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2007 Summer Schedule - Santa Cruz GDI

2007-05-09T18:54:19Z

2 0 0 7 S u m m e r S c h e d u l e

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN

is an outdoor movie theater under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great free movies year-round and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is reclaiming public space and transforming our urban environment into a joyful playground.

8:00 pm every other Friday all summer
Locations vary (see below). Always free!

PLUS thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, great company, and a rollicking bike ride after the movie.

BRING blankets, pillows, friends, drink, & snackies to share for intermission. Donations to support the project are more than welcome.

www.guerilladrivein.org

Libratarias (Freedom Fighters) May 11th
In the midst of the Spanish Civil War in Barcelona, 1936, militia women fully immersed in the overall enthusiasm of revolutionary Spain find themselves confronting deep gender inequality which complicates their efforts in the war against Francisco Franco’s fascist forces. Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

Kon Tiki w/ Style Wars May 25th
The most unusual double bill ever. Kon Tiki is the chronicle of Thor Heyerdahl's hand-built raft expedition from Peru to Tahiti in an attempt to demonstrate that the inhabitants of the South Sea Islands could have migrated from South America. Style Wars, filmed in New York in 1982, documents a number of young graffiti artists who were transforming the city - and the subway - with their unique art. Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

Hobo Film Festival June 8th
Train riding shorts and documentaries, as well as our main feature, Emperor of the North. Drawing inspiration from Jack London's adventures traveling with hobos aboard trains throughout the U.S., this gritty Depression-era drama features outstanding performances from Lee Marvin. Ernest Borgnine is a cruel railroad agent who makes it his personal mission to rid the world of hobos out for a free ride. Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? June 22nd
A tricky case involving adultery, blackmail and murder takes a down-and-out Detective deep into the heart of 'Toontown. Roger Rabbit, a failing 'toon star in Hollywood's heydey is one falling anvil away from being erased in a conspiracy to destroy 'Toontown and fill LA with strip malls. Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

Matrix OR Minority Report July 6th
Challenging the laws that make public space off limits after sunset, we return to our controversial spot under the Soquel Bridge. We're showing a huge blockbuster with the hope of enticing large numbers of moviegoers to challenge these dumb rules with us. Our two choices are Minority Report and The Matrix, but we can't decide between them, so it may be viewer's choice. Location: Under Soquel Ave Bridge

Wargames July 20th
A young hacker accidentally discovers a backdoor in a government computer and accidentally sets in motion World War III. Nuclear brinksmanship, soviet paranoia, and computer control. Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

Subversive Shorts Film Fest August 3rd
A program of rollicking and poignant Guerilla Drive-In Subversive Shorts. As you know, for years we've shown shorts before our feature film. By popular demand, we offer you an entire program of our subversive shorts. Great old shorts and many new ones. In addition, we offer you a convenient and central location that challenges the downtown police state. Location: TBA, downtown

Guizi lai le (Devils on the Doorstep) August 17th
An incendiary, sociopolitical satire set in a Chinese hamlet during World War II's waning days. One wintry night, peasant Ma Dasan (Wen) becomes -- at gunpoint -- the custodian of two Japanese prisoners, one a rabid, jingoistic soldier and the other his self-preserving translator. When the gunman doesn't return, Dasan faces a weighty dilemma. Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

Santa Cruz Bike Film Fest August 31st
Our main feature Pee Wee's Big Adventure, plus several bicycling films, including animated shorts, documentaries on all things bike. Get on your bike. Become part of bike culture and join us for this special event. Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

Punishment Park September 14th
As the Vietnam War escalates, massive public protest against the conflict surges in America. To control the leftist threat, a civilian tribunal passes sentence on groups of dissidents: hippies, draft dodgers, pacifists. Made to play a game resembling "Capture the Flag" in a remote desert while being hunted by the forces of law and order, the prisoners must fight for their lives in this searing topical pseudo-documentary. Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

Koyaanisqatsi September 28th
A surreal GDI showing in a local cave. The title is a Hopi Indian word meaning "life out of balance." The film is an apocalyptic vision of the collision of two different worlds -- urban life and technology versus the environment. Location: Empire Cave off Empire Grade Rd.

King of Hearts October 12th
During World War I, a private is sent on a mission to a rural French town to defuse a German bomb, but is soon befriended by the "inmates" of the local sanitarium, who were left behind when the town was evacuated. Begs the question, who is really sane and who is not? Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

Post-Apocalyptic Film Festival October 26th
Location: TBA

THX 1138 November 9th
In a clostrophobic future where sexuality is banned, drugs are used to control people's minds and citizens are stripped of their individuality, THX 1138 and LUH 3417 rebel against the status quo. When LUH winds up pregnant and THX is jailed, fellow prisoners work together to escape. A brilliantly crafted vision of benevolent oppressiveness and dystopic angst, Location: Fair Ave RR Tracks

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Save The Pleasure Point Roadhouse DIY Party! SATURDAY!!!

2007-03-17T00:07:58Z

Save The Pleasure Point Roadhouse DIY Party! SATURDAY!!!

Greetings all lovers of Santa Cruz, and friends beyond,

The bell is tolling for the heritage of Pleasure Point and maybe the last remaining truly historical properties
as well.

The Pleasure Point Roadhouse SHOULD be a city landmark.

Built beautifully out of old growth redwood trees in 1902 as a saloon, the Pleasure Point Roadhouse, whose
Prohibition-era brothel inspired the name for this coastal area, was also a gas station and market for HWY 1,
a speakeasy during prohibition, and a home for many artists and alternative minded people over the decades.

The wood house overlooking Monterey Bay, its carriage house, and several 90-year-old bungalows are private
property now, and owner Leila Naslund, who has evicted all the tenants (some who have been there over 15 years),
doesn't want it to be designated for preservation. Her family plans to develop and destroy the exisiting property
within the next few months under the excuse that it is too far gone.

Nonetheless, the city's board of supervisors added the Pleasure Point Roadhouse to a list of properties they'll
consider designating as historic resources at a meeting March 27th.

PLEASE GO TO THIS MEETING IF YOU CARE ABOUT SAVING THIS PROPERTY!

"It seems like it means a lot to the community," says Supervisor Jan Beautz, who recommended that the house be
considered for designation. A grassroots group has collected hundreds of signatures on a petition in support of
the designation of the roadhouse, a two-story wood-frame structure with unique Craftsman-style influences.

"It's probably the last undeveloped big piece of property on the coast. It's just timeless," says Charles Paulden,
leader of a group called People for the Preservation of Pleasure Point. "It's like 100 years ago when you
step onto that property."

The cottages next door to the roadhouse were demolished last year to make way for HUGE Orange County styled condos,
and many fear the same will happen to the roadhouse property if it's not designated.

"Pleasure Point was a beach-cottage community until the last five years. It's not too far gone yet," Paulden says.
"I would like all of Pleasure Point to be preserved, but right now I would like to save one little bit of it."

Paulden wants to see the roadhouse restored as a museum or community center. Please contact Charles at:
yogacharles@yahoo.com if you would like to help.

Although its heyday during Prohibition is long gone, the Pleasure Point Roadhouse remains a popular local icon.
"I remember going to parties in that building back in the 70s. I've always thought it was a very cool structure,
" says Carolyn Swift, director of the nearby Capitola Museum. "For a building of that style to survive, with the
carriage house and these little additional 1920s bungalows, that's pretty rare."

The LAST Pleasure Point Roadhouse party is THIS SATURDAY, MARCH 16th at 2-3905 East Cliff Drive. It's the old
house with the huge sculpture in front, can't miss it. It's a free party and everyone is donating their time
and effort. IF you are a dj and want to spin, or if you are a band and want to jam, please contact me at:
abrintonc@yahoo.com

We are starting music around 1pm and going into late night. There will be sound systems in two areas of the
property, one for daytime and one for night. Some camping is allowed in the back of the property if you don't
want to drive home, just let us know.
There will be a bbq, ceviche, and a HUGE paella made by a an infamous spaniard, beer, drinks,
ect., ect....

Dj's from Om records, RxFx, scunderground and more will be spinning all types of tunes, and some eclectic live acts
are confirmed too. Everyone is invited as long as they sign the petition:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/saveroadhouse/signatures.html

EVEN IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION IF YOU CARE. You can also call the Supervisor @ 831-454-2200,
or write letters to the supervisors by March 20th
They can be sent to:

Board of Supervisors
Att: Sup Beautz-Roadhouse
701 Ocean St
Santa Cruz, California 95060

They are very polite and appreciate hearing your educated opinions.

This is a community gathering for a great cause, please join us, have some fun in the sun while saving our cultural
heritage for generations to come!

