(MTL, c. 2004, by Ez)
This is just a taste of the winter to come. A photo of winter in action from a few years ago. It snowed in Montreal yesterday and today. Just a few very light flakes, but enough to remind us all that winter is coming.
Stay warm.
Ez
(Photo courtesy Beitel/Lazar Prods.)
There's an NFB feature film coming out about my buddy Josh 'Socalled' Dolgin.
Directed by Garry Beitel and Produced by Barry Lazar, it's sure to be a winner. Garry and Barry made the tasty Chez Schwartz doc from early 2007.
The Socalled film will be ready in the new year. More news to be announced here at Ez Sez.
Here's the new trailer, just released on YouTube today!
Enjoy!
Ez
TODAY, TODAY
(10/20/07, MTL, by Ez)
If today we do what we won't tomorrow
And yesterday was filled with sorrow
Embrace today like nothing else
One true day to be your self
Here today, alive and well
Do it now and live to tell
Today, today, it rings a bell
Think back now...
Today was swell.
My friend and Posthumous Pickle Party co-producer Matt Zimbel will be playing with his legendary Quebec jazz band Manteca this Friday, October 12th at 8pm at La Tulipe (4530 Papineau) in Montreal.
Come on down to check them out!
Visit the Manteca MySpace page HERE.
Ez
(Josh Dolgin as Socalled as a robot)
Have you seen the incredible new Socalled video for "You Are Never Alone" (AKA "Jewish Cowboy")?
Film Pop played this at the Film Pop/Montreal Film Group opening party last week. The crowd loved it. Mouths were agape. Jaws were at the floor. Eyes were popping.
Ben Steiger-Levine directed this music video and soon after being put on YouTube last week it was featured as one of the vaunted 'Featured Videos' on the YouTube homepage. Over 300,000 views so far! This was the second time a Socalled video was given this honour. The first time was for the Socalled Promo I made with Mika Goodfriend.
Enjoy the new one. It's brilliant...
Click HERE to watch the video.
Ez
Thanks to all who attended Film Pop 2007!
What an experience it was to share all those films with you.
Ezra
(Tasty dehulled hemp seeds)
A sign o' the times?
The Toronto Star today published a recipe for Cranberry Hemp Quinoa Salad.
Looks like a tasty meal to me!
Bon apple-tea.
Ez
[This post is intended for all Ez Sezzers in the Montreal area. For all of you fine folks outside this region, please scroll down to other recent posts featuring Schwarzenegger's private parts, various bon mots and lots of juicy EzraPix. And now... Pop!]
Hello again Ez Sez Readers,
As many of you may know, I've been working at a homey little film fest called Film Pop, part of the Pop Montreal International Music Festival.
Last year my doc Posthumous Pickle Party, about Simcha's grocery on The Main, premiered at Film Pop to a sold out audience. I'm back at the fest this year as one of the event's co-producers...
So, now the time has come to let you know that the 4th annual Film Pop is right around the corner and the Film Pop team and I will be presenting over 43 features and shorts and music videos beginning this Wednesday, October 3rd until Sunday, October 7th.
We received close to 300 submissions and the films we ultimately selected are from countries including Canada, the USA, Japan, Norway, Mexico and Australia. There are also many made right here in Montreal, some too by filmmakers who are part of the Montreal Film Group, the 1300+ member film & TV industry networking group I am a co-founder and co-director of.
To make things easy for you, Film Pop has created a lovely little program book with short blurbs and photos about all the films playing as of this Wednesday. You can download it at this here link here.
A few Film Pop highlights include:
-The big Film Pop opening party on Wed. Oct. 3rd at 10:30PM. Free entry. Co-presented by the Montreal Film Group. This event will feature the astounding brand new "Jewish Cowboy" video by Socalled (Josh Dolgin) and lots of other new Montreal music videos on the big screen. Come party!
Tableland, by Craig Noble
-"Tableland", the world premiere of the new road-trip documentary that takes you and your appetite to some of North America's finest organic and artisanale restaurants, farms, bakeries and wineries. Featuring a live Q&A by Vancouver filmmaker Craig Noble and FREE organic vegetarian hors d'oeuvres by Montreal caterers Crudessence.
Dr. Emmanuel Bronner in Sara Lamm's first feature film
-See the award-winning NY documentary "Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapboox" and meet Ralph Bronner, 71, in person. Ralph is the son of the late eccentric soap maker Emmanuel Bronner whose multi-million dollar soap empire gives away up to 75% of its profits to charity. Ralph will be at the screening to do a Q&A and to sing and play guitar. Ever seen a famous Dr. Bronner's soap bottle labels at a health food or camping store? Oy! Check one out here. It'll give you a sense of how wild this film is. "ALL-ONE!" as Bronner used to scream. Sponsored in part by Co-op La Maison Verte in NDG. Sunday, October 7th at 4pm. 
Bigfoot's Reflection by Evan Beloff
-"Bigfoot's Reflection" directed by Evan Beloff. World film festival premiere of the portrait of some of B.C.'s foremost sasquatch researchers. Spooky, kooky and expertly photographed. Not to be missed! Sat. Oct. 6th at 4pm. With a Q&A by the film's director.
-The National Film Board and Pop Montreal team up again for another bout of "music movies". Making Music challenged 5 emerging filmmaking/musical teams from Montreal join creative forces and explore the relationship between cinema and music. Check it out on Sunday Oct 7th at 7pm at the Portuguese Association, 4170 St-Urbain at Rachel. $5 students/seniors, $7 general.
