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The Associated Press reports this morning that New York Senator and former First Lady Hillary Clinton will appear in Atlantic City next Friday (Sept. 7).
No, the 2008 presidential hopeful will not be singing at Caesars or spinning records at Borgata, but rather addressing the New Jersey Democratic Party's Annual Conference, held this year at Bally's Hotel & Casino from Sept. 6-8. Also expected to speak at the conference is N.J. Governor Jon Corzine.
I’m starting to get that feeling of excitement in the pit of my stomach. The Toronto International Film Festival is just 8 days away and the anticipation of seeing the best movies from around the globe — and some world-class movie stars hawking those flicks — is building. I’m also looking forward to my pal Jerry’s fabulous brisket sandwiches and cabbage borscht at Toronto’s New Yorker deli.
This is my 19th trip to the TIFF and every year the star-power seems to grow exponentially. Since 2001, I’ve been driving to the Festival. You really understand how long New York State is when you have to drive the entire length. You also appreciate the cheaper gas in New Jersey and the fact that you don’t have to pump it yourself.
After looking over the list of films coming to Toronto here are the dozen films I most want to see at this moment in time. The more I read about the films, the more this list will change.
(Pictured are Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke in Before the Devil Knows You're Dead)
Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (USA; Sidney Lumet)
Body of War (USA; Ellen Spira, Phil Donahue)
Chacun son cinema (France; 25 of the world’s best directors)
Death Defying Acts (United Kingdom/Australia; Gillian Armstrong)
4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (Romania; Cristian Mungiu, Palme d’Or winner)
Honeydrippers (USA; John Sayles)
In the Valley of Elah (USA; Paul Haggis)
Iron Ladies of Liberia (USA; Daniel Junge, Siatta Scott Johnson)
Man From Plains (USA; Jonathan Demme)
No Country For Old Men (USA; Joel & Ethan Coen)
Titov Veles (Macedonia; Teona Strugar Mitevska)
With Your Permission (Denmark/Sweden; Paprika Steen)
Rascal Flatts made their headliner debut Aug. 23 at Boardwalk Hall and the concert lived up to all the hype. The trio of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney backed by a smokin’ supporting band, are really a rock and roll band with country accents. When you hear them harmonize, their musical roots are closer to the Eagles than Alabama.
In the cavernous Boardwalk Hall, the sound tends to float into the rafters. Opening act Jason Aldean’s lyrics were nearly impossible to understand in the back of the house.
However, Rascal Flatts literally bridges the gap between the Boardwalk Hall stage and the center of the audience. They have a bridge that descends from the rafters, allowing them to walk to a platform that rises from the middle of their elaborate set. This gave the entire audience the opportunity to see and hear the great music, and feel the charisma that the threesome generate whether they are just joking around or at the apex of their three-part harmonies.
The show opened with a couple of road songs, “Me And My Gang” and “Fast Cars And Freedom.” After “Take Me There,” Jay DeMarcus, the resident cut-up took the lead for a little James Brown, “I Feel Good.”
The trio walked the bridge to present some of their favorite songs that aren’t big hits, an acoustic trio of “Please Release Me,” “To Make Her Love Me” and “Yes, I Do.”
It was then back to the big hits with the driving energy of “Stand,” “Feels Like Today” and the amusing, foot-stompin’ ode “Backwards” (That’s What You Get When You Play A Country Song Backwards).
You get your house back
You get your dog back
You get your best friend Jack back
You get your truck back
You get your hair back
You get your first and second wife back …
Rascal Flatts made sure they included all their smash hits, finishing up the night with “Bless the Broken Road,” “Praying For Daylight” and “What Hurts Most.”
Although Jason Aldean’s set was hard to hear, you could feel the energy of his crop of hits songs including “Amarillo Sky,” “Relentless,” “Johnny Cash” and “Hicktown.”
The Blue Moon Brewery Summer Jazz Series continues this Sunday night (Aug. 26) at Gregory's in Somers Point. Trumpeter Eddie Morgan and his Rek'd 4 Jazz Combo will take the stage at 8pm at the restaurant/bar on Shore Road. Morgan's combo leans toward the smooth 'n' funky side of jazz, so if you like contemporary jazz, you'll love these guys. Morgan, an Atlantic City-based musician who has performed with Uri Caine and Roy Ayers, will also appear next Thursday, Aug. 30, with Rek'd 4 Jazz at Center City Park (North Carolina & Atlantic aves. in Atlantic City) from noon to 2pm for a free show.
