Photos by Faye Penn

“This is so much more fun than selling DVDs on Amazon,” said Josh Mueller, movie buff, Brokelyn reader and blissful attendee of Brokelyn’s NOTflix DVD Swap last night. As Mueller (proud new owner of The Notebook, Nashville and Hellboy) can attest, last night’s flickfest was an orgy of movie love and a feast of “swapcorn.” So much fun, we’re going to do it again; join our Facebook group so you’ll never have to go without your own copy of Nacho Libre. Here’s what you missed last night at Mission Dolores, quite possibly the perfect summer bar:

Name: Adan Johnson, Crown Heights
He brought: Hellboy Extended Cut, The Bone Collector, The Illusioniust, Secret Diar of a Call Girl Season 1, Blade 2, Nacho Libre, Apocalypse Now, Sound & Sorrow
He got: Kingdom of Heaven, Mallrats, Ripley’s Game
He says: “I’m excited to watch Kingdom of Heaven. Ridley Scott makes good movies and this one has a lot of director’s cuts and special features.”

Jennifer Tang, Forest Hills, Queens
She brought: Reservoir Dogs, Accepted, Shrek in 3D, Salvador, the Die Hard Trilogy, Ripley’s Game, City by the Sea, Norbit
She got: Spiderman 3, Jack Goes Boating, Hostage, Cheech & Chong’s Up in Smoke, Family Guy
She says: “I still love Family Guy. My husband’s kind of turned off to it. I don’t know why — I still love it.”

Ricky Camilleri and Andrea Rosen, Park Slope
They brought: Nashville, Hannah and Her Sisters, Stand By Me, Bad Education (the R-rated version), Coachella
They got: Jackass The Move, Alfred Hitchcock’s Sabotage/The Lodger, How I Met Your Mother (two seasons), Coachella
He says: “We brought Coachella to give away but took it back. I’ve had it forever and never watched it. But I looked at the back and saw The Stooges and Oasis — now I have to watch it.

Rob Blatt and Amber Marlow Blatt, Park Slope
They brought: The Office, How I Met Your Mother, Babewatch 16, Rservoir Dogs, The Phone Booth, Nacho Libre
They got: I Robot, The Education of Charlie Banks, Brokeback Mountain, Bladerunner
She said: “I’m most excited to watch the education of Charlie Banks.”

Theater costumes and more for free

If you have a big DIY projects in the works — and we mean anything, from crafting to opening a bar to building a fire escape puppet theater — we’ve got a sweet tip for you. While it’s sad to hear the Manhattan Children’s Theatre is losing the lease on its TriBeCa space in two weeks, they’re turning it into a positive for brokesters by giving away a ton of stuff, including lumber, paint, props, costumes, chairs and tables, plus plenty of household items: toilet paper, soap, cleaning supplies, suitcases full of “regular people clothes” and even the cool seating units. “Honestly, if I owned a dive bar I’d be all over those things,” managing director Chris Alonzo says. ”A perfect substitute for the played out ‘backseat of a car’ bench seating thing.” And they’re setting up a special open house for Brokelyn readers on Sunday.

The open house will take place on Sunday from 12-6pm at the theater, 52 White Street in TriBeCa. A few tools will also be available for purchase, but the rest of the abundance of goods is up for grabs. The full list of stuff for grabs:

* LUMBER – plenty of long and short 1x, 2x, 3/4″ ply, etc. Some units fully assembled (platforms, door frames, etc)

* PAINT – We have a full storage cabinet

* COSTUMES – Some specialty children’s theatre-oriented pieces (gowns, cloaks, dog ears, various animal tails, etc), but plenty of “normal” clothes (pants, shirts, skirts, shoes, etc)

* PROPS – Again, a lot of children’s theatre-oriented items, but also a ton of plates, glasses, phones, pillows, blankets, etc.

* FURNITURE – Office tables, chairs, stools, desks, etc.

* BASIC SUPPLIES – We’ve got boxes of toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, various cleaning supplies, etc.

We’re also giving away our seating units, for those of you potentially building out a theatre space but could also work very well elsewhere (bar/restaurant/deck, etc). Some have been a little more “loved” than the others (by little kid feet), but they’re all totally solid.

Here are those aforementioned seats:

So: what’re you gonna make with your own theater supplies?

We are SO there this summer! Photo courtesy of Trust for Governor's Island.

It served as an army base for 200 years following the Revolutionary War — now the only battles are over picnic tables. Over the past few summers, Governors Island has gone from an unused historical curiosity to a reinvented summer day-trip destination with a full calendar of artsy fare, concerts and other frolicsome events, most of them free. That makes it pretty much the best thing to happen to summer around here since the Brooklyn Bridge Park got a spiffy makeover.

