Donna Summer could hit notes more thrillingly beautiful than any other pop singer of her time, or since. I’m not sure even Whitney Houston, as great as she was, quite reached the glistening heights that culminate “Last Dance” (though she comes very close in “I Will Always Love You”). Mariah Carey (no relation to me) performs impressive vocal acrobatics, yet to my ear she can’t match the bell-like shimmer of Donna in the higher registers. And Donna in the lower registers – well, the voice thrums with visceral resonance.
Related Story Berlin: ‘Love To Love You, Donna Summer,’ From Roger Ross Williams & Summer’s Daughter, Brooklyn Sudano, Provides Complex Portrait Of Pop Superstar Related Story Rutina Wesley On Playing Maria In 'The Last Of Us': "It's Terrifying Playing A Character That's Been Established" Related Story Berlin Review: Giacomo Abbruzzese's 'Disco Boy'
In the documentary Love to Love You,...
Related Story Berlin: ‘Love To Love You, Donna Summer,’ From Roger Ross Williams & Summer’s Daughter, Brooklyn Sudano, Provides Complex Portrait Of Pop Superstar Related Story Rutina Wesley On Playing Maria In 'The Last Of Us': "It's Terrifying Playing A Character That's Been Established" Related Story Berlin Review: Giacomo Abbruzzese's 'Disco Boy'
In the documentary Love to Love You,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The risk when an immediate family member is involved in a tribute to an important figure from the pop-culture firmament is that the story they choose to tell might not be the one fans want to hear. That’s an issue — at least for this erstwhile disco baby — with HBO’s Love to Love You, Donna Summer. Directed by Roger Ross Williams with Summer’s daughter, Brooklyn Sudano, the doc is stuffed with great archive material. But it largely squanders an ideal platform through which to reaffirm the subject’s vital place in pop music history and reclaim disco as a genre whose influence has never waned.
Some of that is kinda, sorta here, but it’s so faint it’s almost apologetic. We’re constantly reminded that Summer was ambivalent about being crowned the Queen of Disco, because she felt it marginalized her vocal gifts for gospel, R&b and soul,...
Some of that is kinda, sorta here, but it’s so faint it’s almost apologetic. We’re constantly reminded that Summer was ambivalent about being crowned the Queen of Disco, because she felt it marginalized her vocal gifts for gospel, R&b and soul,...
- 2/21/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ryan Gosling's most frequent co-star isn't Emma Stone. It's Los Angeles.
Over the past 10 years, Gosling has starred in seven movies where Los Angeles not only serves as the setting, but as a character. And he's the first to admit that the sunny, messy, dynamic sprawl is one of the keys to his storytelling.
"'L.A. worships everything and values nothing.' That was something my lady said to me one day, and I thought it was so funny I asked her if I could put it in the movie," Gosling told Et's Denny Directo during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where he was promoting 2016's La La Land. (The lady in question, of course, is Gosling's longtime partner Eva Mendes, although this being L.A., we do love the noirish connotations of him not identifying her by name.) "She was kidding, but it's a funny thing to say... I loved when...
Over the past 10 years, Gosling has starred in seven movies where Los Angeles not only serves as the setting, but as a character. And he's the first to admit that the sunny, messy, dynamic sprawl is one of the keys to his storytelling.
"'L.A. worships everything and values nothing.' That was something my lady said to me one day, and I thought it was so funny I asked her if I could put it in the movie," Gosling told Et's Denny Directo during the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where he was promoting 2016's La La Land. (The lady in question, of course, is Gosling's longtime partner Eva Mendes, although this being L.A., we do love the noirish connotations of him not identifying her by name.) "She was kidding, but it's a funny thing to say... I loved when...
- 10/6/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Kate Hudson didn’t let work get in the way of history!
The 38-year-old actress was spotted filming the upcoming Sia movie Sister in New York City’s MacArthur Park alongside teen dancer Maddie Ziegler and Hamilton‘s Leslie Odom Jr. on Monday when she took the time to watch the solar eclipse pass through the city.
Holding the required protective glasses up to her eyes, Hudson smiled as she looked up at the moon passing over the sun, giving New Yorkers a view of 70 percent coverage.
Hudson was also showing off her recently shaved head, a new look she...
The 38-year-old actress was spotted filming the upcoming Sia movie Sister in New York City’s MacArthur Park alongside teen dancer Maddie Ziegler and Hamilton‘s Leslie Odom Jr. on Monday when she took the time to watch the solar eclipse pass through the city.
Holding the required protective glasses up to her eyes, Hudson smiled as she looked up at the moon passing over the sun, giving New Yorkers a view of 70 percent coverage.
Hudson was also showing off her recently shaved head, a new look she...
- 8/21/2017
- by Ale Russian
- PEOPLE.com
Graham Nash Talks Honoring Jimmy Webb at Carnegie Hall Tribute Show Prior to Kicking Off Summer Tour
Two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Graham Nash will be on hand to honor songwriter Jimmy Webb during a star-studded tribute concert at Carnegie Hall on Wednesday night.
Nash—who defined the early ’70s L.A. scene alongside his musical brethren David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young in the seminal supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young—will be joined by Art Garfunkel, Toby Keith, Dwight Yoakam, Judy Collins and members of the 5th Dimension. Together they will perform many of the pop standards penned by Webb, who shot to fame in the mid-’60s as the wunderkind behind hits like “Up,...
Nash—who defined the early ’70s L.A. scene alongside his musical brethren David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young in the seminal supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young—will be joined by Art Garfunkel, Toby Keith, Dwight Yoakam, Judy Collins and members of the 5th Dimension. Together they will perform many of the pop standards penned by Webb, who shot to fame in the mid-’60s as the wunderkind behind hits like “Up,...
- 5/1/2017
- by Jordan Runtagh
- PEOPLE.com
Take one fiercely individual auteur fed up with the Hollywood game, put him in Kyoto with a full Japanese film company, and the result is a picture critics have been trying to figure out ever since. It’s a realistic story told in a highly artificial visual style, in un-subtitled Japanese. And its writer-director intended it to play for American audiences.
The Saga of Anatahan
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1953 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 91 min. / Anatahan, Ana-ta-han / Street Date April 25, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring: Akemi Negishi, Tadashi Suganuma, Kisaburo Sawamura, Shoji Nakayama, Jun Fujikawa, Hiroshi Kondo, Shozo Miyashita, Tsuruemon Bando, Kikuji Onoe, Rokuriro Kineya, Daijiro Tamura, Chizuru Kitagawa, Takeshi Suzuki, Shiro Amikura.
Cinematography: Josef von Sternberg, Kozo Okazaki
Film Editor: Mitsuzo Miyata
Original Music: Akira Ifukube
Special Effects: Eiji Tsuburaya
Written by Josef von Sternberg from the novel by Michiro Maruyama & Younghill Kang
Produced by Kazuo Takimura
Directed by Josef von Sternberg...
The Saga of Anatahan
Blu-ray
Kino Lorber
1953 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 91 min. / Anatahan, Ana-ta-han / Street Date April 25, 2017 / available through Kino Lorber / 29.95 Starring: Akemi Negishi, Tadashi Suganuma, Kisaburo Sawamura, Shoji Nakayama, Jun Fujikawa, Hiroshi Kondo, Shozo Miyashita, Tsuruemon Bando, Kikuji Onoe, Rokuriro Kineya, Daijiro Tamura, Chizuru Kitagawa, Takeshi Suzuki, Shiro Amikura.
Cinematography: Josef von Sternberg, Kozo Okazaki
Film Editor: Mitsuzo Miyata
Original Music: Akira Ifukube
Special Effects: Eiji Tsuburaya
Written by Josef von Sternberg from the novel by Michiro Maruyama & Younghill Kang
Produced by Kazuo Takimura
Directed by Josef von Sternberg...
- 4/11/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Big film industry names like Stacey Snider, Barbara Broccoli, Matthew Vaughn, Emma Thompson, Lily Cole, Sky CEO Jeremy Darroch, Sophie Turner Laing, CEO of Endemol Shine Group, Nik Powell, director of the National Film and Television School, Philip Ilson, director of the London Film Festival and others turned out Tuesday night in London for a Ghetto Film School event at BAFTA's headquarters near Piccadilly Circus.
Founded in 2000 and based in the South Bronx in New York and MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, the nonprofit focuses on educating, developing and celebrating the next generation of American storytellers by teaching the art and business...
Founded in 2000 and based in the South Bronx in New York and MacArthur Park, Los Angeles, the nonprofit focuses on educating, developing and celebrating the next generation of American storytellers by teaching the art and business...
- 3/20/2017
- by Alex Ritman,Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As a musical it’s excellent — fine tunes and lyrics, great singing and dancing by the ever-youthful Fred Astaire, the glorious songbird Petula Clark, and the impishly weird Tommy Steele cast appropriately as a grimacing Leprechaun. The update of what was a politically acute Broadway hit in 1947 is awkward but the show is a melodious pleasure — great color, fine voices and peppy direction by Francis Ford Coppola on his first big studio feature.
Finian’s Rainbow
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 145 141 min. / Street Date March 7, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Tommy Steele, Don Francks, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Hancock, Al Freeman Jr., Ronald Colby, Dolph Sweet, Wright King, Louis Silas.
Cinematography: Philip Lathrop
Film Editor: Melvin Shapiro
Original Music: Ray Heindorf
Written by E.Y. Harburg, Fred Saidy
Produced by Joseph Landon
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Finian’s Rainbow is a unique musical with a strange history.
Finian’s Rainbow
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1968 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 145 141 min. / Street Date March 7, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Tommy Steele, Don Francks, Keenan Wynn, Barbara Hancock, Al Freeman Jr., Ronald Colby, Dolph Sweet, Wright King, Louis Silas.
Cinematography: Philip Lathrop
Film Editor: Melvin Shapiro
Original Music: Ray Heindorf
Written by E.Y. Harburg, Fred Saidy
Produced by Joseph Landon
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Finian’s Rainbow is a unique musical with a strange history.
