Livin’ in New York City Post 25: Another Year Over and a New One Just Begun

Despite New York, formally called New Amsterdam, only existing since 1624, we have a structure from ancient Egypt that precedes the birth of Christ.

With the end of 2023, I became more and more busy whether it's with work or my constant state of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) to the point where I waited two months to write one of these entries. Some days, I would leave the house early in the morning and not come back until late at night. There was such a strong desire to explore that I couldn’t deny but it has left me feeling tired much of the time along with the busy nature of the holiday season. However, that’s why I make January a time for me to just do nothing and rest. So, with the holidays over and 2024 now begun it’s time to relay all of the things that keep New York such a beautiful place for me to live.

One day, as I was watching a double feature on the Upper West Side, I decided to venture out into Central Park to take advantage of the fall foliage. I went to my usual favorite spots like Strawberry Fields but I also made my way more North than usual to spot the famous Cleopatra’s Needle, an Egyptian obelisk which was originally housed in Alexandria for thousands of years. In 1881, the spire was gifted to the United States by Egypt while another one was given to Great Britain for display in London. 

While, compared to many other great cities, New York’s architecture is fairly new, there is something fantastic about being face-to-face with something that was built for a civilization older than your own country, the Magna Carta and Jesus Christ. It’s mystifying that in a world that places more value on the new, that something so old lives among us as we hustle to our jobs, appointments and late-morning lunches. 

It’s an understatement to say that I love going to the movies. In fact, I was just scouring my AMC Stubs A-List account and, it turns out, I’ve gone to see a movie in a theater 109 times in 2023. And that’s just at AMC theaters. That doesn’t include all of the art theaters and smaller chains that I’ve been to like the IFC Center, the Alamo Drafthouse and the Nitehawk Cinema. I think I might have a problem but, as one of my coworkers pointed out, I could be doing heroin so, as far as addictions and compulsions go, mine is fairly mild. Plus, in a city with so many theaters that are playing both new films and rereleased classics, who can blame me for wanting to see as many films as possible. 

One such film that was getting a rerelease was Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Waltz” which depicts the famous concert that The Band performed on Thanksgiving Day 1976 as a farewell concert. With the great Scorsese recording the whole thing on 35MM film and with several famous guest stars like Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton and so many more, it’s a marvelous film that I’ve proclaimed to be the greatest concert film of all time (“Stop Making Sense” is a really close second). As anyone who spends more than five minutes with me knows, especially if you go to the LIC Corner Café when I’m blasting my music, I love The Band. When I saw that “The Last Waltz” was being rereleased with a 4K restoration and a new sound mix (both as a celebration of the film’s 45th anniversary and in memory of The Band’s recently deceased guitarist/chief songwriter Robbie Robertson), I knew that I had to see the film. But there were only two showings and it was a one day only event. 

While most normal people would have just bought a ticket to one showing, as any reader of mine can deduce, I am not normal. Logically, I purchased tickets to both shows. I was going to spend five hours at the AMC theater on 42nd Street right by Times Square and it was glorious. I love “The Last Waltz” but it’s hard to watch it at home. Not because it’s unavailable (in fact, I own the film on a Criterion Collection Blu-Ray) but because, while editing the film, Martin Scorsese purposefully lowered the volume of the sections where he interviews The Band. So, in order to hear the in-between moments of The Band talking about their journey as musicians, you have to turn up the volume which makes the music sequences from the concert much louder. As the title card before the film begins says, “The Film Must Be Played Loud”. But when you live with three roommates or you’re watching the film late at night at your parents’ house, you’d better have your hands on the remote at all times to adjust the volume accordingly.

But in a theater, I didn’t have to worry about it. I could just relax as the loud music consumed us with the might of rock-and-roll. I know I overuse the phrase that seeing a film in a theater hits different but, in the case of “The Last Waltz”, it is especially true. There were certain moments that resonated quite differently. For instance, one of my favorite musical sequences in the film is when The Band performs “The Weight” with the incredible Staple Singers (with Mavis and Pops Staples taking the second and third verses respectively). The song is one of my favorites and this version is, in my opinion, the best version of the song that has ever been recorded. I’ve listened to this recording of “The Weight” God knows how many times. But, in a theater, there’s one moment that made a difference and that would be hard to hear at home. When the song is over, right before the camera cuts, Mavis Staples whispers “beautiful” into the mic. With that one word as clear as crystal, my audience burst into applause at both showings and can you blame us? Mavis summed up what we were all thinking in one word. 

