CLOSE
Movie Review

by -
0 1801
Dave Morrissey Jr. as Col. Benjamin Tallmadge in a scene from 'One Life to Give.' Michael Pawluk Photography

By Rita J. Egan

For nearly 15 years, Dave Morrissey Jr.’s career path has taken him from playing Revolutionary War hero Col. Benjamin Tallmadge in independent productions to taking on bad guy roles on television. In a recent phone interview, the actor said he credits his theatrical experiences on Long Island for helping him pursue his acting goals.

Currently living in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Morrissey was born in Port Jefferson and grew up in Selden and Miller Place. He said the seeds of his career were planted during his formative years studying at The Performing Arts Studio of New York in Port Jefferson, which his mother, Terri Morrissey, owns, along with Deborah and Michael Livering.

Playing a hero

A graduate of Suffolk County Community College and Fashion Institute of Technology, Morrissey first had the opportunity to play Tallmadge, who oversaw the Setauket spies during the Revolutionary War, in the independent film The Culper Spy Adventure. He became involved in the movie thanks to his connection with one of the directors, Michael Tessler, who had attended The Performing Arts Studio of New York. He would have the chance to play Tallmadge again for the TBR News Media-produced One Life to Give and its sequel, Traitor: A Culper Spy Story.

Morrissey said being part of the two films with local actors was a fun and “sweet experience.” One of his favorite memories includes the night when the actors decided to sleep over at Benner’s Farm in East Setauket, one of the film’s locations, to get the feel of sleeping in a fort, which was constructed by the crew.

“That was a real fun method-acting experience because it was July Fourth weekend, and it was camping out with a bunch of reenactors,” he said.

Regarding playing Tallmadge, Morrissey said he wished he could do it again. “I still get people reaching out to me, texting me or messaging me on social media saying, ‘Oh, I saw you in The Culper Spy Adventure,'” he said.

One of the things the actor appreciated most about appearing in the independent films was that they weren’t as dramatized as they were in Turn: Washington’s Spies, the AMC series about the Culper Spy Ring.

“The thing that I liked about One Life to Give was that it had a certain level of authenticity,” Morrissey said. “Everyone really loved that time period. Everyone really loved the experience. I don’t know if I’ve ever really had a set that magical.”

Taking on the bad guys

Since his time on the One Life to Give and Traitor: A Culper Spy Story sets, he has had roles on Law and Order: Organized Crime, American Horror Story and FBI, where he has been cast as bad guys.

“I quickly found that casting is going to like me if I play a bad guy, and I’m not a bad person,” he said, adding the roles are fun to play. “It’s a challenge, and it’s complex.”

Having varied experiences when starting a career in movies and television is essential as well as producing content, according to Morrissey. “When I got out of high school, it was right when content creation was kind of starting, and everyone was saying you have to make your own work,” he said. “I really leaned into that.”

It led to the creation of the former Bluebox Theatre Company with his friend Joe Rubino, where they produced what he called “dark” productions. Morrissey also produces, hosts and directs gaming technology and branded content. 

In addition to playing Tallmadge and bad guys, Morrissey said one of his favorite performances has been in the movie Our Lady of Queens, which he produced and acted in along with prolific character actor Austin Pendleton. He described the film as a family drama that delves into the subject of dementia. He recently submitted Our Lady of Queens to film festivals along with a short film he narrated titled Cowboy Killer.

Currently, the actor said he’s been busy completing a documentary series with the United States Space Force and Space.com and a short documentary, Chasing Electric, about the rise of electric motorcycles. Morrissey is also appearing in a play about artificial intelligence titled A Groundbreaking Achievement of Outrageous Importance at Theatrelab in New York City through May that is produced and directed by fellow Long Islander Andrew Beck. 

Sharing advice

His advice for people interested in acting is that they can start at any age, and he said living on Long Island is a good place to start as the “industry is right here.”

“When you really see what the industry is made of, you’ll be less intimidated by it,” he said. “So, you should just go for it 100 percent.”

Among advice such as actors must know what type they are before getting headshots and having the pictures taken before trying to find a manager, Morrissey said it’s important for aspiring actors to “spread yourself out and make your pond as big as possible.”

The actor added that he believes the local Long Island theaters provide different perspectives essential for actors entering the entertainment industry.

“You’ll see there are some people who come out of Long Island who are unbelievable and they succeed,” Morrissey said. “I think it’s because we have the opportunity to really have these different communities that are really so amazing — these theater communities on Long Island.”

by -
0 647

The Cinema Arts Centre will host a five-day celebration of Jewish Cinema and culture, with films that include thoughtful documentaries, captivating dramas, and historically significant films

This May, the Long Island Jewish Film Festival will return to Huntington’s Cinema Arts Centre for the festival’s second year. The second season of the Long Island Jewish Film Festival will span five days, May 3rd – May 7th, and will include screenings of films at the forefront of Jewish cultural storytelling.

