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Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

Archives for September 2019

World Class Jazz-Funk Duo performs at The Brightside on Wed Sept 18th!

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The Jennifer Hartswick & Nick Cassarino Duo makes their Dayton debut on Wednesday September 18, 2019 at The Brightside.

The world-class jazz-funk fusion duo Jennifer Hartswick and Nick Cassarino, set out on a limited engagement tour this fall, and have picked The Brightside Music & Event Venue in downtown Dayton, to be one of the featured and exclusive performances on this debut tour! You can sit in on this intimate set this upcoming Wednesday September 18, 2019.

Trumpeter and vocalist, Jennifer Hartswick is one of the most exciting performers in music today. She exudes confidence and joy and brings her own refreshing spirit to the stage every time she performs. Jennifer’s music is honest, soulful and comes with a maturity far beyond her years. She is joined by Nick Cassarino, an incredible guitarist from Brooklyn, who blew Dayton audiences away earlier this spring with his powerhouse band The Nth Power. This duo is doing a limited engagement fall tour, and have made a special stop to downtown’s newest listening room!

Bonus! Dayton’s own guitar virtuoso, Chris Houser (from The Werks) kicks off this dynamic evening that jazz , funk, and jam fans alike won’t want to miss! Music runs from 8-11pm, which is ideal for a week night out. Pre-sale tickets are available here.

Making it extra special? This show is presented by Venus Child Productions – and is doubling as a birthday party for the Venus Child herself – Libby Ballengee!

How to go?

Wednesday September 18, 2019
The Brightside Music & Event Venue – 905 E 3rd St Dayton OH 45402

Doors 7pm. Music 8pm – 11pm.
Chris Houser at 8pm / Jennifer Hartswick & Nick Cassarino Duo 9-11pm
All ages welcome!

Pre-sales just $15! Day of show $18.
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/4299698

Miami Valley Bluegrass & Artisan Festival

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Join us as we celebrate the rich Bluegrass Heritage of the Miami Valley.

Featuring Grammy Award winning, legendary bluegrass icons, and exceptional regional string bands

  • True artisan and craft vendors
  • Free kids’ activities from noon-8 p.m.
  • Old time craft demonstrations
  • Cold brews and great food trucks
  • Beer sales available to persons over 21 with valid ID
  • No pets, pop up tents, coolers, large umbrellas, or outside spirits or carry ins permitted.

Jollity X District Provisions

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Join us for a dinner of laughter, wine, food, and friendship. Doors Open at 4:45, the first course will be served at 5:30 PM!

Hosted inside District Provisions the nights offering will include:

Baked (sweet) Potato

Ember Cooked Sweet Potato/Ginger Creme Fraiche/ Sesame Seed Cluster/ Cranberry/ Nasturtium

Wasabi Peas…And Stuff

Wasabi English Peas Pods/ Charred Brussels/ Lemon/ Fish Sauce Vinaigrette (vegetarian preperation available)

Pork Bowl

Braised Pork Shoulder/ Rice Grits/ Potato Leaves/ Mentsuyu/ Pickled Summer Vegetable

OR

Earth Bowl

Soy Braised Mushroom and Charred EggPlant/ Rice Grits/ Potato Leaves/ Mentsuyu/ Pickled Summer Vegetable

Banana Pudding

Smoked Banana /White Miso Pudding/ Peanut Sable Cookie / Whip

$45

Dinner + a bottle of wine is avaliable for $65

*Those who purchase wine will be contacted directly by Nathan Heil to reserve their prefered bottle from the wine list 2 weeks before the event.*

*Ticket price does not include gratuity, please tip your service staff*

Artist of the Week: Steve Wohleer

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ARTIST OF THE WEEK Steve Wohler of Steve Wohler Fine Art in his home studio.

Steve is the featured artist this year at the Dayton Concours d’Elegance which will be held Sunday from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm at Carillon Historical Park. The large framed painting in the background of this photo is the official poster for this event.

“All of my paintings come from photos” Steve told me. “For the show’s poster we had a photo shoot at Carillon last May. One of the cars in the poster is from the Packard Museum.”

