Yankee Doodle Tagging

I can already smell the hot dogs and burgers on the grill as the US of A celebrates Herbie Hancock (I miss you, Chris Farley) signing our first birthday card 234 years ago. I thought it would be prudent to get a blog in before I end up with bandaged hands from playing with bottle rockets and snap-pops. If anyone could injure themselves with snap-pops, it's this guy. Seriously kids, don't let your parents play with fireworks.

So it's a long weekend for most of you, which means you'll have a little extra time, so why not check out a movie? What says revolution like werewolves and vampires?? I'm really writing this while waiting in line to get into the new Twilight movie. That or I'm being forced to watch The City. I really can't decide which one is more communist. Really though, a/perture has a movie that says revolt starting this weekend - Exit Through the Gift Shop. It's a film about street art, and the elusive street artist Banksy. Trailer after the colon:

Our son has been running around tagging our backyard all week in anticipation of this film.

JYD has got the Bieber Fever, no doubt. Man I love MS Paint. Would it be worse if I told you I did this or that my son did? I'll just say it was Lawren. Have a Happy 4th.

maxing & relaxing all cool

So far this summer a/perture has been stylin' in the big apple:

and chillin' in the beautiful (and cooler) NC mountains....

keep sending in the photos...

Don't Stop Believin' Indeed

Have you caught the fever yet? It almost feels like it's 1994 again, and Alexi Lalas's goatee should be making a comeback. In case you've been living under a rock for the last twenty-four hours, the US men's soccer team made history multiple times by winning a final group game (first time ever), winning their group (first time since 1930) in the World Cup, and causing millions of men to scream like little girls simultaneously (totally a Guinness World Record). a/perture has had a blast showing the games over the past ten days, sharing in the madness with friends like this:


And why wouldn't we be having fun? People are respecting the game and teams. We've been standing during "The Star-Spangled Banner". We've been sitting on pins and needles, seeing if the Yanks can continuously overcome slow starts. And we've collectively wondered how a ref can call a foul without saying who it's on.

The next logical question is what time do doors open for the game on Saturday? Sorry friends, since we had no idea when we'd be playing, much less if we'd be playing until 91 minutes into yesterday's game, we're taking a break for this game. But maybe the fever can keep rising on the pitch, and we'll have the chance to show three more games, including the final on July 11th. If this video doesn't make you proud to be an American, I don't know what to tell you (click here for awesomeness - another video that is safe for work, but people will probably look at you strangely for watching it).

Pop in with your pops

If you're like me, you probably don't get presents for birthday, special occasions, etc. too far in advance. Heck, I just forgot to call my mom yesterday on her birthday (sorry Mom, maybe a public birthday wish will help atone?). So for my fellow procrastinators, I offer your solution for Father's Day.

Having experienced two of my own so far, I'm coming to realize the best gift is just being able to spend time with my little guy. So if your dad is like me, they just want to do some hanging out. Sports are always a good bonding experience. Except that baseball is the only professional league still rolling. The US soccer team was robbed earlier today, and isn't playing again until Wednesday. The golf US Open is being played in primetime since it's on the west coast. So that means after brunch, you have some time to kill. What should you do? Take your dad to see a movie. We have three great ones to choose from, two of which are comedies, which us guys relate to better because we're really not as sophisticated as the ladies for the most part. Just speaking the truth here. Here's Mark Burger's review of Please Give. I've heard more than one person walk out of The Secret in Their Eyes saying it's one of the best films they've ever seen. And the word of mouth on City Island convinced us to keep it an extra week.

And if sports isn't your thing at all, come to a movie, and stick around on Sunday night at 8 for our special screening of Crude, detailed in the previous blog post. QT with the dad and helping the environment? Who else is giving you opportunities like that?

Marine Mammals and Sea Turtles

I want to open this blog with a photo:

This turtle is one of the many that will be affected by the April 20 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The fact that oil continues to flow into the Gulf on a daily basis is sickening. We've all seen the horrible photos of wildlife covered in oil. What is most depressing though is the feeling of helplessness at the situation. I tried a personal boycott of BP, but was forced to purchase fuel there the other day when my car was running on fumes. But thanks to the wonderful suggestion of an a/perture fan, Spencer Krane, we at a/perture plan to at least attempt to save that little guy in the photo.