- 3/4/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Saturday saw the fourth day of anti-Trump protests in Los Angeles, New York City and major cities across the United States, with demonstrators documenting the election rallies on social media. In L.A., several thousand demonstrators gathered in MacArthur Park and marched down Wilshire Boulevard toward downtown, with the crowd growing in numbers along its route. The chants ranged from "This is what democracy looks like" to "Black lives matter." Many marched to condemn Trump's hate speech about Muslims, his pledge to deport people in the country illegally and his crude comments about women. Jennifer Cruz, 18, of
read more...
read more...
- 11/12/2016
- by ,
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Shailene Woodley looked glamorous at the InStyle Awards in Los Angeles on Monday, donning a multi-patterned halter neck dress from Sophie Theallet’s Fall 2016 ready-to-wear collection.
Woodley, 24, accessorized her black and gold ensemble with metallic hoop earrings and strappy black heels. Also in attendance at the fashion soiree were Tom Ford, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Scott, Priyanka Chopra, Jon Hamm, Usher and Sarah Hyland.
Earlier that same day, it was revealed that the Divergent actress is now set to stand trial over charges stemming from her protest arrest. A trial date has been scheduled for Jan. 25 in Mandan, North Dakota,...
Woodley, 24, accessorized her black and gold ensemble with metallic hoop earrings and strappy black heels. Also in attendance at the fashion soiree were Tom Ford, Nicole Kidman, Jeremy Scott, Priyanka Chopra, Jon Hamm, Usher and Sarah Hyland.
Earlier that same day, it was revealed that the Divergent actress is now set to stand trial over charges stemming from her protest arrest. A trial date has been scheduled for Jan. 25 in Mandan, North Dakota,...
- 10/25/2016
- by karenmizoguchi
- PEOPLE.com
Shailene Woodley isnâ.t letting her arrest stop her from standing up for what she believes in.
Nearly two weeks after being arrested while participating in a protest against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, Woodley stood front and center at yet another environmental rally.
The actress, 24, attended the Climate Revolution demonstration at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on Sunday aimed at eradicating the ongoing use of fossil fuels and other harmful elements that contribute to climate change.
The appearance comes amid news that the actress is now set to stand trial in January over charges stemming from her protest arrest.
Nearly two weeks after being arrested while participating in a protest against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, Woodley stood front and center at yet another environmental rally.
The actress, 24, attended the Climate Revolution demonstration at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles on Sunday aimed at eradicating the ongoing use of fossil fuels and other harmful elements that contribute to climate change.
The appearance comes amid news that the actress is now set to stand trial in January over charges stemming from her protest arrest.
- 10/24/2016
- by jodiguglielmi
- PEOPLE.com
[[tmz:video id="0_15ywv0xg"]] Mark Ruffalo is 100% behind Shailene Woodley's protest of the Dakota Pipeline, and thinks she needs to get back to the front lines of the battle ... sans another arrested. We got Mark at MacArthur Park Sunday where he, Shailene, Susan Sarandon and hundreds of others gathered to protest the oil pipeline. Mark tells our photog Shailene's arrest was Bs ... and says it hints at a bigger problem in the country. Shailene gives her two cents as well,...
- 10/24/2016
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
"Look at him!" Dierks Bentley laughed, pointing toward Luke Bryan who was passing by with a drink in each hand. "He's got two drinks! No respect for the show!" With a wide grin, Bryan retorted, "I'm trying to get my wife drunk!" When Nashville's A-list gathered for a special People photo before the taping of the 10th Annual Acm Honors, the atmosphere was more family reunion than formal event, and the good-natured barbs flowed as freely as the booze. Once country's wildest child, Acm Honoree Tanya Tucker proved that at 57, she's as rowdy as ever when she pretended to flash...
- 9/9/2016
- by Eileen Finan
- PEOPLE.com
"Look at him!" Dierks Bentley laughed, pointing toward Luke Bryan who was passing by with a drink in each hand. "He's got two drinks! No respect for the show!" With a wide grin, Bryan retorted, "I'm trying to get my wife drunk!" When Nashville's A-list gathered for a special People photo before the taping of the 10th Annual Acm Honors, the atmosphere was more family reunion than formal event, and the good-natured barbs flowed as freely as the booze. Once country's wildest child, Acm Honoree Tanya Tucker proved that at 57, she's as rowdy as ever when she pretended to flash...
- 9/9/2016
- by Eileen Finan
- PEOPLE.com
If ever there was a reminder of country music's transcendent power, it was Tuesday night's Acm Honors. The event managed to gracefully honor both Glen Campbell and Tanya Tucker - for years the two had an infamously turbulent love affair - showcase both Blake and Miranda (separately - with their movements carefully orchestrated so the two exes wouldn't cross paths) and seamlessly blend the R&B stylings of Alicia Keys into the genre. Before the show even began, there was controversy: on Monday after the Acm announced the creation of the new Merle Haggard Spirit Award, alt-country singer Sturgill Simpson...
- 9/1/2016
- by Eileen Finan
- PEOPLE.com
“Let me feel your fifteen-ness!” cackled Jennifer Lopez, beckoning a fresh-faced American Idol hopeful — one not even eligible for a driver’s permit — to come a little closer during Thursday’s two-hour audition telecast.
RelatedMark Burnett Reality Dating Series Coming to Fox This Year
Youth may be wasted on the young, but it’s apparently the lifeblood of the House That Jordin Sparks Bedazzled in this, its farewell season.
Several times over this week, we witnessed J.Lo, Harry and/or Keith crushing a youngster with the “you’re not really ready” speech — then turning around and giving ’em...
RelatedMark Burnett Reality Dating Series Coming to Fox This Year
Youth may be wasted on the young, but it’s apparently the lifeblood of the House That Jordin Sparks Bedazzled in this, its farewell season.
Several times over this week, we witnessed J.Lo, Harry and/or Keith crushing a youngster with the “you’re not really ready” speech — then turning around and giving ’em...
- 1/15/2016
- TVLine.com
Is Taylor Armstrong ready to stage a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills comeback?
She might just be – Armstrong, who recently moved back to Los Angeles from Colorado, is teasing a potential return to the Bravo show.
"I'm around. Let's just say that," Armstrong, 44, told People of Rhobh's next season at the Rape Foundation Annual Brunch in Los Angeles on Sunday.
At the event, Armstrong spoke of her personal experience with domestic violence: She has said her late, estranged husband Russell, who committed suicide in 2011, verbally and physically abused her. Armstrong says she doesn't want to "terrify" her 9-year-old daughter Kennedy...
She might just be – Armstrong, who recently moved back to Los Angeles from Colorado, is teasing a potential return to the Bravo show.
"I'm around. Let's just say that," Armstrong, 44, told People of Rhobh's next season at the Rape Foundation Annual Brunch in Los Angeles on Sunday.
At the event, Armstrong spoke of her personal experience with domestic violence: She has said her late, estranged husband Russell, who committed suicide in 2011, verbally and physically abused her. Armstrong says she doesn't want to "terrify" her 9-year-old daughter Kennedy...
- 10/5/2015
- by Aurelie Corinthios and Mariah Haas
- People.com - TV Watch
We're getting down to the wire on The Voice UK tonight, with those teams looking mighty full. With just one week left of blind auditions after tonight, it is seriously tense in those coaches' chairs...
Sure, there was time for them to have a little fun - we're looking at you, the sequence of Sir Tom Jones saying "yeah" repeatedly (which we loved, obviously) - but they also had to get serious. So congratulations are in order for the six acts that made it through tonight - here's what we made of them...
1. Sheena McHugh
Song: 'Hold On, We're Going Home' - Drake
Team: Team Will (all four coaches turned)
Sheena's not exactly had an easy time of it - she lost her voice for six months after a dreadful car accident in which she ruptured her spleen, tore her intestine, broke her back... I mean, wow. As if that wasn't emotional enough,...
Sure, there was time for them to have a little fun - we're looking at you, the sequence of Sir Tom Jones saying "yeah" repeatedly (which we loved, obviously) - but they also had to get serious. So congratulations are in order for the six acts that made it through tonight - here's what we made of them...
1. Sheena McHugh
Song: 'Hold On, We're Going Home' - Drake
Team: Team Will (all four coaches turned)
Sheena's not exactly had an easy time of it - she lost her voice for six months after a dreadful car accident in which she ruptured her spleen, tore her intestine, broke her back... I mean, wow. As if that wasn't emotional enough,...
- 2/14/2015
- Digital Spy
There are only two weeks left of blind auditions, so it's going to take someone pretty special to get those coaches to turn around - they're running out of space on their teams pretty quickly, after all...
There are 12 acts we get to see on Saturday who are hoping that they've got what it takes to impress and make it through to the battle rounds. But if you want a little bit more info on who they are and what they'll be singing, you're in luck - we have all the gossip here...
1. Karl Loxley - 24, Coventry
Song: 'Nessun Dorma' - Turandot
What you need to know: Karl - who studied musical theatre at Guildford School of Acting - works in a supermarket but also performs at residential homes, working men's clubs and festivals. He has a lot of elderly fans, including a friend called Liz in her...
There are 12 acts we get to see on Saturday who are hoping that they've got what it takes to impress and make it through to the battle rounds. But if you want a little bit more info on who they are and what they'll be singing, you're in luck - we have all the gossip here...
1. Karl Loxley - 24, Coventry
Song: 'Nessun Dorma' - Turandot
What you need to know: Karl - who studied musical theatre at Guildford School of Acting - works in a supermarket but also performs at residential homes, working men's clubs and festivals. He has a lot of elderly fans, including a friend called Liz in her...
- 2/11/2015
- Digital Spy
We've told you about it through interviews, features, and the Kickstarter campaign behind it. Finally, Ambulane California is here and it's kicking off with urban style Cumbia band, Viento Callejero today September 21 at MacArthur Park. Kcrw DJ Dan Wilcox is bringing the dance party to the Bowtie Project alongside the La River for the closing night event on October 4.
From September 21 – October 4, the two- week documentary tour will travel to a different neighborhood to present a free documentary event in an outdoor/alternative venue. All screening events are free and open to the public. To see the list of films, schedule and venues please visit Here and follow @AmbulanteCA.
