Bad-movie curse hits Spokane again
Ouch. Looks like Spokane’s bad-movie curse continues.
The reviews for the Spokane-filmed “Home of the Brave” are in, and they are not pretty. As of Thursday afternoon, only two out of 12 movie critics in the country liked it, accord to the movie review Web site Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics have been dismissive at best, savage at worst:
“ David Germain, AP: “A rather plain and predictable study.”
“ Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly: “(Director Irwin Winkler) has copied the wrong masterpiece at the wrong time. And he’s done so with a crayon.”
“ Nathan Lee, Village Voice: “A beyond-earnest weepy … the film is sincere as a three-legged puppy.”
“ Michael Rechtshaffen, Hollywood Reporter: “Cries out for a defter directorial touch … it is not likely to attract much attention at movie theaters.”
Most reviewers have not even mentioned the movie’s Spokane location. Maybe that’s just as well.
The Interplayers watch
Rumors of Interplayers Theatre’s imminent demise are, according to board president Jim McCurdy, exaggerated.
This is not to say that Spokane’s oldest professional theater is the picture of financial health. Interplayers has been staggering financially for at least five years.
But McCurdy said the remainder of the 2006-2007 season is in no jeopardy and plans are being laid for an even more ambitious 2007-2008 season.
According to McCurdy, for every ominous development, there’s a corresponding positive trend:
“ The theater has been saddled with “tremendous debt” – yet McCurdy said the debt has been “significantly reduced” and that, by spring, “we expect to have all government and commercial debt paid off.”
“ The theater has lost both its artistic director and marketing director, leaving little in the way of professional staff – yet the board plans to hire for both positions soon. (In the meantime, at least, salary expenses are down.)
“ Not every production has lived up to Interplayers’ former professional standards – but the season-opening “Bus Stop,” featured professional talent from New York and L.A. and was a box-office smash.
“Next season, we would like to fund a full season of ‘Bus Stop’-quality productions,” said McCurdy.
He admits it’s a tall order. But he said the theater has made plenty of progress so far. Interplayers, he said, is worth saving, no matter how difficult the task.
More Bing for the buck
Last weekend’s Wing-Ding for the Bing – the gala dedication of the Bing Crosby Theater – was a gratifying success, according to organizer Bill Stimson.
The theater came close to selling out. The organization raised enough money for a new sign – it will be installed in a few months – with a few thousand dollars left over for other Bing-related enhancements.
In other words, the positive was accentuated. Pennies rained from heaven.