Since May 1976, I have written in journals. When I have nothing particularly resonant to say about my own inner turmoil, philosophic ramblings, sexual peccadillos or whining on about the state of the world around me...I have always fallen back on reporting the cultural time consumption that takes up in inordinate portion of my daily goings on.
In the 40+ years since my first concerts seeing Children's Symphony presentations on Sundays at the Pasadena Civic or The Hot Jazz Society's monthly Dixieland romps in an old meeting hall on the edge of the L.A. "River" across from Griffith Park, I have been sold heavily on the magic of live music. As Neil Young so aptly put it, "Live music is better bumper stickers should be issued."
Growing up a few orange groves and canyons length away from Hollywood also contributed greatly to my family's addiction to movie going. From the time I was a small there were weekly trips to the drive-in theaters that dotted the landscape, or the local Temple theater for the Saturday matinees. Once in a while we'd drive the 12 miles into Hollywood and see something in one of the magnificent old movie palaces like Grauman's Chinese, the Egyptian, The Pantages or later the Cinerama Dome. My dad loved Westerns and War movies, as if he didn't get enough shoot-'em-up as an L.A. County Sheriff in his day gig, my mom adored musicals and comedies. My brother and I loved them all.
At SDSU, I played in my first gigging band and began booking concerts on campus as part of the well-funded Cultural Arts Board, kindling for my future life in and around music.
So it's not surprising that my first jobs out of college were working in local video rental places (which were all the rage) or managing a couple of Sam Goody record stores in Mall's on the East Coast where we marveled at the new CD format and sold the first home computers and video games (yes Commodore and Pong and Atari).
So these are really just extensions of all of those journal entries talking about the great new movies I was seeing and LPs/CDs I was listening to.
Though iPODS/iPADs, apps, smart phones and downloads now make music and movies accessible in your own pocket, there is still nothing like sitting in front of a stack of speakers with a room full of people swaying to music created before your eyes. Nor is there anything that works quite so well for me to escape the real world and all of it's pressures just outside than two hours in a dark theater, absorbing the stories flickering across that wide screen as they pull you into their world.
But a really good taco runs a close third...
Showing posts with label Village Theater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Village Theater. Show all posts
With the Village Theater closed August 15, film buffs in Big Bear Lake are left with three first-run films in town each week (occasionally 4) instead of the usual five we've been used to for years. But for cineasts and fledgling film buffs alike, this small town, only 2 hours away from the bright lights of Hollywood still has offered plenty of filmic fun.
In late August, there was a wonderful special event for film fans on the mountain: A rare showing of the landmark silent film, THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD from 1924. So rare these days to see a silent film anywhere but late at night on TCM. In first the penny arcades then the silent movie halls was where the industry learned it's craft, where film making sprouted wings.
Starring Douglas Fairbanks, Julianne Johnston and Anna May Wong, this swashbuckling adventure was presented at a fundraiser for the Community Arts Theater Society of Big Bear Lake (C.A.T.S) in their Olde Tyme Movie Night series.
Of special interest to film fans was the organ and sound effects accompaniment by renowned musician Bob Salisbury which gave old and young alike a chance to experience what it was like in the Golden Age of silent film before talkies revolutionized the movie industry.
The film was shown on the side if C.A.T.S. Warehouse Theater and the admission price of $20 included the film, pasta dinner served by the adjacent Broadway Cafe, and popcorn. It was a beautiful, summer evening and a perfect occasion to get out and see a film under the stars.
In the early years of it's development before jet travel and superhighways made getting away from it all a more world-wide opportunity, Big Bear Lake was a hideaway spot for the Hollywood film industry. Not only did they make 100s of films in the rustic grandeur of the surrounding wilderness areas but many stars had weekend homes throughout the Bear Valley.
Proximity to Hollywood still brings a passionate film goer to the mountain and locals have many wonderful opportunities in the summer time to catch movies around town.
On select Saturdays this summer families have enjoyed MOVIES ON THE BEACH at the Swim Beach Amphitheater on Park Avenue. A fun place to take the kids for family fare like Happy Feet 2, Cars 2 andThe Muppets Movie.With an open snack bar and beautiful sunsets that lead right up to movie time, these are great events for kids and mom and dad as well.
All of this leads up to the 13th Annual BIG BEAR LAKE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL taking place September 14th-16th. Known for it's annual Screenwriters Competition, this year the festival honors Academy Award winning screenwriter Tom Schulman, whose first feature script for Dead Poet's Societywon him the coveted Oscar statuette in 1990. He has also written screenplays for Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, What About Bob? (my favorite of his projects and the last film I saw in a drive-in theater, by the way),Medicine Man and Holy Man in addition to becoming a leading director and producer as well as executive with the Writers Guild of America and the Writers Guild Foundation. Schulman will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for Screenwriting from BBLIFF.
