Movies Under The Bridge

Though the drive-in movie is only a hazy memory, the sit-in movie is the alive and well here in New York City. There are multiple venues this summer showing free outdoor movies. Tonite, "Movies with a View" in Brooklyn Bridge Park kicks off their 10th season with a screening of the Cohen Brothers comedy classic, "Raising Arizona". A newer series with the opposite view (lower Manhattan to Brooklyn) takes place on the Elevated Acres at 55 Water Street on Monday nights. The original "Taking of Pelham 1,2,3" shows there on the 13th. Additionally, there are two series on the Hudson River Piers, one for families on Fridays, with kid friendly fare, and one for adults on Wednesdays, showing the hits of summer '08. The grandaddy series of them all is still going strong in Bryant Park, with "How Green is my Valley" set to screen next Monday. Sponsored by HBO for over 15 years now, one of the unique aspects of this venue is the live performance of the wacky "HBO Dance" that the audience participates in at the start of the show. Only in New York, kids...

A Village Institution Closes Its Doors

After 45 years, Joe Jr.'s burger joint and diner on 6th Ave & 12th has closed. The last burger was flipped over the weekend and, only a few days later, the place has been gutted according to Jeremiah's Vanishing New York. The reason? Another landlord dispute. This seems to be happening all too frequently downtown where a thriving local business is wiped out, often to be replaced by nothing. It's been over a year since Florent closed in the meatpacking district when the landlord there tried to triple the rent and the store remains vacant. It's really a shame because not only were the burgers great at Joe's it had some hearty atmosphere on the side. I loved that old lunch counter with the swivel chairs. (Photo courtesy of Brian Dube's New York Daily Photo blog)

NetPix: Out of The Past

One of my guilty cinema pleasures is film noir. This is the genre that was most popular from the 1940s and 50s in which crime doesn't pay, but sure as hell makes for some entertaining movies. There are the all-time classics like "Double Indeminty", "Sunset Boulevard" and "The Maltese Falcon". But one of my personal favorites is a little gem from 1947 called "Out of the Past." I've seen it more than a few times but recently came up on my Netflix and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

If you've ever wondered why Michael Douglas has a career, you can thank his father Kirk who turns it out as one of the coolest bad guys of all time. Also, there's a ridiculously young and sexy Robert Mitchum playing the sap in this story of love and revenge all centered around one feisty dame, as they used to say. The lady in question is Kathy Moffat, played by the smoldering Jane Greer, who Mitchum is sent to look for when she goes on the lam in Mexico. From the moment they meet in a dark bar, you know this one's gonna be good. And bad. Not to mention everything in between.

Stylishly directed by Jacques Tourneur ("Cat People", "I Walked With A Zombie" and even a classic episode of "The Twilight Zone"), this is one of the most beautifully shot b/w movies you'll ever see. The compositions are precise and the lighting always accentuates the mood. And dramatically, it's a roller coaster. I still I found myself reacting audibly to some of the film's crazier twists and turns. And check out some of the killer dialogue:

Ann Miller: She can't be all bad. No one is.
Jeff Bailey: Well, she comes the closest.

Kathie Moffat: Oh, Jeff, I don't want to die!
Jeff Bailey: Neither do I, baby, but if I have to I'm gonna die last.

You'll find a million more lines like this throughout the film. As for how it all ends, I'm not gonna give away the shocker finale re; who actually dies last. So check it out and enjoy a wild trip to Hollywood's past.

The British Foreign Secretary is Kinda Cute

After being advised by a number of friends and writers that I need to feature more "cute guys" on my blog, I am caving. Sorta. As a semi-irregular feature, I will be posting about slightly unconventional hotties, like the gentleman pictured here.

This is David Miliband, the current British Foreign Secretary. For real! You wouldn't know it from this picture of him leaving 10 Downing Street for vacation. It looks more like something from the J Crew catalog.

Anyway, I happened upon an interview with him this weekend on a chat show (as they say in the UK), and found him to be incredibly charming and kinda cute. He's been in the UK government for almost 15 years, starting under Tony Blair and is reportedly very Blair-like. He is one of the youngest Foreign Secretaries and the first British cabinent member to have a blog. I'm in love already--except for one tiny little problem. He's married. Ah well....nobody's perfect.

I Like The Jungle Manahatta

There's a fascinating exhibit that recently opened at the Museum of the City of New York called "Manhattan/Manahatta" that takes a look at what this island looked like before all that construction. Apparently, it was something of a natural wonder....who knew? And, in a TIMES article about the show, there's this choice quote from the show's creator, Eric W. Sanderson:

“If Mannahatta existed today as it did then, it would be a national park — it would be the crowning glory of American national parks.”

