On the big screen . . .

You may've noticed that I'm a bit of a movie fan, and I think sometimes it's a real treat to re-visit older movies on the big screen, at the theater, the way they were intended to be seen. In Durham we have the ability to take advantage of doing so at The Carolina Theater from time to time.

In fact, I did that with one of my favorites, The Princess Bride, when it was shown a couple of years ago for its 20th Anniversary.

A few more are coming up at The Carolina that you might want to see again on the big screen, with a box of popcorn and giant soda. The Godfather and The Godfather Part II will be showing in May for one week only (May 8 - 14).

If you've never seen those two, now's your chance to see them at the theater. How cool is that?

Also for Star Trek fans, Star Trek IV and Star Trek First Contact, will be shown 4 days only, April 20 - 23.

Details are here.

It's an offer you can't refuse. (Sorry . . . I couldn't help it.)
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Best. New Yorker Cover. Ever.

I was thrilled when we got our New Yorker this past week because the cover is a real keeper. I'm almost always interested in the cover, and there's been some great ones and also some duds. This one is beautiful, with the "O" as a full moon over the Lincoln Memorial, with it all shining in the reflecting pool (another view of the reflecting pool, 1963, here).



Here's a slideshow of all 47 covers of 2007 from The New Yorker site.

Here's a slideshow of all 16 cartoons from this week's issue.

Orange traffic cones laid out, banners hoisted: now with pics

Just to supplement my previous blog entry on The Full Frame Documentary Film Fest that's cranking up downtown, I snapped a few of pictures today.

Carolina Theatre as it looked today, before most of the filmmakers and filmgoers descend on it:

Lanes fulls of orange cones and blocked off beside the Carolina:


Signs around downtown pop up for the weekend:

Orange traffic cones laid out, banners hoisted

Downtown is humming with activity this afternoon and will soon be inundated with scores of film folks because it's time for the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

From my observations in the past, the attendees tend to travel in little groups, wearing their Film Fest creds on a lariat around their necks. Fun to see them looking down at their maps and up at the street signs, trying to find Bull McCabe's or Brightleaf Square. Other times they have cell phones pressed up against their heads and gesticulate wildly. Also interesting to see the press satellite trucks line up beside the Carolina Theatre if a celebrity or two is in town for the festival.

Full Frame is recognized as the premier documentary film festival in the United States by both The New York Times and indieWIRE and is well-known for its southern hospitality, relaxed atmosphere and walkable venue layout. During the past decade Full Frame has welcomed both first time and celebrated filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, Abbas Kiarostami, Michael Moore, Syndey Pollack, Errol Morris, Barbara Kopple, Ken Burns, Ric Burns, Charles Burnett, Mira Nair and Jonathan Demme.

We scored tickets for Saturday to see Body of War, which I blogged about here earlier.

You can check here to see if there are any films you'd like to catch.

"In harm's way . . ."

You hear the phrase a lot--that we're putting our military men and women "in harm's way."

This movie, Body of War, has just been released and shows what "harm" meant to one young man, Tomas Young. Similar harm has happened to over 35,000 men and women coming home from Iraq with life-altering injuries. (We passed the 4,000 dead mark today, sadly).

I'm going to call and email The Carolina Theatre to see if will be coming here to Durham.

I caught the interview with the producers/directors on Bill Moyers and hadn't heard of the film before. It is now on my must-see list. More info here, and a picture of Mr. Young, on the wiki page for the movie.

http://youtube.com/bodyofwar

As seen in Durham this afternoon

this bumpersticker gave me much needed chuckle today:


It is frustrating these days if you have an attention span longer than say, 20 seconds, and would like to find actual news on television.

File Under: Schedenfreude

Bill Kristol's first column for the NYT's has a whoopsie.

Jane Smiley must have a big smiley about this, given her big drop-kick of the NYT to which she has contributed:

Next week, I am really going to miss The New York Times. For years now, I have spent at least part of every morning reading the Times, and I love its variety. In addition, I have had a long and enjoyable writer's relationship with the Times. I've written for the magazine, the Travel Section, the Book Review, and the Op-Ed page (once I wrote in favor of divorce, and they received a gratifying hail of shocked, shocked shocked! letters in response). On the day I heard the first rumor about my Pulitzer Prize, I was working with one of the Book Review editors. In a state of disbelief, I asked her if she had heard anything.

She goes on to tell here why the addition of Kristol was the last straw for her. And does it with great style.