See a trailer on the Big Bear International Film Festival here.
Being honored posthumously with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Cinematography is the great cinematographer/director/photographer, Jack Cardiff. His camera work won an Oscar for Black Narcissus (1947) and The Red Shoes, The African Queen, and Death On The Nile. He worked alongside legendary directors such as Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston, Orson Welles, Joseph Mankiewicz, Laurence Olivier and King Vidor. A wonderful documentary, Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010) is being screened during the festival.
From the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival's website:
"BBLIFF was founded in 2000 to showcase the emerging talent of screenwriters and independent filmmakers within the idyllic setting of Big Bear Lake. Our goal is to nurture a festival that is highly creative, filmmaker friendly and which provides an educational experience for people interested in all aspects of the film industry."
The BBLIFF features three days packed with events, screenings of features, shorts, student films, panels and Q&A sessions, parties and even a film camp. Find out more about the schedule of events, including Screenwriters Competition,
here.
Thanks to Monique and Brandon R. Miller of BBLIFF for assistance with this article.
But I absolutely am addicted to going to the movies. As you have read in my introduction to this blog and elsewhere or if you have tried to reach me on bargain nights at the various theaters wherever I am, you know I am sitting in the dark, shutting up (for once) and diving into some popcorn deeply involved in whatever alternate universe I am exploring from my aisle seat.
I like stories. Sure songs, novels, poetry, paintings, conversation, a smattering of television are okay. But when at all possible, that walk into big dark room where the illusion of being drawn into the bigger-than-life story being laid out on that huge screen is just about as good as it gets for me.
Yes, I have been accused of "liking everything." WRONG! Did you see BATTLESHIP? Oy. But, I DO like the movie-going process. I enjoy checking out how a movie was made, what I would've changed to make it better. I had to see INCEPTION three times in the theater to have any idea of what was really going on. But each time I was stunned by the artistic achievement of the visual and sonic aspects of the film. I bought the DVD and get some new insight every time I see it. I have seen ERASERHEAD two dozen times at least and 1/3 of those on the big screen. No idea what the hell is going on but I can't stop watching and I haven't MISS a David Lynch film since.
Direct focused interaction with the transportational artistic devices in film present demonstrative elements that allow one's own imagination, interpretive skills, emotional moods and perspectives to contextualize life in ways the overwhelming speed and roar of the real world blur in our daily lives. Leaving a theater with new perspectives on human relations, individual achievements, empathetic experiences as well as the distinct possibility of just leaving life's pressures and intrusions behind for a couple of hours is well-needed in these stress-filled times.
It is not an accident or even a product of marketing that has long made movies popular in times of economic, emotional and societal depression. Escapism is not just for hiding out from reality's travails. It fosters perspective, needed distance or at times the neglected focus about our place in this universe that helps us to deal with our everyday issues.
But, really, in spite of all the high fallutin' rationale, I primarily just like stories. Stories about people, places, things. Stories with laughs, suspense, thrills, horrors, sexiness. Stories I don't have to live through in real life. Other people's stories but stories that in some way foster some glimmers of being part of something bigger than my own little worries, my own ego-centric world view. They let me get a sense of some kind of shared humanity, some kind of hopefulness, of poignant pain, unrealistic or improbable futures, or different, distant pasts that allows us a better chance of living a more considered, thoughtful and observant life. Movies help me see that my world is just a small fragment of a much larger existence out there where the chances that anything can and does happen, a world of limitless possibility, untapped imagination and breathless humanity. Bring it on.
##
1999 photo from the Will Viner collection
I mourn the passing of the Village Theater in Big Bear Lake. It closed on August 14. Rumors that another theater company is interested in opening up with second run films, i.e. films you may have missed in the theaters in the recent past, (generally movies are about 4 months old). The hard part these days is that 35mm movie grade prints are rarely produced other than for first run films. I do see films at the Academy in Pasadena which was a beautiful old theater when I was young and now is a multi-plex of 5-6 screens (?). Their prints are generally pretty good so it can be done. Hopefully, that will come to fruition here. But for now, these are only rumors and the "FOR SALE OR LEASE" sign is still out front.
