She Likes to Watch

You know those lazy spring days that you spend parked between the TV and the refrigerator, wistfully wishing you actually had something to do?

Well, my friends, with the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival in full swing, you have no more excuses.

Each day offers half a dozen screenings, as well as workshops, receptions and filmmaker appearances.

Today, for instance, you could head to the Palm Theatre in San Luis Obispo for a screening of the groundbreaking “Street Scene.”

King Vidor revolutioned the movie industry by translating Elmer Rice’s single-set play onto film — using creative camera angles and swooping shots to capture the action.

Personally, I’m kicking myself that I can’t attend this afternoon’s screening of “Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story,” at Downtown Centre Cinemas.

As you may know, Castle is the modern-day P.T. Barnum who drew crowds to his schlocky B-movies by selling fake insurance policies, providing faux doctors for the nervous, and wiring theater seats to “buzz” their inhabitants. While the current fad for “torture porn” wastes no time in revealing buckets of gore, Castle’s movies gave moviegoers the delicious thrill of anticipation.

It’s followed by “This Is My Cheesesteak,” one filmmaker’s delicious quest to find the ultimate Philly cheesesteak sandwich. My mouth is watering.

Since I’m a working stiff like the rest of you, however, I’ll have to be satisfied with “Dr. Zhivago” — that beautiful, sweepingly romantic tale of love and loss during the Russian Revolution.

That Omar Shariff is pretty darn dreamy.

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Here’s the nitty-gritty:

“Spine Tingler: The William Castle Story” and “This Is My Cheesesteak”
4 p.m., today
Downtown Centre Cinemas, 888 Marsh St., San Luis Obispo

“No I in Security” and “The Union”
7 p.m.
Downtown Centre Cinemas

“Street Scene”
7:30 p.m., following 6 p.m. reception at SLOIFF headquarters, 861 Palm St., SLO
Palm Theatre, 817 Palm St., SLO

“Dr. Zhivago”
7:30 p.m.
Fremont theater, 1025 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo

Check out the film festival Web site for ticket prices and more details.

– Sarah L.