Human Rights Watch Film Festival New York June 11-21
June 12th, 2015 by chocko
3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets (Marc Silver)
The Human Rights Watch Film Festival in New York will be screening movies from June 11-21 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and IFC Center. The film festival focuses on films that deal with social injustices and human rights violations. It is a film festival in its 26th year and features 17 award-winning films that cover a lot of ground and deal with some deep issues. This year’s festival focuses on themes such as Art Versus Oppression, Changemakers and Justice and Peace. I had the pleasure of seeing 3 films in advance including the opening night film 3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets. This documentary tells the story of four unarmed African American who were shot at a gas station in Jacksonville, Florida in November 2012. The teens were playing their stereo too loud, there is an altercation with a person from another vehicle and seconds later the bullets fly. The shooter, Michael Dunn, claimed he shot in self defense because he thought one of the teens had a gun. That teen, 17-year-old Jordan Davis died after 10 bullets were fired into the car he was in. The film follows Jordan’s parents as they fight for justice in a state that favors the Stand Your Ground self-defense laws.
The Wanted 18 (Amer Shomali and Paul Cowan)
The Wanted 18 tells the “moo-ving” story of how a group of Palestinians peacefully protested the Israeli occupation of the West Bank by purchasing 18 cows and producing their own milk. The undercover dairy operation was declared “a threat to the national security of the state of Israel” and hundreds of soldiers took part in the search for the illegal bovines. The movies is told with a mix of funny stop motion animation and interviews with activists from the town of Beit Sahour where the collective farm was located. It screens on June 13 at 6:30 p.m. at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and opens theatrically in NYC on June 19.
Life Is Sacred (Andreas Dalsgaard)
The third movie I saw was titled Life Is Sacred and deals with life and politics in Colombia, a country in constant turmoil due to clashes and widespread violence between the military, guerrillas, paramilitaries and drug cartels. Along comes the presidential candidate Antanas Mockus who galvanizes the public with creative ideas and catchy phrases, with a promise to end the violence and make some much needed changes. As mayor of Bogota, Mockus dressed up as a superhero in a cape to take on crime in the streets and had mimes on street corners directing traffic. This portrait of the anti-establishment icon follows the ups and downs of a political figure who loves his people and just wants to make a difference. The movie also makes its New York premiere screening on Thursday June 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the IFC Center and Saturday June 20 at 9:00 p.m. at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Plenty of movies to see at this film festival…get information on tickets HERE. Check out the trailer for the Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2015 below!
Tags: 3 1/2 Minutes, documentary, film festival, Film Society of Lincoln Center, Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, IFC Center, Life Is Sacred, movies, new york city, nyc, review, Ten Bullets, The Wanted 18
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Large Professor played Rough Trade NYC
June 10th, 2015 by chocko
The Legendary Hip Hop Producer and MC, Large Professor was in the house at Rough Trade NYC for the release of his latest album re:living. The performance space at Rough Trade slowly filled up early in the evening while Large Pro waited for some late guests to arrive to the venue. The new album played through the speakers and thirty minutes after the scheduled start time, Large Professor plugged his phone into the sound system and started the show. Large Pro warmed up the crowd with some early songs from his career including “Just Hanging Out” which is off the Main Source album Breaking Atoms. Main Source was the underground hip hop group which Large Professor was a founding member of and I can’t say enough about the importance of the album “Breaking Atoms” but it did feature Nas on the track “Live at the Barbeque,” which was the first appearance of Nas on a record. After performing some familiar songs, Large Pro showcased some of the verses off the new album and sounded smooth despite fumbling and forgetting some of the lyrics from the new material. There was also a slight hiccup in the performance when the beat stopped, but that’s what you get when you play the instrumentals off your phone and you receive a text!
The album re:living is highly recommended if you’re a fan of that old hip hop that featured banging beats and dope lyrics. Turntablists Rob Swift, DJ Boogie Blind and DJ Eclipse are credited for their scratches and the album features guests such as Sadat X, Lord Jamar, Cormega, Roc Marciano all on one track titled “Industry Remix 2.” My favorite tracks right now are “New Train Ole Route” a jazzy cut which will get your head snapping back and forth in no time and “In The Scrolls” which is a tribute to Nas and features G-Wiz. Check out some videos below from the performance. Pick up the album, it’s out now on Fat Beats Records.
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Tags: brooklyn, hip hop, Large Pro, Large Professor, re:living, rough trade nyc, show
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lower east side – nyc doings: Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Festival & now introducing Empanadas plus more!
June 8th, 2015 by Mr. C
(the mixologists making my chocolate egg cream with the classic Fox’s Ubet chocolate syrup!)
