Make some stuff with Made by Joel

Joel Henriques makes stuff, combining art and play. I love his simple design aesthetic and the sense of fun he brings to all his projects. Fun is important. Don't forget the fun. His site, Made by Joel, includes lots of activities, print-outs, coloring pages, arts & crafts, and good ol' fashioned work-with-your-hands philosophy for all ages. Kids love making their own toys and so will you.



Even if it's just to print out a fold-&-play paper city—it's worth your time. Why? Because you made a table-top city! Congratulations! Color it in. Make it psychedelic. It's YOUR city.

Joe's Paper City Paris is ready for action

Jackson picks the hits

When Jackson was five we moved to Vancouver, Washington, the stateside suburb of Portland, Oregon. Portland has a HUGE music scene; a ridiculously musical town, Portland. Their commercial alterna-rock station, 94.7, plays the roster of whatever's deemed acceptable hit-wise, but they have their quirky favorites that they rotate endlessly. While we were driving around, usually in the rain, to some indoor activity, Jackson would call out from the back seat, "I LIKE THIS SONG," and we would be advised to crank it up.

I'm sort of a thoughtless insomniac-zombie today, so I'm just going to post a few of Jackson's favorites, deemed acceptable by Portland as multi-play throughout the day. Sorry for the dated selection. San Francisco's alt-rock station can't be bothered with anything too melodic or quirky, so busy are they catering to the 12- to 14-year-old boy demographic. Hopefully when Jackson's in that age range, he'll be selectively choosy about his music, because the Bay Area commercial radio situation is pretty dire.







Bonus: Since Jackson's now obsessed with 80% of Yo La Tengo's great album, "Fakebook"it's hard to pick out any one song, but I'm going with Griselda because it's the tune that inspired him to ask me, "Why do they have to get married if they're caught in the woods at night?"

Architects and Photographers: documentaries at the NW Film Center

I haven't posted anything on architecture here in...ever. I've never done that. So here's "Infinite Space," which is playing at the NW Film Center in Portland this week.



Also this week in the special screenings series: "Rem Koolhass - A Kind of Architect." Hmmm, modern.


This one has screened and gone: "Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman." This looks like it's worth seeing some way, some how.

Viva The Zeros

Last night on KALX a well-informed DJ told the back-story of The Zeros, the 70s-era punk band consisting of high school friends from Chula Vista, California. Up until that moment in time I knew NOTHING about The Zeros, even though I've been aware of the career of their former guitarist, El Vez (Robert Lopez), for years. And I vaguely knew bassist Hector Penalosa in the 80s from his San Francisco band, Flying Color. If Hector had been in one of the coolest Mexican-American punk rock bands of the the past decade, he was very quiet about it.

The Zeros played up and down California alongside The Germs, The Avengers, The Nuns and The Dils, but like many early punk bands, they split up before they could achieve the worldwide fame they so deserved. But it's all going to be OK because they've reformed and they're playing TONIGHT at the Elbo Room in San Francisco. All four original members, including guitarist Javier Escovedo and drummer Baba Chenelle, played their 30-year reunion show in Spain back in 2007 and are now touring the West Coast (opening for Mudhoney at Dante's in Portland, September 18). Excelente!

San Diego television, Don't Push me Around & Wimp - 1977


Don't Push Me Around - no year listed but definitely a reunion show.


The Zeros 30th Anniversary - DVD trailer, supposedly released from Last Bandit Films in Spain and Munster Records but I can't find it on either site. Elusive!


MySpace

The Vaselines Play Tonight - Whee!

The Vaselines, a 1986 Scottish folk-punk-pop duo, have reformed and are touring around the West Coast this week. I'm going to see them at the Doug Fir in Portland. They had a wee underground following that swelled in ranks once Kurt Cobain took up their cause and started covering their songs in earnest. The man dearly loved the Vaselines.

Seattle's The Duchess and The Duke will open and that's nothing to shake a stick at either.

Jesus Doesn't Want Me For A Sunbeam - This definitely has the Kurt Cobain seal of approval.


