Wednesday, August 15, 2007

And they are off!

The Smokey and the Bandit scavenger hunt has begun! 16 teams signed up in advance, 6 had the intestinal fortitude to meet us at the world-famous Starlight Drive-In at 8 AM on a Wednesday. This is a pretty hardcore bunch of folks who are leaving Atlanta midweek on a reckless adventure from Atlanta to Texarkana, in pursuit of a 1970's era Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am. Spray-paint firebird modifications, team costumes, crash helmets and lots of moustaches graced this daring handful of sportsmen.

Here's some photos from the scavenger hunt kick-off moments ago. For those interested in what they will be up to on the road, it's a photo-based hunt. The list of items for which they will be hunting today is below:

40 Semi truck with a giant mural on the side
60 Semi truck with a mural of a stagecoach robbery
30 Jerry Reed CD still in it's packaging inside a truck stop gift shop
80 Two men in matching western suits
40 Your team in front of a vintage Cadillac convertible, 40 extra if it's red
40 Any vehicle modified with longhorns
40 Egomaniacal personalized license plate
30 Zebra skin hammock
30 Woman with curlers in her hair
60 Man that looks like Bandit
60 Man that looks like Big Enos
60 Man that looks like Little Enos
60 Man that looks like the Snowman
60 Woman that looks like Frog
60 Man that looks like Buford T. Justice
30 Vest with an American flag patch.
30 "CAT" cap.
30 Trucker with a hound dog
30 Black Pontiac Trans Am Firebird T-Top
30 Smoke belching out of a big rig smokestack.
50 Biker gang
20 As many different cops cars as possible (20 pts each)
20 Team member with two cheeseburgers and a glass of iced tea
20 Your team in front of a "choke & puke."
50 You trailing toilet paper out of your glasses coming out of a truck stop
40 Your car burning rubber
30 A Kojak with a Kodak.
50 Your team at Ole Miss University
30 Funeral procession
40 Hearse
60 You driving across a football field
30 Team Member talking on a CB radio
40 Two of your team members kissing in front of a babbling brook
60 Barroom brawl
60 Running over motorcycles
30 You driving while kissing a girl in your lap.
20 Your car in front of a state line marker (20 points for each one)
20 Your team in front of a "Welcome to Texarkana" sign
30 Your team at the Coors distributor in Texarkana
30 Team member on a forklift
30 Woman in a wedding dress.
30 Car scrawled with "JUST MARRIED" on the windshield
20 A sheriff wearing dark sunglasses
30 A Coors t-shirt
30 Three unsavory youths stealing a tire
40 Peanut butter in your ears
30 Team member with a Buford T. Justice moustache
30 A picture of you going 10-100

107 Performance of your team's CB Banter

1977 Total Possible Points


We'll be posting up photos from their adventures out on the road later this week. 14 more hours left in this year's Rolling Roadshow Tour. It's been an absolute blast, but now I'm starting to feel the siren call of my own bed back in Austin, Texas...

Smokey and the Bandit... GPS Style


We just got word from the Tomtom GPS company. First prize in tomorrow's Smokey and the Bandit scavenger hunt is still the Pontiac Firebird; second place is now a TomTom-1 GPS device, preloaded with the voice of Burt Reynolds giving you directions "Smokey and the Bandit-style."

Take a moment and simply process that. There's no dispute anymore. Tomtom without a doubt has the coolest GPS device. The Roadshow crew will be rolling with the unit on the way to Texarkana and I have a feeling that it's going to bring tears to my eyes to deliver this to the 2nd place winner of the scavenger hunt.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

2007 Rolling Roadshow: the John Waters Tour of Baltimore

For those of you coming in to Baltimore from out of town, we have compiled a list of John Waters points of interest: some filming locations, some haunts, and some simply must-see spots. There's a link to a google map for each location. Spend a day or two getting primed and ready for the marathon by soaking up the seedy underbelly of John Water's Baltimore.

Calvert Hall College High School
8102 Lasalle Rd
Baltimore, MD 21286
John Waters' alma mater.


Geometrics Hair Salon
523 N Charles St
Baltimore, MD
(410) 539-1080
Where John Waters gets his hair cut (he trims his own moustache).


Club Charles
1724 N Charles St
Baltimore, MD 21201
Art deco walls with bartenders in black leather and excellent drinks. A dive bar where John Waters apparently regularly appears.


The Atlantis Club
615 Fallsway
NOTE: THIS LOCATION IS NOW CLOSED

A low-down gay club with erotic dancers where the infamous teabagging scenes in Pecker were filmed (real performers from the club were used). In true Waters style, it's located right next door to the Baltimore City Penitentiary.


The American Dime Museum
1808 Maryland Ave
Baltimore, MD 21201
NOTE: THIS LOCATION IS NOW CLOSED
Another Waters haunt. Hairballs and unicorns are on display in a museum that's part Ripley's Believe It Or Not, part carnival sideshow. Waters is on the board of advisors for the museum.


Divine's Grave
Prospect Hill Cemetery
9720 York Rd
Cockeysville, MD 21030
(410) 252-8462
The grave reads HARRIS GLENN MILSTEAD, "Divine." Check out the Dreamland site for the specific location within the cemetery.


"The Avenue"
West 36th Street
Baltimore, MD 21211
Asked to pick a spot that exemplifies his kind of Baltimore, John Waters chooses Hampden, the working-class neighborhood where he filmed parts of "Hairspray" and pretty much all of "Pecker." Its centerpiece is "the Avenue" -- formally West 36th Street -- a strip of cafes, galleries, thrift stores and antique shops.


