Valar Morghulis tonight Journal Square

Valar morghulis, you know, the translation for either "All Men Must Die" or "Better Get To the White Castle" will be tested tonight as the man himself, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin will appear at the Landmark Loew's Theater at 7:30 discussing his new book (No, not the next in the series) “Fire & Blood,” which is a history of the Targaryen family and empire.

Tickets are $40 but you DO get a signed copy of the book. Johnny went to see Mr. Martin discuss his History of Westeros book, the one with all the pictures. He's very very engaging and does take questions from the audience at the end so if you have some gripes with Game of Thrones adaptations, if that is how Hodor dies in the books actually holding the door, or whatever is on your mind, tonight is your chance to ask. When Johnny saw him a couple years back at the 92nd Street Y, Martin did explain some of the differences between his vision and the show's reality. In his vision, THIS is what the Iron Throne looks like. 7:30, see you there Jersey City!

The Journal Square city council debate is set

Loew's Theater will host the Ward C council candidates forum this upcoming Saturday from 10am til noon. We kind of like the breakfast with the candidates feel of this meet up. Ward C's rep, incumbent former JC cop Rich Boggiano, 74, is facing Janet Chevres, 53, a business administrator at JPMorgan Chase; John Hanussak, 48, who works for the city Resident Response Center; and Rekha Nandwani, 40, president of the Jefferson Avenue Block Association. More on the event here.

Somewhere Nidia Lopez is kicking herself for not getting on the ballot here as she packs her Florida home to flee Hurricane Irma.

A good read on relations between the Mayor and Loew's management group

The best city reporter anywhere, Terrence T. McDonald has a very good read on the fact that the frosty relations between the Friends of Loew's and Mayor Fulop seem to be on the mend. Johnny is beyond glad the Friends of Loew's dug in and held their ground a while back and didn't just acquiesce to the demands of the current administration over turning the running of Loew's over to a group they'd pick. Might be why we are where we are today.

Here's hoping this is a real breakthrough.

Get to Loew's tomorrow night or Big Brother WILL be watching

Loew's, in association with the Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation, is showing the George Orwell classic, '1984' tomorrow night inside Loew's. 1984 will be shown in theaters all across America tomorrow as part of the April 4th screen event and it's never been more pertinent. The first 100 attendees tomorrow night at Loew's will get a free copy of the book 1984 compliments of the Jersey City Free Public Library Foundation. There will also be a panel discussion after the film with Christine Goodman, the founder and past director of Art House Productions in Jersey City; John Beekman of the NJ Room of the Jersey City Free Public Library; a representative of The Jersey Journal; and Colin Egan, director of the Loew's Jersey Theatre.

A West Side restaurant row? An art community around Loew's? People are talking

Two ideas to build on momentum around Jersey City are being discussed at the highest levels; a possible art community/art friendly area around Loew's on Journal Square is an almost done deal and should be approved in a city council meeting tomorrow, two high rises with a lot of art spaces and art-doings behind the Loew's now, currently the home to parking lots and unused land. Johnny likes this idea. It helps let Loew's anchor a neighborhood, a great sign if spaces are building in around it. This is also the exact spot a ten year abatement would be a great idea, enough to get it done but not a budget buster. More on the idea here.

A West Side restaurant row is being proposed in new zoning that will also go in front of city council Tuesday and while the pieces aren't as far along as the Journal Square plan, it would allow for further plans to be drawn up and so far everyone is on board:

The 14 blocks where zoning requirements will be amended under the plan fall between Montgomery and Claremont streets. In addition to support from Fulop, the proposal has also earned the endorsement of the West Side Community Alliance.

"WSCA strongly supports this first step in an eventual restaurant row," said Jodi Drennan, President of the West Side Community Alliance. "As Jersey City's most diverse community, the possibility for great restaurants is really exciting. We have the best housing, the most beautiful park, and we look forward to boasting the City's best restaurants!"

More on the West Side restaurant row plan here.

Great ideas both.

You have to love Loew's

What a grand building and shame on our mayor for behaving like a ten year old in a tantrum over the way he treats it. It must be saved, preserved and in local, caring hands.

Word Bookstore continues a string of great guests brought to Jersey City including Stephen King, Amy Schumer and last night Bryan Cranston.

First off, if you are a fan, he is one of the most delightful, sincere and funny guys Johnny has ever seen give one of these talks. In the Q & A afterwards there were questions from the crowd and some from actors. He spent maybe TEN minutes each answering young actors questions with what, if Johnny were an actor, he'd have appreciated. He's kind of an everyman as explained in his new book, A Life in Parts. He didn't just set out to be an actor, he's had several regular guy jobs which may help ground him. You'll find out in his book he was even a murder suspect for a while (he didn't talk about it other than to bring it up, then he tapped the book LOL).

