“Be Kind Rewind" filmed in Passaic, New Jersey!

Finally. The multiethnic city of my childhood gets recognition beyond my wildest dreams. *Insert long forgotten "Jersey" accent here* Forget about it.

DID YOU KNOW?
Did you know that my hometown of Passaic has been called "The Birthplace of Television". In 1931, experimental television station W2XCD began transmitting from DeForest Radio Corp. in Passaic. It has been called the first television station to transmit to the home, and was the first such station to broadcast a feature film. (Beat that Tempe, Arizona! *shakes fist angrily*)

Tons of greats hailed from this great city of Passaic. First to come to mind is actor Paul Rudd. (From Clueless, Knocked Up, and The Shape of Things by Neil LaBlute (American film director, screen writer and playwright. Not a Passaic native, but a great mind nonetheless.)

I'd also like to mention Joe Piscopo. He's not as cute as Paul Rudd, so that's all I'm going to say about Joe. I'd love to say that my favorite author Dorothy Parker walked the streets of Passaic, but she hung around West End, New Jersey.

BUT I DIGRESS.

Please Be Kind Rewind article from the New York Times. Enjoy.

You Don't Have To Have A Great Sense Of Humor To Laugh...

... you simply have to be human.



As I channel surfed on the boob tube last night, I came across a TV channel that was airing the movie Patch Adams, starring Robin Williams.

In the movie, Patch tells his boss:

The American Journal of Medicine has found out that laughter increases secretion of catecholamines and endorphins which in turn increase oxygenation of the blood, relaxes the arteries, speeds up the heart, decreases blood pressure which has a positive effect on all cardiovascular and respiratory as well as overall increasing the immune system response.

Although the quote is taken from a movie, there is some truth behind it. Simply put, laughter makes people feel good. The real life "Patch" knew this as well. He has been putting into practice the idea that "healing should be a loving human interchange, not a business transaction" for more than 20 years. He is the founder and director of the Gesundheit Institute, a holistic medical community that has provided free medical care to thousands of patients since it began in 1971.

The movie got me thinking about the power of laughter, and how it affects us all. Not just in hospitals but in our everyday lives.

Just take a look at a child laughing. In a genuine form, it is the most immediate sign of someone finding something humorous. As we all know, children are the best at sharing honesty. Kids have no problem telling a grownup that he smells or has big ears. The same could be said for something they think is tickling their funny bone. Perhaps the truth can lend a hand from a humorous twist.

Lenny Bruce, a controversial comic and satirist of his time, once said, "The only honest art form is laughter, comedy. You can't fake it... try to fake three laughs in an hour - ha ha ha ha ha - they'll take you away, man. You can't."

Ever watch someone tell a joke that wasn't funny? Yet found it humorous that particular person thought it was funny to begin with? I'm sure there are uncles at Thanksgiving dinners that can prove my point. :)

You can't fake the feeling you get from laughing. It's undeniably a wonderful state that cannot be imitated otherwise, but also hard to pinpoint what makes laughter so infectious.

I've found that bringing laughter into every aspect of my life has helped in ways I never would have imagined. My day job dictates me to be a more "professional-at-all times" sort of employee, but I find that when I make people laugh at work, it becomes such a better place. Not just with other co-workers, but with customers. It can often help to get people out of bad attitudes. Trust me, I've tried with many bosses in my career. Oh, and the crazy customers that I thought could benefit from a shot of sterilization.

Laughter can also alter the mood of someone and catch on like wild fire. Try it out with a friend or a family member going through a bad day. It'll elevate both of you to a new level. It won't cure the problem but it'll help put a smile back on that person's face. At the very least, you got to forget about the bad times with a few good laughs.

On a personal note, I enjoy laughing with people. There's no other feeling that I love more than laughing so well it hurts. As a non-stop jester, I can't help but seek this feeling more than once a day. Laughing is simply great. Sharing it with someone is even better. Why wouldn't you want to find the humor in life? It's way too short otherwise.

For those who lack a sense of humor, I know you'll find me utterly cheery and "hopeful" of a better world through laughter. Someone once said, "You laugh at me because I am different, but I laugh at you because you are all the same."

I plan on keeping the laughs coming, whether or not I'm the only one in on the joke, is a different story. I say laugh hard and laugh well. There's no other way to do so...

Groundhog Day

Phil: "You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life."

Quote from the movie Groundhog Day

Old Blue Eyes

“You gotta love livin', baby, 'cause dyin' is a pain in the ass.”

-Frank Sinatra
American Actor, Singer 1915-1998


(Excuse my lack of a well executed blog entry. I have had Sinatra on heavy rotation. His music is simply amazing.)