Sunday night's show (which will feature Darryl Robinson on keyboard, guitarist Tony Marshall, bassist Andy Lalasis and drummer John Spence, along with Morgan) is presented by the Somers Point Jazz Society.
Through a combination of E-mails and Internet hunting, I have compiled a list of the celebs likely to show up at the Toronto Film Festival. Drum roll please:
George Clooney, Jodie Foster, Danny Glover, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Woody Allen, Cate Blanchett, Jessica Alba, Aaron Eckhart, Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell, Susan Sarandon. Charlize Theron, Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, John Sayles, Tommy Lee Jones, Jimmy Smits, Maria Bello, Timothy Olyphant, Kathy Baker, Keira Knightly, Viggo Mortensen, Evan Rachel Wood, Naomi Watts, Don Cheadle and Phil Donahue.
The complete official line-up of films for the Festival has been posted to the TIFF website. Check it out here.
It looks like Michael Vick will no longer stain the NFL with his presence. Now that Vick has pleaded guilty to financing dog fighting, gambling on fights and killing under-performing dogs, he is headed for the slammer. Even if it is only for a year, it sends a message to the other dogfight organizers out there. This country is ready to get serious about the horrendous underground sport of dog fighting. Maybe this will spur the justice system to change some laws on the books to make it easier to prosecute dog-fighting participants. If you’ve ever watched Animal Planet’s series of animal cop shows, you know that it is nearly impossible to catch dogfights in progress. The cops seem to arrive right before or after fights, and unless they catch them red-handed, it is difficult to get a conviction for the charges that include jail time. Michael Vick’s stupidity just might save some canines down the road. In fact it has already helped in one case.
In Mt. Vernon, NY, an animal shelter found 63 kittens dumped at their door, crammed into three boxes. Humane Society officials believe they were “bait” animals, used to give fight dogs in training a taste of blood. They also believe the Michael Vick headlines led the dog fighters to get rid of the kittens. You can read the story here. To find out about buying the shirt pictured above go here.
The Eagles faithful are in mourning over the shocking news that Jeremiah Trotter has been cut from the Eagles. As much as pro football players know that the NFL is a business, it still had to rock the locker room when the news trickled down. It turned Brian Dawkins’ press interview into a farewell salute to the Axeman, and a plug for Omar Gaither, his replacement at middle linebacker. With the Eagles’ track record of dumping players at the right time — remember how shocked we were when Brian Mitchell was given the boot? — you have to assume that Andy Reid & Co. know what they are doing. Still, it hurts right now. It will hurt even more if Jeremiah Trotter ends up going to a division rival like the Giants or, perish the thought, the Cowboys.
Good luck, Jeremiah. We will miss your leadership and your emotional play.
The pic of Jeremiah Trotter was provided by Tom Briglia.
The psychedelic rock sounds of the 1960s will be the draw this Sunday in Margate as the Gold Foundation hosts the third annual Margate Pop Festival.
The free concert will feature the Soul Survivors opening and then an appearance by the Classic All-Stars, a group consisting of former members of bands such as Rare Earth ("Get Ready," "I Just Want To Celebrate") Sugarloaf ("Green-Eyed Lady"), Iron Butterfly (pictured; "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida") and Blues Image ("Ride Captain Ride"). The show starts at 7PM at Washington Avenue and the Bay. Over 5,000 people are expected to attend and there will be a fireworks display sponsored by Boardwalk Bank following the show.
The Gold Foundation, started by Roy Goldberg, has raised over $2 million for more than 60 local charities over the past 20 years. Beneficiaries have included Catholic Social Services, The ARC of Atlantic City and Cumberland Counties, Manna, Gilda’s Club, 21 Down’s Syndrome and many others.
For a taste of what's to come at this special concert, check out this 1968 appearance by Iron Butterfly on Hugh Hefner's show Playboy After Dark.
