by Cory Woodroof | Apr 28, 2013 | News Slider, Opinion
The Nashville Film Festival concluded its run on Thursday, and here’s a recap of the four films I saw from the midpoint of the festival to its close. MAGIC CAMP A kindly documentary if there ever was one, Judd Ehrlich’s Magic Camp takes a look at the week-long journey of five aspiring magicians as they try to hone their craft at the legendary Tannen’s Magic Camp. The film offers five strong subjects – a seasoned camper who hopes to once again claim the week’s competition prize, a nine-year-old budding magician who takes his talent very seriously, a teen that uses his magic skills as a way to honor God, an enthusiastic young female magician who tries to stand out in a field of guys and a magician suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome. With Magic Camp, Ehrlich offer up an earnest look at a gifted group of youngsters who use magic as a way to socialize, deal with personal issues and fulfill lifelong dreams. It’s a documentary that champions the idea that kids need outlets like magic to truly be their original selves – a praiseworthy message if there ever was one. A good documentary leaves you hopelessly invested in the focal points, and thankfully, the five kids in Magic Camp were such strong hinges to hang the film’s message on, this documentary is able to elevate itself above what I expected a feature about a magic camp would be like. Simply put, Magic Camp was one of NaFF’s stronger documentaries. THE LAND OF EB A smaller feature that screened at the festival, The Land of Eb took the prize for...
by Lacy Pack | Jun 24, 2011 | News Slider
Are you breaking a sweat while walking from class to your car this summer? You’re not the only one, and Las Paletas is the perfect remedy to beating the heat. This Mexican popsicle shop located on 12th Ave. South has an extensive amount of flavors-all made with fresh, natural ingredients. They make fruit-only paletas, creamy paletas and “other paletas” like cucumber with hot peppers, hibiscus and avocado. From adults in business suits to mothers with small children, people of all ages come to Las Paletas. Sevier Park is conveniently located just across the street, too, which is an added bonus to the shop’s location. As a college student, I find Las Paletas to be an inexpensive, fun way to venture out of the usual flavor selections to more adventurous options like creamy avocado and chocolate with hot peppers. I don’t even like avocados, but I am hooked on the creamy, smooth avocado paleta. Las Paletas has already received national exposure from The Food Network, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, but Irma Paz-Bernstein, co-owner of the shop, is cautious of growing the business. “Success is very subjective,” says Paz-Bernstein. “To have kids prefer our paletas over ice-cream, we change kids’ tastes. We even had a marriage proposal here! We get to be part of people’s stories and that is a true success.” Las Paletas is open this summer from noon-8 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday and noon-6 p.m. on Sunday. So, drop by Las Paletas, pick a Mexican caramel paleta and take a stroll through the park with that special someone. Many establishments around town sell...
