Watching Monster Camp and The Recordist at the film festival on Saturday reminded me of my first time screening these films, at my apartment in the weeks leading up to the festival. With a box of brand new films and a weekend with nothing to do but enjoy them, I was beyond excited. But as I put each new film into the DVD player, I realized that I felt a sliver of apprehension. Theatergoers these days tend to know an awful lot about a movie before they see it. They at least know the genre, the stars, and a good percentage of the plot. Odds are, they have also seen at least one trailer. Watching a brand new movie without any background knowledge was a huge leap of faith for me. I didn't know if I was about to be scared, sad, happy. I had to blindly trust the filmmaker, assuming that they would guide me on a journey that would be worthwhile and enjoyable. And for the most part it was. While I wouldn't make a habit of watching movies that I know nothing about (I am a huge coward when it comes to needles, sharks, violence and blood), I have come to believe that every once in awhile it's good to take an act of faith-in this case, faith in a filmmaker and in the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival. You may not know what you're getting into, but that makes the adventure all the greater. And, more importantly, the film festival affords unique viewing adventures. Three hundred and fifty-one days out of the year we all watch the same movies produced by the same studios, maybe diverging from the path a little if The Palm is your theater of choice, but this is our opportunity to see something rare, something friends and family from other cities and states probably won't have the opportunity to experience. So, here's to the courage of the film festival audience who purchase tickets to see movies that don't feature familiar faces and weren't created with million dollar budgets.
On another note, if you hurry you can still make the 4:00 showing of Spine Tingler and This is My Cheesesteak, both excellent films, both comic, both sweet. (They're screening at Downtown Cinemas by the way, and I didn't have work to do, I'd be there myself, enjoying them yet again). Also, jumping ahead a little bit, I would like to encourage everyone to watch Bending Space and Simulacra on Thursday at 4:30 at the Palm. Bending Space is a documentary about the community of Durham in North Carolina; they decide to invite a famous French installation artist to create wild feats of geometric, architectural genius in abandoned downtown buildings. The result is successful enough to maybe get local artsy folks around SLO to consider some of the same. And Simulacra is a beautiful short animated film about a robot. (Believe me, robots are not my cup of tea, but I really liked this one)
-Ashley Schwellenbach
PS Feel like taking a leap of faith? www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYSsfdUWp84
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