The Happiest Medium

NYCIP Presents “New York, The Super-City”

Karen Tortora-Lee — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:31:18 +0000

Press Release from New York Center for Independent Publishing:

New York served as the model for Gotham City, inspired Will Eisner as he created the noirish adventures of The Spirit, and became a recurring character during the 1960s resurgence of Marvel in comics such as Spider-Man and Iron Man. Comics expert Peter Gutiérrez will moderate a high-energy round-table on the relationship between superheroes and their favorite hometown, followed by a wine and cheese reception provided by GraphicNovelReporter.com!

Join us and learn how comics culture has promoted potent and memorable images of New York to readers worldwide.

When: Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 6:30-8:30 pm
Where: 20 W. 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

Tickets $15 for general admission, $10 for CIP Members, and $5 for students – and they’re tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Please email contact@nycip.org or call 212-764-7021 to reserve!

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Post tags: Billy Tucci, Danny Fingeroth, Frank Tieri, Gene Kannenberg, gotham city, graphic novel reporter, graphic novels, Jr., NYCIP, Peter Gutiérrez

‘Inglourious Basterds’ A Tarantino Masterpiece

Anne Jordanova — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:45:26 +0000

Once upon a time, in Nazi occupied France…

is the tag line of Quentin Tarantino’s latest masterpiece, which debuted last year at the 62nd Annual Cannes Film Festival. The film goes by the name “Inglourious Basterds” and its title addresses the many cast of characters in this film who are out for some good Jewish revenge – the main reoccuring theme of this film.

It is no secret that this film was, by far, my favorite film of 2009 and that I am rooting for it to sweep up every Academy Award it’s nominated for this year, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Cinematography, Directing, Film Editing, Sound Editing, Sound Mixing, and Best Original Screenplay.

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Post tags: Brad Pitt, Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds, Melanie Laurent, Oscars, Tarantino

No Traveler – It’s A Wonderful Not-Quite-AfterLife (Frigid Festival 2010)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:45:09 +0000

No Traveler - Contemplating What Lies Beyond (Penny Pollak / photo by Rebecca Chiappone)

The opening scene of Penny Pollak’s No Traveler (directed and co-created by Samantha Jones) immediately reminded me of The Triplets of Belleville (not the movie, but the weirdly enjoyable music video by M). Ms. Pollak, or rather her character Abigail, is having a great time dancing around her room to an equally bouncy French tune; she spends much of the song drinking wine, primping, getting frisky with a door, and setting the stage for some grand finale. Of course, when she pulls out the straight edged razor and steps into the bucket it becomes obvious that this was all nothing but a frivolous preamble to the real task at hand … ending her life.

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Post tags: Frigid Festival, No Traveler, Penny Pollack

“Kill The Band” Knocks ‘Em Dead (Frigid Festival 2010)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:35:57 +0000

Killy Dwyer, Joe Yoga, Mike Milazzo and Bamboo Silva

I thought it was a very good sign that my latest obsession, Lady Gaga’s pulsating, driving song Teeth, was blaring as I entered Under St. Marks to get ready to see Killer Killy Dwyer’s latest offering “Kill The Band” which is not just the name of her band, but which is also the name of the show that’s part of Frigid Festival 2010. I saw it as a good omen not just because I haven’t been able to get the song out of my head these last few weeks, but more because the song is the type of song that gets down into you and makes you bop in your seat and I figured a gal who was serving up Gaga as the appetizer must have the all-you-can-eat-buffet to back it up. Musically speaking, of course.

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Post tags: Frigid Festival, Kill The Band, killer killy dwyer, killy dwyer, Under St. Marks

22nd Annual Indie And Small Press Book Fair

Karen Tortora-Lee — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:56:04 +0000

Admission is free!

March 6th & 7th from 10:00 – 5:00

General Society Library
20 West 44th Street
(btw. 5th & 6th Aves.)

