Ritzfilm
OCT|NOV 2011 VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 1
Arts Calendar | Around the Block: Old City | Now Playing Interview with Happy, Happy director | and more!
OCT|NOV 2011
table of contents 5 Letter from Publisher 7 Arts Calendar 11 Ask Ritz Film Magazine 15 Eating Locally and Sustainably Never Tasted So Good: Interview with Josh Lawler of
The Farm and Fisherman
18 Around the Block: Old City 26 Seasonal Cocktails for a Taste of Fall 29 Film Focus: Interview with Happy, Happy
director Anne Sewitsky
32 Now Playing 42 Crossword Puzzle
ON THE COVER: George Clooney as “Matt King” and Shailene Woodley as “Alexandra,” star in THE DESCENDANTS. ABOVE TOP: John Hawkes in Martha Marcy May Marlene. Photo by Drew Innis ™ © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation ABOVE BOTTOM: Kiefer Sutherland in MELANCHOLIA, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo © Christian Geisnaes.
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letter from the publisher Dear Ritz lovers! We are so excited to be reviving the Landmark Ritz Theatre Magazine! This magazine has been a favorite of Ritz movie lovers for years and years. Every single day for the past two years, the Ritz staff has been questioned “where’s the Ritz magazine?” R&W Publishing, in collaboration with Landmark Ritz Theatres, is thrilled to bring it back and provide Ritz Theatre lovers in the Philadelphia area with a publication all about your favorite subject—movies! And we didn’t stop with just movies. This magazine will focus on the art and cultural scene in the Philadelphia area, neighborhood spotlights, notable and influential people in our city…and lots of other fun features. We’re always open to your suggestions and ideas for content. This is a community magazine and your input is invaluable to us! Enjoy this very first revival issue! It includes all of your favorite features like synopses of the latest movies and Ask Ritz Film Magazine with a new movie “expert”, Dr. Andrew Repasky McElhinney. And we’ve added new features such as Around the Block where we feature a Philadelphia area neighborhood with all the goodies the neighborhood has to offer! This issue also features an interview with young standout director, Anne Sewitsky and a collection of favorite Ritz memories from well-known Philadelphia film aficionados! As the Ritz Film magazine staff has been creating this very first issue, we’ve talked to many Philadelphia residents and businesses—and we know this magazine is a big deal to you. Our commitment is to fulfill on continually publishing a magazine that matches your expectations of high quality content including synopses of the best movies out there. The Landmark Ritz is a one-of-a-kind movie theatre…and so is the Ritz Film Magazine. Enjoy every issue and send us your feedback. This is your magazine and thus so is the content. We’d love to hear from you! Sincerely, Lisa H. Rafter Publisher Ritz Film Magazine 215-765-2646 lisarafter@ritzfilmmag.com
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A magazine for the Landmark Ritz Theatre Published by R&W Publishing Associates Publisher Lisa H. Rafter lisarafter@ritzfilmmag.com 215-765-2646 Editor Abigail Sutton 609-707-6069 abigail@ritzfilmmag.com Advertising Sales Jamie Berman 610-609-1635 jamie@ritzfilmmag.com Art Director Hedy Sirico hedy@ritzfilmmag.com
Ritz Film Magazine is published 8x’s per year by R&W Publishing Associates. Distributed at Ritz Theatre locations and designated locations throughout Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. For more information regarding editorial content, advertising or distribution, please contact us at: R&W Publishing Associates 315 Poplar Avenue Devon, PA 19333 (215)765-2646 info@ritzfilmmag.com Landmark Ritz Theatres www.landmarktheatres.com 215-925-7900 RITZ THEATRE PHILADELPHIA LOCATIONS: Ritz Five: 214 Walnut Street Ritz at the Bourse: 400 Ranstead Street Ritz East: 124 South Second Street
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arts calendar Philadelphia Museum of Art 26th St & Ben Franklin Parkway www.Philamuseum.org
Here and Now: Prints, Drawings, and Photographs by Ten Philadelphia Artists September 10 - December 4 Tristin Lowe: Under the Influence October 22, 2011 - January 29, 2012
Philadelphia Theatre Company
480 S Broad St www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org Red by John Logan October 14 - November 13
Winner 2010 Tony Award for Best Play Walnut St Theater
825 Walnut St http://www.walnutstreettheatre.org/ Aspects of Love September 6 – October 23 Rogers & Hammerstein’s The King and I November 8- January 8, 2012 Noel and Gertie November 22 – December 31 Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Dec 3-Dec 20
“Deck the halls” as this touching story of Ebenezer Scrooge travels beyond the footlights, right into your very own heart. InterAct Theatre Company at The Adrienne 2030 Sansom St http://adriennelive.org/
The How and the Why: Oct 21- Nov 13
Written by Sarah Treem Two trail-blazing women – one an up-andcoming evolutionary biologist and the other an established leader in the field – take on the fiercely male-dominated world of academic science. Evolution and emotion collide in this thought-provoking new play about science, family and the survival of the fittest.
Microcrisis
Written by Mike Lew A smart & scathing new satire about a slick, big-vision banker who draws a gaggle of innocent do-gooders into an outrageous global lending scheme. Never stopping to consider the destruction in their wake, the banker and his unwitting accomplices create worldwide mayhem while trying desperately to stay one step ahead of the game Outside the Frame: Voices from the Other America
A first-time festival of presented works that illuminate the richness and complexity of our contemporary world. The Festival will showcase more than half a dozen acclaimed and engaging first person narratives that celebrate and challenge our American identity. Etched in Skin on a Sunlit Night
Written by Kara Lee Corthron This intense and theatrical new drama follows Jules, an African American painter who has fled the U.S. and embraced a new life in Iceland. But a series of unexpected events brings the demons of her past crashing down on her and her new family, causing her to question her sense of racial and personal identity. Forrest Theater
1114 Walnut St http://www.forrest-theatre.com/ Billy Elliot, The Musical November 16 - 27 Jersey Boys December 6 – January 14, 2012
The Academy of Natural Sciences 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway ansp.org Art of Science Dual Nature: Science Illustrations of Dan Otte August 1 – December 4, 2011
Dr. Daniel Otte, the Academy’s Curator of Entomology, shares his artistic side through this collection of animal drawings. Continued on page 17
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Ritz, Landmark Theatres and Ritz Film Magazine: a Four Star Performance
What’s your favorite Ritz Theatre memory? To welcome Ritz Film Magazine (RFM) to the arts community we polled a few of Philly’s film aficionados on their favorite film memories at the Ritz. What’s your favorite Ritz memory? We’d love to hear from you at info@ritzfilmmag.com.
Desmond Ryan, a former film critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer: What the opening of the Ritz meant to Philadelphia film lovers is best appreciated in the context of what movie-going was like in the city before Ramon Posel embarked on his visionary enterprise. Most films were previewed for critics in the Budco Screening Room above the Budco Goldman Theater at 15th and Market. However, if a studio refused to show a film before it opened to avoid hostile reviews, you had to go to one of the health-code challenged regular theaters with the paying customers. A couple of weeks before Ramon called me to ask what I thought of the idea of a
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brand new art house, I was in the Budco Goldman Theater watching a horror film, probably called Don’t Go in the Basement!, when I heard a loud metallic clink from the floor near my foot. I turned to the patron a couple of seats away and felt like inquiring, “Pardon me, sir, is that your gun or mine?” For movie-goers, the Ritz was an unarmed paradiseimaginativelyprogrammedand— nosmallmatter—meticulouslymaintained. Posel was an ardent film-lover, who despite his many other business interests, found time to go to New York to screen and select films for his enterprise. He was a special man and anyone who loves movies in this city is vastly in his debt.
