Reader, you know how Hollywood and the larger/smaller film world that, for most people, is encompassed by the vague term of ‘Hollywood’ has the tendency to put out films with very similar premises at roughly the same time? I know, I know—I’m trying to get better about run-on sentences, but you know. Meh. But, for instance, say there are two end-of-the-world disaster movies coming out at the same time—which there are, like, every other week—or two romantic comedies where friends decide to sleep together against their better judgement or two movies that are totally both about Snow White for some reason. Here, I even just found a Wikipedia page about it, so you know it’s true/made up by someone with way too much time on their hands.

Case in point, last year, I read some really positive press on a small-time, low-budget film being made about a crazy planet that suddenly appears in the night sky and gets closer and closer to Earth, understandably freaking everybody out and particularly affecting the life of the main character, a young blonde woman. Though I didn’t get a chance to catch the movie while it was in theatres, I made a mental note to Netflix it when it made it to DVD.

Recently I followed up on that promise to myself and made sure to put Melancholia—staring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and (oddly) Keifer Sutherland—into our queue.

130 sleepy minutes later, I walked away from the movie a bit perplexed—though the the film was visually engaging, starting off with a prolonged, glacially paced, dreamlike sequence of silent scenes with booming music overlaid, the whole thing struck me as artistic in a forced way, not at all engaging, devoid of a compelling narrative or characters you cared at all about, and really, really slow. And not in a cool ‘new-slow’ movie way.

Katie agreed. Her review—a near-immediate deep sleep.

Cut to (I know, we’re such movie-makers lately) me browsing our queue a few weeks later and, among the recommended releases (nice work, Netflix), finding one I recognized right away—Another Earth, the real highly recommended movie about a fair-haired white lady whose life becomes inexorably intertwined in the fate of a planet moving closer and closer to the Earth. You know. The other one of those that happened to get made that year.

Compared to Melancholia, Another Earth is wildly compelling, wonderfully acted (by lead actor + co-writer, Brit Marling + former Lost ‘Other,’ William Mapother), also beautiful in a much less ‘look at how beautiful this is‘ way, and even starts off in a jarringly explosive manner as compared to Melancholia‘s wordless molasses dream sequence intro. I will give this to them though—Melancholia does have an awesomely designed Web site, somewhat technically reminiscent of another we wrote up last month.

All that is to say—go rent this crazy drama about bizarre planetary discoveries and interpersonal relationships, not that one. Unless you’re just looking to catch up on your sleep or get a glimpse of Kirsten Dunst’s tatas + hoohaw, in which case, have at it!

Below, stills from Another Earth.

Reader, as you’ve likely picked up by now, we’re a fairly schizophrenic blog. I’m not saying our blog is going to hug you and then stab you with a knife, I’m more saying we’re kinda all over the place—one day, a post on a band we like; one day, a recipe we think’s ‘pretty rad’; another day, something on a movie.

To wit, we’re often emailing a variety of people, from band members or other music industry types to authors and restauranteurs. Recently, it’s come to my attention that my email address seems to have inadvertently been added to the employee list of one restauranteur who shall remain nameless so as to avoid any e-embarassment. So I started getting emails about cleaning out the staff fridge more diligently and summer holiday hours and when the health department might be stopping by. Until now, though, I’ve avoided the temptation to write back to say, ‘Hey, I don’t actually work there and I think you might have put me on these emails by accident,’ thinking they’d eventually figure out and, again, to avoid any undue embarrassment.

Today, however, I received yet another email of this ilk, but this one included an attachment entitled ‘SCHEDULE.’ Just out of curiosity, I opened up the attachment, and, lo and behold, I’m totally scheduled to work while I’m on vacation.

So the question, Reader, is—what’s the etiquette here. Do I just not show up, which seems rude and, frankly, isn’t very ‘me,’ you know? But there’s not quite time to give two weeks notice, which I’m guessing is still industry standard (it’s been a while since I’ve been in that kind of environment). So that’s out. Do you think I can get someone to cover my shift? I mean, I didn’t even know I worked there, so that should garner some sympathy with the co-workers I didn’t even know I had. Or do I just need to bite the bullet, cancel vacation, and hope that this just ends up being the turning of a fated new page in my life?

Well, worst case scenario, at least I’ll have the sweet, island-y, early-80s-inspired tunes of St. Lucia to keep me in that vacation state of mind, even as Katie’s frolicking through the waves without me. The solo endeavor of Jean-Philip Grobler of Brooklyn (by way of Johannesberg…I think there’s a Chunnel), St. Lucia pretty unabashedly lifts some solid pop strategy from the 1980’s game book here, but his song-writing skills are just good enough to make it work. And his spattering of more modern electronic riffs and smooth, clean, choir-trained vocals go a long way to give his music an air of easy enjoyability.

Listen to this week’s Song, St. Lucia’s superb “All Eyes on You” from Grobler’s debut, self-titled EP, which you can stream fully below, purchase via the iTunes, and order on 10″ vinyl via Neon Gold. You can also check out St. Lucia’s video for another great, groove-heavy EP track, “Before the Dive” below.