What I would love to see is a resurgence of what used to be called "repertory cinema" houses. This town may not be the place, but who knows. College towns are good for this. The great Ken Cinema in the North Park section of San Diego was a treasure. Programming ws eclectic and exhilarating and I spent many nights a week there while in college when I should have been studying but how could I resist? They changed the programming 3-4 times a week and always featured double bills. Mon-Tues might be two Woody Allen films of fairly recent vintage. I recall a double bill of Bananas and Take The Money & Run while Sleeper was in the first run theaters across town. I first dug the films of the great director Stanley Kubrick when on a Wed-Thurs they showed a dbl. feature of Dr. Strangelove and Paths of Glory. There might be a Bogart night or a couple of days of films by the legendary surrealist Luis Bunuel. More popular fare hit on the weekends and every Friday at midnight was, of course, The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Always double bills and always good prices and always lots of butts in seats.
Whatever goes into the building, Bear Valley movie fans will miss the familiar faces of the long-time staff (most of them will move down the street to the Village Theater on Pine Knot) and young Big Bear students who often held their first jobs behind the candy counter in this classic old theater will have to count on their memories from now on to conjure up their own nostalgic moments. For movie buffs, losing two screens in town would be a real shame. While my mom was a movie buff and Dad had a cheap drive-in movie pass when were were growing up, we also drove to Hollywood for big name releases once and awhile, did the Universal tour, met a few movie stars and have only missed one Oscars broadcast since I was 10. While I have my favorite stars (Depp, DeNiro, Cruz, Johansson...), directors (Woody Allen, Pedro Almodovar, Christopher Nolan...) and genres (foreign, epics, psychological thrillers...)
Village Theaters business owner Will Viner posted the following thank you to long-time patrons here: www.villagetheaters.com
I personally will miss the old theater. In spite of the roller coaster rise and fall of the sloping rows of seats which sometimes puts your line of vision below the shoulders of the people directly in front of you (I have learned which rows NOT to sit in), the projectors and sound in the old theater were the best on the mountain and as with all of the theaters in the E&Wtheater chain, the prices are unbeatable and I'm told will continue at the Pine Knot Avenue location. Having a neighborhood theater where you see folks you know every week and you can share the movie-going experience helps create a sense of community that you can never get in the big suburban or inner city multi-plexes and in this day and age where every mall and street in the country features the same cookie-cutter chain stores and marquees, it is nice to have a place that feels your own. Like a good neighborhood bar, a favorite local band or a breakfast joint that knows your order before you walk in the door. Memories are built like this. I wish nothing but the best of luck to Will and Bruce and my good friend Koley who I met when she was just a teenager behind the glass in the ticket booth so many years ago. They and their staff have created a friendly and smiling environment where, in this small mountain burg, the locals and tourists alike can enjoy a quality night out on the town.
Regarding my personal tastes, in addition to the 2-3 movies a week at the Village Theaters, I still head down the hill driving two hours each way a couple of times a month for a day or two and camp out in the Laemmele Theaters in Pasadena or the Landmark Theaters in Hollywood to see that latest independent, foreign and art-house flicks. And Lord knows the bargain bins at K-Mart and Big Bear's indie owned Blockbuster have provided a recent plethora of B-pictures, old classics and the odd essential addition to my DVD collection for next to nothing. Nothing like batch of "sale" priced movies to cheer me up. I won't even get into my NetFlix habit which has blown up exponentially since I gave up my exhaustively expensive cable bill two years ago. Too many films, not enough time.
The profusion of Hollywood blockbusters is generally what we get on our 5 screens in the little town, lots of kids movies, horror and teen-aged fare which is needed to keep the theaters afloat. Once and awhile the wonderful folks who run the theaters respond to the requests of their more discerning crowd and bring a spectacular, more critically favored film (i.e. indie or less of a box-office smash) to town and we love them for it. Recently, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (not the greatest title for a film) played for a week and I heard not one bad thing from anyone lucky enough to catch it. It was delightfully written, compellingly acted and a visual feast. Coming soon to town will be the surprise romantic all-star hit of the summer, MOONRISE KINGDOM and the Lee Hirsch documentary BULLY. Both sound like must-see films for those looking outside the general car chase and animated summer fare.
Well, all of this by way of introduction to this new more regular movie review column. I will try to keep the reviews weekly and brief from now on and my mix up some DVD and NetFlix fare along with theatrical releases in the future but primarily I'll be giving my own, highly opinionated capsule reviews of recently viewed films.