(Peking Opera – Monkey King performance)
(Puerto Rican Vejigante mask)
(Puerto Rican fan making)
The 15th annual Egg Rolls and Egg Creams Festival & this year – Empanadas were added to the Eldridge street mix! The festival provides a fun opportunity to celebrate the joint cultural heritages of the historic Lower East Side and Chinatown with food, music, arts, & crafts! Jewish, Chinese, and now Puerto Rican culture were honored on this great day! On this 15th anniversary of the Festival, The Museum at Eldridge Street Synagogue wanted to showcase the contributions of the Puerto Rican community to the Lower East Side so hence the addition! Some highlights of this annual ethnic block party includes Chinese opera and acrobats, klezmer performances, bomba and plena music, Puerto Rican mask making, Hebrew and Chinese scribal art, & more! Last but not least – the stars of the show – kosher egg rolls, egg cream, & empanadas were for sale!
(Jewish Pickling techniques)
(Yarmulka making)
(Northern style chinese dumpling making)
(Yiddish lessons by mark sommerstein)
(Monkey King performance)
(kreplach-demonstration)
(klezmer-music & dancing)
(Mah Joong hustling!)
(Chess is for the birds – Mah Joong is where it’s at!)
(Jewish Scribal Arts)
(Chinese Calligraphy)
(Sifu Ken Lo can kick your ass w/ his Kung Fu techniques but before he does that he will share his knowledge of the traditional Chinese Tea ceremony)
(Challah making)
(WEPA! Bomba and plena music)
(Puerto Rican Vejigante mask)
(jewish cantorial music by eric freeman)
(decorating a chinese porcelain bowl on paper bowl)
Post celebrations of the festival had us appreciating more of the Lower East Side at an art gallery on 291 Grand Street by Eldridge. It happened to be the last day of a solo exhibit by an old school Nuyorican street artist who grew up in the LES – Lee Quinones. Leave it up to us to make the exhibit on the very last day. We are big fans of Lee’s aerosol art and his appearance in Wild Style the movie turned us on! It’s great to see that Lee Quinones’ art work remains relevant to this day! Lee’s pop-up solo exhibition puts on a display of his early, never been seen before drawings as well as his current works which collectively spans from 1975 to the present. This exhibition sheds light on Quinones’ love for drawing. From aerosol bombing of NYC subway trains to NYC public concrete walls, and now (has been) taking it to the studio – Lee Quinones’ work is still evolving as political and social messages are still be doled out throughout his art no matter what format he chooses!
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Chiller Theatre Spring 2015
June 2nd, 2015 by chocko
Here are some photos from the Chiller Theatre Spring Spectacular 2015. The next Chiller Theatre Expo is October 23 -25, 2015. Just a quick suggestion: Get your tickets in advance when they go on sale unless you like to stand in a that moves like one of those old school Romero zombies. It should be a great time…live bands, films, panels and can’t wait to see who the guests will be! Start making plans and come to the party in your best costume. See you nasty freaks in October.
A recent replica of the “Maria Robot” from Fritz Lang’s Metropolis
Sylvain Sylvain from the legendary New York Dolls
Dolly Read and Marcia McBroom from Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls
Mindy Sterling (Frau Farbissina in the Austin Powers movies)
Alex P. Keaton’s pops from Family Ties, Michael Gross
Scream Queen icon, Brinke Stevens
Michelle Bauer, of the B-movie classic Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers
Fred Olen Ray signing for his Veterans charity The Gallant Few. Chocko got him to sign a Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers DVD which he directed along with his 2004 Tomb Of The Werewolf which starred Michelle Bauer and Paul Naschy in his last role as a werewolf named Waldemar Daninsky.
“Feed Me!” the monstrous Little Shop of Horrors puppet, created by Bill Diamond. Looks like the always friendly Basil Gogos (legendary artist from Famous Monsters of Filmland) might be Audrey II’s next meal. Look out!
Josh Mostel among many actors from the movie Jesus Christ Superstar
Is it me or are the crowds at Chiller Theatre getting older?
“The Pride of Lowell” Boxing Legend, Dicky Eklund.
William Katt best known for his role in the 80’s tv series, “The Greatest American Hero.” It’s also true that he auditioned for the part of Luke Skywalker in The Star Wars movies. Here’s a VIDEO of William Katt along with Kurt Russell auditioning for the roles of Han Solo and Luke.
It’s the Karate Kid’s nemesis, William “No Mercy” Zabka (left) and Gavin MacLeod (right) aka Captain Stubing from “The Love Boat”
Dick Miller, a character actor from The Bronx who’s been in over 100 movies including Gremlins and The Terminator. There’s a doc about him titled That Guy Dick Miller which recently screened at the Anthology Film Archives in New York City during a series dedicated to his films.
Linda Miller of King Kong Escapes (1967)
Naomi Grossman of American Horror Story looking good.
