The Columbus Film Festival

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Public Enemies Photo blog

My Lasagna Garden Blog

Can you picture this at Fireman's Park?
more on this later.


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Talking heads are telling ups 3-8 inches Tuesday Night into Wednesday. I'm not so sure as I believe the BIG storm will form to the east of Wisconsin and clobber the east coast. We should get the very beginning of the storm and I'm thinking we should be on the lower end of the scales.
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Does anyone know where Wisconsin is?

A few months ago I think Vanity Fair or some big magazine was mentioning Columbus and described us as a small community WEST of Madison. hmmmmmm. Today MSNBC is talking about Matt Kenseth winning the Daytona 500 and coming from Cambridge, a small town 20 north of Madison.


Does anyone know how to read a map? I mean seriously - using google it took me less then 5 seconds to see that Cambridge is 20 miles WEST of Madison.

While I'm on the subject of Public Enemies (and more way below). It got a lot of bad press this weekend as law makers were whining that Wisconsin taxpayers paid for Michael Mann salary and housing and Johnny Depps hair-do.

What did they think the money would go for - buying film from The Camera Company? And Wisconsin only made $500,000 on the deal. geez - yea - let's cancel THAT!! The one thing critics do not mention is the tourism that MIGHT be created in small towns once the movie hits the market (see below idea). Sure it needs tweaking but you should never judge something the first time it's used.
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I hope everybody is ready for the Digital revolution happening tomorrow. That's right - it's finally here. The day all Madison stations switch to digital. I'm going to record the event on my BETA player so I can show my grand kids the day TV went dark.
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Financial thoughts.

I remember reading about the Stock Market crash of 1929 and how people were jumping out of buildings and so forth. I wonder if children will be reading in their history books about the same thing happening when reading about the psychopath Bernard Madoff who stole 50 Billion dollars from Americans. Stealing money from charities, public institutions, prominent and sophisticated investor networks worldwide and just wreaking havoc. There have been a number of suicides lately.

I wonder what history books will say about the 2000's. FUBR. Who the hell was in charge, you can not blame one man as many people want to. As I say to the poker screen on my computer MORON!
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Columbus and Marfa Texas.

Ever hear of Marfa Texas? Movie buffs have. Marfa is a town of 2300 that is supported by ranching and tourism. You see the movie Giant was filmed there in 1956, and recently No Country for Old Men and There Will be Blood were filmed in the area. Being a small town they have no theater but in 2008 they had their first Marfa Film Festival.

They put up a giant inflatable screen and once a year (or that is the plan) they have a film festival. Along with the movie they have Texas Style Bar BBQ and margertias provided by the main sponser Patron (can we insert Capiton Brewery there? get what I'm hinting at?)

One writer said "The Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshow in Austin trucked in their fabulous pop-up screen, sound system, and projection equipment. It was a spectacular start to the festival, watching Anderson’s magnificent drama played out under thousands of stars on a clear, cool night."

Can you imagine something like that in Columbus? It would take a lot of work but it's something to think about.





I must insert here that the current Mayor Nancy O has been working on something like this and I have been a little against it because I want to see the movie the FIRST time with great audio (I have heard the audio is amazing). However - Nancy O - let's expand on your original thoughts a little here. OF course I know what she will say - Rod - GREAT idea - you are in charge LOL.

The thing that makes The Marfa Film Festival a success is that it is surrounded by lots of other events. We COULD tie this all into the Fourth of July celebration. Or make it it's own event but have lots of other things going on. I was thinking of the Carnival already being in town that weekend and fireworks are already bringing people so why not add a Film Festival. The logistics would be tricky but doable. The real trick would be to have something downtown also because people would want to visit where scenes were shot.

Actually the REAL trick would be getting the city to pay for the big screen (and my salary for working 40 hours a week on this) and so forth PLUS - getting enough OTHER people involved.

Just tossing ideas out there.

Side note - I see Richard Sheard is sending SPAM to everyone. Thanks for becoming PART of the internet problem Richard. Appreciate it.

OH - almost forgot - Happy Presidents day

Behind Mount Rushmore

Rod