The Ottobar
203 Davis St, Baltimore, MD
(410) 662-0069
Another John Waters haunt, which he has dubbed "a great rock 'n' roll, punk hangout."


Cafe Hon
1002 W 36th St
Baltimore, MD 21211
(410) 243-1230
'40s-style creamery known for its "Much Better than Mom's" meatloaf, vegetarian Mexi-Hon Salad with black-bean stew, home-baked pies and ice cream topped with tasty hot fudge from a secret recipe salvaged from the cafeteria at the landmark Hutzler's department store, which closed in 1990. Sometimes the waitresses sport '60s-style beehive hairdos; they always call you "hon" or "sweetie."


Flashback
728 S. Broadway
410-276-5086
Stop by on Tuesdays and Saturdays after 2 p.m., when they can visit with owner Bob Adams, a Waters pal of such long standing that 1972's "Pink Flamingos" was filmed on his farm. Adams has made cameo appearances in most of Waters's films, most notoriously as Ernie in "Female Trouble." The store's shelves are stuffed with videos, vinyl and tape, assorted knickknacks and memorabilia, while the walls are full of posters and artwork from Waters's films.


Atomic Books
1100 W. 36th St.
Baltimore, MD
410-662-4444
Home to "Literary Finds for Mutated Minds." "That's where I get all my fan mail, so people don't have my address," Waters says. "It's a great store -- they have extreme books of all types!" The store keeps a supply of books autographed by Waters.


Holiday House
6427 Hartford Rd. at Pinewood Avenue
Baltimore, MD
A real biker bar in the working-class 'hood of Hamilton. Selma Blair's character in A Dirty Shame, Ursula Udders, works as a well-endowed topless dancer here, and many real motorcycle riders were used in the filming. Be sure to pop in to the Hell Bent for Leather store one door down.


The Drinkery
205 W. Read St.
Baltimore, MD
410-225-3100
In the Mount Vernon area is one of Baltimore's oldest gay bars. Just outside is where Divine performed the infamous dog feces-eating scene at the end of Pink Flamingos.


10 Ft. Statue of Divine
American Visionary Art Museum
800 Key Hwy.
Baltimore, MD
410-244-1900


Perry Hall High School
8100 Ebenezer Rd
Perry Hall
Maryland, USA
Used for scenes in Hairspray.


Mergenthaler Vocational Technical School
3500 Hillen Rd
Baltimore, MD 21218
Also used for shots of the Hairspray High School


The Parkville Convenience Store
7501 Harford Rd
Parkville, MD 21234
(410) 444-4702
Called the Park 'n' Pay in A Dirty Shame, is where Tracey Ullman's character works. Dorsay tells us, "It was run by a wonderful Indian family who didn't have a clue who we were until we hired a translator to explain what we were doing."


The Harbor Court Hotel
550 Light St.
Baltimore, MD
410-234-0550
On Baltimore's inner harbor is the site of much action in Cecil B. Demented. It's also where real-life movie stars often stay when they're in town.


The Dreamland Lot
313 Morris Ave.
Lutherville, MD
Where John Waters shot most of his early films, the expansive backyard of his parents house.


Bengies Drive-In
3417 Eastern Blvd
Baltimore, MD 21220
410-687-5627
Where Melanie Griffith defiantly set her head on fire at the climax of Cecil B. Demented.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Rolling Roadshow Tour 2007: third dispatch

There are few pleasures in life more complete than sitting in a hotel room on a sweltering Kentucky night, watching THE GOLDEN GIRLS on Lifetime Network and nursing the bruises and damage of the Roadshow Tour. Our most damaged soldier is likely Tim League, whose fearless pie-eating prowess at STAND BY ME stretched him to the literal limits and left the Oregon blueberry industry in a serious slump. The entire town of Brownsville brought out an unimaginable level of hospitality and energy to the show, resulting in an event that managed to warm even the ice-cold hearts of the Alamo staff. Every citizen of that place is a damned superhero. And our own Tim Doyle charmed a large portion of the local female populace.

Next, we were off to pick up comrades Justin and Christi and scoot up to none other than Mt. Rushmore to present NORTH BY NORTHWEST in front of a few stony presidential faces. The amphitheater there was impressive and completely inaccessible to our standard projection set-up, but things were made good and the screening was miraculously pulled off with all the proper Roadshow panache. And a few long-distance Alamo pals crossed state lines to be there for the show, along with a few hundred red-blooded Americans. The after-party was at an old-timey ragtime bar where the musical entertainment told foulmouthed jokes and covered Neil Diamond jams on a Casio keyboard. If this doesn't sound like fun to you, get out of our house.

Now we're one day away from our most high-security presentation, GOLDFINGER at Fort Knox! We're preparing in Elizabethtown, and making sure that we're all gonna be able to clear the security checkpoint. Wish us luck.

Patriotically,
The Alamo Rolling Roadshow Tour 2007 crew

2007 Rolling Roadshow Tour: Stand By Me

I must say, Stand By Me has been the highlight of the tour so far. In the history of the Rolling Roadshow, never before had we teamed up with such an enthusiastic, like-minded bunch as the Stand By Me committee of Brownsville.

