Phil reminisces and says goodbye to the Camera 12 Cinemas Downtown San Jose - September 8, 2016

Having been born and raised in San Jose, over the years I have watched the South Bay transform into the Silicon Valley. During this time, I also watched Downtown San Jose change as well. But for the past 12 years, I would frequent the Camera 12 Cinemas, one of my favorite movie theaters in town. I saw a plethora of films from all genres here. It was also the home for the Cinequest Film Festival, the then called San Francisco Asian American Film Festival (now CAAMFest at the Camera 3), the Camera Cinema Club, the Midnight Movie series which I hosted, special advance screenings and so forth. It was my home away from home. When I moved to the Sacramento area about a year ago, I thought that I'd come back to visit one day and see a movie there. However, I read the terrible news on Facebook this morning: The Camera 12 Cinemas was closing on September 9, 2016.

I visited the Camera Cinemas' website, looking for more information about the closing. Here is what Jack NyBlom, co-founder of the Camera Cinemas, wrote on the website:

"A message to our Camera 12 family,

It is with much sadness that, in spite of our best efforts, we cannot keep Camera 12 open any longer. A decade’s loss of revenue from a promised growing downtown residential market, that’s just now coming online, coupled with the staggering costs of maintaining a large, aging, poorly designed building has led us to this decision to close.

This closure does not affect our thriving Camera 3 and Camera 7 cineplexes.

I’m proud to say that Camera Cinemas is one of the oldest continuously operating businesses in the downtown. In 1975, my partners, fellow San Jose State University students and incurable film buffs Jim Zuur and Dennis Skaggs, and I rehabbed a former South First Street shoe store and turned it into Camera One. We were tired of driving to Berkeley or San Francisco for art, foreign and independent films. A few years later, we opened Camera 3 in downtown San Jose. In 1989, nationally renowned Cinequest Film Festival debuted at Camera 3 and grew into Camera 12 over the years.

In 2004, Camera Cinemas reopened the failed United Artists 8-screen cineplex at Paseo de San Antonio as Camera 12 Cinemas, finally bringing first-run movies on a regular basis to downtown for the first time in 40 years. It’s estimated we’ve drawn an estimated 20 million moviegoers to downtown San Jose, contributing more than $200,000,000 to its economy.

On behalf of my partners and investors, I wish to thank our staff for their dedicated service, and the community leaders and tens of thousands of patrons who’ve kept the Cameras rolling for so many years.

To customers holding Camera Cinemas gift and discount cards they will be honored at Camera 3 and Camera 7.

In time, I’m confident that downtown San Jose will be home to a new cinema experience. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Sincerely,
Jack NyBlom" 

I can't explain to you all just how devastating this news means to not only me, but to those who work there, the patrons who've been coming there for years, the film festivals and events, this changes the downtown landscape drastically. The Camera 12 Cinemas was a place that people would gather to see extraordinary films, commerce with friends, meet local and independent filmmakers and just celebrate life through art. 

It is now Monday, September 12, 2016 and the Camera 12 is now closed forever. If I was still living in San Jose, I would've left work early on that Friday, went to the first mantine show and stayed till the very last frame of film went through their projector. Then I would've made sure I was the last patrons there, walked around the theater, taken a few pictures of the place, said goodbye to the people working there, and then stood out front and waited till they turned off the lights. I didn't do that though, but over the years I've done just that. Plus I was smart enough to take a plethora of pictures of the theater and all the festivals I attended. Below are some of my favorite pictures I took.

The Camera 12 Cinemas (2012)

Upstairs lobby during the Cinequest 22 Film Festival (2012)

My friend Nate at the 27th Annual SFIAFF (2009)

The Camera 12 Box Office for Cinequest 22 (2012)

The cast of ETERNITY: THE MOVIE at Cinequest 24 (2014)

The upstairs lobby during Cinequest 23 (2013)

The Camera 12 Cinemas Marquee (2012)

It's sad to think that the landscape of Downtown San Jose will never look the same. The Camera 12 will forever hold a special place in my heart, as well as everybody else who paid for a ticket to see some of the greatest films ever screened there. However, like NyBlom said, there's still the Camera 3 on the corner of San Carlos and 2nd Street and the Camera 7 in the Pruneyard Campbell (visit their website at www.cameracinemas.com). But the Camera 12 leaves a big hole in the downtown area. Maybe someday it will re-open again, and if it does, I'll definitely be back for that. But right now I just want to say thank you for the memories, for all the fun times, for all the friends I made there, and last but not least, thanks for all the wonderful movies that I got to see. Goodbye my old friend!! 

Thanks for reading, and long live the Camera 12 Cinemas!!

Phil hosts the Cult Movie Screening of OLDBOY at the Camera 3-April 17, 2014

Hello again everybody and welcome to the 2014 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. This past Thursday night yours truly was back as the host! The series continued with the screening of Park Chan-Wook's 2003 film OLDBOY! Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

American Theatrical Poster (2003)

The film's official synopsis: An average man is kidnapped and imprisoned in a shabby cell for 15 years without explanation. He then is released, equipped with money, a cellphone and expensive clothes. As he strives to explain his imprisonment and get his revenge, Oh Dae-Su soon finds out that his kidnapper has a greater plan for him and is set onto a path of pain and suffering in an attempt to uncover the motive of his mysterious tormentor.

The film is the second chapter in Wook's Vengeance Trilogy. First came SYMPATHY FOR MR. VENGEANCE which was released in 2002. OLDBOY was released in 2003 and the final installment LADY VENGEANCE came out in 2005.