Carrie Rickey, Film Critic at the Philadelphia Inquirer: I spend so much time at the Ritz Theatres (15-20 hours a week on average) that I should pay rent. My most memorable Ritz experiences include being buoyed by a preview audience at the Ritz Five as it jumped to its feet to give a standing ovation to Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It; introducing an anxious Al Gore to a receptive SRO crowd at the Ritz East where he showed An Inconvenient Truth; taking my (then-unathletic) younger daughter, then seven, to see Bend it Like Beckham at the Bourse and having her tell me afterwards she wanted to play soccer. Dr. Andrew Repasky McElhinney, a film/theater director, author, and educator: I was first introduced to the Ritz Theatres as a ten-year old by my Grandparents McElhinney. They had been going to the Ritz for years and my Grandfather would often summarize the pictures they took in at the bargain matinee. Deciding that I was old enough (and certainly eager) to see a subtitled movie, we went to see A Taxing Woman’s Return. Long before I had the opportunity to travel, I saw many new parts of the world unspool before my hungry eyes onscreen at the Ritz. Over the years my Grandparents and I saw films including The Music Teacher, The Wizard of Loneliness, Monsieur Heir, May Fools, The Miracle, Thelma and Louise, Bitter Moon, The Crying Game, Damage, Farewell My Concubine, Kika, M. Butterfly, The Music of Chance, Olivier Olivier, The Piano, Schindler’s List & The Bridges of Madison County. On my own, with my parents, or with friends, I fondly recall seeing Pulp Fiction (three times), Paris France, Kids, Exotica, Vanya on 42nd Street, Richard III (1995), Kansas City, Short Cuts, Criminal Lovers, Dogville, Irreversible, and Breaking the Waves, among others. I warmly remember former owner Ray Possel and the wise and kind day manager at the Ritz Five, Barbara. Of course, later, having my own movies play the Ritz was a thrill. Recently attending The Tree of Life,
I was impressed that before the picture unspooled the Ritz East manager introduced himself to the audience and personally took the time to let the audience know— if we had any issue whatsoever—that he was in charge and on top of it! Of course, my favorite thing about the Ritz, maybe even more than the movies themselves, was its Filmbill Magazine. My Grandfather would mail me the new edition each month as a young teenager and I treasure all the art and cultural events I learned about in its pages. I am delighted that the Filmbill Magazine has returned. Andrew hosts his Video Vault at the Rotunda featuring free cult movie screenings on the second Thursday of each month. Visit: ARMcinema25.com for more. Michael Norris who wrote the “Ask Filmbill” column from 1988 to 2009: Looking back on the 20 years I spent answering movie-trivia questions, my favorite memory overall is simply how fun and challenging it was to answer the question, give sufficient history, context or examples, and (hopefully) entertain the reader—all in a very small amount of space, usually three or four sentences. From the first question I answered (now here’s some trivia: that question was about James Joyce’s The Dead), doing the column was the best on-the-ground training in clear, effective communication that a Temple journalism grad could ever hope for. Added bonus: I got paid to write about a subject I loved, and I got to go to the movies—a lot. When I think about particular movies that affected me the most, the one I keep coming back to over and over is Wings of Desire, Wim Wenders’ exquisite romantic drama about angels in Berlin and their entanglements with mortals.The stunning cinematography, the evocative music, the philosophical musings about human existence: all of it combined to create in me a feeling of…well, ecstasy, really. I went to a Saturday matinee, and I vividly recall leaving the Ritz after the film was over
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and stumbling home in broad daylight, wishing, hoping that real life, my typical existence here in Philadelphia, could be in black and white and that, if I looked hard enough (City Hall, maybe…), I’d see the angels who were watching over me. It’s been almost 25 years since then. A quarter-century of urban living can drain that wide-eyed youthful innocence from you, so imagine my wonderful surprise when just this summer I experienced that same ecstatic feeling watching Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life. Lesson learned: never doubt the power of the movies to break through the daily humdrum and show us what’s truly essential.
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WINTER ITALIAN CLASSES Native teachers; conversation and literature courses. 10 WEEKS PROGRAM October 17th to December 21th, 2011 5 WEEKS PROGRAM Oct 17 to Nov. 17, 2011 ONE WEEK PROGRAM Oct. 10 to 14, 2011 GRAMMAR WORKSHOPS CHILDREN CLASSES OFFICIAL CERTIFICATE IN ITALIAN CILS Also: Free Classical Music Concerts, free Italian Movies, Lectures, and trips to Italy! 1420 Walnut Street, Suite 310 215-735-3250 • info@aisphila.org www.aisphila.org
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Mike McClellan, Senior Vice President, Head Film Buyer at Landmark (the company that owns Ritz), had this to say about Ritz Film Magazine: It is with great pleasure that we introduce RFM as a collaboration with Landmark Theatres. On a personal note, it is with equal pleasure that I share my enthusiasm about having the opportunity to be associated one again with Philadelphia, as I was raised in the area and spent thirty years calling myself a proud Philadelphian, and have been a lifelong Phillies fan no matter where I lived. Now the rich tradition of the RFM and Ritz theatres continues under the banner of Landmark Theatres, the nation’ s largest theatre chain devoted to showing the finest in specialized, foreign language and upscale studio film fare. We plan to both preserve and expand on that tradition, working diligently to introduce the world of alternative film to a whole new generation through this publication in conjunction with our own Landmark calendar. We hope you enjoy the new RFM and our continuing efforts to serve the needs of you, our loyal audience here in Philadelphia. As RFM, Ritz and Landmark embark on this new endeavor together we encourage you to discover the power and beauty of film and we look forward to providing you with fresh and rich content to read along the way. •
ask ritz film magazine By Andrew Repasky McElhinney–“The Movie Doctor”
Q. I thought The Trip was hi-
larious. Steve Coogan is a comic genus! I found out that the movie was really a British TV show edited into a feature. Do you know if Americans will get the chance to see the full version? —Moira Stokes, River’s End
A. The Trip was originally a six
The Trip photo courtesy of IFC Films.
half-hour part TV show made by the BBC, broadcast in 2010 and edited into a 107 minute feature in 2011. The Region 2 UK dvd release of the title is of the uncut episodesandavailablestatesideas an import. The release date of the American dvd edition of The Trip has not been announced as of this writing, but early indications suggest that the U.S. dvd will feature only the movie version. Looks like you better start that letter writing campaign to have both versions come out as one dvd set in the U.S. ASAP!
Q. With Christmas just around
the corner, do you have any suggestions for thematic yuletide viewing? —Christina Dales, Center City
A. Everyone loves holiday
themed movies and there are a trove of treasures apart from the perennial classics (It’s Wonderful Life, Scrooge, White Christmas, A Christmas Story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Home Alone, Miracle on 34th Street). If you’re seeking family viewing, Angela Lansbury
starring as Mrs. Santa Claus (1996) is great entertainment and features charming Jerry Hermann songs (he is the composer of Mame, Hello Dolly! and of WALL-E fame to the tots). John Houseman gives a rich and memorable performance as a (what else?) tyrannical choirmaster in the poignant, A Christmas Without Snow (1980). If you want to get the blood rushing, don’t forget that the action-thriller Die Hard
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ask ritz film magazine (1988) is set one fateful Christmas Eve for Bruce Willis. If the holidays get you down, the fabulously trashy escaped mental patient dressed up as Santa going on a killing spree movie, Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984), or its equally fun, more-ofthe-same, sequel (1987) will bring a smile to your face. If you want holiday themed masterpieces of world cinema watch Stanley Kubrick’s Christmas-set, Eyes Wide Shut (1999) or Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander (1982). The latter has memorable Christmas sequences and is especially opulent in its epic five-part miniseries version out now on dvd from The Criterion Collection. My favorite holiday movie is the farce, The Ref (1994) starring Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Denis Leary. Davis and Spacey play an unhappily married couple on Christmas Eve dealing with a home invasion courtesy of Leary AND the arrival of Spacey’s mother played to perfection by Glynis Johns. See it—it’s bust-a-gut funny!
Q. About a decade ago I saw a 35mm
print of The Baby of Macon – it was a special event you hosted – has this title ever come out on dvd? —Joe Gilmore, Roxborough
A. Writer & director Peter Greenway’s
baroque and majestical, mind-tripping and mysterious 1993 movie, staring then newcomers Ralph Fiennes and Julia Ormond, has tragically never been commercially released in the United States. If I recall correctly, that 35mm print you write of was sent in from France. I am happy to report, however, that recently the title has surfaced as an all-region Swedish Blu-Ray from Atlantic Films and is available though Amazon.com, etc.
Q. I just saw Ingmar Bergman’s Persona
and it was the most amazing film ever. I think I’d like to start studying cinema when I go to college. Are there any books you might recommend? —David Collins, Chestnut Hill
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A. Great question! The first thing to do
if you want to study film is watch all the movies you can. When I was in school, I used to sometimes screen three a day! Next, get yourself a good book of capsule reviews—the Time Out London Film Guide is especially well written—and page through it and research the world’s vast cinematic heritage. Make lists. It is currently out of print, but Ken Wlaschin’s The Bluffer’s Guide to the Cinema from the 1970s is an irreverent but surprisingly thorough reference to the Golden Age. Sometimes copies turn up for a few dollars online. If you want to know what NOT to do should you ever make a movie, there are two essential texts to read. First, with regards to low budget movie making, read The Ghastly One: The Sex-Gore Netherworld of Filmmaker Andy Milligan by Jimmy McDonough. And second, should you ever land a big budget Hollywood film, check out The Devil’s Candy: The Anatomy of a Hollywood Fiasco by Julie Salamon about the making of The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990). If you think you’d like to try to write a movie, The Screenwriter’s Bible: A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script by David Trottier is loaded with great, practical advice. Finally, Robert Bresson’s Notes on the Cinematographer is a poetic collection of aphorisms and restrictions that warrants detailed study and serious consideration. Today, with so much ‘pro-sumer’ digital technology, cinema making is more accessible than ever before—go for it and good luck!
Q. I just loved Sideways (2004)!!! It
turned me into a wine drinker after years of beer. When is director Alexander Payne’s new movie coming out? And, what are other great movies about wine? —Jack Walters, Bella Vista
A. It’s been seven long years for
Alexander Payne to make another feature,
Sideways photo courtesy of ourtesy of Fox Searchlight.
but fans of the witty director can rejoice as his latest effort, The Descendants open this November. As for wine movies, try Merlove - A Documentary About Merlot Wine (2008) made in response to the movie Sideways. Also, try tasting the classic comedy, Arsenic and Old Lace (1944), or Jonathan Nossiter’s interesting documentary Mondovino (2004).