Films in the program included Sundance's "Alive Inside" (Sept. 23), "No No: A Documentary" (Sept.26), and "Living Stars" (Sept28) ; Mexican gems "Elevator"(Sept 25) and "Three Voices" (Sept. 27 & Sept. 29); unique visions of life in America such as "Las Marthas" (Sept. 25), "To the Other Side" (Sept. 30) and " Ladonna Harris: Indian 101"(Oct.1); visually astonishing films like "Cairo Drive" (Sept.24), "Alamar" (Oct. 1) and "Bering. Balance and Resistance" (Oct. 2); and classics such as "The Exiles" (Oct.3.).
Tonight Viento Callejero will go on at 6:30pm sharp to start the dancing before the 7pm L.A. premiere screening of "Bronx Obama,"a documentary about a Puerto Rican in the Bronx who looks like the Potus. The filmmaker Ryan Murdock and subject Louis Ortiz will be on hand. The feature film is preceded by "Ink & Paper," a short documentary about a local printing press and paper store. Filmmaker Ben Proudfoot will be present.
Ambulante’s tour will culminate at the Bowtie project at Rio de Los Angeles State Park on October 3 & 4. The Closing Weekend event is in collaboration with California State Parks, Clockshop and La River Revitalization Corporation. Dan Wilcox of Kcrw will be the master of groove festivities on Saturday, October 4 following the 7pm screening of "Yakona," a stunningly cinematic environmental film by filmmakers Paul Collins and Anlo Sepulveda, who will be present for Q&A.
Check out the film festival trailer:
https://vimeo.com/105792099
About Dan Wilcox
Dan Wilcox delves beneath the surface of the pop music landscape to shed light on a wealth of penetrating deep-cuts. He works as a music supervisor in various films including 'As Above, So Below' and upcoming film, The Coup by The Weinstein Co. He is the featured DJ for each year’s Barnsdall Wine Tastings and will be doing their Movie Nights in October
http://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/dan-wilcox
About Viento Callejero
Los Angeles based Urban style Cumbia trio that formed in 2013. The group is composed of three talented musicians, Gloria Estrada on guitar, Federico Zuniga on bass, and Gabriel Villa on drums. Together they bring a fresh approach to urban tropical music stripping it down to feature its rawest elements. With Cumbia making a resurgence, artists have been re-mixing and re-interpreting the Classic Cumbias in dance halls all over the world. Viento Callejero represents the newest incarnation of the movement in Los Angeles, breaking down the rhythmic and melodic pulse of Cumbia Colombiana, Son Montuno, Merengue, Reggae, Dance Hall, Funk, and Rock to create a fresh sound with a new twist that is infectious to the listeners ears, hips, and feet.
www.vientocallejero.com...
From September 21 – October 4, the two- week documentary tour will travel to a different neighborhood to present a free documentary event in an outdoor/alternative venue. All screening events are free and open to the public. To see the list of films, schedule and venues please visit Here and follow @AmbulanteCA.
Films in the program included Sundance's "Alive Inside" (Sept. 23), "No No: A Documentary" (Sept.26), and "Living Stars" (Sept28) ; Mexican gems "Elevator"(Sept 25) and "Three Voices" (Sept. 27 & Sept. 29); unique visions of life in America such as "Las Marthas" (Sept. 25), "To the Other Side" (Sept. 30) and " Ladonna Harris: Indian 101"(Oct.1); visually astonishing films like "Cairo Drive" (Sept.24), "Alamar" (Oct. 1) and "Bering. Balance and Resistance" (Oct. 2); and classics such as "The Exiles" (Oct.3.).
Tonight Viento Callejero will go on at 6:30pm sharp to start the dancing before the 7pm L.A. premiere screening of "Bronx Obama,"a documentary about a Puerto Rican in the Bronx who looks like the Potus. The filmmaker Ryan Murdock and subject Louis Ortiz will be on hand. The feature film is preceded by "Ink & Paper," a short documentary about a local printing press and paper store. Filmmaker Ben Proudfoot will be present.
Ambulante’s tour will culminate at the Bowtie project at Rio de Los Angeles State Park on October 3 & 4. The Closing Weekend event is in collaboration with California State Parks, Clockshop and La River Revitalization Corporation. Dan Wilcox of Kcrw will be the master of groove festivities on Saturday, October 4 following the 7pm screening of "Yakona," a stunningly cinematic environmental film by filmmakers Paul Collins and Anlo Sepulveda, who will be present for Q&A.
Check out the film festival trailer:
https://vimeo.com/105792099
About Dan Wilcox
Dan Wilcox delves beneath the surface of the pop music landscape to shed light on a wealth of penetrating deep-cuts. He works as a music supervisor in various films including 'As Above, So Below' and upcoming film, The Coup by The Weinstein Co. He is the featured DJ for each year’s Barnsdall Wine Tastings and will be doing their Movie Nights in October
http://www.kcrw.com/music/shows/dan-wilcox
About Viento Callejero
Los Angeles based Urban style Cumbia trio that formed in 2013. The group is composed of three talented musicians, Gloria Estrada on guitar, Federico Zuniga on bass, and Gabriel Villa on drums. Together they bring a fresh approach to urban tropical music stripping it down to feature its rawest elements. With Cumbia making a resurgence, artists have been re-mixing and re-interpreting the Classic Cumbias in dance halls all over the world. Viento Callejero represents the newest incarnation of the movement in Los Angeles, breaking down the rhythmic and melodic pulse of Cumbia Colombiana, Son Montuno, Merengue, Reggae, Dance Hall, Funk, and Rock to create a fresh sound with a new twist that is infectious to the listeners ears, hips, and feet.
www.vientocallejero.com...
- 9/21/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Almost a year ago, we first told you that Ambulante — the traveling documentary film festival founded by Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, Elena Fortes, and Pablo Cruz — would cross the border into the U.S. almost ten years after its first edition in Mexico. Finally, the long-awaited rock tour of documentaries is about to land in Los Angeles.
The team behind Ambulante California, including the newly-appointed Director of Ambulante USA, Christine Davila, just announced their film lineup. On September 21, the festival kicks off at MacArthur Park with an outdoor screening of Bronx Obama. The doc follows the story of Puerto Rican single father, Louis Ortiz, whose uncanny resemblance to the President of the United States gives him a new lease on life as an Obama impersonator.
In total, 22 documentaries will screen at several venues across eight different neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The films represent a varied mix of topics, ranging from cultural identity to music, biographies, social justice, and environmental issues. Keeping with their mission to bring documentaries to underserved audiences, all events are free and most of them are outdoors.
In advance of the festival’s programming announcement, I spoke to Diego Luna in an exclusive interview. He shared why Los Angeles is in desperate need of this type of documentary festival, his favorite film from Ambulante California’s lineup, and his newest project, a film he is directing that’s about to start shooting.
Read the interview on Remezcla .
Written by Vanessa Erazo. LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
The team behind Ambulante California, including the newly-appointed Director of Ambulante USA, Christine Davila, just announced their film lineup. On September 21, the festival kicks off at MacArthur Park with an outdoor screening of Bronx Obama. The doc follows the story of Puerto Rican single father, Louis Ortiz, whose uncanny resemblance to the President of the United States gives him a new lease on life as an Obama impersonator.
In total, 22 documentaries will screen at several venues across eight different neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The films represent a varied mix of topics, ranging from cultural identity to music, biographies, social justice, and environmental issues. Keeping with their mission to bring documentaries to underserved audiences, all events are free and most of them are outdoors.
In advance of the festival’s programming announcement, I spoke to Diego Luna in an exclusive interview. He shared why Los Angeles is in desperate need of this type of documentary festival, his favorite film from Ambulante California’s lineup, and his newest project, a film he is directing that’s about to start shooting.
Read the interview on Remezcla .
Written by Vanessa Erazo. LatinoBuzz is a weekly feature on SydneysBuzz that highlights Latino indie talent and upcoming trends in Latino film with the specific objective of presenting a broad range of Latino voices. Follow @LatinoBuzz on Twitter and Facebook.
- 9/15/2014
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
A few months back, we told you that Ambulante — the traveling documentary film festival founded by Diego Luna, Gael Garcia Bernal, Elena Fortes, and Pablo Cruz — is crossing the border into the U.S. Well, now they need your help with the move to Los Angeles.
Raising money for a new non-profit isn’t easy and the fest is only a few months away. The team working to organize the SoCal stop on the documentary tour is taking to kickstarter and hoping that Gael and Diego fans will join forces with film aficionados to dig into their pockets and lend their support to Ambulante California.
Headed up by Sundance Film Festival Programming Associate Christine Davila, the Cali version of the fest will involve films that highlight Mexico’s political and social realities along with underrepresented voices from around the world. There will also be an open call for entries for a special section highlighting short docs produced in California.
Each day the documentaries will tour different universities, highs schools, museums, community centers, outdoor venues, and makeshift spaces. Californians will even get a chance to vote on locations for the screenings. Keeping with their mission of connecting underserved audiences with films they may not normally see, all screenings are free.
We caught up with Christine and Elena Fortes, Director of Ambulante, to get the lowdown on the kickstarter campaign. We got them to dish about the exclusive rewards for backers of the campaign, what Ambulante California has in store for audiences, and who would win in a tequila drink-off.
Christine Davila (Left) and Elena Fortes (Right)
Elena, Why was it important to create a festival in Mexico that specifically showcased documentaries?
Elena: When the festival started in 2006, there were barely any outlets for documentaries in Mexico. If they even found an avenue to get to audiences it was usually through one of the public television channels, which occupy minimum broadcast space. We were convinced that there was an audience out there for documentaries and that we needed to set out and actively search for it. A mobile festival became an answer to that. In the past nine years we’ve managed to grow our exhibition circuit to over 150 venues in 12 regions in Mexico. Our audience has increased by over 640% since 2006 and we’ve also traveled to 20 countries with the festival. A fundamental aspect of the festival has been to never take the films alone, but to always generate encounters with the audience, give rise to discussion around the films, confront the filmmakers with real audiences that they wouldn’t usually encounter in other film festivals, and celebrate one of festival’s most important aspects: bringing together the community in face-to-face encounters.
Christine, Can you explain how you first became aware of Ambulante and became involved?
