Among mainstream documentary filmmakers, you could argue that Morgan Spurlock is the most gimmicky, Ken Burns is the most cerebral, and Michael Moore is the most self-serving. But few would dispute that Alex Gibney is the most prolific.
In the last five years alone, he’s directed eight documentaries, including critical hits like “Client 9” and “Taxi to the Dark Side,” which won an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature in 2008.
This year, he’s back at Tribeca—which seems to have become a de facto launching pad for his films—with the sports-themed nail-biter “Catching Hell.” In it, he investigates the concept of scapegoating in baseball, as filtered through two of the most notorious cases in history: Red Sox baseman Bill Buckner at the 1986 World Series, and bleacher whipping boy Steve Bartman, who infamously intercepted a foul ball at the 2003 NLCS.
I’ll admit that I’m not a huge baseball fan and was marginally familiar with these two stories, so you can forgive me for not coming into this documentary with the bloodlust of a wronged Cubs lifer. I left it, though, feeling like I’d lynched Bartman along with all of Chicago: It sucks you in fiercely, holding you rapt with all sorts of sports minutiae you didn’t even know you cared about.
I’m amazed at how Gibney was able to turn a split-second moment of infamy into a captivating 102-minute documentary filled with such highs and lows. It’s clear that Gibney, a Massachusetts native, created this movie as both a filmmaker and fan—he admits to being a Red Sox diehard, natch. The film goes overboard, though, when it starts pontificating on lofty theories about scapegoating—at one point, he even talks to a preacher, and then things start zipping over your head. But when the action sticks to the outfield, it’s riveting stuff. —Alexis L. Loinaz
Got this gracious tip from the Wardrobe Department of CBS’ The Good Wife.
That’s Eddie Perales, from Caesar’s Palace, concocting a rather amazing punch drink. He was (rightfully) the winner of a Jack Daniels-sponsored “Show Me to the Honey for Money” mixology contest that we were lucky enough to attend last week in Las Vegas. Fourteen bartenders from all around Sin City converged at the MGM Casino nightclub Tabu to create cocktails out of JD’s new Tennessee Honey whiskey.
Was it our favorite drink of the night? No. Actually, that came a lot earlier, when JD reps made us a Honey Smash (JD Tennessee Honey, lemon, honey, fresh mint)…honey-whiskey drinks can err on the side of cloying, but the Smash hit the right notes of refreshing and sweet. As for the whiskey itself? Definitely aimed more toward a young female market (JD “master taster”—love that title!—Jeff Norman said as much) than whiskey purists. But we all kind of unofficially agreed it would work splendidly as a dessert drink (one hint: try in coffee or over ice cream…and yes, true whiskey fans, I’m sure some of you just shuddered. Sorry)
But back to Eddie’s drink. Sure, the ice sculpture may be a bit difficult to pull of, but hey, sometimes cocktails are as much about showmanship as taste.
The recipe:
· 1/2 liter Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey
You can get a slightly more detailed take on the event (and a recipe for the Honey Smash) from our friend over at The Cocktail Enthusiast…who also happens to work for Metromix Dallas. But don’t hold that against him. [link]
![What to do in NYC today: Shall we start with the U.S. Pole Dancing Championship at Symphony Space? (Admittedly, there’s no nudity). If that’s not your cup of tea, there’s the beginning of three-day Bamboozle Festival, a Dances of Vice party, classic rock via Free Energy, and more. [link]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkf9t7Wl0U1qfkhepo1_500.jpg)
What to do in NYC today: Shall we start with the U.S. Pole Dancing Championship at Symphony Space? (Admittedly, there’s no nudity). If that’s not your cup of tea, there’s the beginning of three-day Bamboozle Festival, a Dances of Vice party, classic rock via Free Energy, and more. [link]
Photographer Ryan Muir amends a curious Mötley Crüe “rights grab” waiver for this weekend’s Bamboozle Festival.
For those whose movie appetites veered toward the culinary, there were ample servings of food flicks at Tribeca. Whether or not they satiated you, though, was another matter.
The one that seemed to have generated the loudest pre-fest chatter is “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” a fetishistic portrait of famed sushi sage Jiro Ono, who is often heralded as the best sushi chef in the world and whose teeny Tokyo sushi counter commands $300 a head. I say fetishistic because the food porn in this movie makes Jenna Jameson look like Anita Bryant. Loads of gloriously lit/photographed sushi being religiously placed on platters, which becomes both the movie’s biggest visual hook and its ultimate undoing. Director David Gelb—he likes sushi maybe?—gets so swept up in Ono’s cultish mystique, and in the hypnotic power of all that sushi, that he doesn’t know when to pull back on the food porn—or when to wrap up the 80-minute movie, which feels like it should have ended waaaaay sooner. I enjoyed the first half—Ono is a fascinating subject, and there’s a ritualistic elegance to watching him massage an octopus, or knead rice, or inspect a new shipment of tuna. But the film soon becomes repetitive and indulgent: an overly ornate counterpoint to the simplicity of the cuisine it spotlights.
