You guys like movies? I like movies. I love movies. I go see them all the time, especially the ones that are all bougie and sophisticated and such. And the schlocky horror ones. And middlebrow romantic comedies.
OK, clearly I just like going to see movies. That's why the thing I know I'll miss most about living in Cleveland Heights is my former proximity to the Cedar-Lee, why I was very pumped to see the new theater in Detroit-Shoreway finally open, and why I was super stoked today to learn about how the community development organization in my new neighborhood recently purchased the old LaSalle Theater on E. 185th with hopes of restoring it to its ancient grandeur.
Lots of great stuff happening in Cleveland, film-wise, but while celebrating the new is good, we shouldn't forget the great that is already here. Which is why I'm bringing to you another new CB feature. This time, each month, I'll give you a rundown of the films I'm excited to see at that wonderful cultural jewel, the CIA Cinematheque, and whatever other flicks I'm looking to catch.
Obviously I'm a bit late in the game this month, but there are still some goodies left this month, so do yourself a favor and check them out. (Note: These are only the ones I am particularly jonesing for - there are many others, so if our filmic preferences fail to converge, check out the schedule yourself and see what you think sounds appealing.)
Waterworld (CIA, Wednesday 10/28 at 7 PM) This futuristic action-adventure produced by Kevin Costner is one of the most expensive movies ever made. It was also a commercial flop in the U.S. (where some critics labeled it Fishtar or Kevin’s Gate), but it’s actually much better than its reputation. Set on a submerged Earth after the polar icecaps have melted, the film follows a half-man, half-fish mutant (Kevin Costner) who battles “Smokers” (filthy, petroleum-burning pirates, led by Dennis Hopper) while trying to help a woman and her young daughter find a fabled patch of dry land.
10 Rillington Place (CIA, Friday 10/30 at 7:30 PM; Saturday 10/31 at 9:30 PM) Unavailable on DVD in the U.S., this little-known serial-killer chiller, which has been restored and re-released in a new print, is being hailed as a lost masterpiece. Based on a true case, the film stars Richard Attenborough as Richard Christie, a meek, bald, bespectacled man who, during the 1940s, became one of Britain’s most notorious mass murderers. Richard Fleischer’s matter-of-fact procedural, shot on the same street of row houses where the actual crimes took place, “will work its way into your nightmares, guaranteed” (Glenn Kenny).
Fellini's Casanova (CIA, Sunday 11/1 at 6:30 PM; Monday 11/2 at 7 PM) Never released on Region 1 DVD, Fellini’s fantasy about the love life of fabled 18th-century libertine Casanova (Donald Sutherland) is one of the maestro’s most opulent films, with Oscar-winning costumes and a memorable Nino Rota score. 35mm print from the Universal Pictures studio archive! Adults only!
Before I sign off, I should note that while the CIA Cinematheque is the best game in town, it isn't the only one. There are a handful of other fantastic cinema options remaining this month at parts elsewhere you should dig, too. For example, the Jewish Film Festival (JFF) is taking place later in the month, with films being screened at both the Cedar-Lee and Shaker Square theaters, and the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) has some choice selections on the calendar as well.
The Way We Get By (CMA, Sunday 10/11 at 1:30 PM) A major prizewinner at this year’s Cleveland International Film Festival and at other festivals, this touching movie profiles a trio of Maine retirees who have found renewed meaning in their lives by greeting and thanking (at all hours of the day) every U.S. soldier returning from the Middle East via the Bangor airport.
Refusenik (JFF, Shaker Square, Thursday 10/15 at 7 PM) Refusenik is the first documentary to chronicle the 30-year movement to free Soviet Jews. It recounts how a grassroots effort, with origins in Cleveland, blossomed into an international human rights campaign. Told through the eyes of activists on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the film weaves first-person accounts of heroism, sacrifice and, ultimately, liberation.
At Home in Utopia (JFF, Cedar-Lee, Monday 10/19 at 7:30 PM) At Home in Utopia traces the inspiring rise and inevitable fall of one community, “The Coops” (cooperative Bronx apartments), from the 1920s into the 1950s. The United Workers Cooperative Colony, a paragon of egalitarian values long before the civil rights or women’s movement, was home to many communists and communist sympathizers, and it was the most grassroots and member-driven of the Jewish labor housing cooperatives.
