Sunset Cinema: Back to the Future Rooftop Film Club

After seeing some light Back to the Future goodness at Universal Studios Saturday morning, that evening we headed to Hollywood for a screening of the classic 1985 flick. We've seen Future a half dozen times over the years in settings as varied as The Egyptian Theatre for a marathon (twice), a theater converted into a Church in Hollywood (where they stopped the movie midway for a cosplay contest), outside at the awesome but now defunct Oscars Outdoors and downtown at the renovated Ace Theatre. This 7th or 8th time out would be part of the new Rooftop Film Club series out of London and New York. Repertory titles play near every night on the roof of The Montalban Theatre on Vine, named after actor Ricardo of Star Trek II fame. Just around the corner from The Acrlight, Pantages and happy hour spot The Well, I had no clue the place existed.

Unlike your usual outdoor venues where you lug in blankets, chairs, snacks and booze, Rooftop provides rows of deck chairs and headphones with blankets, dranks and snacks available. It was a terrific setting and the ambiance was quite nice but the viewing experience itself leaves much to be desired. To start, the deck chairs are not very comfortable. The wooden frame cuts into the back of your legs and apparently being 5'8" with a weight lifting background made me too wide for the chair as the wood dug into my back and shoulders. By 7:30 PM it was getting dark and a host said we'd start in a few minutes...which turned out to be 30...Back to the Future is of course a classic flick and this time out I noticed how nuanced the performances of Christopher Lloyd as Doc Brown and Crispen Glover as George McFly were in terms of physical tics and body language. Pretty sure Michael Richards' performance as Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld owes Lloyd a debt. Being given wireless headphones was a new development but I'm sure there's noise ordinances in the area plus there's lots of honking and yelling from the busy Sunset Blvd nearby. But using the headphones really destroyed the communal aspect of watching the film for me. All in, an interesting night but not something I'd do again.

Ask Me a Question: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

The Autumnal Equinox (the end of summer) doesn't occur until 9.22 but this past weekend was my last outdoor screening of the season.  You're probably all used to reading about manly, macho men and ways to be kick ass but Saturday was a change of pace for the lady with 1953's Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Oscars Outdoors.

Starring the blonde myth herself, Marilyn Monroe and buxom outlaw brunette Jane Russell, GPB is a fun time at the movies filled with humor, musical numbers and a whole lotta double entendres.  Directed by Howard Hawks...wait, Howard Hawks?  You mean the guy who made John Wayne a star with Red River?  The guy who produced The Thing From Another World and directed everyone from Robert Mitchum to Clark Gable to Humphrey Bogart to James Caan?  Yup.  I guess macho, manly and kick ass are never far from the mind of Dammaged Goods.

Before the movie, a renowned figure in the dance world (sorry I'm not there to cover, just enjoy) presented a few slides about GPB choreographer, Jack Cole, an exotic looking gent who was one of Hollywood's top dancers/choreographers/instructors.  Cole worked with Monroe officially on three films and unofficially on several more.  Then, we were treated to the presence of a guy (sorry again) who looked like Ringo Starr but had actually danced in the film.  If GPB was released in 1953, that means he had to be in his 70's and damn did he look good for his age.  As a young dancer, he prepped for the famous "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" number for 4 weeks and the sequence itself took 3 days to shoot.  He shared a quick story about a mistake that was kept in the picture.  During Russell's, "Anybody Here For Love?", she crouches down as members of the men's Olympic team dive over her into a pool.  One came in too low and knocked her in.  He also made a point to mention how hard Monroe worked, her professionalism and her surprisingly quiet nature.

With the sun down and a surprisingly chilly August wind kicking in, it was time to start the show.  Several bizarre trailers and clips played including Wild and Wonderful, starring Tony Curtis opposite a poodle with human tendencies.  Then it was time.  Blondes opens with a musical number and introduces us to Monroe's Lorelei Lee and Russell's Dorothy Shaw.  Lee is looking to marry up and has the perfect target in a nebbish, bespectacled type who gets woozy from a kiss.  The duo hitch a ride on a cruise to Europe where private investigator/buff Olympians/young millionaires/diamond tiaras/straight vodka hijinks ensue.

Monroe is endearingly sweet as the dumb but maybe smart Lorelei which is balanced out by Russell's more aware, primal and simple living Shaw.  Hawks gives the two women all of the power in the film as they're the commotion of every crowd, the main attraction at every show and the desire of every man.  Their beauty might be on display but it's their charm, wit, show-womanship and confidence that keeps us interested.

Ask Me a Question: Beetlejuice

*Warning, for some reason I cursed a lot during this post*

Summer officially began on Thursday, 6.20 which means, among other things, that outdoor movie screenings are in full swing.  Cinespia's screenings at Hollywood Forever have long been the dominant force but has since grown too large for it's own good.  Basically, it's not about the movies anymore; it's about finding parking, waiting in line, having a crappy spot in the grass, people smoking tobacco (regular and wacky), drunken stumbling, phone checking, fighting the horde to get out...i.e. a huge fucking hassle.

Trust me, I attended their Jurassic Park event for 4th of July last year.  At the time I thought it was fun and all of the above grievances were just part of attending events in Los Angeles.  But a few weeks later I attended a screening of 80's/eternity classic, Back to the Future, part of the inaugural Oscars Outdoors venture into social events put on by The Academy.  After that, I basically said, "fuck Hollywood Forever", there isn't a movie they could show that I would endure the hipster, scene bullshit again for.

Am I being harsh?  To each their own but free parking, no smoking, great seating, food trucks, BYOB, giant Oscar statues to pose with and the lack of drunk/high idiots on their phones for $5.00 is to me, the deal of a fucking century.

This year's line up is a curious mix of old and new, quirky tales of youth, unabashed classics and a few I've plain never heard of.  Titles like: National Lampoon's Vacation, Peter Pan, Groundhog Day, Clueless, King Kong, POINT BREAK (playing at least 3 times this summer), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and tonight's feature, Tim Burton's 1988 effort, Beetlejuice.

As magic hour faded away, our announcer for the evening welcomed us with a letter from co-star Catherine O'Hara (Home Alone, KEVIN!) who was out of the country but wanted us to know how much she appreciated being invited to the event.  She had nothing but fond memories of the production and met her future husband, production designer Bo Welch, on set.

Half a dozen guests were trotted out, I can't recall all of their names but they were lead by co-writer/producer Larry Wilson.  The other guests were involved in designing the film, creating it's non-CGI effects, physical production and sound editing.  They all seemed happy to remember the film, working with Tim Burton, taking over a small town to shoot the movie, coming up with practical gags and working in a pre-computer era.

I hadn't seen this movie in years or maybe never in it's entirety.  Basically, a nice couple dies in an accident, travel to the great beyond and enlist the help of an obnoxious, "bio-exorcist" in an effort to rid their home of a horrible yuppie couple that moves in.  Michael Keaton steals the show as the "ghost with the most" who helps the deceased couple but really just wants to escape from the after life.

Like all Tim Burton work, there are great visuals on display, creepy Gothic yet cartoonish supporting characters and a great cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder, Jeffrey Jones (Ferris Bueller's principal!), Catherine O'Hara and Glenn Shadix (who would wear a kimono onscreen again in Demolition Man (Stallone VS Snipes alert!)).

I'm not sure who saw this and thought, man, these guys should do Batman!  And Beetlejuice should play him!  But hey, it worked out.