Also free is the Brooklyn-Governors Island ferry that leaves from Pier 6 at Atlantic Avenue and Columbia Street every ten minutes on summer Saturdays and Sundays. (Get the ferry schedule here.) Here’s some of what’s in store starting Friday, when the island officially opens for the season:

FREE STUFF

• Classical concert series: Governors Island’s first classical-contemporary concert series, Rite of Summer, offers free concerts July 2, August 13, and September 4 at 1pm and 3pm. The first show, led by keyboardist/conductor Jed Distler, features over 40 of New York’s top musicians. Show number 2 features rock/electronica-inspired string quartet Ethel. The third and final concert brings pianist/co-directors Blair McMillen and Pam Goldberg, and will include up tempo violin and piano duos by John Adams, JS Bach and others.

• MiniGolf: Figment MiniGolf, a free mini 14-hole golf course designed with the theme of “Bugs and Features,” is modeled on insect-inspired designs submitted by budding artists. No need to bring your Callaway—everything is provided. Open from May 27- September 25.

• Fashion exhibit: The Empire Historic Arts Fund’s exhibit, Designs for Living, showcases historic couture fashion and accessories from 1795 – 2011, from icons including Balenciaga and Dior. This three-part exhibit is housed in Building 10, Nolan Park, and is open Fridays from 10-5 and weekends from 10-7.

• Free bikes!: While you can bring your own wheels to enjoy the island’s five miles of car-free biking, on Fridays through September 23, Bike and Roll, the Island’s bike rental outlet, lets you borrow a bike for free for up to an hour.

• Sculpture Garden: Storm King Art Center presents roughly a dozen or so works of world-renowned sculptor Mark di Suvero. The pieces, many of which are large-scale and composed of steel, wood, and cables in beautiful form, will be scattered all around the Island for the public to admire and explore. Opens Friday.

• Polo classic (and celebrities): Who needs the Hamptons when you can get a free seat at the Veuve Cliquot Polo Classic? This year they allocated even more room for the public to sit and picnic as they watch polo, all for free. You won’t be rubbing elbows with glamorous co-hosts Donna Karan and Marc Jacobs, or with emcee Hugh Jackman, but you’re going to feel every bit a socialista. June 5 at noon.

• Fly a free kite: The Governor’s Island Alliance provides free kites to the public on July 23, starting at 11 am.

• City of Water Day festival: Free boat tours, music, food, and more on July 24, starting 10am.

• Vintage bug contest: Volkswagen Traffic Jam 2011, a spectator-judged vintage VW car show and picnic on August 13, starting at 10 am

• Figment Art Project: A mainstay on the Island since 2007, this display of interactive and participatory art has swelled in numbers with each passing year—both in visitors as well as contributing artists, locations, and public support. This year, it runs from June 10 – 12.

Jazz Age Dance Party, Flickr photo by Stephanie Smith.

Not Free, But Honorable Mention

• Organic Market: Starting in July, you can purchase produce from Added Value, a Red Hook-based farm that also grows fruit and vegetables on a 3-acre patch of the island’s Picnic Point.

• 1920s Dance Bash: 20’s Jazz-Age Dance Party, Tickets are only $7 in advance, or $10 upon reaching the island. The event features dance instruction, picnicking, and games. I saw this as an outsider last year when it sold out, and my jealously was palpable. Don’t forget to bring a picnic basket and your A-game dance skills. And by A-game, I mean your previously unappreciated skills for doing The Charleston. June 25-26, 11am.

• Tall Ship Cruise: World Science Festival’s “All Aboard the Mystic Whaler!” takes you and your child over 7 years old around the harbor to sing seafaring songs, learn about science of the immediate surroundings and water inhabitants, and appreciate the inner workings of a tall ship as you learn to chart your own course through the harbor. $25 per person, June 4 at 11am and 3:30pm. Deck tours are given in between sailings.

For more information on Governors Island events and what you can and can’t bring to the island (ie, your own booze), see the official site.

For the Race Car (banker on the go)
Chase Bank
Signing Bonus: $100 with coupon
Minimum Opening Deposit: $25
Terms: Chase offers no monthly service fee when you set it up with a monthly direct deposit of $500 or more. If you don’t have access to a direct deposit, you have to maintain an average balance of $1,500. If you are a 1099er (aka freelancer), this is not the best option. With a near monopoly on the ATM locations in our area, this could work for you. They also will take their Benjamin back if you close your account within six months.

For the Locomotive (old-school traveler)
Banco Popular
Signing Bonus: Up to $125
Minimum Opening Deposit: $25 in NY ($50 otherwise)
Terms: There is no minimum balance, and no service fee with a minimum of five transactions per month; which is not too hard. With 187 branches, and more than 605 ATMs in Puerto Rico, it’s a great option if you travel there quite a bit. They will also bestow upon you an extra $25 if you hand over your old bank’s checks and debit card; which we assume they will then destroy and laugh maniacally into the flames.

For the Thimble (simple saver)
Capital One
Signing Bonus: Reward Miles up to $156 first year, up to $106 a year after that
Minimum Opening Deposit: $50
Terms: With no minimum balance, and no service fee, Capital One has a pretty sweet deal going on. On one hand, it will take you a year to earn the maximum amount of reward miles to redeem for cash, airline tickets, or merchandise. On the other hand, an extra $100 bucks every year ain’t bad.