Nollywood Babylon (CMA, Wednesday 10/21 at 7 PM) This eye-opening documentary surveys the Nigerian film industry—the third largest in the world after the U.S. and India—which turns out a steady stream of D.I.Y., straight-to-DVD melodramas, comedies, and thrillers, many colored by religion and superstition. An Afro-pop score and ample film clips punctuate the interviews.
The Gift to Stalin (JFF, Cedar-Lee, Thursday 10/22 at 7:30 PM) Uprooted by Stalin’s regime, ethnic minorities are deported by rail to Central Asia under dreadful conditions. During a stopover, a Jewish boy, Sashka, is rescued by a Muslim rail worker. Lovingly cared for by a surrogate family in rural Kazakhstan, he encounters a series of adventures while dreaming of finding his exiled parents.
The Debt (JFF, Cedar-Lee, Saturday 10/24 at 9 PM) Alternating between the 1960s and the present, The Debt tells the riveting tale of three young Mossad agents assigned to capture a Nazi war criminal and return him to Israel to stand trial. After the operation goes awry, the trio harbors a secret that will haunt them for decades until a surprising chance for redemption.
It's been a few weeks since I put the last one of these Q&As up so I wanted to make sure I went with a sure winner. And who better to please the masses than Cleveland's favorite Cleveland t-shirt maker, CLE Clothing.
I'll admit that when I first heard about the company, I figured it was just another t-shirt company. And when I first saw their clever shirts, I figured at that point they were just another clever t-shirt company. But it was when I saw their recent t-shirt that takes a novel tack on the CLE acronym and, in turn, does a good deed every time one is purchased, it made me look at the company anew. (Check it out here.)And when I did, I realized that the dudes that run this shop have some serious love for our great city.
So, a little while back, I sent a feeler out to the team and got a reply from not just one of the clothing gurus over there, but a double response! Read on to hear Jeff and Mike's thoughts about living and working in Cleveland...
JEFF from CLE
1) How long have you been in Cleveland? And if you didn't grow up in Cleveland, where'd you relocate here from?
I grew up in Middleburg Heights and moved to Medina in 7th grade. I moved away to NC for 5 years and two years ago I moved back before Mike and I decided to finally launch CLE.
2) What is your favorite Cleveland memory? I have two, First is going to the old stadium to see my first Browns game, I was around 10 or so and it was freezing out seemed like it was below 0, but then again I was 10. I know it was a Monday night game and that it ended in a 10-10 tie. Even though I cannot remember who we played I just remember all the first experiences at the old stadium.
Second, my fathers company had 4 season tickets to the Cavs in the early to mid 90’s the team itself was horrible but I have very fond memories of my father allowing me to take 2 friends with me to the games (including Mike). Even though the Cavs were terrible we had a blast watching the games and trying to get on the FAN cam as many times as possible.
3) How does Cleveland influence your work? Cleveland is our work. A lot of people have some not to nice things to say about the city of Cleveland. Personally I think all that is Crap, Cleveland has gotten a bad rap, not just here but in the whole country. Cleveland is a great place to live, great place to hang out and an even better place to grow up and raise a family. With a little bit more work we can really revitalize downtown and make it a new city. Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes Cleveland can remake itself into anything it want. It just takes a little drive and most of all hard work. Young people are in the 20’s and 30’s are starting to revitalize this and hopefully we can get the rest of Clevelanders on board as well.
4) What would be your ideal Cleveland day? Or, to put it another way, if it was your birthday and your nearest and dearest were all willing to do what you wanted, what would your day be like?
I would love to go on down to the good old Jake and watch a tribe game. (Its still the Jake to me no matter what anyone says) My birthday is on 7/11 so it’s an ideal time to take everyone to a tribe game.
5) Say you had a friend coming in for 24 hours and had never been to Cleveland before. What would you make sure they saw and did?
I would take him on a tour of downtown so he can see some of the sights, the stadiums, the waterfront, Terminal tower. I would then take them to dinner at a classic Cleveland restaurant, too many to mention here. I would follow that up with a sports game, being a Browns, Cavs, Indians or even a Monsters game. To finish our evening I would take them out either on the east or west side to one of the great new bar areas that have been popping up. We would then end up downtown again going to shooters and end it staying I some high rise hotel downtown. If you could fit it all in that would be a classic Cleveland day.