Son of a Gun - 2008


You Think You're a Man - 2008


Molly's Lips - Keith remembers my little cousin Matt making fun of us for liking this song back in '94. He told us, "Molly's Lips? What kind of a song is THAT?" Then he made us sing the chorus and he laughed at us. Twee folk rock is not for everyone, but it does has its fans.


Update: Well, the show was swell, if a bit like watching a long Red Sox game with its technical glitches and tunings between songs ("We might be here all night," mused Frances McKee in her charming brogue. "I hope you brought your sleeping bags!.") The songs were almost flawless though, and with an excellent Belle & Sebastian rhythm section (introduced as Bobby and Mike) and 1990s lead guitarist (Stevie), there was much "punch" to force our heads a'bobbin.' I'm sorry I just wrote that, but it made sense at the time.

Mostly younger Portlanders, a friendly, if pasty lot (including myself), worshipping at the alter of their elders. Big encore claps and yells, which in the middle of I thought, people--you KNOW they're coming back out here--the lights are dim--no sound on the P.A, etc. Then when they did come back out, Eugene mentioned, "You knew we were coming back, didn't you? You didn't even have to cheer." Deadpan--I love it.

They ended with the Divine disco put-down, You Think You're a Man, and one of my favorites, Dum Dum (I've always loved Eugene's gnarly little guitar solo in the middle). After everyone left the stage, Eugene thanked us for coming, saying, "We didn't know if anybody liked us, and now we see that some people do." He was very sincere about it and I think when you're very underground, as they were, and you get covered by Nirvana, and then people say things like, "I like the Nirvana version better," then touring (20 years later) to sold-out audiences must be very gratifying indeed.

Mwillie70 posted this from their L.A. show a few days ago. Thanks, Miss!


Frances McKee


Frances and Eugene Kelly

Parting really is such sweet sorrow

No, I'm not leaving the blog (we're stuck together like high fructose corn syrup spilled on the floor). But I am leaving SW Washington (technically the city of Vancouver, which, while geographically in the state of Washington is STILL a major city-suburb of Portland--a cultural mecca full of elitist eco-snobs who DESPISE Vancouver with every fiber of their being). Keith got himself a job after much effort and frustration. The job is in San Francisco. The job is located where he used to work when we lived in the Bay Area, so it's as if we never left!

Except of course, we did, two years ago, and while we're very happy to return to my birthplace, family and friends, we will miss the Northwest terribly. So many good memories in two years. Ahh, memories. I had to weigh the pros and cons. Not that we have much of a choice, due to the recession and our dismal job prospects here (which amounted to zero), but still, there's nothing more clarifying than boiling everything down to its essence and placing it in a spreadsheet.

Northwest / NorCal - Pro & Con

Northwest: Incredible greenery and stupendous waterfalls / near-constant precipitation as the cause of incredible greenery and stupendous waterfalls.
NorCal: Incredible scenic vistas and beaches. / Once you get through traffic.

Northwest: Clean air. / Eco-snobbery.
NorCal: Foul air. / All encompassing snobbery.

Northwest: Oregon - highest unemployment rate in the nation (behind Michigan). / A culture of politeness, nonetheless.
NorCal: More industry and commerce despite the recession. / When do I get MINE?

Northwest: We're leaving behind a neighborhood and school full of great kids. /We made almost no personal connections whatsoever with adults.
NorCal: Practically everyone we know and love lives there. / We're sure to get on each other's nerves in no time!

Northwest: Art, music, and writing ALL the time. / Galleries closing down ALL the time.
NorCal: Most all of my music and artist friends are still there. / Struggling to afford everything.

Northwest: Gay marriage - Washington quietly and stealthily working on getting it legalized. / Oregon: was for gay marraige; now against gay marriage.
NorCal: Don't get me started. / You disappoint me, California. You really do.

Northwest: It's inexpensive. / There are no jobs to be had.
NorCal: It's a miracle Keith got a good job in this economy. All my freelance work is based there as well. / Everything costs a shitload.

Northwest: The Cascades. / They blow once in a while.
NorCal: The Sierras / All those plate tectonics shifting around.

Northwest: Niceness. / Blandness.
NorCal: Snarkiness. / Excellent Mexican food.

