By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

For three weeks, Gravity has been an anomaly during a typically slow time at the box office. This film should definitely be seen on the big screen to appreciate the nuances that director Alfonso Cuaron has incorporated into this film. Cuaron takes his time to open his movie; the pace is deliberately slow and all the action occurs within the frame of the shot. There is NO attention deficit disorder editing. When the action breaks loose, the audience is taken for the ride along with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. Not since Space Station 3-D has a motion picture been created that makes one feel like they are in space.

The story of Gravity is very simple — an accident occurs and astronauts are stranded into space. The trailer may lead one to believe that Bullock and Clooney merely float around in space for 1 hour and 39 minutes; however, there is a variety of scenery and situations to keep one involved in the characters’ fates. With themes of survival, regret and loneliness, Gravity is one of the best movies of 2013. See it on the big screen in 3-D to appreciate the wonder.

Sandra Bullock is the voice of Golda Meir in the documentary The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers, which is given its world premier this weekend at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. Part of a historical series of documentaries by Academy Award-winner Richard Trank, The Prime Ministers reveals details of the “Six-Day” and “Yom Kippur” wars. This film also examines the strategic relationship between Israel and the United States.

Best known for playing in the soap opera General Hospital and as the “bad girl” in Staying Alive, Finola Hughes is in town for The Bet, sponsored by FLIFF anchors Janet Leavy Schwartz & Irwin Levenstein. Hughes steps behind the lens to direct her first featured film.

The Bet is a family comedy that looks at dating relationships from three generations: teen years, middle age and senior romance. Grandpa is concerned about his grandson’s slow romantic development, so he engages the young lad in a bet — who will be the first to seduce a lady?

On Tuesday Oct. 29, Tab Hunter will attend a screening of John Walters’ trash classic, Polyester. The festival director has gone to great expense to obtain “Odorama Cards” to enhance (or destroy) the cinematic experience. If he survives this screening, Hunter will be interviewed by scholar Foster Hirsch. Hunter is scheduled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

With Halloween approaching, House Across the Street and the William Grefe documentary They Came from the Swamp will be two FLIFF entries.

Halloween season would not be complete without a visit to Fright Asylum (www.frightasylum.com). Episode 215 features Woody & Manny with a “special house guest” who does not want to leave the Asylum.

I grew up in a fairly strict Christian home so I should have developed enough discipline to successfully navigate my first year away at college. What I developed, however, was an appetite to enjoy my freedom.

I will not bore you with details except to say, go figure, my first year at college did not work out so well. I was fortunate to be able to start over and eventually earn more degrees than I know what to do with, but not before learning important life lessons.

I had academic interests when I was young, but study came a whole lot more natural when inspired by the importance I attributed to the subject and with answers to questions that matter.

Do you know where I am going with this? I bet you do.

I obviously do not speak for all Christians or all Christian churches, but it is not a stretch to make the claim that the Holy Bible, which is the Holy Word of God, is the most important book in the world. Believing this is why I went to seminary.

One reason (some might prefer the word excuse) given for not reading, let alone studying, the Bible is the mistaken thought that the Bible does not apply to contemporary 21st Century issues, personal or otherwise. Nothing could be further from the truth?

We recently launched a project to connect the Bible with current issues by utilizing an electronic resource called The Wired Word. Google it if you are so inclined.

Each week, a new topic is sent via email to people who sign up to receive The Wired Word. There is no cost. The email contains the story line, secular news coverage, video links and questions in relation to the story, and then concludes with relevant passages from the Bible.

A sample of topics and questions we have addressed in recent weeks include the stigma of mental illness, civil rights legislation, the murder trial of George Zimmerman, a silent American church while Christians are persecuted, and, in some cases, executed in distant lands, tremendous personal achievements and tremendous personal challenges.

What does the Bible say?

If you have an appetite to enjoy your freedom, to study the most important book in the world with answers to questions that matter, then send your name and email address to communitych1920@gmail.com and we will send you The Wired Word each week.

