Center Stage with Mark Gordon

Till Schauder talks about "The Iran Job"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 06:15:00 +0000

Till Schauder came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about his documentary “The Iran Job.” The film follows Kevin Sheppard an American basketball player who accepts a job to play in Iran. With tensions running high between Iran and the West, Kevin tries to separate sports from politics only to find that politics is impossible to escape in Iran. Along the way he forms an unlikely alliance with three outspoken Iranian women. Thanks to these women, his apartment turns into an oasis of free speech, where they discuss everything from politics to religion to gender roles. Kevin’s season in Iran culminates in something much bigger than basketball: the uprising and subsequent suppression of Iran’s reformist Green Movement, a powerful prelude to the sweeping changes across the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring.

The interview was originally broadcast and recorded on Tuesday, September 25, 2012.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Brian Knappenberger brings his legions to Center Stage

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 07:39:00 +0000

Brian Knappenberger producer, writer and director came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about making the film WE ARE LEGION:THE STORY OF THE HACKTIVISTS. The film takes us inside the world of Anonymous, the Guy Fawkes mask-wearing “hacktivist” collective that has redefined civil disobedience for the digital age and been credited with attacks on the FBI and the Motion Picture Association of America. WE ARE LEGION explores the historical roots of early hacktivist groups and follows Anonymous from an internet chat board to a full-blown global movement that Time magazine named as one of the most influential groups of people in the world.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Gob Squad on Center Stage

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 07:11:00 +0000

Simon Will and Sharon Smith of Gob Squad stopped by Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about the West Coast premiere of Gob Squad’s Kitchen (You’ve Never Had It So Good). The acclaimed multimedia collective of ingenious artists from the U.K. and Germany playfully deploys an inventive arsenal of live video and performance techniques to celebrate the culture-bending heyday of Andy Warhol’s Factory. Honored with a 2012 Drama Desk award for Unique Theatrical Experience after a successful remount in January at The Public Theater in New York, Gob Squad’s Kitchen (You’ve Never Had It So Good) makes its Los Angeles debut with performances held Thursday, September 20 through Sunday, September 23, 2012.

Utilizing Andy Warhol’s films as their starting point, Gob Squad set themselves the task of reconstructing live versions of Warhol films, including the 1965 Edie Sedgwick vehicle Kitchen. Acting out scenes on bare-bones sets, viewed by the audience as black-and-white projections, the shrewdly crafted and frequently hilarious live recreations are spliced with other Warhol celluloid adventures to evoke an elusive, mythic time and place—its hedonistic experimentalism and its wave of social change.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Natalie Sutherland & April Lang Share Collected Stories

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Natalie Sutherland & April Lang are currently appearing in Donald Margulies’ critically acclaimed play “Collected Stories,” a story of friendship, ambition, and betrayal between two writers. Penned by the Pulitzer Prize winner (Dinner With Friend), Margulies reveals these “themes cross cultures…mentors and protégés exist everywhere. Most people have felt betrayed or committed betrayal, deliberately or unknowingly. It is primarily a play about how human beings try to engage one another, pass along traditions, fulfill the powerful need for family. I have always been interested in the ways that we create families out of our friends or acquaintances.”

COLLECTED STORIES runs Thursdays-Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 3pm through October 14, 2012 at The Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Tickets are $20-$30. For reservations and more information: 310-477-2055 or http://www.odysseytheatre.com/collectedstories/

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Jeff Rude Talks About Peak Performance Hockey

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 23:09:00 +0000

Jeff Rude, head coach of the University of Virginia hockey team came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to shared his insight into peak performance on the ice. He has developed the Breakout Hockey program to help players at all levels of the sport achieve excellence.

The interview was recorded and broadcast on Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

American Bloomers showcase new CD

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:13:00 +0000

American Bloomers took time out from a recent west coast tour to appear on Center Stage with Mark Gordon to play tunes from their latest CD. The interview was originally broadcast and recorded on Tuesday, September 11, 2012.

American Bloomers is the union of three singer/songwriters: Jaime Wyatt, Jane Sheldon and Jonathan Sheldon. Their voices blend seamlessly over jangling acoustic guitars and Stonesy electric riffs. The music is crafted in the fashion of Lennon/McCartney, with songs that echo of love, heartbreak and heart-wake.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Bianca Goodloe talks about film financing

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 07:01:00 +0000

Bianca Goodloe appeared on Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about film financing. The interview was recorded and broadcast on Tuesday, September 11, 2012.