A Balancing Act by Marc Israel
-"A Balancing Act" Way too hard to describe. This film is nuts. For all you fans of strange folks, kombucha tea and unforgettable endings to films. That's all I'll say. Saturday, Oct. 6th at 2pm. Director Marc Israel will be present to help make sense of it all.
-Freshly popped organic pop corn will be available at all screenings! Generously provided to Film Pop by EcollegeY on Wilson and Somerled in NDG.
-Tasty nuts made by Prana will be available. Though< i'm allergic to nuts, these organic nuts look utterly amazing!
-Hemp seeds, butters and oils will be available for you to finally try if you're not already a fan as I am. Generously provided by Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods & Oils.
-Film Pop feature film screenings take place at the Portuguese Association, 4170 St-Urbain (just South of Rachel). (All films listed above are at the Portuguese Assn.)
-Film Pop short films (many!) and zippy music videos take place at the Film Pop Screening Room at the Puces Pop Arts & Crafts Fair at the Armoury at 4171 Esplanade (just South of Rachel). 12pm-5pm, Saturday and Sunday only. See Man Of Grease editor Mika Goodfriend's brand new short "Mika's Brain" at Puces Pop along with many others.
-Read the John Griffin article on Film Pop in the Montreal Gazette (9/29/07).
-All screening are $5 for students and seniors, $7 general. Puces Pop screenings are free.
-Buy a Film Pop 5-day film pass for the incredible price of $20 ($15 for students/seniors)!
There are many other superb films at Film Pop, which is brought to you in part by Cineflix Productions, Muse Entertainment, Video Service and other gracious sponsors, so go ahead and download the Film Pop program here.
Ez Sez: See you at Film Pop 2007!
Dr. Bronner's sez: ALL-ONE!
Ez
("Pupitres", 9/07, MTL, by Ez)
("Old Snowy Porsche", 2007, by Ezra)
Fall officially starts this Sunday. I thought I'd put things into perspective by sharing this photo I took last winter.
Stay warm. Prep those snowshoes...
Ez
SPEED
(A poem by Ez, 9/15/07, MTL)
Traffic and truth
You can't rush either
Love and pain
You can't put those off
Life flies at you
In streams unending
And now you look back
And you are right here
Speed is just you
And gently you rise
Take it all slow
For there is no prize
Life is the gift
For there is no prize
Bring it to me
And look in my eyes
Speed is the rush
The river is shy
Bring it to me
And look in my eyes
("Self Portrait in Alexandra's Eye", 9/07, St-Adolphe, QC)
I've just been informed that I've been featured on the NFB's CITIZENShift Blog.
You can visit the page here.
Have a great weekend wherever you are and whenever you are too, ye timeless Ez Sezzer.
Ez
(Click pic for juicy view)
("Statue Montage", Barcelona/Chicago, 2006/2004)
A fresh pix-series for you.
Ezra
I was featured this past Saturday in a 25 minute interview on Radio Centre-Ville (102.3FM) in Montreal. The interview was conducted by Leslie Lutsky for his show Jewish Digest.
The interview is about my documentary films and my most recent one, Posthumous Pickle Party about Simcha's Grocery on St-Laurent.
Download the full interview as a podcast here.
Stay tuned for a Posthumous Pickle Party TV date and the official DVD release announcement...
Ez
("Red Bike", 1999, MTL, Ezra S.)
I hope everyone's summer is zipping along.
Much love to all,
Ez
(Click image for juicy view.)
("All Dressed and Nowhere To Go", 5/06, Toronto)
Ez Sez loves to salute the less celebrated things in life. Today, we pay tribute to condiments.
Hug a ketchup bottle today.
Do laundry tomorrow.
Ez
This was WAY too good to keep to myself.
Courtesy of the discerning ears here at Ez Sez, enjoy a free streaming sample of a brand new track from the soon-to-be-released and soon-to-be-raved-about CD by Josh Ritter called The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (Sony/BMG, coming Aug. 21st).
Click here to hear the exhilarating new classic he whipped up called "To The Dogs Or Whoever".
Read Amazon's glowing review of the upcoming CD here. Serious raves for Josh to whom I bring hot Montreal bagels to backstage every time he plays in Montreal. Hopefully he'll be back in town soon... there's a fresh batch ready on St-Viateur according to my sources.
Bon weekend! Bon 2-post-EzSez-kinda-day too! (See the EzQuote below for today's earlier post).
OK, go enjoy the Josh Ritter song already... No sense putting this off any longer...
Ez
UPDATE: Here's a live music video for the song!
(Kim Beggs "Singing With Dog", by Karen Loeb)
The sweet-voiced wonder named Kim Beggs pulled in to Shaika Café in NDG last night to play a country-folk set that pretty much melted my heart with northern twang and near-arctic soul.
Kim's from Whitehorse, Yukon, and I first heard her on Michael Enright's The Sunday Edition CBC radio show. He raved about her and then played a song called "Lips Stained Red With Wine" (listen) that captivated me something fierce. So, when the song ended I wrote the Quebec-born, Toronto-raised, Yukon-fortified Beggs an email and told her how great her song was. Later in the day she wrote back thanking me and telling me she'd love to someday play Montreal...
So I hooked her up with a gig at Shaika (thanks to booker and friend Jenny M.) and the day arrived yesterday. 
(Kim and Ez, by Alexandra Yanofsky, 8/1/07)
Thanks to all who attended the show! Thanks to Kim who thanked me on stage for hooking her up with Shaika Café. Glad you were able to spend time with us here in Montreal, Kim. A total treat.
Ez
Listen to Kim's 1st CD here.
Listen to her 2nd CD here.
Visit her official web site here.
