Craveable - The Culture Craver Blog

Our early users (that's you!) shared more than 73,000 ratings of cultural events that you saw in 2012 — and craved more than 2,000 events that you were excited to see. You are obviously a very culture-savvy crowd!

Each member of Culture Craver received his or her top recommendations of the year today — but we wanted to share the overall summary: 

• 73,296 stars, bombs, or mehs given to events
• 2,102 craves
• 90.5% of the events rated or craved were films
• 7% of the events rated or craved were theater
• 1.5% of the events rated or craved were art.

Women have historically been underdogs on the big-screen (and the little screen, for that matter).

A recent study found that less than 17% of movies are “gender balanced.” And when women characters do appear, they tend to be naked or nearly so: nearly 30% of female teen movie characters were depicted in midriff-bearing, cleavage accentuating clothes in 2009. In real life, only a quarter of Americans working in science, technology, engineering, and math are women. In movies, only 16% of scientists and mathematicians are female.

How fast do you like your movies? For the past 80 years, movies have been filmed at 24 frames per minute. But Peter Jackson, the director of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, decided to film Bilbo Baggins at 48.

Remember how the television show "24" stoked controversy with its portrayal of torture? The debate is not over.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14

Want to learn about New York City landmarks? Today is the first day of the New York Historical Society’s exhibit of photographs of City landmarks opens today and runs through Februrary 18 before making a statewide tour.

Tonight is also the first night of previews for Picnic — a drama about the impact of a charming drifter on a group of women in the American heartland — at the Roundabout. Opening night is January 13, and it runs through Februrary 24.

The South Street Seaport Museum reopens today after its extensive post-Sandy cleanup with two exhibitions: A Fisherman's Dream: Folk Art by Mario Sanchez and Frederick Brosen: Romancing New York.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15

Tonight and tomorrow, you can see Urban Word: Journal to Journey at New York Live Arts. It features solo works by young poets. Tickets are just $7.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16

See one of this weekend’s new movies. The best bets are The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel. If you’re looking for an independent film, consider Any Day Now, about a 1970s gay couple fighting to keep custody of an abandoned handicapped teenager.  

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17

Feeling nostalgic? Consider The Wonderful Wizard of Song: The Music of Harold Arlen, a musical revue at St. Luke's Theatre.

Another way to delve into history on Monday is at a talk by New York Times investigative reporter, Sam Roberts, about his book on the treason trial and execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18

Craving dance? The Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo — an all-male troupe famous for tutus, pointe work, and parody — is returning to the Joyce. Performances run through January 6.

If you want to help Hurricane Sandy victims — and hear readings of new plays by emerging and established New York City playwrights at the same time — head to Cherry Lane Theatre at 2 PM or 7 PM for Barefoot Theatre Company: Rockaway.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 19

Kathryn Bigelow’s highly anticipated Zero Dark Thirty opens today. The movie, which stars Jessica Chastain on a decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden, has already been nominated for four Golden Globe awards.

Wednesday is also the first day of a series of screenings at MoMA: Dickens on Film, a selection of silent and sound films adapted from Charles Dickens’ novels. The series includes popular films like “A Christmas Carol,” “Great Expectations,” and “Oliver Twist,” as well as some little-known adaptations.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20

There are a few (but not many) art gallery openings today. If you haven’t gone yet, we recommend that you check out Ann Hamilton’s the event of a thread at the Park Avenue Armory. It runs through January 6. It combines readings, sound, and swings.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21

Did you miss your chance to see Christian Marclay: The Clock at Lincoln Center over the summer? Now it’s coming to MoMA — through January 21 — so you can line up to see the 24-hour film montage. 

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7

Hyde Park on Hudson, which is high on many forecasters' Oscars lists, opens this weekend. It's the story of the love affair between FDR and his distant cousin Margaret Stuckley, and centers on the weekend in 1939 when the UK's King and Queen visited the US president in upstate New York. 

If you're craving more holiday excitement, head to BAM for the American Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker, which starts tonight and runs through December 16.

Returning for a third year, TEDxBrooklyn explores the constantly evolving digital environments that allow communities to be built across previously impassable boundaries.

 

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 8

If you like her as the comic relief in almost every other musical, Jackie Hoffman's A Chanukah Charol is for you. Returning to New World Stages with her one-woman show inspired by Patrick Stewart's rendition of 'A Christmas Carol,' the kvetching comedienne is forced to examine her life when she is visited by the Ghosts of Chanukah Past, Present, and Future, as well as Molly Picon.

 

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9

At the Jewish Museum, children can listen to stories selected from the museum's gorgeous library of children's book favorites and then participate in a gallery activity at Storybooks and Art.

 

MONDAY, DECEMBER 10

if you have already been up to Dia: Beacon and seen his exhibition, you should join Dia in Chelsea as it hosts a talk, Artists on Artists: Alejandro Cesarco on On Kawara.

 

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11

The Other Place, a thriller that was at MCC Theatre in 2011, is starting Broadway previews on Tuesday. Laurie Metcalf stars as Juliana Smithton, a successful neurologist at the center of a mystery. 

Also starting preview performances Tuesday is Water by the Spoonful at Second Stage Theatre. It's about a soldier who returns from Iraq and reconnects with his family. 

 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12

Starting Wednesday, see Faust: A Love Story at BAM. It's an Icelandic re-imagining of Goethe's Faust, described as "a spectacle of slapstick, horror, and aerial circus daredevilry." Need we say more? 

 

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13

At the Japan Society, hear from Haruo Shirane, a professor of Japanese Literature at Columbia, speak at 6 PM about his newly published book, Japan & the Culture of the Four Seasons: Nature, Literature & the Arts.

Thursday, you can also hear from the founding director and curator of Performa, RoseLee Goldberg, and the co-curator of the Crossing the Line Festival, Simon Dove, dance in the context of art galleries and museums in Dialogue and Discourse: The Languages of Dance at the Jewish Museum.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Children five and up and adults will love Circus Oz: From the Ground Up at New Victory Theater. It includes jugglers, acrobats, trapeze artists, and ringleaders — all from Melbourne. It runs through December 30.

New Movies out this weekend include Killing Them Softly, Beware of Mr. Baker, Silent Night, Talaash. None is a standout on Culture Craver. If you want to go to the movies, we suggest you head to one of the other wonderful films currently showing, including Silver Linings Playbook, Skyfall, Life of Pi, Holy Motors, or Argo.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1

In early September, 1,708 Brooklyn artists opened their studios to about 18,000 citizen judges. On Saturday, the best of the artists will show off their work at the Brooklyn Museum’s GO: a community-curated open studio project. The show runs through February 24.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 2

On Sunday evening, check out the third in the Public Theater’s Public Forum series. It’s a conversation between MSNBC Host Rachel Maddow and playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner.

It’s also the Broadway opening night for The Anarchist, the new play written and directed by David Mamet and starring Patti LuPone and Debra Winger.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3

Monday is a good evening to see Restoration Comedy at the Flea Theater. It's a modern adaptation of two seventeenth century plays, written by Pulitzer-Prize finalist Amy Freed and directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4

Matisse: In Search of True Painting opens at the Met. It explores the artist’s process, and runs through March 17.

The new Fashion & Technology exhibit opens at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology. It highlights the historical and modern day technologies that changed fashion fabrication and design. 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5

Russell Maliphant: The Rodin Project, a contemporary dance performance inspired by the work of the French sculptor Rodin, starts Wednesday and runs through Sunday at the Joyce.

It’s a Wonderful Life: The 1946 Live Radio Play at the Irish Repertory Theatre starts Wednesday and runs through December 30. It’s a stage adaptation of the classic holiday film set in a 1940s radio station.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6

See the Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble perform “Lyric Suite” to the music of Alban Berg at the 14^th Street Y Theater. Lyric Suite premiered in Mexico City in 1953.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 7

ABT’s beautiful Nutcracker opens at BAM tonight. Get ready for magical toy soldiers, beautiful snowflakes, dancing dolls, and warlike mice. We were lucky enough to attend last year, and can confirm that it makes for a wonderful evening. 

If you are already planning a fabulous holiday gift for your favorite culture lover (like a trip to Miami Beach for Art Basel next week, for example), stop reading! But if you’re still shopping for your favorite culture lover, you’re in the right place. We’ve compiled 10 gifts perfect for New York City arts and culture lovers.

1. Film Club: A film club membership is a perfect gift for your favorite film buff. A couple of great options are BAM’s Cinema Club (starting at $70) and Lincoln Center’s Film Society (starting at $75).

2. A Multiplex Gift Certificate: If the people on your list are more likely to see Skyfall than Brooklyn Castle, consider an AMC or Regal gift certificate.

3. Museum Entry (for a year): We’re big fans of giving museum memberships as gifts. They’re great ways to support museums — and they make it OK to stop by a museum just to see the new exhibit without feeling compelled to spend the whole day seeing the entire collection. Here are links to the membership pages of some top New York City museums: MoMA (starting at $75), the Met (starting at $70), the Guggenheim (starting at $75), the Whitney (starting at $85), the Jewish Museum (starting at $75), the Frick (starting at $60), the Natural History Museum (starting at $125 for a family).

4. An Artsy Dinner: A visit to a museum would be even better (or at least more tasty) if paired with a gift of a meal at one of the beautiful restaurants located within the New York City museums. Great options include: The Modern at MoMA, Caffe Storico at the New York Historical Society, Robert at the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Garden Court Café at the Asia Society.

5. Culture Classes: Do you want to help someone you love hone his or her culture savvy? Art or art history classes might be the best gift. Consider the 92^nd Street Y, which offers art, music, and dance classes, NYU’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, which offers non-credit courses in art business, history, law, and design, or Parsons Continuing Education program, which offers courses in digital or graphic design, fashion, and more.

6. Art Gallery Tours: If you are seeking something a bit more experiential, consider giving an art gallery tour (available for small groups and individuals). Some New York City options include: Art Smart, NY Gallery Tours, and NYC Art Tours.

7. Art: White, vacant walls are no fun. Perhaps the people on your list would like to appreciate art at home. Some great web-based options for finding paintings, prints, photos, and sculptures to give include: VIP Art, Art.sy, Artspace, ColourSoup, 20x200, Artsicle, Artsumo, Society 6, Zazzle, Zatista.

8. A Season of Theater: This can be a tough gift (in our opinion) because you don’t know what you’re buying in advance. That said, if you know that someone loves a particular company, this might be a welcome gift. Options worth considering include Roundabout (starting at $219), The Public Theater (starting at $55 for access and other perks), Signature Theatre (starting at $100 for four shows), Manhattan Theatre Club (starting at $192 for three shows), and The New Group (starting at $130 for three shows).

9. Broadway Tickets: Who wouldn’t want tickets to a Broadway show? The best show depends on who’s receiving the tickets, but here are a few new(ish) and upcoming shows you might consider for the people you love: 

Annie (The spunky Depression-era orphan we all know and love is back on Broadway.)

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (See Scarlett Johansson as Maggie in Tennessee Williams’ classic. Previews start December 18.)

Cinderella (Cinderella is coming to Broadway for the first time ever. Previews begin on January 25.)

Dead Accounts (Among other pluses, Theresa Rebeck’s new comedy lets audience members see everyone’s favorite newly divorced actress — Katie Holmes — on stage.)

Glengarry Glen Ross (David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, with Al Pacino, runs through December 30, 2012.)

Grace (This play — with Paul Rudd, Michael Shannon and Edward Asner — runs through January 6, 2013.)

Kinky Boots (It’s about a guy trying to turn around a shoe factory — with new songs by Cyndi Lauper! Previews start on March 3.)

Matilda (This musical based on the Roald Dahl book about a girl with magical powers is coming to New York City from London’s West End. Previews begin March 4, 2013.)

Newsies (This musical about a dancing band of teenaged newsboys got great reviews.)

Nice Work if You Can Get It (You can see singing, dancing, and Matthew Broderick and Kelli O’Hara.)

Once (This show won the Tony for Best Musical this year. It’s a must see.)

The Mystery of Edwin Drood (This musical comedy received excellent reviews. It runs through February 10)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (This Edward Albee classic received great reviews. It runs through February 24.)

10. For the Artsy Tech Geek On Your List: The best technology gift for culture lovers might be a new tablet. It is good for everything — from discovering arts and culture to watching movies to creating your own works. David Pogue wrote a handy guide this week to help you decide. If the person you’re shopping for is geekier (or already equipped with the latest iPad), you should consider buying them some 3D printing magic at Shapeways so he or she can create something in three dimensions.

One of the "Central Park Five," Yusef Salaam, being escorted into a Manhattan Courthouse. Photo by Clarence Davis/NY Daily News.

 

When mainstream Americans, not just those on the fringe, raise questions about justice, I transform from a cynic into a patriot. I get the feeling that we are all a little bit like the history book figures I most admire — Paul Revere, Abraham Lincoln, Shirley Chisholm, Harvey Milk — and we all have a bit of their potential.

This fervor is my lasting impression of the new documentary The Central Park Five, directed, written, and produced by Ken Burns with his daughter Sarah Burns (the author of the book The Central Park Five) and her filmmaker husband David McMahon.

On Monday night, I attended a screening of the film in Harlem and a dinner party with two of the filmmakers and four of the men who are the subject of the film.

A New York City transplant of eight years, “the Central Park jogger” used to be a cautionary, gruesome tale told to unaccompanied women by their mothers. She was the reason why I took a self-defense class while in college.

I was vaguely familiar with a mix up regarding the assailant, but it was not until hearing about the documentary, The Central Park Five, that I actually focused on what happened. The story is not only a warning about being a woman alone; it is also a warning about justice and our legal system.

The two-hour documentary is stirring, uncomfortable, and upsetting. It is also a bit relieving — in that the truth came out in the end.

The film is a peek into a bygone era: a New York City ruled by Rudi Giuliani, where crack was invading the impoverished uptown limits while Wall Street was booming downtown. It tells the story of the drama that unfolded when these disparate worlds collided one evening when a young banker living on the Upper East Side went for a jog in Central Park on the same night a mob of restless teen boys were roaming Central Park, looking for something to do.

It shows with stark, historical footage how five boys between 14 and 16 were sought by the police, coerced into offering confessions, and convicted. It shows how they were sent to jail until nearly a decade later when the real attacker came forward and admitted his crime.

While watching, I wondered what would have happened if the Central Park Jogger story were set at the dawn of the 20th Century instead of its sunset. Would the press and the public have treated the boys more like they treated the homeless and orphaned children selling newspapers in Newsies? I wonder if the alleged victims would have received public sympathy or a fair trial if they hadn’t been black and Latino boys from Harlem in the midst of the crack epidemic in a nation with an unspoken racial code.

In the country where press coverage of Emmett Till’s obliterated 14 year-old corpse launched the civil rights movement, the details of the Central Park Five investigation were too murky to properly fuel media coverage. (There was no DNA evidence and the boys’ confessions did not remotely match up.) Instead, the press lifted these boys to infamy based on where they came from and the unspoken assumptions with which black and Latino men have to live.

Watching the story unfold, it was impossible to not feel a sense of collective culpability. How can we call the lackadaisical justice granted to the Central Park Five “justice”? How can we talk righteously about “democracy and equality” while we hunt down a group of helpless black and Latino youth as fall men?

I think one of the most striking moments in the film was watching footage of one of the teens, Korey Wise, who sits before providing his confession, shaking nervously and showing signs of confusion and fatigue. An officer sits a can of Pepsi before him, and Korey begins to tell a vague account of a rape. Korey’s story is clearly not plausible, but it is considered a confession. Korey’s words and body language are disturbing, and something about that Pepsi can (perhaps the unintentional “product placement” of the same soda featured in the unforgettable Michael Jackson advertisement) leaves an unpleasant taste. The videos of the other four boys show similar disorientation, and it’s clear that their accounts don’t match up.

The filmmakers did an amazing job of piecing together a story of kids whose parents and communities are powerless in protecting them. In so doing, they manage to place audience members in the witness stand of collective responsibility for the Five and others like them. In a year where Ramarley Graham and Trayvon Martin had 15 minutes before dropping from the national consciousness, The Central Park Five reminds us how biased American can be against young black and Latino men, especially those from low income communities.

When the credits came, attendees rushed to their feet, offering thunderous applause to welcome the filmmakers and four of the Central Park Five (Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise) to the stage for a conversation about the film.

One of the most interesting exchanges was regarding the Central Park Jogger’s silence on whether the wrongly accused and convicted men should receive reparations from the City of New York. The men said they understood why the victim of a vicious attack would not want to relive it; they said they faulted the City for its inaction. A white woman sitting next to me remarked that if Trisha Meili, the jogger, stood with the men, she might find more healing than she could ever expect. In that moment, I saw hope for a post-racial, cross-racial vision of human equality.