Another part of the film that really made an impact on the audience was an interview segment where Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm are talking about the first few times The Band, then known as The Hawks, went to New York City. Levon said that it takes a few tries for you to fall in love with it because you have to let the city kick your ass. Then you wait for it to heal up and come back for more. I can’t say that he’s wrong. Robbie also talked about when they stayed at the Times Square Hotel on 42nd Street which is only 400 feet away from the theater. With the mere mention of 42nd Street, the audience was cheering and then we laughed when Robbie talked about, in a false sense of naivety, that there were movie theaters forever and there were all of these “friendly women” up and down the sidewalks. If you know what New York was like in the 1970s, then you know what many of those theaters and who those “friendly women” really were. 

Of course, I also spend much of my time seeking new films and championing new voices, even if it’s just to my friends and family. But, in the midst of my constant screenings in movie theaters, sometimes streaming films can fall by the wayside. My big problem with seeing films at home compared to a movie theater is that there are too many outside elements getting in the way. When my family and I watch a movie in our living room, it pisses me off to no end when they spend half the time looking at their cell phones to see what’s happening on social media or to Google metric conversions or whatever people do. I also get extremely pissed off at myself because I am guilty of doing the exact same thing and I should be doing better. As a filmmaker and a lover of cinema, I should just shut my phone off and watch the film but it’s hard. It also makes me thankful that I don’t have TikTok and that I deleted my Twitter because I can feel my attention span shrinking whenever I use them. 

In a theater, you have to shut off your cell phones (not everyone does but it’s what you’re supposed to do). Doing so is so tremendously freeing because all of that bullshit that you’re surrounded with on a daily basis just melts away. I can just be in the safe, womb-like paradise of a dark theater and be one with the film if that doesn’t sound too pretentious. I say all of this because it’s this love for cinemas that makes me a bit more apprehensive to streaming new films and some of them can get lost in the massive library that services provide. How many times have we spent 20 minutes scrolling through Netflix to find something to watch only to just give up and rewatch “The Office” or something like that? Fortunately, more and more original films that streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have been producing are getting small windows of theatrical distribution. So, this year, I was fortunate enough to see films like “Air”, “The Killer” and “Maestro” in theaters and I was also just as elated to see “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain” in a theater with a packed audience as part of the New York Comedy festival. 

For those who are wondering what the hell this movie even is and are too stubborn to click on the link to my review, allow me to relay the entire backstory of this film and how I wound up scoring a free ticket to this exclusive screening. Please Don’t Destroy is the name of a comedy trio composed of Martin Herlihy, John Higgins and Ben Marshall that make wonderful digital shorts for “Saturday Night Live” where the three of them get into wacky hijinks with the week’s host. Along with the “Weekend Update” segment, it’s one element of the show that I always look forward to every week because I know it’s going to be hilarious. One day, some genius by the name of Judd Apatow (the director of films like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “This is 40”) gave this trio money to make a film called “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain”. In the film, the trio play fictionalized versions of themselves and go off in search of a buried treasure while coming across many colorful characters. 

While the film was supposed to be a streaming exclusive to be released on Peacock (the service that’s a subsidiary of NBC and Universal Studios), the film did get a special theatrical exhibition that I was fortunate enough to win tickets for through an Instagram giveaway. So, I found myself waiting in line with other comedy fans unsure of what was to come, especially since, sadly, Martin, John and Ben would not be attending the screening due to the then ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike. 

Before I even went into the theater, I was already pumped because I saw that Judd Apatow was in attendance at the screening. If you are in any way a fan of comedy, then you must know who Judd Apatow is but, if you don’t, I’ll tell you. Over the past three decades, Apatow has provided audiences some of the best comedy films and series of all time. His work as a writer/director includes “The 40-Year-Old Virgin”, “Knocked Up”, “This is 40” and “The King of Staten Island” and he’s also produced many other films like “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and its sequel, “Stepbrothers”, “Bridesmaids” and “The Big Sick”. On the television side of things, Apatow has had a hand in many underrated comedy series like “The Ben Stiller Show”, “The Larry Sanders Show”, “The Critic” “Girls” and “Freaks and Geeks”. If that wasn’t enough, his HBO documentary on George Carlin was a marvel and his two books of interviews with comic legends (titled “Sick in the Head” and “Sicker in the Head”) are practically essential reading for fans of comedy. To be able to see him was a pretty cool thing to say the least, considering all of the laughs that he’s responsible for. 