On Sunday, June 20 at 8pm we will be screening the most fitting film we could find, director Joe Berlinger's CRUDE: The Real Price of Oil. Crude is the epic story of one of the most controversial environmental lawsuits on the planet. The landmark case takes place in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador, pitting 30,000 indigenous and colonial rainforest dwellers against U.S. oil giant Chevron. The plaintiffs claim that Texaco – which merged with Chevron in 2001 – spent three decades systematically contaminating one of the most biodiverse regions on Earth, poisoning the water, air and land. Sound familiar? Check out the trailer:

Tickets for the screening are $5 with ALL (yes, every penny) of the proceeds going to the Audubon Institute's Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program. The LMMSTRP is the primary responder for the state of Louisiana for rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing marine mammals (dolphins, whales and manatees) and sea turtles. Audubon and LMMSTRP are collaborating with NOAA, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure that we have the most up to date information about the direction of the oil spill and any possible animals in its path. Here are some photos of the first sea turtle to be rescued and "bathed."

a/perture would especially like to thank Spencer for splitting the cost of screening the film with us. We are also excited to tell you that if you dine down the street at Hutch and Harris before the film on Sunday, you can enjoy 10% off your meal and whatever this total amounts to, Hutch and Harris will also donate to the LMMSTRP. Just print this out and take it with you or come and buy your ticket beforehand.

So please come out on June 20, bring your Dad (it's Father's Day) to see a great film, and help us save some turtles.

American Revolution Revisited

Thanks to Jay Callahan for being our guest blogger. He's a bit of a soccer geek and as the head coach of a NCAA Division III women's soccer team, I think he's a bit of an expert...hey, I'm a bit partial, he's my younger brother...so here's what he has to say about the approaching World Cup game at a/perture...

In six days, the United States plays in arguably its biggest soccer match in history. As a former player, a current coach, and major fan of soccer, I have been looking forward to this match since it was announced several months ago. At the time of the World Cup drawings, I never would have guessed that I would be able to watch the U.S. vs. England game on a movie screen. Now that a/perture has added directv to their repertoire, they can broadcast the game live. Who could ask for more than to watch the game on a huge screen next to other fans all while drinking a beer? (btw...a/perture will have Yuengling on special for the Yanks and Newcastle the Rooney fans).

I am a major fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers/Penguins/Pirates and the WVU Mountaineers. It is hard for me to miss any of my team’s games (except for maybe the Pirates) and to cheer them on with everything I have. It is a great thing to root for your favorite city or your alma mater, but to be able to cheer for your country is on an entirely different level. Sure people say that's what the Olympics are for, but cheering on curlers or synchronized swimmers just doesn’t quite do it for me. The World Cup is the world’s biggest sporting event for a reason; we just haven't quite realized that yet in the States. On average, 100 million viewers watch each World Cup game and 750 million to 1 billion watch the finals. That is four times the number of those who watch the Super Bowl.

The US National team really is a “melting pot." We have team members with parents from Nigeria (Oguchi “Gooch” Onyewu), Haiti (Jozy Altidore), Brazil (Benny Feilhaber), Scotland (Stuart Holden), Mexico (Hercules Gomez, Jose Torres, Carlos Bocanegra), Canada (Landon Donovan), and Jamaica (Edson Buddle). If you need to watch an inspirational story to really get behind the team and its players, just check out this ESPN story about U.S. star Clint “Deuce” Dempsey.

I am not sure that we will be able to get a result from England on June 12, but I do know that we are better equipped than we have ever been to make a strong run in this World Cup. This year's team has players who play professionally in the U.S., Germany, England, Scotland, Spain, Denmark, France, Mexico, and Italy. If you are superstitious like me then you have to love the fact that the 2010 World Cup is being played outside of Europe and that it has been 8 years since we last had a strong run. Just look at our past five World Cup performances:

-1990 in Italy (Europe): Did not make it out of our group

-1994 in the U.S. (North America): Final 16

-1998 in France (Europe): Did not make it out of our group

-2002 in South Korea/Japan (Asia): Quarterfinals

-2006 in Germany (Europe):Did not make it out of our group

-2010 in South Africa (Africa): Semifinals maybe?

