David beats Goliath in “Dallas Buyers Club”
Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, “David and Goliath,” arrives at the same moment as “Dallas Buyers Club.” Sometimes there’s harmonic convergence in the culture. Gladwell describes several cases of underdogs discovering their untapped strengths or advantages. “Dallas Buyers Club” takes Gladwell’s thesis into the stratosphere of high entertainment, tracing the incredible but true story of Texas ...
Nana Gollner memories
Nov
1
2013
Concerning Metropolitan Opera Ballet prima Nana Gollner (1919-1980), who was trained by Theodore Kosloff, Malcolm McCormick, co-author, with Nancy Reynolds, of “No Fixed Point: Dance in the 20th Century,” said, “Nana Gollner was important in her day. She was the first American ballerina to be accepted abroad, she was strong left-handed dancer, she converted ...
Rhoden’s RISE revisited
Just loved getting another look at Complexions Contemporary Ballet romping through Dwight Rhoden’s exemplary “RISE,” set to a sound score by ’80s rock band, U2, last night at the Smothers Theatre of Pepperdine University’s Center for the Arts. The work, a kind of dance corollary to the ecstasy of a rock concert-on-fire, stands up well. ...
Koehler on Cinema: Clips
A new James Benning movie is enough news in itself and enough for a simple request: Just stop everything and see it. Now, Benning’s “Nightfall” (Los Angeles Filmforum, Spielberg Theatre at the Egyptian, Sun. 7:30 p.m.) isn’t exactly new. It was digitally shot in 2011 in the Sierras, near his property where he built exact ...
Brando’s bead on jazz in “The Wild One” @ L.A. Jazz Institute festival
We so enjoyed the opening-night concert of “Jazz Themes from Hollywood: West Coast Jazz at the Movies,” a four-day festival sponsored by the LA Jazz Institute now going on in a big subterranean ballroom at the LAX Marriott hotel. The concert paid tribute to the film music of Shorty Rogers and Leith Stevens, alternately composers ...
Around the world with Enzo Avitabile
One of globalization’s least noted benefits has been the rise of world music, led by a motley crew of legends ranging from Peter Gabriel and Mickey Hart to Djivan Gasparyan and Enzo Avitabile. Drums and frets form the basis for the cross-cultural exchanges, even though an artist like the Naples-born Avitabile is a singer and ...
“The Counselor” is out of order
The death of Elmore Leonard in August (I wrote about his legacy here) and the arrival of the movie,“Salinger,” provided a useful contrast between two utterly opposed writing careers: J.D. Salinger, self-consciously “literary” and perfectionist; Leonard, happily disobedient to literary niceties, prolific and cool. “The Counselor,” the first original screenplay of Cormac McCarthy — regarded ...
Duckler’s ‘The Groundskeepers’ in historic Boyle Heights
The Groundskeepers, a multi-scene, walk-thru performance taking place at Linda Vista Hospital in East Los Angeles’s historic Boyle Heights neighborhood, reverses viewer expectations. Choreographer/director Heidi Duckler and her artistic collaborators identify unseen, intriguing spaces in the hospital, and transform them into artistic installations. The performance begins on an external fire escape (anticipate gymnastic dangling); then ...
Friday night tights 2
On a Friday night, one guy puts on his tights. Directed, written, produced, edited by: Joonki Park A winner in the Canadian Film Centre‘s “Shorts Nonstop” competition. Thank you, Ian Birnie, for the share.
Plethora of arts offerings @ Jack Rutberg Fine Arts
Tonight, concurrent to the new gallery exhibition of Spanish artist Jordi Alcaraz, a celebrated Israeli poet, Amir Or, will read from his poems. The evening event is sponsored by the USC Initiative for Israeli Arts & Humanities, Ruth Weisberg, Director. Born in Tel Aviv, Amir Or has published seven books of poetry and has been ...