So give it a try. If you sign up to receive The Wired Word and for whatever reason change your mind, then you can stop receiving it at any time.

Enjoy Bible study on a hot topic in the privacy of your home. And, anytime a topic peaks your interest or hits a nerve, then you are always welcome to come for a safe discussion on that topic at our casual gathering each Saturday at 6 p.m. at the church.

We will even provide the coffee, food, music and prayer.

Jesus said, “Blessed are all who hear the word of God ‘and’ put it into practice.” Luke 11:28

Dr. Dennis Andrews

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on A1A.

See more at www.communitych. org or on Facebook.

By Gary Curreri

It will be a homecoming of sorts for Deerfield Beach football coach Allen Jackson when his team travels to Coconut Creek High School on Friday to take on Monarch in a key District 11-8A game.

Jackson, whose Bucks (6- 0, 4-0) are on a six-game winning streak, will tackle the undefeated Knights (7-0, 4- 0) for first place in the District. Jackson previously coached at Monarch (2003- 08) and then at Coconut Creek High School before taking over at Deerfield Beach three seasons ago.

“It is a little nostalgic and a little bittersweet since my wife still works over there,” Jackson said. “We have a goal in mind, and our mindset is to go over there and take care of business.”

The last time Deerfield Beach started the season 6-0 was in 2007 when it finished 11-3 and lost 19-14 to the eventual state champion Miami Northwestern. Deerfield Beach has outscored its opposition, 272-73, in six games this season. Monarch has outscored its opponents, 262- 124, in seven contests.

“Coach Calvin Davis does a great job over there and we know we are going to have to bring our A game,” Jackson said. “We are going to have to turn it up when we play them over there.”

Senior running backs Aeron McNeal and Brandon Powell did most of the damage again as they combined to rush for 212 yards and scored four touchdowns as Deerfield Beach defeated visiting Piper, 53-8, last Friday. Monarch toppled Taravella, 44-28, on Friday.

Powell rushed for 139 yards on six carries and scored on runs of 25 and 65 yards. He also caught three passes for 46 yards. McNeal added 73 yards and two scores on runs of 7 and 5 yards, while quarterback Danarious Graham also scored twice on runs of 11 and 4 yards.

The Bucks’ defense limited Piper to 69 total yards and added two defensive touchdowns of its own on a Kendrick Catis 45-yard interception return and a Quinton Briggs 24-yard fumble return.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Cyndi Boyar is a backstage angel who is a miracle worker for celebrities visiting South Florida.

With work-ethic and skill, this celebrity makeup artist has turned ugly ducklings into red carpet swans.

For this year’s 28th Annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF), Boyar’s name will be front and center for two events — the romantic comedy The Trouble with the Truth, featuring Lea Thompson and John Shea, who will be at the screening at Muvico Pompano on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., and the documentary Taking Charge – The Pauly Cohen Story, for which Cohen is scheduled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 26 at the Sunrise Civic Center. This documentary, centered around Cohen’s 90th birthday, features footage of a master class at Florida International University with the Studio Big Band and uses archive footage featuring the young trumpet player learning from his mentors — Dizzy Gillespie, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and Charlie Barnett (he also performed with Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett). After the movie screening, the Pauly Cohen Orchestra will be conducting a LIVE Big Band concert.

Boyar wrote about her involvement with this film: “…working in the film industry, I wanted to give back and support my local film festival. I contacted Greg [Von Hausch – FLIFF president and CEO]; [he told me] what films were coming with a list of celebrities attached to them … As soon as I saw Lea Thompson’s name, I was interested. It was important to me that the film would appeal to a wide audience. The Trouble with the Truth fits the bill.”

Danny Murphy is also a local and has a new film premiering called CinemAbility screening this Saturday night at 7:45 p.m. at Muvico Pompano. This documentary looks at the cinematic history of disability portrayals, from Charlie Chaplin’s silent films to the blockbuster X-Men series. A quadriplegic since the age of 19, Murphy makes regular appearances in Farrelly Brothers comedies such as Kingpin, Dumb and Dumber and There’s Something about Mary. Murphy actively supports the South Florida film community and is an advocate for Americans with Disabilities.