Peace, Aaron

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Funny Things That Happen at GDI

2007-03-08T17:38:43Z

Okay, well I'm not sure how this will translate in writing as opposed to my verbal rendition in which I impersonate a drunk homeless guy, but here it is:

The movie was Three Kings. Before the movie, announcements were invited. One of drunkys from the back stumbled up to the front, saying he had an announcement. He stands in front of the crowd, pausing to sway a bit before he catches his balance. Then he looks out at the crowd and says, in a most drunk and raspy voice, "I wanna know who picked Dirty Dancing for next week...that is the WORST movie ever...I'm personally insulted by that movie and I plan to heckle it next week". A few people spoke up to defend the movie choice and asked him to give it a chance. He repeated, swaying and slurring his words, "I'm gonna be heckling it so if ya wanna hear some heckling come next week, cuz thats what I'm gonna do". He proceeds to go on and on and on and on about how much he hates Dirty Dancing and how wrong it was that GDI chose to show it. A few people then heckled HIM and he eventually stumbled back to his seat, mumbling and grumbling along the way.

So the movie, Three Kings, starts and the beginning is extrememly violent. Horrible war scenes...an animal gets blown up...and it's gory and horrific. As the violence escalates, that same guy suddenly raises his raspy voice from the back and shouts, "I'd rather be watching Dirty Dancing!"

It was so perfectly funny, and a much needed comic relief from the violence on the screen. That line has become a classic in my group of friends. Anytime we experience something we don't like, all anyone has to say is, "I'd rather be watching Dirty Dancing" and something bad turns into something funny.

If anyone else has any funny GDI stories, I'd love to hear them... here's the place to post 'em...

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noise during the movie

2007-02-26T19:35:00Z

I read all of Rico's insightful thread on the cops showing up at GDI because of a "noise call." I wasn't at last Friday's movie, but a few weeks ago I watched one and often had a hard time hearing the movie because of a group of people in the back who were loud and talked throughout the movie. Could this have been the cause of the noise? Or was it the movie itself? I found the talkers to be very distracting. Can we ask everyone before the movie begins to keep the noise down - for the movie-goers and to keep the cops away?

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 6 replies

Dallas area GDI

2007-02-13T14:58:17Z

There's no rain in the forcast so. . .

Friday night 2/9/07 at 7:30pm, we'll be taking over another parking lot somewhere in Plano. message me for exact location. The new location will have more and better parking. We'll also have a new and improved FM transmitter to use (Thanks Tim).

We'll be showing a Zombie double feature. There are a bunch of movies in this genre. I've been thinking Shaun of the Dead followed by the 1978 Dawn of the Dead or Night of the Living Dead. If you have an opinion, make it known here. Otherwise, we'l have 2 zombie movies.

I'll bring the popcorn and a grill. Who want to bring hotdogs or hamburgers? The hot chocolate was great last time! Who want's to bring some more? Any other ideas?

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Other Guerilla Drive-Ins

2007-01-22T19:56:50Z

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In
http://www.guerilladrivein.org

Guerilla Drive-In, Victoria, B.C.
http://www.guerilladrivein.ca

Dolores Park Movie Night
http://www.doloresparkmovie.org/faq.html

Guerilla Porn, Cardiff, UK
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2005430560,00.html

Southern Maine Guerilla Drive-In, Portland, Maine
http://smgdi.dod.net

Deproduction Drive-in, Denver, Colorado
http://deproduction.org/projects.htm

Mobile Movie - Berkeley, California
http://www.mobmov.org/

Liberation Drive-In - Oakland, California
http://www.oaklandish.org/nonchalance/drive.html

Drive-In - West Chester, Pennsylvania
http://www.tikaro.com/gdi/" Guerilla

Guerilla Drive-In - Tampa City, Florida
http://screwmus.phpwebhosting.com/interaction/messages/2290/194.html?1057884598

Atomic Shock Theatre - Minneapolis, Minnesota
http://www.carschoolfilms.com/

Guerilla Drive-In - Los Angeles, California
http://www.laweekly.com/ink/printme.php?eid=33151

Guerilla Drive-In - Dallas, Texas
http://www.guerrillanews.com/forum/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=Traders&Number=269764&page=11&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=0&part=

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Love Fest

2006-06-25T04:09:30Z

I jus' wanna say...I LOVE Geurilla Drive-In. Thank you to everyone who has made it happen. It's one of those things that makes Santa Cruz special. My life is better because of it.

So a round of hugs to all involved...

Mars

P.S. Last night's movie was especially fun for me. I graduated from highschool the year before this movie (Over the Edge) took place and, check this out,...I ran into someone from my highschool. She was at the GDI--I hadn't seen her in 30 years and we hook up at a GDI movie that took place during our highschool days! Crazy! Fun! Thanks again!

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Santa Cruz GDI Summer Schedule

2006-05-19T19:17:21Z

Schedule online at http://www.guerilladrivein.org

May 12 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Train robbers, shootouts, romance, comedy -- what more could you
ask for in an epic Western? This charming 1969 film about
legendary bandits is based more-or-less on real events.
Surprisingly romantic, sexy, and vulnerable. It both defies and
embraces Western cliche. Hosted by Rico and Sean.

May 26 Birdy
A veteran returns from the war in Vietnam mentally shattered and
convinced he's a bird. Nicholas Cage is another veteran who
visits him in a military hospital every day, determined to bring
Birdy back to reality. A haunting 1984 film about friendship and
survival. Hosted by Doug and Grant.

Jun 9 POPaganda: Art & Crimes of Ron English
A 2005 film about the culture-jamming and billboard-liberation
antics of Ron English. The modern day Robin Hood of Madison
Avenue, Ron paints, perverts, infiltrates, reinvents and
satirizes modern culture on canvas and directly on hundreds of
pirated billboards. Hosted by Kris and Rico.

Jun 23 Over the Edge
This 1979 film pits bored, aimless, white middle-class suburban
kids trapped in a hellish planned community against parents and
police concerned about the "youth problem." Intelligent, honest,
and with attention to detail, filled with a feeling of teen-age
frustration and paranoia. This film is a funeral service held at
the graveside of the suburban dream. Hosted by Jason.

Jul 7 Three Kings
George Clooney is one of a trio of American soldier in Iraq
determined to steal a huge cache of stolen Kuwaiti gold. This
1999 film was the first Hollywood movie to take on the first Gulf
War, and it does it with comedy, aggressive style and a very
thoughtful manner. A frenetic meditation on the themes of the
temporary, ambiguous and sometimes arbitrary nature of borders,
alliances and the rules of warfare. Hosted by Grant.

Jul 21 Subversive Shorts Festival with Auto-Revision
A program of rollicking and poignant Guerilla Drive-In Subversive
Shorts. With the clever and creative Auto-Revision in which
artists trans-form an automobile into musical instruments.
Hosted by Jason and Johnny.

Aug 4 The Times of Harvey Milk
The 1984 Oscar-winning documentary about San Francisco's most
colorful -- and unfortunately, tragic -- political figure: Harvey
Milk. A staunch fighter for gay rights and the first openly gay
member of San Francisco's combative city council, Milk spoke out
not only for gay rights but for the rights of all people. Within
a year of his election, he and Mayor Moscone were assassinated by
supervisor Dan White, the board's most conservative member.
Hosted by Grant.

Aug 18 Dirty Dancing
When it was released in 1987, it was pegged as "A nicely
bittersweet genre movie" by the New York Times, but then this was
the paper that also assured us there were WMDs in Iraq. Stacey
tells us this is the best film ever and reminds us often that
this is the only American film Castro allows in Cuba. Expecting
the usual ennui that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with
her family, our 17-year-old heroine instead finds herself in love
with the resort's free-spirited dance instructor. Come for the
80's film nostalgia, big hair, class conflict, teen girl's
fantasy, and hot dancing. Hosted by Stacey and Tiffany.

Sep 1 Whale Rider
An enchanting, deeply spiritual, and ultimately enthralling New
Zealand movie about the struggle of one ardent young Maori girl
to fulfill her destiny. This lyrical 2002 film sidesteps all of
the obvious cliches of the underlying story and makes itself
fresh, observant, tough and genuinely moving. Hosted by Stacey.

Sep 15 Truman Show
Truman Burbank is the star of "The Truman Show," a 24-hour-a-day
cultural TV phenomenon that broadcasts every aspect of his life
-- live and in color -- without his knowledge or consent. When
Truman discovers by happenstance that his life is a sham for
public consumption, he makes a desperate escape bid. A metaphor
for the desperate theatrics of our own lives. Hosted by Kris and
Grant.

Sep 29 Life And Debt with Breaking The Spell
Life and Debt is a searing 2001 documentary that examines how the
policies of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and
other aid organizations have changed the Jamaican economy over
the past quarter of a century, leaving the local people to
struggle in poverty and work in sweatshops. With Breaking the
Spell, a a brief look at some of the more radical groups that
struggled for economic democracy at the WTO meeting in Seattle
1999. A powerful film that lets the people most misrepresented by
mainstream media explain themselves in their own words. Hosted
by Stacey and Doug.

