Movies on a Big Screen…the blog!

Wow – so there’s a few things to mention here, since I haven’t been keeping up.

First off, last week we noticed that we got a nice mention in Buzzsaw Magazine, a student-run alternative monthly in Ithaca, NY!

Read the article here at Buzzsaw’s website. We’re written about near the end. For the record, though, it’s still the case that most of what we show has not been rated by the MPAA and most haven’t been in “the main theater circuit” or received “mainstream attention.” But it’s really neat to get recognition in a magazine like Buzzsaw!

Next bit of news: we changed around the website a tiny bit. Now, when you click on “Archives,” you’ll get a page with the prior screenings for the current year. Near the top of the page, up to the left, you can download prior years’ schedules in pdf format. Soon we’ll be adding a couple of pages that spotlight certain titles we’ve run over the years.

Last, but certainly not least – meet Raechel!

There she is after Crappy Christmas: Santa vs. Satan holding up the crappy candy cane sign! She’s the newest MOBS helper and will be doing all kinds of stuff: promotion, research, maybe helping to get us a bit more organized and other stuff that we haven’t even really figured out yet! We’re excited!!

That’s about all we got for right now… but we’re promising to post to the blog more regularly. Ahem.

Well – before we take a little photographic journey back over the second Crappy Christmas show, there’s one more pic from the first Crappy Christmas show to include – I stole this from MOBS stalwart ADQ (and a helluva better photographer than I’ll EVER be, but I did say I’d steal it with attribution):

Alrighty. On to the night of Santa vs. Satan, which nationally syndicated late night horror host, Cinema Insomnia’s Mr. Lobo dropped by to oversee! The whole thing started off pretty serene…

However, we wisely realized that the movie was SO crappy, we’d better cover ourselves:

We still weren’t sure just how many people would come, and then, like something out of a horribly crappy Christmas story, people actually showed up! Lots of ‘em, too! All with $5 in their hands to – to – to see Santa vs. Satan? Did they understand what they were doing, we wondered? Were they of sound mind? Well, OK… We did have that sign warning people… Well, they weren’t all $5 bills. There was this, too:

This might be an appropriate time to mention that we think this is a really good idea for all of you to adopt – it ensures you don’t accidentally spend the money you’ve set aside to see a movie at MOBS. So keep this handy tip in mind, folks.

While there was no dancing Dragon Claus this week, folks seemed to be in pretty good spirits (keep in mind, this was BEFORE seeing the movie), and so it seemed time to start fixin’ that. Mr. Lobo did an intro, most of which I missed, then it came time for him to hand out the 20 or so Crappy Christmas presents we’d brought! There were socks, and an inhumanely ugly and scratchy sweater vest:

(it’s pretty hard to see, but this is the gal who got the sweater vest. And she actually wore it! That’s taking “being a good sport” to a whole new level). There was a book of generic life savers, doggy diapers for excitable urination, a toilet brush, a really “pretty” and nice shower cap:

(again, hard to tell, but that’s Mr. Lobo displaying the wondrous shower cap for all to enjoy). And so many more things you really don’t want to see under that wrapping paper when you’re opening gifts. Oh, and I nearly forgot this:

After the mayhem from the Crappy presents, it was time for the movie. DeeAnn and I braced ourselves for the near-certain mad rush for the exits! And then… nothing. The movie played and I’ll be danged but everyone stayed! And there were even sounds of merriment! Leaving us with nothing to do but shrug. And wait out the hour and a half, knowing that for those watching this holiday atrocity, it would seem more like a day and a half.

And then it ended! And people came out! And Mandi actually drew us a super-cool picture – does this mean there’s MOBS fan art, now?!?

Yes, I think it does! For those who weren’t there, that’s a quote from the movie.

And then I posed for a pic with Mallin, who was oddly affected by the crappiness of the movie – we really didn’t think people’s limbs would begin to blur from sitting through it, but here’s proof:

I sure hope that’s cleared up by now.

Ah – and then the requisite all-male group shot happened (I’m pretty sure we were all glad to get that over with):

But in the end, all holiday cheer was crushed from the souls of those in attendance:

Job well done, MOBS. Job well done.