For the Top Hat (fancy baller)
Citibank
Bonus: $50-$100 minimum
Opening Deposit: $500
Terms: If you can already promise that $500 deposit, and $6,000 minimum balance, you might already be making a profit off of your investment portfolio. However, if you loooooove collecting chump change, this would work out for you.

For the Sack of Money: Mix and match
To ultimately maximize your bonus-moneymaking power, split your direct deposit or your checks into to two or more accounts (depending on how much you have to meet the minimum terms). For example, if you have bi-weekly check of $700 and have access to direct deposit, you can split it $500 into Chase, $100 into Banco Popular, and $100 in Capital One. By the end of the year, you will have an extra $381 in bonuses! This is best for those with some serious organizational skills.

Looks fun enough

Okay, so maybe this isn’t for most of us, but if you happen to be gearing up for the NYC Marathon, you might jump all over it. There’s a bib (meaning a spot in the race) available for this Sunday’s (Sept. 19) 18-mile Marathon tune-up in Central Park. The owner “has to” work that day and “can’t” run the 7 a.m. race, so the spot’s up for grabs. Online registration for the tune-up closed at midnight last night, so this is a second chance to get in on the 18 miles of fun. Here’s the full listing.

Red Mango vs. PinkBerry. FIGHT!

It’s not even official summer yet and it’s already been jorts-soakingly hot. Your options for finding a cooling treat when you’re out of cash include: digging through the trash at your local grocery store and consulting that Pee-wee episode on how to make Dumpster ice cream soup, or hanging around ice cream parlors on windy days hoping a kid’s scoop gets blown your way. Or, you could weigh in on the debate between the Manhattan-centric Pinkberry and Brooklyn-friendly Red Mango to win a sweet free gift card for some cooling froyo.

The fine folks at Snubbr, a crowd-sourced product recommendation site, want to hear your comments, and we’ll pick one winner to receive a $25 gift card for the brand you pick.

Fill in your thoughts in the comments below. After a week, we’ll pick a winner and $25 worth of your preferred frozen yogurt will be on its way to you! That’s enough to treat you and a few friends (or just eat it all yourself. No judging here).

Snubbr notes that when Red Mango opened a store across from Pinkberry in St. Marks Place two years ago, the city became a sort of mini-battleground for frozen yogurt. Both places have their die-hard supporters:  Some swear by the creamy, more health-conscious yogurt served at Red Mango. Others love Pinkberry’s crunchy, less creamy taste. Still others prefer less popular places like /Eks/ in Williamsburg, described by one fan as a “hipster frozen yogurt chain.”

So whattya think, brokesters? Red or Pink? Thanks to the folks over at Snubbr.com for the giveaway!

I typed in “bedside lamp” (because I need one). Two lamps were listed, then a TV, then a boat, then a 5 foot red tail boa. I typed “celeb status” and got a nursing program in Flint, Michigan. We have different dreams, Ecofreek. “Free Puppy” showed me that there are lots of found hounds in middle America. Narrowing my search to things I really need, I tried “desk—Brooklyn” and got two desks in Rochester and a roommate needed in Brooklyn. “Microphone—Brooklyn” got me a microphone in Connecticut and a puppy in New Haven. The site also searches for swaps, which seems really Brokelyn-y. I searched “resume skills” and got lots of swaps. Skills for Laptop. Skills for Vehicle. Will Trade Roofing Skills for a Boat. And, for some reason “Down’s Syndrome Books.”

OK, so maybe there are a few kinks to work out, but Ecofreek‘s heart is in the right place and we’re going to check back soon. In the mean time, we can’t resist a little plug for Brooklyn Free Cycle, an all-free, and, obviously, all-Brooklyn listserv that is as entertaining as it is helpful. Once you sign up, you get emails (multiple, daily, my one stipulation) with WANTED or OFFERED postings. Last spring I posted that I wanted a tennis racket, and I got three responses in an hour with people who had a tennis racket to just give me. Today there are offers for a scrap-filled sewing basket, $25 in coupons from Lands End and various baby clothes. Someone wants men’s cologne, any kind, and someone else is asking for a microphone and a desk (okay, that’s me). Also, all posts are moderated by the Free Cycle people, so you won’t find swinger invitations or other crazy stuff. But they don’t monitor the person who comes to pick up your half-used bottle of Drakkar (cue scary music).

So why is a humble blog like Brokelyn writing about a snazzy (but not obscenely expensive) joint like this? Because everyone needs a big night out, and one lucky Brokelyn reader is going to have that night, on us. We have a $75 gift certificate to give away to a random reader—just email us at bussaco@brokelyn.com by noon on Wednesday, Dec. 16 with some version of the words “feed me!” in the subject line. You must be a Brokelyn subscriber to win, which means you’ll get occasional emails from us that we promise you’ll like. Not already on our list? Sign up here.

Bussaco (Park Slope) 833 Union St., between Sixth and Seventh Aves., 718-857-8828