Oct 13 Amelie (Le Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain)
Amélie, a shy waitress in a Montmartre café with her own sense of
justice, decides to help those around her and along the way,
discovers love. This magical 2001 film features an effervescent
world of unrequited love, suicidal goldfish, photo booth intrigue
and elaborate courtship schemes. Hosted by Jennifer and Sean.

Oct 27 Quandrophenia
This coming-of-age drama follows Jimmy, a young and disillusioned
working-class rebel trying to find himself in London circa 1964.
A scooter-riding, pill-popping, sharp-dressed kid, Jimmy and his
fellow Mods face off against the Rockers in defense of their
lifestyle and identity. Hosted by Rico.

Nov 10 Dirty Pretty Things
Part thriller, part social commentary, part quirky comedy, Okwe
an illegal immigrant working as a night porter at a posh London
hotel, stumbles across evidence of a bizarre murder. It tackles
head on the bleak, hand-to-mouth lives of asylum seeking
immigrants in London and of the more seedy, criminal aspect that
underlies all the glitz and glamour. Hosted by Jennifer.

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BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID at Santa Cruz GDI

2006-05-08T22:53:48Z

Finally! The first film of Guerilla Drive-In Summer Series. And we are back outside, out by the tracks. Don't miss our first big GDI film of the summer.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Presents

BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID

Friday May 12th, 8:00pm
Railroad Tracks at Fair Ave, Santa Cruz

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Train robbers, shootouts, romance, comedy -- what more could you ask for in an epic Western? This charming 1969 film about legendary bandits is based more-or-less on real events. Surprisingly romantic, sexy, vulnerable, and dreamy. It both defies and embraces Western cliché. Hosted by Rico and Sean.

PLUS thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, great company, and a rollicking bike ride after the movie.

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Bring your bike for Midnight Mystery Ride after the movie. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In.

MIDNIGHT MYSTERY RIDE: After the movies, the Santa Cruz Midnight Mystery Ride will take you and your friends on a rollicking after-hours tour of the bike ways and back streets of our fair city. Where are we going? It’s a mystery! Only the leader for that week knows. The ride is 3-5 miles long and often ends with an after-hours hoohaw, so bring a snack to share and pack your trash. A ride monthly after Guerilla Drive-In, leaving from the Saturn Café parking lot around midnight.

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

SUBURBAN WASTELAND LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, Hwy 1 north to Mission St, L on Fair Ave after Feral Donuts, walk a short way along the RR tracks to the right.

BREAKING NEWS, updated winter schedule, discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works.

http://www.guerilladrivein.org

To subscribe to the Guerilla Drive-In list, go to the website and add your email to mailing list. Easy-peazy.
www.guerilladrivein.org

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Carpool

2006-04-07T00:35:40Z

Ill be coming this Friday (tomorrow geez!)

If anyone wants a ride from the San Jose area, send me a message and dont be the 6 minute abs guy.

Astrea

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CONTROL ROOM at Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In

2006-01-11T08:01:43Z

We have a new GDI Winter home finally at the new Bike Church location on Pacific across from the Saturn Cafe parking lot. Yay, for the Bike Church. Come and check out their new space at this Friday's movie.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Presents

CONTROL ROOM

Friday January 13th, 8:00pm
at the Bike Church, 703 Pacific Ave, south of Laurel, Santa Cruz

A glimpse into the controversial and often dangerous operations of the 7-year-old Arab-language Al Jazeera news network, offers us a fierce yet often surprisingly friendly debate about the clashing ways in which the U.S. invasion and takeover of Iraq have been portrayed by American and Arab journalists. At once a clear-eyed document of the war, an inquiry into the way events become filtered into news, and a complex, surprising portrait of the personalities behind the scenes.Unlike most American media outlets, al-Jazeera is the one news service the Pentagon hasn't been able to "manage." Hosted by D-Fresh & Rico.

PLUS recent news on the media war in the middle east, thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, great company, and a rollicking bike ride after the movie.

BRING blankets, pillows, jammies, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Bring your bike for the Midnight Mystery Ride after the movie. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In.

MIDNIGHT MYSTERY RIDE: After the movies, the Santa Cruz Midnight Mystery Ride will take you and your friends on a rollicking after-hours tour of the bike ways and back streets of our fair city. Where are we going? It’s a mystery!

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

NEW LOCATION! The new Bike Church location is at 703 Pacific Ave, near the Saturn Cafe.

BREAKING NEWS, updated winter schedule, discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works.

www.guerilladrivein.org

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This Thursday?

2006-01-11T08:00:57Z

The Control Room is playing this thursday, it says!
can i get a confirmation on the thursday part? or is it secretly friday the 13th?

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 1 reply

Sandy & Indi's Wedding!!

2006-01-07T06:57:20Z

Sandy & Indi's Wedding!!

When: January 22nd at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Capitola Village Esplanade Park
--------- (110 Monterey Av, Capitola)
Cost: Free
Info: tribes.tribe.net/sandyandindiswedding

Fairies, pirates, stiltwalkers, firedancers, hot dogs, kazoos, conga drums, and more! Come join Sandy and Indi in the celebration of their love. These two have been the best of friends for eight years and are finally ready to tie the knot and start a family (beyond their dogs and cats and birds and fish and lizards!) Festivities begin in the Capitola Village Esplanade Park and continue in a love-parade up to the party at 4830-B Capitola Road. It will be an art-wedding, free-form and fun. Costumes encouraged - anything goes! Everyone’s invited, come one, come all! Bring your kids and pets, and food and drink and musical instruments, too!

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SPIRITED AWAY - Santa Cruz - Friday 9 Dec 8pm

2005-12-08T06:47:52Z

The first film of the GDI winter series! What? You thought it was over for the year? Ha! Never. We go year round. (Tell your friends who are not on the list.) We found an indoor space thanks to extra effort by Friday's host. We'll be at the Resource Center for Non-Violence on Broadway near Ocean.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Presents

SPIRITED AWAY
(Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi)

Hayao Miyazaki's breathtakingly beautiful and poetic tale has the quality of a dream, a Japanese cross between Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz. An unusual coming-of-age story, steeped in lore, that steadfastly refuses to set up a dualistic battle between good and evil. Still the most successful film ever released in Japan. In Shinto folklore, everything in nature has a god living within it, vulnerable to the excesses and defilements of humanity. Hosted by Jennifer & Sean.

PLUS special reports from Latin America, thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, great company, and a rollicking bike ride after the movie.

Friday December 9th, 8:00pm
Resource Center for Non-Violins, 515 Broadway, Santa Cruz

BRING blankets, pillows, jammies, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Bring your bike for Midnight Mystery Ride after the movie. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In.

MIDNIGHT MYSTERY RIDE: After the movies, the Santa Cruz Midnight Mystery Ride will take you and your friends on a rollicking after-hours tour of the bike ways and back streets of our fair city. Where are we going? It’s a mystery!

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

NEW LOCATION! S on Hwy 17 to Ocean treet, L on Broadway, 515 Broadway

BREAKING NEWS, updated winter schedule (uh, soon), discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works.

www.guerilladrivein.org

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Winter Schedule!!

2005-12-02T17:50:19Z

2005 Winter Schedule

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN
is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

8:00 pm every month all winter,
Check Website or Email list for locations

PLUS thrilling and funny short films, an inter-mission, great company, and a rollicking bike ride after the movie.

BRING blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Donations to support the project are more than welcome.

www.guerilladrivein.org

Spirited Away
(Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi) December 9th
Hayao Miyazaki's breathtakingly beautiful and poetic tale has the quality of a dream, a Japanese Alice in Wonderland. An unusual coming-of-age story, that steadfastly refuses to set up a dualistic battle between good and evil. With Jennifer & Sean.

Control Room January 12th
A glimpse into the controversial and dangerous operations of the Al Jazeera news network. At once a clear-eyed document of the war, an inquiry into the way events become news, and a complex portrait of the people behind the scenes. Hosted by D-Fresh & Rico.

City of Lost Children
(La cité des enfants perdus) February 10th
A lyrical, strange, and hypnotic sci-fi fairy tale with a mad scientist who kidnaps children to steal their dreams, and a brave young girl and a kindhearted circus strongman who can save them. Hosted by Jason & Grant.

The Gleaners and I
(Les glaneurs et la glaneuse) March 10th
Agnes Varda's mischievous and magical documen-tary about scavengers, recyclers, and dumpster-divers across France. A film of empathy, skill, curiosity, wit, poetry and passion for life. Hosted by Sean & Jennifer.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest April 7th
Jack Nicholson is an implacable rabble-rouser committed to an asylum who inspires his fellow patients to rebel against the authoritarian rule of head nurse Ratched. A blistering attack on American society, that is emotional and uplifting. Hosted by Stacey & D-Fresh.

DIRECTIONS Check Website or Email list for locations. Best guess is that we’ll be either under the Soquel Ave Bridge or (later) at the new Hub on Pacific near the Saturn.