Goodloe is a managing partner at Goodloe Law and Kines Global. She provides clients with experience in film finance, entertainment law and intellectual property and development and production of films. Her practice currently has offices in Los Angeles, New York, London and Dubai.

Past clients have included Paramount Pictures, New Line Cinema, Universal Pictures, Miramax Films, Warner Bros. Pictures, Endemol Group B.V., Fallbrook Credit Finance and an array of independent producers and international investors for whom we have advised the structuring and allocation of over $1,000,000,000, contributing to projects including the Lord of the Rings franchise, the Lara Croft franchise, the Harry Potter franchise, the Rush Hour franchise, I Am Sam, Wilde Salome, The Life of David Gale, Freddy vs. Jason, Final Destination, Magnolia, Beyond Borders, Paycheck, Next Friday, Looney Tunes: Back in Action, 15 Minutes, The Core, The Fighting Temptations, The Cell, Frequency, Marci X, Calvin Marshall and Malibu's Most Wanted.

Goodloe is currently on many highy anticipated films including the upcoming Nicholas Spark's feature film for Warner Brothers, the foreign sales for Al Pacino's film Wilde Salome, As Luck Would Have It with Salma Hayek and Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story starring Malin Ackerman, Matt Dillon and Adam Goldberg amongst others.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Delfina Takes Her Music Center Stage

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 22:44:00 +0000

L. A. based singer songwriter Delfina came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to share her music and story about the challenges she faced as a young performer in dealing with early success in the music business.

The interview was originally broadcast on August 28, 2012. You can hear a recording of the interview on iTunes

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live at http://www.live365.com/stations/kxlu1?site=pro

Delfina is a young singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, CA who writes, composes and produces all original sounding music. You may have heard Delfina’s music featured on Nivea © TV Commercials for Nivea’s © Smooth Sensation Campaign. Her cover of Hall and Oats’ “Kiss on My List” received radio play worldwide. After having taken a two-year sabbatical to find her voice and develop her spiritual gifts she is back on center stage and she is ready to rock with her new attitude and unique sound.

Check out www.delfinamusic.com for videos, mp3 downloads and much more, and keep a listen for her new album coming out soon- it features songs that are reminiscent of Fiona Apple, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Lhasa De Sela, and Patrick Watson- just to name a few of her favorite artists.

Delfina draws her inspiration from her day to day life experiences, understanding that while she’s the one strumming the guitar, pressing the piano keys, and/or sounding her angelic voice, the music that flows through her comes from somewhere else. “I feel blessed to be a channel of uplifting and thought- provoking music,” she says, admitting that getting out of her own way is her challenge to being open to creative energy. “By far, the simplest music is the most complex.” Delfina explains that in her journey to the depths of her soul in 2010 -2012 she has learned that to find one’s inner voice and to quiet the mind is the key to personal success in anything you do, “I try to keep what I do simple and honest.” Delfina hopes that her music and passionate example will inspire men, women, and children everywhere because she feels a personal responsibility to deliver a message that is real, that is love, and that is integrity-based.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

J S Mayank Talks About Sci-Fi Short EMIT

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 01:50:00 +0000

Writer and director JS Mayank came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about making his sci-fi short film EMIT. The interview was originally broadcast on August 28, 2012. You can hear a recording of the interview on iTunes

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live at http://www.live365.com/stations/kxlu1?site=pro

J S Mayank is a British-Indian filmmaker. His first sci-fi feature script – SLATE earned him a spot on the 2009 BLOODLIST (the horror/sci-fi/thriller Blacklist). He was also invited by Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Film Festival to the prestigious 2010 Tribeca All Access Program for his feature script MARATHON. For his directorial debut, Mayank was granted an opportunity by the band Radiohead to create a concept music video for their song WEIRD FISHES/ARPEGGI. He worked alongside visual artist extraordinaire John Langdon (Angels & Demons) to design special ambigrams for the video. It played at numerous festivals, including London Film festival, Cinegear, Reynolda, and many others. His recent film SUPERNUMERARY is currently on the festival circuit, having premiered at the Newport Beach film festival, and winning three major awards (Best Musical, Best Soundtrack and Best VFX short) at the Action on Film Festival. Mayank’s script for the sci-fi short EMIT won the Grand Prize at the Table Read My Screenplay, beating out over 1200 scripts, and taking him to Sundance, where a table-read of it was performed. Since then, he’s directed the film starring actor Jack Coleman (Heroes, The Office). Mayank has an MFA in Film Production from Loyola Marymount University and an MA in Communication & Film from Wake Forest University.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Nicole Karsin Talks About "We Women Warriors"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Nicole Karsin the director of WE WOMEN WARRIORS came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about her documentary. The interview originally aired on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM. Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming at www.live365.com WE WOMEN WARRIORS follows three native women caught in the crossfire of Colombia’s warfare who use nonviolent resistance to defend their peoples’ survival. Colombia has 102 aboriginal groups, one-third of which face extinction because of the internal conflict. Despite being trapped in a protracted predicament financed by the drug trade, indigenous women are resourcefully leading and creating transformation imbued with hope. In WE WOMEN WARRIORS, first time filmmaker and journalist Nicole Karsin bears witness to neglected human rights catastrophes and interweaves character-driven stories about female empowerment, unshakable courage, and faith in the endurance of indigenous culture.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

