Out of Focus

THE END OF THE (2005) FRINGE!

Final Fringe Festival post is up over at Gothamist. Mallory reviews two last shows -- Manatee and Ratface -- and also talks a little about the winners. (Here's a link to the full list.)

I have to admit that I'm shocked at an Outstanding Play mention for Go-Go Kitty, Go! which was fun and all but nothing spectacular. I was happy to see both The Miss Education of Jenna Bush and Jesus in Montana received kudos for Outstanding Solo Show. Even though I found it somewhat trite, predictable and incredibly sitcomy, I'm not surprised at all that Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daises received an Outstanding Ensemble notice. The acting was stronger than the writing, and this show is a simple audience pleaser.

We don't know what shows, if any, are likely to get extensions into commercial runs. SILENCE! The Musical seems like the most likely what with the combination of hype, generally positive (if not enthusiastic) critical reception, a sold out run and audiences that seemed to love it. Personally, I'm hoping that Movie Geek finds its way to another stage as I really wanted to see it, and Mallory said it was great.

After all the awards talk comes a little rant of my own (shocker) regarding the organizational aspects of the festival. While I am quite encouraged by the selection of shows from which I was able to choose this year, I'm still surprised that nine years in some common sense elements of organizing a festival like this are missing. The Present Company does an impressive job with a festival staff that is primarily donating their time, but experience should be educational, and although the venues this year were generally much improved, plenty of other things weren't.

I can say, however, that while previous years attending the Fringe would leave me with a mild feeling of dread about subjecting myself to the experience the following year, ultimately overcome by a simple love of theatre and desire to see the three "I"s -- interesting, imaginative and innovative -- that isn't the case this time around. The 2005 New York International Fringe Festival was a pleasant experience overall. Here's hoping they really go all out for their 10th birthday next August.

TCM WATCH: KERR AND BOGART END THINGS WITH A BANG

I can already tell, not a lot of time this week. It's sad too because I just spent the last couple hours working on a big to-do list of things I'm sure I won't get done and I had something like 10 different specific post ideas I want to write, but I'm not sure when I'll get to them.

In the mean time, in a small attempt to add something new, even if it's old, to this site ... it's the end of TCM's magnificent month of August, a/k/a "Summer Under the Stars." This month became dangerous for me on two occasions: First, there was that night when I just couldn't turn off Fred & Ginger; and then this weekend it happened again as I found myself spellbound by Spencer Tracy, especially Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, which I don't think I had seen in roughly a decade. But see, that's one of these other posts I hope to get to.

Meanwhile, after days little romp with Constance Bennett, there are only two days and two stars left: the lovely and talented Scottish actress Deborah Kerr on Tuesday and the legendary Humphrey Bogart on Wednesday. The month started with Bogie's longtime love and leading lady Lauren Bacall, so it only makes sense that he closes it out.

My original capsules for both of these days are after the jump. The only thing that makes the end of this wonderfully programmed month worthwhile is that September looks just as good. Michael Powell anyone? If you're pissed that there's no Black Narcissus on Deborah Kerr-day, don't fret too much. You can catch it on Sept. 18. But then, that's yet another one of those other posts.

TCM WATCH: SCOTT, TRACY, HOLDEN, BENNETT -- THE BEST WEEKEND YET

TCM's brilliant month of programming continues with what, for my money, is the best weekdn of the entire month. One really can't ask for more than a Spencer Tracy Saturday paired with a William Holden Sunday. Several of each stars best performances are included in the daily lineup, and anyone who has read this blog more than twice knows that Sunset Blvd. and Network are required viewing any time they're on (unless you already watch your own personal DVDs regularly like I do), and while you're spending Sunday with Bill, you may as well see his other Billy Wilder-directed triumph, the great 1954 romantic comedy Sabrina. (Obviously the original one with Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. Not the abysmal remake. Greg Kinnear. Feh!) In fact, it's too bad they're not showing a third Holden-Wilder collaboration: Stalag 17, a great WWII P.O.W. satire which set the stage for future films like Catch-22 and MASH, not to mention the obvious influence it had on '60s television hit Hogan's Heroes.

