Category Archives: Cinema Scope

For the love of movies, and not just the musicals

QUEER SHORTS – The Fab and the Furious

Posted on October 28, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Highlights from “Boys Shorts”, “Beyond the Binary”, “Drawn This Way – Animated” & “Faith and Fury” film shorts programs at Newfest – New York’s LGBT Film Festival   It probably plays to the stereotype of the typical NewFest attendee that … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

QUEER SHORTS – The Young and the Resistance

Posted on October 23, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Highlights from “Young, Queer and Woke” and “The Queer Resistance” film shorts programs at Newfest – New York’s LGBT Film Festival Another fall in New York City.  Another NewFest festival of LGBTQ films.  Last year I stuffed a dozen festival films … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seeing BATTLE OF THE SEXES with the Next Generation

Posted on September 26, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Ed’s and my thorough enjoyment of the movie “Battle of the Sexes” was both enhanced and tempered by the group of preteen girls the theater’s reserved seating placed to my right.  Tempered because of the above average distractions I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Will Whoopi Goldberg Get Andy Serkis his Overdue Oscar?

Posted on July 15, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

“War for the Planet of the Apes” has opened to universal acclaim and a renewed call to give an Oscar to Andy Serkis, the actor who pioneered and perfected motion capture acting as lead ape Caesar in the Planet of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SPAMALOT infiltrates EMILY DICKINSON in A QUIET PASSION

Posted on April 24, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Arthur: But I’m alone (Patsy: oh no you’re not!) So all alone (Patsy: I’m here you twat!) All by myself I’m all alone   I’m All Alone (from “Spamalot”) – Tim Curry and Michael McGrath What do Monty Python and … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Literary Lyricism, Melodies Linger On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Putting it Together and Together and Together and Together and Together

Posted on April 21, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

LINK TO YOUTUBE VIDEO OF PUTTING IT TOGETHER in ORIGINAL BROADWAY PRODUCTION  Art isn’t easy.  Any way you look at it. After seeing the current revival of “Sunday in the Park with George” and enjoying another live performance of its … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Live! On Stage, Melodies Linger On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH JAKE – Will it Lead to Sunday in the Cinema with Jake?

Posted on April 17, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

  When you see a theater production of a piece you know well and love well, after having  seen wonderful and celebrated productions of the piece many times before, including the original Broadway production, and watched the dvd of that production … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Live! On Stage, Melodies Linger On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Emma Thompson Tackles Tricky Tuplets in “Beauty and the Beast”

Posted on March 19, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

This weekend the Disney live-action remake of the 1991 Disney animation classic “Beauty and the Beast” made a big splash with audiences, critics, and, especially, the box office.  I saw it Friday and was completely enchanted.  The movie smartly recreates in … Continue reading →

Posted in Beginnings, Cinema Scope, Melodies Linger On, The Speakeasy Chronicles | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

SNOW SONGS for SNOW DAY (& a PI Song for PI Day)

Posted on March 14, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

It’s a Snow Day here in the Northeast.  New York City is basically shut down and everyone is staying inside.  What was projected to be a nasty blizzard for the city has been downgraded to an unpleasant mix of snow, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Melodies Linger On, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MOONLIGHT – the triple least “Oscar Baity” Oscar Winner

Posted on March 5, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

“I just hope the weird pandemonium doesn’t overshadow the fact that a $1.5 million independent film by a black director about black, gay, poor people was named Best Picture.  The process to get there was very weird, but it’s an … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

#OscarsSoCrazy – The Worst Best Thing that could have happened to La La Land and Moonlight.

Posted on February 27, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

In a moment that will be hard to beat as the strangest, most gasp-inducing thing to have ever and might ever again happen at the Oscars, “Moonlight” was revealed to have been the actual Best Picture winner after “La La … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

LA LA LAND’s Nod to CABARET

Posted on February 8, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

“La La Land”, writer/director Damien Chazelle’s widely critically and popularly acclaimed original movie musical currently basking in the glow of 14 Academy Award nominations, is a love letter to romance gained and lost, to Los Angeles and its tribe of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Melodies Linger On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

COMPLETE OSCAR NOMINATIONS LIST – with plenty personal notes, comments and trivia – updated with winners

Posted on February 4, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

This year’s Oscar nominations have been announced, and for once the media pundits and social media consensus are much happier with the overall outcome, with few gripes and much to celebrate.  Which doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty sighs about … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

All 5 Best Song OSCAR nominees on one page

Posted on January 24, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

The Oscar nominations were announced this morning.  Here are the five Best Song nominees, three very much expected – the “La La Land” and “Moana” songs, one pretty much expected, “Can’t Stop the Feeling” from “Trolls”, and, as is customary … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Melodies Linger On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

New Categories for Movies, Theater and LGBTQ Themed Articles

Posted on January 15, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Three new categories have been added to the Notes from a Composer archives:   Cinema Scope – For the love of movies, and not just the musicals   Live! On Stage – Live performances / a life in the theater … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, LGBTQ Alphabet Soup, Live! On Stage, Notes in the News | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Little Advice on How to Love THE HOBBIT Trilogy Better

Posted on January 10, 2017 by dannyashkenasi

Finally watched the extended edition of the third Hobbit movie.  Took a while because we wanted to carve out the consecutive evenings to watch all three extended editions in close succession, in hopes it would improve the experience.  And it … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema Scope, Melodies Linger On | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments