Johnny California: Notes on TCM Fest

 by JB

Anyone looking to attend the TCM Classic Film Festival in two weeks might want to think about taking out a second mortgage on one’s home.

Back when I lived in the Chicagoland area, I would eagerly await the release of the schedule for the annual TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood every year and dream of going. Now that I live a mere stone’s throw away (It’s a very round stone... and it simply rolls down the 101 for about an hour.) there’s something other than proximity that’s almost guaranteed to keep me away.

I am on a fixed income.

The Highlights

Thursday, April 13:

OPENING NIGHT GALA: Screening of a new restoration of Rio Bravo at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater with actor Angie Dickinson in attendance.

Screening of Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor John Hawkes.

Screening of Airport at the Hollywood Legion Theater.

Poolside screening of Hairspray (1988) at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, featuring an introduction and discussion with Ricki Lake and Mario Cantone.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above. After that screening, attendees have a choice of That Touch of Mink, The Wild One, OR Genevieve.

Friday, April 14: Screening of King Kong at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater.

Screening of Harvey at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with director Joe Dante.

Screening of The Wild Bunch at the Hollywood Legion Theater.

Screening of Bicycle Thieves at the TCL Chinese Theater.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Screening of Groundhog Day at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Stephen Tobolowsky.

Screening of East of Eden at the TCL Chinese Theater.

Screening of Footlight Parade at the TCL Chinese Theater

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Screening of Cool Hand Luke at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater.

Screening of Risky Business at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Rebecca De Mornay

Screening of Peyton Place at the Hollywood Legion Theater.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Screening of American Graffiti at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Candy Clark.

Screening of The Killers at the TCL Chinese Theater.

Screening of The Three Musketeers (1973) at the Hollywood Legion Theater.

Screening of Beach Party poolside at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Frankie Avalon.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Screening of House of Wax (1953) in 3D at the TCL Chinese Theater.

Screening of Ocean’s Eleven (2001) at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with director Steven Soderbergh.

Screening of 12 Angry Men at the Hollywood Legion Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Ed Begley, Jr.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Saturday, April 15: Screening of The Muppets Take Manhattan at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with Brian Henson.

Screening of Paths of Glory at the TCL Chinese Theater.

Screening of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Russ Tamblyn.

Screening of Boys Town at the TCL Chinese Theater.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Screening of Amadeus at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater

Screening of Laurel & Hardy Shorts at the TCL Chinese Theater

Screening of When World Collide at the Hollywood Roosevelt Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with special effects masters, Craig Barron and Ben Burtt.

Screening of The African Queen at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Shari Belafonte.

Screening of Play It as It Lays at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with director Allison Anders.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Screening Crossing Delancey of at the Hollywood Legion Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actors Amy Irving and Peter Riegert.

Screening of Bye Bye Birdie at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Ann-Margret.

Screening of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Danny Huston.

Screening of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1931) at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with make-up artist Michael Westmore.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Screening of The Exorcist at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with director William Friedkin

Screening of Sorry, Wrong Number at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Lawrence Hilton Jacobs.

Screening of A Mighty Wind poolside at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, featuring an introduction and discussion with actors Michael McKean and Annette O’Toole

Screening of The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Doug Jones.

Screening of Enter the Dragon at the Hollywood Legion Theater

Screening of In the Heat of the Night at the TCL Chinese Theater

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

MIDNIGHT MOVIE: Xanadu (1980)

Sunday, April 16:

Screening of The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater.

Screening of Jason and the Argonauts at the TCL Chinese Theater

Screening of Mister Roberts at the Hollywood Legion Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actor Keith Carradine.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Screening of The In-Laws at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actors Nancy Dussault and Penny Peyser.

Screening of Casablanca at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater.

Screening of Six Degrees of Separation at the Hollywood Legion Theater.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

Screening of All About Eve at the TCL Chinese Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with screenwriter David Newman.

Screening The Music Man of at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater.

Screening of Stand and Deliver at the Hollywood Legion Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with actors Edward James Olmos and Lou Diamond Philips.

NOTE: Because of scheduling and multiple films being shown at the same time, attendees can only choose ONE of the above.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM: Screening of The Big Chill at the TCL Chinese IMAX Theater, featuring an introduction and discussion with director Lawrence Kasdan and actors JoBeth Williams and Tom Berenger.

THE RUB

While other film festivals often program “highlight films” for more than one screening, the TCM Classic Film Festival does not. That means that every time one chooses a film to see, one is also choosing up to four films NOT to see. This is problematic. For the record, if I were going (I am not) my dance card would look like this:

THURSDAY: Airport, The Wild One
FRIDAY: King Kong, Groundhog Day, Beach Party, 12 Angry Men
SATURDAY: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, When Worlds Collide, Bye Bye Birdie, The Exorcist, Xanadu
SUNDAY: Mister Roberts, Casablanca, The Music Man, The Big Chill

(Looks like I’ll be eating nothing but popcorn and peanut M&M’s on Saturday)

THE BIGGER RUB

There’s no other way to put this. The TCM Classic Film Festival is very expensive, especially if you are 1) flying into LA from some other part of the country and 2) staying at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the official hotel of the TCM Classic Film Festival (It’s right across the street from the TCL Chinese Theater.) Obviously, plane, train, and bus tickets vary wildly in price, but could I argue that it will cost at least $500 to get you there. Although rooms at the Hollywood Roosevelt sold out weeks ago, they ranged from $245 to $851 a night, so that’s somewhere in the neighborhood (It’s a nice neighborhood) of $980 to $3,400 for lodging. Obviously, you have to eat—may I suggest a four-day, high fiber diet of popcorn and peanut M&M’s? Maybe attendees will get lucky and there will be free snacks and appetizers around the pool every evening. I’m sure there will be a cash bar. If my readers are keeping track, we have spent somewhere around $1500, and we haven’t even seen a single film or bothered a single celebrity yet.

Festival passes are available in several “sizes.” If it is absolutely necessary to attend the opening night screening and gala, one’s only choice is the Spotlight Pass, which will set you back a cool $2549. Imagine taking a date. The Spotlight Pass guarantees admittance to every screening and event and those passholders are admitted first. If you can skip the opening night party, the Essential Pass is $1099. (I guess the opening night party is not “essential.”) If you have no desire to see the new restoration of Rio Bravo with Angie Dickinson in attendance, the Classic Pass is $849. The Palace Pass is good for only the main screenings in the IMAX Theater, and costs $399. Whew!

Individual tickets are available at showtime for $20. These tickets are not guaranteed if the screening “sells out” with passholders. It’s a gamble.

The “Over” and “Under” of this event looks something like this: If one flies first class from another state, stays in the Marilyn Monroe Suite at Hollywood Roosevelt for the duration of the Fest, and purchases a Spotlight Pass, one’s total expenditure for the long weekend is somewhere north of $7500. As I mentioned above, attending the TCM Classic Film Festival means seeing about 15 movies. That comes out to $500 a movie.

If one is budget minded, takes the bus to LA, stays at a moderately priced hotel, and purchases the Classic Pass (necessary because not all desirable screenings are in the IMAX Theater, rendering the Palace Pass next to useless) the cost for the long weekend is somewhere around $2150, or $143 a movie.

If, however, one already lives in LA, convinces one’s son to let his spare futon in Echo Park be the long weekend’s sleeping quarters, Ubers conservatively, and buys each ticket a la carte? That’s $500, or $33 a movie.

I’ve been writing for F This Movie for 11 years now. Who thinks I deserve press credentials for this?