6) What is something from another city you wish you could import to Cleveland? I was recently in Winston Salem NC for the weekend, and they have a great concept going down there. Several times during the summer they close many of the streets to traffic and allow several band to play at venues across the city. You can just walk between these restaurants and bars and everyone is friendly and has a blast. A though there is a heavy police presence that allow you to walk around with drinks between bars and have an overall great time. I would love to see something like this come to Cleveland. It would be a great boost to the city.
7) If you had the undivided attention of the mayor, city council, and county commissioners, what would be the one thing you'd ask for or tell them?
I would ask them to lower the Tax rate in Cuyahoga county, I believe it is up to 7.75% it is just smothering businesses in Cleveland forcing many to move away. Because there is less every year they continue to raise it to try and make up for their losses. I believe if we would lower our tax rate to 5% or fewer companies would flock to Cleveland and after several years we would far surpass the amount of Taxes they made at the old rate. Just a thought coming from a small business owner in North Eastern Ohio. MIKE FROM CLE
1) How long have you been in Cleveland? And if you didn't grow up in Cleveland, where'd you relocate here from?
I’ve been in the Cleveland area pretty much my whole life, minus the college years. I was born in Akron and grew up in Sharon Center. Went to college in the Columbus area and move to the West Side of Cleveland soon after graduation.
2) What is your favorite Cleveland memory? I’m still waiting on that one….”maybe next year???” ask me in June 2010….But if I had to choose, it would have been anytime my dad took me to a Cavs game in the old Coliseum, I now pay him back by buying him tickets to the Cavs games at the “Q”.
3) How does Cleveland influence your work? Cleveland is our work. We design T-shirts themed around Cleveland, a challenging, but fun little adventure. The challenge is coming up with an idea for a t-shirt, then making it fashionable and cool and something people want to wear. We really want to be a part of the “evolution” that we see going on in Cleveland. It is really a great town, it’s just that more people need to step up and realize that. I think “we” as people depend too much on the people who run the town to make changes, but there are the few that are stepping up and “being” the change. It’s just going to take some time for others to start to follow. So…take a chance…start a business, start an art gallery, start a restaurant…. it will only take a few to get the ball rolling in the right direction. I mean really, we have the “Iron Chef” and the Best Basketball Player in the world…you can be the best in what you do… in Cleveland…you don’t have to move to New York, or LA, or Chicago and be a part of the scene…hey! Be the start of the “next scene”. There are plenty of people doing what they want to do right here, in Cleveland and with the popularity of social media and the internet it really doesn’t matter where you live, just do your work as best as you can and strive to be the best and say you did this work in Cleveland. People will begin to notice.
4) What would be your ideal Cleveland day? Or, to put it another way, if it was your birthday and your nearest and dearest were all willing to do what you wanted, what would your day be like?
Well, I’d probably wake up and go for a jog along Edgewater. Lunch….don’t kill me on this one, but I’d have to go to Akron to get Swenson’s. A double Cheeseburger and fries, best Cheeseburger ever! Then I’d probably want to go to a Cavs game and lose my voice. Hang out on E. 4th for a bit wait for the traffic to leave. Then I’d hit up Tremont (Prosperity) or W 25th (Bier Markt) for a nightcap.
5) Say you had a friend coming in for 24 hours and had never been to Cleveland before. What would you make sure they saw and did?
It would probably be a little like the answer to # 4, but we’d have to go to a Browns game and then go to a show at the Grog shop as an addition.
6) What is something from another city you wish you could import to Cleveland? Chicago’s - Beachfront. Columbus’s – Art District the “Short North” Pittsburgh’s – Defense (you’ve got to respect it) A major Music festival at Burke Airport
7) If you had the undivided attention of the mayor, city council, and county commissioners, what would be the one thing you'd ask for or tell them?
Read # 3 and read Jeff’s answer. Be sure to check out Mike and Jeff's collection of gear here and, next time you are thinking of wearing your civic heart on your sleeve, make sure it is attached to the rest of one of their killer shirts!
The Cleveland Bachelor is, once again, officially the CLEVELAND Bachelor - no more of that parenthetical Heights nonsense. An ill-advised geographic experiment, that chapter of my life is over and I'm back to looking down my nose at those of you living in the suburbs. (I find ways to make judgments on people in no time flat.)
While two weeks ago was all about packing and last week was all about moving, this week is about unpacking and settling (or 'nesting' as a friend referred to it recently, though I thought that had something to do with relationships or something). This week is also about catching up, though, on all the stuff that has slipped. So expect a few more posts than you've been seeing the last couple weeks and a BUNCH more album reviews, both here and on Citizen Dick.