The festival will feature films that include innovative documentaries, riveting dramas, and rarely seen pieces of film history, all curated by David Schwartz, Curator at Large at the Museum of the Moving Image, who will also host and lead audience discussions after many of the festival’s screenings.

The Long Island Jewish Film Festival was organized to help celebrate the rich cultural traditions and history of the Jewish community in America and abroad. The films highlighted in the festival represent the apex of both historic and modern Jewish cinema, featuring films from over a 100 years ago, through today.

The Long Island Jewish Film Festival will begin on Friday, May 3rd with a screening of powerful historical drama “Kidnapped”. The second day of the festival will feature screenings of three films: the enthralling dramas “The Other Widow” & “The Goldman Case”, as well as the acclaimed new documentary “How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer”. Sunday, the third day of the festival, will include a screening of the historic 1923 silent film “The Ancient Law”, with a live score performed by pianist Donald Sosin & klezmer violinist Alicia Svigals, a screening of the 1980 documentary “Brighton Beach”, featuring a discussion with director Susan Wittenberg in-person, as well as an encore screening of the film “Kidnapped” for those that observe shabbat and couldn’t attend the Friday screening.

The remaining days of the festival will also feature encore screenings of the films “The Goldman Case”, and “The Other Widow”. The screenings of “The Other Widow” and “How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer” will feature pre-record Q&As with the film’s directors and our host and curator David Schwartz.

Public tickets are $16 per screening with the exception of the film “The Ancient Law”, for which public tickets will cost $18.

The Films:

A scene from ‘Kidnapped’

Kidnapped
Friday, May 3rd at 7 PM
& Sunday, May 5th at 7 PM
$16 Public | $10 Members
The great Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio, now 84, has made one of the most stylish and operatic films of his career. Kidnapped depicts the scandalous true story of Edgardo Mortara, a six-year-old Jewish boy who, in 1858, was baptized by his caretaker, and abducted from his family by order of the Pope, to be raised as a Catholic. Edgardo became the center of an international firestorm as his parents fought to retrieve their child from the clutches of a ruthless theocratic government; the case led to historical change. (2023, 134 mins)

Promotional Image from The Other Widow. 2022. Lama Films, Cup of Tea, Tobina Films.

The Other Widow
Saturday, May 4th at 2 PM
& Tuesday, May 7th at 7 PM
Featuring a pre-recorded Q&A with director Maayan Rypp
$16 Public | $10 Members
Nominated for 9 Ophir awards (the Israeli Oscars) including Best Film, Best Director, and Best Actress, this wonderfully observed comedic drama follows Ella (Dana Ivgy) a costume designer who is in a long-term affair with Assaf, a married playwright. When Assaf dies unexpectedly, Ella decides to attend Shiva while keeping her identity under wraps, diving into a world once forbidden to her. Through intimate encounters with his family, she examines her place in his life and eventually demands her legitimate right to mourn. (2022, 83 mins)

A scene from ‘The Goldman Case’

The Goldman Case
Saturday, May 4th at 4 PM
& Monday, May 6th at 7 PM
$16 Public | $10 Members
This gripping courtroom drama delves into the sensational and widely followed 1976 trial of Pierre Goldman, a Jewish activist defending himself against multiple charges, including murder. Goldman steadfastly maintained his innocence, while the facts of his case became a flash point for a generation, raising questions of antisemitism and political ideology. Directed with vérité realism and pinpoint historical precision, The Goldman Case is both subdued and electrifying, communicating so much about the complexity of Jewish identity in recent European history. It was the opening night film in the Director’s Fortnight section at Cannes. (2023, 115 mins)

Portrait of Norman Mailer featured in How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer. 2023. Zeitgeist Films. Image provided courtesy of Zeitgeist Films & Kino Lorber.

How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer
Saturday, May 4th at 7 PM
Featuring a pre-recorded Q&A with director Jeff Zimbalist
$16 Public | $10 Members
Norman Mailer, a towering figure in American literature, had a life that was certainly stranger than fiction. From his formative years in Brooklyn, through his career as a preeminent cultural voice, we follow Mailer’s life through 6 marriages, 9 children, 11 bestselling books and 2 Pulitzer Prizes as he solidifies his place in the literary pantheon. With access to Mailer’s family and never before seen footage, this biography details the life and times of an American icon. (2023,100 mins)

Still from The Ancient Law. 1923. Comedia-Film. Public Domain.

The Ancient Law
Sunday, May 5th at 2 PM
With live score performed by Donald Sosin and Alicia Svigals
$18 Public | $12 Members
This rarely seen silent film from Weimar Era Germany tells the dramatic story of Baruch, a young shtetl Jew and the son of a Rabbi, who leaves his family and community, seeking a secular career as a stage actor. Featuring wonderful scenes depicting shtetl life, the film paints a complex portrait of the tension between tradition and modernity. Like so many other Jewish artists of the era, director E.A. Dupont and star Ernst Deutsch were both forced to flee their homelands as the Nazis rose to power.  (1923, 128 mins)

Still from Brighton Beach. 1980. Carol Stein and Susan Wittenberg. Courtesy of Indiecollect.

Brighton Beach
Sunday, May 5th at 5 PM
With director Susan Wittenberg in-person
$16 Public | $10 Members
Set against the iconic Coney Island boardwalk, Brighton Beach is a neighborhood in constant re-formation. This 1980 documentary offers a genuine portrait of the immigrant communities that changed the Brooklyn neighborhood—mostly Soviet Jews and Puerto Ricans—as they mingle on the boardwalk with long-time residents, eye one another, and coexist around a shared sense of uprootedness. From directors Susan Wittenberg and Carol Stein, Brighton Beach is an unposed, seductively shot, color film about life’s simple pleasures and the creating of a community. (2080, 55 mins)

Location:
Cinema Arts Centre, 423 Park Ave, Huntington, NY 11743

You can purchase tickets or find more information about these and other events on the Cinema Arts Centre website: www.cinemaartscentre.org

by -
0 473
SKYWALKER SAGA MAY THE 4th MARATHON HEADS TO HOLSTVILLE.

Fans are Invited to Watch All Nine “Star Wars” Movies on the Big Screen on “Star Wars Day” beginning at 8:00 p.m. on May 3 until 6:45 p.m. on May 4

Showcase Cinemas has announced that Island 16: Cinema de Lux in Holtsville, will be one of only 14 theaters nationwide, and the only location on Long Island, to host the exclusive “The Skywalker Saga May the 4thMarathon” taking place on May 3 and 4. Scheduled over “Star Wars Day” (May the 4th), Star Wars fans will have the opportunity to view all nine films from the Star Wars saga together on the big screen during a 23-hour time period, including a special look at the upcoming Disney+ series “The Acolyte.”

Tickets are on sale now, priced at $60 for the general public and $55 for Starpass loyalty program members. Tickets can be purchased via the Showcase Cinemas website at this link. Tickets include all nine movies and exclusive commemorative items including a limited-edition collectible print and a keepsake marathon badge. Marathon guests will also receive a 25 percent discount on food and beverage purchases (excluding alcohol), including on items featured on the special Star Wars-themed menu.

“The Skywalker Saga May the 4th Marathon” begins with “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” at 8 p.m. on May 3 and concludes with “Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker,” ending at 6:45 p.m. on May 4. Short breaks will be offered in between films for guests to freshen up and purchase food.

“What better way to celebrate May the 4th this year than to watch all of the ‘Star Wars’ films on the big screen back-to-back?” said Mark Malinowski, Vice President of Global Marketing at Showcase Cinemas. “This is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Star Wars fans to celebrate the day in a big way, and we couldn’t be more excited to help them create special memories. It’s going to be an incredible event!”

In addition to Island 16: Cinema de Lux, Showcase Cinemas is also hosting the marathon in two sold-out auditoriums at Showcase Cinema de Lux at Legacy Place in Dedham, Mass. on the same date.

For more information on the “The Skywalker Saga May the 4th Marathon” on Long Island, please visit this link.

by -
0 993
'Food, Inc. 2'. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

In 2008, Robert Kenner co-wrote and directed the documentary Food, Inc., a searing indictment of the food industry that exposed many of the darkest elements of corporate America’s stranglehold. The film laid bare the unhealthy practices and abuse of animals and industry employees. Additionally, it exposed the handful of companies that ruthlessly controlled the entire market. The film mixed interviews with graphic imagery and segue animations. The brutal but eye-opening film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature. 

Bren Smith, a fisherman turned kelp farmer, is featured in the documentary.
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Now Kenner and producer Melissa Robledo have co-directed the sequel: Food, Inc. 2. The film opens with the impact of the pandemic: The consolidated food system revealed itself as too brittle to weather unpredictability. Further, a lack of protocols failed to protect workers from COVID-19 and the spread of contamination. This transitions into an exploration of immigrant workers manipulated by the system and treated as disposable.

Just as in Food, Inc., the film targets the largest companies. In particular, the Tyson Waterloo meatpacking plant in Iowa comes under fire for refusal to contact trace, leading to 1,300 out of 2,500 employees contracting COVID. The illness seeped into the community, causing exponential deaths. Tyson used fear tactics to pressure Washington to enact the Defense Production Act to keep their slaughterhouses open. And perhaps it is this ongoing corruption that is the heart of the sequel—the blood money that keeps monopolies in power. The four largest meat companies control 85% of the market. 

The film is a portrait of David and Goliath, with small farmers and small businesses crushed by the mega-conglomerates. In addition to dominating the markets, these companies drain water sources, destroy land, and raise animals in tortuous conditions. It is a story of nature vs. capitalism and profits vs. sustainability. Commodity crops—notably corn and soybean—are subsidized by the government. These two items are the pillars of the industrialized food system. 

