Everyone loves a party. Throw in a few motion picture producers and top name executives from the film and television industry and you have yourself a shindig worthy of an L&A write-up. Here in Miami, film production is beginning to run beyond the minor leagues and onto the big-time territory of major production spots like New York City and Los Angeles. There is obviously a long road ahead in order to make Miami a production metropolis, but the existence of organizations like the Broward Alliance helps this goal seem attainable and in a lively state of progress.

There is a film commissioner in every major county in America, and Broward’s leading woman is nothing short of a professional. Elizabeth Wentworth continues to aid Florida’s economy by working with notable producers and actors and bringing many film productions into our own area. One way this happens is through quarterly “meet and greet” parties where industry folk gather to network and mingle. The Broward Alliance, the home of the commission, works in effort to expand the growth of South Florida’s film and television production.

Organizing these shindigs for artists and execs becomes a necessity in aiding businesses and entrepreneurs, with business talks made casual via some free food and tasty cocktails. Maybe you are thinking, “Why should I care, I’m not in the industry?” but who wouldn’t want to meet the president of an international talent agency that represents over 20,000 clients? (Mr. Damian O’Connor of International Talent) Or, if you don’t find power players intriguing, there are beautiful actresses like “Sky,” who tell of their recent experiences in the “acting process.”

Chatting about their thoughts on film production in South Florida, two producers, Noel of Valensia Films, and Brian, who is currently working on a music video for Def Jam, expressed their preference to shoot projects under Florida’s “right to work” policy. According to them, independent producers have more leeway in Florida then they have in other major cities, where unions and politics compromise creativity and scheduling. Again, why should you care? As Broward’s film commissioner might put it, film productions create great revenue for the economy and generate many jobs for the locals. In the process, Florida receives free marketing for tourism as a direct benefit from these films. These receptions, as Ms. Wentworth puts it, “build cohesiveness between industry members.” Just think – this is where your favorite film two years from now originates with a flurry of business cards and the classic words “let’s do lunch.” Look into it.

Josh Caraballo can be reached at email4josh@aol.com.

All the world needs is another coming of age film, right? How about one with Macaulay Culkin’s brother starring in a Catcher in the Rye-type story? Add in Bill Lake Placid Pullman and has-been Claire Danes and this movie sounds like the worst idea since The Wayne Brady Show. Igby Goes Down, however, is a terrific film. Yes, it’s got Kieran Culkin. Yes, it’s another film about a jaded youth inspired by Catcher in the Rye. It’s even got Pullman and Danes, but they’re surprisingly good.

Igby Goes Down centers around the title character, Igby Slocumb, a 17-year-old who rebels against his affluent family and goes off on his own. Igby, played by Culkin, has a witty intellect, but drops out of high school and gets thrown out of every private school that his mother enrolls him into. The majority of the film is about Igby’s existence in New York, and his various relationships and experiences.

What makes this comedic drama worth four stars is its awesome character development. Culkin is perfect as Igby, but the film wouldn’t be nearly as good without its supporting actors. They include Susan Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Ryan Phillippe, Claire Danes and Amanda Peet.

Sarandon and Pullman are a notable highlight as Igby’s bizarre parents. During his childhood, Igby’s father slowly went insane, and his mother seems headed down the same zany path of incoherence. Their other son, Oliver, (Ryan Phillippe) is a successful college student who is a few years older than Igby. Phillippe plays this part perfectly, which makes sense, considering his past experience as the uppity snob.

Goldblum plays Igby’s godfather, and basically serves as his cash cow throughout the film. He offers Igby money and work, and tries to support him in whatever he does.

Peet and Danes are Igby’s (much older) love interests. To Igby, his family is little more than a spastic afterthought, and he devotes this emotional vacancy to a double love jones.

The most significant aspects of a low-budget drama are also the most low-tech. Acting, writing, music and cinematography – the wholesome basics – have to be incredibly on point, due to the scarcity of action sequence junk food. Igby Goes Down is cast perfectly all around, and the script, by newcomer/director Burr Steers, is one of the best of the year. The music and cinematography combine with the story and acting like pieces of a puzzle to produce an emotionally potent result.

