News-Press – Page 43

These Birds are taking off: Birds of Chicago comes to Sings Like Hell

February 5, 2013December 6, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

JT Nero and Allison Russell are the couple at the heart of the Birds of Chicago collective. Courtesy photo — JT Nero and Allison Russell are the couple at the heart of the Birds of Chicago collective.
Courtesy photo

Birds of Chicago delve into that ever-widening genre called Americana, and bring out something both soulful and sweet, smooth and raw. Just like the big city of Chicago turned traveling bluesmen into electric nightclub entertainers in the ’50s, the Birds of Chicago are set to change what can be done in the genre that has tended to the too-folksy side in recent years. They’re a smokin’ hot live band, to be proved Sunday, when they play as part of Sings Like Hell’s current series.

The band came together when Chicago-based JT Nero, of JT and the Clouds, and Montreal-based Allison Russell of Po’Girl joined forces romantically and artistically. After touring on and off with each other, and hiding their relationship from the rest of the touring musicians, they finally combined their songwriting, their arranging and their voices. Their self-titled debut came out in 2012, followed by a live album in 2013, bolstered by constant touring.

That’s a Wrap: SBIFF’s 28th year ends on a high note

February 4, 2013December 13, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Roll up the red carpet and put it in storage. Tear down the crowd barriers, the posters and banners. The 28th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival ended Sunday night as it began, with a closing night film at the Arlington Theatre and filmmakers walking the carpet. The atmosphere was subdued but elated.

The fest could name some successes this year. The opening film “Disconnect” was so well received – a first – that it received a second screening. The Ben Affleck, Daniel Day Lewis and Jennifer Lawrence tribute evenings all sold out. The Quentin Tarantino night, hastily announced and organized on the day before the opening, nearly sold out too.

SBIFF: Lawrence wows Arlington at SBIFF’s final tribute

February 3, 2013December 13, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Jennifer Lawrence stops for photographers at the Arlington Theatre. MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS — Jennifer Lawrence stops for photographers at the Arlington Theatre.
MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

If SBIFF followers were feeling a bit underwhelmed with the star power of its last few tributes, the screaming crowds 10 people deep ringing the Arlington on Saturday night assuaged all fears.

Jennifer Lawrence, the 22-year-old actress best known for three standout hits, was in town to receive SBIFF’s Outstanding Performance of the Year award.

The award was for her Oscar-nominated work in David O. Russell’s “Silver Linings Playbook,” but the throngs of devoted fans were here to see the Ms. Lawrence they knew: Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games.”

SBIFF’s Women’s Panel celebrates producers, writers and developers

February 3, 2013December 13, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Saturday's Women's Panel featured, from left, moderator Madelyn Hammond, Allison Abbate, Lucy Alibar, Marissa Paiva, Katherine Sarafian and Pilar Savone. MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS — Saturday’s Women’s Panel featured, from left, moderator Madelyn Hammond, Allison Abbate, Lucy Alibar, Marissa Paiva, Katherine Sarafian and Pilar Savone.
MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS

Why are there not more women in Hollywood?

This is the perpetual question, recently raised in several articles quoting the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University’s findings that only 18 percent of directors, writers and camera people of the top-grossing movies are women.

It’s also been a familiar question at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Women’s Panel for the last few years, and it was asked again Saturday afternoon at the Lobero Theatre.

Producers panel brings Oscar nominees to town

February 3, 2013December 13, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

The Santa Barbara film festival's Movers & Shakers panel included, from left, moderator John Horn, Bruce Cohen, Debra Hayward, Dan Janvey, Kathleen Kennedy, Stacey Sher and David Womark. MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS — The Santa Barbara film festival’s Movers & Shakers panel included, from left, moderator John Horn, Bruce Cohen, Debra Hayward, Dan Janvey, Kathleen Kennedy, Stacey Sher and David Womark.
MIKE ELIASON/NEWS-PRESS

Six of this year’s Oscar-nominated producers took the stage for Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s third panel, the always popular Movers & Shakers event.