“I really love car art, and I’ve been exhibiting at Concours d’Elegance for years, but I also do other things. On my website you can see my landscapes and what I call townscapes. I work in oil on canvas, and make prints of most of my pieces.”

On First Friday, November 1, Steve will have paintings and prints on display at the gallery of Mikee Huber Artist (903 N. Keowee). Steve is also one of the artists participating in the “Behind the Scenes” exhibition at K12 Gallery and TEJAS which runs from October 24 through November 14

Who Makes Dayton’s Best Martini?

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On Thursday, Sept 11th from 6-8pm you’ll have the chance to sample and select Dayton’s Best Martini. In the second year for ARTINI, this fundraiser for Culture Works, will take place at The Grande Hall.  Local mixologists have been challenged to create an art inspired martini for the event.

Funds raised at this event will support the mission of Culture Works, our local arts advocacy organization that strives to support a vibrant and attractive community. From providing inspiring educational opportunities for our children, to attracting and retaining employees in our region, to adding beauty and entertainment to our lives.

 

Local bartenders and mixologists will be crafting art-inspired martinis for you to sample and select your favorites. Each bartender’s table will have their inspiration image displayed next to their mini-martini tastings. Judging from some of the  names of the cocktails: Water Lilies, Cherry Blossoms, Metamorphosis, Purple Rain, The Rose Blush, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the creativity of these bartenders will certainly be on display.

Last year’s champion Tara Goffe from Milano’s will be there to defend her title as will representatives  from Smith’s Boathouse, Miami Valley Gaming, Watermark Restaurant, Mack’s Tavern, Salar, Table 33, Stillwrights and Lily’s Bistro.

You’ll also have a chance to experience the creation of art at the event.  Boy Blue will be doing his live inkwork at the event.  Jes McMillan from the Mosaic Institute has created a mosaic piece inspired by the ARTINI logo and guests at the event will able to help create a piece of work on the spot.  Both art pieces will be raffled off at the end of the evening

ARTINI

The Grande Hall at Liberty Tower
120 W. Second Street

5:30pm – 8:00pm (VIP tickets) $50
6:00pm – 8:00pm $30

Purchase tickets online.
General admission tickets will be available at the door for $35.

All guests must be 21 or over.

 

The Best Chili in Dayton

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Last night the IBEW Union Hall off Poe Avenue was packed with folks supporting the  32nd annual Ambucs Chili Cookoff!  This charitable evening raises funds to serve handicapped individuals with mobility equipment. Organizer Paul Jankovich has chaired this event as a volunteer for years and he spends months recruiting chili makers, coordinating the auction and gambling games that make this event such a success.  The $20 ticket that covers all the chili, hot dogs, beer and wine you can consume also make it a true bargain to attend!

We had a chance to taste a dozen different bowls of chili and here’s how I rank them:`

Dayton Dining’s Favorite:  Meadowlark– a hardy flavor, with big chunks of beef and garnished with a green onion sauce and we loved that they shared the ingredient list!

 

 

 

Meatiest:  Rivertown’s Joe Cooper Chili–  named after the author of the best book ever written about chili, included his own recipe in With or Without Beans, and it doesn’t have beans in it.   They also offered a 2nd option- John Dayton’s Chili, which they explained to me was most like the chili your mom made if you grew up here, and yes, this one had beans.While Rivertown’s Chili closed it’s Miamisburg restaurant they are still doing catering and special events! 

 

Biggest Kick– Los Reyes chili was soupier in style with a hot spice flavor that left you with true heat in your mouth!

 

Sweetest- The Brunch Club served up a chili that was on the sweet side with low heat and a cinnamon finish, served up by the same smiling faces that greet you each morning a the downtown eatery.

 

Best Garnish- Christopher’s Restaurant served up a solid chili, but what put them over the top for me was their garnish buffet of cheese, onions, sour cream, crackers, nuts  and the most yummy Garlic Cheddar Jalapeno biscuits!