Food, Inc. 2 focuses a great deal on “ultra-processed food” that relies on chemical flavoring and novelty to create synthetic, ingestible products that lead to addiction, obesity, and other systemic health strains. This destructive food environment offers larger portions, obsession with constant eating, and the cry of “Eat more! Eat more! Eat more!” 

The film touches on a workforce crushed by horrific working conditions, wage theft, and even forced labor. Kenner and Robledo address climate change and global warming. However, the film shows changes in the laws, citing the Fair Food Agreement. It offers the alternatives explored in the food sciences: meat without animals, milk without cows, honey without bees, kelp farming, etc. It highlights the closed loop of a sustainable system with a more natural approach to land and sea stewardship. 

In all this is the haunting question of whether there has been any real change over the last sixteen years—or only the appearance of change. 

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Eric Schlosser (Fast Food Nation) and Michael Pollan (The Omnivores Dilemma) host the second film. Their incisive and eloquent presences area welcome support to the narrative. There are interviews with farmers, fishermen, doctors, and scientists. An interesting thread deals with a scientist hired by PepsiCo to explore the relationship between sweetness and calories. When she reported her findings to the giant corporation, it cut off her funding.

One of the most effective testimonies is a fast-food worker who shares the plight of many Americans struggling to survive. She lived out of her car for several years, trying to feed her two children. She has worked for McDonald’s, Popeye’s, and Taco Bell. She reminds us that the average fast-food worker is not a teenager looking to break into the job market, but a thirty-year-old woman with no health care or sick leave. “I’m tired, and nobody knows how tired I am except for the people who go through it like me.” Her story is one of the most powerful in the entire film. 

Among the talking heads is New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, a member of the Agricultural Committee, who vocalizes his desire to fix the broken food system. Montana Senator Jon Tester, a farmer with a firsthand knowledge of the death of family agriculture and mass exodus off the land, complements him. 

Food, Inc. 2 is an important film but not a great one. While it covers a certain amount of new ground and ends on a more hopeful note, its impact is “less than,” and its effect strangely tacit. The immediacy is not as present, giving the sequel a meandering feel. It is not that it lacks edge, but the blade is the same and slightly duller. Cinematically, it approaches the material in an almost identical fashion. A sense of visual repetition makes the film less surprising and ultimately less engaging. Repetitive footage of farms, labs, and grocery aisles becomes predictable. 

But the final message is significant: Individuals can make a difference. “Use your fork, your vote, your voice.”

Food, Inc. 2 is now streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Vudu. 

by -
0 980
Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh in a scene from the film.

Fathom’s Big Screen Classics series continues with the landmark 1939 drama Gone With The Wind — returning to select theaters nationwide in honor of its 85th anniversary on April 7, 8, and 10.

Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel star in this classic epic of the American South. On the eve of the American Civil War, rich, beautiful and self-centered Scarlett O’Hara (Leigh, in her Oscar®-winning role) has everything she could want—except Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard). But as the war devastates the South, Scarlett discovers the strength within herself to protect her family and rebuild her life. Through everything, she longs for Ashley, seemingly unaware that she is already married to the man she really loves (Gable) — and who truly loves her — until she finally drives him away. Only then does Scarlett realize what she has lost…and decides to win him back.

Recognized as one of the greatest films of all time, Gone With The Wind is the winner of eight Academy Awards® (plus two special achievement Oscars), including honors for Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Director for Victor Fleming, Best Actor for Clark Gable, Best Actress for Vivien Leigh, and Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel.

Each screening includes an exclusive introduction by fan-favorite film historian Leonard Maltin, discussing the tremendous impact that Gone With The Wind continues to have on both cinema and culture over eight decades after its original release.

Locally the film will be screened at AMC Loews Stony Brook 17,  Showcase Cinema de lux in Farmingdale,  Regal UA in Farmingdale, and Island 16 Cinema de Lux in Holtsville. To order tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

by -
0 1388
Anthony Hopkins stars as Sir Nicholas Winton in 'One Life'. Photo courtesy of See-Saw Films

Reviewed by Jeffrey Sanzel

Early in One Life, twenty-nine-year-old London stockbroker Nicholas Winton (Johnny Flynn) visits a makeshift camp in the center of Prague in 1938. Here, the mostly Jewish displaced families from Germany and Austria who fled the Nazi regime live in homeless squalor and starvation. 

Encountering child after child, he produces a half-eaten chocolate bar, which he proceeds to divvy among the starving children. Of course, there is not enough. In this moment, director James Hawes brilliantly shows Winton’s tacit epiphany: he must rescue these young victims. 

