Tuesday, November 19, 2013

BBQ Films Brings the Ninja Turtles Back to Battle the FootClan at a Radical Once-In-A-Lifetime Party and Movie Screening.

As a young boy when people used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always answered the same way: A Ninja Turtle. I had Ninja Turtles everything: the clothes, sheets, costumes, school supplies, all the movies and of course the action figures. Ask my mom... I'm pretty sure we still have a big ol' box of TMNT toys somewhere deep in a closet filled with all their obscure mutant friends.

This Thursday, the amazing folks at BBQ Films are helping make my childhood dreams come true. They are taking the fully immersive approach to they have brought to their Labrynth, Zoolander and Fifth Element parties and putting a half shell spin on it. In case you haven't heard, these guys are known to take things to the next level.
Photo by Jacob King & Derick Winsett
I got so excited I had to personally ask Gabriel at BBQ Films why they are choosing this moment to humor us 90's Manchildren with such tubular party. His answer made us instant best friends.
For the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the time is now - the new movie is about to come out in August 2014, we've just elected a new mayor and the press has been talking about how crime in the city used to be (and how it was depicted in the movie). But mostly all of us grew up watching the film, and we always wanted to visit that amazing foot clan hideout. So we're building one!
Speechless... In case you aren't familiar, the Foot Clan were the evil and innumerable henchmen of Shredder, the arch enemy of our crime fighting friends Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello and Raphael. They were as bad as bad guys come... BUT THEY HAD THE COOLEST EVIL LAIR EVER!! I can see it when I close my eyes in all its graffiti covered glory, strewn with skateboard ramps, arcade games and wasted youth. I'm getting goosebumps just thinking about how BBQ Films is doing this massive installation at Villian in Williamsburg for one night only. I had to ask one more question, the most necessary one a Turtle Fan could ask... Who's your fave?
This is complicated for me. I'm a thinker, so I feel partial to Don, I'm the head of the BBQ Films 'film crew' of crazy creatives, so I am partial to Leo. But, I've always loved to party and chill out, so Mikey's also my guy. That, and Mikey is going to be the free-wheeling spirit of this wild event.
Everyone knows only nerds like Donatello, but that's okay because its going to be a Turtle-Nerd's paradise! The price of admission includes a Foot Clan headband, a screening of the First Movie with popcorn, a signed event poster, photo booth, free Ninja Turtle Drink, and of course, two slices of pizza dude. The event starts at 7:00pm with the screening at 8:30 and a bodacious party to follow. They are encouraging people to come dressed up and there will be all sorts special guests, prizes and activities.  I even hear the original MC's from the film, Partners in Kryme will be in attendence to do a live version of their soundtrack hit Turtle Power. I can't imagine anything like this will ever happen again so make sure to tell every Ninja Turtle Fan you know to get their tickets before they sell out and prepare to upload a new Facebook profile photo.

Partners In Kryme - Turtle Power

Sunday, November 17, 2013

René Magritte Gets Surreal at MoMA

I just got back from the René Magritte Exhibit at MoMA. The way the Belgian surrealist deconstructed social concepts and juxtaposed them to familiar sights really has my mind in a twist. I really started getting into Magritte via my favorite philosopher, Michel Foucault, who referenced the famed "The Treachery of Images" and used it for the cover of his work "This Is Not a Pipe."

While looking through some of his later work I recognized his ubiquitous apple imagery from the painting "The Listening Room" on one of my favorite records. The powerhouse combo of Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood combine to do to your ears what Magritte does to your brain with this gem, Spanish Boots. 
  

Jeff Beck with Ron Wood and Rod Stewart - Spanish Boots