Kenneth MacMillan's MANON returns to ABT

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Published on Thursday, 05 June 2014 22:00

Written by Jack Angstreich

Kenneth MacMillan was, along with Frederick Ashton (whose The Dream is being performed by the American Ballet Theater later this season) and Antony Tudor, one of the greatest British choreographers of the twentieth century. His Manon, after Jules Massenet's opera of the same name and adapted from the classic, 18th-century French novel Manon Lescaut by the Abbé Prévost that is the source for the opera, is a masterpiece. The current production, which returns after an interval of several years and dates from 1974, has new sets — these are unsatisfactory — and new costumes — these are somewhat better — by Peter Farmer. What really matters here, however, is MacMillan’s glorious, meticulous choreography — which soars, carried by Massenet’s beautiful melodies, orchestrated and arranged by Martin Yates — and the magnificent Ballet Theater dancers.

The sublimity of the evening performance on Wednesday, June 4th, was owed most of all to the astonishing dancing of the great Russian ballerina, Polina Semionova, in the title role, who surprised me in her ability to evince the sexuality inherent in the character. Her partner, the handsome Cory Stearns, as Des Grieux displayed an impressive virtuosity. As Lescaut, James Whiteside’s athleticism was riveting, although he lacked actorly conviction. Veronika Part as Lescaut’s mistress was dazzling and effectively worldly. The dynamism of the secondary cast and the corps as a whole — they have been superb this season — was enthralling.

The matinee performance on the same day was weaker overall but still engaging. Xiomara Reyes, who has excelled this season, danced beautifully and excitingly and captured much of the intense romanticism of Manon, especially in her exhilarating duets, but she fell short of the tragic force of Semionova. Her partner, Kevin Jackson, an Exchange Artist with The Australian Ballet, was technically accomplished but not as memorable as Stearns. Sascha Radetsky was a more plausible Lescaut than Whiteside and is a fine dancer but Whiteside’s execution was more remarkable. Isabella Boylston as Lescaut’s mistress danced elegantly but was less striking as an actress than was Part.

MANON

Metropolitan Opera House
	Address: Lincoln Center 65th Street and Broadway New York, New York Phone: 212.362.6000Website: http://www.metoperafamily.org

 

The Second Time Around for First Time Fest

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Published on Friday, 04 April 2014 20:59

Written by Brad Balfour

It's the Second Time Around for First Time Fest. A unique film festival celebrating first-time feature filmmakers, the five-day event is aimed at discovering and providing exposure for the next generation of great filmmakers from around the world. FTF is set for April 3 – 7, 2014, and it will be based at their new home, NeueHouse (110 East 25th St.).

It combines a competition section that showcases new and exciting debut films with a series of screenings and discussions with now-prominent filmmakers presenting their first films with the creators usually participating in a post screening Q&A. This fest offers an interplay of veterans mentoring the first-timers. 

Most screenings, including all the competition films, take place at the AMC Loews Village 7 (11th St. & Third Ave.)

Celebrities expected to attend the fest include:

Carol Alt, Christopher Abbott, Lake Bell, Brady Corbett, Frederick Elms, Hill Harper, Jennie Livingston, Albert Maysles, Tom McCarthy, Michael Moore, Rosie Perez, Kelly Reichardt, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Brooke Shields, Slash, James Toback, Julie Taymor

Jury Members: Noah Levy, Anne-Katrin Titze, Stephanie Zacharek;

Competition Filmmakers: Jayce Bartok, Mikael Berg, Rok Bicek, Josephine Decker,Mona Fastvold, Jakob Lass, Serene Meshel-Dillman, Marieke Niestadt, Tommy Oliver, Yael Reuveny:

Out-Of-Competition Directors: Anthony Leonard III, Drew Tobia & Jess Weixler

FTF Co-Founders: Johanna Bennett, Mandy Ward

FTF Director of Programming: David Schwartz

Great Festival Supporter: Tony Bennett

Below is a schedule of this year's First Time Fest: 

Thursday, April 3, 2014

6:00pm (5:30 Arrivals) –

NeueHouse.  Panel:  RBC’s Women in Entertainment featuring panelists Carol Alt, Rosie Perez, Daphne Rubin-Vega and Brooke Shields.  Also expected are Tony Bennett, Amy Carlson, Elizabeth Rohm, Jordana Spiro, Carmen Ejogo

7:30pm (7:00pm Arrivals) –

Loews Theater 3.  

Opening Night Film:

Paris Is Burning

Director Jennie Livingston.  

Also attending are Tony Bennett, Brooke Shields, Johnny Abrahams, Frida Torresblanco, Competition Filmmakers, Lady Bunny & other performers

10:00 pm – Mister H at the Mondrian Soho (9 Crosby Street, between Grand and Howard/Canal) Opening Night Party.