Above, Johnny Flynn as the young Nicholas Winton. Photo courtesy of See-Saw Films

Over the next ninety minutes, the brisk, brutal, and beautiful film alternates between young Winton and the seventy-nine-year-old Winton (Anthony Hopkins) struggling with divesting remnants of his mammoth undertaking, symbolized by the briefcase given to him when he committed to helping the refugees’ plight. The briefcase is home to a scrapbook chronicling the entire undertaking.

While the film shifts in time, each section proceeds in a simple, linear fashion. The narrative is clear, with the story focusing on the action played out under the shadow of the encroaching Nazi invasion. Winton takes on the British government, negotiating immigration. Additionally, he finds hundreds of foster families. One Life makes paperwork and red tape a visceral issue of life and death. The scenes in Prague are vivid and harsh and truly haunting, calling to mind equally difficult images of current events. 

Winton becomes an active member of the Prague office of the British Committee for Refugees from Czechoslovakia (BCRC), headed by the formidable Doreen Warriner (Romola Garai). Devastating scenes of parents sending their children away and of sibling separation contrast with the cold British offices. 

Winton managed to get eight trains, with six hundred and sixty-nine children, from Czechoslovakia to London. The Nazi invasion of Poland stopped the ninth train, which contained three hundred and fifty children. Their fate, like so many, would be the Nazi death camps.

Anthony Hopkins plays the older Winton.
Photo courtesy of See-Saw Films

One Life is about faith in regular people, a tribute—as Winton declares of their coterie—to “an army of the ordinary.” Quiet but adamantly dogged in his pursuit of humanitarian aid, Winton is joined by his mother, Babi (Helena Bonham Carter). Babi is a Jewish-German immigrant who converted to the Church of England. Both sensitive and a voice of reason, she reminds Winton, “You cannot save them all. You must forgive yourself that.”

The 1988 section of the film shows Winton trying to decide what to do with the final remnants of these historical records. His internal struggle leads to his appearance on the crass but popular television show That’s Life. The recreation of his two appearances highlights the contemporary portion, allowing Winton to reconnect to the lives he saved. (The actual footage of the real Winton is available online and featured in the documentary The Power of Good: Nicholas Winton.)

Lucinda Coxon and Nick Drake thoughtfully crafted a tight, taut screenplay from daughter Barbara Winton’s account of her father, If It’s Not Impossible … The Life of Nicholas Winton. James Hawes’ powerful direction is matched by Zac Nicholson’s stark, desaturated cinematography and perfectly complemented by Lucia Zucchetti’s sharp editing.  

The ensemble cast is uniformly strong. Hopkins, one of the greatest actors of our time, offers nuance, introspection, and pain, presented with subtlety and sensitivity. He is the rare actor that you can watch think. Flynn is his equal as his contemplative, anxious, younger self.

As Babi, the terrific Bonham Carter is a matriarchal force of nature, balancing raw honesty and wry humor. Garai brings depth and pain to the no-nonsense Warriner. As Winton’s wife, Grete, Lena Olin provides a luminous grounding, showing her deep love for the conflicted Winton. Jonathan Pryce is warm and knowing as Martin Blake, the older version of one of the BCRC members. Samuel Finzi’s scene as the Prague Rabbi Hertz presents a poignant meditation on complicated fears in the Czech Jewish community. 

But the performances that resonate above all are the children who play the refugees: they transcend the screen to create a heartbreaking reality.

According to the film, twenty-six thousand Jewish Czechoslovakian children were interred in concentration camps. Fewer than two hundred and fifty survived. Sir Nicholas Winton died at age one hundred and six, a man who never wanted the work to be about him. His legacy is some six thousand descendants because of the rescue mission. One Life is a genuine, gut-wrenching, but ultimately uplifting account of the ability of one person to make a difference.

Rated PG, the film is now playing in local theaters.

by -
0 720
Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s Barbie is most deserving for Best Adapted Screenplay.

By Tim Haggerty and Jeffrey Sanzel

The 96th Academy Awards will be held on March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Oppenheimer leads with thirteen nominations, followed by Poor Things with eleven and Killers of the Flower Moon with ten. Even the most basic speculation is subjective, but here are some thoughts on the contenders.

The primary artist is the writer. If the writing is poor, nothing follows. So, to begin: 

Best Original Screenplay. For pure storytelling, Anatomy of a Fall dealt powerfully with a woman accused of pushing her husband off a balcony. Played out almost entirely at the trial, the script succeeds on the level of Twelve Angry Men. Possible spoilers could be The Holdovers or Past Lives, with screenplays providing poignant performance opportunities. An honorary mention goes to May December, which offered a brutal look at Hollywood’s nearly perverse obsession with biopics.

Best Adapted Screenplay. While a reflection of another’s work, these screenplays allow one to envision a story through a fresh prism. This year, the category is highly competitive. Zone of Interest is intense and visceral, but its success derives more from the visuals and not necessarily the script. Poor Things takes the book’s absurdity to eleven, elevating the original novel. American Fiction is strong when representation turns character into characterization. 

