Yay!  Washingtonian tweets the happy news that Fort Reno‘s summer concert schedule has finally been announced!

• Monday, June 22nd: Pash, Funk Ark, The Sweater Set
• Thursday, June 25th: Electricutions, Meow vs Meow, Noon:30
• Monday, June 29th: Cigarbox Planetarium, Small Doses, Batala
• Thursday, July 2nd: Caverns, Aerialist, TBA
• Monday, July 6th: Go Home Robot, Sea Monsters, Power Pirate
• Thursday, July 9th: TBA, Imperial China, FFFever
• Monday, July 13th: Poor But Sexy, Laura Zax, Formers
• Thursday, July 16th: Godisheus, Girl Loves Distortion, Laughing Man
• Monday, July 20th: Meredith Bragg, Hey Arbore, TBA
• Thursday, July 23rd,  Night of a Thousand Cakes!: Soft Power, Benjy Ferree, TBA
• Monday, July 27th: TBA, Stoney Lonesome, Pree
• Thursday, July 30th: Title Tracks, Casper Bangs, Grendel Babies

My personal favorites, Poor But Sexy will be playing on July 13th – here’s hoping the June Gloom finds its way back to the West Coast by then.  You can get there on the Metro by heading for Tenleytown on the Red Line and then taking a walk to the park from the station.  Shows start at 7:15 PM and are over by 9:30, so there’s no worry about staying out too late on  a school night.  Let’s all head outside and dance!

And hey, no arsenic this year, please!

Slovak director Peter Kerekes‘ film Cooking History starts out small, with a field kitchen starting a journey to…somewhere, by helicopter.

Then we meet our first group of soldiers, Russians who are learning how to cook in the field. If you are at all squeamish about where your food comes from, cover your eyes; these boys have to learn how to deal with what they find – from the field to the table.  And that’s the first clue that we’re in for a clever, unique, and darkly humorous ride.

Field Kitchen

The film presents groups of combatants from European wars from WWII to the Balkans, each telling a story from its own point of view. Our culinary veterans include German bakers and cooks, a Jewish provocateur, Russian soldiers and civilians, a Croatian military cook and Serbian civilians, Hungarian military cooks, Marshal Tito’s personal chef, and 2 Frenchmen: one a paratrooper and the other a conscientious objector. Each storyteller gives his or her unique perspective on the experience of war: sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes angry. Is war inevitable? They don’t know about that, but they do know that an army marches on its stomach!

The German baker sings an old Wehrmacht song, but then he smiles and tells Kerekes that “the heart of an old baker sings with joy when he can lay his loaves in the oven.” The French objector prepares coq au vin while the his paratrooper countryman walks around a grocery store finding items reminiscent of his ration packs. (Do French MREs contain baguettes? Rôti? Mmm…but I digress.) He talks about the terrible things the FLN rebels had done while acknowledging that the French soldiers were no saints either (but that’s another blog post) – and as he speaks, such acts are systematically enacted upon the chicken. Just when we are comfortable watching some friendly old folks tell their stories, here’s a closeup of a sausage grinder, or here’s the slaughter of an animal, ruthlessly reminding the audience that these friendly old folks are, after all, talking about war.

Throughout the film, each cook’s story is punctuated with a check on the field kitchen’s progress, and a recipe which corresponds to the story at hand: “Kommisbrot for 11 million German soldiers,” “Paprikash for 74,000 Serbian soldiers,” “Arsenic bread for 300 SS men,” or “Pork Cutlets for 19 drowned friends.”  In the end, the field kitchen goes nowhere and everywhere.

Cooking History is a unique and touching work, and if you get the chance, definitely worth watching.    It’s been making the rounds of festivals this season and I would be glad to see it in more general release soon.

While I’m busy hanging out at AFI SilverDocs, some of you maybe more interested in movies of fiction.

Tonight there will be a free advance screening of Whatever Works, the latest flick by Woody Allen and stars Larry David.

The screening will take place 7:30 PM tonight at the Regal Gallery Place Cinema. While it is free you have to RSVP for information and the pass.

I’m assuming deals like this are limited so act now!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVi3zs_S96M[/youtube]

Joe Frazier, one of the many that faced Ali

This morning I had the pleasure of talking with Pete McCormack, director of Facing Ali, a special feature last night at SilverDocs.

The bio piece on Muhammad Ali was done in a very unique way that I haven’t seen before. The entire piece tells the story of the famed boxer not through his words- but the words and stories of the people he fought. McCormack interviewed ten boxers that fought Ali throughout his career, each person bringing insight into the boxer dubbed, “The Greatest.” Each boxer tells not only his story and his encounter with Ali, but how their lives have changed because of it.