Christine: I heard about Ambulante in 2007, the year I attended the amazing Morelia International Film Festival, which is actually a partner organization of Ambulante. Like many people, I was immediately attracted to the Ambulante movement both in the figurative and literal sense. Like Elena has said before, it’s romantic, this rock tour of documentary films and filmmakers. I like the cause but I also really dig the rebellious aspect of it. It is so determined to carve out spaces for cinema all around us and the fact that it is collectively fueled and that it’s a diverse, multi-tier audience builder makes it all the more potent. I became part of the programming team shortly after Morelia, becoming friends with Elena and Meghan Monsour, Director of Programming. Then, last year when Elena called me to ask if I was interested in being part of this next step in Ambulante Global, I jumped at being part of bringing and adapting it within the U.S.
Elena, How did you go about choosing who would head up Ambulante California?
Elena: It was not a difficult decision at all. We had been working with Christine closely since she worked with one of our partners, the Morelia Film Festival, and was also a programming advisor to us. In addition to her extensive experience in programming and film festivals, she can also understand the complexities of the Latino identity in the U.S, which was extremely important to us when planning a festival that was born in Mexico for the U.S. In the same way that in Mexico we were very cautious when bringing the festival to different states in order to make sure it doesn’t feel like some sort of imposition from outside, it was also important that the project in California could integrate with the community and make people feel part of it. Christine is also extremely driven so we knew that she would be willing to take a huge challenge and carry it through.
The Ambulante Film Festival has been around for several years now. Why did you decide to bring it to the U.S.?
Elena: We had been discussing the importance of replicating the model of the festival in other countries since 2009 but particularly of strengthening ties among the Spanish-speaking world across America. Initially, we wanted to only target the Latino population living in the U.S., the younger generations of Latinos and to offer content that would counteract all the stereotypes that have traditionally come from Hollywood about Latinos. But, when we thought about our primary mission, about bringing films to audiences that don’t regularly have access to documentaries and celebrating diversity, we decided we needed to focus on multicultural audiences and reach out to them directly by traveling around the city to different neighborhoods.
How are Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal involved in the California version of Ambulante?
Elena: They are founding partners of Ambulante and are part of our Board of Directors, so they oversee all of our projects and participate in the strategic planning of the organization.
Christine: Their involvement is genuine. They inspire me in the way they articulate the vision of Ambulante. It comes from such a personal, spiritual, and activist desire to foster unity. This is an invaluable guide for me when making decisions on how to adapt a living breathing organism in a new social and geographical context. It was so much fun shooting our kickstarter video together.
Why did you decide to launch a kickstarter campaign versus more traditional funding sources? What will the money be used for?
Elena: We want to engage our audience in the creation of the festival and place a lot of value on their input on venues, programming, and fundraising. Ambulante is a collective endeavor. The structure of the festival is very horizontal and we spend a lot of time training all our collaborators and volunteers so that they are capable of replicating the festival in case we run out of funds. So in a way, crowdfunding seems quite natural to us. We are empowering our audience to become part of the festival.
Christine: Initially, doing a kickstarter campaign was a way to introduce Ambulante to a new public and invite the public to join us in developing it on all levels. But now, it is a bit of bridge financing until we get our footing and realize the first festival tour. Our goal, beyond the money is that our backers community will prove to potential funders that Ambulante is a necessary cultural exchange that they should invest in so we can sustain year round programming and bring this to as many communities as possible. Ambulante has had a successful and reputable track record in Mexico but we are still considered a new festival here. Additionally, we are just establishing our U.S. non-profit. Traditional funders and sponsors don’t tend to give to start-ups.
Why should people donate to your campaign?
Christine: I think most people, myself included, donate to kickstarter because either they believe in the creators’ previous work, new idea, or connect to the concept. Donating a few bucks can give one a surprising sense of personal satisfaction.
Finding sponsorship is challenging, let alone finding the right sponsors/funders who get the mission and whose brand aligns with the organization’s goals. I’ve been thinking lately that perhaps the bright spot of not having one monolithic corporate sponsor this first year — and instead be supported by the general public we wish to serve — will be letting us launch this with the integrity of Ambulante intact, as a free for all space without conditions, restrictions, or imposition. And I love that!
Elena: It’s always very difficult to keep cultural projects going and to maintain our independence from the government. We offer most of our programs for free and considering the proliferation of digital platforms which have indeed become a powerful tool for all of us, there are also fewer opportunities for people to come together to watch a film. We believe in creating different cinema experiences that we feel passionate about. This may sound like a cliche but it is truly magical when screening films to an audience for the first time, to watch their reaction, how the film directly affects them, and what happens when people come together. This is an experience that will never be replicated by a virtual platform. It is also a way of engaging people in the discussion of relevant and important issues that aren’t necessarily part of the mainstream media’s agenda or a political agenda. Films can change attitudes, people’s perception and can therefore influence action and transform society.
Christine: Also, we believe this project has a long life ahead of it as one of the most ambitious satellites of the Ambulante Global network. So, I think that people who believe in us and the impact social cinema intervention has, can take away the long-term reward of having been the first to have supported us in the United States.
Can you tell us about the rewards people get for donating? I personally would pay a lot of money just to get a hug from either Gael or Diego. Are there any hugs for sale?
Christine: Ha! No, but I will give hugs for free to the folks who share the link the most! We want to reward everyone who donates no matter what level, so we are using the campaign updates as appealing incentives to join. We made about 10 original short videos that are exclusive to backers. They include personal moments with Gael and Diego where they share their passion for storytelling, inviting the public to vote on which venue we should do screenings, and submitting their short films. There are testimonials of filmmakers and staff about their experience of being part of this ecosystem. Then, there is the whole process of building this thing from the ground up which Elena and I plan on capturing on our iPhones throughout and after the campaign.
Can you talk about the spotlight on California-produced films and how the films will be selected?
Christine: Yes, we are announcing a call for short documentary films. We’d like to show mini-docs, so under 10 minutes, that show a slice of life or subculture unique to California. We have assembled a programming committee who will be watching and discussing these films all summer long and will select films in August.
You had a kick-off screening on May Day. How did that go?
Christine: Given that it was our very first screening and it was really a grassroots effort, it was beyond expectations. Everything was programmed in perfect harmony. We showed Cesar’s Last Fast on International Workers Day in one of the most historic and multicultural landmarks, MacArthur Park. Plus, we had a terrific music set by Las Cafeteras. Around 400 people showed up. Our goal is to replicate that special screening each night during our festival dates: September 21 – October 4!
How will Ambulante California be different than the festival in Mexico?
Christine: We want to see how well it takes root this first year so we are starting with a two week tour across the Greater La area. The long-term objective is to activate a national tour of documentaries across different cities similar to the original Mexico tour. Los Angeles is a microcosm of cultures so in many ways the landscape lends itself to do a micro-scale version.
We won’t be announcing our film lineup until the end of July, but I can tell you that the overall programming vision remains the same: discover, share, transform. Essentially the idea is that you can watch a film about someone completely different than you and find out, wow, you can relate and something resonates with that stranger or a culture seemingly foreign to you, leaving you transformed.
That said, in the U.S. and in California in particular, there is also a great opportunity for Ambulante to bridge the gap of supporting and linking Spanish-language stories and American multicultural films with their audiences, which is also a compelling experience.
We are so happy to have the support of Mayor Garcetti’s office and look forward to working with different district and neighborhood councils throughout Los Angeles. The more outreach I do the more excited I am about integrating Ambulante with the vibrant, engaging sector of dedicated civic leaders, community centers, urban community and development non-profits who are all about empowering, enriching, and democratizing the arts as part of an overall holistic approach to improving all our lives. We are allies with the International Documentary Association and the Sundance Institute. We are working with the The La River Revitalization Corporation, Central Library of Los Angeles, School of Cinematic Arts at USC, and every day we are talking to more organizations on how to partner up.
Between Christine, Elena, Gael, and Diego — who can drink the most tequila?
Christine: Elena can outdrink all of us.
Head over to kickstarter to become a backer and help bring Ambulante to California.
Raising money for a new non-profit isn’t easy and the fest is only a few months away. The team working to organize the SoCal stop on the documentary tour is taking to kickstarter and hoping that Gael and Diego fans will join forces with film aficionados to dig into their pockets and lend their support to Ambulante California.
Headed up by Sundance Film Festival Programming Associate Christine Davila, the Cali version of the fest will involve films that highlight Mexico’s political and social realities along with underrepresented voices from around the world. There will also be an open call for entries for a special section highlighting short docs produced in California.
Each day the documentaries will tour different universities, highs schools, museums, community centers, outdoor venues, and makeshift spaces. Californians will even get a chance to vote on locations for the screenings. Keeping with their mission of connecting underserved audiences with films they may not normally see, all screenings are free.
We caught up with Christine and Elena Fortes, Director of Ambulante, to get the lowdown on the kickstarter campaign. We got them to dish about the exclusive rewards for backers of the campaign, what Ambulante California has in store for audiences, and who would win in a tequila drink-off.
Christine Davila (Left) and Elena Fortes (Right)
Elena, Why was it important to create a festival in Mexico that specifically showcased documentaries?
Elena: When the festival started in 2006, there were barely any outlets for documentaries in Mexico. If they even found an avenue to get to audiences it was usually through one of the public television channels, which occupy minimum broadcast space. We were convinced that there was an audience out there for documentaries and that we needed to set out and actively search for it. A mobile festival became an answer to that. In the past nine years we’ve managed to grow our exhibition circuit to over 150 venues in 12 regions in Mexico. Our audience has increased by over 640% since 2006 and we’ve also traveled to 20 countries with the festival. A fundamental aspect of the festival has been to never take the films alone, but to always generate encounters with the audience, give rise to discussion around the films, confront the filmmakers with real audiences that they wouldn’t usually encounter in other film festivals, and celebrate one of festival’s most important aspects: bringing together the community in face-to-face encounters.
Christine, Can you explain how you first became aware of Ambulante and became involved?
Christine: I heard about Ambulante in 2007, the year I attended the amazing Morelia International Film Festival, which is actually a partner organization of Ambulante. Like many people, I was immediately attracted to the Ambulante movement both in the figurative and literal sense. Like Elena has said before, it’s romantic, this rock tour of documentary films and filmmakers. I like the cause but I also really dig the rebellious aspect of it. It is so determined to carve out spaces for cinema all around us and the fact that it is collectively fueled and that it’s a diverse, multi-tier audience builder makes it all the more potent. I became part of the programming team shortly after Morelia, becoming friends with Elena and Meghan Monsour, Director of Programming. Then, last year when Elena called me to ask if I was interested in being part of this next step in Ambulante Global, I jumped at being part of bringing and adapting it within the U.S.