You'll also see me out a bit more this week - or, at least, read about me being out a bit more. Want to know where? When? Why? All the other j-school basics that don't get done anymore? Read on and use your best judgment. Instead of the allegedly divine WWJD, think of it more along the lines of WWCBKI? That is, Where Would Cleveland Bachelor Kick It? Your options are discussed in slightly greater detail below.
Sunday, 10/4 - Like your indie rock seminal and "important," do you? Well, I guess you'll be at tonight's Built to Spill show at the Grog Shop. Don't know who Built to Spill is? Guess you aren't 40 then. Or from Idaho. Don't worry - these guys are still well-known among indie rockers for a reason, and that reason is that they are pretty darn good at what they do. Perfect From Now On is one of the greatest indie albums you could ever own, and Doug Martsch is the right kind of rocker - more concerned with making a big, guitar-forward noise than being clever or indie-awkward-on-purpose. These dudes rule, they're just getting up there. Same with Dinosaur Jr, though, and you won't catch me shitting on them for that reason, so don't let me do it here, either. Prove me wrong, readers, and go see this show!
Monday, 10/5 - While you are out and about supporting the pending retirements of essential indie rock acts, you might want to make plans to catch Yo La Tengo at the Beachland on Monday. These guys are like Built to Spill's rocker grandparents, which would make them like 89 years old in rock years. Think of them as the cool, fluent, ornery old bastard at the family reunion that is still smoking cigarettes (even with oxygen tubes going into their nostrils) and cussing at his niece to stop taking the skin off the fried chicken, but then doesn't get to actually eating any of it because he's too busy regaling you about the time he spent editing film for Godard and Remy during his Parisian ex-pat days. And they are from Hoboken. How about that? Two nights in a row, two historic acts, and they hail from places like Boise and Hoboken. Put that in your pipe and smoke it, Seattle/Austin/Portland/New York/Chicago/San Francisco/etc. Let's hear it for small big cities!
Tuesday, 10/6 - By no means an elder statesman-type group like Yo La Tengo and Built to Spill, your hard-fought recession dollars would be well spent at Tuesday's Mofro gig at the Beachland. As some of you might know, I've been doing some "Show of the Week" write-ups for Addicted to Vinyl, and this show made this week's cut. Here's what I sent to ATV Matt earlier today for him to put up on his site. (Note: It isn't plagiarism if you are simply copying yourself.) My sonic pick to click surprises even me. For the last few weeks, I figured it'd be Japandroids all the way, and that one will still be a good one. But when I woke up this morning and started thinking about it, Mofro was the band that made me smile. Perhaps it is the idea of just being able to walk down the block to see the band play the Beachland - something I've looked forward to since I decided to make the move to Collinwood and now, post-move, finally can do. Perhaps it is because after weeks of moving and stress, the last thing I want to look forward to is loud, somewhat punky music. Perhaps, and most likely, it is because I got to thinking about discovery, and unlike Japandroids - which the big-blogs had been bleating about since well before anything had been recorded or distributed and loooong before I'd actually heard anything by them - I found Mofro myself, and quite on accident. It was at a music festival in Austin several years ago, and I was walking from one end of huge Zilker Park to the other, catching two different bands I was going to write about for the local weekly where I lived down there.
As I crossed in front of one stage, I heard a dude with a southern accent on stage talking about environmental degradation. It made me pause and listen to the rest of his between-song banter. I stayed for the next song, and then the rest of the set. Today, I can't remember the names of the two bands I was covering, but I still refuse to miss a Mofro show when they visit any place I live. These guys bring a great swampy, jukey energy - a nouveau Lynyrd Skynyrd from the Florida panhandle, but more intimate and with a Masters of Science in Environmental Science. JJ Grey (whose name actually is now officially in the band's name, though I still don't think about them that way) has serious guitar and organ chops, though neither rival his tremendous voice. There are politics in the lyrics, but not like Rage Against the Machine or even Green Day. Instead, this is a man who loves his land and sings about it. Think Marshall Tucker Band singing about walking property lines, but with a nastier drawl and a whole lot of delta grit. You're gonna dig this show, I promise.
