Category Archives: Hempstead

SYLVIO is Simply DiVine at Hofstra

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From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry  (ann-parry.com)
October 31, 2017

Q:  Where does a 180-pound gorilla sit?

A:  If he’s the gentle gorilla who’s the title character of SYLVIO – the fantasy film based on “Simply Sylvio” Vine videos – he wants to sit on the floor behind a table he uses as a stage to act out scenes of “Quiet Times with Herbert Herpels” with his hand puppet Herbert.

Hempstead, New York, USA. October 30, 2017. Film event of screening of SYLVIO, a fantasy feature film, and Q and A with ALBERT BIRNEY, KENTUCKER AUDLEY, and mdoeraotr RUSSELL HARBAUGH, is hosted by Radio, Television, Film Department of Lawrence Herbert School of Communication of Hofstra University.

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017. SYLIO screening and Q&A with (R-L) ALBERT BIRNEY, KENTUCKER AUDLEY, & moderator RUSSELL HARBAUGH, is presented by Herbert School of Communication, Hofstra. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Before Twitter shut down Vine, “Simply Silvio” had over 500,000 followers. But when I heard Hofstra’s Herbert School of Communication was having a screening of SYLVIO, followed by a Q&A with ALBERT BIRNEY and KENTUCKER AUDLEY – the film’s co-directors & more – it was the first time I’d heard of the character.

Based on the movie poster, I could tell Sylvio was a gorilla who wore clothes and red sunglasses, and that’s about it, so I was curious.

Hempstead, New York, USA. October 30, 2017. At screening of SYLVIO, a fantasy feature film, Sylvia the gorilla has Harold the puppet act out scenes of

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017. At Hofstra screening of SYLVIO film, Sylvio the gorilla uses hand puppet Harold to act out scenes of “Quiet Times with Harold Herpels.”  (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

SYLVIO

Sylvio, who doesn’t speak, works at a debt collection agency and must make an outside call to collect a debt from a man who hosts a talk show in his basement.

When Sylvio arrives, he’s mistaken for a juggler and sent onstage, where he ends up dropping things that break, loudly.

The talk show audience loves this, and Sylvio ends up chained to a wild on-air persona the opposite of who he wants to be, so he has tough decisions ahead of him….

Hempstead, New York, USA. October 30, 2017. Film event of screening of SYLVIO, a fantasy feature film, and Q and A with ALBERT BIRNEY, KENTUCKER AUDLEY, and moderator RUSSELL HARBAUGH, is hosted by Radio, Television, Film Department of Lawrence Herbert School of Communication of Hofstra University.

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017.  Sylvio reluctantly becomes the “What’s the Ape Gonna Break?” TV personality, in SYLVIO, screened at Hofstra. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Q&A

After the SYLVIA screening, Albert Birney, Kentucker Audley and Prof. RUSSELL HARBAUGH held a Q&A.

VIDEO: Panel discusses the central concept of the movie,  what’s most important to Sylvio the gorilla, and more in this excerpt:

Birney is the creator of the “Simply Sylvio” Vine character, and he and Audley are the film’s directors, and, with Meghan Doherty, its screenwriters.

The gorilla who doesn’t talk and the talk show host make a solid team.

Wordlessly, Birney expressively plays Sylvio Bernardi, who at least gets to grunt a few times. I’m not surprised I didn’t figure out on my own who played Sylvio, but I didn’t even realize Audley co-starred as Al Reynolds, the financially strapped talk show host, until he talked about it.

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017. After SYLVIO film screening and a Q&A, KENTUCKER AUDLEY and ALBERT BIRNEY chat with Prof. WILLIAM JENNINGS, of Radio, Television, Film Department of Lawrence Herbert School of Communication of Hofstra University. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Hempstead, NY, USA. Oct. 30, 2017. After SYLVIO film screening and Q&A, (L-R) KENTUCKER AUDLEY & ALBERT BIRNEY chat with Prof. WILLIAM JENNINGS at Hofstra University. (© 2017 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

PEACE & QUIET

Sitting in the audience at Hofstra’s Breslin Hall that night, I was so moved by Sylvio and his quest to lead a simple, peaceful life that I have a feeling he’ll quietly be with me for a good while.

