The 5th-annual Anti*Pop Music Festival will take place in various venues throughout downtown Orlando from November 11-14, 2009. Cost is $5-$15 for individual shows and 4-day passes are also available for $25. Venues include AKA Lounge, BackBooth, Firestone Live, Gibson Showroom, Peacock Room, Plaza Theatre, Tanqueray’s, Will’s Pub, 57 West, Park Ave CDs, BBQ Bar, Uncle Lou’s, Bold Hype, Central Station Bar, and Stardust Coffee & Video parking lot.

Performers will include Blackguard, Ex Deo, Hypocrisy, Ensiferum, DJ Stranger, Orign, BC of Red Tide, amiam, Grey Matter, Twin Tigers, The Antlers, Minus the Bear, godpawn, Thomas Wynn and the Believers, Gasoline Heart, Isaac Russell, Pete Yorn, dagnese, Fight Like Animals, Dreaming in Stereo, Eliza Rickman, Mumpsy, Mumly Troll, Sincere, Knaladeus, Godamus Rhyme, Tunji, Looptroop Rockers, Grieves w/Budo, Cunninlynguists, Oh Fortuna, Young Brother, Telethon, The Pauses, The Tenant, Yacht, Diddles, Kaleigh Baker, Ben Prestage, John Lee Hooker Jr., Senate, illScarlett, Junkierush, The Crazy Carls, Big D & the Kids Table, Ky-Mani Marley, Yacht, Elephant Gun, The New Lows, The Ludes, Six Dead Horses, Junior Bruce, Dark Castle, Black Tusk, Black Cobra, Jason Choi, Maximino, Great Deceivers, Varras Tower, DJ J Storm, S.K.I.P. and Jimmy, DiVINCI and Beef Wellington, Solillquists of Sound, Death Mites, Rouse, Rug, The Beauvilles, King Bee, Sam Rivers Quintet, The Angst, Idol’s End, Big City Bombers, Tooth and the Enamels, The New Threat, Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg, Watch Me Disappear, The Still Voice, Overdale, XOXO, Furious Dudes, The Slippery Slopes, Mowgli, Rabbit Punch, Ventricles, Viernes, I Fight Dragons, Whole Wheat Bread, MC Chris, Shapiro, Spring Tigers, The Ettes, Fake Problems, North Via, Kiv Druidi, Vreid, Alestorm, Belphegor, Eluveitie, The pretty Faces, The Legendary JCs, Zach Williams, Brook Waggoner, Jimmy Gnecco, Copeland, Beardsley, Only Thieves, Buff Clout, Bananafish, So Help Me Rifle, 1991, Republicorpse, Khann, Happy Valley, pan/dos, Sunbears, Dr. Moonstein, Lighthouse Music, The Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt and others.

For more information about the Anti*Pop Music Festival, visit antipopmusicfest.com.

Left to right: Lisa, Lynn, Chloe, Alex, Mairead  (on floor) photo credit: Agata Stoinska. The CELTIC WOMAN performance at the Plaza Theatre Nov. 14,  at 7 p.m.  Tickets went on sale Monday, Sept. 21 through Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, the Plaza Theatre Box Office or charge by phone 800-745-3000.

A friend of mine who works downtown suggested that a few of us meet up for dinner Friday night at a newer restaurant called The Pot Au Feu.  The food was really good and the atmosphere was nice.  As with other newer developments going on in downtown, this place embodies the new confidence business owners are having in a revitalized El Paso downtown.

Here is what we ordered:

• Appetizers:
  Fried Calamari and roasted tomato aioli
  Hummus and naan flat bread
• Main dishes:
  Pot-Au-Feu
  Sea Bass
  Roasted Chicken Airliner
  Salad Nicoise

Overall, I would give the restaurant an A.  The atmosphere was perfect (in my opinion) and the food was delicious.  Next time you have guests come in town, don’t forget about the Pot Au Feu.