And yes—there are sax solos. Embrace them. They are warm, like love or those crescent rolls in the commercials.

Note: Music posted to this site is kept online for a limited period of time out of fairness to the artists and, you know, our server. So if this is now an older post, the links may well be dead.

Our final neighbor interview for On My Block Films is with Melissa Caruso Scott, AKA, the dumpster-diving, Lean-Cuisine-eating, TV-watching woman from the the short film we made. In real life, Melissa’s days are filled with much more enjoyable activities such as authoring children’s books and setting up both play-dates and local musician showcases. And I’m guessing her diet’s a good deal better too.

Read on to find out what it was like to run a music venue in the Lower East Side in the 90’s and aughts, why Val Kilmer walked out of a port-a-potty in the middle of said venue once, and how supervising music in a short film can prove to be more challenging than you may think.

Kindness of Ravens: So, what made you get involved with On My Block Films in the first place? Was Ryan just constantly knocking on your door, guilting you all into doing it?

Melissa Caruso Scott:  When I saw the flyer for OMB in my mailbox I noticed it was from my upstairs neighbor Ryan. He and his wife, Erin, seemed pretty cool and the project sounded intriguing so I decided to email him before incessant knocking ensued.

KoR: Did you know anyone from the group before we started doing the film?

MCS: Aside from Ryan and his wife Erin, Michael, another neighbor from the building was in the film. I didn’t know anyone else. I really didn’t know anyone on the block.

KoR: Yeah, we didn’t really either. So crazy. Going into it, did you have a particular role in mind or anything specifically you wanted to get out of it? My guess is a parent of two boys doesn’t have a ton of free time, so….

MCS: Yeah, free time is tight these days, although I do have a lot of play time! I’ve always been fascinated with how music in TV and films so greatly affects mood. My five-year-old can distinguish when the show he is watching isn’t actually scary and it’s the music that’s making him freak out. It’s such a powerful tool. Wielding such power carries great responsibility! Figuring out what mood we wanted to emote and when and where to add music to our footage was harder than I thought it would be, especially with the limited time frame.

The whole process was so rewarding that I’ve been inspired to work on a 4-page script for another OMB. If you’re reading neighbors, (Union between Henry + Clinton) please collaborate with me!

KoR: Ooh? What’s the rough premise? Or can you tell us?

MCS: Two brothers get inspiration from an afternoon on their block that sparks something epic.

KoR: I feel like I can even picture the two brothers…. What surprised you about the process or the film in the end?

MCS: I didn’t realize the film would be so professional looking. It really came together beautifully. Everyone took their roles seriously and worked really hard. You might think you know and understand the filmmaking process but actually making one and seeing first hand how all aspects come together was really awesome.

KoR: And I’m guessing your role as musical supervisor was born from your love of music and background as owner of the old Lower East Side music venue, Tonic. When did you open Tonic and what compelled you to open a club in New York?

MCS: No, really it came from being so good at “Name That Tune.” Hah. Before we opened Tonic, back in 1995, my husband and I opened alt.coffee, one of New York’s first internet cafes. We had a Monday night music series there and after awhile wanted a bigger venue. We saw this space with old wine casks and great acoustics in the unchartered territory of the Lower East Side and thought it would be great to have music there.

KoR: That’s awesome. In that period of time, you must have seen the neighborhood change really drastically. What’s your thought on how things have changed there and in other similar NYC neighborhoods?

MCS: I grew up on the Lower East Side, a few blocks away from where we opened Tonic. As a kid, there was scarcely a cafe in the neighborhood and my high school friends couldn’t find my street on a map. I never imagined I would open a music club there.

We took over the old Kedem Kosher winery space, which had moved to New Jersey. For the first few years around Passover, a handful of orthodox Jews poked their heads in looking to buy wine.

I’m a bit nostalgic for the old Lower East Side when there were, among other family businesses, big old kosher wineries that could afford the rent (they were long gone before Tonic moved in!). I don’t like seeing big box stores replace mom + pop shops and somehow that lack of grit translates to a lack of character. BUT, there were long stretches of Lower East Side blocks that I was afraid to walk down as a kid. There were empty parking lots with barking dogs. The Essex Street Market wasn’t the beautiful food Mecca it is today and now there’s a cute little cafe around the corner from my mom’s apartment.

KoR: Any quick, crazy Tonic stories you can share?

MCS: So many outrageous and awesome things happened at Tonic, I don’t know where to begin. The downtown music fans went crazy when John Zorn, while playing sax, climbed onto the shoulders of Milfred Graves as he was drumming. It was also bananas having a port-a-potty in the middle of our lobby (long story) and seeing Val Kilmer walk out of it. Hmm…Cecil Taylor refusing to play the 6-foot piano we got for him because he wanted a 7-footer while an audience of 300 waited outside was crazy.

Having Devendra Banhart, Regina Spektor, and a few others like them play to a room of 25 early in their careers was pretty special.

KoR: Wait, Val Kilmer walked out of a port-a-potty in the middle of Tonic…? I have to ask…what was that about?