Brother and sister filmmakers, Isaak and Eva James, return to FLIFF for the third time. This time, Eva takes the lead role in By Way of Home, directed by Isaak. Filmed in Cape Cod during the dead of winter, this drama concerns the generation of over-educated people who cannot find their dream job.

Swim Little Fish Swim is an international picture with similar themes about family, financial well-being and artistic aspirations. Paul Osborne’s thriller Favor, reminiscent of an Hitchcock film, shows a friendship unraveling after the disposal of a dead body. Either one of these films will be good substitute for the bloated big studio release of Machete Kills.

Did you know that Chanukah and Thanksgiving will do something this year that they will never do again in our lifetimes? They will take place at the same time.

Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach had a great attendance during Yom Kippur. People came from far and near to pray and to fast, and, as the day went on, they felt the pangs of hunger, not just in their bellies, but in their very souls. People looked at their watches waiting for the time they would be able to eat again. And, at one point, I made a joke about food and, after the laughter died down, I pointed out that hunger is no joke … that, while we know when we will be able to fill our tummies, there are those who do not know where or when they will get their next meal.

The president of the Temple, Richard Rosenzweig, happens to be a City Commissioner. He has a great awareness of the huge number of hungry in our community. While we were discussing what we should serve this year when Chanukah and Thanksgiving merge together creating Thanksgivikah, I felt great nachus (pride) when Commissioner Rozenzweig and others voiced that we should use Thanksgivikah not to feed ourselves, but rather to feed those who are hungry.

Many of us recite a Bracha, (a Blessing) before we eat and some may say the Grace after meals, but how many of us really realize how very blessed we are just to have something to eat.

Temple Beth Israel has a number of Holocaust Survivors; they know what a miracle a small piece of bread can be. It can literally mean the difference between life and death. And so it is that the Temple came up with the idea of collecting non-perishable food items for those living right here in Broward County, in Deerfield Beach, who do not know where or when their next meal will come.

You all have a choice to make as Thanksgiving comes along; you can choose to simply use the holiday as a day to fill your own tummy, or you can choose to use it as an impetus to help make sure that others have food to eat, not just on Thanksgiving, but all year round.

Many who hear about Chanukah know that one of the stories told is about the miracle of the oil. How just a little oil that should have only lit up the Temple for one day kept it bright and shiny for several days. This is why it is traditional to eat something fried in oil on the festival … like Latkes or jelly doughnuts. In the Testament of Judah Asheri, we read, “Food is like oil to a lamp…;” this year, let us be the oil; we can each help bring about a miracle to others that we all too often take for granted … the miracle of food on one’s table. Let’s help make Chanukah a time of true Thanksgiving.

(Non-Perishable food items can be dropped off at Temple Beth Israel at 201 S. Military Trail in Deerfield Beach and feel free to include a written prayer in the bag giving thanks to G-d for the many blessings in your life. If there are any Temples, Churches, Mosques or organizations that would like to take part in this event, please contact the Temple Office to speak with Richard Rosenzweig. Seating is limited for this event, so please call The Temple at 954- 421-7060).

Shalom My Friends and a very happy Thanksgivikah,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. We welcome you to join our warm and caring family for Shabbat and holiday services. We’ll make your heart glow; who knows, you might just fall in love with Shul all over again.

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

The Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF) returns Oct. 18 with the screening of Free Ride. Writer/director Shana Betz and executive producer Stephen Moyer will be attending the screening at Cinema Paradiso. After the film, Moyer and Betz will also attend the Opening Night Party hosted by philanthropist Steve Savor at his 18,000 sq. ft. waterfront home, Villa de Palma. Great Gatsby will be the party theme with a strictlyenforced formal dress code (which means I will be wearing my tux).

