I’m pretty shocked by how fast time flew by, but it appears FilmBar is already celebrating their six month anniversary on Friday, August 19th. The independent movie theater, and beer and wine lounge, has quickly become my favorite spot in Downtown Phoenix. It’s the kind of place I could spend all day at, between seeing a flick and enjoying conversation with friends in the lounge. A lot of other people have become thrilled about the vibe at this new Downtown institution, as you can tell by the crowd that lines up at the bar most nights.

Since said fans have been good to the place, the theater is giving back on this night. They’ll be giving free popcorn and drink specials to anyone that buys a ticket to a screening that night, along with having giveaways, cake, and some special guests showing up. Chi Chi’s Tacos will also be on site for those of you looking for something a little more substantial to nosh on. The party is going from 6pm until 2am, so make sure not to check your energy at the door. Have a look at these two trailers for the films that will be screening on Friday evening.

Phoenix is quickly becoming a paradise for fans of independent and cult cinema, mostly due to the hard work put in by a couple of dedicated business owners that opened up unique theaters in the city. One of those new theaters is The Royale out in Mesa. If you haven’t gotten a chance to check it out yet, I’d recommend getting out there in the next few days to check out Secuestrados (Kidnapped), while they’re still screening it. The Spanish film has been receiving a lot of critical praise, along with comparisons to Funny Games, including the great honor of winning Best Horror Film at Fantastic Fest. The final screenings for the film are taking place on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 7pm, and Thursday at 9pm. You can grab tickets in advance.

If you haven’t gotten a chance to the check out The Royale in Downtown Mesa yet, Wednesday night is providing a great opportunity for you to jump at. The Valley’s newest independent movie theater will be launching it’s new monthly horror film screening event, called Reel Horror, on this fine August evening. The night is going to be happening on the second Wednesday of every month and features film programming by Victor Moreno and Justin Edwards. These gents decided to keep the film that’s being screened a secret in order to amplify the suspense. Check out the event trailer that they put together and then get your tickets for the low cost of $8. Support indie cinema in Phoenix!

Midnite Movie Mamacita is at it once again! She has booked yet another awesome event focused around a 35mm screening of a fantastic film, at her stomping grounds at Madcap Theaters. One Saturday, February 5th, she’ll be presenting Scott Pilgrim: Love Hurts at the converted indie theater on Mill. The event is an early Valentine’s Day celebration and will feature the opportunity to pose with their sweetheart in a special photo booth and get a free print of the photo too boot. There will also be some contests held throughout the night, and a whole bunch of Scott Pilgrim merch for sale. Oh, that reminds me! This whole event is based around a Midnight screening of Scott Pilgrim vs The World, so make sure you stick around for that too! The night gets kicked off at 11pm and you can get tickets here, or at the door.

This Friday, April 2nd thru Saturday, April 3rd, Madcap Theaters will be presenting its Best Worst Double Feature with The Room & Birdemic! The two films being screened are The Room at 8pm, and Birdemic: Shock & Terror at 10pm. Admission is $7.00 for one film and $10.00 for both films.

For those of you who have not yet seen the The Room (2003), I assure you it truly is the best worst film you’ll ever see. To fully enjoy this film it should be
viewed on the big screen with a large heckling audience. Since its release its quickly reached cult status with underground screenings of it taking place throughout the country. As Madcap put it, The Room is a “unintentionally hilarious steaming pile of ‘relationship drama’ that’s been hailed as “Floor Plan 9 from Outer Space” and without a doubt, the worst film ever made, including movies made on Betamax cameras in special education high school classes.”

As for Birdemic: Shock & Terror (2008), I have not seen it. However, Madcap says, Birdemic is equal parts both epochal tale and cinematic warning shot. It tells the story of a couple unexpectedly and unforgettably caught in the eye of a feather-based storm…an apocalyptic attack winging down from the skies in a twisted morass of feathers, talons and blood-soaked claws. Officially Rejected from Sundance 2009, it has to be seen to be believed!” Take a look at the show times and trailers below:



THE ROOM (R)
04/02 Fri & 04/03 Sat: 8:00 PM


BIRDEMIC: SHOCK & TERROR (NR)
04/02 Fri & 04/03 Sat: 10:00 PM


Admission: $7.00 – $10.00


More info on this event can be found at either Madcap Theaters‘ or The Midnight Movie Mamacita’s webpage.











- Post by Dave Surber

The holiday season is here again! Before you stuff you face and listen to hours of family arguments tomorrow, make sure you celebrate with some friends tonight. What better way to do that then with a great show in an intimate environment. Head over to Modified tonight and check out one of my favorite new discoveries this year along with a gang of awesome local bands. Real Estate will probably be playing in a much larger venue the next time they come to town, and Modified will soon cease to exist, so come out and party!

If you’re not feeling up for a show, or just want a great movie to see after, hit your local theater and go see The Road. Cormac McCarthy’s novel is one of the most brutal and heartbreaking pieces of American literature that has ever been written. I’ve spent many nights endlessly turning the pages of this book and have been drooling over the chance to see the movie. Come on! It stars Viggo Mortensen! Plus, you could only leave the theater feeling thankful for all that you have, and that’s what the holidays are really all about. Right?

Hedi Slimane has continuously been a huge inspiration to me. He’s the greatest male fashion designer to ever live in my humble opinion and one hell of a photographer. Most of his photographic subjects are young Americans and the activities they partake in. He’s spent a lot of time recently traveling and shooting images of people at various musical festivals, including some wonderful sets at last year’s edition of Coachella. Being the expert he is in the field of American counter culture, putting together this limited-edition film collection is a total no-brainer. The box set is limited to 2500 copies and is available now through colette. Check out the trailers for a few of the films on the collection.

Until The Light Takes Us is a story of a fascinating and violent time in recent music history. Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell spent several years living in close proximity to the musicians involved with the Norwegian black metal scene and gaining a high level of trust with them. This allowed the pair to get an intimate look into a group of musicians that took their beliefs far beyond the music they played and left a county in panic after committing a spree of crimes. If you were a fan of the book Lords Of Chaos, this is basically the film you’ve been dreaming of seeing. The film has opened at film festivals to rave reviews and is seeing a wider release on December 4th. The soundtrack features music by bands such as Black Dice, Boards Of Canada, Mayhem, and Thorns.

Here’s the third video from Land of Talk’s recent album Some Are Lakes. The Montreal-based band enlisted WeWereMonkeys to direct the video for “It’s Okay” and they delivered a beautiful clip. This was one of the tracks that immediately lodged itself in my brain after the first listen of the album, and remains a favorite after many future listens. This video, and two others, are on the new Fun & Laughter EP along with four new songs. Saddle Creek is giving away one of the tracks for free. You can find it below.





Download: Land Of Talk- May You Never (Via Saddle Creek)