MCS: Ugh, our building was not without its many problems. One was a broken sewer line that disabled all our bathrooms for a week. Our insane and only solution was to bring in port-a-potties. Val Kilmer was there to see Yoko Ono perform on her birthday with Sean Lennon and Vincent Gallo.

KoR: That is nuts. For so many reasons. Do you all ever talk about opening another venue or is all of that pretty much in the past for you two? What else are you up to now?

MCS: I wouldn’t rule it out. It was such a rewarding experience. I still try to put on a few concerts a year. I also work with musicians who make cool music for kids and I have a blog called Super Sonic Kids which is a music resource for parents (it’s not all “Wheels on the Bus” these days).

Also, keep an eye out for a little board book series I’m working on set to launch in October called Les Petits Fairytales.

If the circumstances were right though, I wouldn’t be able to resist (opening another venue) and the next one would certainly be better, stronger and faster.

KoR: Awesome. Alright, lightning round—Totem animal?

MCS: Puma.

KoR: Superb. Best thing about having kids in New York?

MCS: There are so many unique opportunities and experiences to have here. I got to take my 5-year-old to the amazing dress rehearsal of the New York Philharmonic performance at the New York Armory (directed by Michael Counts). The next week he and his brother checked at 400-year-old armor and space rocks. They also got to be in a fab film without leaving our block.

KoR: I’ve heard of this fab film…. Worst thing about having kids in New York?

MCS: Getting around can be tough.

KoR: Noted. Band you can’t stop listening to lately?

MCS: If the kids are around—New Raspberry Bandits which was started by Vanessa Saft and her husband Jamie Saft, who was a regular performer at Tonic (for grown-ups). If you know some kids, I highly recommend their folksy, rockin’ CD, Big Trucks and Little Birds.

KoR: Favorite spot in Carroll Gardens?

MCS: The library, especially when both kids are sitting quietly looking at books.

KoR: Yeah, I don’t know if anyone will catch that the Carroll Gardens Library made the end credits with that historic shot. Any idea when that’s opening back up?

MCS: The official word is that the library has closed for repairs to the roof and will re-open at the end of the summer. Staff at the library have said that, in addition to the roof, expect the lovely library staff to be replaced by a scanner machine. These self check-outs have already replaced personnel at the Brooklyn Heights library and it is a major bummer. I’d also be surprised if they were open by September.

KoR: What? That’s insane. Robots can’t recommend books or shush me! Favorite tattoo, either real or theoretical?

MCS: An alt.coffee regular was married to a beautiful, Japanese comedian. He had this very detailed, colorful, tattoo portrait of her with crossed eyes, tongue out, crazy hair.

KoR: Finally, most rewarding thing about being involved with On My Block Films?

MCS: Finding out that I have some awesome cool neighbors for sure!

KoR: Totally agree! High five!

Find out more about Tonic’s history and sign up for their newsletter on their site, order Melissa’s soon-to-be-realeased children’s book (this fall) here, check out her kids’ music blog, Super Sonic Kids, and catch her depiction of a slightly sad TV enthusiast in Free Camera here or over at the On My Block Films site. While you’re over at OMB, sign up to make a movie with your own neighbors, why don’t you? We highly recommend it. Finally, thanks to all of our neighbors for agreeing to be interviewed! See you on the block!

Our third and penultimate neighbor interview for On My Block Films is with Jen Samawat, non-profit superstar, former Obama campaign national advance team member, and superb quinoa-salad-maker. Not only does Jen totally know the President of the United States (hereafter referred to as POTUS cuz it sounds cool), she also now works for one of our favorite non-profits, has some kick-ass tattoos, and is a skilled painter. Also, she and Adam (both above) totally rocked out the final scene to the short movie we made. Solid landing!

Read on to to hear about what it’s like to work for one of the most powerful people in the world, why Planned Parenthood is awesome, and to find out about the inevitable Broadway hit, Revenge of the Snerd.

Kindness of Ravens: So, word on the street is that you worked for this guy named Barack Obama back in 2008. What did you do for the campaign, exactly, and how’d you land that gig?

Jen Samawat: True story. I joined the campaign around June 2007 as a member of the national advance team—it was basically event planning for everything the President did. Once something made it onto POTUS’s schedule, a team of us would puddle jump across the country, arriving anywhere from three to seven days ahead of the scheduled event(s)—and go to work scouting out and locking in venues, contracting vendors, liaising with local and national staff to build crowds, media coverage and visual messaging. We were logistical machines. Then POTUS would roll in, we’d get him through the day, and it was on to the next one.

I still have no idea how I got the gig. I had been working for the governor of Wisconsin at the time, some guy my colleague knew was doing something in New Hampshire, who gave my resume to someone and they gave it to someone, and then all of a sudden I was in Dubuque, IA. After one trip, I was hooked. I came home, put in my two-weeks notice to the governor’s office and then “casually” let the Obama folks know that I was conveniently available. I didn’t hear a peep until my very last day of work (you can imagine my stress level), when I finally received an email—also very casual—telling me to pack my bags for TBD time and come to Des Moines. The next time I saw my apartment was six months later.

