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An epic project taking a dozen or more poets out of the bars and coffeehouses of Boston and into the streets of the City.
Recently I went and saw improv comedy in Boston's North end. The routines were made up on the spot and were pretty clever and original. years ago I used to go to comedy clubs. I still go ccasionally and find them amusing. But there are some elements missing in modern comedy. The thing is that stand up comics get up onstage alone with a drink in their hand and tell jokes.
Nothing wrong with that but think back to the 20th century during the early days of movies.Actors liek Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton were silent they never spoke. The comedy and stories came out from pure physical action. The Keystone Kops never uttered a word but amused audiences with their manic chase scenes.
Stand up comedians often work alone. What happened to comedy teams? The Marx Brothers and the 3 Stooges were so much funnier together than solo.
I was watching a Steve Martin DVD. His solo acts are funnier but he is much funnier playing off dan Ackroid, Belushi and the others from SNL. His Theodora of York routine is absolutely hysterical because he plays off all these other people.
This new movie Paul with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is funny because they are a team and they play off each other (and the Alien)
Another interesting thing you may notice is how rare male/female comedy teams are. There were Stiller and Meara. Mike Nichols and Elaine may in the 60s. Sonny and Cher were the most successful male/female comedy team but only lasted a brief time. Why is that?
Why aren't there more man/woman treams, why isn't there more physical humor, why aren't there more comedy teams in this age of solo standup talkers? I don't have the answer to that. This is just a blog but it's sometihng to think about.
The movie Cleopatra got lots of bad reviews over the years. It may have lost money costing $40 million but in fact it's a pretty good movie.
Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and Rex Harrison all add to the story. Some of the movie is historically accurate. Although Cleopatra entering the Roman Forum und ther Arch of Constantine is pretty funny. That arch was built 400 years later. It is like having Christopher Columbus walking by the Empire State Building.
It is a long movie (4 hours) but entertaining and worth watching on a long rainy day.
The last few years have brought many Movies to Massachusetts. I saw the Town and the Premiere of the Fighter.
They area all successful crowd pleasing films to be sure.
It occurred to me that outsiders watching movies about Boston may think that everyone in Boston is a local born and raised in the old neighborhood. That may have been true when they filmed The Friends of Eddie Coyle in 1973. The truth is there are thousands of people in Boston from other places: Europe, China, California, etc. University students and faculty, biogenetic scientists come from many other places.
Coming from a provincial town where everyone knows every one else from the sixth grade it's a breath of fresh air to constantly meet up with people form other cultures and countries.
What makes more exciting cinema? Irish cop and robber chase scenes or a Russian scientist pouring liquid in a test tube?
Actually there was a recent Boston movie The Social network about founding of Facebook by a Harvard programming student. We can't really complain though. Recent movie shoots have brought in over a $1 billion to the local economy. But just realize that we're not all a bunch of drunken Leprechauns.
Las Vegas There is a hotel casino on the Vegas strip called the Mirage.
In some ways it describes this never-never land for adults. Where else would someone build a replica of the Venice canals in the middle of a desert? The streets are paved with slot machines or more like guys passing out cards to tourists for hot girls @ an affordable price.
Caesar’s Palace is more ornate than Julius could have ever imagined. I went to one bar at MGM to watch football on Sunday. The waitresses are serving drinks while the games are screened overhead. But then every half hour disco music kicks in and the scantily clad waitresses jump up and dance on the bar for 5 minutes. Then they go back to bartending. They made me miss the Chicago Bears touchdown.
If there is one person who would thrive in Vegas it would be Dr. Victor Frankenstein. There is a major industry there digging up the bones of Elvis and the Rat Pack and building shows around these legends from 30-40 years ago. Walking through Caesar’s Palace I was offered a proposition by a lady of the evening asking me to fit her into my schedule. I spent a whopping $10 at the roulette table on the first night. I did go to see a Beatles tribute band and went to a comedy club. So why was I in Las Vegas anyway you may ask? I was there for a cartoon/caricaturist convention.
200 artists drew each other for 5 days straight and went to seminars by animator Bill Plympton and others. I drew dozens of people and several drew me. One guy drew me as the mad scientist from back to the Future. Las Vegas was a huge collection of sights and sounds…mostly the jingling of pinball machines. It’s certainly a place to visit for awhile before you go back home to reality.
The SURREAL SIDESHOW has been accepted for the Boston Comedy & Movie Festival, IMAGINE "Short" Movie Night.
The screening event will occur on Thursday, November 11th at the Hard Rock Café in the Boston Room at 8 PM. We are reminding you that the audience will choose The Best Funny Film with their vote. The winner receives a $1,000 cash prize -
Tickets for the event will be available online at www.imaginenews.com beginning November 4th at $15 each and at the door if space remains.
Where better than to spend Halloween night than in the Valley of the Kings....The dark ancient desert filled with Egyptian mummies. Click on the picture and watch the movie if you dare.
a new movie
Jazz in Venice
The sounds of Thelonius Monk drift through the sultry night air of
Venezia.....Venice. The city of intrigues and illusions. The city that makes love to the sea.
The majestic palaces and Byzantine buildings wrap themselves around the winding lagoon.
Did you hear about this new movie....Three Wild and Crazy Guys?
Probably not since I made it up.
Jazz in Venice