10:00 am – 5:00 pm both days

Saturday, March 6th:

11:30 – 12:00 PM
Maria Filice of Food & Fate Publishing will presents Breaking Bread in L’Aquila
Reviewed in Library Journal as a “wonderful book…will appeal to foodies and cooks looking for effortless Italian cooking.”

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Post tags: Book Fair

And The Winner Is . . .

Karen Tortora-Lee — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 20:14:38 +0000

Congratulations to the winner of our Soup Show Giveaway — Nancy Cohen!

Nancy was randomly chosen from those who correctly answered our trivia question. (Q: Who is the director for The Soup Show? A: Lauren Sharpe)

Nancy won a pair of tickets to The Soup Show playing at HERE Arts Center. (For more information check out the official site.)

Thanks to everyone who participated and check back each month as we give away more tickets to more great shows!

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Post tags: The Happiest Medium Giveaways

4 Cents Review: Late Nights With The Boys – A Grown Up Fairy Tale (Frigid Festival 2010)

4centsreviews — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:40:08 +0000

4 Cents Review – When 2 reviewers each give their 2 cents.

LATE NIGHTS WITH THE BOYS: confessions of a leather bar chanteuse Pictured: Alex Bond in 1977

Today Diánna Martin and Karen Tortora-Lee give their 4 Cents about Late Nights With The Boys: Confessions Of A Leather Bar Chantuse which is part of this year’s Frigid Festival.

Late Nights With The Boys: Confessions Of A Leather Bar Chantuse was presented as selections read by Alex Bond and David Carson from Ms. Bond’s novel, but aside from that we both didn’t know what to expect. The Frigid blurb promised that the reading would transport you to Dallas 1977, a magical time before HIV/AIDS, but not before ignorance and prejudice so we were eager to watch this story unfold.

Karen: I really didn’t know what to expect from Late Nights With The Boys, and almost immediately I was charmed. Didn’t you sense their warmth right away?

Diánna: Absolutely – there was something very natural and calm about Alex Bond and David Carson that affected the audience. I think the fact that they didn’t dim the house lights was interesting toward that end …

Karen: Definitely. I mean, I felt they were having a conversation with us (the audience) as much as with each other, and that sense of immediacy happened automatically.

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Post tags: 4 Cents Review, dianna martin, Frigid Festival, Karen Tortora-Lee, Late Nights With The Boys

“The Ghost Writer” Is A Sleek Homage To Hitchcock

Anne Jordanova — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:02:31 +0000

Brosnan and McGregor

“The Ghost Writer” is the latest film by Polish-French genius director Roman Polanski. It is a sleek, stylish, and smart political thriller that has channeled Hitchcock in ways that no one has done, since…well-Hitchcock himself. Like the master, Polanski sets his tone through ominous music, and bases this on a central character-an innocent who struggles to find truth, and gain control of a living nightmare.

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Post tags: Roman Polanski, The Ghost Writer

Saying Goodbye To FX’s Nip/Tuck

Anne Jordanova — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:17:36 +0000

Cable’s “Nip/Tuck” ended Wednesday night with its 100th episode, which was filmed in Los Angeles last June. After a 7 year successful run filled with shocking revelations, sex, drugs, and surgery-it was a well put together episode and a finale that did not disappoint.

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Post tags: Nip Tuck, Television

Fishbowl – Swimming Through The Universe (Frigid Festival 2010)

Karen Tortora-Lee — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:41:35 +0000

Mark Shyzer as Esther (Photo credit: Tanja-Tiziana, Double Crossed Photography)

Fishbowl starts off deceptively; writer / performer Mark Shyzer introduces his cast of characters with such blasts of humor, and his transformations are so successful, that you might be fooled into thinking Fishbowl was written to be little more than a vanity piece in order to showcase Mr. Shyzer’s talent of reeling off bitingly funny one-liners while embodying 5 seemingly unrelated but unforgettable characters.

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Post tags: Dark Matter, Fishbowl, Frigid Festival, Mark Shyzer, The Grand Unified Theory of Everything, The Uncertainty Principle