Reel Distraction reviews the 2008 Shining Halloween Party at the Timberline Lodge outside of Portland. Check out the full report plus photos.

Photos posted from COME PLAY WITH US

Sorry for the delay, but the photos from the gala Halloween 2008 event are now posted on the Nike Sportswear site. Thanks to everyone who came dressed to the nines. I was really happy to see nothing but flappers and dapper dans filing into the Timberline ballroom. The Fantastic Fest and Nike crews had a great time, and I hope you all did too.

You can also download pics from photographer Jason Kent's flickr page (set #1, set #2)

This post is mirrored from the Shining Party website blog

The BEST Halloween Party of 2008!

Nike Sportswear and Fantastic Fest present:
COME PLAY WITH US
A celebration of THE SHINING at the Timberline lodge, October 31, 2008
www.shiningparty.com

In 1980, Stanley Kubrick came to the Timberline Lodge to film one of the all-time great horror classics, THE SHINING. In the film, Jack Nicholson slowly loses his grasp on reality and loses himself in a hallucination of a 1920s era ball. Twenty-Eight years later, Nike Sportswear and Fantastic Fest have joined forces to recreate the very same ball at the very same lodge.

Two ticket options are available for this special night:

VIP Overnight Package:
Dinner at the Lodge
3 Cocktails per person
Live music and shows throughout the evening
Limited Edition silk-screened Event Poster
A one-night stay at the historic Timberline Lodge
In-room screening of the film
VIP gift package
Continental breakfast the morning after the party

This VIP Overnight Package is designed for couples who want to stay the night. Ticket price is $100 per person ($200 per room). Note: the regular Timberline room rate is $220/night for just the room. As there are only 50 rooms available for overnight stay, we are offering a “the Gold Room ticket,” a discounted admission to the party for guests not staying the night.

The Gold Room Ticket:
Dinner at the Lodge
3 Cocktails per person
Live music and shows throughout the evening
Limited Edition Silkscreened Event Poster
Round trip bus service to and from the party

Only 200 Gold Room tickets are available for $25 per person.

Attire:
Formal attire is mandatory, 20's era formal attire is preferred. We will have special gifts for the best period attire of the night.

Schedule:
5:00 PM Boarding begins for Gold Room Ticket-holders in Portland (location TBA)
5:30 PM Gold Room Ticket-holder buses depart
7:00 PM Dinner begins at Timberline Lodge
9:00 PM Music, cocktails and entertainment begin
11:50 PM Return bus boarding begins for Gold Room Ticket holders

At the stroke of midnight, all VIP Overnight guests are required to return to their rooms and turn on their TVs for a very special screening of THE SHINING. All VIP guests will be watching THE SHINING simultaneously, but in the privacy of their own rooms.

Note: VIP guests will need to provide their own transportation to the lodge. VIP Overnight guest check-in begins at 6:00 PM on October 31 and check-out is at 11:00 AM on November 1.

Tickets for this event go on sale on Friday, October 10 at 2:00 PM PST at www.shiningparty.com, where you can find additional details and updates about the event. As tickets are extremely limited, we anticipate this show to sell out quickly.

Return from NILBOG INVASION !

The Rolling Roadshow that could never happen in a million years...has happened: NILBOG INVASION 2008!!

Yep, the Alamo's mobile Rolling Roadshow unit took off from Austin early in the morn on Tuesday, July 24 and ripped across the southwest to Morgan, UT to celebrate the worst movie ever made: TROLL 2. And what a celebration we'd prepared...35mm outdoor film screenings, a full-scale cast reunion, the writer and director flying in from Italy, a multiple-course Nilbog feast, contests, dancing, etc. Utah was in for a treat.

When we arrived, there was little evidence that the town of Morgan was aware of the impending partystorm. Tim and I met with the mayor and sheriff, who both gave a very tenuous green light to the proceedings, as if they feared we were a pack of bloodthirsty satanists coming to drink the blood of their grandchildren. After paying the bill at Pete's Spring Chicken Inn, we combed the streets looking for evidence of sweaty TROLL 2 anticipation, but found nothing...UNTIL we passed the local butcher shop:

Things were looking up.