Q. In Vanity Fair a few years ago I read
about a group of teens who did a shot for shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark and called it The Adaptation. From everything I’ve read it’s a one of kind movie and not to be missed. Is there anyway to see this film? Isaac Temple, Girard Estates
A. Because of copyright reasons—af-
ter all, it is a shot-for-shot, line-for-line remake that uses the original’s John Williams score—Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation (1989)—has never been commercially released. Apparently, the filmmakers Chris Strompolos and Eric Zala are only allowed to show the movie if it is a public screening that one of them personally attends. It is a true pity that this great achievement (it really has to be seen to be believed) is ostensibly buried. The Adaptation is an amazing do-it-yourself effort, brimming with movie-love, and one that only makes its inspiration look even better. Maybe George Lucas and Steven Spielberg will relent one of these days and offer it as a special bonus feature on a BluRay of the 1981 modern classic.
Q. I heard that Joan Rivers wrote a TV
movie about Stockard Channing as a killer beauty queen. Does this film really exist? Is it a comedy? —Greg Mahler, Point Breeze
A. I think you are talking about the 1973
ABC Movie of the Week, The Girl Most Likely to… Sort-of a proto-Heathers (1987) or Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), and written by Joan Rivers & Anges Gallin, the cult black comedy features Channing as an outcast high school student getting plastic surgery and taking revenge on those people who mocked her when she was aesthetically challenged. Ed Asner co-stars as the cop who’s onto her and the great Jim Backus is one of her teachers. The title was issued on dvd a few years back by M-G-M but is now sadly out-of-print. Also of interest to you might be River’s other feature as a writer (and director!–who knew?) titled, Rabbit Test (1978). Send questions to info@ritzfilmmag.com. DR. ANDREW REPASKY MCELHINNEY is a feature film & theater director, author, educator and the programmer of Andrew’s Video Vault at the Rotunda (featuring free cult movie screenings on 2nd Thursday of each month). Visit: ARMcinema25.com
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Eating locally and sustainably never tasted so good!
INTERVIEW WITH JOSH LAWLER CHEF/OWNER, THE FARM AND FISHERMAN Conshohocken native, Chef Joshua Lawler, has already made a name for himself at age 31. This spring, The Farm and Fisherman opened to rave reviews. Diners and critics alike applaud Lawler’s fresh and local approach to ingredient sourcing and menu creation. His food is fresh, simple, focused and beautiful. Previously, he served as chef de cuisine at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, located in Pocantico Hills, New York where the use of local and sustainably raised ingredients is unparalleled. Lawler’s first food memories consist of working in his garden as a child and experimenting with different colored squashes. In the kitchen he started playing around with the ingredients and growing different vegetables to prepare. He also learned some techniques from his
grandfather – a butcher and still uses some of his cutlery and pans. At 14 Lawler began his first cooking job at a seafood restaurant and he’s never looked back. How long have you wanted to open a restaurant in Philly? Colleen and I knew we wanted to come back to Philly for some time. I’ve been in New York for the last 10 years. I grew up in Conshohocken. So last June we began looking for a space, I left Blue Stone in October and we found a location [formerly Paul’s] in January and opened up 10 weeks later. It was a fast opening as the dining room is small and the kitchen was already in place.
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Your wife, Colleen manages front of house operations. Was it an adjustment working together or a natural partnership? Like with most things, it was an adjustment in the beginning; with moving, having twins, opening the restaurant, it has been a very busy few years for us. Colleen is also a chef; with experience at BLT in the Ritz Carlton and Picholine [among others]. The dynamic, with Colleen managing front-of –house and me in the kitchen has been working great. We are able to make it adaptable to our lifestyle with our sons which is very important. Do you think Philly diners understand the important of locally sourced food? When I first came down here I noticed a lot of glorified comfort foods: fancy grilled cheese sandwiches, burgers -a lot of hearty, rich foods. Our restaurant is very vegetable driven with lighter dishes. I think people are beginning to appreciate it but we’re definitely doing something different here. What’s the biggest lesson that you carry with you from Blue Stone? Sourcing of ingredients. Also, they have a mix of old world classical cuisine techniques, like salamis and new-school
THE FARM AND FISHERMAN
1120 Pine Street Philadelphia, PA Tues.-Sun. 5-10pm / BYO www.thefarmandfisherman.com 267-687-1555
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cooking techniques, like sous vide and a touch on molecular gastronomy. What has been your biggest challenge so far? Probably growing as a chef and realizing the restaurant is mine. There are growing pains. What impression do you want to make to diners? It’s more for the diner than you. Things need to taste great and not simply look great. Ultimately, it’s all about the diner and what they want to eat. Do you frequent any farmer’s market in the area? Where are the farms located that supply many of your ingredients? I visit two to three farmers markets weekly. Three to four farmers have weekly deliveries: Tom Culton from Lancaster; there’s Branch Creek in Bucks Co. where I get many herbs and some veggies; and Zone 7 sources from South Jersey Farms. At Clark Park’s market I get my milk. I can buy two bunches of something to hold me for a night where larger operations need a whole case. I head to Head House market on Sunday; Clark Park on Saturday; Broad and South on Weds or mid-week. With our small kitchen, I can adapt the menu quickly. If I see something particularly good that day at the market, I can change things up in the kitchen, the
flexibility is nice. Explain the bloody beet steak that you’re known for. It’s a simple dish. I roast the beet, uncovered, in the oven to get the skin crackled, like a crispy baked potato. Then we cut it in half and leave the skin on and sear it nicely in a skillet, my grandfather’s actually, adding butter and shallots and baste it. We deglaze it with sherry vinegar and meat stock, which gives is a sweet and sour glaze and serve with balsamic and homemade yogurt. I like to focus on making vegetables the focus of the dish. I learned this one by experimenting at Blue Stone. Strengths as a chef: Encapsulating the season into every dish I prepare. Your favorite obscure ingredient to work with in the kitchen? I would say lemon verbena and lemon thyme; anything where you can add a citrus note without the acidity. Food trend that you’re sick of? I’m tired of glorified bar food and food trucks. Favorite thing on your menu right now? The “Frankenstein” Plum Tomato – a Sicilian tomato from a Bucks County farmer that has been modifying the seeds to produce a bigger and juicy tomato each year. It’s served with golden quinoa, eggplant and pine nuts. Favorite restaurant, other than your own, in Philly? Vietnam, I love their barbeque platter; Tommy DiNic’s in Reading Terminal, Bibou in South Philly, and Treno in Haddonfield, NJ. Any food guilty pleasures? Doritos! What would your “last supper” consist of? Pasta with meatballs and lots of red wine, maybe my grandmother’s recipe and naturally, enjoying the meal with my wife. •
arts calendar Continued from page 7
BUGS... Outside The Box Discover the Art Within the Science October 22, 2011 – January 16, 2012
This world-premiere exhibit features an array of enormous and scientifically accurate insect sculptures by noted Italian artist Lorenzo Possenti. Paired with live bugs and colorful specimens from the Academy’s worldrenowned invertebrate collection Rosenbach Museum & Library 2008-2010 Delancey Pl www.rosenbach.org
Dracula and Friends September 21 – November 6
This exhibit presents a selection of Bram Stoker’s research notes on his first Dracula novel from 1897, as well as a selection of “friends”—other literature about the supernatural from across the Rosenbach’s collections. Burn This: Censorship, Secrecy, and Survival in the Rosenbach Collections August 10 – December 11
This exhibition looks at books, manuscripts, and art that endured censorship, self-censorship, secrecy, and episodes of natural and human destruction. Wild New Ways: Maurice Sendak’s Animal Kingdom August 24 – January 8, 2012
This exhibition showcases illustrations of the animals and Wild Things from a selection of the 90-some books Sendak illustrated. Creature Comforts: Collecting Natural History at the Rosenbach September 21 – January 22, 2012
Natural history illustrations, along with historical documents and decorative arts that document the history of natural history in America. Arden Theatre
40 N 2nd St www.ardentheatre.org The Whipping Man October 27 – December 18
A Jewish Confederate soldier returns to his home, reuniting with his family’s former slaves. Amidst the rubble from the Civil War, these three men gather to create order, honor their shared faith and celebrate newfound freedom Continued on page 31
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around the block A spotlight on Philadelphia’s unique neighborhoods
OLD CITY Philly’s historical districts
of Old City, Society Hill and Washington Square have a
certain energy and history that is unique. It’s the dichotomy
of the old and new: the mix of hip stores, bars, restaurants,
galleries, everything-at-yourfingertips city living mixed
with over 300 years of history around every corner that
create such a special place.
We can think of no one better to discuss the neighborhood
than someone living everyday in both old and new worlds, Brian Owen, carriage driver at Philadelphia Carriage
Company, a 16-year veteran with the company.
You can hop on a carriage tour all year long from
Independence Mall at Chestnut St. between 5th and 6th St., seven days a week. Hours
vary depending on the season. Visit http://philanet.com/
carriage/tours.html for more information.
