Promotional Trailer!

About a month ago I was Director of Photography for a friend's short film. Now, we've finally sat down and I helped Joel edit together a trailer.
Hope you enjoy it!






The Way Station:
Located at: 683 Washington Ave
btw prospect and st marks Prospect Heights, Brooklyn 11238
A to Washington
or 2/3 to BK Museum
or Q to 7th Ave B45 to Washington Ave and Prospect Place (stops right in front of bar)

Places of NYC: Sunflower Diner

    Tonight is a night of silent films for me but before settling in for the night I decided to grab some good eats so I set out to see what I could find. While out I stumbled across Sunflower Diner. Here is a diner that eats like a restaurant. Not one of those glitzy, high class restaurants but nonetheless it serves up larger portions than you'd assume. Sunflower Diner is located on the corner of 26th street and 3rd avenue (359 3rd Ave).  Albeit it's a bit on the pricey side with a cup of coffee starting at a buck sixty while the rest of your meal steadily climbs after that. However you see that everywhere in midtown Manhattan, eeeveryone wants your money over your patronage.  I just ordered a simple Eastside Burger 'delux' (Burger, onions, mozzarella, green peppers, and mushrooms). The delux adds a generous portion of french fries, lettuce and tomato, as well as a bowl, not cup, bowl of cole slaw. Now that ran me a little less than eleven bucks but the size of it made up for the price. Other local diners normally charge over nine bucks to make it delux but the serving size is smaller so I wasn't put off too much by that, I was after all, out for dinner and not lunch.  It's a Friday night so everyone seems to be filling the nearby bars and clubs so I was able to enjoy a less than crowded Sunflower Diner.  I ordered a cup of coffee with my meal cause I've got a decent amount of movies watching to go through tonight and because it's a diner... c'mon it's what you do.  Tonight I'm only posting images I shot with my cell phone camera but I also took several with other cameras I had on me at the time and i'll come back and post them at a later date.  As the night drove on I decided to be on my way, asked for the check and it came to a total of $13.15 which for a dinner in midtown isn't bad in comparison. Sure, there are other places such as the lower east side in which that would seem quite expensive but hey, I'll take this for its convenience and atmosphere.  I forgot to mention that they've had the best coffee of any diner I've been to thus far.

Amenities of Sunflower Diner:
-Windowed dinning are on the street
-Glass glasses rather than plastic ones
-Peppermint after dinner mints, toothpicks, and moist towelettes at the register
-Friendly staff who seem to keep up with 'the regulars'
-Not even a hint of agitation if you decide to stay for say, over 45 minutes with only a cup of coffe on your table.


Best,


-S.



P.S. Tonight's list of movies includes the following:
City Lights (1931) -An incredible silent comedy written and directed by as well as starring Charles Chaplin
Nosferatu (1922)
M (1931 talkie) - Fritz Lang crime thriller

Nearing 2,000

I've not much to speak towards tonight. We're nearing 2,000 views with less than 200 to go so that's certainly got me excited.  My day's been filled with Fritz Lang, Elia Kazan, and soon to come Dennis Hopper.

-While The City Sleeps (1956)

-A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

-The Hot Spot (1990)

As for images, here is a second image from the Tenth Presbyterian Church.

Best,

-S.

©Steve Shilling II ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

An Interesting Discovery

One of my long time favorite bands, The Gorillaz, seems to have a little known connection to the director of the movie The Hot Spot (1990), a recent favorite of mine due to it's incredible, almost sublime film score.  The score which is available as an album is also entitled The Hot Spot and it was written by Jack Nietzche featuring Blues legend John Lee Hooker, Jazz legend Miles Davis, Taj Mahal, and Roy Rodgers. Now, the director of The Hot Spot is none other than the late Dennis Hopper.  What might his connection be to The Gorillaz? Obscure though it may be Dennis Hopper is featured as the narrator of the track Fire Coming out of A Monkey's Head on the album Demon Days (2005).
Here, have a listen:

Take A Step Back, Relax, Enjoy Life

A few days ago I posted this on my Facebook page.  It's a clip from the movie The Cotton Club that I've been watching a lot lately, mainly for the music.  Another great aspect of the movie are the performances.  There are a collection of great Jazz performances involving the late great tap dancer Gregory Hines and his older brother Maurice.  Here's one of my favorite clips from the film. Slow down, sit back and enjoy the clip. Who knows, maybe it'll get you back up on your feet and dancing a bit yourself.

Sincerely,

-S.

P.S. Interested in making your own tap shoes? We've all done it once in our lives... Comment with a link to your tack diagram if you'd like. Of course I'll upload mine as well.

The Hoofers Club
The Cotton Club at

Stayin Up Screamin'

Since I slept horribly last night (a mere forty-five minutes) I came home and passed out this afternoon causing my current experience of that '2nd wave' of energy. I don't expect I'll be falling asleep for another say, hour and a half or so.  Regardless one must make the most of their conscious life... This evening I took out one of my Lowel Pro lights and started playing around with some abstract still life work.  It was surprisingly quiet outside my room for a typical Manhattan night and so I opened up Itunes and searched for what to flood my room with.  Instinctually I always stop by Tom Waits first and tonight made the decision to pass him up moving next onto mister Cab Calloway.  I played a few tracks, maybe seven or eight and skipped over to Youtube to watch my favorite filmed version of his infamous "Minnie The Moocher" which I'll embed a bit further down this post for you all to enjoy.  After gettin my Calloway Boogie on and skippin into the swing of things I was really getting into my lighting experimentation but with all my other lights off save for my Pro light  the mood was very heavy an called for something of a bit darker flavor.  I returned to trusty old iTunes and who should I come to rest upon but the one and only, original Shock Rocker and master of the Blues, Screamin' Jay Hawkins.  I turned up the volume and let "I Put A Spell On You" ring throughout my walls.  After a few more tracks by the eccentric singer again I returned to Youtube in order to watch my favorite recording of the aforementioned song.
I'd love to see some of your favorite recorded performances from way back when. Just post the link in the comments section below and I'll be sure to check them put and respond.

Cab Calloway's Minnie The Moocher:


Screamin' Jay Hawkins' I Put a Spell on You:



If you're a fan of all things prohibition era and you dug that Calloway tune click HERE to be redirected to an excerpt from Francis Ford Copolla's nineteen eighty-four film The Cotton Club where they pay homage to the great band leader.  It's a personal favorite of mine starring Richard Gere as a lowly cornet player who rises up the social ladder in a most turbulent way all the while surrounding one of Harlem's most famous Jazz clubs.  If for nothing else it's worth taking a look at for the music. I hope you take me up on that recommendation and I hope you enjoy the film.

Sincerely,

-S.


P.S. If you're in the Manhattan area and are wondering what has happened to the once infamous Cotton Club just click HERE to see where it's still alive with jive. Later on in the month or perhaps next month I'll go a little further in depth about the Cotton Club and all the talent we probably wouldn't have without it's existence.

The image I'll take away from tonight:

©Steve Shilling

Note: As an avid supporter of Wikipedia nearly every link applied to an individual's name has and will redirect you to their corresponding Wikipedia page.  I do suggest that readers use common sense and while you can read what's on the page, always check the sources list located at the bottom. Do this for multiple reasons:
One: In order to make sure the source is credible.
Two: By utilizing those links you'll be able to expand your knowledge further through varying sources of information.
Three: In order to keep Wikipedia accurate and helpful report any phony links.