Our confidence renewed, we set out to the field to begin preparations. Daniel, Josh and Justin began tackling our enormous screen and the Tims and I got things together for the opening night Dance and Eat party, which was to be held at the Morgan Academy of Dance and Tumbling just down the street from the screenings.








We decked the place out in Nilbog green in no time, just as folks started to pull into town:

The fans we met were unbelievable, and came from everywhere from Chicago to Los Angeles to New York to North Dakota and even Austria! They were all almost as spazzed out to be there as we were, and some were already in costume from the get-go. The locals seemed to keep a wary distance but we partied in spite. Darren "Arnold" Ewing's blues band Skinny Bob & the Blues Dawgs performed and two rowdy goblins danced along without breaking a sweat. As the twilight hour approached, we settled in for the first couple screenings: TROLL and the other Morgan-shot Italian/American horror film CRAWLERS a.k.a. TROLL 3. The crowd consisted mainly of diehards and TROLL maniacs but all had a great time and went back to their hotels and hovels happy.

Saturday was The Big Day, where the film's entire cast was going to meet up with screenwriter Rosella Drudi and infamous director Claudio Fragasso, and the mighty TROLL 2 itself was set to screen. From the morning, we knew the excitement had spread, as Utah residents arrived in homemade TROLL 2 t-shirts and even little old ladies walked their dogs over to the site to see what we were up to. The sun was high, the heat was on, and TROLL 2 fans from every nook and cranny of the earth made themselves visible.





First up for Saturday was a special surprise...even for us! Though Morgan's mayor had been reticent to appear at our event, Michael Stephenson had managed to get semi-local alternate mayor Dan Snarr to come out and award a foam Key to the City to Fragasso! He seemed a little confused by the entire ordeal, but was very happy to additionally be presented with a grant if he ever chooses to return to Utah to shoot TROLL II PART 2! Mayor Dan Snarr was a very nice guy and has a heartwarming mustache. Here he is with some goofball from AMERICAN IDOL.




Then we enjoyed THE CAST PANEL, where 22 members of the TROLL 2 on-screen family gathered to discuss their memories of the masterpiece's production. It was breathtaking and bizarre to see all of them together in one place. The audience asked many questions of the cast, half of which were answered by director Claudio Fragasso, who wasn't even on the panel but managed to get more than a word in regardless. He even got up in front of the room to try and remind Connie how to do her Holly dance again!

We then entered the POPCORN EATING COMPETITION, guest-hosted by that popcorn-devouring witch, Deborah "Creedence" Reed, who watched as several audience volunteers downed unhealthy amounts of buttery popped goodness.

Next up was the mighty JAVELIN TOSS, hosted by Darren Ewing who played Arnold in TROLL 2. Though his character finds himself on the wrong end of a spear in the movie, Darren seemed to love hosting the event and cheered the crowd on as they hurled wood into the ether at a vaguely Darren-esque target. Here's his daughter preparing to spear ol' pop.

Then we moved back inside for the FILMMAKERS' PANEL, where Fragasso and co-writer Rosella Drudi were joined by actors Michael Stephenson and George Hardy to reveal the long story of TROLL 2's production. Despite an unsteady mastery of our language, the Italian duo gave us many amazing tales of TROLL 2's genesis. Fragasso is a fascinating man and I wouldn't buy a used car from him.

As a special completist's event, we held a GUITAR HERO 2 SHREDDING WAR! The video game actually takes place at "Nilbog High School" and we weren't gonna let that go unrepresented at this most TROLL 2-iest of events! So digi-jammers from all sides competed for glory, including Mickie Pace, who played Betty the Goblin in the film. She was on fiyahhhhhh!!!!

We brought in Alamo chefs John Bullington and Trish Eichelberger specifically to create a very special NILBOG FEAST for the cast and Ultimate Pass holders. Though the chefs had to prepare much of the food outdoors on a grill in the alley, all agreed it was a five-star meal and even the sophisticated palates of the Italians were dazzled by the skills of our Alamo culinary wizards.