Later, at the party hosted by Albert Maysles (a filmmaker and the founder of Maysles Cinema) and his wife, I mixed with the cast and crew and their families over a lavish Indian-inspired dinner and wine. I was incredibly struck by how much possibility had been taken from the men of The Central Park Five, who were just starting high school when they were accused. Being imprisoned has had a significant impact on their lives — and has hurt their chances even now that they’re free. That said, they don’t come across as hardened as I would expect from people who have lost so much. They seem like pleasant, thoughtful men. When I asked them if they are capable of happiness, they said yes. Richardson mentioned his work speaking on behalf of The Innocence Project. Mainly, they are appreciative that some people have stood with them.

For me — a young black woman living in Harlem — the film made me re-commit to being present in my community. Harlem has often been miscategorized and misperceived. It’s important that people like me with the capacity to mentor, to speak against injustice, and to support and defend the younger people are present and active. The film also helped me to realize that what happened in Central Park in 1989 isn’t simply a historical event. Today — in an era when black actors are all but absent from primetime television and when many New Yorkers and Americans still live in segregated communities — our perceptions of (and interactions with) each other are more important than ever. 

Wednesday, November 21

Starting at 3 PM today, go to Central Park West and 77nd Street near the Natural History Museum to see the inflation of the iconic balloons that will march down to Macy’s in the Thanksgiving Day Parade. To prepare, read our interview with the man who pulls the strings, Macy’s Creative Director William Schermerhorn.

Three new movies come to theaters tonight. The one with the best reviews so far (with an average score of 83 based on 27 critical reviews) is Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper as a recovering mental patient and Jennifer Lawrence as his new friend. Other options (both with strong scores) include Life of Pi based on Yann Martel’s fantasy adventure and Rise of the Guardians, an animated adventure movie with the voices of Alec Baldwin, Jude Law, Isla Fisher, and Hugh Jackman.

(Thanksgiving) Thursday, November 22

Happy Thanksgiving! If you aren’t busy cooking or traveling, we assume you’re craving the balloons, floats, Broadway numbers, marching bands, and clowns that make up one of New York City’s biggest annual cultural extravaganzas — the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. At Culture Craver, we’re excited for the new balloon based on the work of the artist KAWS. The parade’s creative director explained: “What’s interesting about it is that it’s in shades of grays and browns and whites. So, it will be very different for Macy’s Parade … as opposed to the colorful confetti that you’re so used to.” The 86^th annual Thanksgiving Day Parade starts at 9 AM on the Upper West Side. It travels down Central Park West, turns East at Columbus Circle and South at Sixth Avenue. It concludes at Macy’s in Herald Square.

Friday, November 23

Another highly anticipated film, Hitchcock, hits theaters. It’s a biographical drama, starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, and Scarlett Johansson, based on the book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho.

Oy Vey, a new comic play, starts Friday night at Studio Theatre. We are hoping the show lives up to expectations set by its cute title.

Saturday, November 24

Amy Herzog’s The Great God Pan opens Saturday at Playwrights Horizons. It’s a show about a Brooklyn girl sent into a tailspin when a possible childhood trauma comes to light.

And finally! It’s time to see Chris March’s Butt-Cracker Suite! at HERE. It’s a recreation of “The Nutcracker” set in a trailer park with dancing pink flamingos, cans of Spam, and fashion-backward Christmas sweaters.

Sunday, November 25

Restoration Comedy by Amy Freed and directed by Ed Sylvanus Iskandar opens at the Flea Theater.

Monday, November 26

Hear from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anna Quindlen, who recently published a memoir, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake. She’ll be interviewed by Jodi Kantor at the 92^nd Street Y at 8 p.m.

David LaChapelle: Still Life opens from 6-8 PM at Paul Kasmin Gallery in Chelsea.

Tuesday, November 27

Craving African Art? African Art, New York, and the Avant-Garde, which opens today at the Met, explores African art acquired in the 1910s and 1920s by cutting-edge New Yorkers.

Ben Johnson’s 1606 play, Volpone or the Fox, opens in the Village on Tuesday night. It’s a classic comedy about a rich schemer.

Wednesday, November 28

See Kidd Pivot at the Joyce. This modern dance piece uses the island setting of Shakespeare’s The Tempest as a metaphor for isolation, captivity, and desire.

Thursday, November 29

It’s time for Pipe Dream Theater’s The Nutcracker and The Mouse King — a dark, modern dance version of the Nutcracker.

Some people wonder about actors and costumes when they head to new Broadway shows. William Schermerhorn’s first question is: “Do they have a parade number?”

Mr. Schermerhorn came to New York City as an aspiring actor — but ended up on the sales floor at Macy’s, which led him to the Parade Office, where he is now the creative director. Thursday will be his 30^th Thanksgiving Day Parade, which means he’s been overseeing the spectacle’s balloons, floats, dancers, clowns, marching bands, and Broadway numbers for more than a third of Macy’s 86 annual parades. In this time, he has also won two Emmy Awards for parade songs he has written.

With 71 hours to go before the turkey float heads down Central Park West, Mr. Schermerhorn spoke with Culture Craver’s Julia Levy about creating a parade that keeps more than 50 million people captivated year after year.

It’s your 30^th Parade. Congratulations! How did you come to be the creative director of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?   

I started out wanting to be an actor, like so many people who come to New York right out of college. I ended up on the selling floor of Macy’s, and then I started working in the parade office.

How does running a parade compare to selling clothes?

They’re two very different things, except that you want to make people happy. With selling clothes, you want them to look great and also have the latest fashion. With the parade, we always look for the latest trends, and we find ways to keep the parade current and fresh.

What’s changed over the past three decades?

There are new ways of reaching people — especially with our Macy’s Parade app. You can go to iTunes and find out more details about the music and the movies and the television shows that are highlighted in the parade. There are ways to tell a backstory that you couldn’t before.

The parade itself is one of the last great variety shows. All through the decades, you could name five balloons and four performing acts, and you could pretty much figure out about what year it was. We try to do that — and we continue that tradition.

Has technology also affected the “backstage” elements of the parade?

It’s not tin cans and strings anymore … I remember when our parade director had the first mobile phone, and it had to be carried in golf cart behind her because it was in this suitcase. She had to crank it up.  One of the big things we always told people at the final parade meeting was always have quarters in your pocket — so you could use a pay phone in an emergency.

It’s been a while since that reminder has been necessary.

You don’t need quarters anymore, and you don’t need tokens for the subway either.

You said the parade is the last great variety show. What cultural events are the closest relatives of the Thanksgiving Day Parade?

All the great parades of America and the world, we all have our own signature things. The Tournament of Roses has spectacular floats and the horse unit. We are very star driven, and of course people want to see our signature parade balloons. We each have our own identities.

There will be 11 marching bands in this year’s parade. How do you choose?

For marching bands and for our performance groups — which include things like tap dancing Christmas trees — they apply, and then we have a committee. For marching bands, we watch tapes of their halftime routines a year and a half in advance.  And then we pick the best …

How do you choose the stars that perform?

We have our wish list. We work with our partners, for example Gibson or Domino Sugar, about what type of talent they would like to see on their float. You can think of the float as a stage. Who brings that float to life? The talent. We go back and forth about who we think is best. I could probably tell you what most celebrities are doing on Thanksgiving Day if they’re not here.

As a one-time aspiring actor, what are your feelings about the Broadway musicals featured in the parade?  

Broadway actors are some of the most talented people on the face of the planet, and it’s nice to give them an opportunity to shine. It’s fun to work with NBC for the telecast to select those shows, and then work with the chorographers and directors and music directors and the actors to create spectacular productions.

What goes into staging those numbers for the street?

They are doing it outside, they’re doing it on the street, so there’s very limited scenery. Sometimes, it’s interesting to see what shows really can work, just being on the street.

Are there any shows you think are better off staying on a stage?

I always kid press reps before I see a new show. I say, “Do they have a parade number?” I think every musical in America should write a number that works for the parade.

Over the years, you’ve translated contemporary artists’ work into balloons. What’s that experience been like?

It’s called the Blue Sky Gallery. It started with Robin Hall. He was the executive producer before Amy Kule, who’s the executive producer now. Robin had this vision of working with famous artists to create balloons that were not familiar characters, or were different from the Snoopies and the Garfields and the Spidermans of this world. He wanted to let these artists use their imagination to bring something to life that could fly through the sky.

We worked with Jeff Koons; we made his Silver Rabbit come to life. We worked with the Keith Haring Estate; that was a really cool one because we tried to make the balloon look like an illustration, so it was flatter than a normal balloon.

Working with these artists challenges our parade studio to design balloons that may be a little different and unique — experimenting with different fabrics and different ways of doing things.

One of the biggest honors was last year working with Tim Burton. I saw his show at MoMA and said, “Oh, he’s got to do a balloon in the parade.” He was probably one of the greatest collaborators we’ve ever worked with. The whole process was a partnership to create Burton’s B. Boy.

This year, we’re really excited about the artist KAWS joining us. His character is called Companion. What’s interesting about it is that it’s in shades of grays and browns and whites. So, it will be very different for Macy’s Parade … as opposed to the colorful confetti that you’re so used to. I think it’s going to be a wonderful, artistic moment in the parade.

You mentioned that you go to Broadway shows and museums. Are there other places where you go for parade inspiration?

You can find inspiration anywhere. I walk through Times Square every day. I visit theme parks. I am a theme park enthusiast; I just love going to those. You go to the opera, you’ll find inspiration: how can we translate what a designer did to what we do? The world is an inspiration.

Is there any rules of thumb for creating a parade each year that keeps the attention of 50 million people?

You always start with Thanksgiving and you end with Santa Claus. And in between, you tell wonderful stories. You want to appeal to all ages. The parade’s theme has always been “a celebration for children everywhere,” and on Thanksgiving Day, hopefully we all become children in some regard. And we want to bring a smile to everyone’s face. Especially this year — people in this region have gone through a lot in the last few weeks. As we come together on this national holiday, we want to serve as a beacon of hope and renewal.

What are you most excited about in this year’s parade?

I’m always excited when I see Santa Claus arrive.

I bet.  

I’m excited about the Broadway shows. I’m glad that Charlie Brown is back in the parade after a seven-year absence. He’s like an old friend coming back to visit.

Are there any new things we should look out for?

There are some wonderful new floats. Our parade studio, under the supervision of John Piper, has outdone itself. There’s a new Goldfish on Parade float … The ninja turtles are back, and they’re on an exciting city landscape and there are fire escapes and zip lining poles. It’s totally different. Instead of being sweet and charming, it’s high energy, exiting.

One of the moments I’m really looking forward to is the kids from PS 22 — the choir that performed at the Oscars from Staten Island. They will be on our Gift of Freedom float, which olds a replication of the Statue of Liberty’s torch. They will be singing this wonderful number called “Home.” It’s going to be a quiet, heartwarming number. We’re thrilled to have them join us — and that’s what keeps our parade up to date. We try to acknowledge what’s happening in the world in a way that is entertaining, but also we don’t live in a vacuum. We live in this world.

You’ve won multiple Emmy Awards for writing music featured in the parade?

It’s part of the storyteller in me. If I can tell a certain story I want to tell through song, I’m thrilled to do that. It’s part of that theatrical experience. I used to write children’s theater shows back when I was in high school. It’s nice being honored by your peers for such an endeavor.

Have you created any new numbers for your 30^th parade?

We are doing a new number towards the end of the parade at the arrival of Santa Claus called “Santa by the Book,” which is a number Wesley Whatley and I created. He wrote the music, I wrote the lyrics. It’s part of our musical, “Yes Virginia: The Musical,” which is playing in schools around the country this holiday season. It’s actually being performed in more than 100 elementary schools and middle schools.

Do you have any tips for parade watchers?

Just enjoy yourself, and just watch it all go by and be proud that we can all be together and celebrate such wonderful things on Thanksgiving.

Each year, the parade begins with Thanksgiving and ends with Christmas

Hello Kitty — a new giant balloon that will fly over this year's parade

Kermit the Frog, a classic favorite balloon

The new Goldfish on Parade Float, which Mr. Schermerhorn mentioned in the interview

All photographs courtesy of Macy's

As Thanksgiving approaches, we highlight 10 “Thank You” lessons embedded in some of our favorite movies of the year.

1. The Hunger Games: We are thankful for our democracy — even if it’s imperfect — and for our freedom.

2. Lincoln: We are thankful for leaders who recognize that what’s right isn’t popular, but that rightness isn’t a popularity contest.

3. Skyfall: We are thankful for brave people who use brains and booby traps to protect the rest of us.

4. Breaking Dawn - Part 2: We are thankful for family and for unlikely alliances. They can make all the difference when European vampires come calling.

5. Brave: We are thankful for parents who trust us to make our own decisions.

6. Footnote: We are thankful for the success of the people we love (the alternative, depicted in this film, would make Thanksgiving dinner impossible).

7. Searching for Sugar Man: We are thankful for lucky coincidences; they give us hope that while we might feel unexceptional, we might actually be rock stars.

8. Moonrise Kingdom: We are thankful for people who take the time to write letters (and e-mails) because words can create and transform relationships.

9. Looper: We are thankful that time moves predictably forward, even if we sometimes wish we could slow it down or turn it around.

10. The Lorax: We are thankful for nature — and for the people who care about Truffula Trees and other parts of the world around them.

First of all, if you have been living under a rock, there was a real life scandal involving the Twilight Saga stars, Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. The two had been coupled both in the movie and in real life. Over the summer, we found out that Ms. Stewart, 22, had had an affair with Rupert Sanders (41, married, and her director on another film). Now, Ms. Stewart and Mr. Pattinson seem to be reunited. They were spotted holding hands at the London Premier of Breaking Dawn and they finished each other’s sentences in an interview with the Huffington Post.

OK! Now that the drama is out of the way, let’s turn to the facts that will get you ready for Breaking Dawn — Part 2!

Vampire Traits in Folklore and Fiction: This Wikipedia page has incredibly handy charts that compare vampires across different traditions and books on the basis of appearance, weaknesses, supernatural powers, reproduction and feeding, and setting characteristics. If you get really serious, you could turn to the books that were the source material for this Wikipedia entry — Vampires, Burial and Death: Folklore and Reality and V is for Vampire: The A-Z Guide to Everything Undead.

Twilight stars interviewed about Breaking Dawn – Part 2: You can hear interviews with Taylor Lautner (Jacob), Robert Pattinson (Edward), and Kristen Stewart (Bella).

Director Bill Condon Interviewed about Breaking Dawn: How Mr. Condon approached Taylor Lautner “imprinting” on a little girl without being creepy and more behind-the-scenes answers.  

The Woman Behind Twilight: Oprah uncovers the story behind the story in an interview with author Stephenie Meyer. Ms. Meyer explains that the idea that turned into the blockbuster hit came to her in a dream: “It was two people in kind of a little circular meadow with really bright sunlight, and one of them was a beautiful, sparkly boy and one was just a girl who was human and normal, and they were having this conversation…”

Twilight and What Women Want: Stephen Marche mocks Twilight in Esquire Magazine: “To sum up, this is what women want: never to die, to have sex unbounded by physical reality, to have super-strength, to be able to protect everyone they love just by willing it, to have a precocious daughter with a cool name who never dies, and to have lots of interesting cosmopolitan friends who will happily visit the rural Pacific Northwest. Really, is that too much to ask?”

5 Life Lessons I’ve Learned From The Twilight Saga: Glamour’s Anna Moeslein mockingly covers the lessons of Twilight for family, fashion, and more.

For Love of Do-Good Vampires: A Bloody Book List: If you’re having Edward and Bella withdrawal after Breaking Dawn concludes, turn to this book list, put together by NPR correspondent Margo Adler, who read 75 vampire novels in nine months, and lived to write about it.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16

If you’re craving ballet, head to City Center to see the New Chamber Ballet, which mixes dance and live music. You can read a fascinating New York Times profile of the company’s artistic director, Miro Magloire, here.

Does this quote ring a bell? “He didn't mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery magic had made him Real, and when you are Real shabbiness doesn't matter.” If so, maybe you should check out the kid-friendly new production of The Velveteen Rabbit — based on the popular children’s book by Margery Williams.

 

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17

Forget your Thanksgiving preparations, and get into the holiday spirit at the New York Botanical Garden’s annual Train Show, which features train replicas and a studio where you can learn about how the trains were created. The show opens Saturday and runs through January 13.

 

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 18

After WWII, Tokyo transformed from the center of a war-torn country into an international arts center. Starting Saturday (and through February) you can explore the paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, video, and design at MoMA’s Tokyo 1955-1970: A New Avant-Garde.

 

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19

Starting Monday, you can see Melissa James Gibson’s play about a father and his teenage daughter, What Rhymes With America, at the Atlantic Theater.

 

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20

Starting Tuesday, you can see writer and director Anthony Drazan’s new one-man show, The Nod, at the Nuyorican Poets Café.

If you’re a perfume buff (or if you want to become one), go to The Art of Scent at the Museum of Arts and Design to learn about innovations in scent design.

