Sumptuous: Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's

Writer/Director Matthew Miele, husband to WNBC anchor Sara Gore and new father to a baby boy, admitted he’s something of a classicist when it comes to New York. He’s a devoted follower of the AMC series Mad Men and thinks of post-World War II era up to the mid ‘60s as New York at its most creative. To him, Bergdorf’s represents New York at its best and brings back memories of Truman Capote writing Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Leonard Bernstein composing West Side Story... READ MORE Steve Ramos Upcoming Movies.com

If you are a follower of Tinsel & Tine you know nothing makes me happier (aside from cake) than the glamor, elegance and sumptuousness of a time gone by (See Great Gatsby post).  So this documentary Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's was on my list of must sees!  And... new blogging milestone - it was the first time I was sent a screener to review the film!!!

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorfs, opening in Philly May 24th, is really a documentary love letter to the 111year-old fashion institution. Where as famed designer Isaac Mizrahi put it - "If you're not at "that place", there's no future for those clothes".  That may be a bit of an exaggeration, as is typical of Mizrahi's flair; however, clearly from watching the film, aspiring fashion designers consider having their line available at Bergdorf Goodman  as being the pinnacle of their success, it means they've arrived. It's a glorious benchmark in their fashion careers! And established, elite designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Louboutin & Thom Browne still speak about the store as if it were a god requiring homage and sacrifice, no virgins, just your most fabulous spring line!

In 1894 it wasn't actually a department store or even a small boutique, it was a Ladies Tailor and Furrier called Bergdorf & Voight. But by 1935 it had grown to represent high fashion, and became the behemoth store at 57th & 5 that we all know and love today. (formerly the 130 room Vanderbilt Mansion).  Edwin Goodman bought into the business in 1901 as an apprentice. By the time the department store opened, he was at the helm, Bergdorf having retired. Goodman never changed the name of the business, understandably; yet it's odd that although the Goodman family owned and operated the store (even living in the upper floors) until 1972, the store always gets called simply Bergdorfs. 

Linda Fargo so much nicer than Anna W.

I've only visited the store during the exhilarating Fashion's Night Out, which has been put on hiatus for 2013 :(  But what I wouldn't give to be truly be a member of this "exclusive club for women", as Bergdorf's celebrated Fashion Director Linda Fargo puts it.

Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf's isn't as scintillating and tension filled as the Anna Wintour driven flick The September Issue. This movie is more archival, with great interviews, including Cher and Joan Rivers, footage of Babs (Funny Girl days) playfully singing "Second Hand Rose" dancing comically around the store and interesting stories, like Jackie O's most famous Halston hat and John Lennon's fur buying extravaganza.  All interspersed with the blood, sweat and tears, or rather beads, sparkle and toil of window designer David Hoey, as he works with his team to produce another breathtaking holiday shopping theatrical window experience!

For more Tinsel & Tine Fashion Posts:

Film & Fashion Week (Meryl Streep)

Guest Blogger: Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel

Commentary - SATC2

 

LAMB Score 3 outta 5

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Time to Hang Up “The Hangover” : THE HANGOVER PART III

In the third installment of the Hangover Series, Director Todd Phillips proves Hangovers gets worst with age

By Christopher “Flood the Drummer”® Norris

In the third and hopefully truly the final of The Hangover series, Director Todd Phillips reached deep into the basket of desperation and retrieved a series of over-the-top jokes, puns and homoerotic anecdotes that made light of the murdering and drugging of animals, elderly abuse and sodomy. The movie opens with the irresponsible and off-putting Alan (Zach Galifianakis) drinking a beer while driving a sleek, new, Mercedes convertible coupe. Traveling on a busy highway with a trailer attached transporting a large giraffe, Alan drives through an underpass that’s not quite tall enough for clear passing; the giraffe is decapitated and thus the madness begins. There are a few other deaths in this movie, most notably the plot. 

