MTA Blows Up 72nd St, Halts Construction On 2nd Ave Subway

Something went spectacularly wrong during construction on the Second Avenue subway station at 72nd street earlier this week. What was supposed to be a controlled explosion for the escalator wells got wildly out of control and blew rocks and dirt more than 80 feet into the air, breaking windows and making pedestrians scatter. Miraculoulsly no one above or below ground was hurt.

The photo of the explosion above was captured by a tourist, John Wilson, who was told by an MTA employee to get his camera ready as they stopped pedestrians and cleared 72nd street for the blast--standard practice for the project. What wasn't standard was what happened next. Yesterday, the MTA said construction on the project has been temporarily halted until they can figure out what went wrong. Of course, the usual statement was released saying that it was not an act of "terrorism"....just another mishap on the long delayed and trouble Second Avenue subway.

The Bowery Boys History Of The Rockaways Is Great Beach Listening

This week, as people hit the beaches for summer vacation, I have a great recommendation for some beach listening. The Bowery Boys podcast recently did an wonderful history of New York City's first resort beach, the Rockaways.  They start with the Indians (a tribe which gave the Rockways their unusual name), cover its height as New York's most luxurious beach resort (see above), and also cover its downfall when Robert Moses cleared a whole swath of it for public housing.

Lately the Rockaways are resurgent as a new generation rediscovers NYC's loveliest natural shoreline within the five borough.  I'm a Fort Tilden regular (where the Army secretly stashed some nuclear weapons in case of a Soviet attack), as are many of this hipsters from the BK. I have jokingly started referring to it as Hipster Beach. Anyway, the podcast is a great story told with humor and loads of factoids by the knowledgeable Bowery Boys, aka Gregory Young and Tom Meyers. Check it out on your iPhone while you lie on the beach!

AUGUST Is Available On DVD & Download--Check It Out!

As we hit the dog days of August, you might be looking for something to watch other than a movie about a superhero or an animated child.  May I suggest the excellent indie AUGUST, directed by Eldar Rappaport and co-written by yours truly, me!  :)  It's a beautifully shot and wonderfully acted sultry drama about a love triangle that takes place in Los Angeles during a heat wave. Talk about the perfect summer movie....or should I say the perfect movie for the month of August.

The film played to much acclaim at festivals worldwide last year and now is available on DVD as well as digital download. So please check it out, support independent film and have a great steamy week!

Guilty Pleasure TV: THE L.A. COMPLEX on The CW

With the Olympics over and the new TV season not yet begun, what to watch?  I recently got a recommendation from a fellow filmmaker about a show on The CW that I hadn't even heard of. It's called THE L.A. COMPLEX and follows the adventures of a group of folks trying to make it in "The Biz" living in one of those uniquely L.A. apartment complexes centered around a pool ala MELROSE PLACE.

OK--I know. This sounds like a recipe for boredom and/or soap camp but I was suprised how interested I was in the show. All the characters are vividly drawn and very real too (for the world they inhabit, that is!)  The writing is also sharp and quite funny too. And in the pilot alone there are a least two OMG moments which were great....a rarity in any hour of television.

The show is produced by a Canadian company and mainly shot in Toronto (my only gripe). It was done as 6 episodes initially but got picked up for a "second season" of 13 episodes which started airing this summer in the US. I've only watched the first couple of episodes of this series on Hulu but I look forward to the rest. Oh and there is one mega spoiler alert that I am not giving away here which I found truly unique and totally real.  Keep watching to find out!

Internet Nostalgia circ. 1995 And Some Shocking Predictions

"Hey -- why should I be on the Internet?" That's the question that kicks off a recently rediscovered Montana PSA to encourage local libraries and school to get online.  The answer, though is the kicker; "the internet will be our phone, our shopping, even our TV" so say a bunch of extremely enthusiastic 9-year-olds.  This video is great not only for it's spot-on prediction but also for the great screen grabs of the Internet 1.0.

When I saw this on YouTube, the next featured video was a 1995 commercial for AOL (posted below).  Ah--remember when AOL was The Internet?  Those were the days.  Except for the ads reminder of how they used to charge hourly for access.  That has to be one of the best money-making scams of all time, right?  The commercial repeatedly boasts "10 free hours!" if you sign up with AOL.  Well, they got the certainly got their corporate comeuppance.  Now it just may be Facebook's turn as their stock took a dive yesterday, hitting an all-time low.

ONE TERM MORE--Musical Video In Support of Obama

This has been making the viral rounds today, in support of Obama's reelection. It's called a musical parody but it seems pretty serious (including an odd cameo by Trayvon Marin), though there are a few hysterical/clever rhymes as well. Was this funded by a Democratic superPAC? Or maybe the actors just chipped in. Either way, it's well done and almost stirring too at the end.  That picture of Obama in Rosa Park's bus seat helps.  One Term More--to the barricades, Broadway!

