The Zombie Psychiatrist

Did you ever wonder why zombies act the way they do?  Why do they just want “BRAAAAAAAINS!” and forget about all the other human aspects of life?  Which parts of their own brains are controlling their hunger for flesh and slow zombie movements?  Psychiatrist Steven Schlozman, MD is giving a speech at The Coolidge Corner Theatre on April 13th to answer these questions for their “Science On Screen” series.  The series pairs films with well established professionals who relate the film to their area of scientific specialty.  Schlozman himself is a huge fan of zombie films and pop culture.  Combining his love of zombie films with his work as a psychiatrist, he has prepared a presentation that helps to explain the motivations and brain functions of the living dead.

Schlozman will also discuss why the humans who are fleeing from the zombies usually react in similar ways through the majority of zombie films.  Humans automatically reflect the moods of others around them.  They feed off of one another’s stress, feeling the hopelessness of their situation as more and more people are infected.  Therefore they eventually fall into the same brain function as the zombies themselves, giving up and rushing out into the mass of zombies, fighting with everything they have until they are devoured.  They know it is hopeless to fight the zombies, but their brain’s simple functions take over and they react with the zombie’s own sub-cortical behavior.

After Schlozman’s presentation, the classic George Romero zombie film Night of the Living Dead will be shown.  If you live in the Boston area, tickets are $9.75 regular admission, or $7.75 for seniors, students, and Museum of Science members.  Admission is free for members of the Coolidge Corner Theatre.

Click here to go to the “Science On Screen” website: http://www.coolidge.org/science

Click Read More to watch the original 1968 trailer for Night of the Living Dead.
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Lights Out for Earth Hour

On March 28th, from 8:30-9:30pm, cities across the world will turn off their lights to support energy conservation with the international Earth Hour.  Even some of the major buildings and attractions will be going dark for the cause, including The Empire State Building in New York City, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the St. Louis Gateway Arch, the Sydney Opera House, the Sears Tower in Chicago, Seattle’s Space Needle, the Great Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Broadway theater marquees in New York City.  Las Vegas will also go dark for the hour — even turning off the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign for the first time ever.  Quite a grand and respectful gesture from Sin City itself.

This is the third year for the Earth Hour event, and with more cities participating than ever, it is sure to start getting some attention.  2,400 cities across 82 countries will be participating this year.  195 of the cities are in the United States.

The event started in Sydney, Australia and is sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund.  It doesn’t surprise me that it began in Australia, as they are much more environmentally and globally conscious than many other places around the world.  This is another great feat by the WWF, which does so much good for the earth every day, and whose goal is “to build a future where people live in harmony with nature.”

At a time when the world is going through a recession, and people are worried about the weakened states of their own wallets, it’s a perfect time to call attention to the energy issue.  While people find all kinds of creative ways to pinch their pennies, they sometimes forget that just flipping a switch can save them so much.  So why not join the cause and switch off your lights for just one hour tonight?  Maybe it will become a habit and save you and the earth some energy.

Lady Gaga: Queen of Pop

“Some artists want your money so they can buy Range Rovers and diamond bracelets, but I don’t care about that kind of stuff.  I want your soul.” -Lady Gaga

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Rufus Wainwright’s Opera to Premiere in the UK

Rufus Wainwright is a melancholy pop/folk singer who has gained popularity over the years as some of his songs have appeared in movies such as Brokeback Mountain, Moulin Rouge, and Shrek.  Now Wainwright has written a full-length French opera called Prima Donna, which will premiere at the Manchester international festival in the UK in July, along with 20 other world premiere productions.

Prima Donna was originally supposed to open at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, but Wainwright pulled away when they asked him to change the language to English.  Originally from Quebec, Wainwright wrote the opera in French and said that’s the way it was meant to be performed.  He was also concerned with the fact that some shows at the Met take years to be staged because of their long list of scheduled productions at any given time.

Prima Donna sounds like an inventive new approach to opera, bringing in new insights while still following the classic ideals of the art form.  Wainwright describes it as being about “the persona of an opera star; it is the day in the life of an opera singer.  Opera is one of the last bastions where you can investigate big emotions and romanticism; and opera singers themselves are tied into that sensibility because they inhabit that universe.”

Wainwright’s music is somewhat operatic already: soft melodies combining with his strong and haunting voice.  He says he has been a fan of the opera for years: “Since I was 14 years old I have been converted to the dark religion of opera.  I’ll even be dramatic about it: it has saved my life, guiding me through some pretty tough junctures.”  Many fans of Wainwright’s music may say the same thing about him.  As an openly gay man, Wainwright has brought hope and light into the lives of many people struggling through their own issues.  His songs bring honesty and love into a dark place, and no matter if you are gay or straight, old or young, everyone can find pieces of their own pain and passion within his music.

Wainwright is also currently preparing to open his musical adaptation of Shakespearean Sonnets at the Berliner Ensemble in April.  The Manchester international festival runs from July 2 to July 19, 2009.

DVXUser Presents Loss Fest 2009

The 2009 DVXUser Loss Fest competition is underway, and I had the chance to act in one of the short films in the contest.  Loss Fest’s topic is, obviously, loss, and all films must use that as a guideline.  The fest is a great opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their talent and get feedback from others, and also a good chance for actors to get some exposure.  The film that I took part in is called “Gray Days,” although for the sake of the competition, it had to be split into two separate films (“Gray Days” and “Stark Nights”) because of the length requirements.

The links below will take you to a direct download of each half of the film which can be viewed on iTunes.  Because of time restrictions, the film isn’t at its full potential, and is currently being edited into a longer version.  However, I wanted to share the links and help promote the competition because I think it’s a great opportunity for filmmakers and actors alike.  Feel free to check out some of the other films in the contest while you’re there as well!

“Gray Days” Download: Gray Days

“Stark Nights” Download: Stark Nights