The unit of survival is organism plus environment. We are learning by bitter experience that the organism which destroys its environment destroys itself. – Gregory Bateson
The San Luis Obispo International Film Festival is delighted to present an historic and exciting night honoring the world’s first surf filmmaker, 95-year old Bud Browne. Now a local resident of the Central Coast, Bud will be honored here by many surfing greats, including surfers Gerry Lopez, Joel Tudor, Peter Cole, Linda Benson, Fred Van Dyke, Walter Hoffman, and surf cinematographer Jack McCoy. Buzzy Trent’s daughter, Anna Moore is helping to coordinate the event.
On Thursday, March 13, 2008, this group of legendary surfers from around the world, will take the stage at the grand Fremont Theatre in downtown San Luis Obispo to pay tribute to the man who inspired modern surf culture by creating the first commercial surf films ever. Surfing the 50’s will be the featured film, and the evening will also include a raffle, Q & A session and a post-screening Surf Party in the old Pier One building on Monterey St. (generously donated by Copeland Properties) with live music, surf films and the opportunity to meet the surf celebrities in attendance.
From the days A&Rs would do the occasional string arrangement. The Billboard Hot 100 sounded different. This particular one from 1963 reminded me of the days I did full song chart themed mix tapes of, say, summer 1964, southern Calfifornia local radio charts music. That way I had a nice helping of surf instros, among their contemporaries. I would pop it in the car-radio-tape player, blasting out of 2 sixties Dual speakers in the back of my beetle on the way to St. Peter with my 9ft board on the roof. You never know what it feels like until you try it.
Thanks to Ivan on Surfguitar 101 here‘s a link to Jet Harris performing one of his big hits in 1962, The Man With The Golden Arm. Fender Bass VI involved. It starts right after Hawaiian War Twist.
Saturday september 22nd was all about Tiki. The attendance could have been stronger – bad mana Berlin!
But many Ti-key figures came from different parts of europe. The Klang & Kleid guys (Switzerland‘s Lurker, who organized the complete series of events, what an effort, especially considering the timing problems…), of course Sven Tiki and Tanja & Jochen Hirschfeld were there in person to present their respective Tiki documentations. I also met Virani (from Paris) and Sian the Beachcomber and Trader Jim (of Pocketiki from England), Carola & my old buddy Andreas, Liz & Chris from Cambridge and even though we live in the same city I hadn’t seen Moritz® in a while, but there he was.
Sven, as usual, had prepared a thoroughly enlightening slide-show on the Tiki Modern subject. He was first to present it in the Eiszeit Kino, not before just about everybody had sampled at least one of the 4 great cocktails supplied by the Aloha Luau. The Jungle Bird was a great new discovery for me. And the new book was on display (and for sale) to the enthusiasts. Everybody who bought one had it signed by Sven – they now have quite a heavyweight coffeetable load, considering this new book Tiki Modern has more and bigger pages, and more great pictures than the already huge Book of Tiki! The layout looks cleaner than in the Book of Tiki – which goes very nicely together with the modern subject.
Intermission allowed for another taste from Aloha Luau’s menu and then it was Jochen’s turn. He held a short speech explaining the pre-history of the Armchair Travelling project and the DVD started rolling in the darkened cinema. As I was involved with creating 8 tracks for the DVD’s soundtrack I had seen parts before and Jochen had told about his travels and who he had talked to in the course of making the film. But seeing the first part (about the 30s – 60s origins and beginnings of Tiki pop-culture) condensed into only 60 minutes, the giant afford that was done was at hand. It is something else. There were hours and hours of material edited into what we were presented here, in a great way. But you have to bear in mind that the two DVDs are going to be a hundred minutes each! I was under the impression that just about everybody who could say something profound on Tiki was contacted and interviewed. Of course speaking of the most interesting subjects, giving the most exciting details. So there’s interviews, but also old, private super-8 footage! Gathered classic urban archeaologist style at fleamarkets and garagesales. Another great ingredient were the animated stills. If you have seen Riding Giantsor Dogtown and Z-Boys you know what I mean. A new way of using still photographs in film to draw you into the subject – very effective! If you don’t know about it, it’s not apparent to you it’s stills often times. Just like in the other two docs I mentioned, combined with the right music it’s a great mood- and details-asset to a project like that.
Afterwards played Hulapunk from Hamburg, and a great time was had by all.
But Aloha Luau, in true spirit, had people last minute finishing his new, cute little mini Tiki bar in Oranienstr. while he was serving drinks at the cinema. So most everybody went to check that out, after Hulapunk were finished and the first chatting about the new enlightments was done. I had a Mai-tai (bit too sour) and another, fantastic Jungle Bird.