James L Reid “Let Fury Have the Hour”

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 01:50:00 +0000

On Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 at 7PM (PST) producer James L Reid came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about the documentary “Let Fury Have the Hour.”

A lively social history that chronicles how a generation of artists, thinkers, and activists channeled their creativity into an organized response and resistance to the reactionary politics that increasingly defined American culture in the 1980s. This idea of art as political statement came to be known as “creative response,” and, through insightful and energetic interviews with more than 50 influential creative voices, D’Ambrosio traces the movement from its earliest inklings in the Reagan-Thatcher era through three decades of social and political change.

An exuberant mixed media collage that incorporates graphic art, music, animation, and spoken word, Let Fury Have The Hour is a distinctive perspective on an era in time, retelling the history of modern America through the voices of the artists that interpreted and influenced it through their work, including Shepard Fairey, Eve Ensler, Wayne Kramer, Edwidge Danticat, John Sayles, Chuck D, Tom Morello, Lewis Black, and dozens more. D’Ambrosio’s stylish and inspirational film pays due homage to the parallel creative history of late 20th-century America in the words and work of the artists themselves.

James Reid (Producer) is a Los Angeles-based producer/director and owner of media production company nothingtosomething. Reid has produced several short form documentaries, most notably Soldiers Under Command, which competed in the AFI International film festival in 2004, among many others. He is currently wrapping production on feature-length documentary Born Again: The Power Team Story, which follows the journeys of a team of bodybuilding Christian evangelists as they travel the United States performing vaudevillian feats of strength to convert audiences to Jesus Christ.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Jennie Witt Talks about Mystic Journey

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:30:00 +0000

On Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at 7PM (PST) Jennie Witt came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about Mystic Journey Bookstore.

Hailing from Chicago, Jennie Witt has lived in Los Angeles since October of 2011. Prior to moving to L.A., she has spent the last 2 years living and traveling throughout Europe and Spain, working as a Cultural Ambassador in the Spanish Department of Education. She is currently the event coordinator of Mystic Journey Bookstore, in charge of in-store programming as well as on and off-site events with the store, in addition to working as a personal trainer and health coach within the community. Her greatest joys include living her personal mission of assisting people in finding and shining their light and joy, and pursuing her purpose of inspiring and uniting people through dance and music.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.live365.com

Martin Donovan talks about making the "Collaborator"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:50:00 +0000

Robert Longfellow (Martin Donovan, THE OPPOSITE OF SEX, “Boss”, Weeds”) is a famous playwright who can’t seem to catch a break. His recent Broadway play was met with horrible reviews and an early cancellation, and his marriage is being tested as an old flame (Olivia Williams, THE GHOST WRITER, RUSHMORE) has reentered his life during a particular moment of weakness. Retreating back to his childhood home to visit his mother (Katherine Helmond, BRAZIL), Robert crosses paths with his childhood neighbor, Gus (David Morse, THE GREEN MILE, DANCER IN THE DARK, “Treme”). A right-wing, ex-con who still lives at home with his mother, Gus is Robert’s polar opposite in every possible way. When Gus holds Robert hostage at gunpoint during a drunken reunion gone terribly wrong, the drama unfolds as social status, celebrity and the imminent threat of violence converge, building up to a climax that will leave both men forever changed.

With an acclaimed acting career spanning over 20 years, including starring roles in a number of iconic Hal Hartley films beginning with TRUST in 1990, COLLABORATOR marks Martin Donovan’s first time behind the camera as a writer and director, and he makes the most of it in this riveting and insightful debut.

