EV Grieve Summer Movie Preview: The Smurfs 2 in 3-D; they didn't have the balls to return to film here

[Spotted yesterday at the Loews Village 7 on Third Avenue]

OK, truth is, we had no idea that there was a Smurfs sequel. But, as you will recall doubtlessly, the Smurfs were the talk of the neighborhood back in the heady days of the spring of 2010. Crews filmed several scenes here. After the shoot, the cast lingered, pulling some Bynes-like shit and we all had to get 311 on them.

Flashback!


Anyway, for Part 2 in 3-D, these little fuckers the Smurfs (Smurfs'?) action is based in Paris (France).

And on an actual serious note, Part Deux marks the last film for the great Jonathan Winters, who died on April 11. He supplied the voice for Papa Smurf.

Previously on EV Grieve:
A lot of fuss to watch Neil Patrick Harris exit a cab for 10 seconds

Exclusive: The Smurfs show their immature side while filming in the East Village

Exclusive first look at "The Smurfs Movie" filming today in the East Village

The Smurfs are coming back to the East Village! The Smurfs are coming back to the East Village! The Smurfs are coming back to the East Village!

Katz's at 125

[Photo yesterday by Bobby Williams]

All sorts of things going on starting today to celebrate Katz's 125th anniversary. See their website for some details here.

Meanwhile, in honor of this occasion, The Jewish Daily Forward assembled an interactive timeline of deli's history starting in 1888. Find that here.

As for us, we stopped by the other evening to take photos of the sawdust on the floor...



... and the men's room door...



Jeremiah Moss recently spoke with Katz's owner. "I just couldn't imagine it becoming a condo, or having someone else running it. I could not handle that." And all is well for now.

Report: Video shows attack on twin brothers in the East Village

Twin brothers were attacked by a group of men early Sunday morning on First Street near First Avenue, BoweryBoogie reported yesterday. (Read BB's post on the incident here.)

The attack was initially thought to have occurred near Sutra Lounge, whose management released a statement to BoweryBoogie. They note that surveillance video showed that the attack started on East First Street and traveled to First Avenue. "Sutra is working closely with the victim’s girlfriend to provide surveillance as well as any other help they need to help catch the criminals who brutally beat her boyfriend and will continue to help in any way that is necessary to get justice for them," per the statement.

Now Fox 5 has obtained surveillance video that shows the attack.



From Fox:

The NYPD said the case is definitely not closed. Police officials told me that a very active investigation is going on and that detectives hope to meet with the victim Friday to get information that can lead to arrests.

First sign of the 17-year cicadas in Tompkins Square Park

Photo by Bobby Williams today. (And it's possible that I have the headlines mixed up... blaming the heat)

Relaunch of the Organic Soul Café Saturday features the Harlem Jazz Machine

From the EV Grieve inbox...

Lower East Side community hub, Sixth Street Community Center, will host an event on Saturday June 1st featuring dinner at the center’s Organic Soul Café and a jazz show by NYC-based Harlem Jazz Machine. Dinner begins at 7 p.m. with the band performance starting at 9 p.m. and going until 1 a.m.

The evening will mark the re-launch of the Organic Soul Café, the ground floor café at Sixth Street, which opened in 2009 and has been hosting weekly four course dinners at an affordable price since then. The menu will consist of, as always, “soulfully prepared vegan, raw and fresh fish dishes" with affordable prices, from $7 to $20.

Sixth Street is pleased to welcome the Harlem Jazz Machine for this evening. Revenue from the evening will support programs at Sixth Street Community Center, including its campaign against genetically modified foods and crops.

Earlier in the day, beginning at 12 p.m., Sixth Street is teaming up with ABC Sanctuary, a not-for-profit collective of artists and yogis that resides on the building’s 3rd floor, for free classes and activities, including reiki, yoga (for kids and seniors), tarot readings, zumba, art, chair massages and much more!

For 36 years, the Sixth Street Community Center has been committed to empowering the Loisada community and celebrating its extraordinary diversity. The Center is located at 638 East 6th Street between Avenues B and C in an old synagogue.

RSVP requested: By email or phone at 212-677.1863 Find more info here.