Elena, How did you go about choosing who would head up Ambulante California?
Elena: It was not a difficult decision at all. We had been working with Christine closely since she worked with one of our partners, the Morelia Film Festival, and was also a programming advisor to us. In addition to her extensive experience in programming and film festivals, she can also understand the complexities of the Latino identity in the U.S, which was extremely important to us when planning a festival that was born in Mexico for the U.S. In the same way that in Mexico we were very cautious when bringing the festival to different states in order to make sure it doesn’t feel like some sort of imposition from outside, it was also important that the project in California could integrate with the community and make people feel part of it. Christine is also extremely driven so we knew that she would be willing to take a huge challenge and carry it through.
The Ambulante Film Festival has been around for several years now. Why did you decide to bring it to the U.S.?
Elena: We had been discussing the importance of replicating the model of the festival in other countries since 2009 but particularly of strengthening ties among the Spanish-speaking world across America. Initially, we wanted to only target the Latino population living in the U.S., the younger generations of Latinos and to offer content that would counteract all the stereotypes that have traditionally come from Hollywood about Latinos. But, when we thought about our primary mission, about bringing films to audiences that don’t regularly have access to documentaries and celebrating diversity, we decided we needed to focus on multicultural audiences and reach out to them directly by traveling around the city to different neighborhoods.
How are Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal involved in the California version of Ambulante?
Elena: They are founding partners of Ambulante and are part of our Board of Directors, so they oversee all of our projects and participate in the strategic planning of the organization.
Christine: Their involvement is genuine. They inspire me in the way they articulate the vision of Ambulante. It comes from such a personal, spiritual, and activist desire to foster unity. This is an invaluable guide for me when making decisions on how to adapt a living breathing organism in a new social and geographical context. It was so much fun shooting our kickstarter video together.
Why did you decide to launch a kickstarter campaign versus more traditional funding sources? What will the money be used for?
Elena: We want to engage our audience in the creation of the festival and place a lot of value on their input on venues, programming, and fundraising. Ambulante is a collective endeavor. The structure of the festival is very horizontal and we spend a lot of time training all our collaborators and volunteers so that they are capable of replicating the festival in case we run out of funds. So in a way, crowdfunding seems quite natural to us. We are empowering our audience to become part of the festival.
Christine: Initially, doing a kickstarter campaign was a way to introduce Ambulante to a new public and invite the public to join us in developing it on all levels. But now, it is a bit of bridge financing until we get our footing and realize the first festival tour. Our goal, beyond the money is that our backers community will prove to potential funders that Ambulante is a necessary cultural exchange that they should invest in so we can sustain year round programming and bring this to as many communities as possible. Ambulante has had a successful and reputable track record in Mexico but we are still considered a new festival here. Additionally, we are just establishing our U.S. non-profit. Traditional funders and sponsors don’t tend to give to start-ups.
Why should people donate to your campaign?
Christine: I think most people, myself included, donate to kickstarter because either they believe in the creators’ previous work, new idea, or connect to the concept. Donating a few bucks can give one a surprising sense of personal satisfaction.
Finding sponsorship is challenging, let alone finding the right sponsors/funders who get the mission and whose brand aligns with the organization’s goals. I’ve been thinking lately that perhaps the bright spot of not having one monolithic corporate sponsor this first year — and instead be supported by the general public we wish to serve — will be letting us launch this with the integrity of Ambulante intact, as a free for all space without conditions, restrictions, or imposition. And I love that!
Elena: It’s always very difficult to keep cultural projects going and to maintain our independence from the government. We offer most of our programs for free and considering the proliferation of digital platforms which have indeed become a powerful tool for all of us, there are also fewer opportunities for people to come together to watch a film. We believe in creating different cinema experiences that we feel passionate about. This may sound like a cliche but it is truly magical when screening films to an audience for the first time, to watch their reaction, how the film directly affects them, and what happens when people come together. This is an experience that will never be replicated by a virtual platform. It is also a way of engaging people in the discussion of relevant and important issues that aren’t necessarily part of the mainstream media’s agenda or a political agenda. Films can change attitudes, people’s perception and can therefore influence action and transform society.
Christine: Also, we believe this project has a long life ahead of it as one of the most ambitious satellites of the Ambulante Global network. So, I think that people who believe in us and the impact social cinema intervention has, can take away the long-term reward of having been the first to have supported us in the United States.
Can you tell us about the rewards people get for donating? I personally would pay a lot of money just to get a hug from either Gael or Diego. Are there any hugs for sale?
Christine: Ha! No, but I will give hugs for free to the folks who share the link the most! We want to reward everyone who donates no matter what level, so we are using the campaign updates as appealing incentives to join. We made about 10 original short videos that are exclusive to backers. They include personal moments with Gael and Diego where they share their passion for storytelling, inviting the public to vote on which venue we should do screenings, and submitting their short films. There are testimonials of filmmakers and staff about their experience of being part of this ecosystem. Then, there is the whole process of building this thing from the ground up which Elena and I plan on capturing on our iPhones throughout and after the campaign.
Can you talk about the spotlight on California-produced films and how the films will be selected?
Christine: Yes, we are announcing a call for short documentary films. We’d like to show mini-docs, so under 10 minutes, that show a slice of life or subculture unique to California. We have assembled a programming committee who will be watching and discussing these films all summer long and will select films in August.
You had a kick-off screening on May Day. How did that go?
Christine: Given that it was our very first screening and it was really a grassroots effort, it was beyond expectations. Everything was programmed in perfect harmony. We showed Cesar’s Last Fast on International Workers Day in one of the most historic and multicultural landmarks, MacArthur Park. Plus, we had a terrific music set by Las Cafeteras. Around 400 people showed up. Our goal is to replicate that special screening each night during our festival dates: September 21 – October 4!
How will Ambulante California be different than the festival in Mexico?
Christine: We want to see how well it takes root this first year so we are starting with a two week tour across the Greater La area. The long-term objective is to activate a national tour of documentaries across different cities similar to the original Mexico tour. Los Angeles is a microcosm of cultures so in many ways the landscape lends itself to do a micro-scale version.
We won’t be announcing our film lineup until the end of July, but I can tell you that the overall programming vision remains the same: discover, share, transform. Essentially the idea is that you can watch a film about someone completely different than you and find out, wow, you can relate and something resonates with that stranger or a culture seemingly foreign to you, leaving you transformed.
That said, in the U.S. and in California in particular, there is also a great opportunity for Ambulante to bridge the gap of supporting and linking Spanish-language stories and American multicultural films with their audiences, which is also a compelling experience.
We are so happy to have the support of Mayor Garcetti’s office and look forward to working with different district and neighborhood councils throughout Los Angeles. The more outreach I do the more excited I am about integrating Ambulante with the vibrant, engaging sector of dedicated civic leaders, community centers, urban community and development non-profits who are all about empowering, enriching, and democratizing the arts as part of an overall holistic approach to improving all our lives. We are allies with the International Documentary Association and the Sundance Institute. We are working with the The La River Revitalization Corporation, Central Library of Los Angeles, School of Cinematic Arts at USC, and every day we are talking to more organizations on how to partner up.
Between Christine, Elena, Gael, and Diego — who can drink the most tequila?
Christine: Elena can outdrink all of us.
Head over to kickstarter to become a backer and help bring Ambulante to California.
- 7/9/2014
- by Vanessa Erazo
- Sydney's Buzz
For almost a decade, Ambulante, a nomadic documentary film festival, has inspired audiences across Mexico through the thought provoking, enlightening, and fascinating films they screen. Founded by Mexican superstars Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal as well as producer Pablo Cruz and Elena Forters.
Their mission is to democratize documentary culture. Since 2005, the non profit has annually organized an epic three-month tour across Mexico presenting remarkable international documentary cinema in areas with limited access to film. Thanks to a grant from the Ford Foundation, they plan to bring the project to the U.S. starting in California, most specifically in Los Angeles.
In order to bring Ambulante to California please back their Kickstarter Campaign. There is only 30 days to make this outstanding event happen.
From Sept. 21 – Oct 4 Ambulante will show a documentary each night, in a different neighborhood in the greater Los Angeles area in an alternative venue and for free.
Ambulante California has already initiated their efforts with recent community screenings of the films "Cesar's Last Fast" by Richard Ray Perez on May 1st at MacArthur Park and "Illusion Nacional" by Olallo Rubio on June 11th at the Mexican Consulate of Los Angeles. Both events were marvelously received by the community and were made possible thanks to overwhelming support from varied sources.
To make the full length festival a reality much more needs to be done and everyone can help.
Here’s how you can help in taking this project from beta to reality:
1. First, check out their fun video and read more about the project on the Kickstarter page.
2. Share the link far and wide with emails and Facebook posts.
3. Pledge your support.
4. Please follow and retweet the festival @AmbulanteCA
5. Please like their page on Facebook and spread the hashtag #BringAmbulante2CA
Ambulante is a collective effort and it will require incredible support to bring it to life. Visit the Kickstarter page Here. There are tons of great rewards!
Check out the video below...
Their mission is to democratize documentary culture. Since 2005, the non profit has annually organized an epic three-month tour across Mexico presenting remarkable international documentary cinema in areas with limited access to film. Thanks to a grant from the Ford Foundation, they plan to bring the project to the U.S. starting in California, most specifically in Los Angeles.
In order to bring Ambulante to California please back their Kickstarter Campaign. There is only 30 days to make this outstanding event happen.
From Sept. 21 – Oct 4 Ambulante will show a documentary each night, in a different neighborhood in the greater Los Angeles area in an alternative venue and for free.
Ambulante California has already initiated their efforts with recent community screenings of the films "Cesar's Last Fast" by Richard Ray Perez on May 1st at MacArthur Park and "Illusion Nacional" by Olallo Rubio on June 11th at the Mexican Consulate of Los Angeles. Both events were marvelously received by the community and were made possible thanks to overwhelming support from varied sources.