And there you have it: Mexican food will ALWAYS win out with me in the end. I guess that's my way of saying: I miss you, excellent Mexican food. If you know what I mean. We're coming back here to visit a lot, though. We've got wonderful family in Seattle, for one thing, and more wonderful family in Vancouver B.C. And now we know Portland and its environs as well. And let me say this: Portland and its environs are incredibly special and wonderful and now fill a huge part of my heart. I will always love this place and I will always miss this place and I will be back...

The World of Jim Henson (1994)

Toddsfins has posted this documentary on Jim Henson (in nine parts). When I was a wee girl, Jim Henson's career was my inspiration. If he could make a living being a puppeteer, I knew anything was possible. And maybe childhood and adulthood could intersect in interesting, funny ways...

Part 1


The NW Film Center has scheduled an entire month's worth of screenings from Jim Henson's legacy (bless them), starting May 2nd. Check out the schedule. There's lots of historic footage and some lectures by former co-worker and puppeteer Dave Goelz (The Great Gonzo and Dr. Bunsen Honeydew!). And of course "The Muppet Movie" and "Great Muppet Caper," the mondo-bizarro "Dark Crystal" and everyone's favorite Henson cult film, "Labyrinth."

"Labyrinth" 1986 - David Bowie IS the Goblin King. Accept no substitutions.


"The Dark Crystal" 1982 - Henson firing on all his crazy-creative guns here.


Beaker sings Feelings on The Muppet Show, mid-70s madness. Animal was always my drumming inspiration.


The beloved Harry Belafonte appearance, performing Turn the World Around.

Pixies to see you through

Oh my, I haven't had any time to myself this week! To ruminate, to dwell on stuff, to regurgitate it all here. And that's...OK because there'll always be another Pixies video on YouTube for high entertainment value. Here's a performance from 1989 on the BBC. Look at how young they are. I still love these arty weirdos.

Monkey Gone to Heaven - probably my fave Pixies song--definitely in the top-two anyway.


I can't help it. Here's Gigantic, live from the same era.


Who's up for some Caribou?


Hey - still awesome. This is the easiest post ever. Thanks Pixies!


Saturday, April 18 is something called Record Store Day, which sounds like an idea a record-store owner thought up. Anyway, visit your local, independent record store (if you still have any) and buy a record, or a CD, or something else tangible. Record-store culture thanks you.

Jackpot Records in Portland will have some in-store performances and Voodoo donuts available! Records, free live music, and donuts - that is so Portland.

Go See: Portland Women's Film Festival

The Portland Women's Film Festival (POW Fest) starts tonight! Tellingly, it's only running for the next three evenings, 3/19-3/21, and features a smattering of female-directed fare, but I say: Good show!

Here's one reason why: women, though making great strides in nearly all aspects of filmmaking are seriously lagging behind when it comes to directing. Showcasing women directors highlights their achievements and gives us role models. The lack of women directors may be a consequence of sexism, but it may also be the result of women not wanting to direct. Hear me out: I've been working and studying filmmaking on and off for the past 20 years or so, and I haven't met that many women who want to direct.

That wasn't the case in my grad-school class, which was made up of a majority of women who wanted to direct (and write and produce and sometimes act--we were over-achievers for sure). But in general, on profit-making sets, the majority of women I've encountered were happy to be producing, assistant-directing, casting, script-supervising, editing, and so on (keep listing most every film job here, except for grip, gaffer and cinematographer--still all male-dominated).

You need a killer instinct to direct--sorry to say. You've got to tell everyone what to do or at least oversee it all. Until we get a huge influx of extremely bossy (it's possible to be politely bossy) women in the field, there's going to be a shortage. Feel free to protest my findings--they're very random and personal, but it's my theory and I'm sticking to it for now. In a few years time, this could all change, and I hope so because films will probably get very interesting and we definitely could use more of that. If you are are a woman who is obsessive, creative, energetic, compelling and interested in all aspects of technically driven storytelling, please consider applying for this job: film director.

Meanwhile, back at POW Fest, here's more reasons to be excited: Friday night's show features this year's Oscar-winning short documentary, "Smile Pinki," and the Oscar-nominated short doc, "The Final Inch" by Portland filmmaker Irene Taylor Brodsky, who will be at the fest, in person. I am excited because it's nearly impossible to see short docs in a theater, even Oscar-winning and nominated ones, so this is a treat.