The Champ is here…Merciless Ray Mercer.
Straight outta The Time Tunnel Lee Meriwether sitting at the far left of the table and Robert Colbert on his phone looking Young and Restless.
In the stylish glasses, James Darren, the third guest from The Time Tunnel chatting with Michael Cole from another 60’s tv series, The Mod Squad. The older ladies in the room swooned at the sight of these two.
Wrestler Bully Ray and surprise guest, Devon…The Dudley Boyz!
Creepiest cosplay goes to this guy…Andrew Arkham Cosplay.
Get da puck outta here, it’s The Mighty Ducks Reunion…from left to right Shaun Weiss, Vincent LaRusso, Brandon Adams and Matt Doherty.
Josip Elic chatting it up with the alluring Lee Meredith.
Wesley Eure (Will from Land Of The Lost) and a severed Sleestak head.
Phil Paley (Chaka from Land Of The Lost)
Land Of The Lost cast members Kathy Coleman, Wesley Eure and Phillip Paley (pictured above) reunited at Chiller. I got my lunchbox signed by all 3 guests. Chocko vs. Chaka in a street fight? Chaka got no chance even if he brings that baby brontosaurus with him and a posse of Sleestak.
John Zacherle “The Cool Ghoul” horror movie host legend!
The costumes just keep getting more nightmarish and getta a load of this kid. Talk about the heebie-jeebies. He’s holding a baby alligator, has a boa constrictor around his neck and a tarantula on top of his head!
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Tags: american horror story, b-movies, chiller theatre, dick miller, dudley boyz, king kong escapes, land of the lost, scream queens, spring, the mighty ducks, the time tunnel, zacherle
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Brand Nubian + Cover Girls + Amina Buddafly + Peter Gunz + Nene Ali = Celebrate Bronx Week 2015 ~> Moshulu Park!
May 18th, 2015 by Mr. C
All photos by Mr. C – All Videos by Chocko
(Bronx residents – Throw your X’s in the air to Celebrate Bronx Week at Moshulu Park!)
(Rapper,B-Boy,Politician,Playboy(kidding) – Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. was the emcee at the event)
(Brand Nubian with special guest Ruben Diaz Jr. performing Step to the Rear)
(Steph Lova – hostess of the event)
(Amina Buddafly – has got it going on!)
(The Cover Girls belting out their hits!)
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Our classic 1990s latin freestyle dance and hip hop hongry’ palates were satisfied last Sunday on the last day of Celebrate Bronx week held at Moshulu park with live performances by the Cover Girls and Brand Nubian! Sandwiched in between was a refreshing set of new school hear me out R&B by Amina Buddafly. She’s a very talented artist that plays the guitar, keyboards, & not to mention gifted with a set of pleasing melodic, & powerful – crystal clear lungs. Amina might be better known to most from the reality show on VH1 called Love and Hip Hop. Joining her onstage was her husband who is also on Love and Hip Hop – Peter Gunz! Most of us know Peter Gunz from his hit rap song from the late 90s – Deja Vu (Uptown Baby) by Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz. Amina Buddafly’s setlist from Moshulu Park included: Never been in love this way, Do you feel the same, I have nothing, Love in silence, Since you’ve been gone (with Peter Gunz). Cop Amina Buddafly’s new album – My Music on iTunes or Amazon! Check out some of the videos of the performances from the event below thanks to Chocko!
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(Peter Gunz & Amina Buddafly)
(Peter Gunz)
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Nene Ali, a talented young spoken word poet and high energy rap artist from around the way in the Bronx lit it up onstage with her socially conscious & uplifting lyrics. She has that onstage swagger, rhythm, tone & delivery that reminded us of MC Lyte and Roxanne Shante. Definitely look out for more of Nene Ali as she blossoms!
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(Nene Ali & Hakim Green)
(Chris Rivers-Big Pun’s son tearing up a verse or two!)
(The Cover Girls)
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Getting to the heart of the matter – The Cover Girls definitely made my “Heart Skip a beat” as the trio laid out their freestyle dance hits from the 1990s! I thought I was transformed back into an era of Chess King & Oakley Oak Tree wares, MC hammer pants, wingtip shoes for the clubs, and z-cavaricci pants to sport around casually. As any freestyle dance music fan knows, the lyrics of most of these dance songs centers around love, relationships, & heartbreak. Any teenager and college student from the 90s can identify with that right? Looking at the photos from the Cover Girl’s performance last Sunday, I think Chocko was right. The Cover Girl lead vocalist doesn’t look familiar. Maybe not the original lineup but 2/3’s isn’t bad! Either way the Cover Girl’s performance was fun & dynamite. Did we see Bronx Borough president – Ruben Diaz jr. – uprock! Yes we did! The setlist by the Cover Girls on their Bronx Week performance at Moshulu included: Inside Outside, Wishing on a star, My heart skips a beat, Because of you, & Show me! Literally the bass that was thumping from the speakers really did make my heart skip a beat or two. Where that pacemaker at?
