Overlooked and Undervalued, the Films of Jerry Schatzberg Forgotten auteur of 70s skepticism and American waywardness by Scott Foundas Recently, Julian Schnabel has navigated a relatively successful transition from the art world to the movie world. But in the 1970s, the photographer turned filmmaker Jerry Schatzberg had a much tougher go of it—at least here in America. It was Schatzberg who took some of the most iconic photos of the young Bob Dylan (including the cover of the Blonde on Blonde album), as well as unusually candid, vibrant shots of other rock stars, actors, and models for the likes of Esquire and Vogue. That was the milieu which, in 1970, provided the impetus for Schatzberg's debut feature, Puzzle of a Downfall Child (screening as part of Anthology's six-movie Schatzberg retro), a jaundiced view of haute couture starring Faye Dunaway (in one of her best performances) as a former supermodel flashing back on a life filled with superficial glamour and busted-up relationships. As her past rushes before us in dizzying narrative fragments, Puzzle feels like a series of still photos projected in rapid succession—the settings always different, but Dunaway's alabaster cheekbones and distant, mysterious gaze the unassailable constant. . . . read more

'Rock for Barack' (le) poisson rouge 158 Bleecker St. New York, NY

Rock for Barack benefits MoveOn.org, but also those citizens committed to diversity and the striving black rockers who blazed a trail toward true liberation, just like presidential hopeful Obama. Black Rock Coalition founding acts Living Colour and the Family Stand will fly the freaky-deak electric flag as fiercely as ever. Bringing a fresh wave of excitement and transformative sonics to this celebration are Earl Greyhound, Viva Mayday, and Danielia Cotton, who has been touring steadily and earning raves for her heavy-blues second album, Rare Child. Cotton and her fine three-piece band, helmed by guitarist Kareem Devlin, will surely “Testify” and take ev’r’body to the electric church. Change never sounded better. KANDIA CRAZY HORSE.

Make Love Cutting Room 18 W 24th St. New York, NY

Liza Minnelli is a resilient gal: At her free concert on Coney Island this summer, the living legend sang her greatest hits from an odd reclining position, her body spilled into a director’s chair that she dragged around the stage with her. Her frame is fragile now, sure, but that didn’t stop her from showing off her newly toned miles of legs in a super-short sequined cocktail dress. Like the city itself, Liza doesn’t quit, says the world-renowned performance artist Karen Finley: “She keeps on trying. After her hip replacement, she still gets up and dances.” For this reason, Finley concludes, “Liza Minnelli is New York.” And since the anniversary of 9/11 is clearly the perfect occasion for a good old-fashioned drag show, Finley and friends will channel the unstoppable Minnelli in a revival of the performance artist’s celebrated Make Love, an alternative take on the events of 9/11 featuring torch songs, drag, pathos—and undoubtedly more sequined cocktail dresses. SHARYN JACKSON.

Paul Weller Nokia Theatre Times Square 1515 Broadway New York, NY

My first glimpse of Paul Weller was fronting the Style Council on the 1985 telecast of Live Aid. His celebrated days in the Jam were obscure, but his aesthetic exchange onstage with then-wife D.C. Lee was heartening and inspiring to this sista-gal-in-development. Weller has kept his ears wide open in the subsequent decades of his solo career, and he’s received accolades for interrogating everything from Traffic folk-rock to Gil’s agit-rap. His 22 Dreams—a portrait of the artist at 50—shows that Weller is neither resting on his laurels nor forgetting the gifts that Africana continues to give his motherland. Weller’s soul is indeed heavy, and I can dig it. KANDIA CRAZY HORSE.

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