Notes from a Genius

"After Fall, Winter" starring: Eric Schaeffer, Lizzie Brochere written and directed by: Eric Schaeffer I haven't seen Eric Schaffer's first film in what I guess is going to be a quartet of films (most likely following the pattern of seasons), "Fall," but now I'm definitely intrigued. The films will apparently focus on the main character, writer Michael Shiver and his ups and downs in life. "After Fall, Winter" finds Michael $600,000 in debt, unable to land a publisher for his next work, evicted from his apartment and just down and out in life. So, he moves to Paris. I t’s there that the film opens, albeit not on Michael but on Sophie (Brochere, very sexy French lady, indeed), plunging immediately into her two seemingly contradictory vocations, as a dominatrix and a nurse to the terminally ill. She takes a call from a dying woman, with the phone cord wrapped tightly around the throat of a nude, bound client.  Once Michael arrives in ...

It's actually been a week since the concert that follows: Tuesday night, well, afternoon, my girlfriend and I traveled 4 hours from Portland, Maine to North Adams, MA for one reason: BECK! Yes, I've now seen Beck, an amazing, eclectic musician whose career has now spanned 20 years and more, twice! He came to Portland last year and played an incredible two-set show (one acoustic and one electric) that spanned many of his hits, but also touched upon some other, hidden gems of his. Seeing him just about one year later, I was a bit weary that it would be a similar setlist, but being Beck, it was not, which made it another incredible experience as a concert and the scene was amazing. He played in North Adams because that's the site of the MASS MoCA (Museum of Contemporary Art), which is worth the price of admission and you could easily spend an entire day inside of, admiring the art. My girlfriend and I walked through some of it and only got to spend about 30 minutes, because ...