. You have to wonder at the backstory that leads to Jesus being tossed into the airshaft. I mean, who throws a cross into the alley? I now find myself in the position of not knowing what to do with the darn thing. I don't want to keep it around the house. (Religious icons don't appeal to me as decoration.) I don't want to throw it away. What to do?
--**Update**--
I'm online now and the speeds are blazing compared to Verizon. So far, so good!
Posted by Thomas at 03:43 PM | Comments (2)
July 17, 2005
Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls
Written by Naomi Iizuka
Directed by Courtney Sale
Produced by The Management Company
Michelle and I saw Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls at Victory Hall in Jersey City this past Friday. It's a quite charming 11 person play written by Naomi Iizuka and directed by Courtney Sale. It also featured one of my former classmates at the William Esper Studio, Mike Lavoie.
Really interesting staging, and charming performances by the actors. It's a quirky play and a bit difficult to summarize. It was one of those plays where the characters are established separately and then end up running into each other throughout the rest of the show. The main thing was that I enjoyed the characters and was quite touched by alot of the moments. I hope to see more work by Courtney Sale in the future!
Posted by Thomas at 04:41 PM | Comments (0)
July 12, 2005
Batman Begins
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
Casting by: John Papsidera & Lucinda Syson
I went to see Batman Begins this past Sunday afternoon. They really hit a home run with this one. Talented cast. Good story. Nice pacing. Wonderful performances by interesting actors. (Cillian Murphy was cool and creepy as the Scarecrow.) They dealt well with the "how" of Batman becoming Batman. There were only a couple of moments of "Ok, not so believable". (When Batman drives/jumps the Batmobile over what I suppose was the Gotham river and manages to find Officer Gordon was one such moment...Maybe he had Google Maps!). I was still able to suspend my disbelief long enough to continue enjoying the story.
This was the first time I'd seen Christian Bale in a movie. I'd heard of The Machinist and had seen some clips showing his freakish weight loss for the film. He was a good choice for the role of Batman. Intense but also human. Michael Caine was great as Alfred and added nice comic moments and heart at the right times. It was just a really well assembled cast.
I've seen Christopher Nolan's Memento and Insomnia, both of which I really liked. There was alot of depth to this film and it really had the darkness that Batman needs. Well done Christopher Nolan!
Posted by Thomas at 04:16 PM | Comments (2)
July 08, 2005
Sideways
Directed by Alexander Payne
Casting by John Jackson
NY Casting by Alice Parks
I just finished watching Sideways. It's an interesting little film about a roadtrip through California wine country by a pair of college roomates. There is alot of rich and subtle writing in this film. The characters take you on a bit of a journey, especially Paul Giamatti's character, Miles. I don't drink wine but found myself wishing that I did, especially in the scene on the porch where Miles & Maya talk about why they love it.
I think I'll add About Schmidt to my Netflix cue. I definitely want to check out more of Alexander Payne's storytelling.
Posted by Thomas at 03:05 PM | Comments (0)
July 06, 2005
Rain - Cirque Eloize
Rain - Cirque Eloize
The New Victory Theater
Written & Directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca
Michelle and I went to see Rain this afternoon at The New Victory Theater. It's quite a beautiful and extraordinary show performed by Cirque Eloize. (It's very much in the circus tradition of Cirque du Soleil, except much more intimate.)
I was particularly inspired by the biography of one of the performers who was from NYC:
"Jonas Woolverton is a native of New York City. He graduated with a B.A. in film production; studied dance and theater; and played accordion in the circus/rock band Circophonique!. While working as a filmaker in San Francisco, he saw Cirque Eloize's Excentricus and his life and career path were forever changed. He knew that he had to work with this company and dedicated himself to studying the enigmatic Cyr Wheel. The Clow Conservatory at the Circus Center in San Francisco gave him the formal training he needed, and he was hired to perform German Wheel and lay accordion in The New Pickle Circus' Circumstance, directed by Gypsy Snider, and received rave reviews. Ecstatic to be a part of Rain, he is living his dream. One day Mr. Woolverton plans to combine his passion and experience in the circus with his love for making films.
(The Cyr Wheel is a kind of human size hula hoop that the performer spins around in. It looks a bit like a coin when it spins on a table and is about to fall flat. I SO want to try one!) I guess it's inspiring to see someone take a vastly different career path from where they started and end up being successful.
I'd also love to see other work by the director, Daniele Finzi Pasca. It seems quite intriquing.
The show was rich in detail and vibrant images as well as filled with moving and tender moments. I only wish I could see them again before it closes on Sunday!
Posted by Thomas at 10:21 PM | Comments (0)