Anyway, Randolph Scott today with Tracy tomorrow, Holden Sunday and Constance Bennett on Monday. My original capsules from the now long-ago post after the jump:

LIVING (BARELY) AT WORK AND ON THE FRINGE, AND NOT MUCH ELSE

I have no idea what happened, but somehow a post announcing a bit more Fringe coverage at Gothamist just completely disappeared, and I definitely don't have time to rewrite what I'm sure you know must have been Pulitzer or Peabody-quality writing. I mean it was a brilliant post, I tell you. Probably the best I've ever written, yet it's gone, completely. So you'll just have to take my word for it.

Meanwhile, the Fringe Festival is going into its last weekend, and between trying to hit the ground running with this four-week job I'm on and covering Fringe shows, and the bachelor party which wrecked me, and being utterly out of it and sick on Wednesday, I'm just getting nothing else done. That's right: I'm failing myself again with the film preview, and it's sad because there's so much to talk about this week. I don't know -- maybe I'll do it tomorrow or something after getting some Ted Leo refreshment at the seaport today. As it is, I tried to get to three more Fringe shows yesterday, but the first one I saw was so horrible (ahhh ... nostalgia for the Fringe of yesteryear) that when I arrived at the last minute at the second one and it was already "sold out," I decided I didn't have it in me to try to get in (which I probably could have done) and just went home where I promptly crashed after watching Big Brother (yeah, it actually kind of rocks this summer -- people really hate each other), then wrote the Gothamist post, and then forced myself to bed rather than watching The Divorcee like I really wanted.

But I digress, and today especially, I don't have time for digressions. Reviews for the very funny The Last Two Minutes of the Complete Works of Henrik Ibsen and the utterly horrible The Magnificent Hour are right here along with some other notable shows also playing this weekend. I'm hoping to get to at least three more shows this weekend, but I also have to really focus and start my (ugh) new apartment hunt. More on that another time.

Oh yeah and movies? (Sigh) Hopefully I'll have more time and handle my schedule better come September. See all of you who think I'm a cynical pessimist (oh yes, I know you're out there), I'm full of hope! It's never realistic, and it rarely comes to fruition, but full of hope nonetheless.

TCM WATCH: DON'T MISS RATHBONE, LOREN, SHEARER AND SCOTT

Not much time today, but I just wanted to remind everyone that TCM's "Summer Under the Stars" continues this week with days dedicated to four fantastic talents. Be sure to check the Turner Classic Movies website for specific schedule information. After the jump, reprints of my original capsules on Basil Rathbone, Sophia Loren, Norma Shearer and Randolph Scott. Loren has always been everything a movie star should be -- stunningly gorgeous and talented, natch -- and if you can only catch one movie this week, be sure to watch Loren in Vittorio De Sica's Two Women late Wednesday night (technically Thursday morning) at 2:15 AM eastern.

THE WEEKEND IN REVIEW: NOTHING BUT FRINGE, AND NOT MUCH OF THAT

So there was this bachelor party this weekend of a good friend tha basically involved riding on a "party bus" for over three hours to Hancock, NY, hanging out at a bar there (it has meaning to the future groom) until after 2 AM, and then getting back on the bus for the somehow shorter ride back to Manhattan. I got home at about 5:45 AM Sunday morning, slept until 1:30, and while I have absolutely no idea why, I was an absolute useless wreck the rest of the day. (OK, so I know exactly why. Use your imagination. HEY! Not that much imagination.) The bachelor party was actually relatively tame and involved more roasting of the future groom than anything truly debaucherous. It was fascinating that once we got to this bar, the entertainment began as a few drunk guys got into a huge brawl outside with one guy who easily weighed close to 300 pounds totally pummeling this other wasted guy who was at best half his weight. (The little guy had the genius tactic of talking smack by saying, "Oh no. You could kick my ass. You could absolutely kill me. But you're still a pussy!")

So I didn't get much of anything done after about 5:30 PM on Saturday, and now I'm ridiculously behind with basically everything in my life. Yet there's another week of Fringe, and I had the relative pleasure of seeing two more shows Friday night, for which reviews are up on Gothamist now. So go check-out what I thought of SILENCE! The Musical (a parody of The Silence of the Lambs) and Tarot Reading: Love, Sex and Mommy (a one-woman show written and performed by my new crush Kimberlee Auerbach. Dammit, she's taken!).