MONUMENT: IMPOSSIBLE--Cool Photos Of Damage Control Team

Last August, Washington DC experienced a rare 5.8 earthquake which did some serious damage to the Washington Monument, the city's tallest structure at 555 feet 5/18 inches. It has been closed and will remain so likely until 2014, according to a recent story in the Washington Post. Meanwhile, a damage control team from the engineering firm of Wiss, Janney, Eltsner and Associates have been scaling the surface trying to keep the massive slabs of stone together.

This weekend, the Washington Post Magazine ran some stunning photos of the team at work. They reminded me of scenes from a MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE film as men (and women!) dangle from cables hundreds of feet off the ground with incredibly panoramic views of the cityscape.  To view the photos as a slideshow, you have to click thru to the Post's website. They are really amazing...but then again, I'm an old DC tourguide so I live for stuff like this!

Ran Palillo From WELCOME BACK COTTER Dies At 63

I'm not a big one for obits on this blog but this one struck me today. Ron Palillo, who played "Horshack" on WELCOME BACK KOTTER in the 1970s, the sitcom which launched John Travlota's career, died today in Palm Beach.  He was only 63 and the cause of death at yet is unknown, as reported on the Palm Beach Post website today. It is also reported that he is survived by his partner of 41(!) years Joseph Gramm, a fellow actor.

I loved this show as a kid and I think the fact that Ron and John were in it had a lot to do with that. One was super-hot and gay (though not exactly out yet) while the other was super-funny and gay. Of course, they both played it straight on the show. Still the gaydar came through the TV in a subliminal way and I just adored this show and saw every episode more than a few times....oh the hours spent watch sitcom re-runs after school. Anyway, a sad loss to note but also lovely to see Ron's four decade relationship honored in his obit.

Happy Birthday Hitchcock, King Of The Director's Cameo

Many directors have inserted themselves into their films.  Some quite obviously, like Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese, and others somewhat more discreetly, like Michael Bay. Perhaps the only discreet thing in his films! 

However, Alfred Hitchcock takes the consistency prize for placing himself in small non-speaking roles in all of his feature films. Often his appearances are comical and can somewhat take you out of the action (i.e. lumbering onboard the train with a large musical instrument in STRANGERS ON A TRAIN).  While other times they are subtle and more organic, such as my personal favorite which is his appearance in the gay guy's apartment in REAR WINDOW, standing behind him as he plays piano. Is he a sugar daddy? An gentleman caller? Or the backer of a potential Broadway show?  All interpretations work and add to the fun of the guessing games involved when spying on your neighbors, which is what the film is all about.

A clever and diligent editor has compiled all of Hitchcock's appearances into a clip on YouTube. I found this through my friend Paul Maggio, who often posts celebrity birthday's on his Facebook feed. Anyway, watching this is a great way to celebrate the master of the movies on what would have been his 113th. Happy Birthday Hitch! :)

Two New Docs To See This Weekend: OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE SKY and THIS TIME

This weekend, I want to draw your attention to two new documentaries that are opening for limited runs in the Village. The first one is a project I worked on called OUT OF THE CLEAR BLUE SKY. It's about Cantor Fitzgerald, the company that had it's offices on the top floors of the World Trade Center and, on 9/11, they lost 658 employees, nearly nearly two-thirds of their workforce.  Their surviving CEO Howard Lutnick (left), who was taking his son to kindergarten that morning, drew a lot of media attention because of his loss but the film goes into the real story behind the headlines and how the company survived against all odds.

I've worked on this documentary for the last 6 years as an associate producer and my good friend Danielle Gardner is the film's director, bravely telling this incredibly personal story (her brother was a Cantor exec who did not survive). The film has its premiere tonight at the IFC Center as part of the annual IDA Docuweeks series and it will play there every day for the next week. For those on the west coast, the film will be out there starting next Friday August 17 as part of Docuweeks LA. Oh--and we got a great review in the NY DAILY NEWS today too!

The other film is a doc by my Victor Mignatti, a filmmaker I met way back when I was in film school. His film is called THIS TIME and follows the story of the stories of a number of singers in show business (including Cissy Houston), some looking for second chances and other for their big break. In an age of IDOL where there is so much hype surrounding recording artists, this doc keeps it real and shows you the hard work and the heartbreak that goes hand in hand with a career in the performing arts. I saw a nearly finished cut a couple years ago and found it moving, intense, emotional and, of course, very musical and inspiring as well. It opens today at the Quad Cinema on 13th Street.

So no whining about "ah, there's nothing to see out there"...all you have to do is look and you will find some indie treasures. Especially this weekend.