At the movies
The Strand prepares for return of motion pictures

Steve Talbert
NEWS Correspondent

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Watching movies in your own living room couldn’t be better than attending all or part of this weekend’s free three-day film festival at the Strand Theatre, 215 S. Harrison St.

The event starts at 7 p.m. on Friday with “The Searchers,” a G-rated classic John Wayne film from 1956, followed by “The Chopping Mall,” rated R, a 1986 sci-fi/horror cult favorite, at 9:30 p.m.

On Saturday, four movies will be shown, starting with “McLintock,” rated R, another John Wayne western, at 1 p.m. “They Call Me Trinity,” rated R, another western, rounds out the afternoon at 3:15 p.m.

Saturday evening brings two zombie pictures to the Strand – “Night of the Comet,” rated PG-13, a campy ’80s flick, at 7 p.m., and “Night of the Living Dead,” 1968, rated R, a horror genre groundbreaker, at 9:30 p.m.

Of course, no Shelby County film fest would be complete without a “Ma and Pa Kettle” movie. At 1:30 p.m., on Sunday, the Strand will show “The Further Adventures of Ma & Pa Kettle,” rated G, starring Percy Kilbride and Marjorie Main, who was known as Mary Tomlinson when she grew up in northwestern Shelby County. The family fare continues at 3:15 p.m. with the original live-action version of “The Jungle Book,” rated G, from 1942.

The free-movie weekend was arranged and organized by Joey Gaudin, owner of Smashed Productions and co-owner of Monogram Releasing, a movie production and distribution company.

It’s no accident that the entertainment extravaganza features three westerns.

“Westerns are always popular,” Gaudin said.

This weekend’s event gives locals a free taste of what’s sure to be a huge audience-grabber for the Strand – and it will provide an opportunity for projectionists to correct any problems that might arise.

“It’s been a long time since a movie was projected from the top of the balcony,” Gaudin said. “We know there will be bugs.”

At the inaugural event, the Strand will start selling annual memberships to the Strand’s “movie club” for $10 each. Club members are entitled to a dollar discount on every film they attend. Members will receive e-mails on upcoming shows and invitations to exclusive members-only screenings.

Starting May 1, the Strand will start its regular film schedule. Movies will be shown at 7 p.m., every Wednesday; at 1:30 p.m. every Sunday; and at 7 p.m. on the first and third Fridays.

“Eventually, we will probably add a second showing to Friday nights,” Gaudin said.

Since the Strand is more than just a movie house, the movie schedule allows live music on Saturday nights and other events on other days.

Gaudin, a fervid film buff, knows which classics that he would like to see on the big screen at the Strand, but he doesn’t pretend to comprehend the collective tastes of the community. Adopting a novel approach to scheduling local entertainment, Gaudin will solicit the opinions of the community’s moviegoers. Knowing that one person’s “Planet 9 from Outer Space” could be another person’s “Gone with the Wind,” Gaudin promises not to narrow his scope of movie offerings to one genre.

“We’re going to be really unique,” Gaudin said. “A lot of movie theaters like the Strand only show classics.”

Gaudin will stretch the envelope of perceived mainstream movie fare by showing documentaries, world premieres of little-known independent films and the occasional sci-fi or horror movie.

Although the inaugural film fest is free, admission to future showings will cost $5. Children ages 11 and under and seniors ages 65 and older will be able to attend movies for $4.

On Sept. 25, 26 and 27, the Indy Film Co-op will bring the 3rd annual B-Movie Celebration to Shelbyville. Events will include seminars, celebrities, live music and movies shown at the Strand, Studio 10 and a undetermined outdoor location. More details will be announced later.