The frontrunner—Oppenheimer—is an extraordinary achievement of making the technical both accessible and thrilling. However, Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s Barbie is most deserving. After decades of failed attempts to bring Barbie to the screen, they triumphed far beyond expectations: “We mothers stand still so our daughters can see how far they’ve come.” 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s stellar performance in The Holdovers has swept this category in every major award. Her performance is the heart of an amazing film.

Best Actress in a Leading Role. Perhaps the hardest pick of the year, with frontrunners Emma Stone (Poor Things) and Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon) running head-to-head (much like last season’s Michelle Yeoh and Cate Blanchett). While both are deserving, it will come down to maximalist versus minimalist: Poor Thing’s exclamation points or Flower Moon’s full stops. Regardless, the winner will lead to months of debate and discussion. Two major snubs in this category are Margot Robbie’s brilliant Barbie and Greta Lee for Past Lives.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Yes, Ryan Gosling was fun as Barbie’s Ken, but it is unlikely to garner him his first Oscar. Plain and simple, Robert Downey Jr. will take home the trophy for Oppenheimer. 

Best Actor in a Leading Role. While not as close as Leading Actress, the two major considerations are Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers). Giamatti would be victorious in another year, but Murphy’s monumental Oppenheimer carried a film that required a flawless performance at its helm. Not nominating Zac Efron’s moving portrayal in The Iron Claw, which highlighted the dangers of toxic masculinity, was an egregious slight.

Best Director. As seen in other categories, all the nominees would win years when they were not competing against each other. This is especially true of Yorgos Lanthimos’s work on Poor Things. But there is no question that Christopher Nolan will take home the trophy for Oppenheimer. A master of the craft, Paul Thomas Anderson’s praise for Nolan’s Dunkirk applies here: “It’s great to still be able to see someone’s film and think ‘How the —- did he do that?” And that statement is the same for Oppenheimer. The most brutal snub of the year is unquestionably Greta Gerwig’s absence from a directorial nomination for Barbie. Her exceptional vision deserves accolades and highlights the industry’s systemic problems.

Best Picture. This year in film has been the best since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Once again, every film deserves an award for its own elements. But ultimately, Oppenheimer was the biggest artistic (if not financial) success. A work unlike any other, the film checks every box.

So, on Sunday night, settle in with your popcorn and see how the drama unfolds!

Bonus Quick Picks:

Documentary Short Film. While ABC’s of Book Burning will win, Nai Nai & Wai Po is a beautiful, gentle story.

Documentary Feature. 20 Days in Mariupol 

International Film. The Zone of Interest. (Honorable Mention: Perfect Days)

Live Action Short Film. Wes Anderson will get his first Oscar for his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.

Animated Feature Film. The Boy and the Heron

Original Song. A no-brainer: Billie Eilish’s Barbie tune: “What Was I Made for?”

Score. Oppenheimer will win over Poor Things, more avant-garde sound.

Visual Effects. Godzilla Minus One burns the competition. 

Sound. Oppenheimer will win, but Zone of Interest is most deserving.

Production Design. A tight race between Barbie and Poor Things—bringing back the forgotten artform of sound stage sets, both “authentically artificial.” The latter probably has the edge.

Makeup and Hairstyling. Poor Things

Costume. Barbie or Poor Things

Film Editing. Oppenheimer, but Killers of the Flower Moon could steal it.

Cinematography. Oppenheimer

 

by -
0 707
'Labyrinth' heads to local theaters on March 6 and 10

Fathom Events and The Jim Henson Company in collaboration with Sony Pictures brings the 1986 fantasy epic “Labyrinth” to select theaters nationwide on Wednesday, March 6 and Sunday, March 10.

Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King (David Bowie). 

Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers. To get through it in time to save Toby, Sarah befriends inhabitants of the Labyrinth, in hopes that their loyalty isn’t just another illusion in a place where nothing is as it seems.

The film is executive produced by the visionary George Lucas and boasts breathtaking sets and the signature puppetry and effects from director Jim Henson, as well as original music written and performed for the film by David Bowie.

Each screening includes an exclusive introduction by renowned film critic and historian Leonard Maltin, exploring the enduring appeal of Labyrinth, which has helped cement the film as a true cult classic.

Locally the film will be screened at AMC Loews Stony Brook 17 on March 6 at 7 p.m. and March 10 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Island 16 Cinema de Lux in Holtsville on March 6 at 7 p.m. and March 10 at 4 p.m.; Showcase Cinema de lux in Farmingdale on March 6 at 7 p.m. and March 10 at 4 p.m.; and Regal UA Farmingdale on March 6 at 7:10 p.m. and March 10 at 4:10 p.m. and 7:10 p.m. 