So here’s a look back at the first Crappy Christmas show of 2009, just 24 hours after it ended.

The night started off peacefully, in opposition to the theme of the evening, as DeeAnn and Robert were setting up the theater for what was to come. The projector was set up, the movie prepped, the concessions arranged, the Crappy Candy Canes carelessly dumped, the Crappy Christmas tree balanced in the mason jar, along with a “Do Not Fondle” warning sign, and a picture was taken with our crappy camera whose batteries were nearly dead (ack! Why don’t I check these things! But at least there was enough power for two pretty lousy quality pics…)

And then some people actually started to show up! And then more!! And then… a crappy polar bear (one of the “stars” of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians aka. MOBS advocate, Mandi), a Christmas tree (? maybe? aka, MOBS advocate, Mallin), and a Christmas dragon/lizard-thing (not exactly sure who was under that head – wait, there’s no dragon/lizard thing in the movie!). So far, this all seemed pretty much normal… (another pic from our Crappy camera follows):

But then, things got weird, as some kind of impromptu dragon/lizard performance occurred, while we were still selling tickets and candy

And then, after the “movie,” things ended the way they started. Sort of…

All in all, it was a great way to kick off the Crappy Christmas season! Now if we can get some Satan costumes (and maybe some Crappy Santas) at Santa vs. Satan… But if you missed Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, you might want to think twice about missing Santa vs. Satan on 12/27…

Wow – it was a busy week of release-related news of titles we’ve shown in the past!

First up! The release of Stingray Sam AND the re-release of The American Astronaut on DVD!

You can also purchase digital downloads of the movies, too! But that’s not all that Cory McAbee has done. Oh no… The soundtrack to The American Astronaut has been re-released, and the soundtrack to Stingray Sam is also available, and there’s premium packs for both movies, too! Plus T-shirts, posters, stickers and more! Get over and check out all the glorious scifi musical western goodness at http://corymcabee.com/store/store.php

Next up! Craig Baldwin has just released Mock Up on Mu on Other Cinema DVD (OCD)!

We showed this one a little over a year ago, and it’s another one definitely worth owning as it demands repeat viewing! The more you watch it, the more you get from it!! That’s at OCD – http://www.othercinemadvd.com/mu.html and is only $24.99! It includes a commentary by director Craig Baldwin and other cool stuff!

And I’m still not done… Jenny Abel, who made Abel Raises Cain (the documentary we’ve shown a couple of times on legendary media hoaxster Alan Abel) just announced the release of the soundtrack to the film.

(from the Abel Raises Cain website):
The soundtrack from Abel Raises Cain features all original music by Alan Abel and spans five decades. Included in this unprecedented collection are rare audio tracks, novelty songs and previously unheard of gems that were all composed, arranged and/or performed by Alan Abel himself. Several tracks also feature Jeanne Abel as Yetta Bronstein. Rest assured that the music by Alan is as quirky, unpredictable and interesting as Abel himself.

Of course, the doc itself is also for sale on DVD and it’s packed with extra features! Get it all here: http://abelraisescain.com/buy_dvd.htm

About Stingray Sam:
A dangerous mission reuinites Stingray Sam with his long lost accomplice, The Quasar Kid. Follow these two space-convicts as they earn their freedom in exchange for the rescue of a young girl who is being held captive by the genetically designed figurehead of a very wealthy planet. Narrated by David Hyde Pierce.

About The American Astronaut:
Space travel has become a dirty way of life dominated by derelicts, grease monkeys, and hard-boiled interplanetary traders such as Samuel Curtis. Written, directed, and starring Cory McAbee of the legendary cult band The Billy Nayer Show, this sci-fi, musical-western uses flinty black and white photography, rugged Lo-Fi sets and the spirit of the final frontier. We follow Curtis on his Homeric journey to provide the all-female planet of Venus with a suitable male, while pursued by an enigmatic killer, Professor Hess. The film features music by The Billy Nayer Show and some of the most original rock n’ roll scenes ever committed to film.