KoR: Man. Was it insane? Wait, let me rephrase that—It was insane, did you all actually get a chance to sleep or eat at all in 2008? I bet you seriously saw like no movies that year. You should really check out The Dark Knight—super-good.

JS: It was insane in ways you can’t even imagine. Besides the grueling schedule and lifestyle on the road—I literally lived in various Hampton Inns and dined at Applebee’s for 18 months—it was just such a weird bubble that no one could understand unless you were in it. I mean, my peers for that duration were other campaign staff, members of the national press corps, and Secret Service agents. And if my colleagues or I messed up, it was totally on display via cable new shows or next-day newspaper pics. So the pressure and stakes were pretty intense. It was also the most incredible experience of my life—I made the most incredible friends, visited almost every state in the Union plus Puerto Rico and Germany, and got to witness history be made right in front of my face. It was amazing insane.

KoR: And we won! High-five! BUT…four years later, seems like the reality of exactly how slowly and heavily the mechanics of our government turn over has become apparent and there are a lot of disillusioned voters out there now. Honestly, I’m kinda scared for November. Besides the obvious (not having Romney in the White House), why should we still vote for Obama?

JS: I’m pretty tired of hearing conservatives rail on for the last four years about “taking their country back.” When I look at what President Obama has done since taking office, I finally feel like OUR country is living up to the ideal of “exceptionalism” and potential that conservative politicians love to bring up. Look at the monumental things he’s achieved his first term—we’ve had 29 straight months of job growth in the private sector, passed health care reform, ended the war in Iraq, repealed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, came out in support of same-sex marriage, passed the stimulus, passed Wall Street Reform, turned around the US auto industry, it goes on… He deserves real credit for moving us forward.

Even putting those things aside, the real reason I will vote for Obama again is because I am a woman; because he believes women can make up our own minds; that being a woman is not a “pre-existing condition” when it comes to health care coverage, and that we have the right to birth control and life-saving preventive care; that we have the right to equal pay for equal work, and education and economic opportunities. This is a president who has made issues important to women a priority. And therefore it’s my priority to see him re-elected. It will be a close race—we all should be working hard from now until November. But I think the gender gap may be what tips it.

KoR: If there were an emoticon for standing up and clapping in a very earnest way, that would go here. Very, very well-said. So, now you’ve moved on from the Obama crüe to working for another group we hold in super-high-regard, Planned Parenthood. Real quick, can you tell us what you do there and why Planned Parenthood’s work is important to you?

JS: I work for Cecile Richards now, the President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. I do a lot of admin work and interdepartmental liaising. It’s pretty amazing and humbling to be part of an organization that makes a real difference in every day lives—it’s one thing to work in politics and campaign for affordable health care access, it’s another thing to actually deliver it to the women and families who need it most, every single day.

KoR: Did you actually leave the White House to work for Planned Parenthood?

JS: I actually left politics for a much more impulsive, unforeseen reason—love! After we won the election, I moved to DC to work on the inauguration. When that wrapped up, but before official administration jobs were sorted out, I went to Munich for the Vice President for two weeks. Little did I know that the handsome German-Persian driver/interpreter contracted by the embassy and assigned to my boss on that trip, would now be my husband. I was fortunate that the first few months of the administration involved so much European travel and that I could make side-trips to Berlin in-between, but when push came to shove, I packed up and moved to Berlin full time. I was even more fortunate to be able to keep one foot in after moving there and do most of the international trip planning for POTUS, FLOTUS, and VPOTUS on a contract/volunteer basis. After almost two years, I convinced my husband to move to the States, and with absolutely fortuitous timing, I was working at PPFA two weeks later.

KoR: I like all this POTUS/FLOTUS/VPOTUS stuff. From now on, I’m TOTUS. Dibs. Planned Parenthood is definitely a group that has its fair share of critics out there. What would you say is the biggest or most problematic misconception out there about the organization?

JS: That all we do is provide abortions. In reality, more than 90% of what we do nationally is lifesaving cancer screenings, birth control, prevention, testing and treatment for STD’s, breast health services, Pap tests, sexual health education, information and health counseling. We work every single day to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and keep women healthy. For many women, Planned Parenthood ends up being the only source of health care—one in five women in America has turned to us at some point for professional, nonjudgmental, and confidential care.

KoR: We can totally share you appreciation for working for an organization that’s doing real, tangible good out in the world. On to other subjects—you paint too, right? Are you trained?

JS: I do paint and draw, and, though I wish I was trained—unless you count my high school art classes with Mr. Jo back in central Wisconsin—sadly I am not. I have sold some stuff and done some contracting, but I really do it for my own selfish, personal satisfaction. I’d probably be much better with training…

KoR: No, we loved what we saw of your stuff. It looks like you’ve trained. So, with the On My Block project, did you go into with any hopes as to your role or what you’d get out of it, or were just looking for something new to do? You know. Since it seems like you have so much free time.