We rolled into Brownsville the night before the show, and the excitement was palpable. There's only 1400 presidents of Brownsville, and every last citizen seemed to be involved in some way. Normally, we roll into a town and we're lucky if the local hipsters have caught wind of the event. The Brownsville posse seemed to have every man, woman and child within a 30 mile radius not just informed, but actively engaged in the event. Every storefront was decked out with Stand Be Me memorabilia and window displays, there were markers for photo-ops to recreate specific scenes from the film and signs posted for the various special events planned for the following day.

The rest of the crew sat down for a meal at the one restaurant on the main street in Brownsville, but at that point, I had been fasting for 24 hours in preparation for the IFOCE sanctioned world Blueberry Pie eating contest (more on that later) and ate just a side salad.

We set up our rig in the park and made it back to the Brownsville Saloon for our ritual post-set-up round or two of cocktails before calling it a night (my fasting technique allows for unlimited liquids).

The next day was a whirlwind: scavenger hunts, sock hops, hot wheel races, cast and crew reunions, classic car cruise-ins, and then the double feature of main events. First, at 6:00 PM, the IFOCE-sanctioned World Blueberry Pie Eating competition. This is the first (and maybe the last) hands-free event in the history of the federation. The field was comprised of 14 professional eaters, featuring some very strong regional professionals as well as veterans Crazy Legs Conti and Pat Bartoletti (#3 eater in the world, a dessert specialist and the odds-on favorite to take the event). In addition to these athletes, I also decided to enter my first professional contest. Borrowing a singlet from Alamo programmer Zack Carlson (formerly used in his victorious hamburger battle against an actual hog), some spray paint from the Brownsville Hardware Store and a completely inappropriate haircut for a 37 year-old man, the Glory Chomper was born. Every IFOCE eating competition begins with the crowd standing for the Star Spangled Banner. As there was no other flag, my pasty torso and skin-tight star-spangled singlet served as the American flag for the crowd of nearly 700 spectators. Every man, woman, child and competitive eater saluted my crotch for the duration of the anthem. This may have been the single greatest moment of my life.

I was totally psyched and ready: I had followed the "Joey Chestnut-approved" fasting method, I had my beverages ready and my swimming goggles on to protect against pie-splatter. What I wasn't prepared for was just how damn sweet blueberry pie is. I held my own for the first pie, the first "slice" was delicious, the second, very tasty, but as I licked the first tin clean, I had eaten all the pie I wanted to eat, and there was 6.5 minutes left in the 8 minute contest. Bartoetti was nearly finishing his second pie when I finished my first and my pace was slowing fast. Clearly, I am not a competitor in the professional eating arena and I am certainly not a dessert specialist. In the middle of the second pie, I was laboring. I was not full in the least but was 100% sick and tired of blueberries. The pros would only stop for liquids after finishing a complete pie. I needed to take the equivalent of a smoke break every 3-4 bites to drink enough skim milk to wash the taste of pie from my system. I finished the contest with 2.5 pies down my throat, about 3 pounds of pie consumed.

Pat Bartoletti took home the gold with a staggering 9.2 pounds of pie in 8 minutes, this after stopping earlier that day at Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland for a morning pastry binge. I think I will stick to the savory arena for my next eating challenge.

Following the eating contest, we all headed over to the screening location for the movie and watched Stand By Me and then back to the Brownsville Saloon for the Dewar's after-party. Sometimes the show days are so stressful and intense that the crew can only enjoy them after the fact, but this one I savored from beginning to end. Thanks to everyone who came out and especially thanks to Brownsville for partnering with us on the event. I cannot imagine another show on this tour being better than Stand By Me.

Photos from Stand By Me

Friday, July 27, 2007

2007 Rolling Roadshow Tour: second assault

Hard work is its own reward. And other rewards include sunburn, bruising, exhaustion and missing skin. But the crew of the 2007 Rolling Roadshow Tour agree that any degree of physical damage is little price to pay when bringing unbridled entertainment to our glorious nation.

We've had two more shows since the last RRS2007 posting. The first was the beloved, Wahlberg-legitimizing BOOGIE NIGHTS in the legendary Valley of sunny Southern California. Everything you'd have hoped for was there...palm trees, skaters, mini malls and tons and tons of actual, bona fide adult film stars. Yep, real life porno humans abounded at the screening and after-party, upping the surreality and off-Hollywood glamor of the event and increasing its memorability at least a dozenfold. Among them was a certain suave gentleman named Ron Jeremy. Earlier in the evening, we were lucky enough to have an introduction by the writer-director P.T. Anderson, who sat in on the show and shot the breeze about the film's creation, as well as his much anticipated new film, THERE WILL BE BLOOD.

A few days later saw us at the Santa Cruz, CA boardwalk for a mammoth screening of 1986' ultimate teen vampire masterpiece THE LOST BOYS. Over 3000 people were on hand for the show. One of them was the city's mayor, who showed up ready for action and quoted the film's bloodsucking oath: "Sleep all day, party all night!" This was followed by appearances from many of the film's leads, and the audience went nuts. Every new shot of the boardwalk evoked a roar of cheers from the audience, and everyone left with a head full of memories and pants full of sand.

I'd love to write more, but we're in the midst of preparing for our record-breakingly huge STAND BY ME show, which is basically going to envelop the entire town of Brownsville, OR this weekend.

There will be pie,
RRS Tour 2007 crew

Monday, July 23, 2007

2007 Rolling Roadshow Tour: Fandango Scavenger Hunt

A small group of die-hard teams joined us in Austin, Texas to kick off the 2007 Rolling Roadshow and the Ultimate Fandango Scavenger Hunt. Teams were given a list of items they had to photograph, places to visit and laws to gently bend. In 36 hours we were to meet up again in San Elizario to begin the cinematic celebration. We've assembled on our Flickr page some of the photos from the hunt for the rest of you guys to check out.

