Pressed for Time 12.31.08-01.06.09
Sigh, heave, nap. Christmas is over, and your goose has been cooked. This week nibble on the popcorn strings that once girded your Christmas fir and contemplate what 2009 will be like. It can't be worse than 2008and it seems to be starting off on the right foot.T here is a promising variety of events from moving films to movement research, from Malcolm Gladwell to Max Silvestri.You can do all of this, or just sit at home and watch the entire series of The Wire in one sitting.
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Movement Research at the Judson Church
Jan. 5, Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Sq. South (betw. Sullivan & Thompson Sts.), 212-777-0033; 8, FREE.
Dance Movement Research presents Jessica Morgan, Bistoury, Alexey Taran and up-and-coming Irish choreographer Liz Roche in a program of homegrown and far-flung fledgling choreographers and dance companies. Particularly exciting is Bistoury, a Venezuelan-via-South Florida company that harvested its dancers improv for the new piece Bolo.
Bottom Line: Four choreographers at a temple to modern dance for the price of a nosebleed seat at the ballet. ------
Memorial Ride and Walk Jan. 4, White Plains Rd. and Allerton Ave., Bronx, www.ghostbikes.org; 10:45 a.m., FREE
We all applaud Mayor Bloomberg for building bike lanes and promoting pedestrian and cyclist safety, but sadly many bikers still die every year.They are victims of doorings, of inattentive drivers and of their own error.This walk/ride, which visits ghost bikes in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan before ending up at St. Mark´s Church, raises awareness of cyclist fatalities.
At each bike, a speech and a brief biography of the victim is read. Not very uplifting, but its important nonetheless.
Bottom Line: Important for all New Yorkers, events such as this raise awareness of bicycle safety issues and memorialize each fallen cyclist as more than just a statistic.
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Giants of Science: Malcolm Gladwell Jan. 6, 92nd Street Y, Lexington Ave. at E. 92nd St., 212-415-5500; 8, $27
Jesus Christ, why does everyone love Malcolm Gladwell so much? I mean, I read The Tipping Point and Blink and his sometimes-interesting New Yorker articles, but is the man really a Giant of Science? His latest book, The Outliers, examines why successful people are successful, the conclusion being because they are smart and driven and also because of life experience.
Blink. Blink. Good Job, Malco! I´m going for the singles mixer afterwards.
Bottom Line: Be gently condescended to by a crazy-haired wunderkind. Afterward, marvel at his intellect with single women and men and try out those bon mots you´ve been practicing.
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SILENT BUT DEADLY: An Evening of Comedy Shorts Jan. 6, MoMA, 11 W. 53rd St. (betw. 5th & 6th Aves.), 7, $10
MoMA opens up its film collection and pulls down some shorts. Comedic Shorts! Ha! This event Max Silvestri combines oldie silent comedy shorts and live piano accompaniment with commentary by real talkie comedians like Max Silvestri, Nick Kroll, Gabe & Jenny and ThunderAnt (Fred Thunder Armisen and Carrie Ant Brownstein).There is also, incidentally, booze.
Bottom Line: Learn about the early roots of American comedy, experience the early influences of successful Jews in entertainment from geezers like Mel Brooks and lesbian heartthrobs like Carrie Brownstein.