Igby Goes Down will evoke a wide palette of feelings within audiences. Imagine American Beauty with a teenager in Kevin Spacey’s role. Instead of a middle aged man dealing with his wife and daughter, it’s a teenager dealing with his parents and brother. Parts are funny and parts are sad. Very few films are able to make an audience cry, only to have them laughing a few minutes later, and vice versa. Don’t get the wrong impression – Igby Goes Down is not a bipolar jug of syrupy emotion. Its story is legitimate, quality entertainment that requires a rare and deserved commitment from the viewer.

Shawn Wines can be reached at shawnwines@aol.com.

By Diana Pastrana

Life & Art Writer

The story of this Andy Tennant (Fools Rush In) film revolves around Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon), a simple small town girl from Alabama, turned successful elite New York fashion designer, who is proposed to by her rich boyfriend Andrew (Patrick Dempsey), who just happens to be the mayor of New York’s son. In order to get married, Melanie has to go back home to Alabama to get divorced from her unrefined deadbeat husband/childhood sweetheart Jake (Joshua Lucas), and face her parents and the friends she left behind. Through all of this, her fiance is completely oblivious, as Melanie has kept the marriage and even her real name a secret.

Witherspoon’s top shelf versatility is proven in this movie, not because her character evokes any genuine emotion, due to the plot’s skim believability, but because she tries really really hard to give life to a role within a mediocre script. The acting from the rest of the cast is generally decent, except for a typecast Candice Bergen, who plays the neurotic, overprotective mother to Dempsey’s character, as seen in a gazillion other movies like Miss Congeniality.

An obvious flaw in the film is that it is loaded with stereotypes and cliches in scene after scene. For example, the fashion designer’s closest friends in New York are an African American homosexual fashion obsessive and a spoiled, foreign supermodel. Also, the people in Melanie’s hometown have mullets, drive pick-up trucks, and recreate the civil war for entertainment purposes. If the director could have taken more chances with the film might have been more successful in its contrasting presentation of lifestyle.

Although there is a palpable on-screen chemistry between Witherspoon and Lucas, it is difficult to tell how real her feelings are for him, since she seems to be more compatible with Dempsey. Another notable mistake is the fact that Lucas’ mother, played by Jean Smart, appears to be central in Witherspoon’s decision to stay with Lucas, but their relationship consists of zero substance.

Sweet Home Alabama is mildly funny and tender, yet sloppily executed and harbored by its date movie redundancy. The worst part is at the end when Jewel disrespectfully covers Lynyrd Skynyrd’s title jam. Just after the state of Alabama has wiped away almost all of its tears from this band’s tragic accident, it is forced to start weeping again, this time due to a cover song by an extremely wack folk singer/wack poet. Suddenly, this movie seems worse than it is.

Diana Pastrana can be reached at godess_Diana@hotmail.com.

“Thank you very much.”

These are the words Juliana Hatfield softly cooed after concluding each of her songs before a small crowd at the Polish American Club last Wednesday night. The 35-year-old graduate of the Berklee College of Music displayed a humble friendliness that hinted faintly at her accomplishments as a musician. On top of her solo career, Hatfield has participated in the Lemonheads, Juliana Hatfield Three, Blake Babies, and most recently Some Girls. For the sake of a little trivia knowledge, she has also made guest appearances in the cult television series “My So-Called Life” and “The Adventures of Pete and Pete.”

Things at the Polish American club were slightly delayed. Local group Scott Nixon opened for Hatfield. The foursome played a mix of slow and melodic acoustic music. The band’s lead vocalist exerted a folkie vibe, whereas the drummer appeared to have a heavy jazz influence. It made for an enjoyable, if slightly off-kilter sound.

A slender crowd of 100 showed up to see this indie rock darling. The crowd skewed older, with Smirnoff Ice serving as the night’s unofficial drink of choice. The turnout appeared even smaller due to the decor of the venue, which was decked out with chandeliers and mirrored walls that gently reflected a disco ball. Couples clung tightly to each other awaiting Juliana’s set, one that would end up delighting attendees with old and new ballads.