MARTIN DONOVAN (Robert Longfellow and Writer/Director)

Martin Donovan’s appearance in all episodes of season two of the critically acclaimed Showtime television series “Weeds” playing Mary-Louise Parker’s love interest continues a string of collaborations with Ms. Parker, including MGM’s SAVED!, the romantic comedy PIPE DREAM and Jane Campion’s THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY.

Martin will next be seen in Mira Nair’s THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST with Kiefer Sutherland, Kate Hudson and Live Schreiber. Other recent film appearances include UNTHINKABLE with Samuel L. Jackson, the Matthew Ryan Hope-directed THE UNITED STATES OF LELAND with Kevin Spacey and Don Cheadle, THE SENTINEL opposite Keifer Sutherland and Michael Douglas, WIND CHILL with Emily Blunt and Ashton Holmes, and THE QUIET opposite Edie Falco. Martin also starred opposite Al Pacino in director Chris Nolan’s INSOMNIA for Warner Bros., as well as MGM’s AGENT CODY BANKS. Other film credits include the critically acclaimed THE OPPOSITE OF SEX, as well as LIVING OUT LOUD, IN A SAVAGE LAND, ONEGIN, HEAVEN, HOLLOW REED, and NADJA.

In THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY Martin played Nicole Kidman’s doomed cousin and admirer for which he won the National Society of Film Critic’s Award for best supporting actor.
Donovan has enjoyed a long association with celebrated director Hal Hartley, starring in several of his films, including AMATEUR, which was selected for both the Cannes and New York Film Festivals. Other Hartley collaborations are SIMPLE MEN, which was also an official Cannes selection, TRUST, SURVIVING DESIRE, FLIRT, and THE BOOK OF LIFE, which was shown at the New York Film Festival.

Martin’s TV credits include starring in the “Masters of Horror: Right to Life” for Showtime, the FX telefilm “RFK,” and the Fox series “Pasadena.” Other television credits include “Amy and Isabelle,” “Ghost Whisperer,” “The Great Gatsby,” and HBO’s “When Trumpets Fade.” Donovan made his television series regular début in the critically acclaimed drama series “Wonderland.” He can currently be seen in Starz Network’s series “Boss,” with Kelsey Grammer.

Prashant Bhargava director of “PATANG” (THE KITE)”

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 07:25:00 +0000

Prashant Bhargava came center stage with Mark Gordon to talk about his new film “PATANG” (THE KITE)” A poetic journey to the old city of Ahmedabad, PATANG weaves together the stories of six people transformed by the energy of India’s largest kite festival.

Every year a million kites fill the skies above Ahmedabad–dueling, soaring, tumbling and flying high. When a successful Delhi businessman takes his daughter on a surprise trip back to his childhood home for the festival, an entire family has to confront its own fractured past and fragile dreams.

Music and fireworks, food and laughter, a kaleidoscope of color and light, the magic of the kite flying high – a traditional recipe of healing and renewal.

With naturalistic performances from actors and non–actors alike, bold, lyrical editing, vibrant cinematography and a kinetic score, Patang delights the senses and nourishes the spirit.

The Polish Brothers "For Lovers Only"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 22:06:00 +0000

The Polish Brothers came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about their film "For Lovers Only."

Said to be inspired by the French New Wave and Claude Lelouch's 1966 double Oscar-winner A Man and a Woman, the romance focuses on a journalist Stana Katic (Castle) in Paris on assignment, who runs into a lover (Mark Polish) from her past. Presumably enraptured by reconciliation, the pair flee Paris and travel "by train, car, and motorcycle as their love affair takes them across France from Normandy to St. Tropez."

About the Polish Brothers

The Polish Brothers 1999 debut film"Twin Falls Idaho" told the story of shy conjoined twins Blake and Francis Falls, who take residence in a rundown hotel to hopefully reunite with their estranged birth mother; secluding themselves from the outside world. It also introduced the world to a pair of American originals who would go on to create some memorable moments in cinema with films like "Jackpot" the story of a deluded karaoke singer on a tour of American dive-bars. It won the 2001 Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award and the 2001 Seattle International Film Festival New American Cinema Award. Other films include, Northfork Starring James Woods and Nick Nolte, The Astronaut Farmer with Billy Bob Thornton, Manure with Billy Bob Thornton and Téa Leoni and "Stay Cool" with Winona Ryder, Mark Polish, Chevy Chase, Sean Astin, Hilary Duff, Jon Cryer, Josh Holloway.

