Monthly Archives: March 2007
"I can see clearly now …"
The future of film is coming to the Fremont. This week, San Luis Obispo’s historic movie house becomes one of the first theaters in the area to screen films using a state-of-the-art digital projector. “It’s the way of the future,” said Sanborn Theatres Inc. spokesman Harold Taylor, whose company runs the Fremont Theatre and SLO’s […]
GumbyTube
My friend Dan and I frequently gripe about the entertainment industry’s failure to adapt to new technology. In particular, the music business, which had grown accustomed to gouging us with exorbitant CD prices, failed to adapt to the Internet age and suddenly found its music being shared online — gasp — FOR FREE! Instead of […]
Film Fest winners/Zac Efron update
A documentary billed as a “Mother Teresa meets Indiana Jones adventure” wooed judges at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival enough to capture top honors in this year’s festival competition. “Beyond the Call,” by Chicago native Adrian Belic, was named Best in Competition by the festival this week. The documentary features two men from […]
How They Do It
Ever wonder how they do it? The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival offers a series of workshops and panel discussions this weekend aimed at showing how filmmakers perfect their craft. Today, start your day with “Hollywood Dreams,” a discussion about the challenges of acting and directing in Hollywood. The panel discussion features Oscar-nominated actor […]
The Truth About Tall Men
Oscar nominee James Cromwell appears Saturday in San Luis Obispo On the phone, James Cromwell sounds like your favorite smart uncle. The Oscar-nominated actor is warm and self-effacing, with just the slightest touch of gravel. He chuckles. He raises his voice to discuss a lifetime of activism — animal rights, the anti-war movement, the Black […]
Q: How to do a Q&A
So I have a couple of beefs about the film festival’s Surf Night event at the Fremont Theatre last night: First of all, the Q&A, featuring filmmakers Bruce, Dana and Wes Brown, along with surfer Robert “Wingnut” Weaver, was largely disappointing. If you have a panel of guests, you need a moderator who will ask […]
Jon Anderson's brush with fame
If you read today’s Ticket cover story, you know that Arroyo Grande’s Jon Anderson is a big fan of the movie “This is Spinal Tap.” Many rockers have noted how the movie – a fake documentary about a heavy metal band — nails the rock and roll lifestyle. Anderson, lead singer of the progressive rock […]
Girl in the Curl
Tomorrow, Bruce, Dana and Wes Brown–the famed filmmakers of numerous surf movies from “The Endless Summer” to the current “Chasing Dora”–will be at the Fremont theatre for the film festival’s surf night. I feel a slight connection to the family’s films so I’ll be in the audience. Growing up in San Diego, I began surfing […]
Fiddlin' around
I’m no stranger to sing-along extravaganzas. I’ve gone “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” with “The Wizard of Oz” and shouted my share of insults at the screen at “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” I’ve even participated in an event known as “Sing Your Own Messiah,” which invites concert goers to sing Handel’s “Messiah” alongside professional soloists […]
Re: Surf Night — don't call me!
I’ve had a few calls from people asking me about ticket availability for Surf Night at the SLO Film Festival, which leads me to two important points: 1.) I DO NOT WORK FOR THE FILM FESTIVAL!!! Therefore, I don’t know about ticket availability any more than you do. If you really want to know if […]
She Likes to Watch 