"Smile Pinki" trailer - directed by Megan Mylan. The film is about a five-year-old Indian girl who is the recipient of cleft-lip surgery, provided by Smile Train and the impact this has on her life. Smile Train provides free cleft corrective surgery for children throughout the world.


A news story and discussion with "Smile Pinki" producer, Nandini Rajwade.


Also, Saturday night's feature will be "The Bigamist," directed by one of Hollywood's true mavericks, Ida Lupino. Lupino started out as a really good naturalistic actress, specializing in tough girls and hookers (the only roles offered to her). But she tired of always being told what to do, and while on suspension for turning down a film role, she decided to try directing.

Lupino formed a production company with her husband and hired herself out as a writer/director of low-budget, socially conscious films. This was back in the 50s and Lupino was covering taboo topics such as rape, bigamy, and unwed motherhood. Her constant theme throughout her independent films is how creepy and disrupted our lives can get when we cross paths with the wrong people. Her film, "The Hitch-Hiker" is a classic low-budget psychopathic thriller, featuring a villain who sleeps with one eye open.

"The Bigamist" teaser, featuring Lupino as Phyllis Martin, about to have a life-changing encounter on a tourist bus.


Besides directing hundreds of TV shows throughout the 60s (including "Alfred Hitchock Presents" and "Twilight Zone"), she also helmed one of my favorite films as a kid (I saw it on the "afternoon movie" many, many times), "The Trouble With Angels," starring Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell. No doubt, being Catholic had something to do with it.

POW Fest, Portland - March 19-21 at The Hollywood Theatre, 7 p.m. Web site with schedule.

Andrew Curtis' Time-lapse Oregon

Andrew Curtis makes amazing digital time-lapse images of Oregon. He's a machinest who made his own camera bracket so he could tilt and pan during time-lapse photography. He's also got a Flickr page. Marvelous.


Gorge Fog from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.


Frozen Falls from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.


Multnomah Falls in Miniature from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.


Hawthorne Bridge #2 from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.


Cinco De Mayo Carnival from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.


PDX Evening Commute #2 from Andrew Curtis on Vimeo.

Recession Buster: OMSI First Sunday - $2

This is only a helpful tip if you live in the Portland area but the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) costs only $2 per person on the first Sunday of each month and that means...this Sunday. So if you have kids, or you are a kid, or you're somewhere in that range--head over to this fine educational and fun-filled arena of learning.

Also of note: Da Vinci--The Genius exhibit opened at OMSI this week. There's an upcharge for it, but c'mon--it's DA VINCI! The guy's a genius. Several full-scale models of his inventions will be on display, including a hang-glider and a helicopter. And also tremendously detailed scans of the Mona Lisa, showing the numerous changes to the painting that occurred over time AND while he was painting it.

Did you know the Mona Lisa originally did have eyebrows and lashes? Over time they've disappeared into the oils of the painting. So no--she's not some weird, hairless fashion victim of her time. She just lost a little detail in the past 500 years. Also, she originally had a wider smile and was clutching a blanket or wrap off some sort in her hands. At some point during the painting process, estimated by some scholars to be over 15 years, Leonardo altered her looks and there she is for us to ponder. A mystery to this day.

Here she is today:
And here's CWW's rendition of how she might have originally looked (now you don't have to go to the exhibit--see? Recession buster):
If you can't see the exhibit in Portland, don't worry. It's a traveling exhibit, so it might come to your town and help you party it down.

Nat King Cole - Mona Lisa.mp3 -

Recession Buster: Clinton Street Theater Delivers

Hooray! The Clinton Street Theater is showing a BRAND NEW 35mm PRINT of Jean-Luc Godard's 1965 gangster meditation, "Pierrot Le Fou." Starring the French ambassador of cool, Jean-Paul Belmondo, and one of the most beautiful women in film ever, Anna Karina, "Pierrot Le Fou" was made in 1965 and was Godard's gateway film from the gangster genre to the future structured chaos of "Weekend."

