Featured Blog Posts – July 2011 Archive (54)

So tell me. Would you take a baby to the opera? Then why take a baby to the movies? Of course, I'm not actually talking about your baby. Your…

I've gone to two film classes now. Both of them were packed with valuable and--if you're making a film, or thinking about it--useful information. The second one was Producing Your Independent Film, and it was conducted by a panel made up of three filmmakers, one U of M professor, and an entertainment…

If you really want to talk film at the Traverse City Film Festival, I mean really get into it from HD to synopsis,  hit the Filmmakers Party in the parking lot on the corner of State and Park streets in downtown Traverse City—across the street from the Park Place Hotel.

That’s where I went last night, sleuthing the crowd for the yellow lanyards that the filmmakers wore. It was an evening of tremendous conversation, food, drink and music under a starry Northern…

The first word that comes to mind to describe this film, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Rainn Wilson, Devin Brochu and Natalie Portman is intense. Hesher is intensely hilarious, intensely heartbreaking and intensely unique. The story is set in an anonymous middle class community and tells the story of TJ, a young boy who lives with his father, played by Rainn Wilson or Dwight as many of us know him, as well as his grandmother. The family has clearly undergone some sort of extreme tragedy,…

"The Trip" is a movie for grown-ups who appreciate stand-up comedy.  Have you ever wanted to spend the day with one of your favorite stand-up comedians and have them use you as a sounding board as they work out their bits?  Well if so, this movie is a dream come true.  I heard the first…

Taking my 5-year-old and 7-yr-old to children's movies at the Traverse City Film Festival is becoming a family tradition.  My oldest son especially is truly developing an appreciation for good films and still talks about "Kiriku and the Sorceress" I took him to see last year.  He also remembered the family of…

Writer, Director and Star of Exporting Raymond said Skype-ing with Traverse City Film Festival was "Just like Moscow."

TCFF crowd was delighted by Phil Rosenthal's dry commentary and good natured martyrdom throughout this documentary's depiction of the creation of the Russian tv…

My first full day at the Traverse City Film Festival is here! I woke up early, hopped on the BATA bus, and went to my first flick of the day: 'Hey Boo: Harper Lee and To Kill a Mockingbird' began at 9 a.m. at the Old Town Play House. It was really interesting to see past the pages of the Pulitzer-Prize winning novel and look deeply into the personal life of Harper Lee. We, as an audience, learned of Lee's close friendship and falling out with Truman Capote, who was portrayed as Dill in the…

Okay, I gotta admit -- yesterday was a big day for me.  Not only did I get to meet Sesame Street's Elmo and his puppet master Kevin Clash, I got to hang out in the State Theatre green room with "Scout," a.k.a actress Mary Badham from the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird.  Sure, I've been around lotsa big names on both coasts.  Heck, I've kissed Kevin Kline on stage, I've kidnapped Loretta Lynn on TV, and I've worked with everyone from the late James Coburn to the very now…

So continues the summer of Northern Michigan firsts for me: a native New Yorker with a passion for all things Michigan. Endless hype about the Traverse City Film Festival in the Traverse Magazine office and on the downtown streets had gotten me pretty pumped. Picking up my first ever media access pass had gotten me REALLY pumped. 5 movies in 3 days, not a bad way to spend the work week, eh?

My first movie of the festival was yesterday at the Lars Hockstad Auditorium. I was…

TC Film Festival kicked off for me yesterday with Werner Herzog's Cave of Forgotten Dreams. The State Theater was packed, of course, and as I took my seat a volunteer was walking the aisles saying, in the style of a hot dog vendor at a baseball game, "I've got ballots here. Anybody need a ballot?" A guy two…

My family popped down to the Traverse City Film Festival Lawn Party "Kids Fest" today and were more than amazed at the scale of the event!  There is something for everyone: an entertainment stage, a tiny tots play area, games, food, presentations, special DIY creations, free swag, and even a…

Rebecca Lessard of Wings of Wonder (photo courtesy of Wings of Wonder)

This summer, resort guests and club members of The Homestead have the opportunity to experience Michigan raptors live and up close in a program called “The Wonder of Raptors.” Rebecca Lessard of Wings of Wonder will provide three, one-hour programs at the Camp…

My favorite part of the movie "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" is how everyone is dressed for snow, but Han Solo recklessly dons a jaunty windbreaker.  He's way too cool to be cold. …

From the Open Space to Front Street, Traverse City partied in the glow from the opening night of the Traverse City Film Festival.  By 5:30 p.m. crowds packed the State Theatre for the 6 p.m. showing of Made in Dagenham—a screening that was complete with personal appearances from the three real-life…

The Traverse City Film Festival is better than ever this year! Last night, I took my trusty Festival Pass and hung out at the TCFF Opening Night Party on Front Street. I got there around 6:30, and sat outside Horizon Books to watch the party come alive.

In just a couple hours, the streets transformed from this...…

In 1968 Gwen Davis, Sheila Douglass, and Vera Sime worked as machinists alongside one hundred and eighty-four other women at Ford Motor Company's Dagenham plant in East London, England.  Their job -- stitching car seat covers.  After Ford refused to change their grade classification from unskilled to skilled labor, all one hundred and eighty-seven women went out on strike.  All they wanted was equal recognition for the work they were doing.  They ended up getting a lot more than that.  They…

One big hurdle for a tribute act is whether or not the singer/band look like the artist being imitated.

In The Name Of - a Black Sabbath tribute band that includes Dave Hall of Cedar on Bass - has Ozzy Osbourne nailed. That's Eddie Janes of the Flint area on vocals in this new promo vid, both looking and sounding like the Oz-meister.

And…

The Village of Northport. It’s been bigger, it’s been busier, but it probably hasn’t been any better than it is today thanks to a wealth of very smart, creative, caring people who would not let their little town die. In the last decade this postcard lakefront town near the end of Leelanau…

Namaste

I've always been a runnin', soccer playin', swimmin', energetic kind of kid. My work-outs were full of sweat, a lot of miles and an assortment of ab exercises. This was of course until this past Thursday.

It was a rather long day in the office, my lack of sleep was slowly creeping up on me and I was ready for a nice nap. But who can actually sleep in this heat? I laid on my couch, my dad's bass fishing show combined with the roar of every fan in my…