Wednesday, 10/7 - After three nights in a row of live music, you must need a rest. Why don't you take a load off and see a good movie in the art museum's basement theater. This Wednesday at 7 PM marks the first and only planned screening of Chris Fuller's acclaimed film, Loren Cass. It tells the story of three south Florida teenagers trying to make sense of the brutal (and real-life) shooting of Tyron Lewis, a black motorist that had been shot and killed by a white cop, and the widespread urban rioting that ensued. Fuller's handling of an obviously emotionally-laden subject without deteriorating into cliche is laudable and the CMA film series, while not on the scale of the CIA's, is worthy of your attention and notice. Plus, Fuller's soundtrack rules, with bands like Husker Du, Stiff Little Fingers, and Billy Bragg.
Thursday, 10/8 - After the somber intensity of Loren Cass, Thursday night you are gonna need something energetic and, maybe, a little loud to get the emotions that have been bottled up since the film ended out. Good thing Vancouver's finest indie rockers, Japandroids, are coming to Now That's Class. I can't think of a better venue for these guys, and since the show will be cheap and on the west side, expect a crowded and high-voltage room filled with an appreciative and hipster-attractive audience. You are gonna get sweaty and drunk at this show, so make plans for a DD and to call Friday morning off.
Friday, 10/9 - Lots going on, as is the case every weekend in our fair city. B.B. King is playing at the House of Blues, Noel Quintana is playing some latin jazz at CSU, and Asterisk is hosting an exhibition of recent art school graduates. Personally, I'll be checking out the latest convergence-continuum product, Finn in the Underworld, at the Liminis Theater in Tremont. If you like theater at all, you must realize what a rich community we have for it here, between the c-c folks, the Bang & Clatter folks, the CPT, the theater ninjas, and many more. If not Finn, check out something one of these days. And soon!
Saturday, 10/10 - There are plenty of things going on all around town tonight (and even somewhat out of town, like the Kurt Vile show at Oberlin), but I'm focusing on what is happening right on my street here in Collinwood. Waterloo Road will be hopping. Low Life is back with its well-received annual Halloween Spooktacular show and Shoparooni, my favorite place in the world to buy gifts, is celebrating its second birthday by throwing a bash for its customers! One of my favorite local acts, Akron's Trouble Books, will be performing some experimental weirdness at Music Saves, and Pink Eye magazine will be having a release party for its newest edition, with a bunch of bands, including another CB fave, Arte Povera. Sound awesome? That's because it will be. See you there.
Other stuff to keep your eye on the following week:
- 10/11 - Asobi Seksu/Loney Dear/Anna Ternheim @ Grog Shop - 10/11 - Black Angels/Disappears/Pierced Arrows @ Beachland - 10/11 - Screening of The Way We Get By @ CMA - 10/12 - Columbus Day! - 10/14 - Califone @ Beachland - 10/14 - Poetry event @ Mac's Backs - 10/15 - They Might Be Giants @ Beachland - 10/15 - Heelsplitter @ Nemeth's Lounge - 10/15 - Poetry event @ CSU - 10/16 - The Mars Volta @ HOB - 10/16 - Dr. Dog @ Beachland - 10/16 - Founding Fathers @ Grog Shop - 10/17 - Screening of A Woman in Berlin @ CIA - 10/17 - Screening of local vampire flick at Low Life Gallery.
One of my brothers over at Citizen Dick took this footage of Death's set-closer, the amazing "Politicians in my Eyes" the other night when the Detroit proto-punkers played the Beachland Ballroom. Check it out ...
(Note: Keep your eyes peeled at the 3:25 mark - dude makes the most of his 16 second rock career. I dug it. And I really dug the old-fashioned guitar jam that went down after that.)
OK - the evening sounds a lot cooler than the name would imply. Check out Coventry - especially my fellas at Brigade - and get yourself some bad-ass threads. Check out the visuals and the promo paragraph below.
Join us for Coventry Fashion Night Out this Friday October 2nd. This is a joint effort between Brigade, Heart and Sole, Next and American Apparel to stimulate the fashion industry in Cleveland. Brigade customers will receive a 15% discount off of there total purchase. Ask for Dan at 216.932.0700 or email info@clothingbrigade.com if you have any questions about the event. We are proud to be bringing Coventry back to life so please join in and support you local boutiques. Brigade - 1785 Coventry Rd Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 (p) 216.932.0700
Moving to Cleveland a couple years ago for work, I soon learned how rich the cultural community around town was. Whether rock shows or poetry readings, edgy gallery openings or string quartets, Clevo has it all. I do my best to bring you some coverage and advocacy about what I think you should check out, support, and exploit.
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