Posted on September 6, 2002 at 8:28 am | No Comments
Starting Today : Boston Film Fest
Time for a little movie madness, as Amie and I aim to take in a movie a day for the next few days at the 2002 Boston Film Festival.
Tonight brings us the premiere of XX/XY, with both first-time director Austin Chick and star Mark Ruffalo in attendance. I’ve been a fan of Ruffalo’s since I saw him in You Can Count On Me, but haven’t seen him in anything since. Hopefully this movie will measure up. It was a tough choice between this and a showing of the Grey Zone next door, which will be hosted by director Tim Blake Nelson and Harvey frikkin’ Keitel… but I’m so not in the mood for a drama about life and death in the ovens of german concentration camps. Sorry, just can’t deal. I mean, I’m sure it’s a finely crafted film and all, and I’d love to see Delmar and Mr. White in person, but I crave something a little on the lighter side at the moment.
Tomorrow is the Knockaround Guys, hosted by the co-directors and starring Seth ‘Oz’ Green, Dennis Hopper, John Malkovich, Vin Diesel, and Barry Pepper. Solid cast. The next day we counteract that overload of testosterone with White Oleander, based on the best seller and starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Renee Zellweger, Robin Wright, Patrick (Almost Famous) Fugit, and Noah Wyle.
Monday is the main event, with the festival’s Film Excellence Award being presented to William H. Macy, who will then show his latest film Welcome to Collinwood. We saw Steve Martin get the same award last year, and we’ll see if Macy’s acceptance speech brings as many laughs at Navin Johnson’s did.
Even though the festival lasts through the week, that may be all we can handle … at least until a screening of Secretary on the final day, Sunday the 15th. Gotta get us a dose of that James Spader. I’d love to catch Auto-Focus on Friday, but we’ll be chillin’ in Provincetown. Ah well… it’ll be released soon enough.
File Under: Duh.
Hey, didja know that you’d be better off eating less fat and exercising more? Oh, those wacky ‘experts’ and their outlandish claims. I’m stunned, I say! Stunned!
Ain’t That America…
This is exactly how I feel about SUVs.
Posted on September 5, 2002 at 10:23 am | No Comments
The Dancing of Politics…
Pardon me while I dust off my inner-activist and step him up onto a creaky, wobbling soap-box…
Now that I’ve been in Boston for a few years, and am fairly settled down in my Lower Allston apartment, I finally feel semi-obligated to keep an eye on local politics, rather than just state-wide or national elections. A spot in the State House of Representatives is up for grabs in my district (Allston/Brighton/Brookline), and September 17th’s Democratic Primary is fast-approaching. My street is littered with signs for incumbent, Brian Golden, and I’ve had a few visits from folks working for one of his challengers, Dave Friedman.
So, I asked some questions, searched the web, and found the info that made Dave my clear choice. Seems Golden’s views have been leaning pretty far to the right for a Dem, including an anti-choice stance, open support for Bush in the last election (he even lent his attorney skills to Bush’s case in Florida), and support of school vouchers. He’s also squarely in the pocket of the Speaker Finneran, and I’m all in favor of breaking up the boys club on Beacon Hill.
A ringing endorsement in yesterday’s Boston Globe says it all…
“In the House district comprising Allston, Brighton, and part of Brookline, Dave Friedman is an exciting newcomer of the sort we hope represents the future of urban politics. A graduate of Harvard Law School with top honors and an attorney for Hill & Barlow, he helped win an important settlement on behalf of 3,000 mentally disabled adults. Unlike the bright but exceedingly conservative incumbent, Brian Golden, Friedman supports clean elections and does not accept PAC money. He would champion women’s reproductive rights and be an independent voice for reform and idealism. Friedman has been endorsed by dozens of progressive groups from unions to women’s rights organizations to the Ward 21 Democratic Committee, and we are proud to add our endorsement.”
Still in the Stone Age…
This is just plain insane. A woman named Amina Lawal has been sentenced to be freakin’ stoned to death in Nigeria for getting pregnant out of wedlock. No punishment for the guy of course. Are these people stuck in some sort of time bubble? Please, go sign this open letter to the president of Nigeria, and help send a message that this kind of uncivilized ‘justice’ cannot go unchallenged.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibilitude…
Wrapping up today’s little dose of politics slash activism is the tale of The Amazing George W. ‘Nuff said.