"Pierrot Le Fou" starts tonight and runs through Jan. 22. $6 admission but on Tuesday...only $4. And if you sign up as an e-mail subscriber you get $1 off any size popcorn. That's your recession-buster tip of the day.

Trailer


January 19th is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the Clinton St. Theater will be screening "King: A Filmed Record - From Montgomery to Memphis." The 1970 Academy-award nominated documentary features vintage newsreels of MLK and several of his speeches, including "I Have a Dream," uncut. Rare footage of civil rights marches and demonstrations will make this a very special event.


January 20th, come at 8:30 a.m. to watch the Obama inauguration, live on the big screen. Admission: FREE.

Clinton Street Theater, 2522 SE Clinton St., Portland. 503-238-8899. Blog.

Call to Service Day is calling you

Soon-to-be President Obama has initiated a Call to Service Day, starting on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s observance day, Jan. 19th. You can find out what's happening in your neighborhood, then join in and volunteer to make your community a better place.

There are a ton of Northwest events starting this weekend and beyond. I'll be helping out at the Library, packing up some resource kits for single-parent families. There's tree plantings, food and clothing drives, meditation for peace gatherings, neighborhood clean-ups, and so very much more to do.

- Hands on Greater Portland has a local list of events to sign up for.

- Obama's new USA Service site allows you to plug in any zip code to find out what's happening in your area and beyond.

- MLK Day of Service site.

The new president--he's cool.



Photo and street art gathered from the always-inspirational Art of Obama site.

You've come to the right place for quality entertainment

It's been a long journey back to normality after the holiday. It started with a drive through record-breaking snow and ice along Interstate 205. Leaving Portland took nearly five hours over lumpy, broken ice, snow and busted chains. Very "Road Warrior." Later we found out that the freeway would be closed for the rest of the day while snowplows attempted to make it flat and drivable again. How interesting that there was no news of this at any time during our drive, even on the traffic radio station. As always, communication is key!

The next day consisted of driving for 12 hours in a complete downpour. Sheets of rain until we got to Concord where it wasn't even sprinkling. It was like an epic space opera of travel through different planetary ecosystems. As we neared our Christmas-eve destination, we knew two things were certain: presents were going under the tree, then we were going straight to bed. More holiday shenanigans to come. For now, enjoy the clowns of the animal world.

Yes, it's a dog jumping on a trampoline. You can thank me later.


A bulldog who's an expert skateboarder. Life isn't so bad!


A dog suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Har!

Go See: NW Film Center's Reel Music 26

Due to circumstances beyond my control, this blog became a little death-heavy this week. So at last--an event that's very life-affirming. NW Film Center is celebrating their 26th annual music and film program, Jan. 9 - 31. Musical, filmic riches! Check the schedule for full listings, all showing at the Whitsell Auditorium. Here's a smattering of excellence to look forward to.

"Sweet Lady with the Nasty Voice" Sun., 1/11, 7 p.m. - Hot dog! Vincent Kralyevich and Joanne Fish made a documentary on the great Wanda Jackson--godmother of rockabilly and STILL touring. My one regret in life (so far) is that I've always managed to miss Wanda Jackson when she comes around. She is so inspirational--I won't miss the film.


"The Upsetter: The Life & Music of Lee 'Scratch' Perry" Wed., 1/14, 7 p.m. & Fri., 1/16, 9 p.m. - Madman or prophet? Certainly the genius of dub.


"Throw Down Your Heart" Thurs. 1/15, 7 p.m. - Nashville banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck travels to Africa to find the roots of the banjo and to record an album with the musicians he meets in Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia and Mali. My idea of musical heaven.


"Patti Smith: Dream of Life" Thurs., 1/15, 9 p.m. - Steven Sebring followed his muse for nearly twelve years to make this film. That's dedication. I admit--not to deny the powerful charisma of Smith--I would see this mostly to check out Tom Verlaine.


"The Gits" Fri., 1/17, 9 p.m. - The Seattle punk band whose rise was brutally halted when lead singer Mia Zapata was murdered. This is a sad one but it has extensive footage of the band playing live, so go.