As the sunset began, folks gathered in the field to prepare for the main event. We played some shorts, including the Filmmaking Frenzy Troll 2 Fan Film winner OGRE by Chris Dasinger, who we brought out to the event as his prize. He also brought along two actresses from the film as well as the titular monster, who vomited in a bucket LIVE before the crowd. They were totally starstruck by him, and even moreso when the cast and filmmakers united again in front of the crowd to introduce their film.

Finally, it was the moment of truth. The projectors flickered to life and the first frame of TROLL 2 hit the screen. The crowd was enraptured, enlivened and filled with joy. It was a very moving experience to see the cast seated among the folks of Morgan and TROLL 2 fans from all corners of the Earth. Truly, a night of majesty.

Sunday featured more fun events, including the panel on Michael Stephenson's TROLL 2 documentary BEST WORST MOVIE, a baloney-eating competition (which Tim "The Glory Chomper" League totally dominated) and an extremely irresponsible display of explosive firepower to cap the weekend off. But everyone's hearts and memories were still radiating from the previous night's screening, which was a most unlikely bit of magic that will never take place again on this planet or any other:



Here's the link to our NILBOG INVASION Flickr photo page!!

(Special thanks to Michael Stephenson, Blair Sterrett, Chris van Campen and his family, The Morgan County News, Darren Ewing, George Hardy and the countless other people who made this all happen. I promise I'll never turn you into green goop and eat you.)

DAWN OF THE DEAD mall screening is...canceled.

It is with great sadness that we report the following news:

Due to reasons entirely beyond our control, the Rolling Roadshow screening of the original DAWN OF THE DEAD at the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh will not be taking place. We sincerely apologize to everyone who was excited to attend, and assure you that no one was more excited about this show than we were.

We also look forward to joining you for countless exciting and uncanceled film events in the future.

Your friend,
the Original Alamo

Public Flickr Account Created...

Were you at the 2008 Rolling Roadshow Tour: the Leone Edition? We've set up a public Flickr account for everyone to post their photos so there is one central location for all the images and memories. I've started with a few of mine and will update more over the next few days.

Log in at flickr.com. Username: leoneroadshow, password: dollars. Upload everything you have that you want to share.

I have to say that this tour was the most magical experience in roadshow history for me personally, and I thank all of you for being a part of it. I hope to see you all again next year, in whatever locale fate takes us. In the meantime, please stay in touch and visit us in Austin anytime!

Cheers,


Tim and Karrie League
founders, the Rolling Roadshow

Photos from the first Spain Roadshow screening

Things could not have gone better at our first roadshow screening in Spain: a tremendous crowd, great weather, exceptional projection and a fun party after the film. We screened A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS at the Cortijo el Sotillo under the stars in Spain on June 6 to kick of the 4th annual Rolling Roadshow Tour. The Cortijo el Sotillo was used as Ramon's "small house" throughout the film, including the opening shot of the film. I've posted a few photos to the Alamo Flickr site. We'll be posting up more in the next few days, so check back again soon! Tonight we're off to the whitewashed town of Los Albaricoques, which was used in all three films, but most extensively in FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE.

We have landed in Spain! - shows begin in 2 days!

We landed in Madrid this morning and had a very Spanish lunch with our old pals Eugenio Mira (THE BIRTHDAY - Fantastic Fest 2005) and Nacho Vigalondo/Nahikari Ipiña (TIMECRIMES - Fantastic Fest 2007). After a brief siesta, we hit the road for Almeria. We have a press conference with the Diputacion tomorrow at noon (The Diputacion is a sort-of county municipal office who is helping to promote the screenings in the region). After that, a technical run-through with the projection company and a dry-run of the Spanish subtitling system we created. Still no idea at all on how many folks will make it out to these free screenings, but I think it's going to be pretty big. At the very least, we'll have fellow Austinites Ron Deutsch and Marc English to hang with at the after-party.

The tour was promoted on Julie Moody's KUT program last week - you can check it out the interview online here.

We'll be taking lots of photographs and posting them to the Alamo Flickr site and on Facebook and I also packed the karaoke machine for the after-party, so God only knows what videos may also surface.

First up is A Fistful of Dollars on Friday, followed by For a Few Dollars More on Saturday and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly on Sunday. By the way, the Spanish title for For a Few Dollars More translates to "Death Used to Have a Price." I think I like that title better.