Entering the theater, there was this strong buzz of excitement from everyone and this feeling of exclusivity. Most people would have to wait a few more weeks to see this film on their televisions at home and here we are watching it with an audience. Fortunately, seeing this film with a crowd was very much worth it because “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain” killed. As much as I love my dramedies or more deadpan styles of humor that show up in Wes Anderson films and the like, I feel that ridiculous comedy is being pushed towards streaming instead of theatrical distribution. So seeing these three trying to fight off cult members after flying in wing-suits while demolishing a case of Truly's was a pretty entertaining way to spend a Monday night. While I wish that the three members of Please Don’t Destroy could have been there to see the crowd constantly laughing at their humor, especially since the strike ended just a few days later, between their work on “Saturday Night Live” and the numerous social media posts they’ve gotten expressing love for the film, I think they’re going to be fine. 

I was a great pleasure to score an invasion to the premiere of “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain” and to score some personalized merchandise like a Please Don’t Destroy single use water bottle and a Please Don’t Destroy napkin.

A few days after my brush with the Comedy Festival, I had to return to work on “SEED” for the film’s final shoot day. After two years of shooting on-and-off, the main stage of production would be finished and we saved a difficult day for last. Instead of shooting in interior spaces where we had more control, we were spending the day outside on the sidewalk to handle a few outdoor shots. It seemed simple, especially since my job was mainly to look after all of the gear on the street so that no one would take it, but there were so many unnecessary obstacles that hindered our efforts. 

While we did get the footage we needed, it was especially irritating to watch the producer and director of the film argue with the security guards in the building that we were shooting alongside. Despite the fact that we were shooting on the sidewalk (which is public property), these two guards couldn’t understand why anyone would need to shoot in front of their building. Eventually, the film’s producer told them to call the cops if they had a problem so they did. When the head guard got off the phone, he asked the producer how much time do you need and he said “30 minutes” which was the same amount of time that these guys were holding us up. 

As if that wasn’t enough, the head of the guards (some bald asshole with a massive Napoleon complex and a vein in his forehead so big that a sharpshooter could take it out from 100 yards away), was now displeased with the fact that you could see the building a bit in one of our shots. His head kept moving up and down whenever he spoke, looking like some bobblehead on a trucker’s dashboard and I just wanted to say “You know you’re not a cop right. You have no authority. No badge. No gun. You’re just a deterrent in case some nutjob tries to break in but when has that ever happened to you? You’re basically useless.” Of course, I didn’t because I had the authority to do so and, unlike the bald moron, I know what my lane is. All I can say is that I have much less sympathy for the two guards that die at the beginning of “Die Hard”. 

Despite the struggles of having to deal with such ignorant people, there was a strong feeling of excitement when the film was completed. A feeling of catharsis. But it still wasn’t quite finished. A couple days after the last day of filming, I woke up to a text from both the film’s director and producer asking if I could go to a theater on 34th Street to get some mannequin legs for a small day of shooting in a few days where they would just get some pick-up shots to complete the film. Since I had nothing to do, I agreed and took the subway to Midtown where I picked up the legs and proceeded to make my way to the director’s home near Prospect Park in Brooklyn. 

Now, to avoid attracting any gaping jaws or puzzled looks, I asked the guy who handed me the legs for a trash bag to wrap them up in so that they would be protected and I would not have to deal with suspicion. He did but the bag only covered the legs to the ankle so I found myself carrying a big bag with a pair of feet sticking out which probably only made things look worse. When I made it on the subway, there was a tourist couple (you can always tell by the luggage) smiling at me and they no doubt had a funny New Yorker story to share with their friends when they got home. However, this didn't really bother me because it’s a basic law for New Yorkers that you probably aren’t going to be the weirdest thing that people see on any given day. If there’s anything this city knows how to do, it’s outweird itself. Case in point, as the train was making its way from Manhattan to Brooklyn, a violinist and a cellist began to play “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cryus. I was still the strangest guy in the subway car because of the legs but there was some attention being directed away from me. At the end of this particular journey, the legs made it to their destination and the director and I just talked shop for an hour over a cup of tea. Sometimes, I don’t know how I have the energy to deal with all of this but it just comes to me anyway. 

