There is this group called ImprovEverywhere in New York City that I just LOVE. My friend Charlotte turned me on to them and I was truly set to wear my boxers on the subway with them, but TOTALLY blanked and missed the date. They do some amazing stunts all over the city. One of my faves was when about 100 of them walked into a Best Buy all wearing khakis and blue shirts just like the workers and freaked the whole place out. You can click on their name above and check out a video of this and some of their other stunts. Here is a brill one of them all standing like statues in Grand Central Station. It is theatre on a scale I love. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMj3PJDxuo
Went with my pal Sean to the Film Forum on the Soho side of Houston to see Sidney Lumet's "Network." Has been one of my top 5 fave films since it came out and even today I marvelled at how eerily NOT out of date it is. It was made in 1975 I believe and what it has to say about network television, America, etc. is scary. How could it know 30 years ago? And it is not even sci-fi! The other thing that is scary is how brilliantly articulate it is compared to most movies today. Plus the director lets scenes play out rather than all the short attention span quick editing there is now. Rent this film if you have never seen it. Great performances by William Holden, Peter Finch, Faye Dunaway, Robert Duvall and Beatrice Straight.
I am still such a New York tourist geek that being at the Film Forum, an art house here in Soho as I mentioned, made me feel like I was in a 1970s Woody Allen film - in a good way. It was amazing to notice how many people in the audieince were reading books or the New York Times in the low lighting in advance of the film beginning. I never saw this in Los Angeles. Never. If I were to make a real turncoat cheap shot I would say books are merely source materials for films in LA.
When we got out of the theatre it was SNOWING! I mean how arthouse, New York, Woody Allen could it get?! I love the snow and not had enough of it here. It was only flurries and not enough to really make an impact, but just added to a great Sunday afternoon.
1 comment:
I was reading a book before seeing Caramel at the Sunset Laemmle, but now they have annoying pre-show music, so it's harder. The only other LAer I know who does it is my friend Dave, who is a critic. So there are a couple of us.
I sometimes love going to movies just so I can read before-I don't even invite friends sometimes for that reason.
But then again, I'm crazy. :) And against this too much noise to read before films conspiracy.
Film Forum was the theater where John Simon's name came up in a doc on Moon OVer Buffalo and everyone hissed. Gotta love artsy NYers.
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