Location: 307 E. Franklin & Stanton…next to Big Bun
                         (915)503-8158
                         www.the-pot-au-feu.com

After our dinner, we walked over to the Plaza Theatre to go catch the last hour or so of the French Connection at the Plaza Film Festival.  After that, we headed over to the Oasis Bar and got a few drinks.  While sitting there, we ran into Eric Pearson from the El Paso Community Foundation.  Eric is a great guy who works really hard for EPCF and loves El Paso.  His efforts, along with others from the EPCF and the community have helped make the festival a huge success.

With Alfresco Fridays going on too, there were already a lot of people downtown and after the bands finished  playing around 9,  more people began to make there way in for the Rocky Horror Pictures Show that was played on an inflatable movie screen.    It was wonderful to see this little nook of downtown so active and it shows the true potential of downtown.

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

James Reckseidler’s “Freedom at Risk!” plays Aug. 16 at the Plaza Theatre in Kensington as part of the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers’ Members’ Night Screening.
 

Here, Reckseidler talks about making “Freedom at Risk!”

Freedom at Risk!

 Synopsis

The Attendant of the Communications Centre at the Earth’s Core answers a distress call and must go the Earth’s surface to save the world from the impending launch of an Atomic Missile by an enemy group.

Director’s Notes

Shot for the 2^nd Annual Super8 Filmmaker Challenge in Calgary Alberta. The film was required to fulfill four pre-established and drawn at random requirements for the challenge. It had to firstly, deal with the theme of Communicating with Cultures, it was to feature the character of a Parking Lot Attendant, have a stop animation shot as a technical requirement, and feature in some way the letter ‘F’.

This is the second year of this challenge that has produced interesting results and interpretations. As a co-organizer of the challenge, it is rewarding to try to place some restraints on yourself, while at the same time trying to be as resourceful as possible with the requirements you are given.

Freedom at Risk! Was filmed through the winter of 2006-2007 and completed for the Spring of 2007. Much of the shooting involved getting the star Latonia Hartery to clear her schedule to come back and shoot a roll of pickup shots every once in a while.

The focus on “international” locations involved some great cheap effects not withstanding forced perspective where visually elements of the shot are arranged to create the effect of different planes of sight. The missile, for example, is a model missile put into immediate foreground, while the actors are sent a long way away to create the illusion that they are working beside this much larger scale object. The opposite can be said of France, where the actor in foreground is placed in front of a miniature Eiffel Tower to create the effect that Eiffel Tower is in distant background.

The completed results are visually fun and add a dimension to the silent film vocabulary that I had yet to explore in my career. I am indebted to Jeff Hanni, another local Calgary filmmaker for helping me through the visual effects part of making this short film. 

Need a weekend movie?  My first suggestion would be to head to the Plaza Theatre and catch one of the festival movies.  However, if you would rather stay at home, then I would suggest renting Second Hand Lions.  It doesn’t matter how my day is going, this movie puts a smile on my face. 

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

On June 10+11 the Calgary Freeride Filmfestival will be showing four of this years newest freeride films at the Plaza Theatre.

Tickets are $10 at The Bike Shop and Ridleys, or $12 at the door.

Half the profits are going to Right to Play.

Doors open at 6:30 and the movies start at 7:00 p.m.

Tons of amazing doorprizes, great cinematography, and amazing soundtracks. One fil