Released in springtime and currently available on DVD, The Great Gatsby is writer/ director Baz Luhrmann’s best narrative motion picture. Having gone overly creative with visuals in his previous films (Romeo + Juliet, Moulin Rouge!), Luhrmann has the discipline to respect the written word of author F. Scott Fitzgerald. The visual flourishes of The Great Gatsby enhance the visual poetry.

Much has been made about the Hip Hop soundtrack to represent decadence of the 1920s Jazz Age. Jay Z, Beyoncé and Will.I.Am. may have drawn the younger people to the box office, the music of “Jelly Roll” Morton, W.C. Handy, Fats Waller and George Gershwin is the most effective. In particular, Gatsby’s (Leonardo DiCaprio) entrance to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue is pure literary cinema.

Following in the footsteps of Warner Baxter (1926), Alan Ladd (1949) and Robert Redford (1974), Leonardo DiCaprio is the most vulnerable Gatsby, a true symbol of these financially-turbulent days. This Gatsby opens and closes with Nick Carraway’s (Tobey Maguire) narration from a mental institution. As Daisy Buchanan, Carey Mulligan lacks the callowness of Mia Farrow’s 1974 performance.

Before the festival begins, on Oct. 15, A Tribute to Zsa Zsa Gabor will feature Danforth Prince, author of Those Glamourous Gabor Sisters: Bombshells from Budapest. Known for her campy interviews on The Merv Griffin Show, Zsa Zsa was the modern-day Kardashian; she was famous for being famous. Younger sister Eva Gabor provided her comedic acting chops on Green Acres co-starring Eddie Albert.

Behind the spotlight, Prince provides the historical perspective of a family of Jewish refugees who escaped to America and discovered fortune and fame. While Zsa Zsa and Eva stayed in the spotlight, it was sister Magda who quietly lived the high society American Dream.

The Florida State Seminoles and Miami Dolphins have this weekend off. It’s a good time to pick up the FLIFF catalog and start planning your film festival choices. Sponsored by makeup artist Cindy Boyar, Lea Thompson’s appearance at Muvico Pompano on Oct. 20 is close to a sell out! For more information, call 954-525 FILM.

It is absolutely incredible to see how much money, time, energy and effort we spend just to look good and feel good about ourselves.

We tend to spend a lot of time and money trying to take care of our physical bodies and get healthy or even to stay healthy. In the United States, we spend $20 billion a year in the weight loss industry alone. This includes diet books, diet drugs and weight loss surgeries. There are 108 million people on diets in the United States every year, and they average four to five diet attempts each year. Eight-five percent of the customers in the weight loss industry are female. Anyone who has lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for five years will spend one hour every day on exercise. In 2009, in the United States, 220,000 people with morbid obesity had bariatric surgery, which reduces the size of the stomach, with the cost averaging $11,500 to $26,000. It is amazing the things we go through just to look better and, of course, ultimately feel better. Do not get me wrong, please; I am very happy that U.S. consumers have become more health conscious in the way they eat and exercise.

1 TIMOTHY 4:7-8

7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.

8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

NLT

We may try to fix the outside but if we don’t fix the inside we will never truly be happy and full of joy.

The Bible tells us that physical exercise is good, but spiritual exercise is better. It is a good thing to take better care of our physical bodies and to get in shape and make better eating choices, but we also need to make sure that we are not neglecting our spiritual life in the process.

MATTHEW

16:25-26

25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

NLT

There are many ways to take care of your spiritual life. You need to read your Bible every day because this will help you understand who God is, and what He wants you to do with your life and what He wants to do for your life. You need to pray and talk to God every day as though He was your best friend. Talk to God about everything that is going on in your life, even though He already knows. He will enjoy talking with you. You need to go to church and have corporate worship with others; that way you can encourage someone when they need a friend, and someone can encourage you when you need it. Make sure you take care of your body, but, even more importantly, make sure you take care of your spiritual life. God Bless.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor of Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Sources: John LaRosa of MarketData; National Weight Control Registry; American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery; Jo Piazza, author of “Celebrity Inc.: How Famous People Make Money;” http:// abcnews.go.com/Health/ 100-million-dieters-20-billion- weight-loss-industry/ story?id=16297197

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach is off to its best start in five seasons as it received another strong performance from Brandon Powell.