To order tickets in advance, visit www.fathomevents.com.

by -
0 894
1 of 7
‘A Disturbance in the Force’ will be screened at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Port Jefferson Station on May 6.
'Story and Pictures By'
OVERCOME WITH NOSTALGIA Catch a screening of the documentary ‘Flipside,’ a comical attempt to save a New Jersey record store and confront a mid-life crisis, at Theatre Three on April 8. Photo courtesy of PJDS
'Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty'
'We Are the Warriors'
'Confessions of a Good Samaritan'
'Ukraine: The Other Frontline'

By Tara Mae

From the first actuality motion pictures running a minute or less to present day feature length documentaries, nonfiction films have captured the imagination and provided intimate insight into people and situations that inhabit the world with us.

On select Mondays from March 4 to May 20 at 7 p.m., the Spring 2024 season of the Port Jefferson Documentary Series (PJDS) covers seven tales of the audacity of authenticity, unity in adversity, togetherness in triumph, communal solitude, singular sacrifice for an uncommon goal, and whimsy in misadventure. 

Held at either Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson or John F. Kennedy Middle School, 200 Jayne Blvd., Port Jefferson Station, screenings will be followed by Q&As led by Tom Needham, executive producer and host of “Sounds of Film” on WUSB. Guest speakers, involved in the film or experts in its subject matter, will answer questions from Needham and audience members.

Documentary filmmaking is a frank language of cinema, and these conversations are a means by which to continue the dialogue. 

“Film, like other art forms, provides an emotional connection for people to ideas and to one another,” PJDS co-chair Kelly DeVine said. “…This Spring line-up offers seven films and seven opportunities to celebrate cinema and community. The program spans subject areas and moods.” 

Despite divergent topics, emotional comprehension, whether through trauma or triumph, faith or farce, longing for it or security in it, is a theme that permeates the films. 

Sponsored by Maggio Environmental and Wellness; Covati & Janhsen, CPAs; Port Jeff Storage; and the accounting firm Saranto Clamas, CPA with support from Suffolk County and the Greater Port Jefferson-Northern Brookhaven Arts Council, the season opens with Ukraine, The Other Frontline. It follows five Ukrainian journalists who have the courage to continue doing their jobs, and in doing so, become part of the larger story of Ukrainian resistance to Russia’s war in their country.  

Story and Pictures By explores the efforts of today’s children’s book authors to create stories as diverse as themselves and their readers. 

Flipside chronicles filmmaker Chris Wilcha’s attempt to save the record store that sustained him as a teenager while he examines ideas of artistic identity.

Stuart Udall: The Politics of Beauty traces the life trajectory of Stuart Udall, who served as the Secretary of the Interior for Kennedy and Johnson, championed quality of life over quantity of consumerism, and espoused a political philosophy that celebrated life’s simple pleasures and beauties. 

A Disturbance in the Force honors the seemingly nonsensical “Star Wars Holiday Special” that George Lucas produced in 1978. 

We are the Warriors depicts citizens of Wells, Maine, contending with the town’s colonial history, how its modern manifestations effect the Indigenous residents, and the 2017 incident that galvanized citizens to seek common ground. 

Confessions of a Good Samaritan traces director Penny Lane’s generous decision to donate a kidney to a stranger and how this decision leads her on a quest to unearth the meaning of altruism. 

(For dates and times, please see Film Schedule below)

Those involved in arranging and implementing the Series, including PJDS’ film board as well as volunteers, are eager to enjoy these documentaries with audiences and encounter their original reactions. 

“[We] are looking forward to another exciting season…” co-chair Wendy Feinberg said. She selected Stories and Pictures By. DeVine selected the other six documentaries. It is the first time that the documentaries were not submitted by individual board members and chosen by vote of the board as a whole. 

This change in protocol reflects a shift in leadership. Though they remain on the board, Lyn Boland and Barbara Sverd, co-directors with Feinberg, sought to take a step back from organizing and running the Series. Boland and Weinberg became co-chairs; Sverd is now the community outreach coordinator. Their titles are different this season, but their love for documentaries and PJDS has not waned.

“What I didn’t expect was the bitter-sweet feeling I was left with once I cut the cord. I will miss the relationships made with film makers and the thrill of the chase when trying to land a new film. I do intend to help Kelly during this transition which is going smoothly and remain involved in the PJDS,” Sverd said. 

Once a board member, DeVine was invited by Boland to rejoin and lead the Series. She previously worked as a programmer/acquisitions member for the Independent Film Channel (IFC) and still serves as programmer for the Great Peace Film Festival in Florida.

“I really think this was a very lucky break for the documentary series. Kelly is giving us the benefit of things she has seen. I am staying involved, but my role is changing. People should expect some things to be different and much to remain the same,” Boland said.

Even as alterations to its setup were taking place behind the scenes, DeVine and the other board members made sure that key elements of PJDS’ ethos, such as attention to attendees’ interests, stayed essential to its mission. 

“I start with the audience when considering a film…For PJDS, I am still centering the community in the curation process,” DeVine said. “While a film series like this one provides the opportunity to bring the world to Port Jefferson, I also look to make connections between these stories and our own lives and concerns.”

