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| NYICFF is now officially over-here is a sketch that I did on the back of a ballot card. A full report soon |
The wonderful Boston Underground Film Festival starts Wednesday. This little gem of a festival shows a great selection of genre and out of the mainstream films. Last year I go to see some really good films that hung with me all the way to the end of the year.
This year the festival has come around and it looks to be a killer one. The fest is running Brian Harrison‘s HELL FOLLOWS which I loved. I loved it so much I even interviewed Harrison. It is also running DAVE MADE A MAZE which JB loved.
As this posts we’re still putting together our coverage- which is not going to be as big as we’d like because of real world events are colliding with our plans- however do expect some reviews and reports.
If you’re going to be in Boston this week and weekend I suggest you check it out-tickets and more information can be had here
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New York Comic Con- yea well.
NY Comic Con sent out an email Friday concerning this year’s Con. The key points of the email broke down as follows:
1. Pre-registration is required but if you did it last year you’re still registered. If you registered for last year you’re on the list for this year and you’ll get a shot at pre-sale tickets.
2. The on sales are going to be on a weekend (dates to be determined)
3. They have eliminated the 3 and 4 day passes. You will have to buy single day passes…They say that because the Javitts will have construction this will allow more people to attend…
… and I don’t believe it.
Sorry- I don’t. I think there is another reason behind it other than maximizing attendance. (And I know being bitchy will limit my chance for a press pass- but since they cut me off last year odds are they’ll cut me off again this year so I’m going to speak my mind.)
The trouble with the reasoning behind the elimination of the multi-day badges is faulty. Unless there is going to be severe construction that is going to close a huge chunk of the Javitts center it will be no different than what attendees had to deal with any number of the last five or six years when the Javitts was doing construction and sections were closed. There were pass-throughs the construction area which chopped up the con. Each year with the construction the convention set new attendance records.
I suspect that the real reason is the convention is eliminating the multi-day passes because that if you buy passes for each day you’re paying double or more than multiday. I think the real reason is they are doing it is to maximize profits.
Will I make an effort to go?
Yes.
Do I expect to get there?
No- I suspect that I will be cut off for a press pass and I suspect the on sales will be so jammed I’ll be lucky to get a badge.
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Robert Lapage’s 887 is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. On one hand the show is pure theatrical magic. We watch a giant doll house spins and turns and opens up like, in the words of Hubert Vigilla a giant Rubik’s Cube on a lazy Susan. On the other hand the show burns itself into your sub conscious and works on you in such a way that days later I’m still pondering it and it’s images and stories have become part of my DNA.
Nominally the story of Lepage’s attempt to learn a poem for a presentation the show spins out to be a memory play about growing up in the apartment he shared with his family, how we remember, Canadian history and a lot of other stuff I’m still pondering.
I still have no words beyond my mind is blown and its one of the most magical evenings I’ve ever spent in the theater. It moved me and made me rethink how we tell stories.
If you can you have to see this. The show runs through the 26th at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. For tickets and more information go here.
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The great poet Derrick Walcott has died.
My introduction to his work through the book of Paul Simon's Broadway Musical CAPEMAN which starred Marc Anthony, Ruben Blades and Sara Rameriez.
Despite Simon's excellent score the show failed to find an audience.
There have been several attempts to restage the musical all of which have been for naught. The reason was not what you think. The truth of the matter is the play hasn't been revived because Walcott wouldn't allow changes to be made to his script. I remember when the show was on Broadway there were reports of frantic meetings between Simon, the producers and director Mark Morris who were asking for changes but Walcott refused to make them with the result the show could never be fixed. This is the same problem that has prevented the show from being reborn.
This may piss off people I am hoping that with Walcott's passing the show can be rescued- assuming his estate allows changes to be made.
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