A much more enjoyable food docu was “A Matter of Taste,” which follows British import Paul Liebrandt through several high-profile chef jobs in New York City. Casual moviegoers may not be too familiar with Liebrandt, but within food circles he’s widely considered a wunderkind, specializing in the kind of refined, technique-driven cooking that’s earned him raves from the New York Times and Michelin. The movie already made the rounds of the SXSW Film Fest this past March, and it appropriately makes its New York premiere at Tribeca. First-time director Sally Rowe has crafted an engaging study that follows the chef for seven years, from his early days as an upstart New York City toque to his years hustling for gigs to his ultimate triumph helming a buzzy Tribeca restaurant that won unanimous acclaim. I liked the fact that Rowe clearly approached the docu as storyteller rather than a foodie: You get a real sense of Liebrandt’s dramatic journey, which elevates this movie above its food-genre trappings and spins it into a universally relatable story about one’s ambitious drive for perfection, and the struggle to succeed.
For a movie that pokes fun at the hoity-toity-ness of fancy food and fancy restaurants, “The Trip” was a riot. I already wrote about it last week after catching it early on, but I’ll say that, a week out, it still remains one of my favorite films at Tribeca this year. In it, comedians Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan play loose versions of themselves, and they end up going on a road trip along the English countryside to sample a bevy of restaurants as part of Coogan’s assignment as guest food critic for The Observer. The two riff sharply and zippily about everything from head-scratching gelees to bizarre emulsions, all while impersonating famous Brits like Sean Connery and Michael Caine. Now that’s a delicious mouthful! —Alexis L. Loinaz
Check out our picks for must-see films at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival
![Maharlika previews their Luckyrice Night Market fare
[link]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkdprxCOe91qfkhepo1_500.jpg)
Maharlika previews their Luckyrice Night Market fare
[link]
![Our favorite thing to do today in NYC: Catch a screening of “Helldriver” at the Japan Society. The plot: Zombies face off against a young girl with a heart-powered chainsaw sword. With director Yoshihiro Nishimura (“Tokyo Gore Police”) and actress Eihi Shiina in person. Fifty percent of all ticket sales will go to Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund. Afterwards: a post-screening “Be a Zombie” party with the black metal band Vaura. Sweeet. Check out the rest of our Thursday (and weekend) picks! [link]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkdb738Mgi1qfkhepo1_500.jpg)
Our favorite thing to do today in NYC: Catch a screening of “Helldriver” at the Japan Society. The plot: Zombies face off against a young girl with a heart-powered chainsaw sword. With director Yoshihiro Nishimura (“Tokyo Gore Police”) and actress Eihi Shiina in person. Fifty percent of all ticket sales will go to Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund. Afterwards: a post-screening “Be a Zombie” party with the black metal band Vaura. Sweeet. Check out the rest of our Thursday (and weekend) picks! [link]
![The arrival of nice weather means all kinds of good things in New York City, and the opening of the Roof Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of them. Each year a prominent artist is chosen to install their work in the 8,000-square-foot space, and this year it is Sir Anthony Caro, the most influential British sculptor of his generation. Offering superb 360 degree views of Manhattan, the Roof Garden is the perfect setting to showcase the artist’s massive steel sculptures…while enjoying cocktails. [link]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkbtk97B701qfkhepo1_500.jpg)
The arrival of nice weather means all kinds of good things in New York City, and the opening of the Roof Garden at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of them. Each year a prominent artist is chosen to install their work in the 8,000-square-foot space, and this year it is Sir Anthony Caro, the most influential British sculptor of his generation. Offering superb 360 degree views of Manhattan, the Roof Garden is the perfect setting to showcase the artist’s massive steel sculptures…while enjoying cocktails. [link]
![“When someone puts their hands on your first, it’s self-defense. I think Mitt [Romney] knew that. But in the papers, they reversed the psychology. They were like, ‘Mitt Romney attacked by minority passenger!” We let Redfoo of LMFAO (playing at the Bamboozle Festival this weekend) discuss his band’s near-brawl with, yes, Mitt Romney. [link]
Plus: Fifty bands to see at The Bamboozle, this Fri.-Sun. at the Meadowlands](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkbhdsvmYD1qfkhepo1_500.jpg)
“When someone puts their hands on your first, it’s self-defense. I think Mitt [Romney] knew that. But in the papers, they reversed the psychology. They were like, ‘Mitt Romney attacked by minority passenger!” We let Redfoo of LMFAO (playing at the Bamboozle Festival this weekend) discuss his band’s near-brawl with, yes, Mitt Romney. [link]
Plus: Fifty bands to see at The Bamboozle, this Fri.-Sun. at the Meadowlands
![Fashionable trainers and signature short shorts mark the rise of British songstress Eliza Doolittle at Mercury Lounge
[photos]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkb4v5ZWZa1qfkhepo1_500.jpg)
Fashionable trainers and signature short shorts mark the rise of British songstress Eliza Doolittle at Mercury Lounge
[photos]
Last year’s Tribeca fest was the launching pad for an acidly funny documentary about an irreverent drag-queen icon that went on to have a successful theatrical run: “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work.”
