miaeditor's blog

FREE BRAZILIAN FILM FEST PASSES

SORRY, THIS PROMOTION IS NOW CLOSED

If I had my own film festival, it would be an homage to the mockumentary. Spinal Tap would give a free concert on the beach and Christopher Guest would receive a lifetime achievement award at the end-of-fest dinner. So if anyone has some extra time and money on their hands, let's make some magic.

Until then, Miami has a film festival for practically every type of film buff: gay, college students, Sicilian, Japanese Masters, women, romance, Jewish and, come May 30-June 7, Brazilian.

Miami's Brazilian Film Festival is the largest outside of Brazil, with over 30 films over nine days. The best part? We want to give you free passes, which will allow you to see all the Brazilian celluloid your heart desires. All you have to do is shoot an email by the end of the day to editor@miami.com, and make sure to include your full name. That easy. Really.

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SIP WITH US

One thing I've never been accused of is being too classy. (I once went to a party at a trailer park, where the entertainment included watching the trailer owner's hound dog do tricks and the beverage of choice was PBR - before it was hip and kitschy.)

That said, I do on occasion like to, as I say, "class things up." Gallery walks, anything that includes going to the Arsht Center and, my personal fave, drinking wine. So I'm, to quote my friend Steven ('sup Schwa), veee excited about Miami.com's first wine tasting.

And this isn't just any old wine tasting, it's a celebration. Of what, you may ask? A celebration, friends, to, um, celebrate our new column, Wino Confidential. Written by the hippest, most tell-it-like-it-is wine enthusiast I know, Ms. Dinkinish O'Connor, WC is a journey into this vino vixen's wine wonderland, her escapades that have included, so far, bodega minis of Sutter Home and a strip club and, this month, a night with a bottle of Goats Do Roam, a dude name Black-dah-Lack and an eviction notice.

Changes of scenery

Tonight I'm headed to Maryland for my brother's graduation and my cousin's wedding. My brother goes (or went, now) to Mt. St. Mary's, a small Catholic university in Emmitsburg, MD. (No, he's not becoming a priest.) People often ask me a) where Emmitsburg is in relation to a place in Maryland they've actually heard of (i.e. Baltimore), and/or b) you're Catholic? The answer to a) is, I have no clue. Much of my family is from that area -- a place with restaurants with names like Chestnut Logs and in close proximity to the Gettysburg wax museum -- so I've been spending summer vacations in cities that end in "boro" and "burg" a long time, yet if you asked me to get in a car from Baltimore or D.C. (the closest airports) and drive there, I'm pretty sure I'd end up in Delaware. And the answer to b) is, yes, but only by association. And I'm pretty sure my brother has only been in the on-campus church once, and I think that was because he was giving my mom a tour. I was amused, however, by the 18-year-old boys in priest-garb in the cafeteria. (They eat chicken nuggest like everyone else!)

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PARTY WITH US

If Miami had an official drink (and they really should), it would be the mojito. A cold, minty, rummy, sugary-as-hell mojito. And if Miami had an official website, it would be Miami.com. Hey, that's us!

Ergo, we're having a happy hour - our first ever - tomorrow night (Thursday, May 8) from 6-8 p.m. at Nikki Coconut Grove (2889 McFarlane Rd.; 305-476-3600) featuring their Fresh Sugarcane Mojito on special ($6).

Of course, we know you wouldn't show up if we didn't offer something for free, so the nice Nikki folks will have a mojito tasting bar, from which you'll be able to sample all the different kinds of mojitos they offer. Think of it like the tiny spoon of free sample gelato you get at Parmalat. Except a little bigger and with alcohol.

Nikki Clink

It's new to me

I feel like my weekend is successful if I discover one new place that makes me say, "I'm so coming back here." (Because, so often, it's more like, "Scratch this hell hole off the list.") This weekend, I hit the hidden gem jackpot with not one but TWO new spots to add to my off-the-beaten-path list. Because it's my job to know what's new and awesome in Miami, I'm often asked to play concierge (or anoint myself so we don't end up somewhere with bottle service or $80 steaks). My mission for Friday night: to find a low-key bar/lounge south of fifth street with lots of space to sit and affordable drinks.

Abraxas3

Ah, memories

Like the Internet the day after an episode of Lost I have on TiVo, I tried to avoid everything that had anything to do with the demolition of the Orange Bowl. The video on the Miami Herald (have they no mercy?). TV news stories. The 836. The first two were pretty easy - after the day after the demo, the video would be buried and news would move on to the next tragic event. But the 836? At some point I would have no choice. That day was last week when I had to schlep to MIA. It wasn't as traumatic as I thought it was going to be, considering it's hard to look sideways for very long going, um, the lawful speed limit. But I felt its absence, the gaping hole where so many of my Saturdays were spent growing up. And it sucked. Warning: the rest of this blog entry is wicked sentimental and mushy.

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FREE MOVIE SCREENING

There are weeks when I feel like I'm hemorrhaging money. Okay, every week. A little online shopping on Monday. Concert tickets on Wednesday. Dinner and drinks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Which is why when the opportunity for free stuff presents itself, I hardly turn up my nose. (Squeal like a little girl is more like it.)

That said, here's your opportunity to save a little green and have a little fun in the process - if you like movies. (And who doesn't like movies?) Tomorrow night Books & Books presents a free preview screening of The Life Before Her Eyes, adapted from the book by the same name and starring Oooomah Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood.

life before her eyes

Lessons from Boulder

I just got back from a weekend jaunt to Boulder, Colorado to visit a friend, who has been there for a year writing a book about running (among other things). Boulder is the running capital of the U.S. Or something like that. What is certain is that this city loves it some fitness. Bike racks, I'm convinced, come standard with every car purchased, and there were people - lots of them -- actually biking up a mountain. A steep one.

Now, there are plenty of hardbodied folks in Miami - Miami Beach, at least - but they're mostly of the gym rat/lipo variety. They work out because they want to look good in clingy clothing, not to eventually one day compete in Iron Man. Granted, I have no desire to run a marathon - last year my New Year's resolution was to be able to do one pull up by the end of the year. Let's just say lifting my suitcase into the overhead compartment is still an issue. But I admire Boulderites' commitment to an active lifestyle, and a few other things:

Bacardi B-Live VIP winners!

Congratulations to the following registered Miami.com users who won VIP tickets to Saturday's Bacardi B-Live concert at Bayfront Park.

jrsnipe003 / cina07 / teekvo

They and their possee will enjoy the sold out show. Thanks to all who entered and registered.

We got your hook-up right here at Miami.com. Stay tuned for more giveaways and contests.

Bacardi BLive1

Win VIP tickets for Bacardi B-Live

You heard the Bacardi B-Live concert is sold out? Don't worry. We got your hook-up right here at Miami.com.

We have a limited amount of VIP wristbands to get you into Saturday’s show at Bayfront Park. So click on the headline and down below in the Post a Review part of this blog entry write “HookMeUp Miami.com” and click Submit to be eligible. We’ll go in order, so once we run out of wristbands you’ll have to watch the show on the web.

Remember, you have to be a registered on Miami.com to enter, and only two wristbands per registered user.

Good luck.

Win Bacardi B-Live Tickets
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