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.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

as he has said in numerous interviews, the "prosthetic" is in Mark Wahlberg's safe, there is no way that you could have this item...

Tim League said...

The prosthetic is in the posession of Greg Nicotero from KNB Effects. They made the piece and it's one of his prize artifacts. Could be that they made more than one - once you make the mold you could theoretically start a penis factory. Ours is coming from KNB.

Anonymous said...

What exactly happened to "friday"?

pJ said...

That is a GREAT locaton to host this event. Being a carzy insane Boogie Nights fan, I have often visited that street and even bought donuts from the place where Buck grabbed the money.

Hopefully I can make it. I've never been to one these, it sounds like a blast.

pJ

pJ said...

I'm so carzy insane, I can't spell!

p

Anonymous said...

What really happened to Friday?

Friday," July 20, Helen Keller Park, 126th Street and S. Vermont, South Central L.A.: C'mon ... when are you gonna see a movie outside in South Central ever again?!?

My name is Cameron and I'm the co founder of a outreach program called C.U.R.E.
common unity reaching everyone. we work to end gang violence and killings in the hood. we're based in the Athens area of los angeles were the movie Fridays was filmed. film decades Helen Keller park was a gang infested killing zone where the community avoided.4 years ago a 14 year old boy named Taco was shot in the head and killed by a drivebye as he went home to get his baseball cleats and glove. from that day we pledged to end the madness. I had a dream of putting a movie screen in the park because there's no screens in Watts, Compton, or South Central L.A.
Katy Haber met me via her work with the homeless and she set up a meeting with BAFTA'S board. now Helen Keller Park has the only screening room in the hood! in fact we've screened 16 major motion pictures and The Rock came in person to host our showing of gridiron gang. the county didn't get cold feet as stated on your webpage. in fact it was C.U.R.E. who asked the county to stop this film. I love Ice Cube and Cris Tucker and others who were in the film but my community has suffered from real shootings and drug problems and we step a rule not to show films that don't fit our community standards. we would have loved to come out and show a more positive film from your vast selections but please understand that we have a very successfull screening program and noted film makers like Jeff Silver and Tony Bill and Oscar winner Gavin Hood have all been to helen keller park and in fact Gavin Hood came to our screening of Tsotsi with Pressley the star of his film!
I don't know who you spoke to at helen keller park. because they should have shared with you the amazing things the program has done for our community and the park. because of BAFTA and C.U.R.E. the kids now have 11 computers and the internet free to use every day! the pool was redone from the ground up! the entire park has had a full cleaning. Gary "Nugget" Robinson or gang coordinater has worked so hard and has drafted a "NO Child Harmed Agreement" that pledges to protect kids from gang violence. now our community is at peace. I saw crip and bloods come to the park and meet and shake hands ending decades of killings. so when someone asks why we didn't screen Fridays at Helen Keller park please tell them C.U.R.E.
has given the park back to the children ad families to play safe from harm. now we wish to change the image our children see of themselves on movies. todays films and video's only show the world the worst of us. please feel free to contact us at the park so we can work to screen a film that the entire community can watch and enjoy. I thank you for giving me a chance to reply. please google helen keller park or BAFTA screening room or Cure workz to see all the works we've done. we need help getting the word out and I would have loved to have you come see a community in action. we need help,period.
Please keep in touch.
much respect
Cameron Bonner
co founder of C.U.R.E.
common unity reaching everyone
proud volunteer at helen keller park.

Tim League said...

Man, that last post really pisses me off. I've been holding my tongue about the stupid debacle that was the Friday screening until now. What it boils down to is long-winded bureaucrats with CURE and BAFTA that had so little faith in the perfectly safe, working-class, family neighborhood surrounding Helen Keller Park that they thought the screening would turn into some PCP-fueled gang riot that they used political leverage to get it terminated two weeks before the event.

You cost me $1000s of dollars personally in wasted time, travel, planning, infrastructure and effort.

I visited the park and really enjoyed the park coordinators and on a local level, we were all really excited about the event.

To me, your actions were incredibly reactionary and show a complete lack of respect for a neighborhood I had grown quite fond of.

I guarantee you this, I will never, ever work with CURE on any project.

Little respect.

Tim League
founder
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
Rolling Roadshow
Fantastic Fest

Grendy said...

Cameron,
do you have spell check? Your letter to this site was full of misspellings and grammatical errors.

I can bet that Tim held his tongue even more then he vented on this post. You guys cost a guy who is doing his damnedest (with his crew) to make a great night out at the movies. FOR FREE. They're going 9000 miles in 28 days to bring a slice of awesome to folks. FOR FREE. Damn man, way to be a wanker.
If you've got an 'at peace' neighborhood, why can't you trust them to come out and watch a silly comedy?

Anonymous said...

To Tem League

I'm the other Co-founder and President of CURE. I am a former gang member of the neighborhood that surrounds Heler Keller Park. I didn't appreciate you saying that you no longer like Helen Keller Park based on someone's comments or actions. I have lived in my neighborhood for 30 years and I have seen the blood shed of gangs first hand. This is not political propaganda, this is "Hood" meaning this started in the hood thier is no political representive that is trying to win a campaign seat this is a grassroot organization that provides our children with a positive image and opportunities for success. This is no disrespect to Ice-Cube, I have love for Cube and his homies make your money its all good, but for what we are trying to do and get across "Friday " the movie would not be a good fit. We are trying to show movies that will uplift are youngsters and allow them to use their minds so they can better themselves.
My neighborhood has changed for the better because of the works of CURE. We have conducted major peace treaties and cease fire surrounding Helen Keller Park so our children and families can come to the park and play and relax. All this couldn't happen with out the Raymond Avenue Crips making peace with there rival enemies.

Reynaldo "Wiz" Reaser
Co-founder/President

D said...

Tim League is clearly ignorant of the community. It is well kn ow that groups like cure helped make helen keller park a place families could actually visit safely. This area was truly horrible and deadly.