The stars were out last night (Thursday, March 1st) in San Luis Obispo for the opening of the SLO International Film Festival. The 11-day festival kicked off with a party for sponsors, board members, special guests, and assorted riff-raff (you have no idea what a forged press pass and a little swagger will get you … free wine and delicious shrimp cocktail, for instance).
The guest of honor was Fred Koenekamp, an award-winning cinematographer whose film Patton was shown last night at The Palm. I skipped the film because, frankly, at nearly three hours it’s too long, plus, who wants to see George C. Scott strutting around like a peacock with a Howitzer up his ass for 170 minutes? Not me. I’d have rather the festival had shown one of Koenekamp’s other masterpieces, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, the Russ Meyer-directed Roger Ebert-written camp classic. Now that’s entertainment!
Still, the opening night party was a helluva lot of fun, and Mr. Koenekamp, a tall, distinguished fellow seemed to be enjoying the attention. He certainly deserved it. In addition to his feature film work on classic flicks like Billy Jack, Towering Inferno, and Papillon, he also worked on some of my favorite TV shows like Kung Fu and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. The guy’s had a cool career.
He was holding court at a table surrounded by women, and at first I chalked that up to the silver fox effect: wealthy, good looking Hollywood elite, who at 84 still could charm the miniskirt off a starlet, but it turns out these babes were three generations of Koenekamps, his wife Jan, daughter Dona Griswold, and granddaughter Randi Griswold, who looks like she should have starred on The O.C. Hubba-hubba! Naturally Festival Director Wendy Eidson was flitting about, making sure the right people were meeting and greeting.
The highlight of the party was festival board member Paul Karlen, who dressed as a Nazi officer in deference to the screening of Patton. While hobnobbing with man-about-town Pierre Rademaker (who’s like Zelig—always turning up at important events), Karlen quipped that it was lucky the party was upstairs since his costume might have led to speculation that Mother’s had become a gay bar. Me likely the par-tay!
So, it seems clear the festival is off to a great start. I think I’ll hit the screening of the Pipe Masters at 5 p.m., maybe stay for the Mickey Jones flicks. Jones was Bob Dylan’s drummer in the ‘60s, and he put together a film of his home movies taken during a Dylan tour. He’s also screening a film he directed, The Last Cowboys, a hilarious philosophical discussion between two lonely cowboys (Jones and Billy Bob Thorton) out on the range and talking about reconnecting with their inner child. Funny stuff, believe me. After that, an Academy Award-winning short that features Jones as a Hell’s Angel-type biker will be screened at 9. Called My Mother Dreams of Satan’s Disciples in New York City, this 30-minute film is about the awakening of a sheltered old woman who visits her daughter in dangerous NYC. If you’re more in the mood for classic spy fare, the festival is screening the James Bond classic From Russia With Love, with Danny Biederman, a spy film and gadget expert. See you at the movies!
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