SMN: New Filmmaker Showcase

Thanks to SMN friend Caroline B., we've discovered the work of Portland, OR's Julie Perini.
Originally from upstate NY, she now creates films & videos, organizes events, writes and much more. We're super excited to screen two of her short works tomorrow evening.
Be there to check it out along with past favorites and a few surprises.

Cecile Starr returns to SMN

Tonight marks the eagerly awaited return of Secret Movie Night's most accomplished guest film curator, Cecile Starr.
Tonight she presents clips from three films about music:
Song of Ceylon
Raga
Jazz on a Summer's Day

I am super excited!

Bush in a Skirt crossing the Bridge to Nowhere

As if this whole campaign wasn't messy enough already. No, more like incredibly frightening.
But I was heartened to see this article in The Nation. It only supports my belief that Sarah Palin represents merely the far right fringe of American women. Pro war, anti-choice, anti teen pregnancy support (clearly she is no fan of irony). Nothing like turning back women's rights a few decades.
So I'm glad to see that an anti-Palin rally in Alaska can be so successful. If only the rest of country can get motivated on this. If not, Secret Movie Night may be moving to Canada.

This one is for Rose

On Monday my friend and coworker Rose Long was the unfortunate victim of a hit and run while cycling with a friend.
I say victim because this was clearly no accident. The driver, 22 year old Adam Desjardin, was driving his SUV on a suspended license, failed to yield on a left turn and drive through Rose. After this, instead of taking responsibility for his criminal actions, he fled the scene.
Read the Burlington Free Press article here.

Amazingly, this asshole actually pled not guilty. As if he had somehow had the right as a vehicle operator to drive into another person.

While Rose will certainly recover (she's an amazing person and incredibly positive and resilient) she is currently dealing with severe facial lacerations, a collapsed lung, a broken wrist and a broken jaw, nose and pallet, shattered bones in her forehead and alot of missing teeth. On Thursday she underwent reconstructive facial surgery.

There may be no limit to my utter sense of anger and disgust at this tragedy. If justice does not prevail in this case then what chance does this world have for survival?
But most of all, my thoughts will be with Rose and her family as she recovers.

I'd love to be able to focus on movies right now. But there will be time for that later. Rose was also a fan of Secret Movie Night. And I'm sure that everyone at SMN wishes her the best.

GREMLINS vs. BATMAN....sort of

Filmmaker Sacha Feiner has made a fun short with some rather clever insertion of Gremlins into various popular films, including Batman, Goonies and the Exorcist.