So my friend Anna and I went to Orlando last Friday to see Andrew Bird at the Plaza Theatre. We were not able to get there until about an hour after doors and were surprised to see a line so long it wrapped around half of the building. Thus, we did not get in until near the end of Loney, Dear’s set. It was, however, just in time to see Andrew.
It was a seated show, and we didn’t buy tickets immediately, so we were in row Q, but I could still see pretty well in between the two heads of lovebirds in the row in front of us as long as they stopped making out. Andrew was amazing!!! This was the first time I’d managed to see him, despite having two opportunities in years past and somehow missing out both times. I was fascinated by all the tech equipment, of course, including his horn speakers and numerous loop pedals. He not only looped his violin, but also whistling and hand claps, anything really. He had a backing band with all the usual instruments, plus a clarinet, which he referred to as his “favorite instrument.” I wondered if this was sarcasm, as I had read an interview in which Andrew said he loved nearly every instrument except clarinet. So who knows.
Now, Andrew Bird is one of those artists I’ve listened to incessantly, but have difficulty remembering the names of songs, so I will not provide you with any form of set list. I can tell you he played “Lull”, “Masterswarm”, “The Privateers”, “Imitosis”, “Tables and Chairs.” A good bit of stuff from the new album, Noble Beast, obviously. I was a bit disappointed he didn’t play “Fake Palindromes” or “Fiery Crash” which are two of my favorites, but I suppose it’s not surprising, as they are older. “Lull” and “Tables and Chairs” are a couple of my favorite oldies though too, so I was excited to hear those.

Here is a bad video I took of “Tables and Chairs”:

So I have never attended an event at the Plaza theatre until tonight.  My fiance and I decided to attend this El Paso Symphony event tonight.  From what I could gather on the website, here is what will be happening.

January 23-24, 2009
Plaza Theatre, 7:30pm

Sponsored by A FRIEND OF THE EL PASO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
“Providing the essential sound of music for the revitalization of the heart of our great city, its downtown.”

I look forward to a fun night downtown and look forward to hearing some wonderful music.

My  name is David and I am living El Paso.

‘Tis  the season.  If you are looking for a little holiday cheer, then downtown is the place to be December 6th and 7th.  At 4:30 p.m. tomorrow in San Jacinto Plaza, the festivities will begin with the 62nd Army Band playing, followed by the Fransicanos Choir at 5 and the tree lighting at 5:30. 

Whether you are into holiday cheer or just really enjoy seeing a 55 ft tall tree, downtown is the place to be.  A little off topic, but I feel that nights like tomorrow could be  a great time for business to have an open house.  Show the citizens of El Paso that downtown is on its way back.  What better way to accomplish this than open your doors and offer some free holiday drinks/desserts.  Just an idea, but I would do it if I were a business owner near  San Jacinto Plaza.

from elpasocvb.com

Right after the tree lighting, the annual holiday light parade will take place.  If you can’t make to the parade route, KVIA will be broadcasting from 4:30-7:00 on the CW, Cable Channel 13, and also an online broadcast from KVIA.com 

I missed the summer movies at the plaza theatre, so I got really excited when I heard they would be doing a holiday movie weekend.  All day Saturday and Sunday afternoon, holiday movies will be playing.  Tickets are $5 and you might want to get there early.  I have a feeling that it will be pretty packed with families.  Check out this link to get more information on what will be playing and at what time.

My name is David and I am living El Paso.

Alterna Film’s brand new release KNOCKOUT ‘the tenth round’, is now available to be purchased from the online store of the Alterna Action website. Check out the link here.

If you’re not content just being the first of all your friends to own a shiny new copy of KNOCKOUT, you may want to start looking at flights to Calgary so you can be at the premiere of Alterna’s 10th anniversary project. The premiere is going down on October 15th at the Plaza Theatre on Kensington Rd. NW, Calgary. Doors for the all ages show open at 6:30 p.m. with the cinematic adventure kicking off at 7:00 sharp.

Check out the event page on Facebook for all the details. Premiere parties will also be happening in Anchorage, Alaska on October 4th, in Whistler, B.C. on October 9th, in Toronto, Ont. on October 17th and in Golden B.C. on October 24th. All the details are also on the Alterna website.

We don’t want to turn this blog into a community calendar so I will try to get two notable upcoming events in one post and then stop telling you what to do with your free time. You can just click the calendar you see to your right for other things.

1. Beautiful Losers screening at the Plaza Theatre, Thursday 9/18

This is a documentary about the DIY-inspired street art and design scene that emerged in New York in 1990s, with interviews from artists like Mike Mills, Harmony Korine, and Shepard Fairey (who designed those iconic and sort of propagandist Obama posters).