EV Grieve Etc.: Mourning Edition

[Photo from Tompkins Square Park by Derek Berg]

Richard Hell: "CBGB was a dump, but for the Met to reduce its essence to a toilet is obnoxious" (The New York Times)

Former Village Voice critic Robert Sietsema joins Eater (Eater)

Michael Musto busy too (Page Six)

Christine Quinn calls on developer to remove the fence at the Children’s Magical Garden (The Villager)

Rev Jen on departing the Tenement Museum (BoweryBoogie)

Selling glass-mosaic lamps on East Sixth Street (The New York Times)

A little Red Square-Lenin history (Ephemeral New York)

Kickstarter campaign for the documentary on Streit’s Matzo coming to a close (The Lo-Down)

Alex likes "Blank City" (Flaming Pablum)

Utah House ghost signage (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)

Nude painting because of Citi Bikes in Soho's Petrosino Park (Gothamist)

... and tonight at the Pyramid... Lydia Lunch hosts "an evening of spoken word in the raw" titled Don't Hide the Madness. It's a benefit for Howl! Emergency Life Project.



Our Q-and-A with Lydia is here.

The CBGB movie has a distributor, release date

XLrator Media will be distributing the CBGB biopic in the United States, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The movie, which stars Alan Rickman as Hilly Kristal, will be released during the CBGB Musical Festival this October.

Said Barry Gordon, XLrator Media CEO, in a statement: "CBGB is the rare film that will resonate with teens, millennials and legacy fans alike. The whole family can jump in the mosh pit together for this one!"

Other titles from XLrator Media include: "Dragon Wasps" and "Age of the Dragons," billed as "a re-imagining of Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick in which Captain Ahab searches for the White Dragon that slaughtered his family and left him scarred when he was young."

Bloomberg's Cooper Union commencement address includes, oddly enough, jab at the Coal Yard

Mayor Bloomberg delivered the commencement address at the Cooper Union's 154th Graduation Ceremony yesterday.

During the 18-minute speech, Bloomberg showed that his staff did some research, localizing several references, including: "But it is true also that all of you survived thousands and thousands of slices of Two Bros pizza. I will make a point to stop and have a piece of pizza at Two Bros. I hope it’s really thin. That's the way I like it."

Uh-huh.

Also!

Later, at the 10-minute mark, the Mayor discussed the importance of giving back... and he referenced one of our favorite bars around – the Coal Yard on First Avenue.

"I started working on Wall Street. My first job was working in the cage counting securities in my underwear because it was not air-conditioned in the summer. My first year's bonus was forgiveness of the loan they gave me so that I could afford to go to work there, because they paid a lot less than other firms that had offered me a job.

"But you can always give something. And so I gave $5. That $5 would be about $37, which I'm guessing is probably less than what you’d spend in a night at The Coal Yard.

"Actually, if you spend more than $37 at The Coal Yard, the next morning you'll probably wish you had donated the money."

The joke received some chuckles from the crowd. Points for trying?

As for the big issue at hand with Cooper Union ... students have been occupying President Jamshed Bharucha's office since May 8 to protest the school's plan to charge tuition starting next fall. The New York Times has a recap of the address, and notes that some students were disappointed (but not surprised) "with what they saw as Mr. Bloomberg's evasion of the free education issue."

And you can find the entire address here.

Is the end nearing for Odessa Cafe and Bar on Avenue A?

We've been hearing rumors since last summer that the Odessa Cafe and Bar's days were numbered at 117 Avenue A. Now the following item appears on the just-released CB3-SLA committee docket for June:

• 117 Ave A Food & Drink LLC, 117 Ave A (op)

There's no other information about the applicants at this point. There is, however, a newish landlord for the building. According to city documents, 117 Avenue A was sold last summer for just north of $3 million. The LLC for the buyer shares the same address as the notorious 9300 Realty (owned by Croman Realty).

And this is what we heard via Shawn Chittle last July: "There are two years left on the Odessa lease, but the hammer may fall sooner than that. Odessa owners are retired and a buyout is possible."

[Michael Sean Edwards]

Previously on EV Grieve:
Building that houses Odessa Cafe and Bar for sale on Avenue A

Alder applies for a sidewalk cafe on Second Avenue

[Late March via @davidsokol]

Also on the June CB3/SLA docket: a sidewalk cafe license for Alder, the popular new restaurant from noted LES chef Wylie Dufresne. The restaurant opened on Second Avenue near East 10th Street in late March. CB3 approved the liquor license for Alder last August.

We'll have more on the rest of the CB3/SLA docket later.