A local theater had its second annual Sci-Phi Film Fest this past weekend and we made an amazing weekend out of it. Never EVER thought I'd see CLOSE ENCOUNTERS or ROBOCOP on the big screen ever again. The festival started out on Friday night with a 35mm print of MARS ATTACKS!, and it's funny how dated that one has become. Though seeing it with a packed house was a blast. KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE was the second feature. Saturday night was bananas with ROBOCOP and SCANNERS. Based on the crowd reaction, I think ROBOCOP was the highlight of the weekend. It definitely was for us. That final scene in the boardroom as justice is served to Dick Jones was incredible -the audience roared and cheered and clapped, and then again when Robocop was asked his name and replied "Murphy." The event ended on Sunday afternoon with CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. Holy moly to see that larger than life was quite an experience. Seeing it in this setting reconfirmed my often-posted-on-this-blog sentiment that this film is a science fiction horror movie. The abduction of the little boy Barry, being seen in a dark movie theater, was really powerful (and horrifying). And the rumble of the massive alien craft rising over Devil's Tower was breathtaking.
When you see old classics on a big screen, it's easy to remember why going to the movies was such an amazing thing in the past (and why it really isn't these days). You can feel how so much in these films was specifically designed to be on a massive screen in a darkened theater. And you can sense how the studios strived to give us something original, something none of us had ever seen before.
Below are some photos we snapped of this neat weekend.
