The focus of this season's Reel Roundtable's weekly film series is 'popular culture' and film...which includes the world of blogging.

Websites, emails and now...blogs are an extremely effective way in assisting the independent film community communicate and spread the word regarding films, festivals, and events.

We'll be taking a close look at the world wide web, the blogging community and the people behind the blogs.

On Monday December 6th, we are fortunate to have Greg Allen of greg.org join us.

Greg left his career as an investment strategy consultant in 2001 to write and direct films. Greg's weblog, greg.org, was then conceived as both a production blog and a documentation of the influences and inspirations for his work and ended up being named 'best culture' blog of 2003 by Slate.com.

After Life by Hirokazu Kore-eda is the film which Greg has programmed for tonight's event.

After Life, Hirokazu Kore-eda's second feature film, uses unassuming naturalistic and documentary techniques to tell a moving, supernatural story.

A group of bureaucrats in a heavenly way station have one week to help the recently deceased select their single most cherished memory, which they will hold with them for eternity.

Kore-eda's weaving of fact and fiction, interviews and narrative, and non-actor and professional in After Life exerted a significant influence on Greg Allen's Souvenir Series--twelve short films exploring different aspects of memory--and on his weblog, greg.org.

For more information about The Reel Roundtable's film series, check
ReelRoundtable.com - http://www.reelroundtable.com

Definitely check out Greg Allen's website
greg.org - http://www.greg.org

And for more information regarding the movie After Life, visit
kore-eda.com - http://www.kore-eda.com/w-life/afterlife/index.htm

For a while now, there was a rumor about U2 performing a last minute outdoor concert in New York City to promote the release of their latest album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

As it turns out, this was far from a rumor; not only did U2 play a live concert in New York City, but they played the city from top to bottom.

U2 performed from the back of a flatbed truck!

They started in the morning at about 11am playing in front of Columbia University around 115th Street and continued South making random stops throughout the day; Times Square, Madison Square Garden, etc…

They are amazing.

They had camera crews and a truck full of press photographers following behind them.

After finishing their stops in Manhattan, they played a FREE concert in Ferry State Park in Brooklyn. The concert was a secret until they announced it on their website around 12pm and from there the news spread through emails, blogs and mobiles like wild fire.

Word-of-mouth travels quickly in NYC…within three hours there were thousands of New Yorkers eagerly waiting for the free concert.

Who else could attract thousands of people within a few hours? Honestly, I can't think of another band or person who would draw thousands of people momentarily at the drop of a hat. Not to mention, people didn't have tickets so most were going on heresy.

U2 arrived on the back of the flatbed truck driving across the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn, the crowd had been facing South towards the Brooklyn Bridge when they noticed U2 coming then the fans began to cheer the band’s arrival. Bono shouted “hello New York, we’re on our way!”

Summary:
November 22, 2004 – U2 played a free concert beginning at about 4:45 and performed for about an hour.

The Dublin-based band includes The Edge, drummer Larry Mullen, lead singer Bono, and bassist Adam Clayton.

They were shooting a video and making a round of appearances in the city to publicize their upcoming album 'How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb’ which is being released tomorrow November 23rd.

The pictures are from Retuers.

This is the "Double Check" list.

Here is a list of 6 films which you have most likely seen, but "double check" because if you haven't then definitely rent them.

1. The 400 Blows (1959) by Francois Truffaut
2. King of New York (1990) by Abel Ferrara
3. Osama (2003) by Siddiq Barmak
4. El Bola (2000) by Achero Manas
5. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) by Terry Gilliam
6. Late August, Early September (1999) by Olivier Assayas

Michael Moore saved me $10.25 when I went to the movies tonight with my friend Cindy.

Many moons ago, while leaving Lowes after attending the 1am screening of Fahrenheit 9/11, the staff at Lowes handed everyone a "one free admission" ticket. Pretty cool, eh? And no, my Republican friends, it is not bribery because we didn't know beforehand.

With the little wisdom I still have, I finally remembered to use the ticket, and it's a good thing that I used this wisdom because it's getting extracted on Monday morning. I'm sure The Roundtable folks will find the after effects quite amusing at the screening of Girl Wrestler presented by Women Make Movies - 7:30pm at the Millennium Theater - 66 E. 4th Street, between Second & Bowery (shameless plug).