Also, if you ever want to recreate your own personal Fandango, the official Alamo Drafthouse Scavenger Hunt list is posted below. There won't be a bottle of Dom Perignon waiting for you, but I can guarantee you complete Fandango immersion.

The Ultimate Fandango Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to the Ultimate Fandango scavenger hunt! This scavenger hunt is designed to start from Austin, Texas, but can be started from El Paso or anywhere since most of the action is in west Texas near Marfa and El Paso. For those leaving from Austin at 9:00 AM from the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema at 1120 South Lamar Blvd., we’ll be providing a couple of extra surprises. These surprises will not affect scoring in any way.

We recommend allocating about 2 days to complete everything on the list, but you can take more or less time depending on your pace. We recommend fully analyzing the checklist before heading out on the road. Plot a route, get your supplies, and print out maps before you go. Please note; this is not a timed competition.

Check-in for the scavenger hunt will begin at 5 PM and end at 9 PM at the Fandango gazebo on July 18. The scavenger hunt is a photo-based hunt. Please use a digital camera to take photos of as many things on the list as possible. Note- we are not giving any credit for photos of movie screen-grabs or video box covers… All photos must be of real objects and real people. Some photos will be given partial credit (based on style/judges interpretation). We will have a universal card reader at check-in that can read all memory cards, however, to be sure we can download your photos, you may want to bring your own USB reader if you have one for your camera.

The list of photos to take is below. You can treat this scavenger hunt as a pilgrimage to all of your favorite locations from the movie and take photos of only those things you are comfortable doing. Bear in mind, many of the things on the list below are unsafe, unwise and potentially illegal, but so were the Groovers. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and the Rolling Roadshow do not condone breaking the law or engaging in any unsafe activity. If you choose to break any laws, you are accountable for your own actions.

That said, here is the list;

Value Description
450 A photo of one of your team members skydiving (must also bring dated receipt 7/13/07 or later)
100 One of your team members toasting the privilege of youth from the same rock that Kevin Costner performed his toast
100 Your entire team in front of Dom Rock
50 Your entire team in front of the original Dom Rock
0 Bonus (no points, just for fun). We have buried 6 bottles of Champagne at Dom rock. See note 1 for details.
100 Your entire team mooning a middle aged couple (note, the rolling roadshow assumes no accountability for your actions)
50 Bonus points if you can prove that the elderly couple is your parents
150 A picture taken from your car showing a trucker and the rest of your team mooning that trucker (note, the rolling roadshow assumes no accountability for your actions)
50 Your team with someone who looks like Chuck Bush (not actually Chuck Bush)
50 Your team with someone who looks like Marvin McIntyre (not actually Marvin McIntyre)
50 Your team with someone who looks like Brian Cesak (not actually Brian Cesak)
250 Your team at the Mclean Massacre marker (see note 2)
50 One of your team members eating 3 chili dogs and a malt from the Sonic in Alpine, Texas
100 One of your team members covertly eating food from someone else's tray at the Sonic in Alpine, Texas
50 One of your team members making out at the Sonic in Alpine, Texas
100 One of your team members looking really sad and flying a kite in the desert
100 One of your team members shooting fireworks (see note 3) (note, the rolling roadshow assumes no accountability for your actions)
100 Your team at the Marfa Cemetery
100 One of your team members with a live lizard in their pants
75 One of your team members taking a shower in a car wash
150 A picture of something spelled out using laundry on the tarmac of the Pecos Parachute School
50 All of your team members eating twinkies
50 Laundry flying through the air (picture scored on beauty)
100 Your team posed in front of Chata Ortega's Bar and Grill
25 Your team posing next the the Groovers grafitti in Chata Ortega's Bar and Grill
50 Your team outside the schoolhouse in Toyah (see note 4)
75 Your team in the basement of the schoolhouse in Toyah (note, the rolling roadshow assumes no accountability for your actions)
100 Your team on the first or second floor of the schoolhouse in Toyah (note, the rolling roadshow assumes no accountability for your actions)
50 One of your team members wedged against the back window of your car
25 A dog, a bird, a turtle, a mouse, a bug walking or hopping across the road (25 pts each)
50 A baby blue Cadillac with fins
100 A member of your team “ghostriding the whip” in west Texas (note 5) (note, the rolling roadshow assumes no accountability for your actions)
50 A member of your team getting Shiner Bock poured in his/her face while leaning out of the car (note, the rolling roadshow assumes no accountability for your actions)
200 Your team on the giant set near Marfa (note 6)
100 Your team in front of the gas station/repair shop in Marathon, TX
100 Your team in the back seat of a car driven by two high school jailbait airheads from Marfa High School
50 One of your team members looking wistful towards the horizon at the spot where Truman lands with the bride
150 Two of your team members dancing in front of the gazebo in San Elizario (judged on style and/or skill)
50 3 old men with straw hats on a bench

3600 Total possible points

Note 1: Bonus (no points, just for fun). For the first 6 teams to arrive at Dom Rock, we have buried a champagne treat for you... looking at and touching the d in the original DOM (not movie DOM) take 12 paces to the left. Look for the small grotto formed by two rocks. Look for a bright red rock. Dig CAREFULLY, Don't use shovel or you will break the bottles. Please take just one bottle and replace dirt and red rock for the next teams. If there are no more bottles, you weren't one of the first 6 teams to arrive.