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(Brand Nubian – Grand Puba,Sadat X,Lord Jamar)
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Last but not least – one of the funkiest hip hop groups of all time – Brand Nubian – rampaged the stage! Their 1990 “One for All” album blew everyone’s Pumas off! Great sampling, socially aware lyrical flow, & mad tight rhythm. No disrespect to Lord Jamar, but Grand Puba and Sadat X have got to be considered one of the best MCs of all time! I wasn’t sure when we’d last seen Brand Nubian perform live was. I think it might have been Tramps or Chocko is telling me it was at S.O.B.’s but I honestly forgot how they sounded in person. Bronx – Moshulu park – 2015 – Celebrate Bronx week – it was real! Brand Nubian sounded tight!.At first I was a little disappointed that only Lord Jamar & Sadat X bum-rushed the stage to perform their first tune of the set – Allah u Akbar but rest assured Grand Puba appeared for “Step to the rear” as did special guest rapper – the Bronx Borough president Ruben Diaz Jr.! All in all or should I say All for One and One for All – Brand Nubian put on a great show! Brand Nubian’s setlist that day included: Allah u Akbar, Step to the rear, What’s the 411, Love me or leave me alone, 360 degrees (What goes around), Punks jump up to get beat down, All for one, & Slow down! The 90s was such a great era for Hip Hop music! Thanks to ultra brother-man Chocko for the videos from the show! What’s the 411 – That’s the 411, y’all!
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WFMU Record Fair 2015
May 17th, 2015 by chocko
The Norton Records booth at WFMU Record Fair 2015
The WFMU Record Fair happened a couple weeks ago at a new venue, the Brooklyn Expo Center (79 Franklin Street) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The record fair is definitely a highlight of the year for me and I’m sure a lot of crate diggers and music fans will agree that the WFMU Record fair is the best place to dig for records this side of the Hudson. I ventured out on a Saturday afternoon and immediately found parking in the neighborhood which used to be a challenge back when the Record Fair was in Manhattan. Inside the sleek Expo Center, the vibe was cool and the new place felt like a perfect fit for the WFMU event. I walked in and Danny Kroha (The Gories) was in the middle of his acoustic set of foot stomping gospel and country roots. The last time I saw Danny play at the Record Fair was many moons ago with his group The Demolition Doll Rods. He’s got a new solo album out, ‘Angels Watching Over Me,’ on Third Man Records. Definitely a good slab of vinyl worth every penny. Shortly after Danny’s set, Todd-O-Phonic Todd started his broadcast which included more live performances by The Baseball Project, Miriam and Bambi Kino.
Danny Kroha
Jon Spencer and Danny Kroha
miles and miles of records, CDs, movies and all kinds of junk
Lord Finesse
OK, I gotta admit, I was a little starstruck to see a legend in the building…Lord Finesse of the D.I.T.C. crew walking around the Expo Center. The man is a legendary Bronx hip hop MC and producer. His name is on records by Notorious B.I.G., Big L, Fat Joe and the list goes on and on. If you’re not familiar with the work of Lord Finesse, you have some homework to do. Here’s a video of his appearance on Crate Diggers from a couple years ago, talking about his vinyl collection. Check it out!
AP Mike of the Best Show makes a cameo appearance during Todd-O-Phonic Todd’s live broadcast
dusty stacks of 45’s
Do you dare spin the WFMU Wheel-O-Fate?
more photos of dealers, vinyl enthusiasts and boxes of records
The Baseball Project knocked it outta the park with a set of songs about baseball.
drummer Linda Pitmon of The Baseball Project. She’s a Twins fan!
Dope stuff over at Redefinition Records. “Another Time” by DJ EFN…highly recommended!
Bambi Kino killed it at the WFMU Record Fair
Bambi Kino (featuring Doug Gillard, Nada Surf’s Ira Elliot) play the unrecorded songs performed by The Beatles in the early 1960’s. If they’re playing a show near you, go! The musicianship is top notch and the songs will get you twisting, shouting and dancing like a fool. Check out some videos from the Record Fair below featuring Danny Kroha, The Baseball Project and Bambi Kino! See you next spring in Greenpoint!