 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21

From 3 – 10 PM on Wednesday, head to Central Park West near the Natural History Museum to see Kermit the Frog and his fellow balloons get ready for the parade, which starts at 9 AM on Thanksgiving at 77^th an Central Park West and ends at Macy’s on 34^th Street.

 

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22

If you’re like us, you might be hoping that “Pumpkin Chunkin” is aired, once again, on television on Thanksgiving Day. But if you (somehow) get bored of pumpkin hurling, check out one of the blockbusters hitting theaters in time for the holiday. The top cinematic contenders are Silver Linings Playbook with Bradley Cooper as a recovering mental patient; Life of Pi, based on Yann Martel’s fantasy adventure book; Anna Karenina, the Russian classic starring Keira Knightley; Lincoln with Daniel Day-Lewis; or the final installment of the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn – Part 2.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 9
A big blockbuster weekend, with Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln and the latest Bond movie, Skyfall. You might have thought there were no more Bond stories to tell, but this one is getting lots of Culture Craver stars and some are calling it the best Bond film of all time — plus it showcases a new Adele song.

If you’re craving documentary films, you should be sure to check out DOC NYC — New York City’s documentary film festival, which began on November 8 and runs through Thursday, November 15. It features more than 100 documentaries and special events.

It’s also worth checking out Compagnie 111: Sans Objet at BAM (an acrobatic dance performance by a French company).

It is also the first day of a super cool exhibition on one of the most super cool disruptive technologies to ever hit the art world, rapid prototyping (better known as 3D printing). At Culture Craver, we are kind of obsessed with makerbots, so you may see us at Prototyping: An Exhibition in the Cloud at Parsons.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick set the stage for the new Showtime 10-part documentary and book The Untold History of the United States, offering the 92Y audience a first look at the potentially controversial findings that will make us consider whether we use American exceptionalism as a cover for imperialism.

In the art world, many galleries are still cleaning up post Sandy. But if you want, go check out Pier Paolo Calzolari's Sculptures at Marianne Boesky Gallery on the Upper East Side. This is the first exhibition of Calzolari’s work in the United States in more than 20 years. His works in the past have included such materials as ice, salt, feathers, and more.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11
Culture Craver is starting to wonder if there are any musicians or bands left that don’t have their own back-catalog musicals. This week's honoree is Dusty Springfield ("Son of a Preacher Man" and "Look of Love"), who's life is on stage (with music, of course) at New World Stages starting on Sunday.

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Back at the 92nd Street Y, join Jacques Pépin, André Soltner and Jean-Jacques Rachou for this delicious exploration of elegant eating in the Big Apple. A reception with the chefs featuring La Caravelle Champagne follows the program and Jacques Pépin will be signing his latest book, Jacques Pépin New Complete Techniques.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13
The newest David Mamet play, The Anarchist, this time directed by himself, starts previews on Broadway Tuesday.

On the same day, the clever playwright Paula Vogel's A Civil War Christmas opens at New York Theater Workshop.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14
DanceMotion USA(sm), a cultural diplomacy program that shares the rich dance culture of the U.S. with international audiences through performance and cultural exchange, begins Wednesday at BAM.

You could also learn something that might help you conquer the Sunday crossword from David J.Kahn: Crossword Puzzle Master. Need we say more?

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15
Sinister Pop, opening on Thursday, presents an inventive take on the Whitney’s rich and diverse holdings of Pop art from the movement’s inception in the early 1960s through its aftershocks a decade later.

And, if you are up late enough on Thursday night, the final Twilight Saga movie, Breaking Dawn, Part 2, opens at midnight. We, personally, can’t wait. 

Left: filmmaker Rory Kennedy (Credit: Lyndie Benson). Right: Robert F. Kennedy and his wife Ethel Skakel Kennedy (Credit: Moxie Firecracker Films). 

People used to view documentary films as the cinematic equivalent of eating spinach. Documentaries were a chore to watch — and potential return on investment was limited for their producers. No more: over the past decade, select documentaries have become box-office hits and television networks from CNN and ESPN to PBS and HBO have begun producing and distributing documentaries to large, receptive television audiences. 

“I think people now recognize the entertainment quality of documentaries,” filmmaker and producer Rory Kennedy said in an interview with Culture Craver.

Ms. Kennedy’s latest film, Ethel, is among the 100-plus documentaries and special events at DOC NYC, New York’s Documentary Film Festival, which is in New York City from November 8-15. This week, Culture Craver’s Julia Levy interviewed Ms. Kennedy about her film, what makes a great documentary, and about the future of the form.

Culture Craver: What inspired you to make Ethel?

Kennedy: I had been approached by HBO’s Sheila Nevins to do this film. I initially said no, but she was very persistent. I then figured my mother would say “no” because she really hates doing interviews, and hasn’t done one in 30 years and has never really told her life story. But I asked her, and she surprised me, and said “yes.” My siblings and I had been encouraging my mother at that time to write a book about her life because we recognize that she has had such an extraordinary life and has such character and has so many amazing stories. We really felt that she should share them. She was very resistant to that idea. I did feel that if I didn’t do this now, it probably wouldn’t get done.

Culture Craver: Is a book next?

Kennedy: I don’t think so. There’s no book in the works.

Culture Craver: In the last decade, we’ve seen documentaries become blockbusters. Do you think documentary successes like “Waiting for Superman” or “Inconvenient Truth” have changed the documentary field? How so?

Kennedy: I think they have in that they’ve shown that documentaries can be commercial. I think for many years, they were thought of as spinach that you had to eat and you had to watch. I think people now recognize the entertainment quality of documentaries. Television is so inundated with so much stuff that doesn’t have social value to it that people really appreciate what they can learn from documentaries. I think those two films are great examples, but there are plenty of others that have had great commercial success and that have also opened up our eyes to different issues and to different stories in ways that can increase our world view.

Culture Craver: In recent years, we’ve also seen cable networks (from ESPN, to CNN, to HBO, and more) creating more and more documentaries. I’m wondering what you think the future is for documentary film as a genre?

Kennedy: Well, I think there is a lot of funding for documentaries through broadcasters and through cable, and so I think that’s going to continue to be a source of funding.  In theatrical markets, while there are examples of breakthrough films — and there certainly are a handful every year that make money — it is still unfortunately the exception more than the rule that you can both reach a wide audience in a theatrical and make any substantial money by doing one for documentaries. So I think that both in terms of funding and financial support, as well as distribution, television is really an important source of both of those for documentaries.

Culture Craver: Do you think documentary filmmakers have lessons to teach narrative filmmakers about TV distribution?

Kennedy: I think we can all learn from each other. I go see dramatic features and certainly take some lessons from those in the documentary world. I think that there’s a lot that dramatic filmmakers can learn from documentaries as well — both in terms of the content and story telling, as well as distribution mechanisms. But I don’t know that documentaries are teaching anything to dramatic filmmakers in terms of distribution on television. There are certainly great examples like HBO Productions where they have really fantastic films that maybe 20 years ago would have really had a distribution in theaters that you now see on television. I also think that the content that you see on television — there’s some really amazing TV shows and series that are being made now that are pushing the envelope in ways that we used to just rely on theatrical films to do — really amazing writing and story telling, and all of those elements, you’re seeing in television. You’re kind of narrowing the field in dramatic storytelling through theatricals where people aren’t taking the risk. I don’t want to say “generic,” but it’s kind of a narrowing in the field in terms of what kind of content is out there for dramatic films.

Culture Craver: You have a lot of film festival experience. What advice do you have for people interested in attending DOC NYC next week?

Kennedy: Well, I’m excited about DOC NYC. I’ve never attended it, so I’m not sure I can help navigate it entirely. But I think they’ve done a great job in their selection process and there are some other terrific films that are showcased there. I really encourage people to go out and see these films; I think the selection committee has worked very hard to determine some of the great films of the year and they’re all in one place in New York City, and I think it’s going to be a great event.

Culture Craver: What is it that you think makes a great documentary film? What do you personally look for when you’re trying to pick one?

Kennedy: Subject matter obviously plays a significant role. It’s a lot of the same elements that you have in dramatic film — where you want great storytelling, structure, character, a narrative arc. So, those are the films that tend to work and reach a larger audience. I think obviously that’s not a determining factor as to how good a film is, but I think it’s important to consider audience response to a documentary as it is in a dramatic feature. You want to reach a larger audience, obviously. That’s important to do. In think in order to do that, it does sometimes mean pursuing some of these more conventional and traditional ideas about what makes great film — which are the things I just outlined. 

Culture Craver: Are there any films you’re excited to see at DOC NYC (other than Ethel)?

Kennedy: I don’t know that I want to say particular ones because I don’t want to leave out others. But there are a number of them that I’ve seen already, and from the list that I’ve gone through and the films that I have seen, I think it’s a great group of films that are being showcased there.

Culture Craver: Finally, what’s next for you?

Kennedy: I’m in production on a film on the last days of Vietnam for PBS.

Culture Craver: When can we expect to see that?

Kennedy: In like a year or so — nine months or a year — it should be done sooner than that, but I’m not sure when they’re going to broadcast it.

For more, read Culture Craver’s recent article, “Five Lessons on the Future of Film.” Also, be sure to visit the DOC NYC page on Culture Craver to get an overview of the Ethel and the other films you can see at the festival — and to crave the ones that excite you. 

Con Ed announced that it would restore power for New Yorkers served by underground networks (such as those in Lower Manhattan) by this weekend and that it would restore all power by next weekend. Given the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, we strongly recommend double-checking before heading to any cultural events this week. That said, there are some great new cultural events debuting in the coming week in New York City, so it’s time to start craving.

Friday, November 2

This week was harrowing. Sitting in a quiet movie theater might be exactly what you need. Movies opening this weekend include: A Late Quartet, Wreck it Ralph, Flight, Vamps, Jack & Diane, The Details, The Bay, and North Sea Texas. (Click the link to find out each film’s custom score for you.)

 

Saturday, November 3

Calling all Muggles! Saturday is the first day of Harry Potter: The Exhibition at the Discovery Center in Times Square, where you can learn about the craftsmanship that went into creating the Harry Potter movies.

 

Sunday, November 4

Feeling forgetful? Learn about how the mind remembers and how we can alter or enhance memories from two experts on memory — Eric Kandel and Elie Wiesel — at the 92^nd Street Y. Tickets are currently still available.

 

Monday, November 5

Feeling like dance? There’s a one-night-only event you might want to check out at City Center: Jump for Joy! A Dance Variety Spectacular

You can also hear from author Tom Wolfe about his new book, Back to Blood, at the 92^nd Street Y.

 

Tuesday, November 6

Most importantly, go vote! It’s Election Day.

See the Rude Mechs’ Dionysus in 69. The Texas company’s production is running only through November 10!

 

Wednesday, November 7

This is the first night of The Twenty Seventh Man — a play set in a Soviet prison in 1952 — at the Public Theater.

It’s also the first night of a five-night run of Morphoses’ New York premiere of WITHIN (Labyrinth Within) by Swedish choreographer and filmmaker Pontus Lidberg.

It’s also the night of the New York premiere of the play with the longest title we’ve ever seen — We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Sudwesta. Soho Rep explains: “An ensemble of American actors come together to make a play about the little-known first genocide of the 20th century.”

Thursday, November 8

There are a bunch of new shows coming to New York City on Thursday, including:

My Name is Asher Lev, based on the Chaim Potok book

Golden Boy, the classic about a gifted violinist torn between pursuing a career in music and earning big money as a prize fighter.

Skin Tight, a “passionate and brutal” love story at 59 East 59th

Here are Culture Craver's picks of the best new art, theater, dance, movies, and talks of the week in New York City. What are YOU craving? Pick among these suggestions — or explore our full listings and recommendations at Culture Craver!

Friday, October 26

A new musical, Giant, is beginning tonight at the Public Theater. It’s an epic, multi-generational chronicle of a Texas family.

 

Saturday, October 27

Check out one of the weekend’s new movies. Cloud Atlas has received a ton of buzz. The New York Times’ A.O. Scott wrote of it: “This is by no means the best movie of the year, but it may be the most movie you can get for the price of a single ticket.” Another movie worth seeing is The Loneliest Planet, which is about a local guide who takes a young couple on a backpacking trip across the Georgian wilderness.

 

Sunday, October 28

It would have been Julia Child’s 100^th birthday. You can attend a panel celebrating her at the 92^nd Street Y at 7:30 PM. It features the editor of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking,” a culinary historian, and one of Child’s descendants. At the time of publication, tickets were still available. 

Or, if you're getting ready for Halloween, go to the Artists’ Halloween Carnival and Parade at PS1. It's a party hosted by Courtney Love and Klaus Biesenbach. From 3 - 9 PM, you can attend an artists’ costume workshop, a costume parade and contest, and a dance party.

Tuesday, October 30

It’s your chance to see Vincent van Gogh's Portrait of a Peasant (Patience Escalier). It’s in NYC all the way from California and on display from October 30 through January 20 at the Frick.

It’s also the first day of Extravagant Inventions: The Princely Furniture of the Roentgens, where you can see fancy furniture from the late 1700s to early 1800s.

August Wilson’s play, the Piano Lesson, begins at the Signature Theater on October 30. It runs through December 16.

Wednesday, October 31 

It's the 40th year of the Village Halloween Parade. Starting at 7 PM, costumed New Yorkers can march in one of the most fun, creative parades of the year. If you go, you'll see hundreds of puppets, dancers, and artists, as well as 53 bands.

Thursday, November 1

It’s Thursday, so it’s a great day for art gallery exhibits. A few new exhibits you might enjoy are: Mickalene Thomas: How to Organize a Room Around a Striking Piece of Art at Lehmann Maupin Gallery, Robert Arneson: Playing Dirty at Allan Stone Gallery, Ben Weiner: SMUSH at Benrimon Contemporary, and Francis Alys at David Zwirner.

It’s also the first of three days of Grupo Corpo’s contemporary Brazilian dance performance, Ímã & Sem Mim, at BAM.

1. The Scream

Go see this disturbing pastel — which is on loan to the MoMA by the private collector who purchased it last spring. The Scream isn’t exactly Halloween artwork, but it DID inspire the ghost face mask from the Scream movies, and we suspect it will inspire you, too. 

 

2. Sleep No More

This Punch Drunk show features darkness, masks, blood, and plentiful surprises. You might not be able to secure tickets in time for Halloween, but you can book your tickets and reserve a table at the associated bar, Gallow Green, for a spooky cocktail this week. 

3. Silence! The Musical

Lewd. Lowbrow. Based on the famous fictional serial killer. This unauthorized musical parody of the Silence of the Lambs gets lots of stars on Culture Craver, and there are still tickets for Halloween week.

4. Village Halloween Parade

In its 40^th year, this parade is full of the most adventurous, wild, amazing costumes in the world. It starts at 7 p.m. All costumed New Yorkers can march. It includes hundreds of puppets, dancers, and artists, as well as 53 bands.

5. Hansel & Gretel’s Halloween Adventure

Kids might enjoy seeing the classic fairytale duo as marionettes after they escape from the witch and spend Halloween at home.

6. Haunted High Line Halloween

From 11 AM – 1 PM on Saturday, October 27, put on your costume and head to the High Line for face painting, music, pumpkin decorating, a scavenger hunt, and dress up photos with take home insta-prints.

7. Halloween Weekend Graveyard Tour

On Sunday, October 28, take a tour of real burial grounds in Van Cortland Park with Borough Historian Lloyd Ultan.  The New York City Parks Department also offers a wide range of Halloween activities — from a Haunted Pumpkin Garden (Tuesday – Sunday through October 31) to a Canine Costume Carnival (11 AM – 1 PM on Saturday, October 27) to Pumpkin Fest (11 AM – 3 PM on Saturday, October 27). 

8. Artists’ Halloween Carnival and Parade at PS1

From 3 – 9 PM on Sunday, October 28, head to PS1 in Long Island City for a Halloween party hosted by Courtney Love and Klaus Biesenbach. You can attend an artists’ costume workshop, a costume parade and contest, and a dance party.

9. The Cabin in the Woods

This horror film from earlier this year received excellent reviews. And it's easy access: you can currently see it on Time Warner On Demand.

10. Twilight

With the Nov. 16 release of the final “Twilight” film fast approaching, why not go back to the roots of the vampire saga? The original is currently on Time Warner On Demand.

11. Frankenweenie

Tim Burton’s comedy horror family film about a boy who brings his dog Sparky back to life is currently running in movie theaters.

Your peers might be dressing up as Obama, Romney, or Sexy Big Bird. But not you — you're a culture lover, and you require a costume that reflects your culture savvy. Here are some culture costume ideas, inspired by this year on Broadway, in art, and in the movies. 

Friday, October 19

Two big shows are coming to Broadway this evening — Glengarry Glen Ross and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. If you're craving them, it's time to get your tickets!  

With rain in the forecast, it might be a good day to stay indoors and find culture on your TV. The new HBO documentary about Ethel Kennedy, Ethel, will be On Demand starting today.

