Tampa Film Fan

hurricane wilma’s effect on florida movie theater chains

This story about how Florida’s movie theater chains have been affected by Hurricane Wilma has probably run locally, but I happened to catch it first in the North Dakota paper Herald News Daily, so that’s what I’m posting.

discovering the classics at the education channel november 10

Are you depressed because there won’t be a Coffeehouse Film Review this month? Are you wondering what to do with your second Thursday of the month? Here’s an idea for you.

As part of The Education Channel’s Media Arts and Technology program, independent film consultant and former Tampa Theatre film curator Diane Howe Eberly will present a lecture and screening called “Discovering the Classics” at 7:00 p.m. November 10 at The Education Channel (703 N. Willow Avenue).

Eberly will address why and how a film becomes designated “classic.” The lecture will include an overview of filmmaking throughout the past century and screen portions of movies that have made the “top ten” must-see list for film buffs. The session is open to those interested in life-long learning and is free to the public. It is appropriate for high school students through senior adults.

(From an Education Channel email.)

For more information, visit www.educationchannel.org.

beautiful losers at usf’s contemporary art museum

The University of South Florida’s Contemporary Art Museum is presenting “Beautiful Losers: Contemporary Art and Street Culture” from November 4 to December 17.

This exhibition of multi-media art and design …explores the recent work of a diverse group of visual artists that have emerged from aspects of street culture loosely organized around the subcultures of skateboarding, graffiti, punk and hip-hop in urban U.S. cities. It includes painting, sculpture, photography, film, video and performance by 30 individuals who have emerged over the last decade. For information visit www.usfcam.usf.edu/framestest/irafs.html.

(From an email from USF.)

The Beautiful Losers film series will be on Saturday, November 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Tampa Theatre. This screening is of a selection of feature-length and short films related to graffiti, hip-hop and skate cultures. Admission is free.

local film fat chance available on dvd

Manatee County filmmaker Stu Gold’s independent romantic comedy Fat Chance is now available on DVD at http://www.tonsofgold.com.

From UCW Entertainment Wire:

The film was completed by Walt Jenkins, a 30-year Hollywood veteran, and stars Stu Gold, Breven Warren (who is also seen in Transporter 2 as the character Lola’s body double), and Tim O’Rien. A full team of local talent including over 56 local actors assisted in the creation of Fat Chance…The movie was filmed in the Tampa Bay area and includes Palmetto, Brandenton, and Anna Maria Island.

(My original post had the production company’s name instead of the movie title in the subject line. Oops!)

vampire bats on cbs features local actor

I heard Walt Belcher from the Tampa Tribune talking about this on WFLA earlier this week, and now Chase Squires has written about it in the St. Pete Times, but in case you missed it:

The movie Vampire Bats, which airs Sunday on CBS and stars Lucy Lawless, features Clearwater actor Brandon Rodriguez. Get the whole story here.

film fan finding:serenity

Serenity (PG-13)

Serenity, based on the short-lived TV show Firefly, is the big-screen directorial debut of Joss Whedon, best-known for his TV shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly. It’s a few hundred years in the future, and the governmental/military organization the Alliance has finally won the battle for control of Earth and the rest of the planets and moons that have been terraformed. The Alliance can’t be everywhere at once, so many of the outer planets’ inhabitants make do with what little supplies and technology they have, governing and protecting themselves the best they can. It’s like the Wild West of the 1880s, except with technology and spaceships.

Which brings us to the Firefly-class ship Serenity, owned by the war- and world-weary Malcolm, who just wants to stay away from the Alliance and make a few bucks for his devoted crew through jobs both legal and illegal. He discovers that Serenity passenger Dr. Simon Tam has stowed away his telepathic sister River after rescuing her from the Alliance’s top-secret experimental medical facility. The Alliance wants her back, of course, and is willing to do anything to retrieve her.

I’m a huge Joss Whedon fan and had just finished watching Firefly on DVD a few days before seeing Serenity. I wondered if people unfamiliar with the TV show would be lost, but Whedon established characters and gave explanations at the very beginning of the film, so the film is accessible to anyone. On the flip side, Whedon was faithful to the TV show’s storyline and picked up a couple of plot points right where they had left off, which satisfied the fans’ desire to find out what happened to these beloved characters.

I was brutally disappointed about the omission of the TV theme song, which I love. I was also a little disappointed that some of the main characters were barely used. But with nine main characters, I guess that’s what happens when you have to compress everything into a two-hour film. Serenity is a fast-paced, engaging action/adventure/western/sci-fi thriller, with some comedy and a smidge of romance thrown in for good measure. And an ending that was a punch in the stomach for Firefly fans, but Joss Whedon never ends anything with “and they lived happily ever after.”

Film Fan Finding: A-

Here’s the view of the Tampa Tribune. This is what Roger Ebert had to say.

extra tickets to an advance screening of jarhead

I’ve got two extra passes (each pass is for two people) for an advance screening of Jarhead. The screening is November 2 at 7:30 p.m. at AMC Veterans 24. Anyone want ‘em? Post here and let me know.

sign here autographs in brandon

I was glad to see Greg Albach from Sign Here Autographs get some publicity in the St. Pete Times recently. The Husband and I go to the Brandon AMC theater because it’s close to our house, and quite often we stop in Greg’s store before or after the movie.

He’s a nice guy and if the store’s not busy, he’ll talk to you at length and answer all your questions (The Husband and I talked to him for a solid hour one time quizzing him about which sci-fi stars he’d met, who was nice, who was snobby, and so on) .

The Husband fed my Joss Whedon obsession by buying me an autographed photo of David Boreanz as an anniversary present a few months ago. That was the first of many purchases we’ll be making from Sign Here Autographs, I suspect.

tampa indie film fest 3 in november

The Tampa Indie Film Fest III will be in conjunction with the Tampa Comic Book & Toy Convention on November 20 at the Doubletree Hotel. Right now, there’s only one film listed on their website (Creature Productions’ Grub) but I’m sure they’re busy adding to the lineup even as we speak.

charlie and the chocolate factory playing at mosi’s imax theater

The Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) is doing something fun this week. From October 23 — 30, they’re showing Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in their IMAX theater. Visit their website for more information.