She Likes to Watch

I swear I’m not one of those movie quote people.

You know what I mean, right? I’m talking about those folks who seem to have no original thoughts of their own. Instead, everything they say is a line from John Travolta in “Pulp Fiction,” an impression of Billy Murray talking about gophers or some obscure monologue from a Monty Python flick they’ve seen 146 times.

Well, that’s just not me. For one thing, I can’t remember quotes from a movie I saw 30 minutes earlier. Secondly, people who incessantly recite movie lines tend to be —how shall I put this . . .

Dorks.

I mean, yeah, I appreciate good dialogue like everyone else. But if the guy in the cubicle next to you can’t seem to avoid the Luke Skywalker lines, well . . . Houston, we’ve got a problem, if you know what I mean.

Now, okay — here’s the thing, though. I do find myself often reciting lines like, “You’re out of your element!” “That rug really tied the room together, did it not?” and “I can get you a toe by 3 o’clock this afternoon.”

Which could — in theory — qualify me for dork status. But I think this is an exception. After all, “The Big Lebowski” is no ordinary movie. Heck, nearly a decade after the film was made, even the actors recite lines from it.

That’s one of the many things I’ve gleaned from “I’m a Lebowski, You’re a Lebowski,” a new book from the guys who created Lebowski Fest. If you don’t know what the title refers to, you might as well stop reading this blog entry (as if you haven’t already). Because this book is pretty much for the Lebowski faithful, those who simply can’t see Jeff Bridges in an movie without saying, “Hey — it’s The Dude!”

“The Big Lebowski” is, of course, the Coen brothers’ classic noir comedy that somehow tanked at the box office but has taken on a huge life as a cult classic. The Lebowski Fest has taken place in several states and is now prepared to cross the ocean.

The book is great because it features interviews with many of the actors in the movie and the people who inspired the characters.

Some interesting tidbits:

· Much of the Dude’s wardrobe — including the jelly shoes — came from Bridges’ own closet. “Lebowski” is his favorite movie.
· John Turturro has pitched a spin-off to the Coen brothers that would spotlight his character, Jesus. (Don’t count on it, though. The Coen brothers aren’t into sequels.)
· Larry, the kid who stole the Dude’s car, was inspired by a real-life teen car thief who now works in the film industry.
· Jerry Haleva, the guy who played Saddam, had a career working at the California legislature and is now a lobbyist. He has appeared as Saddam in every movie he has appeared in — six total.
· The Coen brothers were very particular about their lines, inserting “uh’s” and “ah’s” to mimic real language. Julianne Moore, who played Maude Lebowski, said she filmed one really long sequence, which the Coen brothers liked, but then made her redo because she added one word: “really.”
· One of the inspirations for Walter is John Milius, who wrote “Apocalypse Now.” Milius describes himself as a militaristic Republican — sort of a fish out of water in Hollywood. He is also one of the original founders of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

— Pat P.

In the midst of a subtle, mysterious epidemic, a psychiatrist mother (Nicole Kidman) struggles for her son’s and her own safety in her once-normal city in “The Invasion,” directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.

At the start of the film, I noticed the obvious details of a large city on a typical day — the loud music booming from SUV’s; homeless people fraught and begging for money; and men and women dressed in business attire, speaking frantically on cell phones. But when the strange and rather absurd epidemic hits the town, the psychiatrist is confronted with what seem to be people from Mars crowding the sidewalks. At first, this is befuddling to the viewer, as the busy bodies of a mainstream city turn into the flipside — an inanimate, alienated group.

And then, seeing the strength of an able-bodied mom fighting through the invasion to keep her son safe is amazing. Rampage and separation steer them from hope at times, but their devotion to one another doesn’t cease. The action scenes rival anything from typical bad guy vs. good guy movies.

Kidman’s role in the film is a vigorous one, and I thought she alone made the movie work. With Daniel Craig (star of the recent James Bond film “Casino Royale”) by her side, the couple merits plenty of credit for decent acting.

As a remake of the original “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” “The Invasion” makes the audience think of other current, universal conflicts as well. The matter of world peace and war are the stuff of today’s politics and hot debates. Though I won’t give away any important details, I will say that if these topics are of interest to you, that’s one more reason to see “The Invasion.” As a peace activist, this film made me reflect on these issues with a somewhat different perspective than I had before.

You may be asking, “What the heck do zombie-like people have to do with things as different as peace and war?” Well, I’m going to have to leave that up to you to find out from “The Invasion.”