U Street Corridor

Tabaq Bistro (pictured above) is located on the U Street corridor of DC, and the home to one of the best views in Washington, DC. Perhaps it's the halfway retractable, fully enclosed glass rooftop that allows diners like myself to get a great view all year round. Granted, U Street being the birthplace of Ellington and hangout to numerous jazzheads of their heyday: Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Shirley Horn, we cannot dwell in the yesterday, for this popular street should be appreciated for what it is today. Down the street from Tabaq is Bohemian Caverns, (once a club named Crystal Caverns) which still books jazz acts. I particularly enjoy U Street for places like Tabaq, Love Cafe, Busboys and Poets, and Saint Ex. The mood on this street is always vibrant. I've yet to come across a bad visit. A few places down from Tabaq is Creme restaurant, which probably houses the best steak I've ever eaten. Try heading down on Wednesday nights, it's Steak night, baby!

I'm fond on this corridor because of it's subtle feel of old and new. After having a Stella at Tabaq with a good friend last night, it's hard not to want to tell the world about this great section of DC. Walking down this street you'll find jazz music playing at several venues at once, or a dive bar without the pretentious door covers of "Frat Boy" night. Who can forget Ben's Chili Bowl, Al Crostino, the Black Cat, or Stetsons? It's difficult not finding a place to hang your hat on U Street.

If you haven't been to U Street lately, you'd better check it out soon. You'd want to hang out and enjoy it before the kids of suburbia take it over. You've seen it happen around the corner on 18th in the Adams Morgan section...

Try hitting up U Street on weekday nights. I find these are the best nights to meet up with friends new and old! There's something for everyone in this corridor!

That's my New Year's Suggestion to you Liezel Blog Loyalists. (All two of you) :)

À bout de souffle ...

... called Breathless in its English subtitle version, is a film by Jean-Luc Godard. His first feature-length to be exact, respectively.

(Let's dismiss the Richard Gere remake. Not worth the key strokes...)




À bout de souffle, which literally translates in French "out of breath", is a film I never found time to watch, until last night. (Thanks, RM!) I only knew of the "book cover" details of the film, and have been long overdue of a viewing. I have read of Jean-Luc Godard, being the quintessential Tarantino of the 1950's, resulting in the beginnings of the French New Wave. I can't get too technical on the details. (I'll leave that to the person that pushed for the viewing of this film, RM. His area of expertise.) Simply put, this filmed shocked audiences and critics alike with it's boldness and innovations such as jump cuts. (Once again, don't ask me further than that, I can only critique the film, not the technical portion) ;)

Under the consideration that the cinematic treasure was filmed in the 1950's, it is not a bad film at all. Sure there are flaws, little shaky here and there, and not the best technical work, but the film did it's job of breaking outside the box for filmmaking of it's production time. I have to say, both the characters and dialogue were the Hail Mary plays of the film. (I found the lead character, Michel, played by Jean-Paul Belmondo, was excellent as the Humphrey Bogart inpsired swaggering tough guy who spends most of the movie on the run.) After stealing a car, driving through country, he eventually kills a cop, and hence the movie plot. Later he is joined by one of his ladies. (Why must I always think of Tim Meadows and his character from SNL when I hear the word "ladies" and giggle out loud...) I digress. He eventually pulls in Patricia in the film. She's the American (aspiring journalist) who sells copies of the New York Herald Tribune in the streets of Paris. (Here's a spoiler: In the final scene, her facial expression is worth the dramatic chase coming to a close)


The film still above is the best scene of the movie. At first glance, the scene's dialogue can drag a bit, but worth it. I fell in love with the characters at this point, I was finally "charmed" into the film. Perhaps it was the ping pong action of words, the playfulness of the two characters, or the camera angling...

I'm not entirely sure Godard mapped out every scene of this film, and if the choices he made were serendipitously done. The movie is charming, and it's hard to decipher an opinion based on this reasoning. However, if you pay close enough attention, you'll find literary references such as Faulkner, Bogart hints (Michel's lip thing, music from the Maltese Falcon plays in the background when Patricia is being chased in the movie theatre), soundtrack that boasts a Mozart's concerto, and works of art by Picasso & Renoir...

Finally, who else would play the informer, but Jean-Luc Godard himself. I found this to be a self-congratulatory high five to himself.

High Five, Godard.

Little Miss Sunshine

The dvd comes on next Tuesday. I cannot wait...

Do yourself a favor, buy it. At the very least, rent it on Net.flix.

Brilliant movie. Trust me.


(It's on my Amazon.com wish list. So you know it's gotta be good)


On a good note: Rent Half Nelson, too. Oh, and listen to the new Robbie Williams cd.

(You're thinking) Enough with the suggestion box. I just can't help it. It's good stuff, this.