The film is hosted by AIGA Atlanta, so it costs less if you are a member and/or register in advance. There will also be an art show “showcasing a variety of work from local Atlanta artists who are part of this movement.” I can’t seem to find the names of any of the local artists, so I guess it will be a surprise for us.

7:00 – 9:30 PM, $8-$12, 1049 Ponce de Leon Ave

2. Nicecream Sundae Sunday at Jake’s Ice Cream, Sunday 9/28

Jake’s has come out with Nicecream, some sort of healthy (non-dairy and organic) ice cream-like substance that is supposedly delicious (made with coconut cream), so they are offering free Nicecream sundaes and other celebratory festivities.

4-7 PM, $5 suggested donation to Atlanta Food Bank, Irwin Street Market – 60 Irwin St (via News You Can Eat)

six-day-bicycle-races-posterThe next big Up and coming screenings will be on Sept. 7th at the Plaza Theatre.

The first film is Six-Day Bicycle Race and is a Historical Documentary of the old track racing they used to have back in the early 1900’s that became Americas sport, drawing in crowds bigger that todays Super bowl.

The second film is Bootleg Sessions, a film project by a group of fixed gear enthusiests that are out to prove that you can always have fun on your bike.

50% of the profits from the film is going to the MS Society.

You can get your tickets at Bow Cycle, The Bike Shop, Ridley’s Cycle, Calgary Cycle, or at the Door.

Hope to see you there

The Post man delivered a sweet little package to my office yesterday, in it was a coffee table book and 2 copies of the film Six-Day Bicycle Race.  Once i got home lastnight I sat downa nd watched it, what a great film, the history, determination and strength they had to race for 6 days and only resting when they needed.

The film will be showing at the Plaza Theatre on Sept. 7/08 at 4:30pm, tickets will be $10.

It will be a double feature, with Bootleg Sessions showing immediately following Six-Day Bicycle Race. Once that films shows up i’ll let you know how it is.

Remember my post a while back about searching for a picture online of the bookstore I worked in while I lived in Memphis?  Remember all I could find was a pic of the toilet?  Well, thanks to a really cool website I came across called Cinema Treasures all about old movie theatres, I finally found some cool pics.  I was so excited to find these.  Back in the day, it was called The Plaza Theatre.

This photo was taken on the last night it was a movie theatre.  Since Dirty Dancing was playing, it had to be 1987.

Here is a link to it today as a bookstore. 

Ahhhh….the memories…

I’ve been plotting a book already about the year that I worked there!  Yeah, that’s all I need…another book to write!

(2).   Turun Ke Dasar Ngarai

Sekitar jam 1:00 siang saya masuk pintu gerbang Royal Gorge Bridge setelah membayar karcis seharga US$10. Tempat ini tampak sepi pengunjung. Maklum kalau saat itu memang bukan musim liburan, pas musim dingin lagi. Tapi ya malah menguntungkan karena pada musim liburan harga karcisnya akan lebih mahal. Selain itu saya juga tidak perlu membuang waktu untuk antri beli tiket masuk, naik kereta gantung (aerial tram) menyeberang ngarai, naik kereta miring (incline railway) turun ke dasar ngarai atau nonton film sejarah kawasan Royal Gorge di Plaza Theater, dsb. Harga karcisnya sudah termasuk ongkos untuk menikmati fasilitas-fasilitas tambahan itu.

Setelah masuk pintu gerbang, saya menuju ke terminal kereta gantung (aerial tram). Tidak terlalu lama menunggu, kereta langsung berangkat. Hanya ada beberapa orang saja yang siang itu bersama saya menaiki kereta gantung yang berkapasitas 35 orang. Bagi sebagian orang naik kereta gantung menyeberang ngarai yang terlihat sangat dalam, bisa jadi singunen (merasa takut berada di ketinggian). Untungnya saya sudah terbiasa naik tram setiap kali berangkat dan pulang kerja di tambang Freeport di Irianjaya (Papua).