Brian Owen, pictured right
Around the Block: Interview with Brian Owen, Senior Tour Guide, Philadelphia Carriage Company What’s your favorite part of your job? That’s a hard question to answer; there are so many things I like about my job. I think the best thing is seeing the smiles of my customers; it gives you a rush knowing that you did a good job. This job also has its own culture and community which I love. We’re a big group of animal lovers and historians. We are unique people with unique interests. Everyone has a different reason for getting into this business whether it’s their love of horses or history. We are all entertainers. People aren’t paying for a twenty minute tour; they’re paying to be entertained. We are also continuous talkers. Every second of the tour is utilized. Some riders think it’s just going to be a ride around the block and once I begin discussing the history, they’re surprised. For a family of four you can get a ride for $10 a person; it’s a great deal. I have many repeat customers which makes me very proud of my work. My job makes staying indoors very
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difficult. If it’s the least bit nice out I want to be out there experiencing it, driving the carriage and talking to people about this fine city. What’s your favorite historical story about Philadelphia? I still get goose-bumps about George Washington handing power over to John Adams. He established the two-term precedent by refusing to run for a third term. He didn’t want the job for life. By doing so he was now a citizen of the country he helped create. He knew the job required fresh ideas, a decisiveness and an energy that one can’t possess if they’ve served for too long. This is the history that changed history. We can relate to it. This is not the history of kings and knights but average men and women that we can relate to if we allow ourselves. I strive to breathe life into these historical figures by humanizing and not
dehumanizing them. We’re talking about big topics, revolutionary events like protests, anarchy, justice and human rights. I’m not a historian but I know my tour. I have hours of subject matter I can discuss. I also love talking about Edmund Bacon, Executive Director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission [from 194970], often referred to as “The Father of Modern Philadelphia.” We have fantastic city planning. I also like discussing the historic district changes over the years. Our mural arts program is impressive and the biggest in the nation and that’s apparent to visitors, because they see them everywhere. I’m proud of our anti-graffiti laws and system for murals in this city. What do you think makes Philly’s Old City such a desirable place? Old City is an arts district. Artists see things differently than most and bring their vision to others. It’s powerful. There’s
Independence Hall
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around the block a youthful energy about Old City and it’s a nice comparison and change of pace to the historical landmarks nearby. The restaurants, shops, bars, clubs, galleries, cafes and historical value of the neighborhood combine to create a place like no other. There are many other cities that have areas that are like Philadelphia, but there is no other city that is similar to Philadelphia. We have a culture here that is solely Philly with landmarks and distinct neighborhoods that are completely unique. It’s fun to engage people in Philly as a whole. So many customers and tourists want to discuss Philly, beyond the cheesesteaks, they want to talk sports and discuss current events. People ask me about Wilson Goode, the first black mayor and the MOVE police action and house bombing in the 80s or our sports players, it runs the gambit. People are curious. I try to be that connection for them to this great city.
Oddest question you’ve been asked regarding our history? I had a customer mistake Betsey Ross’ 13 star flag for the Puerto Rican flag which I thought was interesting. This customer then identified a dog on the street that looked similar to Paris Hilton’s dog, named Tinkerbell. She knew her pop culture but not the story of her own country. I like to bring the past into the present. While I’m on my tour cars are driving by, there are loud noises, or some patrons won’t let go of their cell phones but I try to engage them on what this city was like back then and how those events shaped its present and future. Who would you say is Philly’s most misunderstood historical figure? I’m not sure about the most misunderstood, but Benedict Arnold has a history in Philadelphia that many do not know. He was married in Old St. Peter’s Church on Pine Street. What is your favorite historical landmark? Valley Green and the Wissahickon. It’s the best place to walk your dog or just go for a walk and think. We’re so fortunate to have such a great big park in Philadelphia. You can go a few miles outside center city and be in this beautiful and vast park. Driving through Philly’s streets can be daunting for car drivers. I can’t imagine what it’s like on a horse! Ever had any close calls with any vehicles on the road? Do you have any words for Philly’s driving community? People need to consider that we are a slow moving vehicle. If you see us and can get around us, feel free to pass. Also, we are driving in a city and not a highway; you can’t go 50 miles per hour on our streets. Cars will pass me often, shout something profane and then get stopped by the light, when I make my way up to the light (and to them) the driver is typically pretty embarrassed. I feel bad for them because they make this city look bad to my customers visiting from elsewhere. •
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around the block
THE SHOPS, GALLERIES AND DINING IN OLD CITY fine craft and intellectual rigor. Art In art The Age does so by applying the fruits MUSE Gallery
Founded in 1977, MUSE Gallery and Foundation for the Visual Arts has been a focus of innovative artistic expression in the heart of Old City’s Gallery district. An artist-run gallery dedicated to exploring individual visions in shaping the world as we experience it, encompassing a range of styles including abstract, conceptual and representational. Taking its name from the ancient deities of aesthetics, MUSE Gallery affirms the role of arts in the community: to provoke thoughtfulness, stir the senses, awaken awareness of beauty and to lead us beyond ourselves. 52. N 2nd St. (between Arch & Market) 215-627-5310 | Weds-Sun 12-5PM
Rodger LaPelle Galleries
Rodger LaPelle Galleries features contemporary work spawn from emerging mid career artists with the occasional famous artist intertwined. Rodger LaPelle’s Gallery has been around for 31 years. 122 North 3rd Street | 215-592-0232 | Weds-Sun 12-6PM
Art In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction
Art In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction firmly believes in empowering artists producing high quality work marked by
of such labors to the cultural forms of everyday life, granting those who wish to engage the opportunity to do so in his/ her own environment. Rather than exist at a distance in the white cube of the gallery space, we weave our offerings into the collective surface of myriad personal contexts. 116 North 3rd Street | 215-922-2600 | Tues-Sat 11a-7p | Sun 12-6P
Larry Becker Contemporary Art*
Larry Becker Contemporary Art focuses on abstract, contemporary and conceptual art and other mediums. Operating since ‘88. Catch Anna Bogatin’s ‘Endless New and Recent Paintings’ showing through late November. 43 North 2nd Street | 215-925-5389
Moderne Gallery
Moderne Gallery is internationally renowned for its high quality, vintage 20th Century furniture, lighting and accessories. More than 16,000 square feet on four floors of its historic “warehouse” building in the Old City section of Philadelphia are filled with an extensive inventory -- from French and American Art Deco and French 1940’s -1950’s to exclusive Wharton Esherick pieces and the best selection of 1950’s-1980’s work of George Nakashima. Responding to requests from serious collectors who want to buy and sell, in
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around the block recent years Moderne has extended its inventory to include vintage work by Sam Maloof, Wendell Castle, Christopher Ray, David Roth and others. Moderne Gallery is unique in its specialization in vintage work from the American craft and studio furniture movements. 111 N 3rd Street | 215-923-8536
Artists’ House
Artists’ House Gallery features the work of outstanding emerging and established artists, frequently from the greater Philadelphia area, and offers art lovers the opportunity to purchase excellent works of art at affordable prices. 57 North 2nd Street | 215-923-8440 | Weds-Sun 12-5PM
Gallery51
The focus at Gallery 51 is on the appreciation, conservation, and collection of fine, antique textile art and antique oriental rugs. With more than twenty years experience as a private purveyor of rare textiles, Craig Wallen offers both residential and commercial customers, as well as sophisticated collectors and museums, a wide selection of visually compelling antique textiles. Antique tribal carpets and weavings from the Middle East and Central Asia form the bulk of the inventory, although ancient Coptic, Islamic, pre-Columbian, African, Native American, and other ethnographic textiles are also offered. Services include: buying and selling, consultation, appraisal, brokerage, mounting, and collection management. 51 North 2nd Street | 215-413-3191 | Tues-Fri 11-6, Sat 12-5, Sun/Mon By Appt.