Just like the screening of “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain”, I was scrolling through Instagram when I found a pretty unique opportunity that I immediately signed up for. Every year, the DOC NYC festival showcases a multitude of new and exciting documentaries from around the world utilizing several art theaters in the city and it just so happens that I found a special deal where I could get a ticket to see the documentary “Liv Ullmann: A Road Less Travelled” about the legendary actor for just $10. What made this seem even more like getting away with something was that Liv Ullmann and Dheeraj Akolkar, the film’s director, would be in attendance at the screening. The idea of being able to see the star of so many great films, many of which were made by Ingmar Bergman, in person was too much to pass up. I immediately bought my ticket for that night’s showing, quickly went home to change into more formal clothing and ran to catch the subway so I could be early enough to get a good seat. 

Meeting the great and sweet Liv Ullmann has been one of the great highlights of my life in New York.

After getting a seat in the very front row, I sat and watched this beautiful portrait of Ullmann and all of her hard work as both an artist and as a humanitarian. From the time when she was a little girl and recited the classic story of “The Little Match Girl” for her mother’s friends, this woman was born to be a storyteller and what struck me the most about Ullmann was her self-possession. When she did some films in Hollywood, all of these male American producers tried to change her and she would have none of it. At one point, a producer suggested that maybe she should wear a bit more makeup and Ullmann replied “I’m Norwegian, I don’t wear makeup.” 

When the film was over, there was a Q&A with Ullmann and Akolkar and I was fortunate enough to be selected. I brought up how, ever since that little production of “The Little Match Girl”, she has been a performer so why did she wait until now to have her life documented. She said that she was the one who was approached about the film and that she hadn’t really thought about this kind of biography. However, she was quite pleased to not only see the final product but also to remember all of the memories that had resurfaced from making this film. What was so special about her response was that, following her appraisal of the film, she was so interested by “The Little Match Girl” and was determined to make sure that everyone in this theater knew the story that she performed it for all of us as if we were her mother’s friends in that kitchen all those years ago. 

Partly because I was in the front row and partly because I asked the question, there were times when Ullmann made eye contact with me and, when your eyes lock with someone who has used theirs so effectively in films like “Persona”, “Cries and Whispers” and “Scenes from a Marriage”, it’s enough to make you cry. Watching that performance was enough to see why Ullmann is considered one of the greatest actors to ever appear on a camera. Afterwards, Ullmann and Akolkar met with attendees and I had the pleasure of being one of them. It was so great to congratulate a filmmaker whose portrait of an outstanding artist felt very human and delicate. As for Ullmann, she was absolutely and completely wonderful. You could just tell that there was this deep kindness at her core that could shine through any character she played. 

Ullmann wouldn’t be the only legend I would be elated to see in the flesh. As an early Christmas gift, my parents had given me the opportunity to see one of the all-time greatest songwriters and icons to ever be associated with music. A man whose constant reinvention and dedication to music, art, poetry and cinema continuously inspire me. It was none other than Bob Dylan. Constantly on tour since 1975, Bob Dylan would be playing at the King’s Theatre in Brooklyn to promote his 2020 album “Rough and Rowdy Ways” which I really liked. The lyrics, instrumentals and vocals all felt like a true embrace of mortality and I was very much excited to experience this in person along with some older Bob Dylan tunes. 

When you go see Bob Dylan, you have to make an effort, especially since I wasn’t going to go through the trouble of wearing hair curlers again.

Leading up to the concert, I was asked this common question “what if he’s terrible?” Sometimes Bob Dylan’s performances have not been the stuff of legend and fans have not held their tongues about it. However, I’m young and greedy and Bob Dylan is old and legendary, I would rather see him and have him be terrible than not see him at all. Fortunately, that was not a scenario I had to deal with. Dylan lived up to every story, every song and every thing I’ve ever heard about him. In the King’s Theatre, it’s absolutely beautiful. The golden architecture is so ornate and everything feels timeless. What’s even better is that all of our phones were sealed off before the show in magnetic pouches that could only be opened after the music ended. Thank God. I find it especially odd just how much people take photos and videos at concerts, especially when they’re in seats that wouldn’t give you the best angles. If you’re incredibly close to the artist, then I can understand capturing some footage and pictures but why do you need to stare at half of the concert on your phone? At least with this concert, I didn’t have to ask that question.

