April 18th & 19th - Saturday & Sunday

Forgot to mention that after our opening screening, I stick around to meet Jeff Rogstad, who is part of an improv group playing that night called the Saskatoon Soaps.  We meet and he immediately apologizes, confirms his promise to help on Monday.  That was worth it.  I stick around to watch the show.  About 100 people show up for this, it must be good.

In the morning, I fire off emails to Laura Repo, her friend her is Sask, and Andrea Minaard, a singer-actress we keep bumping into at festivals.  Hopefully, all 3 will blast again.  

I spend the day at the Mendel Art Museum. 

Onto our 2nd screening.  Saturday night.  Should be good.  I arrive well in advance.  Willy Wonka is playing.  The real Willy Wonka with Gene Wilder.  I can't resist and slip in.  What a pleasure to see 100 twenty-somethings enjoying the hell out of this low-fi, bad special effects, dated, retro movie.  They love it.  That's cool.  Gene Wilder is transcendent.  I love him.  One of the funniest line deliveries in the history of movies is from The Producers - when Zero Mostel falls on top of Gene Wilder and Wilder weakly protests "Ahh...fell on my keys."

After the show, Luke, Kirby's assistant extraordinaire and cinephile in residence, warns me that traditionally, Saturday is not a great night.  He is borne out, because a total of 3 people show up.  Wow.  A lump in my throat.  I imagine other filmmakers in this position and wonder if they would bother with an intro.  Who knows?  For myself, I don't care.  3 people are here - I wanna talk to them.  I go up and begin by making a little joke about the size of the crowd.  This loosens things up.  "Quality, not quantity."    

After the screening, I go up for Q & A.  They loved it and have lots of questions.  After a little while, I start to feel like who gives a fuck if it's only three people.  I'd rather have these 3 than 100 lukewarm people without comments or questions.  I am inspired and tell them I'm taking their picture because they are my favourite audience - the most dedicated.  

After, despite my brave face, I feel a little deflated.  I decide to stick around for the 11:30 showing of Night Of The Living Dead.  Can't explain why, but tell myself something about how as a filmmaker, i should at least be aware of this movie 'classic' and just do it.  

This was cool.  It was an event.  It made me think about what going to the theater is.  It's a live event. Somewhere along the way we've lost that, and what's great about these old rep theaters, is that they're trying to keep that spirit alive.  The guy who put this Zombie flick together had prizes at the beginning.   Then, someone was picked from the audience to smash this huge GONG, which announced the beginning of the evening.  Then, we were treated to a half an hour of old horror trailers and midnight cartoons, which were fucking hilarious.  People loved

it.  Then, A Night Of The Living Dead starts, which immediately startles me by it's 'indy' feel. Handheld shots, black and white, there was something raw and real about it, even though it often descended into campiness.  In fact, as it goes on, it begins to get quite hysterically ridiculous, which is great - cause everyone's laughing.

I get picked up.

It's freezing and I can't walk home, so John the projectionist gives me a ride home. Nice guy.

Next day I send emails and leave phone messages for all our press people in Saskatoon, and approach Luke about getting their emailing list for the Broadway.  I've got my work cut out for me on Monday.  Jeff Rogstad and CTV, Cam Fuller and Star Phoenix, Mike Sands and Magic FM, Kirby and the list.  The Shaw piece goes on air tomorrow, so that should help.  Gotta push, push, push...

Sunday there were 8 people - everyone loves it.  Stayed afterwards and watched Lost Song, winner of the TIFF award for Best Canadian Feature.  I thought it was quite brilliant, but found the ending difficult.  

Until tomorrow.