Saturday, October 20

See one of this weekend’s new movies. The best options are Student of the Year, an Indian romantic comedy, The Sessions with Helen Hunt and William H. Macy, andBrooklyn Castle, about a middle school champion chess team. It’s probably best to avoid Nobody Walks, about a family that takes in a young artist, and Alex Cross, which is about a homicide detective/psychologist. Both are getting more bombs than stars from the critics.

Sunday, October 21

The Architecture and Design Film Festival runs all weekend. Be sure to check out the Architecture as Diplomat — Embassies and what they Communicate panel on Sunday afternoon at 3:30.

It’s a great day for new art, including a Chuck Close exhibit at Pace Gallery, and three new exhibits open at PS1.

Monday, October 22

It’s a day for readings! There are hundreds in Culture Craver. To find the ones that interest you, just filter your recommendations for talks/lectures/screenings. We’re craving the author Orhan Pamuk’s talk at the 92^nd Street Y on Monday.

Tuesday, October 23

From the 23^rd through the 28^th see Ballet Next — a new classical ballet company — at the Joyce. Last year, they sold out, so buy tickets soon!

Golden Child — a play about a Chinese businessman in a power struggle — begins performances at the Signature Theater. Plus, The Performers starts on Broadway. It’s a romantic comedy about two high school friends who reconnect at the adult film awards in Las Vegas.

Wednesday, October 24

House/Divided, a high-tech portrait of human struggle in the face of foreclosure and uncertain financial future, starts at BAM’s Next Wave Festival.

Thursday, October 25

It’s the first day of the major Richard Artschwager review at the Whitney.

From 5 – 10 PM, head to the High Line to see Oscar Muñoz’s 2003 video Re/trato. It’s on display through December 12. In the evening, also stop by Madison Square Park for the first evening of Buckyball, two glowing, nested, geodesic sculptural spheres created by Leo Villareal on behalf of the Madison Square Park Conservancy. It will be on display through February 1.  

	Dr. No (1962)
	From Russia with Love (1963)
	Goldfinger (1964)
	Thunderball (1965)
	You Only Live Twice (1967)
	On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
	Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
	Live and Let Die (1973)
	The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
	The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
	Moonraker (1979)
	For Your Eyes Only (1981)
	Octopussy (1983)
	A View to a Kill (1985)
	The Living Daylights (1987)
	Licence to Kill (1989)
	GoldenEye (1995)
	Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
	The World Is Not Enough (1999)
	Die Another Day (2002)
	Casino Royale (2006)
	Quantum of Solace (2008)
pollcode.com free polls

Crave the upcoming Bond Film, Skyfall, on Culture Craver. 

Or...rate the 22 that have been released since 1962. Here are links: 

Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985), The Living Daylights (1987), Licence to Kill (1989), GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008)

Friday, October 12

Checkers about Richard Nixon’s early political career opens at the Vineyard Theatre on October 12 and runs through November 18. It’s by Douglas McGrath and has a great cast — Kathryn Erbe, Joel Marsh Garland, Anthony LaPaglia, Kevin O'Rourke, John Ottavino, Kelly Coffield Park, Mark Shanahan, Lewis J. Stadlen, and Robert Stanton.

If you thought the art of manipulating images was born with Photoshop, think again. In the first major exhibition devoted to the history of doctored photographs, Faking it: Manipulated Photography Before Photoshop, the Met raises questions about "visual truth" as it looks at how photographers have played around with images since the camera was invented. While you’re there, also check out the Met’s concurrent exhibit, After Photoshop: Manipulated Photography in the Digital Age about more recent photo manipulations (it’s great).

Explore Tibetan art at the Place of Provenance exhibit, which opens Oct. 12 at the Rubin Museum or see rarely seen in America drawings at the Morgan at Munich at the Durer to Kooning: 100 Master Drawings From Munich.

Art in Odd Places, which began last weekend, runs through Monday, October 15. More than 100 projects by artists from New York City and around the world will take over 14^th Street from Avenue C to the Hudson River. The event seeks to “take pedestrians off their predictable paths and move them into a new awareness of their everyday landscape.” To find out when and where to go, follow Art in Odd Places on Twitter at @ArtinOddPlaces.

New York City is also in the midst of the Fall for Dance Festival at City Center. There are performances on October 11, 12, and 13. Find show details and buy tickets on City Center’s website.

 

Saturday, October 13

You could learn something about butter from famed Southern chef Paula Deen or listen to a conversation between chef Marcus Samuelson (a James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef and the winner of “Top Chef: Masters”) and New York Times National Editor Sam Sifton. At the time this was posted, tickets are still available to both talks.

From noon to 5 PM, check out the Public Theater’s Block Party and Open House. You can see the newly renovated theater, get sneak peaks of new musicals (Giant, Fun Home, Here Lies Love, The Total Bent), listen to music, and eat from a series of gourmet food trucks.

The Transport Group’s House for Sale begins Saturday at The Duke on 42nd Street. It’s written by Jonathan Franzen and directed by Daniel Fish. It runs through November 18.

Previews for Scandalous begin on Broadway on Saturday. It stars Carolee Carmello as Aimee Semple McPherson — a charismatic and controversial preacher in the 1920s.

 

Sunday, October 14

Catch up on one (or more) of the craveable new movies that opened this weekend. Options include:

Argo — CIA agent Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) pretends to be a filmmaker to get into Iran and rescue American Diplomats.

Seven Psychopaths — A struggling screenwriter accidentally becomes entangled in the LA criminal underworld after his friends kidnaps a gangster’s beloved dog.

Sinister — A novelist uses video footage to find out how and why a family was murdered in his new home, putting his family in danger.

Smashed — A married couple put their relationship to the test when they sober up.

 

Monday, October 15

Some Sweet Day, a three-week program of contemporary dance at MoMA’s Marron Atrium, begins on Monday. Find full details on the museum’s website.

 

Tuesday, October 16

Glengarry Glen Ross — David Mamet’s Pulitzer-prize winning drama about cutthroat Chicago real estate salesmen begins previews on Broadway on Tuesday. It stars Al Pacino, and will run through December.  

 

Wednesday, October 17

See Etahn Hawke in Austin Pendelton’s production of Chekhov’s Ivanov at Classic Stage Company. It runs through December 7.

Or see a new musical, Fun Home, at the Public Lab. It’s based on Alison Bechdel’s graphic novel and set at a funeral home.

 

Thursday, October 18

Check out some gallery openings. Ideas include:

Made in China — see Chinese artist Liao Yibai’s exhibit, inspired by China’s lucrative fake antique industry, at the Mike Weiss Gallery in Chelsea (opening: 6 – 8 PM)

Dawn — see new work by the Japanese photographer Yu Yamauchi at the Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery in Chelsea (opening 6 – 8 PM)

Doug Rickard: A New American Picture — see photographs compiled from Google Street View at the Yossi Milo Gallery (opening 6 – 8 PM)

Sandra Ramos: Viaje al Sueno Americano — see Cuban artist Sandra Ramos’ work at the Accola Griefen Gallery in Chelsea (opening 6 – 8 PM)

Michal Chelbin: Sailboats and Swans — photographs shot in seven prisons in the Ukraine and Russia over the last six years opens at Andrea Meislin Gallery in Chelsea.

 

Friday, October 19

Previews begin for the Broadway musical revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The book, music, and lyrics are by Rupert Holmes and the cast includes Chita Rivera, Jim Norton, Stephanie J. Block, Will Chase, Gregg Edelman, Jessie Mueller, and Betsy Wolfe.

Picasso Black and White opens Friday, Oct. 5 at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.

 

Friday, October 5

The New Yorker Festival starts Friday and runs through Sunday. Many of the tickets have been sold out, but those of you who were lucky enough to get tickets in time can rate the New Yorker events that you see on Culture Craver to let your friends know what they’re missing.

Art in Odd Places begins Friday and runs through Monday, October 15. More than 100 projects by artists from New York City and around the world will take over 14^th Street from Avenue C to the Hudson River. MODEL says it seeks to “take pedestrians off their predictable paths and move them into a new awareness of their everyday landscape.”

At the Affordable Art Fair — from Thursday through Sunday — you can finally find some art for your empty apartment walls! More than 75 galleries will display paintings, sculptures, photographs, and more. Prices range from $100 to $10,000. It’s open Friday from 5 – 8 p.m., Saturday from 11 AM – 8 PM, and Sunday from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

We’re in the midst of the Fall for Dance Festival at City Center. There are performances on October 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13. Find show details and buy tickets on City Center’s website.

The 10^th annual Open House New York starts Saturday and runs through Sunday. It’s an annual festival when you can take exclusive tours of New York City places, from Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx to the Bank of America Tower in Manhattan to the Hindu Temple Society of America in Queens. Reservations are closed, but you can still attend certain events even if you haven’t made a reservation in advance. Get full details on the Open House New York website.

 

Saturday, October 6

See one of the exhibits that opened this week at one of the City’s great museums. Top picks include:

WWII & NYC opened Friday at the New York Historical Society. The comprehensive exhibit explores the impact of the war on New York City.

Wade Guyton OS opened Thursday at the Whitney. He uses scanners, computers, and other modern digital tools to create abstract art.

Picasso Black and White opened Friday at the Guggenheim. It’s a survey of Pablo Picasso’s work from 1904 to 1971 and includes more than 100 paintings and sculptures.

 

Sunday, October 7

See one of the movies that opened this weekend. Options include Butter about a Iowa girl’s unexpected butter carving talent, The Oranges about a suburban guy who falls for his friends’ daughter, The Paperboy about a reporter who returns to his hometown to investigate a case involving a death row inmate, and Wuthering Heights based on the Emily Bronte classic.

 

Monday, October 8

It’s Columbus Day — a great day to book your pass to see Discovering Columbus, the public art installation at Columbus Circle, the Columbus Day Parade on 5^th Avenue, or one of the many other monuments to the explorer around New York City.

 

Tuesday, October 9

Doug Varone and Dancers begin their run at the Joyce on Thursday. A Boston review of the company’s show in Massachusetts this week said the performance “left audiences awed.” They will be performing Aperture, Carrugi and Ballet Mecanique.

Wild With Happy, Colman Domingo’s new comedy about death and healing, opens at the Public Theater. It runs through November 11. 

 

Wednesday, October 10

Two new exhibits start Wednesday at the New Museum of Contemporary Art. Judith Bernstein: HARD, a survey of the New York City artist’s work from the 1960s through today, which criticizes militarism and machismo. And right in time for the election, Your Land/My Land: Election 12 opens. It’s an installation that focuses on America’s divided political culture.

Acclaimed Norwegian writer Jon Fosse’s play, A Summer Day, opens at the Cherry Lane Theatre Wednesday. It runs through December 8.

 

Thursday, October 11

Performance artist Dread Scott explores intimations of slavery in the United States’ founding documents in this one-night-only site-specific installation at BAM that is part I of the Brooklyn Bred series. The second installations are Friday (Jennifer Miller) and Saturday (Coco Fusco).

Faking It, an exhibit about manipulated photographs before Photoshop, opens Thursday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It features hundreds of photographs taken between 1840 and the 1990s to explore complex visual truths. 

Whoopi Goldberg is a product of Hollywood: she was Celie Johnson in The Color Purple in 1985, Oda Mae Brown in Ghost in 1990, and Sister Mary Clarence in Sister Act in 1992. She has won an Oscar, a couple of Emmys and Golden Globes, a Tony, and a Grammy. 

But this past June, she turned not to a studio but to Kickstarter, the crowd-funding platform, for the $65,000 she need to finish producing her documentary about Moms Mabley, a standup comedian who is one of Ms. Goldberg's role models.

She raised what she needed, but the effort wasn’t totally stress free.

“People got really pissed at me,” Ms. Goldberg said today at an Advertising Week panel discussion on the Future of Film. “People just assume that you’re sitting on wads of dough.”

Welcome to today — when the studios are churning out sequels, when producers are conducing experiments with new distribution models, when celebrities are turning to Internet supporters to fund their passion projects, and when brands that used to focus on creating 30-second spots are creating feature-length films.

It’s clear that today’s film industry is looking less and less like the film industry of the 20^th Century. So, what’s in store for the future?

Today's Ad Week panel, which included Ms. Goldberg, as well as Tribeca Enterprises’ Jon Patricof, ESPN Films’ Connor Schell, GE’s Judy Hu, Ogilvy’s Doug Scott, proposed some answers. Here are the five top lessons of the afternoon:

1. Storytelling won’t die — if anything it will grow stronger.

A lot of top movies today are not telling original stories: they are sequels or prequels; they are cinematic versions of popular books; they are re-makes of popular classics. 

But don’t be fooled. Storytelling will become more important than ever in the years to come.

“I don’t think the public has given up on original storytelling,” Ms. Goldberg said. “Now that we’ve given everybody the ability to have an opinion, everybody does.”

Mr. Scott said there is increasing competition for leisure time, and spinoffs are safe bets. But, he said, audiences are craving stories told by independent voices.

2. Movies will meet audiences on their own turf.

The studios are perpetually worried about declining box office receipts. The New York Times reported last month that ticket sales were down three percent over the summer.

But with new digital platforms and distribution models, movies will — more and more — meet consumers where they are.

“We want our audience to find these films wherever they’re consuming,” Mr. Schell said.

3. Social influence will drive content.

A news story last week contended that studios are now relying on Klout scores to choose projects because stars with serious social media savvy are valuable assets.

As Twitter, Facebook, and other social platforms increasingly make it possible to track trust and influence, they also become ways to predict how popular a star will be or how quickly an idea will catch on.

In this environment, stars like Whoopi Goldberg — who regularly interacts with her nearly 260,000 Twitter followers — will be better positioned than social media hermits to launch new projects and tell new stories.

4. It will be attractive (and easy) to create films without going to film school.  

With technology making it cheaper and easier to make movies and with frustration with the old studio system growing, more and more people (and brands) are creating films. GE has created about 30 short films to promote what Ms. Hu called “inspirational messages” and ESPN has created 45 feature-length documentaries about sports.  Mr. Patricof said the Tribeca Film Festival is receiving more and more submissions each year. This year, it got about 6,000.

The panelists seemed confident that this trend would continue as the technology continues to improve.

“Society looks for stories. We want to learn. We want to laugh. We want to have connections with people who have similar interests,” Mr. Scott said. Social media, he said, is giving brands a new outlet for telling stories and creating what he calls “cultural artifacts.”

5. Re-education will be required to ensure survival.

With new players — from individuals to big brands — popping up regularly in the film industry, the old players need to forget some of the rules they have learned over the course of their careers. 

“Filmmakers have to un-learn what they’ve learned about the traditional models,” Mr. Schell said. “Change has to be accepted through the full creative lifecycle.”

Thomas Bayrle’s "American Dream" opens at the High Line on October 1.

Here are Culture Craver's picks of the most exciting cultural events in New York City this week. What are you craving? 

Friday, September 28

Friday through Sunday you can visit the seventh annual Art Book Fair at PS1, the premier event for artists’ books, catalogs, monographs, periodicals, and zones from 270+ international presses, booksellers, antiquarians, artists, and independent publishers.

Friday through Sunday, you can also visit the Dumbo Arts Festival, which features indoor and outdoor art installations, large-scale digital projects — as well as music, poetry, and circus artists. Find the full schedule of events at www.dumboartsfestival.com. Friday from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday from noon to 9 p.m., Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

 

Saturday, September 29

Saturday is The Smithsonian’s National Museum Day. More than 1,500 museums across the country are free. In New York City, options include El Museo del Barrio, the Jewish Museum, the New York Historical Society, The Noguchi Museum, The American Folk Art Museum, and The Morgan Library and Museum. Get passes and find a full list on the Museum Day website.

 

Sunday, September 30

See one of this weekend’s new movies. The highest rated option is Looper, about a futuristic time traveler, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Other new films this week include Won’t Back Down (a fictional education reform movie), Pitch Perfect (Anna Kendrick injects some fun into her college’s all girls’ a cappella group), and Bringing up Bobby (about a European con artist living in Oklahoma).

 

Monday, October 1

Thomas Bayrle’s American Dream goes on display at the High Line. The billboard by the Frankfurt-based artist is on display through October 31. For a full schedule of public art on the High Line, check out the Art Map.

 

Tuesday, October 2

A few exciting museum exhibits open today: 

Mantegna to Matisse opens at the Frick. This show includes nearly 60 drawings from the Courtauld Gallery in London.

Bashford Dean and the Creation of the Arms and Armor Department opens at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This exhibit marks the 100-year anniversary of the creation of the Arms and Armor department.

New Photography 2012 opens at MoMA. It includes the work of five photographers — Michele Abeles, Birdhead, Anne Collier, Zoe Crosher, and Shirana Shahbazi.

 

Wednesday, October 3

It’s a good day for theater.