After a brief intermission, Juliana stepped out onto the stage in front of the gold and crushed red velvet curtains. Her setup was intimate and minimalist: a Fender amp, a Gibson guitar and a microphone. Juliana, respected for her acoustic “unplugged” sets well before “unplugged” was hip, came to Miami packing an electric guitar. For the most part, this combination worked. However, on some songs her sugary-sweet vocals seemed to clash with the guitar distortion.

The two biggest songs of the night were “My Sister” and “Spin the Bottle,” which received mainstream breakthrough status as a track on the soundtrack to Reality Bites. During these numbers, couples were free to separate from their loved ones’ snug presence and bounce around to the melody.

Juliana simply delivered the goods. The PA system made her voice crisp and clear. Much thanks to JC Moya of Firefly Music for bringing Juliana all the way down to our neck of the woods, err, coast, along with Bright Eyes last Sunday. It is disappointing that the turn out was rather lax. Juliana Hatfield is a very talented musician with an infectiously beautiful voice – Miami and UM students should show more love for the music scene. If you missed this show, then you missed out.

Look in the Life & Art calendar for upcoming dates at the Polish American Club, 1250 NW 22nd Ave.

Kira Wisniewski can be reached at kira@punks.net.

Walking down the crystalline white halls of the Sagamore Hotel on Miami Beach last Saturday, there was an aura of mad-crazy fun coming from the glistening glass doors that were just steps away. A stylish barrage of white balloons and beach balls only heightened the anticipation for excitement. As the doors opened, the sound of echoey bongos bounced around from wall to wall. There your eyes were treated to the sweetest candy in the world – the Playboy Playmates.

This past Saturday, in honor of the last days of summer, Playboy threw a bash that was one of a kind. As she casually stood by the pool, Millennium Playmate Maria Checha signed autographs and posed for photos that will be treasured by her admirers for years to come. In the background, synchronized swimmers performed a delicate routine to the sound of the drums. Over at the bar, the drinks were flowing like Niagara Falls. The mood seemed to be a bit reminiscent of some sitcom where everyone was smiling. To the right of the pool, a few flirtatious men seemed to have been on a mission to convince members of the Playboy staff, wearing body painted bikinis, to hop in the pool. In the shallow end was a fantastical looking “mermaids,” wearing only the occasional seashell as they basked in the sun.

Though this was the first event Playboy had done at the Sagamore, the event’s planner, Carrie Gross, explained that, “Miami is the perfect city to host a Playboy party – it’s a fun, sexy city with a fun, sexy crowd.” Similar parties are also scheduled at the Boston College Fest and the University of Los Angeles, but Miami may be the only city to provide a viable weather-related reason to excuse the extreme lack of clothing. Miss October 2002, Teri Harrison, smiled and sarcastically remarked that “signing autographs in Miami isn’t the worst place to be in the world.” A 21-year-old former student, Harrison left the University of Central Florida because she cherished the opportunities to meet people and travel that being a Playmate has afforded her.

Many people came to the event simply looking for a glimpse at their dream girl. A local Miami resident confessed that this practice was “a little bit stupid, to come down to the beach only to stare at the girls and their ‘assets’.” However, those in search of such lofty goals were not disappointed. In a one-on-one chat about Hugh Hefner’s mansion, Miss October 2001, Stephanie Heinrich said, “there really isn’t a 24-7 party and that it is actually a very relaxing environment- most of the time.” She admitted with a wink, however, that “the rumors that are started in Hef’s mansion are probably all true.” Heinrich has been a Playmate for a year and admitted that it is “nice for a while, but it’s not something that you can do for your whole life.” She stated that it is “important to know that you are more than an object,” something she constantly tries to get across to her fans.

Behind all the fun, Cyber New World Business marketing director, Bonnie Mossamen said that, “the purpose of the event was to turn on Playboy readers to their online merchandise site that is powered by the next wave of online buying – the CNWB private label online debit/credit card, which provides a secure way to made purchases online.” Everyone that walked through the door received a $20 gift card to the site, not a bad promotion – a party and free stuff. To make the deal event sweeter, the Playmates were signing autographs on gift cards emblazoned with their pictures.