"The Wrecking Crew" Sat., 1/24, 7 p.m. - Finally, the phenomenal Los Angeles studio musicians who played on the hits of the 60s get their due. Backing the Beach Boys, Righteous Brothers, the Mamas and the Papas, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, and creating Phil Spector's Wall of Sound, The Wrecking Crew built the pop landscape of my early existence.


So many more music films await you. Check out:

- "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" - the greatest heavy-metal band you never heard of.

- "The Night James Brown Saved Boston" - James Brown was scheduled to perform at the Boston Garden, the night after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

- "The Silence Before Bach" - a series of vignettes experimentally dwelling on various aspects of Bach music. Whenever I play Bach on the piano, I involuntarily enter a meditative state. I wonder if the movie would function this way too.

- "Blue Note: A Story of Modern Jazz" - how Alfred Lyon and Francis Wolfe fled Nazi Germany, came to New York and started the great jazz record label. Note that the Portland Jazz Festival will be celebrating Blue Note in February. And McCoy Tyner will be playing. I'm nearly passing out from all the excellence.

- "Filmusik: The Superman Orchestra" - Portland's 11-piece Superman Orchestra with three voice actors perform new scores to accompany Max and Dave Fleischer's 40s-era Superman Cartoons, which are fabulous, by the way.

It's all fabulous. Go...go!

Give! Guide 2008 - for all your giving needs

The Willamette Week has compiled a list of 55 organizations in the Portland area that could use volunteers and/or tax-deductible donations. Northwesterners are givers. After living here for less than two years, that much I know.

Check out the Give! Guide, featuring fine organization such as Free Geek, Writers in the Schools, KBOO, Street Roots, Community Cycling Center, Children's Cancer Association, Community Warehouse, Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls, Independent Publishing Resource Center, etc. etc. etc.

Also a good cause for budding art philanthropists: my friend from SFSU film school, Kara Herold, is scheduled to show her latest film, Bachelorette 34 in the "Documentary Fortnight" show at MoMA in NYC this Feburary. She's looking for donations to obtain music rights. Kara is a hard-working, funny, talented filmmaker who deserves to show her work in the big city, dammit! Go to her site and make a donation through the SF Film Society. Congratulations--you are a giver.

Whenever I'm feeling blue, Johnny Nash really lifts my spirits. May his lovely voice keep your spirit afloat during this holiday recession. Original video for I Can See Clearly Now has Johnny singing to the White House! Excellent.

Go See: Northwest Film & Video Festival 2008

I just started volunteering for the NW Film Center. My first assignment was tabling at Wordstock this weekend at the Portland Convention Center. The combination of a friendly, helpful, film-loving organization that offers film classes, equipment rentals to all, and marvelous festivals and screenings throughout the year, together with Portland's most enthusiastic readers, writers, authors and publishers was almost too much for my psyche to handle. I met so many nice people, including my NW Film Center cohorts.

The NW Film Center is hosting the 35th Northwest Film & Video Festival all this week. See films from all over the Northwest; shorts, documentaries, features and the always intriguing: unclassifiable. Check the schedule and get on over to the Whitsell Auditorium (at the Portland Art Museum) for screenings through Saturday, November 15th.

There's much to choose from. These caught my eye:

"Fast Break" - Director: Don Zavin; Tue., Nov. 11th, 9:00 p.m.
This singular time capsule of the 1977 NBA World Champion Trail Blazer season offers uncommonly intimate moments on and off the court...reflective conversations with Bill Walton and many of the other players of the era reveal the touching and surprising innocence of a time before the superstar era.

"She's a Boy I Knew" - Director: Gwen Haworth; Wed., Nov. 12th, 7:00 p.m.
Haworth's open-eyed autobiography shares the story of a boy making and sharing the decision to change his gender...

"Pig Roast & Tank of Fish" - Director: Ivy Lin; Sat., Nov. 15, 3:00 p.m.
Portland's Chinatown was once the second largest in the U.S., but today it is a struggling neighborhood in search of identity and rebirth...

