Bigger, Stronger and Faster

Bigger, Stronger, Faster
Written/directed by Chris Bell

I was fortunate to get to be a part of the Tribeca Film Fest this year and happened upon many excellent screenings (which hopefully find an audience beyond Union Square). One in particular, Bigger, Stronger, Faster, a doc by Chris Bell about steroids in American culture was simply spectacular. It was picked up by Magnolia Films in tandem with ESPN and will be released May 30th.
There were so many exciting things about this film--a controversial subject thoughtfully explored, subjects who you can identify and empathize with, documentary style which asks questions, does not demand responses, and most of all, a new turn in the traditional male picture--macho guys with internal conflict that doesn't correlate with shoot ups. Oh wait, well at least not the Transformers type.
Do not miss this film.

Son of Rambow and Starwich

Son of Rambow
Written/Directed by Garth Jennings

If Wes Anderson decided to adapt The Adventures of Kavalier and Clay and The Goonies, the product would be the Son of Rambow, the latest indie about precocious kids unleashed with crayola crayons and magical realism animation.

There is a lot going on in this film thematically. You have religious conflict (ultra-conservative Brethren sect vs. mainstream anti-christ aka Hollywood action films). There is a dialogue about performing masculinity and gender identity politics (wow, did I just utter the most pretentious sentence ever...whoops) as we see a spectrum of male role models for young boys: Rambo (ultra-masculine warrior Sly Stallone), Lawrence (preppy, slick older brother of Lee Carter), Diddier (androgynous Frenchie metro exchange student). Which role are these boys supposed to emulate? Then you have a power chain. Who bullies who? Each character carries his/her own demons. Film, art, rave like dances, slugging each other are the release mechanisms.

So how to make sense of this cinematic/narrative hodgepodge...it's a think piece, a collage of modern adolescence presented in a 78 minute feature length film, take the images, assemble them together through your own lens. And revel in some of the most glorious panoramas (racing through the field, dancing at the psychedelic school lounge)

Meanwhile, taste the Fig, mango, apple, walnut, avocado salad at Starwich in midtown west. Once again, a lot of good ideas (colorful, tasty fruit) assembled without any culminating, unifying flavor. I don't know whether to eat it or make it into sangria. Either way I think it could use some mint.

4.08.08 What's Old is New Again

4.08.08...the start of something new at your neighborhood Starbucks, or at least so the ominous ads promise (the ones with the chalk outline of the to-go cup...like your latte has been the victim of a senseless crime).

Today across the nation, Starbucks introduces (or re-introduces) the Pike Place roast...named after the original store in Seattle. This is a blatant attempt by Starbucks CEO (Mr. Venti himself) Howard Schultz to recapture Starbucks followers who either because of cost or taste, are now veering to Dunkin or lesser alternatives to get their java fix.

I myself, am a loyal Starbucks junkie. If I wanted to drink straight from a cow's udder and wash it down with a hazelnut-flavored pixie stik, I would go to Dunkin. But I don't.

So as a afficionaddict, I tried this new brew this morning and found it delightful. Nutty, bold, but not bitter. And cheaper! Get that fiscal responsibility! If I wanted, I could downgrade to a "short." This may be an initiative to collect elementary children's milk money...get them when they are young. Further validating this theory, Starbucks is offering free short Pike's Place roast today at noon EST with the tagline, "Your first hit's free."

Since there are absolutely no worthwhile films in theatres right now to accompany my new beverage (Oh Harold and Kumar, when will you come my way, with Indiana Jones and a summer of popcorn flicks), I think the NCAA spirit calls for us to revisit another old favorite, Love and Basketball. Netflix cue it.