Note 2: The McLean Massacre marker is well the hell out of the way, it’s in East Texas. Don’t head out there unless you are already passing though. It’s not worth it.

Note 3: We are originally going to have you shoot off fireworks in the Marfa cemetery, but with the risk of fires, that didn’t seem so prudent. When you light off your fireworks, do it away from grass and shrubs, preferably on the pavement/asphalt.

Note 4: My wife and I went to the Toyah Schoolhouse where the fraternity interiors were shot. There is an opening to the basement, but we were too chicken to venture in. Bring a flashlight and more bravery than we brought.

Note 5: We could not in good conscience condone surfing on top of your car in West Texas. A kid in my high school actually died doing just this in 1987 and that would put a real buzzkill on the Fandango festivities. Instead, you can try out the new unsafe fad that’s been sweeping the nation. Do a quick “ghostriding the whip” Youtube search and you’ll see what it is. Bear in mind, this is a STILL photograph we are asking for. Don’t do anything dumb. Staging this shot is fine.

Note 6: When my wife and I scouted the locations, we found no remains of the Giant set. If someone can show proof of being at the actual giant set location, you will get the points. In our scouting trip, we failed in this. Please take very accurate accounting of the directions so we can update the www.howboutafandango.com website.

Addresses:
Mclean Massacre marker
eight miles south of Palestine, TX, on Anderson County Road 185.

The Sonic Drive-In
The Sonic is located on the corner of E. Holland and N. Garrett streets in downtown Alpine. GPS coordinates: N30º 21.530', W103º 39.385'.

The Cemetery
The cemetery (named "Cementerio de la Merced") is located on the western edge of Marfa, about a mile from the center of the city, on Highway 90. GPS coordinates: N30º 18.474', W104º 02.357'

The Gas Station/Repair shop
The gas station is located on Highway 90 at Avenue F in Marathon. GPS coordinates: N30º 12.369', W103º 14.608'.

Pecos Parachute School
To get to the location, take the Pyote exit off of Interstate 20 (about 40 miles west of Odessa), then turn right on the feeder road on the south side of the freeway. You will pass the State School and then see the remnants of the hangar off to your left (i.e. south of the freeway). GPS coordinates: N31º 31.630', W103º 08.015'.

Chata Ortega’s Bar and Grill
Chata Ortega's is located between Toyah and Pecos on Interstate 20. Take the Shaw Road exit (exit 29), turn west on the feeder road on the south side of the interstate, and you will see the building about a mile down on your left (i.e. south of the freeway), about 50 yards south of the feeder road. Just hop the barbed wire fence (there's no one around to stop you) and you have the run of the place. GPS coordinates: N31º 21.047', W103º 42.751'.

Dom Rock
The DOM rock is located between Lajitas and Presidio on Highway FM170. Specifically, the rock is 13.5 miles north of Lajitas, 1.5 miles north of the rest area with teepee shaped shelters, and 36.5 miles south of the Highway 67 intersection in Presidio. It is located on the highest hill on FM170. Just park your car on the, hike about 50 feet toward the river, and voila - DOM. GPS coordinates: N29º 17.714', W103º 55.580'. To find the original “Dom”, which is carved into the rock, simply look up from the movie “Dom”, which is sprayed in white paint.

Truman Drops off the Girl
Though the buildings are no longer there, the mountains and ditch in the background give it away. It is off of Texas Hwy 20, between Fort Hancock and San Elizario.

The Gazebo
take Interstate 10 about 15 miles east of El Paso, use exit 42, and follow the signs to San Elizario (about 5 miles south of the freeway). GPS coordinates: N31º 35.094', W106º 16.398'.

2007 Rolling Roadshow Tour: dispatch from the trenches part I

We're hungry, sleepless and unshaven. Our bodies are filled with truck stop cuisine gas damage and covered in sunburn, one of us has grown a hideous beard and another, in a fit of self-loathing dementia, has shaved his head into a ridiculous floppy mohawk.

One show down, ten to go.

The first event, our San Elizario screening of FANDANGO, was a complete success. In a town with a population of under a thousand, we managed to pull off a full-scale celebration of a movie that is largely unfamiliar to modern audiences. Cast, fans and innocent bystanders alike all had a great time and we made some new pals with the locals. The scavenger hunt teams pulled through, breaking all the right laws to earn points for the event. The happy couple was married LIVE! by FANDANGO star Chuck Bush, and there was a big party afterwards in the town square.

Everyone worked their rumps off and collapsed in a heap of sunstroke and success at the end of the night. Now we're four states away in a tiny hotel in the equally tiny town of Blythe, CA, preparing to embark on our BOOGIE NIGHTS and LOST BOYS events, one of which will involve a very special movie prop which we'll pick up later today. I'm not saying what it is, but let's just say that it likely put Mark Wahlberg's inseam to the ultimate test.

It's time to head out already, but we'll be checking back in from various truck stops and parking lots with updates and battle scars from the road.

Until then, keep your movie obsession raging.

Links:
Photos from the Fandango Rolling Roadshow event.
How Bout a Fandango Message Board with lots of posts about the event.
Ain't It Cool News post.

Your pals,
The Rolling Roadshow 2007 Tour crew

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Rolling Roadshow Tour: Day #1

We've been planning for today for the past 4 months, and it was very strange to stop on a dime, load up the Roadshow caravan fleet and officially be out on the road. We have a much smaller crew this year than last year (6 instead of 10 folks) which I think will be a much less chaotic group dynamic experience.

