This weekend in Hollywood, it's time for the Cinecon convention.
This is the 50th of these one-of-a-kind festivals and its m.o. is "films so rare even the most dyed-in-the-wool professional historians have never seen them", presented on the big screen in glorious 35mm.
At this year's Cinecon, the Career Achievement Honoree will go to the kid who stole the hearts of a gazillion moviegoers in MGM films, the winsome Margaret O'Brien, who will be there in person and charm the audience yet again in the Q&A following a screening of Vincente Minnelli's iconic Meet Me In St. Louis.
Monsieur Blogmeister attended several of the five day celluloid extravaganzas way back in the 1980's and had the immense pleasure of meeting many responsible for sublime and happy moments on the silver screen, from Hal Roach Studio luminaries Sunshine Sammy Morrison and Anita Garvin to legendary animators Bob Clampett and Hugh Harman. They weren't "celebs", but folks there to have a good time, socialize and meet others who love movies.
Alas, it has been many moons since Mr. Blogmeister has been to a Cinecon, but knows plenty of friends and colleagues who will be there, no doubt hitting the local restaurants and watering holes with gusto between the rare movies and having a lovely Labor Day Weekend.
While disappointed to miss screenings of the howlingly funny 1929 Hal Roach Studio 2-reeler Snappy Sneezer and the incomparable Jack Benny in Buck Benny Rides Again, we at Way Too Damn Lazy To Write A Blog wish the producers, curators and volunteers presenting this fest all the best. For more info, check out the Cinecon website.
Across the country, in Brooklyn, home to many jazz musicians, comedians and filmmakers (as well as the birthplace of Bugs Bunny), animation historian and film collector Tom Stathes from Cartoons On Film is curating/presenting a fine program of classic cartoon coolness this Saturday evening.
It's an outdoor show at in the backyard of Williamsburg's City Reliquary museum on 370 Metropolitan Avenue - and promises to be lots of fun. Even if one is many miles away from Williamsburg and cannot attend the show, join the official Facebook group for the Tom Stathes Cartoon Carnival
This weekend, the vintage movie flame - well, hopefully none of the archival nitrate prints that shall be shown - burns brightly on both coasts!
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