 

Dearly departed from the elements that made the franchise a success, this time there’s no wedding(s), no bachelor party and very little drinking. Instead, after staging an intervention, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Doug (Justin Bartha) take a road trip to drop Alan (Zach Galifianakis) off at a rehab facility. Along the way they’re driven off the road, kidnapped and Doug is taken hostage by Marshall (John Goodman) – apparently Chow (Ken Jeong) has stolen $25 million worth of gold from him and “The Four Horsemen” is his only chance of locating him. Why? We’ll that’s the biggest twist; Alan, while Chow was in prison, wrote letters and developed a friendship with him. Marshall somehow retrieved the letters and has demanded they track him down or their friend Doug will be killed.

With a plot this random expect all the twist, turns, crash and burns; just don’t expect to hold your side in laughter… It’s really not that funny. It’s time to hang up The Hangover.

Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™

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LAMB Score 1 out of 5

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Trekkie Soup: STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

 

Had a blast seeing Star Trek Into Darkness last night!  Unlike most of the 3D movies I've seen, this one makes galactic good use of the technology!

But I'm not a Trekkie. I'm a fan of the original series, meaning if I'm channel surfing aimlessly on a Saturday and come across William Shatner stuffed into his uniform, seducing some blue creature, I get a little thrill and stop to watch.

So no movie review here, you'll find plenty of other sites with plenty to say, I just thought I'd throw out some random Star Trek frivolity:

Like did you know William Shatner does wine tastings on his website?

AND

I absolutely love that there's a Star Trek Dating site!  

Looks like you can be matched up with male, female or alien.

Our matching system for online daters helps improve your chances of finding a relationship. If you're a Sci-fi fan and want to meet your Borg queen or captain Kirk Try It Now - Startrekdating.com

AND

I thought Tinsel & Tine had a provocative name when for the first two years it was called Suck My Pretty Toes.  This guys got me beat!

http://fuckyeahstartrektos.tumblr.com/

Star Trek Into Darkness Reviews - Two bloggy Trekkies on opposite ends of the spectrum:

IGN Andrew Patterson

The plot isn't very original and refuses to go beyond the mentality of a popcorn movie: non-stop impressive action sequences, a villain we can easily hate and heroes we can vouch for. In that sense, it feels like action film paying tribute to the franchise rather than a worthy entry to the canon. This is can be disappointing, but there are benefits. Unencumbered by complex lore, this is a movie that newcomers can easily jump into and enjoy without any significant knowledge of the franchise.
While it may have lost a few IQ points, there is still much to appreciate with this installment. Take for instance... READ MORE

Comic Vine johnkmccubbin91 -

"If you thought the 2009 film was amazing, you haven't seen nothing yet. This is a truly phenomenal film, and one of the best I've seen this year, as well as being possibly the best Star Trek film of all time. The action, and emotion was balanced equally, and the overall plot was developed perfectly, creating a very dramatic, and suspenseful film, which after just seeing already has me looking forward to it's release on Blu-Ray. I'd highly recommend this film to anyone, whether you're a Star Trek fan or not, as it's a truly amazing film, and well worth the watch. Rating 5/5" READ MORE

Sheldon Cooper/Jim Parsons "The Big Bang Theory"

If you have or see anything really fun to add to this Trekkie Soup let me know!

Here's an original entry sent to me by David Cross in Novelty Real Estate:

Hey Tinsel and Tine,
Taking inspiration from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode “Trials and Tribble-ations” we created a fun calculator dedicated to Tribbles.

For a while now, I’ve been trying to find a way to finagle a Star Trek-themed post onto the Movoto blog. With J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek film finally in theatres, I thought it was time to pull out the big phasers and make it happen. Are you ready to be stunned?

in “The Trouble With Tribbles,” Spock assumes that a tribble can produce 10 more tribbles every 12 hours.

To figure out the volume of a tribble, I again looked to smarter Trekkies. I came across Think Geek, which sells replica tribbles in two sizes: 6-inch diameter and 12-inch diameter. I scratched my head and picked the larger tribble toy.

Armed with a number, I set my phaser to kickass math and looked up how to calculate the volume of a sphere; this gave me how much space a pesky tribble would take up.