There were also two fashion shows to showcase clothing from FCUK (French Connection United Kingdom) and the Playboy store. The girls on the catwalk were provocative enough to attract almost every attendee’s eye – regardless of sex. Eventually, the last drinks were poured and the last autograph was signed. At the close of the event, partygoers seemed reluctant to make their exit back into reality. Having survived a hectic day, Playboy marketing coordinator Danny Perez grinned and remarked that, “today was pretty damn hot… in more ways than one.”

Rachael Henrichsen can be reached at rachluv@aol.com.

In the projects of San Pedro, California, drive-bys are commonplace as police seek refuge in their stations after sunset, gangs creep in dark alleyways, mothers struggle to keep their dignity as they dig through trashcans for household items and fathers are heard of but never seen. And in the midst of the urban turmoil, there are still children that play. These children are at the heart of Sandro Meallet’s debut novel Edgewater Angels, a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story about 13-year-old Sunny Toomer, who strives to understand his situation and survive the odds against him as he grows up.

In his book, Meallet spawns a range of tales that fluctuate from the dark and raw to the outright hilarious and absurd, the story opening with the introduction to Tom-Su, a strange, slightly mentally retarded Korean boy with a tendency to bite the heads off of live fish. Further on, Toomer’s friend Will Man beckons him to come along and listen to a talk he’s about to have with his ex-convict father, Hector, about the birds and the bees. The protagonist’s first person narrative voice, a trippy stream of consciousness that mixes street slang and incessant compound words, has golden moments of truth and humor only a child narrator could pull off. In his description of a neighborhood bully, Toomer says: “Beefy came in huge meaty sections of body-tree trunk thighs, elephant trunk calves, not-a-swimming-trunk-in-the-world-fitting-ass.” Though these hyphenated phrases tend to slow down the flow of the narrative, they really set the book apart, making it a unique and interesting read.

As the author himself will attest, 95% of his story is unearthed from his own unnerving childhood experiences in the ghetto. He was able to escape the chilling environment he was in after accepting a basketball scholarship at the University of California and soon transitioned into writing to document what he saw. We caught up with Meallet to discuss his novel and his experience in the San Pedro projects.

Q: To what extent is Edgewater Angels autobiographical?

M: I had most of the experiences Toomer has in the book. I had to pretty much figure things out on my own and with my friends. In the projects, no one clearly teaches you right and wrong, you have to learn that by yourself. Most of the households are single- parent ones, mainly with mothers who are trying to figure out how they got to the ghetto and how to improve their lives. So the kids are left by themselves, running around in the world like we did. We had to come up with our own morality and our own ideas of good versus bad.

Q: You said basketball saved your life. Where would you be without it?

M: Well, it gave me two opportunities to be back in an educational environment. The first time I didn’t take the opportunity, but the second time I took the offer because a light bulb went off in my head and I was like, “I can’t squander this. This is your opportunity to never go back to the projects in the same condition you’re in and improve your life.” Initially I went to college so I could play ball. Academics, I didn’t know what that meant. Where would I be? Pretty much where 95 percent of the lives of friends of mine ended up-in jail, on drugs, homeless, and beat down by fate and destiny. The iron hand of poverty would’ve gotten me, I’m sure. My whole social alumni group got annihilated and a lot of them died, like the kids in the story.

Q: Did you always want to get your story out?

M: I was in Germany playing basketball and I was very unhappy. It suddenly became a business and there was nothing personal in it anymore. I knew at that point that I wanted to go back to California and I wanted to start doing a graduate program, but more importantly I wanted to write a book of fiction because I felt this thing coming out of me that really had to express itself. And I think that if you have experiences from your childhood, no matter how romantic or traumatic they are, they’re always going to be nipping at your heels as you get older. You have to turn around and deal with these things and my way to do that was to write a book.

Q: Has the highbrow literary industry intimidated you since you’re a first-time author?

