Price of a Movie: 11.11.09

This week's Price of a Movie brings you fun films and festivals, plus, a chance to actually MAKE some money!
 

Meet The Filmmakers: Fantastic Mr. Fox

Director Wes Anderson's new film Fantastic Mr. Fox opens in theaters this Friday! The cast is... well... fantastic (Meryl Streep and George Clooney as Mr. and Mrs. Fox, along with Jason Schwartzman, Willem DaFoe, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson among others) and we're also intrigued by the use of classic handmade stop-motion animation techniques that give the film its unique look. To add to that, apparently very little time was actually spent in a sound studio; instead, most of the voice-over work was done outdoors—in forests, attics, stables, and even underground. Want to know more? Stop by the Apple Store in Soho on Wednesday evening (tonight!) for a discussion with the filmmakers. Wes Anderson, Meryl Streep and Jason Schwartzman will be there, so look your foxiest.

Where: Apple Store Soho, 103 Prince Street between Mercer and Greene
When: Wednesday, November 11, 7:00 pm
Price: Free!



Film Screening: Sacrificium by Cecilia Bartoli

If there is such a thing as an Opera Pop Star, Cecilia Bartoli is it. Whether it is through operatic performances, hot selling albums or recording projects, she consistently uses her love and mastery of classical music to bring forgotten composers and repertoire back for rediscovery and re-evaluation. Her latest album, Sacrificium, explores the music of the castrati in all its beauty and controversy with a focus on the Neopolitan School, which gave rise to Farinelli and Caffarelli. (Le) Poisson Rouge (which has free film screenings every Monday night, by the way) is screening Bartoli's live concert of the album, filmed in the private theater of the Royal Palace in Caserta, Italy.

Where: (Le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street
When: Monday, November 16, 7:30 pm (doors open at 6:30)
Price: Free!




Quiz Off at Pete's Candy Store

We don't know whether it classifies as animal, vegetable or mineral, but we know that it's fun, free, and happens every Wednesday at Pete's Candy Store. It's Quiz Off Night—six rounds of twenty questions that will test your knowledge, from music to mammals to molecular biology (okay, maybe not, but you never know!) First prize is a $25 bar tab!

Where: Pete's Candy Store, 709 Lorimer Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
When: Every Wednesday at 7:30 pm
Price: Free!



Solo Fest! 2009 at the Cherry Lane Theater

Solo Fest! at the award winning Cherry Lane Theater is a celebration of some of the best (though sometimes overlooked) individual performances of original work. This year Cherry Lane has chosen ten powerfully funny and wise women to showcase their stories on stage. This Monday night's performances include The Seagull's Lament by Betsy Parrish, You Want me to do What? by Mary Lou Shriber and Falling Apart Together by Kathryn Grody. 

Where: The Cherry Lane Theater (Cherry Pit Venue), 155 Bank Street
When: Monday, November 16, 6:00 pm
Price: $10 Tickets available at the box office 30 minutes before curtain (cash only) or in advance over the phone (212-989-2020)



Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival

For thirty-three years now, The Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival has premiered international documentaries about everything from Bolivian female wrestlers to backyard tiger breeders in Indiana. This film festival brings you the world, wondrous and strange, through the eyes of filmmakers that have traveled in the footsteps of anthropologist Margaret Mead in a quest to better understand some piece of humanity. We promise it will be a trip.

Where: The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West @ 79th Street
When: November 12-15 at various times (click here for full schedule)
Price: $12 per ticket

If you have a suggestion for this column, please e-mail editors@tribecafilm.com.