To make the full length festival a reality much more needs to be done and everyone can help.
Here’s how you can help in taking this project from beta to reality:
1. First, check out their fun video and read more about the project on the Kickstarter page.
2. Share the link far and wide with emails and Facebook posts.
3. Pledge your support.
4. Please follow and retweet the festival @AmbulanteCA
5. Please like their page on Facebook and spread the hashtag #BringAmbulante2CA
Ambulante is a collective effort and it will require incredible support to bring it to life. Visit the Kickstarter page Here. There are tons of great rewards!
Check out the video below...
- 6/18/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
After almost a decade of creating a successful traveling platform to showcase important documentary films around Mexico, Ambulante, the non-profit founded by Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Pablo Cruz, and Elena Fortes, has expanded to California. Ambulante California aims to continue this mission engaging audiences in the Los Angeles area.
The new organization's film public even will take place this Thursday May 1st in Los Angeles at MacArthur Park, this will include a musical performance by Alternative band Las Cafeters , and the screening of documentary Cesar's Last Fast, which chronicles the efforts and devotion of the farmworkers leader for a just cause. This is a Free event that encourages audiences from all backgrounds to participate and get to know Ambulante's mission ahead of the their official inaugural festival to take place September 21st to October 4th all around the Los Angeles county.
Learn more about Ambulante California Here
Take a look at out interview with Richard Ray Perez director of Cesar's Last Fast
Interview Part 1
Interview Part 2...
The new organization's film public even will take place this Thursday May 1st in Los Angeles at MacArthur Park, this will include a musical performance by Alternative band Las Cafeters , and the screening of documentary Cesar's Last Fast, which chronicles the efforts and devotion of the farmworkers leader for a just cause. This is a Free event that encourages audiences from all backgrounds to participate and get to know Ambulante's mission ahead of the their official inaugural festival to take place September 21st to October 4th all around the Los Angeles county.
Learn more about Ambulante California Here
Take a look at out interview with Richard Ray Perez director of Cesar's Last Fast
Interview Part 1
Interview Part 2...
- 4/30/2014
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
When Donna Summer passed away a year and a half ago (heaven knows, it’s not the way it should be), it was like a dagger in the heart for many of us who grew up listening to her music. The undisputed Queen Of Disco, she would make a successful transition out of the 70′s, and continue to churn out hits for years afterward.
Donna became “Born Again” in the early 80′s, and it would radically alter her career, as well as her relationship with the gay community. For 30 years, until her death, she was dogged by the rumor that she made a comment about AIDS being God’s punishment, and even though she vehemently denied it, It continued to persist.
It’s sad that an unprovable piece of gossip could tarnish her reputation for decades, but on this, her 65th birthday, we can take a look back at the legacy she left behind.
Donna became “Born Again” in the early 80′s, and it would radically alter her career, as well as her relationship with the gay community. For 30 years, until her death, she was dogged by the rumor that she made a comment about AIDS being God’s punishment, and even though she vehemently denied it, It continued to persist.
It’s sad that an unprovable piece of gossip could tarnish her reputation for decades, but on this, her 65th birthday, we can take a look back at the legacy she left behind.
- 12/31/2013
- by snicks
- The Backlot
Dire animated festive fare fails to be enlivened by the vocal contributions of Martin Freeman and Tim Curry
Reading this on a mobile? Click here
"Once they were yo-ho-ho-ing; now they'll be boo-hoo-hooing!" They will if you drag them along to this homegrown festive turkey, which conjures up visions of cold stuffing sandwiches a whole month before the traditional hardening of festive arteries has begun. Imagine all the most cliched ideas from Santa Claus – The Movie, Elf and Arthur Christmas mixed up in a bowl of bland digimation, cooked in the oven of utterly perfunctory 3D, sprinkled with a tired time-travelling riff from Doctor Who, and then left (like the proverbial MacArthur Park cake) out in the rain to go soggy and stale, before shipping up on DVD as a crap last-minute 24-hour garage stocking filler.
That Martin Freeman and Tim Curry (both mighty in their own way) should lend...
Reading this on a mobile? Click here
"Once they were yo-ho-ho-ing; now they'll be boo-hoo-hooing!" They will if you drag them along to this homegrown festive turkey, which conjures up visions of cold stuffing sandwiches a whole month before the traditional hardening of festive arteries has begun. Imagine all the most cliched ideas from Santa Claus – The Movie, Elf and Arthur Christmas mixed up in a bowl of bland digimation, cooked in the oven of utterly perfunctory 3D, sprinkled with a tired time-travelling riff from Doctor Who, and then left (like the proverbial MacArthur Park cake) out in the rain to go soggy and stale, before shipping up on DVD as a crap last-minute 24-hour garage stocking filler.
That Martin Freeman and Tim Curry (both mighty in their own way) should lend...
- 12/1/2013
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
When the American Idol judges rose to their feet at the end of Amber Holcomb’s questionable rendition of “MacArthur Park” last Wednesday, it was clear something was amiss. Either they’d collectively suffered a significant degree of hearing loss — or they’d been made aware of some fine print in their contracts noting they were obligated to cheerlead on behalf of Nigel Lythgoe’s Chosen Ones (Tm).
If there’s any other explanation, my Idology cohost Melinda Doolittle and I are at a loss to come up with it. On this week’s show, we examine how Keith Urban,...
If there’s any other explanation, my Idology cohost Melinda Doolittle and I are at a loss to come up with it. On this week’s show, we examine how Keith Urban,...
- 4/29/2013
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
We all should, really, for being so Lame. As rumored this week, Idol may shake up its entire judging panel next season in an effort to boost ratings. It’s getting beaten in the adult demo by repeats of The Big Bang Theory and a fresh-from-the-swamp ep of Duck Dynasty. Oof. Does the show even matter anymore? It’s, like, way existential.
Go right to Page 2 for our list of potential new judges, and suggest your own! I need to rant for a bit below.
Now, I am by no means a fan of this current low-chemistry judging panel. Keith Urban seems genuine,...
Go right to Page 2 for our list of potential new judges, and suggest your own! I need to rant for a bit below.
Now, I am by no means a fan of this current low-chemistry judging panel. Keith Urban seems genuine,...
- 4/26/2013
- by Annie Barrett
- EW.com - PopWatch
Ryan Seacrest promises that tonight's American Idol will bring a surprise that will turn the competition on its head. But first the remaining contestants have to survive this week's cut and go on to sing another song.
What will the shocking twist be? And who will be left standing? Let's find out now...
The girls come together to sing Alicia Keys' "Girl On Fire." They each shine individually even if they seem to feel awkward with all the choreography. I can't help but think that Naya Rivera did this better on Glee. This wasn't a song written to be sung as a quartet.
Amber Holcomb's recap from last night is first. Jimmy thought she did a great job on "Power Of Love" but doesn't understand her song choice of "MacArthur Park" at all. Apparently, Amber didn't really understand the song either. Jimmy thinks she could be in trouble...
What will the shocking twist be? And who will be left standing? Let's find out now...
The girls come together to sing Alicia Keys' "Girl On Fire." They each shine individually even if they seem to feel awkward with all the choreography. I can't help but think that Naya Rivera did this better on Glee. This wasn't a song written to be sung as a quartet.
Amber Holcomb's recap from last night is first. Jimmy thought she did a great job on "Power Of Love" but doesn't understand her song choice of "MacArthur Park" at all. Apparently, Amber didn't really understand the song either. Jimmy thinks she could be in trouble...
- 4/26/2013
- by miranda.wicker@gmail.com (Miranda Wicker)
- TVfanatic
Ryan Seacrest kicked off Top 4 results night on Season 12 of American Idol with a speech that — depending on your outlook in life, or at least reality television — sounded either incredibly hopeful or deeply ominous: “I will announce some shocking news that will affect the judges and turn the competition upside down. It’s gonna be another serious night of drama.”
Ryan, who’s hummed along this season as quietly and efficiently — and with as little fanfare — as a high-end refrigerator, had already hinted at a “surprise twist” in the Idol proceedings at the end of Wednesday’s Top 4 performance show.
Ryan, who’s hummed along this season as quietly and efficiently — and with as little fanfare — as a high-end refrigerator, had already hinted at a “surprise twist” in the Idol proceedings at the end of Wednesday’s Top 4 performance show.
- 4/26/2013
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
The themes this week on "American Idol" are contestants' choice and one-hit wonders, plus a couple duets thrown in for good measure. That's a lot of singin' -- let's get to it.
1. Amber Holcomb, "The Power of Love," Celine Dion
Wow. It's like Whitney singing Celine. The a capella opening is exquisite. She is just ... wow. It's not exactly current, but when you can sing, you can sing. That high note was perfection. Also, she looks amazing. Those big curls really suit her.
The judges are over the moon about it -- Keith calls it an "amazingly perfect" song choice and Randy says she's the contestant who has grown the most over the competition. For sure.
2. Candice Glover, "Find Your Love," Drake
Interesting song choice, but if she wants to be current R&B, then this is a good pick. It's nice to hear her put her diva-ness on it,...
1. Amber Holcomb, "The Power of Love," Celine Dion
Wow. It's like Whitney singing Celine. The a capella opening is exquisite. She is just ... wow. It's not exactly current, but when you can sing, you can sing. That high note was perfection. Also, she looks amazing. Those big curls really suit her.
The judges are over the moon about it -- Keith calls it an "amazingly perfect" song choice and Randy says she's the contestant who has grown the most over the competition. For sure.
2. Candice Glover, "Find Your Love," Drake
Interesting song choice, but if she wants to be current R&B, then this is a good pick. It's nice to hear her put her diva-ness on it,...
- 4/25/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
We mere mortals can't always tell a "good" performance from a "great" performance on "American Idol." That's one explanation for the disconnect between the beautiful singing of Candice Glover and Kree Harrison and the judges' mostly negative reactions.
Considering that Amber Holcomb and Angie Miller received positive reviews for what seemed to be only marginally better performances, another explanation may be the judges making it clear who they want in the finale.
Honestly, unless I'm unexpectedly tone deaf, the second theory is the one I'm going with.
Amber, Amber, Amber ...
