Lincoln Center in the Park

The Lincoln Center Local: Free Screenings series, which offers streams of programs from Lincoln Center’s growing digital content collection to libraries and community centers, including world-class performances from Live From Lincoln Center and other previous live events, has expanding to new venues and new locations this summer. The series is part of Lincoln Center Education’s mission to bring high quality resources and programming options to communities beyond Lincoln Center’s campus in Manhattan.

Free Screenings will be shown on an outdoor screen this summer at the Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on each Tuesday in August at 8:00 p.m. Showings include Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street with Bryn Terfel, Emma Thompson and the New York Philharmonic on August 4, the Villalobos Brothers on August 11, Yo-Yo Ma with the New York Philharmonic (2013 Opening Night) on August 18, and the 2012 Richard Tucker Opera Gala featuring some of opera’s leading voices on August 25. In case of inclement weather, the screenings will be held at an indoor space at the Queens Theatre.

“At present, there are just over 30 options of past performance arts events that we offer in the Lincoln Center Local: Free Screenings series”, said Eric Gewirtz, Associate Director, Public Relations. “They range from classical, to world music, to theater, to jazz, and more. Queens Theatre is the only outdoor venue in New York City to present these events.”

Marketing Manager, Thibuld Courtois approached Lincoln Center Education for this project. “With several showings to choose from I selected these particular movies to portray the diversity of the borough”.  Violinists Villalobos Brothers, for instance, have been acclaimed as one of today’s leading Contemporary Mexican ensembles. Their original compositions and arrangements masterfully blend and celebrate the richness of Mexican folk music with the intricate harmonies of jazz and classical music.

“We will be setting up a 25’ x15’ screen on the festival lawn located behind the theatre and requesting that people bring chairs, blankets as well as their own picnic baskets”, Courtois remarked. “In case of inclement weather, the movies will be shown inside at the 472-seat theatre.” 

In addition screenings will take place in 19 new locations across the five boroughs of New York City. Details about screenings, locations, and times throughout the summer are available at LincolnCenter.org/Local and LincolnCenterEducation.org.

MOVIES TO VIEW

I received another movie screener called HARD DAY, a Korean movie with English subtitles.  Homicide detective Geon-soo Go is having a hard day: in less than 24 hours, he receives a divorce notice from his wife, his mother passes away, and along with his coworkers, he becomes the focus of a police investigation over alleged embezzlement.


Making things worse, on his way to his mother's funeral, Geon-soo commits a fatal hit and run and then, desperately tries to hide the accident by hiding the man's corpse in his deceased mother's coffin. But when Geon-soo gets a mysterious call from a person claiming to be the sole witness of the crime, he realizes that someone has been watching him all along.

Would recommend for its action, mystery and humor.  What would be the next to go wrong with Go’s life?  Keeps you waiting for the next scene.  Fighting? Of course. Nothing really spectacular. 

WOMAN IN GOLD is the remarkable true story of one woman's journey to reclaim her heritage and seek justice for what happened to her family. Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt's famous painting “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I”, her aunt being the subject. Together with her inexperienced but delving young lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), she embarks upon a major battle which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court, and forces her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.

Shoenberg’s grandfather was the famous composer and coincidentally born in Austria.  As for his life, he had given up his own practice to join a firm who first rejected the pursuit until he found that the painting was worth 100 million dollars.  

There are just enough flashback scenes of Altmann’s life, as well as the holocaust happenings on the streets and in the homes to get it all.  Tatiana Maslany portrays Altmann during the war.  Mirren’s acting is always a winner! 

The Rape of Europa (2206) is a must see precursor  to this movie in the form of a documentary that uses interviews with eyewitnesses and historians and newsreel footage to show how heroic Europeans, Russians, and Americans worked to save the art of Europe during WWII.

The Nazis stole thousands of pieces of art and destroyed many others. But many individuals evacuated art and the American "Monuments Men" helped map out air strikes to avoid the destruction of many masterpieces. It is harrowing and moving to see art restored to the families of Jewish victims of the Holocaust.  Here you will meet the actual people such as Maria Altmann and E. Randol Schoenberg.  You can get this well done documentary via PBS. 

Getting away from the topic of movies to television.  I like to watch cooking competitions to see what the contestants create.  Nine out of ten times the first to be booted is a female.  Nineteen  out of twenty times, if the competition comes down to a male and female, the male is the winner.  What puzzles me is that when the cooks talk about their background, they tend to mention how their mother or grandmother taught them how to cook.  It’s all about what the producers choose.  Judges critique based on their own taste.  My favorite line is “There’s not enough salt”.  I would love to get the count on these judges’ blood pressure. 

Master Chef.  They choose the best dish in the beginning and it’s a guy who wins.  He gets to choose one other person to not have to compete in the next cooking challenge and he opts for guy.  In the end a female goes home.  

I enjoy watching Major Crimes, Rizzoli and Isles and Devious Maids.  Proof follows Rizzoli and that’s pretty good.  It stars Jennifer Beal. 

Got hooked on watching Doogie Howser from 2 to 3 am.  Interesting to see what commercials come up.  A perfect way for women to relax in bed…a coloring book and coloring pencils.   Yes, that’s right.  People who stay up late at night are obviously old.  Commercials for knee pain, back pain, falling and can’t get up.  Don’t they think that younger people fall? 

Finally, the dating online sites.  Christian Mingle says that God is guiding you.  So what happens when the date goes bad or a guy winds up raping the woman?  Does he automatically get forgiven?  Now there is Farmers Only.  What happens if you are black, Jewish and raise cattle? 

How about IAM Broke.com?  First meetings held at a McDonald’s or Wendy’s where you are only allowed to choose two items, the most, from the one dollar menu.  Dates take place by going to places with free admission such as museums on certain days.  Subjects of dates are talking about how you went broke supporting all of those $19 a month causes as well as being in debt because you were forced to buy that $1000 iphone for you and the members of your family.

Gotta go now. Weather on the news says that due to the heat and saving energy, we need to turn off the air conditioner but should be in an air conditioned place.   

Shreveport Saga: Robinson Film Center

It was on to Robinson Film Center. Really cool place. They have two movie theatres: one that seats about 50 and the other more than twice that. The center doesn't show first run movies, but may have them later on. Artsy movies...Basically the ones you won't most likely view at Regal Cinemas. There are event spaces, a cafe and many "museum" things to view such as a gun used in a movie or a costume warn by one of the stars. I'll continue later with this when we returned to "party" and watch the Superbowl.

Up The Down Staircase

I was in this movie years ago. This is the trailer. I am wearing a red, white and blue striped shirt and white skirt with medium length brown hair. I was 17 at the time. I am now 60.