The calculator tells you how many Tribbles would fit inside your home as well as how long it would take to fill your home up with these multiplying trouble makers: Star Trek: How Many Tribbles Will Fit in Your House?

Thanks for sending this David!  Using your Tribble app, in 48 Hours my apartment would be filled with 9,615 TRIBBLES.


LAMB Score 3.5 out of 5

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The Great Gatsby 1974 vs The Great Gatsby 2013

Carey Mulligan & Leonardo DiCaprio vs Mia Farrow and Robert Redford

Did I in fall in love with director Baz Lurhmann's Moulin Rouge (2001) (starring Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor) not really, but I did love his vision - the spectacle, strangeness, musicality and vaudevillian intention.

I anticipated similar pomp and splash for Lurhmann's latest inspiration to remake The Great Gatsby.  And when it comes to the big party scene this is what we get, verve, elaborate costumes, gaiety, circus like atmosphere, whirlwind of camera angles, music and dancing, something resembling a scene from a  Ziegfield show!  So, obviously Lurhmann was inspired to recreate the Jay Gatsby parties, but was he inspired by the rest of the book? Or was there a point in which he realized the rest of the story doesn't translate very well into what feels like a staged musical? Not that there's other dance numbers and singing, just Jay-Z's tracks pumping in the background, but the movie looks and feels campy & staged. I thought I was down for this, but it became for me, a cartoonish, ham-fisted, parody of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel. 

Baz Lurhmann Party Scene vs Jack Clayton Party Scene

To make matters worse, the next day I re-watched the Robert Redford/Mia Farrow 1974 version directed by Jack Clayton with screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola. This is a BEAUTIFUL MOVIE! I hadn't seen it since my youth, probably around the same time I read the novel.  Now seeing it as an adult who sees a fair amount of movies, I realized this is a well-crafted, perfectly executed adaptation. The opening pewter colored scene panning over Gatsby's bedroom of  Daisy framed photograph, monogrammed personal items and oddly half eaten fly perched, egg salad sandwich, all to the tune of Irving Berlin's "What'll I do", sets the tone perfectly for both the time period and a story of dashed hopes, class differences/similarities, romance and carelessness.

Cut to the opening scene of this 2013 Great Gatsby, where narrator Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) is suffering from depression and regret, as he retells the story to a psychiatrist in some stately mental facility.  The 3D effect in this opening scene is also jarring, the lens is so rounded it gives the impression of a snow globe.

In another comparison, the scene where Nick invites Daisy for tea at Jay's request - Leonardo DiCaprio is made to play the moment with far too much humor, as Jay loses his nerve, departing in the rain and coming back to the door soaking wet.  Where Robert Redford plays his anticipation and nervousness with such subtly; his belief that Daisy won't show even though it's still 5 minutes before her expected arrival, is endearingly humorous, but not played for laughs. And when it comes to throwing around his catch phrase "Ol' Sport",  DiCaprio lays on it annoyingly, with a horrible accent, where Redford throws it in casually, with cultured diction, so much so that when Tom Buchanan (1974 Bruce Dern) challenges him on the "endearment", you can believe it's become so much a part of the invention of Jay Gatsby, that he's unaware of its frequent use. 

Looks the same but Redford/Farrow so much more romantic

I could go on and on, scene for scene, costume for costume, set for set, proving that a remake should never have been attempted. Not unless perhaps it was set modern day; in which case, the contemporary, hip hop soundtrack would have been welcomed. The main issue being, we don't have actors today with the elan, class, and sophistication of Robert Redford, Mia Farrow, Karen Black, Lois Chile and Sam Waterston.

Tobey Maguire vs Sam Waterston

The still images that I've juxtaposed unfortunately make the movies look comparable, but that's because you can't hear the vast differences between each line lived in the 1974 version, and the same words sledgehammered in 2013. 

Not to mention...

Well, I don't want to completely break my number 1 rule, which is never to pan a movie.  I always try to highlight the positives, while still interjecting my truth or aesthetic. I suppose I've sorta done that, but I feel I should say something else encouraging about the current version...