Melanie Merians "Covenant House California"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 20:37:00 +0000

Melanie Merians, Chief Development and Communications Officer, came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about Covenant House California.

Covenant House California (CHC) is a non-profit agency whose mission is to reach out to at-risk homeless youth living on the streets and offer them hope and opportunities to turn their lives around. We help abused or neglected youth who have nowhere else to go. A large number have been thrown out of their homes while others have aged out or left the foster care system with no family, no support, and no one to turn to.

Since 1988, CHC has impacted the lives of more than 160,000 homeless youth out of our Los Angeles and Bay Area locations. More than 80% of our funding comes from private donations.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon is a weekly talk show that looks at independent film and the people who make it happen in front of the camera, as well as, behind the scenes. Each week, the program features some of the most inovative and creative people woking in film today. From award-winning actors like Ben Kingsley and Adrian Brody to cutting edge directors like Paul Greengrass and Darren Aronofsky, Center Stage with Mark Gordon gives an audience an inside look at the artist and the art form.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming at kxlu.com

For more information visit Center Stage with Mark Gordon.

Will Canon "Brotherhood"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 04:13:00 +0000

Will Canon came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about his film "Brotherhood"

College freshman Adam Buckley sits blindfolded in the back of a van outside of a convenience store as the final step of his initiation into the Sigma Zeta Chi fraternity. Minutes later he finds himself dealing with the fact that a fellow-pledge just got shot while doing it.

Frank, the senior fraternity brother in charge of the night’s events, is able to get the injured pledge out of the store alive, but the fraternity’s troubles are just beginning. Thinking they can get out of the situation without taking the pledge to a hospital, Frank decides the group will handle things themselves. But when every move is met with disaster, Adam must find it within himself to go against Frank and his new brothers in order to save his friend’s life.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming at kxlu.com

Asiel Norton "Redland"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 00:46:00 +0000

Asiel Norton came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about his film "Redland."

As a family struggles to survive in rural America during the Great Depression, their daughter’s secret affair begins a journey into the unknown. From writer/director, Asiel Norton, comes this story about the eternal laws of survival and existence, and how one act can begin the dissolution as well as the rebirth of a family.

Asiel Norton was raised in a small cabin on Kneeland Mountain, CA. with no television, limited electricity, and water attained from a nearby stream. He attended the Brooks Institute of Photography, and has worked as a fine art photographer; in 2004 he graduated from USC Film School.

His first feature film Redland premiered at the 2009 CineVegas Film Festival, played at Montreal World Film Festival, and won Best Debut Feature at 2009 Raindance Film Festival in London. Norton was recently included in Filmmaker Magazine’s 2009 as one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Norton is currently at work on his second feature film, “Hear I Sing,” a film about a Jewish woman struggling to survive in the mountains of Ukraine during German occupation in WWII.

Peter Greenaway "The Pillow Book"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:25:00 +0000

In 1996, Peter Greenaway came Center Stage to discuss his film “The Pillow Book.” Greenaway is looking to redefine the way we create and understand the art of moving images in cinema. “I’m looking for ways and means of finding notions of reinventing an idea of imagistic cinema."

Greenaway is critical of text driven cinema. “Why is it that we feel so culturally, somehow unhappy about the notion of cinema creating its own subject matter? Why do we have to have such a text driven cinema. So, my examination, not only in this film but many others is to see if it’s possible to find a much better equivocation between the notion of what the French would pompously call the primacy of the text versus the primacy of the image."

"The Pillow Book" is an excellent example of Greenaway merging image and text. "I became fascinated about the notion of the calligraphy, the idea of the ideogram which is both, at the same time, an image and a text. So, when you read the text in this film, you see the image. When you see the image you very much read the text."

About the film.

The film's title, "The Pillow Book", refers to an ancient Japanese diary, the book of observations by Sei Shōnagon. The film is narrated by Nagiko (Vivian Wu), a Japanese born model living in Hong Kong. Nagiko seeks a lover who can match her desire for carnal pleasure with her admiration for poetry and calligraphy. The roots of this obsession lie in her youth in Kyoto, when her father (Ken Ogata) would write characters of good fortune on her face. Nagiko's father celebrates her birthday retelling the Japanese creation myth and writing on her flesh in beautiful calligraphy, while her aunt (Hideko Yoshida) reads a list of "beautiful things" from Sei Shōnagon's the book of observations. Nagiko's aunt tells her that when she is twenty-eight years old, the official book of observations will be officially 1000 years old, and that she, Nagiko, will be the same age as Sei Shōnagon when she had written the book (in addition to sharing her first name). Nagiko also learns around this time that her father is in thrall to his publisher, "Yaji-san" (Yoshi Oida), who demands sexual favors from her father in exchange for publishing his work.

