The Global Film Village

by Marc Halperin The Shadow was one of the first great pulp magazine heroes.  The one night performance of The Shadow at the Sierra Madre Playhouse commemorates its 80th anniversary of premiering on radio having originally debuted on July 31, 1930. From its days in the pulp magazines to radio, comic strips, comic books, movies and […]

by Marla Lewin What is it about “village comedies” that so delight audiences? The Full Monty, Waking Ned Devine, Saving Grace are just a few. What they share in common is the universal truth that where ever we live, we are all the same at heart. Whether you live in a metropolis like LA or […]

by Marla Lewin We all know that Shakespeare wrote plays and sonnets that are still revered today. Companies all over the world perform his plays every day, and we hold Shakespeare as one of the greatest writers of all time. Yet who among us hasn’t suffered through a classroom reading or a bad rendition of […]

by Marla Lewin The 2010 Hollywood Fringe Festival  presented the world premiere of ELEVATOR and now the play is having a regular run at at the Hudson Guild Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood. Written and directed by Michael Leoni with original music by Mario Marchetti,  and produced by Michelle Kaufer and Schoen Smith. […]

By Marc Halperin One of the things I love about San Diego Comic-Con is the opportunity to talk with the creators of comic books first hand. I have been attending this show since 1984. I try to attend every chance I get because for me it is like going to a high school reunion. I […]

by Marla Lewin Agatha  Christie’s BLACK COFFEE,  opened Theatre 40’s 45th Season. This was Christie’s first staged mystery and the only one to feature her character, Hercule Poirot. By the time in 1930 when BLACK COFFEE premiered in London, Poirot had already appeared in four novels and several short stories. July 2010 has been a […]

by Marla Lewin We will be attending another Shorts Film Fest this time here in Los Angeles. They proclaim themselves to be the largest short film festival in the world with 285 film screenings and 9 days of educational panels, interactive and entertaining events. Their host venue is the Laemmle Sunset 5 Theaters located at 8000 […]

by Marc Halperin One of the films I looked forward to watching at the LA Film Festival was Farewell which premiered last November at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam. Ever since I was a child I have had a fascination for these stately airships. Maybe it was the archival footage of the Hindenburg […]

by Marla Lewin One of the most revered Los Angels cultural and artistic institutions is The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum located in the mountains in Topanga a short distance from the freeways. This spot is filled with enthusiastic audiences and performers during the summer. If you have never been and you are missing out. In […]

by Marc Halperin What can you say about a festival that advertises it self as having: 70 Features • 50 Shorts • Eight nights of parties * Guns • Barbecue • Swimmin’ Holes • Karaoke, and …an unholy amount of movies, booze and fun await you in Austin, Texas. The last two words say it […]