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A monthly assortment of reviews dedicated to art, culture,
and abiding the law to enjoy oneself!

 


Monday
Sep142009

Gallery: Orbital Arts

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.

Friday
Sep112009

Restaurant: Maffei's

Maffei’s
688 Avenue of The Americas
212.929-0949

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.

Wednesday
Sep092009

Book: Now The Hell Will Start

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.

 

Monday
Jul202009

Film: Renaissance

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’.

Daniel Craig - Karas VO Session

Official Trailer

 

Friday
Jul172009

Restaurants: Candela Candela

Courtesy of Noah Kalina

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.

www.candelacandelanyc.com

Thursday
Jul162009

Song: Sam Sparro 'Black and Gold'

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)

Sunday
May242009

Music: El Michels Affair - Sounding Out The City


El Michels Affair - Sounding Out The City (2005)
Truth & Soul Records
http://www.truthandsoulrecords.com

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.

‘Detroit Twice’ by El Michels Affair


 

Wednesday
May062009

Restaurants: Itzocan Bistro

 Itzocan Bistro         

1575 Lexington Avenue (corner of 101 St.)
New York, NY 10029
(212)423-0255

 

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.

Sunday
May032009

How To Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and enjoy it)

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...

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