December Fever

On Dec. 1, David and I went to see a show at the Hochtein Music School featuring the Rochester Gay Men's Chorus. The show was called "Home for the Holidays." The group performed under their new principal accompanist, Tim Schramm. Some of the songs they performed were the same as last year's. However, this year's performance concentrated on innovation and form. Last year they had choreography for each song, this time they relied on vocal interpretation. "The musicality of songs" is what I mean. Of course, there was some choreography but they're subtle. Peabody Award winner (1994) Michael Lasser narrated the history of each songs in the repertoir.


The next night we watched "Garth Fagan Dance" at Nazareth College's Callahan Theather. I'm sorry to say this but it bored me so much that I asked David that we exit even before the show ended. I told David that the dancers' moves were like those of our neighbors back home when they get drunk on the night of the fiesta. I got bored because I've seen those movements before. I've seen our native people dance those steps, even better. I told David I regretted buying the tickets. We could have used the money to buy ice cream or a ream of paper.


We watched "The Devil Wears Prada," "The Queen," and "Little Miss Sunshine" on DVD last time.

This week we are watching "Finding Nemo," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "All About Eve," and "The Incredibles" on DVD because we can't find new copies at the library.

Another Collection of Outstanding Short Films

Finally, I finished watching all the short films nominated in the 75th Annual Academy Awards. Thanks to Leroy V. Good Library of Monroe Community College which has a copy of the collection. Here are the films in the collection (with excerpts from the back cover of the DVD):

Best Live Action Short Film

1. This Charming Man ("Der Er En Yndig Mand" from Denmark) - winner

"Taking advantage of a mix-up at the unemployment office, Lars Hansen becomes Pakistani immigrant El Hassan. Will his masquerade land him a job and win him the affection of his politically correct school teacher?" (29 minutes)

2. I'll Wait for the Next One ("J'Attendrai Le Suivant" from France)

"A lonely young woman boards the subway and meets a panhandler who's begging for love rather than money." (4 minutes)

3. Gridlock ("Fait d'Hiver" from Belgium)

"Stuck in a traffic, a harried businessman calls home on his new cell phone - and dials up a nightmare." (7 minutes)

4. Dog ("Inja" from Australia)

"In South Africa, a long-brutalized dog comes between a white landowner and his black farmhand - with fateful results." (17 minutes)

Best Animated Short Film

1. The ChubbChubbs! (USA) - winner

2. Rocks ("Das Rad" from Germany)

3. Mt. Head ("Atama Yama" from Japan)

4. Mike's New Car (USA)

5. The Cathedral (Poland)

Outstanding Short Films

The West Bank Story poster

From the web

I just finished watching the short films nominated in the 2006 Academy Award. Thanks to the DVD collection I borrowed from LeRoy V. Good Library at Monroe Community College.

The collection includes:

Live Action

1. West Bank Story (winner) of Ari Sandel (United States)


2. The Saviour by Peter Templeman (Austrailia)


3. One Too Many by Borja Cobeaga (Spain)


4. Helmer & Son by Soren Pilmark (Denmark)


5. Binta & the Great Idea by Javier Fesser (Spain)

Animation

1. The Danish Poet (winner) by Torill Kove (Norway and Canada)


2. Maestro by Geza M. Toth (Hungary)

I haven't watched the bonus short films (but I will eventually). They are:

1. A Gentleman's Duel by Francisco Ruiz and Sean McNally


2. Guide Dog by Bill Plympton


3. One Short Rat by Alex Weil


4. The Passenger by Chris Jones


5. Surviving the Rush by Sean Farley


6. The Wraith of Cobble Hill by Adam Parrish King

West Bank Story is an exceptional film. It was written by Kim Ray and Ari Sandel. The music was composed by Yuval Ron. Set in imaginary West Bank, Palestine it is a parody of West Side Story with the elements of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Two conflicting restaurants are featured: Kosher King of the Jews ("we never open on Sabbath") and Hummus Hut of the Arabs ("we love garbanzos beans").

Ordering food at the Hummus Hut is enticing - a girl firing a machine gun. Menu includes: "Settlement must be cruched kabbob platter" and "Death by chocolate suicide bomber cream pie" (reminds me of my favorite Perry's ice cream flavor, "Death by Chocolate".

The love story is between an Arab girl, Fatima palyed by Noureen Dewulf, and Israeli soldier, David, played by David Newmark. Of course their own brothers (both restaurant managers- Ariel, a Jew played by A. J. Tannen, and Ahmed, an Arab played by Joey Naber - were opposed to their romance.