JS: Ha! No, I had no hopes nor sense of what this would entail. All I know is that after having a brief explanatory conversation with Ryan (neighbor and co-founder of OMB), my creative juices were flowing after having been blocked for all too long.

KoR: He’s an inspiring kinda guy. Have you ever acted before? You came off like a pro in that final scene.

JS: You’re speaking to the lead of my sixth grade school play—Marybelle Moosenheimer, the cheerleader who fell in love with Smedly Snerd, school nerd.

KoR: Um…okay. What was the…play?

JS: The play was Revenge of the Snerd and thanks to Google, the synopsis I just found brought back all kinds of memories (and lines I still know!).

KoS: That was a Beckett play, right? Final pre-lightning-round-question—WHERE do you get your nails done?

JS: Hahaha. I don’t want to say, because it already a pain in the ass to get an appointment there!

KoS: Fair enough, but those were pretty badass shoot nails. Okay, lightning round time—Totem animal?

JS: Tie—my pitbull, Ella Bella, and/or an owl.

KoS: Got it—owl-dog. Best thing about Carroll Gardens?

JS: The atmosphere—it is so relaxing to get out of the subway after a long day and just feel a weight lift from your shoulders. It’s active, it’s hip, it’s developed, but it’s so damn chill and easy-going.

KoS: SHHHHHHHH! Don’t tell EVERYONE! Coolest place that isn’t New York? …don’t say ‘New Jersey.’

JS: Berlin.

KoS: Berlin, NJ? Questionable fashion choice you’ve made in the past?

JS: Are you referring to the polka dot skinny jeans I wore the day of our shoot??

KoS: Um…I…uh…. Nickname growing up?

JS: Arnie. My maiden name is Arnold. What’s Eating Gilbert Grape was big then, you get the picture.

KoS: “I wanna go up there, Gilbert!” Favorite spot in Carroll Gardens?

JS: I base all my neighborhood activities on food, and we have so many options! Would have to say Lucali’s pizza though.

KoS: Stilll. Have not. Been. I wonder how they’d be on the no cheese thing. Favorite tattoo, either real or theoretical?

JS: I have several, so I’ll pick one of mine—the half-finished upper arm sleeve with a life/death cycle theme.

KoS: Nice. Finally, most rewarding thing about being involved with On My Block Films so far?

JS: Making 10 new friends. I would totally fire old existing friends for these new ones. Seriously—after living on this block for a year and a half, I had absolutely no idea that so many creative, smart, and kind people lived right next to me. I am so incredibly grateful for this.

KoS: I mean, we ARE pretty cool….

Find out more about Planned Parenthood and find out how you can get involved on their site. And don’t forget to vote in a couple months (ohmygod the election’s in a couple months). Finally, check out Jen’s modern theatrical revival of the part of Marybelle Moosenheimer in our short film here or over at the On My Block Films site.

Continuing on with this week’s theme with our interviews of cast + crew from the short movie we made for On My Block Films, today’s post features our neighbor, Michael Lapthorn. When he’s not acting as production manager, kid-wrangler, and/or rushed, coffee-loving businessman in local film, he spends his time planning exhibitions in one of the most impressive museums in the world, which we found pretty interesting. Also interesting—Michael and his wife, Siobhán, have lived in our neighborhood for 15 years now.

Read on to learn his thoughts on movie-making, the neighborhood’s evolution over the years, and blowing up Central Park.

Kindness of Ravens: So, what made you get involved with On My Block Films in the first place? Do you have a background in theatre or film at all, or was it just something fun to do?

Michael Lapthorn: I had made some student films way back in college and I remember that it was a lot of fun and that you could get really lost in the filmmaking process. I wasn’t sure until I actually went up the stairs (Ryan lives two floors above me) that I would be able to commit to the process, knowing how all-consuming it could potentially become. But I’m glad I made the right choice.

KoR: Did anything strike you as especially challenging about the film-making process?

ML: Not really, other than being aware of what was going on, what everyone else was doing, and trying think a couple steps ahead so as not to get bogged down.

KoR: Yes—to my understanding of the job responsibilities, you were a superb production manager in that sense. Were you surprised at how effective the project was in bringing together a bunch of people who didn’t really know each other that well prior to the movie?

ML: Totally. I think we all instinctively realized that, since our time was so short, we had better think as a group and let our individual wants sit back a bit for the good of the whole—sort of proof of the power of collective thinking.

KoR: Our hive mind was commendable. What did your kids think of being in the movie?

ML: Quinn (child who found the camera on the street and then promptly drops it in the toilet) loved it, even though he got the jitters when the cameras started rolling. I think Lucy had less personal investment in the project, but she gave a very naturalistic performance.

KoR: True—we all felt pretty terrible when she wiped out on the sidewalk…but at the same time knew that was probably some pretty great footage. Our hats off to Lucy’s commitment to method acting. So, you pitched a film idea early on that very nearly got the vote. We thought it was an awesome idea that had the potential for coming out really funny. Any plans to potentially run it for the actual competition now that you’ve got a well-seasoned crew in place and ready to go? Our cat would have to be involved again, clearly.