Gerbong kereta gantung ini terkait pada tali baja (wire rope) yang membentang horizontal sepanjang 670 m menghubungkan sisi timur dan barat ngarai. Bentangan tali bajanya berada pada ketinggian kurang lebih 360 m di atas sungai Arkansas. Fasilitas kereta gantung Royal Gorge ini baru dibangun pada bulan Nopember 1968 dan selesai bulan Juni 1969.

Melihat ke arah utara dari dalam kereta gantung yang bergerak dengan kecepatan rata-rata 18 km/jam ini terlihat jembatan gantung Royal Gorge pada jarak sekitar 200-300 m. Demi melihat profil alam dan jembatan yang tidak biasa ini, serta-merta para turis pun segera jeprat-jepret memainkan kameranya. Kalau pandangan dialihkan ke bawah, tampak dasar ngarai dimana mengalir sungai Arkansas yang berkelok-kelok dan di sisi timurnya terdapat satu lintasan rel kereta api.

Turun dari kereta gantung di sisi barat ngarai, saya berada di kawasan nature trail yaitu kawasan alam terbuka yang diurus dan dikelola dengan baik dan di sana terdapat jalan setapak yang enak untuk dimanfaatkan sebagai sarana berolahraga lintas alam. Di kawasan ini sesekali masih dapat dijumpai hewan jenis-jenis rusa. Saya lalu menyusuri jalan setapak yang sebagian beraspal dan sebagian lagi jalan tanah berbatu, menyusuri pinggir barat ngarai menuju arah utara, hingga kemudian tiba di kawasan Plaza Theater.

Di sekitar Plaza Center terdapat beberapa bangunan tempat peristirahatan, gardu pemandangan, arena piknik dan restoran. Saya sempatkan untuk masuk ke Plaza Theater menyaksikan pemutaran film tentang sejarah pengembangan kawasan Royal Gorge. Meskipun hari itu sedang sepi pengunjung dan hanya tiga orang yang masuk ke Plaza Theater, namun agenda pemutaran film tetap berlangsung seperti yang telah dijadwalkan.

Tidak jauh berjalan dari Plaza Theater, saya tiba di ujung barat jembatan gantung Royal Gorge. Dari sini saya akan menyeberang jembatan dengan berjalan kaki kembali menuju ke ujung timur. Bagi yang malas menjalankan kakinya sepanjang hampir 400 m, ada tersedia kendaraan wisata yang berjalan dari ujung ke ujung. Jembatan itu memang dapat dilalui kendaraan kecil, tapi hanya satu lajur sehingga mesti jalan bergantian kalau berpapasan.

Dengan berjalan kaki rasanya lebih puas menikmati pemandangan, meskipun untuk itu saya harus melawan dinginnya angin musim dingin yang berhembus melintas ngarai. Saya tolah-toleh, waktu itu hanya ada saya dan beberapa orang lain di kejauhan yang berjalan kaki menyeberang jembatan.

Berjalan kaki menyeberang jembatan berlantai kayu yang terkadang agak bergoyang kalau bersamaan ada kendaraan yang juga menyeberang, memang bisa membuat tidak nyaman bagi orang yang takut dengan ketinggian. Pemandangan ke dasar ngarai ke arah kiri dan kanan yang terlihat sangat dalam bagaikan selokan raksasa dengan dinding-dinding ngarainya yang sangat terjal.

Pembangunan jembatan gantung Royal Gorge ini pekerjaan awal konstruksinya dimulai tanggal 5 Juni 1929 dan berhasil diselesaikan pada bulan Nopember tahun yang sama. Sedangkan peresmiannya dilakukan pada tanggal 6 Desember 1929. Pada akhir tahun 1984 jembatan ini selesai direnovasi dan dibangun kembali setelah pada tahun 1980 diketahui adanya korosi di beberapa bagian tali baja (wire rope). Kini setiap tahun rata-rata 500.000 orang wisatawan mengunjungi Royal Gorge Bridge.