Source for the plot synopsis taken from wikipedia

Adrien Brody talks about "The Pianist"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 05:06:00 +0000

Adrien Brody came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about his work on the film "The Pianist." The interview took place just weeks before Brody would become the youngest actor ever to win the Best Actor Academy Award for 2002.

In "The Pianist", a brilliant pianist, a Polish Jew, witnesses the restrictions Nazis place on Jews in the Polish capital, from restricted access to the building of the Warsaw ghetto. As his family is rounded up to be shipped off to the Nazi labor camps, he escapes deportation and eludes capture by living in the ruins of Warsaw.

The son of Hungarian-born photographer Sylvia Plachy and retired history professor Elliot Brody, Adrien Brody grew up an only child in the Woodhaven section of Queens, New York, where he accompanied his mother on assignments for the Village Voice. He credits her with making him feel comfortable in front of the camera. He attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York.

Despite a strong performance in The Thin Red Line (1998), time constraints forced the director to edit out much of Adrien's part. In spite of his later work with Spike Lee and Barry Levinson, he never became the star many expected he would become until Roman Polanski called on him to play a celebrated Jewish pianist in Nazi-occupied Warsaw. He pulled off a brilliant performance in The Pianist (2002), drawing on the heritage and rare dialect of his Polish grandmother, as well as his father, who lost family members during the Holocaust, and his mother, who fled Communist Hungary as a child during the 1956 uprising against the Soviet Union.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Red Hawk Management

Tom Shadyac "I Am"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 06:15:00 +0000

I AM, a prismatic and probing exploration of our world, what's wrong with it, and what we can do to make it better, represents Tom Shadyac's first foray into non-fiction following a career as one of Hollywood's leading comedy practitioners, with such successful titles as "Ace Ventura," "Liar Liar," and "Bruce Almighty" to his credit. I AM recounts what happened to the filmmaker after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged a changed man. Disillusioned with life on the A-list, he sold his house, moved to a mobile home community, and decided to start life anew.

Armed with nothing but his innate curiosity and a camera crew, Shadyac embarks upon a journey to discover how he as an individual, and we as a race, can improve the way we live. Appearing on-screen as character, commentator, guide, and even, at times, guinea pig, Shadyac meets with a variety of thinkers and doers--remarkable men and women from the worlds of science, philosophy, and faith--including such luminaries as David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lynne McTaggart, Ray Anderson, John Francis, Coleman Barks, and Marc Ian Barasch. An irrepressible Everyman who asks many questions but offers no easy answers, he takes the audience to places it has never been before, and presents even familiar phenomena in completely new and different ways.

All proceeds derived from the release of I AM, in all media, will go to THE FOUNDATION FOR I AM, a not-for-profit established by Shadyac to fund various worthy causes and to educate the next generation about the very issues and problems explored in the film.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Peter Jay Brown "Confessions of an Eco-Terrorist"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 10:55:00 +0000

CONFESSIONS OF AN ECO-TERRORIST is a feature documentary that reveals the true 30-year odyssey of the most wanted environmentalist today, Captain Paul Watson, the cult hero of Animal Planet’s critically acclaimed “Whale Wars”. The founder of Greenpeace, Watson was eventually ousted from the organization for his uncompromising passion to protect the planet and his unconventional methodology. Free of bureaucracy and politics, Watson forged his own personal Armada, The Sea Shepherd Society, a small vigilante organization dedicated to protect the aquatic life of the planet at all costs.

Filmmaker Peter Jay Brown, a highly visible star of “Whale Wars”, documented the mythic deeds of The Sea Shepherd Society, while acting as the cinematographer, deckhand, quartermaster, Zodiac driver, officer and even captain in Watson’s absence. Brown gave us an intimate and honest look at what really went on behind the scenes on some of the most infamous environmental campaigns ever. For 28 years, Brown has recorded the breathtaking beauty of the life aquatic in all its glory, as well as anguishing despair, bearing witness to the brutal slaughter of the helpless.