"Shorts II" - various directors, Sat., Nov. 15th, 6:00 p.m.
There's a big variety here that looked really good to me. I'm intrigued by "Aboard The Pater Noster" by Daniel Conrad: This sequence of group dances choreographed by Aszure Barton was sumptuously filmed in Prague with, among other things, an odd people-moving contraption known as the Pater Noster. (Wha-? I've got to see that contraption. - CWW)
Also:
"Suffragette Slasher" by Julie Perini: Mary Richardson, a militant suffragette in the early 20th century, slashed a treasured painting in the National Gallery in London as a protest action. (Only 3 minutes long--that's gotta be good. - CWW)

"The Rifle Workbook" - Vincent Caldoni (from the Shorts II program)


"Wendy and Lucy" - Director: Kelly Reichardt; Sat., Nov. 15th, 8:00 p.m.
One of the best-received films at the Cannes, Toronto and New York Film festivals. Based on Portland writer John Raymond's short story, Wendy (Michelle Williams) and her dog Lucy (Reichardt's own) are on their way to Alaska for a summer of cannery work, when the car breaks down in a small Oregon town. Flat broke, Wendy must confront the realities of poverty, self-reliance, friendship and duty--that of the people she meets and painfully her own. (Opens at Cinema 21 in late December.)

Trailer from 2007 (couldn't find 2008--a victim of budget cuts, perhaps?)


This little write-up with the trailer describes the supportive and humorous atmosphere of the NW Film Center very well:

After 34 years (now 35) of Northwest Film & Video Festivals, we continue to draw our enthusiasm from the inspirational dedication we see from the filmmakers of the Northwest. We see the heroic feats of strength, tenaciousness and passion you engage to make your art and to make it good. We shudder at your financial turmoil, shake our fists to the wind for your technological breakdowns, and bleed for your rejections. You are a dedicated lot and this Festival is dedicated to you. http://www.nwfilm.org/ (Find information about film classes here.)

"Perhaps, Tomorrow" - Jeff Frankenhauser; from the digital film editing class at NW Film Center with footage from the Prelinger Archives.

Portland Bursts Into Song

Post-election crowd in Portland, OR spontaneously sings "Star Spangled Banner." Lovely.



source: znowboarding45

All-Around-The-World Girls Tour Portland

All over the world, musicians make a point of playing in the international arena of...Portland, OR. Because Portland cares about music. Check out all these cool young women, all happening this week. In PORTLAND. That's right. Portland.

U.S. (originally from East Hollywood) - Sam Phillips, Little Plastic Life - Doug Fir Lounge, Oct. 28. Sam Phillips has a nice write-up on her myspace page. She was the composer for "Gilmore Girls" during its run--a beloved TV show that combined screwball comedy with family melodrama. She has an album out now called "Don't Do Anything."


FRANCE - Yelle, A Cause Des Garcons - Berbati's Pan, Oct. 29.


SWEDEN - Lykke Li, Little Bit - Doug Fir Lounge, Oct. 30. Bringing the bun back to women's hair.
Little Bit


AUSTRALIA - Missy Higgins, Where I Stood - Crystal Ballroom, Nov. 5.

Chapman School Chimney Swifts

Laurie's back, visiting Portland and she found out about the Chapman School Chimney Swifts before I did. Also known as Vaux's Swifts, every September, thousands of these tiny, frantically flying birds (they sleep, eat and mate in flight) roost in the school chimney as the sun goes down. This creates a swirling vortex of birds for a reverse "genie in a bottle" effect.

We, along with hundreds of picnicking Portlanders, sat up on the school hillside and watched nature adapt before our eyes. With the lack of worldwide hollow trees to safely nest-build in, the birds have been using chimneys instead. They're considered a nuisance in some parts of the world, requiring an exterminator in order for people and businesses to use their heat source without the scent of 40,000 smoked birds.

Not in Portland though! The kids at Chapman School endured many years of chilly Autumns before raising $75,000 to purchase an alternate heating system. Now the chimney is, as they say, for the birds. Here's my tiny camera-phone's birds' eye view.



And a very cool video of the Swifts turning in for the night by jgamge.


The Audubon Society of Portland is having a Swift Watch Migration walk with kids' activities and music by The Chapman Swifts band on Sept. 20th.

And the documentary, "On The Wing," will be shown at Cinema 21 in Portland for one night as a benefit for the Audubon Society, Thursday, October 2nd. The trailer has some pretty shots of the city, as well as the birds.