We met at the theater at 9 AM this morning with the Fandango scavenger hunt teams and Brian Cesack and Chuck Bush, stars from the movie. After a celebratory champagne toast and a few last minute packing mishaps, we hit the trail for San Elizario, first stop on the 2007 Rolling Roadshow Tour. These guys were the hardcore Fandango fans, the types of folks that I really like to have out at screenings. One couple flew in from the UK, another team had matching homemade Fandango T-shirts and a third group had actually made their own Fandango refrigerator magnets. They are going to spend the next 36 hours skydiving, trespassing and generally wreaking havoc through west Texas as they vie to become the champs of the ultimate Fandango Scavenger Hunt. Winner gets a bottle of Dom Perignon and some serious bragging rights.

I'm currently sitting in the parking lot of the Flying J Truck Stop typing up my thoughts, which granted aren't all that tremendously interesting. Our motel for the night is the only hotel in San Elizario, the Cotton Valley Inn, where there isn't a WIFI signal within a 10 mile radius. We ate at their restaurant called the Bol Weevil Cafe. Too freakin' great of a name, we had to support.

I'll be checking in regularly from the road. Tomorrow, I will have photos from all of the scavenger hunt teams, who frankly have been asked to do a lot of really unwise things, which should make for some really interesting photos, perhaps some of those being mugshots. For the record, the Alamo assumes no liability for any wrongdoing on the part of the teams.

We'll check back in later when there is more to report than road fatigue from the I-10 straight shot to El Paso.

More info on the Rolling Roadshow Tour
Dewar's White Label: sponsor of the tour's various after-parties (we're rolling with 50 liters, which may also prove to be a factor in future posts.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Lost Boys Hotel Package deals

The Roadshow Crew will be staying at the Coast Santa Cruz Hotel, the official hotel of the Lost Boys Santa Cruz Rolling Roadshow event. The hotel is also featuring special package deals for folks coming in from out of town for the event.



LOST BOYS PACKAGE

$309 SINGLE
* King room with full ocean view and private balcony
* Special amenity upon arrival
* Exclusive Lost Boys event poster
* 1 VIP ticket/reserved spot at the show
* Invitation to after party
* Free valet parking

$329 DOUBLE
* Double room with full ocean view and private balcony
* Special amenity upon arrival
* 2 Exclusive Lost Boys event posters
* 2 VIP tickets/reserved spots at the show
* 2 invitations to after party
* Free valet parking

Note: room rates do not include California hotel tax.

To reserve a "Lost Boys VIP package room, please call the Coast Santa Cruz Hotel at (831) 426-4330. For more information, check out their website.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

More news on the Fandango front...

Check out a great new article in the El Paso Times about the Fandango Roadshow. Please note - the date in the article is wrong - the show is actually on the 18th not the 17th.

In other Fandango news, we have another confirmed guest coming in. Mike Haley, the dance choreographer who gave special dance instruction to Costner and Amis for the finale dance number. He'll be providing the bride and groom with their own private lesson so that after the ceremony, when the Pat Metheny tunes strikes up, they will know exactly what to do.

Special thanks to Laura malloy-Auderer from Four on the Floor for arranging this special guest. To quote Laura, "I have to admire a guy who helped Kevin Costner and Suzy Amis to look that decent as dancers while staying in character. In fact, he had to choreograph a waltz to a great but breezy, nowhere-near-a-waltz Pat Metheny soft-jazz piece -- and he made that work perfectly!!"

We'll see you on JULY 18 on the square in San Elizario for the Ultimate Fandango, which just gets better every day!

Sunday, July 8, 2007

Friday is now Boogie Nights...

When the press started to hit about the Friday screening at Helen Keller Park in South Central, the LA County Parks Office got a case of cold feet. With only two weeks before the screening we found ourselves without a venue. Unwilling to accept an inferior location, the Rolling Roadshow team made an emergency trip back to Los Angeles to scout for another screening option.

There's no lack of amazing films that have taken full advantage of the multifaceted Los Angeles landscape, and we had no trouble finding an amazing substitute. We're sad to not experience Friday on Friday in South Central Los Angeles, but we are very happy to be presenting a 10th Anniversary celebration of Boogie Nights in Reseda, California on the very block where it was filmed.

BOOGIE NIGHTS
Screened on location at 18407 Sherman Way in Reseda, CA
Saturday, July 21, 8:30 PM

We will be screening the film in the parking lot behind the filming location for the Hot Traxx Disco, 18407 Sherman Way. This stretch of Sherman Way is the epicenter of everything Boogie Nights. The opening shot (the Reseda Theater); the Roller Girl limo scene; Hot Traxx disco; and the Donut Shop to name just a few; they are right here. In 5 minutes you can stroll from the screening location to the shooting location of many of the key moments from the movie. Before the film, we'll have a selection of vintage 70s disco trailers and we'll have plenty of foot-long hot dogs on sale.

The after-party will be at the Kessab Banquet Hall at 18407 Sherman Way which for that night will be transformed into Hot Traxx Disco. We'll have on display Mark Wahlberg's actual prosthetic member (yes, it was a prosthesis), a fabulous spread of Armenian food and cocktails courtesy of Dewar's White Label. We are expecting some special guests from the film to be in attendance. Seventies disco attire is strongly encouraged.