The films were released here in the states by Tartan Asian Extreme. Eventually all three films were available DVD boxset, then it came out on Blu-ray. This film was just released in a 10th anniversary Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, the new home for the Tartan label.

Upon the film's theatrical release, it garnered positive and soon rave reviews. The website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a score of 80% based on 133 reviews. One of those fans was filmmaker Spike Lee, who remade the film with star Josh Brolin in 2013 to less than critical acclaim.

What a great crowd we had that night!! Over 30 people showed up to see this modern day cult classic! And we're only getting started! Next month we'll be showing Walter Hill's 1976 cult film THE WARRIORS! Now that show will be sold out fast! To view the full 2014 Cult Movie schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!  

Phil hosts the Camera Cinema's Cult Movie Screening of THE BIG LEBOWSKI at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose-Feb. 13, 2014

Hello again everybody and welcome to the 2014 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. This past Thursday night was Opening Night and once again yours truly was back as the host! The series was kicked off into high gear with the screening of the 1998 Coen Brother's film THE BIG LEBOWSKI! Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

The film's official synopsis: When "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, two thugs urinate on his rug to coerce him into paying a debt he knows nothing about. While attempting to gain recompense for the ruined rug from his wealthy counterpart, he accepts a one-time job with high pay-off. He enlists the help of his bowling buddy, Walter (John Goodman), a gun-toting Jewish-convert with anger issues. Deception leads to more trouble, and it soon seems that everyone from porn empire tycoons to nihilists want something from The Dude.

Also appearing in the film are Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi, Tara Reid, Flea, John Turturro, and the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman.

When the film was released to theaters by Universal Pictures on March 6, 1998, it made a loud thud at the boxoffice. The film's budget was $15 million but it only grossed only a little over $5 million.  However, it achieved its cult status when it was released on DVD. Then a couple of years later is was booked for the midnight slot at the New Beverly in Los Angeles. Then it played over in Santa Cruz at midnight screenings for the six months. Now it's hailed as a true cult classic and a beloved Coen Brothers film!

Tonight we had over 40 people in attendance!What a great way to kick off the 2014 season! Now like I said, the Camera 3 will be showing one cult classic film twice a month from now till November. Next month we'll be screening the 1995 cult classic SHOWGIRLS on Thursday, March 13th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, March 15th at midnight! So make plans to attend this screening folks! It's gonna be wild, crazy and sexy!! To view the full 2014 Cult Movie schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!  

Phil hosts the Camera Cinema's Cult Movie Screening of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose-October 17, 2013

Hello again everybody and welcome to Month Ten of the 2013 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. This past Thursday night just in time for the Halloween season, we screened director Tobe Hooper's 1974 horror classic THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. Once again yours truly was back as the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1974)

Despite what the voice over narrator (the great John Larroquette) states in opening credits, there was no chainsaw massacre in Texas to which the film is based on. However, Tobe Hooper has stated that the inspiration for the film came from several different sources. One story he has told several times is that one time years ago while waiting in a very long line in a department store, he saw that he was by the hardware section and they had a display of chainsaws. This made him wish that he could take one and cut thru the line he was stuck in. Hilarious story, don't you think?

The second source for the film came from a man named Ed Gein. If you don't know who he is, Gein was a grave robber who dugged up corpses in the cemetery in his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin. He also made cups, bowls, clothes, and such out of human bones and skins. He was also responsible for the kidnapping and killing of Bernice Worden, who the police found in his barn strung up upside down, gutted, and beheaded. His case would also inspire the characters Norman Bates from the PSYCHO series, Buffalo Bill from SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, and of course, Leatherface.

Hooper also cited the changes in the cultural and political landscape as influences on the film as well: including the Vietnam War, the Watergate scandal, the 1973 Oil Crisis, and the American public's distrust in their government were part of the movie's social commentary.

Filmed during the summer of 1973 during the sweltering Texas heat, the movie was shot on 16mm and the budget was less than $300,000. Hopper co-wrote the script with Kim Henkel and the cinematographer was Daniel Pearl, who later photograph the 2003 remake.

After trying to get a distribution deal, the movie was picked and distributed by Bryanston Pictures, which was owned and operated by the mob family the Perainos. Fun fact, they also funded and released the 1972 adult film DEEP THROAT.

The film was released to theaters on October 1, 1974 and would go on to gross over $30 million dollars, despite being banned in several states. It would forever change the horror genre and it also made Leatherface (portrayed by Gunnar Hansen) into a horror icon and a pop culture phenomenon, seeing him pop up in comic books, action figures, models, and so forth.

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is one of the scariest horror films of all time, and it is considered a true classic in the genre. It has spawned three sequels, a remake, a prequel, and a 3D sequel just released to theaters earlier this year. As the old slogan goes, "The Saw is Family." 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly recommended!!

THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE is now available on both Blu-ray and DVD. To purchase a copy, visit your local retailer, or visit the Amazon website.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the show!

Phil hosts the Camera Cinema's Cult Movie Screening of RESEVOIR DOGS at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-September 19, 2013

Hello again everybody and welcome to Month Nine of the 2013 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. This past Thursday night we screened Quentin Tarantino's 1992 cult film RESERVOIR DOGS. Once again yours truly was back as the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1992)

This was the film that put Quentin Tarantino. It not only changed the landscape of the film world, it completely changed the independent film world. It also totally flipped the way we see independent films. Before they were art-house type films, but after the film was released, it changed our perspective and the idea. Here was a film that was cool, slick, filled with fowl language, violence, gore, something that we hadn't seen before.