Quentin Tarantino cancels Spain appearance

(June 2, 2008) In an interview at the Cannes Film Festival, Quentin Tarantino told the press that he had finished his draft script for INGLORIOUS BASTARDS and was ready to begin gearing up for pre-production so he could have the film ready for Cannes 2009. (Read the report on JoBlo).

Quentin deeply apologizes to his fellow Leone devotees for having to pull out of his commitment to the Roadshow Tour in Spain. We understand that work on the film comes first, and we wish him luck in the project ahead.

The Rolling Roadshow screenings will instead be introduced by regional Leone experts.

Karrie and I are boarding the plane tomorrow morning to meet up with the production crew in Almeria the day after tomorrow. We hope to see you in southern Spain for what will be the greatest Leone fan gathering ever!

Complete information on the Rolling Roadshow Tour: the Leone Edition

Leone Rolling Roadshow Radio Spot

The Sergio Leone Rolling Roadshow mini-tour is coming up fast. Here's how people are getting jolted out of bed in the morning all over Spain! Yee-hah!!!

DL that radio commercial here.

The original DAWN OF THE DEAD at the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh!!

They said it couldn't be done. So we did it!

As you well know, mankind's battle against zombies has been raging for generations. But the finest chronicle of the war between the dead and the living is undeniable George Romero's flawless 1978 epic: the original DAWN OF THE DEAD!

We at the Alamo are indeed proud soldiers in this conflict, and are heading out to the original shooting location of the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh, PA for a special JUNE 21 screening of the BEST ZOMBIE MOVIE THAT WILL EVER BE MADE!

Details are below!

MONSTERS HD presents a special screening of DAWN OF THE DEAD inside the infamous Monroeville Mall! For the first time ever, George A. Romero's 1978 horror masterpiece will play on a big screen in the famous Pittsburgh attraction where the movie was filmed! Beginning just one hour after the Mall closes on Saturday evening, June 21st, this special event tops an already stacked horror extravaganza planned for the upcoming HorrorHound Weekend event in Pennsylvania (located at the Pittsburgh ExpoMart in Monroeville, PA) the weekend of June 20-22nd, 2008!

The Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow will be projecting this screening inside the Mall as part of one of the largest collaborations the horror industry has ever witnessed; HorrorHound Weekend is a conjoined production of HorrorHound Magazine, Bloody-Disgusting.com (the web's #1 horror movie news site), and Re-Evolution Entertainment. On top of these top-tier horror entities, a number of other media and studio reps from the industry will be on-hand to celebrate three days of horror, including (but not limited to): Monsters HD, Anchor Bay, Rue Morgue Magazine, Dread Central, Night of the Living Podcast, Deadpit Radio, Amok Time Toys, Toe Tag Pictures, and Time and Space Toys.

During the weekend of June 20-22nd, 2008, these various horror heavy-hitters will be surrounded by one of the most impressive horror celebrity guest lists to hit the Mid-West, ranging from legendary horror director John Landis (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON) and top tier stars such as Jason Mewes (CLERKS), Doug Bradley (HELLRAISER), and Bill Moseley (THE DEVIL'S REJECTS) to first-time convention guests: Ottaviano Dell'Acqua (the iconic worm-zombie from Lucio Fulci's ZOMBIE), Al Cliver (ZOMBIE), Darryl Ferruci (CREEPSHOW), and Griffin Dunne (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON) - just to name a few! For three days, fans can meet their favorite celebrities and have the opportunity to obtain autographs and/or photo-ops! Special movie screenings and panels are planned to coincide with the many guests, including a special demonstration by Pittsburgh's own Tom Savini as well as a special panel from Toe Tag Pictures, and a screening of the upcoming documentary on AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON entitled BEWARE THE MOON (accompanied by the docu's director, Paul Davis, coming in all the way from London, England).

The DAWN OF THE DEAD screening will take place where the Monroeville Mall's old clock tower once stood, on a 50-foot screen, which will take over the Mall after closing time, Saturday June 21st. Over 500 fans will pack this special section of the Mall, right down the hall from Time and Space Toys' brick and mortar location, Toy Galaxy (who helped bring this event together), where refreshments will be available. Admission to this special screening is available at the HorrorHound Weekend event - located across the street, inside the Pittsburgh ExpoMart - for a modest $5, all proceeds of which will be donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation! Toe Tag Pictures will be doing zombie make-up on guests all day leading up to the screening to help make this evening all the more memorable, as over ten DAWN alumni will be on-hand during the screening to ensure the night's authenticity.

