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Author Topic: Showing Movies in a Cemetery! Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 08-26-2004 01:14 AM                     'Ultimate LA': Showing Movies in a Cemetery; by Jessica Gresko (AP) Wednesday August 25, 2004: LOS ANGELES-Amid the mausoleums and headstones at Hollywood Forever Cemetery, about 1700 living guests have unfurled picnic blankets and set up beach chairs, erected makeshift coffee tables with flowers, candles, and unpacked dinners of sushi, fried chicken or pasta salad. They're here for cinema cemetery-style, an experience shared with the graveyards 88,000 long-term residence. Later, the nights film will start, projected on a mausoleum wall. "It's the ultimate LA experience," film fan Mark Koberg said between mouthfuls of smoked turkey and arugula sandwiches, washed down with wine. Six years ago, the cemetery, which adjoins Paramount Studios' back lot, wouldn't have been inviting. Though at least a hundred Hollywood icons are laid to rest there-including actor Rudolph Valentino, 'Ten Commandments' producer Cecil B. Demille and Bugs Bunny voice Mel Blank-the cemetery's own fame had faded. Its previous owners had run it into bankruptcy, and a 1994 earthquake left tombstones tilted and cracked, while El nino rains flooded its lake. Then in 1988, Tyler Cassity, a cemetery entrepreneur, bought the century-old graveyard for $375,000. He operates seven cemeteries in California, Illinois and Missouri. His first charge in Hollywood, however, was revitalizing the cemetery-repaving roads, replacing broken stained glass inside mausoleums and righting monuments. he also began showing movies. And he believes he's the only person in the country to combine classic movies and mausoleums. "it makes sense when your neighbor is Paramount Studios," Cassity said. "To me it's dependant on the community around you and who is buried there. It is memorializing them in some way? Showing movies in a cemetery where there wern't film stars-it wouldn't make sense." Cassity began by showing a Valentino film on the anniversary of the romantic hero's death, when 200 to 300 fans would come by to pay their respects. Then he was approached by John Wyatt, the founder of Cinespia, a Los ANgeles film society dedicated to screening and preserving classic films. The society was frowing too large to go to screenings as a group and was looking for a new home, one with history, Wyatt said. Cassity said the partnership felt righ: historic movies in a historic setting. Since then, Cinespia has made the 620-acre park its movie theatre on summer weekends, and next years season is already being planned. Growing mainly via e-mail and word of mouth, the event (billed as an evening "below and above the stars") has been suprisingly successful, and even as it has grown it has retained a small-group feel-visitors making friends and sharing food with their neighbors. Wyatt, who chooses the films, says he likes bringing his favorite films to a wider audience, and Cassity attributes part of the series' success to a growing interest in death, pointing to the popularity of the TV show 'Six Feet Under' and a recent reality series about a family-run mortuary. Visitors do keep some distance during the evening events. They dont actually sit on graves, though a few gfamily mausoleums ring the perimeter of the lawn where movies are shown, including those of actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and his father, who helped co-found United Artist Studios. The crowd of mostly 20-30-somethings, some in the movie and public relations industry themselves, seem to recognize they're in a special place. They pick up after themselves, and that's helped keep complaints to a minimum-only two so far. Some guests acknowledged being a little "creeped out" by the cemetery. But, the time and location didn't bother Russell Rabichev, who watched a movie one recent weekend. "After two minutes you forget it's a cemetery," he said.  |  IP: Logged William Hooper Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1879 From: Mobile, AL USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 08-26-2004 02:21 AM                        I foresee insurmountable ghosting problems.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-26-2004 10:16 AM                     The projectionists at GCC AVCO Cinemas in Westwood, CA., parked in the cemetery behind the theatre. There was many odd things you would see getting out after a late show in theatre and going back to your car behind those gates.  |  IP: Logged Gary Crawford Expert Film Handler Posts: 200 From: Neptune NJ USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 08-31-2004 01:53 PM                     Not that unusual, to me at least. Among other things I'm into when I'm not showing movies, I'm president of an historic old cemetery, a 33-acre place with a little over 15,000 interments. Most cemeteries, especially the newer memorial parks, are meant to be parks in the first place. You see people having picnics (from what I've seen, not on any graves), religious groups hold events such as Easter Sunrise services, etc. I can especially see it being done at the place mentioned above, considering who is buried there. Cemeteries are history books. They are places of love, honor, and respect. Maintaining our cemetery I never saw a grave marker that said "Boo!" And if they are also considered parks, why not hold public events there? Not a problem.  |  IP: Logged Mike Olpin Chop Chop! Posts: 1852 From: Dallas, TX Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-31-2004 02:28 PM                     Line-Up: To Live and Die in LA Die Hard Ghost Dad Evil Dead Afterlife Better off Dead Far from Heaven Die Another Day Ghost Dawn of the Dead Never Die Alone Judgement Day Oh, and From Justin to Kelly, because everyone dies a little bit inside everytime they're forced to watch it.  |  IP: Logged Bill Gabel Film God Posts: 3873 From: Technicolor / Postworks NY, USA Registered: Jan 2002 posted 08-31-2004 02:39 PM                     What about "Return of the Living Dead".  |  IP: Logged Gary Crawford Expert Film Handler Posts: 200 From: Neptune NJ USA Registered: Nov 2003 posted 08-31-2004 02:49 PM                     I'll have to pass, as I wanted to see Night Of The Living Dead, Dead Pool, and Dead Ringer. Oh well.  |  IP: Logged John T. Hendrickson, Jr Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 889 From: Freehold, NJ, USA Registered: Apr 2001 posted 08-31-2004 07:40 PM                     A "Casper The Friendly Ghost" cartoon to preceed the feature is an absolute MUST!!!  |  IP: Logged Wayne Keyser Master Film Handler Posts: 272 From: Arlington, Virginia, USA Registered: May 2004 posted 08-31-2004 09:09 PM                     Just saw a fine DVD documentary about Hollywood Forever cemetery and its new young owners, titled "The Young and the Dead." Almost makes you look forward to the experience! These guys put the "FUN" back in "FUNERAL"!  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 09-02-2004 10:54 PM                    http://www.cinespia.org/  |  IP: Logged Jennifer Pan THE JEN! Posts: 1219 From: Denver, Colorado Registered: Nov 2003 posted 09-03-2004 01:01 AM                        Wow, that's interesting. Now I actually might consider going to one of those. Creepy, but exciting.  |  IP: Logged Steve Kraus Film God Posts: 4094 From: Chicago, IL, USA Registered: May 2000 posted 09-03-2004 01:31 PM                    Once it's dark and most folks are horizontal how can you not have a good time?  |  IP: Logged Paul Mayer Oh get out of it Melvin, before it pulls you under! Posts: 3836 From: Albuquerque, NM Registered: Feb 2000 posted 09-03-2004 04:37 PM                        What? Like this?  |  IP: Logged

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