Setiba di ujung timur jembatan, saya menuju ke stasiun kereta miring (incline railway), yaitu kereta yang berjalan di atas rel yang dipasang pada lereng dengan kemiringan 45 derajad. Panjang jalur miringnya 472 m, menghubungkan sisi atas tebing dengan dasar ngarai. Kereta ini bergerak naik dan turun dengan sistem kerekan (hoisting system) menggunakan tali baja (wire rope). Persis seperti sistem kerekan yang digunakan dalam sistem pengangkutan tambang bawah tanah. Bedanya hanya kereta miring Royal Gorge ini berada di lereng terbuka, sedangkan kalau di tambang bawah tanah biasanya berada dalam sumuran miring (incline shaft) yang gelap.

Bagi kebanyakan orang, kemungkinan akan ada perasaan takut untuk menuruni ngarai dengan kereta miring ini, karena serasa seperti sedang berada dalam sebuah kerangkeng (cage) yang diulur dari atas. Kebetulan dari beberapa orang yang akan naik kereta miring ini saya berada di antrian paling belakang. Ternyata kesemua penumpang yang antri di depan saya tidak ada yang memilih tempat di kerangkeng paling ujung depan.

Ya, barangkali berpikir kalau keretanya meluncur jatuh maka akan duluan sampai tanah. Tapi bagi saya malah hal ini yang saya harapkan. Bukan berharap meluncur duluan, tapi dengan berada di posisi paling depan saya memperoleh bidang pemandangan yang terbuka untuk memainkan kamera saya.

Meluncur dengan kecepatan 4 km/jam melalui celah dinding ngarai, tampak bagian bawah ngarai yang semakin dekat hingga akhirnya berhenti di stasiun di dasar ngarai. Sekitar 5,5 menit diperlukan untuk menempuh satu trip perjalanan turun maupun naik dengan kereta miring yang gerbongnya berupa tujuh buah kerangkeng kecil yang digabung bertrap sesuai kemiringan relnya, dengan kapasitas tiap kerangkengnya 3-5 orang. Kereta miring ini diresmikan penggunaannya pada tanggal 14 Juni 1931. Pembangunan kembali fasilitas ini diselesaikan tahun 1973.

Ada satu hal yang mengherankan saya, dan membuat saya was-was, yaitu bahwa mesin ini dijalankan oleh seorang operator yang sudah lanjut usia. Saya beranggapan bahwa ini adalah jenis mesin yang sama dengan yang digunakan dalam industri pertambangan, maka mestinya operator mesin seperti ini adalah mereka yang masih berusia kerja. Untuk menjalankan mesin semacam ini tentu diperlukan seorang operator yang kondisi fisik dan mentalnya benar-benar tidak diragukan.

Saya memang banyak melihat bahwa di tempat-tempat wisata di Amerika banyak di antara petugasnya adalah mereka yang sudah usia pensiun atau malah para remaja. Agaknya menjadi petugas di obyek-obyek wisata memang menjadi lapangan kerja sampingan bagi kebanyakan para orang tua yang sudah usia pensiun atau para remaja yang mengisi waktu liburnya dengan mencari pengalaman baru dan pengasilan tambahan. Dalam banyak hal memang ini sesuatu yang sangat positif. Namun saya tidak habis mengerti kalau itu menyangkut jenis pekerjaan yang beresiko tinggi. Mungkin memang ada kebijaksanaan dan peraturan yang berbeda.

***

Ketika berada di dasar ngarai lalu menengadahkan kepala ke atas maka bentang jembatan gantung terlihat seperti sebuah garis tebal hitam membentang di langit di antara celah tinggi dinding ngarai. Saya berdiri di antara sungai Arkansas dan jalur kereta api di dasar ngarai. Sungai Arkansas yang tidak terlalu lebar dan berarus cukup deras merupakan bagian ekor dari sungai yang panjangnya lebih dari 2.240 km.