The film also put both Miramax and the Sundance Film Festival on the map in the film world. Sundance became the festival to get your film into. Miramax (then owned by founding brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein) became the biggest of the independent film distributors and they really gave the Hollywood studios a run for their money. The Weinsteins became notorious at future Sundance festivals, spending outrageous amounts of money in order to outbid the majors for film that they thought would win them awards. Their plan worked and soon their films were winning Oscars left and right. 

Some of the now cliches we see in Hollywood films, like the slow motion walk, rapid fire delivery of dialogue, excess of violence, all that came from this film. Soon everybody was trying to duplicate the film's success, but they never could for this one simple reason: there is only one Quentin Tarantino. The film was released to theaters on October 23, 1992.

RESERVOIR DOGS is considered one of the greatest modern independent films ever made! It's funny how much the world of filmmaking has changed since the film has made What we see now can be traced back to this iconic piece of cinema! 5 out of 5 stars!! Highly Recommended!!

RESERVOIR DOGS is now available on both Blu-ray and DVD. To purchase a copy, visit your local retailer or go online and visit the Amazon website.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil hosts the Cult Movie Screening of TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose-June 13, 2013

Hello again everybody and welcome to Month Five of the 2013 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. Tonight we screened the David Lynch's 1992 cult film TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME. Once again yours truly was back as the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1992)

Essentially a prequel to David Lynch and Mark Frost's earlier TV series "Twin Peaks." The first half-hour or so concerns the investigation by FBI Agent Chet Desmond (Chris Isaak) and his partner Sam Stanley (Kiefer Sutherland) into the murder of night-shift waitress Teresa Banks in the small Washington state town of Deer Meadow. When Desmond finds a mysterious clue to the murder, he inexplicably disappears. The film then cuts to one year later in the nearby town of Twin Peaks and follows the events during the last week in the life of Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee) a troubled teenage girl with two boyfriends; the hot-tempered rebel Bobby Briggs (Dana Ashbrook) and quiet biker James Hurley (James Marshall), her drug addiction, and her relationship with her difficult (and possible schizophrenic) father Leland (Ray Wise), a story in which her violent murder was later to motivate much of the TV series.

If you have never seen this film before, it's a freaking trip! It's not for the faint of heart. Don't watch this before you go to bed because it will give you nightmares. Seriously, it will. It will f*ck with your head so badly you will seek psychiatric help. It's an amazing film, don't get me wrong! But it's a pretty f*cked up movie. But then again, we are talking about David Lynch here. The man who gave some truly outstanding and sureal cinematic gems such as ERASERHEAD, BLUE VELVET, WILD AT HEART, MULHOLLAND DRIVE, and ISLAND EMPIRE. A true definition of the word auteur, you will never mistake his films with any other director!

The film was released to theaters by New Line Cinema on August 28, 1992. The film's budget was an astounding $10 million dollars. Unfortunately, it only grossed $4,160,851. It literally bombed at the boxoffice. The only people who saw the film were the die hard fans of the show and Lynch's loyal fans. But when it was released on VHS, that's when word of mouth began to spread, and the film is now regarded as one of his best films!

Remember folks, the Camera 3 will be showing one cult classic film every month from now till November. Next month we'll be screening Steven Spielberg's 1981 action film RAIDER OF THE LOST ARK on July 18th and again on July 20th. So make plans to attend this screening folks! To view their upcoming schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil hosts the Cult Movie Screening of SPACEBALLS at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose-May 16, 2013

Hello again everybody and welcome to Month Four of the 2013 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. Tonight we screened the Mel Brooks' 1987 sci-fi/comedy classic SPACEBALLS. Once again yours truly was back as the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

The film's official synopsis: King Roland (Dick Van Patten) of the planet Druidia is trying to marry his daughter Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) to Prince Valium, but Vespa is kidnapped by the evil race of the Spaceballs, led by the ruthless Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis). The Spaceballs ask Roland a tremendous ransom: all the air of Druidia (you see, the air of Spaceball had serious pollution problems...). The King decides to offer a generous amount of money to a space rogue, Lone Starr (Bill Pullman) and his partner Barf (the late John Candy), to persuade them to save Vespa. What follows is the parody of a LOT of famous sci-fi movies (STAR WARS, ALIENS, STAR TREK, and THE WIZARD OF OZ just to name a few).

The film was directed by Mel Brooks, who has made several of the all-time classic comedy films of all time. This list is endless: THE PRODUCERS, BLAZING SADDLES, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, SILENT MOVIE, HISTORY OF THE WORLD: PART I, and ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS for starters. The cast reads like a who's who: Rick Moranis and John Candy were on the cult Canadian TV show SCTV and have appeared in numerous film throughout their career. Dick Van Patten is famous for his role as Tom Bradford from the TV show Eight Is Enough. A young Bill Pullman can be seen here, of course he would go on to appear in films like INDEPENDENCE DAY, LOST HIGHWAY, WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, and BOTTLE SHOCK. Actress Daphne Zuniga has starred in films like THE SURE THING, THE FLY II, THE INITIATION, and TV shows like Melrose Place, Models Inc., and One Tree Hill. 

The film was released to theaters by MGM on June 24, 1987 and was met with a mixed reception. The film's budget was $22.7 million and grossed only $38,119,483. So the film was not a success at all, however, it went on to become a cult classic once it was released on VHS. Now it is considered one of Mel Brooks' finest (and funnest) films!

