Category: Uncategorized

Movie filmed in Jackson Heights: “7 to the Palace”

Emma3 Comments

The Colombian community of Jackson Heights, Queens had the wonderful character-propelled drama Maria Full of Grace.  Now desis (like me!) have this new film, coming out next year- 7 to the Palace. 

Naseeruddin Shah

 

This movie stars some FABULOUS desi actors, including: Aasif Mandvi (a prolific TV/theater/indie film actor), Naseeruddin Shah (a huge star in India; the father from Monsoon Wedding), Ajay Naidu (Office Space and many bit parts), and Madhur Jaffrey (acting in the US since the 1970s; also a cookbook writer).  At the end of August, Aasif Mandvi will ALSO be visting the SAYA! (where I work/volunteer).  You may have seen him as the ER doctor in the first season of CSI or on The Colbert Report.  He had a major part in the romantic comedy American Chai (a film shot in NYC and NJ).  He had the role of Ali Hakim (the Persian salesman) in Oklahoma! on Broadway.  I saw him a few times at a small Upper West Side cafe; I used to student-teach in that neighborhood. He lived VERY close to 72nd St and Broadway.  BTW, both Aasif and Ajay are natives of Chicago.     

Aasif MandviAjay Naidu

 

As for non-desis… Dean Winters (from the gritty prison drama Oz and the police drama Law and Order: Special Victim’s Unit) will have a role, too.  Wow!!!  I loved his character on Oz, and can’t wait to see how he looks/acts in this movie!  He is a VERY charming/engaging actor.  He can play a boyish, manipulative criminal (Ryan O’Reilly on Oz) or an earnest, green cop (Det. Brian Cassidy on SVU).  Some ladies may know him best from SATC where he played Carrie’s friend with benefits.  Dean is actually Irish (like Ryan), BUT also Italian; he grew up in NYC and Arizona.  It’s ALWAYS a pleasure to see ANY actor from Oz IMHO!  

Chris Meloni & Dean Winters

 

There were people set up at the corner of 75th Street and 37th Avenue last week.  There was a little tent and table with snacks and drinks.  No one seemed to be taking notice of the (mostly young and white) group of production assistants milling about.  (But this is the type of stuff that catches my eye, and I was coming from the Starbucks over at the corner of 78th.)  One of the restaurants looked different because the film crew had changed the awning (it read Tandoori Palace; I’m pretty sure that wasn’t so before).  

One day, there was a sign on the corner looking for extras; I was TOO shy to go!  Darn!!!  Maybe I will get a second chance for 5 minutes of fame…   

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1153053/

Emma at MoMA

Emma1 Comment

Hey readers (are there MANY out there?)  If you are reading, please put in comments!

I went to MoMA this evening with two of my (younger) gal pals; I also met a few other (very sweet) college folks.  Most of these college undergrads/recent grads had gone to Stuyvesant High School.  Currently, I’m teaching a SHSAT prep class at South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!).  The students (7th-8th graders) are hoping to get a high score on the SHSAT, so they can attend Stuy, Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, or another specialized high school here in NYC. 

The museum was abuzz with languages (not unusual); the Dali exhibit was especially popular.  It was COOL to see many young people interested in art; some were not yet in college!  I noticed that several were artists (sketch pads in their bags) and photographers (with nifty cameras).  There were many tourists from Spain also.  I REALLY liked a some of Dali’s stuff, especially the paintings where he used (shades of) blue and red in abundance.  Not everything he did was disturbing, as I discovered.  Many people said the work was “curious” though.  A lady (most likely a tourist from out of state) was frustrated when she couldn’t figure out the painting the book turning into a nude woman.  “Where is the woman?” she asked her husband, then some other people around us.  “I don’t see it.  I see a book.  It’s supposed to be in there, but I don’t see it!”  LOL- My friend and I had to laugh!  I liked the painting “Narcissus” (maybe because I like Greek mythology).  On one side, you see the figure of the young man, then the flower on the opposite side.  The colors were cool, too.    