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Last Night Un-Planning Meetings This Saturday!

2005-11-16T05:03:06Z

You are invited to the second Last Night general planning meeting.

This Saturday November 19th 6-8pm.
Big Yellow House. 742 N. Branciforte Ave

Don't forget to tell two people and bring them to this meeting (particularly the sparkplugy people you know). We all come with different but similar hopes for Last Night - blowing minds, revolution, political involvement, DIY culture, community, self-reliance, great music, bone-shaking percussion, and a rollicking good time.

Bring snacks, alcohol, other treats, if you can.

Come with ideas for targeting our recruiting efforts to groups doing awesome stuff (bicycle folx, drum bands, political groups, clowns, pirates, street theater folx). So far committed to Last Night: firedancers, samba, the opera lady, village drum circles, the man in black, stiltwalkers, the tiny instrument band, bicycles!, clowns, pirates, spies, and street theater

If you can, print some handbills off the site and pass them out before the meeting: www.lastnightdiy.org/download If you print the handbills double sided, and cut into quarters, it will make perfect little double-sided handbills.

Bring ideas. Bring a friend or two. Inspire. Be inspired. Scheme. Conspire. Plan.

See you there.

Rico
408.218.2782

P.S. Seen the site lately? Noam has been updating it. www.lastnightdiy.org

(And don't forget that the same day at noon also at the BYH is the Trash Orchestra Build Day!)

WHAT IS LAST NIGHT SANTA CRUZ?

A New Year's Eve parade of freaks, clowns, gamelan, politics, fire, samba drums, punks, pirates, art, bikes, hippies, art cars, zombies, marching bands, moms, dads, kids, and music. And afterward, a rollicking drum-dance party -- an all-live Brazilian, Indonesian, mariachi, funk, trash orchestra hoedown at a surprise location.

It’s a do-it-yourself parade and celebration. That means we make it happen together. No city-sponsorship. No corporate donors. We reclaim our streets and usher in the new year with our own celebration.

This summer left us feeling like, What the hell? These are the people we depend on to tell us what we can and can't do? Are we crazy? Our institutions can barely manage their own affairs. And now, First Night, our little city-sponsored humdrum New Year's safe-and-sane event, has finally imploded. It has never been clearer that we can’t rely on anyone but ourselves.

But after all, we make this city. And we create communities. Us. We are the force that has always made our communities connected and vital and full of life.

Who’s Going To Be a Part of It? So far, folks who’ve said they want to take part in Last Night include the Santa Cruz Trash Orchestra, fire dancers, Santa Cruz Art & Revolution, Village Music Circles, stiltwalkers, The Opera Lady, and many more. And you, of course.

Get a group of friends together. Start a band. Make some music, or build a float or puppets, create a contingent of pseudo-official marchers (the ministry of silly walks, ninjas for peace, whatever), spin fire, create a bike gang, anything and everything.

A Call to Action: This is our town, our celebration, our night. Let's do our own parade. A Last Night celebration. A last night of waiting for governments, institutions, or anyone else to entertain us, satisfy us, bring us security, freedom, or joy. The Last Night we wait and see. We reclaim our streets and usher in the new year with our own celebration.

More information, upcoming planning meetings, discussion, downloads at www.lastnightdiy.org

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VERY IMPORTANT! City Council decision TODAY about the fate of music in the city: PLEASE ATTEND IF YOU CARE!!!!!

2005-11-08T17:30:42Z

VERY IMPORTANT! City Council decision TODAY about the fate of music in the city: PLEASE ATTEND IF YOU CARE!!!!!

>
> I just found out late tonight that there is a VERY
> IMPORTANT City Counil
> meeting today
> (Tuesday) at 3:30 p.m. that we should attend, if
> possible, if you care about
> the future of music and
> musicians in the City of Santa Cruz.
>
> They are voting on a newly recommended language for
> music permits for
> cafes. The new language would allow any resturaunt
> or coffee shop or other
> retail place of biz to have live amplified music
> anytime WITHOUT HAVING TO
> ACQUIRE, PAY FOR OR WAIT FOR A PERMIT!!! (as long as
> they're following the
> other agreements of doing biz downtown, i.e.
> excessive noise, occupancy,
> etc.) This will allow a whole missing music scene to
> really pick up around
> here, and create those venues that we were saying
> there aren't enough of
> (last mtg.).
>
> THERE ARE OPPONENTS TO THIS CHANGE, SO WE NEED TO
> SHOW UP AND GIVE OUR
> SUPPORT!
> The meeting starts at 3pm at the City Council
> Chambers in City Hall 809
> Center Street (across from library). This ordinance
> is 15th on an agenda of
> 22 items, so you could probably get away with
> getting there at 3:30 or so.
>
> yours sincerely,
>
> Rick Walker

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CITY OF GOD Friday 11 Nov 8pm

2005-11-07T14:59:07Z

Our last film of the GDI summer series. It's getting chilly, so bring warm clothes, blankets, and mulled wine, hot apple cider, or tea to share with your neighbors.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Presents

CITY OF GOD

A powerful and haunting film that explores the myriad of stories that lie deep within the slums of Rio, enlightens and above all affects us by taking us into a world where drugs and organized crime are a way of life. Quentin is hosting.

PLUS special reports from Latin America, thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, great company, and a rollicking bike ride after the movie.

Friday November 11th, 8:00pm
Railroad Tracks at Fair Ave, Santa Cruz

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Bring your bike for Midnight Mystery Ride after the movie. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In.

MIDNIGHT MYSTERY RIDE: After the movies, the Santa Cruz Midnight Mystery Ride will take you and your friends on a rollicking after-hours tour of the bike ways and back streets of our fair city. Where are we going? It’s a mystery! Only the leader for that week knows. The ride is 3-5 miles long and always ends with an after-hours party in nature, so bring a snack to share and pack your trash. A ride every other week, after the Guerilla Bike-In, always leaving from the Poet and Patriot around midnight.

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

SUBURBAN WASTELAND LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, Hwy 1 north to Mission St, L on Fair Ave after Feral Donuts, walk a short way along the RR tracks to the right.

BREAKING NEWS, updated summer schedule, discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works (and a new fancy URL):

http://www.guerilladrivein.org

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DAWN OF THE DEAD at Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In

2005-10-26T01:08:39Z

"What are they doing? Why do they come here?" "Some kind of instinct, memory of what they used to do. This was an important place in their lives."

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Presents

DAWN OF THE DEAD
with Preacher With An Unknown God

Romero's masterpiece about cannibal zombies plaguing the world is set in a US shopping center, redefining the zombie so as to infect consumer identity. The popular perception of mindless consumers as zombie is owed strictly to Dawn of the Dead (1979), and extends far beyond the film's genre, demographics and era. This film - itself a commodity - has earned a place in the American imagination by undermining that very imagination's dependence on commodity culture. Dawn of the Dead locates the postmodern zombie historically in popular culture, creating a film that is a satire of what Romero calls 'the false security of consumer society'. The film itself becomes a commodity itself (one appropriated by the very consumer culture Romero sought to subvert), and is a master tale spawning 'rip-offs' and hybrids, and articulating all the while the parallels between Dawn's postmodern zombie and the North American consumer.

Or in other words, the dead walk the earth, the days of the living are numbered, and we are scared shitless. Rico is hosting.

With Preacher With An Unknown God. On the sermons and exploits of Reverend Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping as they celebrate the Odd in God, protest California's Big Boxes, and face the Republican National Convention. Directed by Rob VanAlkemade. For a preview go to http://cityfish.org/reel.php?movie=shopping.

PLUS thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, great company, and a rollicking bike ride after the movie.

Friday October 28th, 8:00pm
Railroad Tracks at Fair Ave, Santa Cruz

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Bring your bike for Midnight Mystery Ride after the movie. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In.

MIDNIGHT MYSTERY RIDE: After the movies, the Santa Cruz Midnight Mystery Ride will take you and your friends on a rollicking after-hours tour of the bike ways and back streets of our fair city. Leaving after the Guerilla Drive-In we’ll head downtown to pick up more folks at the Poet and Patriot bar. Where are we going? It’s a mystery! Only the leader for that week knows. The ride is 3-5 miles long and always ends with an after-hours party in nature, so bring a snack to share and pack your trash. keep an eye out for special info from ride leaders at santacruz.indymedia.org. There is a ride every other week, after the Guerilla Bike-In, always leaving from the Poet and Patriot around midnight.

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

SUBURBAN WASTELAND LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, Hwy 1 north to Mission St, L on Fair Ave after Feral Donuts, walk a short way along the RR tracks to the right.