The Rosenfeld Gallery
The gallery was the first to open in Old City and has served the area for 35 years. The gallery is proud of its inclusive aesthetic representing diverse approaches, styles and media. The gallery represents American Artists in all degrees of development from emerging artists to ones that are among the most respected in the area. 113 Arch Street | 215-922-1376 | Wed-Sat 10-5 | Sun 12-5
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Vivant Art Collection
Vivant is a cultural arts gallery and it features art from Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. Vivant is French and describes the art as being lively, energetic, vivid, enriching, colorful, bold, expressive, full of movement and character, and culturally authentic. The gallery specializes in Haitian art. Vivant also features local artists, whose artworks are all embedded with cultural stories that illuminate their perspectives, experiences & cultures. 60 North 2nd Street | 310-612-4636 | By Appointment and Weekends
Twelve Gates Art Gallery
Specializing in contemporary South Asian art, Twelve Gates Gallery is the first of its kind in the Philadelphia area. With a strong focus on art from the Indian Subcontinent, the gallery is dedicated to exhibiting artists with a reputation for unique work that follows in, as well as expands on, the rich history and culture of this area. Through a unique and thought-provoking atmosphere the gallery aims to educate the community on contemporary South Asian art and culture. The gallery also hosts artist discussions, poetry readings, film screenings and musical events. 305 Cherry Street | 215-253-8578 | Weds-Sat 11-5
Hudson Beach Glass
Hudson Beach Glass Philadelphia carries over 40 types of sculptural, functional pieces ideal for dining and entertaining, or creating an effortless yet elegant centerpiece that is bound to create a stir. All items are handcrafted and designed in 13 colors by owner Sean Gilvey (from a family of glass blowers) or one of the founding members of Hudson Beach Glass. Hudson also carries a large selection of jewelry handmade by local and national artisans. Unique and expressive accessories are perfect in creating that personal touch in gift giving, or indulging in retail therapy. Hudson Beach Glass’ original location is in Beacon, NY at 162 Main Street. 26 South Strawberry Street | 267-319-1887
dining City Tavern
City Tavern strives to create an 18th century dining experience in custom and food traditions. The restaurant features 7 dining rooms, 3 wine cellar rooms and a spacious garden to enjoy an authentic colonial feast. CT can accommodate celebrations of up to 500 people. A perfect spot for out-of-towners in search of Philly history, especially if the weather is nice and you can enjoy the vast garden. 138 South 2nd Street | 215-413-1443
Amada Restaurant
One of founder and executive chef, Jose Garces’ most popular restaurants, Amada specializes in Spanish tapas. Amada was Garces’ first restaurant, which opened in 2005. This acclaimed celebrity chef now has 6 additional restaurants in Philadelphia alone. House specialties include lobster paella, whole roasted suckling pig and seasonal sangrias. Reservations recommended. 217 Chestnut Street | 215-625-2450
Continental
A vintage diner feel with martini bar complete with olive-shaped halogen lamps pierced with huge toothpicks. Owned by mega restaurateur Steven Starr; dining at his restaurants is like attending an event where you’re the star. Menu contains many comfort food options with an Asian flare and a fun cocktail menu. 138 Market Street | 215-923-6069
National Mechanics
Occupying the gorgeous National Mechanics Building built by William Strickland in 1837, National Mechanics features 18 tap beers and a gastropub menu featuring gourmet and bar-centric food as well; vegetarian options are also available. The space is a treasure with an old world feel and many handmade fixtures, down to the unique bathrooms. Karaoke is offered and DJs/bands play many nights of the week. 22 South 3rd Street | 215-701-4883
Buddakan
Modern Asian cuisine in a dramatic setting, complete with a giant Buddha overlooking the communal table which seats 24. Known for edamame ravioli, Mongolian short ribs and “dip sum” doughnuts. Reservations recommended. 325 Chestnut Street | 215-574-9440
Fork
New American bistro cuisine is impeccably prepared and presented with powerhouse chef Terence Feury in the kitchen. Fork is ingredient driven, specializing in seasonal and artisanal foods. The menu is printed daily and reflects influences from around the world. Fork:etc, which is right next door, features gourmet/prepared foods to go, or to enjoy from the limited seating available, internet access is also available. Reservations recommended for formal dining room. 306 Market Street | 215-625-9425
Triumph Brewing Company
Restaurant and brewery serves their own craft beer and focuses on local and
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around the block organic ingredients. Live music 7 nights a week. Happy hour is from 5-7 Monday through Friday and features $3 drafts, $4 house wine and $5 well drinks. Diverse menu highlights include mussels, pizzas, banh mi and fish tacos. 117 Chestnut Street | 215-625-0855
Serrano
Owners Rich Machlin and Jude Erwin base Serrano on a simple premise, serving international fare at neighborhood prices. Restaurant is cozy and warm with an old-world feel complete with a fireplace and intimate bar. Unique offerings include Guinness marinated lamb, Bangers and Mash with a Mediterranean focus and bacon wrapped seven pepper meatloaf. Catch a show upstairs at the intimate music venue, Tin Angel after your meal. It’s a Philly institution for live music! 20 South 2nd Street | 215-928-0770
Chloe
Husband and wife couple, Mary Ann Ferrie and Dan Grimes’ keep things simple and of the highest quality at this tiny BYOB, in its eleventh year of operation. New American cuisine is featured with a consistent crowd pleaser being their signature fig pizza with gorgonzola and olive oil. No reservations are accepted. Cash only. 232 Arch Street | 215-629-2337
Zahav
Modern, innovative and fun Israeli cuisine; not Kosher. This is not your “bubbe’s” Israeli restaurant, though she’d love it too. Zahav offers small plates which allow for a
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variety of tastes and options in one meal. James Beard award winning chef and owner Michael Solomonov was born in Israel and raised in Pittsburgh. 237 Saint James Place | 215-625-8800
FarmiCia
Owners have a history working at White Dog Café and also own Metropolitan Bakery. The emphasis is on fresh, seasonal, organic and local ingredients. They also serve breakfast and brunch. They offer BYO wine every night for parties under 11 diners. 15 South 3rd Street | 215-627-6274
Old City Coffee
OCC has been offering high quality coffee at competitive prices since 1985. They have won local distinction from Philadelphia Magazine and the Philadelphia City Paper for offering the “Best Coffee Beans” in the city. In addition, OCC placed first in the 1998 Zagat survey’s “The Best Bang for the Buck.” They also offer full service specialty coffee catering. Food menu includes breakfast items like oatmeal, biscotti, and muffins and lunch fare such as salads, burritos and soup. Internet is available. 221 Church Street | 215-629-9292
shopping Smak Parlour
High school best friends and fashion innovators, Katie and Abby opened Smak in 2005. Their clever women’s clothing line is hip, funky, fun and “are always filled with new goodies that perfectly toe the line between girly and rock ‘n’ roll.” Go for
unique dresses, fun accessories and gifts perfect for the fashionista in your life. 219 Market Street | 215-625-4551 | Mon-Thurs 12-7, Fri-Sat 11-8, Sun 12-6
Charlie’s Jeans
Premium denim and casual clothing store. Charlie’s know how to get the perfect denim fit. They offer great customer service and pride themselves on their personal fitting sessions to find that perfect pair. Alterations are available. A selection of the lines and designers include: Adriano Goldschmied, Citizens of Humanity, Ed Hardy, Custo Barcelona, Hudson, Joe’s, Juicy, Paige, Theory, French Connection and Rock & Republic. A second Rittenhouse location is now open at 1735 Chestnut Street 233-37 Market Street | Mon-Thurs 11-8, Fri-Sat 11-9, Sun 11-6 | Womens’ Clothing: 215-923-9681 Mens’ Clothing: 215-627-3390
J Karma Boutique
Features imported silver jewelry and other women’s accessories. J. Karma also sells a selection of vegan handbags. Go for the unique and plentiful silver necklaces and earrings and don’t forget to check out the handbags and boots! 62 North 3rd Street | 215-627-9625 | Mon-Sat 11-7, Sun 11-5
Hana & Posy
A full service, eco-friendly florist and gift boutique using high quality organic and sustainably grown flowers. They also have environmentally responsible stationary, baby, beauty, home décor, and pet products that make wonderful gifts. 35 North 3rd Street | 215-733-0505 | Mon-Sat 11-7
Old City Flowers
Offers delivery nationwide, this full service florist is located near Market St on 3rd Street, they offer same day delivery for no extra cost. 31 South 3rd Street | 215-925-2882 | Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 9-3
Gourmet of Olde City
Gourmet snacks, candies, spreads, coffee, hot sauces, chocolate, etc. The go-to shop for your specialty food needs. They also sell dinnerware, sushiware and Murano glassware. 26 North 3rd Street | 215-627-8890 | Mon-Fri 10:30-6, Sat 11:30-7:30
REACH PHILADELPHIA AREA’S MOST ADVENTUROUS RESIDENTS! Advertise in
Ritzfilm For advertising rates & Information, contact: Jamie Berman 610-609-1635 jamie@ritzfilmmag.com
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Seasonal Cocktails for a Taste of Fall After a scorching summer, complete with a hurricane and an earthquake, fall feels like a long-lost friend, who’s finally back in town. It’s the season for scarves and knee high boots, cool nights and crisp mornings, the leaves changing color and kids back in school. We asked the city’s hottest bartenders for cocktail recipes encompassing the flavors of the season. May each recipe inspire some of your own cocktail creativity! If you’re not feeling up for the challenge of creating your own libation, start the party with one of our four featured cocktails. Each drink is toast-worthy; cheers to fall and the joy it brings!
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PAUL REVERE (pictured opposite)
Fork 306 Market Street www.forkrestaurant.com | 215-625-9425 Recipe created by Guy Smith 2 oz. Black Pepper Infused Wild Turkey Rye* 1/2 oz. Canton Ginger Liqueur 1 1/2 oz. Apple Cider 1/2 oz. Maple Syrup 1/2 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice Combine all ingredients in cocktail shaker over ice and shake vigorously. Strain into martini glass. Garnish with a slice of apple and top with a twist of fresh cracked pepper. *To infuse the rye combine two heaping tablespoons of coarsely ground black pepper with one 750 ml bottle of Wild Turkey rye whiskey. Let sit for 48 hours then strain the whiskey using cheese cloth or a sieve.
QUEEN STREET TEA Village Belle Restaurant & Bar 757 South Front Street www.thevillagebelle.com | 215-551-2200 Our most popular item is the Queen Street Tea. It’s an ode to our owner/chefs Joey and Louie Campanaro and the street they grew up on just a few blocks from here. It’s an adult version of the Arnold Palmer and is crisp, fresh and addictive. - Michael Romeo, GM/Partner 2 oz. Jeremian Weed Sweet Tea Vodka 1 oz House Made Limoncello 2 oz. Fresh Brewed Iced Tea Muddle ½ a lemon. Shake all ingredients vigorously and pour over ice in a tall Collins glass. Garnish with a lemon.
CULINARY TRADITION Positano Coast 212 Walnut Street www.positano.net | 215-238-0499 Bartenders: Andres Sanchez & Israel Nocelo 1.5 oz Tequila Siembra Azul Reposado 1 oz Fig Puree .5 oz Hibiscus Syrup 3/4 oz Fresh Lemon Juice 1 tsp All Spice Dram Liqueur Shake all ingredients vigorously and pour into a chilled martini glass. Serve up. Garnish with fresh sage leaves and rim the glass with chile pasilla salt.