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Tags: ap mike, bambi kino, CDs, danny kroha, greenpoint, new york city, nyc, records, redefinition records, the basebal project, the brooklyn expo center, vinyl, wfmu, wfmu record fair
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WFMU Record Fair
May 1st, 2015 by chocko
WFMU Record Fair 2014
The WFMU Record Fair 2015 is here! It’s at a new venue, so come on down to the Brooklyn Expo Center (79 Franklin St.) in Greenpoint, Brooklyn May 1-3. Dig in the crates for some dusty records, weird CDs, bizarre movies and exotic memorabilia. There will be live bands, live DJs and broadcasts and don’t forget to check out a movie in the A/V Lounge. Check out some blast from the past photos and a video of the pop punk sounds of The Flatmates (all the way from Bristol) performing at the Record Fair in 2014 which was held in the 69th Regiment Armory.
Damu The Fudgemunk
Norton Records got that real deal rock n roll
The Cherry Blossom Clinic with Terre T
The Flatmates
Tags: 2015, music, new york city, record show, records, the flatmates, vinyl, wfmu, wfmu record fair
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Chiller Theatre Halloween 2014
April 25th, 2015 by chocko
It’s Chiller Theatre time once again..a weekend celebration of all things horror, sci-fi and everything else in between. It’s the ultimate toy, model and film expo you don’t want to miss. Get out of your crypt and head out to Parsippany, New Jersey and party with all the zombies and freaks. Here’s a look back at Chiller Theatre in October 2014 through a ton of photos and some videos below of some of the musical guests.
Ray Mercer
Sara Karloff
Victoria Price
Zacherley The COOL Ghoul!
Ted A. Bohus at the Auction
the creepiest moment at Chiller. chocko and Mr. C almost jumped out of a window
Kristianna Loken
Basil Gogos
Nakajima
Kitagawa
Henry Winkler
Animal
The First Annual Chiller Theatre Live Rock & Roll “Joker’s Ball” Party Contest brought out a lot of cosplaying misfits. It was hard to tell if people were in costume or in their regular getup. The creativity and effort at the Halloween Costume Contest definitely gets props.
Caroll Spinney and his wife Debra
Debbie Gibson
Bobby Steele (left) and William B. Davis (right)
Pat of The Smithereens
Lita Ford
The Cowsills
A favorite part of Chiller Theatre is sticking around on Saturday night when the bands and musical guests rock out. This time around we were treated to bands such as The Smithereens, The Dead Elvi with special guests including Marky Ramone, Lita Ford and Cherie Currie and The Cowsills. Check out some videos below and see you at the next Chiller!
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Tags: caroll spinney, chiller theatre, cosplay, expo, godzilla, horror, lita ford, new jersey, the cowsills, the smithereens
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Coming Soon: Montclair Film Festival
April 17th, 2015 by chocko
Thom Powers (Artistic Director) making some fest announcements
The 4th Annual Montclair Film Festival is right around the corner. Check out the latest movies from emerging voices in cinema to the established O.G.’s. Sit back and enjoy a Q&A with your favorite actors and directors, party down with filmmakers or check out a concert by Yo La Tengo. All this and more is happening from May 1-10 in a beautiful town in the Garden State. This year features another excellent selection of movies and shorts. I really want to see the new Kurt Cobain/Nirvana documentary KURT COBAIN: MONTAGE OF HECK, DANNY SAYS! a doc about Danny Fields-former WFMU DJ back in the day and manager for The Ramones (I’m a huge Ramones fan!), WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE a doc about Nina Simone…bring on the music documentaries. Get your tickets HERE, grab a seat, and see you at the Montclair Film Festival!
BENEATH THE HARVEST SKY directors Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapilly
Before Chocko blasts off for Montclair via the Garden State Parkway, let’s look back at last year’s highlights with some photographs from the vaults and quick thoughts on the movies I saw. THE INTERNET’S OWN BOY: THE STORY OF AARON SWARTZ is a documentary directed by Brian Knappenberger. It’s about a young, internet genius who began to focus on social issues rather than cash in on his talents. He became a target in a national crackdown against hackers and Aaron’s story just goes downhill from there. Sad story about a young man with unique gifts and abilities. On the same night, I saw STARRED UP directed by David Mackenzie. It’s an intense prison drama from the UK about a troubled teenager who ends up incarcerated in the same prison as his father.
Carroll Spinney at Montclair Kimberley Academy
I AM BIG BIRD: THE CARROLL SPINNEY STORY is a documentary by directors Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker. The movie tells a moving and emotional story about the puppeteer behind Sesame Street’s Big Bird and Oscar The Grouch. This movie is so well done, tells a beautiful story and is highly recommended but it is a tearjerker…bring the tissues! After the screening there was an entertaining Q&A that included Carroll Spinney, his wife Debra and Oscar The Grouch! Spinney was so gracious to hang out with his fans and fellow puppeteers outside of the venue to take photos and sign anything you brought up to him. It was a delight to see him interact with the children that came up to him. It was the highlight of the festival for me to see such a great movie and meet Mr. Spinney too. See I AM BIG BIRD at a theater near you! It opens in NYC on May 6.