Risking their freedoms and their lives, the renegade eco-warrior and his band of environmental pirates combat those who seek to pillage and profit from the destruction of the ocean and its inhabitants. Using guerilla tactics, they boldly, even jubilantly patrol the world’s waters targeting kill-happy poachers and covert corporate cabals, terrorizing and provoking confrontation while flying the skull and cross-bone flag of their fleet. Watson’s use of “manufactured awareness” and Strategic Media Traps, defies convention as he brilliantly navigates his fleet by ramming vessels, inflicting damage to whalers, drift-netters, long-liners and seal hunters who operate illegally world-wide.

The journey of Watson has included thousands of individuals, crew, and volunteers over the years. Everyone from ex-military to ship welders and engineers, college students to hippies and bums, and the vegans who took over the galley have flocked to Sea Shepherd campaigns. The efforts of each and every one of them made the story of CONFESSIONS OF AN ECO-TERRORIST what it is.

“You negotiate,” says Brown. “I’ll ram ships.”

CONFESSIONS OF AN ECO-TERRORIST is a harrowing, sometimes amusing, eye-opening adventure and an arresting tale of cloak-and-dagger action. Delving into what “manufactured awareness” really is and how radical measures are deemed necessary to resolve an issue or institute change, CONFESSIONS also revels in the humor of a situation and presents an uninhibited look at the lives of the men and women looking to change the world. Its uniqueness lies in how Brown has been able to demystify the work and ideas of “eco-terrorists”, a term taken from a quote by Watson, who suggested that “there’s nothing wrong with being an eco-terrorist, as long as you win.”

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com

Mark Gordon Sings "Days of Wine and Roses"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:53:00 +0000

Recorded live with Sam Sorensen on the piano. The recording was engineered by Damien Chock.

Tune in Tuesdays at 7 PM (PST) as KXLU Los Angeles presents Center Stage with Mark Gordon. Each week the program looks at cinema and the creative people who make it happen.

Past guests have included: Darren Aronofsky, Adrian Brody, Ben Kingsley, Benicio Del Toro, Gwyneth Paltrow, Haskell Wexler, Vittorio Storaro, Sting, Alex Gibney , Paul Greengrass, Davis Guggenheim, Anthony Minghella, Errol Morris, Elliott Goldenthal, Hans Zimmer, Saul Zaentz, Quentin Tarantino and Howard Zinn.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon "live" on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming at KXLU.com Tuesday at 7PM (PST).

For more information about Center Stage with Mark Gordon

Mark Gordon Sings "Bring Him Home"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:59:00 +0000

Recorded live with Sam Sorensen on the piano. The recording was engineered by Damien Chock

Tune in Tuesdays at 7 PM (PST) as KXLU Los Angeles presents Center Stage with Mark Gordon. Each week the program looks at cinema and the creative people who make it happen.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon "live" on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming at KXLU.com Tuesday at 7PM (PST).

For more information about Center Stage with Mark Gordon

Amy Arbus "The Fourth Wall"

mark@stageandscreen.com (Mark Gordon) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 07:16:00 +0000

Amy Arbus came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about her book "The Fourth Wall."

What happens when a performing actor leaves behind his lines, staging, sets and lighting, and steps beyond the "fourth wall"? Amy Arbus has been exploring this question in a series of dramatic portraits of celebrated actors, both on and off Broadway.

The Fourth Wall Limited Edition is signed, hand-numbered and includes a 24-minute DVD with voice-overs by Amy Arbus speaking about her experience photographing the stage legends.
Fully costumed but stripped of their context, Arbus' actors remain fully in character as they venture outside the fictional setting of the play and the safety of the theater. Staged in anonymous public spaces, the images achieve an unexpected blend of spectacle and art; formality and spontaneity; performance and reality.

Collected in The Fourth Wall are some of the modern stage's most gifted actors, including Alan Cumming in Cabaret, John Malkovich in Lost Land, Liev Schreiber in Talk Radio, Ed Harris in Wrecks, Cherry Jones in Doubt, Christine Ebersole in Grey Gardens, and Ethan Hawke and Martha Plimpton in The Coast of Utopia. The book includes actors from such successful and ambitious shows as Wicked, The Light in the Piazza, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Color Purple and Sweeney Todd to name a few.

Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming live on the internet at www.kxlu.com

For more about Center Stage with Mark Gordon visit www.stageandscreen.com