By identifying commonalities and spotlighting individuality, PJDS strives to foster communication, artistic recognition, and interpersonal acceptance. It continues to incorporate documentaries that appeal to the Series’ existing patrons and invite new appreciators to participate. It is a community that honors its fans and welcomes fresh faces.  

“The most rewarding part of programming is always the audience connection. …I am looking forward to seeing the reaction to the programs, hoping to continue to appeal to the existing audience base for the PJDS while bringing in new audience segments along the way,” DeVine said. “For me, programming is a conversation with audiences, and a conversation that I find enriching.” 

An award winning documentary series, organizers, documentarians, and audiences continue to be inspired by PJDS’ dedication to sharing tales well told and amplifying voices that may otherwise be less audible to the public. For those in attendance, it endeavors to offer insights into the world around them and each other. 

“The stories are important, but almost as important is the opportunity to come together in a  social setting. The purpose of public arts is to celebrate and sustain community. Watching a film by yourself has one effect, but sharing the experience with others and maybe learning something about yourself or others in the process is something else altogether,” DeVine said.

FILM SCHEDULE:

◆ The Spring 2024 season kicks off with a screening of Ukraine, The Other Frontline  at Theatre Three on March 4 at 7 p.m. How is wartime news produced in Ukraine? A gripping and fascinating insight into the upheavals of everyday life in television newsrooms. Guest speaker will be Sarah Baxter, Director of the Marie Colvin Center for International Reporting at SBU.

◆ Story and Pictures By, the first feature documentary to take audiences behind the scenes to meet the boundary pushers who create children’s picture books, will be screened at JFK Middle School on March 25 at 7 p.m. Guest speaker will be filmmaker Joanna Rudnick.

◆ Next up is Flipside at Theatre Three on April 8 at 7 p.m.  Filmmaker Chris Wilcha revisits the record store he worked at as a teenager in New Jersey, he finds the once-thriving bastion of music and weirdness from his youth slowly falling apart and out of touch with the times. Guest speaker will be Director Chris Wilcha.

◆ Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty will be screened at JFK Middle School on April 15 at 7 p.m. The film examines the trajectory of Udall’s life from his childhood to his years as Secretary of the Interior under the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, focusing on his effectiveness as a dedicated, bi-partisan public servant. Guest speaker TBA.

‘A Disturbance in the Force’

◆ The season continues with A  Disturbance in the Force at JFK Middle School on May 6 at 7 p.m. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…In 1978 George Lucas was talked in to cashing in on the STAR WARS craze by producing a holiday variety TV special.  What could possibly go wrong? Answer: Everything. Guest speaker will be Director Jeremy Coon.

◆ We Are the Warriors will be screened at JFK Middle School on May 13 at 7 p.m.  For nearly 70 years, students and alumni of Wells High School in Maine have called themselves the “Warriors.” The school’s mascot, variations of a stoic Native American head in profile with braids and feathered headband, has drawn both support and criticism in the past. However an incident in 2017 shocks the town and reignites the debate. Guest speaker TBA.

◆ Confessions of a Good Samaritan heads to Theatre Three on May 20 at 7 p.m. Director Penny Lane’s decision to become a “good Samaritan” by giving one of her kidneys to a stranger turns into a funny and moving personal quest to understand the nature of altruism. Guest speaker will be filmmaker Penny Lane.

Tickets are $10 per person; season passes are $58 each. For more information, visit portjeffdocumentaryseries.com.  

by -
0 697
'My Fair Lady'

Fathom Events’ Big Screen Classics series continues with the landmark 1964 Oscar®-winning musical My Fair Lady  returning to select theaters nationwide in honor of its 60TH Anniversary on Sunday, February 4 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Monday, February 5 at 7 p.m.

Audrey Hepburn is willful, self-aware and ultimately self-reliant Eliza Doolittle and Rex Harrison is Professor Henry Higgins in this splendid big screen adaptation of the smash Broadway musical by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. My Fair Lady won the Academy Award® as Best Picture of 1964 and seven additional Oscars®, including Best Director (George Cukor), Best Actor (Harrison), and Best Art Direction. Based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, the film still dazzles thanks to enduring  performances, gorgeous cinematography, and songs like “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “On the Street Where You Live” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.”

Each screening is presented as it was originally intended—complete with a musical overture and intermission—and includes an exclusive introduction by Film Critic & Historian Leonard Maltin on how this Broadway classic came to life on the silver screen.

Locally the film will be screened at AMC Stony Brook 17, Island 16 Cinema de Lux in Holtsville, Showcase Cinema de Lux in Farmingdale and Regal UA Farmingdale. For advance tickets, visit www.fathomevents.com.

 

Prev1...8910...53Next Page 9 of 53
TBR News Media is your local news and entertainment website.
We provide you with the latest breaking news and information for your community.
Contact us: [email protected]

Most Viewed

©