The University of Miami commit ran for 194-yds. on 22 carries and scored three second-half touchdowns as host Deerfield Beach defeated Coral Springs, 26-6, in an 11-8A District game on Saturday night.

The Bucks improved to 4- 0 for the first time in five seasons with the victory and faces a stern test this Friday when Taravella (2-2) comes to town.The Bucks and Trojans are both 2-0 in District 11-8A.

Michael Greene’s 3-yard run with 2:52 remaining in the second quarter gave Deerfield a 7-0 halftime cushion. It didn’t last long into the second half as Powell went 80-yards for a score and a 14- 0 lead.

Powell added a 33-yard scoring run to make it 20-0 before the Colts (1-3, 1-1) cut Deerfield Beach’s lead to 20- 6 on an 18-yard scoring toss from Jake Bofshever to Chad Boyd. Powell iced the game with a 6-yard scoring run on the ensuing drive for win.

“We came out a little sloppy, but we made some adjustments and came out with a different attitude in the second half,” said Deerfield Beach coach Allen Jackson, whose team lost to eventual Class 8A state runner-up Cypress Bay in the regional quarterfinals last season and hopes to go deeper in the playoffs this season. “We have to keep taking care of little things like missed assignments and missed tackles.”

Deerfield Beach’s senior running back Aeron McNeal missed the contest as he served a one-game suspension after picking up two personal fouls the previous week in a win over Douglas.

Sophomore defensive back James Pierre recorded two interceptions to pace the Bucks, which limited the Colts to just 110 yards. Powell led a solid ground game that churned out 327 yards. Green also had 59 yards rushing.

The Bucks are also receiving votes in this week’s Class 8A state football poll.

Ely guard, hoping for threepeat, commits to east Carolina

Blanche Ely High School point guard Lance Tejada will be able to relax a little heading into his senior year after pledging to play at East Carolina University during an official visit last month.

Tejada is a four-star basketball prospect and can now concentrate on delivering a third consecutive state championship to the Tigers. Tejada said he was drawn to the talents of East Carolina University coach Jeff Lebo, who was former point guard for legendary North Carolina coach Dean Smith.

“Coach Lebo is a great coach and great person,’’ Tejada said. “He played for North Carolina and then in the NBA for a couple years. He knows what it takes on the next level. He has been through it all. He is going to push me to get better, especially at the point guard position.”

Tejada, a member of the ESPN 100, chose the Pirates over more prominent programs, including Alabama, Butler, Florida State, Miami, George Mason, Murray State, Tennessee and Virginia.

Tejada first became noticed on the hardwood after he helped lead Miramar to its first state Final Four appearance in his freshman year. After his sophomore year, Tejada transferred to Ely and helped the Tigers go 27-2 and win its second consecutive Class 7A state championship.

Tejada will be one of the catalysts this season as the Tigers bid for its third consecutive state championship under five-time state champion coach Melvin Randall. The Tigers lost some key players to graduation, including Dallas Cameron; however, Tejada is up for the challenge.

“I didn’t expect to commit this early, but when I got to East Carolina I didn’t want to leave,’’ said Tejada, who scored a game-high 24 points in a 71-52 victory over Bartow in the Class 7A state semifinals last year.

“I’m glad the weight is off my shoulders thinking about where I’m going,” Tejada added. “Now, all I have to focus on is basketball and helping Mr. Randall get that three-peat.”

By Dave Montalbano

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Last weekend, I went to Orlando. Once north of Palm Beach County, the change of scenery is obvious; the landscape is more green and rural. Between the Ft. Drum rest stop and Kissimmee, one sees an orange grove and senses a raise in elevation.

However, this change of elevation is minimal compared to the experience of visiting the Rocky Mountains. For Florida first timers, the biological changes are obvious; one can almost see their heart beating out of their chest. With this type of personal experience, one can appreciate a Museum of Discovery IMAX film like Rocky Mountain Express: The Journey of a Lifetime, which documents the 19th Century building of the steam engine locomotive in the Canadian Rockies.