Just in case you've been retreating to a cave during every bit of judge commentary throughout "Idol" Season 12, the judges like Amber. They like her a lot and have been justifiably irritated that America doesn't seem to share the sentiment. Despite a whole bunch of consistently good performances, Amber has rarely seen voting numbers to match.
The judges have been...
Considering that Amber Holcomb and Angie Miller received positive reviews for what seemed to be only marginally better performances, another explanation may be the judges making it clear who they want in the finale.
Honestly, unless I'm unexpectedly tone deaf, the second theory is the one I'm going with.
Amber, Amber, Amber ...
Just in case you've been retreating to a cave during every bit of judge commentary throughout "Idol" Season 12, the judges like Amber. They like her a lot and have been justifiably irritated that America doesn't seem to share the sentiment. Despite a whole bunch of consistently good performances, Amber has rarely seen voting numbers to match.
The judges have been...
- 4/25/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Welcome to Miss American Idol, an exciting new reality series from Fox where gorgeous, talented women take the stage and sing for your votes — and then the ones with the skinniest legs advance to the finale.
Wait, that’s not an actual show? Then please someone tell me what I spent two hours watching tonight as a white-hot rage percolated through my circulatory system and turned me into the kind of cussing, fork-throwing (yes, I may have slammed cutlery into the hard wood floor), definitely-not-enjoying-myself monster you’d typically see on a show like Bad Girls Club or The Real Housewives of the Ninth Circle.
Wait, that’s not an actual show? Then please someone tell me what I spent two hours watching tonight as a white-hot rage percolated through my circulatory system and turned me into the kind of cussing, fork-throwing (yes, I may have slammed cutlery into the hard wood floor), definitely-not-enjoying-myself monster you’d typically see on a show like Bad Girls Club or The Real Housewives of the Ninth Circle.
- 4/25/2013
- by Michael Slezak
- TVLine.com
The final four ladies — Angie Miller (pictured), Amber Holcomb, Candice Glover, and Kree Harrison — performed a song of their own choosing and then a “one hit wonder,” which apparently called for a time warp. Nothing from later than the ’70s! In it to win it tonight! “I think you’re so current and so now,” Randy Jackson lied through his teeth to Amber after she sang “MacArthur Park.” It was the judges’ most manipulative night yet, which is saying a Lot.
Full ‘American Idol’ recap: The Judges Lie 23 Times
The judges claimed Angie won the night, criticized Candice for being old-fashioned,...
Full ‘American Idol’ recap: The Judges Lie 23 Times
The judges claimed Angie won the night, criticized Candice for being old-fashioned,...
- 4/25/2013
- by Annie Barrett
- EW.com - PopWatch
It’s hard to rank the all-very-deserving final four, as each has her own unique singing style. At this point the competition boils down to personal taste. I keep wondering how much sway the judges and their rampant standing Os really have. Last week they seemed to be gunning the hardest for Kree Harrison and Amber Holcomb — but both have now landed in the bottom two, while Angie Miller and Candice Glover haven’t.
My Power List is below — leave your own in the comments….
4. Amber Holcomb Last week’s “What Are You Doing For the Rest of Your Life” was staggeringly gorgeous,...
My Power List is below — leave your own in the comments….
4. Amber Holcomb Last week’s “What Are You Doing For the Rest of Your Life” was staggeringly gorgeous,...
- 4/24/2013
- by Annie Barrett
- EW.com - PopWatch
Shante, you slay.
We're nearing the end of RuPaul's Drag Race's fifth season, and that means it's time to make an important list: the 10 funniest queens in the show's history. In an age when people like Vivienne Pinay and Ivy Winters insist that fishiness is more important than comic chops, we need to fight back. I watch this show for unbridled sauciness, wit, and unapologetic humor, and these ten queens all boasted fine gut-busting instincts.
10. Detox
I have to be honest: I nearly gave this spot to Tatianna, whose performance as Britney Spears remains Snatch Game's most hilarious triumph, but Detox is truly the funnier performer. Her wise-ass commentaries, chicken fierceness, amazing side-eye, jaw-wagging lip-sync skills, and general weariness of everything are total treats. She'd probably laugh more at herself if her facial muscles were capable of abject glee. I'm always waiting to hear her next confessional, particularly after...
We're nearing the end of RuPaul's Drag Race's fifth season, and that means it's time to make an important list: the 10 funniest queens in the show's history. In an age when people like Vivienne Pinay and Ivy Winters insist that fishiness is more important than comic chops, we need to fight back. I watch this show for unbridled sauciness, wit, and unapologetic humor, and these ten queens all boasted fine gut-busting instincts.
10. Detox
I have to be honest: I nearly gave this spot to Tatianna, whose performance as Britney Spears remains Snatch Game's most hilarious triumph, but Detox is truly the funnier performer. Her wise-ass commentaries, chicken fierceness, amazing side-eye, jaw-wagging lip-sync skills, and general weariness of everything are total treats. She'd probably laugh more at herself if her facial muscles were capable of abject glee. I'm always waiting to hear her next confessional, particularly after...
- 4/10/2013
- by virtel
- The Backlot
Barbra Streisand's new rarities album Release Me (cute title, dear!) features eleven lovely tracks from all your favorite eras of Streisand supremacy. I'm particularly fond of "I Think It's Going to Rain Today," her Randy Newman cover from 1970 that's hypnotically melancholic. There've been tons of versions of that tune, and I think we're finally hearing the definitive take. And speaking of new takes: Let's commemorate Barbra's newest triumph with a short retrospective of great artists who've covered her. Not many are brave enough to try but these eight dames deliver a knockout just like crusty old Ryan O'Neal in The Main Event.
1. Donna Summer, "Papa, Can You Hear Me"
We begin with Barbra's "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" duet partner, the late and always fluffy Donna Summer, who enlivened the 1983 Academy Awards with a version of the nominated Yentl yarn, "Papa, Do You Hear Me" that has all...
1. Donna Summer, "Papa, Can You Hear Me"
We begin with Barbra's "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)" duet partner, the late and always fluffy Donna Summer, who enlivened the 1983 Academy Awards with a version of the nominated Yentl yarn, "Papa, Do You Hear Me" that has all...
- 10/24/2012
- by virtel
- The Backlot
This August, La kids can cool off zombie style with green sour ice cream courtesy of Focus Features. Paranorman! Norman Babcock, the star of Paranorman, along with his co-stars (some of whom are zombies), will travel throughout New York City in an ice cream truck handing out free ice cream. The green sour ice cream is melon and apple flavored.
Below is a list of some of the stops:
Mary Poppins @ The Ahmanson Theater . Aug. 10th (7:30Pm), 11th (2Pm, 7:30Pm), 12th (2Pm, 7:30Pm) 17th (7:30Pm)
Oc Fair . Aug 10th-12th, 12-8Pm
Shakespeare in the Park @ Griffith Park . Aug 10th -12th, 17th; 7Pm
Shakespeare by the Sea’s “Romeo and Juliet” . Aug 10th; 8Pm-10Pm
Grease: The Musical @ Phillips Performing Arts . Aug 10th; 7:30Pm
Summer Music Series @ Farmer’s Market . Aug 10th, 7Pm-9Pm
Big!World!Fun! @ Ford Theaters . Aug 11th, 10Am
Street Food...
Below is a list of some of the stops:
Mary Poppins @ The Ahmanson Theater . Aug. 10th (7:30Pm), 11th (2Pm, 7:30Pm), 12th (2Pm, 7:30Pm) 17th (7:30Pm)
Oc Fair . Aug 10th-12th, 12-8Pm
Shakespeare in the Park @ Griffith Park . Aug 10th -12th, 17th; 7Pm
Shakespeare by the Sea’s “Romeo and Juliet” . Aug 10th; 8Pm-10Pm
Grease: The Musical @ Phillips Performing Arts . Aug 10th; 7:30Pm
Summer Music Series @ Farmer’s Market . Aug 10th, 7Pm-9Pm
Big!World!Fun! @ Ford Theaters . Aug 11th, 10Am
Street Food...
- 8/2/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
This was a particularly sad week for the musical world. We lost four greats: Chuck Brown, the godfather of Go-Go; country-rock pioneer Doug Dillard; supreme disco diva Donna Summer; and Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, who did more to promote art song than anyone else in the recording era.
Chuck Brown was the most innovative of them, and the funkiest. Born in 1936, he paid his dues as a guitarist in various R&B bands in the '60s. His funk band The Soul Searchers made two classic albums for Sussex, We the People (1972) and Salt of the Earth (1974). "Ashley's Roachclip" on the latter includes a drum break that became one of the sampled breaks in hip-hop; "Blow Your Whistle" from the same LP is also much-sampled.
It's debatable when Go-Go originated as a separate style; originally, it denoted merely party music or a dance club. But in live performance, in Brown's home territory in and around Washington D.
Chuck Brown was the most innovative of them, and the funkiest. Born in 1936, he paid his dues as a guitarist in various R&B bands in the '60s. His funk band The Soul Searchers made two classic albums for Sussex, We the People (1972) and Salt of the Earth (1974). "Ashley's Roachclip" on the latter includes a drum break that became one of the sampled breaks in hip-hop; "Blow Your Whistle" from the same LP is also much-sampled.
It's debatable when Go-Go originated as a separate style; originally, it denoted merely party music or a dance club. But in live performance, in Brown's home territory in and around Washington D.
- 5/19/2012
- by SteveHoltje
- www.culturecatch.com
Goodbye to disco queen Donna Summer who died yesterday at 63 of cancer. She was one of the rare through lines in popular music of the 70s and 80s -- doesn't it seem like disco had its inordinate share of one hit wonders? But not Donna. Hit after hit and her voice defined the era: I Feel Love, Macarthur Park, Love to Love Ya Baby, No More Tears (Enough is Enough) and so on...
Donna was a "special guest star" in the movie, but promoted to top billed for the DVD release despite her small role.
Donna wrote or co-wrote some of her hits but not "Last Dance", the Oscar-winning one. Still, you can bet her indelible vocals helped win songwriter Paul Jabara that naked gold man. As you can see in the image up top Donna became the film's most important selling point retroactively on DVD but in the original poster,...
Donna was a "special guest star" in the movie, but promoted to top billed for the DVD release despite her small role.