Sylvio twitter:  @simplysylvio   movie:  SylvioTheMovie.com

My SYLVIO at Hofstra event photos:  SLIDESHOW | GALLERY

Hofstra Debate 2016 Event with David Axelrod

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From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (ann-parry.com)
September 14, 2016

Yesterday, DAVID AXELROD was the Signature Debate Speaker on “The Evolving Media and Political Landscape” – a Debate 2016 event at Hofstra University, which is hosting the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump later this month, on September 26.

Hempstead, New York, USA. September 13, 2016. DAVID AXELROD, CNN Senior Political Commentator and Democratic strategist who served as Obama Senior Advisor, is the Signature Debate Speaker on The Evolving Media and Political Landscape, at Hofstra University, which will host the first Presidential Debate, between H.R. Clinton and D. J. T., scheduled for later that month on September 26. Hofstra is first university ever selected for 3 consecutive U.S. presidential debates; Hofstra; university; universities; college; colleges (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Hempstead, New York, USA. September 13, 2016. DAVID AXELROD is the Signature Debate Speaker on The Evolving Media and Political Landscape, at Hofstra University, which will host the 1st Presidential Debate later that month.  (© 2016 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Axelrod, a former senior advisor for President Obama and current senior political commentator for CNN, devoted time after his prepared remarks to answer questions from audience members.

Hempstead, New York, USA. September 13, 2016. Hofstra University Debate 2016 banner, in patriotic red white and blue, is one of many displayed on the campus of Hofstra University, which will host the first Presidential Debate, between H.R. Clinton and D. J. T., scheduled for later that month on September 26. Hofstra is first university ever selected for 3 consecutive U.S. presidential debates. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Hempstead, New York, USA. September 13, 2016. Hofstra University Debate 2016 banner on South Campus at Hofstra University, which will host first Presidential Debate on Sept. 26. (© 2016 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

My favorite Q&A exchange began when a student referred to Axelrod’s advice to vote for one of the two major party candidates, rather than casting a statement vote for a candidate with no realistic chance of winning. The student then said he did not want to vote for either the Democrat or Republican nominee and indeed would vote for a 3rd party candidate.

So Axelrod gave an example of when protest votes for a 3rd party candidate may have affected the outcome of the election:

In the 2000 presidential race in the pivotal state of Florida, Green Party nominee Ralph Nader received over 97,000 votes, and Democrat Al Gore received just 537 fewer votes than Republican George W Bush, who won the presidency.

Unswayed, the student once again said he’d be voting for a 3rd party candidate.

Axelrod began to say something, then abruptly stopped, glanced up and then back at the student, and asked if he was from New York. When the student said yes he was, Axelrod cheerfully told him to go and vote away. The student smiled as he returned to his seat; the audience clapped.

FYI from LI: The most recent Republican presidential candidate to win New York was Ronald Reagan in 1984.

Hempstead, New York, USA. September 13, 2016. Hofstra University Debate 2016 banner - tall vertical in patriotic red white and blue - is one of many displayed on the campus of Hofstra University, which will host the first Presidential Debate, between H.R. Clinton and D. J. T., scheduled for later that month on September 26. A high-rise residence hall is at right, also in North Campus. Hofstra is first university ever selected for 3 consecutive U.S. presidential debates. (Ann Parry/Ann Parry, ann-parry.com)

Hempstead, New York, USA. September 13, 2016. Hofstra University Debate 2016 banner is one of many displayed on the campus of Hofstra University, which will host the first Presidential Debate on Sept. 26. (© 2016 Ann Parry/Ann-Parry.com)

Hofstra will be the first ever university to host three consecutive U.S. presidential debates.

ALL Hofstra Debate 2016 events, unless otherwise noted on Hofstra’s site, are free and open to the public. RSVP is recommended:

Event Calendar:  DEBATE2016 Hofstra University  (www.hofstra.edu/Debate/debate-event-calendar.html)

Hofstra Debate 2016 event David Axelrod:   SLIDESHOW | GALLERY

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