ML: Absolutely – if I ever get the time to write something down. Day jobs suck.

KoR: They do put a cramp in my more natural computer-game-playing, nap-taking inclinations. You’ve been in the neighborhood for a pretty significant amount of time—15 years, right? How has the area changed in all that time?

ML: Our block has actually changed very little, except for a huge infusion of children, strollers, and the cars to put them in. Mazzola’s hasn’t changed a bit, but the old Nino’s (now Francesco’s) and the Salumeria (now Bar Bruno) were definitely authentic old school. It’s also become something of a destination, as opposed to a pass-though to the bridge over the BQE.

KoR: That’s interesting. I guess it’s still pretty solidly old-school Italian. I know it may result in massive generalizations, but what do you like more and less about the neighborhood now as compared to when you first moved to it?

ML: I like having felt like we made the right decision to stay close to downtown Brooklyn. It was a bit of a sacrifice in terms of apartment size, but we get the best of Brooklyn, and can get to the city in a matter of moments.

KoR: What brought you to Carroll Gardens in the first place?

ML: Siobhán and I both dug the low buildings, the trees, and the laid-back vibe. And the rent was cheap.

KoR: So, when you’re not making movies with people on your block, you act as the Senior Exhibition Designer for Metropolitan Museum of Art. My first question has to be—do you get lost every morning when you go to work? We’ve been members of the museum for a little while now, and I seriously cannot tell North from South once I set foot through those doors.

ML: No, I don’t get lost—I groove on finding the most efficient routes to various parts of the building, which happily sometimes involves taking secret staircases by hidden doors. I also cover several miles a day just getting around. The place is about eight blocks square.

KoR: Secret staircases? I want to take secret staircases! Can you explain what’s involved in being an exhibition designer? Did you get to try on the knight’s armor in the Medieval room? If so, related question—do you need an assistant?

 
ML: I get interns sometimes, but it’s mostly solo work. We get assigned to a curator and work through theme of the show, the object list, and figure out what goes where. Often I’ll need to draw up a new case or some special display. We hardly ever get to touch anything—that’s the technicians job.

 
KoR: Application withdrawn. What’s it like working at one of the most prestigious, most well-known and -respected museums in the world? …besides awesome.

 
ML: It’s pretty cool. But working at the Met is actually not that different that working in any other extremely awesome environment. In many ways you can just replace plastic widgets or ad pitches with priceless works of art and it’s about the same. I deal with most of the art in a very abstract way—I get dimensions and a picture and then I have to imagine what it could be and draw what it takes to make that happen.

KoR: Seems like a lot of three-dimensional drawing in the brain. Was it nuts working there when the McQueen exhibit was going on?

ML: It was definitely hard to get through the museum. Thus secret passages.

KoR: Any favorite current exhibits?

ML: Greek + Roman, South + Southeast Asia.

KoR: Do you have any crazy museum stories? Something bizarre someone did or tried to do with an exhibit or someone sleeping the night in the Egyptian tomb or…I don’t know….

ML: I think of all the cool things that have happened in the Met since I started, it would have to be that when the American Wing courtyard was being renovated, they blasted—literally blasted with dynamite, chipped away, and scooped out with giant backhoes—an additional 30,000 square feet of storage space into the Manhattan Schist bedrock of Central Park UNDER the museum. And the Tiffany fountain (made of glass, of course) six feet away was completely unharmed. That’s good engineering.

KoR: That sounds pretty intense. Alright, lightning round—Totem animal?

ML: Meerkat.

KoR: Astute guys. Best thing about having kids in New York?

ML: Exposure to everything.

KoR: Worst thing about having kids in New York?

ML: Exposure to everything.

KoR: Well-said. Preferred super power?

ML: Flight.

KoR: Favorite thing about the Met?

ML: Going in early when all the lights are off and there’s nobody around.

KoR: Sounds eerily peaceful. Nickname growing up?

ML: Mike.

KoR: That’s a bit of a let-down. Favorite spot in Carroll Gardens?

ML: Cabrini Park. Although that’s probably more the Columbia St. Waterfront District.

KoR: Huh. I’ve been by but never in. Favorite tattoo, either real or theoretical?

ML: Some medieval manuscript marginalia I saw somewhere once.

KoR: Alright. Finally, most rewarding thing about being involved with On My Block Films?

ML: The low-ish level of commitment I was able to offer to the process was accepted without question.

See Michael’s handiwork by visiting the Met 930AM-530PM, Tuesday-Thursday, 930AM-9PM Friday + Saturday, and 930AM-530PM Sunday. I dare you not to get lost. And check out Michael’s acting chops here or over at the On My Block Films site.

As we mentioned yesterday, we made a movie and we’re so shocked and proud of what we came up with our neighbors and now friends, that we’re going to be writing about it all week. We started things off by posting the movie, which you can view in yesterday’s earlier piece, and then followed things up by having our weekly featured Song be Wild Cub‘s “Wild Light,” which we featured in our movie credits.