Paris Commune opens at BAM’s Next Wave Festival. It’s a musical play by The Civilians’ artistic director Steven Cosson and composer Michael Friedman, which uses primary sources and music of the 1870s to bring France’s fourth revolution to life. 

And it’s the first day of previews for Annie on Broadway. This will be your first chance since the 1990s to see Daddy Warbucks, Miss Hannigan, and, of course, our favorite Great Depression-era redhead on Broadway.

 

Thursday, October 4

There are many exciting art gallery openings today, including:

• New Paintings by Barbara Grinell, DEEP play: Imaginary realms and comfort objects by Daria Dorosh, and Shift by Nancy Morrow at A.I.R. Gallery in Dumbo from 6 – 9 p.m.
• Chosen at ArtGate Gallery in Chelsea from 6 – 8 p.m.
• Darren Waterston: Remote Futures and Hat Trick at DC Moore Gallery in Chelsea from 6 – 8 p.m.
• Greg Lamarche: Timeless at Joshua Liner Gallery in Chelsea from 6 – 9 p.m.
• Thank You Andy Warhol at Benrimon Contemporary in Chelsea from 6-8 p.m.
• Perception of Self at Forum Gallery in Midtown

110 Junction by Matthew Porter at After Photoshop: Manipulated Photography in the Digital Age at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

It's another week of fall firsts in the New York City culturesphere. Here's a list of art, theater, movies, and more that you should check out.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Today, you could check out one of the brand new movies hitting theaters. How to Survive a Plague about ACT UP and TAG fighting AIDS has received excellent reviews. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on the book by Stephen Chbosky — who also directs the film, is also worth seeing.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22

Film Festival. The big New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center begins next Friday, but this weekend you can check out a bunch of small film festivals in New York City, including Harlem International Film Festival, the Coney Island Film Festival, and the Williamsburg International Film Festival.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23

The Brooklyn Book Festival is today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Brooklyn Borough Hall and in the surrounding plaza. It’s the largest free literary event in New York City where you can meet more than 200 authors and meet fellow book lovers.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 24

Beginning today and running through November 5, you can visit to MoMA Studio: Common Senses — a multisensory environment that the museum has created in conjunction with the Century of the Child exhibit that is currently showing.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25

After Photoshop: Manipulated Photography in the Digital Age opens today at the Met. You can learn how modern photographers are using digital tools to manipulate images. This exhibit is linked with Faking It at the Met, which opens in October and explores early manipulation of photographs.

WEDESNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

Don’t forget to reserve tickets to the Public Art Fund’s Discovering Columbus exhibit at Columbus Circle, which puts visitors on eye-level with the statue of Christopher Columbus. When Mayor Bloomberg visited the exhibition, he told NY1: “I looked at the statue yesterday and I wondered, 'I wonder what he's thinking right now.’” You can reserve tickets here.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf begins previews on Broadway today at the Booth Theatre. Falling, a new family drama about autism by Deanna Jent, begins at Minetta Lane Theater.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28

The New York Film Festival begins today. Multiple exciting movies are screening, including Life of Pi, Tabu, Not Fade Away, and more…

You could also check out some beautiful art books at PS1 at the seventh annual NY Art Book Fair, which runs through Monday.

This week has made it clear that running for president doesn't make a candidate too good for coaching. On the contrary — these guys need help! So, Culture Craver has compiled a list of 10 lessons that real-life politicians could learn from their on-screen peers.  

1. On Pragmatism: “I don’t get political points for being an idealist. I have to do the best I can with what I have.”

— Lt. James Gordon (Gary Oldman) in The Dark Knight

 

2. On Action: War is young men dying and old men talking. You know this. Ignore the politics.

— Odysseus in Troy

 

3. On Campaign Finance: “I, um, whurr, whuh, hey, fellas, that's ... you're being a little extreme, I feel. Why don't, why don't, why don't we just try to influence their political process with campaign contributions?”

— Z (Woody Allen) in Antz

 

4. On the Political Establishment: “I'm fed up with party politics, tired of the whole Republicans versus Democrats thing. Because there's no real difference; they're all Mr. Potato-Head candidates. Basically, the operative word is party. Behind closed doors, they just have a good time.”

— Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) in Man of the Year

 

5. On Political Power: “Power is not a toy we give to good children. It is a weapon. And the strong man takes it and uses it.” 

— President Art Hockstader (Lee Tracy) in The Best Man

 

6. On Political Will: “We have everything, save perhaps political will. But in America, I believe political will is a renewable resource.”

— Al Gore, playing himself in AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH

 

7. On Political Feelings: “Always remember: others may hate you. But those who hate you don't win unless you hate them. And then you destroy yourself.” 

— Richard Nixon (Anthony Hopkins) in Nixon

 

8. On Idealism: “To find something, anything, a great truth or a lost pair of glasses, you must first believe there would be some advantage in finding it. I found something a long time ago, and have held on to it for grim death ever since. I owe my success in life to it; it put me where I am today. This principle: what you don't know, won't hurt you. They called it idealism in a book I read.”

— Jack Burden (Jude Law) in All the Kings Men

 

9. On Alacrity: “A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

— Conrad ‘Connie’ Brean (Robert De Niro) in Wag the Dog

 

10. On Optimism: “There's been abroad in this land in recent months a whisper that we have somehow lost our greatness, that we do not have the strength to win without war the struggles for liberty throughout the world. This is slander, because our country is strong, strong enough to be a peacemaker. It is proud, proud enough to be patient. The whisperers and the detractors, the violent men are wrong. We will remain strong and proud, peaceful and patient, and we will see a day when on this earth all men will walk out of the long tunnels of tyranny into the bright sunshine of freedom.”

— President Jordan Lyman (Fredric March) in Seven Days in May

Modern Terrorism: or They Who Want to Kill Us and How We Learn to Love Them opens at Second Stage next Friday, September 21. 

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 14

Finally! Fall movies are here. Tonight, you can check out some of this weekend’s new films. The Master has received film festival acclaim and — by a small edge — has the highest score of the new movies on Culture Craver (well, other than Finding Nemo 3D). It stars Philip Seymour Hoffman as a charismatic religious leader known as “the Master,” and a young drifter, Joaquin Phoenix, who becomes his right-hand man. You could also see Arbitrage, a timely fictional account of a hedge fund deal gone wrong, starring Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon or Beauty is Embarrassing (a documentary about the creator of Pee Wee’s Playhouse, playing at IFC.

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15

DISAGREEABLE OBJECT opens at the Sculpture Center in Long Island City. It’s a building-wide exhibition, featuring sculptures from around the world and exploring contrast: desire and repulsion, familiar and unfamiliar. It runs through November 26.

 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

REY AKDOGAN: NIGHT CURTAIN opens at the Miguel Abreu Gallery from dusk to 9 PM. From the opening until October 14, this show — which explores light — will be open from dusk to midnight. (The artist also is part of a show closing September 17 at PS1.)

 

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 17

This is the night of the opening party for the Brooklyn Book Festival. Readers are invited to meet their “Internet friends in person for chatting, drinking, and dancing to kick off the most bookish week in Brooklyn.” For those who can pry themselves away from all the cultural events — and the books — in New York City, this event, which starts at 7 PM, might be fun! Plus it’s free.

 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

Regarding Warhol: Sixty Artists, Fifty Years opens today at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibit juxtaposes Andy Warhol’s work to those of predecessors — from Chuck Close to Richard Avedon to Ai Weiwei — to understand how contemporary artists reinterpreted or reacted to Warhol’s work. Check out our interactive map before you visit to get in a Warhol mindset!

 

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

There are hundreds of art gallery shows opening this fall in New York City. Openings and free and fun! Here are a handful of openings happening on Wednesday: 

FREDDIE STYLES at Bill Hodges Gallery. Opening 6-8 PM

SEOKMIN KO: THE SQUARE at Art Projects International. Opening 6-8 PM

ELEMENTS OF ABSTRACTION at Agora Gallery. Opening 6-8 PM.

ANDRO WEKUA: DREAMING DREAMING at Gladstone Gallery. Opening 6-8 PM.

ETEL ADNAN at Callicoon Fine Arts. Opening 6-8 PM.

 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Tatzu Nishi’s temporary art installation, Discovering Columbus opens at Columbus Circle. The work places Columbus Circle’s 13-foot-tall statue of Columbus in the center of an American living room, built six stories above street level. If you reserve a pass in advance, you can climb 70 feet of stairs and explore the living room — which will have lamps, a couch, a television, custom wallpaper by the artist, and loft-style windows. Passes are already available at www.PublicArtFund.org.

This is also the first night of Harper Regan at the Atlantic. It’s by Simon Stephens, one of the UK’s most well respected playwrights whose work has rarely found its way to the United States because of its regional specificity. This play about a woman’s exploration of loyalty, morality and family premiered previously at the National Theatre in London.

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Today, you could check out Modern Terrorism, or They Who Want to Kill Us and How We Learn to Love Them at Second Stage Theatre. It’s a dark comedy about a 21^st Century terrorist whose plan spirals out of control when his hipster neighbor gets involved.

You could also see some of the other new fall movies, including The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which stars Emma Watson in the teen angst novel of the same name, and The Trouble with the Curve, a baseball flick with the actor who made “Invisible Obama” possible. 

Kelly Amis was a teacher at an elementary school in South Central, Los Angeles and an education-focused policy wonk in Washington before she decided to create movies to effect change. Her first film, TEACHED, is screening this month at the Harlem International Film Festival (Friday, September 21 at 4 p.m. at the Maysles Cinema on 343 Lenox Avenue/Malcolm X Boulevard) and at the Williamsburg International Film Festival (Saturday, September 22 at 3:30 p.m. at UnionDocs at 322 Union Avenue). Kelly, pictured below in the process of creating her film, spoke with Culture Craver’s Julia Levy about TEACHED and the culture of film festivals.

Julia: How would you describe your film?

Kelly: TEACHED is a series of short films that are intended to expose continuing inequalities in our education system — many of which are, sadly, still race-based. TEACHED looks at both at the causes and the consequences of the achievement gap. It's been 50 years since the Brown v. Board of Education decision promised that all American children would receive an equal education, and we are still so far away from achieving that promise.

Julia: How did you decide film was the right way to attack the problem in America’s public schools?

Kelly: All the information, research, and statistics are out there, but somehow they don't seem to get to the general public. There’s something missing in the delivery ... People have so many things they’re busy with, and I think there's a bit of what I call “outrage fatigue.”  The statistics around the achievement gap and the failures of our education system have been in the news for so long, and people are simply tired of not seeing any change. Hopefully, these films can remind people of the promise of Brown v. Board of Education and also inspire them to believe that change is possible ... that they can become a part of that change.

Julia: From WAITING FOR SUPERMAN to THE LOTTERY to this fall's WON'T BACK DOWN (with Viola Davis and Maggie Gyllenhaal), it seems that this is a moment for education-focused films. How does TEACHED fit into that trend?

Kelly: The funny thing is, I wrote the outline for TEACHED nine years ago as a feature-length film. But it just sat on a shelf while I was busy working in research and policy in Washington, D.C. Then I had a life change ... I took it off the shelf, discovered a friend who was a cinematographer, and started shooting it ... I had no idea that all these other education films would be appearing on the horizon, or that we would be considered part of a new focus. But I'm so glad: the more films about it, the more perspectives out there, the better. 

Julia: Do you hope that people who see TEACHED will take action? After leaving the screening, what do you hope that audience members will do?

Kelly: The films are tools that can bring people together, inspire them to join the fight for education equality, and connect them to local, state, and even national education reform efforts. The films bring up difficult topics, and they are meant to transcend politics and hopefully provoke new thinking about solutions. I hope that grassroots groups, community groups, and nonprofit organizations who are fighting for education equality will use the films as outreach tools, to introduce and involve more people in the work they are already doing on the ground or at the policy level. I see my job as making the films — and helping groups organize great, interactive screenings around them, which is much easier to do with short films. I'm not going to pretend that I can, at the same time, prescribe every education policy solution to every city or neighborhood in America. Making the films is my way of sharing with others what I learned working in urban education for twenty years and putting the voices that I believe are not heard often enough on the loudspeaker.

Julia: What's it like for you to show your film in a festival?

Kelly: Every time I see TEACHED screened in a festival, I get kind of teary and definitely thankful. It is extraordinary seeing something you put together with love and very little funding and a lot of help from friends who believe in your vision ... It's a beautiful community be a part of. I'm so honored to join the community of independent filmmakers who are creating works of art often with very little support and against all odds.

Julia: TEACHED has been at a number of festivals now [Napa Valley, Big Easy International, Sonoma International, deadCENTER, Southside, Colorado...], so you are becoming a pro attendee. Any thoughts on the culture of film festivals?

Kelly: You see such an amazing array of films at festivals. There's so much great work out there ... I always was a movie junkie, now I'm a festival junkie too: the filmmakers and festival staff are always such dedicated people and down to earth, and everyone is discussing movies and art. 

Julia: What's the best way to navigate a film festival?

Kelly: There's no good rule because some of the best films I have seen wouldn't have been the ones I would have selected by the description, but they end up changing your life, or at least inspire you to think about filmmaking in a different way. The beauty of the festival is that someone else has curated these films for you. You're going to see great films no matter what category you choose to go to. That said, of course I want everyone to see TEACHED Volume I!

Julia: What's next for TEACHED?

Kelly: TEACHED is an ongoing series of short films, so next up is "Volume II." I have six short film ideas in various stages of planning, and I am fundraising to find people or foundations who will help me make them. At the same time, we are working to get TEACHED Vol. 1 in front of more people. Eventually, down the road, I also hope to make at least two feature-length films. One will be based on a screenplay I wrote a few years ago that takes place in Washington, D.C. — it's a character-driven drama with a bit of intrigue. The other is a documentary that follows two boys — cousins — as they make their way through high school and beyond; we started filming them three years ago and will keep at it at least until they graduate. 

Stills from Teached, Vol. 1, courtesy of Loudspeaker Films

 

The fall movie season is full of possibilities — whether you’re into teen vampires, time travel, horror, or adaptations of the classics. What are you craving? Press the blue heart to keep track of your craves and plan your fall culture going.

SEPTEMBER 2012

The Perks of Being a Wallflower — Opening September 20

DETROPIA

Opening: Already playing at IFC

Why Crave It? It’s a timely documentary about Detroit’s decline and present woes.

 

ARBITRAGE

Opening: September 14

Why Crave It? It’s a (timely) fictional account of a hedge fund deal gone wrong, starring Richard Gere and Susan Sarandon.

 

THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER

Opening: September 20

Why Crave It? The director, Stephen Chbosky, also wrote the book on which this film is based. It’s a teen drama about the awkwardness and introversion of adolescence, starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller.

 

HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET            

Opening: September 21

Why Crave It? If you like horror or Jennifer Lawrence (the star of the Hunger Games), this might be for you.

 

THE MASTER

Opening: September 21

Why Crave It? This drama (with Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Laura Dern) won top honors at the Venice Film Festival. It’s about a damaged Vietnam War veteran who falls under the spell of a dynamic religious leader; Scientology is its rumored inspiration.

 

TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE

Opening: September 21

Why Crave It? If you didn’t get enough of Clint Eastwood during the Republican National Convention, this might be your chance. This baseball drama stars him, as well as Amy Adams, Justin Timberlake, and Matthew Lillard, and John Goodman.

 

WON’T BACK DOWN

Opening: September 28

Why Crave it? Education matters! In this you’ll learn something about the public school “parent trigger” debate by watching Viola Davis, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Holly Hunter star as determined moms and educators fighting the education bureaucracy to try to change a failing public school.

 

HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA

Opening: September 28

Why Crave it? This family-friendly comedy will let you check your animation box for the season. Dracula operates a mysterious resort that is shielded from humans — until a boy discovers the resort and courts Dracula’s daughter.

 

LOOPER 

Opening: September 28

Why Crave It? Time travel. The Mob. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, and Emily Blunt!

 

FRANCES HA

Opening: September 30 (New York Film Festival)

Why Crave It? Do you like black and white movies (à la The Artist)? Do you like Noah Baumbach (The Squid and the Whale, Greenberg)? This artsy, buzzed about film focuses on a quirky aspiring dancer in New York City.

 

OCTOBER 2012

 

Argo — Opening October 12

THE IMPOSSIBLE

Opening: October 11

Why Crave It? A fictionalized account of a family caught in the 2006 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. It stars Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts.

 

HOLY MOTORS

Opening: October 11 at the New York Film Festival

Why Crave It? It’s a French film, written and directed by Leos Carax about a man who travels between multiple parallel lives.

 

ARGO

Opening: October 12

Why Crave It? It’s a political drama based on the rescue of six U.S. diplomats from Teheran in 1979 during the Iran hostage crisis. Ben Affleck is the director and the star — and George Clooney is among the producers. Argo was inspired by a WIRED article: “How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Teheran.”