Like all screenings on the Rolling Roadshow Tour, the Boogie Nights event is free admission. You can, however, buy one of the limited number of VIP tickets that guarantees you a prime seating location, a limited edition hand-silkscreened event poster and admission to the after-party.

Ive posted to our Flickr account a few photos from my scouting trip to "the Valley."

Check our website for complete information on this screening, maps and VIP tickets.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Wedding couple announced...

On this website a couple of months ago, we announced that we were conducting a nationwide search for a couple to be married at the Ultimate Fandango screening on July 18. This weekend, we put all the qualifying couples names into a hat and pulled out a winner. The couple to be officially married by Chuck Bush (Dorman) on the square in San Elizario after the screening is Patty Aleman and Gilbert Chavarria.

Now, we had about a dozen other folks who expressed interest in getting married Fandango style. While Chuck is only going to "legally" marry one couple, we are opening up the experience to anyone who wants to stand behind rank from Patty and Gilbert and get "unofficially" married. The lights will be lit, the Pat Metheny will be on the sound system, and I have a suspicion that the feeling is going to be just right for romance. I know I am personally going to be packing a tux and renewing the vows with my wife. If you plan on taking part in the group marriage ceremony, please email us and we'll make sure to have room for you.

See you on the square in less than 3 weeks!

Friday, June 22, 2007

Limited Edition Rolling Roadshow Tour Posters on Sale!


We've started to receive the signature hand-printed posters for the rolling roadshow tour. Keep checking back to the site for more updates, but for now, you can see art posters for Fandango, Burt-athon, Smokey and the Bandit, Stand By Me and North By Northwest. We sold out of the posters by the end of the tour last year, so if you want one of these unique movie collectibles, act now or you may miss out! Check out the whole line for sale on the Mondo Tees website.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Truman Sparks live in person at Fandango!


I can only speak for myself, but my absolute favorite character in Fandango is Truman Sparks (Marvin McIntyre), proprietor of the Pecos Parachute School. Marvin is also the only actor who appeared in both Proof (Kevin Reynold's short film that paved the way to getting Fandango made) and Fandango.

A late addition to the line-up, Marvin has confirmed to attend the event and will be available to answer questions after the screening and hang out and revel with us in the post-Fandango bliss.

More on the Rolling Roadshow Tour
Info on the Fandango screening on July 18

Monday, June 18, 2007

Meet the prospective Fandango wedding couples

Hello fellow Groovers,

We've been casting a wide net for the lucky couple to be married on the San Elizario Square as part of the Ultimate Fandango celebration. Honestly, we weren't sure if we'd get a single interested party, but it seems that there are quite a few of us Fandango fans in the woodwork. We'll be making the announcement later this week, but I wanted to share with you all a few of the comments from the prospective couples. What we are going to do is legally and officially (with Justice of the Peace paperwork and everything) marry one couple, and anyone else who decideds to come in formal attire can stand one teir back and unofficially marry or renew your vows. I might even get in on that action myself.

Below are a few of the prosective Fandango couples:

#1: My name is Jessica Peters. I first saw Fandango at the age of 7. It changed my life and is my favorite movie ever. I would love to be married on the square. I am already married but would be ecstatic to renew my vows before Dorman. I walked down the aisle to Pat Metheney's "It's For You", no lie. My dad and I took a road trip to find the McLean Massacre historical marker when I was six months pregnant. I will be six months pregnant again at the time of the showing. (You can see a picture of us and read both of our recollections at howaboutafandango.com.) Fandango is in my blood. This is my calling. I'd love to be a part of the scavenger hunt too.

#2: My fiancee and I were so excited to hear about your Fandango show and wedding. He loves that movie so much that we are planning on doing the dance from the movie to "Its For You" by Pat Methany as our wedding dance. It would be so meaningful to us to get to recreate the wedding scene for you. Please consider us if you haven't already found your couple. We live in Austin and go to the Alamo all the time! Dorman was my favorite character in the movie, so having him perform the ceremony would be special too. Thanks for considering us. We'd be so thrilled.

#3: My fiance and I were planning on a wedding next Feb., but as fans of Fandango, we were going to try to use the Pat Methaney music for our first dance, a Fandango. That's when we stumbled on your site and project, while looking for the music. We conferred a little about it, and unanimously agreed: If you'll have us for it, we'd LOVE to get married in a Fandango-style wedding. It would be SO NEAT....(From the film...get it?) Seriously, we are throwing our hat in the ring. Let us know!

#4: First off, kudos to your choice of road shows! Fandango is my favorite movie. The first time I kissed my girlfriend was after a showing of Fandango at my house. (it was sort of a barometer with my buddies; if she doesn't like Fandango, I don't think I could stay with her) My girlfriend and I have been together for 3.5 years. We both live in Austin, but I'm from Odessa and know the area where Fandango was shot. I told all of my friends that when I got married, I wanted a "Groovers" fandango where we drive down to West Texas and go to all of the spots that were in the movie. Kevin Costner is the only one I know that could make a filthy powder blue tux with ruffles look cool. But I would try to pull it off. Please enter me and my girlfriend in the contest.

#5: Are you still looking for a couple to marry during the Rolling Roadshow Fandango event??? Fandango is one of my favorite movies and my fiance and I were planning on getting married in September back home in Texas (we're currently living in San Diego). To have a wedding experience like the one described on the website would be an experience of a lifetime for us. Plus I really love the idea of having a wedding that's just the two of us (without our families present) . That other one in September can be for our families.