My alma mater, Atlantic City High School, will begin the 2007-2008 school year with a dress code. According to an article in South Jersey.com:
The upcoming school year will start a new mandatory high school uniform policy. The policy bans students favorites, jeans, t-shirts, and hoodies. The uniform consists of plain polo shirts, only white, navy, or black, and only black, navy, or khaki color dress pants or skirts. The ACHS school logo is the only logo allowed on clothing.
As someone who grew up during the “Age of Aquarius,” I find that rather ironic. My generation of ACHS students (Class of 1971) was one of the first that was allowed to wear jeans to high school. I remember a favorite pair of mustard bell-bottoms that I wore often. The hair on male students was often long, big Afros were popular with African-American students and the only time I had to wear a skirt was when I played basketball.
Talk about ironic; while some other girls’ teams were wearing shorts and T-shirts, we were stuck with ancient-looking jumpers with navy bloomers underneath. Of course we didn’t get to play other schools until 1969-70, and we were still using girls rules that season. The next year it was five on five and everyone was allowed to cross the center line.
But I digress. My high school years were a volatile time in our nation, with the student protests against the war, my 18-year-old male classmates having to worry about being drafted into the military, the fight for equality for black Americans. There was no way they were going to make us conform to a uniform during the revolution. We needed to express our individuality.
Is it any different for today’s students? I doubt it. While one can understand the need for a uniform code in military schools and even Catholic institutions (I’m not convinced about the latter), a public school should still stand for freedom of expression. Clothing is a big part of that expression.
Just a thought.
Go here for the article on ACHS in South Jersey.com and here for the school Web site.
When my brother visits from North Jersey with his family, dining out equals a trip to Library III. I’m happy to report that the quality of this South Jersey institution remains first rate. The restaurant’s award-winning salad bar remains the standard for fresh delicious ingredients, and of course the steaks and prime rib are as fantastic as ever. My brother was practically moaning with delight over his prime rib entrée. However. I wanted to mention that they do seafood, too. My Mom loved her crab cake entrée. Nine out of ten times I choose the fabulous filet mignon, but on this night I went for a blackboard special, grilled tuna in a ginger and sesame sauce. The tuna was perfectly cooked medium rare as requested and the Asian flavors in the sauce were heavenly. The only disappointment was that the restaurant was out of its signature summer dessert, Key lime pie. I had to console myself with the cherry cream cheese pie, which was lighter than traditional cheesecake and delicious.
Pastry Chef Eugene Ess (left) and Director of Food and Beverage Ray Bertschy are shown with some of the delicious pastries at the grand opening of Plate American Café and the Trump Taj Mahal’s Spice Road. (Photo by Lew Steiner)
Mark Juliano, Chief Executive Officer of Trump Entertainment Resorts is very enthusiastic about the new changes at the Taj Mahal, from the casino floor and the suites to Spice Road. At the opening of Spice Road, he introduced Michael Mangini, Senior Designer for SOSH Architects. Mangini who served as Lead Designer for Spice Road, used natural material in unconventional ways to create a modern interpretation of India and South Asia.
Also participating in the grand opening was celebrity party planner, David Tutera who has opened his first retail project, Stem (also located along Spice Road). Stem is a full-service florist, with emphasis on one-of-a-kind presentations. Stem’s floral creations added to the ambiance of the restaurants of Spice Road.
Taj Mahal’s General Manager, Rosalind Krause noted "Spice Road is all about the positive changes and growth we are experiencing here and throughout Atlantic City. You must come see all of the beautiful enhancements for yourself."
In all, Trump Entertainment Resorts is investing approximately one-half billion dollars in the renovation, retheming and expansion of the Company’s Atlantic City casino hotels.
The new, $250 million hotel tower at the Taj Mahal is also currently under construction, and is scheduled for completion in the third quarter of 2008. The 40-story, 450-feet tall hotel tower will add nearly 800 rooms to the Taj’s existing 1,250 hotel rooms, including 70 new suites.
Spice Road Eateries include Plate, Burger, Freeze, Go, Sbarro and Berio.
Plate American Café is a 24 hour - 300 seat restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner featuring American bistro-style classics, with a contemporary twist.
