Rocky and the Newer Hat
April 12, 2008
Being in attendance of the 2008 NYU First Run Film Festival, a showcase over 120 intermediate and advanced projects in film, video, and animation (mostly short films) is what make it more interesting is the screening room its in and the role of the room played for me in my 20s.
In the early – mid 90s, the Cantor Film Center (36 East 8th Street) was the Movieland 8th Street movie theater. I was a part of the Transylvanian posse, a group of people who normally didn’t play a character in the film but were a part of the regular tapestry of an evening (well, midnight…) with the gang of Rocky Horror.
Everyone in the posse had a nickname, everyone’s name was very elaborate and stylish, when it came for my turn to choose, I chose my name as to be “Just Bill” (one night a guest host of the pre-show and misheard me and announced me as Jezabel…yeash…).
We would do the pre-show, knew all the jokes (and invented new ones) and do the Time Warp.
There are days I really miss those times (ah, my 20s….).
My film programmer side will be looking...
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film festival, first run film festival, just bill, nyu, rocky horror, short films
Posted at: 11:23 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
It's the little moments that keep you in the game...
April 4, 2008
The Gen Art Film Festival invited me this past week to come to a few of their screenings. One of which was the opening night film, Diminished Capacity, the film features Matthew Broderick, Virginia Madsen, Dylan Baker (who I really liked as a die-hard Chicago Cubs / baseball card dealer), Louis C.K. and Alan Alda.
Mr. Alda was on hand (as well as many of the cast members) for the Q & A.
I met Mr. Alda once before, I volunteered for a theater gala event in the 90s and he was lending his support towards.
I ran thorough a long hall and lobby to get to an elevator. I got onto the elevator completely winded, not looking at the other person in the elevator and the doors close. I looked up and it was Mr. Alda. I never thought I would ever have the chance to meet the guy and there he was. I was a big fan of MASH and here is my chance to talk with Mr. Alda about his show. I ended up talking about my favorite episode (the entire episode was shot from the point of view of an injured soldier). The guy...
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alan alda, diminished capacity, gen art film festival
Posted at: 11:46 PM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
Daniel Califf-Glick (Director of Portrait of a Whig) Interview...
March 31, 2008
I've been making videos and films for a little over 3 years. I started with friends in college at Rutgers making hit-or-miss kinda stuff, stuff that anyone but our friends would probably cringe at. Then I graduated and decided that I wanted to live with a negative income for awhile so I started making films full-time. And that's what I've been doing since.
The character in the short is actually a character from a feature film that I'm making about our ninth president, William Henry Harrison. I wanted to make “Dick Driben” connected to Harrison in some way so I thought it might be fun to have him be a politician running for the Whig Party, Harrison's party, today. And in the wake of Borat, I thought it would be fun to see how seriously people would take him if he started campaigning on the 1840-type platform. So, on Election Day we went around and interacted with voters and sadly, they took him really seriously. From there we decided to try to push it as far as we could. When I found, Jamie, he just came in for an audition and within 10 seconds I knew I wanted him to...
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daniel califf-glick, dick driben, portrait of a whig
Posted at: 12:38 PM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink
No joke, Drinking Liberally launches on April 1st on Staten Island here at FilmFest Reloaded
March 28, 2008
Drinking Liberally’s Staten Island representative Kelly Thompson Interview…
I learned about Drinking Liberally through a friend, I thought it was great that not only did they have an organization that revolved around my political viewpoint. I think the fact that you can go to different places on different boroughs on different nights really opens up the availability to go.
I became interested in starting a chapter on Staten Island when I realized that the other four boroughs of New York had a chapter and Staten Island did not. I have been a resident of Staten Island since the late 1980's and I love Staten Island. We are aware that Staten Island is considered the most conservative of the five boroughs of New York but the Democrats and the Liberals from Staten Island are quite a force to be reckon with and like no other.
We wanted to make Drinking Liberally available to the residents of Staten Island and hope that the movement catches on.
Opening a chapter on Staten Island during a very exciting election year made a lot of sense and I love that we can bring neighbors together not only to talk politics but to meet your neighbors....
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april 1st, drinking liberally, filmfest reloaded, staten island
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CJ Critt Interview
March 22, 2008
Tell the folks about yourself.
I was born in Oregon; I came to NYC a long time ago to study and work in the theater. I was once a “Ring Around the Collar” mom when I did network commercials back in the day. I have appeared on Broadway, Off Broadway, Regional Theater, the middle of nowhere and dozens of libraries and literary events around the country.
I have narrated over 150 audio books for the likes of Harper Collins and BBC America Audio (my favorites) and Recorded Books.
I teach, I coach, I lead workshops such as Narrate Like a Pro and my latest workshop project; Unleash Your Storytime Diva!
My day job is as a part time staff writer for Radio Disney, and I have seen Hannah Montana in concert for free in the front row (and she is a vibrant little charmer...).
How would you describe your film?
ANATOMY OF AN EVICTION is an affectionate 'mockumentary' chronicling the last days and history of my long term residency in my beloved launch pad, a run down, four floor walk-up rail road apartment, in, now fashionable, Chelsea, Manhattan. When I found out the end was...
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cj critt, eviction, mockumentary
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A beginning of a blog....
March 22, 2008
Every week out goes a film email (about ten sentences and "thanks for jumping in"), but I need to say there is more to the story about how these evenings come together.
The blog is the story of how two durable independent film series chug along.
It's about the thoughts of the programmers, interviews with the filmmakers and the opinions from the audience all fall into one place.
Last week was the biggest night for FilmFest Reloaded (the Staten Island series). Once in awhile, when I see people participating in a real way, may it be 3, 30 or 130, I get choked up. It's been the mission of the series from the beginning.
For the people who don't know, Staten Island is a beautiful place. We get a bad wrap because some the stereotypes pop up and we are shown not in our best light.
Without the good and bad of this place, the level of endurance I bring to the game, I know wouldn't be the same animal. So, it is appreciated.
There are many noble, ethical and hard working people out here just trying to survive, keep sane and have their hearts filled on occasion.
So, the...
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Tags:
filmfest reloaded, mission, staten island
Posted at: 12:09 PM | Permalink