BREAKING NEWS, updated summer schedule, discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works (and a new fancy URL):

www.guerilladrivein.org

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 0 replies

Oh yeah, Rubin & Ed happened on Friday

2005-10-23T02:46:16Z

just so you know. I forgot to post it. Tell me someone is relying on the postings here and I'll be more diligent.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 4 replies

SANTA CRUZ BICYCLE FILM FESTIVAL at the Guerilla Ride-In

2005-10-18T05:32:05Z

A special GDI event THIS Friday. We have the honor of co-hosting the Santa Cruz Bicycle Film Festival with People Power. The lack of easy and convenient public transportation this month is sending you a clear message: Get on your bike. Become part of bike culture and join us for this special event.

People Power and Santa Cruz Guerilla Bike-In Presents

STILL WE RIDE
and the Santa Cruz Bicycle Film Festival

The Santa Cruz Bicycle Film Festival will show several bicycling films, including animated shorts, documentaries on bike messenger culture, and short films about the simple joy of riding a bike. The featured film, Still We Ride, is a newly-released documentary about Critical Mass, from its formation in San Francisco over 10 years ago to the mass arrests of cyclists in New York in August 2004. Currently the film is on a international tour to bring awareness to the New York Critical Mass cause.

PLUS thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, great company, and a rollicking bike ride after the movie.

Friday October 21st, 8:00pm
Railroad Tracks at Fair Ave, Santa Cruz

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission, and of course your bike! This is a benefit to support People Power and the legal battles of New York Critical Mass, so your donations are appreciated.

MIDNIGHT MYSTERY RIDE: After the movies, the Santa Cruz Midnight Mystery Ride will take you and your friends on a rollicking after-hours tour of the bike ways and back streets of our fair city. Leaving after the Guerilla Ride-in we’ll head down town to pick up more folks at the Poet and Patriot bar. Where are we going? It’s a mystery! Only the leader for that week knows. The ride is 3-5 miles long and always ends with an after-hours party in nature, so bring a snack to share and pack your trash. keep an eye out for special info from ride leaders at santacruz.indymedia.org. There is a ride every other week, after the Guerilla Bike-In, always leaving from the Poet and Patriot Bar around midnight.

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA BIKE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

SUBURBAN WASTELAND LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, Hwy 1 north to Mission St, L on Fair Ave after Feral Donuts, walk a short way along the RR tracks to the right.

BREAKING NEWS, updated summer schedule, discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works (and a new fancy URL):

www.guerilladrivein.org

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DARK DAYS at Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In

2005-10-03T17:07:22Z

You may or may not have heard of this amazing film before, but you will walk away convinced that this is the coolest movie you've seen is a long long time.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Presents

DARK DAYS

Near New York City's Penn Station, squatters have been living for years next to the Amtrak tracks underground. Dark Days is an unromanticized and fascinating glimpse of the lives of a community of homeless people surviving in a train tunnel in Manhattan. A movie that takes you down below the streets into the heart of NYC's subterranean shantytowns. The squatters themselves served as the cast and crew of this independent movie with a non-existent budget. It won three major awards at Sundance. Rico is hosting.

PLUS thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, and great company.

Friday September 30th, 8:00pm
Railroad Tracks at Fair Ave, Santa Cruz

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In.

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

SUBURBAN WASTELAND LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, Hwy 1 north to Mission St, L on Fair Ave after Feral Donuts, walk a short way along the RR tracks to the right.

BREAKING NEWS, updated summer schedule, discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works (and a new fancy URL):

www.guerilladivein.org

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 2 replies

MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL at Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In

2005-09-23T18:04:26Z

We're really excited about this feature. Drag a few friends who've never been to GDI out for this one. Look for the table of schedules, literature, and food as you come in. Extra points if you bring two coconut halves. And bring your bike for the Midnight Mystery Ride immediately after GDI. See you there.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Presents

MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL

An incredibly silly film of great humor, brilliant design and epic insanity. Perhaps the most original comedy - or at least the most ridiculously funny historically semi-accurate comedy spoof - of all time. At the very least, the most quotable movie ever.

PLUS thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, and great company.

Friday September 16th, 8:00pm
Railroad Tracks at Fair Ave, Santa Cruz

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In.

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

SUBURBAN WASTELAND LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, Hwy 1 north to Mission St, L on Fair Ave after Feral Donuts, walk a short way along the RR tracks to the right.

BREAKING NEWS, updated summer schedule, discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works: http://www.thespoon.com/drivein

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 4 replies

Last Night Santa Cruz Parade of Freaks

2005-09-19T00:01:03Z

I came back from the river and from Burning Man to a shitload of overwhelming information about Katrina and New Orleans. Seemed unreal. Seemed unimaginable that our government who makes such a big fucking deal about keeping us scared and then claiming to protect us could so thoroughly fuck shit up for so many people.

I mean, on one hand, did we ever have any illusions that the safety they talked about applied equally to everyone, rich and poor? And did we really think it was much more than an excuse to achieve full US domination of the globe and simultaneously erode our liberties and fatten the wallets of corporate cronies? Good god, I hope we're not that naive. But nevertheless...

I think, we did imagine that our governments and institutions would make a token effort to at least keep us safe and fat and happy. But I think Katrina shatters that illusion.

You knew of course, that the administration directly funneled money away from reinforcing the New Orleans levies just this year for other pet projects and wars? You knew that there were few national guard troops and equipment to help victims of the hurricane because they were all busy in Iraq. You knew that the president was golfing and Condi Rice was shopping for shoes in NY as the storm raged? You knew that local police were not letting poor residents of the flooded quarters of New Orleans escape the city across the bridges on foot?

Our government cannot and will not keep us safe, happy, and free.

I came back feeling like, What the fuck? These are the people we depend on to tell us what we can and can't do? Are we crazy? Our institutions can barely manage their own affairs.

I don't hate them, I just think they are largely irrelevant in our lives. WE make this country. And WE make this city. And WE make our communities. Us. Not a bunch of elected yahoos. We are what make our communities connected and vital and full of life.

When I heard that First Night Santa Cruz, our little city-sponsored humdrum New Year's safe-and-sane entertainment, had finally collapsed in on itself in a corpulent pile, I thought, of course. Exactly.

Who wants to have a New Year's Eve parade of freaks, clowns, gamelan, politics, fire, samba drums, punks, pirates, art, hippies, art cars, zombies, marching bands, moms, dads, kids, and music?

To hell with city-sponsored anything anyway. Let's do our own parade. A Last Night celebration. A last night of waiting for governments, institutions, or anyone else to entertain us, satisfy us, bring us security, freedom, or joy. We reclaim our streets and usher in the new year with our own celebration.

We're not asking for permits or permission. We're just gonna do it. We'll start at one end of the mall and march down Pacific. Extra bonus points if we can pull off a swell dance party to rollicking live music on the other end. This is our parade, our celebration, and our new year.

Last Night Santa Cruz tribe: tribes.tribe.net/lastnightdiy

We are radically self-reliant and radically interdependent. The world is ours for the making. A new world in our hearts.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 3 replies

GDI in the Blogosphere

2005-09-15T01:14:18Z

April Valentine's excellent write-up about Guerilla Drive-In in the KQED Arts blog "Scene and Unseen." Check it out. You may find yourself in it.

http://www.kqed.org/weblog/arts/

Scene and Unseen: recording and reviewing art in northern california produced by:KQED Public Broadcasting
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In

My love affair with microcinemas began in high school when I read about the beginnings of Canyon Cinema in my "Understanding Mass Media" class. The idea of a group of frustrated artists stringing up a white sheet in somebody's backyard to create their own film space was WAY beyond cool. All we had was the local multiplex playing Red Dawn and Ghostbusters, UHF channels, and the early days of Blockbuster where, if you were lucky, you could find a video like This is Spinal Tap. I was starved for something, ANYTHING else. Cut to: years later, arriving in San Francisco, I stumbled across the teeny-tiny (and I'm sad to say now-defunct) No Nothing Cinema, which screened a crazy hodgepodge of underground film assortments in a handmade space that sat maybe 50 people (Pac Bell Park now looms where the No Nothing once stood). Then I found Artists' Television Access (at atasite.org) and Film Arts Foundation (at filmarts.org) and 111 Minna Street(at 111minnagallery.com) and Total Mobile Home (at hi-beam.net) and, well, as you can see, I'm an addict. There's just something deliciously mischievous and intellectually sexy about a clandestine group of strangers gathering together in some shabby, unsuspecting space to watch completely obscure movies together. In fact, when I moved to Southern California for a few years and couldn't find an interesting film within 60 miles, I became so desperate, I started a microcinema of my own in a neighborhood tavern.