 

NOBODY WALKS

Opening: October 12

Why Crave It? The creator of Girls, Lena Dunham, partnered with Ry Russo-Young, to create this story about a family taking in a young filmmaker fresh to LA from NYC.

 

THE PAPERBOY

Opening: October 17

Why Crave It? Based on the 1995 novel, this movie is about a reporter (Matthew McConaughey) and his younger brother (Zac Efron), who work with a hair stylist (Nicole Kidman) to investigate a murder and exonerate a man on death row (John Cusack).

 

KILLING THEM SOFTLY

Opening: October 19

Why Crave It? It’s based on the 1974 crime novel “Cogan’s Trade” by George V. Higgins. It stars Brad Pitt.

 

CLOUD ATLAS

Opening: October 26 

Why Crave It? It’s the most expensive independent film of all time (costing more than $100 million to create). It stars Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Susan Sarandon in an epic adventure based on the 2004 novel by David Mitchel.

 

NOVEMBER 2012

 

Anna Karenina — opening November 16

 

FLIGHT

Opening: November 2

Why Crave It? It’s Robert Zemeckis’ first live-action film since Cast Away (which was 12 years ago)! And it stars Denzel Washington.

 

THE MAN WITH THE IRON FISTS

Opening: November 2

Why Crave It? It might satisfy your craving for action. It stars Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu in a story about a blacksmith in feudal China who has to defend himself and his fellow villagers.

 

LINCOLN

Opening: November 9

Why Crave It? The biography that inspired this Steven Spielberg bio-drama — Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Team of Rivals” — is 944 pages long. This movie, starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Sally Field might inspire you to read the full account, or at least teach you something about a critical moment in U.S. history.

 

SKYFALL

Opening: November 9

Why Crave It? This is the 50^th anniversary of the Bond series (which started with Dr. No in 1962). It’s the 23^rd Bond film and the first to be released in IMAX. It stars Daniel Craig and is directed by Sam Mendes.

 

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN — PART 2

Opening: November 14

Why Crave it? We have (personally) been dying to see this since the final moment of Breaking Dawn — Part 1. Other pros: you can see the on-screen romance of Bella and Edward (whose actors have been enduring a dramatic breakup). Breaking Dawn is, of course, based on Stephenie Meyer’s “Twilight Saga.”

 

ANNA KARENINA

Opening: November 16

Why Crave It? Joe Wright’s adaptation of Tolstoy’s 1877 classic novel includes stars Keira Knightly and Jude Law. In it, Knightly, who played Elizabeth Bennet in 2005’s Pride & Prejudice stays in the 19^th Century but hops from England to Russia.

 

RUST AND BONE

Opening: November 16

Why Crave It? It’s a French-Belgian film — which has been getting raves at film festivals this year — by Jacques Audiard. It stars Marion Cotillard as a whale trainer who begins a relationship after she loses her legs in an accident.

 

LIFE OF PI

Opening: November 21

Why Crave It? This Ang Lee Film is a 3D version of the 2001 novel by Yann Martel. It opens the New York Film Festival.

 

SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK

Opening: November 21

Why Crave It? It’s an adaptation of Matthew Quick’s 2009 book of the same name about a Philadelphia man who moves back home with his parents after being released from a psychiatric ward. It has a starry cast, including Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Julia Stiles.

 

DECEMBER 2012

 

Zero Dark Thirty — opening December 19

 

HYDE PARK ON HUDSON

Opening: December 7

Why Crave It? A presidential love affair. A royal visit. Bill Murray as FDR.

 

LES MISERABLES            

Opening: December 14

Why Crave It? Doesn’t everyone want to see Anne Hathaway sing “I Dreamed a Dream”? This movie is based on the musical, which had more than 7,000 performances on Broadway before it closed in 2008, which is, of course, based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 classic.

 

THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY

Opening: December 14

Why Crave It? This is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy series. It’s a a prequel to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and reunites many of the people who worked on it.

 

ZERO DARK THIRTY

Opening: December 19

Why Crave It? Kathryn Bigelow (of Hurt Locker fame) directs this story about the hunt for Osama bin Laden and his death. The cast includes Chris Pratt, Jessica Chastain, and Joel Edgerton. 

 

NOT FADE AWAY

Opening: December 21

Why Crave It? Director/Writer David Chase (of the Sopranos) presents a music-focused coming-of-age story, set in New Jersey in the 1960s.

 

DJANGO UNCHAINED

Opening: December 25

Why Crave It? Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed Jamie Foxx, Don Johnson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Kerry Washington in this movie about a freed slave setting out to rescue his wife from a Mississippi plantation owner. 

One of the great freebies this coming week — John Cage installation at High Line. Credit: Friends of the High Line and Electronic Arts Intermix

There are hundreds of art openings at galleries across New York City this week. We’ve highlighted some of the art options — as well as some other great cultural opportunities. You can also check out a list of free days at NYC museums in an earlier Craveable post. (If you notice something missing, email us at feedback@culturecraver.com.)

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7

Art Galleries

Alberto Borea: Because of Construction

At Y Gallery, opening 6-9 p.m.

Henry Rothman: Collage and Rosemarie Beck: Embroidered Mythologies

At Lori Bookstein Fine Art, opening 6-8 p.m.

Jeff Shore & Jon Fisher: Trailer

At Derek Eller Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m.

Jenny Lynn McNutt: Zoopsia

At Art 101, opening 6-9 p.m.

Karen Kilimnik and Kim Gordon

At 303 Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m.

Kris Scheifele: Fade

At Janet Kurnatowski Gallery, opening 7-9 p.m.

Mernet Larsen

At Vogt Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m.

Michael Anderson: Abject Street Wallpaper

At Launch F18, opening 6-9 p.m.

Michael Bell-Smith

At Foxy Production, opening 6-8 p.m.

Paul Pfeiffer, “Playroom”

At Paula Cooper Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m.

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8

GO

Nearly 2,000 Brooklyn artists will invite New Yorkers to visit their studios. Visitors can vote for artists to nominate them to participate in a December exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.

The SculptureCenter’s LIC Block Party

Purves Street at Jackson Avenue & 43^rd Avenue, noon-5 p.m.

Jalopy Theatre’s Outdoor Music

15 local acts perform Appalachian old-time string band music, Americana, jug band, blues, Son Jarocho, and original folk songs, Governors Island, starting at noon

Coney Island Kite Festival

It’s the 3^rd annual Kite Festival, at Coney Island Beach from West 8^th Street to Stillwell Ave. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  

Bernadette Corporation: 2000 Wasted Years

Artists Space, opening 6-8 p.m.

Douglas Gordon

At Gagosian Gallery (W. 21^st Street) — first day
Governors Island Art Fair

At Governors Island, Building 12, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Yesterday Amphoric

At Regina Rex, opening 7-10 p.m.

 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

GO

Nearly 2,000 Brooklyn artists will invite New Yorkers to visit their studios. Visitors can vote for artists to nominate them to participate in a December exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum.

Visit the High Line Art

High Line, 7 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Alex Olson: Palmist and Editor

Lisa Cooley Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m.

Broadway on Broadway

Outdoor concert, featuring songs from hot (and upcoming) musicals, including ANNIE, BRING IT ON, CHICAGO, MAMMA MIA!, NEWSIES, MOTOWN, ONCE, SCANDALOUS, SPIDER-MAN, BARE, AND STOMP.

In Times Square, 11:30 a.m.

Coney Island Kite Festival

It’s the 3^rd annual Kite Festival, at Coney Island Beach from West 8^th Street to Stillwell Ave. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.  

Alix Pearlstein: The Drawing Lesson

At On Stellar Rays, opening 6-8 p.m.

Arlen Austin: Manicures for the Insurrectional Surge

At Scaramouche, opening 6-8 p.m.

Jonathan Allmaier: Pointing Paintings, Bump Paintings, and Key Paintings

At James Fuentes, opening 6-8 p.m.

Walled Garden

At Klaus von Nichtssagend Gallery, Opening 6-8 p.m.

 

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11

Andrea Branzi: Trees & Stones

At Friedman Benda, opening 6-8 p.m.

Richard Philips

Gagosian Gallery (W. 24^th Street)

Torkil Gudnason: Electric Blossom

At Edelman Arts, opening 6-10 p.m.

 

WEDESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

8 Artists Making Sculpture: the 5th Annual Registry Exhibition

At BRIC Rotunda Gallery, opening 7-9 p.m.

Kate Steciw: boundless hyper

At Toomer Labzda, opening 6-8 p.m.

Luis Camnitzer

At Alexander Gray Associates, opening 6:30-8 p.m.

Ruptures: Forms of Public Address

At 41 Cooper Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m.

Sam Samore: Library of Appearances

At Team Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m.

 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 

Beth Cavener Stichter: Come Undone

At Claire Oliver Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m.

Chris Johanson: Windows

At Mitchell-Innes & Nash, opening 6-8 p.m.

Helen Sear: Sightlines

At Klompching Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m.

Jonathan Keats: Cloning Celebrity

At AC Institute, opening 6-8 p.m.

Louise Fishman

At Cheim & Read, opening 6-8 p.m.

Mark Grotjahn

At Gagosian Gallery (Madison Avenue) — first day

William Tucker: Present and Past

At McKee Gallery, opening 6-8 p.m. 

A Wall Street Journal article today features Culture Craver. It says our "motivation was to replicate the act of kibitzing with trusted friends and family about the arts." It quotes our co-founder, Julia Levy, saying: "We were trying to solve a problem from the audience-member perspective: How do I discover more work that I will love?" Read the full piece online.

With another school year upon us, Culture Craver has created a list of ten cinematic back-to-school lessons for students. (If you never thought popular teen dramas and comedies held important life lessons, read on...) We hope that this year is the most successful year yet for students in New York City — and beyond! 

1. TWILIGHT Lesson: Going to a new school in a new town can open mysterious, exciting doors. You never know where your very own Edward might be lurking!

2. MEAN GIRLS Lesson: If you're a math geek, embrace it! The Mathlete uniforms might lack style, but, in the end, you'll be happier with a math medal hanging around your neck than with a Spring Fling crown on your head.  

3. EASY A Lesson: Telling a lie is often easier than dealing with the aftermath. And back-to-school fashions will never include Scarlet Letters.

4. ELECTION Lesson: It's just high school — but that doesn't mean the competition won't be ruthless. The Tracy Flicks are conniving, vicious, and irrepressible; plan accordingly. 

5. HARRY POTTER Lesson: Genes and circumstances can only take you so far in school. Friends and smart thinking are critical — and being the principal's favorite never hurts. 

6. BRING IT ON Lesson: Never — ever — steal a cheerleading routine from a rival squad or buy a routine from a shifty professional choreographer.  Apply these lessons to Regents exams, SATs, essay writing, etc. 

7. CLUELESS Lesson: Spending high school perfecting your debate skills might be more productive than doing fashion makeovers, partying in the Valley, and falling in and out of love.

8. SIXTEEN CANDLES Lesson: Sometimes high school dreams (and high school crushes) can be realized. To speed their arrival, beware of foreign exchange students, keep your underwear away from nerds, and don't get too upset if your family forgets your birthday. 

9. SCHOOL OF ROCK Lesson: You might have been kicked out of your band, you might be sleeping on a friend's couch, but your dreams of winning Battle of the Bands might not be dead.  Being open to new ideas and new ways of doing things can lead to rewarding opportunities for students and teachers alike. 

10. STAND AND DELIVER Lesson: Set the bar high and kids will work hard to jump over it — even if that means learning calculus. 

 

IMAGE SOURCES:

Twilight: Daily Beast

Mean Girls: HotFlick

Easy A: Just Jared

Election: The Dukes Playground

Harry Potter: Just Jared

Bring it On: Geekscape

Clueless: The It Girl

Sixteen Candles: Loveitor

School of Rock: themoviedb

Stand and Deliver: Fanpop

Image: Photograph by Robert Adams at the Matthew Marks Gallery

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31

Gallery Openings

• Bushwick Blackout at The Shirley — opening reception from 8 to 11 p.m.
• Deborah Farnault, “This Must Be the Place” at Chashama 461 Gallery — opening from 6 to 8 p.m.

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival: Lincoln Center Plaza at 7:30 p.m. — Gunod’s Faust 

Into the Woods at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park

Hoodwinked Too: Watch this movie with your family at the NYC Parks Free Summer Movies Program — Betsy Head Memorial Playground in Brooklyn at 8 p.m. 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival: Lincoln Center Plaza at 8 p.m. — Rossini’s Le Comte Ory

Into the Woods (final performance of the extended run): Delacorte Theater in Central Park

High Line: check out the newest artworks at the high line with the High Line Art Map

NYC Unicycle Festival: If you’re a unicycle pro — or a novice, head to Governors Island! Noon to 5 p.m. on Governors Island 

Happy Feet 2: This film is part of the NYC Parks Free Summer Movies Program at St. Mary’s Park, Bronx at 8 p.m. 

 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival: Lincoln Center Plaza at 8 p.m.: Verdi’s Il Trovatore

NYC Unicycle Festival: If you’re a unicycle pro — or a novice, head to Governors Island! Noon to 5 p.m. on Governors Island 

Brazilian Day Festival: Celebrate Brazilian Independence Day in Manhattan’s Little Brazil from noon to 6 p.m., 6^th Avenue and 46^th Street 

High Line: check out the newest artworks at the high line with the High Line Art Map

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3

West Indian-American Day Carnival: A parade celebrating the 50^th anniversary of the independence of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago along Eastern Parkway, from Schenectady Ave. to Grand Army Plaza. The New York Daily News outlined related events throughout Labor Day Weekend. 

Free Bike Holiday Monday at Governors Island: Adults and children can borrow free bikes for an hour on Governor’s Island. There are plenty of art installations to see while pedaling around the island. Monday, September 3 is the final day of the excellent (and free) Graphic Design: Now in Production exhibit organized by the Cooper-Hewitt and the Walker Art Center.

Metropolitan Opera Summer HD Festival: Lincoln Center Plaza at 7:30 p.m. — Donizetti’s Anna Bolena 

TUESDAY

Gallery Openings:

• Eric Yahnker, “Virgin Birth & Turf” at The Hole — opening reception 7 to 9 p.m.
• Kawauchi Hackhoh: Onward — The Calligraphic Life at Ouchi Gallery — opening reception 7 to 10 p.m.
• Yu-Yu-Ueda, “Star Gazer” at Ouchi Gallery — opening reception from 7 to 10 p.m.

 

WEDNESDAY

Gallery Openings: 

• Lu Zhengyuan: half-truth at Eli Klein Fine Art (Just think! You might see the stars of Gallery Girls!) — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Chuck Bowdish, “It's Best Not to Annoy God” at Steven Harvey Fine Art Projects — opening reception 6 to 8 p.m.
• Line Space Color Gesture at SITE/109— opening reception 6 to 9 p.m.
• Michael Brown, “OK Son!” at Mulherin Pollard Projects — opening reception 6 to 8 p.m.
• Charles Hinman at Marc Straus Gallery — opening reception 6 to 8 p.m.
• Jakob Boeskov: Weekend Futurology at Mulherin Pollard Projects — opening reception 6 to 8 p.m.
• Gerhard Friedl and Laura Horelli, “Shedding Details” at Ludlow 38 — opening reception 6 to 9 p.m. 
• Tom Snelgrove, "The Symbiotic Nature of Isolation" at HERE gallery — opening reception 5 to 7 p.m. 
• Jordan Eagles, “Hemofields” at Krause Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Aggro Crag at BOSI Contemporary Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Ritta Ikonen, “Post” at Christopher Henry Gallery — opening reception 6 to 9 p.m.
• Toxic Beauty: The Art of Frank Moore at Grey Art Gallery — opening reception 6 to 8 p.m.

 

THURSDAY

Gallery Openings: 

• Robert Adams, “On Any Given Day In Spring and Light Balances” at Matthew Marks Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. 
• Epiphany at Galerie Richard — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Andy Cross at Martos Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Kwang Young Chun at Hasted Kraeutler Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m.
• Stephen Powers, “A World is Worth a Thousand Pictures” at Joshua Liner Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Carolanna Parlato, “Behind the Sun” at Elizabeth Harris Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Paved Paradise at DC Moore Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Shea Hembrey, “Dark Matters” at Bryce Wolkowitz Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. 
• Simon Starling at Casey Kaplan Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Guo Hongweli, “Painting is Collecting III” at Chambers Fine Art — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Joe Fig, “Cinematic Paintings” at Cristin Tierney Gallery — opening reception 6 to 8 p.m.
• Melanie Daniel, “Echo Shield” at Asya Geisberg Gallery — opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.
• Marie Sivak, “Smoke Screen” at A.I.R. Gallery — opening reception 6 to 9 p.m.
• Sylvia Netzer, “Whorl” at A.I.R. Gallery — opening reception 6 to 9 p.m.
• Jisoo Lee, “Light and Color” at A.I.R. Gallery — opening reception 6 to 9 p.m.
• Interweave at Able Fine Art — opening reception 6 to 8 p.m.