— Anya Rossa-Quade

Anya Rossa-Quade, a junior at Arroyo Grande High School, loves to write and watch films with her friends.

An actress from Atascadero can add Emmy winner to her list of accomplishments.

This weekend, Central Coast resident Rae Stone shared a regional Emmy Award with the cast and crew of “Do You Know CPR?” The public-service announcement aired on Beverly Hills’ Network 10.

Stone said she was too stunned by the win to remember much about Saturday’s award ceremony.

“They say I talked and said something nice,” the 54-year-old actress joked later. “Thank goodness for photos and video because I can’t remember a thing!”

The ceremony by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences took place at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood.

As Rae Stone told The Tribune earlier this month, professional acting is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

She spent most of her life as a business manager and nonprofit executive with Helpline and Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

After doctors diagnosed Stone with a serious heart condition seven years ago, however, she pledged to follow her dream of taking the stage full-time. She spent 12 weeks studying at Steppenwolf Classes West, the Los Angeles branch of Chicago’s famed theater company.

Stone has since starred in two plays, a couple of infomercials and a handful of short and independent films.

She’s also currently producing a musical featuring music by Elton John, “Tumbleweed Connection.”

Film buffs can see the work of a Central Coast native this week in southern California.

“Luck of the Draw,” directed by Cambria’s own Summer-joy Main, makes its world premiere at the Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films. Also known as ShortFest, the event runs through Wednesday.

Main filmed “Luck of the Draw,” a comedic Western that’s just 13 minutes long, in March 2006 in Santa Clarita. It stars James Duval, Chris Mulkey, Kristoffer Winters and Susan Duerden.

The Palm Beach film festival gives this description:
“A ‘High Noon’-style showdown between a wanted desperado and two gunslingers who are fighting for the hand of the lady who loves him sets the stage for this wry tale of love and bullets set in the wild, wild west.”

The short film will be screened Tuesday as part of the festival’s “Show Down” section – featuring a full 90 minutes of footage about opposing sides and their struggles.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER:
Summer-joy Main, who goes by the professional name “S.J. Main,” graduated from Coast Union High School in 1996 before studying at UCLA and Columbia University. Her parents, semi-retired radiologist Gerry Main and teacher Marty Muñoz-Main, still live in Cambria.

The filmmaker formed her own production company, Tica Productions, in 2000.
Her graduate thesis film for Columbia University, “La Cerca” (“The Fence”), was screened at more than 20 film festivals and won a handful of award nominations.

Main made her first trip to the Sundance Film Festival this winter as producer of “Bitch,” a short film about a sour young woman who finally meets her match.

For more information, check out the film festival’s Web site or Tica Productions.

– Sarah L.

NBC’s “Today” show must be sweet on the Central Coast.

A stay at Pismo Beach’s luxurious Dolphin Bay resort will serve as the consolation prize for couples participating in the network’s “Today Throws a Martha Stewart Wedding” contest, anchors Ann Curry and Matt Lauer announced this morning.

While the winners, Mesa, Ariz., students Cody and Jessica, experience a wedding and reception designed by home décor maven Martha Stewart, the three remaining couples will enjoy five nights at Dolphin Bay Hotel & Residences – starting tonight.

“It’s a gorgeous area of California,” Lauer said of the Central Coast, noting about nearby 200 vineyards.

The other finalists in the contest were Will and Beth of Naples, Fla., Thomas and Nicole of Detroit, and Jason and Alisa of Chicago.

According to the resort’s Web site, Dolphin Bay offers 70 one- or two-bedroom suites ranging in size from 900 to more than 2,000 square feet and featuring a kitchen, dining area and laundry facilities.

That’s not to mention all the other luxuries: free valet parking, Italian linens, flat-panel plasma TVs, fireplaces and Aire Jet spa tubs. It’s located at 2727 Shell Beach Rd. in Pismo Beach.

***

Dolphin Bay seems to draw its share of celebrities.

In May, 200 guests flocked to the resort for a wedding for the daughter of Hollywood mogul Glenn Padnick, the president of Castle Rock Television.

When the cast of “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” filmed at the Guadalupe Dunes last fall, stars Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom were spotted dining at the Dolphin Bay’s Lido Restaurant.

And in June 2006, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joined about 50 guests for dinner at Lido Restaurant.
Each paid a whopping $10,000 per plate to dine on Dungeness crab, duck confit and vanilla ice cream profiteroles. The event was a fundraiser for Schwarzenegger’s re-election campaign.

For more information, check out the Today show or Dolphin Bay.

– Sarah L.