Now like I said, the Camera 3 will be showing one cult classic film every month from now till November. Next month we'll be screening the 1992 David Lynch film TWIN PEAKS: FIRE WALK WITH ME on June 13th and again on June 15th. So make plans to attend this screening folks! To view their upcoming schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil hosts the Cult Movie Screening of THE GOONIES at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-March 14, 2013

Hello again everybody and welcome to Month Two of the 2013 Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. Tonight we screened the 1985 children's adventure classic THE GOONIES. Once again yours truly was back as the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Original Movie Poster (1985)

If for some strange, oddball reason you have never seen this movie before, here's the film's official synopsis: Mikey and Brandon Walsh are brothers whose family is preparing to move because developers want to build a golf course in the place of their neighborhood -- unless enough money is raised to stop the construction of the golf course, and that's quite doubtful. But when Mikey stumbles upon a treasure map of the famed "One-Eyed" Willy's hidden fortune, Mikey, Brandon, and their friends Lawrence "Chunk" Cohen, Clark "Mouth" Devereaux, Andrea "Andy" Carmichael, Stefanie "Stef" Steinbrenner, and Richard "Data" Wang, calling themselves The Goonies, set out on a quest to find the treasure in hopes of saving their neighborhood. The treasure is in a cavern, but the entrance to the cavern is under the house of evil thief Mama Fratelli and her sons Jake Fratelli, Francis Fratelli, and the severely disfigured Lotney "Sloth" Fratelli. Sloth befriends the Goonies and decides to help them.

The film was directed by Richard Donner (SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, LETHAL WEAPON series, 16 BLOCKS) and the story was by Steven Spielberg (JAWS, THE INDIANA JONES series, LINCOLN). The screenplay was by local filmmaker Chris Columbus (HOME ALONE 1 & 2, MRS. DOUBTFIRE, RENT). The cast reads like a who's who in Hollywood. Sean Astin (Mickey) as acted in films like TOY SOLDIERS, ENCINO MAN, and THE LORDS OF THE RING TRILOGY. Josh Brolin (Brandon) has been some major Academy Award winning and nominated films such as MILK, W., NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, TRUE GRIT and GANGSTER SQUARD. Corey Feldman (Mouth) has been in so many films it's hard to list them all! Some of my favorites of his are THE LOST BOYS, LICENSE TO DRIVE, FRIDAY THE 13TH PART IV: THE FINAL CHAPTER, STAND BY ME, and THE 'BURBS. Actress Martha Plimpton (Steph) is now famous for her role as Virginia Chance on the hit FOX comedy show Raising Hope. Jonathan Ke Quan (Data) was also in INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM as well as ENCINO MAN with Sean Astin. 

The film was released by Warner Brothers on June 7, 1985. The budget was $19 million dollars, which was pretty pricey back in 1985. However, it went on to gross over $61.4 million dollars! Then it was released on VHS and it exploded even more! Soon there was the DVD and a couple of years ago, it came out in a special edition blu-ray boxset! Twenty-eight years after it's theatrical release, the film transcends time and now a whole new generation of kids are watching this timeless classic!

Tonight we had over 60 people in attendance! Not to bad for a Thursday night! Now like I said, the Camera 3 will be showing one cult classic film every month from now till November. Next month we'll be screening the 1978 comedy classic CHEECH AND CHONG'S UP IN SMOKE on April 18th and again on April 20th and it's a 35mm film print screening! So make plans to attend this screening folks! To view their upcoming schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!  

Phil hosts the Cult Movie Screening of THE CROW at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-February 14, 2013

Hello again everybody and welcome to the 2013 season of the Cult Movie series at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! Now for those of you who are late to the game, let me explain this cool series. In 2011 the Camera Cinemas started up the Cult Movie series (which for years had been called the Midnight Movie series). They would show one cult film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November. Tonight was the new season of the series and we screened the 1994 cult film THE CROW, starring the late Brandon Lee, the son of Martial Arts legend Bruce Lee. Once again yours truly was back as the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1994)

Based on the comic book series by James O'Bar, the film is about a young rock musician named Eric Draven (Lee), who along with his fiancée Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas) are murdered by a vicious gang consisting of knife thrower Tin-tin (Laurence Mason), drugetic Funboy (Michael Massee), car buff T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly), and the unsophisticated Skank (Angel David). One year, Eric is resurrected and with the help of a crow, he extracts revenge that caused the death of him and Shelly. However when crime lord Top Dollar (Michael Wincott) learns about Eric, he along with his sister Myca (Bai Ling) and his right-hand man Grange (Tony Todd) learn the legend of the crow and the secret to the vigilante's invincibility. Aiding Eric are his friends, 13 year-old Sarah (Rochelle Davis) and Sergeant Albrecht (Ernie Hudson).

The film was directed by Alex Proyas (DARK CITY, GARAGE DAYS, and I, ROBOT) written by David J. Schow and John Shirley. Right from the start of production, a series of horroble events took place. During the first day of shooting in Wilmington, North Carolina, a carpenter suffered severe burns after his crane hit live power lines. On subsequent days, a grip truck caught fire, a disgruntled sculptor crashed his car through the studio's plaster shop, and a crew member accidentally drove a screwdriver through his hand. The media dubbed it, "The Curse of the Crow." However, no one could have predicted of what came next.