Even without 3-D glasses, the vistas and landscapes are majestic to behold. This 45- minute epic includes a story about the building of Canadian Pacific Railroad that is both inspiring and disturbing.

This film devotes considerable time to the history that inspired some of the darkest moments of the recent Lone Ranger movie. In a rich man’s pursuit to dominate nature, due diligence was ignored and stubborn determination leads to disaster. Almost 200 years later, this film presents wooden and stone trestles that were never used. Near these sights are the unmarked graves of the workers who died trying to build an untested short cut.

Five years ago, Downtown Disneyworld closed The Adventurers Club, against much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Thanks to the surviving club members, the club has been kept alive as a notso- secret organization. One greets club members with a healthy and hearty “Kungaloosh;” non members observe this behavior with confusion.

Under the leadership of Robert F. Croskery, Esq., the first Adventurers in Charity was launched last Saturday. This program, which is not sponsored by Disney, reunited club membership for a positive cause. Fifteen cast members returned to perform and discuss their respective charities. $9,000 was raised, with A Better Life Pet Rescue receiving the most representation from cast mates John Connon, Mindy Wally Dietterick, Eric Pinder and Joy Anderson Bowes.

My first book, The Adventures of Cinema Dave in the Florida Motion Picture World was sold at the silent auction as was the CD A Festival of Bruces. The husband of Joy Anderson, Bruce Bowes, passed away after the closing of the club. The CD is beautiful a cappella music that celebrates traditional English carols and is available at www.brucebowes .com.

This Shabbat, we read the story of Noah and his Ark. Two weeks from now, we focus on boats again as we celebrate Columbus Day, remembering the three ships that sailed to these hallowed shores.

As a young lad, I loved to put model ships together. Those models always came with a set of directions. All you had to do was follow the steps in the proper order. Of course, you also had to figure out which piece was which. The people who directed the building of the ships that Columbus and his crew sailed in were master craftsman, and they had a lot of workers who took and followed orders as to just what to do and how to do it.

But Noah, poor Noah, was like, pardon the expression, “a ship out of water.”

Noah, as far as I know, had never built a canoe before, let alone a gigantic ark big enough for all the animals to fit in. True, he did have some rather heavenly directions, but imagine how hard it must have been to follow those directions.

There was a song out many years ago that asked, “Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know?”

My wife, may she rest in peace, often told me that I had no sense of direction. On the other hand, she would often tell me to take a left turn, and when I followed her direction, she would then say, “I meant the other left.”

Fortunately, we now have this amazing piece of technology called a GPS, which helps give us directions. And, if you fail to follow the directions of the GPS, it will quickly let you know that you have gone wrong.

There are rules for ships to follow out on the water and, while some people might not be aware of it, we actually have rules for driving automobiles in our state (yes, that was me being sarcastic), but we do, indeed, have laws, and, if we would all follow those laws, we would have a much easier and safer driving experience.

There is also something called common courtesy when one is behind the wheel of a vehicle, although there are many days when we are on the road that courtesy does not seem to be common at all.

So I would like to give you some directions from the Sages that we would all do well to keep in mind when we are at the helm of our vehicle. The first is “without law, civilization dies.” If we do not obey the rules of the road, then we lose our civility. The next direction comes from the great Sage Hillel (Talmud: Shabbat, 31a) as he states, “That which is hateful to you; do not do to your fellow…” And how about these wise words: “the beginning and the end of the law is kindness.”

As each of you goes to your car, let me leave you with an adage from none other then that bastion of modern expressions, the television set, from an old show called Hill Street Blues — “Let’s be careful out there.”

For your sake and for mine; for our children and our children’s children; and, for the sake of civility, let’s follow the rules of the road, be courteous, and let us “be careful out there.”

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach at 201 S. Military Trail, where we welcome you to join our warm and caring familyforShabbatservices. We’ll make your heart glow. Who knows, you might even fall in love with Shul all over again