On top of these amazing guests and events, a special Bloody-Disgusting.com Film Festival is planned over the course of Friday and Saturday, featuring first-chance screenings of new films (including horror legend Dario Argento's MOTHER OF TEARS), while a host of special fan-friendly shows and vendors will be on hand ranging from a 1930s-style Circus attraction and original film prop displays and photo-ops to horror-centric toy companies showcasing new prototypes of upcoming products and film studios teasing upcoming projects, not to mention the various new film promotional goodies (swag), posters, and contests being held all three days!! More information on our various celebrity guests, film screenings, vendors and events can be located on www.horrorhoundweekend.com!

About HorrorHound Weekend:

HorrorHound Weekend is a recurring convention seen in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, venturing outside of its "home base" for the first time to help bring this fun and excitement to the Pittsburgh area and the many horror movie fans in the surrounding area. To learn more about HorrorHound Weekend, please visit www.horrorhoundweekend.com today, or e-mail weekend@horrorhound.com for specific questions pertaining to the show, potential celebrity interview possibilities, a complete vendor and celebrity guest list, image requests, and promotional or sponsorship opportunities. Our Indianapolis events average between 2,000-4,000 fans, with the next big event in Indiana planned this August 29-31st.

The original DAWN OF THE DEAD at the legendary Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh!!

The Rolling Roadshow that needed to happen...is HAPPENING!

MONSTERS HD presents a tendon-tearing, senses-shredding screening of DAWN OF THE DEAD inside the infamous Monroeville Mall! For the first time ever, George A. Romero's 1978 horror masterpiece will play on a big screen in the famous Pittsburgh attraction where the movie was filmed! Beginning just one hour after the Mall closes on Saturday evening, June 21st, this special event tops an already stacked horror extravaganza planned for the upcoming HorrorHound Weekend event in Pennsylvania (located at the Pittsburgh ExpoMart in Monroeville, PA) the weekend of June 20-22nd, 2008!

The Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow will be projecting this screening inside the Mall as part of one of the largest collaborations the horror industry has ever witnessed; HorrorHound Weekend is a conjoined production of HorrorHound Magazine, Bloody-Disgusting.com (the web's #1 horror movie news site), and Re-Evolution Entertainment. On top of these top-tier horror entities, a number of other media and studio reps from the industry will be on-hand to celebrate three days of horror, including (but not limited to): Monsters HD, Anchor Bay, Rue Morgue Magazine, Dread Central, Night of the Living Podcast, Deadpit Radio, Amok Time Toys, Toe Tag Pictures, and Time and Space Toys.

During the weekend of June 20-22nd, 2008, these various horror heavy-hitters will be surrounded by one of the most impressive horror celebrity guest lists to hit the Mid-West, ranging from legendary horror director John Landis (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON) and top tier stars such as Jason Mewes (CLERKS), Doug Bradley (HELLRAISER), and Bill Moseley (THE DEVIL'S REJECTS) to first-time convention guests: Ottaviano Dell'Acqua (the iconic worm-zombie from Lucio Fulci's ZOMBIE), Al Cliver (ZOMBIE), Darryl Ferruci (CREEPSHOW), and Griffin Dunne (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON) - just to name a few!

The DAWN OF THE DEAD screening will take place where the Monroeville Mall's old clock tower once stood, on a 50-foot screen, which will take over the Mall after closing time, Saturday June 21st. Over 500 fans will pack this special section of the Mall, right down the hall from Time and Space Toys' brick and mortar location, Toy Galaxy (who helped bring this event together), where refreshments will be available. Admission to this special screening is available at the HorrorHound Weekend event - located across the street, inside the Pittsburgh ExpoMart - for a modest $5, all proceeds of which will be donated to the Make-a-Wish Foundation! Toe Tag Pictures will be doing zombie make-up on guests all day leading up to the screening to help make this evening all the more memorable, as over ten DAWN alumni will be on-hand during the screening to ensure the night's authenticity.