On March 31, 1993, at EUE Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina, Brandon Lee suffered an accidental gunshot wound on the set of the film. He was taken to New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, where he died about 12 hours later, at 1:04 p.m. There were only eight days left of shooting to be completed. Sofia Shinas, who had witnessed the accident, did not want to continue and went home to Los Angeles. The rest of the cast stayed to finish the film. Michael Massee was so upset over his involvement in the death of Lee that he stopped acting for an entire year. He has never seen the film to this day.

Linda Lee Cadwell, the widow of Bruce Lee and mother of Brandon Lee, filed a negligence case against producer Edward R. Pressman, actor Michael Massee and 12 other defendants over the death of her son on-set. She settled out of court to the tune of $3 million. The footage of his death was subsequently developed and used as evidence in the investigation into his death. As part of the lawsuit settlement, the footage was later destroyed.

The film was released by Mirmax Films on May 11, 1994. it opened at #1 with $11,774,332 in its opening weekend. The film went on to gross $50,693,129 in the states and then $94,000,000 worldwide. THE CROW would be remembered as Brandon Lee's greatest role as well as his last performance.

This was a fun night and a great intro to the new season of the Cult Movie Series. Now like I said, the Camera 3 will be showing one cult classic film every month from now till November. Next month we'll be screening the children's adventure classic THE GOONIES so make plans to attend that screening! To view their upcoming schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil's Halloween Horrors Marathon, Day 18: Phil hosts the Cult Movie Screening of EVIL DEAD II at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-October 18, 2012

Welcome to Day Eighteen of Phil's Halloween Horrors Marathon and welcome to Month Nine of the Cult Movie Series here at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! So for tonight's cult film we screened Sam Raimi's 1987 cult classic EVIL DEAD II. Once again yours truly was the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Move Poster (1987)

Directed by Sam Raimi, the film's about a young man named Ash (cult movie icon Bruce Campbell) who takes his girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) to a remote cabin in the woods for a romantic getaway. Once there, Ash finds and plays back a professor's tape recorded recitation of passages from the Book of the Dead, which gives the evil spirits in the woods the power to posses the living. Linda becomes possessed and Ash is forced to "kill" her. Soon the professor's daughter Annie (Sarah Berry), his assistant Ed Gentley (Richard Domeier), and two locals named Jake (Dan Hicks) and Bobby Jo (Kassie Wesley) shows up and they, along with Ash, must survive the night or else they will all be "Dead by Dawn!"

The film was made in Wadesboro, North Carolina in the summer of 1986. Most of the film was shot in the woods near that farmhouse, or J.R. Faison Junior High School, which is where the interior cabin set was located. Most of the film was shot in the woods near that farmhouse, or at J.R. Faison Junior High School, which is where the interior cabin set was located. Producer Dino De Laurentiis and his production company DEG (De Laurentiis Entertainment Group) financed the film.

The film's beginning was a recap of the first film; actually more of a reimagining. The reason they did this was because Raimi and his crew couldn't get the rights to use screnes from the first film. The original EVIL DEAD was released by New Line Cinema and they used a scene from the film in Wes Craven's A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. Look for it towards the end of the film; it's in the scene with Nancy trying to stay awake. In response to this and not being able to use footage of the first film, in the scene when Ash first walks into the toolshed to remove Linda's head from his hand, if you look above the door, you'll see Freddy Kruger's infamous glove.

There are numerous stories that are now folklore. From Sam breaking Bruce's jaw when he crashed into him with a bicycle to Ted Raimi sweating in his Possessed Henrietta, the Linda Chainsaw sequence, to Bruce getting his teeth punched out by Dan Hicks, the stories are endless. Also known as EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN, the film was released to theaters on March 13, 1987 and within its first month it grossed over $5 million dollars and earned a cult status among horror fans.

What a great crowd we had! Over 50 people came out to see the film! Now there is still one more showing of EVIL DEAD II this Saturday, October 20th at midnight. Then next moth's cult film will be the Sam Raimi's 1993 film ARMY OF DARKNESS (the final chapter of the EVIL DEAD Trilogy) on Thursday, December 15th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, November 17th at midnight! So mark these days on your calender and come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the screaming! 

Phil once again hosts the Cult Movie screening of THE PRINCESS BRIDE at the Camera 3-September 15, 2012

Theatrical Movie Poster (1987)

Hello again from the midnight hour! Once again yours truly hosted the Camera 3 Cult Movie screening of THE PRINCESS BRIDE. Saturday night's show had an even bigger turn out than Thursday's show! Over 80 people attended the screening, along with my friends from Barely Legal Productions, the Bay Area's best THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW shadowcast! Again I handed out prizes from our friendly sponsors over at Streetlight Records and Time Tunnel Toys here in San Jose!

Remember next moth's cult film will be the Sam Raimi's 1988 film EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN on Thursday, October 18th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, October 20th at midnight! So mark these days on your calender and come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil hosts the Cult Movie screening of THE PRINCESS BRIDE at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose, September 13, 2012

Hello my fellow cult fanatics and welcome to Month Eight of the Cult Movie Series here at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! So for tonight's cult film we screened that beloved children/fantasy film THE PRINCESS BRIDE. Once again yours truly was the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1987)

Based upon the 1973 novel of the same name by author William Goldman, the film was directed by Rob Reiner, who first became famous for portraying Michael 'Meathead' Stivic on the 70's television show All In The Family. In the early 80's he became famous for directing films such as THIS IS SPINAL TAP and STAND BY ME. In 1987, he formed Castle Rock Entertainment and directed such hits as WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, MISERY and the critically acclaimed A FEW GOOD MEN.

