starlite recap: all treats, no tricks

alright, another installment of the starlite cinema series is in the books.

the halloween show was spook-tacular (see what i did there?), to say the least. country willie and the zombie apocalypse started things off with a shambling and ravenous set of living dead rock that is eating my brain even as we speak. from there we delved into the cinematic delights the legend of hell house (1973) and troll 2 (1990). we had to cut misterios de ultratumba (1959) due to time constraints (if you think rock shows never start on time, you should try one with fetid corpses), but the double feature was a scream. and, as if all this wasn't enough, on top of the usual movie madness we had extra treats. the annie street arts collective and friends pulled out all the stops for this one. lindsey made gingerbread zombies. our friend adam drew this bloodsoaked poster especially for the event:

and my friend mary made me this triple-decker peanut butter cup cupcake for my birthday:

i need a glass of milk just looking at the picture. it was incredible. the whole evening was a blast. thanks to everyone for coming and a special thanks to annie street and associates for everything they contributed. again, these screenings wouldn't happen without them.

speaking of being thankful, the november lineup is set and we have an old favorite and a sadly underseen gem for you. we are going to start things off with a charlie brown thanksgiving (1973).

yes, i know technically it's a television show, but for charlie brown i'll bend the rules a little. i make up the rules, anyway. i may even dig up a few dolly madison commercials to complete the experience.

our feature presentation is one of my favorite films about food and family, big night (1996).

it tells the story of two brothers, italian immigrants, struggling to keep their failing restaurant afloat in new jersey in the early fifties. one is a businessman, not a very good one, enamored of this new life in the states and committed to success even if it means compromise. the other is an artist in the kitchen, putting his heart into every dish for americans who want nothing more than spaghetti and meatballs. a rival generously offers to set up an evening where louis prima and his band will come in and put the boys on the map, ending their financial woes. the action centers around the preparation for, execution of and fallout from this titular big night. touching but never maudlin, it looks poignantly at artistic versus commercial success, the loss of self that can take place when trading one culture for another and, most importantly, the depth of fraternal bonds. it's beautiful, funny and redemptive and the food in it is unbelievable.

i'll post an update as soon as we get a date solidified. drop by if you can, it would be nice to see you.