Couple things -- Johnny has not watched Breaking Bad so if you have he hopes he's relaying a couple stories correctly. #1 the hardest scene he said he ever ever did and it messed with him for a few days was a scene where a young lady was having an heroin OD on a bed and Walt was watching it all unfold and he said for about 5 seconds he could picture his own daughter, about that age, in that situation. Not that his daughter did drugs but that's SOMEBODY'S daughter and as a father he saw her as his for a quick moment and said it put the zap on him.

The pizza on the roof scene. He told them there was no way he was getting it on the roof (They had one pizza) so they told him to do what he could. He said it wasn't like a regular pizza either, it was a super large pizza and he never thought it would land on the roof. NOW, that being said and fanbases being fanbases you can imagine what STILL happens to the house in Albuquerque New Mexico, people film themselves throwing pizzas on the roof. The couple who owns that house is older (they didn't tell them what EXACTLY the show was about) but they can't go up on ladder everyday to pull down last night's pizza. So it sits. And sits. And rats come. The city has been working on a solution about putting a security guard outside because the neighbors, they do complain.

Such a wonderful evening all around. Thanks Loew's and thanks Word!

Bryan Cranston will be appearing at Loew's October 11th

Loew's Theater in association with Word Bookstore will be presenting Bryan Cranston who is talking about his new book, well a press release well written is a job half done:

Join WORD Bookstores at the beautiful historic Loew's Jersey Theatre for the launch of A Life In Parts, a coming-of-age story and meditation on creativity, devotion, and craft from Bryan Cranston, beloved and acclaimed star of one of history's most successful TV shows, Breaking Bad. Hear Bryan discuss and read from his poignant, intimate, funny, and inspiring memoir with acclaimed TV and entertainment critic Alan Sepinwall (HitFix). 

Johnny will be there, he thinks Mr. Cranston is a very intense actor with a really broad range. Can't wait. You get a book along with the ticket, not too shabby!

Petty and we don't mean Tom

Petty, somehow entitled, and certainly not as he seems. That's Johnny's take on Mayor Fulop's petty swipe at the $500K set to go to Friend's of Loew's before the Hudson County Board of Freeholders took Fulop's side and took 300K of the 500K and gave it to the city. By the way and quickly, nice job Freeholders your motives in this can now easily be questioned and your future actions either will or will not show us why you voted as you did yesterday. Go ahead, cozy up to the mayor.

Johnny does a lot of research. Probably more than 99% of people. He can't find a single mention by Mayor Fulop he planned to "repurpose" that 500K set to go to Loew's BEFORE he lost the court case that would have taken over Loew's and made Jersey City the de-facto owners. Fulop would then have been free to bring in his own "consulting groups" at your cost JC, and other promoters at your cost JC to see what was needed for HIS vision of Loew's and what should play there. Let's lay our cards on the table. Johnny often feels frustration with FoL as well. They need to get on the hop. We realize funds are tight and we realize Fulop and the HC BoF knee-capped you but you have had time. Luckily for you a judge saw the agreement the city signed with Loew's to be legal. We also understand you had met the bullet points of what the city was looking for in their pretty much invented outrage to use as cover for taking $300 of the $500K away from you. Still, it's been 30 years. Find a sugar daddy or take on partners. Your deal with the city lasts only so long.

Now, Fulop makes no mention of the "repurposing" of any of the $500K until the judge rightly ruled the city signed the agreement, just because Fulop was having kittens sideways doesn't invalidate it. Suddenly after the court case he's all about cutting the funds. That's sheer pettiness. We've seen it before though haven't we? We've seen it with the JCPD, we've seen it with who gets run out of Dodge for speaking out while others "Allegedly" commit crimes and stay on council with nary a peep from the mayor. A former Police Chief says Fulop covered up a JCPD sergeant's DUI. Some departments are gutted while others go unchecked. Wonder who chooses and why. A petty double standard. We saw it with when Fulop really did pull a Conehead Chris Christie traffic study move by ordering traffic snarled TWICE out of entitlement, pettiness or some other malady. Some of the people online are starting to wake up to this guy and whom he claims to be. Sure, murals are nice. Doesn't help commuters. With the way you've worked with the asshats at the Port Authority there's been one supposedly not related no weekends for a year at Exchange Place. With all the tax money you're giving away so downtown can be overrun by now mostly renters we don't imagine the PA would take a call for more train service from you. How's our lawsuit against them going? Haven't heard much on that lately. We should be kabillionaires by now, no?

Letters recently were sent about protecting Liberty State Park from the new developer friendly bill all the rage with idiots who want to carve out pieces of a Jersey City jewel. Know who wrote to support Liberty State Park from the Fulop Administration? Nobody. State Senator Steve Sweeney did. State Senator Sandra Cunningham did. Where was Fulop? Oh that's right, he wants to place an F1 racing track on part of LSP. No wonder he wouldn't be there protecting OUR park. Entitlement thy name is Steve Fulop.

