FRIENDS WITH KIDS

I rarely post a negative review but can't do otherwise with this one.  This is an annoying, irritating film about immature 30 year olds who want to hang out and socialize just as they did prior to children.  The couple that seems so on top of it are the two that make the baby but don't marry or have a romantic relationship.  Everyone else is presented as unhappy, chaotic, and clueless about what happens when you're not the center of the universe.  Having spent 25 years in Park Slope, coined the "mamageddon" of the universe where I complained bitterly about the ridiculousness of child rearing practices I found the dialogue unreal, uninspiring and staged.  Maya Rudolph was a major disappointment.  The opening scene where parents with kids in a high end fancy restaurant are observed was poorly acted. The couple returning to the table after having sex in the bathroom was a parody and silly.  What's the hype about this film?  Because the director and producer have been together 14 years and have not had kids? This is an unimportant issue.  They should have written a memoir.  My major response to this film was: "who cares?"

KUT/Springsteen and Ray Wylie Hubbard/ What a Welcome Home

Flew back into Austin just before midnight, 4 hours of sleep, hyper, bluesy, spacey, getting back into this very different town and it's own vibe.  HEB, Gold's Gym, laundry and some gardening all by noon.  People smiling wherever you go; my regular check-out women all friendly, interested in my trip; ABC pest control guy so courteous and helpful but I'm still in NYC withdrawal mode.  UNTIL, UNTIL, I click on KUT when I finally sit down and there's Bruce Springsteen talking to musicians at the Convention Center, live stream.  He's talking about his own musical journey and the song that changed everything for him.  The ANIMALS singing "We Gotta Get Out of This Place", the first song that addressed class consciousness for him, that told his story, that inspired him to write, write, write about his world.  He talked about the great contribution of Motown artists and swears that James Brown jamming with Mick Jagger is the best musical performance in the entire experience of music.  And as I write Jay Trachtenberg is replaying Ray Wylie Hubbard at the 4 SEASONS this morning.  Everytime I hear Ray Wylie sing that talkin' blues autobiographical song (THE GRIFTER'S HYMNAL) about his stripper girlfriend when he was a young guitar player in a tough bar and how proud he is of his son who has become a guitar player I just know I'm in the right place for me.  Thank-you KUT for reminding me what I love about Austin.  I'm not at SXSW this a.m. so you brought it to me.  I'm home.

Bagels,Bagels,Bagels/Live From New York

Can't return to Austin without bagels: multigrain, everything, poppy, and thin bagels for the weight conscious.  Headed out this a.m. to La Bagel Delight and had no problem waiting for the thin ones to come out of the oven while I devoured the scenery of people walking to work, the subway, Methodist Hospital and bringing their kids to school.  Weather is beautiful and I'm reminded how it's difficult to leave my friends. We'll head off to Regal Heights to see Abe's Mom and say good-bye,then I'll subway to Manhattan to meet Lenny for lunch.  So once again it's a tri-borough day with my slip of a good for a week  metro card.  Mixed blessing to have lived in two special cities.  Friends are left behind in one you know so well, while your new life awaits you in the one you now call home.   We're off to the F train.

BOY@ The Angelika/Live From New York

Back to NYC Fridays with Pammy.  Lunch at DOS CAMINOS (delicious up scale Mexican) and then a film at The Angelika.  BOY is a gorgeous film shot in New Zealand with an indigenous cast (mostly children) directed by Taiki Waititi Paladin.  The terrain is beautiful and the  cinematography captures the richness of environment while the kids are obviously living a close to basic life very rich in culture.  A young boy is left at home to care for his younger relatives (5 in all) while Grandma goes off to a funeral.  He takes his tasks seriously and happily and all appears well until Pop escapes from jail and comes home with his crew made up of two seriously stupid jailbird friends.  Boy is faced with an identity challenge: become like Dad or maintain his own true self.  The imagery in this film is quite creative and fantastic.  All violence is substituted by Michael Jackson's impromptu THRILLER  dance sequences and illustrations come to life to communicate the special powers of the younger brother. Mom has died in childbirth  and her grave is a central figure in the film.  There's a goat, hidden money, marijuana plants, sparklers, and an unusual old man who emerges as a hero.  All of this contributes to a beautifully made film filled with humor, sadness, and truth regarding family and coming of age for a young boy and his brother.  Don't miss this, it's wonderful.