Friday, July 6 – 7:30 PM Hawaii, 1966, MGM Repertory, 161 min. Director George Roy Hill’s (Throughly Modern Millie) adaptation of James Michener’s sprawling South Seas epic was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography (Russell Harlan) and Best Music Score (Elmer Bernstein). Max Von Sydow is the puritanical missionary who marries disappointed-in-love Julie Andrews just before they set sail to do the Lord’s work in the early 19th century island paradise. But they get more than they bargained for, squeezed between an onslaught of natural disasters and strange native customs. Their Calvinist devotion to a fire-and-brimstone worldview clashes head-on with the uninhibited, Dionysian headiness of the tropical lifestyle. With Richard Harris as Andrews’ former flame, Gene Hackman, Carroll O’Conner, Jocelyne LaGarde (who received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress).
Saturday, July 7 – 4:00 PM Rare Tiki Island-Themed TV Approx. 60 min. Artist Kevin Kidney hosts an entertaining hour of vintage tiki-themed television from the early 1960s – including some special surprises! *Tickets available to this program at the door only UNLESS purchased with the Luau Dinner ($20).
Saturday, July 7 – 5:00 PM Luau Dinner Following the 4 PM program, join us in the Egyptian Courtyard at 5 PM for a Royal Southern California-style Luau with live music from King Kukelele and his Friki Tikis, the Polynesian Paradise Dancers, vendors and a bountiful island-themed dinner.
On Saturday, July 7th, you have three special ticket price options: Movies Only (valid for all movies on Saturday only): General: $12; Senior/Student: $10; Cinematheque Member: $9
Luau Dinner Only: $20 (includes film admission for 4 PM show and dinner.)
All Movies (4 PM and 7:30 PM Movies), plus the Luau Dinner: General: $27; Senior/Student: $25; Cinematheque Member: $24
*A limited number of dinners will be sold at the door. To guarantee a dinner ticket please purchase in advance.
Vendors in the Courtyard may include: Tiki Tony, Adrift Clothing, Crazy Al’s Bone Productions, “Dumb Angel” Magazine authors Dominic Priore and Brian Chidister, Tiki Diablo, Falling Cocos, Coconut Kids Clothing, Tiki Farm, the American Cinematheque selling poster and others…
Saturday, July 7 – 7:30 PM Double Feature: The Sophisticated Misfit, 2007, Smee Entertainment, 65 min. Mark Chervinsky directed this four-year exploration of the world of Shag, the unlikeliest of Los Angeles artistic icons. Shag’s work doesn’t reflect the multicultural urban milieu of contemporary Los Angeles but rather an entirely different era. Think post-WWII boom years, suburban tracts sprawling across the landscape, Disneyland opening its doors and designers embracing the space-age motifs of Sputnik and the mission to the moon. Shag’s world is one of early 1960’s furniture, cocktail hours, sprawling ranch houses, built-in wet bars, and jet-set style. He embraces a simpler time. But his artwork is filled with subtle, humorous winks of the eye acknowledging that this period wasn’t quite so simple. The smiling women in their mod dresses hold secrets. The festive party scene in the go-go ’60’s home isn’t really what it seems. With Whoopi Goldberg, Patton Oswalt, Paul Frank and Shag. Winner of the Maverick Filmmaker Award at the 2007 Newport Beach Film Festival.
His Majesty O’Keefe, 1954, Warner Bros., 91 min. Director Byron Haskin (THE NAKED JUNGLE; the original WAR OF THE WORLDS) brings a bracing exuberance to this tall tale of stranded-in-Micronesia sea captain Burt Lancaster’s quest to manipulate his native hosts into helping him build a trading empire. Joan Rice is the enchanting island girl who ends up being queen to his king. The spectacular Fiji Islands locations were stunningly photographed by the great cinematographer Otto Heller (THE CRIMSON PIRATE). Co-starring Andre Morell, Abraham Sofaer, Benson Fong. “…This swashbuckling South Seas adventure feature is ideally suited to Burt Lancaster’s muscular heroics. The Fiji Islands location lensing is a plus…” — Variety Discussion in between films with Shag and director Mark Chervinsky.
Sunday, July 8 – 7:30 PM Miss Sadie Thompson, 1953, Sony Repertory, 91 min. Dir. Curtis Bernhardt (Possessed). After having to leave Hawaii when her Honolulu singing job goes kaput, hard-luck dame Sadie Thompson (Rita Hayworth) is stranded on the isle of Samoa which is home to a U.S. Army base. She’s befriended by well-meaning, lovable GI hunk Aldo Ray as well as his soldier pals (including a young Charles Bronson). But dirty-minded lay minister and self-righteous gadabout Jose Ferrer, laying over with his wife on a trip, believes she is nothing more than a common prostitute and is offended by her presence. He takes it upon himself to make Sadie’s life a living hell until he can get her deported back to the States. Although Rita’s singing voice was dubbed by Jo Ann Greer, you would never know it during the musical numbers – she is positively dynamite performing “Hear No Evil,” “The Heat Is On,” and “Blue Pacific Blues.” Originally shot in 3-D, this is a terrific color remake of W. Somerset Maugham’s classic tale Miss Thompson, first filmed in 1932 as RAIN by director Lewis Milestone with Joan Crawford.