Dylan’s voice was incredibly strong and he was at the piano the entire concert, never touching a guitar. He pounded those keys like he was Jerry Lee Lewis and had the crowd under his influence by the end of the first song. When you think of all the moments that Dylan saw firsthand like the March on Washington, The Concert for Bangladesh and The Last Waltz, it’s unreal to be seeing him all those years later with the same drive and creativity. When Bob Dylan whipped out his classic Christian song “Gotta Serve Somebody”, it was like being at the most holy religious revival. For his final song, “Every Grain of Sand”, Dylan took us to the point of ecstasy when he took out his harmonica and blasted it. The moment was so fulfilling that I just didn’t want it to end. I would have rather we all stayed in that theater and continued to just rock throughout the night until dawn. 

Before I went home for Thanksgiving, I was sure to go to Rockefeller Center to get a glimpse of the Rockefeller Center tree before it would be lit in a couple of weeks. Even with the scaffolding around it, there was still this massive spectacle to it just based on the size of the tree. It’s a bit intimidating but you can’t help but be enticed by it. Fortunately, I wouldn’t have to wait long to see it properly on display. Until then, I had to be home for Thanksgiving which meant a return to the cornfields of Illinois. 

After spending the previous year’s Thanksgiving in a small apartment in South Brooklyn, it was great to be back home for the holiday, especially since this was my nephew’s first Thanksgiving. Between the food and running around for different visits with friends and family, there wasn’t a ton of room for relaxation but it was a shore leave that I was very happy to take. But, in no time, I was back in New York to quickly get in the mood for the Christmas season which, of course, meant I had to get a Christmas tree for the apartment. 

Since I don’t need the biggest tree in my apartment and since there’s a tree lot right across the street from where I work, there’s really nothing to getting a small tree from Queens to Brooklyn. Plus, there’s a novelty to carrying a tree on the train and giving your fellow New Yorkers a kick. It doesn’t feel like Christmas to me until I get my tree in the living room, so I found it hard to be in the holiday spirit until December 3. However, once those lights and ornaments were on the tree, you could find me wearing a Santa hat every day I was working the café and making the necessary appointments to see some of my favorite holiday films on the big screen. 

That is one of those great advantages for someone like me to be living in New York. When the holidays approach, you can count on most of your favorite Christmas films having their special day on the big screen where you can watch them with an audience. 

One such film was Nancy Meyers’ 2006 film “The Holiday” which, to me, represents the idea of a Hallmark film if it was done correctly. The idea of having two women (Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet) travel across the world and fall in love with charming men (Jude Law and Jack Black) close to Christmas sounds like the plot of some bad Hallmark film with obnoxious music, ludicrous writing and stilted acting. However, “The Holiday” has none of those things. Everything about the film is charming from the characters to the dialogue and I’ve always gravitated toward the film for that. 

When I got to see the film in a packed house, I was ecstatic because I just love the emotions that seeing a film with a crowd can stir up. During the scene where Kate Winslet tells her old boyfriend to piss off towards the end of the film, the crowd started applauding. This gave me enough confidence to see if I could make lightning strike twice. You see, there's a subplot in the film that sees Kate Winslet befriend her elderly neighbor, played by Eli Wallach, who was once a Academy Award-winning screenwriter and now lives alone ever since his wife died. However, seeing her pathetic love life inspires Wallach to recommend a bunch of old movies to Winslet that star strong, confident women with “gumption”. In return for this confidence, Winset pushes him to accept an award from the Writers Guild of America and even inspires him to learn how to walk without the assistance of a walker so that he can accept the award with dignity. 

This is why I love “The Holiday”. I find this friendship endearing and sweet and I wanted the rest of the audience to feel like this part of the film is just as important as any romantic scene. When Wallach prepares to ascend the steps of a stage, he hears a riveting musical theme that Jack Black’s character has composed for him. This provided the last push for him to climb the stairs and, when he made it to the top, I started cheering out of respect for the late, great Eli Wallach and I was so happy that the crowd joined in. After all, this was a man who was in some of the most iconic films of all time like “The Magnificent Seven”, “The Misfits” and “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”. He deserved that level of recognition. 

