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Thanks to merging interests of a Washington Heights resident and Coliseum Cinemas business owners, Northern Manhattanites get to view first-run, non-commercial art, documentary, and independent films close to home these days.

Together, Michael Kassin and the owners of the historic Coliseum Cinemas on 181st Street launched, against industry odds, the successful Coliseum Cinemas Movie Club on a cold January night in 2005 and will screen as their first club film of 2006, the Oscar-hopeful Johnny Cash story, “Walk the Line,” Thursday, January 26 at 8 p.m.

Kassin, husband and father of three-year-old twins, part-time screenwriter and full-time public relations partner, courts a full schedule and was looking for a way to streamline commitments when he approached Coliseum owners in late 2004 asking what it would take to get some of the movies he’s required to vote on for awards as a member of the Screenwriter’s Guild.

Co-owner Mark Burgios explained that he and his business partners Jesus Nova and Nick Guadagno who had recently purchased and renovated the theatre had already been considering the idea of devoting one of their screens to art movies when Kassin approached them, so it was a no-brainer to give a green light as long as he could attract enough interest to make it financially feasible.

Kassin proved the neighborhood was eager for this type of venue by bringing in 180 people for a screening of “Ray,” and the film club was off to an illustrious, red carpet start: They had to use two theatres that first night to accommodate everyone.

Since “Ray” the film club has screened at least one movie per month, often more. Burgio elaborates, “We don’t just show movies. We try to get one of the writers, directors, or one of the main actors to come speak.” When the club viewed “Mad, Hot, Ballroom,” the acclaimed 2005 documentary featuring Washington Heights school kids, the film’s director Marilyn Agrelo spoke and fielded questions from club members.

The club strives to make the film events social and community-oriented, often serving wine and cheese beforehand. Kassin remembers one of the couples who joined last year said the movie was their first night out since having a baby three months earlier and that they were excited that they could walk just a few blocks to get away for a date in their neighborhood.

The club creates a win-win situation for everyone. Burgio notes, “It exposes the theatre to people who wouldn’t necessarily be interested in Hollywood flicks.”

Kassin emphatically details the irony of the club’s success, “This club is everything Hollywood says you can’t do. Here you have people over twenty-five making advanced reservations to come to art films on a week night.”

And it is pretty remarkable considering also that movie theatres today usually show either commercial hits or art films, rarely daring to mix competing audiences as the Coliseum does.

Viewed in historical context it seems apt that Coliseum Cinemas should be experiencing stellar heights with their movie club. The once grand theatre opened in 1920 was then the second largest movie theatre seating-wise in New York City, second only to Madison Square Gardens. Though now the theatre is split into four theatres sporting stadium seating for 125-177, back then it sat nearly 4,000 and took up all the current adjacent ground floor business spaces. Today it is the only movie theatre in the city north of 125th Street and the only theatre showing art movies on the West side north of 66th Street.

The club’s future is bright. January and February the club will devote to their Oscar series. After January’s “Walk The Line” they will feature two or three club nights in February. March is slated for short documentaries and beyond that they are discussing a classics series. In the future Kassin hopes to have a whole year’s worth of club films scheduled, and a club website is currently in testing. Kassin excitedly reported that New Line Cinema approached the club and expressed interest in working with them.

You can join the Coliseum Cinemas Film Club for an annual fee of $25 per individual or $35 for couples and families. As a club member you receive discounted rates ($6 per person, $4 per senior) on films the club screenings. For more information or to join the club contact Michael Kassin at mkassin@stantoncrenshaw.com or call the Coliseum Cinemas at 212-740-1541.

telecharger films

Its the little things, I think, that make MI3 a worthy see. The little things, such as a nice slow motion camera shot here, a small little joke there, and a little style in the story.

MI3 is basically a continuation of a Mission Impossible saga, that originated from a television show. The first movie made was in 1996. It was called Mission Impossible and was directed by Brian De Palma, and the star of the show was Tom Cruise, playing the now famous supa' spy.. Ethan Hunt. With the help of the always great David Koepp, that movie was a delightful thriller/action movie that made good use of the fresh “man under the mask” idea. That movie also included, the now famous and then great, falling from the top on a rope scene.

Then at the beginning of the millennium (2000) the sequel was produced. Mission: Impossible II was directed by John Woo and featured Tom Cruise as its leading man. This movie however, was not much like the t.v. show or like the first MI. It was more like a bootleg version of a bond film. Going for style and lacking all substance, it was as average as action movies get.