About Mock Up on Mu:
A radical hybrid of spy, sci-fi, Western, and even horror genres, Craig Baldwin’s Mock Up On Mu cobbles together a feature-length “collage-narrative” based on (mostly) true stories of California’s post-War sub-cultures of rocket pioneers, alternative religions, and Beat lifestyles. Pulp-serial snippets, industrial-film imagery, and B- (and Z-) fiction clips are intercut with newly shot live-action material, powering a playful, allegorical trajectory through the now-mythic occult matrix of Jack Parsons (Crowleyite founder of the Jet Propulsion Lab), L.Ron Hubbard (sci-fi author turned cult-leader), and Marjorie Cameron (bohemian artist and “mother of the New Age movement”). Their intertwined tales spin out into a speculative farce on the militarization of space, and the corporate take-over of spiritual fulfillment and leisure-time.

About Abel Raises Cain:
Abel Raises Cain is an unprecedented glimpse into the life and bizarre career of infamous underground media prankster, Alan Abel. Over the past half-century, Abel has made a name for himself several times over with stunts that are just ridiculous enough to be believable, especially to a media that feeds on salacious, far-fetched stories. Alan’s daughter, Jenny, tells her firsthand account of what it was like growing up with this lovable but slightly demented prankster for a father. Abel Raises Cain takes the audience on a roller coaster ride through the myriad of elaborate hoaxes and schemes that Abel pulled off over the years, all of which were designed to provoke and amuse…while at the same time, make people question everything that they see, hear and read.

Last month, a guy named Matt contacted us about proposing to his girlfriend, Rahel – and wanted to do it at MOBS – and the whole thing would be a surprise to her!

He had put together a compilation of video of the two of them which would run with trailers. At one point in the video, the screen goes black, and during that time is when a spotlight would hit them and the actual proposal happens. We had previously figured out where they’d sit and had the spotlight pre-aimed, and last night – on Sunday, November 8, 2009, it all went off without a hitch! EXCEPT… I forgot to bring a camera, so we have no pictures of them at MOBS.

Oh – and she did say “yes!”

It seems that the increasingly popular Las Vegas Film Fest, Cinevegas, is going “on hiatus” for 2010, citing the economy. The fest, which Dennis Hopper serves as Chair of their Creative Advisory Board, has played host to a number of celebrities and major studio premieres, along with a healthy mix of straight-up indie flicks.

Fest president Robin Greenspun told The Hollywood Reporter, “CineVegas has become such a well-respected film festival, and rather than allow the economy to affect its level of quality we have opted to put the event on hold.”

Some commenters on the internet have speculated there may be more to the story. One person (identified as michaelny) noted in a follow-up to Indiewire’s article, “The level of quality now is NON-existent, as in no quality whatsoever,” as the fest will not exist. The same person further mentions that arts organizations have had to scale back around the country to adapt to the economy, and wonders why this might not have been an option, rather than completely shuttering the fest for the year. Their final statement in this comment: “Furthermore, it sends a rather chilling message to the independent film community at large: ‘better to quit rather than risk the glory of your reputation by producing something more modest.’”

And he’s right. Many fests (and other arts organizations) have had to scale back, including Tribeca and the New York Film Festival. Late last year, however, the economy did deliver a fatality in the world of fests: the rapidly growing Jackson Hole Film Festival went under, despite having 10,000 in attendance in 2008, “roughly the same size as the venerated Telluride,” according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide.

Now, New York’s Rooftop Films is also having some financial issues.

Their website has the following: “Rooftop Films needs your help. While you have already made the 2009 Summer Series our most successful ever – your attendance, your feedback, and your films have all been through the roof – that is sadly not enough in today’s economic climate. As the 2009 festival winds down, cutbacks by funders and sponsors have created a severe gap in our budget, which threatens to drastically shrink our future programming. We must raise $70,000 by October to ensure that Rooftop can continue without compromise in 2010. Your donation – whether it’s $1,000 or $100 or $10 – is crucial to that effort.”

Wow. Now granted, we’re generally in a bit of a different class than Rooftop Films (although we have shown a few of the same titles in the past), but what we couldn’t do with 70K! Hmm – maybe some of these folks oughtta bring MOBS on for some consulting on how to beg, borrow and jury-rig your way to holding screenings on the cheap.