Eaton Kennedy’s served up a hearty chunky chili that had a pretty good flavor as well.  Other participating competitors included: Slyders, George’s Restaurant, Bullwinkle’s, Atrium Grill, Harrigan’s and Chef Daddy’s.  And shame on those restaurants that signed up but didn’t show up.

 

 

 

All the guests got to vote and the People’s Choice Awards for Best Chili ? were:

1st Place:  Christopher’s

2nd Place: Meadowlark 

3rd Place: Brunch Club

Congrats to all and mostly to AMBUCS and all the specially  built tricycles they will be able to provide to facilitate therapy for disabled children and adult as well as ramps for families in need of mobility help.

 

 

TIFF 2019 – Day #9

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Hello Everyone.

Today was my last full day of movies, and it was a strong selection.

HONEY BOY was my first film of the day – directed by Alma Har’el and written by Shia LaBeouf (did you see his performance in THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON at THE NEON over the last few weeks?). “Actor and screenwriter Shia LaBeouf mines his own life in this confessional collaboration with director Alma Har’el, about the stormy childhood and early adult years of an actor struggling to reconcile with his abusive father (played by LaBeouf himself).” (taken from TIFF catalog)  This tough story of the “bad boy” actor coming to terms with his upbringing is at times hard to watch – but certainly worth the ride.  Performances across the board are strong – from the flashback scenes starring Noah Jupe (who is really fantastic) and LaBeouf to the more “current” scenes starring Lucas Hedges.

ROCKS – the title refers to the nickname of the main character – was up next. “British director Sarah Gavron (Brick Lane, Suffragette) returns with this intimate, honest portrait of a teenage girl who suddenly finds herself struggling to take care of herself and her younger brother.” (taken from TIFF catalog)  I love when a film that is only minorly on my radar ends up blowing me away.  I love this little gem.  So rarely do we get stories about young black girls – and this one is strong and runs the emotional gamut. It’s honest, fresh, frustrating, complicated (though simply told) and full of life – sometimes jubilant and often heartbreaking.  I hope this film gets a stateside release.

HOW TO BUILD A GIRL, my 31st film of the festival, was my last film of the day. “A working-class teenager (Beanie Feldstein) tries to reinvent herself as a hip London music critic, in this unconventional coming-of-age story based on British author Caitlin Moran’s semiautobiographical novel.” (taken from TIFF catalog)  I felt like this film didn’t go over as well with the audience while I was loving it.  There is a lot of really funny material – particularly in the first hour – that I felt others weren’t appreciating the way I did (you know that feeling when you’re the only one laughing).  The dialog is sharp, and Feldstein is brilliant.  But what starts as a charming and “innocent” film treads into adult territory as the main character is thrust into a grown-up atmosphere (which means the rating will keep the potential tween audience from seeing it theatrically).  Sadly, as the film progresses, it starts to go in a rather predictable direction. That said, I felt like the film repaired some of its missteps by the end, and ultimately I found it quite satisfying. I left the film a much bigger fan of Beanie Feldstein. There is no trailer for this film yet…but here’s a little interview piece.

I met up with a couple friends for a last hurrah in the city and then came back to begin packing my bags.  I have one more film early tomorrow morning, and then I’ll head to the airport.

Thanks for reading!

Jonathan

Hispanic Heritage Festival

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Whether you come out to the festival to share your Hispanic cultural heritage, to learn about other countries, to support a good cause or simply to enjoy some good food, good music, and good times, a variety of entertainment awaits you!  Activities include:

– Live Music with Great Entertainment
– Expanded Children’s Area including races and face painting
– Domino Demonstration; Learn the history and rules of the game
– Raffles, including 50/50 Raffle
– More Beer Booths
– Educational Cultural Displays

Shelly Hulce Signs Off As Dayton Story Slam Begins 4th Season

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Shelly Hulce, photo by Jennifer Taylor

Over 13 years ago Shelly Hulce started a story telling event here in Dayton and called it Story Slamm. From it’s humble beginnings in a coffee shop on 5th in the Oregon District, to Ghostlight on Wayne, then a run at Black Box Improv Theatre, Shelly’s Story Slamm carried the torch for local storytellers.