Donna wrote or co-wrote some of her hits but not "Last Dance", the Oscar-winning one. Still, you can bet her indelible vocals helped win songwriter Paul Jabara that naked gold man. As you can see in the image up top Donna became the film's most important selling point retroactively on DVD but in the original poster,...
- 5/18/2012
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Donna Summer was the supreme songbird of the disco era, winning five Grammys including one for warbling the Oscar-winning "Last Dance." That song from the otherwise forgettable 1978 film "Thank God Its Friday" brought Summer her first recongition from the Grammys with a win for Best Female R& B Performance. The recording industry's top kudos had snubbed Summer for her chart-topping tunes "Love to Love You Baby" (1976) and "I Feel Love" (1977). However, they could not ignore her continued success with her #1 hit "MacArthur Park" reaping her a Pop performance bid in 1978. The following year, she contended for Album of the Year with her best-selling "Bad Girls" and won the Rock Vocal award for the track "Hot Stuff." She reaped eight other bids over the next four years for hits such as "She Works Hard for the Money." However, it was her renditions of the soulful "He's a Rebe...
- 5/17/2012
- Gold Derby
The queen of disco has died: Donna Summer, whose vocals powered the genre, and helped define the 1970s, passed away early Thursday, her family said in a statement. The Grammy-winning singer reportedly had been battling cancer. She was 63. "While we grieve her passing," her family said, "we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and continued legacy." Summer burst onto the scene with some of music's most audible, controversial and memorable moans and groans in 1975's "Love to Love You Baby." Other hits included the required-listening disco tunes, "Bad Girls," "Last Dance," "Hot Stuff," "MacArthur Park" and "On the...
- 5/17/2012
- E! Online
Donna Summer, known as the '70s Queen of Disco, passed away Thursday morning after a 10-month battle with lung cancer. She was 63.
Summer's family, who apparently were the only ones who knew of her illness, have released a statement saying that the singer has died and that they "are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continue legacy."
The five-time Grammy winner was best known for the disco hits Last Dance, Hot Stuff, Bad Girls, MacArthur Park, On the Radio, She Works Hard for the Money and more.
Despite her peak success, charting three consecutive double albums at No. 1 on the Billboard charts as well as four No. 1 singles within 13 months, Summer struggled to stay on top in the onset of the mid-to-late '80s and afterwards, despite several attempts at a comeback.
Summer married singer Bruce Sudano in the summer of 1980 and the pair had two daughters together, Brooklyn and Amanda...
Summer's family, who apparently were the only ones who knew of her illness, have released a statement saying that the singer has died and that they "are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continue legacy."
The five-time Grammy winner was best known for the disco hits Last Dance, Hot Stuff, Bad Girls, MacArthur Park, On the Radio, She Works Hard for the Money and more.
Despite her peak success, charting three consecutive double albums at No. 1 on the Billboard charts as well as four No. 1 singles within 13 months, Summer struggled to stay on top in the onset of the mid-to-late '80s and afterwards, despite several attempts at a comeback.
Summer married singer Bruce Sudano in the summer of 1980 and the pair had two daughters together, Brooklyn and Amanda...
- 5/17/2012
- Entertainment Tonight
Donna Summer, whose pulsating hits "I Feel Love," "Last Dance" and "MacArthur Park" provided the disco soundtrack for the 1970s, has died at age 63. Her family confirmed Summer's death, saying in a statement that they "are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy." "Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time," the statement continued. A onetime backup singer for Three Dog Night, Summer, who was born Ladonna Gaines, hit the American charts with the sexually charged "Love to Love You Baby," released in 1975 amid controversy...
- 5/17/2012
- by Mike Fleeman
- PEOPLE.com
After a long battle with cancer, eternal Queen of Disco Donna Summer has passed away at age sixty-three. A five-time Grammy winner, Summer was behind some of behind some of disco's all-time greatest hits, including Bad Girls, Hot Stuff, Last Dance, and MacArthur Park. In spite of her illness, she was reportedly working on an album prior to her death, and is survived by a husband and three daughters. Expect to hear nothing but Donna Summer at every party and bar you go to this weekend, and rightly so. Rip, [...]...
- 5/17/2012
- Nerve
Classic disco tunes found their way into just about every corner of our culture, from 'American Idol' to Beyoncé's 'Naughty Girl.'
By John Mitchell
Donna Summer
Photo: Harry Langdon/Getty Images
The death of Donna Summer on Thursday (May 17) at age 63 after a long battle with cancer has many reflecting on the impact the disco legend had on music.
While many may not realize it, Summer is the foremother of, well, just about every pop song on the radio today. Her iconic 1977 anthem "I Feel Love," which peaked at #6 on the Billboard singles chart (one of 14 top 10 hits), was the first mainstream song to be produced using an entirely synthesized backing track. Until then, most disco recordings had been backed by acoustic orchestras, and the reception to the song revolutionized music.
"One day in Berlin, [Brian] Eno came running in and said, 'I have heard the sound of the future,...
By John Mitchell
Donna Summer
Photo: Harry Langdon/Getty Images
The death of Donna Summer on Thursday (May 17) at age 63 after a long battle with cancer has many reflecting on the impact the disco legend had on music.
While many may not realize it, Summer is the foremother of, well, just about every pop song on the radio today. Her iconic 1977 anthem "I Feel Love," which peaked at #6 on the Billboard singles chart (one of 14 top 10 hits), was the first mainstream song to be produced using an entirely synthesized backing track. Until then, most disco recordings had been backed by acoustic orchestras, and the reception to the song revolutionized music.
"One day in Berlin, [Brian] Eno came running in and said, 'I have heard the sound of the future,...
- 5/17/2012
- MTV Music News
Los Angeles -- From around 1910 to the late 1920s, the silent film industry dominated Los Angeles. The movies were filmed everywhere, from Hollywood to bustling downtown to what was then a nearly barren valley area, on the other side of the Hollywood Hills. Without permits, unions or worries about sound, filmmakers could just grab a camera and shoot scenes on the spot, transforming various L.A. locales into any place the script called for. Hollywood was truly the Wild West, infinitely more accessible than now.
"The Artist," a Golden Globe winner and Oscar contender that hearkens back to the lost art of telling a story in black and white, without talking, has renewed interest in that early genre. Fortunately, many of the locations where exteriors were filmed during the silent film era still exist today, and you can find them hidden around the city like historic gems.
"Southern California was...
"The Artist," a Golden Globe winner and Oscar contender that hearkens back to the lost art of telling a story in black and white, without talking, has renewed interest in that early genre. Fortunately, many of the locations where exteriors were filmed during the silent film era still exist today, and you can find them hidden around the city like historic gems.
"Southern California was...
- 2/16/2012
- by AP
- Huffington Post
In the vein of similar takes on Back to the Future, Gremlins and Star Wars, here are my reasons for naming 1993 sensation Jurassic Park as the best movie of all time. Many of them aren’t strictly “reasons” – just cool, funny or nostalgic things that fans will hopefully get a kick out of:
1. “Clever girl.”
An iconic scene…
Game warden Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck) has some of the film’s finest moments (“they remember”; “they should all be destroyed!”; “I told you how many times we needed locking mechanisms on the vehicle doors!?”; and “quiet all of you: they’re approaching the tyrannosaur paddock!”), but his best remembered line – one of the most quoted from the movie – is the above gem, delivered just prior to his grisly demise.
2. “I bring a scientist, you bring a rockstar.”
Jeff Goldblum: Movie Scientist!
Remember that film starring Jeff Goldblum that you like?...
1. “Clever girl.”
An iconic scene…
Game warden Robert Muldoon (Bob Peck) has some of the film’s finest moments (“they remember”; “they should all be destroyed!”; “I told you how many times we needed locking mechanisms on the vehicle doors!?”; and “quiet all of you: they’re approaching the tyrannosaur paddock!”), but his best remembered line – one of the most quoted from the movie – is the above gem, delivered just prior to his grisly demise.
2. “I bring a scientist, you bring a rockstar.”
Jeff Goldblum: Movie Scientist!
Remember that film starring Jeff Goldblum that you like?...
- 9/17/2011
- by Robert Beames
- Obsessed with Film
NBC / Universal Nick Cannon and Avril Lavigne on “America’s Got Talent”
After two hours of terrific performances on last night’s “America’s Got Talent,” the fate of the first 12 performers was left in the hands of the audience. Voting began promptly after the end of Tuesday’s show, and with the exception of one act, all of Wednesday’s winners were determined by the numbers of supporters who called or texted their choices. And as the show started,...
After two hours of terrific performances on last night’s “America’s Got Talent,” the fate of the first 12 performers was left in the hands of the audience. Voting began promptly after the end of Tuesday’s show, and with the exception of one act, all of Wednesday’s winners were determined by the numbers of supporters who called or texted their choices. And as the show started,...
- 7/14/2011
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
He played some of the most sublime chess ever seen. Then, as a new book and film illustrate, he disappeared from view. What made such a brilliant mind go into freefall?
In 1999, I spent three days sitting in a variety of thermal baths dotted around Budapest. As grand and attractive as the Hungarian capital's spas are, I wasn't stewing myself for therapeutic or leisure purposes. Instead, I was waiting for someone I'd been told frequented the baths, someone who was said to be a genius and a paranoid obsessive, the greatest chess player who ever lived and an obnoxious crackpot. I was looking for Bobby Fischer.
For the last four decades of his life, that's what people did with Fischer – they looked for him. Fans, journalists, biographers, friends, they all tried to find this mythical creature, either in person or in that fabulous abstract realm that he continued to haunt: chess.
In 1999, I spent three days sitting in a variety of thermal baths dotted around Budapest. As grand and attractive as the Hungarian capital's spas are, I wasn't stewing myself for therapeutic or leisure purposes. Instead, I was waiting for someone I'd been told frequented the baths, someone who was said to be a genius and a paranoid obsessive, the greatest chess player who ever lived and an obnoxious crackpot. I was looking for Bobby Fischer.
For the last four decades of his life, that's what people did with Fischer – they looked for him. Fans, journalists, biographers, friends, they all tried to find this mythical creature, either in person or in that fabulous abstract realm that he continued to haunt: chess.
- 5/14/2011
- by Andrew Anthony
- The Guardian - Film News
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