Petty, entitled, and not as he wants to seem.

We'll be talking about his tomorrow at length so read your homework assignment

Mayor Fulop convinced the spineless Hudson County Board of Freeholders for taking some $300K earmarked for the Loew's Theatre but since Mayor Fulop lost a court case over the ownership and direction of Loew's he asked the entire $500K be cut, pretty much out of spite which is no way to be a good mayor. So, click on this article (and the commenter "CEatJSQ" will add a lot of backstory and context) and read up because this troubling tantrum by Fulop goes beyond just kneecapping Loew's which as mayor he truly should be supportive of. We'll dig deep tomorrow.

A couple events around town this weekend you won't want to miss

First off, starting tonight Lowe's Theater has a magnificent weekend of entertainment planned. Beginning tonight STAGEFest will bring over forty acts and performances:

Among tonight’s performances are “Sleep at Your Own Risk” by Ticket 2 Eternity Productions. The 45-minute one-man show, written by Matthew Ethan Davis, kicks off at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. It tells the story of a man’s struggle with sleepwalking while trying to hold onto the love of his life ­-- and not walk out of his apartment naked.

Want more? Good, they have much more entertainment for you:

Tomorrow is a bigger day, with 19 performances lined up. The acts include “Three Bites” by 68 Productions, showing at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The 40-minute show follows the rise and fall of a relationship over the course of three meals: the first coffee date, a pivotal breakfast and a fateful dinner. The couple will be played by Rafael Cruz and Summer Dawn Hortillosa, who also wrote the play. Liliane Wolf plays the waitress.

There will be food, a chance to learn about costuming with some right fine historic costumes and much much more.

Advance tickets can be purchased at loewsstagefest.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, visit loewsjersey.org/stagefest, email stage.fest.loews@gmail.com or call 201-668-0546. Discount parking will be available behind the theater in Square Ramp Garage.

Now, if you're in a more colorful mood tomorrow morning make SURE to head to Owen Grundy Pier down on the waterfront for the Indian celebration of Holi Hai (yes, the colored powder thrown around all so cooly) will take place from 11am to 6pm with a rain date for Sunday. 

We've all seen the cool images of people covered in the colored powder but what is Holi Hai itself? Glad you asked:

Holi Hai– also referred to as the festival of love –is an annual ritualistic celebration, emerging from the Hindu culture in India, which celebrates life, rebirth and love.

For a whole day – generally on the last day of winter -- revelers enjoy delicacies, dance and play as they smear one another with plates of colored powder.

Be there or be square!

Do you like movies about war Joey?

Loew's Theatre in fashionable Journal Square will be showing three pretty good war movies and movies about war. Ron Stein at the Jersey Journal hooks us up with logistical things:

The films planned to be shown are Lewis Milestone’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” (1930) tonight at 8 p.m. and Stanley Kubrick’s classic films “Paths of Glory” (1957) tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. and “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb” 8:30 p.m.

All films will be projected using 35 mm film to the theater’s massive 50x25 screen. Pipe organ music will be played before the films begin.

See, that's some gooood watching. You can get more on the films by following the link above. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors and ankle biters.


... and the wife says "yeah, Harry, I know, but this one's eating my popcorn!"

Healy and Fulop go toe to toe, mano y mano, one on one...

And this is the part where Johnny dissects some of what was discussed.

Something has been eating at Johnny since he read the debate stories where Councilman Fulop challenged our Mayor because so many of his closest political allies, his deputy mayor (and campaign treasurer) and others who did business with Mayor Healy (how are those pancakes at the Brownstone Diner tasting now?) are in jail, have killed themselves or resigned in disgrace. Mayor Healy's actual response on his meeting that day with Solomon Dwek, Leona Beldini and others:

“I should have gotten a gold medal for effective, honest, open government for that,” he said.

That wasn't The Onion making up that quote, no it was Mayor Healy himself.

You don't get a gold medal for not committing a crime. You're expected to not commit crimes all the time and everywhere you go. You do not get credit or a gold medal for all your closest allies going to jail while you weren't arrested. You're don't get to elevate yourself as some paramour of virtue because you weren't indicted and your pals were. 

Unless.

Unless you were one who helped turn state's evidence, secretly of course, once you found out just how out of control this vipers nest at city hall had become. Unless you decided to take a stand for honest and open government and made a phone call or two. See that would be how one would get a gold medal in all this. But as of press time you haven't claimed credit for helping in the investigation.