NO CAMERAS ALLOWED Q&A featuring James Marcus Haney
WE ARE THE BEST! directed by Lukas Moodysson is funny Swedish movie about three preteen female punks who want to start up a band. This hilarious ode to rebellion and youth takes place in the 1980’s in Stockholm. I had a blast seeing this and you should definitely check it out! NO CAMERAS ALLLOWED directed by James Marcus Haney is also a youthful and rebellious romp which documents James as a college student and his adventures sneaking into photo pits at music festivals across the country. Wacky characters are met along the way, friends get in the mix, college gets the backseat, and his relationship with his girl hangs in the balance! Is this wild ride really a documentary or some MTV “reality” show? Either way, it was a fun, movie you should check out.
‘Listen’by Tom Nussbaum at the Montclair Art Museum
Kevin Smith at the Montclair Art Museum
Chocko and Mr. C capped off the Montclair Film Fest with the program titled WHAT IS KEVIN SMITH THINKING? which featured an always funny Kevin Smith in conversation with AMC executive Joel Stillerman at the Montclair Art Museum. It was great hearing Kevin talk about his younger years in New Jersey, jamming around Montclair and Paramus Park. He also talked about the television show Comic Book Men and his upcoming movie projects. At the time he talked about TUSK which has already been out in theatres and is now out on Blu-ray. Check out the Q&A’s I recorded from the I AM BIG BIRD and NO CAMERAS ALLOWED screenings below and also check out Mr. C’s review of a Montclair Film Festival documentary he saw titled NO, NO: A DOCKUMENTARY about the notorious baseball player Dock Ellis. Check that out HERE.
Tags: carroll spinney, i am big bird, kevin smith, montclair, montclair film festival, movies, new jersey
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A Look Back at NOLA 2014 and Wrestlemania 30
March 27th, 2015 by chocko
It’s almost that time of year again for pro-wrestling biggest event of the year, Wrestlemania which will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California in a couple days. Last year, around this time Chocko and the some members of the crew traveled to the beautiful city of New Orleans, Louisiana for Wrestlemania XXX. The following photos are from that weekend of wrestling, stuffing our faces with Southern fried eats and treats, record shopping, wandering the streets and looking to rumble.
We were lucky to snag a hotel on Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter. We were surrounded by loud bars with Aerosmith cover bands blaring out into the street and drunken wrestling fans cosplaying as their favorite heroes in the ring. I saw about 3 Macho Man’s and half a dozen Hulk Hogans withing a 2 block radius. The area was also hustling and bustling with street performers and artists such as Cubs The Poet who can freestyle a poem on an old typewriter like nobody’s business.
The French Market located a few blocks from Jackson Square features a farmers market and vendors that sell all sorts of things such as antiques, art, plants and music. I bought a CD titled “The Roots Of American Music: New Orleans” which featured songs by Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Domino. The vendor was super friendly and shared some stories about NOLA which is a city rich in music history. He pointed out a laundromat not too far from the French Market on 840 N Rampart St which was once the home of J&M Studios. It is a musical landmark and perhaps the birthplace of rock & roll which housed sessions by legends such as Fats Domino, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Ray Charles!
MOTHER’S RESTAURANT (left) and PARKWAY BAKERY and TAVERN (right)
THE GRILL (540 CHARTRES STREET)
When it comes to food, NOLA is no joke. Pictured above are some of the fine establishments we visited. Mother’s Restaurant (top left) features good eats including their world’s best baked ham, gumbo and various goodness. I went for the jambalaya which hit the spot. Mother’s is located on 401 Poydras and definitely worth the wait to get in. Friendly staff too. Pictured on the top right is half of a Poor Boy, soda and bag of Voodoo chips from Parkway Bakery and Tavern. They’re located on the corner of Hagan and Toulouse overlooking Bayou St. John. The Parkway Surf and Turf is highly recommended! Also pictured above is The Grill (540 Chartres Street) located in the French Quarter which has delicious, greasy breakfast food and a work crew that will put a smile on your face. Recommended for eggs, bacon, grits, hash browns, you know the deal.