The film had a great ensemble cast! Peter Falk (Columbo) portrays a grandfather who visits his sick grandson, portrayed by Fred Savage, who was only ten years old when he made a film (A year later, Savage would go on to star on the hit TV show The Wonder Years). Cary Elwes (HOT SHOTS, ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS, SAW) portrays the hero in the film Westly, who must rescue the love of his life Buttercup (Robin Wright from FORREST GUMP, SHE'S SO LOVELY) from marrying the evil Prince Humperdink (Chris Sarandon from FRIGHT NIGHT, CHILD'S PLAY. He was married to Susan Sarandon from 1967-1979). Joining Westley on his mission are his friends: the enormous Fezzik (portrayed by the late, great wrestling legend Andre the Giant) and Spaniard swordsman Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) who wants revenge against the man who killed his father, Count Tyrone Rugen (Christopher Guest from THIS IS SPINAL TAP, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, BEST IN SHOW, A MIGHTY WIND). Also appearing in the film are Wallace Shawn (Rex from the TOY STORY films), Peter Cook, Mel Smith, Carol Kane, and Billy Crystal.

The film was released by 20th Century Fox on September 25, 1987. It made $30.8 million at the boxoffice on a budget of $13 million. Not too shabby back then, however, the film wasn't the big hit like the studio was hoping for. So to them it was a commercial failure. But when it was released on VHS, the film finally found its audience, and soon became a cult classic.

What a great crowd we had! Over 60 people came out to see the film! Now there is still one more showing of THE PRINCESS BRIDE this Saturday, September 15th at midnight. Then next moth's cult film will be the Sam Raimi's 1988 film EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN on Thursday, October 18th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, October 20th at midnight! So mark these days on your calender and come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil hosts the Cult Movie screening of JURASSIC PARK (again) at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-July 21, 2012

Theatrical Movie Poster (1993)

Hello again from the midnight hour! Yup, I once again hosted the Cult Movie screening of JURASSIC PARK this past Saturday night at the Camera 3 in downtown San Jose! We had a great turn out for the midnight show! And once again I handed out cool prizes to a couple of lucky audience members, graciously donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys. And I would also like to thanks Universal Studios for protecting our film heritage and for preserving 35mm film prints! And thanks to Psycho Donuts for staying open late to feed our cinematic thrillseekers!

Remember next moth's cult film will be the Coen Brother's 1998 film THE BIG LEBOWSKI on Thursday, August 16th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, July 18th at midnight! So mark these days on your calender and come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil hosts the Cult Movie screening of JURASSIC PARK at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-July 19, 2012

Hello my fellow cult fanatics and welcome to Month Six of the Cult Movie Series here at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! So for tonight's cult film they screened director Steven Spielberg's 1993 colossal summer blockbuster JURASSIC PARK. Once again yours truly was the host for tonight's screening. Another great addition for tonight's show was that this was a 35mm print that was being screened, courtesy of Universal Studios! Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1993)

Based upon the novel of the same name by author Michael Crichton, the movie stars Sam Neill (Dr. Alan Grant), Laura Dern (Dr. Ellie Sattler), Jeff Goldblum (Dr. Ian Malcolm), Richard Attenborough (John Hammond), Ariana Richards (Lex Murphy), Joseph Mazzello (Tim Murphy), Martin Ferrero (Donald Gennaro), and Bob Peck (Robert Muldoon). Also joining in on this prehistoric thrill ride are Samuel L. Jackson (Ray Arnold), Wayne Knight (Dennis Nedry), and BD Wong (Henry Wu).

The film was originally released to theaters on June 11, 1993! That was 19 years ago! And if you have yet to see this film, there is something seriously wrong with you! The film's about a group of scientists who get whisked away on a rich white man's helicopter to his remote island fun park called Jurassic Park, filled with real live dinosaurs, thanks in large part to scientific DNA cloning. But unlike their ancestors, these reptiles are highly intelligent, and soon they all brake out and take over the island!

The special effects were done by Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) which is owned by filmmaker George Lucus. When the film was completed, Lucus realized that digital and computer technology had finally caught up with him and his imagination. It was this film that he decided that it was time to start work on the STAR WARS prequels. So as I said in my introduction tonight, "We can thank this film for those prequels, because if it wasn't for the fierce T-Rex, we wouldn't have Jar Jar Binks!" This joke caused many people to laugh and cry in their popcorn. However, the screening had a fantastic turnout, over 70 patrons flocked in to see this awesome film! Next year will be the film's 20th anniversary, and just like Hollywood, the film will be re-released to theaters in 3D. Also there is talk about a JP4 as well. Yes, friends, these scientifically created creatures simply will not die!

Now there is still one more showing of JURASSIC PARK this Saturday, July 21st at midnight. Then next moth's cult film will be the Coen Brother's 1998 film THE BIG LEBOWSKI on Thursday, August 16th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, July 18th at midnight! So mark these days on your calender and come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the Cult Movie screening of GHOSTBUSTERS at the Camera 3 Downtown San Jose-June 14, 2012

Hello my fellow cult fanatics and welcome to Month Five of the Cult Movie Series here at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose! So for tonight's cult film they screened Ivan Reitman's 1984 comedy classic GHOSTBUSTERS. Once again yours truly was the host for tonight's screening. Another great addition for tonight's show was that this was a 35mm print that was being screened! This print came from the vaults of Universal Studios! Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1984)

OK folks, if I have to explain the film to you, then I am very concerned for you! The film was a commercial hit when it was first released by Universal Studios on June 8, 1984. The film was directed by Ivan Reitman (father of director Jason Reitman) and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd, and Ramis as three university parapsychologists in New York City, who get ousted and become Ghostbusters. Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts also co-star in the film. There, so that's the plot of the film in a nutshell. Now go see the damn movie people!