In a phone interview with McCormack, he tells me about his approach on adapting the book that the film is based on. McCormack included additional boxers that weren’t profiled originally (like Leon Spinks)  in order to create a complete time line that encompasses Ali’s entire boxing career.

“I used them as a conversation in the piece,” McCormack describes. ” On dealing with Ali’s current battle with Parkinson’s disease McCormack didn’t have any trouble bringing the subject up with his opponents because of the respect Ali has earned with his fighters. “They felt compassion for him… and he’s also changed their lives…” McCormack also reveals that he’s not only a film maker but he also dabbles in music and writing as well.

Facing Ali
Showing at AFI SilverDocs
Monday June 22nd, 8:00 PM
AFI Silver Theater
http://silverdocs.com/

Photo courtesy of Lionsgate

This year’s opening night selection for AFI SilverDocs started out as a college assignment for director Kristopher Belman.

A television production major at Loyola Marymount University, he decided to focus a project for his Documentary Production class on his hometown of Akron, OH and a group of basketball players that were quickly gaining attention on the National stage.

“Got me a B+, that was pretty cool,” Belman remarked after the last night’s opening screening.

The group of ballers he decided to film were The Fighting Irish of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, who’s line-up included the  “Fab Five”: Dru Joyce, the small yet spunky son of the team’s coach; Romeo Travis, the loner and newcomer to the longtime clique; Sian Cotton, large and in charge- an athlete in both basketball and football; Willie McGee, a troubled teen who moved from Chicago to find a better life, and of course LeBron James, dubbed “The Chosen One” by Sports Illustrated, his rising profile would make him the superstar of an already talented team.

“More Than A Game” is not just a movie about LeBron James, but it’s about a group of five highly talented high schoolers and their friendship throughout their years as one of the Nation’s best high school teams. Something Belman fought to maintain, “people just wanted to write me a check and buy the all LeBron footage off me- they weren’t interested in having me direct anything or anything other than a highlight reel,” Belman told me in a phone interview this morning. Eventually Belman found backing through music producer Harvey Mason, Jr.

Photo courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

Belman spent seven and a half years working on the project, since first meeting the group in 2002. After Belman graduated college he took on day work and edited the film in his bedroom on a low-end Mac laptop. During all that time he followed the Fab Five’s path from becoming an unrecognizable D-III high school team, to State champions, to the National Championship Game.

What makes “More Than A Game” such a great piece is the well crafted story that Belman carefully put together. The real-life story of the Fab Five sounds like something you would see from a Hollywood script but is told through first-person interviews, news clips, and family photographs and video.

The Fab Five at last night's screening

While there is a challenge to tell a story where the ending is known, Belman manages to keep the audience on it on the edge of their chairs. As one cast member remarked after the screening, “when I was watching it just now, I didn’t even know if we’d win the championship game!” Whether they do or not is something you’ll just have to see for themselves.

Belman’s film making takes us into the behind the scenes of a basketball team that allows us to see raw, unfiltered moments of

emotion. Kristopher told me he managed to build a relationship and comfort level with the group that turned him into an unofficial member of the team, “I think it was the fact I was just college junior… he’s a kid just trying to get a good grade… they always called me cameraman for the first few years- I don’t even think they knew my name.”

The drama and emotion Belman captures builds to a powerful ending that didn’t leave a single eye dry in the theatre- not even mine. “More Than A Game” is truly a film worthy of it’s title. A masterpiece that captures the game of basketball and five boys as they come of age and realize that basketball is more than just a game- it’s the vehicle for a lifelong brotherhood.

More Than A Game
Showing at AFI SilverDocs
Sunday June 21st, 8:30 PM
AFI Silver Theater
http://silverdocs.com/

It appears that reports of Manny Act’s termination were greatly exaggerated.   See one source said “he’d be fired soon” and then half the Internet (okay, so half the Internet doesn’t care about the Nationals-I’m exaggerating) has him out by the end of the week.

