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Living the good life for a good cause: The 88forAIDS benefit cocktail party

Generosity knows no currency

I’ve never been to a cocktail party.  I’m not even sure I’ve ever felt the urge to attend one, despite living in New York City which must surely be one of the cocktail party capitals of the world.  I do, however, enjoy contributing to charity.  I enjoy it more, as many would also confess, when there is added incentive because, hey, we’re all human!  Cue my finding out about the 88forAIDS.com benefit being thrown by GMHC on May 6th, 2010.  The purpose of the event was to help GMHC support the annual NYC AIDS Walk (occurring 10 days later) and was featuring special guests: two time Olympian/TV personality, Johnny Weir as well as the Senior Vice President of Bravo TV, Andy Cohen.

As I wouldn’t be able to participate in this year’s Walk, I enjoyed the thought of helping in another way, with the added bonus of meeting Johnny Weir.  He happens to be an extremely talented figure skater who many may only recall, sadly, due to that whole Olympics “underscoring” snafu that happened in Vancouver.  With two great reasons to attend, I gave my donation and made sure to acquire a pair of very comfortable heels.  A born and bred Bronx girl was officially going to her first cocktail party… in a penthouse in Tribeca… all for a good cause. Continue reading →

2010
05/31
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CATEGORY
Conventions/Festivals
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“Remember Me”: The Making of a Star

I’m going to put myself out there and risk some judgment right now.  I am a fan of one Robert Pattinson aka RPattz.  You may know him from such gems as “Twilight” and “New Moon” which are, I’ll admit, not the most amazing displays of his acting prowess.  This isn’t about those films though.  As I said, I’m a Robert Pattinson fan and I’ve been waiting awhile for him to be given the kind of role that truly demonstrates his acting talent.  His part as Tyler Hawkins in “Remember Me” is just that role.

I was lucky enough to score a pass for a free screening this past Monday night, March 1st, the same night as the film’s world premiere at the Paris Theatre in Midtown Manhattan.  It was exciting to think I was watching the movie for the first time at the same moment as the stars themselves, even if we weren’t physically sharing the same space.

As “Remember Me” doesn’t hit theaters for another two weeks, all cameras and cell phones had to be checked in with security, to be returned once the screening was over.  One thing I’ll say about Summit Entertainment, who produced the film, is that they get straight to the point.  No trailers, no announcements, no gift bags.  This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing seeing as no one wanted to be placated with those things anyway.  Summit know their audience and cater accordingly.

“Remember Me” centers around the aforementioned Tyler Hawkins, a twenty-something New Yorker who’s confused by his supposed place in the world.  It’s a feeling many can relate to.  The film begins in the Spring of 2001 and follows Tyler as he rebels against authority, questions life, falls in love, and deals with some intense family issues, everything culminating in a finale that most won’t see coming. Continue reading →

2010
03/05
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CATEGORY
Movies
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Rooney Make the “Heart” Grow Fonder

Event Date: December 11, 2009
Venue: Webster Hall
Band: Rooney

More Rooney, please

“Deliver the goods.”  It’s an expression I’ve heard a lot lately and, when I think about the band Rooney, that’s exactly what comes to mind.  This band always delivers the goods.  If you go to concerts for glitz and glamour, a Rooney show is not for you.  If you’re like me, and prize a rocking good time that cuts straight to the point, well…you probably had your tickets before I did.

This proudly Californian-based quintet gets on that stage, brings the house down with an old-school “jam” session, and promises that they’ll do the exact same thing every time.  Such a clean-cut approach is part of what makes Rooney concerts so unique and why I’ve looked forward to seeing them, every chance I get, since discovering them during a 2004 episode of “The O.C.”. Continue reading →

2010
02/28
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CATEGORY
Music
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“‘The Wolfman’ cometh”

A "howling" good time? (via intertubes)

I had first seen the trailer for the remake of “The Wolfman” some months ago. Anyone who knows my love of horror films, even the cheesy, can imagine how excited I was for this. Now would be the time to confess, though, that I’ve never actually gotten around to seeing the original. For all intents and purposes, this is actually a good thing as I went into the remake with no expectations other than the ones given to me by the fact that the film had a stellar cast. There’s Sir Anthony Hopkins, Benicio Del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Hugo Weaving who, I’ll say now, kind of stole the show. Continue reading →

2010
02/25
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CATEGORY
Movies
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Get Your Sexy On: A Night at the NYBF

Warning: This is a NSFW article.

Event Date: October 3, 2009
Venue: B.B. King’s Bar and Grille
Performers Reviewed: Angie Pontani, Indigo Blue and Co., Gravity Plays Favorites, Ms. Tickle, Melody Sweets, Hot Toddy.

Burlesque.

Bur-lesque.

The word invokes all sorts of thoughts.  Mostly, they’re thoughts of half-naked women clad in tassels, garters, and feather boas.  Not to say that these elements are no longer relevant or present in modern burlesque but, well, the “art” has grown far beyond that simple description in recent years.

Wikipedia defines burlesque as, “a humorous theatrical entertainment involving parody and sometimes grotesque exaggeration.”  But that’s still not hitting the nail on the head. While I put the word in quotation marks before, burlesque has truly become an art and nowhere was this more evident than at the Seventh Annual New York Burlesque Festival.

Anna Fur Laxis pretends to be scandalized!

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2010
02/16
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CATEGORY
Exhibitions
Music
Theater
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Photograph: The Other Side of the Lens

NY is a place where anything is possible. A city where there are surprises around every corner and where an event, that may be a little too out there for most places, is just another way for us New Yorkers to have fun. Newmindspace, created by Kevin Bracken in order to create bonding experiences among city dwellers, recognizes this. Thus “Photograph” was born.

I guess the most important thing about “Photograph” isn’t the where (South Street Seaport), the when (Sept. 19th), or the why (simply because). What’s most important is the “who”. Kevin noted the oft commented fact that Newmindspace events have such a large amount of photographers present that they almost outnumber the average participants! Why not, he thought, stage an event solely for them? Why not have a free for all where the main goal is to have photographers photograph photographers photographing photographers?! If this sounds somewhat confusing, allow the pictures to speak for themselves as they’re meant to. Continue reading →

2009
11/26
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CATEGORY
Conventions/Festivals
Exhibitions
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VNV Nation at Nokia Theatre

Ronan Harris of VNV Nation

Ronan Harris of VNV Nation

I have a very definite opinion about music. Mainly, that it should make you feel something, anything. This is clearly an opinion shared by the members of VNV Nation; the duo being the Irish born Ronan Harris and Mark Jackson of Great Britian. Together they’ve become the most popular creators of a music genre called “futurepop”. For them, it’s not about the money, the fame, or even the art of creating the music itself; it’s about how that art can make people feel and that’s exactly why they’ve been so successful. It also doesn’t hurt that they make music almost certain to get you moving; losing yourself you feel inspired by the hope that Ronan’s voice and lyrics bring. Continue reading →

2009
07/28
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CATEGORY
Music
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