From the very beginning she was working toward one goal: Grabbing the attention of New York City’s storytelling organization known as The Moth.

It was in 2016 that the Story Slamm was re-ignited by Bryan Suddith after his appearance on a Moth Story stage in Louisville Kentucky. Both he and Shelly with support from Lisa Grigsby and Brian Petro grew Dayton’s Story Slam into the monthly event it is now.

Story Slamm as Shelly envisioned it 13 years ago was an opportunity for people from all parts of Dayton to gather and share stories around a common theme. Story Slamm has done that. More than 100 open mic shows featuring literally hundreds of storytellers and their stories have been shared since Shelly put things into motion on 5th Street over a decade ago.

As Story Slam Dayton enters it’s 4th Season at Wiley’s Comedy Club this Tuesday, Shelly won’t be taking the stage. After 13 seasons, and after The Moth wowed crowds at Victoria Theater with their Mainstage show in April, Shelly is retiring. She is leaving Story Slam Dayton in the hands of co-producer Bryan Suddith and the support of Grigsby and Most Metro. Brian Petro remains on the team as well supporting the event with marketing and graphic design.

Those that love stories, or have experienced an open mic event here in Dayton owe Shelly a debt of gratitude for plugging away at that dream of hers for so long.

Shelly will not be a stranger to Story Slam and you can hear her each Tuesday from 8-11pm as she hosts the Wax Carnival on Oldies 97.3 fm. The Wax Carnival is a specialty show featuring deep cut album rock. This is the music you “didn’t” buy the record for. Digging out the jewels in the grooves a little closer the the center of the record, GladGirl covers psychedelic, progressive (prog rock), blues, jazz, punk, new wave, alt country and some far out silliness of the “counter culture”.

Season 4 of Story Slam Dayton kicks Off Tuesday the 17th of September at Wiley’s in the Oregon District. Just a block away from where Shelly started this ride so long ago.  You can tell a story or just settle in and listen to others tell their story.  Each month tellers are given a topic around which to form their story. The theme for the first show of this 4th season is Kickoff – Stories of great starts and getting started.
More details about Story Slam can be found at Facebook.com/StorySlamDayton.

Boar Fest coming to Preble County

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The Bison and The Boar has created a brand new event that will debut next week from Tuesday, September 17th through Saturday, September 21st. All week long, Boar Fest will feature specials and new menu items that highlight the complexity and versatility of boar meat.
“We’re really going all out to highlight half of our namesake for this week,” said Brian Johnson, Event Spokesperson. “In addition to our normal menu offerings, Boar Fest will give people in our community even more boar dishes that are not available anywhere else.”
The Bison and The Boar will offer an expanded menu including boar sausage, boar ribs, and more, in addition to offering one of their most popular dishes at a special price throughout the week.
“Our neighbors have really come to love the melt-in-your-mouth boar belly cuts,” Johnson said. “During Boar Fest we’re serving boar belly for only $5 all week long. It’s one of the most affordable ways to try this unique protein, but only one of the many options. We’re excited to host you and provide all of the options for you to eat more boar!”
The Bison and The Boar
3377 US Route 35 E in West Alexandria, Ohio
 
(937) 839-4500
Featuring historic Preble County photographs, locally repurposed barn wood and rustic table settings, our dining is warm and inviting while also cultivated and refined.   A classic country steakhouse with specialty menu items
featuring both Bison and Boar.
Tuesday- Thursday 4-9pm
Friday & Saturday 4-10pm

TIFF 2019 – Day #8

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Hello Most Metro,

Things are winding down at TIFF.  I’ve seen 28 films so far, and I have 1.25 days left.  Today seemed like a “minor” day.  Nothing extraordinary…but lots of tear to start off the day.