So I'm walking over to the theater and I see a snake line wrapped around 11th Street and up Third Avenue at least twice. For half of a millisecond, I thought the second Star Wars prequel had been released. I quickly learned that the line was for a popular Filipino band that was playing at Webster Hall and I have a feeling Webster Hall's line scared off some moviegoers and worked to our benefit because there were no line at Lowes on a Friday night?

Neither Cindy nor I had read any movie reviews, therefore our plan was to see the movie which had not yet sold out. Walking up to the window we noticed all of the options were available so we ended up choosing by process of elimination while standing at the window.

In the end it was the right choice, we both loved the movie, it took us to another place and another time, it made us feel all those things which good movies are capable of doing. I'd rather not give away the storyline, the ending or hype it up.

I'll just say that after a week of Cindy's mouse problems and my mouth problems...we found our neverland.

This week has been devoted to Stage One. Stage One is The Reel Roundtable's screenplay reading series and this season our goal is to give writers & actors an opportunity.

Over the years we've received many submissions and just as many reasons why writers are interested in having their screenplay read aloud; in order to help with a revision, publicity, to hook up with producers and/or agents, etc...

After some brainstorming, we have decided to to break down the series into three different stages. I know it sounds confusing, but check this out.

The first is Spaghetti Night - 20 minutes of each feature length screenplay is read, four different screenplays are chosen, we cast, we produce, we direct, it's an informal reading, open to anyone, it's also free, it's fun, it's simple, there is no spaghetti but the atmosphere is similar to family style dinning.

The second is Maki-Mono - feature length script is read, it's raw, it's good, not every script goes on to Maki-Mono, it's the choice of The Roundtable but keep in mind we do take bribes, we cast, we direct, we produce, more attention to the writer and the script.

The final is the crème brûlée - a team of people are brought in to work on the feature length reading and its' details which include casting, directing, publicity, location, etc... Every situation is different, as is every crème brûlée.

Spaghetti Night takes place on Monday, December 20th at 7:30pm. The readings will be held at the Millennium Theater on 66 E. 4th Street, between Second & Bowery in NYC.

We have selected four screenplays and 20 minutes from each script will be read aloud. Join us and find out what's on the market.

Part I

Title: The Product of 3C
Writer: Michelle Pillar Hamill
Genre: Drama
Synopsis
A red-hot ad executive, his hopeless romantic assistant and a striper on the edge are linked by a traumatic event from childhood. Now it will take a sleazy tabloid journalist and an ambitious Vanity Fair editor to unleash their secrets, unraveling the mystery of their attachment and forcing them dowm a road ultimately leads to their salvation.

Part II

Title: The Push
Writer: Stephen Camello & Bryan Blastein
Genre: Comedy
Synopsis
The Push is the story of aspiring actor Will Vecchio, who is given the ultimatum – marry me or it’s over – by his long-time girlfriend Allie right before she leaves for a friend’s wedding in Los Angeles. Having only the weekend to figure out what to do, Will’s best friend Keith enlists some of Will’s eclectic group of almost-thirtysomething buddies to connect at old-school New York City night-on-the-town that will allow Will to relive his glory days as a bachelor and help him determine whether or not he is better off marrying Allie or going back to the single life.

Part III

Title: Adam Carlissa and Lloyd
Writer: Mark Brewster Smith
Genre: Drama
Synopsis
A window into the serendipitous meeting of three strangers, this is a story about the intangibles that draw people together and keep them connected long after they’ve parted ways.

Part IV

Title: Single Bullet Theory
Writer: Mike Bencievenga
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Synopsis
A romantic comedy about conspiracy theories and the true nature of love in the modern world. It's the story of Ben Denbo, a 30 year old paranoid public defender, who must sift through the wreckage of his life to unravel the mystery of why his long time love, Katie, suddenly up and left him. Along the way he makes some startling realizations about his role in the break up, love at first sight and who killed JFK.

This week has been devoted to Stage One and pain. Actually, Stage One is not a pain, my mouth is a pain. The far upper right hand corner of my mouth has been quite troublesome and my right cheek is doing a lovely job impersonating Marlon Brando in the Godfather. I have a feeling I’ll be spending some quality time with my dentist on Saturday. It’ll be my first time getting wisdom pulled..wait don’t you need wisdom in order to get rid of it?

Wonderful, now I’m shit out of luck.

Okay back to Stage One, I’ll start from the beginning.

Last night was the closing night of the Margaret Meade Film Festival in NYC.

The Margaret Mead Film & Video Festival is the longest-running showcase for international documentaries in the United States.