Now we’re moving on to a series of interviews we’re doing with the neighbors involved in the process who, it turns out, are super interesting. First up—Ryan O’Hara Theisen, writer, director, and founder of On My Block Films, the project that led us to make a movie and meet all these people in the first place. We ‘sat down’ and ‘talked’ (read: emailed back and forth a bit) with Ryan about the origins of On My Block, the sometimes anonymous life of New Yorkers, and illusionary tattoos. Check it out:

Kindness of Ravens: So, first off, what’s your background? We’re assuming it has something to do with film, but…

Ryan O’Hara Theisen: I write, produce, and direct branded films through a company I co-founded called Lucky Branded Entertainment. Before directing, I worked as a creative in advertising for 10 years.

KoR: What brought you to film in the first place?

RT: I’ve always had a love for visual storytelling and used to work as a photojournalist back in college. However, I chose to become an Art Director after college and didn’t pick up a camera again for many years. Then in ’05 I took some documentary courses at Duke University and it reawakened my love for filmmaking. I left my job in North Carolina in ’06 to pursue filmmaking in New York.

KoR: So, tell us how the idea for On My Block came about. Were you just like “I need some new friends. I know! I’ll create a super-involved film contest that’ll take up massive amounts of my free time BUT give me an excuse to meet my neighbors”? Because you could’ve just come over and asked for a cup of sugar or something, man.

RT: I had been wanting to give back to this great city for sometime. I’d thought of a few projects that might help New Yorkers treat one another better, but they all felt forced and uninspiring. After having lived in 4 neighborhoods in NYC in 6 years, I realized that I really didn’t have relationships with my neighbors. It bummed me out and I wondered if this was somewhere I could make a difference. I’d experienced how tight bonds are formed on films sets in very short times and wondered what would happen if we brought that dynamic to a block of strangers/neighbors.

KoR: Yeah, New York is so jam-packed with people that I’ve always taken the anonymity of city life and the tendency of New Yorkers to largely mind their own business as a bit of a defense mechanism so we don’t all go insane constantly interacting with each other. Was this project, then, an effort to break those kind of barriers down on a local level?

RT: Exactly. I get the need for anonymity too. New York asks a lot of you. And at the end of the day, sometimes you just wanna slip up your stoop unnoticed and get some alone time. But I also realized my neighborhood had so much to offer that I wasn’t accessing. I knew there had to be a slew of cool people behind all those doors, but also knew we didn’t really have any block related events to break those barriers down. At the very least, OMB gives neighbors an excuse to knock on the door and introduce themselves.

KoR: Well-said. We were shocked by the fact that we had never really met or ever seen, to our knowledge, a single other person involved in this process, all of whom lived feet from our front door. Were you pleased at seeing how this project brought together people who had never met before?

RT: Oh my goodness, YES! I had hoped this would all work, but obviously, I was unsure of what we’d get. Would only one person respond? But instead, we had over 10 people write, plan, and produce this and we incorporated over 16 neighbors into the actual shoot. It blew my expectations out of the water.

KoR: Right, and another thing that really struck us was how well everyone worked together. Were you at all worried about culture clashes or personalities colliding in this process?

RT: Yes, I was. As a filmmaker I’m very used to collaborating, but I wasn’t sure how it would be mixing up so many different types of people. But wow, it worked. People all found their grooves, picked roles that inspired them, and collaborated beautifully. I do not think this part of the process could have gone any smoother. An absolutely amazing experience.

KoR: 100% agree. What surprised you most about the whole process?

RT: The collaborative process. We created something so amazing that I’m extremely proud of in such a short amount of time. That only happened because everyone gave their all and everyone worked together.

 KoR: Think we can do a showing of these initial ‘seeder’ films at the screening in November? We’d love to see our cat all gigantic-like on the big screen.

RT: We’ll have to see, buddy. Can’t promise it just yet cause so much is up in the air, this being our first year. But I’m gonna’ try like a crazy, man.

KoR: Fair enough. Alright, lightning round, buddy—Totem animal?

RT: Siberian Husky.

KoR: Best thing about Carroll Gardens?

RT: Its sweet, quiet old charm.

KoR: Not the lard bread then…. Favorite vacation spot?

RT: A tie—Vieques, PR or Barbados.

KoR: Ahhhhh. Short run-down of a bizarre dream you had recently?

RT: Having a conversation at a diner with a friend and I realize that my teeth are all crumbling apart in my mouth. I begin to feel guilty for not flossing more as move my teeth back and forth and feel little bits break off becoming shards in my mouth. I begin to think about how no amount of money will ever be able to replace the feeling I had with my old real teeth. My friend is just as shocked as I am. Life has taken a dramatic and horrible turn.

KoR: Well that’s terrifying. I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to mean something about loss of control over life choices or some such thing. Or you need to floss more. Who knows. Nickname growing up?

RT: Rhino.

KoR: Noted. Favorite spot in Carroll Gardens?

RT: Union St. (b/t Henry & Clinton).

KoR: Oh, see, I set myself up for that one. Favorite tattoo, either real or theoretical?