Burger offers burgers and sliders, with classic and gourmet toppings, hand-cut fries, onion rings, milkshakes and fountain drinks. Freeze features their specialty frozen drinks including Coladas, Margaritas and Daiquiris and available with or without the choice of spirits. Freeze will also have an assortment of beer and wine.
For a quick bite, GO offers paninis, wraps, salads, pastries, gelato and an assortment of grab-and-go items perfect for enjoying on the run or at the 60-seat café.
In a move designed to unify and streamline management of its properties in New Jersey, Tropicana Entertainment today named Mark Giannantonio President and General Manager of both its hotel and casino operations at the Tropicana Atlantic City. Giannantonio, a 19-year veteran of the Atlantic City property who began his career as a food and beverage analyst, will assume his new position immediately.
“We’ve been experimenting with a unified management concept at some of our other properties,” said William J. Yung, owner and CEO of Tropicana Casinos & Resorts, parent of Tropicana Entertainment, “and the results satisfy me that, in the hands of the right manager, we can create efficiencies and at the same time clarify lines of authority and communication. Mark has demonstrated that he has the skill to be that kind of manager for our important assets in Atlantic City.”
The top hotel and casino operations management positions at the Tropicana Atlantic City were previously held by separate individuals.
For the past seven years as Vice President of Hotel Operations from 2000-2006 and Executive Vice President of Operations from January 2007, Giannantonio has been in charge of daily operations and marketing administration. His scope of responsibilities has included food and beverage divisions; engineering, housekeeping and public areas; convention, leisure and transient sales; VIP and casino customer services; reservations and yield management systems. He also managed all of the construction projects on the site.
From 1996 to 2000 Giannantonio was Executive Director of Casino Customer Service. He directed the casino’s marketing analysis staff and was in charge of profitability analysis for casino marketing and promotion. From 1988 to 1996, he held a variety of positions rising from food and beverage operations analyst to marketing shift manager.
A lifelong resident of Atlantic City, Giannantonio earned his BA in Economics from Richard Stockton College in 1987.
Giannantonio replaces former President and Chief Operating Officer of the Tropicana, Fred Burro.
Hey, fellow Entourage fans, Johnny Drama and E are taking a break from the left coast to visit AC. Entourage stars Kevin Dillon and Kevin Connolly will be hosting SPLASH-The End of Summer Bash at The Pool at Harrah’s on Saturday, Aug. 25. With the stars of Entourage on hand at this event, and with a music mix provided by Ani Quinn and Mateo, it will have the ambiance of a real Hollywood party.
If you’re not a fan of Entourage, why not? This hilarious HBO series, that reveals the life and times of Hollywood’s young elite, is loosely based on the early years of series executive producer Mark Wahlberg. Those 21+ with valid I.D. can crash the party by paying admission at the door (the cost has yet to be announced). For more on Entourage go here. (Pictured, above, at the New York opening of Entourage are Jeremy Piven, Kevin Dillon, Kevin Connolly and Adrian Grenier.)
Blues guitar journeyman Jimmy Thackery, who spent most of the 1970s and 80s on the road with the Nighthawks delivering night after sweat-pouring night of whiskey-soaked roadhouse blues, calls the time he first saw Jimi Hendrix live the "moment that changed my life."
Jimmy was a young man back then and Hendrix was just booted off the Monkees tour, playing a gig in DC.
Thackery, who has a new disc out with his band the Drivers (Solid Ice, Telarc), will play a tribute to Jimi Hendrix tonight (Friday, Aug. 10) on the beach in Somers Point. The free show follows last week's exceptional Guitar Shorty concert, which packed the municipal beach on Bay Avenue.
The 15th annual free Concerts on the Beach series is presented by sponsors such as AC Weekly, Shore Memorial Hospital, Cardinal Yachts and Commerce Bank. The concert begins at 7pm.
Here's a YouTube clip of some of Jimmy's tasty playing, caught at the Arkansas Blues and Heritage Festival.
The Pier at Caesars was scheduled to have a nightclub on site by now, the club being Rum Jungle on the 4th level of the Pier. However, since that hot spot has yet to get going, Sonsie, one of the fine restaurants on the Pier’s third floor, is opening for late night as the Sonsie Lounge. The Lounge makes its debut this Saturday, Aug. 11 at 11pm. Sponsored by Leblon and Philadelphia Style Magazine, the night will feature music by DJ Felix Cutillo. Offering reservations and bottle service, the phone number is 609-345-6300.
Woody Allen is still making movies in London. His latest, another drama called Cassandra’s Dream stars Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor and will be a gala presentation at the Toronto Film Festival. Another interesting new addition is the musical Across the Universe by Julie Taymor. Set in the ’60s, Jude (Jim Sturgess) and Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), along with a small group of friends and musicians, are swept up into the emerging anti-war and counterculture movements, with "Dr. Robert" (Bono) and "Mr. Kite" (Eddie Izzard) as their guides. Songs include “Hey Jude” and “All You Need Is Love.” Go here for the trippy coming attraction.
Jeff McBride’s ‘Magic at the Edge’ With sleight of hand and masks galore, magician/illusionist Jeff McBride brings his special blend of myth, magic and drama to Trump Marina’s Shell until Sept. 2. Shows are at 8pm on Thursdays and Fridays; 7 and 9:30pm on Saturdays, and 7pm on Sundays. There will not be a show on Friday, Aug. 24.
Magic at the Edge showcases some McBride classics like “Mask and Mirror,” various card manipulations and “Voodoo People,” interspersed with audience interaction and segments with his wife, Abbi. The show also incorporates new routines like “Water Bowls and Illumination” which features exotic light infused illusions. McBride’s signature fusion of mask, myth, drama and illusion reflects his lifelong study of magic’s multi-cultural roots. He has been featured on the Pax TV series, Masters of Illusion, and in the current PBS documentary, The Art of Magic, as well as episodes of The Mysteries of Magic on The Learning Channel.
(Photo by Lew Steiner)
Mandy Moore , co-headlining with Paula Cole, has been added to the lineup at the Borgata for a concert in the Music Box Friday, Sept. 14 at 9pm. Tickets are $35 and go on sale this Saturday at the B's ticket Website.
Our own esteemed entertainment columnist David Spatz has been nominated for a 2007 Emmy Award for the TV incarnation of his AC Weekly column "Curtain Call." The 30-minute TV program, which airs Saturdays on WMGM-TV NBC40 in the Atlantic City area, was nominated in the interview/discussion series category.
Some of the guests who have appeared on TV's Curtain Call, which features a casual conversation with different entertainment personalities each week, include Don Rickles, Dennis Miller, Joan Rivers, Larry the Cable Guy, Gordon Lightfoot, Wolfgang Puck and Paul Anka.
The show's producer, Jack Glassey Jr., said in a press release: “Our guests enjoy the freedom of speaking without feeling they have to cram everything into two minutes. The best compliments we get are when guests tell us they got so caught up in the conversation they forgot there were two cameras capturing everything.”
Good luck in September, Mr. Spatz and crew.
It is only 36 days to the start of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Here is some more news on movies that will play there.
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford stars Brad Pitt in the title role. I'm Not There is Todd Haynes' interwoven group of stories about Bob Dylan. Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw and Marcus Carl Franklin play different 'Dylanesque' characters.
In The Valley Of Elah by Paul Haggis is about a young soldier who disappears after returning home from Iraq, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Susan Sarandon and Charlize Theron.
Sean Penn directs Into the Wild, based on the true story of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch), a young man who abandoned his possessions, gave his $24,000 savings to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Co-stars include Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Catherine Keener and Vince Vaughn.
The Midnight Madness program will include George Romero’s Diary of the Dead. His zombies will never die, apparently. It has been 39 years since Romero got the ball rolling with Night of the Living Dead.
In the documentary program Real to Reel, the war in Iraq continues to be a hot topic. One film I’ve got on my must list is Body of War by Phil Donahue (Yes, it's that Phil Donahue, the former talk show host) and Ellen Spiro about a young American soldier who was wounded after serving in Iraq for less than a week. Tomas Young, paralyzed from the chest down, is now a political activist. In Encounters At The End Of The World Werner Herzog explores Antarctica. Iron Ladies Of Liberia is about the first freely elected female head of state in Africa, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. To find out about the festival go here.
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