SQUID FRY 09.12.13 – Movie Mutiny

MOVIE MUTINY… Squid appreciated the Big Sur International Short Film Screening Series cameos at Osio Cinemas this summer. So Squid was eager to ooze into a seat at the Golden State Theatre last Saturday for the finale gala to see the juried best of the fest. And holy mackerel, about 800 others – just shy of a full house – thought the same thing. What a sight, like old times at Golden State: pre-fest music by Songs Hotbox Harry Taught Us; Golden State owner Warren Dewey pouring drinks behind the bar; friends, colleagues and strangers coming together for a common feast of film culture.

Funny thing, though, about getting together large numbers of people with expectations. When Henry Miller Memorial Library Executive Director Magnus “Hippie Sven” Toren took to the mic as the emcee of the films, he warned we would be hearing from him a lot. After the first film, a sentimental number called “Henry” about a man with dementia, Toren delivered maybe the best line of the night: “Fuck these actors. They so pull my strings.”

He spoke between each film, meandering across anecdotes and housekeeping. The short film fest – just four films – began to grow into a long film fest. Before the final film, he and the HMML folks sold tickets to a raffle, but there came shouts of “Show the film!” and “Just play the film!” But then the drawing of raffle tickets began before all the tickets had made their way into the jar. “Wait! There’s more tickets!” the crowd protested as the numbers were called.

How’s that for gratitude? First the audience wants to put off the raffle until after the final film. Then they want to delay the raffle so everyone’s tickets get a fair shot. It was confusing, like the second film, “Move Mountain,” and funny, like the last one, “The Lizards.”

PERSONAL CYBERSPACE… Squid hates when websites demand personal info. It’s just Internet intuition: Never give more to the data-hoarders than absolutely necessary, and even then, tread cautiously. Some Salinas citizens’ spider-senses were tingling when Councilman Steve McShane shared a link on his Facebook wall, saying the city is conducting an online poll regarding peoples’ concerns about public safety. To answer the 10-question poll – which comes from some website called jotformpro.com – you’re required to give up a full name, email address and, optionally, address and phone number. A couple skeptical Facebook commenters wondered where this poll actually came from and why it was asking for all that personal info.

“We want your opinions and feedback as we strive for a safer, better Salinas,” the poll intro states. Who’s “we”? McShane? The council? The NSA? “We,” sir, demand answers before answering your questions!