Randy Rainbow Goes To Rhinebeck...Sorta

Randy Rainbow, who made the most hysterical video mashup of Mel Gibson's rants, has now put together a little video about his weekend in Rhinebeck.  He talks to President Obama about getting snubbed and even dishes with Michelle too.  And then Hillary comes in on call waiting.  OMG--this guy is a riot!  Can't wait to see more...

Let The 3D Backlash Begin

Yes folks, it's 1954 all over again as the 3D backlash has officially begun.  Last month at Comic-Con, two Hollywood directors Josh Whedon and JJ Abrams made disparaging and somewhat defiant comments about the new technology.  Abrams, who did the 2D "Star Treck" reboot and Whedon, who is resisting a 3D conversion of his upcoming horror film "The Cabin In The Woods", highlighted the technical limitations of 3D as well as saying that they didn't view it as a movie savior the same way the suits do. 


Today's TIMES takes up the issue of the backlash, including the widespread reports of cheering by rabid "Hobbitt" fans when it was announced the movie would be shot old school.  Unfortunately, 3D will not exactly be going away any time soon.  More than 5,000 theaters have been converted in the US, roughly one out of every 8 screens.  Also, given the fact that 3D ads $3-5 bucks to ticket prices, the studios have a big incentive to keep cranking them out.  In fact, unnamed studio execs said that decisions about final formats for "Hobbit" and "Woods" are still in process, countering the filmmaker's claims.  


As a director, I agree the technology of 3D can easily get in the way of storytelling.  If all you're trying to do is throw things at the audience, that's not a movie....that's just a ride.  The fact that Warner Brother's summer blockbuster "Inception" did not go 3D is a testament to this fact. I think the 3D in "Avatar" worked well but that was not the key to that movie's success.  What made it unusual was that Cameron told a beautiful, cinematic story....a rarity in the thrill-driven movie marketplace of the moment.  And if too many movies go 3D, it will become a gimmick just like in the 50's.

The Way-Back Machine: Super Train

President Obama's High-Speed Rail Initiative has been in the news lately as it tries to do two things at once: create jobs and build a world-class train system in the US.  Construction has started on the first major project, a 200 MPH train from Tampa to Orlando.  However, that's nothing compared to the nuclear powered Supertrain which used to speed across the country from NY to LA in less than 36 hours.  What? You say you don't remember the Supertrain? It only ran for a brief period of two months starting in Feburary of 1979.  And the train was also fictional.  


"Supertrain" was a short-lived TV show that aired a mere 9 episodes in the winter of '79.  It was supposed to be the "Love Boat" on speedy silver wheels. Unfortunately, despite a million dollar budget and the imprimatur of ABC programming genius Fred Silverman, the show turned out to be one of the biggest flops in television history.  One hint about how terrible the show comes from the fact that you won't recognize on single name in the opening credits below.  No star was gonna touch this one...


Despite its lameness, I still remember this show fondly, or more so the anticipation I had about seeing it before it aired.  (The promos were everywhere on 3rd place NBC.)  The only thing that kept me watching were the shots of that nifty model train.  Yeah, I know--geek alert!  Well, back in 1979, I didn't have much of a social life....this and "Battlestar Galactica" kept me occupied. :)

BRAVO Reality Show Brings Art To TV

For the last two months the reality program "Work of Art" on BRAVO has been winnowing down a field of 14 as part of a competition to find "the next great artist."  Despite it's standard format, editing and lame attempt to have a catch-phrase (i.e. "your art didn't work for us"), the show does something extraordinary: it has brought a discussion of fine art and fine artists to network television.  

A few weeks ago, I interviewed contestant Nao Bustamente for an article about the program that just posted on the New York Foundation for the Arts website.  Nao is a well-known performance artist who was the most established artist on the show but, unforunately, lasted only four episodes.  We had a very lively conversation about art and television as well as a clear telling of her experiences through the looking glass of reality TV.  It's your weekend read...enjoy!

The Obama Has Landed (PART 2)

Wow--what a crazy afternoon/night here on my block!  The President is now gone and, amazingly, you would never know he'd been here today.  All is quiet on the Western Village front, less than an hour and a half after his departure.  It was two two days to setup but less than two hours for all of it to disappear. 


Here's some video of the arrival and some shots I took of the scene; the crowds who kept getting pushed further away, the swarms of police and Secret Service vehicles, and the snipers on Anna's rooftop who took a particular interest in me as I stood at the window talking to my friends as this all went down.  I believe they radioed me in because, a couple minutes after I took pictures of them, I got a buzz at my door saying it was "the police" but it was actually the Secret Service.  They told me to close my windows and then left.  