Another holiday classic that I was very happy to watch on the big screen as a 35MM film print of “Die Hard” down at the Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg. After seeing a late afternoon showing of “Maestro” at the theater, I met my friends Mikayla and Michael for what, in my case, ended up being a double feature. Right before the film was about to start, Mikayla and Michael told me that they had never seen “Die Hard” and I just said “we are going to have some fun.” It’s always nice to be able to share such an iconic film with someone for the first time, especially if that first time is on the biggest screen you can find. I must have heard Michael say “holy shit” under his breath at least 15 times and who can blame him with all of the explosions, one-liners and epic imagery.  When John McClaine said “Yippee-ki-yay motherfucker,” Michael started clapping and cheering and the rest of the audience quickly followed suit. 

But between the many movies, I have also had to work even harder than normal lately. At the end of October, my friend Karl, who I also work for as an assistant, and his family were told that they needed to move out of their house in Long Island city by January 1 because the landlord was selling the building. This news was a massive gut punch. After all, Karl had lived in that house for 17 years and he and his wife Catherine have been married in that house for 10 years with two kids. The idea that they would have to pack up nearly two decades of life and try to find another place to live in Long Island City was shocking. While they were able to find a three bedroom apartment down the street that they could rent, there was still the process of cleaning out the house, moving certain things to storage and moving possessions to the apartment that I was involved with. 

After many weeks of hard work, the move was completed but it was very physically and emotionally draining. To say goodbye to a house that I had grown quite attached to and that I had looked after for five weeks white Karl and his family were on vacation wasn’t easy so I can only imagine how Karl, Catherine and the kids must have felt. To pour salt on the wound, I was told by Karl that they were thinking of offering me one of the rooms on the lower floors of the house to live in. If I didn’t want to hurt Karl’s landlord before, I certainly did after hearing that bombshell. But it wasn’t the end of the world. We were able to make the most out of a bad situation but it was unfortunate all the same. 

It was this work that kept me occupied for most of December but I was still able to do my usual amount of exploration. One day, I was able to see many wondrous holiday displays at some of Midtown’s most iconic places like the now decorated Rockefeller Center Tree, the beautiful main branch of the New York Public Library and the flagship location of Tiffany’s which was especially significant to me since I love the classic film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” so much. Being able to stand in the exact same places as Audrey Hepburn during the film’s iconic and subdued opening is something that I think most New Yorkers take for granted. I was standing there for fifteen minutes and not one other passerby stopped to do what I was doing. Sometimes you just need to take a break and appreciate some of the hallowed ground that you walk on every day. After a lot of walking and admiration, I went to the IFc Center that night to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” on the big screen with an introduction from Donna Reed’s daughter Mary Owen. Just like last year, it was a delight and I think it’s obvious that I plan on making it an annual tradition. 

Somewhere at the end of a long story is a reason why I am dressed like this as an extra on a movie set.

Between the work I was doing for Karl and Catherine, my job at the café and my continued adventures throughout the city, I was able to get another job in a film. However, to explain how I got this job, I’ll need to go into a long and contrived story. One day, when I was working in the café, I spotted an actor that I recognized immediately walk in with a couple of friends. It was Tim Blake Nelson who has been a part of many wonderful films like “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs”, “Holes”, “Nightmare Alley”, HBO’s “Watchmen” miniseries and “Lincoln”. None of that really has any relevance to the story, I just think it’s cool you know that I met Tim Blake Nelson and served him green tea. Since I also have seen John Turturro on a SAG picket line, that means that I’ve seen two of the threeSoggy Bottom Boys from “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” That just leaves George Clooney left. 

Anyway, while Tim Blake Nelson was having tea and talking film with his friends, two women came into the café for coffee and I heard them mention the name Maggie Smith. When I asked about it, they said they were thinking of a Mount Rushmore of great comic actresses and they had settled on Maggie Smith and Madeline Kahn as two entries. When I suggested Elaine May, they were amazed that I, a 23-year-old, would have knowledge of such a comic legend and asked for my name. About 15 minutes after they left, I saw a familiar face enter the café. It was Christopher Tramantana, an actor, writer and teacher at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts that I had met while on the set of “SEED”. We had talked over our mutual love of films and now, over a month later, he was in my café to tell me, “I knew it was you! Two women that are producers on this film I wrote came in and said ‘we just met this kid at the café named Parker who knows who Elaine May is.’ And I said ‘Parker Otto?’ And they said ‘we don’t know.’” 