On an overcast Saturday morning, the Lobero Theatre was quite full with film fans who had come to see the less-recognizable but very important faces behind this year’s best films.

Breaking bones and records: SBIFF documentary recalls the crazy ‘Signal Hill Speed Run’

February 2, 2013December 13, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

Jim O'Mahoney, shown in a 1970s photo, is the subject of a documentary, "Signal Hill Speed Run," about skateboard racing. The film screens tonight as part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. — Jim O’Mahoney, shown in a 1970s photo, is the subject of a documentary, “Signal Hill Speed Run,” about skateboard racing. The film screens tonight as part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

“It was the X-Games of its day,” he says.

These days Jim O’Mahoney is best known to Santa Barbarans as the owner of the Surf Museum on Helena Avenue and its newer, but equally delightful, history museum next door.

But back when he was 30, Mr. O’Mahoney started a four-year event at the same time as the modern skateboard industry, resulting in some incredible speeds and dangerous accidents.

Oscar nominee Amy Adams to receive Vanguard Award tonight

January 31, 2013December 21, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

With four Oscar nominations to her name, Amy Adams may finally be in line to grab that golden statue next month. Her performance in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master,” as the wife of a Scientology-style guru, has again raised her profile. Ms. Adams has a broad range and means serious business.

When she sits down at the Arlington tonight to receive the Cinema Vanguard Award, it will be the first time Ms. Adams has watched her career unspool in front of her and a crowd.

DRINK OF THE WEEK: Reds’ bloody mary

January 31, 2013December 21, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

When Dana Walters of Red’s Bar & Tapas, 211 Helena Ave., traveled back to her home state of Wisconsin she saw one of the craziest, gnarliest, most wonderfullest Bloody Mary’s possibly ever in the history of mankind. Boasting a serious amount of garnishes, it was half meal, half hangover cure. And it came in a glass boot. With a beer chaser. The memory was so epic that once she returned to Santa Barbara, she decided to set about creating her own version.

Now, as Super Bowl Sunday approaches, Walters has put the finishing touches on her Bloody Mary to end all … unless you travel to Wisconsin.

SBIFF honors six Virtuosos of 2012 at the Arlington

January 30, 2013December 21, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

The Virtuosos Award evening at the Arlington Theatre Tuesday night brought in six actors who had breakout roles last year in everything from indie features to big-budget Hollywood films.

It was the kind of evening that showed the Santa Barbara International Film Festival brings in not only superstars, but also actors who may turn out to be stars in their own right. See for example, previous years’ honoring of Marion Cotillard and Viola Davis.

The six for this year, each interviewed in separate 20-minute segments, were Ann Dowd, Elle Fanning, Ezra Miller, Eddie Redmayne, Omar Sy and Oscar-nominated Quvenzhané Wallis

Feel the waves: SBIFF’s Sunday night premiere immersed viewers in 3D surfing

January 28, 2013December 21, 2015 tedmills Leave a comment

The red carpet leads into the Arlington Theatre for Sunday's showing of "Storm Surfers 3-D." NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS — The red carpet leads into the Arlington Theatre for Sunday’s showing of “Storm Surfers 3-D.”
NIK BLASKOVICH/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

“If you’re not a surfer after seeing this film, you’re going to feel like you are.”

Sunday night’s SBIFF event at the Arlington, “Storm Surfers 3-D” was a much mellower event than the previous two. No Hollywood, no ravenous banks of paparazzi, no screaming, adoring fans holding up posters. But the Arlington was modestly packed with serious surf fans waiting to see this breakthrough surfing documentary made all the more remarkable with its use of?3D.

The night was made even more special with the announcement that the film had just won the Australian Oscars —the coveted AACTA — for Best Documentary Feature. That made the journey to Santa Barbara for its two directors — Justin McMillan and Christopher Nellius — and its three stars — famous big-wave surfers Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones and surfing forecaster Ben Matson — all that more special. As the directors said just before the screening, the Arlington was the best theater they’d ever screened in.