Thursday, February 28, 2008

What's Goin' On?

Here's what's happening in Harlem and around town that you might want to check out.

National Black Theater

Veteran classical actress and director Petronia Paley leads The TWAS Classical Actors of Color as they join Tony Award Winning Actress Trezana Beverley in MEDEA. Now through Sunday, March 2. For more information visit:
http://www.takewingandsoar.org/

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Friday, February 29, 2008, 7:30 PM Harlem Opera Theater honors the memory of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and the Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. in the 100th year of their birth. Also, the memory of civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 40th year after his assassination, by presenting “Opera in the Court.” Classical artists will perform operatic scenes which take place in the court room. Reception at 6 p.m., followed by concert at 7:30 p.m. For ticket information visit,
http://www.harlemoperatheater.org/ or call 212-592-0780.

Saturday, March 1, 2008, 4:00 PM Bicentennial of the U.S. Abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade - Film Series -
Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North - FREE, first come, first served

Monday, March 3, 2008, 7:00 PM 15th Annual Women's Jazz Festival
Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely,
Opening performance by Mayra Casales
Tickets $18 members, $22.50 non-members

Other Events:

Saturday, March 1, 2008 - Black Video/DVD Fair
Museum of African American Cinema
Gift Shop, 9th Floor
Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building
163 W. 125th Street

Now through Tuesday, March 4, 2008 -
Honeydripper - directed by John Sayles, starring Danny Glover, Charles Dutton and Stacy Keach
Symphony Space
2537 Broadway at 95th Street
Tickets: $11, $7 for members

Saturday, February 23, 2008

February Movie Club Notes

This month, in addition to our review of February's two films, we also discussed the future of HMC. We decided that this blog can be used to do more than record our musings about our monthly movie selections, but also as a sort of clearinghouse for happenings in and around the Harlem community and beyond. Theater, film, music and other arts events will be highlighted here. We even talked about the possibility of recommending movies and other events for children, providing restaurant suggestions, and creating a logo for HMC.


So check us out every Thursday for arts and entertainment information that may be of interest to you.

All this comes as we prepare to submit an application for incorporation. Imagine that - HMC will be incorporated!

This month's movies received some of the highest overall ratings of any two films we've reviewed together. The lowest rating either received was a C, and if anyone knows HMC members, they know that many of them are not easy graders.

Let's start with the surprise hit, (at least in my estimation), Pan's Labyrinth.

The movie was chosen by Rita who identified with the little girl in the film, remembering her life in the Dominican Republic during Trujillo's reign. She loved the movie when she first saw it and wanted to share it with us all.

The lowest grade Pan's Labyrinth received was a C from Zanetta. She didn't like the mix of fantasy and reality and felt that character development wasn't consistently good. She "got bored". Carl's take on the movie was almost exactly the opposite. Giving the film an A because he thought the film "worked with the mix of fantasy and reality", and that the "child's vision was well incorporated in the film". He also felt that the Captain was the most intriguing character in the movie.

David thought that the technical aspects of the film were exceptional but didn't think the story was compelling enough and didn't answer why the child was driven into a fantasy world.

Other HMC member comments included: "It was full of mythology, complexity, intrigue" (Stephanie); "Didn't like the ending" (Nero); "I got sucked in" (Kathi).

Here are the individual ratings for Pan's Labyrinth:

  • Rita A+
  • John A
  • Yvonne A
  • Stephanie A+
  • Ed A-
  • David B+
  • Carl A
  • Rylona A+
  • Lori A
  • Nero A
  • Ron A
  • Kathi A
  • Harold B
  • Hope B+
  • Ramona B
  • Valerie B
  • Zanetta C

The Great Debaters

For the second time in two months a Denzel Washington film was selected, only this time Zanetta had nothing to do with it. Ed chose the film this time because it had two African American Oscar winners in starring roles. (When will we get to see that again?) Denzel also directed it and the subject matter is one that is close to most of our hearts. As a predominantly African American group meeting in the middle of Harlem, it was unlikely that the movie was not going to be seen. But that doesn't mean it would automatically get the high rating it received.

The lowest rating The Great Debaters received was a B but obviously even those who graded it that way enjoyed the film.

This is the kind of movie which as Lori said, "tends to make us think about the theme rather than the movie".

But beyond the social factors that gave value to the film, it also had its own merits as a piece of cinema. Rylona liked that it integrated what was happening at the time while juxtaposing the accomplishments of the students. The film managed to provide a lot of information about the America of the '30's, not just Black America, but also what poor whites were experiencing, the development of the labor movement while also depicting a slice of Black life that many today didn't realize existed; educated, well-to-do, accomplished people like the family of future civil rights leader, James Farmer.

Some HMC members felt that there wasn't enough back story to provide more background on the characters, that parts of the movie felt too much like a documentary but they still felt it was not only uplifting, but also an important film especially for young people. Probably the most telling comment came from someone who is not a movie club member, a 16 year old young man who accompanied Ramona to see the movie. He came away thinking that the story wasn't true because Black people couldn't achieve something like that. We need help.

Great Debaters Ratings:

  • Ed A-
  • Kathi A
  • John A
  • Greg A-
  • Rylona B+
  • Ramona A
  • Carl A
  • Zanetta A+
  • Tiffany A
  • Harold B
  • Damon B
  • David A-
  • Stephanie A
  • Nero B
  • Valerie A+
  • Yvonne B
  • Zorah B
  • Ron A+
  • Lori B
  • Rita A-
  • Hope B+