Sungai Arkansas ini bermata air di negara bagian Colorado dan bermuara di sungai Mississippi, melintasi negara bagian Kansas, Oklahoma dan Arkansas. Menyusur di tepi timur sungai terdapat jalan kereta api yang panjang seluruhnya 38 km dan kini difungsikan sebagai sarana wisata kereta api mengelilingi perbukitan di seputar Royal Gorge.

Jalan kereta api di dasar ngarai ini lebih dahulu telah dibangun sebelum dibangunnya jembatan gantung. Kebutuhan akan perlunya sarana jalan kereta api ini mulai muncul ketika tambang perak diketemukan di hulu sungai Arkansas pada tahun 1877. Bidang yang tersisa di sisi sungai hanya cukup untuk dibangun satu lintasan jalan kereta api, sementara pada saat itu ada dua raksasa perusahaan kereta api yang berminat membangun jalan kereta api.

Persaingan bisnis antar dua perusahaan angkutan kereta api, Denver & Rio Grande dan Santa Fe, akhirnya tak terhindarkan lagi. Ketegangan sempat terjadi, bahkan perang dalam arti sesungguhnya antara kedua kubu dan kelompoknya pun tak terhindarkan. Kesepakatan baru tercapai pada tahun 1879 setelah korban terlanjur berjatuhan, dengan pemberian hak untuk melanjutkan pembangunan sarana kereta api bagi Denver & Rio Grande. Maka tahun 1880 kemudian menjadi tonggak sejarah perkeretaapian di kawasan yang kaya hasil tambang itu.

***

Akhirnya sekitar jam 03:30 sore saya baru meninggalkan lokasi Royal Gorge Bridge dan langsung saja melaju untuk kembali menuju kota Canon City dan Colorado Springs. Saya berharap akan tiba di kota Colorado Springs saat hari belum terlalu gelap, sehingga ada kesempatan untuk mengunjungi satu obyek wisata lagi, yaitu Garden of the Gods.- (Bersambung)

Yusuf Iskandar

After Lain helpfully suggested that the Plaza start a blog to keep people up to date with all the splendid things they’re doing, the theatre took heed and started one! They’ve only got one post up and are looking for suggestions on how to use the space, so all you savvy bloggers and demanding readers should go over and boss them around.

They also have a MySpace page for event updates and a website for movie times.

We have it on good authority that the Plaza Theatre could be closing within the next week or so. I don’t know if it’s for sale or any further details, but it wouldn’t hurt to go see something there this week in case it’s your last chance for a while or ever.

I guess if we were real journalists we would call the owners to verify the facts and get a quote, but hearsay from someone’s old roommate with very close ties to the Plaza is good enough for this blog.

The Plaza is one of few remaining examples of late 1930s streamlined moderne design and the last theatre of its kind in Atlanta.

In other theatre news, Midtown Art Cinema allowed its wine and beer license to lapse, so for the time being you’ll have to go dry when you find out the hard way that Juno and The Orphanage aren’t as great as you were led to believe.

Okay, Mamalikey, Atlanta may not have three-dimensional theatre technology of more advanced cities like Orlando and Buford, but we do have BLOOD COLOR!

The Plaza Theatre kicks off its new Splatter Cinema monthly series tonight with Herschell Gordon Lewis’s Blood Feast at 10 pm, followed by a “live gore show.”
1049 Ponce de Leon Ave, 30306

Splatter Cinema, from the makers of Atlanta Horrorfest, aims to show cult gore films (unavailable on DVD) in their original 35 mm format in a real grindhouse theatre. According to Wikipedia, Blood Feast is about

an insane Egyptian caterer who kills people so that he can include their body parts in his meals and perform sacrifices to his “Egyptian goddess” Ishtar (although the deity in question is actually Babylonian)…Blood Feast is also one of the first films to show people dying with their eyes open.

Or you can rent Because of Winn-Dixie.