WABASH CANNONBALL The Farmers’ Cabinet 1113 Walnut Street www.thefarmerscabinet.com | 215-923-1113 Head bartender, Phoebe Esmon of “The Farmers’ Cabinet” looked towards Tom Waits for inspiration for her Fall Cocktail list. 2oz El Dorado 8yr Rum .5 oz Lairds Bonded .5oz Honey 1 Barspoon fig preserves 5 drops Lavender Tincture Shake, double strain, and serve up in a footed sour glass. Garnish with a Balsamic drizzle.
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film focus Joachim Rafaelsen, Agnes Kittelsen, Maibritt Saerens, and Henrik Rafaelsen in HAPPY, HAPPY, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
Agnes Kittelsen in HAPPY, HAPPY, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
Interview with Happy, Happy Director Anne Sewitsky
Happy, Happy is a warm comedy about two couples whose lives intertwine around Christmastime in a tiny Norwegian town. Norwegian filmmaker Anne Sewitsky wanted to tell the story of an insistently happy person, who happens to be the film’s lead character. “No matter how hopeless and tragic the world may be, she smiles. Kaia [played by Agnes Kittelsen] lives through others, wants to be like everyone else, maybe for want of individual foundations. Her driving force becomes happiness; she’s made joy her survival strategy,”explains Sewitsky. Happy, Happy is the winner of the World Cinema Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and an official selection at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s New Directors/New Films Festival. A recent graduate from the Norwegian Film School in Lillehammer; Happy, Happy marks Sewitsky’s debut as a feature film director. She has previously directed the short film Oh my god! which she won the Generation K Plus category at the Berlin Film Festival in 2009. She has also directed episodes of Himmelblå (“Heaven”) and was co-director of the TV series Norwegian Cozy.
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were very happy. It was a small film that suddenly gained a huge audience.
ANNE SEWITSY
Director, Happy, Happy
Congratulations on your feature film debut! You’ve created short films and worked in TV and radio in the past. What new challenges did directing a full length feature present? Being able to tell the whole story presentedchallenges.Wehadlimitedshooting time of only 20 days. We shot under the Danish Dogma* film rules, which include a high level of technical constraints often used in modern filmmaking. Danish Dogma allows for a more natural filming and creative process with room for experimentation. *“Known as Dogma ’95, for the year it was created by Danish Director Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, the main goal of this film production concept is to force the truth out of the setting. The rules exclude traditional film lightning, props and staging devices; the cinematographer has to shoot on locations where what is needed for the plot’s development are available independently of the filmmaking. Similar to documentary filmmaking in many ways, the camera has to be handheld which makes the images unfocused and gives the films an unsettling, shaky look.” Read more at: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2004/book-reviews/ purity_and_provocation/ How did it feel to be selected out of over 1,000 films for this year’s Sundance Film Festival? Getting to Sundance was the goal. It felt fantastic, just fantastic. When we heard we
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Where did you get the idea for this film? The Screenwriter [Ragnhild Tronvoll] had a small story about two couples who are neighbors in a small Norwegian town and plan to spend Christmas together. It’s based on a true story but was developed through a variety of true stories and ones we created from there. What is it about the relationship between each of the two couples that resonates with viewers? Many people recognize there are problems in their life but they keep a smile on the face; it’s important to them to look happy to the outside world. They smile as if to keep going, to cover up their problems but not really dealing with or facing them. Also, many adults have children, but don’t spend the quality time with them that they’d like to because they are so wrapped up in their own lives that they find it difficult to engage their children. Who is the target audience for the film? I always strive to create something I’d like to see myself. I think this movie fits a lot of different people or groups. Agnes Kittelsen and Henrik Rafaelsen in HAPPY, HAPPY, a Magnolia Pictures release. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures.
Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo credit Anna Myking.
film focus
When we wrote it we envisioned Elisabeth’s character as a modern woman; she’s likely the most contemporary of the group. I’d imagine her type enjoying the film but many others as well. Did you model Kaia after someone you knew? Are you like the “insistently happy person” as you describe Kaia? I’m more a mixture of characteristics, but not entirely Kaia, no. I’m close to many Kaia’s in my own life. The place in Norway where Kaia is from, in the movie, is a small town in southern Norway. The people are nicknamed “the happy Christians” there because they always seem jovial and are smiling, but like Kaia, there’s a lot of pain below that smile and that area of Norway interestinglyenoughhasthehighestsuicide rate. What is next for you? Right now I’m still very busy with this film and another, Totally True Love. It was the opening film in the Generation Section of the Berlin Film Festival. I’m also developing other films and I have a new TV concept that I’m working on. What is your favorite part about being a director? I’m a pretty restless person. I love all of the energy on set. I find it difficult to sit still. However within editing, which involves sitting still, there are so many components involved, I love doing it. If you didn’t work in film what would you be doing? In the past I was thinking about becoming a priest. Or I’d be a musician and play the piano. Who are your influences and mentors? They vary depending on the project I’m working on. I love Ang Lee [Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, Hulk, Sense and Sensibility], he does such different things and offers a really new perspective; his Lust Caution film is amazing. • As of this magazine’s print date Happy, Happy is currently playing at the Ritz Bourse.
arts calendar Continued from page 17
on Passover. Featuring Philadelphia actors Johnnie Hobbs, Jr. and James Ijames. Charlotte’s Web November 30 – January 29
Wilma
265 S Broad St www.wilmatheater.org Our Class October 12 – November 13
Play spans eighty years and begins in the early 1920’s.The lives of 10 Polish classmates take dramatic turns as war tears apart their world and their lives. Based on true events in the Polish town of Jedwabne and inspired in part by Jan Gross’ controversial book Neighbors. Philadelphia Film Society 6-Week Screenwriting Workshop
October 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 http://www.filmadelphia.org/events
Andrew’s Video Vault at Rotunda
FREE Screenings at 8 PM on the Second Thursday of Every Month 4014 Walnut St November 10 Giovanna d’Arco (1989 / 128 min.) December 8 Funeral Procession of Roses [aka, Bara no sôretsu] (1969 / 107 min.) The Embryo Hunts in Secret [aka, Taiji ga mitsuryô suru toki] (1966 / 72 min.)
Chestnut Hill Screenings Presented by the Chestnut Hill Film Group FREE Screenings at 7:30PM at the Chestnut Hill Branch of the Free Library 8711 Germantown Ave October 25 Bride of Frankenstein (1935 / 75 min.)
Projected on an Archival 16mm print by THE SECRET CINEMA.
November 1 Stranger on the Third Floor (1940 / 64 min.) November 8 No Movie Screening (Election Day) November 15 Humoresque (1946 / 125 min.) November 22 All About Eve (1950 / 138 minutes) November 29 - 7 PM (note time change for this one film) Anatomy of a Murder (1959 / 160 min.) •
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Carmichael Stokely. Photo courtesy of IFC.
now playing
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
Director Göran Olsson Cast Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), Eldridge Cleaver, Kathleen Cleaver, Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, Emile de Antonio, William Kunstler, Angela Davis Running time | 92 minutes IFC OPENING OCTOBER 14
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 mobilizes a treasure trove of 16mm material shot by Swedish journalists who came to the U.S. drawn by stories of urban unrest and revolution. Gaining access to many of the leaders of the Black Power Movement— Stokely Carmichael, Bobby Seale, Angela Davis and Eldridge Cleaver among them—the filmmakers captured them in intimate moments and remarkably unguarded interviews. Thirty years later, this lush collection was found languishing in the basement of Swedish Television. Director Göran Olsson and co-producer Danny Glover bring this footage to light in a mosaic of images, music and narration chronicling the evolution one of our nation’s most indelible turning points, the Black Power movement. Music by Questlove and Om’Mas Keith, and commentary from prominent African-American artists and activists who were influenced by the struggle—including Erykah Badu, Harry Belafonte, Talib Kweli, and Melvin Van Peebles—give the historical footage a fresh, contemporary resonance and makes the film an exhilarating, unprecedented account of an American revolution. Featuring music by The Roots and Michael Jackson.
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Elizabeth Olsen and Sarah Paulson in MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE Photo by Jody Lee Lipes. ™ © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Running time | 101 minutes Fox Searchlight
Elizabeth Olsen stars in director Sean Durkin’s psychological thriller, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE, about a young woman who undergoes an explosive crisis of identity after escaping the confines of a rural cult-like farming community. Trapped by unsettling flashes of memories from the past and visions of a perilous future, she becomes taken over by an unsettling sense of fear, leaving her consumed by paranoia and a mysterious burden of guilt. Winner of the Best Director Award at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Prix de la Jeunesse.
Sam Shepard. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
Director Sean Durkin Cast Elizabeth Olsen, Christopher Abbott, Brady Corbet, Hugh Dancy, Maria Dizzia, Julia Garner, John Hawkes, Louisa Krause, Sarah Paulson
Blackthorn
Director Mateo Gil Cast Sam Shepard, Eduardo Noriega, Stephen Rea, Magaly Solier, Nikolaj CosterWaldau, Padraic Delaney, Dominique McElligott Running time | 98 minutes Magnolia OPENING OCTOBER 14
It’s been said (but unsubstantiated) that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were killed in a standoff with the Bolivian military in 1908. In BLACKTHORN, Cassidy (Shepard) survived, and is quietly living out his years under the name James Blackthorn in a secluded Bolivian village. Tired of his long exile from the US and hoping to see his family again before he dies, Cassidy sets out on the long journey home. But when an unexpected encounter with an ambitious young criminal (Eduardo Noriega) derails his plans, he is thrust into one last adventure, the likes of which he hasn’t experienced since his glory days with the Sundance Kid.