LOUISIANA MUSIC FACTORY (421 FRENCHMEN STREET)
EUCLID RECORDS (3401 CHARTRES STREET)
SKULLY’Z RECORDZ (907 BOURBON STREET)
I was able to get some record shopping done and focused on three shops. First stop after browsing around The French Market was The Louisiana Music Factory. I was blown away by the jazz and blues selection here…a lot of local flavor! Aisles of CDs, used CDs, records, books and DVDs will kept me busy. If you only go to one record store in New Orleans, Louisiana Music Factory is the place! I bought a bunch of CDs including one titled “We Got A Party!” featuring The Best Of Ron Records. Great stuff on there featuring music recorded in New Orleans 1958-1962 by the likes of Professor Longhair, Irma Thomas and Eddie Lang. They host a lot of in store concerts, so check out their website for updates. Last year I visited the Euclid Records location in St. Louis and was psyched to see their location in NOLA. I think they just moved into their present location and were still settling in. Despite the rough edges, it was a fun time browsing through the records and CDs. The closest record store to the hotel was Skully’z Recordz. It’s a tiny shop but it packs a mean punch. I picked out a lost soul classic from 1973, “In Between Tears” by Irma Thomas aka The Soul Queen of New Orleans. It’s a great looking and sounding restored and remastered release which was mostly written and produced by Jerry Williams, Jr. aka Swamp Dogg.
LAFAYETTE CEMETERY NO. 1
SCULPTURE GARDEN
Across from the fancy Commander’s Palace Restaurant on Washington Ave. in the Uptown/Garment District is Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. (1833). Anne Rice used to live around the corner and I’m sure wandered the tombs for inspiration. If creepy crypts aren’t your thing another fun and free destination to check out is the Besthoff Sculpture Garden which is an outdoor area inside City Park which features 64 sculptures.
The street art and graffiti game is strong in New Orleans. I stumbles upon walls on my long walk from Louisiana Music Factory to Euclid Records mostly walking along Chartres Street. It was only a mile, but it felt a lot longer. I noticed one piece under plexiglass and stickers. A Banksy?
We stopped by The Destrehan Plantation which is the closest plantation from New Orleans. The guided tour is definitely the way to go. It features a tour of the building established in 1787 and you get to see a document signed by Thomas Jefferson. A lot of history to soak in! We stuck around for a carpentry demonstration which almost put me to sleep. For the movie buffs: scenes from the movies “Interview With The Vampire” and “Twelve Years A Slave” were filmed at The Destrehan Plantation.
The Prytania Theater (5339 Prytania St) is a beautiful single screen theater which was built in 1914 and we happened to be in town for a local film festival FilmOrama. We saw the documentary “Finding Vivian Maier” an excellent movie about the discovery of an unknown photographer’s undeveloped rolls of film from a lifetime of taking photos and documenting life in the city. You have to see it. I loved the movie.
Oh yes, the reason the trip to N.O. was made…wrestling! So, pictured above are the steps leading to not the Silverdome, but the Superdome where Wrestlemania 30 was gonna go down! On the right is a fan dressed up as Papa Shango. I think he put a spell on me that made me want to eat my body weight in fried chicken at Brothers Food Mart. Good stuff!
One of the most memorable matches of the night and undeniably the biggest shocker of the evening came when The Undertaker lost to Brock Lesnar. The Beast vs. The Streak ended with a silent crowd, totally dumbfounded while the huge numbers 21-1 were displayed on the screens above the ring along with the faces of shocked fans. We all thought The Undertaker was unbeatable, but looks like he’s seen better days. Pictured below is the crowd favorite and underdog Daniel Bryan winning the Championship in front of a hyped up crowd…Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes chants were heard all over the French Quarter that night.
More wrestling cosplay outside the Superdome! I get it the dude on the left is supposed to be C.M. Punk, A.J. Lee in the middle and a Million Dollar Woman (Tina DiBiase?) to the right but who’s the guy with the glittery suit supposed to be? Is he supposed to be Blowfly? I don’t know.
We also were in attendance at the RAW taping at The Smoothie King Center which was just a short walk from the French Quarter as was the Dome. It was a great night of wrestling…The Yes Movement was red hot, saw Cesaro after his impressive victory in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal and in retrospect, the bittersweet last appearance of The Ultimate Warrior. That’s it for now…see you at the next Wrestlemania.
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Tags: bourbon street, chocko, euclid records, graffiti, louisiana music factory, new orleans, nola, prytania theater, record stores, skully'z recordz, street art, wrestlemania, wrestling, wwe
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Sharkmuffin and Janet LaBelle played Iris Records
March 18th, 2015 by chocko
Iris Records (114 Brunswick St, Jersey City, NJ)
Chocko and Mr. C are a little late to the game when it comes to checking out in-stores at Iris Records in Jersey City. Last weekend we were curious to see how Sharkmuffin and Janet LaBelle, plus vinyl connoisseurs were going to even fit into the already cramped aisles of Iris Records. So, we got there a little after 7 pm last Saturday and watched as a table of 12″ house records got shoved a couple feet towards the back of the store, guitars get plugged into a couple towering speakers and instant stage!