Nah – it wouldn’t be fancy enough, I suppose…

Dead Exit, the locally produced zombie short which was primarily shot at the old MOBS location in West Sacramento is now available on DVD!

All but the opening scene was shot at the old MOBS screening space in West Sac! We also hosted the sneak preview of it back in March of 2009. Since then, it’s won “Best Short Horror Film” at the Action on Film Festival, was nominated for Best Horror Film at this year’s DragonCon, and has screened at both Shocker Fest and the Chicago Horror Film Festival! It will also be screening at Sac Horror Film Fest on their closing night, Oct 25th, as part of a shorts compilation beginning at 8 PM!

But now — it’s also on DVD for only 10 bucks!! It is a shorter film, but has been fleshed (ahem) out with 90 minutes of features, including a commentary. Support local filmmaking! Support zombie flicks! Buy it by going to the Dead Exit site and choosing either Google Checkout or Paypal!

It even has a commentary!! So grab it! And who knows – if enough copies sell, maybe some producer will kick down $5 mil for a feature adaptation (or $500K. or $200K. or…?? Wes, Ryan, Bob – I get 10% as an adviser if that happens because of this blog post, ok? OK!).

But seriously! Grab it! It’s a great zombie flick and is a great way to reminisce about the old West Sac space (for those who went there)! And to view the bloody horrors that occurred within and without the walls of 600 4th St, which you were blissfully unaware of as you enjoyed a movie at MOBS.

Get it. See it. Now!

This weekend – Sept 11 and Sept 13 – will mark our 3rd year anniversary here at MOBS! From a quick count, it looks like over the past three years, we’ve shown nearly 150 unique titles!

The very first movie we screened was a documentary on an early 80’s hardcore band (at least they were lumped in with hardcore bands at the time and were definitely part of that scene). While we didn’t plan this, we’ll be moving into our fourth year with a title featuring a different kind of “core” – nerdcore, with the screening of Nerdcore Rising, and it somehow seems extremely appropriate.

Speaking of nerds, I want to give a special mention to SacGeeks

We first met the proudly geeky founder, Steph, when we did the Buffy night a couple of years ago. She did a huge amount of work promoting it, and was instrumental to that evening’s success. Since then, she has tirelessly supported Movies on a Big Screen and independent film in Sacramento in general – in addition to countless other geeky events, many of which she organizes herself. She also runs Fantastic Frontiers, and has even recently started creating content and posting to youtube! So come out and celebrate geekdom this weekend at the Nerdcore Rising screenings, and definitely check out SacGeeks! Without folks like Steph, it’s pretty unlikely we’d have made it through three years. Which leads me to…

Many other organizations, groups, bloggers and individuals in Sacramento have also helped us get to this point in time, as well! An all-encompassing list would be nearly impossible to create, but some of the organizations include (in no particular order): Sacramento News & Review, Capital Public Radio, Sacramento Bee, Midtown Monthly, our first “home – the now-defunct Fools Foundation (and Liz Donner), The Book Collector, Sacramento Magazine, KDVS, Al Williamson and The Guild Theater, The Verge Gallery, LJ Urban, World’s Best Comics, Sacramento Press, Minnick Web Services, Capital Film Arts Alliance, Midtown Grid, Trash Film Orgy, Access Sacramento (and its Executive Director, Ron Cooper), SacTown Magazine, and Submerge. Blogs include SacRag, Living in Urban Sac, Heckasac (who even blogged about our very first night), Dumbworld Order, Secrets of Sacramento, and Central City Guy (aka, Rob McQuade – the first to use the acronym “MOBS” which we promptly appropriated). Wow – but I’m still not done…

Because then there’s the people: Galen Howard, Aaron Hawkins, Bill Robertson, Stew and his wife Marissa, current ex-pat Dave “Smith,” Jason and Jeanine Hale, Korey, Cinema Insomnia’s Mr. Lobo, Bill Burg (of Sacramento Old City Assn and a jillion other things), and everyone who has ever gone to see something we’ve shown and/or plugged us on or off the Internet! Whether you’re a “regular” or not, every single person has helped keep us going! And we also thank every filmmaker who has worked with us to have their films shown at MOBS!