I found out a few NEW things from this exhibit. Dali collaborated not only with the famed Spanish director, Luis Bunel, but with Alfred Hitchcock!  Hitchcock chose Dali to create the dream sequences seen in Spellbound (starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman).  I told my mom about this, and she thought it was very cool (she LOVES 1940s films, especially Spellbound).  The producer, David O. Selznick, thought that Dali’s ideas were TOO extreme, but Hitchcock thought the artist would bring something out of the ordinary to this 1945 picture. 

Dali was friends with Luis Bunel, Frederico Garcia Lorca, the Marx Brothers, and Andy Warhol.  I recall some stuff about Garcia Lorca because my final project in an advanced Spanish class (WAAAAY back in undergrad) was to research his life and work, then give an oral presentation.  The teacher and few other students said I did a REALLY good job!  A surprising thing about Garcia Lorca: he didn’t live “in the closet;” he was “out” and open about his life as a gay man (when it wasn’t the norm).  This reminded me of Oscar Wilde who lived part of his life as an “out” man (with the support of his mother, no less)!

Okay, I’m going off-topic too much.  You should check out the Dali exhibit when you have a chance.  Fridays are FREE (so there are MANY people there).  The line moves FAST after 6pm, one friend said.  It was quick today around 4pm.   It was CRAZY hot and humid today, so it was good to be doing something INSIDE!

Movie Review: “The Great Debaters”

EmmaLeave a comment

 

 Denzel Washington obviously enjoyed making this film, although he admitted on Oprah last November that “I didn’t want to be in the film.”  He wanted to direct The Great Debaters only, but the studio would not give him the funds without him in the starring role.  What Oprah, Denzel, and their cast and crew have made is a nicely-paced, engaging, and overall well-executed film.  Viewers of all ages will find something to connect to here.  The editing, music, cinematography, costumes, and (most importantly) acting are top-notch!

 

 

 

As Denzel said many times, the real stars are the three (very talented) young African-American actors who portray the college debaters: Nate Parker, Jurnee Smolett, and Denzel Whitaker (yes, that’s his REAL name).  Nate Parker (Henry Lowe) is a gifted, but troubled, young man who drifts in and out of school.  He loves to read, and his natural talent is nurtured by Denzel’s character (Dr. Melvin Tolson).  Jurnee Smolett (Samantha Booke) is a strong, beautiful young woman who transfers to Wiley College (a small Methodist university in Marshall, Texas) JUST to try out for the debate team.  (As a child actor, Jurnee had a recurring role on TV series Full House and played Eve in the critically-acclaimed film Eve’s Bayou.)  The 1930s period costumes look especially gorgeous on her tall, lean frame.  The youngest member of the team is Denzel Whitaker (James Farmer Jr.) who is 14, curious, eager to please, and very easy to relate to. There is a cute fantasy dance sequence with James and Samantha reminiscent of Spike Lee.  (Denzel and Spike worked together on several movies.)      

 

Forest Whitaker also has the role of serious, quiet, theology professor (Dr. James Farmer).  He’s a well-respected man who speaks 7 languages, but has a difficult time connecting to his teen son, James Jr.  He pulls off this role with understatement because that is what was needed for such a character- someone who is forced to keep emotions in check so he doesn’t “rock the boat” in his segregated community.  On the opposite side of Dr. Farmer is Dr. Tolson (who was also a published poet); he was accused of being a Communist on occasion.  Dr. Tolson seeks not only to educate the kids at Wiley, he secretly works to organize the sharecroppers in the area (black AND white).  This puts him at odds with the local sheriff (John Heard) who fears unionizing.

  

        

 

What I liked best about this film was the enthusiasm and energy of Denzel and the young debators (even the small characters).  It seems like everyone really got into their roles; most of the main characters are based on real people.  The people in the story are ONLY ONE generation removed from slavery.  While the students seek to educate their minds on the college campus, they are NOT removed from the social injustices their community faces off-campus. Denzel interviewed former students of Wiley (see Special Features on the DVD).  The Great Debaters also introduces young audience members to great writers of the past: Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Gwendolyn Bennett, W.E.B. DuBois, Henry David Thoreau, and Gandhi (in the last debate, the team takes on the issue of civil disobedience).  Check out The Great Debaters!