Oh, I know, Leonardo's JG sends over an awesome looking cake to Nick's little cottage for the tea :)

LAMB Score 2 out of 5

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Moby Dick Day - PEEPLES

Tina Gordon Chism

I couldn't find a foodie reference for my title on this post; so I used writer/director Tina Gordon Chism's fake holiday, because she's right, rather than have the character of Grace (Kerry Washington) go to visit with her family in Sag Harbor for 4th of July or Memorial Day a made up celebration like Moby Dick Day sounds funnier. (by the way, Tina is effervescent in this Trailer Addict interview).

There's a lot that sounds funny in this movie about a wealthy African American family "The Black Kennedy's" who, lead by patriarch Virgil Peeples (David Alan Grier), look perfect from the outside until the arrival of an unexpected guest, Grace's boyfriend Wade (Craig Robinson) unintentionally begins to unravel family skeletons left and right.

The problem for me is I don't like obvious humor. There are a few broad comedies I enjoy (click for T&T posts Bridesmaids, Ted, Hall Pass), but for the most part, I'm not big on movies that are written like they should have a laugh track.  I like movies with more subtle or quirky off the wall humor.  I like life situations that really shouldn't be funny, but somehow in the face of it all, there's nothing to do but laugh to keep from crying.

I gotta say, the audience at this screening, loved the movie.  Much laughter all around.  I admit to cracking up at one scene which featured (Malcolm Barrett)Wade's brother, a doll doctor who also later crashes the Peeples family vacation, but is welcomed despite his connection to the undesirable Wade, all because he unknowingly borrowed a sweater with the insignia of Virgil's fraternity.  This isn't the part that gave me a chuckle, but I won't give away the scene that did.

On the whole the movie is no more or less entertaining than The Big Wedding (click for T &T post), yet in many ways I feel the Peeples family, which includes notable actors S. Epatha Merkerson, Melvin Van Peebles, Tyler James Williams (Everybody Hates Chris) and Diahann Carroll  is more endearing.

Tinsel & Tine gave away passes to this screening of Peeples, which included a Q & A with Comedian Craig Robinson (The Office), hosted by WDAS beloved DJ Patty Jackson.  If you happen to be reading this and were one of the people who got passes through T &T would you please give a shout out in the comment section!

I video taped the Q &A, but as usual it's a little dark.  I invested in a portable, battery operated, miniature tripod lamp (Burro Light) to remedy this frequent issue, but alas, it gave off about as much light as a single firefly in a jar.  

Still, Here's part 1 of 2 videos below:



Here's some highlights:

Craig Robinson on Co-star David Alan Grier 

“ Funniest dude on the planet! It was hard some of those scenes to look him in the eye and keep from laughing... He was the father of the set”

Craig Robinson on Co-star Diahann Carroll 

“Class, just a lady. And through and through a legend”

Audience question: “How did you prepare for your character?”

Craig: 

Well, actually Tina Gordon Chism lived this. She was actually the Wade character, dating a guy whose family's web of lies just began to unravel. 

And also Kerry (Washington) and I, we went on some dates as Wade and Grace to try 

and figure out who these two were as a couple.

LAMB Score 2.5 out of 5

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Never Too Young To Start Making Movies

Chris (T & T Blog Contributor) makes a point of being plugged into positive happenings in Urban Philadelphia, last week he went to see an exclusive screening by a group of young teens - Students of IPS (Intensive Prevention Services) at Diversified Community Services screened their short romantic comedy Switch Up.

DCS is rooted in South Philadelphia and enables children, youth and families to realize their fullest potential and achieve self-sufficiency in safe neighborhoods. 

Perhaps one of these fresh faces will be the future of Philly Filmmaking and Hollywood! 