#6: My husband and I are quite the adventurists. If you can't find a non-married couple to participate, or would just like a very fun and adventurous couple to be remarried, we would be up for the fun!!! Let me know what you would need and if we could fill your role.

Good luck to all of our possible brides and grooms. We will announce the winner of the search on Friday, June 22 by 5:00 PM. Regardless, we hope to see you all at the square for a little slice of Fandango heaven.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

IFOCE World Blueberry Pie Eating Contest part of RRS Tour!

The International Federation of Competitive Eating this week announced that sign-ups are now open for the World Blueberry Pie Eating Competition on July 28, 2007 in Brownsville, Oregon.

The eating competition is part of an all-day celebration of the film Stand By Me which was filmed in Brownsville in 1986. International superstar eaters already tentatively confirmed to attend are: Crazy Legs Conti, Erik the Red Denmark, and Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, who is going after every pie title in the Federation. We expect more eaters to be announced soon. For more information about the eating contest or to register as a contestant, check out the IFOCE website.

For those not familiar with it, the IFOCE and their associated Major League Eating events are serious business. The International Federation of Competitive Eating, Inc. supervises and regulates eating contests in their various forms throughout the world. The IFOCE helps to ensure that the sport remains safe, while also seeking to achieve objectives consistent with the public interest -- namely, creating an environment in which fans may enjoy the display of competitive eating skill.

Information on the Rolling Roadshow Tour screening of Stand By Me
Brownsville, Oregon site with more information on the activities surrounding the event

The fresh-baked pies in the World Blueberry Pie Eating Contest are prepared with assistance by the Oregon Blueberry Comission

Check out the other 10 screenings in the 2007 Rolling Roadshow Tour

The limited-edition, hand-silkscreened poster above featuring mythical Blueberry Pie eating chapion Lardass Hogan is available for sale through Mondo Tees.

Bandit car - grand prize in the Smokey Scavenger Hunt!

At long last, we are announcing details on the Smokey and the Bandit Scavenger Hunt.

We are not going to fill anyone in on the details of what you need to do or collect, that will all be divulged at 8:00 AM on August 15 when the hunt begins. The important announcement today is that we are giving away a 1970s-era, black, full-size Pontiac Firebird with the gold firebird decal on the hood. It's not in mint shape, but it does run well, has a decent body, an original engine and you are almost guaranteed to have luck with the ladies if you drive this around sporting a moustache and a red cowboy shirt. There will be other prizes for the 2nd and 3rd place teams.

It's $25/team to enter the scavenger hunt, and the event is limited to 20 teams. A team is limited to one vehicle. You can have as many people on your team as you like, provided you can all fit in one vehicle. Tickets for the scavenger hunt are now available online on the Rolling Roadshow Website (scroll to the bottom of the Smokey and the Bandit page.

If you are interested in participating in the scavenger hunt and possibly winning the Pontiac Firebird, sign up before the screening. The morning after Burt-a-thon in Atlanta, we will meet back at 8:00 AM sharp at the Starlight Drive-In. You will be given an envelope of instructions, and we'll see you in Texarkana at the finish line.

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Details on the Fandango Scavenger Hunt

Two weeks ago, my wife and I flew to El Paso and proceeded to drive the entire "Fandango Trail," starting in San Elizario and weaving through Big Bend, Dom Rock, Marfa, Marathon, Toyah, Valentine, Pecos and Alpine and then back to Austin. The purpose of the trip was to plot out the details of "the ultimate Fandango," the Fandango-themed scavenger hunt associated with the Rolling Roadshow tour screening of the film on July 18.

After much deliberation, a few beers and a thorough review of our scouting notes, we have decided on a strategy for this inaugural scavenger hunt of the 2007 tour. On July 13 at 5 PM, we are going to post a downloadable PDF on the Fandango page of the Rolling Roadshow website. This will contain the complete rules, task/item list and instructions for the scavenger hunt. Since this particular hunt will take you through a vast amount of Texas, we have decided to make it an open-ended start. You can begin the scavenger hunt anytime after July 13 at 5:00 PM. Check-in for the scavenger hunt will begin at 5:00 PM and ends at 9:00 PM at the San Elizario Gazebo (the site of the screening) on July 18. We will announce the winners after the screening and the wedding. Among other things, the winning team will win an actual bottle of Dom Perignon with which they should toast the privilege of youth, middle or old age, whatever the case may be; autographed Fandango goodies and more TBA. The real prize, however, is available to all teams, to spend the day or days before the most intense screening of Fandango in history, paying homage to all of the shooting locations of the film.

Also, since we will be drawing fans from Austin, the El Paso area and even the entire world, there is no fixed starting position for the scavenger hunt. We will post a recommended skydiving facility near both El Paso and Austin, depending on your preference. Those wanting to more closely mirror the actual cinematic Fandango, however, will likely want to start from Austin, but be forewarned, the movie locations are all clustered much more closely to the El Paso part of our grand state.

For those who wish to start in Austin (as God intended) for the Fandango Scavenger Hunt, you can meet the Rolling Roadshow crew at 9:00 AM at the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. We'll open up a bottle of Champagne to get you started and then hit the road together.

The Fandango scavenger hunt is limited to 20 teams. You can sign up a team for a nominal $5 at here. You will need to bring with you a digital camera with either a memory stick, smart media, compact flash, SD or XD card (or a different card and a USB card reader). Most of the scavenger hunt will be photo based, but you should bring along about $25 for expenses along the way.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email us, otherwise, we will see you soon in San Elizario for "the Ultimate Fandango!"