Attending will be all the Competition Filmmakers, Jennie Livingston and more…

Friday, April 4, 2014

1:00pm  – Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film: Farewell, Her Schwarz,

Directed by Yael Reuveny (Germany/Israel),

followed by Q&A and Jury Hot Seat.

2:00pm – NeueHouse. Panel: What’s Up Doc?

4:00pm – Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film:

1982,

Directed by Tommy Oliver (USA), followed by Q&A and Jury Hot

Seat.  Also attending will be cast member

and Troi Zee, Wayne Brady.

4:00pm (Red carpet arrival at 4:45pm)

– NeueHouse.  

First Exposure Film: Salesman,

Directed by Albert Maysles (1969).  

Albert Maysles will attend for a discussion with the

audience.

4:30pm – NeueHouse.  Panel:

Help Me Help You

5:00-7:00pm – Ninth Ward

(180 2nd Ave, between 11th & 12th Sts.).

Happy Hour Reception

7:00pm (Red carpet arrival at 9:10pm)

– Loews Theater 3.  First

Exposure Film: Titus, Directed by Julie

Taymor (1999). Julie Taymor and Composer

Elliot Goldenthal will attend for a

discussion with the audience.

7:30pm – Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film: The Sleepwalker

(Norway/USA), Directed by Mona Fastvold,

followed by Q&A and Jury Hot Seat.  Also

attending are cast members Christopher

Abbott and Brady Corbet

10:00pm – No. 8 (357 W.

16th St., between 8th & 9th Aves.).

Festival Party

Saturday, April 5, 2014

11:00am  – NeueHouse. Panel:

Show Me The Money

12:30pm (Red carpet arrival 1:30pm)

[WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 3.  First

Exposure Film:  Roger and Me, Directed by

Michael Moore (1989).  Michael Moore will

attend for a discussion with the audience.

1:00pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film: Miss Julie, Directed by

Mikael Berg (Sweden), followed by Q&A and

Jury Hot Seat.  Also Attending is the star

Nathalie Soderqvist.

2:30pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– NeueHouse.  Panel:

We Need A Bigger Boat

3:30pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 3.

[WINDOWS-1252?]“Stand [WINDOWS-

1252?]Alone” Conversation:  Michael Moore.

4:00pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film: Love Steaks, Directed by

Jakob Lass (Germany), followed by Q&A and

Jury Hot Seat.  Attending the fest will be

Editor Gesa Jager.

4:30pm (Red carpet arrival 5:40pm)

[WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 3.  First

Exposure Film:  River of Grass, Directed

by Kelly Reichardt (1994). Kelly Reichardt

will attend for a discussion with the

audience.

5:00-7:00pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– Kingston Hall

(149 2nd Ave., between 9th & 10th Sts.).

Happy Hour Reception

6:00pm (Red carpet arrival 6:45pm)

[WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 3.  First

Exposure Film, Eraserhead, Directed by

David Lynch (1977).  Cinematographer

Frederick Elmes will attend for a

discussion with the audience.

8:00pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film: Fall To Rise, Directed

by Jayce Bartok (USA), followed by Q&A and

Jury Hot Seat.  Also attending are cast

members Katherine Crockett, Desmond

Richardson, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Tamara

Tunie

9:00pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 3.

Special Screening:  See You Next Tuesday,

Directed by Drew Tabia (USA) who will be

attending.  Q&A to be moderated by Jess

Weixler.

10:00pm – No. 8 (357 W.

16th St., between 8th & 9th Aves.).

Festival Party

11:30pm – Loews Theater 3.

Midnight Horror Screening: Nothing To

Fear, Directed by Anthony Leonardi III

(USA), who will be attending with first

time producer Slash.

Sunday, April 6, 2014

11:00am [WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film: Class Enemy, Directed by

Rok Bicek (Slovenia), followed by Q&A and

Jury Hot Seat.

12:00pm (Red carpet arrival 12:45pm) – Loews Theater 3.  First

Exposure Film: Fingers, Directed by James

Toback (1978).  James Toback will attend

for a discussion with the audience.

12:00pm – NeueHouse.

Panel: The Critical Eye

2:30pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film: Getting To The

Nutcracker, Directed by Serene Meshel-

Dillman (USA), followed by a Q&A and Jury

Hot Seat.

3:00pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– Loews Theater 3.

First Exposure Film: Targets, Directed by

Peter Bogdanovich (1968).  Peter

Bogdanovich will not be able to attend,

but may appear via Skype for a discussion

with the audience.

3:00 pm – NeueHouse.  Panel:

The Grammy’s Present: From

Rock To Score.  Panelists include Guns N’ Roses guitarist (and first time producer of one of the competition films) Slash, and singer/songwriter Duncan Sheik.