Well, it was me after all and we got to talking about the psychological thriller that Christopher had written that was being made into an independent film with just 15 days to shoot the whole thing. While most of the cast and crew were small enough to get this done, there was one night of shooting that would require even more hands because it was going to involve dozens of extras. It was after mentioning that that he offered me a one-time position as an extra on the spot. Despite him saying that it was a thankless job and probably beneath me for someone who wants to be focused on helping behind the camera I agreed by saying to him “I’m 23-years-old. Nothing is beneath me.” 

So that’s how I wound up being an extra on an overnight shooting day. The nice thing about it was the location since the studio we were filming in was on the same block as the café so I didn’t have to worry about how I was going to get there. Going in, I had no idea what to expect but everyone in hair, makeup and wardrobe was very nice to me and you really got this great sense of professionalism from such a low-budget film. Since the scene was this Burning Man style nightclub, all of the extras were put into these wild, extravagant outfits. For me, the wardrobe department chose a western motif and gave me a fringe jacket to wear without a shirt, a necklace that had patterns resembling Native American art and a Davy Crocket hat made from raccoon and rabbit. It was quite a sight. I was fully fitted by 11 p.m. Unfortunately, we didn’t film the scenes involving extras for another four hours. 

The thing about night shoots is that, no matter how rested you are, they can be incredibly brutal. To pass the time and keep ourselves awake, all of us extras kept talking to each other, swapping stories and exchanging contact information in case any of us had potential job opportunities that we’d like to pass around. When we were finally told that we were going to be filmed, there was a big sense of relief until we were told that we were going to be dancing. At four in the morning. To make things even more interesting, Christopher gave me a wooden mask to put on to give my costume an even stranger energy and I hated this thing. While we were able to muster the necessary energy to dance to strobe lights and electronic dance music in this dark space, I couldn’t see shit out of the mask. I would always bump into someone which I would promptly apologize for once the cameras had cut. After a couple of hours of shooting, the crew had gotten what they needed and we were free to change back into our normal clothes and go home. When I passed by the café, I saw my boss about to open up the place and she invited me in for a cup of coffee that I desperately needed. Despite the exhaustion, it was a successful day of filmmaking. Night shoots are always difficult and you have to appreciate all of the hard work that was on display by the crew and all of the extras that worked on this production. 

Now on the former site of CBGB, John Varvatos is a place worth visiting if you have the reverence of New York’s amazing musical history.

Even when I’m just going out for something typical like going to a movie, I like to see if I can find something above average to make any trip memorable. Before I went to see a screening of “White Christmas”, I went to a location that’s pretty important in the history of music in New York City: the site of CBGB. The famous club was once the hottest spot in Manhattan for all kinds of great music of the punk and new wave movements where you could see acts like Ramones, Talking Heads, Patti Smith, The B-52s, Blondie and Misfits. After closing in 2006, I had no idea what had become of this iconic venue. What I found pleasantly surprised me. Instead of some corporate coffeehouse, it was a clothing store that kept many elements of CBGB alive including preserving many of the walls with all of their posters, stickers and graffiti. Much of the merchandise was centered on classic rock and there was iconography everywhere of many of the groups that played there. I couldn’t afford it because it was clearly catering to the rich but at least it’s not as bad as having a Starbucks in the place. 

With an hour until the film was to be screened, I walked up Avenue A to find a staple of the Lower East Side: Ray’s Candy Store. Open for 24 hours and always serving incredible treats, I had wanted to try this place ever since one of my coworkers told me that they deep fried Oreos there. After going to the store, I can say that all the hype is justified. When I was there, I ordered some deep fried Oreos and a chocolate shake and they were so good. As someone who spent seven summers making shakes, I know the difference between a good milkshake and a mediocre one and the folks at Ray’s really know what they’re doing. But nothing could have prepared me for how incredible deep fried Oreos would taste. When fried, the cookies basically emulsify and form this gooey center with a shell of fried dough that was heaven to me. All I know is that I have to ration my trips to the Lower East Side. Otherwise, I’ll be too tempted to go to Tompkins Square Bagels and then to Ray’s for a decadent display of New York staples. 