It was another great crowd for the Cult Movie series show! Next month's cult film is director  Steven Spielberg's 1993 blockbuster JURASSIC PARK, which will be shown on Thursday, June 19th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, June 21st at midnight, so mark these days on your calender and come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the Cult Movie screenig of FIGHT CLUB at the Camera 3-April 19, 2012

Hello my fellow cult fanatics and welcome to Month Three of the Cult Movie Series here at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose. So for tonight's cult film they screened David Fincher's 1999 film FIGHT CLUB. Your's truly was the host for tonight's screening. Prizes were donated by Streetlight Records and by Time Tunnel Toys, both located here in San Jose. There were also yummy donuts to eat, courtesy of Psycho Donuts located in the lobby.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1999)

Based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk, the film stars Edward Norton as our nameless narrator, a corporate drone and insomniac completely dissatisfied with his life, who befriends the irrepressible force of nature that is soap salesman Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt). Together they start up a bare-knuckles, no-holds-barred fight club, where young, equally bored urban professionals meet once a week and beat the hell out of each other. But all is not what appears to be as Norton discovers Durden's true intentions and has to stop him before anarchy reigns supreme over the city.

The film was released by 20th Century Fox on October 13, 1999! It's hard to believe that the film is now 12 years old! Hell I remember when it first came out. I think I saw it at the now closed Century Capital 16 Theater. Director Fincher started off as a music video director. Some of his most famous videos he made were "Express Yourself", "Oh Father" and "Vogue" for Madonna and "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl" and "Cold Hearted" for Paula Abdul. He made his feature film debut with ALIEN 3 in 1992. Since then has gone on to direct some groundbreaking and critically acclaimed films such as 1995's SEVEN, 2002's PANIC ROOM, 2007's ZODIAC, 2008's THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, and 2010's award winning biopic film THE SOCIAL NETWORK. His most current film was last year's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, which was just released on Blu-Ray and DVD back in March.

Next month's cult film is director Terry Gilliam's 1998 film FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS, which will be shown on Thursday, May 17th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, May 19th at midnight, so mark these days on your calender and come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the Cult Movie screenig of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES at the Camera 3-March 15, 2012

Hello my fellow cult fanatics and welcome to Month Two of the Cult Movie Series here at the Camera 3 in Downtown San Jose. So for tonight's cult film they screened that beloved children's classic, 1990's TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES! My inner child was so very enthusiastic that I couldn't hold it back! Now you can't watch this movie without chowing down on some pizza, and our good friends at Pizza My Heart donated four large and very yummy pizzas for the audience to enjoy during the screening. Also tonight's prizes were donated by our sponsors at Streetlight Records and Time Tunnel Toys here in San Jose!

Theatrical Movie Poster (1990)

Based on the 1984 black and white independent comic book created by Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman, the film's about four turtles named Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, and their master rat named Splinter who come into contact with a radioactive substance called the Ooze that mutates them all into walking and talking and ninja fighting creatures! Our heroes are put to the test when New York City becomes overrun with a series of mysterious crimes. Ace TV reporter April O'Neil (Judith Hoag) uncovers that a secret gang of ninjas called The Foot, lead by their leader The Shredder (James Saito), are responsible for these crimes. Soon they kidnapped Splinter and our heroes in a half shell, along with their ally Casey Jones (Elias Koteas), must find and rescue him while defeating the Shredder once and for all.

The film was released by New Line Cinema on March 30, 1990. The reason I know this was because when I was 16 years old, my first job was working at the now defunct Syufy Century Alamden Movie Theater. My first day was Friday, April 6, 1990. We had it on screens 3 (which was our main theater), 4, and 5. It was hilarious to see these 5-10 year old kids coming out of the theaters and kicking the hell out of each other. Awww......the innocence of youth. The movie was made looooong before CGI so the animatronics were made courtesy of the Jim Henson's Creature Shop. The film's budget was only $13.5 million but it ended up grossing $135,270,000!! Very impressive indeed!! Two sequels followed and in 2007 the turtles made their return to the big screen in the computer animated film TMNT.

Tonight was a blast! We had a great crowd tonight, considering it was a Thursday night! The film will be shown again this Saturday night, March 17th at midnight! We'll have more prizes to hand out, maybe some more pizza, and we'll also be having a TMNT van outside for all to take pictures in! So don't miss out on all the fun! Also, to view this season's Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil once again attends the Cult Movie Series screening of BACK TO THE FUTURE at the Camera 3-February 16, 2012

Theatrical Movie Poster (1985)

Hello again my fellow insomniacs! I once again attended the Cult Movie Series' screening of BACK TO THE FUTURE at the Camera 3 here in downtown San Jose! This time I co-hosted the show with my good friend Nate McHavoc from Barely Legal Productions, the shadowcast for THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, which is also held at the Camera Three. Once again skateboard legend Bob Schmelzer came out for the show and gave the audience a quick recap of his experiences while making the film. Schmelzer is also the owner of Circle-A Skateboard shop located just a few block away from the theater. So if you are looking for a high quality board or if your board needs some repair, Schmelzer's shop is the place to go. So please support your local business and check out Circle-A the next time you're in downtown San Jose!