I do not have to explain our long history with England. We are allies now on all fronts, but there is still a competitive feeling you get when you think about the country that used to rule us. I am sure that England would love nothing more than to beat us handily this Saturday. On paper it looks like they will have no problem, but the game will not be played on paper; it will be played at a/perture and hopefully you will be there. This could be a once in a lifetime experience for you to support the Yanks against the Redcoats in the World Cup, unless of course you actually were alive and remember the last time the two countries faced off in the 1950 World Cup:

See you on Saturday...and don't forget to dress up as there will be prizes for the most spirited fans!

who needs the pool?

Schooooool's... out for SUMMER. In honor of summer and to give you and your kids a break from Vitamin D overload, we have planned an animated fiesta at a/perture. We are calling it a/kids, but it is open to kids of all ages. The films we've selected continue to represent the indy/art/foreign vibe we're going for at a/perture and we believe we've selected some really special films. So on with the details:

June - Spirited Away

PG, 125mins

Dates: June 15, 16, 17 and 19

One show @ 11am daily

All tickets are $5

Check out the trailer:

July - The Triplets of Belleville

PG-13, 78mins

Dates: July 6, 7, 8 and 10

One show @ 11am daily

All tickets are $5

Check out the trailer:

August - Kirikou and the Sorceress

not rated, 78mins

Dates: TBD

One show @ 11am daily

All tickets are $5

Check out the website for more info and to watch the trailer.

Parents out there, if you are questioning whether any of these are age-appropriate for your particular child, here are some resources to check out:

Common Sense Media

Kids In Mind

IMDB

We will also have special giveaways and contests. And even better, bring your movie ticket to Skippy's Hot Dogs on the same day and receive a free order of fries with the purchase of two hot dogs. And for all you big kids out there, we've thrown in a Saturday date for each film just for you.

So hang your bathing suit up and come indoors for some animated fun!

Quadruple Feature

All sorts of firsts at a/perture this weekend. Here's your chance to spend a full day watching four different movies, although that would mean you were the last people in town to see either The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo or Babies. Both have been wildly popular, so we couldn't decide which one to keep, so we kept both. Being added to the slate are Burzynski and Ajami. Something for everyone, really. Documentaries, foreign films, thrillers, cute little babies, commentaries on religion and government - maybe one doesn't fit as well with the others, but that's the beauty of it all.

Seriously, these are some amazing movies. Ajami was a 2010 Oscar nominee for best foreign picture, made by a Jewish Israeli and an Arabic Israeli, with a stellar rating of 96% - certified fresh - on rottentomatoes.com. Our own movie critic extraordinaire for Yes! Weekly Mark Burger has declared The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a shoe-in for being nominated in 2011 for best foreign film, and proclaimed it could be in Swahili, and it wouldn't matter, because the acting is that spot on. Burzynski could be an Oscar nominee itself, based on its early festival run, selling out and winning awards right and left. And we have the director in on Friday and Saturday. How awesome is that? And Babies, well, as I've been telling everyone who has asked if I've seen it, I have my hands plenty full with our own 2 and 1/2 year old, so I can't justify spending over an hour in a quiet, dark room watching other babies - wait a second, this could be the exact respite I need. And they're all sooooo cute!

That's not even counting the world premiere of Beach Week on Sunday night at 7:30pm (check out their facebook page for more information and the trailer, and become a fan).

Ajami trailer, to prove that 96% wun't no fluke.

Burzynski, the movie with special special guest

Still recovering from the giant Lost party on Sunday night - thanks to all of you who made it out. We'll have a little more on that another day, but today we're lucky to have a blog q&a with Eric Merola, director of Burzynski, The Movie, showing May 28th - June 3rd, for its North Carolina Premiere!! Can't get enough of what he has to say here? Well then you're in luck. Mr. Merola will be in attendance for the Saturday screenings, and either Friday or Sunday as well (keep checking the website for confirmation - we and Eric think Friday, but it'll be up there as soon as we know for sure).