Cast and crew (consisting of I.P.S. staff and students) of the short romantic film Switch Up. (*left to right* Annalee Pratt [Actress], Tamir Washington [Associate Producer], Kareem Moore [Writer/Actor], Miguel Solis [Pre-Production], Jabrea Burton [Director], Gilbert Moore [Sound], Jihad Scott [Actor], Latrell Jackson [Producer], Andrea Duren [Actress]

By Christopher “Flood the Drummer”® Norris

In its official premiere, "Switch Up," produced and supported by a diverse group of teenagers in Diversified Community Services' Intensive Prevention Program, delivered quick laughs to a packed room of staff, students and supportive community members last Thursday at Stephen Girard School, 18 & Snyder St. With a run time of approximately three minutes,"Switch Up" chronicles two male friends living in Chicago who takes a trip back home to L.A to reconnect with two ex-girlfriends. During the visit however the former couples don't rekindle their love; instead they form new relationships with old acquaintances. After the premiere the Producer, Director and actors were on hand for a panel discussion. The students discussed what new skills they learned while making the film and also commented on the creative process. The entire teenage cast also received awards and trophies for their efforts. In February of 2013, Diversified Community Services won "Viewers Choice Awards" at the first ever Philly DoGooder Awards.

Other Tinsel & Tine Posts by Christopher"Flood the Drummer" Norris - 42, Pain & Gain, Philly Latin American Film Fest coverage

Source: TBO Inc®
Twitter:@therealTBOInc, @floodthedrummer  
Facebook: therealTBOInc

 
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Philly Food Truck: Farm Truck

Philly loves Food Trucks!  And what's not to love - they are normally run by creative, dedicated foodies who want to bring unique flavors to the public. And with lower over head, there's more time to talk to their customers!

At a recent XPN Key Studios Session (Lenfest Plaza) I got a chance to talk to 3 great food truck owners.  Later, I sent each an email asking if they wanted to participate in a new series on Tinsel & Tine profiling Food Trucks.  My first response was from FARM TRUCK.

Farm Truck is run by Kris Pepper & Eliot Coven, look at these guys - if they serve 300 meals a day, then I'm sure they get at least 100 phone numbers as tips. They're so cute they should have a TV show on the CW.

Yet style over substance is far from Kris and Eliot's mission, instead Farm Truck is all about being a healthy alternative in the Food Truck biz, they use local, in-season produce, buy from local bakers, serve organic coffee and go green in as many ways as possible!

T & T: How long have you been in the Food Industry and When and Why did you decide to start a food truck?

FT: We are new to the food industry, but both Kris and I have been big home cooks for years.  We decided to start the truck because we felt there was a lack of quality affordable food to choose from. I guess we kind of see ourselves as food activists.  Its hard to believe we live in a world where a tomato from Mexico costs less than one from Lancaster.  The other reason we started the truck is because we love being active in Philly.  Especially at art events.  The truck has been the best way to get involved and meet cool people everyday.  Like yourself! 

T & T: Best elevator pitch on what sets your Food Truck Cuisine apart from others. 

FT: Hand made, local, fresh, and always unique.  Classic comfort foods with a gourmet twist. 

T & T: What do you wish the City would change about Food Truck Vending in Philadelphia?

FT: The restricted streets list is about 20 pages long and center city is off limits.  Its hard to work within the parameters.  We need to be where people are.  We are hoping to pair up with parking lot owners in the city to start creating Food Truck Lots to bring our gourmet product into Center City.

T & T: Who's the most famous person to come up to your truck? And/Or At what events do you do the most business?

FT: Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Carrot Top.  Just joking.  For now we are perfectly happy serving hungry Philadelphians!  Although Mayor Nutter nearly came to our truck today! He was 10 ft away.

T & T:  Each of you name one of your favorite movies And/Or something else you'd like Tinsel & Tine readers to know about you and your truck?

FT: Our truck aesthetics are made from recycled lumber.  The bumper is a joist from my basement and my house hasn't fallen down yet! The back lift is lined with reclaimed palettes.

 

The Farm Truck is also a Tailgate Gallery displaying the work of local artists. If you want to know more about Eliot and Kris, they've recently been featured as alumni of their school Philadelphia University and on Grid Magazine.

Be sure to like them on facebook and follow them on twitter to find out where the Farm Truck will be serving up goodness next!  

If you are or know of a Philly Food Truck that should be featured on Tinsel & Tine please drop me an email tinseltine@gmail.com

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