My co-Gothamist theatre writer Mallory has four reviews of her own posted as well including one "Don't Miss" selection, Movie Geek. She also recommends Treaty 321! and The Last Silver Zephyer, but suggests you stay away from .dependent study.

Meanwhile, as much as I'm hoping to keep up with my recent slightly-higher-than-normal quantity of posting (yes, I know, the quantity has gone up but that says nothing for the quality!), the next two weeks might prove a bit more erratic. We'll just have to see. I'd really love to get to a movie or two (or eight!) this week, but I'm not counting on it.

TCM WATCH: STEWART, O'HARA AND CRAWFORD

Yeah, so I'm late again. Big deal. This weekend is turning into a bit of a nightmare even as it's actually supposed to be fun. In just a couple hours I'm getting on a "party bus" for a bachelor party, and apparently I'm not being allowed to get home until 6 AM tomorrow. Oy. There's just not enough time in the day.

Obviously that also means I'm not allowed to enjoy Jimmy Stewart day (which becomes Stewart-Hitchcock night) on Turner Classic Movies, not that I really should be watching movies right now anyway with all I suddenly have to do, but that's another story.

So this is brief: after the jump, reprints of capsules on Stewart, Maureen O'Hara and Joan Crawford, which should keep your eyes glued to the TV through Monday.

THE WEEKEND IN PRE... RE ...: AW SCREW IT

So yeah, I said I'd have this weekly thing up before my head hit the pillow yesterday, but that was just impossible. For one thing, my head never actually hit the pillow yesterday as I didn't get home until 2 AM this morning. Then, after finally getting some much-needed sleep, I've been busy trying to organize myself for the next three weeks during which I have to concentrate not only on my continuing long-term job hunt and start my apartment search, but also finish FringeNYC coverage, do another set of Gothamist Interviews, keep trying to write on this blog regularly the things I really mean to write, and now work on this event for which I've been hired part-time to coordinate volunteers and press. When the hell am I going to see any movies?!?!

Thankfully, I've already seen (and loved) The 40 Year-Old Virgin (which should take home the top box office spot; my guess? $29 million) and The Constant Gardner which opens next weekend, but there's still too much to see. Unfortunately, I just don't have time today to go into detail about everything, and besides, by this time on Saturday, who cares and who's going to read it anyway. But I keep doing this preview now for two reasons: To force myself to do something like this regularly (even, I suppose if it's not on time), and second to make sure that I know what the hell is out there. So if you keep reading, here's some briefs about that's up this week. The rep houses, as usual, are chock-full of good offerings, but I may have to finish that in another post tomorrow. (sigh)

SAD NEWS IN THE FILM BLOGOSPHERE -- RIP GEORGE

Wow. That's upsetting news to wake-up to today: George Fasel, who wrote the very smart critical film blog A Girl and a Gun passed away this week on Wednesday after an apparently long battle with cancer. His wife Ruth posted the news on his blog this morning.

I didn't know George -- had never met or spoken with him -- and I would often disagree with some of his opinions, but nobody expressed a love, appreciation and knowledge for cinema better or more eloquently than he did. A pretty decent education in cinema studies could probably be acquired simply by reading through George's archives. His writing will be sorely missed. Thanks George for sharing a little bit of your expertise with the rest of us. My condolences to his family and loved ones.

THIS IS NOT A MUSIC BLOG BUT ... KNOW YOUR SUFJAN PEP THEME OR ELSE!

Sufjan Stevens' first of five sold-out shows tonight at Bowery Ballroom was an fantastic and fun. Stevens and his enormous band of Illinoise Makers bring the music, especially from Stevens most recent album "Illinois" but unfortunately, nobody knew in advance that as part of Illinois Spirit Week, each performance has a different theme. Tonight was backwards night, but how were we supposed to know that the ghost of Kriss Kross was supposed to possess us all and wear our clothes backwards? But I'm here to help the rest of you who plan to go to one of the next four shows. Here it your advance warning, so you better show your spirit by following orders. I mean, just look at how much spirit Stevens and his enormous band the Illinoise Makers had! They even did incredible cheers before many of the songs while wearing the colors of the Fighting Illini!

So with that in mind, here's the breakdown of what you need to do to show your spirit when you head to the show: