Manhattan Neighborhood Network blogs

Chuck's Picks - "Spirit"

chuckstern — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:32:39 +0000

"Spirit" is a New Age show "designed to illuminate, educate and enlighten humankind." Its host, a Christ-looking figure, sits patiently on his throne and plays bongos in a blue room. Talking is minimal; this is a 'vibe' show and the vibe is comforting, warm, vaguely psychedelic. Highly recommended to those in need of a de-stresser, every Tuesday at 9 PM on MNN3!

Chuck's Picks - "Minding Your Business"

chuckstern — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 19:35:52 +0000

"Minding Your Business," produced and hosted by June Middleton, is an interview show celebrating NYC entrepreneurs, artists and eccentrics. Middleton is passionate about her guests and topics, people like Thomas Larson, author of The Saddest Music Ever Written: The Story of Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, and Tommy McInnis, a former homeless man turned EMS technician and author of Last Stop, about his experiences on the street. Tune in every Tuesday at 6:30 PM on MNN2 to see what makes this city tick. Next air dates: 7/12 and 7/19.

Chuck's Picks - "Jim Duckworth & Friends"

chuckstern — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 19:26:28 +0000

"Jim Duckworth & Friends," from Charlotte, NC, features the wondrously atmospheric guitar playing of Jim Duckworth (and occasional friends). Jim's playing is a spacey, FX-laden stew of blues, jazz, noise and ambience. His chords are shimmering, thick, at times unresolved, and the show's lighting and directing are immaculate, leaving room for music and interpretation. Tune in Sundays at 3:30 PM on MNN2! Next air dates: 7/3 and 7/10.

Chuck's Picks - "Margarita Pracatan"

chuckstern — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 19:29:53 +0000

"Margarita Pracatan" has been seducing audiences for years with her strange, robotic karaoke, sassy dance moves and bug eyes. Her music is fierce and fun, at times alarming, but it's how she channels her manic joy, and it's a good thing; Margarita is sure to brighten anyone's day. Tune in every Saturday at 9:30 PM on MNN2! Next air dates: 6/25 and 7/2.

Chuck's Picks - "That's Kentertainment!"

chuckstern — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:34:38 +0000

"That's Kentertainment!" is the kind of miracle that could only exist on MNN - a high-profile Broadway interview show, with fans like Stephen Sondheim and Liza Minnelli, hosted by the delightfully insane Ken Kleiber, a living cartoon character, who steals the show with his hilariously over-the-top song and dance numbers, Jesus T-shirts, wacky sound effects and alcoholism. It is the meeting of these extremes (Broadway royalty and public access) that is so compelling, and Ken makes it look easy, clearly enjoying his strange place in media. Let him Kentertain you: every late Thursday/early Friday at midnight on MNN1! Next air dates: 6/24 and 7/1.

Chuck's Picks - "The Arthur Thompson Show"

chuckstern — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:43:28 +0000

"The Arthur Thompson Show" is an amusing assault of hokey legends and false folklore, delivered by none other than Arthur Thompson! This is a new kind of theater - a one-man show from one man's basement. Thompson is like the Mad Hatter, your only guide in this chaotic world, but completely unreliable, and that's the fun of it! Tune in every Thursday at 4:30 PM on MNN2! Next air dates: 6/16 and 6/23.

Chuck's Picks - "Media Funhouse"

chuckstern — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 20:50:37 +0000

"Media Funhouse," airing on MNN for 20 or so years, is the brainchild of Ed Grant, who spends much of the half-hour screening and salivating over '60s art films and French New Wave cinema. Ed's enthusiasm is contagious (his delivery is funny and bombastic) and his knowledge is great (he has a penchant for the trashy). In 2009, The Village Voice hailed "Media" as the Best Public-Access Show. Come see why: every late Saturday/early Sunday at 1 AM on MNN3! Next air dates: 6/5 and 6/12.