DADS,  a sweet documentary, was my first film of the day. “Director Bryce Dallas Howard teams up with her father, Ron Howard, to explore contemporary fatherhood through anecdotes and wisdom from famous funnymen such as Will Smith, Jimmy Fallon, Neil Patrick Harris, and more.” (taken from TIFF catalog) This little film has a fantastic opening sequence – it’s funny, poignant, inclusive, and provokes reflection and introspection and brought me to tears right off the bat. There’s a lot to love about this little film, but it does lose some steam in the third act.  (Am I getting old and tired, or do more and more films need recuts?) There is a lot of priceless material here, and the topic is valuable.

COMING HOME AGAIN was my next film. “A Korean American man cares for his ailing mother while trying to master her traditional cooking in the latest from Wayne Wang (The Joy Luck Club), based on Chang-rae Lee’s New Yorker short story.” (taken from TIFF catalog)  This film starts out in a languid manner – lots of lingering shots without much happening (except everything is happening).  A young man is caring for his mother who is dying of stomach Cancer, and the days stretch on with little happening – thus the pace. But eventually some old wounds start to surface, and some additional players enter the scene – and the performances are not of the same caliber.  In the last 25 minutes, I felt like the film went off its quiet rails and not at all in a good way.  I don’t see much box office life for this one.

LYREBIRD, my last film of the day, just got picked up by Sony Classics.   “In Dan Friedkin’s directorial debut, a soldier and member of the Dutch resistance (Claes Bang) investigates stolen art in the wake of the Second World War, including a Vermeer sold to the Nazis by a flamboyant painter (Guy Pearce).” (taken from TIFF catalog)  Based on a true story, this movie goes big (at least the score and some of the performances do) and the audience seemed to like it.  The mystery at the first act’s core was an easy solve, and the movie changes genres a couple times. Though there were aspects of the story I appreciated, my final response was more of a shoulder shrug.

Thanks for checking in.

Tomorrow is my last full day of movies, and then I need to pack my bags…I head home after one movie on Saturday morning.

Cheers,
Jonathan

Fishes & Big Dishes at NEW Tokyo Grill & Hibachi

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Do you love seafood of all sorts?  How about Japanese Hibachi Dishes?  Even Sushi?

If you said yes to any of those three questions, you may be thrilled about Centerville’s newest buffet and hibachi hybrid called Tokyo Grill Sushi and Hibachi Buffet.  This restaurant has recently opened in the old Rue Dumaine location near Sams Club on 725 near Lyons Rd.

Part of the Buffet Bar

The Food Adventures Crew was impressed with the all you can eat sushi roll choices made constantly and replaced on the bar.  We also loved the service of their hibachi grill.  You pick the ingredients, they cook it and bring it to your table.  This place is a cross between Mongolian Grill and a Chinese Buffet with good sushi.  To us the best part was the Sashimi (raw sushi with no rice).

Let’s give you the scoop – you gotta try this place….

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY on TOKYO GRILL SUSHI and HIBACHI BUFFET:

Vanilla Pudding (left) and Tuna and Salmon Sashimi (right)

—Tokyo Grill Sushi & Hibachi Buffet is located at 1061 Miamisburg-Centerville Road in Washington Twp.

— They are open seven days a week from 11am to 10pm.

— This is considered an upscale,  “high end buffet.”  Lunch is around $12.99 and Dinner is around $18.99.  Drinks are not included.

—This is one of the few times we suggest you go for dinner instead of lunch and here is why:  a) more sashimi offerings on the bar b) Shrimp and more seafood included in the raw meat section of the hibachi grill. These 2 reasons alone are worth the price difference.  You eat 2 pieces of sashimi and you have made up the difference price wise.

Nigiri section

— The restaurant seats 90 and they pack them in, sometimes tightly.   If you go on “off hours” it is not as busy.

—The owner has a couple of other locations in different states and decided to invest in a Dayton location because he was told it is a “friendly market.”

— The restaurant consists of 4 bars –
Bar 1 is desserts and raw sashimi (sushi with no rice)
Bar 2 is cooked and raw sushi rolls and nigiri (sliced sushi on top of rice).
Bar 3 is Chinese Food, Appetizers and soup
Bar 4 is the Hibachi Grill with meat and vegetable choices.

Sushi Roll Section – they have about 20 kinds of rolls

There are so many dishes here – but we are going to tell you the best of the best …

 

THE MUST EATS at TOKYO GRILL SUSHI and HIBACHI BUFFET:

—THE SASHIMI (Raw sushi with no rice):
The raw Salmon is amazing.
The raw Tuna is a treat, this is a rare chance to load up.  There are White Tuna, Octopus and sometimes Mackrel and Yellowtail slices in the sashimi section as well.

Typical sushi

—THE SUSHI ROLL BAR:
There are dozens rolls with crab, salmon, tuna, eel and more in them with avocado, cream cheese and other ingredients.  Some are even deep fried sushi rolls.
The Salmon and Tuna Nigiri (slices of raw meat on top of rice) are incredible.

—THE HIBACHI BAR:
Choices of meat include salmon, scallops, steak, chicken, shrimp, calamari, imitation crab meat and tofu.  The vegetable selection is huge!  You can choose to have your ingredients stir fried and served with brown rice, white rice, thin noodles, or thick noodles (udon).

Hibachi Meats

 

—THE VANILLA PUDDING CUPS:
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the vanilla pudding cups on the dessert bar with a vanilla wafer on top.  A  perfect end to a night of indulgence.

 

 

If you are a hibachi or sushi fan at all, or if you love seafood, this place is worth a visit.  Heavily

Hibachi Veggies

stacked with seafood from calamari, to cooked and raw fish, there are a lot of high quality items on this buffet not usually found in an “all you can eat environment.”  In other words, if you are one of those people who spends $20 on two sushi rolls and walks out of the restaurant hungry, this could be your new favorite place.  Take advantage of the hibachi grill, soup area and all the amenities.

Tokyo Grill Sushi and Hibachi Buffet is a fun treat when your hungry for a seafood feast!  If you do not like seafood you can load up on steak and chicken at the hibachi buffet and a couple of chicken dishes at the Chinese bar.

Hibachi Bowl

Please share your comments of your Food Adventures to Tokyo Grill below !

This place is a great chance to sample delicacies like Octopus, Squid, and other seafoods you might not ever try. Give it a shot!

For more Food Adventures, like us on Facebook and join 8,000 foodies in Dayton in the discussion.

Browse our gallery below of more Tokyo Grill Sushi & Hibachi Buffet photos.

 

 

 

One of our plates

All you can eat sushi !!

Miso Soup All Day Long

This hibachi bowl was spicy with salmon, tofu and fake crabmeat

 

Seared Ahi Tuna and Mango

BUSY BUSY

About 1/4 of the bar

Hibachi Bowl is cooked for you !!!

So many sushi rolls

Seared White tuna and sauce

Cooked Octopus Sashimi

OHHH That Salmon !

Veggies at Hibachi

Dining Room

SUSHI !

Freshly prepared- all you want

Kani – imitation crab

Here is your bowl for hibachi raw ingredients to be placed into

Tuna and Salmon

Deep fried rolls , salmon and tuna -its like paradise

Spicy Crab Roll and salmon Nigiri for days ….

Tuna and Squid

dessert bar

We went overboard …AGAIN

Jalapeno Sushi

Chinese and Japanese Appetizers

More Veggies at the Hibachi

Vanilla Pudding

The sushi is terrific

Hibachi Stir Fry ! – Shrimp Scallops, Squid and more

Do you have bigger plates? How about a cookie sheet ?

View of a bar

 

 

TIFF 2019 – Day #7

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Hello Everyone.

I got to sleep in today because my first film started later than usual, and I was glad I got an extra hour in bed.  Here’s why:  Last night had me attending my first true parties of the festival.  First was a gathering with lots of LGBT industry folks – people in PR, critics, film buyers, distributors, programers, etc.  It was a nice event, and I saw a handful of people I’ve met before and was introduced to a handful more – these parties are a lot about networking, so I’m glad I went.  I was a little baffled that it was after 1:30 when I decided to leave, but upon arriving at my apartment, there was a party for A24 right across the street…and a friend had put my name on the list…so I had to check it out.  Though it was “winding down,” it was still a pretty terrific party.  I saw several people I knew (including some crossover from the earlier LGBT party), recognized numerous celebrities from films I’ve screened (WAVES, HARRIET, JOJO RABBIT, and more), and then I saw Jon Hamm.  (swoon) This party was super casual and people didn’t seem to have their guards up…what a fun way to wrap up a great day.

