Time Out NY’s Queens Issue

So they give us some coverage, but not so much for our restaurants, which have really been improving in the past year or two! And what?! Tuscan Hills isn’t on the list?? Are they mad?! At least they mention Homefront’s fudge, which loyal readers will recall I found first! 😉

One thing I am glad about is that they give a much-deserved shout-out to the Kew Gardens Cinemas. What a great place.

Keeping Cool This Fourth

What better way is there to escape the heat today in Forest Hills, may I ask you, then taking in a flick at the Midway Theater?

Hollywood Hills (cont.)

Yes, the weekend is once again upon us so that means it’s movie time again. Every so often I’d like to highlight movies that were filmed right here in Forest Hills. This week’s choice: Spiderman.

New residents might not be aware that scenes for this movie were filmed right here in their neighborhood. In fact, a scene crucial to the plot, and to all the subsequent plots of the Spiderman movies, where Peter Parker discovers his powers, was actually filmed right at the corner of Austin Street and Ascan when Tobey MaGuire can be seen running across the street with the Natural store in full view for a few seconds. The scene then switches to where he scales the wall and then leaps from rooftop to rooftop.

I remember I saw this movie for the first time at the Midway Theater. It was kind of surreal to be sitting there and suddenly see the neighborhood just outside the theater pop up on the screen!

Editor’s Note: Earlier I had the clip of the scene posted here, but I have decided to take it down. It didn’t sit well with me — and is probably downright illegal! — to be encouraging piracy of movies – which is what the YouTube clip is (someone uploaded the entire movie to it). So if you want to see the clip, buy or rent the DVD. Or Blu-Ray if it’s out on that, even better! And never buy pirated DVD’s anywhere! It only ends up harming you in the long run because it hurts the profits of the filmmakers who you enjoy.

Hollywood Hills – Part 2

This is an interesting take on what I blogged about last Friday, the lack of good movies this summer: Ross Douthat: Did ‘Jaws’ and ‘Star Wars’ Ruin Hollywood?

Hollywood Hills

The weekend is just about upon us, so now’s the time to think about what you’re going to see at the Midway Theater, or those other little ones on Austin or Metropolitan. Or if you’re feeling particularly high-brow, a jaunt to the Kew Gardens cinema might be in store.
The problem is this summer’s movies have been underwhelming! Where’s Steven Spielberg, Jeff Goldblum, sharks, Will Smith and dinosaurs, aliens, Nazis?? Where did they all go?
I think Hollywood is suffering from a bad case of laziness. No, making a bad movie and then turning it 3D won’t fool me! But it sure seems to be just the thing for the teenage demographic. I guess that’s why they keep making them.
By the way, Sex in the City 2 was not nearly as bad as the critics said. It was just as good as the first one, which means it’s fun while it lasts and then easily forgettable after. Not a bad way to kill a couple of hours on what’s supposed to be a hot summer weekend.