Chuck's Picks - "Elsy Dance And..."

chuckstern — Fri, 27 May 2011 22:23:50 +0000

"Elsy Dance And..." is a weekly, hour-long instructional series on dance and dance techniques, featuring the spirited Elsy Contreras. The show captures her early work, highly unconventional, glacial choreography, often accompanied by dense 20th century electroacoustic music, as well as her current teaching, creating a time/space unrivaled in its aim and scope. Watch "Elsy," every Friday at 4:30 PM on MNN2! Next air dates: 6/3 and 6/10.

Chuck's Picks - "The Unreeeal Variety Show"

chuckstern — Fri, 20 May 2011 21:12:43 +0000

"The Unreeeal Variety Show" stars The Legend Rayford Faulkner, a mysterious nomad who wears a bag on his head and giggles maniacally into the camera. Faulkner takes the viewer along on his quests, under bridges and throughout bleak outposts in Schenectady, NY, sharing his gift of gab (trash-talking other local eccentrics), song (his Beatles "covers" are joyously dissonant and unrecognizable) and egocentricity. Think "Church of Shooting Yourself" without the alien presence and skyscrapers. Every Thursday night/Friday morning at 1:30 AM on MNN2! Next air dates: 5/27 and 6/3.

Chuck's Picks - "Paul Pierog (Not Your President)"

chuckstern — Fri, 13 May 2011 21:52:39 +0000

"Paul Pierog (Not Your President)" might actually be THE weirdest show on MNN. It is a semi-motivational experiment in wordplay and uncomfortable TV silence, a spoof of talking heads and having something to "say." In fact, nothing Paul Pierog "says" is purely said. It is stammered, brooded upon, quipped - the TV equivalent of a Thomas Pynchon novel. Highly recommended as both a curiosity and as art, "Paul Pierog" airs every other Thursday at 8 PM on MNN2. Next air dates: 5/26 and 6/9.

Chuck's Picks - "Art Axis"

chuckstern — Fri, 06 May 2011 20:28:55 +0000

"Art Axis" is a glimpse into the world of Copernicus, one of the strangest performance artists of our time - sort of a hybrid of Swans' Michael Gira and the evil painting from Ghostbusters II. Copernicus, a self-described "nihilist," puts on performances which are spellbinding, dark, hilarious and larger-than-life, equal parts poetry, self-help and psychedelic freeform rock. Enter the void, every Wednesday at 11 AM on MNN2. Next air dates: 5/11 and 5/18.

Chuck's Picks - "The Wacky Factory"

chuckstern — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:21:23 +0000

"The Wacky Factory," which airs on MNN's Youth Channel (catering to viewers 25 and younger) is a children's variety show comprised of bizarre skits, music videos and features. Its main objective, says creator Eric Glass, is "FUN!" and that's exactly what it delivers. From hot pepper testing to ugly baby hijinks, these preteen jokesters have it all, and on top of that, the editing and sound effects are top-notch. Get wacky, every Saturday at 7:30 AM on MNN4! Next air dates: 4/23 and 4/30.

Chuck's Picks - "Woman and Earth"

chuckstern — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 20:49:11 +0000

"Woman and Earth" follows exiled Russian feminist Tatyana Mamonova on her travels and sprinkles in hazy, lo-fi imagery and goofy road trip antics, in what is simultaneously the most depressing and upbeat show in public access history! Hop aboard this crazy train, every Thursday at 5 PM on MNN2!

Chuck's Picks - "Roulette TV"

chuckstern — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 21:12:14 +0000

"Roulette TV" is a beacon for both emerging and established avant-garde/experimental musicians. The show is taped at Roulette's performance space in the East Village, itself a staple of New York since the late '70s, and features artists as diverse as Zeena Parkins, David Shea, Ikue Mori, SKELETON$, Seaven Teares and Toby Driver. Tune in every Thursday night at 11:30 PM on MNN3 to explore bold, new sonic terrain. Next air dates: 4/7 and 4/14.

Roulette TV: TOBY DRIVER / TARTAR LAMB II from Roulette Intermedium on Vimeo.

Chuck's Picks - Spring Quarter

chuckstern — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 20:17:40 +0000

This week marks the beginning of an especially exciting quarter for new series on MNN, as we have some amazing additions to our line-up!