MY ZOE was my first film of Day #7. “A recently divorced mother is driven to extremes in this seventh film by writer-director-actor Julie Delpy — a suspense drama unlike anything she has done before.” (taken from TIFF catalog)  This film goes in a direction you’re not anticipating.  It’s a very straight-forward drama – well-acted, solid script, etc…and then you start to realize some new-fangled, sci-fi technology…but maybe it’s not so sci-fi.  This film will spur a lot of interesting dialog. (So many films at this year’s festival are about divorce and the strains they induce.)

THE KINGMAKER was my next film. “Acclaimed documentarian Lauren Greenfield (The Queen of Versailles) aims her lens at Filipino politician and former First Lady Imelda Marcos, who, despite disgrace, remains unbowed and enmeshed in her nation’s politics.” (taken from TIFF catalog)  Imelda Marcos is a great subject.  She’s funny, charming, charitable, and fumbles a bit.  She seems like the crazy, rich aunt you never knew you had….until the truth starts pouring out.  Greenfield set out to make a very different film, but the story you see unfolded before her, and she couldn’t stop filming.  What was supposed to take a year or so took five years to make, and you simply can’t believe it.  It’s political corruption like you’ve never seen…and the gullible public who seem to keep inviting it in.  This is a cautionary tale!  During the very interesting Q&A, Greenfield said that Imelda would answer every question she ever asked except one.  She wouldn’t answer “How do you feel about Donald Trump?”  I’m so glad my friend Charlie suggested I see this film.  He’s the person who suggested I see FREE SOLO and BIGGEST LITTLE FARM last year…and look what happened to those!

Imelda Marcos in KINGMAKER. Photo Credit: Lauren Greenfield.

Though HUSTLERS doesn’t initially seem like a film I’d be screening at TIFF, a critic friend told me that it’s much better than the trailer alludes…and that JLo could garner an Oscar nomination.  So, I found a way to squeeze it in…only to arrive and the venue and find out that the projector won’t start due to an AC issue.  This just goes to show that no venue is surefire – technical issues happen everywhere.  Thus I’ll have to wait and see HUSTLERS when it gets a theatrical release.  “Inspired by a 2015 New York Magazine article that went viral, Hustlers follows a savvy crew of former strippers who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients. Starring Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, and Julia Stiles.” (taken from TIFF catalog)

LUCY IN THE SKY was my last film of the day. “After returning to earth, an obsessive astronaut (Natalie Portman) begins to question her place in the universe — including her relationships with her gentle husband (Dan Stevens) and her alluring crewmate (Jon Hamm) — in the debut feature from accomplished television showrunner Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion).” (taken from TIFF catalog) During the first few minutes, I liked what I was seeing.  The sound design (and especially lack of sound) was great, the idea of someone returning from space and not knowing how to reintegrate was an interesting idea…but things got muddy pretty quickly.  Perhaps I wasn’t in the right mind frame, but at the end of the day, I think this film is a mess.  More and more directors are playing with aspect ratio these days (though never as well as Xavier Dolan or Wes Anderson), and though some scenes had motivation for a change in ratio, the director admitted that sometimes he just wanted to play.  And it shows – the shifts simply don’t make sense.  And there’s more that doesn’t make sense. At one moment, when Portman is purchasing items in a hardware department, she reaches over and grabs a wig…duct tape, hammer, box cutter, wig…makes no sense!  I realize this film is about a woman in the midst of an existential crisis, but I ultimately didn’t care about anyone. The accent is bad, the Dorothy Hamill haircut is bad, some of the green screen work is bad.  I rolled my eyes and shook my head numerous times during this film….and I’m ultimately sad that such a lackluster film has happened to such a great distributor.

Only 2+ more days.

Off to bed.

Thanks for reading,

Jonathan