Snippets:
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DVD: The Italian Job (1969). 99 min. w/ Michael Caine as Charlie Croker. Directed by Peter Collinson (Up the Junction). How to rob $4 million by causing a traffic jam. Story rather flat. Great scences of the Italian Alps. Humorous moments. Big advertising show for 'Mini' cars - they can go everywhere. Overall rating: 4 out of 10.
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Video: Vanilla Sky (2001). 136 min. w/ Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell. Directed by Cameron Crowe. Rich playboy (Cruise) with vivid dreams fall in love with girl (Cruz), and survives car accident with jealous 'friend he occasionally sleeps with' (Diaz), waking up with a disfigured face. Dreams and reality merge. Even though Cruise is a mediocre actor, the mystery of the story captures the viewer's attention to the end. Cruz is charming. Some memorable lines: "I think she's the saddest girl ever to hold a martini" "Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around" "...pleasure delayer" "She looks like a moth". Overall rating: 8 out of 10.
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Video: I, Robot (2004). 115 min. w/ Will Smith (Del Spooner), Bridget Moynahan (Susan Calvin). Directed by Alex Proyas. Suggested by, i.e. loosely based on book of Isaac Asimov. In 2035, techno-phobic detective wants to clear up who murdered the inventor of a new generation of robots. Fairly shallow plot, but some funny moments. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Art: Yoshiaki Yuki is a Tokyo artist who paints calligraphically inspired designs on tables, screens, plates and bowls. Gallery Gen is his shop and gallery in TriBeCa, NYC.
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Literature: The "Big Three" science-fiction writers: Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke.
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Video: Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai, 1954). B/W. 208 min. Japanese w/ English subtitles. Directed by Akira Kurosawa. w/ Takashi Shimura. Peasants hire seven samurai to defend their village from bandits. Film was the predecessor for John Sturges' 'The Magnificent Seven' in 1960 (see September 4, 2004). Witty. Some action. Important film historical document. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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DVD: On the Waterfront (1954). 108 min. B/W. w/ Marlon Brando (Terry Malloy), Karl Malden (Father Barry), Lee J. Cobb (Johnny Friendly). Directed by Elia Kazan (East of Eden). Longshoreman (Brando), connected to the mob through his elder brother, is plagued by assisting in the death of a fellow worker who was about to inform the police about crimes of a Union boss. Falling in love with the murder victim's pretty sister, and supported by the local priest, Malloy decides to follow his conscience. Leading characters were based on real people: Terry Malloy was based on longshoreman and whistle-blower Anthony De Vincenzo; Father Barry on waterfront priest John M. Corridan; Johnny Friendly on mobster Albert Anastasia. Some great shots of the Hoboken waterfront and docks, which has elements of film noir. Film won 8 Academy awards in 1955, including Marlon Brando for 'Best Actor in a Leading Role', Eva Marie Saint for 'Best Actress in a Supporting Role', and Sam Spiegel for 'Best Picture'. Contains famous taxi scene. Overall rating: 6 out of 10.
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Film: Film Noir: A style of black and white American films containing the following 7 elements: 1.) a crime, 2.) the perspective of the criminals, not the police, 3.) an inverted view of traditional sources of authority, such as corrupt police, 4.) unstable alliances and allegiances, 5.) the femme fatale --- the woman who causes the downfall and/or death of a good man, 6.) brutal violence, and 7.) bizarre plot twists and motivations. Strictly speaking, film noir is not a genre, but rather the mood, style, point-of-view, or tone of a film. Examples include 'The Big Sleep' (1949) and 'The Third Man' (1949).
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Music: Recent concerts: 1.) Kate McGarry at 55Bar on Sat., August 20, 2005. w/ Steve Cardenas, Keith Ganz, Sean Smith and Ferenc Nemeth. Good, interesting jazz. 2.) Deborah Latz (voc)at Louis 649 (649 E. 9th Street at Ave C, East Village) on Mon, August 22, 2005. w/ John Merril (g). Critically acclaimed. Good voice, sometimes too sugar-coated; could have more of an edge. 3.) OK/OK at 55Bar on Tue., August 23, 2005. w/ Mike McGinnis (reeds), Khabu Doug Young (g), Kyoko Kitamura (voc), and very special guest Tony Moreno (d).
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Music: NYC Jazz Calendar at Gotham Jazz.
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Theater: Lady Convoy on 8/27/05 at the Players Theater, 115 MacDougal St, Greenwich Village, NYC, as part of the FringeNYC multi-arts festival 2005. w/ Kelly Rauch (Rubber Duck, also Managing Producer), Lucy Smith (Love Machine), Brad Thomason (Sheriff Lyle McGee), Gene Gallerano (James). Written by Ken Gallo. Directed by Robert Ross Parker. Leaning on the movie 'Convoy', the play sets up a female version of the convoy lead by a lady trucker. Memorable lines 'bitch on 18 wheels', 'duck power'.
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Art: Kim Luttrell, Brooklyn, NY. Paints two pictures on paper, then cuts them in stripes and weaves them together. More recently: Sculptures.

Kim Luttrell: Great Lover (Red)

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