Time to knock off for the long weekend of celebrating our independence to eat grilled meats and drink beer in the hot summer sun. If you must observe our nation's birthday cinematically, please eschew summer blockbusters and tent poles in favor of these fine, subversive offerings.
To the east, Rooftop Films continues its summer series in at the Fulton Mall parking garage in downtown Brooklyn on the 4th of July with a program of shorts entitled "Some Folks Call It Un-American" and, yes, live music by the Mountain Goats. John Darnielle is quite a draw, but you really, and I do mean really, need to see my pals Joyce and Jim's excellent Super 8 short: The Hot Dog Man: A Case Study. I can't decide which write-up I like better:
Giant hot dog statue appears; people freak out.
OR
A hilarious and poignant home movie about an absurd American icon, a giant self-devouring hot dog statue in downtown Durham, North Carolina.
All I know, having seen the hot dog man in all his self-condimenting fiberglass glory, is that he has so much to teach us. Plus, you'll be able to see the fireworks over the East River. Talk about multimedia.
To the west, Cinespia screens one of the cinetrix's all-time favorite movies, a quintessentially American story of a boy and his bicycle. That's right, on July 2, above and below the stars at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, thrill to Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Gates at 7:30 p.m.; film at 9 p.m.
There's also an afterparty:
Please join us for music and cocktails after the screening Saturday night at 6209 W. Santa Monica Blvd (the former Actor's Gang theatre) just 1 1/2 blocks west of Hollywood Forever Cemetery (between El Centro and Vine). Doors open at 10:30 p.m. Admission is Free! Music by Cinespia DJs: Chris Curtis, Jun, Marvski. Full bar, valet parking. Please RSVP to: [email protected]
Tell 'em Large Marge sent ya.
And down south, after you've run the Peachtree in Atlanta on the Fourth of July [which the cinetrix foolishly did in 1995: "Tee-shirt! Tee-shirt!"], catch A Shark's Tale under the stars with the kiddies in Heritage Park at 9 p.m. [FREE] while you rub Ben-Gay into your aching muscles. And, yes, the cinetrix knows that movie is far from subversive, but after running a 10K in the hot Georgia sun, you've earned a little vegging out. We'll withhold judgment until tomorrow.
