Orbital Arts 275 Augusta Avenue 416.598.5623 Toronto, Canada www.orbitalarts.ca
Nestled within Kensington Market, a hip neighborhood in Toronto, Canada, Orbital Arts is a unique art gallery that embraces you in the spirit of universal love. From the moment you cross the chalk mural of a mandala outside its doors to all of the dazzling artwork inside, Orbital Arts strives to awaken your consciousness. The owner is extremely warm and you’ll find yourself at ease viewing the various pieces from Tibet, India and other locales. Visit Orbital Arts on your next trip and you’ll find your spirit better for it.
We know what you’re thinking. ‘This is a regular pizza joint!’ To the unsuspecting, it may be. But this little spot at the corner of W.22nd and 6th Avenue is a wonderful slice of Sicily at a reasonable price. The staff have been here for years, and the food is robust and tasty. A lasagna plate will get you a cut of beef lasagna dripping with sauce the width of a hardbound dictionary. And they even grace your dish with fresh garlic bread. The slices are decent, but the standouts are the full-bodied entrees that have people standing in line outside for twenty minutes at a time at lunch. Try Maffei’s for a nice bit of Italian food with no frills but plenty of appeal.
World War II, or ‘The Great War’ as it has been dubbed by some, has a plethora of stories within those years that it was fought. The story of Private Herman Perry, however, is one that seemed to be lost amidst lost letters and bureaucratic records until now. Now The Hell Will Start is Herman Perry’s story, the story of an African American GI who after enduring racism and blatantly instituionalized ill-treatment made a decision and subsequently became the target of the largest manhunt of World War II, fleeing into the savage jungle of Burma and settling in with a fearsome tribe of headhunters known as the Naga.
Brendan I Koerner, a contributor to Wired magazine, brings us a vivid accounting of Herman Perry’s story in these pages. He displays a fine gift for fluid but detailed narrative throughout the book. You get drawn into Perry’s life and in the process, you share his frustrations and his pain. In addition, you also come away with the knowledge that for better or for worse, Herman Perry’s experience caused some major changes in the American military and to a small degree, American society.
Barthelemy Karas(voiced by Daniel Craig) in Renaissance(2006)
Renaissance was released in 2006, buoyed by the instantaneous global success of Daniel Craig after his debut as the new 007 in ‘Casino Royale’. The French film has recieved mixed responses such as being pulled early from stateside theaters and being panned for having more flash than substance. What ‘Renaissance’ should be seen as is a new way to view film noir with fresh perspective.
The scene is set thusly: we find ourselves in Paris in the year 2054. Captain Barthemlemy Karas, a hard-nosed detective is entrusted with finding a top scientist who’s disappeared with a highly important secret and in the pursuit begins to unravel a sinister plot bigger than he imagined. Craig is well suited for the role of Karas, and is supported by other notable cast members such as Ian Holm and Jonathan Pryce. The real star of the film is its look. From the first minute, it pulls you in with its mixture of CGI and motion capture based solely on a black and white palette. At times, the characters and scenery flow so much that it can be distracting, but it does lend that extra appeal to the story. One can see the homage paid to such auteurs as Fritz Lang and Ridley Scott in ‘Renaissance’. This film, if given a chance, should fall in line with other film noir favorites like ‘D.O.A.’ and ‘The Maltese Falcon’.
Candela Candela 92 Second Avenue (between 5th and 6th Streets) Manhattan, NY 10003 212-529-2563
When you think of the merger between Italian and Cuban cuisine, you wonder how successful it could be. Thankfully, Candela Candela proves to be a good mix. Although in truth it leans more towards Italian cuisine, there is enough Cuban influence…especially when it comes to the drinks. Their mojitos are a choice specialty of the house. A recent outing found a rustic setting not unlike what one would expect in Tuscany. The food was, in a word, sublime with its flavor and presentation. The chicken milanese held its tangy taste with each bite and the whole wheat gnocchi was so good it was almost gone immediately!! The service was superb and there was no inclination to rush people out of the door. All in all, Candela Candela is a nice choice if you want an elegant yet languid dining experience.
You need an uptempo, light and airy addition to your summer soundtrack? We here at Manifesto have got you covered. We’ve had this song on repeat admittedly since spring but there’s no time like the present for you to let your ears be soothed by Sparro’s mellow voice and the lush music of ‘Black and Gold’, the first single from the Austrailian born LA native. Hearing this song kind of makes you want to sit at an outdoor cafe, drink in hand and the sun at your back and revel in the joys of the season. Check it out for yourself.
Sam Sparro ‘Black and Gold’ live on ‘De Sorte Spejdere’ (Denmark)
Sometimes, you get the feeling that a metropolis like any other living entity needs to have its own rhythm in order to connect with its inhabitants. A rhythm that can spring forth in any mood or tone. El Michels Affair has managed to capture that idea and express it in an impressive first album release on funk/soul label Truth&Soul Records. The collective essentially stems from the union of Leon Michels and Nick Movshon, two former band mates who paired up creating music with a Tascam 388 eight track machine. The gritty, soulful sound began to take shape with the addition of more members until the group became nine in total. Keep that in mind. They gained notoriety in 2005 with the release of Sounding Out The City. The critical acclaim brought them a deal with Scion and led them to collaborate extensively with none other than the Wu-Tang Clan, who also were nine in number before ODB’s untimely passing. Coincidence? Not hardly.
This album is a soulful masterpiece, working with a heavy banter between horns and drums with slight touches of bass that never overpower the flow of the track. “Detroit Twice” is a funk-laden groove that evokes rooftop parties and slow drives in an Eldorado. They surprise with a cover of Issac Hayes’ oft-sampled classic, ‘Hung Up On My Baby’ that lays the bass on thick. ‘Musings to Myself’ is such an introspective and magnetic track with its trumpet chorus that Ghostface Killah used it as a backdrop for a song on ‘The Big Doe Rehab’. For this summer, do yourself a favor and get this album to get a feel for how El Michels Affair demonstrates how a city can have a distinct rhythm.
Amidst the revitalized apartment buildings and the local restaurants that still serve cuchifritos at 1950’s styled lunch counters within Spanish Harlem lies a bistro that manages to combine the old and the new in a subdued yet impressive manner. Itzocan Bistro, located on a quiet corner, charms you the moment you walk through its doors with aged oak tables and exposed brick walls. The food is exquisitely prepared to appease the eyes as well as the palate. The goat cheese flan simply melts in your mouth with the first bite.
Another dish of note (pictured above) is the ancho chile rubbed chicken breast. Complementing these wonderful dishes is a wine list that displays choice selections from Spanish and Latin American vineyards. If you’re looking for a quiet and sophisticated eatery that will catapult you to another mood, Itzocan Bistro is an inspired choice.
There may be few popular figures who still are ensconced in enigma like Melvin Van Peebles. You'd be hard pressed to find another person who made such an impact on American culture in a brazen and stirring manner, so much so that you couldn't look away. How To Eat Your Watermelon in White Company is a visual testament to Van Peebles' genius.
The documentary's title actually stems from the title of an essay Van Peebles himself, had submitted to a magazine in the late 1960's.
The film is a delightful look at Van Peebles' life, told in his words and the words of friends and loved ones. And what a life it has been; from publishing a book while working as a streetcar conductor to his artistic growth in France to his trailblazing film career. Chock full of anecdotes, bittersweet tales and Van Peebles' own stinging but honest ironic humor throughout, this is one documentary that needs to be in every artists' library.
An excerpt from the DVD courtesy of MVPmovies.com...
Monday, September 14, 2009 at 2:20PM 
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