Loooking at the pictures, like the one above, it's not hard to see why. The Museum also has more specific computer generated photos where you can look up your neighborhood and find, say, a freshwater stream running through it. On Houston Street, I am forutnate enough to get to see a piece of anicent-school NYC everyday at the Time Landscape, a mini-park on the corner of Houston & LaGuardia where the land has been restored to it's pre-people state. It's a gentle, daily reminder of the natural wonder this place of man-made wonders used to be.

Happy 50th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Tomorrow, the 4th of July, marks this nation's 233rd birthday. It also marks 50 years of marriage for my folks, Robert and Mary Grace Sloan. A couple weeks ago, we had a big family celebration at the Nemacolin resort in western Pennyslvania where my brother Tim, a photojournalist for Agence France Press, took this beautiful shot before the cutting of the cake.

My dad is wearing the same white dinner jacket he wore for the big day in Scranton, PA back in 1959. I know that jacket well as I wore it to my junior prom in the 80's. And my brothers sported it to a couple formals as well. I'm amazed it survived us, more of less 50 years, but things were made better and stronger back then. Just like marriages! :)

Though I won't be with them for the big day tomorrow, I want to wish them the best and thank them for keeping it together for five decades. Happy anniversary mom and dad...and wishing you many more to come!

Strand Releasing Celebrates 20 Years

Indie film stalwart Strand Releasing is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer. Over two decades, they have presented a remarkable mix of titles, from Greg Araki's "The Living End" to some of the more interesting international films, like "Head On". They were recently honored at the Provincetown Film Festival and for the next week, MOMA is presenting a "carte blanche" series of Strand titles at their theater on 53rd Street.

Personally, celebrating this anniversary means a lot to me. I've been a member of the Strand family since 1994, when they gave me my start in the film business by picking up my NYU thesis film "Pool Days" and releasing it as part of the "Boys Life" shorts package. Playing around the country on 50 screens, it was such a hit it spawned a series of "Boys Life" compilations. They also were executive producers on my first feature "I Think I Do" and I returned the favor as executive producer of "Boys Life 4", which they also released.

Tonight, there was a wonderful reception to celebrate Strand at the Agnes B. store in Soho. The NY indie world was out in force (including Ted Hope, Christine Vachon, Dylan Leiner, Ryan Werner, and even Charles Busch) to honor their remarkable two-decade run. Congrats Marcus & Jon and long may the Strand banner wave!

Cupcake of the Week: The Cupcake Truck

It was inevitable--after seeing the Mud Truck, Dessert Truck and Gelato Truck tooling around the city, the Cupcake Truck has arrived!

I spotted it parked at 5th Ave and 13th the other day. That's usually where it sits during the day...around 5pm it moves up to 23rd Street between 7th and 8th. If for some reason you can't find it, the Cupcake Truckers are always updating their location and advertising deals on Twitter. Their specialty is the red velvet cupcake and the Oreo topper, pictured above. But sorry--the cute guy holding the tray is not included with purchase.

And what's next on the truck-food scene? If I were a betting man, I'd have to say the Whoopie-Pie Truck. Seriously. Mark my words...

And The Beat Goes On...

After the elation of all the "Stonewall 40" celebrations, there was also some sobering news this weekend in three incidents of anti-gay violence and unwarranted police actions:

• Right here in NYC there was a brutal gay bashing the day before the parade on the upper east side.
  
• A gay bar in Fort Worth was raided by the police and a number of patrons beaten and arrested (pictured here).
  
• A fundraiser for a California democrat being held at the home of a lesbian couple was interrupted by a local sheriff who pepper sprayed some of the guests.

These incidents serve as a reminder that although the movement to secure equal rights for LGBT Americans has come a long way in four decades, there is still a long way to go. The bottom line is that the Federal rights of LGBT citizens have not changed one bit since the raid on Stonewall.

There has been a lot pressure recently on the Obama Administration and the President himself to step up to the plate on the issue of equal rights for LGBT Americans. (Hendrik Hertzberg lays the situation out quite eloquently in the current issue of The New Yorker.) The President hosted an historic reception in the East Room of the White House yesterday, inviting LGBT activists and community members to celebrate Gay Pride. And though it's a wonderful gesture, the events listed above make it clear that real action at the Federal level needs to happen. Now.

I DO Feel Like Dancing

Here's a great clip I recently discovered on YouTube. It's the perfect way to start your Monday. Enjoy!