Park Slope Revisited 2012/Live From New York

We walked Prospect Park this a.m. in glorious sunny weather (we've had only sunshine since arriving) and split up for a day with different friends.  First, we both visited the Ansonia Storgage Warehouse Corporation, the cooperative Abe and I lived in for 25 years.  Brought both the kids home to this address when they were born.  Rang our neighbor Daniel's bell and he was home!  A talented designer/photographer who works out of the home he shares with his wife and 11y.o. twins.  Showed off a fantastic renovation that uses the empty air space of 24' ceilings to create separate bedrooms and office space.  Same brick walls and brick pillars in this 100+ y.o. warehouse of Ansonia Clocks.  After the Park I stopped by the kids' schoolyard at P.S. 107.  WOW!  What a difference in population since the neighborhood gentrified. Now a  desireable  school with the writers, directors and new wave of creative professionals who came to Park Slope.  The schoolyard floor has been painted professionally with a track, basketball court, potsy and hopscotch.  So different from the hand painted mosaic pictures my kids played on (more like Austin).  Ran into old work buddies, store owners and operators and was reminded how easy it is for us to fall into the rythym of our Brooklyn life.  I'm still a newcomer to Austin is what I realize and still have to work on building community.   Last night the good fortune of dinner with Stuart and Lenny very dear friends (Lenny and I met in college 45 years ago) and today is lunch with Revathe, dinner with Gloria,shopping in between.  As Lenny told me last night "you live a charmed life."  I hope I'm worthy of it.

Dr. Ira Reiser Honored at Gotham Hall/Live from New York

Last night we entered Gotham Hall, a renovated bank at Herald Square which was beautiful, filled with people from all over the country and world who were there to honor our friend Ira who has been a nephrologist at Brookdale Hospital  for 30+ years.  What a great party: good food, great music and dancing, and funny speeches honoring Ira who has remained at a hospital and become the head of Medicine in one of the most underserved communities in Brooklyn.  Ira made mention that when he was a kid he saw a film about a rural doctor (Robert Mitchum)  and decided then that he wanted to devote his life that way.  And so Brownsville is lucky to have their own Robert Mitchum in Dr. Ira Reiser.  For those of you unfamiliar with NYC hoods, Brownsville has one of the highest crime rates, highest levels of unemployment, highest levels of illnesses related to poverty yet Brookdale Hospital is the #1 employer and provider of medical services in this community. Ira's children, Craig and Samantha, provided great anecdotal material about their Dad in their introductions.  Hats off to a great doctor and a great friend.

We Can See For Miles and Miles/Live From New York

This morning was bicycling and yoga at the 9th Street Y with Pammy where I ran into the celebrated Joe Zarba, Park Slope's favorite photographer who has photographed everyone's important events.  Then Abe and I hooked up for lunch (he at his beloved Smilin' Pizza and me bringing in a bagel from Bagel Delight).  Abe chatted it up with the owner's son and then we headed on the F train to Weegee's exhibit MURDER IS MY BUSINESS at International Center for Photography on 43rd and 6th.  I had taken my kids to see this exhibit years ago on New Year's Eve.  Awesome photographs of murders, Coney Island, and accidents in NYC taken by the famous Weegee in the 30's and 40's.  Then we walked over to HighLine at the northern end on 31st and 10th Avenue and walked down to 13th Street where we hooked up with Abe's sister at Bill's Burger and Bar (highly recommended). The HighLine is a salvaged railway line that has been converted into a walkway with benches, plants, retained tracks and salvaged wood benches. Abe and I shared a chaise lounge bench where we could see for miles and miles across the harbor and watch the sun set.  Good thing Pam gave me a hooded down coat and gloves it was freezing.  But I kept warm and was happy to share this moment when HighLine wasn't crowded with pedestrians.  Back into the rythym of my hometown.  Won't dare to look at SXSW film offerings.  Can't have it all.