Next month's cult film is the 1990 film TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, which will be shown on Thursday, March 15th at 9:30pm and again on Saturday, March 17th at midnight, so mark these days on your calender and come out and have some cult movie fun! To view the rest of the Cult Movie Series schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the Cult Movie Series screening of BACK TO THE FUTURE at the Camera 3-February 16, 2012

Theatrical Movie Poster (1985)

For years I was a big fan and supporter of the Camera Cinemas' Midnight Movie series. From May til the end of September, they would show popular, cult and horror films at midnight every week at two locations: The Camera 7 Pruneyard on Friday night and the Camera 12 on Saturday night. For over six years I would be there, winning prizes and watching some true film classics such as ENTER THE DRAGON, BRAZIL, THE PROFESSIONAL, and REPO:THE GENETIC OPERA. Last year the Camera Cinemas reformatted the series and rechristened as the Cult Movie series. Now they show the same film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at midnight) from February through November at the Camera 3 in downtown San Jose. Tonight was the kick off for the 2012 season and they showed the 1985 classic BACK TO THE FUTURE, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Claudia Welles and Thomas F. Wilson. The film was produced by Steven Spielberg and directed by Robert Zemeckis (FORREST GUMP, CAST AWAY and PART II and III of the trilogy).

Former lead Eric Stoltz and Bob Schmelzer circa 1984

Before the show began, the Camera 3 manager and projectionist Chris had a cool surprise for the audience. He called up skateboard legend Bob Schmelzer who is the owner of the ultra cool skateboard shop Circle-A Skateboards located here in downtown San Jose. He recalled how he was picked to be the skateboard double for then lead actor Eric Stoltz. It's well documented that Zemeckis had shot five weeks with Stoltz and decided that his comic sensibility wasn't working for Zemeckis. After five weeks, he convinced the studio to have him fire Stoltz and get Michael J. Fox. Also Schmelzer said that Fox couldn't ride a skateboard to save his life, however Stoltz had the chops and was quite good at it. Also he was good at tagging so Schmelzer had a lot of respect for Stoltz. Also he had a lot of fun hanging out with Lloyd and Glover. Overall, he had a lot of fun working on the film.

This was a fun night and a great intro to the new season of the Cult Movie Series. Now like I said, the Camera 3 will be showing one cult classic film every month from now till November. To view their upcoming schedule, visit the Camera Cinemas website at www.cameracinemas.com.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!

Phil attends the Cult Movie Series screening of TAXI DRIVER at the Camera 3-August 14, 2011

For years I was a big fan and supporter of the Camera Cinemas' Midnight Movie series. From May til the end of September, they would show popular, cult and horror films at midnight every week at two locations: The Camera 7 Pruneyard on Friday night and the Camera 12 on Saturday night. For over six years I would be there, winning prizes and watching some true film classics such as EVIL DEAD 2, THE PRINCESS BRIDE, THE PROFESSIONAL, and REPO:THE GENETIC OPERA. This past February it was reformatted and rechristened as the Cult Movie series. Now they show the same film twice a month (Thursday nights at 9:30 and Saturday nights at 11:30) at the Camera 3 in downtown San Jose, and it now continues until November. For this month, the series screened one of the greatest films by legendary film director Martin Scorsese. Known for recent films such as THE DEPARTED (2006) and SHUTTER ISLAND (2010), Scorsese's earlier films were raw, gritty, and innovative. They represented a specific time and place, all the while becoming ingrained within the lexicon of American Cinema. However, the one film that is synonymous with Scorsese's legacy, and is still talked about today, is his 1976 masterpiece TAXI DRIVER.

Theatrical Movie Poster (1976)

There isn't anything that I can say about this film that hasn't been already said by film critics, film historians, by fans, periodicals, documentaries, and by Scorsese himself. If you have never seen this film before, then you need to see this film right now! Stop reading this and go buy the film. Trust me when I say that that this film will change your life! It changed mine, and it's influence has never diminished, even 35 years after its original release. It's one of those perfect films that still shocks you and makes you stare at it and it power over will not let go until after the credits end.

Much of the film's success goes to Robert De Niro's performance in the film. His portrayal of Travis Bickle is disturbing, but you cannot look away. His famous scene where he talks to himself, asking his reflection, "Are you talking to me?" is part of pop culture. That scene has been parodied and imitated nonstop since 1976. Also Jodi Foster's role as street wise child prostitute Iris caused such a roar of controversy that it nearly got the film pulled from theaters.

And what can you say about Scorsese's directing? It's flawless. Absolutely flawless. What I don't understand is why did it take so long for Scorsese to receive and Academy Award? He should've won with this film, or with 1980s RAGING BULL, or with 1990s GOODFELLAS. Now I did enjoy THE DEPARTED and I was glad to see him finally get his recognition that he so rightfully deserves, but this was long overdue. In my opinion, Scorsese should've won with this film.

TAXI DRIVER was just recently released on Blu-Ray and the transfer looks fantastic! Of course it's loaded with some amazing extras, but people will buy it because of the film itself. This is American Cinema at its finest, helmed by America's most beloved director. Martin Scorsese is an American treasure, and with TAXI DRIVER, he will always be remembered as that.

To learn more about the Camera Cinemas Cult Movie Series, or to view showtimes, visit their website at http://www.cameracinemas.com/index.shtml

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the show!