So now you know my bias. I'm happy to report that here in Santa Cruz, we've got one of the best ones around, and I only had to travel a tenth of a mile from my house to find it. It's an outdoor screening series called the Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In (at thespoon.com), and the name pretty much speaks for itself (though most people ride up on bikes and trek in on foot, so it could just as easily be called the Guerilla Walk-In). Every other Friday throughout the summer, the GDI springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands of our fair city. The organizers mix their love of film with a mission to reclaim public space, hoping to "transform our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be." The films run the gamut -- this summer they've shown everything from Chicken Run to Dark Days with a lot of snarky shorts in between. Oh, and have I mentioned the best part yet? It's FREE. A hat gets passed at intermission for contributions toward necessities like spare projector bulbs, but no one looked askance at the broke-beyond-belief guy sitting next to me who sheepishly waved at the hat mumbling "I'm living in my car right now" (my date pitched in $5 on his behalf).

City officials have chased the GDI off of several spots, many of which are excellent venues for alfresco cinema and are not being used for anything else -- the underside of a footbridge, for example, or the concrete wall of a shut-down public works project. This past Friday, the venue was the side of an industrial building in a remote railroad shipyard. The projection equipment was set up on the rocky moraine of the tracks, and run off of an extension cord grabbing power from a neighboring winery's storage facility. The video projector was carefully balanced on the raised track at the perfect tilt to throw a 30 foot image onto the side of a random building across the way. Speakers faced us; a pile of components were stacked on top of one another -- I assume a DVD player, VCR, mixing deck and the like, but it was a little too dark to make them all out. The producer in me kept fretting about what would happen if a train came whizzing by, but no one else seemed concerned, so I burrowed under my blanket, nipped at my paper cup full of wine, and watched the fading sun set through a tangle of electrical wires.

Crowds assemble for the GDI by word of mouth, fliers and e-mail blasts that go out a few days before the next screening. The films, while always fun, are almost beside the point for a lot of folks who come. It's more about the experience, the sense of rebelliousness and spontaneity, of creating a "happening." There's an appealing camaraderie too, especially when you're hunkered down against the cold and fog sharing homemade popcorn, storebought cookies, and the occasional spliff with a bunch of like-minded cinema adventurers. There were probably 60 of us there this past Friday to see a documentary about an obscure island in the South Pacific and the eco-revolution waged by its natives against the military-industrial complex of Papua New Guinea and its partner in crime, Australia. Coconut Revolution was all the things a good socio-political documentary should be: surprising, informative, inspiring, and blessedly concise. It was preceded by a bunch of hilarious shorts "approved for subversive audiences." A few of them were pixilated, probably overcompressed during their download from the web, but no one minded much. My favorite moment was when a homeless guy wandered down the railroad tracks with a bottle in one hand and his belongings slung over his shoulder. He was stunned when he came across our group, but was very polite about not stepping in front of the projector. Instead, he gingerly tiptoed over the power cables, spread out his sleeping bag, and joined in the fun.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In is next showing Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Friday, September 16th.

posted by April Valentine at 1:04 PM | 0 comments

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Harold and Maude this Friday!

2005-08-16T04:21:00Z

This Friday August 19th, 8:00pm
Railroad Tracks at Fair Ave, Santa Cruz

Guerilla Drive In Presents:

HAROLD AND MAUDE

My favorite movie, morbidly hilarious in an understated yet blatant way.

PLUS mostly thrilling and/or funny short films, an intermission, and great company.

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In. (We are currently saving to get a spare projector bulb.)

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

URBAN WASTELAND LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, Hwy 1 north to Mission St, L on Fair Ave after Feral Donuts, walk a short way along the RR tracks to the right.

BREAKING NEWS updated summer schedule, discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works:

www.thespoon.com/drivein

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 0 replies

Start Your Own Guerilla Drive-In

2005-08-13T06:15:18Z

From http://www.thespoon.com/drivein/start-your-own.html

Start Your Own Guerilla Drive-In

Guerilla Drive-Ins are springing up everywhere from LA to NY, in big cities and little towns. People are rejecting the idea of the $10 movie (twenty with popcorn and a soda) and embracing the idea of the do-it-yourself movie free to the community.

To say that Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In operates on a shoestring budget is an understatement. It really doesn't take much to make it happen. The most expensive piece of equipment we own, the LCD video projector, was until recently borrowed from a compatriot.
Location

Here's what you need: A big blank wall that is dark at night. A smooth white wall is best, of course, but any light wall will do, even a lightly textured brick or concrete wall.

You will be amazed at how few dark places exist anymore. I guess the feeling is that bad things happen in the dark, and that if you light every nook and cranny of our urban landscape, homelessness, crime, drugs, and unauthorized sex will disappear. However, it is still possible to find the odd corner of creation that is not lit with a billion watt floodlamp. And if it is near a smooth light surface, you have a location for guerilla drive-in.

Lights can be covered with cardboard boxes, but people are naturally sensitive about this. Don't break anything or start a fire or your GDI location is doomed.

Check areas that are full of warehourses, under bridges, under freeways, parks, parking lots, ruins, and, if you are willing to hang a big screen, the woods. Here are other places to look: high schools, junior high schools, elementary schools, backs of suburban shopping malls, backs or sides of grocery stores, concrete retaining walls, and warehouses.

Keep in mind that unless you are using batteries, you will need power from somewhere.
The Authorities
While you are showing your movie, the police will undoubtably be curious about what you are doing, but will only hastle you if they get a complaint. The exception is if you are violating local ordinances. If in your town, like ours, all public space is closed after dark, the police will kick your out of the parks, schools, and other public spaces. They may also claim you are violating noise ordinances.

But in general, the fact is you aren't doing anything wrong, so you have nothing to worry about. Think about it this way, do you want to live in a world where we can't show free movies? Well then, the only way to make sure we can, is to do it.

Schedule

The Guerilla Drive-In collective is a loosely-knit groups of folks who love movies, are involved in radical change, and are interested in reclaiming public and unused spaces. We maintain a master list of films that we've all contributed our favorite subversive movies to. We are constantly adding to and subtracting films from the master list.

The first year we did Guerilla Drive-In, we met the week before and chose a film from the master list to show at guerilla drive-in. This worked well enough, but was a little hectic and didn't give our audience a chance to plan the movies they wanted to see.

The second year we opted to plan out our entire summer schedule. We used some kind of quasi-bastard blend of democratic and consensus-based decision process to chose films. For each film that we nominated, one person served as an advocate of that film and volunteered to host later in the summer.
Publicity

Publicizing an upcoming movie is an important step when we produce a guerilla drive-in event. Along with posting to several noteable sites -- indymedia, squidlist, craigslist, etc -- we create handbills and flyers. We post flyers all over town, at cafes, laundromats, the university, bus stops, restaurants, whole food stores, and other community boards. Most importantly, since the word about Guerilla Drive-In spreads through word-of-mouth, we give handbills to everyone we meet. See our examples of past handbills we've created.

Shorts and an Intermission

We always start off Guerilla Drive-In with shorts and previews followed by a ten minute intermission. The shorts are often activist short movies, of funny or weird stuff found on the net or submitted to us. (Feel free to talk to us about submitting your short film for consideration.) Previews for upcoming guerilla drive-in films are usually pulled off the internet or ripped from DVD.

The intermission gives people a chance to mingle, get to know each other, and see old friends. To us, the most important aspect of the drive-in experience is coming together, sitting outside under the stars, and meeting old and new friends.
Donations

At the intermission and before the main feature, we ask for donations to support the project. This pays for flyers and handbills, as well as helps us pay off the remainder of what we owe on the projector.

If you dig the idea, and want to support Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In, feel free to talk to us about donating money, equipment, or energy to the project.
Equipment

Nearly all of our equipment was donated by the good members of our guerilla drive-in community. Here's a list of the equipment you need to do your own guerilla drive-in:

* Video: LCD video projector
* Sound: audio amplifier & speakers, or alternately, low-power radio transmitter
* Player: DVD player or VCR
* Power: several hundred feet of extension cords, or alternately, deep cycle marine batteries and an inverter

Video

Low-power, high-luminosity LCD video projectors are dropping in cost. Good projectors can be found new for a thousand dollars. Used, you can get even better prices, though you have to take into account the life of the bulb and the not inconsiderable expense of replacement.
Sound

All of our sound equipment is second-hand donated equipment. We are not blasting out the neighborhood, so our sound requirements are modest. We have all of our audio and player equipment mounted in a "rack" (actually a milk crate!), so we never have to be fiddling with wires.

We blow out speakers on a regular basis, so we have a constant stream of donated and scrounged speakers on-hand.

Alternately, if you are doing an actual drive-in theater where people will have cars and the benefits of their car radios, you can assemble or buy a low-power radio transmitter to broadcast sound.
Power

We have several hundred feet of power cord that we plug into whatever power we can find nearby. Thanks goes to the organizations who have unknowingly donated power to Guerilla Drive-In. Occasionly, we'll get power from generous neighbors who support the project.