Janet LaBelle at Iris Records
First up, was the lovely chanteuse straight outta New Jersey (now residing in Brooklyn), Janet LaBelle. Great, soothing pop songs while playing the ukulele and sometimes switching up to an acoustic guitar. She shared stories in between songs about her recent vinyl purchases and songs she’s been obsessing over including Astrud Gilberto’s cover of The Loving Spoonful’s “You Didn’t Have To Be So Nice” which Janet covered and darn, I wish I recorded it. It sounded sweet. I’m hoping she plays it again at her next show which will be on Thursday, March 19 at The Living Room at their new location 134 Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn. I’m sure she’ll have some CDs for sale so, definitely go and support live music!
Natalie of Sharkmuffin and Janet (former Sharkmuffin drummer)
I’ve seen Sharkmuffin before, so I knew what to expect but wasn’t too sure how a show without reverb, drums and amps was going to play out. If you have never heard the Brooklyn trio before, they sound gritty and punk with some garage and pop sprinkled in. If Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s joined the Dum Dum Girls and they played Misfits songs…that’s Sharkmuffin. Their first song was was a train wreck! Maybe too much Pabst, but the guitar and bass were definitely out of tune. Thankfully, they stopped after their first song to tune their instruments then it was full steam ahead for Tarra Theissen (guitar and vocals) and Natalie Kirch (bass and backup vocals)! They flipped the script when closing out their set with a gentle cover of Velvet Underground’s “After Hours.” On the way out, I picked up the 7″ singles they had for sale…their debut single and their newest 7″ titled “1097” which was named after the Jersey Shore summer home bassist Natalie lost at sea thanks to Hurricane Sandy. Sharkmuffin are presently in the middle of a tour which will take them through the Southern states to SXSW, the Midwest and back to Brooklyn by the end of March. Check ’em out at a venue near you!
Sharkmuffin at Iris Records
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Tags: bands, female-fronted, in-store, Iris Records, Janet LaBelle, live, performance, record store, sharkmuffin, vinyl
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CHAMPS boxing documentary playing at Village East Cinema in NYC
March 13th, 2015 by Mr. C
Champs is a boxing documentary that is premiering at the Village East Cinema on 2nd ave starting today – Friday the 13th! We attended the first screening on the night prior to the opening which featured a Q/A panel with director Bert Marcus, George Willis from the NY Post, Lou Dibella – boxing promoter, & last but not least Evander ‘The Real Deal’ Holyfield! Mike Tyson was in the building for press photos and engaged with the media to promote the movie but was not in the theater for the screening nor for the Q/A afterwards. Bummer, it would of been epic to hear and see Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield on the same panel but we should be happy enough to see one of the best Heavyweight boxers of All Time in Evander Holyfield in person so no complaining here! By the way, Evander seemed so humble and gentle in his speech and body language. I love that he is such a family & church loving man outside the ropes, but when in the ring – will tear your heart out much like how Manny Pacquiao is.
(Evander “The Real Deal” Holyfield at premier of Champs at Village East Cinema)
(From L to R: George Willis,Lou Dibella,Evander Holyfield,Bert Marcus)
Champs is a very good documentary that profiled arguably 3 of boxing’s All-Time Greatest Boxers – certainly on most folk’s Greatest Top 50 list & at worst – Top 75! The All Star trio that were storied in the film were Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, & Bernard Hopkins. Classic fight footage, talking head interviews with Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Ron Howard, Spike Lee, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and of course Tyson, Holyfield, & Hopkins themselves – would all add opinions & experiences that mattered. The re-enactments of Evander,Tyson, & Hopkins’ early years were done very well! Boxing helped replace the thug passion in Mike Tyson & Bernard while boxing served as Evander’s means to gain more confidence to help set long term life goals for himself as recommended by mama. In the end, the movie was greater than the sum of the parts as the psychology and reasoning of why young men enter this brutal sport would unfold. And the consequences that follows a successful career in the ring would rear its ugly head as most of these kids are ill-equipped in handling the pack of wolves that are pre-built into the business of organizing a boxing event and the management of the boxer’s own earnings as well. The film serves as a great starting conversation for future endeavors for the up & coming pugilist to educate themselves on the business to help control their own financial situation better and get a stronger stance on deciding their own fate with their career. After all, the fighters are the ones putting their health at jeopardy when clashing in the ring. Meanwhile, boxing promoters, lawyers, and managers end up with a nice chunk of the purse as the boxers are often left with a puffy face and high/dry with the earnings. There are no governing bodies and regulations in professional boxing which leads to the Don King style of capitalism – hook or by crook.
After the film there was a fun & informative Q/A with George Willis, Evander Holyfield, Lou Dibella, & the director of the movie – Bert Marcus. Lou Dibella added some real credibility in his dealings of being a boxing promoter – offering his take on the business. Thanks to Chocko for taping the Q/A!
If you are in the NYC/NJ area, go see CHAMPS at the Village East Cinema on 2nd ave by 12th street. It’s also available on iTunes and On Demand or better yet find Champs at a Theater near you!
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