About HorrorHound Weekend:

HorrorHound Weekend is a recurring convention seen in the Indianapolis, Indiana area, venturing outside of its "home base" for the first time to help bring this fun and excitement to the Pittsburgh area and the many horror movie fans in the surrounding area. To learn more about HorrorHound Weekend, please visit www.horrorhoundweekend.com today, or e-mail weekend@horrorhound.com for specific questions pertaining to the show, potential celebrity interview possibilities, a complete vendor and celebrity guest list, image requests, and promotional or sponsorship opportunities. Our Indianapolis events average between 2,000-4,000 fans, with the next big event in Indiana planned this August 29-31st.

2nd Screening location announce for Leone Roadshow

There is no other town more iconic in the history of Spaghetti Westerns than Los Albaricoques, Spain. The whitewashed walls appear in dozens of films including DEATH RIDES A HORSE and Leone's masterpiece FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE. Other than a few new power lines and an occasional paved road, the town still looks virtually the same as it did in 1965 when Clint Eastwood was dodging bullets from Indio's men.

For the second stop on the 2008 Rolling Roadshow Tour, we will be returning to Los Albaricoques, Spain for a free outdoor screening of FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE. We are setting up the seating inside the stone circle that was the backdrop for the final showdown between Lee Van Cleef and Indio. Following the screening, we are hosting an after-party at the Hotel and Restaurant Alba, which houses a spaghetti western memorabilia collection and is within walking distance of the screen.

Complete map and details will be posted soon on www.rollingroadshow.com


The 2008 Rolling Roadshow Tour: The Sergio Leone Edition is presented by MGM Channel and Teuve.

Quentin Tarantino in attendance: Spain Rolling Roadshow

As you may know, the Rolling Roadshow Tour is heading to Spain this year for a screening of the Leone Dollars trilogy (A Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, The Good The Bad and the Ugly) on location where the films were shot. Anyone who has recently picked up the new DVD of The Good, The Bad and the Ugly will have noticed the quote emblazened on the front: "My favorite movie!" attributed to Quentin Tarantino. Not only does that sell DVDs, it's also true. Quentin is currently writing and approaching pre-production on a new feature, but when he found out about this screening series, he committed immediately. Quentin will be in attendance at all screenings and will introduce at least one of the films. If you are a fan of the Leone trilogy, seriously consider following Mr. Tarantino's lead. Call time-out on your job and join us for what is almost surely going to be a historic weekend.

Full information about The Rolling Roadshow Tour: The Sergio Leone Edition is on the Rolling Roadshow website. All screenings are in the Almeria region of Spain; the dates are June 6-8.

The 2008 Rolling Roadshow Tour is presented by MGM Channel and Teuve

Hotel options for visitors to Spain

The Nijar Film Office has provided us with a list of hotels, motels and rural renting houses in the region near the 3 screening locations for the Rolling Roadshow Tour in Almeria Spain. Check out the complete list here. First on the list is the hotel of choice, the Cortijo el Sotillo, the screening location for our first film, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS.

Click here for complete details on the 2008 Rolling Roadshow Tour, the Sergio Leone edition, in Almeria Spain, June 6-8.

Thinking about coming to Spain with us?

If you are considering joining us in Spain for the 2008 Rolling Roadshow Tour, you should check out this Conde Nast Traveller article from that waxes poetic about the serene beauty of the Almeria region. Not only were dozens of spaghetti westerns shot in this area, but also portions of LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. The photo attached here. I scouted the locations for the Leone tour earlier this year and was amazed at how pristine and well preserved the region is. Expect some more news about the event very soon including information on special guests, VIP tickets and the limited-edition art poster series. The attached photo is the beach from INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE - only 15 minutes from the screening location of FISTFUL OF DOLLARS.

Check out complete information on the 2008 Rolling Roadshow Tour.

Leone Roadshow on Jaunted: the pop culture travel guide

Jaunted.com : The Pop Culture Travel Guide, just picked up the story about the Rolling Roadshow's journey to Spain on June 6-8. I really like the brevity and succinctness of their event summary:

"Let's just recap: It's summer, it's the south of Spain, it's Clint Eastwood, it's free and after each screening there's a party to celebrate the life and times of Sergio Leone. Epic."