As for POTUS's arrival, it was quick and surprisingly quiet; no sirens blaring or Hail To The Chief or anything.  After a few motorcycles and police cruisers, two armored limos (Obama was in the second one) turned onto Sullivan Street and slipped into the white tent in front of Anna Wintour's townhouse.  Immediately, the Secret Service closed the flaps and that was that.  According to my brother (who used to be in the White House press pool), this is standard procedure for a Presidential arrival when there is no covered or enclosed entrance.


If you want a minute-by-minute detail of the whole thing, an enterprising intern at a fashion blog called Stylite did his damndest to live blog it, even though he was on the opposite side of Houston.  Anyone who got closer than that was shooed away.  They really kept all un-uniformed citizens off the block...except, of course, those folks who paid $30K a plate to sup with the President.  God Bless America!  

On the lookout for terrorists and nosy neighbors like me

The bomb dog sniffs the post box, which I was surprised was still there.

Hey guys--I don't have binos but I've got a 6x zoom

Sanitation truck filled with sand scares terrorists away(?!)

All the poor saps at the other end of Sullivan without a view

The money shot....the Presidential limo ready to go

The Obama Has Landed (PART 1)

The President arrived here at 7:20 sharp, as predicted by his schedule.  He's at Anna's now having dinner.  I will post some video and more pics of all the security scene later.  Snipers are watching me through my window as I type this....for reals!

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner....Obama! (PART 2)

It's 3PM....roughly four hours away from President Obama's arrival on my street and the block is already in lockdown.  Access to Sullivan from Bleecker is closed, with two sets of barricades blocking the sidewalk and a large dump truck parked in the middle of the street (pictured below).  


Meanwhile, they have constructed an elaborate tent for the President's limo to pull into to screen his exit from the car and into the townhouse of Anna Wintour.  There are Men in Black everywhere too.  


So I am in the bubble, as it were.  Fortunately, I just came back from a run to the deli. :)  I've been told if I leave after 5pm it will be tough to get back in my apartment.  And these people are not kidding around.  

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner....Obama!

I knew something was up on Monday when I saw a group of five police officers wearing "NYC Anti-Terrorism Unit" t-shirts standing on my corner and pointing up the block.  The next day there was an unusual number of big guys in big suits, something rarely seen on my block in the Village.  Then the signs went up...."No Parking Wednesday".  Knowing the President was supposed to be in the city on Wednesday for a taping of THE VIEW, I decided to Google "Obama" and "Sullivan Street".  Sure enough, PODUS was set to attend a fundraiser at the townhouse of Vouge editor Anna Wintour, who happens to be my neighbor.  


When I woke up this morning, my block was already in partial lockdown as you can see from the photo above.  They just finished towing the few remaining cars that were left by people who slept late or are out of town. I even saw the cops give someone a ticket for an unnamed offense.  I think he sassed one of the cops who told him to walk on the other side of the street.  


Unfortunately, I won't be attending the event as my invitation must have gotten lost in the mail. (ha) But that's probably a good thing.  The report I found online said it's a $30,000 a plate affair which is slightly out of my range for political donations, more or less dinner!  Anyway, I will be updating the blog later today about the preparations for the Presidential visit and more photos of all the Obama-hubbub.  And maybe some pictures of The Man himself.  Stay tuned....

A View Of The Bridge

It was quite a sight yesterday as the new Willis Avenue Bridge floated up the East River.  I found some great video of the last leg of its voyage on the NY POST website. 


The bridge was built upstate, floated down the Hudson over the last couple weeks and finally arrived in Harlem yesterday where it will replace a span that is more than 100 years old.  The original span cost about 2M and then new one....614M.  It's the most expensive bridge the Department of Transportation has ever built.  


It's been a long time coming as the current bridge has been falling apart for years.  Installation begins in August and traffic should be flowing in November.  

A Day At The Beach In Queens

This weekend, I escaped the city heat without even leaving the city.  At the end of Flatbush Avenue, on the southern tip of the Rockaways, lies a decommissioned Army base which has a stunning strip of beach.  Fort Tilden used to house troops, canons, rockets and even nuclear weapons to defend New York City from 1917 until 1974.  Now, as part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, it is a great place for a day at the beach.


I first discovered Ft. Tilden when I was in film school and worked on a couple shorts that were shot on it's empty beaches.  The beaches aren't so empty anymore, especially after recent articles in the TIMES and TimeOut have turned the place into Hipster Beach.  But it is still not nearly as packed as Jones Beach or neighboring Riis Beach on a 96 degree July afternoon.


We stayed at the beach until sunset which is when I took these magic-hour photos.  You would never guess these were taken in Queens, right?  Or within 45 minutes of downtown Manhattan.  All it takes to get there is a Metrocard: the 2 train to the end of the line then a transfer to the Q35 bus.