Back to Mayor Healy's very bad debate day (and remember last time when he didn't even bother to show up for a few of the debates because he knew he had Lou Manzo whipped already). When pressed by Fulop on how Journal Square becomes a priority two months before each election Healy basically said well it was better than the dump he inherited (and then ran three times to govern over it). Ah yes, it's not a swamp, it's only a bog. The very Journal Square theatre the debate took place in came up as a topic of debate. Healy said he wouldn't drop any taxpayer money into the 'in-progress' rehab of historic Loew's Theatre. Fulop said rehabbing Loew's is vital to anchoring the Journal Square area. 

Check local cable times for the debate to air in it's entirety. 

We'd like to pass along a "what a douchecanoe" aimed at Hudson Media Group's Pat O'Melia who decided that Jersey City mayoral candidate Abdul Malik wasn't allowed to participate in the debate. Again, douchecanoe. He's on the ballot. Who cares if YOU don't think he can win. How about we as a right-thinking city excuse this clown from further debate decision making?

Mayoral showdown at Loew's Theatre today at 1pm

Historic Loew's Theatre will be the site of a showdown between some of the Jersey City candidates looking for the top job. Mayor Healy will be there as will Councilman Steve Fulop. Jerry Walker has been invited but illness may keep him away. Candidate Abdul Malik wasn't even invited and actually wasn't even allowed to participate. That's shameful.

So get yourselves on that Journal Square train, or head in from Nidia's Neighborhood and see the fireworks beginning at 1pm.

Supporting the arts doesn't just mean going to see a Broadway show or hitting a gallery or a night at Lincoln Center

While all are worthwhile ways to get your dose of the arts, we must remember to support those just starting out. 

Loew's Theater is holding an art exhibit by hundreds of local Jersey City public schools’ general art students. The exhibit is open today and tomorrow from noon until 5 and is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club and Provident Bank. This event has been going on for more than 25 years and support from the community for the artists of tomorrow starts today (and tomorrow).

We're going to give the Jersey City Desk last word to Colin Egan, director of Friends of the Loew’s:

“These students are wonderful and impressive . . . They had not taken many art classes, but given the opportunity they did beautifully.”

If you love classic Hollywood movies, tomorrow night at Loew's is for you

Loew's Theater Jersey City will be hosting a meet and greet along with a movie double feature with Oscar nominated actress Piper Laurie. Forever etched in our memories are her roles in The Hustler with Paul Newman, Carrie, (The two films being screened) Children of a Lesser God and her classic spin on TeeVee's Twin Peaks. Laurie will be signing copies of her book 'Learning to Live Out Loud' as the event kicks off at 5:15 with The Hustler screening after that and Carrie playing at 9:15 pm.

And Ticketmaster can't screw it up. Good times.

Chandelier at Loew's gets it's annual ten year cleaning

The magnificent chandelier at Loew's Theater has been getting cleaned recently, for the first time in ten years. The Jersey Journal has some excellent pictures and a history of the chandelier itself found here.

Hey 60's hipsters, Loew's is the place you wanna be this evening...

Loew's Theater in Journal Square will be showing two iconic 60's films this evening for the low low price of $6. At 6 pm it's The Beatles "A Hard Day's Night" while at 8 pm it's Dustin Hoffman in the classic "The Graduate".

That's a lot of entertainment for just $6.

Do you love those scary, gory, nutty zombie movies? Your king is in Jersey City--George Romero at Loews today!

That's right, horror king George Romero, the man who started it all with 'Night of the Living Dead' and gave us that damned overacting nurse in 'Dawn of the Dead' will be in a panel discussion along with other horror actors and aficionado's at the grand Loew's Theater in Journal Square as part of an all-weekend long groovy ghoulies movie-fest, including a costume contest tomorrow.

Follow this link for the entire schedule but here is the skinny on the panel discussion:

At 6:30 p.m., the ultimate zombie panel discussion will feature Romero, Foree, and other horror movie actors, including Tom Savini ("Dawn of the Dead," "From Dusk Till Dawn"), Scott Reiniger (both "Dawn of the Dead" movies), Gaylen Ross ("Dawn of the Dead<" "CreepShow"), John Amplas ("Day of the Dead," "Dawn of the Dead"), and Barbeau ("The Fog," "CreepShow") .

You can't do any better than this around Journal Square, hanging out with zombies and zombie creators all while enjoying it in one of Jersey City's crown jewels, the Loew's Theater in Journal Square.

Good to see city council helping with a little do-re-mi to refurbish the Loew's Theater

The Jersey city council has opened the city coffers to the tune of $92,500 to hire Holt, Morgan, Russell Architects to perform a historic structure report. The Journal Square iconic building is currently being run by Jersey City and a non-profit group Friends of the Loew's.

It's nice to see cooperation on such a grand old building and feather in Jersey City's cap. It really is a spectacular venue and one the city should save and promote. They just don't make 'em like this grand dame anymore.