So really – thank you ALL for helping to keep MOBS going – and throughout our fourth year, we pledge to continue to bring the strange, the thought-provoking and the just plain cool titles that we’re known for – which in most cases, wouldn’t otherwise play in Sacramento.

Oh yeah – and there’s now a MOBS Café Press thing set up! You can buy shirts, tote bags, etc – and we don’t get a penny from it (it’s all sold at-cost). But when you wear or use the stuff around town, you’ll be constantly pushing MOBS on the unsuspecting public!!! Given the fact that our advertising budget is 0 dollars, every little bit helps! It’s at http://www.cafepress.com/moviesbigscreen

And don’t forget to catch Nerdcore Rising this weekend!

Well look at that! We get a blog, then I injure my back. Then get busy. And the brand-new blog sits all lonely and empty. Ah well.

First off, a tiny bit of MOBS news – if you haven’t notice on our schedule page… the Found Footage Festival will be making a return to Movies on a Big Screen! Not only that, but I gotta date for you all! Sunday, Oct 4. The tentative times are 4 PM and 7 PM (update- there will be one screening at 7:30 PM only). This will be at The Guild. Earlier this year, we were on the tail-end of the tour, and now, we’re closer to the start of the tour featuring an entirely new program for 2009-2010! Yep, you read that right – it’s a new program! Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher (Colbert Report, Late Show with David Letterman and The Onion) will again be here with their live comedic accompaniment to the found footage that they dig up. If you went last time, you know you need to go again. If you didn’t, don’t make that mistake again. Seriously. You have no idea what you missed.

You also probably won’t want to miss Mad City Chickens this weekend (August 7 and 9 – with the filmmakers in attendance on the 7th), The Visioneers on August 14 and 16, and Back to School Night with Movies on a Big Screen on August 23 at The Guild, as well. That’s going to be hosted by Cinema Insomnia’s Mr. Lobo! Just check out our schedule.

On to other news that might be of interest.

It seems that the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is putting its weekly film series on hiatus by November. This series has highlighted classic and foreign films for the last 37 years. It recently has been programmed by Ian Bernie. Bernie has been a full-time employee, but will be dropped to a part-time consultant.

The issue at hand seems to be about money. Audiences have been dwindling and funding has been difficult to obtain. As a result, they will “reconsider the nature, scale, and scope of our film programs.”

They further state, “As part of that, and for the present, we will certainly place greater emphasis on artist-created films reflecting the museum’s growing relationship with contemporary artists and the contemporary art world.”

I’m not precisely sure what they mean by “artist-created films” (what they were showing were made by people with no artistic sense?), but I think I can guess, as can you.

Some folks have speculated that part of the problem is that the film program was really only marketed to museum members, so outside awareness was low. In a forum set up to discuss this hiatus, one person specifically stated that they first heard about the film program because of news that it was being shuttered (for now). There seems to be agreement that promotion was definitely minimal on their series.

Variety’s Todd McCarthy thinks blaming the economic situation “seems too convenient.” He further states, “I’m told the film program ran at a deficit of $70,000 last year, which is chicken feed for such an institution. Is it worth closing down the entire film operation just for that? Hardly. It seems like just an excuse to eliminate an activity in which the current museum administration must not be very interested.”

LACMA does say that they will continue to present exhibition-related programs, a reliance on which I always find somewhat puzzling. I realize that this is “the thing that museums do,” but having an on-going film program which is not tied to current exhibitions can be profoundly important. And mixing up that film program in attempt to make it appealing, I think, is a great thing – heck, make it a little bit “dangerous.” Keep in mind, I do understand that it can be difficult, as museums need to keep their current members happy (often, a large portion of whom are generally older) while still trying to attract new, younger members, and finding a balance can be more than tricky.

However, given that LACMA is one of only a couple of museums who have had an on-going film program over the years (e.g. the New York Museum of Modern Art also does), it’s really too bad they have found the need to bring it to a halt, at least for now, rather than continuing it while adjusting programming.

I do also understand the problems with limited promotional ability. Heck, without social networking, word of mouth, and the help of those in the local media who support us, no one would know we even existed. We have no marketing budget, as we have no money for marketing. Add to that, most of the titles we run have no marketing budget either, so no one has ever heard of them, and you start to get the picture. So I do feel the pain in this area of LACMA’s series.

Having said all of this, keep an eye out for some news on a batch of very cool films that the Crocker will be hosting (which, yes, will be tied to an exhibition)! As soon as we can, we’ll let you know the details.

This is a bit of old news, from earlier this month — I couldn’t get to it thanks to my back seizing up, but in case anyone missed it, this might be of interest:

Swedish director Fredrik Gertten recently made a documentary titled, “Bananas!” The doc covered a suit brought against Dole Foods by Los Angeles personal injury lawyer Juan Dominguez on behalf of several Nicaraguan workers who (supposedly) worked for Dole.

Here’s the background: In the 1970’s, Dole made extensive use of the pesticide Dibromochloropropane (DBCP). In 1977, Dow Chemicals, the manufacturer, discontinued it due to indications it led to sterility in those exposed to it. However, while Dole stopped using it in the US, they reportedly bought up all remaining supplies for use outside the US, including Nicaragua, and still utilize it today by Dole. This is something the CEO of Dole openly admitted in court, so there’s little doubt to the truth of this.

So Dominguez brought a suit, again, on behalf of a number of Nicaraguan Dole employees who are now (supposedly) sterile from the chemical, and Gertten documented this legal battle, which ended (as does the film) in a judgement against Dole for 1.5 million. Specifically, the jury found in favor of most (not all) of the plaintiffs and that Dole acted in malice. Sounds like a good little guy vs. evil corporation doc, right? Maybe even something we at MOBS might show…? Well, it’s not that simple after all.

The film was completed and accepted to the Los Angeles Film Festival. It was to have it’s world premiere there, in competition. But then Dole appealed and Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Victoria Chaney found that the supposed employees, in fact, never worked for Dole and further found that Dominguez had coached them to perpetrate this fraud. There were two additional pending cases, both under Dominguez, which Chaney threw out. For now, the 1.5 mil judgement stands, but is currently under further appeal. In fact, the plaintiffs will need to show that no fraud was committed. She further took action to report Dominguez to the California State Bar and to federal prosecutors. Dominguez now faces contempt charges.

Now on to the Los Angeles Film Fest: Dole threatened to sue the film festival if the film ran. LAFF pulled it from competition and, after negotiations with Dole, ran it as a “case study” with a strong writtend and verbal disclaimer prior to the screenings (there were two) which disclosed Chaney’s findings and that Dominguez’s actions were under suspicion.

Following the screenings, discussions took place regarding the ethics of documentary filmmaking. All the while, Gertten has denied any wrongdoing and asserts that this all simply detracts from the fact that Dole admittedly has been using DBCP. He plans further film festival screenings and a larger theatrical release later this year.

Does that sound like the end of this? It’s not.

Now Dole has filed suit against Gertten, the producer, Margarete Jangard, and the production company, WG Films, for including “patent faleshoods” in the documentary. They intend to stop any further screenings or release of the title. This, primarily based on Judge Chaney’s findings. Gertten continues to defend the film, stating, “”Everything I filmed is the truth: It’s what my cameras captured and how this all played out during this trial.”

I have no idea who’s right or wrong here (on the Dole/Dominguez end of things). But if you think about it, this is pretty fascinating stuff, raising a number of questions regarding responsibility in documentary filmmaking, particularly in the realm of issue-based docs. At the very least, it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

Footnote, potentially of interest. Dole is a fairly major contributor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (over $300,000 as of 2006, and I’m not sure how much since then). Judge Chaney is no longer involved in any of the pending litigation. Why is that? Shortly after her involvement with the Dominguez cases, she was appointed to Division One of the Second District Court of Appeal by Gov. Schwarzenegger on June 11, 2009. I’m sure it’s coincidence (and really, I am – usually these appointments are decided well before they are announced), but it’s odd enough to note.