 

 

Some GREAT podcasts

Emma1 Comment

Desi Dilemmas by Smitha Radhakrishnan

This is an older podcast (started in 2006), but I recently listened to the eps.  Smitha, a desi academic from the West Coast, is a very good speaker (and also easy to relate to).  She and her guests discuss the uniqueness (and samneness) btwn desi issues and wider American issues.  If you’re a young desi, you’ll enjoy this one a LOT!

 

Generation 1.5 by Yesha Naik

This is also an older one, BUT by a lady I know!  She’s one of the founding members of SAWCC, a writer, terrific speaker, and FUNNY to boot.  Yesha was raised in a Hindu Gujrati family, but in the ‘burbs of NJ, so she had her share of assimilation issues as a kid/teen.  She is now a well-adjusted adult who calls herself a member of “the wedge generation.”  She deals w/ various topics w/ intelligence, and has a natural gift for storytelling IMHO.  I have alse heard a few of her short stories- they’re terrific!    

 

Learn French with Coffee Break French

A very jovial Scottish guy (Mark) teaches this beginner French course.  You will learn the language of “amour” along with his student (Anna).  This will be helpful to people who plan to travel to France on vacation, because they go over everyday vocab/situations.  It’s fast and fun!

 

The Moth

Volunteers from The Moth storytelling corps work with SAYA! students at John Adams High School in Ozone Park, Queens.  I worked one semester in an after-school program at this HS.  On this podcast, you will hear very personal tales from a HUGE variety of individuals (some famous, some not).  Connections will be formed- trust me!

 

The Complete Jane Austen on PBS: “Sense & Sensibility” (Part 2)

EmmaLeave a comment

I didn’t write much before (re: Part 1), so here goes… 

This was a VERY good adaptation of S&S, BUT it didn’t blow me away like Jane Eyre (2006) or North and South.  The music was very tasteful, and the locations were cool (very much “out of the box thinking” from the production team).  I felt that Hattie Morahan was a pitch-perfect Elinor: stately, sedate, serious, but very bright as well!  Her tall stature and classic Brit features also added to her fitting-in w/ JA’s world.  The girls’ everyday costumes were not as nice/elegant as in the Ang Lee version, but that didn’t bug me too much. 

Edward was VERY different from the book- no doubt to appeal to modern/younger viewers.  He was the best-looking guy in the entire film- LOL!  In the book, Edward barely even speaks b/c he’s so low-key.  In the film, Dan Stevens (the actor) is so sweet, engaging, and (later on) emotional.  He had VERY good chemistry with Hattie!  It was like love at first site in the film.

Marianne kinda grew on me; I liked her as she matured w/in the story.  In the start, she was like a modern teenager (wanted to be crazy in love, worried re: clothes, and acted w/o thinking).  She was good in the vulnerable scenes (w/ her big eyes, curls, and very small build).  If you think about it, she and Col. Brandon are the “perfect” pair…  He is wealthy, w/ an adventurous past, love of music, and a very romantic heart.  She is an accomplished musician, full of passion, w/ an independent spirit.  I liked how this film showed their courtship before the arrival of Willoughby.  “He’s the only one one can have an intelligent conversation with,” Marianne tells her mom and sisters in one scene.   

Of course, no one can replace the awesome job Alan Rickman did w/ Col. Brandon… BUT David Morrissey did a PRETTY good job here!  He thinks he’s too old, too heatbroken, and not handsome enough for Marianne (at first).  But he keeps an eye on her, as a very loyal friend, even when she’s head over heels for Willoughby.  I LOVE when he catches her as she faints in the London ball!  The little scene he had w/ Eliza’s daughter and her baby was very sweet. 

What stood out to me were the (extension of) men’s roles.  Willoughby was more troubled/darker than in Ang Lee’s film, but his scenes after the break-up were quite strong.  You could tell he was suffering a LOT at those times.  There are things dramatized that were only hinted in the book; I esp. liked the swordfighting part!  Margaret was a clever, funny child who said things the grown-ups could not; her acting was natural.  I would recommend this to any JA fan!