M: No, people don’t intimidate me, industries don’t intimidate me (laughing). It’s been a bit of a mystery to me just because I don’t know the ins-and-outs of the business. The Ivy League heads and graduates who want to become writers master the business and the networking and connections. Me, I’m not built like that. I can’t get into it. I’d feel like I’m cheapening myself and selling myself and I’m pretty much outside of all that. Luckily the reviewers of Edgewater Angels have been very kind.

Q: How have you been received by the people of San Pedro after the book?

M: They’ve actually had a very good attitude about it. A couple of them are actually proud of the fact that I put that part of San Pedro on the map because it gets a bad rap since there’s a lot of crime. People die there all the time and there’s a big drug trade and I didn’t shy away from those things. I represented the human underpinnings of people who existed there-a lot of beautiful, good people. And kids are kids until the social forces get to them and divide them up, chew them up. We were kids and we weren’t threatening to anybody. The future was threatening to us in a sense because we were never prepared for it. Nothing ever prepared us, but we had our childhood and that’s a beautiful thing.

Q: Speaking of your childhood, what are your most vivid memories?

M: Tom-Su eating the heads off the fish! That and the birds and the bees talk with Hector. I had to sit down and figure those things out. I mean, what the hell was that all about? These things, they haunt you, and until you sit down and just meditate on them, they’re always going to be a mystery to you. I wanted to demystify them.

Q: I heard you got arrested at the age of eight. What was that all about?

M: Me and a couple of other guys broke into cars. I tried running away and finally one of the police caught up to me. We had 27 counts of robbery, were handcuffed, taken to jail, and booked at the age of eight! The cop pulled a gun on me and said, “you take one more step and I’ll blow you in the back!”

Q: You just had a baby last year. At what age do you think you’ll introduce your son to the book?

M: I’ll leave that up to my wife. I can’t read him children’s books; they bore me. I’d bust out my book and start reading it, but she’d put the brakes on. When he’s in junior high school, I’ll introduce him to it.

Q: And so what’s next in your literary career?

M: I’m getting towards the end of my second book now. It’s a piece of scandal. It skips ahead four years later when Toomer’s 17-years-old. It’s a much darker book and doesn’t have as much humor as this one because the subject matter is much more sinister.

Alexandra Zayas can be reached at zandar143@aol.com

What the hell is up with rock stars getting hell-fueled on drugs and alcohol? Substance addiction is all part of the glam game and the MAP (Musician’s Assistance Program) Awards will recognize this on November 7 by giving props to the stars who have dug themselves out of their inalienable cravings. Stone Temple Pilots’ Scott Weiland will perform solo at L.A.’s House of Blues, along with the Neville Brothers, Thelonious Monster frontman Bob Forrest, Jimmie Vaughan, Billy Childs, Martyn LeNoble and Daniel Lanois. Of course, Robert Downey Jr. will host.

Bernie Mac is on the comedic prowl once again and is planning to remake 1967’s Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, which co-starred Sidney Poitier and Spencer Tracy, and wants to honor the original version of the interracial-marriage satire, he said in an Entertainment Weekly article.

Street prostitution is ascending in Lima, Peru, because of a lack of other jobs. About 4,000 men and women offer sex for money on the streets and many sex peddlers are demanding more safety, claiming they get maltreated by security officials-the latter beating them up, insulting them and demanding money. The government is considering building a “pink-light” district (not to be confused by rebel-controlled “red zones” during the guerrilla war of the 1980s and 1990s) on the outskirts of the city for regulating prostitution.

About 6 million thirsty beer guzzlers will flock to this year’s Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany and more than 400 Bavarian musicians will perform at the concert. The world’s biggest beer celebration started on September 29 and runs until October 6. Similar events, on a smaller scale, are going on all over the U.S., so check your local guide and get those beer mugs clinging. Cheers.

A sequel to the 1969 American classic, Easy Rider, is in the works with producer Lauren Lloyd and is presently being written by Sean Jacques. So far, the story begins with Wyatt “Captain America” Earp (originally played by Peter Fonda) in prison, falsely accused of the murder of George Hanson (who was played by Jack Nicholson). A new character appears and seaks to prove Earp’s innocence and both go out on America’s road, looking for the truth once again. The shooting will begin next spring and it will be called Easy Rider A.D.