Tell us your Winston-Salem connection in 140 characters (ie, a tweet)

I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, my parents moved to Winston from upstate in NY a year or two before I was born. I left Winston-Salem in 1997 when I was 26 yrs old to move to NYC

You used to work at the West End Café right?

My uncle, Rob Shay, is part owner of the West End Café as we know it now. But he fully owned the older West End Café that was a few doors down, when it was more of a “diner” sort of feel. I started working there as a short order cook when I was 17, and worked there until I went to college at East Carolina University – coming back to work there in the summers. I worked there on and off I think for over 5 years. The days of the West End Café were quite fun and memorable for me.

When and how did you get into film?

I always loved film. There was no film school in the NC area when I was there, so I studied advertising and painting. Once I moved to NYC I sort of worked my way into it.

So you worked on Capitalism: A Love Story with Michael Moore, did he give you any words of wisdom on documentary filmmaking?

Well, Moore is a huge documentary director, who has huge budgets and a huge team of people working with him. I never actually worked “with” him – it was always his team of producers.

How did you get the idea to make Burzynski?

I have always loved powerful documentary films, ones that go after the hard truths that the media generally doesn’t delve into. Once I found out about him (Burzynski), realized how huge the story was – and realized that nobody had taken it on before, it was a no-brainer for me.

Tell us about the movie, but you can’t use any words that you have previously used to describe it, except “and” and “the.”

It is an exercise in how the monetary system and the need to survive based on profiting off of each other – goes very wrong.

Tell us the coolest thing that has happened to you since you have started promoting Burzynski.

There are so many. I think the fact that the general public, and the mainstream, has welcomed it with open arms – vs. shying away from it, given it’s sensitive and possibly controversial nature. Also, being that even doctors with cancer – after seeing the film - get on a plane to Houston to receive his treatment.

When you left Winston, did you ever think there would be an indy theater where you could come screen your film?

Ha, no. But then again, I suppose like anywhere, it was a matter of time. Winston has a thriving arts community.

Name five things about Winston that you would bottle up and take with you if you could.

The atmosphere and the intimate nature of the old West End Café. My short-lived painting career I had there. My Mom. My Dad. The open and warm support from my friends there, always.

Here's the website (http://www.burzynskimovie.com/) where you can find out more about the movie and the director. Also, check out the preview below and tell me you're not in the least bit intrigued. I know I was. And it didn't disappoint. Hope to see you out at the movies next week (and this week if you'd like, and the week after next, and after that, and after that - ok I'll stop now).

Another weekend, another bunch of special events

First off, let me thank you for showing up just enough to make The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo a hit, but not enough to force me into getting a tattoo. We came close to sell-outs a few times, but none officially. I guess you all have some time to change that, though. We're carrying over Dragon as well as Babies for the coming week, but we also have a plethora of s/pecial events on tap. As we've mentioned before, in honor of Salute! we have Blood into Wine. Tickets are moving fast, and we've had people as far off as Atlanta already purchase tickets. That's dedication Holmes. And as if you needed another reason to show up, we're giving away four passes to the wine festival, two at our 5:40 showing and two at our 8:00.

Come Sunday, an era will come to an end, and you ladies will have to do without a shirtless Sawyer, except on DVD. Our screening of the series finale of Lost will begin boarding, errrr seating, at 8 (we know there's a recap thing starting at 7, but our normal Sunday schedule won't be over by then - you've already seen all that stuff anyway). It's first come first serve, and based on the RSVPs and comments (thanks for keeping us straight Robin) on our event page along with the multitude of people that have come in asking about it, getting there as close to 8 as you can is recommended. There's a ton of stuff going on with this, from the costume contest to special concessions, so if you're on the fence, hop over and embrace the smoke monster that is a/perture.

Last but not least, Monday we're going to be showing another film with some local ties, And We Will Dance. Locally based but nationally recognized artist Steve Childs follows the story of four dancers from UNCSA. Check out the trailer below:

And after you've seen the trailer, get down to the box office, because tickets are going even faster for this than the Blood into Wine showings. Now I have to scratch my eyeballs out, since Lawren is watching The City. Somebody make it stop...