The Leelanau News Blog
leelanau county news • traverse city news • michigan news

My friends Micheal, Ingemar, Lisa and Rick of the band Song of the Lakes have a new DVD titled Live at Interlochen. It features a full-length movie of Song of the Lakes 25th Anniversary concert by Rich Brauer & Brauer Productions and the documentary Journey to Joy by Rebecca Glotfelty of Real People Media.

The DVD premiers at the State Theatre in Traverse City on Tuesday, March 25, 2008. Be sure to come because it's a fantastic show!

They'll have a link to order the DVD from their web site.

An animated version of the Leelanau Song. Written by Art and Hazel Oberhelman, sung by Amy Hubbell of the Leelanau Enterprise. Animated by students at a TAP workshop ... www.theartplace.org

Coming in May

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Cyrstal Skull, premiering May 22nd!

For more information, visit the Bay Theatre's website.

Iron Man

Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment's big screen adaptation of Marvel's legendary Super Hero Iron Man will launch into theaters on May 2, 2008. Oscar® nominee Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the story of a billionaire industrialist and genius inventor who is kidnapped and forced to build a devastating weapon. Instead, using his intelligence and ingenuity, Tony builds a high-tech suit of armor and escapes captivity. When he uncovers a nefarious plot with global implications, he dons his powerful armor and vows to protect the world as Iron Man. The film also stars Oscar® winner Gwyneth Paltrow and Oscar® nominees Terrence Howard and Jeff Bridges and is directed by Jon Favreau. --© Paramount Pictures

Rated PG-13 126 Min. Scope

Showtimes through May 15th

Fri. 4:30 7:00 & 9:30

Sat. 2:00 4:30 7:00 & 9:30

Sun. 2:00 4:30 & 7:00

Mon. – Thurs. 7:00

For more information, visit this site .

“The gadgetry is absolutely dazzling,

the action is mostly exhilarating, the

comedy is scintillating and the whole enormous

enterprise throbs with dramatic energy.”

- Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

“Powerhouse… expansively entertaining

special effects extravaganza”

Todd McCarthy - Variety

”Iron Man is a shapely piece of mythmaking.”

David Edelstein - New York Magazine

“Handsome and Charismatic, Robert Downey Jr.

renders a dominant performance.”

Emanuel Levy - EmanuelLevy.Com

Glen Arbor Sun writer Pat Stinson asked Leelanau residents about the impact of the State, The Bay and their movie watching habits. In Community bids adieu to a deserted downtown at dusk, Pat took a look at the State's impact so far.

One of the articles she referenced was Filmmaker puts Traverse City in spotlight from the Detroit News. The article will soon disappear into the mists of "you have to pay to read it", so here's a brief excerpt:

Many here hope that Moore and the newly reopened State Theater will tap into the affluent, educated empty-nesters who are turning this once-seasonal tourist town into an upscale village of culinary and cultural delights.

"This isn't about politics for me," Moore said. "It's about celebrating this beautiful state of ours, sharing the power of great film and really using a great old movie palace as both an economic power and a community gathering place."

Many businesses here say it's a critical moment for Traverse City, which, city officials say, now boasts a waiting list of more than 60 businesses looking to set up shop downtown.

As to how those hopes have been realized, State of the State: It's busy in the Traverse City Record-Eagle quotes Deb Lake, executive director of the Traverse City Film Festival as saying "Our booker is floored by how we're doing. We're doing well. People are just loving coming down here."

By all accounts the State appears to be doing remarkable well, and you should certainly try and see a movie there soon if you haven't - web site for Traverse City's State Theatre.

Photo: From the Balcony of the State Theatre by Andy McFarlane (State Theatre slideshow)

The 3rd annual Traverse City Film Festival takes place July 31 - August 5th and will screen over 60 films in a variety of categories this year, including American Independent Cinema, New Foreign Cinema, Dangerous Docs, and Overlooked & Outstanding Films.

Highlights include dedicated matinee screenings of Children's and Native American films; Midnight Madness, a selection of new cult-favorite horror films playing at special midnight showings; select screenings of classic films including a 40 th anniversary celebration of "The Graduate" and a screening of "The Bridge on the River Kwai" on its 50th anniversary and 4 free films at the Open Space: E.T., Grease, North by Northwest and Raiders of the Lost Ark. There are also a variety of panels discussing film & filmmaking, some great music and enough parties to keep the paparazzi in you pacified.

If you've never been, you should go - this is a wonderful event that will make you smile at the energy it brings to Traverse City and our region. Tickets are still available and you can get loads and loads more information at the Traverse City Film Festival web site and also in the Filmgoer Guide from Traverse Magazine.

Photo credit: The State Lives by Darrin Wassom

The Traverse City Film Festival announced this morning that it would accept the deed to the historic Traverse City theater Rotary Charities of Traverse City. The nonprofit initially plans to have the theater open on weekends in the winter and seven days a week in the summer. Festival co-founder Michael Moore said:

"It has been our dream since we started the festival two years ago to bring the State Theatre back to life and restore it to its glory as one of the great movie palaces of the Midwest. Now, thanks to the generosity of Rotary Charities, people from all over northern Michigan will be able to see great films the way they were intended to be seen: projected on a big screen with great sound in an atmosphere where going to the movies can be an exhilarating experience."

You can read the complete news release at the festival web site, read Film Festival to Take Over in the TC Record-Eagle, and learn more about the Traverse City Film Festival which will be held July 31 - August 5, 2007 at traversecityfilmfest.org.

Photo credit: Michael Moore with the key to the State Theatre by Jennifer Hutchinson

The Leelanau Enterprise reports that there will be a pair of benefit screenings of "The Namesake" on Friday (May 11) and Sunday (May 13) at The Bay Theater in Suttons Bay. Note: The Namesake is rated PG-13.  Adults & teenagers only-this is NOT a kid's movie

A team of six fourth and fifth graders from Leland captured the OM State Championship in their category last month in Traverse City and will compete against children from throughout the U.S. and 50 foreign countries later this month on the campus of Michigan State University.

The Bay Theater will screen the movie "The Namesake" on May 11 at 6 p.m. and May 13 at 2 p.m. as a fundraiser for the local OM team. The movie is rated PG-13. Tickets are $15 each and are on sale at the Leland Public School office, Kejara's Bridge coffee house in Lake Leelanau, the Leland Mercantile, the Pennington Collection in Northport, and Hansen Foods in Suttons Bay.

Read Airing of movie to raise funds for 'Odyssey' team in the Enterprise and get information about the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals May 23-26 in East Lansing.

Here's a nationally produced travelogue from 1949 featuring all kinds of Glen Lake, the Sleeping Bear Dunes (complete with Dunesmobile rides), cherries and Traverse City.