Despite only having been back in New York for a month, I was still relieved for a trip back home for Christmas. If you think living in New York is chaotic, try living there during the holidays. It was just another good trip back home that gave me the chance to recharge before I would go back into the hustle of the last week of the year. But my trip back home felt quick, probably because I had to fly back to New York the day after Christmas. Once I was back, I was immediately back in the swing of things. 

With just a week left of 2023, I took the train down to Red hook to see my friend Pat Irwin play with his group, the PI Power Trio, at Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook. As I have written before, I love this bar so much with its cozy atmosphere and consistently good lineup so seein Pat and his friends play fun sounding surf rock and B-52s covers with Christmas decorations around them was a fun night. Even if it did take me an hour to get home because of train delays and the fact that I have to take a 15 minute bus ride from Sunny’s to the nearest subway station.

All of these years have passed and Patti Smith still has the rebellious and loving spirit that has made her a beloved musical icon.

On December 30, after work, I went to East Williamsburg because, the night before, I had impulsively bought tickets to my last concert of the year. I was going to go see Patti Smith. One of the great champions of punk, Patti Smith brought this poetic prose to her songs that was sorely missing from the punk scene and gave the whole movement this sense of real intellectual stamina alongside the infectious blast of music that had blown up the 70s. To have the opportunity to see her was something that I was not going to pass up and I’m so glad that I took that chance. 

At the Brooklyn Steel, the venue of the concert, there was this big main floor with no seats where everyone would have to stand to watch the concert and be packed in together. When Patti Smith did take the stage, there was this tremendous feeling of energy that filled the entire hall as many members of the audience started shouting “Happy Birthday” to her. It turns out that December 30 was Smith’s 77th birthday so I had inadvertently attended not just a concert, but a birthday party. The night was full of pure punk energy with a disregard for the status quo and an embrace of radical change for humanity’s benefit. In protest of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the massacre of Palestenians in Gaza and in protest of war everywhere else, Patti Smith and her incredible band performed a rousing rendition of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War”, a heavy condemnation of those who profit by selling weapons. You felt moved by the way Smith carried herself and, after all of these years, she’s still very much a punk. 

When Smith performed her iconic song “Gloria”, we all started jumping around and dancing with pure excitement as we kept being urged on by the wild rhythm. By the time the song was over, my shirt was soaked in sweat. However, we still had to wish Patti Smith a happy birthday. When Patti’s daughter Jesse brought out a cake, we all sang to Patti Smith which is not something you get to do very often. What I loved about the show was how close the band felt since it was basically Smith’s family in a literal sense. Alongside greats like Lenny Kaye on guitar, both Smith’s daughter Jesse and song Jackson were members of her band which was especially touching when the group performed songs dedicated to Smith’s late husband/bandmate Fred including “Because The Night”, which Patti Smith write the verses for while Bruce Springsteen had written the chorus. It was just an incredible night of celebration and freedom that was a perfect way to close out my stretch of live music that included names like Bruce Springsteen, Mavis Staples, Ziggy Marley, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Dead & Company, Bob Weir and Bob Dylan. What a year to see legends. 

But for the last night of the year, I knew that I wanted it to be in a movie theater. I just couldn’t think of any place that I’d rather be besides drinking heavily with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen on CNN. Unfortunately, the network hasn’t responded to my emails. So instead, I went to one of my favorite bars/theaters in Brooklyn, Syndicated, to see a special screening of “When Harry Met Sally”. Not only did I want to finish 2023 watching one of my favorite movies, but it was perfectly timed so that, when the New Year’s Eve party at the end of the film counts down to midnight, it would align with the start of the new year. Seeing that movie with others, being able to count down to 2024 and having free champagne was just a fine way to close the chapter on one year and to say hello to the next. 

What a year it was. I got my first jobs in the film industry. I saw many of my favorite musicians perform. I made great new friends. I fought for the rights of people I respect in the industry by taking part in the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. I became an uncle. I got to see some of my favorite filmmakers in the flesh like Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Judd Apatow and Steven Spielberg. I finished my student film that I shot during my final semester at college. I watched a lot of movies both old and new. I had my first New York bagel. I celebrated my one year anniversary living in the greatest city in the world. 2023 was the greatest year of my life. Now I’ve just got to live up to the challenge of having 2024 be better. 

Among my discoveries of 2023 was the fact that my roof has a clear view of The World Trade Center, something that I wasn’t aware of until December 31, 2023.