Film Screening: Jules and Jim. See the classic film with other New Yorkers — for free! It’s part of the NYC Parks Free Summer Movies Program. At Low Memorial Library at Columbia University at 8:30 p.m.

FRIDAY

Gallery Opening: Aris Moore at Jack Hanley Gallery — Opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m.

Forbidden Planet: See the classic film at sundown at the Narrows Botanical Garden in Brooklyn (Shore Road between Bay Ridge Avenue & 72nd Street in Bay Ridge)

The first time I realized something was not quite right about the romantic comedy formula, I was leaving the AMC Times Square Theater in the spring of 2002 after seeing Spider-Man.

Beyond the action, I was taken by how interesting Peter Parker was: he was struggling to achieve his professional dreams; he had inner torment over his family and social status; and he had super powers. Peter longed for MJ, but Parker’s character was interested in more than love.

For comic diehards, the first Spider-Man film was not well done, but for a neophyte like me, it was a game changer.

Peter Parker’s richness and complexity highlighted how female comic heroes — in contrast — were lacking.

In her 2012 book, “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (And Other Concerns),” Mindy Kaling notes that romantic comedies are just science fiction for women. Well, I have never fully escaped the sci-fi paradise of romance discovered in my youth. I grew up very happily in love with The Little Mermaid, classics like Meet Me in St. Louis, and Nora Ephron everything, bless her soul.

The female leads I grew up on were solely motivated by love. If they had a purpose separate from love, they did not toil over it. These things were never as powerful as the prince. (Even Wonder Woman, which I watched on Nick-at-Nite as a child, provided no personal story, no inner debate, no sense of purpose. Linda Carter just twirled, and I was satisfied with that. I twirled.)

I think, as a result, I live in a perpetual state of disappointment that my prince has not come.

After my encounter with Peter Parker, I was quickly obsessed with Marvel, and a little less fulfilled by romantic comedies. I began to question my film-taught lessons about life and love.

I watched Sex and the City throughout college and watched the series wrap as I relocated to New York City. In the context of Peter Parker, I slowly realized that being a Carrie meant being a hot mess.

For me, emulating Carrie increasingly meant questionable outfits, an out-of-control credit card situation, and a lot of time spent chasing the wrong guys. After a while, I grew tired of wearing ridiculous heels in nightclubs and restaurants, night after night, posing and flirting, living for the cocktail conversation that was always better than the date.

The world has changed a lot since Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda’s swan song: the Internet gave everyone access to unlimited dates, cool women started talking about not wanting children or preferring to be single, the economy broke career dreams, startups began to bloom.

I was soon over the sauce. It seems that others were feeling the same way as well.

By the time the Sex and the City franchise started producing movies, women were catching on that it was not a great look to be a woman in her 50s still primarily chasing men and sample sales (in a tutu and stilettos).

Enter the new female lead — who for me (and for America, I think) came at exactly the right time.

First there was Tina Fey, who charmed women with the quirky, not-at-all-about-boys 2004 comedy, Mean Girls before capturing a co-ed audience through television on NBC’s 30 Rock, starting in 2006. Suddenly, everyone loves the everyday girl, one who lacks in fashion, men, and luck. Cue That Girl.

The next year, thanks in part to Franklin Leonard’s The Black List, a little movie by Diablo Cody — Juno — became a major success. Being a teen mom would be traditionally a very woman-targeted subject (I expect only teen girls watch MTV’s Teen Mom), but the dismissal of expectation is something that is universal. Each character in Juno carries his or her imperfection and his or her adorable factor in balance, and the feelings portrayed by actress Ellen Page become those that both male and female audiences can absorb.

Last year’s Bridesmaids continued this trend: everybody fell in love with this movie about women being normal (moody, insecure, silly, flawed, debauched, hysterical, not skinny, not cutesy, and not always coupled). It is like a white flag for normal women wrapped in a simple idea from two women writing a screenplay about the fact no one likes weddings including the bumbling bridal brigade. Life is painful for women too.

Meanwhile, on the Internet, Awkward Black Girl, developed by Issa Rae, became a sensation, so much that Pharrell Williams picked up the series up in its second season for his YouTube channel i Am OTHER.

And then Lena Dunham came along this year with Girls.

Suddenly, it’s clear: today’s girls are not the ones who I idolized and emulated growing up. They are more like Peter Parker than they are like Carrie Bradshaw. These new stories are by women, about women, and for everyone.

We all — women included — are just trying to make it through life. Today’s women have too much going on to sip cocktails in over-hyped, yet well-marketed stilettos — just waiting for men. Welcome to 2012’s upgraded version of Desilu: everyday entertainment with modern female-driven savvy.

This summer, the new female lead has really come into her own.

In Two Days in New York by French actress Julie Delpy, the lead character simply affirms that she is fat and a mess. We go with it, as it comes in a package of wit and charm that shines amidst the gentle force that is Chris Rock. It’s a story not about finding love, but about dealing with a relationship when your family drives you crazy.

Rashida Jones’ Celeste and Jesse Forever is a gentle nod to the dystopia of turning 30 and letting go of fantasy and the idea that one can achieve all the right outcomes, or even know what they are.

Both films are reassuring romantic comedies that affirm all we have to do as women is just keep plowing and try to remember to breathe, and never apologize if it is true that we are crazy.

Last week, I attended the premiere of For a Good Time, Call..., which opens tomorrow in New York City and in select theaters nationwide.

The film, written by co-star Lauren Anne Miller and executive produced by co-star Ari Graynor, is the story of two women, having suffered a (hilarious) failed first attempt at friendship, who are forced into a redo. Their relationship changes as they become roommates in a very familiar modern day New York, where the rent is too high and jobs are hard to come by, even with college degrees.

Lauren (Miller) is the well-adjusted, sensible, career-driven girl who has done everything right, while Kate (Graynor) is the passionate drifter, with no particular view of the ideal life and no concrete aspirations. Life has gone wrong for both and neither is able to catch a break.

When their misfortunes align, Lauren observes the business opportunity behind one of Kate’s side hustles, working as a sex line operator.

A startup and a savvy comedy (both perfect for our era) are born.

With a strong script about keeping your head above water in today’s hardscrabble New York City, the film is impossible for anyone between the ages of about 21 and 50 not to love. The directing is melodic and the story is infused with the fun of punch lines that belong in a film about phone sex.

As someone still blushes at the mention of sex, the film was wildly entertaining … and embarrassingly empowering: it was another romantic comedy that left me wanting myself and less obsessed with finding the mythicized “him.” 

I think that’s the ultimate moral of For a Good Time, Call… and the other films in this (thankfully) blossoming category: women seeking a good time should seek their best selves.

For a Good Time, Call...  Credit: Ryder Sloane/Focus Features

For a Good Time, Call... Credit: Focus Features

We are sure that the conventions in Tampa and Charlotte will satisfy most Americans’ political cravings these next few weeks. But we know you’re out there — the true political junkie whose political appetites cannot be satisfied by the conventions' candidates and talking heads alone. For you, we have compiled a top ten list of our favorite films focused on U.S. politics and political issues. Please let us know if your favorite is missing. There were SO many to choose from that we neglected favorites including Dave, The American President, Milk, and Thank You For Smoking. We might need to expand beyond 10...

10. W. 

Director Oliver Stone dared to chronicle George “Dubya," (played by Josh Brolin,) in 2008, while George W. Bush was still in office. Brolin delivers an exceptional, if overly sympathetic, view of the former president from the college parties to the Republican Party.

9. JFK

Also by Oliver Stone, JFK explores the events leading up to and following the assassination of the 35^th president through the eyes of a New Orleans district attorney (played by Kevin Costner).

8. Nixon

Nixon is a biographical film focused on the life and politics of Richard Nixon (who is played by Anthony Hopkins). It’s one of many movies focused on the controversial 37^th president — and it’s the third film directed by Oliver Stone to make it onto this list.

7. Primary Colors

This satire is inspired by the life and politics of Bill and Hillary Clinton. It offers laughs, cringes, and insights into the workings of American politics.

6. Inside Job

This opinionated documentary analyzes the 2008 financial crisis — arguably the most relevant issue for the upcoming presidential election.

5. Food Inc.

Robert Kenner’s film exposes how lobbies and politicians have their hands in America's food — exploring modern agriculture and slaughterhouse practices to show how food and politics are inextricably linked.

4. Good Night, and Good Luck

George Clooney directed, co-wrote, and starred in this film about the broadcast journalist who worked to bring down Red Scare Senator Joseph McCarthy.

3. All the President’s Men

This political thriller chronicles the Washington Post’s famous investigation into the Watergate scandal, giving audiences a dose of history and a reminder of the power of the press.

2. Frost/Nixon

Another Watergate-era story, this film is based on a series of interviews between British Journalist David Frost and the disgraced President Richard Nixon. It was an excellent play on Broadway before Ron Howard turned it into a great film.

1. Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

This classic comedy satirizes the trigger-happy politicians of the Cold War. 

 

Image sources: W., JFK, Nixon, Primary Colors, Inside Job, Food Inc, Good Night, and Good Luck, All the President’s Men, Frost/Nixon, Dr. Strangelove

Here’s our list of fantastic free events this coming week in New York City:

PERFORMANCES

• INTO THE WOODS: this runs through September 1, so it’s time to get in line.
• THE METROPOLITAN OPERA’S SUMMER HD FESTIVAL: 10 operas will be screened in Lincoln Center’s Plaza.
  • Saturday — The Enchanted Island at 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday — Mozart’s Don Giovanni at 7:30 p.m.
  • Monday — Bellini’s La Sonnambula at 8 p.m.
  • Tuesday — Glass’s Satyagraha at 7:45 p.m.
  • Wednesday — Strauss’s Salome at 8 p.m.
  • Thursday — Rossini’s La Cenerentola at 7:45 p.m.
  • Friday — Gounod’s Faust at 7:30 p.m.
• AFRO PUNK FEST: August 25-26 from noon to 9 p.m.. at Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn. You’ll see art, music, skate boarders, and food trucks galore.

ART

It seems like more exhibits are opening than closing for the final weeks of August, but September is right around the corner. Here are some free options for the week ahead:     

• Saturday:
  • RESOUND 2 at Chashama 461 Gallery. The opening reception is August 25 from 5 to 9:30 p.m.
  • LUSH at Klughaus Gallery. The opening reception is from 6 - 10 p.m.
  • ABSTRACT PARTY at Local Project. The opening reception is from 6 – 9 p.m.
• Monday:
  • DESTINATION: UNKNOWN at Orchard Windows Gallery. The opening reception is from 6 – 9 p.m.
• Tuesday:
  • TERUYO’S WORLD: COLORS AND POWER at Ouchi Gallery in Brooklyn. The opening reception is from 7 – 10 p.m.
  • MARK FLOOD: ARTSTAR at Zach Feuer Gallery
• Thursday
  • ANDREW GBUR at Eleven Rivington

MOVIES

• Friday:
  • ANIMAL HOUSE (part of the Central Park Conservancy Film Festival, which is located north of Sheep Meadow and south of the 72^nd Street Cross Drive)
  • CAYO (at the Queens Museum of Art, presented by NYC & Company and Rooftop Films)
  • THE SMURFS (part of RiverFlicks for Kids at Pier 46 in Manhattan)
• Saturday
  • CLERKS (part of the Central Park Conservancy Film Festival, which is located north of Sheep Meadow and south of the 72^nd Street Cross Drive)
• Sunday
  • TOUCH OF EVIL (2 p.m. on the 6^th Floor of the mid-Manhattan Library as part of Mystery Summer at the New York Public Library) 
• Tuesday
  • YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (part of Red Hook Flicks at Valentino Pier on the Brooklyn Waterfront)
• Wednesday
  • LEMONADE JOE (pictured above, at Scorates Sculplture Park, hosted by the Czech Center)

Here’s a pop quiz: what determines whether a movie released today will make a lot of money at the box office?

1. The quality of the movie (as measured by the enthusiasm of reviewers)
2. The number of reviews it receives (a measure of buzz)
3. The number of theaters the movie appears in (both opening weekend and over the course of the movie’s lifetime)

We always avoid movies that receive horrible reviews. Wouldn’t you? Based on this, we’d figure that quality matters. If a movie receives horrible reviews, it should earn less.

Similarly, we would also figure that movies that receive tons of reviews should outperform those that receive only limited attention from critics.

We would also assume that the number of theaters matters: if more people across can see a movie, it will do better.

Under the legacy system established by the big movie studios, most of our assumptions — it turns out — are wrong.

We analyzed the movies released this year between May and last weekend. To measure quality, we used the movies’ Culture Craver public scores. This is a measure of how positive reviews are (on a scale of 0 to 100). To measure the number of reviews, we used the number of reviews in Culture Craver. These ranged from 6 to 90. The box office figures and the number of movie theaters came from the website boxofficemojo.com.

Based on our analysis, the only factor that has any statistically significant effect on box office performance — either during the opening weekend or over the movie’s lifetime in the movie theaters — was the number of theaters in which the movie appears. 

The number of theaters explains about 90% of the variation in first weekend box office performance. If you look at the movie’s performance over the entire time it is open in theaters, the number of theaters explains about 85% of the variation in performance.

It’s clear that today the old studio distribution strategy is still critically important in determining a movie’s success.

What excites us is that the world is changing. Today, we are poised to move away from the legacy system that disregards quality.

Increasingly, new distribution strategies are being adopted and people are able to watch movies in new ways (courtesy of on-demand-video, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, etc.) — and movie theaters themselves are becoming less important vehicles for distribution.

Yesterday, the Wall Street Journal’s Michelle Kung wrote about the movie “Bachelorette” starring Kirsten Dunst, which debuted on video-on-demand on August 10 — about a month before it is scheduled to appear in movie theaters.

She wrote: “…in the Internet age, the system is starting to show cracks, as consumers become accustomed to making their own decisions about when, where and how to find their entertainment, rather than following aging rules that are essentially arbitrary.”

At Culture Craver, we think it is inevitable that this shift away from theater distribution strategies and toward digital downloads will elevate the importance of people’s opinions about movies. If people are making decisions on their own — and not having movies spoon-fed to them by their local cinemas — they will surely pick “better” films.

Likewise, we believe that word-of-mouth will begin to have a more significant impact on movies’ performance. If people can see whatever movie they want, whenever they want — rather than being completely beholden to the schedules of local movie theaters — buzz from critics and friends will become increasingly important.

Our real question is how long this transition will take. We’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback.

As summer approaches its final week, Culture Craver did a quick analysis to see how the summer movies fared at the box office. Based on data from www.boxofficemojo.com, it's clear that there were a few major success stories (Avengers, Dark Knight Rises). But the majority of movies made more modest amounts of money (in the millions or tens of millions) during their opening weekends. (Opening weekend performance is VERY strongly correlated with a movie's overall performance.) 

The summer may be ending soon, but that doesn’t mean that your favorite free cultural events are over. In fact, the iconic Shakespeare in the Park has just extended its show to September 1! Here is a list of free arts options this coming week:

Film: One of the great things about New York City summers is that many parks offer free, outdoor film screenings. There are few better ways to experience the city than watching movies with other New Yorkers surrounded by the city. Here are some options for this week:

Monday, 8/20 at 5 p.m., Bryant Park:

It’s the final week of the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival! You can see RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

Wednesday, 8/22 at 8:30 p.m., Hudson River Park

It’s also the final week of Riverflicks. It’s your chance to see the newly engaged Jennifer Aniston and other stars in HORRIBLE BOSSES.

Thursday, 8/23, with music starting at 6 p.m. and the film starting at sunset, Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 1

Courtesy of the NYC Parks Department, you can see UNFORGIVEN beneath the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn bridge.

Friday, 8/24 at 8:30 p.m., Hudson River Park

It’s the final week of Riverflicks “Fridays for Kids” season as well. Families can see THE SMURFS.

Theater:  Free summer theater is also a great way to experience culture. Here are some opportunities for this week:

Saturday, August 18, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot

CORIOLANUS

This is the final performance of CORIOLANUS.

Saturday-Friday, 8/18-8/24, Central Park’s Delacorte Theater

INTO THE WOODS. It was just extended through September 1, but it’s still a challenge to get tickets.