This week in theaters:
TOTAL RECALL
Colin Farrell, Bookeem Woodbine, Bryan Cranston, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bill Nighy
****1/2
Directed by Len Wiseman
Remake of the 1990 Arnold Schwarzeneggger vehicle of the same name (originally directed by Paul Verhoeven). This one was light year's better, in my humble opinion. Not only was the acting predictably not as stiff and formulaic but the visual sensibility was up there with BLADE RUNNER and A.I. as a stunning glimpse at a futuristic world not so far from our quickly changing, present day timeline. This world is bleaker and grittier than either of the scenario's shown in the above SciFi classics but as compellingly created by the filmmakers. Based on Philip K. Dick's short story, "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale"...this new version stays firmly planted on Earth while the book and original had sub-plot set on Mars. Dick also wrote the books/stories that were the basis for the films "BLADE RUNNER", "MINORITY REPORT", "ADJUSTMENT BUREAU", "SCREAMERS", "IMPOSTER" "PAYCHECK", "KING OF ELVES", "A SCANNER DARKLY", "NEXT", "CONFESSIONS D'UN BARJO"...PKD is my all-time favorite sci-fi writer and was a unique and odd and compelling human being...read him. Some of his most popular work are "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" (aka Blade Runner); "The Cosmic Puppets", "Martian Time-Slip", "A Scanner Darkly" and my own personal fave "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch." Buy them all!!! www.philipkdick.com
THE CAMPAIGN
Will Ferrell, Zach Ganifikanis, John Lithgow, Dan Ackroyd, Dylan McDermott
***1/2
Directed by Jay Roach
Not the hilarity fest I had hoped but lots of fun, off-color and ridiculous moments as is to be expected from these guys. Ferrell was much more low-key than usual playing an unlikeable dolt and Zach the big scene-stealer playing a delightful dweeb who challenges the incumbent Ferrell in a last minute bid for a seat in Congress. The ensuing cutthroat campaign nearly destroys them both. And no, I don't limit my reviews to movies staring people named Farrell/Ferrell. I'd review a new movie by the Farrelly Brothers as well, if there was one out now. In the meantime, here are some others...
THE DARK KNIGHT RISES
Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Michael Caine, Joseph Gordon-Leavitt
****1/2
Directed by Christopher Nolan
I rarely see films twice in a theater (getting to be a habit with Chris Nolan's films), but I wanted to see the final showing at the Village Theater and I was quite taken with this third in Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. While a bit long and convoluted plot wise (takes a LONG time before we ever see the Batman cowled and hittin' it), I loved the look of this film. Nolan is a stunningly visual director and the cast here was A-list good though Anne Hathaway while fine and gorgeous lacked the stylized cattiness of previous Catwomen, Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry. Tom Hardy, another favorite actor in Nolan's films (as is co-star Marion Cotillard) is intense and practically unrecognizable as the villain, Bane. Nolan's trio of films is so much darker and more adult oriented than the Spiderman series.
Last week or two:
THE WATCH
Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughan, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade, R. James Ermey
***
Directed by Akiva Shaffer
A fun comedy though not great but some laughs and a nice diversion. Vaughn's dry delivery and Stiller's befuddled but persistent hero save the pic from just silly, nothingness. There are good lines throughout but not a lot of super, great lines as four bumbling wanna be hero's form a Neighborhood Watch when aliens invade the solitude of their suburban town.
SAVAGES
Aaron Johnson, Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, John Travolta, Benecio del Toro, Salma Hayek
****1/2
Directed by Oliver Stone
Well acted by the incredible cast, this is one of my favorite movies of the year. Travolta and Del Toro are sublime. This is the story of two local pot growers servicing the medical marijuana stores who get involved in an ill advised involvement with a Mexican drug cartel owned by Hayek. Del Toro is simply menacing in this role.
on DVD:
FROM DUSK TILL DAWN
George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, Danny Trejo, John Hawkes, Fred Williamson
****
Directed by Robert Rodriquez
I had forgotten how much fun this movie was. Though the vampire horror make-up looks a bit over the top these post-Twilight days, it was state-of-the-art back in the day. The creepiness factor rules this film with Tarantino's role taking the cake (he also wrote the screenplay). Really a Grindhouse movie stylistically with a bigger FX budget (master Special FX man, Tom Savini even has a starring role) this one is just a hell ride from start to finish. I love Lewis and Keitel's performances and the opening sequence in the liquor store is edgy and twisted in a Peckinpaugh-Meets-Pulp Fiction way. Great color and score add to the garishness of the whole shebang. Not to mention one of my favorite songs, DARK NIGHT by always riveting L.A. band, The Blasters (hear the abbreviated version under the FDTD credits above and a cool more recent live version below.
