The Devil may wear prada and Superman may wear tight red briefs but what's really should get you hot and bothered on a long holiday weekend is Amy Sedaris in prosthetic teeth and high rise pants. Wooh-wee, that's some sexy stuff. more ›

Bobby Short, the irrepressible entertainer who sang and played the standards at the Cafe Carlyle, died at age 80 yesterday from leukemia. While Gothamist never got to see him perform in person, we always equated him with a beautiful, serene and, yes, very Woody Allen version of New York where people would just sit and listen to wonderful renditions of the old standards. The NY Times' Stephen Holden wrote in an appreciation:

At the keyboard, Mr. Short refined his own personal brand of stride piano. Vigorous and sophisticated but devoid of fuss and frills, it was as distinctive as his voice, to which it was inextricably wedded. Over the years, his sound evolved from that of a caroling choirboy into a huskier baritone whose timbre varied from fogbound to clear, depending on the night and sometimes on the moment. As his voice acquired deeper shades and rougher textures, he made adroit, expressive use of each new facet.

In the end, the Times wanted to reinvigorate their movie reviews, and they did that by hiring Mitchell and Scott (they weren't going to do it with Stephen Holden, bless him). Gothamist will be sad to see Elvis Mitchell leave the Times, but we're sure he'll back in some way, shape or form. more ›

Well, almost: Andre Dubus, who wrote the novella In the Bedroom, is the father of Andre Dubus III (pictured), who wrote the novel House of Sand and Fog. Yes, an Amazon search for "Andre Dubus" brings up work by both, but reading the press notes for the film (on the film's website) would reveal that its Andre Dubus is still alive, giving quotes about the movie, whereas Andre Dubus senior died in 1999 and is much missed. Not that we're taking pleasure is pointing this out or anything. more ›

It's Gothamist's second favorite Times Arts & Leisure feature of the year (after the Fall Preview, which, even though "Fall" is less of an event in film and TV, just seems to be an exciting way to ring in the best season), when all the critics give their favorites and hateds of the year. The film critics list their best, with Elvis Mitchell calling Pirates of the Caribbean his top movie (Merry Christmas, Jerry Bruckheimer), A.O. Scott naming Master and Commander his, and Stephen Holden picking Angels in America (technically a film made for cable, but considering its ten month shoot, $60 million price tag, and ultimate 6 hour running time, it's certainly an event, so why quibble?). Then the critics have a discussion about the worst things in movies this past year (roles for women, children's movies); Scott reveals that when critics tell their children some movies are bad, the consequences are dire: [Also Scott on the year in general and Dave Kehr on the Year of the Documetary.] more ›

The Man in Black, Johnny Cash, died today, at age 71, from diabetes-related complications. Cash was one of the first popular musicians of this century to live hard, play hard, and sing about it. His long and storied career recently took a turn into the twilight, culminating with his cover and video of Hurt, which many called Johnny's farewell, as his voice ached and the images summoned up the highlights of his life and career. more ›

Hmm, if you're in New York this weekend, the weather looks like it'll be perfect for cleaning and catching up on movies and trying out restaurants while everyoe is out of town. Check out Stephen Holden's list of independent movies that have made the summer movie going season worthwhile. Or look through New York magazine's Where to Eat for a new restaurant to try. Or realize that the whole summer's weather blew on Newsday. more ›

The last film on deck for Gothamist's run at New Directors/New Films is Camp, a film about teenagers going to summer musical camp. The Daily News interview director Todd Graff. Stephen Holden of the Times likes Camp. more ›

I saw the French film "Embrassez qui vous voudrez"/"See How They Run" last night, as a part of Rendez-vous with French Cinema at the Walter Reade Theatre. It's essentially a comedy about two families and their friends who go on vacation, and hilarity ensues, but there's also this strange serious undercurrent that makes it a little harder to take just as fluff. What I liked were that the women's roles, which would have been stereotyped in a Hollywood film, were more complicated and interesting here; Charlotte Rampling leads the females roles. There's also a very cute opening credit sequence that shows the characters as children's drawings. Stephen Holden's thoughts on the Rendez-vous
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The other Times Talk panel I went to was "Films that Deserve a Second Look" - films that New York Times film critics Stephen Holden, Elvis Mitchell, and A.O. Scott felt audiences missed the first time around. Many of the films they mentioned were victim to just being dumped by their distributors because they were not easily marketable as a teen comedy or date movie. Another problem is that films live and die in one weekend, whether a would-be blockbuster or arthouse film...word of mouth buzz no longer works as well as it used to and the fascination with box office grosses is not helping any. While most films were recent, there were some older films, and by master directors, proving not everyone gets a fair shake based on name alone. There were a few funny questions - one person asked what actors did not deserve to be on screen. A.O. Scott said, "You want us killed, don't you?" before Stephen Holden remarked about the difference between being a good actor and a movie star (some people have that charisma and may not be a good actor, but are movie stars; some of the finest actors don't have that charisma and thus are not stars). Sartorial gossip: Stephen Holden looked like everyone's kind of cranky uncle, in a polo shirt, sport jacket, khakis, and New Balance sneakers; A.O. Scott looked the rumpled academic, white shirt, sport jacket, wrinkled khakis with the cuffs rolled up and brown shoes; Elvis Mitchell looked like a mod rocker in a Prada suit and black boots. Here are the movies they picked - all I wish is that more people, outside of major cities, would be able to hear about these films and watch them. more ›