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George Clooney as “Matt King” and Shailene Woodley as “Alexandra.” PHOTO BY: Merie Wallace
now playing
The Descendants Director Alexander Payne Cast George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Beau Bridges, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Matthew Lillard, Nick Krause, Amara Miller, Mary Birdsong, Rob Huebel, Patricia Hastie Running time | 110 minutes Fox Searchlight
THE DESCENDANTS is set in Hawaii and follows the journey of a family at a crossroads. Matt King (Clooney), a husband and father of two girls, must reexamine his past and navigate his future when his wife is in a boating accident. He awkwardly attempts to repair his relationship with his daughters while wrestling with a decision to sell his family’s land, handed down from Hawaiian royalty. When King’s eldest daughter drops the bomb that her mother was in the midst of a romantic fling at the time of the accident, Matt has to take a new look at his life. He embarks on a search for his wife’s lover. Along the way, he realizes he’s finally on course toward rebuilding his life and family.
Director Danfung Dennis Cast The Marines of Echo Company 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Sergeant Nathan Harris, Ashley Harris, Lieutenant Colonel Christian Cabaniss, Captain Eric Meador, Lieutenant Edward Hubbard, Chaplain Terry Roberts, Staff Sergeant Doug Webb, Lieutenant Commander Robert Gaines, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Swibe, Sergeant Chris MacDonald Running time | 88 minutes Docurama OPENING NOVEMBER 4
Marines of Echo Company 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment carry an injured soldier. Photo courtesy of Docurama Films.
Hell and Back Again
From his embed with US Marines Echo Company in Afghanistan, photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis reveals the devastating impact a Taliban machine-gun bullet has on the life of 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris. The film seamlessly transitions from stunning war reportage to an intimate, visceral portrait of one man’s personal struggle at home in North Carolina, where Harris confronts the physical and emotional difficulties of re-adjusting to civilian life with the love and support of his wife, Ashley. Masterfully contrasting the intensity of the frontline with the unsettling normalcy of home, HELL AND BACK AGAIN lays bare the true cost of war.
34 OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2011 ritzfilmmag.com
Toast
Freddie Highmore. Photo courtesy of W2 Media.
Director SJ Clarkson Cast Helena Bonham Carter, Freddie Highmore, Ken Stott, Oscar Kennedy, Victoria Hamilton, Matthew McNulty, Frasier Huckle, Ben Aldridge, Nigel Slater Running time | 96 minutes W2 Media OPENING OCTOBER 14
A boy adjusts to his new stepmother while taking an interest in culinary arts. TOAST is the ultimate nostalgia trip through the foodstuffs of the sixties. Based on the bittersweet story of food writer Nigel Slater’s childhood, TOAST is a delicious recollection of the tastes and smells that a young boy associates with his journey into adulthood. Nigel’s Mother was always a poor cook, and her addiction to all things canned isn’t helping. Nigel, on the other hand, laps up cookbooks as if they were porn, and spends all his free time gazing longingly at the delights offered at Percy Salt’s grocery shop. Nigel’s Dad worries there is something “wrong” with his son and the two find it difficult to connect, so Nigel finds friendship and a father figure in Josh, the gardener. As his mother’s illness worsens, so do Nigel’s relations with his father–the Bolognese he cooks is far too exotic, the uncooked Fray Bentos pie MUST be finished, and his father’s rage as Nigel insists on picking every last bit of jelly off the canned ham at the annual picnic hits an all time high. Dad then fires Josh for reasons unknown to Nigel.
Just before Christmas Nigel’s mother dies, leaving Nigel and his father heartbroken. Their touching efforts to look after each other, often through gestures with food, sadly seem to miss the target. His father begins to spend his evenings at the Masonic lodge until a new cleaner, Mrs Potter, arrives on the scene. Mrs Potter’s curves, charms and lemon meringue pies quickly bewitch Nigel’s father and much to Nigel’s horror, the three soon embark on a move to the country. The one silver lining in the cloud of a new school is Domestic Science class, where Nigel can finally shine. Cooking soon becomes the key weapon in the battle for Dad’s affections. Ironically, the main casualty of these culinary skirmishes between Nigel and Mrs. Potter is Nigel’s father, as his waistline grows and grows. Hoping to escape the madness, Nigel lands a job in the kitchen of his local pub. It is here that Nigel’s eyes are opened to a world of culinary opportunity.
ritzfilmmag.com OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2011 35
Left to Right: Michael Shannon and (back to camera) Tova Stewart. Photo by Grove Hill Productions, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
now playing
Take Shelter
Director Jeff Nichols Cast Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Tova Stewart, Shea Whigham, Katy Mixon, Natasha Randall, Ron Kennard, Scott Knisley, Robert Longstreet, Lisagay Hamilton, Ray Mckinnon Running time | 120 minutes Sony Classics OPENING OCTOBER 21
In writer/director Jeff Nichols’ drama TAKE SHELTER, Curtis LaForche (Michael Shannon) lives in a small Ohio town with his wife Samantha (Jessica Chastain) and six-year-old daughter Hannah (Tova Stewart), who is deaf. Curtis makes a modest living as a crew chief for a sand-mining company. Samantha is a stay-at-home mother and part-time seamstress who supplements their income by selling handmade wares at the flea market each weekend. Money is tight, and navigating Hannah’s healthcare and special needs education is a constant struggle. Despite that, Curtis and Samantha are very much in love and their family is a happy one. Then Curtis begins having terrifying dreams about an encroaching, apocalyptic storm. He chooses to keep the disturbance to himself, channeling his anxiety into the obsessive building of a storm shelter in their backyard. His seemingly inexplicable behavior concerns and confounds Samantha, and provokes intolerance among co-workers, friends and neighbors. But the resulting strain on his marriage and tension within the community doesn’t compare to Curtis’ private fear of what his dreams may truly signify. Faced with the proposition that his disturbing visions signal disaster of one kind or another, Curtis confides in Samantha, testing the power of their bond against the highest possible stakes.
36 OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2011 ritzfilmmag.com
Left to Right: Antonio Banderas (background) and Elena Anaya. Photo by José Haro/ © El Deseo, Courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.
The Skin I Live In
Ever since his wife was burned in a car crash, Dr. Robert Ledgard, an eminent plastic surgeon, has been interested in creating a new skin with which he could have saved her. After twelve years, he manages to cultivate a skin that is a real shield against every assault.
Greg “Gadget” Abbott showing the batteries in his converted car.
In addition to years of study and experimentation, Robert needed three more things: no scruples, an accomplice and a human guinea pig. Scruples were never a problem. Marilia, the woman who looked after him from the day he was born, is his most faithful accomplice. And as for the human guinea pig…
Director Pedro Almodóvar Cast Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Blanca Suárez, Marisa Paredes, Fernando Cayo, Bárbara Lennie, Eduard Fernández, Jan Cornet, Roberto Alamo, Susi Sanchez, Jose Luis Gomez Running time | 120 minutes Sony Classics OPENING OCTOBER 28
Revenge Of The Electric Car Director Chris Paine
In REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR, director Chris Paine takes his film crew behind the closed doors of Nissan, GM, and the Silicon Valley start-up Tesla Motors to chronicle the story of the global resurgence of electric cars. Without using a single drop of foreign oil, this new generation of car is America’s future: fast, furious, and cleaner than ever. With almost every major car maker now jumping to produce new electric models, Revenge follows the race to be the first, the best, and to win the hearts and minds of the public around the world. It’s not just the next generation of green cars that’s on the line. It’s the future of the automobile itself.
Narrator Tim Robbins Cast Bob Lutz, Vice Chairman, GM; Elon Musk, CEO, Tesla Motors; Carlos Ghosn, CEO & President of Renault of France and Nissan of Japan; Greg “Gadget” Abbott, “do-it-yourselfer” Running time | 90 minutes OPENING NOVEMBER 18
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Kirsten Dunst. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures. Photo © Christian Geisnaes.
now playing
Melancholia
Director Lars Von Trier Cast Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlotte Rampling, John Hurt, Alexander Skarsgard, Stellan Skarsgard and Udo Kier Running time | 135 minutes Magnolia
In this beautiful movie about the end of the world, Justine (Kirsten Dunst) and Michael (Alexander Skarsgård) are celebrating their marriage at a sumptuous party in the home of her sister Claire (Charlotte Gainsbourg), and brother-in-law John (Kiefer Sutherland). Despite Claire’s best efforts, the wedding is a fiasco,with family tensionsmounting and relationships fraying. Meanwhile, a planet called Melancholia is heading directly towards Earth… MELANCHOLIA is a psychological disaster film from director Lars von Trier.
André Wilms and Jean-Pierre Darroussin. Photo courtesy of Janus Films.
OPENING NOVEMBER18
Le Havre
Director Aki Kaurismaki Cast Andre Wilms, Kati Outinen, Jean-Pierre Darroussin, Blondin Miguel, Elina Salo, Evelyne Didi, Quoc Dung Nyugen, Laika, Francois Monnie, Roberto Piazza, Pierre Etaix, and Jean-Pierre Leaud Running time | 123 minutes Janus Films OPENING NOVEMBER 25
An audience favorite at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, LE HAVRE finds legendary Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki working in France for the first time in nearly twenty years. In this warmhearted portrait of the harbor city that gives the film its name, fate throws young African refugee Idrissa (Blondin Miguel) into the path of Marcel Marx (Andre Wilms), a well-spoken bohemian who works as a shoeshiner. A political fairy tale that mixes the classic cinema of Jean-Pierre Melville and Marcel Carné with wry Kaurismäkian comedy, LE HAVRE will receive its U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival before opening nationwide this fall.