3:00pm – NeueHouse. Panel: Sell Baby Sell

5:00-7:00pm – Kingston Hall (149 2nd Ave., between 9th & 10th Sts.). Happy Hour Reception

5:30pm – Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film: Bittersweet, Directed by Marieke Niestadt (USA/Netherlands),

followed by a Q&A and Jury Hot Seat.

9:00pm – Loews Theater 2.

Competition Film: Butter On The Latch,

Directed by Josephine Decker (USA),

followed by a Q&A and Jury Hot Seat.  Also attending are cast members Sarah Small, Isold Chae-Lawrence.

Monday, April 7, 2014

3:00pm  – NeueHouse.  Panel: Filmmaker Forum.  Attending will be all

the Competition Filmmakers.

7:00pm [WINDOWS-1252?]– 42West (516 W.

42nd St. [WINDOWS-1252?]– between 11th &

12th Aves).  Closing Night Awards and

Party.  Presentation of the John Huston

Award for Achievement in Cinema to Ms.

Julie Taymor.

Various Locations including

NeueHouse (110 East 25th Street)

Filmmaker Lounge

Filmmaker Forum & Panel Venue

Loews Village VII (Third Ave. at 11th

Street) Competition Films, First Exposure

Films, Tributes & Special Film

Presentations

Film Review: Out in Theaters: 'Evil Dead' Ups the Gore, Drops the Laughs

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Published on Saturday, 06 April 2013 05:00

Written by Matt Oakes

Evil Dead
Directed by Fede Alvarez
Starring Diablo Cody, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas and Elizabeth Blackmore
Horror
91 Minutes
R

This 2013 rendition of Evil Dead definitely does enough to distinguish itself from the 1981 original but in doing so abandons a lot of the winking goofiness that made the original such a one-of-a-kind. It's mucky, yucky and dripping in goo but there's not quite enough beneath the buckets of blood to claim the bone-throne of horror classics.

Although it didn't quite meet the lofty expectations it set for itself with it's tagline, "The Most Terrifying Film You Will Ever Experience" but it does rise to the occasion of trying to out-do it's predecessors and certainly scores. There's no denying the goal behind this Fede Alvarez's remake was to rain down the blood and treat it's central troop of unfortunate victims like human pincushions just waiting to be jammed full of a whole spectrum of unconventional weapons chilling in the tool shed. In regard to that goal, congratulations are in order. Alvarez has made one of the most chilling, grisly, visceral horror movies to date.

For those unfamiliar with the original storyline, the whole conceit of the Evil Dead franchise follows a group of five twenty-something year olds who visit an abandoned cabin in the woods and after reading a passage from the Necronomicon, an ancient evil book made from human flesh, unleash evil personified hell-bent on devouring their physical bodies and claiming their souls. Sounds like the kind of vacation just about anyone would ask for. This film deviates in the setup to this weekend of death with some exposition that is pure Diablo Cody (Juno, United States of Tara), who penned the script. Evil Dead imagines that this group of old friends and family reunited to help carry out a cold-turkey weekend for junk addict/little sister Mia. As you can imagine, things didn't quite go that way.

In establishing the little weekend getaway as a rehab stint, the film avoids the tired cliche of friends on vaca in a creepy locale and at least attempts to justify the initial refusal to run at the first hint of things going awry. It's this small semblance of intelligence that offers some promise for Evil Dead to transcend the genre stereotypes but in the end, it's still the same breed, just a little prettier and a little smarter. 

Once the evil is unleashed, the heads begin to roll and Alvarez and Cody only stop the onslaught of human plasma to occasionally remind us that these are people with relationships that we're supposed to care about. The only problem is most of these relationships are built on rushed and shaky foundations so it's hard to really elicit much of a response. We're not watching My Girl, we're watching Evil Dead so crank up the deaths and dial down the pity.  

As a remake, it hits the right marks. The basic elements are in the same place but it heads in enough of a different direction to make the affair noteworthy not only in the horror genre but in the much beloved franchise. I'm sure there will be a legion of deadites protesting against the absence of snark involved but it never quite tries to capture that element that so clearly defined Sam Raimi's films. Instead, it's happy being the depraved little cousin reveling in the sick carnage of it all. Just like the best and most memorable, the telltale earmarks of exploitation are written all over and the film essentially presents itself like a dare; a cynic's double-dog dare to watch the thing wide-eyed and not occasionally cringing; but I personally guarantee that it'll make even the most stable of knees go wobbly thanks in large part to the top notch practical effects and a fantastically creepy turn by Jane Levy.

The bottom line: a gory mess in both substance and execution, this bloody remake drops the campy laughs of the original in favor of an all out gore-fest. There's enough viscus flying around the camera in Evil Dead to make even the hardest stomach squeamish and even though the laughs come from the rare sadistic chuckle rather than the cackle inspired by campy lunacy this is exactly the kind of goopy, gory goodness any horror affiliate is hunting for.