Epic. Come and join us.

Read the complete story here.

Fistful of Dollars location announced!

A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS opens with a scene of "the man with no name" (Clint Eastwood) riding into frame and stopping for well water outside an adobe farmouse. On June 6, The Rolling Roadshow and a select group of Leone fans will be gathered around the very same well in front of that very same farmhouse to watch that very same movie. The farmhouse, pictured today to the left, is now the Cortijo el Sotillo, a charming boutique hotel. We have partnered with the Cortijo el Sotillo to present this free screening of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, the opening film of the 2008 Rolling Roadshow Tour: the Leone Edition. Following the screening, attendees will gather at the same fireplace where Clint Eastwood so quickly "handles" Rojas men later in the film. The small hotel has only 20 rooms, so if you would like the rare treat of actually staying at the same lodging where Marisol was held captive, we recommend booking soon. Mention the Rolling Roadshow Tour and receive the promotional rate of 85€/night for a single room, 104€/night for a double room. Breakfast and taxes are included in that rate.

The Cortijo el Sotillo is a member of a boutique chain of hotels called "silence hotels." Their mission is to provide a natural and peaceful environment, offering rest and recreation in calm and tranquillity. Each hotel offers a warm welcome, stressing the quality of life and gastronomy, assured by the personal attention of the owners themselves who know how to make guests feel at home while still being entirely professional. The Cortijo el Sotillo also offers horseback riding for those who truly want to live out their Leone fantasies.

Check out information on the entire 2008 Rolling Roadshow Tour.

Rolling Roadshow to pay tribute to Leone in Spain, June 6-8

ROLLING ROADSHOW TOUR TO PAY TRIBUTE TO SERGIO LEONE 'DOLLARS' TRILOGY WITH SPECIAL SCREENINGS IN SOUTHERN SPAIN PRESENTED BY THE MGM CHANNEL AND TEUVE

June 6-8 Event in Almeria, Spain Marks First-Ever
Rolling Roadshow Tour Held Outside the U.S.

Austin, TX April 18, 2008 The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema unveiled its plans today for the 2008 installment of the Rolling Roadshow Tour, the organization's annual traveling film screening series. This year's event takes place June 6-8 and will pay tribute to MGM's classic Sergio Leone “Dollars” Spaghetti Western trilogy, with screenings of Fistful of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More and The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, in Almeria, Southern Spain, the original location where all three films where shot. Leone's epics launched the career of four-time Oscar®-winner Clint Eastwood who set a precedent for the genre - and the generation - with his portrayal of the original anti-hero: “The Man With No Name.”

The Rolling Roadshow: Leone Edition is presented by The MGM Channel and Teuve in Spain. The screening schedule follows:

June 6: Fistful of Dollars
June 7: For a Few Dollars More
June 8: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

"For the past three summers, we have taken the Rolling Roadshow Tour across the United States, logging more than 30,000 miles traveling to the most famous movie locations in America," says Alamo Drafthouse Cinema founder Tim League. "This summer we are expanding the vision of the Rolling Roadshow Tour further than we ever imagined, to one of the most important cinematic locales of the 20th Century."

Admission to screenings are free to the general public and following each of the screenings the Rolling Roadshow Tour, The MGM Channel and Teuve will host a reception toasting Sergio Leone, a true maestro of cinema.

The Rolling Roadshow Tour
Every summer, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema takes to the road, departing from Austin, Texas on a whirlwind tour, hosting free 35mm screenings of famous movies in famous places. Known as The Rolling Roadshow Tour, the organization has been to the Field of Dreams in Iowa to show Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner live in person, Devil's Tower in Wyoming for a screening of Close Encounters of the 3rd Kind and Alcatraz Island for a screening of Escape From Alcatraz.