The Festival was founded by the American Museum of Natural History in 1977, in honor of pioneering anthropologist Margaret Mead, as she was one of the first anthropologists to recognize the significance of film for fieldwork.

Luck was on my side last night when I chose to see a movie called Oscar.

Oscar is a documentary that has 30 stories interweaving along side the one person being documented...Oscar. Even though there are many stories, the movie is very strong and stays true to Oscar.

Oscar lives in Buenos Aires and is an extremely talented artist. He is married with three children and drives a taxi for a living.

While driving the taxi he listens to talk radio, the NPR of Buenos Aires, and you see how sensitive he is because he is profoundly affected by what is being said regarding the economy, unemployment, politics, etc....

While listening to the radio he is visually bombarded by billboard advertisements, like many cities, Buenos Aires is a large showcase for corporations to exhibit their products. Many people ignore them, but Oscar is more sensitive and is affected by the masses of advertisements which he says are like a "contagious disease, you can't escape them, they get into your mind and your brain whether you want them or not, you have no choice."

Oscar decides to go ahead and use these billboards as his canvas. He takes the ads which are there and uses them to tell a story. Similar to Keith Haring, who most call a "pop icon" but I always considered him a political artist. He, too, used public spaces around NYC to draw more attention to drug problems, A.I.D.S., homosexuality & other important issues.

Oscar takes it further by planning each billboard meticulously. He has an apartment full of billboard-sized faces, animals, pizzas and money and with the posters, he changes the billboard's messages by making them politically oriented.

Professors and students admire him and through the course of the film he was asked to give lectures about his work.

It was a great movie and Oscar, the person, is extremely sympathetic who you just want to keep watching...even after the movie is over.

Directed by Sergio Morkin
Year: 2004
TRT: 61 min
Format: Video
Country: Argentina
Screening: U.S. Premiere

The Margaret Meade Film Festival will have more screenings of the films which they screened this past weekend next Saturday, November 20th and next Sunday, November 21st.

The screenings are located at the Museum of Natural History on 79th Street, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue.

Here is their schedule for next weekend.

http://www.amnh.org/programs/mead/mead04/calendar.html

There are people who don't have to worry about social security drying up as the baby boomers are retiring, such as the Bush family or gangsters turned rap "bling bling" superstars.

You just need to offer a little ole fashioned repentance, a few lessons in rapping, hire a "powerballin" producer and you'll be "bling bling" set.

Take for example, rap star 50 Cent, in the next few months he'll be appearing in animated form on an episode of The Simpsons, launching new designs of his footwear line, starting his own series of bling-heavy watches, endorsing Formula 50 Vitamin Water and preparing to star in a movie about himself called 'Locked and Loaded'.

'Locked and Loaded will be directed by Irish filmmaker, Jim Sheridan (My Left Foot, In the Name of the Father, In America). Terrence Winter, executive producer of the Sopranos, is writing the screenplay.

So 50 is only 26 years old, it seems a bit odd they are already making a film about him. I suppose we should expect a lifetime of sequels.

All kidding aside, making a film about a gangster rapper using the hard core writing of a Sopranos guy and the sensitivity of Jim Sheridan...seems like a brilliant way to promote yourself to the masses.

I'm looking forward to seeing the likes of Jim Sheridan and the golden touch of 50 Cent.

Well, hats off to ya 50 Cent...better yet...50 mill.

I was fortunate to catch the feature film “12” at the SwissAm Film Festival in NYC.

Director Larry Bridges has had a very successful career directing commercials and believed that many talented actors were earning a living through advertising but were capable of much more.

So Bridges launched an improvisational workshop and what grew out of that workshop was the feature "12," so named because the venture had been a dozen years in the making.

Putting a modern twist on Greek mythology, "12" sees Zeus sending his two children to an island off the coast of Los Angeles after they request new human lives -- but the children must repeatedly perform Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest."

Charting Los Angeles' travails or Greek Mythology...through floods, fires, riots and shifting politics, Bridges was able to catch the actual footage from these events and work them in "12".

Bridges then reinvented the drive-in experience, guerrilla-style and "12" was a traveling roadshow, projected open-air on large walls in LA.

As for the SwissAm Film Festival, tonight they have Special Experimental Night at the Anthology Film Archives at 7:30pm.

Tomorrow evening is the SwissAm closing night party.

More information on www.swissinstitute.net

Just finished watching El Bola the feature debut from Achero Manas.