38 OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2011 ritzfilmmag.com
Marie Féret. Photo courtesy of Music Box Films.
Mozart’s Sister
Director René Féret Cast Marie Féret, Marc Barbé, Lisa Féret, Delphine Chuillot, David Moreau, Clovis Fouin Running time | 120 minutes Music Box Films OPENING NOVEMBER 4
René Féret’s vivacious costume drama about Mozart’s talented older sister Nannerl (played by the director’s 15-year-old daughter, Marie Féret) is a vivid depiction of pre-Revolutionary France. Accomplished singer, harpsichordist and violinist Nannerl is Wolfgang’s (David Moreau) elder by five years. Originally held up as the family’s child prodigy, she has now been forced to accompany the star of the family, her younger brother, in keeping with the social conventions of the time that the violin is a man’s realm and composing (Nannerl’s passionate ambition) is beyond a woman’s feeble brain. At court Nannerl meets the Dauphin (Clovis Fouin), music-loving heir to the throne, who commissions her to compose a work for him. She is caught up in a swirl of creativity and rewarded when, at her concert for the Dauphin (for which she is forced to dress as a man), Nannerl enjoys her moment as a composer appreciated by all. Beautifully photographed (the filmmakers were allowed to shoot in Versailles), with stunning set and costume designs, the film is sweetened by original music by Marie-Jeanne Serrero. Co-starring Lisa Féret and Marc Barbé. (Fully subtitled)
ritzfilmmag.com OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2011 39
Laetitia Casta and Eric Elmosnino. Photo courtesy of Music Box Films.
now playing
Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life
Director Joann Sfar Cast Eric Elmosnino, Lucy Gordon, Laetitia Casta, Doug Jones, Sara Forestier, Anna Mouglalis Running time | 122 minutes Music Box Films OPENING NOVEMBER 11
Taking the best from La Vie En Rose and Amélie, renowned comic book artist Joann Sfar’s GAINSBOURG: A HEROIC LIFE is a completely original take on one of France’s greatest mavericks, the illustrious and infamous Jewish singer-songwriter Serge Gainsbourg (Eric Elmosnino, Best Actor—2011 César Awards), father of current star Charlotte Gainsbourg. The film follows Serge (born Lucien Ginsburg to Russian-Jewish parents) from his awkward, precocious childhood in Nazi-occupied Paris, to his beginnings as small time jazz musician and finally pop superstar. Along the way he romances many of the era’s most beautiful women, including singer Juliette Gréco (Anna Mouglalis), Brigitte Bardot (Laetitia Casta) and Jane Birkin (Lucy Gordon). Yet despite undreamed-of success, he could not find happiness nor remain faithful. Sfar’s unorthodox narrative style makes use of a giant puppet alter-ego to surprising effect. Employing a witty surrealistic style and a soundtrack that includes many of the musician’s greatest hits, GAINSBOURG: A HEROIC LIFE is a quintessential time capsule to ‘60s Paris. (Fully subtitled)
40 OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2011 ritzfilmmag.com
Mark Hoppus (Blink 182). Photo courtesy of Oscilloscope.
The Other F Word
This revealing and touching film asks what happens when a generation’s ultimate anti-authoritarians – punk rockers – become society’s ultimate authorities – dads. With a large chorus of punk rock’s leading men - Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, Rise Against’s Tim McIlrath - THE OTHER F WORD follows Jim Lindberg, a 20-year veteran of the skate punk band Pennywise, on his hysterical and moving journey from belting his band’s anthem ”F--k Authority,” to embracing his ultimately authoritarian role in mid-life: fatherhood.
Zoe Heran and Jeanne Disson. Photos courtesy of Dada Films.
Other dads featured in the film include skater Tony Hawk, Art Alexakis (Everclear), Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Tony Adolescent (The Adolescents), Fat Mike (NOFX), Lars Frederiksen (Rancid), and many others.
In TOMBOY, filmmaker Céline Sciamma’s (Water Lilies) second feature, a family with two daughters, 10-year-old Laure (Zoé Heran) and 6-year-old Jeanne (Malonn Lévana), moves to a new suburban neighborhood during the summer holidays. With her Jean Seberg haircut and tomboy ways, Laure is immediately mistaken for a boy by the local kids, and decides to pass herself off as “Mikael,” a boy different enough to catch the attention of the leader of the pack, Lisa (Jeanne Disson), who becomes smitten. At home with her parents (Mathieu Demy and Sophie Cattani) and girlie younger sister, she is Laure: hanging out with her new pals and girlfriend, she is Mikael. Finding resourceful ways to hide her true self, Laure takes advantage of her new identity, as if the end of the summer would never reveal her unsettling secret. Sciamma brings a light and charming touch to this contemporary coming-of-age story, which is also about relationships between children, children and parents, and the even more complicated one between one’s heart and body.
Director Andrea Blaugrund Nevins Cast Rob Chaos, Joe Escalante, Josh Freese, Flea, Matt Freeman, Jack Grisham, Brett Gurewitz, Greg Hetson, Jim Lindberg, Mike McDermott, Duane Peters, Joe Sib, Ron Reyes, Rick Thorne and others listed in synopsis. Running time | 98 minutes Oscilloscope OPENING DECEMBER 2
Tomboy
Director Celine Sciamma Cast Zoé Heran, Malonn Lévana, Jeanne Disson, Sophie Cattani, and Mathieu Demy Running time | 82 minutes Dada Films OPENING DECEMBER 9
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Take Tenn
It’s Time to Take Tenn…Tennessee Williams that is! The following crossword puzzle is derived from four famous film adaptations of Tennessee Williams plays: A Streetcar Named Desire; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Suddenly, Last Summer and The Glass Menagerie.
By Stuart Papavassiliou
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Across 3. Big Daddy Pollitt says this a lot in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” 7. Sebastian says, “Life is a ....” 8. Blanche’s final gentleman caller. 11. Brick’s Brother 14. She was Amanda Wingfield in 1987 film and Brick’s real wife. 15. Maggie’s gift to Big Daddy. 17. Powerful smell in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” Big Daddy notices it, so does Brick. 19. Taylor’s initial diagnosis in “Suddenly, Last Summer.’ Clift doesn’t think so. 21. Directed 1987 version of “Glass Menagerie.” 23. Kowalskis’ upstairs neighbor. Also, famous Burnett character. 26. Where Brick sleeps. Sisterwoman knows. 27. He won Best Supporting Actor in 1951 for role in “Streetcar” 30. Sebastian’s Garden: “Like the Dawn of ......” 31. Spanish word for bread. Has significance in “Suddenly, Last Summer.” 32. Brick’s footballl “pal.” 33. Actress McCambridge’s Exorcist Role 35. He was in “Cat” and “Mildred Pierce” too. (Full name) 38. One of the no-neck monsters. She’s downright odious. 40. Violet & Sebastian’s surname. 43. Mother to no-neck monsters. Field’s “mother” on TV Series. 44. Controversial theme in “Suddenly, Last Summer.” 46. Brick & pal’s pro-football team. 47. Brando’s famous cry. 48. Laura Wingfield’s Blue Roses [sic] in “Glass Menagerie.” Look for the answers in the next edition of Ritz Film Magazine.
Down 1. Cabeza de ...., where Sebastian meets his end. 2. Blanche’s first streetcar stop 4. Brick listens for this when he drinks. 5. Hepburn’s epic role in “Suddenly, Last Summer.” 6. Clift’s specialty in “Suddenly, Last Summer.” 7. One of Sebastian’s many interests in “Suddenly, Last Summer.” His mom says so. 9. Streetcar’s director, stage and screen 10. Where Catherine’s “on the ledge” in “Suddenly, Last Summer.” 11. Another name for where Sebastian sees the face of God. (See 13 down) 12. Blanche’s dependency. (3 words) 13. Where Sebastian sees the face of God. (2 words) 16. Where Big Daddy and Brick reconcile in “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.” 18. Blanche’s profession in “Streetcar Named Desire.” 20. Where Maggie and Brick live. 22. He directed “Suddenly, Last Summer.” 24. Catherine Holly moves here in “Suddenly, Last Summer.” It’s Bedlam! (2 words) 25. Violet & Sebastian’s 5:00 drink. 28. Heroine in “Suddenly, Last Summer” and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” (See Hepburn’s role for this heroine’s famous eye color.) 29. Stanley Kowalski’s zodiac sign, to Blanche’s amusement. 34. She was Queen of the Cotton Carnival. 36. Blanche’s drink at the bowling alley, although she never touches the stuff. 37. Sebastian’s yearly opus, “The Poem of ....” 39. Setting for both “Streetcar” and “Suddenly, Last Summer.” (Said another way.) 41. He directed “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” on film. 42. Hepburn’s secretary in “Suddenly, Last Summer.” She’s a brute! 45. Big Mama Pollitt’s first name.
Stuart Papavassiliou is a transplanted Texan who has lived in Philadelphia for the past 28 years. He is an editor of two commercial finance publications who suffers from an addiction to pre-1970s movies. He and his partner live in Fairmount.
42 OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2011 ritzfilmmag.com