Now about six years later, we have the third part in this story. MI3 is directed by J.J. Abrams famous for contributing in such television shows such as “Alias” and “Lost”. He also helped pen a movie I fairly enjoyed called “Joyride”.

In Mission Impossible 3, we find supa'spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) as a retired IMF field leader. He is far from active duty and enjoying it. He is now training new IMF agents to become supa' spies like he once was. In a change of events, he is suddenly ripped away from the family life that he had just began to enjoy, to be confronted with a international weapons dealer that has a reputation for being slick and a very bad man. 

This man is the ever evil Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). With a new mission at hand, Hunt is now forced to look to his old friend Luther Strickell(Ving Rhames)who also came out in the previous movies, and also seeking the aid of new friends. Friends like transportation expert Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers),and background operative Zhen (Maggie Q). All of these helping in a mission that starts off plausible but ends up seeming impossible.

As an action movie, MI3 is a solid one. It contains massive amounts of explosions and gun fire. The thing that makes all of this cool, is the direction of it. The small things made it interesting, such as slow or fast motion sequences that were shot in untypical ways. (Or at least ways that are not often applied) Also, the seldom use (compared to the second movie) of the face mask was a pleasant thing. It was nice the first or second time but after the umpteenth time, the fact that someone was wearing a mask was becoming tiresome.

Like in the previous two movies, there was a love story going on. Here, it is the same, but the nice thing was that it served the story well, instead of turning it into a gushy mushy story. It helped turn a supa' spy.. into a more down to earth individual. It helped you relate to the guy and actually feel something for him and the love story.

That is actually one of the top points of the movie, the fact that it humanises, Ethan Hunt a man who for the most most part, has been seen only as this unstoppable super agent. Here in MI3 he seemed like an actual person, with actual feelings. Which makes it easier for us to actually feel something in the times of action and stress. In this movie we find him in a plausible and tender relationship, where we want the union to succeed and feel the pain when the relationship is put at risk.

Tom Cruise did his usual all smiles and charming act as Ethan Hunt. He was pleasant to watch, regardless of all the bazaar media attention that he has been receiving of late. You know.. that Oprah thing, as well as the south part episode. Scrutinize the movies and acting jobs I say, not the peoples life. And here judging the job, he did a fine job at seeming like a regular ol' joe in certain instances and like a combat killer in others.

What I very much enjoyed, was watching the evil doer played by Mr. Hoffman. Coming off him splendid role as Capote, he played Owen Davian quite devilishly. My only gripe with his role was not seeing more of him. His pan faced delivery of the evil davian was menacing and fierce. What I always enjoy about him, is the stunning impression he leaves on me.. regardless of being in a few scenes or in many.

The smaller pieces were also played well in this movie. I especially enjoyed seeing glimpses of such actors like Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Maggie Q; Mr Meyers (last seen in “Match Point” which I loved with the ever sultry Scarlett Johansson) was on target in the few parts he was player in. Particularly, in a funny scene were he and Cruise are screaming furiously in Italian. Maggie Q, was pleasant riding stylishly in an expensive sports vehicle, and not to mention stylishly crucial in one of the missions.

Keri Russell who played Lindsey Ferrisa a super agent, also did a good job in this role. (Even if it was rather brief.) It was something different to see her as a gun shooter, rather than a homely role like in “Felicity” and an anorexia plagued girl in “The Upside of Anger”. Still, it was a pleasant surprise because she did a nice job.

MI3 was a solid action movie, that I enjoyed watching. It held clever action sequences with delightful camera shots. The story was interesting and humanism of its characters. And the plot twist were not very far fetched. It was much better than the second MI movie and might be as good as the first.

ZeN

Telecharger Films

“Which way to the crucifixions?” Our driver leaned out the car and directed the question at some auto rickshaw drivers, lolling around in the mid morning sun. To get to the site where three crosses awaited three sinners, we had to proceed slowly — making way for trails of black hooded men, slapping their naked backs with leather whips, blood spattering over their bodies.

Three hours out of Manila, San Fernando has now become internationally known for its Good Friday blood spilling and nailing. The city takes on a festive air as masses arrive for the spectacle. In typical Filipino style, it's a mixture of pure devotion and Mardi Gras.

This annual ritual started as pure penitence about 40 years ago, but now, with ice cream sellers, souvenir hawkers and kids offering to carry your bags for a few pesos, it's more of a festival — an enjoyable day out — a curious Biblical side show.

A neighborhood basketball court is the home of one part of the festival; exhausted flagellators rest under the hoops and free throw line, and have a quick soothing cigarette — after handing their whips to local school boys only too happy to continue the rhythmic flogging of raw weeping flesh. Media are hustled onto a rickety creaking platform to the right of the crosses for optimum viewing pleasure. Medics tense for the inevitable wound dressing.