Alternately, we've also relied on two deep-cycle marine batteries and a 400W inverter to provide power. This will get us through pre-show music, shorts, intermission, and an entire movie (as long as we don't try to run the intermission and post-show floodlight off of the batteries).
Your Turn

It doesn't take much to create a guerilla drive-in wherever you live. Some gumption, some resourcefulness, and a desire to see people enjoying life together unregulated by commerce. If you need help, advice, or want to tell us about your experiences, please drop us a line.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 2 replies

WHO IS BOZO TEXINO? at Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Aug 12th

2005-08-11T06:28:02Z

A special showing of an awesome hobo film. See you there!

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Presents

WHO IS BOZO TEXINO?
The Epic Account Of The Near Discovery Of The World's Most Mysterious Boxcar Artist

The long awaited, twelve-plus years-in-the-making epic by Bill Daniel is finally finished. This spectacular travel adventure faithfully photographed in realistic black and white film at considerable risk from speeding freight trains and in secret hobo jungles in the dogged pursuit of the impossibly convoluted story of the heretofore untold history of the century-old folkloric practice of hobo and railworker graffiti and the absurd quest for the true identity of railroading's greatest artist will likely amuse and confound you in its sincere attempt to understand and preserve this artform. A gorgeous film that captures the tremendous beauty of seeing America from the back of a freight train.

Plus additional short features: WALDO POINT by Saul Rouda. A mindblowing timetrip. The long haired punks of the water. And the short film BRITTON, SOUTH DAKOTA by Vanessa Renwick. 1938 archival footage of kids standing in front of the movie camera to have their "portrait" made. Eerie, and with an equally haunting score.

PLUS thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, and great company.

Friday August 12th, 8:00pm
Railroad Tracks at Fair Ave, Santa Cruz
(the usual spot)

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the filmmaker Bill Daniels and his projects.

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

SUBURBAN WASTELAND LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, Hwy 1 north to Mission St, L on Fair Ave after Feral Donuts, walk a short way along the RR tracks to the right.

BREAKING NEWS, updated summer schedule, discussion, do-it-yourself, email list, the works:

www.thespoon.com/drivein

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 0 replies

Rico, what's up with the email list?

2005-08-11T06:12:24Z

Do you still send it out every week? I don't know if it's just me but I heven't been getting them lately.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 1 reply

Bike-In Movies

2005-08-03T10:00:29Z

guerilla *bike-in* movies. cuz cars suck!

OK, so all reclaiming of public space is to the good, esp when its so completely devoid of negative impact.. nothing for the suits to bitch about!

but its all about Bike-In Movies! no to glamorizing oil-slave pollutemobiles! change it now! ;P

oh, fine. well *ours* is a Bike-In Movie. (http://www.launchpad.tribe.net)
are we still allowed to talk about it here?

BTW go Rico- big ups making this tribe. even if the name is wrong.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 0 replies

Cops Visit Guerilla Drive-In! A Harrowing Tale of Authoritarian Intervention

2005-08-02T05:59:34Z

Chapter 1: A Successful Benefit Belies The Coming Storm

The benefit was a roaring success. Something like 50 to 75 people came out to support Dances With Kittens and GDI on an "off" Friday. The movie was unexpectedly great. The new amp worked well. Everyone had a blast. Someone inquired about helping us financially to get a bulb or speakers (Was it you? Talk to us!)

Chapter 2: In Which The Authorities Visit Guerilla Drive-In

Now dealing with the cops is old hat for us. We've been kicked out of the Harvey West area and from under the Soquel Bridge. But we've been at the Westside railroad tracks site for two years now with no problem.

Just as the movie finished, a Santa Cruz Police officer came to tell us they'd received a noise complaint. He said that he was being "nice" and could easily ticket us for "amplified sound without a permit" and "noise after 10pm."

Chapter 3: In Which The Police Make Suggestions, We Make Like a Tree, and The Plot Thickens

The officer suggested that we get a noise permit ($33 per movie), cautioned us about being so near the tracks, etc etc. We noted that our movie was finished now and we'd soon be outta there. The officer stood around a long time flashing everyone's belongings and looking for any evidence of wrongdoing. No tickets were issued and no one was specifically harassed.

As we were putting the last of the stuff in our vehicles, and while the cop was still at the site wandering around looking for trouble, someone (not associated with GDI) vandalized the officer's car.

So the GDI collective talked about it, and bottom line we figure this might well make it harder for Guerilla Drive-In in the future, specifically this week's movie. In fact, we feel it is perfectly possible that the police may try to shut us down. We had a few things that we thought we might do to protect ourselves and maybe ensure some measure of peace from police harassment.

Chapter 4: In Which the Questions is Posed, Is The Law a Friend or a Foe?

Actually, I don't know. Seems sometimes like the laws are there to maintain the status quo and keep people in line, but I'll let you answer that question for yourself. However, it definitely helps to know your rights.

First we are on private property with permission of the land owner. We have the right to be there showing movies to our friends and community. The cops don't have a right to drop in on us without probable cause. It is as if you were in our own backyard.

Second, the amplified sound law in Santa Cruz requires you to have a permit unless the sound cannot be heard outside of private property or if it is not disturbing anyone. Third, the law regarding noise after 10pm requires you to make no loud noises after 10pm unless you are not disturbing anyone.

Chapter 5: In Which Possible Solutions Are Discussed

Well clearly, we've resolved to try our darnest to make sure we are not bothering anyone. This week, we are visiting with all of the Westside neighbors in the vicinity and inviting them to GDI and welcoming them to call us if we are being to loud or having fun at the expense of their sleep, &c. We also hope to find out if there was indeed a complaint or whether we were visited on one bored police officer's initiative.

At this Friday's movie, I'll give you an update and say a few words about our rights to be here enjoying movies together.

Chapter 6: In Which You Are Invited to Participate And We End Our Long Email

The reader is welcomed to contact us with your suggestions and to take action. What can you do?

* Talk to your neighbors, bring your kids, drag friends from out of town - show your support for GDI
* If you have a video camera, we invite you to come film any interactions we might have with the police at our next few movies.
* If you are a lawyer and a friend to GDI, we'd love to talk with you.
* Call the Santa Cruz police (420-5800) and tell them you value GDI and want them to leave us alone.
* Call the Santa Cruz City Council (420-5020) and ask them to direct the police to leave us alone. (www.ci.santa-cruz.ca.us/council/members.html)
* Talk to us about how you can help..

So ends our harrowing tale. Thanks for being there and supporting GDI. You're great. See you on Friday.

Rico

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Cop Harassment at GDI

2005-08-01T16:30:02Z

Cops harassed us at last Friday's Guerilla Drive-In benefit for a high school group. Made noise about disturbing nearby residents, noise after 10pm blah blah blah in an industrial area with no houses for blocks. I say, ahem, bullshit.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 2 replies

Other Things to Do in Santa Cruz for Free

2005-07-24T08:02:45Z

It occured to us that there are a bunch of things going on around town, projects that we are involved in or support. There must be more free things going on here than in any other town its size anywhere. (Ignore the abomidable article in the Good Times this week about free things to do in Santa Cruz.) Look at any bulletin board in town and find dozens of free, interesting, and public things to do. These are just some of the exciting grassroots projects that make this town unique. Here's a list suitable for posting on your fridge.

The Bike Church
Community Bike Shop and Tool Cooperative
www.santacruzhub.org/bikechurchfrm.html
You need not be a mechanic to use the Bike Church's do-it-yourself repair facility; people of all aptitudes make use of the shop. Church ministers (mechanics) are there to help and get as involved in the repair of your bicycle as necessary. We encourage people to learn by getting their hands dirty - familiarize themselves with the machine that they rely on to get them from place to place. The Bike Church is part of The Hub at 224 Walnut Ave, Downtown.

Guerilla Drive-In
www.thespoon.com/drivein
Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be. Every other Friday all year. Summer series at the railroad track at Fair Ave on the Westside.

Santa Cruz Free Skool
santacruz.freeskool.org
Free Skool offers a variety of classes in homes, community centers, and open spaces all over Santa Cruz. Free Skool is a completely grassroots effort, a collection of locals who’ve decided to act collectively and autonomously to create a skill-sharing network, a school without institutional control. It is an opportunity to learn from others and share what they know, to help create self-reliance, vital communities, and beauty in the world. Free Skool calendars are distributed widely in coffee shops, restaurants, and community centers.

Free Radio Santa Cruz - 101.1 FM
freakradio.org
Free Radio Santa Cruz has been on the air for almost ten years without a license. We broadcast 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, in defiance of federal regulations. We go on the air to protest corporate control of the airwaves, to bring local control and local accountability to our community media, to produce and broadcast a diversity of programs that are simply unavailable on corporate controlled stations. FRSC is part of a growing micro-radio movement, supporting the work of other independent media and other pirate and noncommercial web and broadcast stations. On the air at 101.1 FM.