RT:

KoR: Ah, a rabbit. Wait. A duck. Wait…. Finally, most rewarding thing about being involved with On My Block Films os far?

RT: Being able to walk down my block and feel like I’m Sam from the TV Show Cheers. The way I look at my block has completely been transformed and now I have all these amazing new friends.

KoR: (cue Cheers theme song)

You can watch Ryan’s introduction to the project below and, to find out more and sign your block up for a film, visit On My Block Films and get going! Films just need to be completed and online before the end of October and then we’ll have a public screening in November.

This camera is totally famous.

About a month ago, Katie and I were approached by a stranger on our block in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn—something we’ve been warned about since childhood. But this stranger seemed nice enough, smiling and pronouncing words like ‘bag’ and ‘bagel’ in that strange, familiar manner that gave him away as mid-westerner, thus likely wildly friendly and well-mannered.

I’ll be honest, we were somewhat disappointed when we realized he wasn’t there to offer us a bag of bagels but, instead, to ask if we’d be involved in this new movie-making project he was starting up. And our initial reaction was ‘No way, dude, we’ve got no time to do that at all, we’re way too busy, never never never.’ Though we then realized that’s a tough point to argue when you’re sitting on your stoop drinking wine. So we reluctantly agreed to go to this planning meeting, thinking, at most, we could help out with titles or something, throwing our graphic design skills into the mix.

Fast-forward three weeks and the two of us have gone through four script-writing revisions and somehow ended up signing on as co-directors of a short film. Damn you mid-westerners and your coaxing ways!

The project in question is On My Block—”a film challenge that brings communities closer together by inviting filmmakers of all levels to create short narrative or documentary videos on their block using only their block’s residents as cast and crew”—and the mid-westerner who started it with his friend and just happens to live on our block is Ryan O’Hara Theisen, who, it turns out, is not only super-nice, but also super-talented.

Leaning extremely heavily on his skill and experience, and cultivating what ended up being a nearly limitless pool of talent and energy on the tiny stretch of Brooklyn on Union Street between Henry + Clinton, Katie and I created our first movie and—if you don’t mind a little bit of self-congratulatory prose, Reader—we’re pretty proud of it.

The movie short, which will act as a kind of ‘seeder’ film for the city-wide competition to encourage excitement for and interest in the project, can be seen below and over at the On My Block site, where you can also see the other films that have been completed. If you’re a New Yorker, you can also sign up on the site to create your own film with your neighbors. Films just have to be completed before the end of October and involve cast + crew from your block. Full rules and eligibility details can be found here.

If you have even the slightest interest in making a film though, we need to take this opportunity to highly highly highly recommend it. Not only is this a great opportunity to do something that you likely don’t do on a daily basis, it also allows you to meet your neighbors. Katie and I didn’t know a single person involved in this project—all of whom lived mere feet from our front door!—and we walked away from all of this with a bunch of new friends and a feeling that we were even more rooted in this community that we love.

To further prove our point, we’ll be posting interviews all week with just some of the people we met making Free Camera, from Ryan, the project-co-creator himself, to an exhibition designer for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, to a political/non-profit superstar who worked the 2008 Obama campaign, to the former owner of a classic SoHo experimental music venue. We had no idea so many awesome people lived right next door to us and are infinitely happy this project gave us an excuse to meet them all. Plus now we never have to leave the block to party!

Check out the movie and get involved yourself!

We found this folded board book by Susan Deming a while back at a neighborhood used bookstore in Cobble Hill that we were once warned not to go into because we might “catch fire.” It’s not the most organized, fire-safe pace. Classic Brooklyn!

We totally love the form-over-function simplicity of this thing. “Here are some finches. This one’s a girl finch, this one’s a boy.” Are the males always red? Are the females always kind of glaring at the males like they did something effed up the night before when they were “out with the boys?” And what the hell is that porcupine about to do to that wren? Who knows. All we know is—this is pretty cool. And we like the illustration style and total lack of additional information. Take that, science and learning!

Click on the images to enlarge them. But don’t get scared if the raccoon’s all of a sudden giant and up in your grill—it’s not real. You’ll be alright.

Reader, if you, like us, happen to be a part of an NYC community supported agriculture group (CSA), you, like us, may well have a shit-load of peaches. Which begs the question, “What the fuck do I do with all these peaches?”

No, we’re not offering to take said peaches off your hands—we’re peached-out, man—but we do have a creative use for them if you’re interested.

Not only is this olive oil peach salad super-versatile—you can eat it on toasted bread like bruschetta or as a normal cold salad in a bowl, like we did recently—it’s also hella easy.

You can figure out your own proportions based on your desired sweet-to-savory ratio…and just how overloaded with peaches you might be, but you essentially slice up a bunch of peaches (8 for two servings in our most recent case),  dice up a sweet, mild onion (say Vidalia, half or so for two servings), throw in some sliced, bruised basil, a dash of salt, and toss in a bowl with a few tablespoons of nice extra virgin olive oil. The result—a superb, fresh summer salad that pretty much anyone can make in a pinch.

And thanks to our friend, Christy, for first introducing us to this salad last summer.