In Memoriam
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Kenner's Hollywood Cinemas 9 movie theater has closed
Posted by Megan Braden-Perry on Sun, Jun 16, 2013 at 12:19 PM
Kenner's Hollywood Cinemas 9 movie theater closed abruptly Friday, according to a NOLA.com report.
"One local moviegoer said he went to the theater to catch the locally shot heist film Now You See Me, only to see employees carrying supplies out of the darkened building."- NOLA.comVishu Mandava, the theater's owner for over a decade, couldn't fund renovations and had trouble passing inspections. The worst thing for Mandava, however, was the impending opening of The Grand, a 2,400-seat, 14-screen movie theater. The Grand is slated to open around August (years after Memorial Day 2009, the opening date authorities originally gave) near The Esplanade, only a seven-minute walk away from where Hollywood Cinemas 9 was.
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What may be the twist of the knife for Mandava, is The Grand's principal source of funding: a Go Zone federal loan, designed to reinvest in communities damaged by Hurricane Katrina. According to The Lens' Ariella Cohen, more than half of the GO Zone funding went to oil, gas and chemical companies.
To say I patronized Hollywood Cinemas 9 often would be a lie. The last time I went there was in 2002 or 2003 to see Brown Sugar with my Aunt Cheryl. It wasn't the best theater, but it wasn't the worst, like The Joy in the '90s. The Joy in the '90s was like the movie scene in Cooley High. To lose Hollywood Cinemas 9 — especially so suddenly — seems to go against what Mandava's idea was in reopening the theater in 2002 — providing Kenner residents with a nearby, inexpensive movie theater.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Filmmaker Les Blank dies at 77
Posted by Will Coviello on Mon, Apr 8, 2013 at 1:07 PM
The New York Times reports that filmmaker Les Blank died Sunday at his California home. Blank attended Tulane University.
Among Blank's many excellent documentaries are several about New Orleans and Louisiana cultural subjects, including Always for Pleasure about New Orleans' second line parades (some interview and a clip above) and Hot Pepper about Clifton Chenier and J'ai Été Au Bal / I Went to the Dance about Cajun and zydeco music. He also made a great film (A Poem is a Naked Person) about Leon Russell which was never released and was only screened under strict limitations. Other notable films include A Well Spent Life about Texas guitarist Mance Lipscomb. In recent years, Blank presented his films locally at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and Ponderosa Stomp.
There are Gambit interviews with Blank here about Hot Pepper and here about several films.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Friday, September 28, 2012
What really happened in Treme the night musicians were arrested
Posted by Red Cotton on Fri, Sep 28, 2012 at 12:43 PM
video courtesy of Zudie
This week's episode of HBO’s ‘Treme’ 'Knock With Me, Rock With Me' revisited the second line parade back in October 2007 when musicians Glenn David Andrews and Derrick Tabb were arrested. I was at that second line and watched the entire debacle go down. While I think the show did a pretty good job dramatizing the incident - not that it needed any additional dramatization - I’m a believer that fact is more often than not stranger than fiction. Especially when you live in New Orleans.
I’d like to share with you some details that weren’t covered in the episode’s re-enactment.
(more below the jump!)
Monday, July 23, 2012
ENCORE: Jazz funeral procession for Uncle Lionel Batiste today at 11am
Posted by Red Cotton on Mon, Jul 23, 2012 at 2:20 AM
Because of unrelenting rains and flooding, "Uncle" Lionel Batiste was not able to be interned on Friday, July 20, 2012 as planned. Attendees of the funeral nonetheless went forth into the deluge, playing and parading through Treme for hours after services at Mahalia Jackson Theater ended. His body was returned to the Charbonnet-Labat Funeral Home and his official jazz funeral procession has been rescheduled for Monday, July 23, 2012 11 am starting at the Charbonnet-Labat on the corner of North Claiborne Avenue and St. Philip Street.
The route of Monday's jazz funeral procession has not been announced.
Follow your girl on Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube; Holla at me at bigredcotton@gmail.com.
Friday, July 20, 2012
RIP Frank Trapani
Posted by Alex Woodward on Fri, Jul 20, 2012 at 3:45 PM
Cities take great pride in their offbeat low-budget commercials. New Orleans is no exception — in fact, it's likely the most fertile ground for eccentric, memorable ads and their iconic stars. WYES even produced a documentary, Stay Tuned, about the city's love for its classic TV spots.
But the undisputed champ, the king of all local ads (whether in New Orleans or anywhere else, for that matter), is Frankie & Johnny's.
The Special Man, the customers, and, of course, the dancing man. That's Frank Trapani, the Frankie in Frankie & Johnny's, and he died Thursday at age 83. Read Dominic Massa's report at WWL-TV here.
Kevin Allman remembers before Hurricane Katrina, his phone — just one digit off from the Frankie & Johnny's number — would receive all-hours calls and voicemails about the commercials. Mostly about how dumb they are, or, in one case, how poor of a dancer he is.
I've watched, recorded and recreated the Frankie & Johnny's commercial endless times, and I'd sometimes walk through my old apartment's long hallways in Trapani's signature dance-walk. Or face off my roommate in a dance-walk duel. It's rare that an entire city can identify a seemingly obscure line from a 30-second commercial and laugh, not at it, but with it, and with great affection. Mr. Frankie: Thank you.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Uncle Lionel services begin today
Posted by Alex Woodward on Thu, Jul 19, 2012 at 1:10 PM
Today, "Uncle" Lionel Batiste will lay in state until 5 p.m. at the Charbonnet-Labat Funeral Home (1615 St. Philip St.). Batiste died July 8 at age 81.
Red Cotton has the details for Batiste's funeral service and procession, which begin tomorrow at 9 a.m. at Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts. Internment is at Mount Olivet Cemetery (4100 Norman Mayer Blvd.). Find the full program here.
Above, a memorial card from Charbonnet-Labat Funeral Home, with the legendary Treme Brass Band drummer in the bed of a hearse. The photographer is L.J. Goldstein. The back of the card features a poem by Helen Lowrie Marshall, which reads:
I'd like the memory of me to be a happy one,
I'd like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.
I'd like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.
I'd like the tears of those who grieve to dry before the sun,
of happy memories that I leave behind when the day is done.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
UPDATE: Jazz funeral procession route and other tribute info for Uncle Lionel Batiste
Posted by Red Cotton on Wed, Jul 18, 2012 at 7:52 AM
(photo by Robert Hunter)
UPDATE: This evening's bass drum tribute (see deets below) has been moved from Sweet Lorraine's to Tuba Fats Square at Robertson and St. Phillip. Check me on twitter for any further changes/updates.
On Thursday, July 19, 2012, Uncle Lionel Batiste, the much-beloved bass drummer and assistant leader of the Treme Brass Band will lay in state from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Charbonnet-Labat Funeral Home on St. Philip Street and North Claiborne Avenue. Funeral services and a program celebrating Batiste will take place on Friday, July 20 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts located in Armstrong Park. Viewing begins at 9 a.m., the service starts at 11 a.m. followed by a jazz funeral procession. Internment is at Mount Olivet Cemetery. The full viewing and funeral agenda can be found here.
Below is the route for the Jazz Funeral Procession and info about this evening’s (Wednesday’s) musician’s tribute.
(info below the jump)
Friday, July 13, 2012
Official funeral arrangements for Uncle Lionel Batiste
Posted by Red Cotton on Fri, Jul 13, 2012 at 8:38 PM
Thursday July 19, 2012 - Public Viewing
Charbonnet Funeral Home
1615 St. Phillip Street - in Treme'
10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Friday July 20, 2012 - Funeral Services
Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts
805 N. Rampart Street - Armstrong Park
Viewing - 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Funeral service starts at 11:00 a.m.
Jazz funeral procession from Mahalia Jackson (precise route TBD).
Internment (following jazz procession)
Mount Olivet Cemetery
4100 Norman Mayer Blvd., New Orleans, LA
If you wish to donate to the "Uncle" Lionel Memorial Fund to assist the family with medical and funeral expenses go to www.Treme2012.com and press "Donate" or visit any Liberty Bank and Trust Branch (www.LibertyBank.net). Donations can also be mailed to:
"Uncle" Lionel Memorial Fund, c/o Liberty Bank and Trust, P.O. Box 60131, New Orleans, LA 70160-0131
Follow your girl on Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube; Holla at me at bigredcotton@gmail.com.
UPDATE: Tribute and funeral services info for Uncle Lionel Batiste
Posted by Red Cotton on Fri, Jul 13, 2012 at 9:01 AM
Today July 13th from 5-7pm there will be a second line parade in honor of Uncle Lionel Batiste beginning at Tuba Fats Square on the corner of St. Philip and N. Robertson in the Treme, and ending at Sweet Lorraine's Jazz Club at 1931 St. Claude.
(additional info below the jump!)
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