Food Not Bombs
www.geocities.com/santacruzfnb/
Food Not Bombs offers community meals open to all, as an opportunity to build community, reclaim public space, protest hunger, poverty, militarization, and all forms of oppression. Serving downtown two days a week: Mondays 4:00pm @ Pacific and Cooper, and Wednesdays 4:00pm @ the south end of the Farmer's Market

Santa Cruz Indymedia
santacruz.indymedia.org/
The Independent Media Center is a network of collectively run media outlets for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of the truth. We work out of a love and inspiration for people who continue to work for a better world, despite corporate media's distortions and unwillingness to cover the efforts to free humanity. Santa Cruz Indymedia is an autonomous member of the Independent Media Center network with a focus on local issues and the direct impact of larger issues on our community.

Third Break
www.thirdbreak.org/
Santa Cruz ThirdBreak is a project to develop a community broadband wireless network in the Monterey Bay region. Use of inexpensive, widely available and user friendly equipment makes it possible for a network to grow from the grassroots level, based almost entirely on a wonderful combination of self interest and community spirit.

Santa Cruz Farmer's Market
www.santacruzfarmersmarket.org/
You already know about the Wednesday Farmer's Market, but here's a reminder. Not quite a revolutionary organization, but still, this is our town's beating heart. Here is the cross-section of so many of the cultures that make up our community. Fresh food, organic produce, music, entertainment, and friends. Year round, Wednesday afternoons, Lincoln and Cedar.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 0 replies

Mobmov.org presents "Pulp Fiction" Sunday, July 24th at 8:30PM

2005-07-24T02:46:32Z

In case you didn't know about this local group showing free movies in Berkeley, check out Mobile Movie. You can find them at www.mobmov.org/ This Sunday they are showing Pulp Fiction.

And by the way, there are many local groups all over the place, San Francisco, Dallas, LA, Portland, Sacramento, NYC, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Minneapolis. The ones we know about are listed on our website at www.thespoon.com/drivein. But we've heard tell of communities here and there that have their own guerilla movies. If you know of any that are not listed, tell us and we'll link 'em up.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 0 replies

Got Subversive Shorts?

2005-07-21T16:54:55Z

If you are an aspiring auteur, or if you surf the web a lot, or if you are sitting on a collection of amazing short films, talk to us.

We are always looking for subversive shorts and previews to play before the feature film (usually right before the intermission). So if you know of great shorts, particularly funny, political, or super tight artsy shorts, send them our way.

Reply in this thread if you wanna point us to an online source for shorts.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 1 reply

GDI Equipment Needed - you can help

2005-07-19T16:27:21Z

Hey, y'all. We mentioned that we are looking to replace some faulty or dead equipment at the last movie. Here's what we are looking for. If you have any of these things you are not using and would like to donate to Guerilla Drive-In, we'd be eternally grateful. If you'd like to bankroll brand new equipment, that's okay too.

* One compact 2 or 4 channel amplifier (that's like a standard component stereo amp) - newer is better
* Two 50 Watt or greater speakers - they have to be reasonably durable, and compact is better
* Some kind of rack system

By the way, are you a former DJ, now retired? (Or do you know one?) Perfect! We'll take your whole system (minus the turntables) off your hands if you are not using them.

Thanks! Together we'll get to a point where we watch an entire movie in stereo without any speakers cutting out.

And in case you didn't know:

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. We are a completely grassroots affair, just ordinary people giving this gift to our community. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

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THE TAKE at Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Fri 22 July

2005-07-19T16:25:38Z

Thanks for joining us last time. The crowd for Delicatessen was the largest we'd seen in three years of GDI. We're really excited about bringing you this amazing movie.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In Presents

THE TAKE

In the wake of Argentina's spectacular economic collapse, in a ghost town of abandoned factories and mass unemployment, workers walk into their idle factory and refuse to leave. All they want is to re-start the silent machines. But this simple act - the take - has the power to turn the globalization debate on its head. Hosted by Jen.

PLUS thrilling and funny short films, an intermission, and great company.

Friday July 22nd, 8:00pm
Railroad Tracks at Fair Ave, Santa Cruz

BRING lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, friends, wine, & food to share for intermission. Donations are greatly appreciated and directly support the project and the Revolutionary Garden Society who sponsors Guerilla Drive-In. (We are currently saving to get a spare projector bulb.)

SANTA CRUZ GUERILLA DRIVE-IN is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be.

SUBURBAN WASTELAND LOCATION: S on Hwy 17 to Hwy 1, Hwy 1 north to Mission St, L on Fair Ave after Feral Donuts, walk a short way along the RR tracks to the right.

MORE INFO updated summer schedule & do-it-yourself: www.thespoon.com/drivein

BREAKING NEWS: Join our low-volume Guerilla Drive-In announcement list:
guerilla-drive-in-subscribe@lists.riseup.net.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 0 replies

Official Outdoor movies in (and around) L.A.

2005-07-13T14:18:55Z

Hey I just joined the tribe... sounds really cool. However here in L.A. there are already some great outdoor summer movie festivals. I thought I would share them. If this isn't cool, please feel free to (gently) let me know, Thanks.

Hollywood forever cemetery hosts what they call and evening above and below the stars. With donation based movies shown (I think) on the side of one of the mausoleums. (more info at http://cinespa.org)

The Santa Monica Pier features it's "drive in" theatre (http://www.smff.com/smdi/index.html)

Universal City Walk also has it's outdoor movie festival (http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/calendar_events.html?template=ush_citywalk_events_detail.html&calendar=ush_citywalk_events&eventid=97)

and two locations in Pasadena: One Colorado (yea.. I know it's a Mall... but hey... the movies are fun and free) and the Memorial park... both have outdoor film festivals. (http://www.onecolorado.net/events.htm#ONE%20COLORADO%20SUMMER%20FILM%20FESTIVAL & http://www.oldpasadena.org/cinemainthepark.asp although it apparently was only in May)

these are the ones I know about... if anybody knows of other more "underground" screenings going on... I would love to know about them.

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 2 replies

Challenge Rules Around Public Space

2005-07-12T00:12:34Z

This will be the third summer that Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In will be entertaining folk for free in Santa Cruz and in the wider SF Bay Area. We have a fine summer series location on private property, but we'd like to bring free movies for the community to a wider downtown audience and open up the use of our public spaces. We request your help changing the rules governing park hours in our city.

Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In is an outdoor movie theatre under the stars that springs up unexpectedly in the fields and industrial wastelands. Beyond showing great movies and bringing a broad community together, part of our mission is helping reclaim public space and transforming our urban environment into the joyful playground it should be. We've showed films such as The Third Man, Cool Hand Luke, Dr. Strangelove, Nine to Five, Fight Club, and 1984. Like the last few years, the 2005 summer series features more than a dozen films -- a film every other Friday night.

All over the country, we are setting an example for do-it-yourself public nighttime entertainment. Guerilla Drive-Ins are springing up all over, in San Francisco, Berkeley, Dallas, LA, Portland, Sacramento, NYC, Florida, Pennsylvania, Minneapolis. And while we are not the first, we are dedicated to reclaiming outdoor space and showing others how to do the same. Our website gives a step by step how-to: www.thespoon.com/drivein/start-your-own.html

Last year, early in the summer we were showing our movies under the Soquel Avenue Bridge near the Royal Taj. Mid-summer, we were booted out of this location during the showing of The Third Man by a half dozen police officers. They informed us that we were in a city park area and were violating park hours.

In our fair city, a community focused on art and connection, there is no place to meet in public that is unmediated by commerce. All the parks, beaches, the wharf, the boardwalk, the levies, state parks, the University, and the Pogonip are all closed after dark. If you want to meet friends or strangers at night, your only option is to dive into the stream of commerce, bars, cafes, restaurants, or movies.

Naturally, we understand the reasons for closing public spaces at night -- drugs, homelessness, and crime. However, closing public spaces, doesn't solve the problem, only drives it underground, and in the process takes away our own ability to provide safe, legal nighttime alternatives to crime.

Only in America would we think to close public gathering places after dark. In other countries, public spaces are where people spend their evenings, hanging out with friends, flirting, playing, drinking, singing, dancing. A vital nightlife is the sign of a live and thriving community. From the point of view of merchants, having public places that draw people out of their homes at night is good for nighttime businesses as well. If we want to maintain a healthy connected community, we are going to have to draw people away from their televisions out of the malls into the night, to public places where people can talk and picnic and dance and look at the stars. I think ultimately in our community, if we want to have any public life at all, we are going to have to challenge laws that keep the public out of public spaces.

The benefits to opening public space are many. Consider just one nighttime use of public space, our movies under the Soquel Bridge. We provide outdoor public entertainment to everyone for free. We make the levy area safer when we are there. We leave the bridge location cleaner than when we find it. We bolster the relationship the Riverside neighbors have with their adjoining public space. Guerilla Drive-In draws people from all over the bay area to Santa Cruz.

We respectfully ask for a change to the rules governing nighttime city park use. Please open our public spaces for public use at night.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter.

Sincerely,

Rico Thunder
Guerilla Drive-In Collective

posted in Guerilla Drive-In - 0 replies