Gallery openings: Gallery entry in NYC is generally free, and exhibition openings are both free and social. Here’s a taste of this week’s openings:

Saturday, 8/18, 1:1

SOFTROCK

Monday, 8/20, Pratt Institute: Steuben South Gallery

LOOK AT ME NOW

Tuesday, 8/21, Ouchi Gallery

YOUME: Hime-Princess (pictured above)

Image sources:

Almost Famous: http://www.picktainment.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Almost-Famous-Patrick-Fugit-Kate-Hudson.jpg

Little Miss Sunshine: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IuWHMp-kTak/T8zFJjcKbVI/AAAAAAAAENk/WzDV5IH8JIo/s640/little-miss-sunshine-toni_l.jpg

Persepolis: http://bucketreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/2007_persepolis_011.jpg

Billy Elliot: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zlKQgjfmyKo/Tcapi9LdgRI/AAAAAAAAAGI/uZ_HGPPP8BE/s1600/Billy+Elliot.jpg

To Kill a Mockingbird: http://www.thenewsherald.com/content/articles/2011/01/18/entertainment/doc4d2de24e945f5321557234.jpg

Juno: http://moviereviewer96.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/juno-movie.jpg

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: http://gunwel.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/ferris.jpg

Toy Story 3: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_C_8M2WVWfgM/TCQZC72bOnI/AAAAAAAAHVU/PxC4jRhKHQk/s1600/toy_story_3_29.jpg

Cinema Paradiso: http://thetinyprotagonist.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/cinema-paradiso.jpg

Rebel Without a Cause: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2523699200/tt0048545

At Culture Craver, we LOVE good culture, and good culture that’s free is even more craveable. Check out some of your free NYC options for this week.

Film: One of the great things about New York City summers is that many parks offer free, outdoor film screenings. There are few better ways to experience the city than watching movies with other New Yorkers under the stars. Here are some options for this week:

Monday, 8/6, Bryant Park: THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD   Wednesday, 8/8, Hudson River Park: COWBOYS & ALIENS   Thursday, 8/9, Brooklyn Bridge Park: BAREFOOT IN THE PARK (pictured)   Friday, 8/10, Hudson River Park: RANGO

Theater: Free summer theater is also a great way to experience culture. Here are some opportunities for this week:

Thursday, 8/9, Broadway in Bryant Park Featuring: CHICAGO, REBECCA, EVITA and RENT   Thurs-Sat, 8/9-8/10, Shakespeare in the Parking Lot CORIOLANUS   Daily at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater INTO THE WOODS (pictured)

Gallery Openings: Gallery entry in NYC is generally free, and exhibition openings are both free and social. Here’s a taste of this week’s openings:

Tuesday, 8/7: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Littlejohn Contemporary PETER BYNUM   Tuesday, 8/7: 7 – 10 p.m., Ouchi Gallery TAKAYUKI NOMURA: Two Worlds (pictured)   Thursday, 8/9: 6 – 8 p.m., Broadway Gallery GLOBAL PROJECTS   Friday, 8/10: 6 – 9 p.m., StorefrontBushwick KAREN MARSTON: STORM WATCH

 

Please contact us (feedback@culturecraver.com) if you notice anything missing that we should add. Thanks!

 

Original Image Sources:

Barefoot in the Park

Into the Woods

Takayuki Namura: Two Worlds

From an author who writes his perfect girlfriend and wills her into existence his to a couple divorcing but remaining best friends, this is the summer of odd and dysfunctional relationships. In honor of this Friday’s opening of CELESTE AND JESSE FOREVER and last week’s RUBY SPARKS we’re looking at movies we love with relationship dynamics from wacky to detrimental. You might not crave the relationships depicted in these films, but they’re all totally craveable!

For Day 29 of my Culture Binge, I saw Brave. Pixar is just amazing in how it brings things to life. After seeing the movie, I decided that a lot of the feminist hype surrounding the movie was largely a marketing tactic. It wasn't the greatest cartoon I've ever seen, but it was cute and worth seeing. (I starred it on Culture Craver.)

This movie, which Culture Craver's Julia Levy saw in honor of Day 27 of her Culture Binge, asked: 

1. Who is an artist?

2. What is art?

It told the story of a (possibly unbalanced) Frenchman, Thierry Guetta, a shopkeep and amateur videographer. Thierry develops a passion for street art and street artists, and begins filming them in action. To defray questions of what he's doing, he tells them he's making a documentary (even though he has no idea how to make films). In the end, inspired by his subjects and with some help from media hype, Thierry creates his own splash in the art world. 

Julia says: I often wonder about definitions of "art" and "artists." Is something art if you proclaim it to be so? In this story, it seems pretty clear that patrons were assigning arbitrary meaning to work that wasn't innately meaningful. Does this happen all the time? Or was this story a fluke? Are all of us just impressionable, following crowds or trends that the media (or other players) identify for us? Ultimately, does it matter one way or the other?

This film got a 98 for me on Culture Craver — and it was well deserved. Go see it! (It's on Netflix Streaming, so you don't have to go far.)

A genetically engineered spider first bit Peter Parker in the 1960s on the pages of a comic book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. The comic, "Amazing Fantasy," turned an awkward high school student (who was instantly familiar to U.S. teens) into a hero. Soon Spider-Man had his own comic book series, "The Amazing Spider-Man." In the following decades, Spider-Man has been spun into movie franchises, action figures, video games, television shows, and even a Broadway musical. In honor of the premier of the latest Spider-Man, which opens at midnight in movie theaters, here is a short history of the web-slinging superhero:

1962: Spider-Man first appears in an “Amazing Fantasy” comic

1967: ABC’s animated series, “Spider-Man,” debuts

1978: CBS’s live-action series, “The Amazing Spider-Man,” begins

1979: Spiderman swung over to Japan for a forty-one episode live-action series

2002: The first movie in the live-action trilogy, “Spider-Man,” starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, is released; subsequent movies in director Sam Raimi’s trilogy are released in 2004 and 2007

2011: The notoriously delayed and accident plagued Broadway musical, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” officially opens, becoming the most expensive musical in Broadway history — costing $70 million before the show even opened

2012: Rebooted: the latest incarnation of Spidey, “The Amazing Spider-Man,” hits movie theaters July 3, starring Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone and directed by Marc Webb

“Win Win” got a custom score of 98 for me (of 100), so I was eager to make this part of my June Culture Binge. I saw it on Day 24. It did not disappoint. A struggling, small town lawyer (and high school wrestling coach) takes responsibility for an elderly man, hoping to make some extra money. Drama and comedy follow when the old man’s bleach blond grandson (who happens to be a star wrestler) shows up from Ohio. It gets a big Culture Craver STAR from me. See it!

This movie was in honor of Day 23 of my June Culture Binge. It gets a Culture Craver BOMB from me. Each of the characters was despicable in his or her own, unique way. The only upside was that we checked it out of the public library, so we didn't waste money...

Ari and I saw "Foonote" in Hunter, NY (where the Orchard Project is still going strong) for Day 16 of my June Culture Binge. It's a disturbing, but really captivating story of a father and son who are both Talmudic scholars in Israel. The father has worked for his entire career studying obscure texts in the dark recesses of the library stacks. The son, by comparison, is a pop star. 

The story has multiple morals:

* Fathers should be nice to their sons (and vice versa). 

* It's best for fathers and sons not to work in the same exact narrow field. 

* There are some disadvantages to slaving away forever on the same thing and there are also some disadvantages to the opposite — reaching conclusions before thoroughly understanding what you are saying.

It gets a Culture Craver STAR from me, but I caution that if you are in the mood for something light and fluffy, it's not the right movie for you. 

“Vidal Sassoon: The Movie” got a score of 84 (of 100) for me on Culture Craver, compared to an average score of 50. That means the people I trust liked it, so I’ve been meaning to see it for a while. Then Mr. Sassoon passed away last month at the age of 84 (the same number as my custom score for the documentary), so I figured that I was fated to watch it.

I watched the movie this evening for the 13th day of my June Culture Binge. 

It was part history lesson and part love letter to the most innovative hair stylist of our time. I suppose I would have liked to learn more of the stories behind the story, but I enjoyed the movie and its (fashionable) vibe immensely, and would recommend it to others. Now, if only I had great hair…

Today was Day 11 of my June Culture Binge and I watched "First Position." It was a ballet documentary that was like "Waiting for Superman" meets reality show "Stage Moms" — plus a dash of "The Hunger Games." 

The kids who were competing in the film were incredibly talented, and their parents were amazingly dedicated to helping them accomplish their dreams. (Some of the parents were overbearing, but most were sweet — helping their kids to sew tutus, helping to choreograph dances, etc.)

I am going to star this movie on Culture Craver but I think I would have really loved it if I'd been either a 12 year old girl or a close friend of a serious dancer.

Former Mayor Edward I. Koch, 87, isn't shy. Since he governed New York City, in the 1970s and 1980s, he has shared his opinions on public safety, foreign affairs, fellow politicians, and films (yes films).

The avid moviegoer usually heads twice a week to the movies and writes reviews, doling out a plus (+) to the movies he enjoys and a minus (-) to those that don't meet his expectations. He takes his movies at the cinemas — like other regular New Yorkers, shunning private screenings. "I'm not a buff ... I'm not an auteur," he insisted when he spoke with Culture Craver's Julia Levy. "What people like about my movie reviews is that they're very honest." He joked that his fans like his amateur movie criticism more than they appreciate his political commentary. We're not so sure about this, but we do see the clear appeal of his personal, funny, matter-of-fact reviews.

In a Q&A, the Mayor discussed how he decides which movies to see and divulged that at least 40% of films endorsed by New York Times critics turn out to be "terrible."

Julia: Which of the Oscar contenders should we try to see before the awards are announced?

Mayor Koch: Help. I loved it.

Julia: What did you like about it?

Mayor Koch: The subject matter, which was segregation in Mississippi. One of the proudest moments of my life was when I went down to Mississippi in 1964 to represent young black civil rights workers. I’m very proud of being part of what happened in that very important year. Seeing that aspect of if — segregation itself — was just very, very impacting, and I think people should see it.

Julia: In general, how do you decide what to see, what not to see?

Mayor Koch: It’s easy: I have a radio program on Friday nights. It’s from 7 to 8 on Bloomberg Radio. And then, from there, I go to the movies. So I have to find a movie that begins somewhere between 8:20 and quarter to 9. There are not so many because I have to get to it from the Bloomberg studio. So, I read the New York Times, and I figure out which are the movies that they think are worth seeing. After I take their advice and see only the ones that they think are really good, 40% of them are terrible. Generally, I will give them a “minus.” While The Times doesn’t give stars, the language of the commentary conveys that they are outstanding and should be seen. I pick one of those outstanding, good movies reviewed on Friday in the Times, and whichever one is going to be screened Friday night somewhere between 8:20 and 8:45, that’s the one I see.

Julia: Despite this very regimented process, you find that almost half are not worth seeing?

Mayor Koch: Forty percent minimum are terrible, and they find them good. I’m amazed. These are different reviewers at The Times.

Julia: Is there any rule you’ve figured out to outsmart them — to figure out in advance which ones are going to be terrible?

Mayor Koch: No. There’s no way of knowing. The reason I read The Times that way is I don’t go to advanced screenings; I only go to regular screenings. I think they’re totally different than the other kind where everybody thinks he or she is an expert. I don’t like that. So, there’s no way of my knowing whether The Times is right or wrong. I have great respect for them, but 40% of the time, I have found, they’re wrong.

Julia: Do you go to the movies every single week?

Mayor Koch: Normally, I see two movies a week — on Friday night and Saturday night. Saturday nights I’m obviously able to pick my time as to when I’ll go, so therefore, the array of movies available to me is much larger.

Julia: Do you review all of them?

Mayor Koch: I review every movie I see. I see two a week and I review two a week.

Julia: How many people are tracking your reviews?

Mayor Koch: I have no idea, except that I have a mailing list, which I send out, which is at this point 10,000 in number, but Mayor at the Movies is a website that plays me every week and the Huffington Post does it too — with music.

Culture Craver’s co-founder, Julia Levy, is starting a blog to (hopefully) gain and share insight on two topics:

 1.     What cultural events are people craving?

 2.     More broadly, how is desire shaped in the cultural sphere? In other words, what lures people to cultural events? How are tactics and strategies from other industries employed (or not employed) in arts and entertainment?

Rather than trying to paraphrase or draw conclusions, Julia has decided that the best format for the blog — at least for now — is simple Q&A. This way, people with interesting perspectives on the two core subjects of this investigation can talk directly and in their own words to readers.

For the debut, Julia chatted with Madeleine Sackler at a coffee shop on the Upper West Side. Madeleine is not only an active Culture Craver beta tester; she is also an up-and-coming filmmaker who created The Lottery in 2010. She is the co-director and co-producer of the upcoming film “Duke ’91 & ’92.” Another of Madeleine’s upcoming films, “Unstable Elements,” about the Belarus Free Theater Group, also promises to be amazing.

Julia: Assume that you were not swamped in work, what would you want to see right now? Madeleine: I think that this summer I had a little bit of a break for five minutes, and I think the first thing that I did was just go see everything that was playing at Lincoln Plaza. I had been wanting to see “Tree of Life” ever since I first heard about it, so luckily it was playing then...I wish there were more theaters showing things like that. Julia: Did it live up to expectations? Madeleine: Yeah, definitely. Julia: Do you have a pithy comment on it? Madeleine: You’re not going to see anything else like it, and that’s a good thing. I think it’s rare in the movie business to be able to make something that’s not like anything else…There are a few film makers who are known for doing that, and you can almost know that you’ll see something different if you go to see one of their movies: David Lynch and Cronenberg, and there’s really just a handful I think of people making films like that. If I’m going to spend money to go see something in the theater, I want

to see that or, total — candy’s not the right word, but just have a total break from reality. So a big budget action film, I love seeing those in theaters because you get the whole experience.

Julia: “Mission Impossible — Ghost Protocol”?

Madeleine: I saw the “Terminator” movies when they were coming out. “Avatar” and “Batman” are good examples — just films where they’re meant to be seen on large format.

Julia: Do you rush to see 3D?

Madeleine: I really want to see “Hugo.” Scorsese is another director I put on that list. He might be my favorite filmmaker.

Julia: So, when you’re going about making a movie yourself, are you thinking about creating things that other people will want to see, and how do you approach that?

Madeleine: That’s actually a hard question to answer. I’d say everybody walks their own line in the business between making things that are really near and dear to their heart, and making things where you can make a living. I feel like I’ve been really lucky because the projects I’ve been on overlap between those two things. But at the same time, I’m not that tied to issue-based filmmaking. I’m making this basketball film now, and absolutely adore it. I love this project, and I guess that was a good lesson for me. You don’t have to be trying to save the world all the time. It’s good to have a mix. So that’s kind of where I’m landing, although I’m sure it will change over time.

Madeleine: Most people who are making films want people to see them, so that’s part of the creative challenge for me. How do you take an issue or a small story and turn it into a big story or a big issue that’s exciting and fun, or heart warming. And it kind of doesn’t matter where on that spectrum between fun and funny or exciting and then heartwarming and touching and exhausting — it doesn’t matter to me, really, where it falls, as long as there’s a really good story. And I think it depends on the story what techniques you use to try to draw out those things that really attract people to it.Julia: Basketball is something that a lot of people obviously care very deeply about. I don’t, but other people do. Something about the subject matter attracted you, but then within the actual project, are there strategies you use to end up with an end product where people say, “That’s the movie I want to see this month or this year”?

Julia: Is this an age-old thing, or do you think there are new strategies now that weren’t available in the beginning?

Madeleine: Funny is funny, you know? There are obviously styles that change…The biggest change, I think is just the ease of film making. Anybody can pick up an iPhone and it looks quite good.

Julia: The new one, especially!

Madeleine: You can blow it up; it really looks good. In some ways, lowering the bar in terms of obstacles in making films makes it hard because there are so many people doing it. But people know when something touches them. That’s a real thing, I think. At the end of the day, that seems to be what matters…To me, the most important things and the biggest creative challenge for documentaries, is making characters and having a real narrative: having a beginning, a middle, and an end.

Julia: Like middle school English?

Madeleine: Yeah, kind of, but that’s hard in documentaries a lot of the time. It’s the same challenge as with a narrative film in that sense. Another challenge is just creating characters that people relate to and care about. That’s probably the thing we spend the most time talking about.

Julia: Are there any “bad actors” in this space? Anybody who is manipulating people into going to their bad movies?

Madeleine: So, bad-acting filmmakers and not bad actors?

Julia: Yes!

Madeleine: Because I’m sure everybody has opinions about bad actors.

Julia: Right. I have plenty of opinions.

Madeleine: Something I’ve been talking about a lot recently is journalistic rigor in documentary filmmaking. I think there’s no requirement for fact checking. It seems to me that the big risk in not telling the truth in a film is that the press will catch wind of it — that seems to be the disincentive, which is too bad, because people watch these films, and assume the film maker has done due diligence. I would say I’ve seen some films where I really wonder if it’s just like an agenda and if they haven’t really crunched the numbers…It’s hard for the average viewer — or maybe any viewer — to distinguish between them. I think that’s the worst thing you can do, because it’s kind of a lot of power that you have. You’re shaping a story and a narrative in a certain direction that will lead people to make conclusions, real conclusions in their brain, and not just narrative conclusions about the way the world works and what’s real and what’s not real. For me, that’s a really important thing.

Julia: So if somebody watches it, it’s an hour, or an hour and a half, and that’s a lot longer than you’d spend reading a newspaper article.

Madeleine: Exactly.