Of course he’s not fired.  Not yet anyway.  Of course every manager is “not yet” fired, so take that for what you will.  Of course they are by far the worst team in baseball and not going to get any better anytime soon.  The fact that Acta is done after this year is about as certain as it being hot in August around here-but I wouldn’t count on it soon, or at least until the All-Star Break.  Reason being is several fold:

a.) He’s on the road, during the AL East part of the schedule.  The Nations eyes are on the Nationals and it would be incredibly unseemly for Ted Lerner (who still needs some popularity points around these parts) to pull the trigger on Manny while on the road.  You’d have to be the New York Mets to do something like that.

b.) Fans don’t care: Most people don’t watch the Nationals, and those that do aren’t really pointing the finger at Manny Acta.  Why?  Well if you watch the games its never really an issue of Acta making bad calls or hunting down awful free agents.  He’s just the fall guy in this position, surrounded by the worst bullpen in the Majors, an inconsistent hitting , the most errors of any team in the league, and a front office that is still feeling the ravages of what happened to the Expos.  They are only just now finally starting to build a team (Lerner has only owned the team for just under three years) that has the backing of all the players involved.  Acta has some thing to do with the woes of the Nats (I’d particularly blame him for an Error filled team) but he’s not even close to the biggest clog in this broken machine.

Point being-no one is calling for his head, and people aren’t going to show up to games just because he’s gone.

c.) Who are you going to replace him with? Riggleman?  He’s the answer?  If he’s just going to be the “interim” manager why not keep Manny Acta?  What is the bench coach going to possibly bring to this team that Manny Act doesn’t (or that Riggleman isn’t bringing in his current role.)  Unless Joe Torre is the bench coach, I see this only disrupting an already disrupted team and doing no good for nobody.

And I wouldn’t expect Joe Torre to do any better.

d.)The Team Likes Him. If there were reports of the team fighting in the clubhouse, or players speaking out about managerial decisions to the press that might be a reason to cut ties with him sooner rather than later.  All signs indicate Acta at least keeps these guys together and showing up for work.

Don’t get me wrong-Manny Acta will be fired, and it’s certainly the right thing to do.  Progressively worse seasons, worst record in baseball-he’s done for, and he should be.  But I’m fairly sure he’s done the best with what he has available to him and that everyone in the front office realizes that.  They’ll give him as long as they can before letting him go.

Last night I attended the opening night of AFI SilverDocs which kicked things off with a screening of “More Than A Game.” Director Kristopher Belman and the complete cast (including King James) walked the Red Carpet for the press and fans that tried to enter the Press pen to snap photos and scream questions. Sorry guys but I don’t think LeBron is here to talk about Kobe or the Orlando Magic. Also folks, leave the questions to the actual press.

Here’s the some video I shot while I was on the Red Carpet (trust me it sounds cool but I’ve done press lines like this one before, it’s always a fight.)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEPdJtqG6q0[/youtube]

As of the film I’ll be posting a complete review of that later today, I just got off the phone with director Kristopher Belman and I’m currently trying to finish the piece up before I have to go back to Silver Spring- but I will say this: never has a basketball movie ever made me cry. Ever. Not even Air Bud.

This is an amazing film that’s really more than LeBron, and yes, more than a game. The film will be screening again this weekend, check the SilverDocs website for the complete schedule and ticket information.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzYzcYQ-bII[/youtube]

Before everyone goes Real World DC crazy this week, SilverDocs is in town again to show you real reality drama.

The Festival will run from Monday, June 15 through Monday June 22 presenting 122 films from 58 countries. Some notable films include tonight’s opening screening of More Than A Game- Kristopher Belman follows five talented young basketball players from Akron, Ohio.  Led by future NBA superstar LeBron James and coached by a charismatic yet initially inexperienced player’s father, Dru Joyce III. King James is expected to grace the Red Carpet for tonight’s screening.

The festival will close with a piece that should be of local interest, The Nine Lives of Marion Barry. As any local should know, the former mayor has had his share of successes, failures, and returns. Directors Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer explore this enigma we call Marion Barry. The two directors and Councilman Barry himself should be in attendance this weekend.

You can view the complete schedules of films here. You can purchase tickets at the SilverDocs website, most screenings appear to be in the $10 range but if you are a real docu-junkie you can also get passes to the event, and related conferences and galas.

Amy and I will be in attendance all week so expect lots of recaps, reports, reviews, and if we’re lucky, maybe I’ll get to meet some basketball royalty.

I have a truth to tell: I really don’t live in Washington DC.

I actually live in Arlington, VA; but lots of DC locals call it their home, and now I’m proud of it thanks to this wonderful video that I found Thursday night (thanks to FamousDC.)

So I hope you learn a little bit about the ‘hood I come from.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T1RMuoQnKo[/youtube]

Yesterday I was on weather.com to check this weekend’s weather and while it looks like it’ll be a little wet, I was amused by the suggested links with the forecast:

Are you prepared for today’s hurricane? Maybe they are referring to the storm that is Barack Obama.