The Leone "Dollars" Trilogy
In 1964, Sergio Leone, an assistant director of Italian "sword and sandal" movies traveled to the Almeria region of Spain to shoot a small film based on Akira Kurosawa's samurai adventure Yojimbo. The leading man was an unknown American bit-part television actor who at 34 years old was well past his matinee-idol potential. The film, was A Fistful of Dollars; the actor, Clint Eastwood. No one could have imagined the explosive force of this seemingly modest film. Sergio Leone is now considered by many film historians to be one of the most influential directors of all time. Few films have reshaped the visual style of cinema more than Sergio Leone's quintessential "Spaghetti Western" trilogy, and even fewer films elevate the filming location to the status on par with lead actor. Like John Ford's American southwest, Leone's Almeria region plays a vital role in shaping the emotion and spirit of his films. Leone's stylistic and graphic depictions of the Old West elevated a marginalized genre to an art form and influenced today's filmmakers.

About MGM Networks
MGM Networks manages Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.'s interests in MGM-branded networks, Hollywood film studio joint venture channels and other programming services spanning scores of markets across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Oceana and Africa. For more information, visit www.mgmchannel.com.

About Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., through its operating subsidiaries is actively engaged in the worldwide production and distribution of motion pictures, television programming, home video, interactive media, music, and licensed merchandise. The company owns the world's largest library of modern films, comprising around 4,100 titles. Operating units including Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc., United Artists Films Inc., Ventanazul, MGM Television Entertainment Inc., MGM Networks Inc., MGM Distribution Co., MGM International Television Distribution Inc., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment LLC, MGM ON STAGE, MGM Music, MGM Consumer Products and MGM Interactive. In addition, MGM has ownership interests in international TV channels reaching over 120 countries and territories around the world. MGM ownership is currently as follows: Providence Equity Partners (29%), Texas Pacific Group (21%), Sony Corporation of America (20%), Comcast (20%), DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (7%) and Quadrangle Group (3%). For more information, visit www.mgm.com.

About TEUVE
TEUVE has an eight-year career in the Pay-TV sector including an important involvement in digital TV platforms by satellite and DTT (Digital terrestrian Television). TEUVE has grown to become currently one of the most importants providers in the Iberian Pay-TV Market available on the main cable and IPTV platforms. It produces and distributes ten TV channels as well as their linked services: TV on demand offer, mobile contains offer.
TEUVE is one of the biggest thematic channels producers in Spain; it produces six cinema channels (CINESTAR, EXTREME, DARK, MGM, SOMOS, CINEMATK y CANAL 18) and five entertainment channels (PACHA TV, NATURA, BUZZ, KIDSCO & TELECORAZÓN). All of them are in the different cable network in Spain and are available in 1,8 million homes.
About The Alamo Drafthouse
Founded in 1997 by Tim and Karrie League in Austin, Texas, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema combines new release films, repertory programming and a variety of unique special events all under one roof, as well as full food and beverage menu served right to your seat. The Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was named the "#1 Theater in America" by Entertainment Weekly Magazine. Founders Tim and Karrie League will be travelling with the Rolling Roadshow to Almeria to host the Leone Edition of the Rolling Roadshow Tour.

If you are planning to visit the area and stay for a while in the Almeria region, contact Tuco Tours (http://www.tucotours.com), who offer tours of all of the Sergio Leone locations.

Rolling Roadshow media inquires please contact info@rollingroadshow.com
Details, directions and FAQ are available at www.rollingroadshow.com

Smokey makes a surprise visit to Lebowski

You never know who you might run into at an Alamo event/Rolling Roadshow event. Just this month we had Steve Buscemi drop in for the Miller's Crossing Feast and Robert Redford came on opening day of The Unforeseen. My favorite surprise drop-in however came this weekend at the Big Lewbowski Rolling Roadshow. Austin musical luminary Jimmy Dale Gilmore made his first ever appearance at a big Lebowski event at Dart Bowl on Friday. He told stories about how he first got involved with the Coen Brothers as well as tidbits about his friendships with the rest of the Lebowski cast. Gilmore said he's been making music for 35 years now, and he has gotten more recognition and fame from his 2 minutes of Lebowski screen time than in his entire musical career. Take away from this guest appearance: you never know who might show up to a Rolling Roadshow. The safest bet - never miss a show.

Jimmy and his wife are hosting a candlelight vigil to raise awareness of the current tragic situation in Tibet at the city hall this Wednesday, April 9 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.