It's a beautifully shot film and it takes an extremely intuitive approach to child abuse. A child may be abused, only without admittance or proof, most people would not act on it. It breaches the subject in a subtle manner similar to the common folk, which is not taking notice until a child is hospitalized or killed. People usually wait for children to cry for help even if there is a question of a abuse. This film allows one to understand how difficult it is to acknowledge that abuse may be taking place in a neighbor's or friend's home.

In the case of El Bola; even after the child missed school for a week, even after his close friend admitted to his own non-violent parents and even after his friends discussed it amongst themselves...still nobody wanted to believe that their friend, a young boy, could be living with this daily tragic ritual.

The boy's friends didn't second guess the action of his own father and the adults had a difficult time believing that it was that bad.

I really admired the way in which Manas approached the subject and think it was a very accurate portrayal of how many approach the subject of child abuse, and that is by denying it.

Language: Spanish with English subtitles
Running Time: 88 mins
Year: 2002
Distributor: Film Movement
Director: Achero Manas (feature debut)

This is the "Double Check" list.

Here is a list of 6 films which you have most likely seen, but "double check" because if you haven't then definitely rent them.

1. Buffalo '66 (1998) by Vincent Gallo
2. Happiness (1998) by Todd Solondz
3. Kids (1995) by Larry Clark
4. Rushmore (1998) by Wes Anderson
5. Bottle Rocket (1996) by Wes Anderson
6. American History X (1998) by Tony Kaye

"Imagery has a purpose but use it to teach. Once you consume an image it's always with you" said Gloria Steinem, one of the most influential writers, lecturers, editors and activists of our time.

Steinem helped found numerous organizations including the Women's Action Alliance, the National Women's Political Caucus, Voters for Choice, Choice USA, and the Ms. Foundation for Women.

My hero spoke last night at Columbia University's 'Bodies in Motion: Images of Women in Film & Video'. Both audience and guests were trying to think of one single image which accurately portrays women.

Politics and religion are not one and the same.

They don't teach religion is public schools, why do people confuse them?
Why are moral issues important to the bible belt?
Maybe we should officially separate the country into smaller countries and elect separate presidents?

Hillary Clinton 2008!

Last night I was watching the election at a bar around the corner with my friend John. John and I had a "so-called" bet, so I asked the guy standing next to me his opinion. He was extremely entertaining and we ended up hanging out with him.

After a couple of election hours he asked what both John & I did for a living.

John said "software".

I said "film".

He then asked "do you know Lee Daniels?"

"I know who he is, I saw a film he recently produced a couple of weeks ago" I replied.

"I'm doing some voice-over for him now, he's really great. I, too, saw The Woodsman a couple of weeks ago" he said. "Where did you see it?" he asked.

"Tribeca"

"Me too"

We looked closer at each other and realized that we had sat next to each other at the screening and he was the one who gave me an antihistime during the movie.

I had happened to catch a head cold, the one which is going around, and it hit me during the screening of The Woodsman.

It's a terrible time to get a head cold. I had felt fine before and all of a sudden I was sick. Although it seemed as though half of the people in the theater were also sneezing and coughing.

Anyway, during the movie the fellow next to me said "I don't mean to sound rude, but I just got over a head cold myself and I have an antihistamine if you'd like" and handed me the antihistamine.

As the movie went on, my head became more congested so I had no choice but to take the antihistamine even though I didn't have any water.

So last night while watching the election I was able to thank him for the antihistime which he had given me two weeks prior. Isn't that crazy?

I then asked what brand it was because it was the best antihistamine I had ever taken; it allowed me to get on the subway, go to the market, get some soup, tissues and go home.

He said he had gotten it from Cuba and it has yet to be approved by the FDA, but he has some more in his desk at work if ever I should need it.

BROTHER TO BROTHER, a beautiful film that was finished last year and went to Sundance, Berlin and various other festivals this year is coming to the theater!!!!!

starting in New York City
Friday, November 5th at Cinema Village
22 E. 12th St betw. 5th Av and University Pl
Showtimes will be at 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, 7:30 and 9:40pm

The trailer, future playdates and other information is up at www.brothertobrotherthemovie.com

Brother To Brother

Winner-2004 Sundance Film Festival-Special Jury Prize
Winner Showtime Vanguard Award
Winner- Gordon Parks Screenwriting Award
Winner-Audience, Grand Jury and Best Actor Award Outfest

SYNOPSIS:

BROTHER TO BROTHER is a feature length narrative drama which follows the emotional and psychological journey of a young Black gay artist as he discovers the hidden legacies within the Harlem Renaissance.