The tannoy loud speaker rumbles into life with atmospheric music and the crowd falls silent. Jesus arrives through the crowd, dressed in a simple kaftan, cross on his back. Centurions are with him, roughing him up and pushing him further onto the ground. The press surge forward and break the rope barriers, and are waved back by guards with t-shirts that read “Annual Lenten Rites – Good Friday – Security”.

There are already two sinners hung high. The historial and biblical effect is somewhat diminished — they are both wearing jeans and have watches strapped to their wrists. (After some very unholy hanky- panky with an Australian comedian being filmed on a cross, this year the Department of Tourism has a strict evaluation procedure for anyone wanting to be crucified. And yes, I am well aware how odd that sentence reads).

Jesus was then really nailed onto a cross. Everyone rubbernecked, but we couldn't see or hear — the cross was lowered for him to be hammered onto it and then lifted upwards. The crucifixion only lasted a few scant minutes before a Keystone Cops formation of volunteers jogged up on a rescue mission. As a Jesus-laden stretcher was trotted at a fast clip to the medical tent, an announcer told us the show was over and he hoped “to see you all next year!” Jesus had his bloody hands seen to (iodine and gauze) then he grabbed his backpack and disappeared into the amenities block.

In the bathroom Jesus had transformed to Bonjing, struggling with hammered and bandaged hands to put on his cargo pants. Bonjing is a 55 year old welder and native of Pampanga. For the past 13 years, he has had himself hung to a cross on Good Friday. “The nails don't go in very far, only a little,” he told me through a translator, who was trying to find him a cigarette.

In truth Bonjing didn't seem to be transported onto a spiritual plain by what he had just been through. The rock star reception when he emerged from the loos must have been fun though. Puffing on a Marlboro Menthol, he was the guy who everyone wanted to be photographed with, even if he was now dressed in a t-shirt and cargoes.

Over my shoulder on the Golgotha re-creation site, families were posing for photos by the crosses and drinking Coca Cola. The Calderon family from Pulilan stood smiling with their arms round each other and made sure the crucifix was in shot. “Yes it was good,” said the eldest son. “We might come again next year.”

I can't tell you what this post is about.

If I do, I might get arrested.

No, I don't live in Iran. I don't live in Myanmar. I don't live in China.

I live in “the only democracy in the Middle East”.

What I CAN do is share with you the following three conversations I had with fellow journalists via e-mail and phone:

Conversation #1

Ami: Hi A. Listen, I've got a question for you. If I write about this story in The Huffington Post – am I breaking the law? I mean, The Huff is a foreign media body, therefore not binded by Israeli law, right? The JTA published a piece on it – so why can't I?

A: I haven't seen any relevant documents, but I'm pretty sure you'd be breaking the law. I don't know if they'd send you to jail – but they could take your journalist card.

Conversation #2

Ami: Hi B. Listen, I just talked to a friend of mine about the story, and I wanted your input on it too. Would I be breaking the law if I wrote about it for the Huff?

B: Yes, definitely. Not only that – but representatives of foreign media organizations in Israel – the New York Times, for example – are also forbidden to publish the story.

A few hours later, B gets back to me and sends me this link.

Ami: B, so did this reporter break the law? The dateline is Jerusalem.

B: From what I understand, he broke the law, and he may be subject to punitive measures. Just as an example, during the first Gulf War, Newsweek published a photo of the landing site of a Scud missile, which enabled the identification of the landing area, their reporter was expelled from the country because of this. But that example is breaking the military censorship law, while here we're talking about the judiciary. It'll be interesting to see what happens…

Conversation #3

Ami: Hi C, what's up?

C: Hi Ami. I wanted your advice. I'm thinking of writing about the story for this international website I work for. What do you think?

Ami: Funny you should ask, C.

I tell C of my latest conversations.

Ami: I think you should be careful.

C: Yeah, my wife thinks I should be careful, too.

Ami: Yup.

C: Ami, can you believe the conversation we're having here? It's sounds like we're living in some dark totalitarian regime.

Ami: Maybe we are, maybe we are.

So, I can't write about it.

Here's what Yoav Karni from the Israeli financial magazine Globes thinks:

A democratic society can not ostracize a journalist, put them in house arrest, disconnect their phone, forbid their colleagues from even mentioning them, or even from reporting on their ostracism. If a society does so, it is relinquishing some of its democratic values.

Still, I can't write about it.

And I can't write about this. Or this, either.

But you can.

And you can pass it around, too.

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