Apparently, the fest’s programmers have a soft spot for acidly funny documentaries about irreverent drag-queen icons, and this year they’ve reserved that slot for “Carol Channing: Larger Than Life.” Suffice it to say, they’ve now probably won a lifetime supply of show tickets from Channing wannabe Richard Skipper.
The film is a hoot, filled with the sort of self-referential Channing-isms you’d expect from a Broadway legend who’s well aware of how parody-ready she is. And she appropriately hams it up, uncorking the kind of wide-eyed kookiness that’s made her so endearing to fans.
The film is affectionately made (it was directed by veteran Broadway producer/director Dori Berinstein), and despite its subject’s seemingly showy artifice—those eyelashes! That hoary voice! That equatorial smile!—Channing comes across as surprisingly genuine, kind and real. There are glowing testimonies galore from her “Dolly Boys,” as well as friends like Debbie Reynolds and Lily Tomlin. Berinstein also digs up captivating archival footage of Channing back from her early days on TV.
Indeed, her fans are legion, and at the screening I attended at the fest, the audience seemed just about ready to pass out from all the fawning. It was also oddly emotional: At the end of the screening, which featured a Q&A with Berinstein, one of the Dolly Boys in audience stood up to thank the director, and got all choked up while doing so.
Most impressive: At 90 years old, Channing’s still got some kick in her. You’re lookin’ swell, Dolly! —Alexis L. Loinaz
Check out our picks for must-see films at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival
We could direct you to “King Lear” at BAM, a tour of top-notch Shakespeareans that’s been earning raves from British critics. We could also mention the imaginative “Locker 4173B” by the Neo-Futurists, a cool local troupe. But we’re eager for a spring fling, so our pick of the week is a lusty (and inexpensive!) comedy: “My Base and Scurvy Heart”, a lesbian pirate adventure!
If you haven’t read “The Boys,” Garth Ennis’s scathing, R- (or NC-17-) rated take on superheroes, you’re missing out on an excellent slice of geek culture. He talks about the book tonight at Barnes & Noble on 86th. Also today: Ice T discusses his autobiography, and performances from indie-rockers Oh No Oh My and pop-turned-country star Darius Rucker.
[link]
Touring bands form the backdrop for two movies generating buzz at Tribeca this year: “The Swell Season” and “Roadie.” But for both movies, which received their world premieres at the fest, the roads traveled by their respective characters lead to heartbreaking dead-ends.
For the uninitiated, “The Swell Season” is a quasi-sequel to “Once,” the homespun 2006 film about a delicate love affair between two musicians that eventually won a Best Song Oscar for its two charming leads, Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. In that movie, they played fictionalized versions of themselves. But in real life, they indeed fell in love, formed a band called The Swell Season, and went on tour. “The Swell Season”—the documentary—follows that tour and chronicles their brisk rise to fame as well as the pressures they faced being on tour while dealing with their reluctant stardom. Eventually, their relationship collapsed.
Whether you like the film will ultimately depend on whether you like the duo and their music. While “Once” had its effusive fans, I wasn’t one of them, and I found that movie (and the duo’s music, in general) to be whiny, tiring and lackadaisical. Same deal with “The Swell Season,” which—although very sweet and heartfelt—becomes gratingly yearning and painfully emo very quickly. Cheer up, guys! You’re stars! Enjoy it! Stock up on happy thoughts in case you’re planning to make this a trilogy!
By contrast, “Roadie” begins where “The Swell Season” ends. In it, a lifelong roadie named Jimmy (Ron Eldard) is forced to come home to Queens to stay with his mom after being fired from his band’s tour. There, he gets a bracing reality check when he learns that his aging mom is not well, and that a brutish high-school classmate (Bobby Cannavale) is now married to the high-school sweetheart who dumped him (Jill Hennessy).
A sobering, back-to-the-real-world paean, “Roadie” is one of the biggest standouts so far among this year’s festival entries, and I found it to be deeply touching, funny and sad. The film only takes places over two days, but over the course of 95 minutes, director/co-writer Michael Cuesta (who also helmed the critically acclaimed “L.I.E.”) skillfully manages to create a rich and deep past for his characters, and you actually feel like you went to school with these guys. The film also features a revelatory performance by Ron Eldard, a fringe and often forgettable TV mainstay (“E.R.,” “Men Behaving Badly”) who pulls out all the stops to reveal a disarming rawness. His Jimmy thinks he’s hot shit, but back home—devoid of the reflected rock-star glow he desperately tried to bask in—things become painfully out of tune. —Alexis L. Loinaz
Check out our picks for must-see films at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival