Five Must-Sees at Miami International Film Festival 2011

This year’s Miami International Film Festival is replete with enough films to blow your independent film loving ass clean off with 100 films from 40 countries including Oscar nominated films, international films, an animated film (for adults!), the requisite local-focus films, and rapper 50 Cent starring as a football star…

Over-the-top laughs and brilliant acting in Zero Hour

Paint me with your words,” Zero Mostel tells a young New York Times reporter who’s come to interview him at his 28th Street studio in New York City. It’s an appropriate request because that’s exactly what actor and writer Jim Brochu does for Samuel “Zero” Mostel in his one-man biographical…

Fight in August

Nominee for seven Tony Awards and winner of five, including those for Best Play and Best Director, August: Osage County is an epic play. It follows the Westons, a family forced to come together at a pastoral Oklahoma homestead after the booze-hound patriarch up and disappears. At the center of…

Flicks and Freaks

This year’s Miami International Film Festival, which runs Friday to March 13, boasts 100 films from 40 countries, red carpet galas, world premieres, competitions, awards, film seminars, and other stuff to blow your indie-film-loving mind. MIFF kicks off in style on Friday with Chico & Rita, the first opening-night animated…

Jim Brochu Channels Zero Mostel at Aventura Arts & Cultural Center

The bombastic and uproariously hilarious Samuel “Zero” Mostel, who is regarded as one of the funniest entertainers to ever hit Broadway and Hollywood, is stunningly brought to life by writer/actor Jim Brochu in his one-man biographical play Zero Hour, solidly directed by Oscar-nominated actress Piper Laurie.Playing at the Aventura Arts…

The Miami Heat’s James Jones Wins 3-Point Competition

​The Miami Heat’s very own James Jones won last night’s NBA All Star three-point contest, becoming the fourth member of the franchise to win the competition, joining Glen Rice, Jason Kapono and Daequan Cook.And to make it an even more amazing feat, he did it by beating out Boston Celtics…

Current theater: vampire lovers and murderous wives

Two Comedies (The Pattern and The Problem)By Brian Harris and A.R. Gurney. Through February 19 at Edge Theatre, 4141 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-316-5221. Tickets cost $10-$20.In a not-so-coincidental kick in the pants of the Twilight series of books and films, The Pattern, written by Brian Harris, tells the tale…

Actors’ Playhouse Leads the Way with 11 Carbonell Awards Nominations

The 35th annual Carbonell Awards nominations were announced today. And while the big news is that Actors’ Playhouse and GableStage garnered the most nominations, the bigger news is that Actors’ Playhouse’s production of Miss Saigon earned 11 nominations. It’s the South Florida theater scene’s Avatar! Only without the cartoonish plot…

D-Wade Drops 41 as Heat Stave Off Pacers

After turning in a few lackluster performances of late, the never-ending news cycle and knee-jerk brigade turned its attention to Dwyane Wade and his sudden and abrupt downfall as a the alpha dog on this Miami Heat team, while LeBron James took center stage as The Man With The Biggest…

The Illusionist Hits a Sad, Charming Note

Originally written by legendary French filmmaker Jacques Tati, The Illusionist, which opens in Miami this Friday, is a touchingly simple and beautifully drawn film by renowned animator Sylvian Chomet. When Tati died in 1982, he left behind the screenplay for The Illusionist, which he had intended to be shot in…

Alimony Moaning

The play Cheaper to Keep Her tells the story of Raymond Mays and the dilemma he faces after divorcing his wife Morgan. A judge decides that Morgan will keep everything — including the house and a retirement fund — and Raymond considers that it might have been cheaper to stay…

Desperate Passage

Spase Cadets Foundation’s play Lil Haiti: The Untold Story chronicles the struggles of Haitian immigrants who have journeyed from the impoverished island nation to South Florida over the past three decades. Directed by 26-year-old Haitian national Yonel Aris, it’s set in the early ’80s through mid-’90s, and tells the tale…

Relationship comedies get weird at Edge Theatre

Edge Theatre is known for occasional unorthodox performances with stripped-down acting ensembles showcased in small venues across the city. Its unofficial motto is “have stage, will travel,” and productions are hit or miss, depending on the cast. But the ensemble’s current production of The Pattern and The Problem, two one-act…

The Illusionist hits a sad, charming note

Originally written by legendary French filmmaker Jacques Tati, The Illusionist (not to be confused with the live-action Edward Norton film of the same name) is a touchingly simple and beautifully drawn film by renowned animator Sylvian Chomet. When Tati died in 1982, he left behind the screenplay for The Illusionist,…

Not Your Everyday Love Problems at Edge Theatre

Edge Theatre’s two one-act comedies The Pattern and The Problem are not your archetypal love stories. And that’s a good thing. The Pattern sees a young girl seeking professional help and advice in her relationship with a man she’s met online. And while she’s had her history of bad relationships…

LeBron Drops 51 As Heat Beat Magic

There is one universal truth that Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith must come to realize. And that is, don’t make LeBron James angry. Otis Smith wouldn’t like him when he’s angry. During the off-season, Smith smugly questioned LeBron’s competitiveness after King James decided to sign with Miami. And clearly,…

Rage Against the Unseen

José and Rosa are very much in love. They’re working in Spain — he as a construction worker and she as a housekeeper for an elderly couple, Señor and Señora Torres. But Rosa learns that dating José is like going out with the Hulk. When he gets into a heated…

A weak script and stale jokes sink High Dive

The concept and plot of Leslie Ayvazian’s one-person play at New Theatre, High Dive, are certainly original and creative. The play features a neat audience participation gimmick and a solid, engaging performance from five-time Carbonell-nominated actress Barbara Sloan. But in the end, the concept and performance fall victim to a…